World Cup Day 16: Reflecting on the Group Stage
Group A: Predicted: Uruguay, Russia. Result: Uruguay, Russia.
Group B: Predicted: Spain, Portugal. Result: Spain, Portugal.
Group C: Predicted: France, Peru. Result: France, Denmark.
Remarks: It came down to the missed PK by Peru in the Peru-Denmark game. If only Peru would have scored that PK. Still, no major changes to the bracket.
Group D: Predicted: Argentina, Iceland. Result: Croatia, Argentina.
Remarks: I think most of us expected Argentina to win the group and a dog-fight for second. We were off by one word… Argentina. And maybe I was moved a little too much by the Thunderclap. I mean, what’s not to love about supporting Iceland… But alas! This gives us the a drastic change to the bracket. Argentina moves to the D2 position in the top half of the bracket and plays France C1; otherwise two teams would have only met in the Final.
Group E: Predicted: Brazil, Costa Rica. Result: Brazil, Switzerland.
Remarks: No surprise with Brazil. Maybe I was a little hopeful by choosing Costa Rica, as Switzerland is a consistent, experienced country that made it to the elimination phase of the recent Euros and World Cup. Still, no major changes to the bracket.
Group F: Predicted: Germany, Mexico. Result: Sweden, Mexico.
Remarks: I don’t think anyone was expecting this. But it’s reminiscent of Spain in 2014. (Remember, the Dutch took Spain’s place in the bracket making it all the way to the semi-finals.) Sweden, we should recall, eliminated Italy last Fall, so this should not have been *as* surprising. Germany’s fall from grace does not rearrange the bracket in a major way (like Argentina did), other than the fact that Germany is *not* in the bracket. Sweden now occupies the slot that most of us expected Germany to have.
Group G: Predicted: Belgium, England. Result: Belgium, England.
Group H: Predicted: Colombia, Poland. Result: Colombia, Japan.
Remark: Poland disappointed. Grrrr. But this does not offer a major change in the bracket.
FOOTBROTHERS 