LEN Teh Footy God's Footballodium

[drone]

10 bonus points for predicting at which stage England goes out on penalties.

I think I already did mine in a Backroom Falklands thread. Argies knock out England in the quarterfinals on penalties. With Rooney hoofing it over the bar on the decider.

You could always do both a pre-tourney full bracket and a "live" predictions.

[naut]

You could always do both a pre-tourney full bracket and a "live" predictions.

That worked well for Euro 08. The full tournament with teams no scores. Live on scores, ad hoc, but before kick-off.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

10 bonus points for predicting at which stage England goes out on penalties.

That's hard to predict as they will not play against Portugal...

[naut]

That's hard to predict as they will not play against Portugal...

Or Argentina...

[Afonso I of Portugal]

That's right, England can only get us in the semis or final, but first Spain or Brazil will send us home pretty soon, therefore England won't play against us this time.

[naut]

Mourinho at Madrid is confirmed. Bets on how long he lasts? Two seasons tops. The Madridistas will get irritated with his pragmatic approach. They are used to flair and galacticos, not grit and efficiency. They'll sack him, like they did Capello and Schulster before him. They don't like the style of play he uses, even if they are proud and want to win, they don't want to win that badly.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

He was picked up cause he's a winner, not because his team play good or bad. In fact, in order to win he's the more secure bet.

[naut]

He was picked up cause he's a winner, not because his team play good or bad. In fact, in order to win he's the more secure bet.

That's not the point I'm making. What I'm saying is that like Capello before him he'll win stuff sure. But the Madridistas are proud people who have the galactico culture running through their veins, they'll sack him once they get sick of his approach. Which my guess will be in 2 season's time.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

That's not the point I'm making. What I'm saying is that like Capello before him he'll win stuff sure. But the Madridistas are proud people who have the galactico culture running through their veins, they'll sack him once they get sick of his approach. Which my guess will be in 2 season's time.

Well maybe. We must wait and see...

[gaelic cowboy]

The Special one will pick up a Champions League and a Spanish league and he will gone in two three years tops. The whole defensive thing will go down like a ton of bricks in Spain even though they will like the trophy's he picks up, then it's back to England to win a Champions League with a premiership team my guess is either city or united

[drone]

Rough Draft Pre-Tourney Bracket game

Groups:

1. France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay
2. Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea
3. Algeria, England, Slovenia, USA
4. Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia
5. Cameroon, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands
6. Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
7. Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal
8. Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland

1A__________                                                                __________1B
            |__________                                          __________|
2B__________|          |                                        |          |__________2A
                       |__________                    __________|
1C__________           |          |                  |          |           __________1D
            |__________|          |__________        |          |__________|
2D__________|                     |                  |                     |__________2C
                                  |    __________    |
1E__________                      |                  |                      __________1F
            |__________           |        __________|           __________|
2F__________|          |          |                  |          |          |__________2E
                       |__________|                  |__________|
1G__________           |                                        |           __________1H
            |__________|                                        |__________|
2H__________|                                                              |__________2G

Scoring:

• Group Stage - 1 point per correct pick
• Group Stage Bonus - 1 point per pick if team is in correct slot
• Round of 16 - 2 points per correct pick
• Round of 16 Bonus - 2 points per pick if team is in correct slot
• Quarterfinals - 4 points per correct pick
• Quarterfinals Bonus - 4 points per pick if team is in correct slot
• Semifinals - 8 points per correct pick
• Semifinals Bonus - 8 points per pick if team is in correct slot
• Finals - 32 points for correct pick

Points awarded for selected team advancing, bonus if on the correct side of the bracket.

Tiebreakers
1: Total Goals Scored in Tournament (closest wins, not including shootout goals) ___
2: Total Number of Red Cards (closest wins) __
3: Golden Boot winner: __________
4: Wooden Spoon "winner": __________
5: Number of shanked PKs by England (missed, not saved, in game and in shootouts) __

Predictions PM'ed to me prior to the start of the first kickoff, brackets posted publicly after the start of the first game. Any improvements/suggestions?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Sounds fine, Drone. Two games it is then?



The other game, latest proposal:

Matchday, in-thread predictions, all games including scores, to spruce up the conversation.


Group stage game:
1 point for correct result, 3 for correct score.
16: 3 and 5 points
8: 4 and 6
4, third place match: 5 and 7
Semis: 8 and 10
Final: 10 and 15

10 bonus points for tournament top scorer.
10 bonus points for predicting at which stage England goes out on penalties.
5 bonus points for predicting the manner in which, FIFA will help South Africa progress in their final group game. Disallowed goals, penalty awarded or not given, etc. Are you as imaginative as the ref?
5 bonus points for predicting the manner in which the Dutch will collapse psychologically.
The Ronaldo game: predict his number of goals. You get ten points in advance. Two points will be deducted for every goal he scores less, or more, than your prediction. Will he be quite as good or as bad as you think he is?
'Dear oh dear' 3 point bonus: predict a Maradona 'dear oh dear' moment. Telling reporters to XXX his XXX? Cocaine abuse? Red card?
Lastly, -100 points for predicting Italy as winners and being correct.



Bonus matches to raise the stakes for our football thread regulars!
Triple points awarded for the following highly anticipated games:

12-6 England - USA
22-6 France - South Africa
18-6 Serbia - Germany
14-6 Netherlands - Denmark
25-6 Portugal - Brazil

Are you up for it johnhughthom? There will be a lot of typing involved. It is all yours if you want it. Tinker with the rules as much as you please!

[naut]

This made me giggle:

[johnhughthom]

Are you up for it johnhughthom? There will be a lot of typing involved. It is all yours if you want it. Tinker with the rules as much as you please!

Yep, like the bonus point suggestions. Perhaps not the Italian one though, a smidgeon of sour French grapes methinks...

[drone]

Should the games be in separate threads, or just lump them into this one?

[johnhughthom]

Separate threads would probably be best, I think this thread will see some heavy traffic during the tournament.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yep, like the bonus point suggestions. Perhaps not the Italian one though, a smidgeon of sour French grapes methinks...

The game is all yours, so use what you think works.

I would propose Drone's game in a thread of it's own, for the clarity of the game. And your game in the World Cup thread, that predictions and discussions can freely mix with our official match predictions. This is how the two games were done last time, I think it worked quite well.


As for sour grapes about the Italians - nah. I merely pray to God every night to smite them with natural disasters until the seventh generation.

[naut]

Unlucky Rio!



Now where's Campbell's phone number got too....

[LeftEyeNine]

Reviving this thread for curiosity purposes:

Boluspor, some Bank Asya Ligi contender -the league below the top-, has clinched the deal of the purchase of Marvin Zeegelaar who is a product of Ajax youth system, even managed to grab A team shirt here and there.

Is he any good ? Could any Dutch friend enlighten me for it is such a rare incident here ?

[Jolt]

Huge news in Portugal:

Portuguese giants Porto have confirmed the transfer of highly rated midfielder Joao Moutinho from domestic rivals Sporting CP for a fee of €11 million plus the services of defender Nuno Andre Coelho. Moutinho has signed a five-year deal with his new club.

Porto only finished third in the Liga Sagres table last term and are therefore determined to add to their ranks ahead of next season in order to fight for the league title again. New coach Andre Villas Boas had made the capture of a new midfielder one of his primary targets on the transfer market.

The 23-year-old Moutinho is a product of the Sporting CP youth academy and made over 150 official appearances for the Lisbon side since making his debut in January 2005. The playmaker was named Sporting CP captain ahead of the 2007-08 campaign.

Moutinho was continually being linked with a move abroad in the past couple of months, but no concrete offers came in for the Portuguese international. Porto then made a move for Moutinho and Sporting opted to cooperate after Moutinho revealed that he wanted a new challenge.

The new Sporting manager, Paulo Sergio, took away the captain's band from Moutinho, which adding up to the last seasons club underperformances, plus the unavailability of the club to sell Moutinho unless for the release clause have finally took its toll. He was already unhappy and Paulo Sergio lit the fuse. He had an argument with the Director of Football and the President, and ended by saying that if he wasn't sold he would refuse to play for Sporting. Cue for Porto, who came to get the captain of a rival club. This is ridiculous. And there are news today that Izmailov has also said he wants to leave Sporting to join Porto.

I'm absoolutely stunned.

[naut]

Yikes. Although, based on what I saw of Porto last season they need to improve at the back, not so much the mids. Anyway that's quite a coup. Sporting not looking good for next season.

Also, Braga keeper Eduardo is supposedly being offered around, how'd he play last season? He looked alright at the WC, so he must be somewhat decent, yes?

[Ronin]

Yikes. Although, based on what I saw of Porto last season they need to improve at the back, not so much the mids. Anyway that's quite a coup. Sporting not looking good for next season.

Also, Braga keeper Eduardo is supposedly being offered around, how'd he play last season? He looked alright at the WC, so he must be somewhat decent, yes?

when does Sporting ever look good for next season? :P

[LeftEyeNine]

I was definitely stunned about the news as well. How come Moutinho can leave Sporting for Porto ? What is next, Veloso and Adrien too ?

[Jolt]

I was definitely stunned about the news as well. How come Moutinho can leave Sporting for Porto ? What is next, Veloso and Adrien too ?

Apparently I related things the wrong way. What apparently happened was that Moutinho came into the pre-season already with a personal agreement with Porto leaders to go there (!!!), and was determined to leave Sporting any way possible.

So it seems he did actually refuse to train, threatened to refuse to play, and spouted things like: "I'll never wear the Sporting jersey again"; "Or I leave well with the club or else..."; and that he wanted to play "in Porto, Benfica or any other club.". Take into consideration that he was for Sporting's captain, and the embodiment of the team spirit. So the taking of the armband was actually a reaction to the utter ridiculousness that Moutinho was doing. As such, I can well say "Good ridance." mercenary.

[naut]

Finally a centreback. Now a keeper and either a new contract for Sol or any other experienced head.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

As such, I can well say "Good ridance." mercenary.

Yeah! bye bye rotten apple!!!

[Afonso I of Portugal]

What is next, Veloso and Adrien too ?

According to Portuguese media Mourinho want Veloso at Real Madrid. Sporting want 10 M€ + Drenthe on a loan.

Adrien Silva is already on a loan at Maccabi Haifa for one season. He will probably called back earlier with Moutinho's exit.

The former Braga/Portugal keeper Eduardo sign for Genoa yesterday.

[Jolt]

I present to you: Roberto, the spaniard who has become the 5th most expensive transfer ever to the Portuguese League, the most expensive Goal Keeper transfer ever in Portugal, recently bought by the "Glorious" Benfica. In his debut, and already showing his tremendous "worth".



&



Casillas's successor, no doubt.

[Afonso I of Portugal]

I present to you: Roberto, the spaniard who has become the 5th most expensive transfer ever to the Portuguese League, the most expensive Goal Keeper transfer ever in Portugal, recently bought by the "Glorious" Benfica. In his debut, and already showing his tremendous "worth".



&



Casillas's successor, no doubt.

I hope they play with him the entire season...7 M€ for this guy? unbelievable!!! and i thought that selling Moutinho to Porto for 11 M€ + 1 player was a bad business...

[naut]

Conor Wickham is NOT a wonderkid. He's just an average player from Ipswich.

And, Citeh... uh? Didn't you hear about the homegrown rules coming into effect?

And the real reason Henry went to play Football in America: Handling is an accepted part of the game there.