**** 2018 WORLD CUP THREAD ***

Kroos FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL!!

I thought the end of that match was interesting and exciting. Does anyone else think that the end of that match was interesting and exciting. I sure did.

Boateng may have been booted with two yellow cards, but he saved the match for Germany. Their basic defensive strategy was to knock down the Swedish attacker, ending the break, and hoping they wouldn't get the cards or fouls in the penalty box. Ridiculous that this strategy was tolerated, but Sweden was absolutely robbed by both the head ref and the assistant video referee, who didn't even review the play. So, Sweden should have been up 2-0 and either won or tied. Sweden was very foolhardy in continuing its all-defense/counterattack strategy when up a man, and that is what allowed Germany the victory. On the other side, Germany was incredibly unlucky in missing so many incredible chances. Germany could easily have scored six goals, not counting the many great Swedish saves. Now Germany has a great shot at winning the group by running up the score against Korea, while Sweden and Mexico have a tough game. The group qualifiers will face Brazil's group in the next round or two--1F-2E/2F-1E then the winners play each other in the quarters. If Brazil doesn't qualify, it could be easy for Germany or Mexico to get to the semis.

interesting and exciting wrote:

I thought the end of that match was interesting and exciting. Does anyone else think that the end of that match was interesting and exciting. I sure did.

I thought it was serendipitous and inevitable, not interesting and exciting.

I was referring to when Boateng dropped the Swedish attacker in the penalty box and no foul was called.

Germany just makes things so tough for themselves, and Boatang is just not a solid CB. Glad Rudiger got the start to add some speed and structure in the back.

I still don't understand how the coach could leave off the fastest player in the EPL, Leroy Sane. How in the hell did one of Man City's best players not make this team? He would be destroying everything down the flank. If Germany does not go deep into the WC, the coach is going to take a blasting for not adding him to the team, because Germany just seems slow at times, especially on the wings. No way will they be able to match the speed of Belgium, Brasil, Nigeria, England and Mexico. Even the Russians play with a lot of pace.

Toni Kroos, Modric, Casimero are showing in this tournament why Real Madrid has the best midfield in the world.

Wow! That was a game!

Group F scenario...

Let's assume Germany beats North Korea (and we'll say by 1 goal). If Mexico vs. Sweden is a Mexico win or a tie, it's Mexico and Germany advancing. What happens if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal?

Assuming Germany wins on Wednesday, what scenario keeps them from advancing?

Thanks.

novice futbol fan wrote:

Group F scenario...

Let's assume Germany beats North Korea (and we'll say by 1 goal). If Mexico vs. Sweden is a Mexico win or a tie, it's Mexico and Germany advancing. What happens if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal?

Assuming Germany wins on Wednesday, what scenario keeps them from advancing?

Thanks.

The first tie breaker is goal differential, so if Sweden has a better goal differential, they will go through even though Germany just beats them

Ok, so a 2-0 Sweden win (Germany 1 goal win), advances Mexico and Sweden.

Again, what if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal and Germany wins by 1 goal?

Again, thank you.

novice futbol fan wrote:

Ok, so a 2-0 Sweden win (Germany 1 goal win), advances Mexico and Sweden.

Again, what if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal and Germany wins by 1 goal?

Again, thank you.

No. A 2-0 Sweden Win and a Germany 1 goal win advances Sweden and Germany

novice futbol fan wrote:

Again, what if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal and Germany wins by 1 goal?

Again, thank you.

Tiebreaker would be total goals scored. So it would depend on the actual results.

Also, one more thing, I'm sure you meant South Korea. ....

South Korea is tricky as hell. They lost, but they had some chances against Mexico, and they were just as fast, which is why that game was high speed.

South Korea is going to go in as the faster team, and that could be a problem for Germany, so if Germany pushes forward looking to bang away a lot of goals so that they can have the edge in goal differential against Sweden, they will expose themselves to the speed of South Korea on the counter.

So many teams are fast as hell it's insane, and a lot of teams are pressing like never before. Tinusia, Panama, etc. I have never seen so many teams with so much speed in the WC......The game has really, really evolved.

Iceland is the only team that lacks the ability to truly press and play fast on the attack, because they don't know how to do it, and they are are slow as s h i t. They sit back looking for you to make a mistake, try to get one goal, and then play nothing but defense after that. You saw what happened when they came out of their shell, Nigeria destroyed their arses. They are an insult to the beautiful game. lol

In previous WC, there would be a lot of boring games in the group stages, but these games have been high speed and electric , and some big teams are being punched in the mouth with speed.. Hell, even Tunisia was jumping out with speed and chances against Belgium.

I would not be surprised if Mexico wins it all...seriously.

Yes, of course... South Korea.

There a potential scenario with a 3-way tie, including total goals, correct? Sweden 1-0 over Mexico and Germany 1-0 over South Korea. All three countries would have 3 goals. Who advances?!

novice futbol fan wrote:

Ok, so a 2-0 Sweden win (Germany 1 goal win), advances Mexico and Sweden.

Again, what if Sweden beats Mexico by 1 goal and Germany wins by 1 goal?

Again, thank you.

Here is better picture on how tiebreakers are decided:

First tiebreaker: Goal Differential

If that is a tie, second tie breaker: Goals scored

3rd tire breaker: Points from group stage matches involving the tied teams.

And there are others after that, but I'm not touching those. Germany's group is a headache, because so many scenarios could play out. But look for Germany to bang away a lot of goals to increase their goal results.

What's really messed up is that Mexico could actually get bounced even though they have been one of the best teams so far. This is why head to head should be the ultimate tie breaker. If they lose to Sweden ( and they have better goal results), and Germany has the better goal results, then germany and sweden will go through, even though Mexico spanked Germany. This is why head to head should be the first tie breaker. And if head to head is a tie, then you go to goal results ( differential, goals scored).

Scorpion_runner wrote:

South Korea is going to go in as the faster team, and that could be a problem for Germany, so if Germany pushes forward looking to bang away a lot of goals so that they can have the edge in goal differential against Sweden, they will expose themselves to the speed of South Korea on the counter.

This scares me too.

It was not necessarily a given that Sweden would have gone up 2-0 if they were penalty kick when Boeteng pulled down the Swedish player in the box. A goal form Sweden at that point in the game would have changed the style of play and Sweden may not have created the same type of opportunity that led to their first goal. Regardless, the referee definitely let the game get out of hand and Germany benefit from the loose calls. There should have been some yellows much earlier in the game.

I am not sure what Germany is doing with Boeteng and Rudiger playing so far up and then expecting them to get back and defend the counter attack. They are good, strong defenders, but they don't have the speed to get back when they play so far up and it has shown in the first two games. They seemed to convert to a 3-man back line in the 2nd half and keep them further back rather than a 4-man back line with the LB and RB play up the field, and that seemed to help them a bit.

Not sure what kind of matchups we will see between Groups E and F in the next round because no team in either group has looked especially convincing. I could see upsets of any stripe occurring and 1 or 2 of the favorites crashing out.

Overall, it's been pretty exciting group play this time around, as opposed to past Cups that tended to be conservative snoozers in the group round. I think this had a lot to do with the change in European club football to a more attacking style.

No disrespect, but what do you mean Rudiger does not have the speed to track back?? He is the fastest player on chelsea, fastest CB in the EPL, and the sixth fastest player in the EPL. He definitely has the speed and then some. and got back to the offensive player on both plays, just didn't make the play on the ball. He recovered quickly on both plays.

Well, he looked slow today, but you are right, he is fast. I guess that I got him mixed up with Boeteng at times. But Boeteng is definitely slow. When not caught up in the counter attack, they are both imposing monsters in the back. They look like they can out muscle and out head any forward that dares to venture into the box. It seems like the counter attack is the only way to beat Germany, actually.