Who will advance second place after Brazil?

Discussion in 'GROUP E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia' started by Italy-Azzurri-Fan, Dec 1, 2017.

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Who will come in Second?

  1. Costa Rica

    10 vote(s)
    16.1%
  2. Serbia

    24 vote(s)
    38.7%
  3. Switzerland

    28 vote(s)
    45.2%
  1. Estuardo A. Lopez

    Jul 9, 2014
    Club:
    AC Milan
    #76 Estuardo A. Lopez, Feb 11, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2018
    Anyway you cut it, my initial argument that Brazil has world class players in the goalkeeper, defense, midfield and attack, stands.
    I will admit, of course, that if Brazil plays Germany in the round of 16 or the Final, Germany will be the favorite (perhaps even the heavy favorite). That does not mean that Brazil does not have any recourse or resources to fall back on. Brazil has to play at a lever similar to how they played against Argentina (in Argentina), Uruguay (in Uruguay), and Paraguay at home. Its a hard task indeed, but it can be done.
     
  2. Mrmagu

    Mrmagu Member

    Corinthians
    Brazil
    Nov 14, 2017
    In Round of 16 against Germany? No chance at all if Brazil got the second place in your group. The moral will be low to have any chance to beat Germany. Brazil would be humiliated again. Brazil has to be the first of his group if Brazil really wants to have any chance to win the championship. In a final match against Germany, the story is another, the chances can increase a lot...
     
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  3. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Doubt they'll face that early, though.
     
  4. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For me, <5% chance Brazil fail to win their group.

    Germany, OTOH...hey, Mexico's good for one game every WC where they play way above expectations (see: tying Brazil in 2014, the 2010 victory over France, going toe-to-toe with Argentina in '06). They could punk Germany and go on to win the group, forcing an early Brazil-Germany showdown that way...I'd give it <10% chance of happening.
     
  5. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Their coach is terrible against good, well coached teams, though.
     
  6. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Eh...they did fine against Tabárez's Uruguay in 2016. And if you want to bring up Germany's B team dismantling Mexico in the Confed Cup, remember that the same Germany began the tournament by nearly coughing up a draw to Australia.

    Again, my theory with Osorio is that when NTs are just starting a tournament, with players still working on familiarity and routines, his Mexico can compete. It's later on, as other teams are coalescing and his rotations leave Mexico's players just as out of sync as when they started, that the wheels fall off.
     
  7. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Well, that and his penchant of playing guys in position they're clearly not comfortable at, going without defensive midfielders or improvisiong players that can defend well there, etc. Plus he's going against Low. I doubt he has what it takes to throw him a curveball.
    Or who knows? Maybe he goes with a B-squad against the Germans assuming he's gonna lose. That'd be very him. :p
     
  8. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Well yeah Sandro is Brazilian as well so he might start if he proves to be better for the national team.
     
  9. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    Nobody see it coming but I believe Serbia could even top the group...

    Tie Brazil in the last game after winning against Costa Rica and Swiss is something this Serbian team is capable of.
     
  10. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    Won't happen. A possible match up with Germany in the round of 16 is the last thing Brazil wants. They will make sure they better finish first. I see Serbia advancing though. But as second. Serbia or Yuguslavia back then tends to make a slow start in major tournaments. It is likely they draw with Costa Rica. I can really imagine a boring 0:0 there. Then Serbia will beat the Swiss 2:1 and sends them home. On the last matchday Serbia will lose narrowly or at best tie with Brazil. That's how I see it.
     
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  11. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    Yugoslavia won against Brazil and tied them also in one or two other matches in world cup history. The serbians u20 also won the world cup 2015 against brazil in final. This is why i would not be so surprised by another upset even though your predictions seem more logic.
     
  12. tudobem62014

    tudobem62014 Member+

    Feb 26, 2014
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    How long is Neymar out? Yes I remember the 7-1, but do you think it might be better if he is out? Always hard being psychologically dependent on one player. Ronaldo 1998. Zidane 2006. In the mean time some others get to play just in case another incident happens where Neymar gets hurt. Could be good practice if something happens again during the World Cup. Seems like it might be better for the team. Portugal winning without Ronaldo, Sweden winning without Ibra, France winning without Cantona.
     
  13. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Doesn't sound like it will affect Brazil - unless your point is that they should see the silver lining and leave him out of their March friendlies, which I'd agree with.
     
  14. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    I think it depends on the type of player. You always want a talisman such as Pirlo, Messi or Eriksen available for the preparation phase, as they are the heart of your team and goals will generally will come through them, so getting the timing right with them and the other players is crucial. Goal scorers such as Ronaldo, Ibra and Neymar, are less essential during preparation time, and there can be advantages to them being out for a while. In Sweden's case, they were probably better without Ibra entirely, as he always insisted on the ball and the rest of the attacking team just stood around a lot expecting him to do something. I see some of that with Portugal as well.

    In any event, getting other players involved while the main scorer is injured or otherwise kept out of preparation matches can be beneficial, but it obviously depends on the individual circumstances in each case.
     
    tudobem62014 repped this.
  15. HomietheClown

    HomietheClown Member+

    Dusselheim FC 1971
    Sep 4, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
  16. RonaldoHexa

    RonaldoHexa Member

    Bahia
    Brazil
    Feb 26, 2018
    It's a two-way street, really. A possible match up with Brazil in the round of 16 is the last thing Germany wants. In my opinion, Germany X Brazil is not going to happen in this world cup. Both teams are going to win their groups and at least one of these is not going to the final. I hope I am wrong on this one, though.
     
  17. Gibraldo

    Gibraldo Member+

    radnicki nis
    Serbia
    Nov 17, 2005
    Club:
    FK Crvena Zvezda Beograd
    Germany's Group F plays its last matches on the afternoon ahead of group E's final round.

    I render the scenario, where Germany only becomes 2nd and Brazil and Serbia later are going to play for the group win to face the Germa... na, they might battle for not winning the group :-D

    Scoring own goals, producing handballs in the penalty area a.s.o.
     
  18. RonaldoHexa

    RonaldoHexa Member

    Bahia
    Brazil
    Feb 26, 2018
    I noticed two trends (or fallacies) in this thread:

    1) Brazil is afraid of facing Germany in the round of 16
    2) Serbia advances, or even wins, the group

    Well, let's start with the easy one: Serbia is not going to win this group. Brazil is simply a better team, and they have more than enough firepower to get the job done. Brazil wins the group with at least two wins.

    A lot of people are picking Serbia over Switzerland and Costa Rica for second place in this group. Optimistic, in my opinion. Costa Rica is a good team, but in a World Cup being played in Europe, I would give the edge to European teams. I don't see Serbia's game matching up well against Switzerland. Their match up should determine the second place team in this group. It will be a tough one, but I am taking Switzerland.

    After the 7-1 in the last World Cup and Brazil's gold medal at the Olympics, there is plenty of motivation on Brazil''s side to face Germany again. I would say that both of these teams would prefer to play each other in the final, but if it happens earlier, better for the fans.

    In the 2013 Confederations Cup final we saw the kind of football a motivated Brazilian team was capable of producing. Spain, arguably the best team in the world at that moment, didn't have a chance. I see Brazil X Germany (if it happens) being a much closer game, and the winner could be decided on an individual mistake or dead-ball situation. Their upcoming friendly on March 27 (in Berlin) should give us an idea of where both teams are in their preparation for the cup.
     
  19. Mrmagu

    Mrmagu Member

    Corinthians
    Brazil
    Nov 14, 2017
    As Brazilian, my humble opinions:
    1) the friendly match without Neymar , it is not a good prediction for the WC. I know Tite, Brazil will play for the draw, and probably Germany will win by 1-0 or 2-0.
    2) if Brazil doesn’t top your group in WC , no chances to the championship. Germany WILL top your group and in a eventual match against Brazil in round of 16 , Germany would beat Brazil easily. In a eventual final , the story can be different.
     
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  20. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    Are you suggesting Brazil had more motivation at the 2013 Confederations Cup than at the 2014 World Cup? That doesn't make a lot of sense.
     
  21. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Motivation wasn't Brazil's problem in the 2014 World Cup, to be sure...they nearly choked on it against Chile :cautious:
     
  22. RonaldoHexa

    RonaldoHexa Member

    Bahia
    Brazil
    Feb 26, 2018
    Not a whole lot of faith here. I agree with you when you say that results on friendly matches should not be used as predictors for the world cup. However, this Brazilian team earned the right to be called a favorite based on the strength of their results during the qualifiers. Now, if Germany would "easily" beat Brazil in the round of 16, how could it be any different in the final? It's not like they would be playing six months later. You may be giving Germany too much credit and not enough for Brazil.
     
  23. RonaldoHexa

    RonaldoHexa Member

    Bahia
    Brazil
    Feb 26, 2018
    Not at all. The point was that, before that game, everyone saw Spain as this far superior, unbeatable team. I mean, one my friends told me minutes before the kickoff "Come on, you don't really think Brazil is going to beat Spain tonight, do you?" and predicted a 2 X 0 win for Spain. Brazil came out firing and ate Spain for dinner.

    Now, don't you think there is a correlation between the 7 X 1 and Brazil's gold medal at the Olympics? Bottom line is, Brazil wants to get back to the top of the football world, and the only way to do it is by winning the cup.
     
  24. RonaldoHexa

    RonaldoHexa Member

    Bahia
    Brazil
    Feb 26, 2018
    A pathetic display. One of Brazil's worst games in the last decade. We did everything in our power to get eliminated, but somehow managed to find our way into the Quarters. Thank God Chile won't be in the next world cup ☺
     

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