The Syndicate

Posted: **Wed Jun 06, 2018 7:22 am**

It's World Cup year! This thread is for everything World Cup, players, games, rumors, injuries, fights, hot girls, and more.

Posted: **Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:31 am**

The Group Games Schedule

Spoiler: show

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:02 pm**

so Spain fired their coach two days before the World Cup games and hired Fernando Hierro, a former footballer who was famous in Real Madrid.

I am not sure how this will work for the team... his tactic is to keep to his preceder because they can't change 2 year's work in 2 days. they sacked Lopetegui because he took a job with Real Madrid without informing them.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:37 pm**

Why is everyone going for Russia? Just home advantage, or history? Seems to me they are in turmoil, they don't seem like a great chance to win or qualify. I guess they do have a weaker pool though.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:40 pm**

Golden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:37 pm Why is everyone going for Russia? Just home advantage, or history? Seems to me they are in turmoil, they don't seem like a great chance to win or qualify. I guess they do have a weaker pool though.

Homefield and 4x the population of Saudi Arabia (and presumably a stronger cultural pull for the sport).

Rock-solid reasoning.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:52 pm**

Golden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:37 pm Why is everyone going for Russia? Just home advantage, or history? Seems to me they are in turmoil, they don't seem like a great chance to win or qualify. I guess they do have a weaker pool though.

Have you seen Saudi Arabia play?

also host countries always have a push of motivation. They have an easy group; between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, I don't see Russia struggling to get second place out of the group after Uruguay. Egypt's strongest weapon was Mo Salah and he had a shoulder injury recently (though he will be playing...). If Egypt win Russia in these group stages, it'll be a great upset (for me...not Russians

). I'd love to see that. Unlikely, though.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:56 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:52 pm
Golden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:37 pm Why is everyone going for Russia? Just home advantage, or history? Seems to me they are in turmoil, they don't seem like a great chance to win or qualify. I guess they do have a weaker pool though.
Have you seen Saudi Arabia play?

also host countries always have a push of motivation. They have an easy group; between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, I don't see Russia struggling to get second place out of the group after Uruguay. Egypt's strongest weapon was Mo Salah and he had a shoulder injury recently (though he will be playing...). If Egypt win Russia in these group stages, it'll be a great upset (for me...not Russians ). I'd love to see that. Unlikely, though.

Have I seen any of these teams play?

I can't actually remember if I watched anything in 2014 now. I just remember that I drew Netherlands out of the hat. I need one of those hats.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:57 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:40 pm
Golden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:37 pm Why is everyone going for Russia? Just home advantage, or history? Seems to me they are in turmoil, they don't seem like a great chance to win or qualify. I guess they do have a weaker pool though.
Homefield and 4x the population of Saudi Arabia (and presumably a stronger cultural pull for the sport).

Rock-solid reasoning.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:58 pm**

I don't know if Jay was joking or serious, actually. If he was joking, it's still funny. If he was serious, it's hilarious and I love it.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:01 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 7:58 pm I don't know if Jay was joking or serious, actually. If he was joking, it's still funny. If he was serious, it's hilarious and I love it.

Both. I know it doesn't mean much of anything, but still -- the greater the population, the greater the talent pool from which to draw players. The culture has to give a crap about the sport though.

i.e. most of the talented American athletes are playing other sports.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:04 pm**

well actually, football is the #1 sport in Saudi Arabia, and they fund it well considering how rich they are...so that logic would lead me to believe KSA will win over Russia, which I don't believe.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:09 pm**

And yet New Zealand and Australia keep beating England in nearly everything that England cares about (Football being the only exception).

It’s remarkable how little Kiwis care about football. We call it soccer. We have one professional team. When we do well (eg 2010) people suddenly care, and then immediately forget about it again straight afterwards.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:10 pm**

PS we were cheated in 2010.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:16 pm**

I had to revisit WC 2010 to refresh my memory on NZ's games. I don't remember them but wow you drew every single game in a group with Paraguay, Slovakia and Italy. you guys were probably playing full defence mode.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:25 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:16 pm I had to revisit WC 2010 to refresh my memory on NZ's games. I don't remember them but wow you drew every single game in a group with Paraguay, Slovakia and Italy. you guys were probably playing full defence mode.

Italy were given a penalty late in the game that was thoroughly undeserved to save them from missing out. It absolutely felt like an attempt to ensure a big name didn't get eliminated.

Mark Paston should just about have been given the golden glove, and might have been if we'd had the chance to prove it in knockout games. We didn't go full defence (although our defenders were decently strong), but realistically it was our goalkeeper that kept us about. But it's not like we are known for our scintillating strikers and midfielders. Although Smeltz was pretty decent and now Chris Wood has become pretty good too.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:41 pm**

I dont remember that game, but Italy came out last in the group. I guess if NZ had won, then Slovakia would have been kicked out of the group stages :o I'll have to see the penalty call for myself cos you're definitely biased.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:44 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:41 pm I dont remember that game, but Italy came out last in the group. I guess if NZ had won, then Slovakia would have been kicked out of the group stages :o I'll have to see the penalty call for myself cos you're definitely biased.

Yeah, go find it!

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:47 pm**

just saw it

that should have never happened. disgraceful decision by the ref.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:49 pm**

the commentators had the right idea: if every time that happened there was a penalty, then the game would be called penalty shootouts not football.

Posted: **Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:52 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:47 pmdisgraceful decision by the ref.

We should totally have been allowed to lose to Netherlands in the round of 16.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:12 pm**

The Internet now:

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:21 pm**

It's literally the best time to be on the internet tho.

Posted: **Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:07 pm**

I have to stick to watching the one game I get each day. Some of them aren't my preference.

So I get:

Portugal/Spain (good, although Morocco/Iran might have been fun)
Peru/Denmark (definitely the pick of the day, but I hope I get to see Iceland at some point)
Brazil/Switzerland (definitely)
Tunisia/England (dull and boring - give me Belgium vs Panama - might skip this one possibly)
Russia/Egypt (ugh, just because Russia are the hosts... Poland/Senegal would have been much better)
Portugal/Morocco (Sounds good)
Argentina/Croatia (should be fun)

And that reminds me that the following weeks listings should be out today so I need to go find them.

If I could have my choice, for the rest I'd get

Nigeria/Iceland (but will probably get Brazil/Costa Rica)
Germany/Sweden
Poland/Colombia (but I bet we get England again)
Uruguay/Russia (this day has lots of good options, but I can live with three Russias to see a Uruguay)
Iceland/Croatia (I'll get Denmark/France probably)
Brazil/Serbia (Sweden/Mexico would be just fine too)
Senegal/Colombia (but we'll get England vs Belgium, which is ok).

Looks like I'm probably sentenced to either no Belgium or no Senegal, ugh.

If you could watch just one game per day, which would you pick?

PS Tunisia sounds like tuna and now I keep thinking about fish.

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:49 am**

What I actually get

Serbia/Switzerland (cool... I like it,,, cos I get Iceland later)
South Korea/Mexico (what??? zero Germany games?)
Poland/Colombia
Uruguay/Russia
Iceland/Croatia
Sweden/Mexico (and only one Brazil game...)
England/Belgium

All up a pretty decent line up, I'll take it. Surprised at no Germany, no France, only one Brazil. The only real gripe I have is Russia/Egypt. Just because it's in Russia doesn't mean they need to give me every Russia game.

Hopefully they'll do decent quarterfinals. Won't find that out until next week.

Posted: **Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:03 am**

Spoiler: show

This guy was a world cup icon. He has been in every WC since 1990.

Now he's dead but his sons brought his famous hat and trophy to Russia.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:51 pm**

[mention]Golden[/mention], why are you limited to the 1 game? Is that all your tv broadcasts or is it a choice / timezone constraint?

If anyone needs an excellent free stream, lmk. I'll pm you link.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:17 pm**

dunya wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:51 pm @Golden, why are you limited to the 1 game? Is that all your tv broadcasts or is it a choice / timezone constraint?

If anyone needs an excellent free stream, lmk. I'll pm you link.

It’s what I get without paying.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:18 pm**

But I wouldn’t have time for more than that anyway. And I can’t watch live, it’s all overnight.

Posted: **Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:23 pm**

Golden wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:18 pm But I wouldn’t have time for more than that anyway. And I can’t watch live, it’s all overnight.

Alright. Well if there's ever a game you'd like to watch let me know

Posted: **Sun Jun 17, 2018 11:37 am**

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:02 am**

Just found out I only get 2 round of 16 games instead of the four I’d expect. Might need dunyas links at that point!

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2018 4:23 pm**

sure thing.

if ya need them, let me know.

The Syndicate

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