World Cup Group Stage Draw - 1st December

[Cicero]

Argentina is still a mystery, as there are so many underperformers it's ridiculous. 

What is for certain:

Romero

Rulli

Otamendi

Mascherano

Di Maria

Messi

 

DiMaria could literally only score own goals from now on, and he'd still get picked. Just hope when Rojo is fit, DiMaria is excluded. 

[Guest]

Franco Armani should have been the Argentina keeper long ago but just because he's playing in Colombia, he won't get picked.

Continental champion, crucial in that campaign yet Romero still gets picked. He's not even in the top 3 which is unbelievable.

 

Otamendi will be key I think. He's taken a massive rise this season from what I've seen.

[Cicero]

2 minutes ago, Blue said:

Franco Armani should have been the Argentina keeper long ago but just because he's playing in Colombia, he won't get picked.

Continental champion, crucial in that campaign yet Romero still gets picked. He's not even in the top 3 which is unbelievable.

 

Otamendi will be key I think. He's taken a massive rise this season from what I've seen.

Ahead of Rulli? I get Romero isn't first choice at his club(doubt anyone GK could get ahead of DeGea) but he is still reliable as well as a pivotal figure in the dressing room. Not to mention he's only 30. 

Higuain

Perotti------------------------Messi

Pizarro ---Paredes

Mascherano

Rojo--------------------------------------------Mercado

Otamendi-------Fazio

Romero

Honestly the best I could do. So many underperformers and they do not have the midfielders, nor wing backs, to implement a three at the back. 

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

Ahead of Rulli? I get Romero isn't first choice at his club(doubt anyone GK could get ahead of DeGea) but he is still reliable as well as a pivotal figure in the dressing room. Not to mention he's only 30. 

Higuain

Perotti------------------------Messi

Pizarro ---Paredes

Mascherano

Rojo--------------------------------------------Mercado

Otamendi-------Fazio

Romero

Honestly the best I could do. So many underperformers and they do not have the midfielders, nor wing backs, to implement a three at the back. 

 

 

Not sure if I'd have him ahead of Rulli but the fact Armani hasn't made even the 3rd choice is criminal. He was huge in the 2016 Libertadores. 2014 Sudamericana as well.

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Blue said:

Nope. We were excellent as a host compared to others.

If ever that was a contradiction in terms, I can't imagine! 

Definitely a case of "the glass half empty" or "the glass half full"...

So what you're saying is that you wasn't excellent at all.  You're saying you weren't as bad as others can or have been in the past.

Doesn't that part of ignoring the rival visiting occur over there?  Let them do their thing so to speak and wait for the game which is what it's all about.

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, BartraPique1932 said:

Most probable German squad:

1. Neuer 
2. Ter Stegen 
3. Trapp 
4. Kimmich 
5. Boateng 
6. Hummels 
7. Mustafi 
8. Rüdiger 
9. Süle 
10. Hector 
11. Kroos 
12. Gündogan 
13. Can 
14. Goretzka 
15. Khedira 
16. Özil 
17. Götze 
18. Draxler 
19. Reus 
20. Sané 
21. Müller 
22. Werner 
23. Schürrle 

Now you can make fun of me for implying that Reus and Gündogan won't be injured next summer.

Post Spain, Brazil, France, Argentina and England please.

 

Posting Spain is a lot more difficult than posting the Germany squad.  There are so many players that there are going to be eternal debates and arguments as to those that were left behind.

[Guest]

Just now, SirBalon said:

If ever that was a contradiction in terms, I can't imagine! 

Definitely a case of "the glass half empty" or "the glass half full"...

So what you're saying is that you wasn't excellent at all.  You're saying you weren't as bad as others can or have been in the past.

Doesn't that part of ignoring the rival visiting occur over there?  Let them do their thing so to speak and wait for the game which is what it's all about.

For a South American nation, we were excellent.

The players were socialising with the people here, gone shopping, had a bit of fun. If it was Chile or Uruguay they wouldn't have been able to go outside the hotel. They stayed in Miraflores though which is the best district in the city so that may have had something to do with it.

[SirBalon]

2 minutes ago, Blue said:

For a South American nation, we were excellent.

Being the way I am...

Tell me about this.  Tell me about what you think about this psychosis and if you're personally embarrassed by it...  Maybe you're not and newer generations will just continue to be the same.

[Guest]

Just now, SirBalon said:

Being the way I am...

Tell me about this.  Tell me about what you think about this psychosis and if you're personally embarrassed by it...  Maybe you're not and newer generations will just continue to be the same.

The sportsmanship?

I'm not embarrassed at all. Me as well as many others thought they would receive a more hostile reception. For our standards, this was very surprising.

[SirBalon]

Just now, Blue said:

The sportsmanship?

I'm not embarrassed at all. Me as well as many others thought they would receive a more hostile reception. For our standards, this was very surprising.

So are you embarrassed that other areas of the world don't act in the same manner?

[Guest]

Just now, SirBalon said:

So are you embarrassed that other areas of the world don't act in the same manner?

No, why should I be?

[SirBalon]

Just now, Blue said:

No, why should I be?

Read the bit I've highlighted once again from a previous post of mine...  It seems you're tiptoeing around the issue.  Or it's so culturally embedded to be cheating scoundrels that nothing will ever change.

10 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

If ever that was a contradiction in terms, I can't imagine! 

Definitely a case of "the glass half empty" or "the glass half full"...

So what you're saying is that you wasn't excellent at all.  You're saying you weren't as bad as others can or have been in the past.

Doesn't that part of ignoring the rival visiting occur over there?  Let them do their thing so to speak and wait for the game which is what it's all about.

 

[Guest]

Well I don't get your point. Your English writing reminds me of Shakespeare's 

 

[SirBalon]

Just now, Blue said:

Well I don't get your point. Your English writing reminds me of Shakespeare's 

 

Flippin eck! 

[Guest]

Anyways I've done some mock draws for Peru.

Worst possible draw

Germany

Denmark/Iran

South Korea

 

Best

Poland

Tunisia

Panama

 

Want

Germany

Tunisia

Panama

 

I think as long as avoid one of the World Cup winners in pot 1 and Denmark/Iran in pot 3 then we should go through our group.

[HK85]

Visiting team not treated as well as the hosts shocker! What's the issue here?

[Stan]

Rehearsal/practice draw etc

GET THE CHAIRS READY

 

[RandoEFC+]

What time is this UK time?

[Smiley Culture]

10 hours ago, Stan said:

Rehearsal/practice draw etc

GET THE CHAIRS READY

 

That or maybe Poland is best case scenario for England from Pot One. Stay away from Denmark, Iceland and maybe Sweden too and that's as good as they can hope for from the draw. 

[Azeem]

Here's my prediction for the draw

Group A

Russia

England

Egypt

Australia

Group B

Germany

Mexico

Denmark

Japan

Group C

Argentina

Croatia

Sweden

Nigeria

 

Group D

France 

Switzerland

Tunisia

Panama

Group E

Brazil

Spain

Costa Rica

Serbia

Group F

Poland

Uruguay

Iceland

South Korea

Group G

Belgium

Colombia

Senegal

Saudi Arabia

Group H

Portugal

Peru

Iran

Morocco

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stan]

just did the draw simulator again

Group A
Russia
Mexico
Egypt
Serbia

Group B
Portugal
Spain
Costa Rica
Japan

Group C
Argentina
Switzerland
Denmark
Morocco

Group D
Belgium
Croatia
Tunisia
Australia

Group E
Germany
Colombia
Iran
Nigeria

Group F
Brazil
England
Iceland
Panama

Group G
France
Uruguay
Sweden
Saudi Arabia

Group H
Poland
Peru
Senegal
South Korea

 

[Toinho]

I want England!!

Deciding  whether to get up and watch the draw or just wait until normal time for a Saturday to wake up! 

[Berserker]

I just want another big guy in our group and then 2 nobodies, no 4 decent sides bollocks.

[Dan+]

I want a piss easy group of nobodies, preferably the likes of Argentina and Australia and - a shame we avoid Spain, Holland, USA, Peru and Mexico too.

[ASF]

I'd prefer an easier group. No need to start wasting too much energies, so early on.

Peru, Egypt and South Korea would be nice.