Issue #3.1.2 "Worst Tie Ever! : Let It Goal!"

This is after 32 matches -- Archive

Sunday, June 22, 2014

GOALS IN BUNCHES AS EURO POWERS STRUGGLEThe Mighty Mobelfakta leads Gandhi United by a point

CERRITOS, CA (smt) --  The story was written.  G2-Portugal would be the 3rd European superpower to be eliminated after just two matches.  They would be the 8th team to lose when scoring first.  The top 3 CONCACAF teams would be 5-0-1.  It would be the G4-USA, not G1-Germany resting its starters in the 3rd match.  USA would win its first-ever WC match when allowing the first goal.  Back-to-back game-winning goals in the 80'+ minute.  History would repeat with G4-USA beating Portugal again in the WC.  Cristiano Ronaldo would remain the only superstar to not make an impact for his team.    But alas, it was not meant to be.  As Ronaldo (14 shots, 0 goals in 2 games) crossed a perfect ball to Varela to head in with about 30 seconds left in stoppage time (which now becomes the latest goal scored in group play this year (90'+5, was E1-Swiss's 90'+3 game-winner in their first match)).  So now, while the USA is in good position (win or draw and they're in, own tiebreaker vs D3-Ghana), the battered Americans will have just three days rest to battle GER with four days rest.  Who knows if Zusi going down gave the official a reason to add +1' (5 minutes total of stoppage time), heat/humidity (first ref given water break at 39'!), or if Michael Bradley is just not world-class (according to Sammy) but the defensive lapse and late goal is devastating (though some are used to it -- see tweet below). 

 

D2-Costa Rica is the dark horse, giant killer downing 2-time champs D1-Uruguay (ranked #7) and now 4-time champs D4-Italy (#9) in back-to-back matches to

advance to the Round of 16.  CONCACAF's had a great showing (4-2-2) with CRC being the first team to win against two former WC champs in the Group Stage.  In fact, the Americas (CONCACAF+CONMEBOL) are 13-4-3 (with CONMBEBOL going 5-0-1 in their 2nd matches) while the southeastern hemisphere (CAF+AFC) are 3-10-5 (CAF salvaging a decent 2-2-1 (in their 2nd matches).

Goals were scored in bunches (2.94/match, the most  since '70) where a pair of teams ended 500+ minute droughts (E4-Honduras 510' (last in '82)) vECU and H2-Algeria 506' vBEL) and mid-level teams like A2-Croatia and ALG can knock in 4 goals in one match.  And then on the other end, BRAvMEX and JPNvGRE (despite JPN having man-advantage for 62' and GRE with rare shutout) can be scoreless draws and H1-Belgium and F4-Nigeria can hold on to 1-nil wins. 

EURO traditional powers GER (came back to tie G3-Ghana), B1-Spain (shut out and eliminated by B3-Chile), D3-England (eliminated by D1-Uruguay), D4-Italy (loss to CRC), and POR (last second stoppage time goal to tie USA) and CONMEBOL traditional powers A1-Brazil (lackluster 0-0 tie with A3-Mexico) and F1-Argentina (stoppage time goal vs F3-Iran) all struggled mightily in their 2nd matches.  However, the two recent losers of the World Cup finals, B2-Netherlands and E3-France, are on a scoring tear, with each netting 8 goals, 2 victories, and a ticket to the Round of 16.

While top superstars Karim Benzema (FRA 3G-2A), Thomas Mueller (GER 3G-1A), Robin Van Persie (NED 3G), Arjen Robben (NED 3G), Luis Suarez (URU 2G), Neymar (BRA 2G), Mario Mandzukic (CRO 2G), Tim Cahill (AUS 2G), and Lionel Messi (ARG 2G) have produced multiple goals, reigning world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo has been frustrated, injured knee and all (hey, Suarez came back from knee surgery in mid-May and scored twice) but although scoreless, his top class assist did save POR from elimination (for now).

But we are here for the pool!  After 32 matches, The Mighty Mobelfakta leads with 22 points followed by Gandhi United (21) and a 4-way tie for 3rd.  Both the top two plusFrumunda Mybalz (21st-Tied, 17 pts), Soccerbix (3rd-T, 20), Auxerre (10th-T, 18), and El Russo (21st-T, 17) went 9-7 in the 2nd round of 16 matches with JURGEN IST PANDO! (71st-T, 12) and Soccer Guru (71st-T) going 4-12.  This was a tough set of 16 matches but Rainman (7th-T, 19) did manage to go 6-2 in the last 8.  Sanvid (46th-T, 15) was the only one to nail CHI's win over ESP while Hopscotch (21st-T) was the only one to get CRC over ITA.  QATAR 2022-Oh Wait!!! (34th-T, 16), Belgium Craft Beer (71st-T), and El Russo were the only ones to nail the tie between GERvGHA.  All 75 got ARG over IRN (barely!).  Gaby is still in last with 9 pts. with the next closest person at 12 pts.  Of the top 33 entries, just Flying Elvi(3rd-T) and HK1205 (10th-T) have lost their champion (ESP).

As we head into the final 16 matches, remember that you get the full 3 points for getting a team in the Round of 16.  So, you get 3 points for BRA regardless if you had them as 1st Group A or 2nd Group A.  Obviously, it's harder to maximize points if they are in the wrong side of the bracket (so you could have BRA and CHI in your Quarterfinals but if they play each other in the Round of 16, you automatically get 5 points regardless who wins but you lose maximizing getting BOTH teams correct (10 points if they didn't play each other and both win)).  On the other hand, if they were on opposite sides of the bracket you could lose both and get zero points!

So there will be maximum of 16 points per day (1 pt each x 4 for group match plus 3 pt each x 4 for Round of 16 team) for the next four days after inching along with a max of 32 points up to now.  It will be fast and furious!  Check here if you forgot who you picked.  So despite the six teams (NED, CHI, COL, CRC, ARG, and BEL) who have already qualified for the Round of 16, you won't get points until their final group matches are played.

This year, Sammy is once again provide biting commentary (the once Landon lover and now a hater) with his daily matchday "PANDO! or GORDO?" newsletters (his 3rd straight pool doing it).  Also, following his successful HWCI EURO Pool newsletter, Eric's "Foster's Football Brew" is back and he isactually at the World Cup now to provide insights on the ground.  If anyone else wants to contribute, let me know.  Anyone else going to Brazil and want to send pictures or mini-reports?

The best way to keep up with the pool is to follow @HWCI_Pools on Twitter or visit the #HWCIwc hashtag (you don't need Twitter account to view) often for daily updates.  Less often will be our Facebook group page (post comments or organize viewing parties) and then these newsletters every 4 days or so.  But I intend to update the standings at the end of every matchday.

   SIDES 'N KICKS:  [32 matches] Goals: 94 (2.94/match) (Own: 3 (1-CROvBRA, 10-HONvFRA, 11-BIHvARG); Subs: 17)... Scoring First: 19-7-3 (3 0-0 tie; 1-CRO, 3-ESP, 6-JPN, 7-URU, 9-ECU, 15-ALG, 26-HON)... Lead at Half: 12-4-1 (15 ties; 6-JPN, 8-URU, 9-ECU, 15-ALG)... Shutouts: 16 (2-CMR, 5-GRE, 10-HON, 12-IRN, 12-NGA, 13-POR, 17-BRA, 17-MEX, 18-CMR, 19-ESP, 22-JPN, 22-GRE, 24-ITA, 27-IRN, 28-BIH, 31-RUS)... PK: 7/8 (1-BRA, 3-ESP, 7-URU, 10-FRA, 13-GER, 15-ALG, 20-AUS, 25-fra)... Red Card (Goals For/Against): 5 (8-URUvCRC (94+' 0/0), 10-HONvFRA (43' 2Y 0/3), 13-PORvGER (37' 0/2), 18-CMRvCRO (40' 0/3), 22-GREvJPN (38' 2Y 0/0))... Multiples: 8 (Neymar 2G (1-BRA), Robin Van Persie 2G (3-NED), Arjan Robben 2G (3-NED), Karim Benzema 2G (10-FRA), Thomas Müller 3G (14-GER), Mario Mandzukic 2G (18-CRO), Luis Suarez 2G (23-URU), Enner Valencia 2G (26-ECU))... Goal line technology: FRA G (48')...Regions: UEFA (13 teams) 10-12-4, CONMEBOL (6) 9-2-1, CAF (5) 3-5-2, AFC (4) 0-5-3, CONCACAF (4) 4-2-2 ... Water Break (>89.6F, 30' each half):  1 (30-USAvPOR 39' @Manaus)... ALG goal vs BEL was first in 506 minutes then became 1st AFC team to score 4 goals in WC and earn first win since '82... IRN, CMR, and GRE are the only teams that haven't scored... USA 0-14-1 when trailing at the half ('10-SLV)... 20-AUSvNED (43) and 22-JPNvGRE (41) each had more than 40 fouls called...  10-FRAvHON had 7 yellow cards... five matches had more than 20 shots on target (25-SUIvFRA had 24)...  ITA was called offsides 11 times vCRC, more than any other match thus far (the 2nd most for both teams combined is 10 (3-ESPvNED))... USA has allowed a goal in 21 of their last 23 WC matches... Miraslov Klose (GER), who seemed to score a bunch of goals with head in '02 then a bunch with his feet in '06 & '10, scored his 15th career WC goal with a tap in with his foot tying him with BRA's Ronaldo for most all-time... the 800th WC match was 29-GERvGHA (GER played its 100th WC match vPOR)... the 75 entries only got an average of 6.73 of the 16 matches correct with just 3.04 of the first 8 (matches 17-24)... five got matches 20-23 correct... QATAR 2022-Oh Wait!!! (matches 19-25) and Pappy (64th-T, 13) (matches 16-22) both missed 7 straight... on the last matchday (matches 29-32), Scott T's two entries went 3-0 (Let It Goal! (46th-T)) and 0-3 (Futbol Fabone Five (21st-T)) but unfortunately in the wrong direction (his best one went 0-3, his worst one went 3-0)... since pool started in'98, 100% of teams with 5+ points have made it to the R16... The Mighty Mobelfakta moved into sole possession of 1st with COL's win vCIV... CMR, AUS, ESP, ENG, and BIH have been eliminated thus far...

---Where were you when POR stole three points from USA?  At home (for once!) in front of gorgeous 64' plasma -- stunned...
Scott

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