The 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil Prediction thread

[genome]

Ah, Belgium. The most overr8ed underr8ed team ever.

[Maguire]

Ah, Belgium. The most overr8ed underr8ed team ever.

Indeed, the lightest dark horse of all time.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Erm, the most over underdogs in history.

[Silver Fox]

The insidiest outsiders ever

[TBM]

Winners - Argentina
Runners up - Brazil
Biggest flops - Spain
Top scorer - Fred
Surprise packages - Belgium
England - Q/F

Out of interest what would constitute Belgium being a surprise package for you? A lot of people seem to be backing them to do well.

But they never have, so if they do, they will surprise me....

[Ouroboros]

You'd be surprised if a team comprising Cortois, Kompany, Witsel, Dembele, Miralles, Hazard and Lukaku do well?

Their problem is a rubbish 2nd round draw. I would have thought they might beat Portugal there but lose to Argentina in the quarter-final.

[Whatevs]

the shortest longshots

[Pepe the Horseman]

They're like a surprise package that you've opened slightly to see what's inside.

[TBM]

You'd be surprised if a team comprising Cortois, Kompany, Witsel, Dembele, Miralles, Hazard and Lukaku do well?

Not the players, no, the team.......they have the potential but always fail, so if they do well they will surprise me. (though i wouldn't say Witsel, Dembele, Miralles or Lukaku are world class - no better than what we have in our side)

The same if Messi has a decent world cup - best player in the world but hasn't done it at a WC yet

[Ouroboros]

You'd be surprised if a team comprising Cortois, Kompany, Witsel, Dembele, Miralles, Hazard and Lukaku do well?

Not the players, no, the team.......they have the potential but always fail, so if they do well they will surprise me. (though i wouldn't say Witsel, Dembele, Miralles or Lukaku are world class - no better than what we have in our side)

The same if Messi has a decent world cup - best player in the world but hasn't done it at a WC yet

But in the case of Belgium, "they" isn't this set of players. I don't buy that past failures of the Belgian national team have any bearing on whether this team succeeds, nor that they have had this level of potential in the past (not since the mid 80s, anyway).

[stealthpapes]

Winners - Argentina
Runners up - Brazil
Biggest flops - Spain
Top scorer - Fred
Surprise packages - Belgium
England - Q/F

Out of interest what would constitute Belgium being a surprise package for you? A lot of people seem to be backing them to do well.

But they never have, so if they do, they will surprise me....

1980s they did alright. Ish.

[Ouroboros]

Winners - Argentina
Runners up - Germany
Biggest flops - Portugal (contrary to the above, I think they might get beaten by Ghana and go out in the group stages).
Top scorer - Messi
Surprise packages - Ivory Coast, Bosnia Herzogovina
England - Q/F

[Ouroboros]

1980s they did alright. Ish.

Semi-final in 1986.

[stealthpapes]

On a similar note, I always had it that France were a bit rubbish at football because when I started watching and paying attention, they only qualified for one tournament out of four (1992, with failures at 88, 90 and 94) and in that, they were a bit dump.

[Ouroboros]

They are shit.

1996-2000 and 2006 are the anomolies.

If it wasn't for an outrageously easy group they would be vulnerable again this time.

Stupid team.

[6ft Kerplunk]

1980s they did alright. Ish.

Semi-final in 1986.

TBM is too young to remember when Belgium always seemed to do pretty much as well as us at major championships. Gerets being a particular 80s Pannini favourite.

[stealthpapes]

They are shit.

1996-2000 and 2006 are the anomolies.

If it wasn't for an outrageously easy group they would be vulnerable again this time.

Stupid team.

and the early-mid 80s. Which is what prompted my thoughts.

[paultheroyal]

Winners - Colombia
Runners up - Argentina
Biggest flops - Brazil / Spain/. Belgium
Top scorer - Dzecko
Surprise packages - Bosnia
England - Semis

[TBM]

1980s they did alright. Ish.

Semi-final in 1986.

TBM is too young to remember when Belgium always seemed to do pretty much as well as us at major championships. Gerets being a particular 80s Pannini favourite.

Indeed - i was only 6 then. It wasn't until 1990 that i really remember a major tournament.

Anyway, what is wrong with me saying Belgium will be MY surprise package?! - maybe i've mistook the question, but i'm taking it as they will surprise a few people by how well they will do this year........its like when Spain won it in 2010, up until then they never even got to a semi final

[Ouroboros]

Hang on, so you're predicting that Belgium will surprise you?

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?