Rules: Enter your predictions here (add a vertical bar to the end of each line) or email them to me (see discuss list) before kick-off of the first match on Thursday. You get 3 points for a perfect prediction and 1 point for a correct result (i.e. win/lose/draw the right way round). Running totals will be added regularly as the competition progresses. Once all the matches are complete, the person with the most points wins absolutely nothing. Yes that's right - it’s completely pointless. The numbers in brackets are the teams' current FIFA world rankings. Note I've abbreviated Switzerland, Australia, Netherlands, Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Bosnia & Hezegovina. Feel free to add signed comments at the end.
| Match | Actual | Paul | Valerie | Marcus | Andrew | Constanze | Matt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Running Total | 33 | 43 | 33 | 34 | 39 | 25 | |
| Brazil(3) v Croatia(18) | 3-1 | 2-1=1 | 1-0=1 | 3-1=3 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 0-2 |
| Mexico(20) v Cameroon(56) | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-0=3 | 2-0=1 | 2-1=1 | 2-0=1 | 2-1=1 |
| Spain(1) v Neth(15) | 1-5 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 3-2 | 2-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 |
| Chile(14) v Aus(62) | 3-1 | 1-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 2-1=1 | 2-0=1 | 3-1=3 |
| Colombia(8) v Greece(12) | 3-0 | 1-1 | 1-0=1 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-0=1 |
| Uruguay(7) v Costa Rica(28) | 1-3 | 4-0 | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 0-1=1 |
| England(10) v Italy(9) | 1-2 | 0-1=1 | 0-1=1 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 1-2=3 | 3-2 |
| Ivory(23) v Japan(46) | 2-1 | 2-2 | 1-0=1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-0=1 | 0-1 |
| Switz(6) v Ecuador(26) | 2-1 | 0-0 | 1-0=1 | 3-1=1 | 2-0=1 | 3-0=1 | 3-1=1 |
| France(17) v Honduras(33) | 3-0 | 0-1 | 1-0=1 | 2-1=1 | 1-0=1 | 3-0=3 | 2-0=1 |
| Argentina(5) v B&H(21) | 2-1 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 3-1=1 | 3-2=1 | 2-0=1 | 0-1 |
| Germany(2) v Portugal(4) | 4-0 | 0-0 | 1-0=1 | 3-2=1 | 2-0=1 | 3-2=1 | 2-3 |
| Iran(43) v Nigeria(44) | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1-0 | 0-0=3 | 0-0=3 | 1-1=1 | 2-0 |
| Ghana(37) v USA(13) | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-1=1 | 1-1 | 1-2=3 | 1-3=1 | 2-3=1 |
| Belgium(11) v Algeria(22) | 2-1 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 1-1 | 2-1=3 | 2-1=3 |
| Brazil(3) v Mexico(20) | 0-0 | 3-1 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 3-1 | 3-0 | 0-2 |
| Russia(19) v Korea(57) | 1-1 | 1-1=3 | 1-0 | 1-1=3 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 3-1 |
| Aus(62) v Neth(15) | 2-3 | 0-3=1 | 0-1=1 | 0-4=1 | 1-2=1 | 1-3=1 | 1-2=1 |
| Spain(1) v Chile(14) | 0-2 | 4-1 | 1-0 | 3-1 | 3-1 | 3-0 | 3-3 |
| Cameroon(56) v Croatia(18) | 0-4 | 1-1 | 0-1=1 | 0-2=1 | 0-1=1 | 1-2=1 | 1-2=1 |
| Colombia(8) v Ivory(23) | 2-1 | 1-1 | 1-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=1 |
| Uruguay(7) v England(10) | 2-1 | 2-1=3 | 1-0=1 | 2-1=3 | 0-0 | 2-1=3 | 0-3 |
| Japan(46) v Greece(12) | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-3 |
| Italy(9) v Costa Rica(28) | 0-1 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2-1 |
| Switz(6) v France(17) | 2-5 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 2-3=1 | 1-2=1 | 2-1 | 3-2 |
| Honduras(33) v Ecuador(26) | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-1=1 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 0-1=1 |
| Argentina(5) v Iran(43) | 1-0 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=3 | 4-0=1 | 3-0=1 | 3-0=1 | 0-2 |
| Germany(2) v Ghana(37) | 2-2 | 3-1 | 1-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 2-0 | 2-2=3 |
| Nigeria(44) v B&H(21) | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Belgium(11) v Russia(19) | 1-0 | 1-0=3 | 1-0=3 | 2-0=1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 |
| Korea(57) v Algeria(22) | 2-4 | 2-3=1 | 0-1=1 | 3-0 | 2-0 | 1-2=1 | 1-1 |
| USA(13) v Portugal(4) | 2-2 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-3 | 3-3=1 |
| Neth(15) v Chile(14) | 2-0 | 3-2=1 | 0-1 | 2-0=3 | 1-1 | 1-0=1 | 2-3 |
| Aus(62) v Spain(1) | 0-3 | 1-4=1 | 0-1=1 | 0-5=1 | 2-4=1 | 1-3=1 | 3-3 |
| Cameroon(56) v Brazil(3) | 1-4 | 1-3=1 | 0-1=1 | 0-2=1 | 1-3=1 | 0-2=1 | 1-0 |
| Croatia(18) v Mexico(20) | 1-3 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-2 |
| Italy(9) v Uruguay(7) | 0-1 | 2-1 | 0-1=3 | 1-1 | 1-2=1 | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| Costa Rica(28) v England(10) | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-3 |
| Japan(46) v Colombia(8) | 1-4 | 1-2=1 | 0-1=1 | 0-1=1 | 1-3=1 | 1-3=1 | 1-1 |
| Greece(12) v Ivory(23) | 2-1 | 0-0 | 1-0=1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-1=3 | 0-0 |
| Nigeria(44) v Argentina(5) | 2-3 | 0-1=1 | 0-1=1 | 1-3=1 | 1-4=1 | 0-2=1 | 0-0 |
| B&H(21) v Iran(43) | 3-1 | 1-1 | 1-0=1 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2-0=1 | 0-0 |
| Honduras(33) v Switz(6) | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-1=1 | 1-1 | 0-3=3 | 0-1=1 | 0-3=3 |
| Ecuador(26) v France(17) | 0-0 | 0-0=3 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| USA(13) v Germany(2) | 0-1 | 0-1=3 | 0-1=3 | 0-3=1 | 0-2=1 | 1-3=1 | 3-3 |
| Portugal(4) v Ghana(37) | 2-1 | 2-0=1 | 1-0=1 | 1-1 | 2-1=3 | 3-1=1 | 3-2=1 |
| Korea(57) v Belgium(11) | 0-1 | 0-1=3 | 0-1=3 | 1-1 | 0-2=1 | 0-2=1 | 1-2=1 |
| Algeria(22) v Russia(19) | 1-1 | 0-0=1 | 0-1 | 3-2 | 1-1=3 | 0-1 | 1-2 |
comments here:
Matt's algorithm is based on the premise that teams with more red in their flag score more goals. The field is to be split into four roughly-equal sections based on flag percentage area devoted to the shade in question. The ruddiest section score 3 goals per match regardless of opposition. The next sections in order score 2, 1 and 0 goals per match. I have done my best to interpret this fairly and consistently. My results are as follows: The "top" six teams are Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Chile, England and USA (having respectively 80%, 60%, 50%, 50%, 50%, 41% of their flags being red) and will score 3 goals per match. The next section of ten teams all have 33% and hence all score 2 goals per game. They are: Croatia, Mexico, Netherlands, France, Germany, Iran, Ghana, Belgium, Russia, Italy. The next set consists of Cameroon, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Australia, Korea, Algeria (scoring 32%, 32%, 25%, 25%, 15%, 5%, 4%, 3%) and they all score 1 goal per game. Finally, Brazil, Greece, Uruguay, Ivory Coast, Honduras, Argentina, B&H, are totally without red in their flags and hence, obviously(!) score no goals.
The "reddest" match will be Spain vs Chile.
Constanze likes this
After 12 matches there have been no draws and only one match with less than 3 goals! The girls are streaking ahead.
I jinxed it. The very next match was a goalless draw!
Following her 2010 victory, Valerie wins again in 2014. Final scores:
- Valerie (43)
- Constanze (39)
- Andrew (34)
- Paul and Marcus (33)
- Matt (25)