June 26th 2018

Day -151 WorldCup2018

June 26th, 2018: final matches for Groups C and D. It's easy to see that all four teams in each group could still be in with a chance of qualifying. France and Argentina are the obvious favourites in each group, but it's not easy to pick a second placed team behind the French from amongst Denmark, Peru and Australia or who of Iceland, Croatia or Nigeria will join Argentina in the second round.

On June 26th it's France vs Denmark, Peru vs Australia, Nigeria vs Argentina and Iceland vs Croatia. Nigeria and Argentina played almost to the day (June 25th) four years ago and it was a pleasing on the eye 3-2 win for Argentina. Both teams moved on in Brazil. Iceland are going to have the hopes of many a nuetral fan behind them, hoping they make it as far as possible. There is usually a favourite underdog team at a World Cup, but not normally a European one. Costa Rica, Angola, Ivory Coast, New Zealand are a few that come to mind. The Europeans are too big and powerful to warrant support from the fans looking for a team to follow. What a continuation of an amazing story it will be if Iceland can make it to the last 16. And then in one-off knockout matches who knows what could happen.

Peru will be hoping for a better end to the group stages than at their last World Cup in 1982. That year the played Poland in the "group of draws" and by losing 5-1 they messed up the whole boring equilibrium of the group. If it had been a 1-1 or 0-0 draw all teams would have ended up with 3 points and the tie-breaker would have been even more interesting than what it was. Poland won the group. Italy and Cameroon both had three points and an equal goal difference (0). Italy finished second because they had scored one more goal than Cameroon.

There's an interesting aside to the story of that group in 1982. The standings posted on Fifa's website, in its record of that World Cup, have Cameroon in second place. Are Fifa trying to change history and deny that Italy went on to win that World Cup after scraping through by having drawn 1-1 with Peru, whereas Cameroon could only manage a 0-0 draw with the South Americans?

June 25th 2018

Day -152 WorldCup2018

June 25th at the World Cup will be the first day of last round of matches in Group A and B. The two matches in each group are played at the same time to eliminate any chance of teams playing for a certain result based on what happened in an earlier match. It's usually a pretty exciting day of switching TV channels to see what's going on in each match. Unless your team has been eliminated already and then you find yourself sadly watching them "play for pride."

In Group A, Uruguay play Russia while Saudi Arabia play Egypt. What a match the latter could be if both teams are still in with a shot of qualifying. My prediction is that Uruguay will have qualified already and Russia will still have a lot to play for. They will be hoping for a good result of their own but also hoping that Saudi Arabia do them a favour against Egypt.
Group B sees Portugal take on Iran and Spain play Morocco. The smart money would be on Portugal and Spain winning and playing for first and second place.

What do you think of my predictions? What do I think of my predictions? Consider this: every World Cup or Euro for which I have entered a betting pool at work or school I have been out of contention very early on.

Mulligan

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I'm taking a mulligan. Good night and may the force of the World Cup be with you.

That ref!

Day -154 WorldCup2018

I'm taking a slight detour again. It's not too bad though because I'm up to June 23rd at this year's World Cup and it's not a particularly inspiring day of football. Yes, I will admit that myself. And I will probably still watch as much as I can.

The matches: Belgium-Tunisia, Germany-Sweden and South Korea-Mexico. It just crossed my mind how interesting it would have been if Belgium were playing Tunisia's North African neighbours, Morocco, considering the riotous celebrations in Brussels after Morocco qualified for Russia. But they're playing Tunisia, not Morocco, so no story there.

Today the referee who awarded the non-existent penalty to Switzerland in their qualifying play-off victory against Northern Ireland admitted he made a mistake. Ovidiu Hategan's decision led to the only goal over the two legs. The "Oops, I messed up, my bad, sorry" does nothing for Northern Ireland. Maybe he's only speaking out to pre-empt any criticism that he didn't make the list of World Cup referees because of that mistake. Ah well, Mr Hategan now you know what it's like to stay at home and miss out on your dream of being at the World Cup because somebody else screwed up. No. Hold on. It's your fault you're not going. No sympathy.

The mighty Wolves

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Please excuse the non-continuation of my sequence of going through each day of Russia 2018. I know you will all understand.

My thoughts today are with the mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers of the 1950's, Billy Wright et al. The memory of their greatness, and who gave me those memories, will live on with me forever.

June 21st 2018

Day -156 WorldCup2018

June 21st 2018 is another World Cup day that may not be a stay-at-home-to-watch day for some. To others it's a day of three fascinating matches.

Denmark vs Australia: don't you just think an open match which either team could win?

France vs Peru: France against Peru? Whenever would we see this. The classy, talented French, amongst the favourites, against the tough, disciplined, with a touch of flair Peruvians. This could be a classic.

Argentina vs Croatia: this could be a bigger classic than France-Peru. When Croatia are good, they can be very good and they have the players to almost rival Lionel Messi for moments of individual brilliance.

Looking back at the World Cup history of June 21st there are a couple of matches which I remember very well, for the match itself but also for events off the pitch. But what amazed me more was, despite my World Cup memory that I am so proud of I came across a couple of matches which I have absolutely no recollection of.

On June 21st, 1990, in Italy, Uruguay beat South Korea 1-0 and Spain beat Belgium 2-1. There is nothing in my memory. Nothing. This was the World Cup of the crazy contrasts which made it memorable. The football was for the most part boring. There were few goals and many matches played at pedestrian pace. But it was Italy, I was in my late teens, it was a summer to enjoy. The football made it perfect. But, no, Uruguay, Korea, Spain, belgium. Nothing. On the same day I remember England labouring to a 1-0 win against Egypt, and the Republic of Ireland stubbornly holding Holland to a 1-1 draw.

The 21st of June would have been right in the middle of end of year school exams. I probably sacrificed the first matches for studying. And my brain in protest has probably banned any memory of the events.

There are two June 21st events I remember well. In 1982 France beat Kuwait 4-1. That's not the story. What I will leave you to Google (because I have described in detail before) was why the Kuwaiti players were ordered to leave the pitch and why the referee overturned a perfectly good French goal. Read about the phantom whistle, heard only by the Kuwaiti players and the Prince.

June 21st 1994 was the day of the Diego Maradona goal celebration on steroids. Literally. Watch the video of Maradona's pretty good goal and the bulging eyes, face in the camera celebration that followed. A couple of days later, Maradona was gone, kicked out of the World Cup by Fifa for testing positive for a cocktail of drugs. It was a sad ending for the football genuis, definitely not a stable one.

On June 21st, 2014, Lionel Messi the greatest Argentinian since Maradona, scored a spectacular late winner against Iran. Messi has lagged behind Maradona in acclaim and admiration because he has not done for Argentina what Maradona did. Will this June 21st see an even better Messi?

June 20th 2018

Day -157 WorldCup2018

Moving along. Russia 2018, June 20th, a day for the minnows to make a name for themselves against their stronger opponents.

Portugal play Morocco, Uruguay take on Saudi Arabia and Spain will hope for a comfortable win against Iran.

There's just one short story I have today from a past June 20th. In 1982 Spain were not the Spain of today. They hadn't qualified for the two previous World Cups and were under enormous pressure to perform at home and give the Spanish people a reason to celebrate a few years after the end of the Franco dictatorship. Their opening match was an unconvincing 1-1 draw against Honduras. On June 20th they faced Yugoslavia and it was a match tinged with controversy with Spain benefiting from the kind of refereeing decision that looked like it came from a referee feeling the pressure of being in charge of a match involving the host country.

Yugoslavia took the lead after 8 minutes. In the 14th minute, Spain were awarded a penalty for a foul that clearly took place outside the penalty area. The Yugoslavs were incensed. The Spanish penalty taker missed the penalty and the ref decided it needed to be taken again. Spain scored, their opponents were even angrier and went on to concede the winning goal in the second half.

I always mark 1982 as the year my football life started. I remember that World Cup well for Brazil and Peru's white shirts whit the red sash and Platini and Tardelli and so many more happy moments. But I also have a memory deep in my head of that controversial penalty. Nowadays Spain are a team that can be reasonably expected to win the World Cup and will hopefully not need any favours against Iran on June 20th.