Hey everyone, welcome back to Mystery Monday. Today I have for you an article on the VAR and the Fair Play Rule in the World Cup and football in general. There may be another article on the way today, although I’m not certain if it will be ready today. But it is Mystery Monday after all, and you know what that means: anything could happen. Enjoy!

The VAR and The Fair Play Rule

The World Cup is back again this year, and we are already about halfway through. In fact, were only two weeks away from finding out who our World Cup Champions will be in this year’s tournament. But the noticeable thing that’s come from this particular World Cup is that there have been some changes, and there have also been some certain rules that have come into play for the first time in the tournament’s history. So let’s discuss this.

I’ll start with the rule that has come into effect this year for the first time in World Cup History. The Fair Play Rule was designed as a method of separating teams when it was otherwise impossible to split them in the Group Stage. It is used when two or more teams are tied in points and in goal difference at the end of the Group Stage. The rule is quite basic in its principle: whichever team has the least amount of cards, being yellow and/or red, will progress to the Round of 16, whilst the other team will not. It is a rule that has been around for quite some time, however has never had to have been used before this year’s World Cup tournament. In this case, it was used to separate Senegal and Japan in Group H, to determine which of these two teams would progress to the Round of 16. Both teams had 4 points apiece, and were both sitting on a goal difference of -1. This resulted in the Fair Play Rule coming into play for the first time in the history of the World Cup. Senegal had been given 6 yellow cards throughout their 3 Group Stage matches, whilst Japan had been given only 4, ultimately meaning Japan would progress over Senegal based solely upon this inadequate rule. Going into the Final Round of the Group Stage, Senegal only needed a win or a draw to progress, and could have still progressed with a loss, however only if Japan lost by 1 more goal than they did. Japan needed a win or a draw, depending on the Senegal v Colombia match. Japan went down 1-0 to Poland early in the second half of their match, meaning that Senegal were in prime position to go through, and that Colombia would most likely progress with them. However, Colombia managed to go 1-0 up in the 74th minute of the match, meaning Senegal were once again tied with Japan on goal difference. The Japanese head coach Akira Nishino, upon hearing of this occurring, got word out to his team who were playing at the time, alerting them to the fact that Senegal were down 1-0, and that as long as Japan didn’t concede again, they would go through based on the Fair Play Rule. Japan therefore killed off the game by passing the ball around in their own half, no longer attacking, and Poland seemed content to hang back and play along. And whilst Senegal made some great attacking plays in their match, it wasn’t enough to bring the match level. Therefore, Japan were sent through with Colombia to the Round of 16 as a result of exploiting the Fair Play Rule to its full extent.

Now here’s what makes this reasonably unfair. Each of the final two matches of the Group Stage for each Group are played at the same time. The reason for this is to prevent any form of skulduggery and to prevent the other teams from knowing what result they need to progress. So the sheer fact that Japan were able to go through after the coach found out what was occurring in the other match and changing the team’s tactics as a result of that has demonstrated that there is, realistically, no point in having the two matches played at the same time. They may as well have had the Japan v Poland match played after Senegal v Colombia. The reason being that Japan knew what was going on in the other match and so halted their attack in order to prevent Poland from scoring again. Now Japan were slammed for doing this after the match concluded, and, in all fairness, rightly so. Japan exploited what is one of the most ridiculous rules in football in order to progress to the Round of 16. And whilst some people would say that anyone would do the same if they were in that scenario, that if they were head coach they would have done what Nishino did, and that Senegal would have likely done the same, you wouldn’t know that for certain. Why? Because simply, you aren’t the head coach, you weren’t there, you don’t know what Senegal would have done, and everyone is different in their ways of thinking. So realistically, that argument is very much invalid.

And now to the Fair Play Rule in general. This rule is probably the most unreasonable rule that has been put in place by FIFA, a football governing body that has seen the worst that corruption has to offer. And, to be quite honest, I don’t think the corruption has been completely eradicated from this organisation just yet. The Fair Play Rule is in reality quite the opposite of what it is called. It’s not a fair rule at all, it’s very much unfair and inadequate. In order for this rule to be fair, the standard of refereeing would have to be the exact same across the board. And that is most definitely not the case when it comes to the World Cup. Each referee is different, and some are harsher than others. This would result in some teams being dealt more cards than others, be they yellow or red, due entirely to the referee who is officiating their match. Therefore, if this is the case, which it clearly is, then the Fair Play Rule is rendered completely invalid. And so the fact that a team goes through based on this rule is entirely unfair to their opponent. And so the way in which a tie in points and goal difference is decided must be changed.

So to some suggestions. There are a few ways to decide who progresses in the case of a tie in the Group Stage which are much fairer than the Fair Play Rule. An attack based rule could come into play, in which the team to progress would be decided based upon the goals they have scored, and potentially even the number of shots on target they have had. This would encourage attacking play, and would make the game so much more exciting. And it would prevent teams from just killing off their match early by just passing the ball around in their own half and wasting time to wind down the clock, something which teams have been given yellow cards for before. The other option is to have a play off match between the two teams in question. There is at least a day in between the conclusion of the Group Stage and the commencement of the Round of 16. This is enough time in which to have a play off between the two teams which are tied, and this could be played in the same way as a knockout match, in which one team must win. Extra time and penalties would therefore be in play, and only one team would come out on top, progressing to the Round of 16, whilst the other would bow out of the tournament. This would be much fairer than the Fair Play Rule, and would be a much more just way of determining who progresses. If one thing is for certain, the Fair Play Rule must be eradicated.

Now I want to move on to the second thing, the VAR. The VAR, which stands for Video Assistant Referee, has only recently entered football, being introduced in the A-League in Australia, and now being used in the World Cup. And whilst it has proven to have made some good decisions, changing things that should be changed and pointing out things that need to be pointed out, it is not all good. The VAR is a system that is controlled by referees. Referees sit in a room filled with screens displaying a number of different angles on the pitch, so that decisions can be reviewed from every angle necessary. And whilst the issue may not be within the VAR itself, rather in the referee/s who are in control of the system, the VAR is proving to be a step in the wrong direction. Actually, make that a leap in the wrong direction. It’s not making the game better, it’s not benefiting the game entirely. In fact, it’s actually ruining the game.

The problem with the VAR is partially in what it is doing, and partially in what it’s not doing. For example, in the match between Australia and Peru last week, Peru’s first goal came from an offside position. The player who set up the goal was offside when the ball was passed to him by a player who was close to the middle of the field. Although the ball did touch one of the Australian players before the Peruvian player who was offside got the ball, he was still offside, which makes the goal invalid due to offside. This would have been a perfect time for the VAR to review what had occurred and step in to alert the referee on the field to the offside. However, there was no VAR review at all, and the goal was allowed without question, changing the game entirely. And then, a few days later, in the Senegal v Colombia match, Senegal were given a penalty by the on field referee after one of the Colombian players had made a dangerous tackle on Senegalese striker Sadio Mane in the box. The referee had pointed to the spot and called for a penalty, however, the VAR decided it would be a good time to step in, and told the on field referee that they did not think it was a penalty, and that he should review it and change the decision. And so the referee took a look at the footage, and ultimately changed his decision, denying Senegal a clear-cut penalty which would have changed the game. Therefore once again, the VAR changed the game entirely.

There is one very noticeable thing about the VAR, something that many have already picked up on, but which may have slipped by unnoticed by others. The VAR is very much benefiting and working in favour of European and South American teams, and working against teams from other continents/countries. It may seem like I’m saying this because I’m sceptical of the system and the way in which it is working, and you may think I’m trying to start a conspiracy or something, but let’s be realistic, I’m not. I’m just pointing out the very clear fact that the VAR seems to have been used in favour of the big teams from Europe and South America, teams like Portugal, Spain, Colombia, etc.. And teams from other continents/countries, like African and Asian teams such as Senegal and Australia are losing out to the system. The VAR is doing more damage to the sport than good, and it is obvious that it needs to go. Even when it was used in Australian football, in the A-League, which was the trial football league for the technology, the VAR was doing more harm to the league than good, and it was not actually benefiting it. It is still being used in the A-League, and it will undoubtedly do more damage to the league for as long as it exists within it. And then you can look a the English Premier League (EPL). The VAR system/technology was offered to the EPL and they said no. They made probably the smartest decision you could make when offered technology such as this. They knew it would ruin English football, and they didn’t want that to happen, so they declined it right front the outset. And realistically, the VAR should be eradicated entirely from the world of football.

So to wrap this one up, I just want to make a few final remarks. The Fair Play Rule must be eradicated, there is no doubt about it. The rule is highly unjustified and does not work, will never work, without the refereeing being to precisely the same standard across the board, which is highly unlikely to ever occur. There are better ways to separate teams which are tied at the end of the Group Stage, and a play off would likely be the best option to decide which team progresses to the Round of 16. And the VAR must also be eradicated from the world of football. This technology is doing more harm than good, and is damaging one of the greatest sports in the world, one of the most loved sports in the world. Technology has no place in football, and it never will.

JJ

Hey everyone, guess what’s back again? That’s right, the much loved World Cup Wednesday, which is keeping that name despite going on a wander to other various days of the week, is back for a fourth edition. I think people are really loving this segment, and I’m really glad you are. So, the Final Round of the Group Stage has concluded, and we have our Round of 16, which will begin tonight (Saturday 30th June). As always, I’ll be recapping the Round, and we’ll take a look at some of the controversies, and what to expect from the Round of 16. Let’s jump right in.

Uruguay v Russia: Uruguay dominated this match, and it really showed. A free kick turned goal from Luis Suarez, an own goal from the Russian Denis Cheryshev, and a late goal from Edinson Cavani, as well as a red card for one of the Russians, saw Uruguay safely take the top of Group A, pitting them against Portugal, whilst the Russians are resigned to take on Spain in the Round of 16. 3-0.

Saudi Arabia v Egypt: Two teams that were already eliminated, this game was purely for pride, and the Saudis proved a cut above the Egyptians, despite a skilled goal from star player Mohamed Salah. The Saudis took out the game after scoring late in each half. 2-0, both teams are now out of the Cup.

Spain v Morocco: The Moroccans played so well against the Spaniards, and fully deserved to win the match. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, however Spain should consider themselves lucky, with their second goal coming late in the second half, and being seen as potentially offside at first, however, the goal was given, controversially. Morocco are out and Spain took the top of the Group.

Iran v Portugal: Iran were very unlucky not to win this one. A 1-1 draw, Portugal only just escaped really, and Cristiano Ronaldo was very lucky not to be sent off for a very unsportsmanlike foul he committed in the first half. It was somewhat of a disgrace that he wasn’t sent off after the VAR review of his foul. Portugal finish second in the Group with the Iranians once again eliminated in the Group Stage.

Denmark v France: These teams knew that a draw would see them both through, and I think they were alright with just taking a draw and progressing through in the positions they were already in. France rested a number of their high quality players, and whilst both teams took a few good shots and had a few good chances to score, the scores remained at 0-0 for the entire match, making this match probably one of the duller ones of the Round.

Australia v Peru: Australia knew they needed to win this, and whilst they started strong, they weakened, reverting to their old ways once again. It’s no surprise they lost 2-0 to a South American team considering they still don’t have any decent striking options, and every chance they take seems to just miss the goals. They never seem to learn from past mistakes, and Peru capitalised on that, however their first goal was offside, and it was surprising the VAR didn’t pick it up, but that’s just another reason why technology has no place in football. 2-0 to Peru. Hopefully the Australians make the 2022 Qatar World Cup with a better team and better tactics.

Iceland v Croatia: Iceland needed to win this to progress, however it all went wrong for them. Croatia netted two, but the Icelandic team could only put in a penalty to make the score line 2-1. Iceland are out unfortunately, Croatia progressing through to play Denmark in the Round of 16.

Nigeria v Argentina: Nigeria only needed a draw to progress. And they almost got their fairytale ending here. However, after being deadlocked for a lengthy period of time at 1-1, Argentina pulled off a miracle, with a late winner from Marcos Rojo putting Argentina through to the Round of 16 by the smallest of margins. Argentina will face France in their Round of 16 match.

Mexico v Sweden: After playing 2 great matches, the Mexicans should have really been able to take out the top of the Group. But they weren’t lucky enough to do so, and were very lucky to get through to the Round of 16 after their 3-0 demolition against Sweden. Sweden took top of the Group, and will play Switzerland, whilst the Mexicans took second and will play Brazil in the Round of 16.

South Korea v Germany: Well what can I say about this match. Honestly the only thing I can say is that this was pure gold. This was the match of the Round for sure. The Koreans almost put themselves through to the Round of 16 too, just missing out because Sweden beat Mexico. The Koreans held off the reigning World Champions for the full 90 minutes before they put one in the net from a corner in the 92nd, and then scoring again in the 96th, not even four minutes later. Germany’s keeper, Manuel Neuer, tried to be a midfielder, however it all went wrong. And Germany, for the first time in World Cup History, were knocked out of the World Cup in the Group Stage, finishing bottom of their Group. The South Koreans finished third, and went out with a bang, and I commend them for a job well done.

Switzerland v Costa Rica: This was a close one, with Switzerland opening the scoring midway in the first half, however, Costa Rica were playing much better than they previously had, and scored early in the second half to equalise. Switzerland then managed to put one in the back of the net late in the second half, but then put one in the back of their own net to draw the scores level once again at 2-2. Costa Rica are out, but they leave with at least 1 point. The Swiss progress.

Serbia v Brazil: Brazil managed to dominate this match, and pulled off a 2-0 win, with goals in the 36th and 68th allowing them to finish top of their Group and launching them into the Round of 16 to play Mexico. The Serbs were unfortunate not to progress, having needed a win to edge Switzerland into second place. They now exit the tournament whilst Brazil progress to the next Round.

Japan v Poland: This match was one of the ones that I watched intently, and Poland played a great match to take at least one win home with them, and 3 points to go with it, a fitting exit for them. However, the Japanese, after having played a somewhat strong match making every attempt they could to score, seemed to change their playing style and their tactics towards the end of the match, and their head coach Akira Nishino revealed after the match that he had alerted the players to the fact that Colombia had gone 1-0 up against Senegal, and that a 1-0 loss would see Japan through to the Round of 16 based on the Fair Play rule where the team that has a lower number of cards will progress. He therefore told the Japanese players to just pass the ball around, and lay off the attack. And so they did, and pulled of a 1-0 loss to progress with Colombia. They have been slammed for doing this, a tactic which is designed to waste time, something other players from other teams were booked for. It is something I will discuss a little later on in this article.

Senegal v Colombia: Senegal played such a great match against Colombia, and should have at least been given a 1-1 draw from this match and progressed through to the Round of 16. Senegal were denied a clear-cut penalty early in the match, and it showed again why technology has no place in football. A goal in the 74th put Colombia in front, something which the Japanese heard about 500 miles away. And that one goal ultimately put Colombia and Japan through, with Senegal unable to score despite their thorough efforts. Senegal have my respect for the effort they put into this year’s World Cup, and how well they played. I personally hope to see them again at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and I’m sure many others would agree.

England v Belgium: England took an opportunity in this match to rest 8 of their better players in order to conserve their energies for the following Round. And they didn’t really put in too much effort, losing the match 1-0 to Belgium, however probably being in a better bracket than the Belgians. England are well on their way now, and will have a slightly easier path to the Final and the Cup than Belgium. England play Colombia in the Round of 16, while Belgium play Japan.

Panama v Tunisia: This match was another that all just for pride, and Tunisia proved to be the better team in the end, taking out the match 2-1. Although Panama didn’t give up, and they did make a good attempt to edge the Tunisians. There was a fight that was broken up at one point during the match, and in actual fact, Tunisia scored all three goals, putting two in the opposition’s net and putting one in their own. Both teams are now out of the tournament. And we have our Round of 16.

Highlight Of The Round: The highlight of the Final Round of the Group Stage has to be South Korea’s 2-0 win over Germany, sending them out of the tournament in the Group Stage for the first time in World Cup History, which encompasses 80 years. It also saw the Koreans finish third in their Group, whilst the Germans finished fourth. The Koreans have so much to be proud of going out of the tournament, even though they didn’t make it further. Taking out the reigning Champions with you is an amazing thing to do. Well done to them.

Biggest Upsets: There were a few upsets this Round. Morocco held Spain to a 2-2 draw, and the Iranians did the same to the Portuguese, with a 1-1 draw. The Swedes demolished the Mexicans 3-0 to take top spot in their Group. And the biggest upset of the Round came when South Korea managed to score two late goals against reigning Champions Germany to win 2-0 and go out with a bang, taking the Germans with them. Big week of upsets for sure.

Controversy: There was a fair bit of controversy that was on display in the Final Round of the Group Stage. I’ll start with the Japanese and the Fair Play Rule. The Fair Play Rule is in place so that if two teams finish with the same points, and can’t be separated by goal difference, they will be separated by the number of cards they have picked up. Whilst this is fair enough, there is issue with this rule in that the refereeing needs to be to the same standards across the board, which is not something that can be seen in this World Cup. This therefore makes the Fair Play Rule obsolete and irrelevant, as some referees may be harsher than others, and some teams may cop more yellow or even red cards than others due to different standards of refereeing. Therefore this rule needs to be changed, and while there will be a review of the rule by FIFA after the conclusion of the World Cup, the most likely outcome is that nothing will be done tot change it. The fact the the Japanese team changed their tactics after the head coach got word to them whilst they were playing in the second half that Senegal were down 1-0 to Colombia, whilst they themselves were also down 1-0 to Poland, and told them to just pass the ball in triangles in their own half rather than attacking anymore so that they wouldn’t go down 2-0 just shows how unfair the so called Fair Play Rule is. The head coach, Akira Nishino, knew that Japan would go through based on the Fair Play Rule, and practically exploited that to its full capacity, it’s full extent, in order to pull through and take a spot in the Round of 16. It’s very much a shameful, disgraceful exploitation of a rule which is very much corrupt in its own way, and this will be a focus of an upcoming feature article I have in the works.

The other bit of controversy, in fact the controversial system that just keeps on giving, is the VAR. The VAR really is a highly insufficient system, which should be completely eradicated from football. Sure, it gets some decisions right, and it changes decisions which should be changed, but there’s a large percentage of the time that it interferes in the game, and some times when it either doesn’t pick up on certain things that should be reviewed, or it changes a decision which should not have been changed at all, and was right initially. For example, in Australia v Peru, Peru’s first goal came from an offside position, and the VAR did not even review it, and the goal really did change the game. Then there’s Senegal v Colombia, where Senegal were initially given a penalty midway through the first half, however the VAR decided it would be a good time to intervene and changed the referee’s mind, denying Senegal a clear-cut penalty, one that would have changed the game and likely sent Senegal through to the Round of 16, but which rather saw them unfairly eliminated from the tournament. It’s really a faulty system, and it must be expunged from football immediately. Technology has absolutely no place in football, and I very much hope to see a reversion to referees and linesman, without any VAR or technology. And some of those referees who are controlling the VAR should just go back to refereeing on the ground, not from a technology box.

The other thing I wanted to mention is that Cristiano Ronaldo practically got away with murder this Round thanks to his star power. After committing a really terrible foul in the first half of Portugal’s match against Iran, one they were lucky not to lose, the referee consulted the VAR, as he had not seen the foul himself despite it being quite obvious. Ronaldo practically shoved an Iranian defender to the ground, and was only given a yellow card after the referee watched the foul back on the VAR system. Ronaldo was seen to be smiling and even laughing after being given the yellow card, showing absolutely no sign of remorse. And realistically, the only reason he wasn’t given a straight red, which is what should have occurred, was due to his star power, his international fame. And the referee practically let him get away with it because of what I refer to as ‘star player bias’, which is very much in the range of corruption, something which FIFA is no stranger to.

What To Expect From The Round Of 16: So what should we expect from the Round of 16? Expect every single nation to play the highest quality football they have ever played. It’s knockouts now after all, and no one team wants to be eliminated from the tournament, so none of them will go out easily. Things will be much more interesting, and much more entertaining. Expect more controversy stemming from the VAR. And now there is the potential for extra time and penalties, so you could expect to possible see a game or two go to extra time and maybe even to a penalty shootout, something nobody wants to see happen. And whilst we don’t know anything for certain, there is one thing that is 100% certain: at the end of this World Cup, we will have a new World Cup Champion, Champions of the World.

JJ

Hey everyone, welcome back to Flashback Friday. There’s been a few interesting things that have occurred this week. So let’s get straight into it.

First, we’ll start with some World Cup news. The World Cup continued this week with the Final Round of the Group Stage being played out, concluding early this morning, with a lot happening in just the one round. Reigning Champions Germany were eliminated from the tournament in the Group Stage for the first time in World Cup History, Australia were once again knocked out in The Group Stage after losing to Peru, and Group H was decided by the Fair Play rule of which team has less cards for the first time in World Cup History. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has also been causing more controversy, and Japan made a controversial move when they ran down the clock, changing their tactics to prevent themselves from conceding a second goal to Poland, after learning that Senegal had gone down 1-0 to Colombia. The head coach of the team spoke out himself, making this known. And it has really brought into question why the matches for each group are played at the same time if it’s not going to prevent this sort of play from occurring. It’s really poor. Senegal however should be congratulated and commended on their efforts at this year’s World Cup, and hopefully they will return in 2022 and go further. The Round of 16 begins tomorrow night (Saturday 30th June).

In world news now, and there has been yet another shooting in the US. This time, the shooting has occurred in Annapolis, Maryland, inside the newsroom at the Capital Gazette newspaper office. There have been 5 confirmed deaths so far as a result of the shooting. The shooter is in custody, and was reported to have shot through the glass door to enter the newsroom. The shooter also had a connection to the newspaper, having filed a defamation claim against it back in 2012, which was dismissed. The shooting is being classified as a targeted attack. This really is a terrible thing, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those who were in the newsroom and their families and friends, particularly the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy. This also just goes to show how guns need to be eradicated in the US, something I will be following up with a feature article coming soon.

Meanwhile, also in the US, Joe Jackson, father of the late king of pop Michael Jackson, passed away yesterday morning at the age of 89. The Jackson family patriarch was battling pancreatic cancer, and sadly lost his battle with the disease. Joe Jackson was the one responsible for launching the Jackson family musical dynasty, which saw the rise of the Jackson 5, Janet Jackson, La Toya Jackson and Rennie Jackson, and gave rise to the most famous Jackson of them all, the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. His family paid tribute to him on social media following his death. He will be remembered for all the work he put into making the Jackson name famous. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

And in a bit of entertainment news now, and the Logies are fast approaching, with the awards ceremony taking place this Sunday at 7:30pm on the Gold Coast. Now usually the Logies are just another of those award ceremonies that no one really pays attention to. They happen, people might hear about them in the next few days afterwards, and they go away. But this year something has sort of changed the scenario. Comedian Tom Gleeson, known for his Hard Chat segment on The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, and his spinoff quiz show, Hard Quiz, sat down to Hard Chat much loved Family Feud host Grant Denyer this week on his segment on The Weekly. And after a few jabs, including pointing out the fact that it was ridiculous that Grant was up for the Gold Logie this year after his show had been axed from the third highest rating television network, Gleeson decided to turn the tables and told Grant that he would campaign for him to win the award because the Logies were a joke. Gleeson has said that he would drive his famed Big Brass Mug up the red carpet, campaigning for Denyer to win the Gold Logie. He has now started the Denyer4Gold campaign, which has been trending in Australia, and has since appeared on 2DayFM Breakfast Radio, ABC News Breakfast, and The Project to discuss the campaign, all the while wearing his Denyer4Gold tanker and giving his tv audiences flags with the campaign logo on them. Denyer is up against A Current Affair presenter Tracy Grimshaw, actress Jessica Marais, Selling Houses Australia presenter Andrew Winter, actor Rodger Corser, and The Living Room presenter Amanda Keller for the Gold Logie. It would be brilliant to see him win the award come Sunday night. Make sure to vote Denyer4Gold at the following link: https://www.nowtolove.com.au/logies-vote

And you can check out the Hard Chat segment here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uKqNrcBTsi8

And that’s it for this week. I’ll be back with more Flashback Friday next week, and be sure to look out for another edition of World Cup Wednesday and Mystery Monday out soon. Have a good one!

JJ

Hey everyone, so in a follow up to World Cup Wednesday on a Monday and before the start of the Final Round of the Group Stage tonight, I thought I’d give you all a rundown of the equations in terms of what each team needs to progress to the Round of 16. So let’s get right into it.

First, a reminder, 8 teams are out with zero chance of progressing. They are: Egypt and Saudi Arabia from Group A, Morocco from Group B, Peru from Group C, Costa Rica from Group E, Tunisia and Panama from Group G, and Poland from Group H.

Group A: This is very simple. Russia and Uruguay are already through, and will just play for the top spot of the Group.

Group B: Portugal, Spain and Iran all have a chance here. Portugal and Spain have 4 points each, Iran are on 3. Portugal plays Iran, whilst Spain plays Morocco. Spain will probably win against Morocco and progress, meaning it will most likely come down to Portugal v Iran. Two draws will put Spain and Portugal through. A win for Iran will put Spain and Iran through. Iran and Portugal will only go through together in the case of a draw between them and a loss for Spain.

Group C: France is safely through. Denmark is on 3 points while Australia is on 1. Australia will need to beat Peru and hope France beat Denmark to progress. If France win by more than 1, Australia only need to win by 1. If France win by only 1, and Australia only wins by 1, it will go to goal difference, which will be equal, in which case whoever has the most cards will be knocked out. If that’s equal, the names of both teams will go into a draw and whoever gets drawn out progresses. If France win by 1 and Aus win by more than 1, they will progress. If Denmark win or draw in their match with France, France and Denmark will progress.

Group D: Croatia are safely through. Nigeria are on 3pts, Argentina and Iceland both have 1 each. If Iceland win against Croatia, and Argentina beat Nigeria, Iceland could progress on goal difference or cards depending on the scores. If Iceland lose or draw and Argentina win, Argentina will progress. If Nigeria win, they will progress.

Group E: Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia are all in with a chance of progressing to the Round of 16. Brazil and Switzerland are on 4pts each, Serbia is on 3. The Swiss should win their match against Costa Rica, which means it will come down to Brazil v Serbia. A draw will see Brazil Progress. A win from Brazil will see them progress, while a win for Serbia will see them do so. If the Swiss and Brazil draw, the both progress. If the Swiss lose and the Serbs and Brazil draw, it will go to goal difference for the Swiss and Serbs, and potentially cards, depending on the score.

Group F: Anyone can still go through in this one. Mexico are fairly safe on 6pts, Germany and Sweden are on 3 each, and South Korea are on 0. If Mexico beat Sweden and Germany win, Mexico and Germany progress. A Mexico win and a Germany loss will see the Swedes and Germans and potentially the South Koreans go to goal difference and potentially cards, depending on the scores. A draw for Mexico and Sweden and a loss for Germany will see the former two go through. If Mexico win and the Germans draw, the Germans progress with Mexico. If South Korea beat the Germans and win by at least 2, they may be in with a shot depending on the other results. This will be very interesting.

Group G: The other simple one. Belgium and England are both safely through to the Round of 16, and will play against each other for the top spot in the Group.

Group H: Japan, Senegal and Colombia are all in with a chance at progressing to the Round of 16. Japan and Senegal are on 4pts each, Colombia are on 3. If Senegal can win or draw against Colombia, they will progress safely. If Colombia beat Senegal, and Poland beat Japan, Colombia will progress, and it will come down to goal difference and potentially cards to decide who progresses between Senegal and Japan, depending on the scores. If Senegal win or draw against Colombia while Japan win or draw against Poland, Senegal and Japan progress. If Senegal lose and Japan win or draw, Colombia and Japan will progress. If Japan lose and Senegal and Colombia draw, Senegal will progress, and the second team to progress will be decided by goal difference and potentially cards.

So there you go. Those are the equations. They are complex and there are so many possibilities for teams who will progress to the Round of 16. Remember, there are only two Groups (A and G) which are already decided. There are four Groups with 3 teams vying for the top two positions, and there are two with all four teams still in the running. It will be an interesting Final Round of the Group Stage, and you never really know what’s going to happen. Enjoy!

JJ

Hey everyone, welcome to the third edition of the much loved World Cup Wednesday. The thing you may be questioning right now at this very moment is: Why is World Cup Wednesday on a Monday? Great question. It’s just sounds weird doesn’t it? Well, here’s the reason: Why not? It’s always good to mix things up a little, you know? Just be a little spontaneous every now and then. Who knows what’s next? Flashback Friday could be on a Tuesday, or Mystery Monday could be on every fourth Saturday. Yeah, that should liven up the blog a bit. Nah look I’m just kidding around. The real reason is that the 2nd Round of the Group Stage has concluded, and the 3rd Round begins tonight, or tomorrow morning really. So, like last week, I’m going to go through and review the 2nd Round, and touch on what to expect from the Final Round of the Group Stage.

Russia v Egypt: Russia dominated the game after Egypt’s captain put the ball in his own net. The Russians scored another two, and whilst they conceded a penalty converted by Egypt’s star player Mohamed Salah, it had no impact on the match, with the host nation taking out the match 3-1, leaving Egypt to resign to the fact that after 28 years of attempting to get back into the World Cup, their dream was over. You’ve got to really feel sorry for Egypt, they did so much to keep themselves in the tournament. Russia now progress to the Round of 16, although there will be a fight for the top spot against Uruguay.

Portugal v Morocco: You’ve really got to feel sorry for Morocco too. They were solid against the Portuguese this week, and they really played well, making it surprising that they didn’t win the match. However, a few bad calls, and a header from Ronaldo in the first few minutes of the game unfortunately put Morocco in a position no team would want to be in. A 1-0 win put Portugal in a fairly good position on the Group B ladder, however they will have to ensure they beat Iran in their final game of the Group Stage in order to ensure they progress to the Round of 16. Morocco ,on the other hand, are out of the tournament.

Uruguay v Saudi Arabia: It was somewhat surprising that Uruguay didn’t score a lot against Saudi Arabia, considering the battering Russia gave them in their previous match. However, Saudi put up a fight, and kept Uruguay at bay most of the game, with striker Luis Suarez only scoring in the 23rd minute to win the match. This means that Uruguay are safely through, although they will play Russia to determine who gets the top spot of Group A, and Saudi Arabia are out of the tournament.

Iran v Spain: Iran have played quite well so far at this World Cup, and they kept that going against Spain, holding them off until the 54th, however, at least keeping them from scoring multiple goals. Iran are still very much in this tournament, and if they manage to beat or draw with Portugal this week, they may be able to progress to the Round of 16. Spain on the other hand only need a win or a draw this week against Morocco to progress.

Denmark v Australia: Now this was an interesting one. Australia knew they needed to get a result from this match, and Denmark were looking to guarantee themselves a spot in the Round of 16. And after a tense start for Australia, which saw them go down 1-0 within 7 minutes after Christian Eriksen scored off a volley, the Socceroos fought back to gain a penalty, again from a handball in the box, the second time they’ve done so in this World Cup. And after Jedinak converted once again, it was 1-1, and Australia began to fight harder. They dominated the second half, and were unlucky not to score, leaving the match as a draw. Australia now have a tough scenario to face, and will most certainly fight hard to win against Peru, hoping meanwhile that Denmark get beaten by France. This will be interesting.

France v Peru: Peru managed to play quite well against the French, continuing to favour a possessive style of football, not giving the ball up too easily. However, after making numerous attempts on goal, France managed to finally put one on the back of the net, with a strike from teenager Kylian Mbappe winning France the match 1-0. Peru is now out of the tournament, however have one left to play against Australia, and they will probably be looking to win for honour. France are safely through to the Round of 16, however, a win against Denmark would help them secure the top spot and potentially put Denmark out of the tournament.

Argentina v Croatia: Argentina were very much off their game in this match. Star player Lionel Messi was making barely any impact on the match, and after a costly mistake from goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Argentina’s game just got a whole lot worse. Croatia furthered their lead in the second half, with a brilliant wonder goal from Luka Modric, and an added time goal from Ivan Rakitic, easily beating out the Argentines 3-0. Croatia are now safely through to the Round of 16, whilst Argentina are facing a tough challenge to progress this week.

Brazil v Costa Rica: The Costa Ricans played a much better match this time, holding Brazil off for the entirety of regular time, and putting in a good effort themselves to score. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was brilliant between the posts, and played a great match, however it wasn’t enough to stop the Brazilians scoring two goals in the 91st and 97th, putting Costa Rica our of the Cup, and Brazil in a position where they need to beat Serbia this week to guarantee themselves a spot in the Round of 16.

Nigeria v Iceland: Nigeria played the match of their lives this Round. Striker Ahmed Musa was just too good for the Icelandic keeper, managing to net two goals in the second half to put Nigeria in a good position, but they aren’t safe just quite yet. Iceland, despite missing a penalty and losing 2-0, are not out of the tournament either, making this Group probably the most interesting one to watch.

Serbia v Switzerland: The Serbs started the match well, putting themselves in the lead early in the 5th minute. However, the Swiss made sure that they didn’t let the match slip from their grasp, with a goal from Granit Xhaka in the 52nd, and a last minute goal from Xherdan Shaqiri right on the 90th, putting Switzerland in a decent position on their Group ladder, however they need to get the win against Costa Rica to ensure they progress. Serbia are not yet out of the tournament either despite the loss.

Belgium v Tunisia: Belgium are really shining this year. This game was probably the best match of the Round. Belgium converted an early penalty, then put in a second goal in the 15th. But Tunisia struck back and put one in the back of Belgium’s net just two minutes later. Belgium put the score up to 3-1 just in half time, before adding two more to that in the second half, with a late goal from the Tunisians making it 5-2. Belgium now progress, while Tunisia are out of the tournament.

South Korea v Mexico: The Mexicans continued their winning ways this Round, after a penalty and a goal from Javier Hernandez was enough for them to win the game despite a late goal from Heung Min Son. Mexico are in prime position tor progress, however they are not completely safe just yet. The South Koreans are also not necessarily out, however it will take a minor miracle for them to progress from here.

Germany v Sweden: Sweden put the Germans on edge after scoring the opening goal of the match late in the first half. But the Germans fired back in the second, with an early goal in the second half bringing the scores level, before a last minute goal from a free kick saw the Germans take all three points. Germany now must win their final Group Stage match to progress, whilst Sweden must do the same.

England v Panama: There’s really not much to say about this one. England dominated the game from start to finish, and the Panamanians were lucky not to get a few red cards with the types of fouls they were conceding, and after two penalties. Credit to them for scoring a goal, however England were the better team. The 6-1 win now sees England progress, with a match against Belgium deciding who takes top of the Group, whilst Panama are out of the tournament.

Japan v Senegal: This was a tight match. Senegal provided the opening goal once again, with the Japanese levelling the scores late in the first half. The next goal didn’t come until the second half, with Senegal putting another one in in the 71st, only to see Keisuke Honda level it up again seven minutes later in the 78th. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, meaning that neither team is safe just yet, and both have to get results in the Final Round.

Poland v Colombia: Colombia played a great match, dominating the Polish, and putting three in the back of the net to win the game outright 3-0. This means that Poland are out of the tournament, although they could still have an impact on who progresses when they play Japan in the Final Round of the Group Stage, whilst Colombia will have to get a result from their final match of the Group Stage.

Highlight Of The Round: There were three games which really stood out this Round. Croatia’s win against Argentina was amazing to watch, and Luka Modric’s goal was a wonder to behold. Belgium v Tunisia was probably the most entertaining match of the Round, with a 7 goal thriller keeping the crowd in awe, and some amazing goals were scored. And England’s brilliant defeat of Panama, with 5 goals in 24 minutes in the first half, making the game so lively and so great to watch. I’ll add as well that Australia put in a really great effort this Round, and they should be commended for putting up such a great fight against Denmark, dominating the second half of the match, and hopefully they’ll be able to go one step further in their match against Peru.

Biggest Upsets: There was only really one major upset this week, that being Croatia’s big win against Argentina. Although both teams are highly skilled and play well, Croatia dominated the match and managed to put three past Argentina to win the match completely outright. It was a brilliant match for Croatia, and left Argentina questioning what went wrong.

Who’s Out?: After two Rounds of the Group Stage, 8 teams have been eliminated, although they will still have to play their final Group Stage matches, some of which could have an impact on who progresses to the Round of 16. The 8 teams who have absolutely no chance of progressing to the next round, and who will be heading home after this week are: Egypt (Group A), Saudi Arabia (Group A), Morocco (Group B), Peru (Group C), Costa Rica (Group E), Tunisia (Group G), Panama (Group G), and Poland (Group H). South Korea appear to be out of the tournament, however there is still a very very slight chance that they will progress.

On Argentina: Argentina have made an attempted coup on their head coach Jorge Sampaoli after their loss this week, and the coach, whilst being allowed to stay on for the rest of the World Cup, will be sacked after Argentina’s World Cup concludes.

Controversy: Three Swiss players are being investigated by FIFA after their goal celebrations against Serbia this Round. Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner are all under investigation for their celebration which involved linking their open hands together by the thumbs to make them look like a two headed eagle, a sign of rebellion and defiance against Serbia due to the players’ roots with the Republic of Kosovo. The World Cup is not supposed to be used as a stage for political reasons, and an investigation is under way.

Groups To Watch: There are two Groups in particular to keep your eye on this week, Group D and Group G. Both have all four of their teams still in with a chance at progressing to the Round of 16, so will be interesting to watch.

What To Expect From The Final Round: The Final Round of the Group Stage will be an interesting one. Some matches will be for pride, some will be for the top of the Group table, and others will be to secure a spot in the Round of 16. Groups B, C, E, F and H all have three teams vying for a top two finish, and Groups D and G have four. You can expect a lot of good matches this week, and many close ones. With so many teams going into the Final Round of the Group Stage fighting for a spot in the Round of 16, they will be fighting hard to ensure they aren’t eliminated from the tournament. And with all the games for each Group being played at the same time in order to prevent any teams from knowing what they have to do to progress, each team must fight like their lives depend on it to make it through. This should be a good one.

JJ