Our Not So Infallible Predictions

June 24th, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

Crystal Ball If the first round of the 2006 World Cup proved anything it was that we shouldn’t quit our day jobs to become full time prognosticators. Even though we could use the excuse that we made our infallible predictions many months ago, we won’t. There are no excuses. We suck. You don’t. Rub the salt in the wounds. Of the 16 teams that are left, we only got 8 right. Here is how our predictions turned out. Ugh.

Group A
Our Picks: Germany and Poland
Reality: Germany and Ecuador

Bottom Line: Ecuador proved they were more than just a high elevation team. Poland looked like a team playing in high elevation and in need of more oxygen.

Group B
Our Picks: England and Sweden
Reality: England and Sweden

Bottom Line: We’d gloat about being right but once you see our next picks there can never be any gloating.

Group C
Our Picks: Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro
Reality: Argentina and Netherlands

Bottom Line: The Group of Death proved that we are brain dead.

Group D
Our Picks: Portugal and Iran
Reality: Portugal and Mexico

Bottom Line: All of the Mexico fans who sent us nasty emails get the last laugh. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Group E
Our Picks: Italy and Czech Republic
Reality: Italy and Ghana

Bottom Line: You didn’t pick Ghana either.

Group F
Our Picks: Brazil and Croatia
Reality: Brazil and Australia

Bottom Line: It was karma. All those times we took potshots at Croatia’s checkered kits came back to bite us in the arse.

Group G
Our Picks: France and South Korea
Reality: France and Switzerland

Bottom Line: We thought this tournament was being played in South Korea when we made the selection but obviously that didn’t happen.

Group H
Our Picks: Ukraine and Tunisia
Reality: Spain and Ukraine

Bottom Line: At least we didn’t pick Saudi Arabia.

It is your turn to come clean. Of the 16 teams left, how many did you predict would be in the second round?

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Se7en

I didn’t see Ecuador coming out.
I thought the Czechs would come out instead of Ghana, and I too thought S. Korea would beat out the Swiss…

Oh well… at least I got Argentina and Holland right. :D
Luke G.

My picks, with an * next to my mistakes. I went 11/16.
Group A Germany, Ecuador
Group B England, Sweden
Group C Netherlands, Argentina
Group D Portugal, *Angola
Group E *USA, Italy
Group F Brazil, *Croatia
Group G Switzerland, *SKorea
Group H *Tunisia, Spain
Daniel

Ever the optimist I had the US and the Czechs moving. I underestimated Italy…boy was I wrong.
sergio

ecuador is not a huge surprise in my opinion

switzerland over south korea is not a huge suprise..

ghana over the czech republic is a HUGE surprise…

pretty much everything has gone as planned give or take one or two exceptions..
http://ecuador.worldcupblog.org/ Trent

My Surprises:

‘Ghana instead of the Czechs’.

I had Ecuador over Poland, but only for biased reasons.

Frankly, this tournament has gone pretty chalk so far.

From a conventional wisdom standpoint, only Ecuador and Ghana seem out of whack. Maybe the Aussies, too.

The only completely weak octavos match: Ukraine v. the Swiss. Oy.
diego

I was sure that at least one of the African teams was going to make it, but I put my money behind Ivory Coast over the Nederlands. The Czech Republic looked too strong on paper for me to pick Ghana. I guess I forgot that paper tears easily. :)
I managed to pick Ecuador, but at the same time, I was hoping Paraguay would surprise Sweden.

All in all not so hot.

Anyways, here is to an ALL SOUTH-AMERICAN final in Berlin.
Brazil vs. Argentina on July 9th.
Alex Kelly

My predictions were…
GROUP A: Germany and Costa Rica
GROUP B: England and Sweden
GROUP C: Argentina and Netherlands
GROUP D: Mexico and Iran
GROUP E: Italy and Czech Republic
GROUP F: Brazil and Australia
GROUP G: France and Switzerland
GROUP H: Spain and Tunisia

So that gives me a total of 12.
how did u other guys go?
John

My predictions were…
GROUP A: Germany and Poland
GROUP B: England and Sweden
GROUP C: Argentina and Netherlands
GROUP D: Mexico and Portugal
GROUP E: US and Czech Republic
GROUP F: Brazil and Japan
GROUP G: France and South Korea
GROUP H: Spain and Ukraine

So that gives me a total of 11.

Germany is gonna take it all.
Claude

I picked:
A. Germany and Poland
B. England and Denmark
C. Argentina and Netherlands
D. Portugal and Mexico
E. Italy and Czech Republic
F. Brazil and Croatia
G. France and Switzerland
H. Spain and Ukraine

The one that surprised me the most was Czech Republic not making to the final 16.
DT

I only got 11 right. I made 5 mistakes: Costa Rica, Iran, USA, South Korea and Tunisia.

I guess I expected plenty of upsets, but they just didn’t happen.
prastuh

@claude

how can u pick denmark
kn

My predictions:
Germany and Ecuador
England and Sweden
Argentina and Netherlands
Portugal and Mexico
Italy and Czech Rep(one mistake)
Brazil and Japan(two mistakes)
France and Switzerland
Spain and Ukraine

P.S My reason for picking Ecuador is not because I’m a soccer expert, I’m Ecuadorian-American myself!
Juliana

Group A: Germany and Ecuador
Group B: England and Sweden
Group C: Netherlands and Ivory Coast
Group D: Portugal and Mexico
Group E: Italy and Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil and Croatia
Group G: France and Korea Republic
Group H: Spain and Ukraine

That’s 12/16.
Eric M.

My picks
Group A: Germany and Poland*
Group B: England and Sweden
Group C: Netherlands and Argentina
Group D: Portugal and Mexico
Group E: Italy and Czech Republic*
Group F: Brazil and Croatia*
Group G: France and Switzerland
Group H: Spain and Ukraine

So I got 3 wrong