• [3/29/2024 @ 1:10 AM] We'd like to extend our deepest apologies for the nearly 20 hours of downtime we experienced Wednesday (3/27) into Thursday (3/28). In short, our server host paused our service due to copywritten material being posted in certain forums (specifically streaming links). *** PLEASE NOTE *** ABSOLUTELY NO LINKS or talks of links to illegal, copywritten material like streaming services can be posted at CTG moving forward. If you find these links, please PM a Moderator or Partner immediately. We appreciate your cooperation.

Knockouts Discussion

GWarner27

Meatballin' in Celtics Stadium
not these types:stripper:



These types
g6nAtTgl.png
 
Croatia winning group was a nice treat and they get the Danes as a reward, should be a mismatch...that potential QF matchup looks a lot juicier than it did a couple weeks ago.
 
I don't doubt it. In Moscow and not like Spain looked like world beaters so far

are you forgetting Ramos plays for them?????

No idea what to think about the doping, but I may have underestimated HFA in my millions of dollars lost betting against Russia so far
 
probably most surprising about Spain, is that probably the best backline on paper, and best goalie on the planet have looked pretty average so far.

Is russia the team we saw vs Egypt and Saudi Arabia( two bad teams), or the one we saw vs Urg
 
Break it down for me.....NGA v ARG are square 1-1 as is ISL v CRO

Those scores hold, it's CRO and NGA advancing?

How "could" ISL have gone through.....


And Gwarn is right,.....alotta chalk so far....it just happens in the 90+.......

Refs baby
 
One more thing

DAMN shame Peru aren't advancing......liked watching them, AND I think they can hang with most teams
 
of course twinkie comes in to divert our attention to eliminated teams

I wonder how much the ESP title futures will drop if all the big teams end up on the Portugal side
 
  • Like
Reactions: KJ
the first goal by MAR was a fluke, not convinced we should deduct anything from ESP for that one and that's a team that I think can put it all together unlike ARG
 
Right now Croatia and Spain at their best would be must see, I know which way I'm going if so
 
Group G runner up to semis would be a great wager if it exists and I'm sure the odds on ENG/BEL to win it all have come down

Love Croatia

Other side of bracket, Mexico will be the worst team unless you want to argue H-2 but....maybe at best
 
Is Russia the team we saw vs Egypt and Saudi Arabia( two bad teams), or the one we saw vs Urg

Russian replacements who didn't play in the first 2 games were largely responsible for the defensive lapses that led to Uruguayan goals, esp. the guy (Smonikov) who eventually got sent off (he couldn't contain the Uru player with the long hair & thin headband. He didn't play in either of their first 2 wins). Basically Russia's 'second team' is shite, they haven't the depth as you'd expect given their WR of 70. None of their 'second team' should see a minute's worth of play in any knockout match. Plus I have to say both Uruguay's golas that came when 11 played 11 had sizable elements of luck. Even the 'worst' Rusian team really wasn't outplayed to the degree the scoreline suggested.
 
Fwiw, now the knockouts are upon us I'll be chiming in. Should be an interesting show with Holland/Germany/Italy absent & Argentina/Spain/France & even Brasil all looking dodgy to varying degrees.
 
Fwiw, now the knockouts are upon us I'll be chiming in. Should be an interesting show with Holland/Germany/Italy absent & Argentina/Spain/France & even Brasil all looking dodgy to varying degrees.

v disappointed in your work rate so far this tournament BC
 
Group G runner up to semis would be a great wager if it exists and I'm sure the odds on ENG/BEL to win it all have come down

Love Croatia

Other side of bracket, Mexico will be the worst team unless you want to argue H-2 but....maybe at best

ARG gives them a run for that worst team charge

CRO down from 33/1 to 11.5
 
Naw Argie just a product of mismanagement but not gonna lie, would love to see that matchup. It would be tons o fun
 
The timing of the matches re NZ hours hasn't been the best, but I've made the required sacrifice to my sleeping hours in order to watch the knockout games (I get up at 12am, and get to bed in the late afternoon).
 
  • Like
Reactions: KJ
Sleep schedule is just now getting back to normal for me but then the British Open will screw that up in a couple weeks
 
Naw Argie just a product of mismanagement but not gonna lie, would love to see that matchup. It would be tons o fun

i don't think that awful backline and playing Mascherano is a mismanagement problem, more about being bad/over the hill. We can't expect Dybala to start in the round of 16 after hardly playing in the group stage? Also, are they gonna stick with Higuain because they won the game he started? I'd say that's foolish because Aguero is so much better, but as a potential FRA backer I welcome it

MEX can't match Messi, but i like what i've seen from the others and GK ain't close
 
The timing of the matches re NZ hours hasn't been the best, but I've made the required sacrifice to my sleeping hours in order to watch the knockout games (I get up at 12am, and get to bed in the late afternoon).
Graveyard shift
 
Probably bunch of unders in that side of bracket, actually expect more unders on both sides of bracket going forward as some will play not to lose

Unders seems like the best ideas.

All these teams are full of fear.

Playing not to lose. Taking no chances.

Only thing that hurts the unders is this Var bullshit because clearly more penalties are being called now.

But I could totally see a few 0-0 regulation 90 min results.
 
it's becoming apparent to me that open games are really terrible for the inferior team so i think i agree that most will play conservatively if they don't have a clear edge.

There is an element to countering an inferior team who sits back, but i'm not sure that's an easy strategy to employ as you have to take it when it happens and can't look for that to be your focus for 90'
 
The tough thing is most of these teams cant really have advanced systems in place, one of the reasons spain had that great run is the team was basically the barca midfield of xavi, iniesta, and biscuits with xabi alonso, also villa up front

So they ran their system, but now its more split, which is why so many of these teams either press, counter, or drop deep

Even something like an offside trap is barely used, because it relies on a ton of time spent so you know player tendencies
 
The unders are mostly set at 2 juiced , no thanks on most of those , but I also think it’s hard to take an over pre- game in These stages (may be a good option live )
 
Last edited:
Looking ahead a bit

Belgium is probably right behind spain in their cb pair, but their fullbacks or wing backs are weak

Which would be a huge disadvantage against brazil if marcelo is healthy
 
I can't live bet, fuck that

There is no CR this year, should see some goals. Quality teams advanced
 
Just 1 thing I heard the other day About last three World Cup winners that I found useful

Italy- drew USA first game

Spain- lost opening match

Germany- ties Ghana, pretty blah 1-0 performance against USa

A lot of the big teams due to lack of time together use the group games to try to get things together , they have enough talent to advance without playing their best. Hope is by knockout rounds they are starting to play their best

Something to think of with a lot of people down on France ( especially), Spain, and Brazil.

One of those three teams is going win the WC would be my guess
 
I mentioned it the other day before denmark game, where they again didnt allow a chance

But france havent allowed 1 decent chance in 270 mins

The penalty was a fluke handball that happens once every 1000

I still dont think pogba should start, think they are much more dangerous with griezmann behind giroud and two wingers either side

I wonder if vs brazil they switch up more though, argie back line and goofy at dm so slow

Id hold giroud as a sub

Go front 3 of griez, mbappe, and dembele and just run at them
 
I don’t see how Argentina can have Maschersno in the midfield vs France, Sampaoli has got to see that is a disaster in the making
 
Back
Top