2018 FIFA World Cup Thread
Comments
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The top two teams after the round-robin is completed in each group are determined as follows (regulations Article 32.5):[32]
points obtained in all group matches;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings are determined as follows:
points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
fair play points
first yellow card: minus 1 point;
indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points;
direct red card: minus 4 points;
yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points;
drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.0 -
Agreed - this could be remembered as the vuvezela and mosquito World Cup if not.letthegoodtimesroll said:Somebody should stick those vivuzelas up the arses of the people that are selling them. Totally ruined the atmosphere of the Spain v Iran game and this could end up a shit World Cup like the one in South Africa now if they don’t put a stop to them
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They have just ground out a win against a more than effective Iran team. Not sure how people see that Spain were crap.0
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the Iranian defender handles the ball in that scramble. Absolutely certain of it0
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Seem to be a lot of 1-0s so far.0
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Definitely better then Portugal.1StevieG said:They have just ground out a win against a more than effective Iran team. Not sure how people see that Spain were crap.
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Would love Iran to knock Portugal out, Ronaldo's strop would be a thing of beauty.4
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9 out of 20 games have ended 1-0 including three today! Still yet to see a 0-0 though!
Still tipping a Brazil v Spain final. In 2010, the Spaniards didn't hammer teams into submission but just made sure they got the job done with a series of 1-0 scores (eight goals scored in seven games, only two conceded with no four clean sheets through the knock out stage) and I can see them doing similar through this tournament.0 -
'How England's World Cup plans were hatched on a road trip around Russia last summer'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/20/englands-world-cup-plans-hatched-road-trip-around-russia-last/
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Denmark
France
Argentina
All to win tomorrow1 -
Tbf they do appear twice in that graph... Which means double the advantage!0
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Home team always has an advantage. Hopefully not a pharmaceutical one... As for Spain, Iran had some big chances. Portugal put three past them. Iniesta can't last 90mins. It's pretty open this year.0
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Egypt also there twice and it states 1 is game 1 and 1 is game 2BigRedEvil said:Tbf they do appear twice in that graph... Which means double the advantage!
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what would be interesting is seeing the figures for euro 16 in what would have been a similar climate in France I would imagine? wonder if those figures are to be found anywhere for comparison (although tempered obviously with what @Sage has already outlined i.e not enough data yet in this tourney and not enough details in this study as well for example intensity etc)0
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Now these stats are out, will the Russian players be told to run around less in their final group match to reduce suspicion0
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OK I found some stats for euro 16 group stages, according to the site i'll link below, Italy as a team covered an average of 112.4 KM in their 3 group games which was the highest in the tournament, Russia were 7th with an average of 110 KM.
The host nation boost didn't seem to be in effect for France who only covered 106 km average (18th)
So Russia have managed to find (as it stands) an extra 8 and then 5KM (so lets say an average increase of 6.5KM) distance covered from 2 years ago. For comparison, England, France and Spain have gone up 3KM, Croatia up 2KM, Portugal are up 4KM and everyone else has largely stayed the same or had less distance covered.
Make of that what you will - but i'd say that the climate is about the same in France, it's big tournament football and there were just as many lesser nations in the Euros as the WC so the standards are similar.
I'd still take Sage's advice that it is not enough data but the signs are that there has been a significant and way above average increase in distance covered for Russia compared to other teams from the Euros.
https://en.as.com/en/2016/06/27/football/1467025851_848006.html
edit to add Spain and Portugal's games tonight the distance covered was 105km each.0 -
I don't know if I'm missing something, but what's the point in adding these two lines? If they're not separated by the line above, they can't be separated by these!stackitsteve said:The top two teams after the round-robin is completed in each group are determined as follows (regulations Article 32.5):[32]
points obtained in all group matches;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings are determined as follows:
points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
fair play points
first yellow card: minus 1 point;
indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points;
direct red card: minus 4 points;
yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points;
drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.0 -
Spain are my tip for winners, but they do look vulnerable defensively. With some decent luck, England could beat them. They do not like bodies in the box against them.3
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Agree with that. They have a quiet efficiency that reminds me of 2010 about them already.
And Diego Costa is already on three goals for the tournament!1 -
It is tactics too - Russia play a pressing game in midfield which requires running. It is very effective against the poorer sides but I don't think it will help them against the better ones.Manicmania said:OK I found some stats for euro 16 group stages, according to the site i'll link below, Italy as a team covered an average of 112.4 KM in their 3 group games which was the highest in the tournament, Russia were 7th with an average of 110 KM.
The host nation boost didn't seem to be in effect for France who only covered 106 km average (18th)
So Russia have managed to find (as it stands) an extra 8 and then 5KM (so lets say an average increase of 6.5KM) distance covered from 2 years ago. For comparison, England, France and Spain have gone up 3KM, Croatia up 2KM, Portugal are up 4KM and everyone else has largely stayed the same or had less distance covered.
Make of that what you will - but i'd say that the climate is about the same in France, it's big tournament football and there were just as many lesser nations in the Euros as the WC so the standards are similar.
I'd still take Sage's advice that it is not enough data but the signs are that there has been a significant and way above average increase in distance covered for Russia compared to other teams from the Euros.
https://en.as.com/en/2016/06/27/football/1467025851_848006.html
edit to add Spain and Portugal's games tonight the distance covered was 105km each.1 -
If there is a 3 way tie in the group. Those two line discount matches against the 4th teamlordromford said:
I don't know if I'm missing something, but what's the point in adding these two lines? If they're not separated by the line above, they can't be separated by these!stackitsteve said:The top two teams after the round-robin is completed in each group are determined as follows (regulations Article 32.5):[32]
points obtained in all group matches;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings are determined as follows:
points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
fair play points
first yellow card: minus 1 point;
indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points;
direct red card: minus 4 points;
yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points;
drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.2 -
Re the distance covered. The guy has said he will update again at the end of the group stage. So that will be more telling with a bigger sample of games.
Keep in mind Russia have one of the oldest teams at the tournament too. Which makes this distance run stat even more surprising really0 -
Ah! Of course. Good spot. I was only thinking about two teams. Cheers.stackitsteve said:
If there is a 3 way tie in the group. Those two line discount matches against the 4th teamlordromford said:
I don't know if I'm missing something, but what's the point in adding these two lines? If they're not separated by the line above, they can't be separated by these!stackitsteve said:The top two teams after the round-robin is completed in each group are determined as follows (regulations Article 32.5):[32]
points obtained in all group matches;
goal difference in all group matches;
number of goals scored in all group matches;
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings are determined as follows:
points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned;
number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
fair play points
first yellow card: minus 1 point;
indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points;
direct red card: minus 4 points;
yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points;
drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.0 -
I don't really follow Russia enough to know, but I wonder is the high pressing a new tactic for them? It doesn't appear to have been one they used based on the stats for the Euros 2 years ago, but I suppose a massive change in tactics and match philosophy could be a valid reason for the sudden huge jump in distance covered stats when compared to the other 10 or so European teams much smaller improvements.MuttleyCAFC said:
It is tactics too - Russia play a pressing game in midfield which requires running. It is very effective against the poorer sides but I don't think it will help them against the better ones.Manicmania said:OK I found some stats for euro 16 group stages, according to the site i'll link below, Italy as a team covered an average of 112.4 KM in their 3 group games which was the highest in the tournament, Russia were 7th with an average of 110 KM.
The host nation boost didn't seem to be in effect for France who only covered 106 km average (18th)
So Russia have managed to find (as it stands) an extra 8 and then 5KM (so lets say an average increase of 6.5KM) distance covered from 2 years ago. For comparison, England, France and Spain have gone up 3KM, Croatia up 2KM, Portugal are up 4KM and everyone else has largely stayed the same or had less distance covered.
Make of that what you will - but i'd say that the climate is about the same in France, it's big tournament football and there were just as many lesser nations in the Euros as the WC so the standards are similar.
I'd still take Sage's advice that it is not enough data but the signs are that there has been a significant and way above average increase in distance covered for Russia compared to other teams from the Euros.
https://en.as.com/en/2016/06/27/football/1467025851_848006.html
edit to add Spain and Portugal's games tonight the distance covered was 105km each.
Again as has been said though, once we have more data the picture will become a lot clearer hopefully, although you would expect Russia's performance level to drop next game since they are already through and will be conserving energy against Uruguay.0 -
Wouldn't read too much into the distance run stats, surely it stands to reason that a home nation playing in a world cup might put a bit more effort in than usual when roared on by 60-70k home fans?
Look at how well we performed at Euro 96 after being awful at Euro 92 and then not even qualifying for the 94 world cup.1 -
France had the 18th lowest distance covered stats in their home Euro 16, and that was out of 24 teams so clearly not the case for them. I haven't looked at stats for other host nations yet.Chris_from_Sidcup said:Wouldn't read too much into the distance run stats, surely it stands to reason that a home nation playing in a world cup might put a bit more effort in than usual when roared on by 60-70k home fans?
Look at how well we performed at Euro 96 after being awful at Euro 92 and then not even qualifying for the 94 world cup.0 -
That’s cos France play possession football. The turnover of possession in Russia’s games are very high.0
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South Africa’s stats in 2010 might be a better comparison
Edit: although heat and altitude would play a massive part.0