DJHazey

Iceland haven't even been performing well in friendlies lately though. Granted, they've been dealing with injuries but they had Gylfi back for the Norway friendly and lost at home. Now they have Ghana coming to Reykjavik. No one wants Iceland to succeed more than I do, but I wouldn't bet on much success in this tournament.

Simulated Results: POL 1:2 SEN COL 1:1 JPN JPN 2:1 SEN POL 1:0 COL JPN 0:0 POL SEN 0:2 COL Japan [2-0-1] [5pts.] [3-2] Colombia [1-1-1] [4pts.] [3-2] Poland [1-1-1] [4pts.] [2-2] Senegal [1-2-0] [3pts.] [3-5]

Simulated Results: BEL 4:0 PAN TUN 0:1 ENG BEL 2:0 TUN ENG 1:0 PAN ENG 0:1 BEL PAN 0:0 TUN Belgium [3-0-0] [9pts.] [7-0] England [2-1-0] [6pts.] [2-1] Tunisia [0-2-1] [1pts.] [0-3] Panama [0-2-1] [1pts.] [0-5]

Simulated Results: GER 2:1 MEX SWE 1:1 KOR GER 2:1 SWE KOR 0:2 MEX KOR 0:3 GER MEX 2:1 SWE Germany [3-0-0] [9pts.] [7-2] Mexico [2-1-0] [6pts.] [5-3] Sweden [0-2-1] [1pts.] [3-5] South Korea [0-2-1] [1pts.] [1-6]

They were also in the same group in 2010 South Africa.

Simulated Results: CRC 1:1 SRB BRA 3:3 SUI BRA 1:1 CRC SRB 1:2 SUI SRB 0:1 BRA SUI 3:1 CRC Switzerland [2-0-1] [7pts.] [8-5] Brazil [1-0-2] [5pts.] [5-4] Costa Rica [0-1-2] [2pts.] [3-5] Serbia [0-2-1] [1pts.] [2-4]

This is the "rematch" group because not only are Argentina and Nigeria facing off yet again, but Iceland and Croatia were in the same 2018 WC qualifying group and faced each other in the 2014 WC playoffs. They have a little rivalry going too.

Simulated Results ARG 2:2 ISL CRO 2:1 NGA ARG 1:1 CRO NGA 2:1 ISL ISL 0:1 CRO NGA 0:3 ARG Croatia [2-0-1] [7pts.] [4-2] Argentina [1-0-2] [5pts.] [6-3] Nigeria [1-2-0] [3pts.] [3-6] Iceland [0-2-1] [1pts.] [3-5]

Simulated Results FRA 2:1 AUS PER 1:0 DEN FRA 2:1 PER DEN 3:0 AUS AUS 1:0 PER DEN 1:0 FRA Denmark [2-1-0] [6pts.] [4-1] France [2-1-0] [6pts.] [4-3] Peru [1-2-0] [3pts.] [2-3] Australia [1-2-0] [3pts.] [2-5]

That said, here are the simulated results for this group: MAR 1:1 IRN POR 0:0 ESP POR 0:0 MAR IRN 0:1 ESP IRN 1:2 POR ESP 1:0 MAR Spain [2-0-1] [7pts.] [2-0] Portugal [1-0-2] [5pts.] [2-1] Morocco [0-1-2] [2pts.] [1-2] Iran [0-2-1] [1pts.] [2-4]

I think this group is going to be closer than people think. I'm telling you Morocco and Iran are probably the two of the better non-European/South American teams in the entire tournament and their style of play will likely frustrate the big dogs. I can envision upsets happening.

Simulated Results RUS 3:0 KSA EGY 1:1 URU RUS 0:2 EGY URU 4:0 KSA KSA 0:1 EGY RUS 1:2 URU Uruguay [2-0-1] [7pts.] [7-2] Egypt [2-0-1] [7pts.] [4-1] Russia [1-2-0] [3pts.] [4-4] Saudi Arabia [0-3-0] [0pts.] [0-8]

7.5 ☆ Miss Movin' On 11.0 ☆ Boss 10.0 ☆ Sledgehammer 10.0 ☆ Worth It (feat. Kid Ink) 8.5 ☆ I'm In Love With A Monster 10.0 ☆ Work From Home (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) 9.0 ☆ All In My Head (Flex) (feat. Fetty Wap) 9.5 ☆ That's My Girl 8.5 ☆ Down (feat. Gucci Mane) 9.0 ☆ He Like That xx.x ☆ Por Favor (with Pitbull) 7.0 ☆ Me & My Girls 8.0 ☆ The Life 9.5 ☆ Write On Me 6.5 ☆ Angel 6.0 ☆ Deliver xx.x ☆ Sin Contraco (Remix) (with Maluma)

That said my predictions: A: Uruguay, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia B: Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Iran C: France, Denmark, Peru, Australia D: Argentina, Croatia, Nigeria, Iceland E: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Costa Rica F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Korea Republic G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama H: Colombia, Poland, Senegal, Japan Round of 16: Morocco over Uruguay, France over Croatia, Brazil over Mexico, Belgium over Poland, Spain over Egypt, Argentina over Denmark, Germany over Switzerland, England over Colombia Quarterfinals: Morocco over France, Brazil over Belgium, Spain over Argentina, Germany over England Semifinals: Brazil over Morocco, Spain over Germany Final: Brazil over Spain

Two factors when making predictions: The darkhorses Peru will be without their captain Guerrero as he been suspended for doping and Iceland may or may not be without four of their top players as they are battling serious injuries and may not be fit.

I'll take 18.

I think Brazil has a lot to prove as far putting that 7-1 loss to Germany behind them, they'll get it done.

My first group by group analysis, leading up to the tournament: Group A Russia // Saudi Arabia // Egypt // Uruguay Russia Analysis: Their last two tournaments (EURO 2016 and 2017 Confederations Cup) were both disasters and recent friendlies have not been encouraging either. The strong EURO 2008 squad has aged into the their mid-30s and most of that squad has been replaced by young players that are not proven as of yet. Key Player: Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit St. Petersburg) - Having a career year for his club and is third leading scoring in the Europa League. Outlook: 3rd place in group stage Saudi Arabia Analysis: Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2006, after defeating Japan 1-0 on the last day of Asian Qualifying. Their coach, who led them through the qualifying campaign, left the team shortly after due to a contract dispute. They've gone through a couple of coaches since and have settled on former Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi (who led Chile to the 2016 Copa Centenario win). Does he have enough time to become acquainted with his new team? Key Player: Mohammed Al-Sahlawi (Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia) - The 30 year-old was joint top scorer in Asian Qualification and has a flare for dramatic late-goals for his country. Outlook: 4th place in group stage Egypt Analysis: The current Egyptian squad is mostly an unknown to the international stage. The last few World Cup qualifying campaigns have ended in heartbreak, usually at the hands of Ghana. Seemingly, as if the CAF leaders were having a joke on Egypt's account, they were thrust into the same qualifying group as their nemesis...and they destroyed everyone including Ghana. This is a fast-paced young squad that is very fun to watch play; being a new generation that have all developed together. They made to the 2017 African Cup of Nations final and it'll be enjoyable to see if they're ready for the big stage. Key Player: Mo Salah (Liverpool) - Unless you've been living under a rock, you know what Salah has been doing for Liverpool in both the Premier League and Champions League. Some have even said he may be the next Messi/Ronaldo. He can take a major step towards those lofty goals with a breakout tournament here. Outlook: Win the group, lose in Round of 16. Uruguay Analysis: In recent years Uruguay have been a tough team to judge. They finished second to Brazil in South American World Cup Qualifying, but also were dreadful in the last couple Copa America tournaments. They can be a quick-trigger team capable of magnificent goals and attacking football but can also be a slow-footed, bogged-down team that struggles to get results. They are veteran squad that could go on a long run or be ousted in the group stage. wejustdontknow.gif Key Player: Luis Suarez (Barcelona) - Far from a one-man army (Edinson Cavani also leads a potent attack) Suarez is as polarizing a figure in international football as he is skilled. We all remember his biting incidents but he also single-handedly spurred on Uruguay's qualifying campaign. Despite finishing second, knowing what teams would qualify from this region was always in the balance, thank to string of results that can only be described as chaos. Suarez had many big moments to lead Uruguay to Russia. Outlook: Second in the group, lose in Round of 16.

Didn't want to start a new thread but here are the list of the pre-World Cup friendlies for all countries involved in the World Cup Date - Venue - Matchup 5/9 - Cadiz - Algeria vs. Saudi Arabia 5/15 - Seville - Saudi Arabia vs. Greece 5/18 - Tehran - Iran vs. Uzbekistan 5/26 - Kuwait City - Kuwait vs. Egypt 5/28 - Tehran - Iran vs. Turkey 5/28 - Paris - France vs. Ireland 5/28 - Braga - Portugal vs. Tunisia 5/28 - St. Gallen - Italy vs. Saudi Arabia 5/28 - Abuja - Nigeria vs. Congo DR 5/29 - Lima - Peru - vs. Scotland 5/29 - Los Angeles - Mexico vs. Wales 5/29 - Buenos Aries - Argentina vs. Haiti 5/29 - Panama City - Panama vs. Northern Ireland 5/30 - Luxembourg - Luxembourg vs. Senegal 5/30 - Yokohama - Japan vs. Ghana 5/31 - Geneva - Morocco vs. Ukraine 6/1 - St. Polten - Czech Republic vs. Australia 6/1 - Nice - France vs. Italy 6/1 - Sion - Tunisia vs. Turkey 6/1 - Jeonju - South Korea vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina 6/2 - London - England vs. Nigeria 6/2 - Stockholm - Sweden vs. Denmark 6/2 - Reykjavik - Iceland vs. Norway 6/2 - Brussels - Belgium vs. Portugal 6/2 - Klagenfurt - Austria vs. Germany 6/2 - St. Gall - Saudi Arabia vs. Peru 6/3 - Mexico City - Mexico vs. Scotland 6/3 - Liverpool - Brazil vs. Croatia 6/3 - Villarreal - Spain vs. Switzerland 6/3 - San Jose - Costa Rica vs. Northern Ireland 6/4 - Geneva - Morocco vs. Slovakia 6/4 - Moscow - Russia vs. Turkey 6/6 - Brussels - Belgium vs. Egypt 6/6 - Oslo - Norway vs. Panama 6/6 - St. Polten - Czech Republic vs. Nigeria 6/7 - Leeds - England vs. Costa Rica 6/7 - Lisbon - Portugal vs. Algeria 6/7 - Reykjavik - Iceland vs. Ghana 6/7 - TBD - South Korea vs. Bolivia 6/8 - Lugano - Switzerland vs. Japan 6/8 - Leverkusen - Germany vs. Saudi Arabia 6/8 - Montevideo - Uruguay vs. Uzbekistan 6/8 - Osijek - Croatia vs. Senegal 6/8 - Tehran - Iran vs. Lithuania 6/8 - Lugano - Switzerland vs. Japan 6/8 - Poznan - Poland vs. Chile 6/9 - Gothenburg - Sweden vs. Peru 6/9 - Budapest - Hungary vs. Australia 6/9 - Brondby - Denmark vs. Mexico 6/9 - Lyon - France vs. USA 6/9 - Krasnodar - Spain vs. Tunisia 6/9 - Tallinn - Estonia vs. Morocco 6/10 - Vienna - Austria vs. Brazil 6/11 - TBD - South Korea vs. Senegal 6/12 - Innsbruck - Paraguay vs. Japan 6/12 - Warsaw - Poland vs. Lithuania

And I thought my -1s were going to be controversial. Yikes.

10 All Saints – Black Coffee 07 All Saints – Never Ever 11 All Saints – Pure Shores 05 Atomic Kitten – Be With You 09 Atomic Kitten – Whole Again 09 B*Witched – Blame It On The Weatherman 10 B*Witched – C’est La Vie 07 Destiny’s Child – Bills, Bills, Bills 06 Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious 06 Destiny’s Child – Bug A Boo 07 Destiny’s Child – Independent Women, pt. 1 04 Destiny's Child – Lose My Breath 05 Destiny’s Child – Say My Name 08 Destiny’s Child – Survivor 04 En Vogue – Don’t Let Go (Love) 09 En Vogue – My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It) 05 Eternal (ft. Bebe Winans) – I Wanna Be The Only One 10 Fifth Harmony (ft. Kid Ink) – Worth It 10 Fifth Harmony (ft. Ty Dolla $ign) – Work From Home 10 G.R.L – Ugly Heart 08 Girls Aloud – Biology 10 Girls Aloud – Call The Shots 08 Girls Aloud – Love Machine 08 Girls Aloud – No Good Advice 10 Girls Aloud – Sexy! No No No… 10 Girls Aloud – Something Kinda Ooooh 10 Girls Aloud – Something New 08 Girls Aloud – Sound Of The Underground 09 Girls Aloud – The Loving Kind 09 Girls Aloud – The Promise 08 Girls Aloud – The Show 11 Girls Aloud – Untouchable 09 Girls Aloud – Wake Me Up 06 Girls Aloud – Whole Lotta History 03 HAIM – The Wire 10 Icona Pop (ft. Charli XCX) – I Love It 07 Las Ketchup – The Ketchup Song (Asereje) 08 Little Mix – Black Magic 07 Little Mix – DNA 10 Little Mix – Love Me Like You 08 Little Mix – Move -1 Little Mix – Shout Out To My Ex 10 Little Mix – Touch 07 Little Mix (ft. Jason Derulo) – Secret Love Song 09 Little Mix (ft. Machine Gun Kelly) – No More Sad Songs 10 Little Mix (ft. Stormzy) – Power 08 Mini Viva – Left My Heart In Tokyo 07 Mis-Teeq – Scandalous 10 Neon Jungle – Braveheart 10 Pussycat Dolls – I Hate This Part 10 Pussycat Dolls – When I Grow Up 02 Pussycat Dolls (ft. AR Rahman & Nicole Scherzinger) – Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) 03 Pussycat Dolls (ft. Busta Rhymes) – Don’t Cha 09 Pussycat Dolls (ft. Snoop Dogg) – Buttons 01 Pussycat Dolls (ft. will.i.am) – Beep -1 Salt N Pepa – Push It 05 Shakespears Sister – Stay 08 Spice Girls – 2 Become 1 06 Spice Girls – Goodbye 05 Spice Girls – Holler 10 Spice Girls – Say You’ll Be There 10 Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life 07 Spice Girls – Stop 06 Spice Girls – Too Much 10 Spice Girls – Viva Forever 09 Spice Girls – Wannabe 06 Spice Girls – Who Do You Think You Are 08 Stooshe – Black Heart 10 Sugababes – About A Girl 09 Sugababes – About You Now 08 Sugababes – Freak Like Me 10 Sugababes – Hole In The Head 08 Sugababes – In The Middle 07 Sugababes – Overload 07 Sugababes – Push The Button 09 Sugababes – Round Round 08 Sugababes – Run For Cover 10 Sugababes – Stronger 08 Sugababes – Too Lost In You 05 Sweet Female Attitude – Flowers 04 SWV – Right Here 10 Tatu – All The Things She Said 10 Tatu – Not Gonna Get Us 06 The 411 – Dumb 10 The Saturdays – All Fired Up 10 The Saturdays – Ego 11 The Saturdays – Forever Is Over 08 The Saturdays – Issues 09 The Saturdays – My Heart Takes Over 10 The Saturdays – Not Giving Up 10 The Saturdays – Notorious 10 The Saturdays – Up 09 The Saturdays (ft. Flo Rida) – Higher 09 The Saturdays (ft. Sean Paul) – What About Us 10 The Veronicas – Untouched -1 TLC – Creep 10 TLC – No Scrubs 09 TLC – Unpretty 07 TLC – Waterfalls 09 Wilson Phillips – Hold On

Favourite sport: American Football Favourite sportsperson: Tom Brady Least favourite sportsperson: Lebron James Favourite sporting moment of all time: New England Patriots winning their first Super Bowl in 2002. Favourite sporting moment of 2017/18: New England Patriot's comeback from 28-3 in Super Bowl 51 to beat the Falcons. Funniest sporting moment: Seeing Yankees blow a 3-0 lead in the 2004 ALCS to the Red Sox. Favourite sports event: World Cup Which football team do you support? American football: New England Patriots // American Soccer: Team USA, Iceland, Uzbekistan, Albania Would you still support them if they were relegated to the 22nd tier? N/A Who are you supporting in this year’s World Cup? Iceland Favourite sport-related song: Zombie Nation Least favourite sport-related song: 7-Nation Army (overplayed) Best sporting intro: Sunday Night Football with Carrie Underwood Best pundit in sport: Tom E Curran Worst pundit: Phil Simms What are you looking forward to most in 2018? World Cup If you were to have one wish related to sports this year, what would it be? The Boston Celtics win the NBA Championship or Kyle Busch wins the NASCAR Championship

It's certainly better than having the tired format of Liechtenstein vs. Portugal or Andorra vs. Germany etc. This gives nations a chance to play more games against teams on their level which will help them develop and get confidence by not being blown out 8-0 every match. I love that Iceland is now considered a Top 12 European side.

08 Army 05 Anything Could Happen 06 Beating Heart 11 Burn 06 Explosions 10 Figure 8 06 First Time (with Kygo) 07 Flashlight (with DJ Fresh) 10 Goodness Gracious 10 Guns And Horses 05 How Long Will I Love You 09 I Need Your Love (with Calvin Harris) 10 Lights 08 Love Me Like You Do 09 On My Mind 10 Outside (with Calvin Harris) 06 Powerful (with Major Lazer) 09 Something In The Way You Move 07 Starry Eyed 06 Still Falling For You 06 The Writer 06 Under The Sheets 10 Wonderman (with Tinie Tempah) 08 Your Song Just know that either "Lost and Found" or "Atlantis" would be my 11 from her discography.

Where is Thor: Ragnarok?