I very quickly went through game by game and with absolutely no research at all came up with a score. Here are the group standings as well as knockout results (without the scores themselves) based on my 90 second predictions!

Group A:
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

Group B:
Netherlands
Spain
Chile
Australia

Group C:
Colombia
Greece
Ivory Coast
Japan

Group D:
Italy
England
Uruguay
Costa Rica

Group E:
France
Switzerland
Ecuador
Honduras

Group F:
Argentina
Nigeria
Iran
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group G:
Germany
Portugal
USA
Ghana

Group H:
Belgium
South Korea
Russia
Algeria

Round of 16:
Brazil over Spain
Colombia over England
Netherlands over Croatia
Italy over Greece
France over Nigeria
Germany over South Korea
Argentina over Switzerland
Belgium over Portugal

Quarter-Finals:
Brazil over Colombia
Germany over France
Italy over Netherlands
Argentina over Belgium

Semi-Finals:

Germany over Brazil
Italy over Argentina

3rd Place: Brazil over Argentina

Final: Germany over Italy

the NZ TAB are offering a million bucks to anyone who can guess all 64 games correctly. You should put forward some picks, its free to enter.


My opinion

Argentina over Italy

Germany vs Argentina final.

Germany to win.

No European team has ever won a WC in the American continent (North & South), in fact the only European team to ever win outside of Europe was Spain in last WC (South Africa).

Argentina wins this one.

The fact that Brazil will play either Spain or the Netherlands in the round of 16 is pretty awesome.

Brazil will probably choke as final insult to the Brazilian people. :(

Netherlands to win it!

Germany ftw!

Footy nOObs! :P

VAMOS, VAMOS ARGENTINA!
NO TE DEJA DE ALENTA!

POOR USA, DRAWING GERMANY AND PORTUGAL IN THE FIRST GROUP IS PRETTY SUCKISH.

JIM_DANGER
CASUAL QUADRENNIAL SOCCER FAN
THE MIGHTY CLAN |DANGER|!

LOL

Ya, US got fkd :-(

brazil might win although this year is pretty similar as 1966 when england won so maybe its again england's time.

USA beats Ghana, draws Portugal, somehow draws Germany to advance. We beat Belgium, get SMOKED by Argentina.

Argentina over Spain in the final

http://www.mousebreaker.com/...ershotstopperwce/playgame

world cup game.

England!
Adam lallana top scorer

Link ?

I consider myself a betting pro. I started betting @ 14 years old and now i am 31.
Some soccer games are fixed for the bookies to earn billions out of them. World cups makes no exception.

This is my preview over WC :

Group A:
Brazil
Mexico
Cameroon
Croatia

I consider Mexic > Croatia. The fight for the second place will be a nightmare. Every team out of Croatia Mexic or Cameron can take the second spot.

Group B:
Spain
Chile
Netherlands
Australia

This group has 2 awesome teams ( Spain and Netherlands) - 1 good team and an outsider. I believe here we will see a surprise. Chile beat England on England`s home ground a couple of months back in a friendly. Their game is good - they just need a little chance.

Group C:
Colombia
Japan
Ivory Coast
Greece

Greece is the weakest team in this group. I think they will barely make some points. Columbia could be the surprise of this world cup. Japan and Ivory Coast have potential to qualify from second place.

Group D:
Uruguay
Italy
England
Costa Rica

One of Italy or England will go home. Uruguay team might be not well known but i see them as potential surprise team of the WC. They have all it takes to go to advanced stages.

Group E:
France
Ecuador
Switzerland
Honduras

Not sure if Switzerland > Ecuador. I think they are of equal value. Both of them can take the second spot. I would not be surprised to see France going home, based on my believes about game fixing.

Group F:
Argentina
Nigeria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iran

Argentina wins the group. Nigeria and Bosnia fights for the second place. Iran is outsider.

Group G:
Portugal
USA
Ghana
Germany

Here i hope USA beats Germany and Portugal does it too. I am gona cheer for USA. I hate those freaking "taking over Europe economics nazy style ". I am cheering for any team against Germany ... my dream would be to see them on the last place of the group. ( i realize they will probably beat all the teams in the group - i am just wishful thinking here ).

Group H:
Belgium
South Korea
Russia
Algeria

Belgium has a dream-team this WC. I see them as potential semi-finalists.
Russia > SK. Don`t know to much about Algeria.

Go Azkals !!!

Mexico's chances of advancing are done.

Montes is out for the tournament

That was a wicked nasty injury!

Ok so its 5 million. Not 1 mill.

Only catch is you have to be a NZ resident :(

http://www.tabchallenge.co.nz/

I dont have any idea so I tell you what. You give me the picks, Ill register and pick the teams you choose, and I split it with you 50/50.

Yes I know I am doing not much apart from registering and using your picks, but hey its a free chance at winning 2.5mill NZD.

I am serious btw

just read t&c's there is a possibility more than one person wins, if that happens ill split 50/50 any money we make of this.

And if Alin declines this offer then I will open it up to everyone else, but you will have to convince me of your football knowledge. Most likely I am going to be biased and go with a European person over an American (apart from South Americans lol)

Group A:
Brazil
Cameroon
Croatia
Mexico


Group B:
Spain
Chile
Netherlands
Australia

Group C:
Colombia
Ivory Coast
Japan
Greece



Group D:
Uruguay
Italy
England
Costa Rica

Group E:
France
Honduras
Switzerland
Ecuador


Group F:
Argentina
Nigeria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iran


Group G:
Portugal
Germany
USA
Ghana

Group H:
Belgium
South Korea
Russia
Algeria

italy got major drawback due 1 of their important player broke his leg in friendly match against ireland.

Iscode i have to tell the exact scores for each match or just who wins ?

alin: terms say team a wins, team b draws, etc and winners in knockout rounds upto final.

My prediction, the USA will not win the World Cup.

Brought to you by the Society of Duh.

omfg marshal can be reasonable. :P

Iscode i am going to post those here. Worths a try. I don`t want 2.5 mil, i just want 500k tax free. You can keep the rest - 500k is enough for me for the rest of my lifetime :P

Interesting nobody gives Ghana thought, that group will be Germany & Ghana advancing, Portugal is not anywhere near as good as they make them out to be, and US....meh type of team.

Marshal - Montolivo is a bum. In my opinion, and that of every single one of my Italian friends, the team is better without him. He would have likely started because of his experience and his standing with the team, but there are better options. Pirlo, De Rossi, and Marchisio is probably the best midfield even with Montolivo on the team. He plays the same role as Pirlo and Pirlo plays it far better. He would have been nice as a sub to come on for the aging Pirlo late in the game, but with guys like Motta, Aquilani, and Condreva on the bench they have enough depth in the middle

You sure, this is Kiwi dollars remember, not as strong as the Euro. But if so sure. And yip, me giving it to you would mean I pay the tax :)

KOH Ghana has no chance now that they lost there best defender in the friendly vs the Netherlands.

Stop underestimating teams because of a player got injured. A team means 11 players - they must all work together.

Individually, Argentina had one of the best teams at the start of every World Cup since i am watching footbal. In 94(when i was 11 years) Romanian gold generation took them out first game after the group stage(Maradona was baned that game because of drug use). And since then they always failed to reach a final.

This game is a team game - a player like Messi or Ribery might mean something, but if they don`t have a team, they will not, ever, reach the final by their self.

Iscode - i will send you the results. I subscribed first - i hope you won`t pick another "expert".

I want 500k USD tax free ( Ha! ). That`s all.

I was just going off the commentary lol, i know nothing about football :P

And ok deal 500k USD tax free (though i nothing of your tax laws just ours, but ether way if you get charged tax ill pay it :)

and yeah pm me your picks and ill register and make the selections.

I tell you what, if you get them all right and we get the 5mill I will hand deliver your 500k to you and then we go get on the piss :)

post was not directed to you. I know you know nothing about football. Everyone else besides europeans and south-americans knows nothing about football :P.

But i saw at least 1 european ( at origin ) that underestimates or overestimates 1 player or 2.

1 - player in a team means nothing at the world cup.True, he can make the difference in 1 game or 2 - but the team is what matters most. Italy is a team - Argentina is a super-team that are still to proof they are a "team".

Group A:
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

Group B:
Spain
Chile
Netherlands
Australia

Group C:
Colombia
Ivory Coast
Greece
Japan

Group D:
Italy
England
Uruguay
Costa Rica

Group E:
France
Ecuador
Switzerland
Honduras

Group F:
Argentina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nigeria
Iran


Group G:
Germany
Portugal
Ghana
USA


Group H:
Belgium
South Korea
Russia
Algeria

Round of 16:
Brazil beat chile
England beat Colombia
Spain beat croatia
Italy beat Ivory Coast
France beat Bosnia
Germany beat South Korea
Argentina beat Ecuador
Portugal beat Belgium

Quarter-Finals:
Brazil beat England
Germany beat France
Spain beat Italy
Argentina beat Portugal

Semi-Finals:

Germany beat Brazil
Spain beat Argentina

3rd Place: Argentina beat Brazil

Final: Germany beat Spain

Why is everyone putting england over uruguay, there is no frickin way england is going to make it past the groups, they are almost as overhyped as belgium!

XiQter - because nobody is sure if Suarez will play and Cavani struggles when he doesn't have a solid counterpart up there with him to draw attention and create opportunities.

Alin - I think you're saying two different things. I agree that one amazing player cannot on their own win a World Cup. Look at Portugal. I recently saw a heat map of all the touches Ronaldo takes for Real and for Portugal. In Real, 99% of his touches are on the left wing and in the attacking third. For Portugal, he literally takes touches equally across the whole width of the pitch and back to his own 18 yard box. He doesn't have the same support on the national side as he does in Real, and he can't be as effective. So you're right. One player, no matter how good they are, can not on their own win a World Cup.

However, I also think that missing a key player will dramatically diminish a team's chances. Would Romania had won that match if Maradona had played? I'm not sure. Would France had won 3-0 in 98 if Ronaldo were at 100%? Beyond losing the talent on the pitch, you also introduce doubt and distraction into the rest of the team.

Look at Argentina for example. Messi is a great player, but he also has a great team around him. If you take Messi and put him on the South Korean team, they'll be better, but they won't win a championship. However, if Messi were to break his leg tomorrow and be ruled out for the World Cup, Argentina's chances would plummet significantly.

To summarize: One player can't win a World Cup on their own, but there are certain key players who, if lost, would mean disaster for their team.

I would guess it's because Uruguay are a two man team... (three if you count godin)
England have a better goalkeeper, defence, midfield. Uruguay have a better attack. England have better squad depth.

And I never underestimate England's capacity to suck, but Uruguay struggled to make it to the world cup, and it's not because they've got better, they've got significantly worse, even if two players have continued to improve their other top class talent is now over the hill (Forlan).

Argentina

La Albiceleste will win the World Cup. (if you don't know what country's nickname Albiceleste is w/o googling, then you need to watch more football :P )
Also some of you experts have forgotten that no European country have won the World Cup when its hosted in South America. I recommend re-assessing your predictions.

... and SOL is ranked too high.

There hasn't been a World Cup in South America for 36 years... To suggest fitness levels and preparation hasn't changed in that time is ridiculous. Spain won in South Africa, while brazil/Argentina looked distinctly average. I'd say Argentina have got better since then, brazil not so much...

USA for the win. If you dont agree: go to hell you commie bastard!

Wu - there have been 19 World Cup Finals tournaments. Four have been in South America. Uruguay 1930, Brazil 1950, Chile 1962, and Argentina 1978. I recommend re-assessing the significance you place on that statistic.

This thread is hilarious lol

i'm backing england to qualify from group stage. we have alot of young quality players that have nothing to fear

If England`s team starts with your attitude they will qualify 100%. If they start with the "we are playing the final, at least" they will, again, not pass the group stage.

My favorite aspect at this world cup..at the draw england was ranked 13th, the US 14th. If US doesn't make it out of group (abeit a very tough one) few people will care....if england doesn't...people will start clamoring for heads to role.

Group A:
1st Brazil
2nd Mexcio

Group B:
Spain
Chile

Group C:
Greece
Colombia

Group D:
Italy
England

Group E:
Switzerland
Ecuador

Group F:
Argentina
Nigeria

Group G:
Germany
Portugal

Group H:
Belgium
Russia

Round of 16:
Brazil beat chile
Colombia beat England
Spain beat Mexico
Italy beat Greece
Germany beats Russia
Nigeria beats Switzerland
Argentina beat Ecuador
Portugal beat Belgium

Quarter-Finals:
Brazil beat Italy
Germany beat Nigeria
Colombia beats Spain
Argentina beat Portugal

Semi-Finals:

Brail beats Germamy
Argentina beats Spain

3rd Place:Germany beats Spain.

Final: Brazil beats Argentina

FIFA rankings are a joke and completely meaningless. Teams in fluffty regions (i.e. CONCACAF, CAF, AFC) play against each other and gain points based on chicken fluff wins. The USA's ranking includes victories against Panama, Jamaica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, and Honduras among others.

what hawk said, euro-teams play alot against eachothers so matches aren't that easy to win.