THEY FINISHED 7TH: BRAZIL

The Armchair doesn't want to sound arrogant, but he has great difficulty in understanding those who thought Brazil would win this World Cup. Even reaching the final should not have been entertained.

The same with Germany and Argentina. They might be big names from the history of the World Cup, but none of them had shown any kind of form coming into the competition, and all were player for player weaker than at least three other big teams, Spain, France and Belgium.

Neymar did OK but is an habitual faker, and in this tournament all that fakery has caught up with them. Penalties they might have falsely earned in the past have been wiped out by VAR. The culture of diving and faking needs to change if these nations are ever to enjoy success on the world stage again.

Brazil seemed to learn that lesson in the second half against Belgium, where chasing the game meant they couldn't afford to waste time on the fakery. But Belgium outclassed them and gave them a taste of their own medicine, winding down the clock and winding up the Brazilians with a little dose of fakery.

What goes round...

THE ROUND OF 16 PREDICTIONS

And so the field is cut in half. Those that flunked the group stage fly home. Those that excelled stay and do battle in the knock out phase.

Here's how The Armchair predicted things would look at the World Cup 2018 Round of 16 stage

before the start of the tournament :

And here's the actual line up of  Round of 16 ties: with predictions

The Armchair predicted 2 TIES DEAD ON (Fra v Arg, Bra v Mex.) And 11 of the 16 teams to get this far.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: GERMANY

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Denmark / Sweden / Japan

The Armchair's two finalists are still IN and can still both play each other in the final: BELGIUM v SPAIN.

THEY FINISHED 19TH: South Korea

Nothing else matters. They beat the reigning World Champions, delivering the killer blow in fine style, doing something that barely happens once very 100 years. Who cares about their first two games which were disappointed. They left on a high, celebrating like they won it in a game they deserved to win. A famous, famous win that will be remembered for far longer than the fact it was their only win of the tournament. 

THEY FINISHED 20TH: GERMANY

Although The Armchair correctly predicted that Germany would not win World Cup 2018, he thought they would win their group. The fact that they finished bottom shows what a disastrous tournament it’s been for the holders, now perhaps the too olders. That’s 4 times out of the last 5 tournaments that the holders have gone out in the group stage. Some kind of curse at work. But bad form going into the tournament, and no Lahm, Schweinsteiger and, vitally, Klose, condemned the Germans to their worst tournament finish since  1938. Managers don’t survive this sort of failure, nor many players. Expect wholesale changes afore Euro 2020.

World Cup Group F FINAL GAMES: Mexico 0-3 Sweden; Germany 0-2 South Korea

What the! Eh! That simply doesn’t make sense. No, no, not Germany going out to South Korea, but the fact that Group F finished up before Group E. What happened there alphabetically? It was all going so well. Such things get The Armchair twitching on his cushion. Now what about these two results. Maximum pointed Mexico going down to Sweden and then the holders, the invincible Germans who always make it through the Group Stage being turned over by South Korea. No one expected that, and it’s this kind of thing that’s helping make Russia’s World Cup a real classic.

World Cup 2018: Germany 2-1 Sweden

The champions looked gone, trailing Sweden at half time. Disjointed, disenchanted. Dishearted. 

But an early one in the second half set the tone, sowed the seed of the comeback which they left until late. Very late. 

But what a krakker from Kroos. A well worked free kick slotted home. 

Cue the frantic celebrations and a touchline fracas between the management. 

Now the Germans will dispatch the Koreans and send the Swedes home. You heard it here first.

The Armchair Predicted

Germany 2-1 Sweden

19 and 10

World Cup 2018: South Korea 1-2 Mexico

Whoah, Mexico. Your wave lives on. Your team moves on to the round of 16. Shot the Germans down and the Koreans followed, just the Swedes to go. But the expected qualification achieved with a game to spare. A team in form with fans aplenty. Even an added time cracker from Korea couldn’t spoil their party.

The Armchair Predicted:

South Korea 1-2 Mexico

18 and 10

World Cup 2018 Germany 0-1 Mexico

'They will still win it.'
The first comment following this, the first bona fide shock of the tournament.
But The Armchair does not believe the Germans are good enough to win the World Cup. They will, however, probably still be good enough to qualify from their group.

But they were not good enough today. A Germany minus Klose lacks finishing power. And today they just weren't at the races.

Big up Mexico, who always do well in the group phase and have pretty much guaranteed they will do that again.

The Armchair Predicted:
Germany 2-0 Mexico

6 and 4

World Cup 2018 Predictions: Who Will Win The World Cup 2018 Quarter Finals?

The Armchair has predicted the following quarter finals in World Cup 2018. And without use of tarot cards or crystal balls, sees the following happening…

World Cup 2018 Quarter Final Predictions

RUSSIA v FRANCE

Home nation nerves will be jangling. Expectation as high as a Russian cosmonaut orbiting the world. Cup fever gripping everyone from the Kremlin to the Crimea. For France, they are where they expect to be. Mixing it in the latter stages of a tournament quite a few fancy them to win. And win this game they shall. FRANCE TO WIN

SPAIN v PERU

There are always tales of the unexpected in every tournament (Iceland in Euro 2016, Brazil’s thrashing in 2014) and Peru are shaping up to be 2018’s instalment. Although people in the know know they are good enough to get here. But good enough to beat a still strong Spain? Not quite, for me. SPAIN TO WIN.

BRAZIL v BELGIUM

What a final this would have made. Two teams packed with big names and both getting into the groove in this tournament, winning their groups and their first knockout. But the draw machine has brought them together in this pick of the quarter finals. And, although it will be tighter than neutrals might hope for, it goes to extra time, and once again, Brazilian dreams are shattered by a European team. Narrowly this time.

BELGIUM TO WIN.

GERMANY v SENEGAL

Let’s remember, Germany weren’t in great form coming into the tournament, and they haven’t been brilliant during it. And by now, Senegal have been battling with Peru to become everyone’s second favourite team. There are no neutrals in the stadium. All non-Germans want to see Senegal win this. And although head has an inkling for Germany, I’m going with the heart. SENEGAL TO WIN.

World Cup 2018 Predictions: Which teams will make the quarter finals?

The Armchair World Cup 2018 predicts these will be the last 8 teams left standing in the tournament:

RUSSIA v FRANCE

SPAIN v PERU

BRAZIL v BELGIUM

GERMANY v SENEGAL

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

Insane To Leave Out Sane?

Not good enough for the World Cup. That’s the take out of Joachim Low’s decision to leave out Leroy Sane from Germany’s World Cup 2018 squad.

Man City fans, and indeed Premier League fans will be puzzled, or a little fearful of the strength of German football that they can afford to leave Sane at home.

It follows Belgian Radja Nainggolan’s decision to quit international football following his surprise omission from the Belgian squad BEFORE it was trimmed to 23 players.

How many international squads would both these players be a shoe-in (or boot-in) for?

Slightly less surprising is Christian Benteke being cut from the final Belgian squad. He’s not been great for Palace this season.

Who Will Win World Cup 2018 Group F?

World Cup Group F Teams

GERMANY

MEXICO

SOUTH KOREA

SWEDEN

Here’s where you’ll find the 2014 World Champions. But DON’T bet on them to retain their title. It’s only happened twice in World Cup history (Italy 1934 and 1938, and Brazil 1958 and 1962).

But DO bet on Germany to win this group. Even average German teams win their World Cup Group, and this German team is still above average, despite all time top scorer in World Cups Klose closing the final chapter on his World Cup career in 2014.

There’s still plenty to recommend this German team. Muller. Werner. Can. Sane. Ozil. They will be too strong for the rest in the group.

I like MEXICO for finishing runners up. They can beat South Korea and Sweden, and qualified impressively.

SWEDEN needed a play off win against Italy to book their place, and narrowly edged out Holland in their qualifying group. Having stopped two big international teams making the tournament, you would think confidence is high. But this is not a vintage Sweden team. Star names are thin on the ground, and so will wins be in this World Cup group.

South Korea finished a distant 2nd to IRAN in qualification. They’d take 2nd in this group, but I can’t see it happening.

World Cup Group F Betting

World Cup Group F Predictions

1: GERMANY

2: MEXICO

3: South Korea

4: Sweden