Soccer, sports and politics (R)

Oh, and following up on @JohnR 's point about the futility of minnows in the elimination games, I'm going to be sorry to see Morocco go. They were nearly as much fun to watch as Japan.

Incidentally, had Japan won yesterday, we could have added Costa Rica's 1-0 win over them to the list of major upsets in group play. As it worked out, I think it goes down as a run-of-the-mill surprise result.

 

They're not dead yet.

Still 0-0 after 20 minutes. Go, Morocco, go!

 

I think Spain’s possession game stacks up well against bigger teams, but it probably leaves them more open than most to a huge upset. Not a high probability of a loss to Morocco, but probably more likely than their relative ratings suggest.

“Minnow” upsets against the first 9 in the 32-team era by 18-month elo heading into the tournament. Excluding hosts SKorea and Russia:

2018 Croatia 1857 (17th in world) over ENG
1998 Croatia 1867 (14th) over GER
2018 Uruguay 1870 (15th) over POR
2018 Belgium 1916 (11th) over BRA

Worst team (by trailing 18 month elo) to make tournament:
2010 New Zealand 1507 (84th)
Only 6 sub 1550 teams and 14 sub 1600 teams have made it in the 32-team era.

Worst team to make R16:
2014 Algeria 1563 (67th). Had they managed to defeat Germany in extra time, this would have been the biggest upset in the 32-team WC era. Only 5 sub 1700 teams have made the knockouts including host Russia.

Worst team to make QF:
2002 Senegal 1585 (59th). Elo probably doesn’t rate African teams of this vintage well as many teams’ better players didn’t participate in the continental tournaments.

Worst team to make SF:
2002 Turkey 1760 (29th).

Today’s minnows:

Morocco 1736 (37th)
Switzerland 1905 (14th)

 

apologies for the crudeness on my part

it was written as a response to a poster who thinks he knows things that he doesn’t

 

In related news, Portugal's road shirts rule.

They've been coming up with cool designs for a while now, tho.

 

Spain's going to have 1,000 passes and lose 0-1.

 

I was just about to say... this is starting to look like how Spain lost to Russia four years ago. They had almost 1000 more passes than Russia... and then wound up going out.

 

I hate to admit it, but Mexico's '98 jersey remains one of my all time favorites.

 

I wouldn’t mind:

1) permitting a complete lineup reset. Doesn’t matter if you’ve gone off. As long as it wasn’t due to a red, all players on the match day roster are eligible.

2) both teams must pull two players. Assuming no one left on a red, they’d play 9v9, which should open things up.

One sub during each 15 minute period and free subs at each intermission.

This would favor the deeper, more fluid and more technically strong squads. It’s a deviation from 11v11 at the starting whistle. But it’s probably closer to that than more than half the players in extra time with 90+ minutes on their legs. Definitely better than penalties. The extra time tactical and personnel decisions would not be dull and the underdog would be forced to play more open in the first 90.

 

Did you hear anything?

 

I have that one.

 

Yeah, that's cool AF. Our equivalent would be some kind of NA slaughter or slave auction I suppose.

 

Putting this on a shirt... actually a pretty good metaphor for most of the matches that have seen us eliminated since. . . I don't know, probably 1950

 

But what does "Ukrainians killing Russians is one of my top things in the 21st Century" mean?

 

You've all come up with a way to end a tied match. Coolest shirt!

 

My usual method is to go get a beer or to take a restroom break... but the former is ruled out because I'm at work and the latter is ruled out because the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

 

I had hoped to get Mercedes-Benz on our shirts, but we ended up with American Family Insurance, which looks one level above the jerseys some YMCA weight-class gridiron teams wore when I was in middle school. No numbers on the front, just "Saltzman's Piggly Wiggly" or some such.

 

In the 90th minute: “I’m wondering if they put this free kick in front of the goal to get a late winner.” But know we’re talking about Spain, but thanks Captain Obvious.

 

This game needs to go straight to PKs.

Let's not waste 30 more minutes with this.

 

you do know that image on the Mex shirt is an Aztec Sun Stone from the Aztec calendar
Possibly depicting a diety holding human hearts and a sacrificial knife instead of a tongue?

you know, human sacrifice, what the Aztec 1% used to keep the people in line and why they made war on their neighboring tribe?

 

The most important thing is, it wasn't done to Black folks because they were Black.
Disembowel without thoughts of skin color- that's all I ask...

 

Most here appear to be posting from work. Are all of you Hall Monitors during classes?

 

If you gave Morocco the chance to play PKs with Spain to advance, they'd take it. Well done even if they lose now.

 

first, let me say that I appreciate you point of view

and secondly, I agree… we must have rules and regulation when it comes to civilized ritual sacrifice… because if we don’t have them, what are we?