[Malankazooie]

Happens in every professional sports though. It's why I'm turned off a lot of the time as I get older from sports in general. I just can't deal with the fans. I went to an NHL game a few years ago with family and had young nephews and nieces with me. There were idiot fans that were outright belligerently drunk and yelling all manner of foul things at the opposing team & at the refs, and standing the whole time. Unless it's special circumstances, I decided then and there, I prefer to watch safely from my living room on my flat screen HD television. The view is better anyway.

[Yllana]

I agree one hundred percent. Most football fans are obnoxious when you meet them during/after games. I think a lot of them are more into it because of the group identity and this male bonding thing than because of the game itself.

[Gorefest]

Most? No, it is a minority. Sadly it is a very loud and obnoxious minority. But most football fans are fine. Let’s not go into hyperbole here.

I do agree that football, more than most other sports, seems to pull in the worst of the worst though. There is a very disgusting hooligan subculture which you don’t really find in any other sport.

[Andorion]

So guys, world cup predictions?
I am as always a stalwart Germany supporter.

Argentina has second place in my heart followed by Spain.

[Malankazooie]

Well, since the U.S.A. didn't qualify, I'm rooting for Sweden (got roots from there). Mexico (gotta throw love and support to our friends to the south), and England.

Sweden and Mexico are in the same group as Germany (along with South Korea), so that's a bummer.

As far as predictions? Probably comes down to your power houses - Germany, Brazil, Argentina.

Keep an eye on Russia though. As hosts, they probably have some shenanigans planned to see them advance.

[Tiste Simeon]

I really hope Argentina don't win it.

My guess is Brazil have something to prove after the humiliation last time and that they now don't have the pressure of always being in front of a rabid home crowd. They'll be pushing hard.

England will do what they always do, barely scrape through the group stage and then lose in the round of 16, leaving me to more thoroughly enjoy the proceedings.

I hope Russia get crushed by every opponent just to rub it in Trump/Putin's face.

My heart belongs to Iceland, who were the surprise awesome team in the last Euros. I'd love them to do really well. I mean the World Cup is a different beast to anything they've done before so who knows but they pay like a team that know how lucky they are to be there and just want to enjoy the ride while it lasts! Will they win? Well Leicester won the Premier League so anything is theoretically possible...

[Macros]

Would love to see iceland stick it to Portugal again somehow, just to hear Ronny whine about how they play with a small team mentality. No shit arsehole, they are small team

[Tapper]

I think France might be pretty good. Their defense is pretty good, their midfield has more power than most and they have an interesting mix of inside forwards and wingers, pace with Lacazette and Griezman and a target man in Giroud.

Brazil will be interesting to watch. They're very good, but I don't rate them as highly as Spain or Germany.

[Gorefest]

The Netherlands all the way, of course.


Oh wait.....

[Andorion]

Tiste Simeon, on 30 May 2018 - 11:18 PM, said:

I really hope Argentina don't win it.

My guess is Brazil have something to prove after the humiliation last time and that they now don't have the pressure of always being in front of a rabid home crowd. They'll be pushing hard.

England will do what they always do, barely scrape through the group stage and then lose in the round of 16, leaving me to more thoroughly enjoy the proceedings.

I hope Russia get crushed by every opponent just to rub it in Trump/Putin's face.

My heart belongs to Iceland, who were the surprise awesome team in the last Euros. I'd love them to do really well. I mean the World Cup is a different beast to anything they've done before so who knows but they pay like a team that know how lucky they are to be there and just want to enjoy the ride while it lasts! Will they win? Well Leicester won the Premier League so anything is theoretically possible...

It would be really cool if Iceland pulled off a few upsets and reached the Quarters

[Tsundoku]

Socceroos beat Czech Republic 4-0 in a friendly. WTF? I know FIFA rankings have us 5 places ahead of them at 40 and 45, but those rankings are weird.

I think the Czechs must have played their "C" team to give them some game time and ... czech ... them out.



That French team looks fucking dangerous. And I agree with the sentiment that hopes Russia gets butchered in every group match and is humiliatingly confirmed to be out after only 2 games.

Although I think there will indeed be FSB-related shenanigans and I think all the other teams' security details should take it up a few notches.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 03 June 2018 - 11:11 AM

[Mentalist]

Ah, Iceland and Croatia. Our arch-nemeses.

Hopefully Iceland can keep the awesome coming.

As usual, I'm going for the Slavic teams (except Russia). Once they're out, it'll be interesting to see how Germany does with the new squad.

[Tiste Simeon]

Are we going to start a new thread about the World Cup or just keep it in this one? I'm getting excited now...

[Macros]

Keep this one I'd say

[Malankazooie]

Where ever we post, I'll be right there with you guys. Come on Sweden! Mexico! & England!

Do you guys think there'll be stories like during the Winter Olympics that Russia hosted? Like that time the bobsledder got locked in his bathroom. Or when there were wolves walking the halls of the dormitory (which I believe was proven to be a fake).

[Macros]

Ha, fuck England, they won't make it past the quarters if even that.

When Germany are leaving Sane, Horse, Schrulle and Can at home without flinching and England are debating why Shelvey didn't make it?

[Tiste Simeon]

Yeah the sooner they go out the sooner I can actually enjoy the tournament.

My prediction is that they will be mediocre at best and flop out round of 16. There will be tons of speculation on the press about what went wrong and it will be very tiresome.

[Malankazooie]

Looks like first match is Thursday - Russia v Saudi Arabia. Pretty much guaranteed win for Russia, right?

[Gorefest]

Meh, they are both pretty poor. But yeah, Russia will win.

This post has been edited by Gorefest: 09 June 2018 - 06:29 PM

[Tattersail_]

England team photo, I just cannot see past Harry Maguire's head.

Spoiler

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