2018 World Cup Prediction Game. Last Updated After: Final

[Phil LUFC]

Bit late in the day but it's anyone doing the official FIFA fantasy football thing? I'll probably have a look later today but currently I'll not be in any leagues.

[the flying pig]

yeah, i'd get a team in, am not in any of hte other compeitions, doubt i'd do it obsessively or owt but....

similarly i've not got round to doing a TSB sweepstake - and just realised KO is tomorrow so, er, maybe next time... unless i allow say 24 hrs to enter & end up allocating multiple teams to entrants [e.g. if 32 teams in wc & 4 entrants, that'd be 4 teams each, drawn from pools so as to ensure everyone gets some good & some bad]..

[Phil LUFC]

If you do decide to, I'm in. To be honest, it's a sweepstake, if you don't draw it until everyone has paid up does it matter if it happens a week into the tournament?

[MightyWhite]

Bit late in the day but it's anyone doing the official FIFA fantasy football thing? I'll probably have a look later today but currently I'll not be in any leagues.

I’ve already got a team sorted so thought I’d set up the league

Go here: https://fantasy.fifa.com/en/leagues?cod ... 5244565837

Or use code TYPRDVX7 if you’re already on the site

[the flying pig]

World Cup Winners in the past 50 years:

Germany 3
Brazil 3
Argentina 2
Italy 2
France 1
Spain 1

OK - France had a decent side in 98. Chronic under-achievers and chokers Spain won in a weak year. But other than that the usual big four have dominated what is supposed to be the world game. Even the cricket and rugby world cups have had no less variety. How so?

ha. it's not perfect but loads better than rugby [and possibly cricket, though i wouldn't pretend to follow that 'world cup' in any depth]... e.g. the best price on brazil to win this WC is 9/2, if actuarially fair those odds imply an 18% chance, whereas bookies for rugby 2019 have 'anyone else at all' not much better a coin flip vs the AB's... which is abysmal, the AB's are, approximately, 100% sure to get out of the groups, 95% sure to win their QF, 80% sure to win their SF, & 65% sure to win their final. most games involving them are pointless.

and i don't really know what the optimal level of competitive balance for a sports competition is... e.g. in the last decade of superbowls we've had 9 winners in 10 years, whereas in the 1980s our own dear 49s won it 4 times... is the modern era all that much more entertaining than the 80s?

brazil & germany do well because they've got huge populations & are very serious about football [to the exclusion of most other sports], i agree that a couple of their wins have been a bit yawn [e.g. over germany, who'd have begrudged baggio's italy or ideally gazza's england/milla's cameroon a win in 1990; similarly rather brazil in 1994 it'd have been nice to see stoichkov or tommy brolin lifting the trophy], but they're not, y'know, super-dominant, & in history there've been plenty of legendary teams who've not been good enough to win but provided great entertainment, y'know, hungary in the 50s, holland in teh 70s, france in teh 80s, etc.

Not sure you’re right re rugby, TFP. The event has only been held 8 times and there’s been four different winners - compared with 6 different winners in the last 12 FIFA tournaments (two of them only once). So similar ratio - which is remarkable given you’re comparing the “world game” with an event only played to a serious level in about ten countries. Cricket - a sport with less than 10 test nations in most world cups - boasts 6 winners in 11 tournaments. Whichever way you look at it, the concentration of FIFA success in those big four countries in a game played seriously by so many countries is remarkable.

From a few days ago
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/ ... ssion=true

[barry white]

D — England
M — Senegal
A — Brazil

144

[Phil LUFC]

I don't think I've missed anyone, so far it's this and only a few of us chose to keep our choices private:

Position	Player	Points	Defence	Midfield	Attack
1	AmarinderBedi	0	Iceland (0)	Uruguay (0)	Spain (0)
2	Andymac-47	0	Germany (0)	Costa Rica (0)	England (0)
3	AndyPaul	0	??	??	??
4	Ballgirl	0	Egypt (0)	England (0)	Brazil (0)
5	barry white	0	England (0)	Senegal (0)	Brazil (0)
6	ChairmanMeaow	0	Belgium (0)	Tunisia (0)	England (0)
7	Colonel White	0	Serbia (0)	Uruguay (0)	Germany (0)
8	Devi	0	Russia (0)	England (0)	Germany (0)
9	dublin white 69	0	Germany (0)	Sweden (0)	Croatia (0)
10	jackos	0	Senegal (0)	Germany (0)	England (0)
11	Kummel	0	Uruguay (0)	Senegal (0)	Brazil (0)
12	metalsmurf	0	Iceland (0)	England (0)	Belgium (0)
13	mi.mic.mick.mick jones	0	Germany (0)	England (0)	South Korea (0)
14	MightyWhite	0	Russia (0)	Uruguay (0)	France (0)
15	OWETB	0	Sweden (0)	Mexico (0)	Argentina (0)
16	Phil LUFC	0	??	??	??
17	Ponte	0	??	??	??
18	portadown white	0	England (0)	Japan (0)	Argentina (0)
19	Proud to be Leeds	0	Uruguay (0)	Nigeria (0)	Brazil (0)
20	SimonB	0	??	??	??
21	the flying pig	0	Russia (0)	Colombia (0)	Brazil (0)
22	topbin	0	??	??	??
23	Vampire	0	Russia (0)	Peru (0)	Germany (0)
24	welshwhite	0	Switzerland (0)	Iceland (0)	Germany (0)
25	Wing Wizard	0	Iceland (0)	Denmark (0)	Argentina (0)

25 of the 32 nations are in play and no 2 ballers have picked the same combination.

[Eddies Boots]

D- Uruguay
M- Egypt
F-Brazil

[MightyWhite]

Bit late in the day but it's anyone doing the official FIFA fantasy football thing? I'll probably have a look later today but currently I'll not be in any leagues.

I’ve already got a team sorted so thought I’d set up the league

Go here: https://fantasy.fifa.com/en/leagues?cod ... 5244565837

Or use code TYPRDVX7 if you’re already on the site

[the flying pig]

I signed up for the fantasy. Didn't do a super thorough job, pretty much googled 'mcdonalds fantasy tips' & copy/pasted whatever team the author of one article was recommending. I think I get the scoring system, if nothing else.

[sunshine whites]

D-Sweden
M England
A- Belgium
Goals 159

tie breaker Uruguay

[Phil LUFC]

I'll add the last couple of entrants to the spreadsheet when I get home. Those with a Russia defence are off to a good start, staying on zero rather than straight to the bottom with a minutes score.

[Phil LUFC]

Full list of competitors, next formal update will be after the first round of games (after Poland v Senegal on Tuesday, before Russia v Egypt hopefully but even if its after that result won't be included).

Position	Player	Points	Defence	Midfield	Attack
1	AmarinderBedi	0	Iceland (0)	Uruguay (0)	Spain (0)
2	Andymac-47	0	Germany (0)	Costa Rica (0)	England (0)
3	AndyPaul	0	??	??	??
4	Ballgirl	0	Egypt (0)	England (0)	Brazil (0)
5	barry white	0	England (0)	Senegal (0)	Brazil (0)
6	ChairmanMeaow	0	Belgium (0)	Tunisia (0)	England (0)
7	Colonel White	0	Serbia (0)	Uruguay (0)	Germany (0)
8	Devi	0	Russia (0)	England (0)	Germany (0)
9	dublin white 69	0	Germany (0)	Sweden (0)	Croatia (0)
10	Eddies Boots	0	Uruguay (0)	Egypt (0)	Brazil (0)
11	jackos	0	Senegal (0)	Germany (0)	England (0)
12	Kummel	0	Uruguay (0)	Senegal (0)	Brazil (0)
13	metalsmurf	0	Iceland (0)	England (0)	Belgium (0)
14	mi.mic.mick.mick jones	0	Germany (0)	England (0)	South Korea (0)
15	MightyWhite	0	Russia (0)	Uruguay (0)	France (0)
16	OWETB	0	Sweden (0)	Mexico (0)	Argentina (0)
17	Phil LUFC	0	??	??	??
18	Ponte	0	??	??	??
19	portadown white	0	England (0)	Japan (0)	Argentina (0)
20	Proud to be Leeds	0	Uruguay (0)	Nigeria (0)	Brazil (0)
21	SimonB	0	??	??	??
22	sunshine whites	0	Sweden (0)	England (0)	Belgium (0)
23	the flying pig	0	Russia (0)	Colombia (0)	Brazil (0)
24	topbin	0	??	??	??
25	Vampire	0	Russia (0)	Peru (0)	Germany (0)
26	welshwhite	0	Switzerland (0)	Iceland (0)	Germany (0)
27	Wing Wizard	0	Iceland (0)	Denmark (0)	Argentina (0)

[Vampire]

Well done the Russian defence - put up the table Phil!

[Phil LUFC]

Well done the Russian defence - put up the table Phil!

Given 5 of us have our choices secret, I won't be doing that until the end of the first round of games. That said, the 4 who publicly have Russia have them in defence and all scored 0 points for the privilege so, erm, the table is above .

[eric olthwaite]

We’re using some online score predictor thing called Superbru at work. I had 1-1 for the first game.

Hey ho.

[AndyPaul]

I don’t mind my picks being known to others

[Phil LUFC]

I don’t mind my picks being known to others

Me either given how it's gone with most opting to be public about it anyway. I'll adjust that later. I'll do something about it later to enable more regular updates while not updating the others with private choices until the end of the round.

[Vampire]

I don’t mind my picks being known to others

Me either given how it's gone with most opting to be public about it anyway. I'll adjust that later. I'll do something about it later to enable more regular updates while not updating the others with private choices until the end of the round.

I can understand some folks wanting to hide their picks to avoid copying before the competition starts - but now entries have closed what’s the point of secrecy. Everything should be transparent now.

[Phil LUFC]

I don’t mind my picks being known to others

Me either given how it's gone with most opting to be public about it anyway. I'll adjust that later. I'll do something about it later to enable more regular updates while not updating the others with private choices until the end of the round.

I can understand some folks wanting to hide their picks to avoid copying before the competition starts - but now entries have closed what’s the point of secrecy. Everything should be transparent now.

The 2nd guessing which comes into it in later rounds when you know what you need but don't have a clue what your main competitor is hoping for? Maybe it's just me. But because of similar complaints last time from some, I gave the choice this time, you can see most. The remaining 3 with private choices can make their own call if they'd like me to reveal them.

Anyway, I've added a 2nd table so you can see how nations are scoring in each of the 3 areas. After yesterday's one game:

Position	Nation	Points	Defence	Midfield	Attack
1	Russia	13	0	3	10
2	Argentina	0	0	0	0
3	Australia	0	0	0	0
4	Belgium	0	0	0	0
5	Brazil	0	0	0	0
6	Colombia	0	0	0	0
7	Costa Rica	0	0	0	0
8	Croatia	0	0	0	0
9	Denmark	0	0	0	0
10	Egypt	0	0	0	0
11	England	0	0	0	0
12	France	0	0	0	0
13	Germany	0	0	0	0
14	Iceland	0	0	0	0
15	Iran	0	0	0	0
16	Japan	0	0	0	0
17	Mexico	0	0	0	0
18	Morocco	0	0	0	0
19	Nigeria	0	0	0	0
20	Panama	0	0	0	0
21	Peru	0	0	0	0
22	Poland	0	0	0	0
23	Portugal	0	0	0	0
24	Senegal	0	0	0	0
25	Serbia	0	0	0	0
26	South Korea	0	0	0	0
27	Spain	0	0	0	0
28	Sweden	0	0	0	0
29	Switzerland	0	0	0	0
30	Tunisia	0	0	0	0
31	Uruguay	0	0	0	0
32	Saudi Arabia	-10	-10	0	0