The Syndicate

My strategy has been to go for boring and predictable. I dont try to predict upsets. If they happen not many people will get points anyway. But the boring results are easier to guess and keep giving me points.

france 1 - 0 peru

heartbreaking to peru. but I got 3 points and back above JJJ so I'm happy

1. [mention]Dragon D. Luffy[/mention] - 26 points -
2. [mention]Iai[/mention] - 21 points -
3. [mention]aflickering[/mention] - 20 points -
4. [mention]wolbre04[/mention] - 17 points -
5. [mention]dunya[/mention] - 16 points -
6. [mention]melatonii[/mention] - 16 points -
7. [mention]JaggedJimmyJay[/mention] - 15 points -
8. [mention]BuckarooBanzai[/mention] - 13 points -
9. [mention]nutella[/mention] - 13 points -
10. [mention]Sloonei[/mention] - 12 points -
11. [mention]Golden[/mention] - 11 points -
12. [mention]Choutas[/mention] - 10 points -

Going for a higher score for Argentina though.

They have to start behaving like champions eventually right?

... right?

I'm keeping a safe prediction today.

It's really painful to root for Croatia.

painful to root for argentina this year too

I'm glad I predicted a low goal game.

HRVATSKAAA

jesus christ if we lose to croatia we deserve to lose

I'm okay with not getting any points in this game.

fuck football tbh

i quit

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:40 pm fuck football tbh

i quit

Welcome to our side.

We have videogames and netflix.

Sampaoli can get sacked now. immediately.

disgraceful. I refuse to watch another argentina game as long as Sampaoli is managing the team.

Argentina players punching the goalkeeper when he's holding the ball and kicking a ball on the head of a guy lying down.

They got at least 3 red cards fewer than they should have.

I wasn’t sure if Croatia was really good or Nigeria were just overwhelmed the other day. It may have been the former.

Sampaoli is the only reason they are in the WC to begin with.

According to my dad he's only good when he has a long time to train the team. This time he was the emergency solution to save Argentina from disqualifying before the WC started.

It wasn't meant to be.

My goodness! These games are either boring or high drama. No middle ground to be had.

None of the assumed powerhouses are looking very high or mighty just yet.

Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

i hope nigeria do instead of them though.

#teamiceland

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Yeah, but if Iceland beats Nigeria, I'd be willing to bet that Croatia and Iceland play for a draw just to eliminate Argentina.

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Not after Iceland’s 7-0 win tomorrow.

That was entertaining. I mean, I keep saying Argentina was lucky to qualify, I just didn’t realise they were quite that bad.

But the goals were all great to watch, even if two of them were Argentina being awful.

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:00 pm

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Yeah, but if Iceland beats Nigeria, I'd be willing to bet that Croatia and Iceland play for a draw just to eliminate Argentina.

If Iceland beats Nigeria, Argentina got themselves in a poor goal difference situation too

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:00 pm

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Yeah, but if Iceland beats Nigeria, I'd be willing to bet that Croatia and Iceland play for a draw just to eliminate Argentina.

In that scenario Iceland may play for a draw, but Croatia has no reason to. Especially since landing 1st place in the group is valuable so both teams will want to win.

So what I think I've learned is that Portugal relies too much on Ronaldo and Argentina relies too much on Messi. Is that about right?

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:08 pm So what I think I've learned is that Portugal relies too much on Ronaldo and Argentina relies too much on Messi. Is that about right?

More true about Portugal than Argentina imo. Argentina has some other great players iirc.

June 22 games
Nigeria vs. Iceland
Brazil vs. Costa Rica
Serbia vs. Switzerland

Nigeria 1-1 Iceland
Brazil 2-0 Costa Rica
Serbia 2-1 Switzerland

Imo the only reason Argentina is even in this WC is that South America is hot garbage.

Colombia is horrible.

Brazil is horrible.

Peru is pitiful.

Uruguay is only doing well because their group is a joke.

#teamiceland
#teamsenegal
#teammexico

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:05 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:00 pm

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Yeah, but if Iceland beats Nigeria, I'd be willing to bet that Croatia and Iceland play for a draw just to eliminate Argentina.

In that scenario Iceland may play for a draw, but Croatia has no reason to. Especially since landing 1st place in the group is valuable so both teams will want to win.

Just to explain, 1st place means you get to avoid France in Ro16.

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:10 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:08 pm So what I think I've learned is that Portugal relies too much on Ronaldo and Argentina relies too much on Messi. Is that about right?

More true about Portugal than Argentina imo. Argentina has some other great players iirc.

true. Argentina have more strikers and finishers. Portugal have C7 mainly.

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:13 pm

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:05 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:00 pm

dunya wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 3:58 pm Not to rub salt in any wounds, but Iceland is well-positioned right now.

meh, if argentina win Nigeria they can probably still go through.

Yeah, but if Iceland beats Nigeria, I'd be willing to bet that Croatia and Iceland play for a draw just to eliminate Argentina.

In that scenario Iceland may play for a draw, but Croatia has no reason to. Especially since landing 1st place in the group is valuable so both teams will want to win.

Just to explain, 1st place means you get to avoid France in Ro16.

yeah, 1st place means you get to play an "easier" team in Ro16.

but like, france is not really a team to worry about this year imo.

then again, france can wipe out argentina

A draw is enough for Croatia to finish top no matter what else happens.

If France is not to be feared then who is? All champions are underperforning here.

Belgium is the team to be feared. And Germany and Brazil probably still are yet

Brazil 2x1 Costa Rica
Iceland 2x0 Nigeria
Switzerland 2x2 Serbia

Brazil over Costa Rica 2-1
Iceland over Nigeria 1-0
Serbia and Switzerland 1-1

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 6:22 pm Brazil over Croatia 2-1

Not going to happen.

derp

Seriously though, Croatia would take Brazil if they met up somewhere in this tournament

I dunno I wasnt that impressed at Croatia today.

I can name a bunch of teams that would beat Brazil tho. Both Senegal and Poland for example. That game was amazing.

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 21, 2018 7:28 pm I dunno I wasnt that impressed at Croatia today.

I can name a bunch of teams that would beat Brazil tho. Both Senegal and Poland for example. That game was amazing.

If anyone knows how I can find a non-torrent direct download of that one, let me know.

Although I have to say I find football much harder to watch when I know the result.

You’re right, Croatia weren’t so good as Argentina were awful, but 3-0 wins are the time for hyperbole. I think the only place they could meet Brazil is in the final anyway.

Brazil 1-1 Costa Rica
Nigeria 1-0 Iceland
Serbia 1-0 Switzerland

Brazil 2 Costa Rica 0
Iceland 2 Nigeria 0
Switzerland 2 Serbia 1

Nigeria 0-2 Iceland
Brazil 2-1 Costa Rica
Serbia 1-2 Switzerland

Iceland 12 - Nigeria 0
Iceland 2, Nigeria 0
Brazil 2 Costa Rica 1
Switzerland 1 Serbia 0