# World Cup 2018 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 7, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615 "2018-06-07T18:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/881 "2018-06-27T19:26:06Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > The Swiss are likely to crush the Costa Ricans by more goals than Brazil will defeat Serbia. Perhaps not ;). ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/882 "2018-06-27T19:27:56Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Perhaps not ;). So true. Looks to be Bra v Mex and See v SWI in the round of 16. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/883 "2018-06-27T19:29:00Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Serbia look the better side in the 2nd half. This is not your fathers Brazil side. Perhaps not too. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/884 "2018-06-27T19:46:30Z")
Serbia put some real pressure in the ten minutes before the second goal and should really have scored which would have brought the game alive. Looks like Brazil will top the group which sets up some juicy quarter-finals in the top half. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/885 "2018-06-27T19:47:02Z")
The top half of the bracket is South America heavy. Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. The bottom are all Euros so far. This is going to be good. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/886 "2018-06-27T19:49:09Z")
France and England/Belgium will also be in the top half. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/887 "2018-06-27T19:49:36Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > The top half of the bracket is South America heavy. Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina. The bottom are all Euros so far. This is going to be good. Plus, México in the top (fellow Latin Americans). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/888 "2018-06-27T19:53:44Z")
Swiss v Rich Coasters is certainly finishing with a bang! ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/889 "2018-06-27T19:53:53Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Plus, México in the top (fellow Latin Americans). 🙂 If Belgium win their group and Spain don’t advance we will have a first time nation in the final. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/890 "2018-06-27T20:07:37Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > If Belgium win their group and Spain don’t advance we will have a first time nation in the final. I think you have the Belgium game backwards? Belgium go into the bottom bracket if they finish runners-up, right? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/891 "2018-06-27T20:11:17Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I think you have the Belgium game backwards? Belgium go into the bottom bracket if they finish runners-up, right? You are right. I wrote it down incorrectly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/892 "2018-06-27T20:59:25Z")
Maybe German fans could pivot to rugby in time for Saturday’s RWC [qualifier against Samoa?](https://twitter.com/rugbyworldcup/status/1011962325983690752) ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/893 "2018-06-27T21:01:03Z")
So, this is interesting. England and Belgium tied on points, GD, and GF. Winner gets stuck on the hard side of the bracket with Uruguay/Portugal, France/Argentina, and Brazil/Mexico. Loser gets Spain/Russia, Croatia/Denmark, and Sweden/Switzerland. This is going to be some terrible soccer tomorrow morning, isn’t it? Maybe not “kick the ball into your own goal” Barbados/Grenada weird, but not very good either. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/894 "2018-06-27T21:10:37Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Bit off-topic for today but a Colombian friend of mine tells me that most South Americans dislike Argentina, and apparently, especially, Argentine fans and their team, is that so? Culturally, many Latin Americans have a stereotype of Argentinians as stuck-up wanna-be-Europeans. This goes back to the late 1800s, when Argentina had close economic and cultural ties to Europe. Buenos Aires’ architecture looks like Paris’, for example. But if the final match is between Argentina and a non-Latin-American country, they’ll tend to support Argentina. Up to that point, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/895 "2018-06-27T21:17:28Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Culturally, many Latin Americans have a stereotype of Argentinians as stuck-up wanna-be-Europeans. This goes back to the late 1800s, when Argentina had close economic and cultural ties to Europe. Buenos Aires’ architecture looks like Paris’, for example. > > But if the final match is between Argentina and a non-Latin-American country, they’ll tend to support Argentina. Up to that point, not so much. Argentinians are Euros who immigrated. Almost all of the native population were decimated and they had little or no slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/896 "2018-06-27T21:51:22Z")
I’ve avoided results all day. I haven’t read anything in this thread since this morning. I still haven’t caught up. I’ve only watched the Mexico v Sweden and Germany v South Korea matches so far but I felt the need to comment. To wit: Group F. The F is for Holy Fuck. Germany loses to South Korea and is out! Mexico loses to Sweden and is in! Sweden starts the day in third and ends up winning the group and Germany comes in last in the group! Amazing. 2018 is weird. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/897 "2018-06-27T22:02:29Z")
Embrace the insanity. 'Cause next time it’s going to be held in the desert. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/898 "2018-06-27T22:07:12Z")
I see a huge incentive to finish 2nd in Group G for Belgium or England. If my math is right a draw would result in England winning the group, since they have only 2 yellow cards to Belgium’s 3. I hope it’s not a 0-0 draw and a yellow card contest. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/899 "2018-06-27T22:09:06Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > You aren’t even talking about the same call, apparently. The call in question occurs when the player slides to his right to try and stop a cross and has his hand straight up in the air. That’s not a “natural stance” in any sense of the word. 😉 Unless I posted the wrong picture the stance he took was exactly as you would expect sliding toward the ball. He was also surrounded by other players with their arms out. You could kick the ball at any of them and make your claim. The defender had no way of knowing where the ball will be kicked. He can’t see who is behind him. Only by moving his arm toward the ball can you say there is an attempt to block the ball. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/900 "2018-06-27T22:33:31Z")
How stacked is the draw now? Going off the Guardian [wallchart here](https://www.theguardian.com/football/world-cup-2018/overview) and using the [FIFA rankings\*](https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/rank=279/index.html): The CONMEBOL side: [ul] [li]Uruguay 17[/li][li]Portugal 3[/li][li]France 7[/li][li]Argentina 4[/li][li]Brazil 2[/li][li]Mexico 16[/li][/ul] Average 8.2, three of the top four ranked teams. The UEFA side: [ul] [li]Spain 8[/li][li]Russia 65 (?!)[/li][li]Croatia 18[/li][li]Denmark 19[/li][li]Sweden 25[/li][li]Switzerland 11[/li][/ul] Average = 24.3 \*Yes I know they suck but I needed something to quantify. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=46)