[FM20] - Experiment: A Fairer 2026 FIFA World Cup

[Timetxu]

DAY 5 - GAME 2

After missing the last two major tournaments, the Dutch are back and they face the tough Peruvians in Baltimore.

First Round of Pool Play
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States

Lineups:

Netherlands (Positive 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Cillessen; Hateboer, Van Dijk, De Ligt, Blind; De Jong, Wijnaldum , Depay, Toornstra, Van de Beek; Bergwijn

Peru (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Gallese; Advíncula, Araujo ( 89' Zambrano), Abram, Trauco; Santamaría ( 56' Fuentes), Gonzáles ( 75' Tapia), Cueva, Benavente, Flores; Guerrero

Report:
After two shock defeats by tournament favourites, the same script was slowly rolled for the third consecutive game. Oranje had enough scoring opportunities, but a lot of trouble keeping possession in the final third of the field. The Incas were collectively having a great game, but Hans Hateboer crushed Peruvian hopes when a Frenkie de Jong pass ended up before the rushing fullback's feet end the Atalanta player slotted the ball into the net. Peru almost managed to equalise with seconds to go, but Renato Tapia missed two enormous chances of which a header bounced off the crossbar twice.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
28 Shots 10
10 On Target 3
4.0 Expected Goals 1.2
55% Possession 45%

Man of the Match:
Hans Hateboer - Netherlands
(1 goal, clean sheet, 4 crosses completed, 8 recoveries, 4 shots, 89% pass accuracy)

Edited July 4, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 5 - GAME 3

We'll end this day by heading into the Southern Hub with the first two confrontations between two Pot 1 sides. The good thing about this format is that we'll have eight of these guaranteed in the group phase!

First Round of Pool Play
NRG Stadium, Houston, United States

Lineups:

Switzerland (Defensive 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodríguez; Zakaria, Xhaka, Fernandes, Shaqiri, Aebischer; Embolo ( 72' Ajeti)

Argentina (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Rulli; Bustos, Otamendi , Kannemann, Tagliafico ; Palacios, Banega ( 82' Domínguez), Lo Celso  ( 82' Di María), Messi; Dybala, Agüero ( 77' Martínez)

Report:
For the first game between Pot 1 teams, it sure was a very cautious game. Both teams were more than happy to gift the opposition the ball. Nevertheless, Switzerland struk first after a quarter of the game on a beautifully curled free kick from leftback Ricardo Rodríguez. The Swiss couldn't enjoy their lead for a long time as on the first play after taking the lead, Manuel Akanji shoved Paulo Dybala in the box and Lionel Messi scored the penalty kick. Straight after half time, Messi scored again on a beautifully passed play into the box after which it was all Argentina in the game. However, like most of the games so far, the team that deserved the most did not get the win as Argentina's star Messi had a very sloppy defensive moment when a random heeve ended up in Granit Xhaka's feet and the Arsenal midfielder scored on a beautiful long strike from outside the box.

Statistics:
2 Goals 2
10 Shots 17
6 On Target 5
1.0 Expected Goals 1.8 + 1 PK
50% Possession 50%

Man of the Match:
Granit Xhaka - Switzerland
(1 goal, 5 key passes, 11 recoveries, 78 successfull passes) 

[Timetxu]

DAY 5 - GAME 4

It's probably the biggest game from the first round of games. The Estadio Azteca is filled to the brim for the third host opener.

First Round of Pool Play
Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de México, Mexico

Lineups:

Mexico (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Ochoa, Sánchez, Álvarez, Salcedo, Calderón; Herrera, Guardado ( 83' J. dos Santos), C. Rodríguez, Pizarro, Vela; Jiménez

Portugal (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Patrício; Cancelo, Dias , Pepe, Guerreiro; Neves, Carvalho, Fernandes  ( 80' Pizzi), B. Silva; Félix, Ronaldo

Report:
For such a heavily anticipated matchup, the game was rather dull. Both sides were lucky to have a shot on goal all game and the opening goal surprised everyone as Jiménez was halfheartedly brought down in the box by Pepe and the ensuing penalty was scored. The second half was more of the same as both teams rarely got in front of goal. However, with about ten minutes to go, the moment-you-know-it's-coming was there for Cristiano Ronaldo, when he was sent lone on goal by Bernardo Silva and the Portugal star calmly slotted the ball home for the deserved draw. Deserved in the sense that none of the teams should really get the win.

Statistics:
1 Goals 1
8 Shots 8
3 On Target 5
0.8 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.1
53% Possession 47%

Man of the Match:
Cristian Calderón - Mexico
(12 tackles won, 15 recoveries, 92% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 5 - STANDINGS

And so another day comes to a close. The rain of goals has dried up a little bit in the last couple of days, with the average amount of goals dropping from 3.58 after Day 3 to 2.95. That shouldn't be all too surprising, as we've seen some more evenly matched contests in the last two days. The effect of that is that the top 11 has not changed one bit, with Brazil still leading the way. Morocco, Netherlands and Australia have joined the countries with one win and with the amount of teams on one point, it's safe to say that any team that gets that second win is automatically through to the knockout round.

[PaulHartman71]

Big losses for Belgium and Italy.

[mattyjames_]

I love this! Great win by Australia too.

 

Fantastic concept!

[Millerman]

Wonder if when this is all over and you have time - the same concept based on maybe club competitions?

Loving the updates, could this be something England could actually win!

[simeonjim18]

Wonderfull Concept. Keep it up.

Maybe you can share with us the editor data file to try it to our saves?

Thanks in advance, mate.

[Timetxu]

On 04/07/2020 at 12:32, PaulHartman71 said:

Big losses for Belgium and Italy.

Most definitely! They really need to go all out in their Pot 3 game now and hope for the best in their own matchup.

On 05/07/2020 at 08:03, mattyjames_ said:

I love this! Great win by Australia too.

 

Fantastic concept!

Thanks! A great win indeed. They're virtually through one would say. A draw should be enough for them.

On 05/07/2020 at 09:36, Millerman said:

Wonder if when this is all over and you have time - the same concept based on maybe club competitions?

Loving the updates, could this be something England could actually win!

I've actually been thinking about the exact same idea, but with the Champions League. That tournament could be so much better if there would be more appealing games prior to the winter break. You could reduce the amount of group games too to do something about the whole schedule congestion too. Lots of things to think about. I'll very much take it into consideration once this World Cup is over!

21 hours ago, simeonjim18 said:

Wonderfull Concept. Keep it up.

Maybe you can share with us the editor data file to try it to our saves?

Thanks in advance, mate.

Thanks for following! Unfortunately it's not an added league. What I've done is I've started a save in FM with all players loaded from the 48 nations. Then, I've exported all those teams for versus competition. Every time I simulate a game for this thread, I use FM Touch and choose the versus mode to pit the two teams against eachother. Then I resign from both teams and let the AI play itself.

Edited July 6, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 6 - GAME 1

We're into the last day of the first round of pool play and there are eight more countries just aching to get their World Cup started. We'll start off with Sweden and Iraq.

Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
First Round of Pool Play

Lineups:

Sweden (4-4-2):
Olsen; Krafth, Lindelöf, Gagliolo, Augstinsson; Larsson , Ekdal, Olsson ( 68' Kacaniklic), Forsberg ( 4' Tankovic); Quaison  ( 74' Berg ), Isak

Iraq (Defensive 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
G. Mohammed; A. Ala'a, N. Saad, I. Ahmed, A. Ali; Safaa, Rewan, Mahdi ( 63' A.Z. Ala'a); Y. Ahmed, Humam  ( 68' Jiloan), Yasin ( 63' Karrar)

Report:
Sweden had a scare as one of their best players had to leave the pitch with an injury after only four minutes. That did not stop the Tre Kronor though, as the Swedes scored a good team goal just minutes later. It was from that moment on, however, that Sweden suddenly lost its grip on the game and let Iraq get back in it. The Lions of Mesopotamia got very close to scoring an equaliser, but right before half time, a quickly taken goal kick from goalkeeper Robin Olsen landed in Alexander Isak's feet and was placed in the top corner beautifully. That moment seemed to have sunk Iraqi hearts as the Swedes were in control in the second half and rarely felt any threat to their lead.

Statistics:
2 Goals 0
12 Shots 8
4 On Target 4
1.2 Expected Goals 1.1
59% Possession 41%

Man of the Match:
Robin Olsen - Sweden
(1 assist, clean sheet, 4 saves)

Edited September 24, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 6 - GAME 2

Another interesting tie between up-and-coming Austria and the tough Ecuadorians.

First Round of Pool Play
Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Monterrey, Mexico

Lineups:

Austria (Cautious 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Lindner; Lazaro, Dragovic, Hinteregger, Alaba ; Baumgartlinger ( 73' Ilsanker), Grillitsch ( 73' Laimer), Schlager; Sabitzer , Arnautovic , Gregoritsch ( 79' Onisiwo)

Ecuador (Cautious 4-4-2):
Domínguez; Carabalí, Arboleda, Arreaga, Ramírez; Sierra  ( 68' Gaibor), Sornoza, Gruezo ( 57' Orejuela), Ibarra ( 85' Plata); Bolaños, Valencia

Report:
It wasn't the most flashy of games down in Monterrey. Austria had a slight advantage in the first half, turned on the gears to "full domination" in the second half, but neither team managed to find the net. The Europeans were close to a goal with just under ten minutes to go when Karim Onisiwo headed the ball on the post, but outside of that, La Tri's defense did not give way.

Statistics:
0 Goals 0
19 Shots 5
7 On Target 1
2.6 Expected Goals 0.5
55% Possession 45%

Man of the Match:
Valentino Lazaro - Austria
(Clean sheet, 4 crosses completed, 1 chance created, 4 interceptions, 4 tackles won, 21 recoveries)

Edited July 9, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 6 - GAME 3

It's another even matchup in the South: it's Ghana facing Honduras.

First Round of Pool Play
NRG Stadium, Houston, United States

Lineups:

Ghana (4-4-2):
Ofori; Amartey, Aidoo, Adams, Rahman; Yiadom ( 83' Baba), Partey, Duncan ( 61' Acquah), Asamoah; Ayew, Ekuban ( 67' Boateng)

Honduras (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Morales; Beckeles , J. Palacios, Figueroa, Izaguirre ( 80' Leverón); W. Palacios, García ( 90+1' Mejía), Toro, De León, Acosta ; Lozano ( 80' Elis)

Report:
Honduras had a slight advantage in the first half, thanks in part to a stunning longe-range shot from their best man on the field today: Jonathan Toro. However, the Central Americans led that advantage slip when Brayan Beckeles halted Kwadwo Asamoah's solo and Jordan Ayew scored the ensuing penalty kick just before half time. The Black Stars then had the best of the game in the second half. That did not lead to all that many chances though, and a draw was on the cards. However, late substitution Emmanuel Boateng wanted none of that as an acrobatic jumping kick made Thomas Partey's cross end up in the top corner for a last minute winner.

Statistics:
2 Goals 1
14 Shots 14
6 On Target 5
1.8 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.2
50% Possession 50%

Man of the Match:
Kwadwo Asamoah - Ghana
(5 crosses completed, 5 tackles won, 16 recoveries, 9 fouls received, penalty earned)

 

[Timetxu]

DAY 6 - GAME 4

Fans of Iran and Ivory Coast have had to wait the longest, but their teams will be the last two to play their first game this tournament.

First Round of Pool Play
Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de México, Mexico

Lineups:

Iran (4-2-3-1 Wide):
Beiranvand; Ghafouri, Hosseini , Cheshmi, Hajsafi ; Pouraliganji, Amiri, Jahanbakhsh, Shojaei, Taremi ( 80' Torabi); Azmoun

Ivory Coast (4-4-1-1):
Gbohouo; Aurier, Koné, Deli ( 90+1' Kanon), Konan; Zaha, Sangaré ( 72' Fofana), Kessié, Cornet ( 67' Gervinho); Traoré, Pépé

Report:
A sensational comeback was the storyline to round out the first set of games at this World Cup. Two very different playing styles produced a very attractive first half. With Iran playing a possession based game and Ivory Coast mostly creating danger from counter attacks, it looked like a tie game going into half time. However, a header by Mehdi Taremi from an Ehsan Hajsafi free kick right before half time put the Persians up ahead. The second half was of a lesser quality, with chances become more rare. That was no problem for Alireza Jahanbakhsh, however, who curled in a free kick from thirty yards out to guarantee Iran the three points. At least, that's what everyone thought. Wilfried Zaha was tackled inside the box just under ten minutes before the end of the game, with Franck Kessié scoring the penalty kick. The Elephans then stormed the Iranian goal and they got what they were looking for as veteran Gervinho managed to pull Ivory Coast level on the final touch of the game with a beautifully curled shot in the top corner.

Statistics:
2 Goals 2
18 Shots 14
10 On Target 9
2.0 Expected Goals 1.9 + 1 PK
51% Possession 49%

Man of the Match:
Alireza Jahanbakhsh - Iran
(1 goal, 8 recoveries, 6 fouls received, 5 shots, 87% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

FIRST ROUND OF POOL PLAY - RECAP

With the first 24 games over, we've seen every nation in action once. What can we say? Most bigger nations have showed why they're favourites, but some find themselves in an early pickle (looking at you Belgium and Italy). Because of the way the games have been set up, many smaller nations might already be dreaming of the next round. But beware: all that can change when you've faced a stronger nation. In general, four points will be enough to qualify to the next round, but slotting in some extra goals might just make that difference between going to the next round and skipping one altogether.

Top goalscorers:

3 - Álvaro Morata (ESP)

2 - Lionel Messi (ARG), Roberto Firmino (BRA), Neymar (BRA), Harry Kane (ENG), Moussa Marega (MLI)

1 - 54 Players

(+1 Own Goal)

-----------

In the second round of pool play, we get to enjoy 24 new matches. There will be two hubs playing all-Pot 1 confrontations with the juicest one planned for Day 10 in Washington D.C.: Belgium vs. Italy.

Edited July 9, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 7 - GAME 1

It's round two for all nations and immediately we have a lot at stake for Brazil and Denmark. Brazil can qualify for the next round with a win; Denmark needs a victory to stay alive.

Second Round of Pool Play
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States

Lineups:

Brazil (Cautious 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Alisson; Alves, Silva, Marquinhos, Sandro; Casemiro ( 82' Fabinho), Arthur  ( 70' Coutinho), Fernandinho; Costa  ( 70' Everton), Neymar, Firmino

Denmark (Cautious 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Schmeichel; Wass, Christensen, Kjær, Knudsen  ( 90+2' Højbjerg); Delaney, Falk, Eriksen ; Skov, Fischer ( 80' Poulsen), Dolberg

Report:
Denmark was very conscious of the need for a victory as they took control of the game early on. They had the best of the chances in the first half, but a moment of brilliance by Neymar just before half time produced the perfect assist for Roberto Firmino in the box. Denmark continued to have the upper hand in the game, but the level of play in general was pretty low. Denmark could not create any big chances with all their possession and when Philippe Coutinho beautifully curled in a free kick, the Scandinavians seemed well aware to be heading home soon.

Statistics:
2 Goals 0
7 Shots 14
5 On Target 8
0.8 Expected Goals 1.5
56% Possession 44%

Man of the Match:
Daniel Alves - Brazil
(clean sheet, 5 tackles won, 8 interceptions, 94% passing accuracy)

Edited July 12, 2020 by Timetxu

[Muggert]

This is great!

[corinthiano]

Great format, intrigued how its going to play out! Happy Brazil are through already!

[PaulHartman71]

A fun first round of games.

[Timetxu]

On 12/07/2020 at 09:47, Muggert said:

This is great!

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

On 13/07/2020 at 01:09, corinthiano said:

Great format, intrigued how its going to play out! Happy Brazil are through already!

I'm very curious too. Could be some great games in the knockout stages.

On 21/07/2020 at 23:42, PaulHartman71 said:

A fun first round of games.

Lots of upsets already!

---

As you guys might have noticed I've been away from the forum for the last two months. This was mostly due to the fact I've moved to another city with all the mortgage/renovation/moving about stuff related to it. Then the summer holidays followed so you get the picture.

I'm really motivated to get this project going again, so stay tuned!

[Timetxu]

DAY 7 - GAME 2

It's one of the tastiest matchups in the first round. Reigning champions France against outsiders Colombia. Can the French profit from the proximity of Québec?

Second Round of Pool Play
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Lineups:

France (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Mendy; Pogba, Kanté  ( 67' Matuidi), Payet , Griezmann, Fekir; Mbappé

Colombia (Positive 4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Ospina; Cuadrado, Sánchez, Mina  ( 90+5' Murillo), Fabra; Lerma ( 77' Cantillo), Cuéllar, Uribe, Rodríguez; Muriel ( 82' Falcao), Zapata

Report:
For such a highly anticipated game, the standard of play was relatively low. France took an early lead on a beautiful attack which resulted in Benjamin Pavard perfectly setting up Kylian Mbappé. Everyone was hoping this game would become a classic, but it was pretty much a stalemate from there. France came close to scoring when a long shot from N'Golo Kanté hit the post and Colombias Luis Muriel should have scored on a breakaway. None of the teams did, however. With the result, France is through to the next round.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
13 Shots 10
9 On Target 6
1.2 Expected Goals 1.0
51% Possession 49%

Man of the Match:
Benjamin Pavard - France
(Clean sheet, 1 assists, 4 key passes, 3 chances created, 4 tackles won, 19 recoveries, 87% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 7 - GAME 3

South Korea and Tunisia lost their first games of this World Cup so something has to give in New York tonight.

Second Round of Pool Play
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States

Lineups:

South Korea (Positive 4-2-1-3 DM Wide):
Cho H.W.; Yong L., Kim M.J., Hong J.H., Kim J.S.; Son J.H. , Kim K.H. , Lee J.S.; Kwon C.H.  ( 68' Hwang U.J.), Son H.M., Hwang H.C.

Tunisia (Cautious 4-2-3-1 DM Wide):
Hassen; Dräger , Meriah, Bronn ( 69' Abdennour), Haddadi; Skhiri , Sassi ( 63' Chaalali), Msakni, Khazri, Layouni ( 70' Khenissi); Jebali

Report:
The game produced some early fireworks as both teams were awarded a penalty kick withing the first six minutes of the game. The Koreans took advantage of that opportunity, but Tunisia did not. That set the tone for the rest of the game as the Asians steamrolled to a 4-0 victory despite having only a third of possession. Spurs star Son Heung-min took revenge for his bad first game and was the biggest contributor on the field with two goals. 

Statistics:
4 Goals 0
27 Shots 15
16 On Target 4
3.3 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.7 + 1 PK
37% Possession 63%

Man of the Match:
Son Heung-min - South Korea
(2 goals, 3 crosses completed, 2 chances created, 13 recoveries, 10 shots, 93% passing accuracy)

 

[corinthiano]

Glad to see this back!

[Timetxu]

DAY 7 - GAME 4

We finish off the seventh day of this World Cup with co-hosts Canada. Can they stage another upset?

Second Round of Pool Play
Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada

Lineups:

Canada (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Borjan; Córdova , Henry, James, Davies; Hutchinson. Piette , Eustáquio  ( 69' Osorio), Arfield ( 69' Kaye); David ( 82' Akindele), Cavallini

Slovakia (Cautious 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Vavro, Hancko; Hrosovsky, Hamsik, Lobotka; Mak ( 66' Rusnák), Weiss, Bozenik ( 56' Kucka)

Report:
Canada shocked a big portion of the world by opening this World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Denmark in the opening game, but there was none of that host magic as Slovakia took the win in Montreal. It was a very poor match all around which deserved to end in a 0-0 draw, but a completely mistimed tackle in the box from Samuel Piette on Vladimir Weiss with ten minutes to go granted Slovakia the golden chance.

Statistics:
0 Goals 1
4 Shots 10
1 On Target 7
0.3 Expected Goals 1.1 + 1 PK
34% Possession 66%

Man of the Match:
Patrik Hrosovsky - Slovakia
(1 goal, clean sheet, 6 recoveries, 94% passing accuracy)

Edited August 24, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 7 - STANDINGS

It's only day seven of this 72 game "group stage" extravaganza but Brazil and France have already ensured their spot in the knockout stages. For Denmark and Tunisia, this World Cup might end pretty soon. Day 8 will see the remaining two games from the Northern Hub after which we'll see some interesting games from title contenders. Especially that game between Mali, who started off with a 5-1 win over the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay will be very interesting. 

[Timetxu]

DAY 8 - GAME 1

Rise and shine, campers! It's a new day! It's going to be the two remaining games from the Northern Hub first, then we'll head west for two other interesting matchups.

Second Round of Pool Play
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States

Lineups:

Cape Verde (Cautious 4-2-1-3 DM Wide):
Vózinha; Gégé ( 71' Pereira), F. Varela , Fortes, Stopira; Ponck, H. Tavares, Monteiro; Rodrigues, Djaniny ( 68' Gomes), Zé Luís

Scotland (Positive 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Gordon; O'Donnell, Souttar, Cooper, Robertson; Jack, McTominay, McGinn; Forrest ( 62' McGregor), Fraser ( 84' Armstrong), Griffiths ( 68' Naismith)

Report:
The first quarter of the game was a real mess and Scotland got deep into trouble as Andrew Robertson brought down Garry Rodrigues in the box for a penalty kick. The Tartan Army then continued to create some good chances but they were still in the hunt at halftime. A standout performance from the Blue Sharks' goalkeeper Vózinha came to a stop just after half time. A free kick by Scott McTominay was beautifully held out by the goalkeeper, but then tapped in by John Souttar. Scotland put the hammer down from there and through another rebound goal and a defensive miscue, they walked away to a deserved 3-1 victory.

Statistics:
1 Goals 3
5 Shots 22
4 On Target 11
0.4 + 1 PK Expected Goals 2.6
45% Possession 55%

Man of the Match:
Scott McTominay - Scotland
(1 goal, 4 shots, 5 interceptions, 15 recoveries, 89% passing accuracy)

Edited August 25, 2020 by Timetxu

[collindinho]

Welcome back, @Timetxu! Great to see you come back to this thread.

Question: what would happen if multiple teams are tied on EVERYTHING around the qualification places, how would a decider be made to see who progresses? Say 24th and 25th positions have the same record.

[mattyjames_]

7 minutes ago, collindinho said:

Welcome back, @Timetxu! Great to see you come back to this thread.

Question: what would happen if multiple teams are tied on EVERYTHING around the qualification places, how would a decider be made to see who progresses? Say 24th and 25th positions have the same record.

I imagine (like in the actual tournament AFAIK) there would be an actual coin flip if Fair Play Points couldn't determine a winner of the tie?

[Carambau]

great thread! keep it going

[collindinho]

19 minutes ago, mattyjames_ said:

I imagine (like in the actual tournament AFAIK) there would be an actual coin flip if Fair Play Points couldn't determine a winner of the tie?

Yeah, I imagined that too. The scenario is (probably) unlikely with the addition of an FPP tiebreaker. I wonder what would happen if more than two teams were tied! 

Edited August 25, 2020 by collindinho
Spelling

[Timetxu]

Yeah, that's a good question. Because of the format, head to head isn't really an honest tiebreaker like it is in the group phase format. That's why I added the Fair Play Points as a (probably very necessary) tiebreaker. I'm pretty positive that that should sort it out, but if there's really two teams tied, I could use the expected goals as an alternative goal difference. Or I might just let them play out a tiebreaker game. Luckily all games are simulated from scratch, so there would be no fatigue/disadvantage in that.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 8 - GAME 2

Another game with importance. China needs something to prevent from getting eliminated. Costa Rica can be the third team qualifying for the next round with a win.

Second Round of Pool Play
Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada

Lineups:

China (Defensive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Yan; L. Zhang, Shi, Z. Gao ( 89' Feng), Yu ; Zheng, Hao, Yennaris, Huang ( 73' Chi); Elkeson, Wu

Costa Rica (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Navas; Gamboa, González, Duarte, Oviedo ( 79' Díaz); Tejeda, Guzmán , Borges , Ruíz; Rodríguez ( 56' George), Campbell ( 79' Ureña)

Report:
An early penalty kick for Costa Rica looked to be the prelude to another horror night for China, but the Asians showed an impressive display of character. Not only did they manage to equalize quickly on a beautiful attack, they also managed to control the game from there out. They hunted down the Costarican players wherever they went, amassed an impressive 94% passing accuracy and restrict the very poorly playing Central Americans to counters. Still, those counters were more dangerous than the actual chances China created so the game deservedly ended in a draw.

Statistics:
1 Goals 1
5 Shots 11
4 On Target 3
0.5 Expected Goals 1.2 + 1 PK
71% Possession 29%

Man of the Match:
Nico Yennaris - China
(1 assist, 2 chances created, 5 tackles won, 6 recoveries, 91% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 8 - GAME 3

We're moving hubs and we're left with two sexy matchups as both Uruguay and Spain could qualify for the second round with a win, but they'd need to get rid of tough outfits Mali and Japan.

Second Round of Pool Play
Empower Field Field at Mile High, Denver, United States

Lineups:

Mali (Cautious 5-3-2 WB):
Samassa; H. Traoré, Wagué , Konaté, Dibassy, Koné; Haidara, Samassékou, Bissouma ( 80' T. Doumbia); K. Coulibaly ( 63' C. Diabaté), Marega

Uruguay (Cautious 4-2-1-3 DM Wide):
Muslera; Cáceres, Giménez, Godín, Olaza; Bentancur, Valverde, Torreira ( 64' Vecino); Stuani ( 64' Lodeiro), L. Suárez, Cavani ( 80' De Arrascaeta)

Report:
An incredible strike from the edge of the penalty box by substitution Matías Vecino was the dramatic late winner that ensured Uruguays passage to the next round. In a game that was a bore before halftime, Uruguay created some very good chances but too little of them to declare them outright favourites to win this game. They eventually did though.

Statistics:
0 Goals 1
5 Shots 15
2 On Target 6
0.7 Expected Goals 1.8
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Matías Vecino - Uruguay
(Late winner as substitute)

Edited August 27, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 8 - GAME 4

Spain could follow Uruguay's lead and qualify for the next round with a win. They would need to beat tough outfits Japan to do that.

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada
Second Round of Pool Play

Lineups:

Japan (Cautious 4-4-2):
Kawashima; Sakai , Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Nagatomo; Minamino, Shibasaki, Kagawa ( 82' Endô), Ôsako  ( 56' Itô); Kamada ( 72' Suzuki), Okazaki

Spain (Positive 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
De Gea; Roberto ( 82' Carvajal), Ramos, Hermoso , Alba; Busquets, Thiago, Koke ( 82' Saúl); Williams, Vitolo , Morata ( 72' Rodrigo)

Report:
It was an attacking masterclass from start to finish by the Spaniards who can only blame themselves for not scoring more goals. However, they are absolutely killing this current World Cup format as they haven't just won two games, but now have a +7 goal differential to boost the chance of facing a fairer opponent in the next round. All this thanks to an early penalty goal from Sergio Ramos and two rebounds by Jordi Alba and Vitolo. Japan was nowhere to be found as they were pushed back on their own half all game and are just happy that they didn't lose by a bigger margin. The Blue Samurai will need to go all out against the hosts USA to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

Statistics:
0 Goals 3
4 Shots 27
4 On Target 10
0.4 Expected Goals 4.6 + 1 PK
49% Possession 51%

Man of the Match:
Jordi Alba - Spain
(1 goal, clean sheet, 89% passing accuracy, 5 crosses completed, 5 tackles won, 11 recoveries)

[Timetxu]

DAY 8 - STANDINGS

Day 8 has seen Uruguay and Spain ensuring their passages to the knockout round of the tournament. For some smaller nations, hopes are still alive, so even the least appetizing matchups are shaping up to be some important ones in that last round of pool play.

Tomorrow we'll see tournament favourites Germany and England squaring off against some lesser foes from Pot 3, which could see the two European nations also qualifying for the next round. Hosts United States kept their loss against Germany to a minimum and will want to show what they're worth against Pot 2 rivals Turkey. Lastly, we'll see Paraguay and Nigeria finish off the day. Both World Cup regulars, but they're both coming off a heavy loss in their first game, so it'll be all or nothing for them.

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 9 - GAME 1

It's day 9 and we start off with giants Germany against minnows United Arab Emirates.

Second Round of Pool Play
AT&T Stadium, Dallas, United States

Lineups:

United Arab Emirates (Defensive 4-4-1-1):
Khaseif; Lashkri, Al-Kamali, Abbas, Hezam; Mubarak  ( 67' Mabkhout), Al-Ali ( 74' Khalifa), A. Abdulrahman , Saleh ; O. Abdulrahman, Khalil ( 85' Caio)

Germany (4-2-3-1 Wide):
Neuer; Kimmich, Süle ( 85' Rüdiger), Tah, Gosens ; Kroos, Gündogan ( 85' Goretzka), Gnabry, Havertz, Reus; Werner

Report:
Germany's victory over the United Arab Emirates was a carbon copy of Spain's victory over Japan. The Europeans could've turned their dominance into more goals against the bewildered Asians, but they did not. However, the Germans are through nonetheless. For the Emirates, it's going to be pretty much impossible to salvage anything from this World Cup.

Statistics:
0 Goals 3
4 Shots 31
1 On Target 16
0.5 Expected Goals 3.9
32% Possession 68%

Man of the Match:
Serge Gnabry - Germany
(1 goal, 1 assist, 3 key passes, 2 chances created, 7 recoveries, 7 fouls against, 4 shots, 92% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 9 - GAME 2

Co-hosts USA are back for their second game against another team that lost its first game. A lot at stake in Denver!

Second Round of Pool Play
Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, United States

Lineups:

United States (Positive 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Steffen; Yedlin ( 85' Chandler), González, Brooks, Robinson; Bradley, McKennie, Arriola ( 63' Adams), Lletget, Pulisic; Altidore ( 79' Zardes)

Turkey (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Çakir; Çelik, Demiral, Söyüncü, Erkin; Yokusli, Kahveci , Malli ( 79' Türüç), Çalhanoglu, Yazici  ( 57' Belozoğlu); Tosun ( 74' Ünal)

Report:
The first forty minutes of the game, it was a nervous stalemate between the two sides, but then Yusuf Yazici made a horrible tackle without any reason for it. That changed the game, as the USA scored the opening goal just minutes later when goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakir mistimed a Christian Pulisic free kick and Weston McKennie headed in. In the second half, the Stars and Stripes completely dominated and Turkey were left relieved that they only lost by two goals.

Statistics:
2 Goals 0
22 Shots 5
11 On Target 1
2.7 + 1 PK Expected Goals 0.4
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
DeAndre Yedlin - United States
(Clean sheet, 6 crosses completed, 1 chance created, 4 tackles won, 19 recoveries, 7 fouls received)

[Timetxu]

DAY 9 - GAME 3

Gareth Southgate's men are back at it facing the Pharaohs and their sterling attack.

Second Round of Pool Play
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada

Lineups:

Egypt (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
El Shennawy; Elmohamady ( 80' Gaber), Samir, Gabr, Hafez ; Elneny, Gomaa , Magdy ( 51' Morsy), Sobhi, Trezeguet  ( 45' Warda ); Salah

England (4-2-3-1 Wide):
Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez , Stones ( 80' Tomori), Chilwell; Henderson ( 80' Oxlade-Chamberlain), Maddison, Sterling, Alli  ( 68' Grealish), Rashford; Kane

Report:
Well, this one was a true thumping. England ties Hungary's win over South Korea in 1954 and Yugoslavia's win over Zaire in 1974 to record the second biggest win in World Cup history. James Maddison opened the score early on and from then on, it was pure gallery play as the Three Lions scored stunner after stunner. Despite the nine goals, there were no cheap goals at all and expected goals-wise, a complete thrashing wasn't flathered at all. James Maddison would be the man of the night as the Leicester midfielder scored a brace and recorded two assists as well.

Statistics:
0 Goals 9
4 Shots 43
3 On Target 17
0.5 Expected Goals 6.7
30% Possession 70%

Man of the Match:
James Maddison - England
(2 goals, 2 assists, 7 crosses completed, 4 key passes, 7 recoveries, clean sheet, 92% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 9 - GAME 4

The last game of the day is an interesting tie between two evenly matched sides. Paraguay and Nigeria both need a win after their heavy opening losses.

Second Round of Pool Play
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States

Lineups:

Paraguay (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Fernández; Moreira , Balbuena , Alderete ( 90' Gómez), Alonso ; Martínez, Ortiz , Gonzalez ( 57' Iturbe ), Almirón, M. Rojas; Santander ( 62' Domínguez)

Nigeria (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Akpeyi; Ebuehi, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo , Aina; Aribo, Ndidi, Etebo  ( 75' Musa), Iwobi, Iheanacho; Osimhen  ( 62' Azeez)

Report:
In a very attractive match it was Nigeria who ran away with the deserved win. It did take quite some effort to get there, as the winning goal by William Troost-Ekong was scored in the 90th minute. Paraguay was close to a last second equalizer, but a great save by Daniel Akpeyi ensured a win for the Super Eagles.

Statistics:
0 Goals 1
6 Shots 18
2 On Target 8
1.3 Expected Goals 2.7
50% Possession 50%

Man of the Match:
William Troost-Ekong - Nigeria
(1 goal, clean sheet, 7 recoveries, 4 shots, 86% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

DAY 9 - STANDINGS

We're officially halfway through the first stage with 36 of 72 games played. Here's a recap of the results in everyone's second round through the order:

Some juicy matchups await us tomorrow as the Pot 1 sides from the Eastern Hub will be facing off. Especially the game in Washington D.C., with both Belgium and Italy needing a win to prevent an early exit as tournament favourites, will draw some attention.

But first: the standings.

So far, there are no big surprises if we look at the six countries already qualified for the next round. However, securing six points is great but a lot less important without a decent goal difference. Something England, Brazil and Spain are well aware of. There's going to be some interesting shifts, though, as the last round of games of the first round will have these Pot 1 sides battling it out amongst themselves.

 

[Brother Ben]

Really enjoying this, have you thought of maybe tweeting the guy from the video to show him what you're doing, maybe he could clear up the tie break question.

Also what program do you use to capture your videos?

[Timetxu]

15 hours ago, Brother Ben said:

Really enjoying this, have you thought of maybe tweeting the guy from the video to show him what you're doing, maybe he could clear up the tie break question.

Also what program do you use to capture your videos?

That's a really good idea! I might actually do that! 

For the videos, I just use Gyazo to record a screenshot gif, then save it and upload it to my post.

[Timetxu]

DAY 10 - GAME 1

The World Cup has reached its tenth day and we head over to the East for four really impactful games. Starting off with two matchups between Pot 1 sides. It's 2018 World Cup Runners-up Croatia facing the Netherlands.

Second Round of Pool Play
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States

Lineups:

Croatia (Cautious 4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Livakovic; Jedvaj , Lovren, Caleta-Car ( 77' Vida), Strinic ( 90+2' Skoric); Rakitic, Kovacic, Modric , Brozovic; Petkovic, Livaja ( 45' Rebic)

Netherlands (Positive 5-3-2 WB):
Cillessen; Hateboer ( 78' Veltman), De Ligt, Van Dijk, De Vrij, Blind; Wijnaldum, De Jong, Van de Beek; Depay, Bergwijn

Report:
It was a thunderous start to the game from the Dutch who completely assaulted Croatia in the first quarter of the game. Oranje went ahead on corner kick headed in by who else but Matthijs de Ligt. Just minutes later, Steven Bergwijn was brought down in the box and Memphis Depay scored the penalty kick. And with only 24 minutes gone, it was Hans Hateboers second goal of the World Cup from a stunning volley that made it even 3-0 for the Netherlands. From then on, Oranje went into cruise control and hardly created any danger at all. The Croats, however, had a very hard time breaking through the Dutch defense. Their only goal came from their own corner kick headed in by Mateo Kovacic. Croatia has only amassed one point from its first two games and will have to go all-in in their last game with Uzbekistan. The Dutch, meanwhile, are through to the next round.

Statistics:
1 Goals 3
7 Shots 16
3 On Target 10
0.9 Expected Goals 1.6 + 1 PK
42% Possession 58%

Man of the Match:
Hans Hateboer - Netherlands
(1 goal, 7 shots, 13 recoveries, 4 fouls received)

[Timetxu]

DAY 10 - GAME 2

We'll just steamroll through to that other hugely important game in the Eastern Hub between two giants who lost their first game. All to play for in Washington D.C.!

Second Round of Pool Play
FedEx Field, Washington D.C., United States

Lineups:

Belgium (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Courtois; Meunier, Denayer, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Witsel ( 83' Dendoncker), Tielemans, Mertens, E. Hazard, De Bruyne ( 49' T. Hazard); Lukaku

Italy (4-2-1-3 DM Wide):
Donnarumma; Lazzari, Bonucci, Acerbi, Spinazzola; Jorginho, Cristante, Verratti ( 77' Pellegrini); Bernardeschi , Insigne, Immobile ( 67' Politano)

Report:
It was a true clash between footballing styles but when the dust settled in the US Capital, the score was still the same as the game started. Belgium controlled most of the game, saw an early Lukaku header disallowed for offside and had plenty of chances to score, but some fierce counter attacks from the Italians were equally deserving of a goal. However, the goal drought for both teams now stretches to two games and with just one point from those games, both European giants will absolutely need to win their last games.

Statistics:
0 Goals 0
20 Shots 11
12 On Target 7
1.8 Expected Goals 1.4
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Thomas Meunier - Belgium
(Clean sheet, 10 tackles won, 10 recoveries, 85% passing accuracy)

[DaneBramage]

Three big names on the verge of elimination, you love to see it.

[Timetxu]

DAY 10 - GAME 3

The two all-Pot 1 confrontations are over for now, so it's off to four interesting ties between Pot 2 and Pot 3 sides. Can the Pot 2 teams live up to the expectations?

Second Round of Pool Play
Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States

Lineups:

Senegal (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Mendy; Wagué ( 38' Sabaly), Koulibaly, Sané ( 82' Kara), Souaré; Al. N'Diaye, Ndiaye, Gueye, Saivet; Mané ( 66' Baldé), Niang

Jamaica (5-3-2 WB):
Blake; Hector, Lowe, Mariappa , Powell, Lawrence ( 90' Taylor); Lewis , Pratley ( 66' Austin), Vassell; Decordova-Reid, Bailey  ( 61' Nicholson)

Report:
After Jamaica's last minute loss to Uzbekistan in the first game, it was another tough pill to swallow for the Reggae Boyz as Senegal ran away with an undeserved victory. Jamaica dominated the first half, but saw Liverpool star Sadio Mané score the opening goal on a breakaway just before half time. Right after half time, it was an unexpected goal by substitute Youssouf Sabaly to make it two. Jamaica did get the goal it deserved, but Damion Lowe's header from a corner kick came too late.

Statistics:
2 Goals 1
7 Shots 19
3 On Target 10
0.9 Expected Goals 1.4
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Pape Souaré - Senegal
(5 interceptions, 12 tackles won, 12 recoveries, 88% passing accuracy).

Edited September 14, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 10 - GAME 4

We finish this tenth day of the World Cup with two teams who have had mixed starts. Peru lost agains the Netherlands and New Zealand won against Burkina Faso. The Peruvians will be the favourites, though.

Second Round of Pool Play
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States

Lineups:

Peru (Positive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Gallese; Advíncula, Araujo ( 85' Ramos), Abram, Trauco; Tapia ( 80' Zambrano), Santamaría, Gonzáles, Flores ( 61' Benavente); Ruidíaz, Guerrero

New Zealand (Defensive 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Marinovic; Kirwan, Boxall ( 81' Bell), Smith, Cacace ( 76' Wynne); Tuiloma, Thomas, Singh; Barbarouses, Rojas  ( 64' Just), Wood

Report:
The game was not even a minute old when Paolo Guerrero got pushed in the fifteen yard box by Tommy Smith. Christofer Gonzáles profited from the ensuing penalty kick and from there on, Peru was destined for the win. They did not disappoint as the Incans did not only guarantee the three points, but they also won in comfortable fashion, padding that important goal difference along the way. After being fouled for the penalty kick, Paolo Guerrero scored two goals of his own.

Statistics:
3 Goals 0
23 Shots 7
12 On Target 3
2.5 + 1 PK Expected Goals 0.6
50% Possession 50%

Man of the Match:
Paolo Guerrero - Peru
(2 goals, penalty earned, 10 shots)

[Timetxu]

DAY 10 - STANDINGS

Another day in the books. These are the results of all countries' second games:

And the standings:

It was a great day for the Netherlands, who qualified for the next round, as well as Senegal and Peru, who now have their own faith in their hands. Italy and Belgium are still virtually eliminated, but get a little closer to going through. They can put a direct ticket to the Round of 16 out of their heads, though.

Another fun thing is that we now start to see a threshold being formed if it comes to qualifying for the second round. Nigeria, who are in 24th place, are on 3 points. They don't have a great goal difference, which means that theoretically everyone can still qualify for the next round, but it won't take long before that threshold will become too steep for some teams and the first names of those who will be eliminated for this World Cup are known.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Timetxu

[mattyjames_]

Hey mate, I'm not sure exactly what's happened, but it appears the "games left against" columns seem to be a little out of whack. I don't know exactly what has happened, but something looks out at the Australia/New Zealand section.

 

Loving what you're doing with this and so glad it's back!

[Timetxu]

7 hours ago, mattyjames_ said:

Hey mate, I'm not sure exactly what's happened, but it appears the "games left against" columns seem to be a little out of whack. I don't know exactly what has happened, but something looks out at the Australia/New Zealand section.

Yikes, I see I haven't moved the "games left against" column accordingly when I ranked the teams. I've gone and edited the last post so it should be correct now.

Thanks for pointing out!

[collindinho]

There's some interesting games forming, even with the teams that have already qualified (England to play Germany; Spain to play Uruguay). They'll both want to win to advance direct to the round of 16. Seems like it's still theoretically possible for other teams to squeeze into that top 8, with 6+ points.