World Cup second round - chit chat, gossip, speculation etc.

[strung out]

The last 16 line-up is confirmed:

France vs Argentina - Sat 30th June, 3pm
Uruguay vs Portugal - Sat 30th June, 7pm
Spain vs Russia - Sun 1st July, 3pm
Croatia vs Denmark - Sun 1st July, 7pm
Brazil vs Mexico - Mon 2nd July, 3pm
Belgium vs Japan - Mon 2nd July, 7pm
Sweden vs Switzerland - Tue 3rd July, 3pm
Colombia vs England - Tue 3rd July, 7pm

I fancy the quarter finals to be made up of Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Croatia, Mexico, Belgium, Sweden, England.

Which game is everyone most looking forward to?

 

[tommers]

Uruguay vs Portugal is going to be.... cynical.

France game should be good.

 

[Badgers]

The 'first' team will have had a really good rest

Rodriguez is looking doubtful and Sir Harry is looking like a goal machine.

 

[Kaka Tim]

France vs Argentina - Tough call - but i reckon Argentina might do it. France been a bit "meh" so far, whilst argentina might be getting their shit together.

Uruguay vs Portugal - both teams are pretty mediocre but are looking to their talisman to carry them. Penalties. Ronaldo and Suarez both getting sent off would be funny.

Spain vs Russia - - Spain. They are the better team by some distance.

Croatia vs Denmark - - Gotta be Croatia - arguably best team in the tournament and denmark look pretty limited.

Brazil vs Mexico - - Brazil i guess. They look like they are getting better whilst mexico look fragile at the back.

Belgium vs Japan - . Belgium should win this easily.

Sweden vs Switzerland - hmm - hard to call. 1-1 then penalties.

Colombia vs England - England should be able to win this.

 

[quimcunx]

I've seen a lot of matches but France seems to have passed me by.

I'm sad Senegal went out.

Belgium is going to win the whole shebang.

I'm not confident England will beat Colombia.

 

[pocketscience]

France vs Argentina - Tough call - but i reckon Argentina might do it. France been a bit "meh" so far, whilst argentina might be getting their shit together.

Uruguay vs Portugal - both teams are pretty mediocre but are looking to their talisman to carry them. Penalties. Ronaldo and Suarez both getting sent off would be funny.

Spain vs Russia - - Spain. They are the better team by some distance.

Croatia vs Denmark - - Gotta be Croatia - arguably best team in the tournament and denmark look pretty limited.

Brazil vs Mexico - - Brazil i guess. They look like they are getting better whilst mexico look fragile at the back.

Belgium vs Japan - . Belgium should win this easily.

Sweden vs Switzerland - hmm - hard to call. 1-1 then penalties.

Colombia vs England - England should be able to win this.

This, but for the last 2:

Sweden vs Switzerland - Swiss grind out a comfortable 2-0 win.

Colombia vs England - England scrape through with an unconvincing win. get a couple of unwanted yellow cards in key defensive positions, a disproportionate amount of cardiac arrests across rural Englands small towns, it's comi... errr .. focus on the quarters.

Eta; looking forward to all of them

 

[imposs1904]

Argentina
Uruguay
Spain
Croatia
Mexico
Belgium
Switzerland
Colombia

Looking forward to the Brazil/Mexico game.

 

[Teaboy]

France vs Argentina - Tough call - but i reckon Argentina might do it. France been a bit "meh" so far, whilst argentina might be getting their shit together.

Uruguay vs Portugal - both teams are pretty mediocre but are looking to their talisman to carry them. Penalties. Ronaldo and Suarez both getting sent off would be funny.

Spain vs Russia - - Spain. They are the better team by some distance.

Croatia vs Denmark - - Gotta be Croatia - arguably best team in the tournament and denmark look pretty limited.

Brazil vs Mexico - - Brazil i guess. They look like they are getting better whilst mexico look fragile at the back.

Belgium vs Japan - . Belgium should win this easily.

Sweden vs Switzerland - hmm - hard to call. 1-1 then penalties.

Colombia vs England - England should be able to win this.

I think you've called this right.

Some decent looking games in there and Spain v Russia. Whilst Uruguay v Portugal will no doubt be the worst spectacle from a fair play and common decency perspective I quite fancy that Sweden V Swiss game to descend into a kicking competition quite early.

France have been a bit of dark horse in that no one is really talking about them. They've arrived in decent shape and form and got through Group Dull without anyone really noticing. If they get past Argentina they've got to be considered real contenders. If they lose no one will even remember they were at the tournament.

 

[Teaboy]

Thing is about Colombia they looked decent against a very poor Polish side and they finished the 1st half strongly against Japan, for the rest of the game they looked damn average (I know they were down to 10 but still). The match against Senegal they looked very ordinary as well.

It's a game England really should win.

 

[Kaka Tim]

England vs Columbia looks like one of the more entertaining matches - both have good quick attacks and suspect defences.

 

[Kaka Tim]

can we add a poll? "Who is going to make the q-finals?" - can we have 16 options to choose from?

 

[Teaboy]

In the absence of a poll. I reckon:

• Argentina
• Uruguay
• Spain
• Croatia
• Brazil
• Belgium
• Sweden
• Colombia (England should win this match, but you know... England)

I can see the Arg / Fra and Uru / Port matches going either way. The Sweden v Swiss game is another 50/50 I reckon and will probably be the match where the standard is lowest.

 

[imposs1904]

Argentina
Uruguay
Spain
Croatia
Mexico
Belgium
Switzerland
Colombia

Looking forward to the Brazil/Mexico game.

3/8

I'm shit at this.

 

[Badgers]

3/8

I'm shit at this.

We are all cross with you