Reader George is kindly totting up the results of the WEIT 2018 World Cup Contest and scratching off the many who have lost. But some are still in the running! Here’s his latest report to me:
The Second Quadrennial WEIT World Cup Contest is not doing well. It will probably suffer an untimely death. There were 95 entries. After the group stage, only 25 were still alive. After the round of 16, we are down to four. By comparison, in the Inaugural WEIT World Cup contest in 2014, there were 91 entries, 42 still alive after the group stage, 39 alive after the round of 16 and eight entries competing in the final (Argentina vs Germany). The big difference was that in 2014, the favorites won. The semifinals were Germany vs Brazil and Argentina vs Netherlands. In 2018, carnage. Germany getting knocked out took out 42 entries. It has been downhill from there.
After the quarterfinals there will be zero, one or two entries still alive. The scores no longer matter – just the winner and loser.
If Brazil beat Belgium and –
1) Croatia beat Russia, contest is over
2) Russia beat Croatia – FB still alive. He/she picked Brazil 2 Russia 1.If Belgium beat Brazil and –
1) Croatia beat Russia – deacjack still alive. He/she picked Belgium 3 Croatia 1
2) Russia beat Croatia – robkraft still alive. He picked Belgium 3 Russia 1.If Belgium beat Brazil and England beat Sweden – Martin C. still alive. He picked Belgium 2 England 1.
So England are still on course for the final. I didn’t think it would be Portugal that would let me down.😭
I was out early 🙁
What American cares about soccer?! It’s an unamerican game.
Sent from my iPhone
>
Me for one. I was a fan when the Chicago Sting won indoor soccer.
Karl-Heinz Granitza scores!!!!!!
I love all sports when played well.
I used to go to Sting games all the time with my mom, both indoor and outdoor. Great stuff.
But to keep this on-topic, I picked Germany to beat Belgium…LOL. Should have stuck to the trend: teams that win the WC subsequently go out in the group stage in the next WC. This has happened now for a 4th WC in a row.
Maybe you jest, but most of the American countries play & some are very good. Particularly in South America!
And I suppose women do not count?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_women%27s_national_soccer_team
Ones from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and others. In fact, only in the USA and Canada is football a sport without much traction and even that is changing.
Not as much as you think. Soccer, as we call it here (and as it used to be called in the UK), is played by huge numbers of white suburban six year olds. Then the numbers drop off – almost exponentially. The long awaited US soccer boom is still awaited. As some have said, soccer is the sport of the future in the US and always will be.
It’s always been called football in Britain, although “soccer” is an acceptable alternative name (except for some people who enjoy taking umbrage at “American” football). “Soccer” is a contraction of “association” in “association football”, so called to distinguish it from rugby football.
My bias in all this is that I am from a rugby background – played (prop usually tight head), coach, referee and administrator. I have played and reffed in the UK. Among rugby people (at least older ones) in the UK, I think soccer is usually used. I seem to remember reading someplace that soccer was in common use in the UK, including in the press, until about 30 years ago.
I much prefer rugby to football. One rule change I would like to see in football would be that you cannot put your hands on an opponent. If you want to get physical, play rugby.
The WEIT World Cup contest is more exciting than the World Cup itself.
I really wanted that cat drawing 🙁
Jerry, it was unclear from the original post from where you are obtaining this fine cat art. Is there a way for me to commission one? Perhaps even of cats playing ice hockey? And also tennis, depending on how expensive they are and if the artist can draw one where the two cats look like cat versions of Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg.
So we currently have
FB – Brazil beats Russia
deacjack – Belgium beats Croatia
Rockraft – Belgium beats Russia
Martin C – Belgium beats England
I think FB has the best chance of winning at this point.
Sure – if you want to reduce all my hard work to a few lines. I will take the field – i.e. no winner.
If I have seemed clearer, it is because I stood on the shoulders of a giant.
I seem to remember that I picked England.
Checking the spreadsheet – you had England 1 Germany 0. You did not make it out of the group stage.
Wake me up when something happens.
I stand nowhere: I screwed up and didn’t realize that it would be impossible for France to go against Brazil in the final. But they will probably meet in the semi-finals, and for that I still say Brazil 2 / France 0.
My guess now is that Sweden (who would have thought it) will play Brazil in the final.
I think the biggest mistake people have made in this contest, both in 2014 and 2018, is they make a pick without checking the bracket. So they pick a matchup for the final which will occur before the final.
Guilty as charged.
As a wise man said, predictions are hard, especially about the future!
Belgium
Last two standing! (and yes, it’s a he on this end). Feeling good about Belgium. England looks to be a tough game for Croatia. I think Croatia will have to win their third PK shootout in a row to pull it off… -Jack