Who Will Win The World Cup 2018 Semi Finals?

The final four are known to the world, and perhaps two are a surprise to the world. But you don't get this far in a tournament without knocking in a few goals and helping knockout a few teams.

Here's how The Armchair envisaged this stage of the proceedings would look when he entered his predictions before the tournament started:

And here's how the actual semi-final line-up looks like:

FRANCE v BELGIUM
ENGLAND v CROATIA

So, in a topsy turvy tournament in which many a big team has fallen by the wayside early doors, the Armchair was 50% correct. Not bad.

But given this new line up, how does the Armchair see these ties shaping up?

OUCH! Yes, that is the sound of The Armchair plucking splinters from its undercarriage as he rests upon the fence. He believes both ties will be close and heading into extra time. He is sticking with BELGIUM to make the final, and thinks CROATIA will make it three out of three successful penalty shoot outs. But what a great Third Place Match that will leave us with!

World Cup Quarter Final: Russia 2-2 Croatia (Croatia win on pens)

And so the hosts bow out, but much later than many imagined (not The Armchair by the way who predicted they’d get to the Quarter Finals but no further). But they so nearly did, an arrogant penalty miss and a dragged one past the post costing the nation an unprecedented semi-final place. What joy would there have been. As it was, a late equaliser sent the home fans into raptures, but for the second time, Croatia prevailed in a penalty shoot out, setting up a semi final against the new masters of the shoot out, England. 

THEY FINISHED 6TH: SWEDEN

Winning their group in somewhat fortuitous circumstances (the rest of the teams just flopped) helped Sweden secure an eminently winnable Round go 16 tie against Switzerland, whom they dispatched. But England proved stiffer opposition, and a nation that gels well as a team but lacks the quality in every department, finally went home from a competition having, like a boring fart who parks themselves in the comfiest armchair at a house party - perhaps overstayed their welcome.

World Cup Quarter Final: England 2-0 Sweden

Never has The Armchair felt so relaxed about a vital England game as this one. Yes, Sweden had a couple of great chances and Pickford pulled off some quality saves, but for a QF team, Sweden had precious little to recommend them. Get Zlat Back! England seemed in control and not overly concerned. Maguire was majestic. But Sterling still stuffed up his chances in front of goal. Kane had a quiet game but who cares, it’s like 1990 all over again. England are in the World Cup semi-finals. Unbelievably, but not undeservedly.

World Cup Quarter Final: France 2-0 Uruguay

Oh, Cavani, where were thee? Your nation needed ye, and there you were injured.

A shadow of the team they were without you, never looked likely to score, and now homeward bound, while France dance on into the final (you need to bring more fans to the next game, though).

The Armchair predicted that France would reach the World Cup Semis and so it has proved. They never looked under threat today, though the Uruguayan keeper will not sleep well tonight, playing over and over the mistake that helped ensure his nation's hopes slipped through his fingers.

Another former winner of the World Cup gone, leaving just France and two others, Brazil and England. And the Armchair predicts we will lose another in tonight's game...

THEY FINISHED 9TH: COLOMBIA

Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. Colombia are as close to the bad boys of the tournament as you’re likely to get. A disgrace against England and few will miss them. They certainly missed Rodriquez in the last game, his presence could have tipped the scales in their favour. But the scales of justice were lenient. They deserved red cards for their appalling behaviour v England, But what goes around is circular, like a football, the one Dier slotted past their despairing keeper. Bye bye. And learn how to behave next time. 

ROUND OF 16: Colombia 1-1 England (England win on pens)

England put The Armchair through the mill. Made him hide behind his cushions. Made his wheels squeak in pure fright. Penalties! Followed a late, late equaliser for Colombia. Aaaarrrgh!

And Colombia were pretty disgraceful throughout, knowing they were inferior without James Rodriguez, with whom this would have been so different. Kane scored a pen, Colombia writhed and pulled and faked and protested. How someone in yellow didn’t see red is a mystery. But in the end, England’s penalties were strong, even Henderson’s whose was saved, and Pickford’s outstretched arm was strong. Respect to Dier who ended years of World Cup Shoot Out heartache. 

World Cup 2018 Group G Final Games: Belgium 1-0 England; Panama 1-2 Tunisia

A couple of stats here. Panama’s goal means all teams in World Cup 2018 scored at least twice. And Belgium beat England for the first time. The Armchair predicted Belgium to win this group, and so they did. But the game against England was no classic. With both sides already qualified they chose to rest players and the quality suffered but Belgium showed they have greater strength in depth. England won’t even mind losing as, on paper, it makes their route to the final seem easier. In the other game, Panama took a surprise lead, but Tunisia eventually turned things round to deliver the expected result.

THEY FINISHED 22nd: ICELAND

In Euro 2016 they were an unknown quantity with a thunderous chant that cast a spell across a tournament and sealed a famous win over England. Two years later, the mystique had gone, though that chant remained (and was adopted by a couple of other nations to less effect). It didn’t really happen for Iceland, but what the hell, they made their first World Cup and were never disgraced at any stage and were perhaps unlucky to be drawn in what was one of the toughest groups.

World Cup 2018: England 6-1 Panama

It’s the kind of result where one of the scores needs to be spelled out or repeated, just to clarify. Six, yes six one. Five of which were scored in the first half. All of which added up to England’s biggest win in a World Cup tournament. In that first half, every attach threatened goal.

A pair of pens from Kane were dispatched with very non-English aplomb. Hard, fast and humanly unreachable. Lingard had the pick of the goals, Kane’s third an exercise in good fortune. Stones weighed in with his first goal for England, and then his second soon after.

Quite an amazing result. There was even something for the Panama (and Russian) fans to cheer. England make the Round of 16 as the armchair expected. But, on this form, they look capable of going further than the Armchair has predicted…

The Armchair Predicted:

England 2-0 Panama

20 and 10

THEY FINISHED 27TH: TUNISIA

Two games, two defeats but goals in both, and Panama to go. 

Something to celebrate there.

Tunisia will be favourites to win the final dead rubber in Group G. 

And 3pts there would just about tally with their pre-tournament expectations. T

hey Kane so close to snatching a just about deserved draw against England, but were dispatched by the Belgians in no uncertain terms.

World Cup 2018: England 2-1 Tunisia

The Armchair was kicking his cushions for most of the second half because he hadn’t predicted a 1-1 in this game. It’s the scoreline at which the last four of England’s tournament openers have finished.

And this looked destined to continue that sequence. England fluffed great chances - Lingard and Sterling in particular. Maguire looked dodgy in the first half, misplaced passes aplenty.

But it would churlish not to credit England with a great first half performance, and to bemoan the dodgy penalty Tunisia were given and the ones England weren’t.

Tunisia got their equaliser and would have settled for the draw but for the poaching skills of Kaptain Kane. With more finishers like him in the team, this would have been a thrashing.

The Armchair Predicted:

England 2-0 Tunisia

8 and 6

Who Will Win In The World Cup Round Of 16: Bottom half of the draw.

Predicting is thankless, and only sets you up to be shot down. So many variables in football. Injuries can transform a team’s chances. A sending off can change a game. A referee can turn a result on its head.

But here goes…

BRAZIL v MEXICO

Inconceivable that everyone’s second favourite team, unless you’re Brazilian (in which case they’re your first favourite team) won’t progress further than the Round of 16. Bad enough they didn’t win the last World Cup which was held in their back yard. To lose now….whoah. Yet Mexico won’t make it easy. BRAZIL TO WIN

BELGIUM v POLAND

The stadium awash with red and white. A corner of Russia becomes Warsaw, the Polish fans urging their team to quarter final glory. But having won their group, the Belgians have calm confidence. Their line-up is the strongest in several generations, from keeper to striker. They know this is their chance. They have seen other nations' previous so-called Golden Generations fail. They’ll not make the same mistake here. BELGIUM TO WIN.

GERMANY  v COSTA RICA

The defending champions enter familiar territory. Such a hard team to knock out in the knock outs. And where have Costa Rica come from? Geographically, Central America of course. But they were unfancied before this all kicked off. I believe this one will go to extra time. GERMANY TO WIN

SENEGAL v ENGLAND

Africa’s sole remaining representatives left in the tournament, with the backing of a continent. Against young, inexperienced, unfancied, unloved England. The team on the receiving end of boos from Russian fans wherever they’ve played. This one goes all the way to the PKs, and every Englishman knows how that ends. SENEGAL TO WIN

Who Will Win World Cup 2018 Group G

World Cup Group G Teams

BELGIUM

ENGLAND

PANAMA

TUNISIA

And so to your blogger's home nation, and surely one of the easiest groups in which to predict the two qualifiers.

It will be disastrous if Belgium and England don’t both beat the other two teams and then decide the group winners in their final game.

It would be better for neutrals if Belgium played England first, putting more pressure on the loser in their following two games.

Belgium’s squad is one of the best. Has been for a few years now, but it meant nothing in Euro 2016. Could mean more here with more experience, and better coaching.

England are young and, for once, England Expects Nothing from its World Cup squad, apart from Group qualification.

Hats off to Panama for qualifying for their first World Cup. But let’s not write them off with words like plucky first timers. They have zero pressure on them. Who knows?

And Tunisia. They’ve qualified for World Cups before, but you get the feeling their big game will be against Panama to see who can wrap up 3rd Place.

World Cup Group G Betting

World Cup GROUP G Predictions:

1: BELGIUM

2: ENGLAND

3: Tunisia

4: Panama

England Starting XI for World Cup 2018

Gareth Southgate names his squad for the 2018 World Cup today. And rumours are he's going to name the squad "England".

But ahead of this momentous announcement, here's the 11 I'd like to see start for England against Tunisia. I believe it's a good enough line-up to at least get a draw.

Take Hart?

Last night, Joe Hart spilled and Peter Crouch pounced at the Olympic Stadium to give Stoke the lead.  

Goalkeeping mistakes stick long in the mind. And with the World Cup 2018 squads taking shape, at least in the minds of the national managers, will Hart’s mistake see his name crossed off Southgate’s shortlist?

Here’s hoping not. Hart is England’s most experienced keeper and still worth one of the three gloved-up places in the squad. 

He might not be your number one No.1, but he’s still worthy of a seat with his name on it on the Russia-bound plane.

Who would be the England Goalkeeping Three you’d take to the 2018 World Cup?