# 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:** 7
**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 14, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/121 "2018-06-14T14:43:20Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Thank you. > > This is good but my favorite by far was France 1998. Awesome ceremony. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLBzOQIEqS4) ---
**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 14, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/122 "2018-06-14T14:45:11Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > That’s part of it, but also elimination games are fun! The possibility of an early upset in the elimination games adds to the excitement. I couldn’t agree more. I’m guessing they advance the 12 group winners and the 4 best second place teams. The added benefit of this is that teams can’t settle for second place and be sure of advancing. ---
**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 14, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/123 "2018-06-14T14:59:22Z")
Anyone know if Salah will play tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/124 "2018-06-14T15:13:24Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I couldn’t agree more. I’m guessing they advance the 12 group winners and the 4 best second place teams. The added benefit of this is that teams can’t settle for second place and be sure of advancing. They are actually using Groups of 3, IIRC (even with the collusion possibilities). And then the top 2 of each group advance to a Group of 32. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/125 "2018-06-14T15:15:01Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What I’ve never understood is the format. They put the 32 teams into eight groups of four, take the top two in each group and then have a 16 team bracket. The trouble is as I see it, you go 3-0-0 in group play but could be put out in the round of 16. I think it would make more sense to have a second round robin by taking the top two from each group in the first round and putting them into four groups of four for another round robin. Call them groups I,J,K, and L. Then group I would be A1,B1,C2, and D2, group J would be A2, B2, C1, and D1. Group K would be E1, F1, G2, and H2. Group L would be E2, F2, G1, and H1. Everybody sees 3 teams the hadn’t seen before. Top 2 in each group go to the Round of 8 That way you only go to elimination games when there are only 3 rounds to go and a superior team won’t be upset in the round of 16. Or even take it further by having another round robin of 2 groups of 4 with the top 2 in each group going to the semifinals. > > Now they’re going to have more teams in the North American combined games. Will each get an automatic berth? And, yet, amazingly, there has never been an “unworthy” winner of the Cup. Which means that the system works pretty well. One of the non-American viewpoints about “cup” tournaments is that the best teams DO have to avoid upset. That’s what makes a tournament like the FA Cup so interesting; lesser teams can manage to make it quite deep into the tournament via a combination of upsets and random draws. At least the WC follows a more “normal” (from an American viewpoint) seeding of higher performing teams against lesser performing teams for the knockout phases. ---
**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 14, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/126 "2018-06-14T15:23:27Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > They are actually using Groups of 3, IIRC (even with the collusion possibilities). And then the top 2 of each group advance to a Group of 32. Thank you for this. That’s a lot of games for the finalists. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/127 "2018-06-14T15:31:23Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Thank you for this. That’s a lot of games for the finalists. The same number of games for the finalists, 7. ETA: The third group game is replaced with a new knockout round game. EETA: The 16 teams that are out after the group will have played only 2 games. The 16 losers of the first knockout round will have played three games. Thus, the tournament is almost identical in numbers of games per team, except that an added 16 teams get to come and play only 2 games. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/128 "2018-06-14T15:33:32Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Thank you for this. That’s a lot of games for the finalists. Same number of games. They take out one Group Stage game and add a Round of 32 game. So right now, 3 Group Stage, 1 Round of 16, 1 QF, 1 SF, 1 Finals = 7 In 2026: 2 Group Stage, 1 Round of 32, 1 Round of 16, 1 QF, 1 SF, 1 Finals = 7 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/129 "2018-06-14T15:34:11Z")
Is anyone else having problems watching it online? I sign in to the Foxsports site, enable flash…but I just have a blank screen. ---
**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 14, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/130 "2018-06-14T15:36:29Z")
Thank you guys. Have they announced how they will sort the final 32? For example, will it be A1 v B2 B1 v A2 etc? ---
**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 14, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/131 "2018-06-14T15:37:30Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Is anyone else having problems watching it online? > > I sign in to the Foxsports site, enable flash…but I just have a blank screen. Its also on Hulu and telemundo. ---
**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 14, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/132 "2018-06-14T15:39:43Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Its also on Hulu and telemundo. Telemundo is worth it for Andres Cantor alone. Even if you don’t speak Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/133 "2018-06-14T15:47:13Z")
Russia 2-0 up at half time. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/134 "2018-06-14T15:47:50Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Its also on Hulu and telemundo. > [@madsircool](#): > > Telemundo is worth it for Andres Cantor alone. Even if you don’t speak Spanish. I’m at work, and while they don’t really track my internet, I’d feel weird going to Hulu. I also don’t want to risk the volume of Cantor! ---
**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 14, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/135 "2018-06-14T15:50:15Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Russia 2-0 up at half time. Dire stuff. Luckily we get Jaws Suarez and Spain v Portugual tomorrow. ---
**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 14, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/136 "2018-06-14T16:16:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Here it is, I think still current: > > [World Cup Tiebreakers Explained - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/world-cup-tiebreakers-2014-6) Thanks. I don’t like it, as it basically incentivizes teams to beat up on the crappy team(s) in the group. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/137 "2018-06-14T16:22:01Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Thanks. I don’t like it, as it basically incentivizes teams to beat up on the crappy team(s) in the group. Well, nothing wrong with that. And at the World Cup, there aren’t any truly ‘crappy’ teams - and even if so, I think 7-0 or 9-0 games are still worth something (I guess I don’t mind watching blowouts) ---
**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 14, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/138 "2018-06-14T16:34:15Z")
Robbie Williams flips off the world during opening ceremony > **[Robbie Williams kicked off the World Cup by flipping the bird to a camera](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2018/06/14/robbie-williams-kicked-off-the-world-cup-by-flipping-the-bird-to-a-camera/111175342/)** > > The singer got the World Cup started off with a bang. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/139 "2018-06-14T16:34:24Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Dire stuff. Luckily we get Jaws Suarez and Spain v Portugual tomorrow. It is possibly the worst 3-0 game I’ve seen in a long time. Luckily we’ll be treated to much more of this when the tournament is expanded. And just to be clear, SA have been appallingly bad and Russia have just been very poor. ---
**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 14, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/140 "2018-06-14T16:36:33Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > It is possibly the worst 3-0 game I’ve seen in a long time. Luckily we’ll be treated to much more of this when the tournament is expanded. > > And just to be clear, SA have been appallingly bad and Russia have just been very poor. I agree. I’m picking Uruguay to sweep this group. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=8)