Different teammates also I don’t think any of this group apart from Messi would start in Maradona’s team
You mean the 86 team? It wasn't a particularly talented squad. Only Ruggeri and Valdano, other than Diego, can be considered among the top historical argentine talents. There were also legends like Passarella and Bochini but they were past their prime and barely played. The rest were just fine players.
I’m guessing whoever wins the World Cup, their fans won’t care how they won it. I’d rather my team win ugly than lose in style. Winning cures all.
I don't think the CL final club's country matters. What matters are from which countries the CL players come in the last four clubs of the CL semi.
This bad boys I have a faith in my Germany and Flick but..... this France has an enourmous depth and players pool , elite experienced national team and champions league players , a 22-30 players squad without single weak spot. Theirs only weak spot is the national coach on the bench who can somehow ******** this up. And he is the biggest oppurtunity for opponents
If you recall before the EUROs I had made a list of powerhouses and players that featured in the quarterfinals and beyond in the CL. I came to the conclusion that Italy and the Netherlands didn't have enough experience in high stake games at the very top level hence I discarded them from the list of my potential winners yet it was Italy who went on to win the tournament.
Just in case for people who ask why I believe the CL Final having indirect implication on the World Cup..... I'm obviosuly not only taking footbaling parameters into account for my odds but also a lot of historical patterns. In a game where luck plays not only a marginal role I don't believe the same country can be on the top of world footbal for clubs and national teams in the same year.
Absolutely. But I don’t feel teams go into a major tournament looking to win in style. Maybe a team like Brazil pre-2000 but it can come back to bite. Like Brazil ‘82. But I’m more the opposite. I quite enjoyed watching Greece 2004 frustrate their opponents and getting the job done. Of course, in their case that was the only way they could have won it. The Czech Republic played the best (imo) at that tournament but once they lost Nedved in the semis it was basically over for them.
Real Madrid has won the CL. France and England are now by some margin my top two favourites to lift the World Cup in Qatar. Spain will impress but it seems the stars are not aligning for them to go all the way this year.
I love your highly informative posts. Who are your top two favourites Mr CONMEBOL fanboy? Let me guess! Argentina and Brazil, right?
Yep. with a goal scored by a Conmebol player, assisted by another Conmebol player As I have said to you many times : Where would these "super" clubs be, without the foreign blood ?
Brazil lucky here, they will pass to the easier play off bracket if they finish first in the group. The only hard match could be in 1/4 against Germany , than not so tricky ones against Argentina or Netherlands... on the other hand you have to die if you want to go to the final like England and France case. (And Brazil luckly passing them before final, imagine theirs road to the final if they have to beat both of them lol..) two most talented teams in the world
Good for Vinicius. He was ondoubtedly the revelation of the season. Mbappe though is a much more polished player and a World Cup winner himself and scored in the final and was very very influential to say the least on France's run to glory in 2018.
Anyway the Nations League is coming up but for now I play it safe with France and England as my title favourites. Spain is only in the conversation if Ansu Fati reaches in the upcoming months the heights many folks including me think he's able to. There is statistically a high chance that the World Champion will be a team that is ranked among the best five teams in the world by ELO. England and Spain are right now tied on points for the 5th place. https://www.eloratings.net/ The only way I'd pick England to win in Qatar is if they impress me in their tough Nations League group with Germany and Italy and enter the World Cup at least in 5th position in the ELO Ratings. Otherwise I will trust France to repeat.
You are eliminating Spain from consideration because Real Madrid happens to be based in Spain? That is the oddest criteria imaginable. Real had one Spanish player in its starting 11. They did have three Brazilians, and two Frenchmen. Shouldn't you be eliminating Brazil and France instead?
I'm not eliminating Spain. But I confess that their odds have went down a bit. I belive Germany in the 70s was the last time that managed to have the CL winner and be World Cup winners in the same year. That stat speaks volume I think.
I know people find the way I analyse things and my thought of process weird but you can say whatever you want. I don't care. I've been successful with my method. Looking exclusively at footballing matters isn't enough. You have to dig deeper in order to anticipate how things could pan out.
That is just a statistical oddity based on nothing empirical. I'm sure you could just as conclusive a pattern based on the colors of the kits worn by the CL winners, or some other foolishness. Not to mention that there used to be an actual connection between the home country of the CL champions and the players. But isn't the case any more, as the top teams are made up of players from everywhere. Real Madrid had one just Spaniard starting. Liverpool had only two Englishmen, etc.
And while there might be some statistical conclusions you can draw from World Cups, this will be the 22nd tournament, just a tiny number if you're trying to draw conclusions of that sort. @Kamtedrejt What do you mean when you say you've been successful with your method? Because, and I don't want to be too harsh here, you sound just like me 20 years ago. I too am (was?) logical, unbiased and dig deeper to better anticipate how things will play out. Actually, doesn't just sound like me 20 years ago, sounds like your average 20-something dude. Your enthusiasm is great, your claim to insight is, well, unremarkable. To go back to this latest specific claim - that Spain's odds might go down a little based on CL result - it's the kind of thing that, if Spain were to win this WC, would just as easily be explained away with another correlated coincidence, there is nothing of substance in it.
But he thinks "logically" Next he'll base is favorite on average wind speed and direction. No CONMEBOL team has ever won a WC when the wind speed has averaged 20 kmph while blowing east.