The introduction of video assistant referees to the World Cup has been quite the interesting storyline in this edition of the tournament as for the first time referees get a chance to correct a call that might be wrong. Honestly, it’s been fantastic. I hope to see the game become better because of it.

If you are a soccer fan (yes, I’m American, that’s what I call it, deal with it) and you are upset over VAR, then let me tell you about how the sport of baseball came to love it. Lot’s of purists or traditionalists did not want replay to be implemented. They felt like that human error was a totally normal part of the game and it was for the longest time. However, they needed to get with the times as technology was advancing and every sport in the country was going that way. It needed to be done as too many teams had gotten screwed over by bad calls (look up Game Six of the 1985 World Series) and even players too (Armando Galarraga near perfect game). There was a lot of backlash by those purists/traditionalists when Major League Baseball decided to implement replay. It came in gradually as at first it was just home runs, but then later it would become as to what it is now, any controversial calls. There are certain aspects that still aren’t being used for replay, but it’s definitely something that has become critical for the sport. You know what happened, the purists/traditionalists started to like it. There might be some who still don’t, but most of them think it’s been good for the sport.

There is a parallel with the implementation of VAR to soccer with replay to baseball and it all begins with Frank Lampard. You may remember the match between Germany and England in the 2010 World Cup when Lampard struck a ball that hit the crossbar and had looked to have crossed over the line. Replay showed that it did, but when it happened, no goal was awarded. That should have been a goal. It was implemented in the 2014 World Cup and it has worked fine since. With VAR, it should do the same just like what replay did for baseball, make the sport better. The correct calls should be made.

VAR thus far has been a rousing success in this World Cup. According to a BBC article there have been 335 reviews made in this World Cup alone. 14 of them have been changed by the referee and three by VAR. That being said, according to VAR, referees have gotten 95% of the calls made correct with a success rate of 99.3%. Sure there might be some missed calls, been so far it’s been excellent. I personally want the correct calls made when I watch the match. An ESPN column made a point that if VAR was not implemented, then Colombia would have been eliminated from the tournament. You don’t want a World Cup without James Rodriguez now, do you? Because I certainly wouldn’t like it. Now sometimes the referees who are up in the VAR booth may have disagreements with the call, but ultimately the one who makes the call is the one on the field. An example of getting the call correct was Marcos Rojo’s handball against Nigeria in the penalty area as that was not a penalty because the ball came off his head and then hit his arm. Had it hit his arm first it would have been a penalty and probably a yellow card. VAR has missed some calls and there is always room for improvement, but 99.3% suggests that it’s been great for the sport.

So whether it’s offsides, a handball, a missed penalty call, or whatever, VAR has been essential in this World Cup. My hope is that it expands to other competitions including the one I watch the most of, Premier League. If that’s the case then the sport will only get better with even more improvements to VAR. It might even get more people interested in the sport over here in America.

The inaugural season of Major League Rugby is finally over and we are now down to the final four teams battling out for the first championship in the league’s history. This was a very successful first season for MLR as it led to many big things and it shows that rugby could succeed in America. With that being said, let’s preview the 2018 MLR Playoffs.

Glendale Raptors vs Utah Warriors

Utah seemingly looked like they were down and out going into the last day of season, but with a 31-27 victory over Houston in comeback fashion. With the likes of centre Paul Lasike, who is coming back from international duty for USA, as well as the Tongan flyhalf Kurt Morath (whom is also coming back from international duty), the Warriors hope they can come out victorious.

Glendale, on the other hand, is the stronger side by a mile. The Raptors boast so much talent that they almost went the whole entire season undefeated (with some of their players playing for Team USA, it might have factored into why they couldn’t finish the season undefeated along with already having the number one seed in the playoffs locked up). With some USA Eagles players on the team like scrumhalf Shaun Davies, lock Ben Landry, hooker Dylan Fawsitt (along with the backup hooker Zach Fenoglio who is good enough to start anywhere as well), and flanker John Quill on the team, this team is deep. But even the lesser known and very talented players like wingers Harley Davidson (probably the fastest player in the league) and Seth Halliman, fullback Maximo De Achaval, centres Chad London, Bryce Campbell, and Ata Malifa, flanker Connor Cook, lock Max Dacey, props Kelepi Fifita, Blake Rogers, and Luke White, fly-halves Mika Kruse (who can excel on the wing and at centre as well) and Will Magie, and Grigor Kerdikoshvili and Sam Figg at the Number 8, they make this team incredibly deep and poised to win the championship. That’s not even the entire team as they are deep in depth which makes them even more dangerous to play. They can beat teams in a lot of different ways as they can grind out a win or even score a lot of points making it difficult for opposing defenses. Their pack is exceptional as they have one of the best scrum units in the league and very speedy and tactically sound backs. Plus they are very versatile as a good amount of their players can play many types of positions. Glendale is truly that good of a team.

Predictions

James Rowe: Glendale. Utah’s best hope is that the Raptors are not playing at the best form possible like they have all season, otherwise it’s going to be a long day for the Warriors.

Seattle Seawolves vs San Diego Legion

San Diego struggled for much of the season, but they played well in the last couple of weeks by winning three straight matches to get into the playoffs and also clinching the number three seed. With the amount of talent they have, it was a shock to see them struggle at all, but regardless, they look poised to win the championship. With players on the team like scrumhalf Nate Augspurger, fly-half Ben Cima, centres Dylan Audsley and JP du Plessis, wingers Brett Thompson and Takudzwa Ngwenya, Cam Dolan at the Number 8, and fullback Mike Te’o, this team should pose a threat to any side. They even beat Glendale on the last day of the season ruining the Raptors’ chances at going undefeated. Keep a close eye on them.

Seattle, on the other hand, has been a very strong team this season as some even think they might be better than Glendale. With players like props Olive Kilifi and John Hayden, scrumhalf Phil Mack, flyhalf Will Holder, centres Shalom Suniula and Mike Garrity, winger Peter Tiberio, and fullback Mike Palefau, this team is very good and could very well win the championship. However, had it not been for Glendale defeating them twice, they could have possibly gotten the number one seed in the playoffs and those people who think they are better than the Raptors might actually have a point. They also have one of the best scrum units too as that could be the difference maker in this match.

Predictions

James: Seattle. I do think it will be a close match and San Diego does have a lot of momentum going into the playoffs, but Seattle is that good of a side. Plus I really want them to face Glendale in the championship match to see if the people who say Seattle is better to have a point.

France’s counterattacking speed was too much for Argentina in an entertaining, messy (but not necessarily Messi) affair.

France

France played their familiar 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid system. When in the defensive phase, Griezmann and Giroud played as a strike pair and watched the centrebacks and passes into Mascherano. Matuidi, Kante, Pogba, and Mbappe dropped into a line of four midfielders and France defended in two relatively compact banks of four in a mid block. When France possessed the ball, Griezmann drifted wider, Matuidi pulled inside into his natural midfield position, and Mbappe pushed higher into the attacking line, with both fullbacks also bombing on, creating a positive 4-3-3 system.

Argentina

As thoroughly covered by Spielverlagerung here, Argentina had been attempting to get the best out of Messi by playing with two natural sources of width in Pavon and di Maria with a forward ahead to occupy the centrebacks. However, for this match, Messi was a false nine on his own and Pavon and di Maria still played as wingers stretching the play, rather than bursting into the space that Messi left behind when he drifted deep. They were toothless from open play with no players attempting runs into goalscoring positions until the introduction of Aguero in a strike role as they returned to their earlier system.

Mbappe

Quite simply, with the centrebacks concerned about Giroud and Griezmann and Mascherano being unable to keep up with Mbappe physically, the PSG man was utterly unstoppable. He burst through the entire Argentine defense to win the first penalty and could have won a second penalty in the first half before scoring twice in the second half, once off of a scuffed shot that the Argentine keeper Armani made a hash of at the near post, and once off of a lovely France move that flowed from one end of the pitch to the other.

Fullbacks

Another problem for Argentina was that di Maria and Pavon were failing to track the French fullbacks. In the second half when the game was still in the balance, both Hernandez and Pavard bombed forward unopposed, and in a perfect illustration of Argentina’s defensive indiscipline, Hernandez crossed from acres of space all the way across the pitch for Pavard to thump in France’s equalizer after a pair of relatively fluky Argentine goals (in tactical terms).

Aguero

The introduction of Aguero in the striker’s role immediately gave Argentina more punch, though it is understandable he was omitted initially in fear of being overrun in the midfield. His goal from a Messi looped cross both illustrated the virtue of the earlier Argentine system (Messi has an option ahead to pick out) and made the last minutes of extra time nervy and scrappy.

Conclusion

Argentina are rightfully out, having failed to cohesively meld their attacking players and having played too high a defensive line with little midfield pressure against Mbappe. France played very well on the counterattack, but one wonders if their lack of a tempo setting passing midfielder will be a problem against either Portugal or Uruguay, both of which will probably be happier to absorb pressure and hit on the counterattack themselves.

Here is the eleventh episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.

The group stage is now finally done with and we move into the best part of the tournament, the knockout stage where it is sudden death. If there was a lot of drama on the last days each group played, get ready for the knockout stage which I guaranteed to be even more dramatic. With that being said, let’s take a look at the matchups in the Round of 16.

Uruguay vs Portugal

Both teams were expected to get out of the group stage, but there is a lot of fire power here between the two squads. Cristiano Ronaldo has been having one incredible tournament already as he has scored four goals including a hat trick against Spain. Uruguay boasts two very good players in Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani as the two of them have scored three goals including two from Suarez. This could be a lot of fun to watch.

Predictions

James Rowe: Uruguay. Honestly, it could go either way, but I am just going with my gut here.

Thomas Martin: Uruguay. Ronaldo is excellent, but I think the team as a whole looked a little lacking. I’m perfectly prepared to be wrong here.

Tali Raphael: Uruguay. Uruguay has a very intelligent defense with Godin and Gimenez, and should be enough to hold off Ronaldo in a world class encounter.

John Illg: Portugal in an ugly, scrappy, unpleasant contest. Both sides prefer to play on the counter and are more comfortable defensively. Both rely on singular individuals to provide moments of genius up front. I have more faith in the Portuguese midfield than Uruguay’s both for setting the tempo and for supporting their star men and even though Uruguay’s defense is excellent, they will falter under too much pressure.

 

France vs Argentina

France had a very strong performance in the group stage while Argentina was on the brink of elimination until a late goal saw them squeak by. Now Argentina has a chance to redeem themselves against a very good French squad. Lionel Messi will need to put his country on his back if he wants to win this World Cup, but France is a deep and balanced team which could make things difficult.

Predictions

James: France. Argentina barely went through to the knockout stage and they don’t seem to have any chemistry going for them. France is just the better team in my opinion.

Thomas: I think France pulls it out. Despite the god, Messi, Argentina has not looked great.

Tali: Argentina. I think Argentina has the making of a team that can scrape through, especially against a France side that has looked lackluster again with Didier Deschamps.

John: Argentina has an interesting formation attempting to get the most of out Messi that kinda sorta worked by the last group game, although their combination of high press and relatively slow and unimpressive defenders still is giving far too many opportunities to teams on the counter. And France, though not particularly well coached themselves, possess an array of the world’s finest players both in one on one situations and in taking advantage of poorly played high defensive lines. I think France wins by a large margin that overstates their ability to proceed further in the competition.

Brazil vs Mexico

Mexico came out strong in the group stage as they upset Germany and beat a solid South Korea team before losing to Sweden. Led by Javier Hernandez and Hirving Lozano, this might be the strongest Mexican team in recent years. Their reward? Brazil, a nation that has won the World Cup five times and are another favorite to win the World Cup. They also have one of the best forwards in the sport in Neymar who can single handedly decide a match.

Predictions

James: Brazil. I think this will be a close one, but you can never doubt Brazil.

Thomas: Mexico manage to keep the dream alive and use this to hold a number over the heads of Brazil forever… Almost like “Dos a Cero,” but not as cool.

Tali: Brazil. Brazil has not looked particularly good thus far, but it would be very typical of Mexico to fall at the second round. But Marcelo is key for Brazil’s plans going forward. However continuous has been so dominant in midfield he may be able to provide enough service to get the key goal on his own.

John: Brazil. Mexico look quite a lot like the same team from the 2014 World Cup now that we have a proper understanding of just how shocking Germany’s positional organization has become. They are a decent counterattacking team that defends reasonably well and constructs some opportunities in this way, only to waste them. That would be enough against a couple of teams in the knockout rounds, but not against Brazil. Coutinho is playing too well right now to let that happen and will be the best player on the pitch.

Japan vs Belgium

Japan is the first nation to advance to the knockout stage based on the number of yellow cards as the rest of other tie-breaking scenarios were even with Senegal. Japan is a good team though as they boast talented players in Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda. There was a lot of doubt in Belgium as they did not have a good showing coming into the World Cup, but they were very strong in the group stage. They are led by star forward Romelu Lukaku who has already scored four goals this World Cup.

Predictions

James: Belgium. They have too much fire power and Japan will have a tough time defending that.

Thomas: Belgium. They looked good in all of their matches, so I expect them to just overpower Japan.

Tali: Belgium. Belgium have too much firepower for Japan, with Lukaku, de Bruyne, and Hazard all together. Inui, Kagawa, Okazaki, and Honda should all be dealt with by the formidable backline of Alderweireld and Vertonghen.

John: Belgium. Japan have been rather lackluster and lucky, while Belgium are playing well and have an arsenal of talent at their disposal. I think this scoreline could look pretty ugly.

Spain vs Russia

Russia came out swinging in the group stage in their first match with Saudi Arabia as they scored five goals and then scored three in their next contest with Egypt. Despite losing their final match of the group against Uruguay, the team boasts a very good goalkeeper in Igor Akifeev, plus they have gotten five goals from Artem Dzyuba (two) and Denis Cheryshev (three). They will face off against Spain who is arguably the most balanced nation in the whole field. Diego Costa has been outstanding for Spain as he scored three goals in the group stage.

Predictions

James: Spain. Russia might be better than expected, but Spain is the better side.

Thomas: Spain will win, but Russia will come away with a moral victory.

Tali: Spain. Because Spain is better at every single position on the pitch.

John: Spain. And I think there’ll be a fair few goals by both sides.

Croatia vs Denmark

Croatia has been a surprise this World Cup as they won all their matches in the group stage. They are led by Luka Modric who has scored two goals in this tournament as well as Ivan Rakitic (one goal). Denmark squeaked out of the group stage as their 1-0 victory over Peru proved to be all that was needed to move on after drawing with Australia and France. They only scored two goals in the entire group stage thus far, but one of them was from their best player Christian Eriksen.

Predictions

James: Croatia. I don’t buy Denmark being a good side and Croatia looks to be a lot stronger than anticipated. They should beat Denmark easily.

Thomas: Denmark. They are boring. They are consistent. They will win.

Tali: Croatia. The move to have Brozovic protecting Rakitic and Modric has been a master stroke, allowing the midfield creators to dominate. I see that trend continuing against a Danish midfield with a decided lack of defensive fortitude.

John: Croatia. I don’t think that they are a real threat to win the cup. They are still lacking up front and won’t be able to physically bully many of the teams that remain as badly as they did the teams in their group. But they are a class above Denmark, both in terms of the quality of their squad and in terms of their coaching and cohesiveness.

Sweden vs Switzerland

No Zlatan Ibrahimovic? No problem as Sweden had a strong campaign in the group stage including a 3-0 victory against Mexico that knocked out the defending champion Germany. They got two goals from Andreas Granqvist as he was a big reason why they advanced. They will face off against a very good Switzerland side that has two great players in Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri who each scored a goal in this tournament.

Predictions

James: Switzerland. I just feel like they have the better squad here as they have more fire power.

Thomas: Sweden. They have looked good despite all of the setbacks.

Tali: Switzerland. Shaqiri and Embolo will be hard to counter with their pace for an aging and tired Swedish back line. Also Manuel Akanji has been very solid for Switzerland this far this tournament, another victory for the youth movement at Dortmund.

John: Switzerland, though I think this is among the most balanced matches of this round.

Colombia vs England

Colombia’s chances of moving on were on the brink on the last day, but were able to move on. A big concern is whether James Rodriguez will be back as he was injured in the last match of the group stage. If he is good to go, it would be huge for Colombia. England on the other hand had a strong showing in the group stage. They are led by young forward Harry Kane who has already scored five goals (including a hat trick) in the World Cup and looks to add to that statistic.

Predictions

James: England. I just think England is the better squad as they are more balanced and have more fire power. Harry Kane is just unbelievable to watch. Without James Rodriguez, Colombia lacks a lot and probably will struggle. They better hope he plays.

Thomas: England look to have a dream cup, so I think they win. The match, that is. Not the whole thing. Let’s not get crazy.

Tali: England. Only because I don’t see James (Rodriguez) being a large part of this game. England has the pace to keep with Cuadrado, and enough attacking prowess with Kane involved to beat Yerry Mina and David Ospina, who has been effective but brittle throughout the tournament.

John: England. The loss of full strength James (Rodriguez) is a dagger blow to Colombia’s chances of mounting a coherent offensive threat and England, though occasionally muddled in terms of chance creation from open play, is extremely dangerous from set pieces. With three centerbacks and Kane, they have a lot of height at these situations, and they work their most dangerous aerial players as they open well by using intelligent runs to draw away defenders from the key area.

 

The major teamsheet news ahead of the match was that Egypt’s Mohamed Salah was fit enough for the bench, but would not start. In midfield, both teams played a set of busy, workmanlike players willing to run and tackle, but with little skill on the ball, which produced a very scrappy match.

Uruguay

Uruguay usually deal with their lack of team creativity by bypassing their midfield and hitting passes directly into the attack, where they possess two of the finest strikers in the world (and the two top scorers in their nation’s history) in Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. The pair have been dovetailing well together in the most recent qualifying matches and friendlies, with one staying centrally while the other drops deeper and wider or works the channels before connecting with his partner in the more dangerous central area. However, in the first half, both tended to sit in either channel at the same time spread very far apart. This neutralized the entire Egyptian back four with the left sided centreback and left back taking one dangerous striker and the right sided centreback and right back taking the other, but it also served to neutralize Uruguay’s own greatest asset. Facing four on two and spread relatively far apart and unable to combine, Uruguay’s two most dangerous players barely made a peep from open play in the first 45 minutes.

This surplus of attention given to Uruguay’s strike force should have allowed other Uruguayan players to shine, particularly Arrascuenda and Nandez, who should have been able to do damage with the time and space afforded to them. Instead, they were desperately, desperately poor. They neither used their freedom to push off the ball and try to combine with their isolated strikers nor tried to dribble decisively with the ball, instead preferring to play short passes between themselves, their holding midfielders, and their fullbacks, keeping the ball in nonthreatening areas before launching the ball hopefully at the two outnumbered strikers. Midway through the half, an utterly frustrated Diego Godin tried to show them how to their jobs, bursting forward out of the centre of defense on a mazy dribble, working his way all the way from one end of the pitch to the other before passing to Arrascuenda in a dangerous area, only to watch the winger scorn the chance with a donkey of a first touch that thumped the ball out of bounds. The Uruguayan wingers’ abject performance led them to be rightfully yanked off together at the 60 minute mark, at which point Uruguay began at last to pose a more reasonable threat to the opposition.

At that point, Uruguay’s strikers also began to show more understanding of space, with only one occupying the channels or dropping deeper at a time. Egypt began to bunker down in a low block of two banks of four to try and survive, where in the first half they had mostly managed to avoid falling back so close to their own goal.

Egypt

Egypt defended in a mid block in the first half, and their defensive organization was impressive, though to be fair it is difficult to know how much credit to give them when Uruguay were so incoherent. In attack, Mohsen used his height and physique to compete for long balls and tried to hold play up for Trezeguet and Said, while Warda hugged the touchline to stretch the play. Trezeguet and Said particularly impressed with their first touch and off the ball movement. As a whole, their attack linked well together and created some half chances and other good opportunities that fizzled to nothing. The problem was that their finishing was poor and they were unable to dribble past any of Uruguay’s excellent backline after creating one on one situations. One thinks that Salah could have helped with this.

Suarez

In one point each in the first half and the second, Suarez managed to wriggle free of close attention to work himself golden opportunities. In the first instance, his rasping effort from a tight angle with the goalkeeper beaten found only the side netting, and the failure to score seemed to affect his mental state. He was visibly frustrated with himself and was producing very poor first touches in and around the box, until finally a first touch more up to his usual standard produced the second real chance of the match. But instead of taking the shot in stride, Suarez hesitated, allowing the goalkeeper to intervene. Suarez’s poor play in critical moments and overall would have been the deciding factor in the match if not for

Set Pieces

Set pieces were becoming more and more of a factor as the match progressed. Suarez’s first chance had already come following loose Egyptian defending after a corner. Cavani then slammed a dipping free kick against the post after lazy foul just outside the box. Egypt’s tired legs and more passive defensive positioning closer to their own goal produced more and more fouls and free kicks in dangerous areas, until at the last minute, a wide free kick was met by a towering Jimenez header, and Egypt found themselves behind.

Salah

Having controlled the game relatively well until about the last 20 or 30 minutes, Egyptian manager Hector Cuper had not felt it necessary to risk the health of his country’s most dangerous player, instead using all three of his subs on like for like replacements of tiring players to try and freshen up his team’s legs. However, that decision seemed to come up snake eyes as the team was now chasing the game in extra time and could have used Salah’s quality when the game was extremely stretched prior to Jimenez’s goal or after it as the team were chasing an equalizer.

Conclusion

Uruguay produced enough good chances to win the game, but were very poor overall and do not look anything like a danger to progress very far in the tournament, even with Suarez and Cavani, unless they make tactical changes. Egypt were hard working and intelligent, but without Salah, they just don’t have enough firepower to make it out of this group, especially with Russia having thumped so many goals past Saudi Arabia already.

 

The World Cup is finally here as soccer fans can finally revel in the best competition the sport offers. While it feels weird to not see some countries in the World Cup like Italy, Netherlands, and U.S.A., but expect this to be a very exciting one. With that let’s preview each group and each nation in this year’s World Cup.

Group A

Russia

The hosts of the World Cup will get their chance to shine as they boast a lot of veterans to lead the way. Led by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, Russia poses a good chance of getting out of the group, but age could be a factor. Home field advantage could also play a part in Russia’s performance. Being the host nation does not automatically mean the team will do well (South Africa, for instance, did not get out of the group stage in 2010), but there is a correlation between being the host country and that team’s advancement.

Saudi Arabia

After a strong showing in World Cup qualifying, Saudi Arabia is a huge underdog as they are put into a strong group that could hinder it’s chance of advancing. Watch out for their talented top goal scorer in Mohammad Al-Sahlawi.

Egypt

The African nation that excelled so much the last few years, but never seemed to make the World Cup will finally get there and have a chance to advance. They are led by phenom Mo Salah who torched up the Premier League for Liverpool this past season, though he may still be recovering from an injury sustained during the Champions League final just a few weeks ago.

Uruguay

The favorite to win the group as they boast a ton of talent and are a very strong side. With Edison Cavani and Luis Suarez leading the offense, they are a force to be reckoned with and could even make a surprise run to winning the World Cup

Predictions

James Rowe: Winner is Uruguay and also advancing out of the group will be Egypt. It’s pretty clear that Uruguay is strongest side here, but I like the talent Egypt has as I feel like they are the second best team here.

Tali Raphael: Winner is Uruguay and also advancing out of the group will be Russia.

Thomas Martin: Winner is Uruguay and Russia milks the home-field advantage to also come out.

John Illg: Uruguay and Russia. And none of the games will be particularly enjoyable. Some will be downright ugly.

Group B

Portugal

The reigning Euro 2016 champions look to build off that success and hope to win the World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way in what could possibly be the last for him in what has been an incredible career. They will have to face their arch-rival Spain for the winner of the group. Luckily, the top two teams advance, so they should be safe to get out of the group.

Spain

After an embarrassing 2014 World Cup campaign, Spain is one of the more balanced squads in the World Cup. Spain is looking to win it’s second World Cup in three tournaments, something that has only been done by Italy, Brazil, and Argentina. This will be the last hurrah for Andres Iniesta in what is an illustrious career. Expect them to advance.

Morocco

Had a strong showing in World Cup qualifying, led by an awesome defensive performance. They aren’t expected to advanced, but do expect them to play each nation hard.

Iran

Iran has shown that they are strong nation in Asia as they are making their second consecutive World Cup. Their defense and counter attacks are strong, but are looked as underdogs. They are unlikely to advance with Portugal and Spain sitting atop the group, but they should make for some surprisingly fun games.

Predictions

James: Winner is Spain and also advancing out of the group will be Portugal. It’s not a question as to whom moves out of the group, but the only question will be who wins the group. The first game between Spain and Portugal pretty much will decide it.

Tali: Winner is Spain and also advancing out of the group will be Portugal.

Thomas: Spain and Portugal advance. Whether Spain wins or Portugal wins, I have no idea. But these two are the ones who make it in the end.

John: Spain and Portugal. But Morocco makes it really scary for one of them.

Group C

France

On paper, France is a very strong side and could very well be hoisting the World Cup Trophy when it all ends. With talented players like Olivier Giroud, Alexandre Lacazette, Antoine Griezmann, and Paul Pogba, watch out for what Les Bleus do in this World Cup. They could possibly win it all, so expect them to advance.

Australia

Now making their fourth straight appearance in the World Cup, the Land Down Under has proven to be a soccer nation as well and have a very interesting team that could even advance out of their group. Aaron Mooy is looked to be the next Tim Cahill and even scored 11 goals during qualifying. Don’t sleep on these guys.

Peru

Peru had a strong showing in World Cup Qualifying that even knocked Chile out of qualification. And now with Paolo Guerrero allowed to participate, this could be a fun team to watch. They will be fighting Australia for advancing out of the group, but expect them to have a strong showing.

Denmark

Denmark barely made the World Cup after defeating Ireland in playoffs, but here they are expected to compete. They will be led by Christian Eriksen, however, their defense could be their Achilles Heel. They allowed eight goals in 10 matches during Qualification including one in their playoff with Ireland. There is still a possibility that they could be the dark horse of this tournament, but they will have to stop the ball from getting in their net first.

Predictions

James: Winner is France and also advancing out of the group will be Australia. France is clearly the strong side here and should have no problem advancing, but the match between Australia and Peru should be the one that decides who advances. I think Australia will win it because I am not confident that Peru truly is as strong of a side as the qualifying campaign made them out to be. Plus Aaron Mooy is truly special to watch.

Tali: Winner is France and also advancing out of the group will be Peru.

Thomas: France wins, and Denmark squeaks it out of the group.

John: France and Peru. And there will be a lot of goals.

Group D

Argentina

The clear favorite to win the group, they are also another front-runner to win the World Cup. This will most certainly be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup in what has been a remarkable career, but they have a lot of fire with players like Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, and Sergio Aguero on the squad. When they are playing, make sure you are watching.

Iceland

After making an incredible run in the 2016 Euros, the tiny nation will now be making their first World Cup appearance. They have a good chance to make it out of the group, which is considerably weak, and with a player like Gylfi Sigurdsson leading their nation, it could be an exciting team to follow.

Nigeria

Nigeria keeps getting stronger and stronger in Africa, where many think they could soon become a football powerhouse. With players like Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel leading this team, expect this talented squad to fight for advancing out of the group.

Croatia

No one should sleep on these guys, as they have a strong side and play a very similar style to that of the Spanish. Luka Modric will be leading his nation and looks to advancing out of the group. The men in the checkerboard shirts could very well make it out of this group.

Predictions

James: Winner is Argentina and also advancing out of the group will be Croatia. Argentina is the best squad in the group, but I had a hard time picking between Nigeria and Croatia in advancing. I ultimately came with Croatia because Luka Modric is a very tough player to beat.

Tali: Winner is Croatia and also advancing out of the group will be Argentina.

Thomas: Argentina wins, and Iceland become the darlings of the world as they advance.

John: Croatia and Iceland. There were many problems with Argentina’s qualification run, and while I love Jorge Sampaoli’s management, fierce high pressing with a slow back line is dangerous. Croatia have elite ballplayers in midfield to resist that press and Iceland are extremely diligent defensively and will prove difficult for an incoherent Argentina to break down. This is all to say…unless Messi rains down divine light upon the tournament again.

Group E

Brazil

The clear favorites to win the group and a favorite to win the entire World Cup, this might be one of the best squads that the nation has ever assembled. They had an extremely strong World Cup qualifying campaign that it seems like they might be incredibly hard to defeat. When you have Neymar as your primary goal scorer, that’s a good thing, but this team could still win without him. Having not appeared in a final since they won the world cup in 2002, Brazil will look to get out of the group and try to show everyone why Pelé called it “the beautiful game.”

Switzerland

Switzerland in the rankings looks great, but on paper they look weak. It’s truly a squad that has a lot of question marks. There is some great talent on this team with Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, but the rest of the squad seems average. They might have a good chance of making it out of the group stage, but won’t likely progress farther than that.

Costa Rica

After an incredible run in the 2014 World Cup, the Costa Ricans look to progress on their success in this year’s World Cup. They are very experienced and boast a top notch goalkeeper in Keylor Navas, so this could be another dark horse in this version of the World Cup.

Serbia

Serbia tends to produce a lot of great talent, and in this year’s World Cup, they have a strong chance at showing how talented they are. There is a good chance that they will advance out of this group. They have a lot of experienced players that are still in their primes, but none more so than Nemanja Matic, who is one of the best players in the Premier League.

Predictions

James: Winner is Brazil and also advancing out of the group will be Serbia. Brazil is clearly the strongest side here, but I also think that Serbia is much stronger than the rest. At least on paper they do.

Tali: Winner is Brazil and also advancing out of the group will be Serbia.

Thomas: Brazil wins and Serbia makes it out as well, edging out Costa Rica.

John: Brazil and Switzerland. Shaqiri has to get out of Stoke somehow and enjoy his last World Cup.

Group F

Germany

Clearly the strongest side in the group, this might also be the best team in the field. They could also be a realistic shot at being back-to-back champions of this tournament. Joachim Löw is now coaching his third World Cup and for good reason, as he is one of the best soccer coaches in the world. His team is led by superstar Thomas Müller. Germany is known to be a machine, but they must act like it if they want to win the tournament again.

Mexico

The Mexicans have a very strong side that could actually make some noise. Their head coach is known to be a mastermind, but he also has Javier Hernandez and up-and-coming star, Hirving Lozano, leading the offense. There are also other great talents like Hector Moreno and Andres Guardado in this squad, which gives this team a great chance at winning a lot of games. This team is a great dark horse pick.

Sweden

No, there is no Zlatan Ibrahimovic on this squad, so many suspect they will not do well. But there’s a reason why they are in the World Cup. Emil Forsberg is a rising star and looks to hopefully take advantage of the situation. However, don’t take this squad too lightly. They had a strong World Cup qualifying campaign, so expect them to fight hard.

South Korea

Many feared this team so long ago. While not as strong as the recent teams in the past, this is still a talented one. Son Heung-Min plays for Tottenham and is also the 2017 Asian Player of the Year. He’s truly a one of a kind talent, but the squad might rely on him too much. It’s going to be tough for them to get out of the group with Germany and Mexico banging on the door.

Predictions

James: Winner is Germany and also advancing out of the group will be Mexico. Germany is my opinion is the best squad in the entire field so I have no problem picking them. That being said, I truly think Mexico is the strongest side out of the other three. This is also my pick as the “Group of Death” as I feel like these are all strong enough squads to compete in the Knockout Stage.

Tali: Winner is Germany and also advancing out of the group will be Mexico.

Thomas: Germany wins and South Korea advances, stunning El Tri.

John: Germany and Sweden. Germany, because death and taxes. And Sweden played strongly in qualifying and are relatively settled. Plus, I believe in the Ewing effect.

Group G

Belgium

In the “Golden Generation” of Belgian talent, there are still some questions about them. On paper, this is arguably one of the better sides in the tournament, but form could be a problem. With the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard on the roster, this team should make it out of the group, but with all the question marks surrounding them, keep a close eye on them.

Panama

Making their first World Cup ever, expect this squad to play with beautiful naïveté. They have lots of experience outside of the World Cup, though, and are quite talented —especially with the likes of Luis Tejada on the team. But don’t expect them to do too much more. It will be fun to see what they do in this World Cup.

Tunisia

Probably one of the biggest underdogs in the whole field, Tunisia is expected to struggle. However, they have grinded out so many games that they could take that to their advantage. Expect them to play hard.

England

England should not be cocky about this group. While it doesn’t look like they will have any problem advancing, they have played beneath their ability in the last two World Cups. There is way too much talent to list here, but a name to watch out here for is Harry Kane as he has dominated the Premier League, year in and year out. England has not won a world cup since 1966, but this team could be fun to watch.

Predictions

James: Winner is Belgium and also advancing out of the group will be England. Belgium looks good on paper, but their inconsistencies troubles me. England seems to always underperform, but this should be an easy enough group for them to advance out of.

Tali: Winner is Belgium and also advancing out of the group will be England.

Thomas: Belgium wins and England advances.

John: England and Belgium. Belgium’s fullback/wingback areas are a problem. Rinse. Repeat.

Group H

Poland

This group might be up for grabs, but Poland has a huge advantage when it comes to strikers, boasting probably one of the best in the world with Robert Lewandowski. He will be the key to what Poland does in the World Cup.

Senegal

Not many think of Senegal as a strong soccer nation, but when you have players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, and Sadio Mane leading your squad, there are a lot of high hopes. This group is wide open, so expect them to compete.

Colombia

With players like James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao, and Juan Cuadrado on the roster, there is a lot of optimism here. With a strong attack, expect them to score a lot of goals. Colombia is favorites to advance, but how they do it is a big question.

Japan

With Keisuke Honda, Shinji Okazaki, and Shinji Kagawa leading this offense, expect them to put up a fight. Many pundits have them as future top soccer nation, but they can’t seem to quite get that status at present. However, in this group, they have a great chance at showing how good of a soccer nation they really are.

Predictions

James: Winner is Colombia and also advancing out of the group will be Japan. I think Colombia is the strongest team in the group, especially with James Rodriguez as their main man. However, I had Japan advancing because of their experience and I also think they are talented, though Senegal could sneak by them.

Tali: Winner is Senegal and also advancing out of the group will be Colombia. This is also my pick for the “Group of Death.” As for why I picked Senegal to win the group, that team is loaded. It’s my upset pick. As for why I think it’s the “Group of Death,” Poland has Lewandowski, and is generally seen as a solid European program, making the last eight Euros. Colombia is a South American stalwart, with James Rodriguez as one of the worlds best players. Senegal is the sleeper, but with Mane, Idrissa Gueye, and Koulibaly, they have some absolutely brilliant players in their setup. And Japan is there too, with Kagawa and Okazaki who are very solid players as well. There is no weak team. Any one of them could go to the knockout round.

Thomas: This group is really up for grabs. Winner is Columbia, also advancing is Senegal.

John: Colombia and Senegal. And this will be the most entertaining and competitive group.

Here is the tenth episode of The Unlucky Irishman podcast. Music is A Taste Of Silver by Until The Ribbon Breaks. The Stats of the Day are provided by ESPN Stats & Info Twitter feed. Produced by Ashley Maciag and Boomer Dangel. Host is James “Preacher” Rowe.

Tomorrow FIFA will decide on where the 2026 World Cup will be held and the U.S., Mexico, and Canada decided on a joint bid in hopes they can bring the World Cup to North America. This will also be the World Cup that expands to 48 nations, which will obviously be crazy enough as it would seem like it could be. The other nation that is trying to win the bid over the joint North American one is Morocco, which does seem to have some great backing. That being said, FIFA would be silly to not decide on the joint North American bid as it makes economical sense and is the best fit especially with the rise of soccer in North America.

There is one problem behind the joint North American bid, the United States. Part of the problem with the U.S. involved is some feel as though the rhetoric behind President Trump has been hostile and unwelcoming towards immigrants, but if anything he has been 100 percent behind the bid and would do anything to make sure that it came to North America. But the biggest problem is the U.S. involvement with the FIFA scandal in 2015. There is a lot of hostile feelings to the U.S. exposing the corruption within FIFA so many who are voting probably will have some bias against this joint North American bid. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has even voiced his opinion for the Morocco bid, but that’s clearly because of his hatred for the U.S. exposing his corruption and essentially his demise when he resigned. However, Blatter’s opinions should be taken with a grain of salt as he once said in regards to a question asked of him on how to boost women’s soccer that the women playing should wear tighter shorts because the women playing the sport are pretty. Yeah he really said that. I don’t particularly have much respect for his opinions to care what he thinks on this World Cup bid.

However, that being said, if FIFA does decide on the joint North American bid, the rest of the world will finally see how much the sport has grown in North America in the last 10 years. Sites like Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), Toronto (BMO Field), or even in the U.S. with Cincinnati (Paul Brown Stadium), Los Angeles (Rose Bowl), Washington D.C. (Fedex Field), and even Seattle (CenturyLink Field) are those that are very noisy and raucous crowds that show up to games held in those venues. That’s not even all of them. There is also better infrastructure for the joint North American bid as well. It should be a no brainer, but I am holding my collective breath as I fear that some in FIFA will still hold a grudge against the U.S. The U.S. was only trying to weed out the corruption and make the sport better. I mean if FIFA thinks that a country where the leader has tried to undermine democracy across the globe (Russia) and another where human rights are being violated (Qatar) are suitable to host the World Cup, then those members need to look at themselves in the mirrors and reconsider their priorities.

Morocco’s bid has shown it’s lack of infrastructure and that it’s a high risk. A lot of money will be needed to be thrown at the World Cup and I don’t believe Morocco has the resources to do such a thing. Yes there are some issues with the U.S. being involved, but it makes more sense that the three countries involved with the bid host than Morocco.

The joint North American bid definitely has a lot of backing and is likely to win, but it’s cautious optimism as there is some sense that some people within FIFA don’t want anything to do with the U.S. However, if FIFA is smart about this, they will choose that bid because it only makes sense to have the World Cup in a place that already has structure and is a safe bet including the monetary gains that would come with it.

Let’s hope FIFA makes the right decision.

When I woke up Friday, the first thing I did was check my phone to make sure it had actually happened. It did and a trail of happy tears rolled down my face. I finally could rejoice as D.C. finally had a title. At the moment of writing this column, there is still a sense of disbelief as this doesn’t feel real. I had been so used to heartbreak and disappointment that it somewhat became an annual tradition with the teams of D.C. Alas, I can finally see my hometown revel in this great accomplishment and I can let out a huge sigh of relief.

Washington D.C. is truly a great town and if you were born there, the city will always mean something to you. The people of the city are one of the best as they are absolutely dedicated to almost everything about what defines D.C. The sports teams reflect what the citizens are like as we are incredibly passionate individuals. If any city deserves a championship, it’s our Nation’s Capital. However, the team that ended the drought is the one who has given the most heartbreak to the city, the Capitals.

The Capitals have just seemingly never been able to get over the hump and it never seemed like they ever would. The franchise started in 1974 and they embodied the definitions of underperformance, disappointment, and failure. Even when it seemed so promising, the same result would always come out.

In the first round of this year’s playoffs, the Capitals found themselves immediately in an 0-2 hole to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Admit it, if you’re from D.C. the first thing that came to mind was “Here we go again.” However, they came back to win four straight games to advance to the second round where they would have to, once again, face the dreaded Pittsburgh Penguins for a third straight season. This is where a parallel with the 2004 Boston Red Sox came in as they had to beat a team, an arch-rival, a franchise that had been a thorn in their side, the New York Yankees, in their run for a championship. The Penguins are the Yankees in this parallel. While the way each team advanced was different as the Red Sox came back from a 0-3 deficit, there is a lot of similarity. The Capitals seemed to be playing a lot different hockey in this series where you almost didn’t want to be optimistic, but couldn’t help and think that they might actually pull this off. And they did. In the conference championship against the Tampa Bay Lightning was incredible as it went to a seventh game. Game Seven’s had always been a bad omen to the Capitals, but yet they won it and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final to face the Vegas Golden Knights. And then my final parallel is the 2005 Chicago White Sox, who were a championship starved team (88 years) where they made the World Series for the first time in a long time and then faced a franchise making their first appearance in the championship round in their history, the Houston Astros. The Capitals were about to take on the Vegas Golden Knights who were not only making the Stanley Cup Final, but had done so in their inaugural season. While the White Sox swept, both them and the Capitals won all their games convincingly (Capitals losing only one), but I could not help myself and point out another parallel there too. The game in which both teams clinched the series, on the road, in a hostile environment, it was a close one as both teams were not seemingly going to give the other one an inch to spare with and they both won late in their games in dramatic fashion (they also won with a point/run lead).

Before the third period started, I texted my friend Angie, whom I’ve talked about in another article, and explained to her the same parallel with the 2005 White Sox. One thing in my text that I think was incredibly comforting was when I said to her “The Caps are going to win this.” I knew it was nerve racking, heck, I was a hot mess in that third period, but I almost got a sense like this was destiny. It would have seemed too cruel to let the Golden Knights win that game and then went on to win the series. This year had felt different even though I didn’t want to say it. Once the clock struck 0.0, so many emotions were let out. Yes, I did indeed cry. For the city that I will always call my hometown, I finally was able to see my city win a championship. I am 28 years old and I have never seen any sort of success in sports with my hometown. I may have a favorite team in two sports that aren’t from D.C. (White Sox and Blackhawks), but that never meant I wasn’t a fan of D.C. teams. I always was a fan of D.C. teams as well. There’s something special about D.C. that I couldn’t just not care about them. This had a special meaning to me unlike the teams that I cheer on for in other cities. However, it also meant more that I was able to see my friends enjoy the moment too. I may have also been watching the game from where I live now in Cincinnati, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t able to enjoy it. Heck, I partied until the wee hours of the morning celebrating calling and texting everyone I knew that were watching the game.

The curse is over. The drought is over. We can finally exhale. All those painful memories now all seem like a distant past, but this right now just doesn’t feel real even though it is.  All of those heartbreaking moments with the Wizards, Redskins, and Nationals are now forgotten and this championship is also for those teams. While I will not be able to attend the championship parade, you better believe I’ll be tuning in. Of all the teams in the area, the Capitals should have been the ones to win this. Alex Ovechkin, the greatest player in this generation, finally has a championship, which is another incredible story in itself. I never knew the feeling of what a championship is like in my hometown and now this is what it’s like. I have linked some videos below that capture the incredible ride that will help explain how awesome this feeling is. I think John Walton’s call once the Capitals won help describe the moment: “IT’S NOT A DREAM! IT’S NOT A DESERT MIRAGE!”

Washington, D.C. you finally have your championship and I’m proud to call myself a native of the 202 area code. It really wasn’t a dream, it was reality. We all can sleep easily now as we know longer have to hear about a stupid curse anymore. This will be one incredible feeling we all will never forget.

Lars Eller game winner

The moment D.C. sports saw their first championship since 1991

How D.C. fans reacted to winning the Stanley Cup

And this video below captures how great this moment was