Here are the results for the first round:
Hey, MadHatter, do you spot any familiar patterns? HAHAHAHA!
Here's how the scoring worked for this round: you get 3 points for correctly guessing the winner of each group, and 2 points for correctly guessing the runner up. You only get a friendly green tick next to your name if you got the position right, BUT, if you correctly guessed that a given team would progress, but you got their position in the table wrong, you still get 1 point for that team. So for Group C, for instance, anyone who had England finishing first and the US in second gets 2 points for getting the right teams but in the wrong order. Pika gets 1 point for that group for choosing one of the two teams to progress, but in the wrong place in the table. Thomas, on the other hand, who as he pointed out was "the only one who picked Group C correctly", gets 5 points for that group for getting the right teams in the right order. Nice work, Thomas!
(< mutters > "Damn Yanks" < /mutters >)
Bring on the next round!
You need to make your picks for the next four games by 7 am Pacific time TOMORROW (SATURDAY). You can make your picks for the next four now too, if you want, but if you need more thinking time, you can enter or change those picks any time up to 7 am Pacific time on MONDAY. I think I'm going to oscillate between Portugal and Spain about a dozen times before the cut-off... mind you I'm still trying to decide between heart and head for Sunday's England - Germany game...
I've updated the update to update you about everyone's picks:
I am in, and my picks are... secret.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, given my bottom-feeding status in the pool at present, maybe I should tell you all who I picked, in hopes that it might encourage you to be dragged down with me.
Whatever. Anyway, I'll tell you something for nothing - Uruguay is going to win the World Cup. And England and Portugal are going to be stellar in the Round of 16. Yup yeah.
Dark horse - Ghana. USA is done.
[This information is provided "as is" and is not warranted to be suitable for any purspose whatsoever. Certain aspects of the above predictions may not be entirely correct. E&OE. Batteries not included.]
In our household, The Beast the parrots are largely disappointed - only Orpheus (Brazil) is still in the hunt. The Beast claimed he didn't care, he prefers cricket but quickly changed his tune when I showed him the results of both of this week's ODIs against England. Then he claimed rugby union was his sport, so I showed him the results of last week's test. He's now an ardent Aussie Rules fan.
ReplyDeleteNOTICE how I got ONE ENTIRE GROUP correct!! I am so awesome.
ReplyDeleteOk, done with the 2nd round picks, I think I'm just still in time!
ReplyDeletePika gets 1 point for that group for choosing one of the two teams to progress, but in the wrong place in the table.
Yeah, but ONLY because US scored in their last game the 91st minute! If that game ended on regular time, I would have been correct!
well you know, this is all bringing back those memories from the stupid hockey pool ;) I'm closer to the end that the beginning....
ReplyDeleteI am still in shock that I had 5 groups with NO points and then 2 groups perfect. Clearly missing something important... like thinking that France, Italy and Nigeria would have good teams. Pah.
well, let's see the US be beaten today. Just because I put in Ghana... but I'm not ure on that either. Surely they will have extra time until the US scores or somthing like that? (bitter? me? nahhh) ;)
chall - the last time I was in a hockey pool, I finished pretty much dead last - long behind the "average" pick (i.e. most frequent player picked in each category in the pool) and, embarrassingly, beaten even by "Maggie Monkey" who picked at random.
ReplyDeleteI would appear to be repeating this stellar performance. Although I must say I got one match right for a change... UR-U-GUAY, ALL-THE-WAY!!!!
(And yes, I know that "Uruguay" and "way" don't rhyme. It's an assonance, ok?)
A tweet from last night describes my indecision quite well... luckily I picked the right option, after canvassing all my friends in the pub and getting a 50:50 split decision. (Same as for the US-Ghana and Spain-Portugal games). Yay, Uruguay!
ReplyDeleteI also had a great, friendly, conversation with one of my German friends. We agreed that it should be a good game, that England have some great players but Germany have a more cohesive teams, and that anything can happen in a one-off game. As I left I told him "I hope you enjoy the game! But - not the result".
I've gone with head over heart in the pool, though.
Actually, as soon as I've finished with this rambling comment I'll update the post with everyone's picks.
Ricardipus, your picks will not be secret for much longer... although really it's Massimo who is going to be quizzed the most... Mexico...? I agree that Argentina are going to have a harder time as the tournament progresses, but I don't think this is the crunch game. The next one? Against Germany or maybe England? That'll be interesting...
Bob, are any of the menagerie psychic? Maybe you need an octopus.
Eva, well, you're beating Ricardipus!
Pika and Chall, my American friends are pretty happy about that goal! The goal that was called off for offside earlier in the game looked good to me, so justice was served...
Ricardipus, Maggie Monkey who picked at random?! That's no way to talk about Eva!
Eh, I think it is about time we have some surprise with South American teams... so far things have gone too well for them...
ReplyDeleteWell, if you're right you'll leap up the standings! Unique picks are always good in a pool!
ReplyDeleteBTW I think Paraguay will be the first South American team to fall. Japan looked really good in their last game.
@Cath - "head over heart" indeed. Cold, very cold.
ReplyDelete@Eva - you may be beating me, but so is everybody else, so don't get all warm and fuzzy feeling.
Also, I'm two for two on the round of 16 so far. My ascent to dominance is beginning. Mark my words.
/trash
Cath.... and it's on! (I was so conflicted aobut this game. I'd love England to win but I do think they won't. Not impressed with that Rooney guy...)
ReplyDeleteAnd I had 2 for 2 until now :) Clearly, making t easier to choose one of two instead of 2 of 4 in correct order.
*sigh*
ReplyDeleteNow Orpheus is the only member of the household with a team left in the competition.
I'm not sure what Grrl would think if I arrived at home with an octopus. It would have to share an aquarium with either the shrimp or the carniverous plants.
Ricardipus, it's partly a superstition thing, and partly an experience thing!
ReplyDeleteChall, you and I did very well in the first half of this round! I'll be able to see our next four picks soon - I wonder if we've gone with the same choices there, too!
Bob, you have shrimp? Like, as pets? And they haven't "accidentally" fallen into a pan yet?
Cath: yeah, you and I the only two that made 4/4 :) but you are ahead of me.... darn.
ReplyDeleteI thought that one could see the picks now considering it's on in 60 mins but .... guess that's for later today.
Cath: we are the only two cheering for Japan.... and then we don't share the same love for Spain ;)
ReplyDeleteJuj, it's going to be more interesting tomorrow me thinks .... and then it's the quarter finals ... ahh... more choices :)
Well, Thomas is still in the lead due to his strong showing in the first round!
ReplyDeleteCOME ON JAPAN!!!
I really couldn't decide between Portugal and Spain. But Spain are always so hyped, and then I put money on them, and then they always let me down (except for the one time I didn't bet on them, heh). And they did lose to Switzerland, whereas Portugal positively destroyed a North Korean team who put up a good fight against Brazil!
I'm hoping to be able to see some of the game at lunch time. We're really under the gun at work, but my boss is Portuguese, so it's possible!
Paraguay v. Japan - Penalty Kicks!
ReplyDeleteBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteI just saw the result - I had to come in "early" for a fire drill (I'm a floor warden).
What's the score? If my mental math (can't access the site from work) is correct, I'm up again by 4?
ReplyDeleteTJ> whatever. You might be up now... but it can only go down from here... (right? That's how the rhyme goes, isn't? ;) )
ReplyDeleteYep - you're ahead of me by 4 points and we both made the same pick for the next game! So you'll be in the lead at the end of this round - Chall has a different pick for the next game, but can't catch either of us just yet.
ReplyDeleteIt's currently 3 points for a correct pick, but it goes up (to 5 I think) in the next round.