FOOTY FAIR

2014 World Cup Match Day 24 (3rd Place Match): Preview

2014-07-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Brazil vs. Netherlands

Match Info

The third place match will be played at 5pm local time in Brazil.
This fixture is between two sides that have met six times before. The two nations share not only an identical record of 3 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses, but have also scored an exact 15 goals each in previous meetings. The match will take place at the 69,349 seat Estádio Nacional de Brasília Mané Garrincha, in the capital Brasilia. Brazil has played once before in this stadium, defeating Cameroon in the group stages 4-1. The Netherlands will be playing in the capital of Brazil for the first time in this tournament.

Netherlands' star winger Arjen Robben has gone on record saying that he does not care for the 3rd place match whatsoever. Brazil on the other hand, have some unfinished business after their humiliating 7-1 loss to Germany, after which they must have a good showing in front of their home supporters in order to regain any kind of respect from their nation's faithful.

Don't get your hopes up, Neymar will not be playing in this match. But the key ingredient that was missing against the Germans, captain and center-back Thiago Silva, will. Surely the Dutch don't want to finish off a decent World Cup run with two straight losses, but the Brazilians have much more riding on this fixture and are more likely to come out on their "front foot".

Players to watch

For the Dutch it will most likely be Tim Krul who had played all of 46 seconds before becoming a Dutch hero, leading his nation to a penalty kick victory over the Ticos from Costa Rica. Van Gaal must show the keeper respect and give him the nod in this "match that doesn't matter". For the Brazilians it will be David Luiz. The newly aquired PSG center-back must show his new teammates that he can be relied on, because if he shows up to camp after the World Cup with nothing other than the loss to Germany to show for, he may as well spend all of next season on the bench while proving to his colleagues in training that he can get the job done.

Staff Predictions:

Kon: Brazil 2-1 Netherlands

Iain: Brazil 2-1 Netherlands

Pedro: Brazil 3-1 Netherlands

FootyFair Semi Finals Predictions

2014-07-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

The semis are here, and we are not sure there could have been a more lethal combination of four teams playing it out for a spot in this year's World Cup Final. Will it be South America versus South America, Europe versus Europe, or maybe one of each in the finals?

Before we take up our guys' predictions, let's see how they did in the quarters.

Quarter-finals prediction results:

KON: Two of four correct predictions for Kon in this one. Netherlands and Germany winning were his correct pick, and he was able to predict the 1-0 score-line in the German's match. [Match Outcome: 2/4, Correct Scores 1/4]

PEDRO: Pedro was only able to predict one match correctly, and surprisingly he even got the score right in the match which saw Argentina overcome the Swiss by a score of 1-0. [Match Outcome: 1/4, Correct Score: 1/4]

IAIN: Again the bragging rights go to Iain as he managed to correctly predict three of the four outcomes, with only the Colombians' loss standing in his way of a perfect prediction round. He also guessed the Argentina - Switzerland score correctly, so there' no doubt who the predictions winner is again this round. [Match Outcome: 3/4, Correct Scores: 1/4]

Predicting the semi finals:

BRAZIL vs GERMANY

KON: For the very first time in this tournament, the Brazilians impressed me with their play against the Colombians, but Felipe Scolari's side has obvious problems with Neymar and Thiago Silva out of the lineup. The Germans did not look spectacular in their win against the French, but did play a solid match where the defense (for the most part) did their job pretty well. Karim Benzema was the only player on the pitch the Germans had trouble containing, and with the absence of Neymar I don't see any Brazilian player that can make that kind of difference. The German attacking on the other hand matches up pretty well against the Brazilian defense and I see them scoring more than once. [Final Score: Brazil 0-2 Germany]

PEDRO: Brazil will be missing Neymar and Thiago Silva. I expect Brazil to use Dante in Silva’s place and perhaps Ramires or Willian in place of injured Neymar. Neither of these substitutes will be able to give Scolari the same results but they will have to do. If this game was anywhere other than in Brazil I would give the edge to Germany, but at home Brazil is very hard to defeat and I don’t think the Germans have the tools they need to overcome the atmosphere around this match. Germany will be in full strength but their play over this tournament has not impressed me, and I think if Brazil can play 90 minutes equal to the first 45 they played against Colombia they will win.[Final Score: Brazil 2-1 Germany]

IAIN: Although Brazil, at times in the first half, played some of their best football in this tournament against Colombia in the Quarter Finals, they will desperately be missing Neymar and Thiago Silva in this one. Neymar has been virtually their only consistent creative outlet and without him I think they'll struggle to break down the Germans. Germany seemed to have corrected their fragility at the back and although it wasn't pleasing for the neutrals, they thoroughly dominated France in the last round. I think there's just too much quality and organization in this German side for the Brazilians to handle, and they won't be bullied like the Colombians were. [Final Score: Brazil 1-2 Germany]

NETHERLANDS vs ARGENTINA

KON: Argentina's first test against a world-class team should probably be their last match in this tournament. Let's be honest here, Argentina has not played a single match against a worthy opponent, which of course may mean that they are fairly rested. But winning against Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland and Belgium is no road to glory for a World Cup champion, especially not when you manage to win each match by just one goal. The Dutch are coming off a scare against the Ticos from Costa Rica, but the fashion in which they managed to win the penalty shootouts should be a huge boost for van Gaal's boys. I believe the Netherlands will turn up the heat against Argentina the same way they did against the Chileans in the second half of their affair, and the Spanish all throughout that fixture. Wait a second, did I just guarantee a European title in South America? I believe I did! [Final Score: Netherlands 2-1 Argentina]

PEDRO: Argentina will miss Di Maria, but will respond with Enzo Perez. He is more a box to box player and not as much of a pure winger like Di Maria, but more than capable of filling in those shoes. Netherlands will play the same team that faced Costa Rica, and if that game and the Mexico game is any indication of what is happening to this team, they will struggle to score goals. Argentina has won every match by 1 goal, so you have two teams that don’t score a lot of goals but that also don’t allow many. In the end, Messi will be the difference in this game, giving Argentina a slight edge over Netherlands. [Final Score: Netherlands 0-1 Argentina]

IAIN: After coming back from a late deficit against Mexico and surviving a penalty shootout against Costa Rica, the Netherlands should be in good spirits going into this one. That being said, they did struggle to break both sides down with any consistency and I believe that may be a problem against this Argentina side. The South Americans will definitely miss Di Maria, but with Gonzalo Higuain showing some great form in the last match and the mercurial talents of Messi, I think Argentina can just about edge this one.
[Final Score: Netherlands 0-1 Argentina]

FootyFair Quarter Finals Predictions

2014-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

For the first time ever in World Cup history the field of eight teams will consist of the eight group winners. Keep in mind that the format of eight groups only came into existence in France 1998, which means that this is only the fifth tournament with this format, but nonetheless. Our guys give their predictions.

But first, let's take up how they did in the previous round.

Round of 16 prediction results:

KON: With Chile unable to surprise and with little confidence in Costa Rica Kon picked 6 of the 8 matches correctly, although he could not pinpoint a single correct score. [Match Outcome: 6/8, Correct Scores 0/8]

PEDRO: Pedro also got 6 of 8 correctly. Also picking Chile to knockout the hosts and Algeria to shock the Germans. Unlike Kon however, Pedro did predict the correct scoreline for Colombia's 2-0 win over Uruguay. [Match Outcome: 6/8, Correct Score: 1/8]

IAIN: In the group stages Iain couldn't get a prediction right if his life depended on it, but in the round of 16 he is the hands down winner with predictions that could make FIFA investigate him instead of Cameroon for match fixing. He did get one wrong picking the US to defeat Belgium on penalty-kicks, which is pretty much as close as you can get being wrong. But not only did Iain had seven of eight outcomes correct, he also predicted five of the eight scores correctly as well (if you consider a PK win as an extra goal of course, with Brazil and Costa Rica being 2-1 victors). But even if you don't like counting it like that it is still three of eight exact score picks, pretty impressive Iain! [Match Outcome: 7/8, Correct Scores: 5/8]

Predicting the quarter finals:

FRANCE vs. GERMANY

Kon: This stage is very hard to predict. I liked the French to get pretty far before the tournament started, but did not have enough faith in them to put it on paper, to be honest. Now that they are here I'd like to pick them for the win, especially after the Germans didn't impress me enough in their match against Algeria. That said, looking at the match-ups on the field I do like the German midfield against the French and think they will be able to control the all important "spine". I am going with my gut feeling here and predict a German triumph, even though as a whole I do like the French just a bit more this year. [Final Score: France 0-1 Germany]

Pedro: From what I have seen from both teams, I think France will have the edge in this game. Germany hasn't looked like a real team since their demolishing of Portugal in the first game of the group stages, on the other hand France has looked like a team ready to face anybody. I like France's midfield over Germany's, and Benzema and Giroud are working well together up front. France's defense has been the better of the two teams so for me the best team overall will win and it will be France. [Final Score: France 2-1 Germany]

Iain: This one is a very difficult one to predict. Going into the tournament, Germany were seen as the European side that would likely go the furthest in the tournament and were perhaps one of the favorites to win the whole thing. France on the other hand have a history of imploding at International tournaments, so no one knew what to expect from them. France have been terrific so far in this tournament, but you could argue that they haven't been truly tested yet. This will be a massive test to say the least. The slow German back line does concern me a bit, but I just think that they have enough experience in their ranks to edge this one.
[Final Score: France 1-2 Germany]

BRAZIL vs. COLOMBIA

Kon: I will keep picking the hosts to crash out for as long as they keep playing whatever it is this this style of football is called that they are playing at the moment. Brazil? They are not living up to the crest that is on the shirts they are wearing. Colombia on the other hand is exciting, the same way Chile was, but perhaps a bit better. With James Rodriguez performing the way he is I would love to see him go through as far as he can. [Final Score: Brazil 1-2 Colombia]

Pedro: I have been a huge fan of Colombia since the start of the tournament, and at this point if there is a team capable of beating the host nation it's them. James Rodriguez has been not only the MVP of the tournament but is also the leading scorer, and with the help of Yepes in defense and Cuadrado in the midfield this is a very cohesive team. Neymar alone won't be enough to stop Colombia. [Final Score: Brazil 1-3 Colombia]

Iain: I had originally picked Brazil to win the tournament, but they have done nothing to impress me so far, other than get the ball to the brilliant Neymar. Brazil look very nervy at the back and I've never seen a Brazilian side with such a horrific collection of strikers in the hapless Fred and the clueless Jo. Colombia have been the team of the tournament for me and I expect them to put Brazil out in a thrilling encounter.
[Final Score: Brazil 1-2 Colombia]

ARGENTINA vs. BELGIUM

Kon: Just like with Brazil, I can't wait to see Argentina out of this tournament already. They have looked flat all along and they haven't even played a "major" squad. I can't say that Belgium with all their star players have impressed me immensely, nonetheless, they are stronger than the Swiss were and we all saw that a bit of resilience can go a long way against the Argentines. [Argentina 1-1 Belgium, Belgium wins on PK]

Pedro: Argentina hasn't looked spectacular during the tournament so far, but Messi has found ways of winning games and pushing them to the next rounds. On the other side you have a Belgium team full of talent, but not firing on all cylinders. Hazard has not been at his best and they have had problems getting goals from their forwards. This will be a low scoring affair, but I expect Messi to once again resolve it for Argentina. [Argentina 1-0 Belgium]

Iain: Argentina have looked pretty poor throughout this tournament, and like Brazil have relied on Neymar, Argentina have leaned heavily on Messi to drag them through. Belgium have been a bit disappointing themselves for a side that everyone predicted to be an exciting dark horse. That being said, they did put in a good performance against the United States. I expect Argentina to just about squeak through this one, but it won't be pretty.
[Argentina 1-0 Belgium]

NETHERLANDS vs. COSTA RICA

Kon: The Ticos have moved on further than their wildest dreams already, and again, as much as I would love to see them go even further I cannot imagine them pulling a miracle against the mighty Dutch. Sure, van Gaal's side had some difficulty against the Mexicans, but the Costa Ricans had trouble of their own against the less than stellar Greeks. I see this one being over and done with without the need for extra-time or shootouts, with a fairly comfortable win for the Oranje. [Final Score: Netherlands 2-0 Costa Rica]

Pedro: Costa Rica is without a doubt the surprise of the tournament, and I don't think their surprising ways are over yet. Riding a hot goalkeeper in Keylan Navas this team has all the tools they need to beat Netherlands. They have shown against Mexico their difficulties in breaking down defensive sides that break quick on counter attacks. That is how I expect Costa Rica to play in this game, strong defense and quick counters. I think we will see another upset by Costa Rica. [Final Score: Netherlands 0-1 Costa Rica]

Iain: The Ticos have had the greatest tournament in their countries football history, but this will be the end of the road for them I'm afraid. The Netherlands have had a few struggles after their terrific 5-1 hammering of Spain in their opener, but they've found ways to win and I'm confident they will do here as well. The Dutch have just too much quality in their ranks and will win this one comfortably.
[Final Score: Netherlands 3-0 Costa Rica]

FootyFair Round of 16 Predictions

2014-06-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

With the World Cup round of 16 matches just around the corner, our guys make their picks. Let us know what you think.

BRAZIL vs. CHILE

Kon: Call me crazy but I'm going with an upset right from the start. I enjoyed watching Chile play and I think they have the right chemistry and attacking football to defeat the hosts. Brazil did not impress me one bit and although chances are they will go through, I am picking the Chileans for the huge upset here. [Final Score: Chile 2-1 Brazil]

Pedro: I haven't been impressed with Brazil so far, so i am going to go with Chile on this one. Vidal has looked good and so has Alexis Sanchez. If they can control Neymar they have a chance at winning the game and sending the hosts packing. I am picking Chile for the win. [Final Score: Chile 1-0 Brazil]

Iain: Besides Neymar, I haven't been impressed with Brazil at all in this tournament. They have looked flat, whereas the Chileans have looked vibrant. That being said, with Brazil at home I still expect them to grow and improve as the tournament progresses and now that we're in the knockout stages I think they'll start to play. I'm going with Brazil with a narrow win. [Final Score: Brazil 2-1 Chile]

COLOMBIA vs. URUGUAY

Kon: Unlike many, I am still not a believer in the Colombian side. Not to say that I don't think they have some great pieces, which they do! James Rodriguez is a youngster that stands out, but given his age and the fact that he does not compete in the elite leagues of Europe (sorry Monaco and Ligue 1 fans) I can't see him making much difference. That said, Uruguay is missing Suarez, and that's obviously a huge loss. As much as I would love to see Diego Forlan come in and make a difference, I just don't see that happening from the ageing striker. I see this match going into extra-time and possibly even penalty kicks. [Final Score: 1-1, Colombia wins on PK]

Pedro: Uruguay is not the same team without Suarez and a Colombia team with Quintero and James Rodriguez playing some of their best football up to date, just gives me full confidence that Colombia will win this game. Uruguay will struggle to score and Colombia’s free flowing game will cause problems to their defense. [Final Score: Colombia 2-0 Uruguay]

Iain: Uruguay will simply not have the firepower without Luis Suarez and seemed to get all of the breaks in the group stages. That won't happen here as Colombia's James Rodriquez and Jackson Martinez will tear them apart. [Final Score: Colombia 3-1 Uruguay]

NETHERLANDS vs. MEXICO

Kon: As much as I enjoyed Mexico's performance thus far, I just can't see them going past a very good Dutch squad. Defensively Mexico is quite solid, but up-front they may have trouble breaking down the Dutch defense. Netherlands on the other hand completed a perfect record in the group stages, even though it was quite obvious they were in "chill" mode for their last two fixtures. [Final Score: Netherlands 3-1 Mexico]

Pedro: I can't image Mexico beating this Dutch side. Ochoa would have to play the game of his life in order to stop this high flying Dutch team. Netherlands should be able to score enough goals to put Mexico away in the first 45 minutes. Up front, Mexico doesn't have enough fire power to compete with Netherlands, so if they are to go down a goal it will be very difficult for them to fight back. [Final Score: Netherlands 2-0 Mexico]

Iain: The Netherlands have been arguably the best side in the group stages, with Arjen Robben looking irresistible. With Robin van Persie back from suspension, I expect them to have enough fire power to get past Mexico. But I don't expect this talented Mexican side to make it easy by any means.
[Final Score: Netherlands 2-1 Mexico]

COSTA RICA vs. GREECE

Kon: God know I love the Ticos. And if god doesn't, than at least everyone around me is sure to tell you that I am a big fan of their spirit and passion. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that they can come away against this very stubborn Greek side. To be honest I really wish the Costa Ricans can get it done, but my prediction this time will be one that is more educated rather than emotional. [Final Score: Greece 1-0 Costa Rica]

Pedro: Greece will play their usual game, defending with 11 men and waiting for a mistake to score on the counter attack. Costa Rica has a very good team and they play a better overall game, but for them to win this game they will have to play smart and score first. If Greece scores first it will be very difficult for Costa Rica to break them down. I expect it to be a low scoring affair with Costa Rica winning the match [Final Score: Costa Rica 1-0 Greece]

Iain: Greece, one of the toughest sides in world football to break down, will pack numbers behind the ball and look for breaks. For Costa Rica the key will be patience and not get caught out with too many numbers caught up the pitch. I expect Costa Rica to just about squeak through this one.
[Final Score: Costa Rica 2-1 Greece]

FRANCE vs. NIGERIA

Kon: France are just too good for this Nigerian side. Plain and simple! Although Nigeria put 2 past the Argentinians, they struggle to score on most days and France were solid defensively aside from when they had a huge lead on Switzerland (they really just stopped playing). I don't see how the African side can come out with anything but a loss in this one.
[Final Score: France 3-1 Nigeria]

Pedro: France has proved so far in this tournament that they are in it to win it. I don't see this Nigerian team making a dent in France's armor. France has a dynamic midfield and two prolific goal scorers in Benzema and Giroud, which will be enough for them to defeat this Nigerian team. Nigeria will try to play on the counter attack, but France does not lose possession with ease in the middle of the field, so it will be a game where Nigeria will spend most of the time in their defensive zone, trying to deny France a goal that will come in time. [Final Score: France 3-0 Nigeria]

Iain: Although they were not in an overly challenging group, France looked like one of the best sides in the tournament with their quick approach play and goal scoring threat. Nigeria will rely on counter attacks, but I simply don't think they'll have enough opportunities to seriously worry this French side.
[Final Score: France 2-0 Nigeria]

GERMANY vs. ALGERIA

Kon: Algeria came out of a pretty bad group. Although I was quite impressed with their achievement, all four teams (including the Belgians) showed no signs of dominant football. The Germans cruised through the first round with a small hiccup against Ghana, but for the most part looked like they could handle most challenges. I see no way for the Germans to stumble in this match-up! [Final Score: Germany 3-0 Algeria]

Pedro: This game won't be as easy for the Germans as most people think and i believe Algeria has a chance of pulling the biggest upset of the round of 16. They have a very good keeper, strong defensive lines and a forward in Slimani that can score with his feet or his head. He will cause a small and not as mobile defense a lot of problems. He is not the kind of player that you want to defend if you are not physical and fast. He will have opportunities to score and he will do it, the question is can they keep Germany off the board. [Final Score: Germany 1-1 Algeria, Algeria wins in PK 4-2]

Iain: The Algerian's have already exceeded all expectations by reaching the Round of 16 for the first time in their history. With Slimani in imperious form, they'll look to beat the Germans on the counter and if the first round is anything to go off of they'll be coming up against a back line that does have some holes. However, the Germans simply have quality all over the pitch and should have enough strength in midfield to overcome the North African side. [Final Score: Germany 2-1 Algeria]

ARGENTINA vs. SWITZERLAND

Kon: Argentina has not impressed me one bit so far, even with their perfect record. Switzerland did have brilliant moments, but also some dull ones during the group stages. I believe this will be the boring match of the round of 16, but still see Messi’s side advancing. [Final Score: Argentina 2-1 Switzerland]

Pedro: Argentina hasn't looked good in any of the previous three games, but they have Messi, and that is half the battle. Shaqiri seems to be coming into a zone, so it will be a battle of the two smallest players on the field. Messi has the advantage of having a far better supporting cast, but Switzerland can defend better than any of the teams Argentina faced in the group stages. This game will need more than 90 minutes to have a winner. [Final Score: Argentina 1-1 Switzerland, Argentina wins AET 2-1]

Iain: Like their arch-rivals Brazil, Argentina haven't looked at their best yet in this tournament and can thank Messi for the 9 points they achieved in the group stage. Switzerland are a young exciting side, with the brilliant Shaqiri in their ranks, but with Messi in this sort of form I can't see the Swiss stopping him. [Final Score: Argentina 3-2 Switzerland]

BELGIUM vs. USA

Kon: I can’t wait for this match. I was not a big fan of Belgium’s group stage play, and I am not a huge USA supporter, but something about this one makes me feel we are in for a good one here. I think the teams are fairly evenly matched, with Belgium obviously being a slight favorite. That said, I like the American’s discipline and how their lines work in cohesion. I think it’ll be a close one, and may even go to penalty-kicks. What would be a better thing to see than Tim Howard and Thibaut Courtois square off? [Final Score: 2-2 Belgium wins on PK]

Pedro: Belgium is my pick going into this match. They have a far better team when it comes to individual talent, but the USA won't be an easy task. Belgium will be missing Defour, due to a red card he saw in his last group stage game, but he is not a key player on this team. Witsel and Fellaini in the midfield will give them enough muscle to combat the USA midfield. Bradley will have to play his best game if he is to hold the USA in this game. Both teams are not very strong defensively, but they can score goals, so i expect this game to be a goal fest. [Final Score: Belgium 3-2 USA]

Iain: Belgium, everyone's dark horse, got through the group stage with a perfect record, but a lot of questions about how much that meant considering their relatively weak opposition. On paper they have one of the most exciting sides in the World Cup, but it hasn't translated on the pitch. The USA got out of the Group of Death with hard work, intelligent tactics and some brilliant individual performances. I expect them to take Belgium to the limit and shock them in a penalty shoot out.
[Final Score: USA 1-1 Belgium, USA wins in PK 4-3]

Our Group Stage Predictions. How Did We Do?

2014-06-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

With the group stages now sadly behind us, we take a look at out three writers' predictions and see if they were able to make any sense of this incredible World Cup before it even started.

Group A

Final Standings

Kon R.

Pedro A.

Iain J.

Brazil - 7pt

Brazil - 9pt

Mexico - 7pt

Mexico - 4pt

Croatia - 6pt

Croatia - 3pt

Cameroon - 3pt

Mexico - 3pt

Cameroon - 0pt

Cameroon - 1pt

Mexico - 0pt

Cameroon - 0pt

Verdict: Great start for Kon here, guessing the placements for all teams correctly and even predicting the right amount of points for Croatia. Iain guessed two positions correctly while correctly predicting a goose-egg for Cameroon in last place. Pedro's only correct prediction was Brazil in first place...genius! Kon takes this one.

Group B
Final Standings	Kon R.	Pedro A.	Iain J.
Netherlands - 9pt	Spain - 7pt	Spain - 7pt	Spain - 7pt
Chile - 6pt	Netherlands - 5pt	Netherlands - 5pt	Netherlands - 5pt
Spain - 3pt	Chile - 4pt	Chile - 4pt	Chile - 4pt
Australia - 0pt	Australia - 0pt	Australia - 0pt	Australia - 0pt

Verdict: Great job all around! Identical picks, and everyone predicted the Aussies to go home with no points and the Netherlands to advance. Otherwise ALL WRONG! Nobody holds the bragging rights in this one.

Group C
Final Standings	Kon R.	Pedro A.	Iain J.
Colombia - 9pt	Ivory Coast - 5pt	Greece - 5pt	Japan - 5pt
Greece - 4pt	Colombia - 4pt	Colombia - 5pt	Colombia - 4pt
Ivory Coast - 3pt	Greece - 3pt	Ivory Coast - 3pt	Greece - 3pt
Japan - 1pt	Japan - 2pt	Japan - 1pt	Ivory Coast - 2pt

Verdict: While Kon and Iain predicted Colombia to go through, Kon also got Japan finishing dead-last while Iain got every other possible thing wrong. Pedro is the obvious winner here, predicting both teams going through, and even the correct amount of points for both teams eliminated. Point Pedro!

Group D

Final Standings

Kon R.

Pedro A.

Iain J.

Costa Rica - 7pt

England - 7pt

Italy - 7pt

Uruguay - 6pt

Italy - 5pt

Uruguay - 5pt

England - 5pt

Italy - 3pt

Uruguay - 4pt

England - 4pt

Uruguay - 5pt

England - 1pt

Costa Rica - 0pt

Verdict: We believe that Kon is the winner here, because even though it seems that just like Iain he had everything absolutely wrong, if you look closely it's quite obvious that he was just reading his notes upside-down when putting his picks in. All joking aside though, Pedro was the only guy that predicted anything right in this insane group, picking Uruguay to qualify for the next round out of second spot. Another point for Pedro!

Group E
Final Standings	Kon R.	Pedro A.	Iain J.
France - 7pt	France - 9pt	France - 9pt	France - 7pt
Switzerland - 6pt	Ecuador - 4pt	Switzerland - 4pt	Ecuador - 5pt
Ecuador - 4pt	Switzerland - 2pt	Ecuador - 2pt	Switzerland - 2pt
Honduras - 0pt	Honduras - 1pt	Honduras - 1pt	Honduras - 1pt

Verdict: Fairly impressive for all three here. Kon predicted two positions right and the correct points for Ecuador. Iain also got two position right and the correct number of points for the French. Pedro is the winner in this one as well however, picking all spots correctly (although no correct amount of points). Still, another point for Pedro!

Group F

Final Standings

Kon R.

Pedro A.

Iain J.

Argentina - 9pt

Argentina - 9pt

Nigeria - 4pt

Iran - 4pt

Bosnia & Herz. - 4pt

Bosnia & Herz. - 3pt

Nigeria - 3pt

Iran - 1pt

Nigeria - 1pt

Iran - 1pt

Verdict: Another 3-way tie, as all three of our geniuses picked Argentina to advance with a perfect record. Kon picked the correct position and points for Bosnia, while Pedro and Iain did the same for Iran. None of the guys had any faith in Nigeria it seems.

Group G
Final Standings	Kon R.	Pedro A.	Iain J.
Germany - 7pt	Germany - 7pt	Germany - 7pt	Germany - 7pt
USA - 4pt	Ghana - 4pt	Portugal - 5pt	Portugal - 5pt
Portugal - 4pt	Portugal - 4pt	Ghana - 4pt	Ghana - 2pt
Ghana - 1pt	USA - 1pt	USA - 0pt	USA - 1pt

Verdict: USA was on none of these guys' radar. Both Iain and Pedro picked Germany to come out first with the correct amount of points. Kon predicted the same, but he also had Portugal in the correct position, also with the right amount of points after three matches. Point Kon!

Group H
Final Standings	Kon R.	Pedro A.	Iain J.
Belgium - 9pt	Russia - 7pt	Russia - 7pt	Belgium - 7pt
Algeria - 4pt	Belgium - 6pt	Belgium - 7pt	Korea Rep. - 6pt
Russia - 2pt	Algeria - 3pt	Algeria - 3pt	Russia - 3pt
Korea Rep. - 1pt	Korea Rep. - 1pt	Korea Rep. - 0pt	Algeria - 1pt

Verdict: Atlast Pedro doesn't win a group! He only had Belgium advancing correctly, but even that, not from the correct position. Kon also had Belgium advancing from second place, but also managed to predict Korea's correct position and amount of points. But we will give a point here to Iain, as he predicted two correct positions both for Belgium in first and the Russians in third. Point Iain! So the tally is quite simple. Two of the groups (B & F )were a 3-way tie. No points awarded there. Iain comes in last place winning only the predictions for group H, and even that's arguable. Kon wins groups A & G Pedro is the overall winner, predicting best in groups C, D and E Good luck in the round of 16 predictions (coming out Friday night)!

World Cup Predictions - Iain Jones

2014-06-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

Our panel predicts the outcome of this year's World Cup from the very first group stage match, to the very final on July 13th. Here are the predictions for Iain J.

Agree? Disagree? Let Iain know by commenting below.

Group A:

Despite all of the pressure on hosts Brazil, they've waited sixty four years to host the World Cup again (see: Brazil 1950 and the Maracanazo) and my feeling is that they will come out flying in this group. The rest of the countries will be playing for second place, and I believe that Croatia will just about edge Mexico out.

WINNER: BRAZIL (9pts)
RUNNER-UP: CROATIA (6pts)
3^rd PLACE: MEXICO (3pts)
DEAD-LAST: CAMEROON (0pt)

Group B:

You have to feel for the Australian's when you look at the sides in this group. Besides the obvious favourites in Spain and the Netherlands, the two finalists in 2010, you have a very good Chilean side that won't there to just make up the numbers. After a draw in their first match, I expect Spain to win their next two and go through with Netherlands behind them.

WINNER: SPAIN (7pts)
RUNNER-UP: NETHERLANDS (5pts)
3^rd PLACE: CHILE (4pts)
DEAD-LAST: AUSTRALIA (0pts)

Group C:

An extremely open group, with Didier Drogba leading the Ivory Coast in what is almost certainly his last World Cup tournament, a Colombian side that is still a threat even with the loss of Radamel Falcao, an always tough Greek team and AFC Asian Cup holders Japan. Going into the last two World Cup's much has been expected of the Ivory Coast and they've failed to respond and unfortunately I see them struggling again in Brazil. Japan, in my opinion, should have enough quality in their side with Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa to top the group, with Colombia joining them in the Round of 16.

WINNER: JAPAN (5pts)
RUNNER-UP: COLOMBIA (4pts)
3^rd PLACE: GREECE (3pts)
DEAD-LAST: IVORY COAST (2pts)

Group D:

So much of this difficult looking group may be determined on the first match day. If a winner emerges from the England and Italy match they will take a stranglehold on the group. I expect Costa Rica to give the other three sides problems, but will finish bottom in the group. Uruguay, depending upon a half fit Luis Suarez, will just miss out behind Italy and a young England side.

WINNER: ITALY (7pts)
RUNNER-UP: ENGLAND (5pts)
3^rd PLACE: URUGUAY (4pts)
DEAD-LAST: COSTA RICA (0pts)

Group E:

Heading into a major tournament you never know what to expect from the French. They have the talent to go far, but the personalities to implode and go home early in disgrace. Even though they've lost the talented Franck Ribery, I still expect France and Ecuador to emerge from this group.

WINNERS: FRANCE (7pts)
RUNNER-UP: ECUADOR (5pts)
3^rd PLACE: SWITZERLAND (2pts)
DEAD-LAST: HONDURAS (1pt)

Group F:

Argentina, on paper, couldn't have been handed an easier group than this. Messi and company will said through with 9 points, while I expect Edin Dzeko's Bosnia to ease past African Cup of Nations holder Nigeria and the inexperienced Iranians.

WINNER: ARGENTINA (9pts)

RUNNER-UP: BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (4pts)

3^rd PLACE: NIGERIA (2pts)

DEAD-LAST: IRAN (1pt)

Group G:

Labeled as the “Group of Death”, there's little doubt that this is the most difficult group to pick two qualifiers from. Germany should have the required quality in their squad to progress, as Miroslav Klose attempts to become the record marksman in World Cup History. Portugal, led as always by their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo should have enough to join the German's in the next round.

WINNER: GERMANY (7pts)

RUNNER-UP: PORTUGAL (5pts)

3^rd PLACE: GHANA (2pts)

DEAD-LAST: USA (1pt)

Group H:

Belgium seem to be everyone's dark horse side at the moment, and considering the quality players they have spread throughout the big leagues of Europe it's not impossible to understand why. They'll get through the group with surprise package Korea Republic joining them in the next round over Russia and Algeria.

WINNER: BELGIUM (7pts)

RUNNER-UP: KOREA REP. (6pts)

3^rd PLACE: RUSSIA (3pts)

DEAD-LAST: ALGERIA (1pt)

Round of 16:

BRAZIL vs. NETHERLANDS (Brazil win 2-0)

Brazil should have no problems easing past the Netherlands and into the Quarter Finals with their home support roaring them on. Neymar and company will withstand some tough play from the Dutch, with goals either side of half time to progress.

JAPAN vs. ENGLAND (England win 1-2)

England overcome an early Japanese goal to ease their way through to the Quarter Finals in a tense encounter. The Three Lions pace and physicality sees them past the technically gifted Samurai Blue.

FRANCE vs. BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (France win 3-1)

Les Blues' prove far too much for Bosnia as their pace rips the Eastern European side to shreds, as they progress in the tournament.

GERMANY vs. KOREA REP. (Germany win 1-0)

Korea proves a tougher test than Germany expected in this Round of 16 matchup. The Asian side holds out the Germans until the last ten minutes before Ozil sends the European side through.

SPAIN vs. CROATIA (Spain win 2-1 AET)

Croatia take Spain into extra time, but despite coming close to knocking out the defending European and World Champions, the Spanish side prevail.

ITALY vs. COLOMBIA (Colombia win 1-2)

Italy's aging side is finally undone by a moment of madness by Mario Balotelli as he sees red early in the second half, as Colombia presses their advantage and gets through to the Quarter Final.

ARGENTINA vs. ECUADOR (Argentina win 3-0)

Argentina has no problem sweeping aside South American rivals Ecuador as Messi finds the net twice and Angel di Maria once as they power their way to the win.

BELGIUM vs. PORTUGAL (1-1, Belgium win on PK)

A half fit Ronaldo can't drag Portugal any further in the tournament as they see an early lead evaporate and then go down on penalty kicks.

Quarter Finals:

BRAZIL vs. ENGLAND (Brazil win 2-0)

England, who have defied expectations by even reaching this stage, are no match for the hosts as Neymar find the net twice.

FRANCE vs. GERMANY (Germany wins 2-1 AET)

A tense and often physical encounter between the two European sides is won by Germany deep into extra time.

SPAIN vs. COLOMBIA (1-1, Spain win on PK)

Colombia take the World Champions to the limit in this gripping encounter, but in the end their nerve holds in the penalty shootout as they book their passage into the Semi Finals.

ARGENTINA vs. BELGIUM (Argentina win 2-0)

Despite a terrific run in the tournament, Belgium come up against a rampant Argentina side who see them off comfortably.

Semi Finals:

BRAZIL vs. GERMANY (Brazil win 2-0)

A rematch of the 2002 final, and the result is the same as Brazil book their place in the final.

SPAIN vs. ARGENTINA (Argentina win 1-2)

A thrilling Semi Final sees Argentina end Spain's reign as Champions in the Semi Finals with Aguero scoring a dramatic goal in the last five minutes to see Argentina through.

3rd Place:

GERMANY vs. SPAIN (Germany win 3-2)

The second string players get a run out in a surprisingly entertaining and very open 3rd Place match, as Germany takes third spot in the tournament.

Finals:

BRAZIL vs. ARGENTINA (Brazil wins 2-1)

Brazil banishes the ghosts of 1950 as they win their 6th World Cup title.