# 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:** 80
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1582 "2018-07-07T21:00:25Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > (Although I understand some Germans think the ENG-GER rivalry is entirely in English heads alone because Germany’s too good for England or something) No, it’s not because we think we are too good for England, but because our main traditional rival is by a wide margin Holland, and that is a real mutual rivalry. Of course, there’s constant bickering and sometimes mocking about England (PK shots, goalies…), but it’s not comparable by far to all the GER-NL feuds. There’s even a (maybe not so) secret respect for English football, maybe because of the homeland-factor and because of a mutual general approach to the game. Most real German football fans are also romantics. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1583 "2018-07-07T21:11:40Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > No there’s no real history between any of the teams left in. > Those odds mentioned seem about right to me. I’d rank them as > > Belgium > France > England > Croatia > > but really who knows? I’d say France Belgium Croatia England ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1584 "2018-07-07T21:13:04Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > No, it’s not because we think we are too good for England, but because our main traditional rival is by a wide margin Holland, and that is a real mutual rivalry. Of course, there’s constant bickering and sometimes mocking about England (PK shots, goalies…), but it’s not comparable by far to all the GER-NL feuds. There’s even a (maybe not so) secret respect for English football, maybe because of the homeland-factor and because of a mutual general approach to the game. Most real German football fans are also romantics. This. Although we (well many of us) sort of started liking the Germans a bit the last years, because they played good football. That was unthinkable in the nineties en noughties. Still, some people really, really liked how the Germans went out in the group stage. It is funny, the England-Germany thing is very similar to how the Belgian regards us (the Netherlands, in case it wasn’t clear). They have a thing about us and how we didn’t qualify and all, while many Dutch people have actually been supporting Belgium during this tournament. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1585 "2018-07-07T21:53:27Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > No, it’s not because we think we are too good for England, but because our main traditional rival is by a wide margin Holland, and that is a real mutual rivalry. Of course, there’s constant bickering and sometimes mocking about England (PK shots, goalies…), but it’s not comparable by far to all the GER-NL feuds. There’s even a (maybe not so) secret respect for English football, maybe because of the homeland-factor and because of a mutual general approach to the game. Most real German football fans are also romantics. Yeah it was a pity Germany didn’t beat Spain in the semifinals in 2010, would have made the final 3x better. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1586 "2018-07-07T22:01:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yeah it was a pity Germany didn’t beat Spain in the semifinals in 2010, would have made the final 3x better. Oh please don’t remind me of THAT game, when Löw was too chicken to apply strong offense to a seemingly better, but really coequal team. We could have won that thing with other tactics, just like 2012 at the Euros against Italy. Both games major coaching blunders, and still the man continues after THIS year’s fuck up :smack:. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1587 "2018-07-07T22:09:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yeah it was a pity Germany didn’t beat Spain in the semifinals in 2010, would have made the final 3x better. I kinda liked that final. We got to see a side of Holland we usually don’t and even some kung fu. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1588 "2018-07-07T22:18:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Oh please don’t remind me of THAT game, when Löw was too chicken to apply strong offense to a seemingly better, but really coequal team. We could have won that thing with other tactics, just like 2012 at the Euros against Italy. Both games major coaching blunders, and still the man continues after THIS year’s fuck up :smack:. Who would be better? I doubt Klopp would leave Liverpool. Klinnsman v2? No man nor woman is perfect. Germany are the must successful World Cup nation, finishing in the top three 12 times. They have nothing to complain about. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1589 "2018-07-07T22:36:32Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Who would be better? I doubt Klopp would leave Liverpool. Klinnsman v2? No man nor woman is perfect. Germany are the must successful World Cup nation, finishing in the top three 12 times. They have nothing to complain about. That’s the point, we think we’re entitled to finish at least in the semi-finals, that’s why this WC is so devastating for us and those responsible for the mess. Löw and Bierhoff have decided to carry on, with no obvious incentives by DFB grands (and grands they are, oh boy) to think about replacements, and stone dead silence by Löw and almost all the players. Shit’s going to hit the fan about this the next days, I predict. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1590 "2018-07-07T22:54:38Z")
Cleese strikes again John Cleese (@JohnCleese) Tweeted: And well done, Southgate minnows !!! As I predicted, we’ll be playing those lazy,fat,pate guzzlers again ( depending on whether the referee either takes Putin’s bribes,or dies of nerve gas poisoning ) [https://twitter.com/JohnCleese/status/1015653351634231296?s=17](https://twitter.com/JohnCleese/status/1015653351634231296?s=17) ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1591 "2018-07-07T22:58:42Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s the point, we think we’re entitled to finish at least in the semi-finals, that’s why this WC is so devastating for us and those responsible for the mess. Löw and Bierhoff have decided to carry on, with no obvious incentives by DFB grands (and grands they are, oh boy) to think about replacements, and stone dead silence by Löw and almost all the players. Shit’s going to hit the fan about this the next days, I predict. [https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43948/index.html](https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43948/index.html) I think the future of Germany is as bright as ever. I wish they had brought more of their undefeated Confederations Cup squad…the one that beat Mexico 4-1. Euro 2020 should be very exciting. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1592 "2018-07-07T23:10:06Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > [https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43948/index.html](https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/teams/team=43948/index.html) > > I think the future of Germany is as bright as ever. I wish they had brought more of their undefeated Confederations Cup squad…the one that beat Mexico 4-1. Euro 2020 should be very exciting. Don’t you understand??? We’re in the can, the shitter, we’ve taken the biggest beating ever, everything about the “Mannschaft” and the ones responsible are under scrutiny, and it hasn’t really begun yet because we had to overcome the shock first, and only just begun to ask nagging questions for the last few days. There’ll be tables turned, dogmas revoked and finally, I predict that although til now they all assure not to, people fired or they’ll resign. You can’t imagine the public discourse here. Last year’s Confed Cup (a meaningless tournament to fill the FIFA coffers anyway) isn’t worth a flying fuck now in the discussion. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1593 "2018-07-07T23:14:35Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Don’t you understand??? We’re in the can, the shitter, we’ve taken the biggest beating ever, everything about the “Mannschaft” and the ones responsible are under scrutiny, and it hasn’t really begun yet because we had to overcome the shock first, and only just begun to ask nagging questions for the last few days. There’ll be tables turned, dogmas revoked and finally, I predict that although til now they all assure not to, people fired or they’ll resign. You can’t imagine the public discourse here. Last year’s Confed Cup (a meaningless tournament to fill the FIFA coffers anyway) isn’t worth a flying fuck now in the discussion. I wish all the best. I know things look bad now but Der Mannschaft shall return sooner rather than later. And they still did better than Holland and Italy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1594 "2018-07-07T23:25:11Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I wish all the best. I know things look bad now but Der Mannschaft shall return sooner rather than later. And they still did better than Holland and Italy. 🙂 Sigh, I think you really don’t understand. The fact that Holland and Italy didn’t qualify was worth a good bunch of snickering pre-tournament, but is totally irrelevant to our current situation. Think of this WC as Germany’s “1-7”, stretched out over the group stage, then I hope you’ll have the right conception. But thanks for the good wishes ;.)- ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1595 "2018-07-07T23:35:21Z")
I’m with **madsircool** here. Germany is totally fine with a bright future. Fire Low, but if the idea is that there’s a lack of talent now or coming up through the pipeline, I think that’s completely wrong. Yeah, wail and nash your teeth over not living up to expectations, but also don’t trash anything that’s actually not that broken. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1596 "2018-07-07T23:39:58Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Don’t you understand??? We’re in the can, the shitter, we’ve taken the biggest beating ever, everything about the “Mannschaft” and the ones responsible are under scrutiny, and it hasn’t really begun yet because we had to overcome the shock first, and only just begun to ask nagging questions for the last few days. There’ll be tables turned, dogmas revoked and finally, I predict that although til now they all assure not to, people fired or they’ll resign. You can’t imagine the public discourse here. Last year’s Confed Cup (a meaningless tournament to fill the FIFA coffers anyway) isn’t worth a flying fuck now in the discussion. Boo fucking hoo. You should try supporting Scotland. Actually don’t, never do that. We managed to lose a World Cup qualifier where the opponents didn’t even turn up… ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1597 "2018-07-07T23:42:16Z")
Well, I’ll throw up my hands, but I’m only reporting the very tense mood and brooding here… ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1598 "2018-07-07T23:47:46Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Boo fucking hoo. You should try supporting Scotland. Actually don’t, never do that. We managed to lose a World Cup qualifier where the opponents didn’t even turn up… Well, I’m a lifelong supporter of Borussia Mönchengladbach, and we famously lost a 7-1 win because [of an empty coke can](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCchsenwurfspiel)… (sorry, found no English link) 😛 ETA: on review, how did that happen to lose that qualifier? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1599 "2018-07-07T23:57:22Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Well, I’m a lifelong supporter of Borussia Mönchengladbach, and we famously lost a 7-1 win because [of an empty coke can](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%BCchsenwurfspiel)… (sorry, found no English link) 😛 > > ETA: on review, how did that happen to lose that qualifier? Well, instead of the walkover we should have had, the replay was a draw. > **[One team in Tallinn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_team_in_Tallinn)** > > "One team in Tallinn" refers to a football match scheduled for 9 October 1996 in World Cup qualifying European Group 4 between the national teams of Estonia and Scotland. The match was abandoned after three seconds because the Estonian team were absent from the Kadrioru Stadium due to a dispute over its floodlights. Scotland expected to be awarded a walkover victory, but FIFA ordered that the match be replayed on neutral territory. The replayed match, staged at the Stade Louis II in Monaco, ended... That's the last World Cup we actually managed to qualify for, lo, those twenty years ago... ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1600 "2018-07-08T00:05:20Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Well, instead of the walkover we should have had, the replay was a draw. > > [One team in Tallinn - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_team_in_Tallinn) > > That's the last World Cup we actually managed to qualify for, lo, those twenty years ago... Haha, thanks for this piece of football curiositiy, every nation has them :D. The episode shows the FIFA to be the fuck-ups they’ve always been. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1601 "2018-07-08T01:11:12Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Meaning you picked those teams to make the semis before the tournament or after the QF games were set? After the group phase was done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=79) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=81)