World Cup 2018

[planetgeli]

Stand out games coming up next week.

Monday 25th Iran v Portugal 7pm. Iran could knock out Portugal.
Tuesday 26th Nigeria v Argentina 7pm. Nigeria could knock out Argentina.
Wednesday 27th Serbia v Brazil 7pm. Serbia could knock out Brazil.
Thursday 28th Belgium v England 7pm. Belgium could embarrass England.

 

[Lord Camomile]

How dare you.

Anything Belgium could do, England could do better.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Xhaka and Shaqiri are being investigated for their 'Albanian eagle' celebrations.

In a statement, Fifa said its disciplinary committee had opened proceedings against Xhaka and Shaqiri, adding: "In relation to the same match, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Serbian FA for crowd disturbance and the display of political and offensive messages by Serbian fans.

Both players are ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population only ended with Nato military intervention in 1999.

Xhaka's father spent three and a half years as a political prisoner in Yugoslavia while Shaqiri was born in Yugoslavia before emigrating to Switzerland as a child.

Shaqiri also sported a Kosovan flag, stitched onto his boots.

Bit annoyed it doesn't explain exactly what they're 'investigating'. Presumably because they could be considered political gestures?

 

[Badgers]

Next week is when the final groups games are played at the same time



It is the correct way to do it of course. Just a pain for the armchair viewer

Might have one on the telly and one on the laptop

 

[QueenOfGoths]

The first 3 people I generally see and talk to at work are Egyptian, Polish and... Colombian

Luckily my Polish colleague wasn't in today or there may have been fisticuffs

 

[nuffsaid]

Nicely done sir.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Gutted for both Morocco and Iran, both could have got historic wins today.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Nicely done sir.

Highly doubt that's genuine. Original is from one of Celtic's Lisbon Lions about whether that team could beat one of the more recent Celtic teams, if I recall correctly.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Also ascribed to Bobby Charlton about Iceland's win over England in 2016

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Also ascribed to Bobby Charlton about Iceland's win over England in 2016

And Don Bradman about cricket decades ago.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Pele's just a big fan of call backs and running gags. All stacks up as legit.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Pele's just a big fan of call backs and running gags. All stacks up as legit.

You heard it here first folks. Pele - Meme King

 

[Badgers]

All the group stage match threads are done

Have left the coming home England thread for know as we have a good thread going for speculation, stats and false hope

This thread title is a shambles

We will need an actual match thread to be created closer to the game

Maybe we can add a new one nearer the game

 

[Badgers]

How about a few stats to cheer us up before the sport starts?

The UK Premier League has the most players (108) at this years world cup

 

[Pickman's model]

How about a few stats to cheer us up before the sport starts?

The UK Premier League has the most players (108) at this years world cup

85 from teams other than england i suppose

 

[Badgers]

Man City are the domestic team with the most players (16) from their squad at the WC

 

[Badgers]

Messi and Neymar (unsurprisingly on paper) are the most valuable players at the WC

 

[Pickman's model]

Man City are the domestic team with the most players (16) from their squad at the WC

and 4 of them playing for england

 

[Badgers]

The France squad for this WC is the most valuable in the transfer market

 

[Badgers]

Highest average attendances at previous WC tournaments:

1994 USA -68,626
1950 Brazil - 60,773
2014 Brazil - 53,592
2006 Germany - 52,609
1970 Mexico - 52,312
1966 England - 50,459
2010 South Africa - 49,499
1990 Italy - 48,411
1974 Germany - 46,685
1986 Mexico - 46,297

 

[Pickman's model]

The France squad for this WC is the most valuable in the transfer market

it's a sad long time since you saw headlines like this

 

[Pickman's model]

1966 England - 50,459

the auld wembley had a capacity in the region of 80,000+ so this is quite a surprise.

suppose the tickets were really dear

 

[Badgers]

the auld wembley had a capacity in the region of 80,000+ so this is quite a surprise.

suppose the tickets were really dear

This was an average across all games at various UK stadia ^

I suspect Wembley delivered

 

[Badgers]

So far this year there have been 97 goals scored after 36 games
If this remains the same (2.7 goals per game) then the total goals scored will be 172
This is unlikely as the 'easier' games are at the group stage

1998 France WC and the 2014 Brazil WC are joint first for total number (171) of goals scored. However these tournaments both had 32 teams competing and there are earlier tournaments with a much higher average goal ratio. The highest is the 1954 WC in Switzerland with an average of 5.4 goals per game (double this year to date) but only a total of 140 from 26 games in total.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

So far this year there have been 97 goals scored after 36 games
If this remains the same (2.7 goals per game) then the total goals scored will be 172
This is unlikely as the 'easier' games are at the group stage

1998 France WC and the 2014 Brazil WC are joint first for total number (171) of goals scored. However these tournaments both had 32 teams competing and there are earlier tournaments with a much higher average goal ratio. The highest is the 1954 WC in Switzerland with an average of 5.4 goals per game (double this year to date) but only a total of 140 from 26 games in total.

The spectacular goals per game ratio must be pretty high, though.

 

[nuffsaid]

it's a sad long time since you saw headlines like this

Didn't West Ham win it in '66.

 

[Badgers]

The spectacular goals per game ratio must be pretty high, though.

I guess back when the WC had less entries so a fewer number of games they did not have to 'pace themselves'

Year Teams Games Goals Average Goals
1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland - 5.4
1938 FIFA World Cup France - 4.7
1934 FIFA World Cup Italy - 4.1
1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil - 4
1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay - 3.9
1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden - 3.6
1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico - 3

Number of teams:
1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland - 16
1938 FIFA World Cup France - 15
1934 FIFA World Cup Italy - 16
1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil - 13
1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay - 13
1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden - 16
1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico - 16

Number of games:
1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland - 26
1938 FIFA World Cup France - 18
1934 FIFA World Cup Italy - 17
1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil - 22
1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay - 18
1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden - 35
1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico - 32

 

[Wilf]

This was an average across all games at various UK stadia ^

I suspect Wembley delivered

Yep, but some pretty big ones outside of Wembley as well (OT, Sunderland etc.). Seem to remember the WC was pretty low key at least until it got underway, maybe attendances were low in some places because they just didn't sell the tickets. Damnation, shall I check... supposed ot be working...

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

 

[Badgers]

The word soccer has its origins in late 19th-century Britain (a shortened version of Association Football) and is not an Americanism, as many believe.