Admin Pick # 2

So, here is my second entry in hopes of the final being played at 3 am here on the West Coast:  3am Down Under.  

A big dump of entries today pushes our total past 2019's record of 44.  We currently, unofficially, have 47 entries now.  You can view your picks using the menu above.  I'll be emailing this link to everyone so they can double-check any errors.  Good luck!  1st match starts in 5 minutes!

Admin Pick # 1

Well, thanks to my self-imposed limitation of 21 characters for a nickname, I can't fit Futbol Fabone Doke Doke, which is 14 in Australian Aboriginal Wotjobaluk counting system, which are based on body parts (e.g., little finger is 1).  If I wanted to use the te reo Māori (New Zealand) translation, that would be Futbol Fabone Tekau Mā Whā.  Too long.

So back to English for Football Fabone 14, my main entry into the pool.  It's our 14th soccer pool (7 men's World Cups, 3 Euros, 3 Women's World Cups, and 1 Special (MLS is Back)).  I plan to have a 2nd entry tomorrow with USA not winning it all... can the Aussies do it?

Just over 24 hours to enter our pool.  Good luck!

Admin Pick # 2

HOME -- When I landed at LAX, we had surpassed our record 2018 total of 79 entries (was at 72 before I left Vancouver).  Now, we are at 97 entries (though 2 do need some heavy fixing in the bracket) and hopefully will top 100 by morning.  

My second and last entry (bye, bye $20) is Arabian Bribes.   There are a few docs on how Qatar secured the World Cup, which I hope to watch in the next couple weeks.  This entry has ARG winning it all, as I tried to pick a dark horse team like Netherlands, England, or the elders of Belgium.  But it feels like a South American year and maybe, after Ronaldo got the Euro trophy, Messi can get his World Cup trophy.

If you need to make any corrections to your picks, just send an email or submit a new pick (choose "Update" so I know) with same nickname.  Thanks to Eric F, Brian B, and Jim M for bringing in new people to the pool.  Also got about a half dozen strictly NCAA folks to get their feet wet in soccer.

Good luck to all!

Admin Pick # 1

VANCOUVER, BC -- Well, here is my first official entry, Kurat Alqadam Fab 13.  "Kurat Alqadam" translating in Arabic to soccer/football and 13 being the 13th HWCI soccer pool.  Had to shorten my "Fabone" to just "Fab".  This is my homer pick with USA making the semis and Japan getting 2nd in Group E over Germany.  As well as Canada and Mexico making the Round of 16.  Yup, a mess.  Well, good luck to all.

Deadline is 8 am PST Sunday!  Just 37 hours left.  Enter now!

Admin's Picks

NOT WORKING FROM HOME -- You would think I would have more insight into MLS than the NCAA or World Cup/Euro pools since I do gamedays with the LA Galaxy (my 25th year!) and have a season ticket with LAFC (my 3rd year).  But, no.  Haven't had any time to think about the pool since putting feelers out there a month ago due to work commitments, but likely most teams will be rusty so will the powerhouses of ATL, TOR, SEA, and LAFC survive their groups.  Looking at the map, it looks like Field 17 a the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  Didn't read if it was turf or not but having 3 matches in one day could take a toll.

So, here are my two picks.  The first represents the 11th soccer pool we have done and the 11 players on each team on the pitch.  The second is a reference to the six-yard goal box in which case during these safer-at-home protocols, becomes a six-foot box.

Futbol Fabone Eleven
The Six Foot Box

I'll be emailing your picks in this format as well later.  With 2 hours left, good luck!

Admin Picks

Boy, the USA really does have a tough road.  To play not only the #4 team in the Quarters but the host nation as well, that'll be a challenge.  And if the make it past France, then they likely get #3 England.  Meanwhile in the lower bracket #2 Germany would face just the 2nd place team from either Group E or F in the Quarters and in the Semis, at best either #5 Canada, #6 Australia (who got whalloped by #8 Netherlands), or #7 Japan (too young).  But will the GER women's team choke like the men's team did last year and not even make it out of the group?  Will an African team (none ranked higher than #38) surprise this year?

Here are my two entries in the pool.  As this is our 10th soccer pool, my main entry is Futbol Fabone Dix (10).  And in support of rebuilding from the horrible fire at Notre Dame in April, let's please Restore the Spire.

Good luck to everyone!  We have 39 entries which is great with 12 hours to go!

Admin's Picks

Here are Scott's two entries as he kisses another $20 away.

Futbol Fabone Devyat'

Back in the U.S.S.R.

We unofficially have 68 entries!  We are close to topping our record of 75 in 2014.  Can we do it?  On our Facebook poll, 7 of 9 people said they were LESS interested in the World Cup because the U.S. isn't in it, but I guess "less interested" is still better than most things right now, except for The Expanse (thanks Amazon for saving the show!).  Still four hours left to enter before the 8 am PDT deadline.

HWCI.com down but I'm still behind anyway

Hopefully it's just a midnight thing and hopefully HWCI.com will be back up in the morning.  Standings are posted below in the meantime.  I had to stop the 32,000+ scenario runs so it's like you are all still in it (even though not all of you are).  Running the 8,000+ scenario case (after today's 2 matches) right now which still takes hours.  In the meantime, only four correctly picked URU (Forza Pazza, El Ruso, El Chileno (7th-Tied, 61), Stewart W (12th-T, 58)) and only Samersig (going from 54th-T to 29th-T, 55) pegged GHA.  So Forza Pazza (70) actually increased his lead from one to six points and El Ruso moved from 10th-T to 3rd-T.  Note that Forza Pazza (Joseph D) was also first after the Round of 16 last time (2006) (maybe it's about goalkeeper saves??) and didn't finish in the money.  Maybe it'll be different this time.

So I Hate Vodka (18th-T, 57) lost his USA champ and two others lost USA in the final.  We thank you for your patriotism and your ten bucks.  BUT, they might not be eliminated yet.  Boy, I need a faster computer.

Here are the current standings:

HOME	BLOG	RESULTS		FORUM
	DATE OF STANDINGS:	26-Jun-10
	RND1- # NO TIE/TIED:		34/14							1ST-	$310	4TH-	$60
	MATCHES PLAYED:	50 of 63	48	(16)	2	0	0	0		2ND-	$160	BNS-	$40
	PICKS PER ROUND:		48	16	8	4	2	1	79	3RD-	$100	Total Goals: TBD
	POINTS PER PICK:		1	3	5	7	9	14
	POINTS PER ROUND:		48	48	40	28	18	14	196		Pred
Rnk	NAME	Correct->	RND1	ADV	R16	QTR	SEMI	FINAL		PTS	Chmp	TIE	WIN GRP
1	Forza Pazza	Pick	26	13	1	0	0	0		70	ESP	6.5	D4H4
2	EEChick1400	Pick	25	13	0	0	0	0		64	BRA	7.5	G4
3	Big Tex	Pick	24	13	0	0	0	0		63	ESP	6.0	C4H4
	El Ruso	Pick	22	12	1	0	0	0		63	ARG	8.5	B4

HWCI.com Temporarily Down

I will move the standing and picks over to this blog until the site is back up later tonight.

Admin Stuff

As we await the hopefully epic USA-England match, you will notice that our homepage now redirects to this blog.  The original homepage is now called "ARCHIVE".  STANDINGS and RESULTS are updated after yesterday's games (no one got points) but you can see who everyone picked as their champ.  All now have their own tabs plus Sam's Pando! or Gordo?.

Cheers,
Scott
Sent via my Droid Incredible!