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

[Timetxu]

3 hours ago, collindinho said:

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.

The cool thing about this format is that it's a lot rarer for teams to get nine points from their first three matches because every bigger nation faces another big nation. So the need to win every single game is so much more important. England, Germany, Spain and Uruguay have all been smooth sailing so far, but you just know that probably two of them will need to play in the first knockout round.

[Timetxu]

DAY 11 - GAME 1

We continue with another day in this World Cup. Starting off with the two remaining games in the Eastern Hub. Then we'll head southwards for the last sextuplet of games in this second round of pool play.

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

Lineups:

Morocco (4-4-2):
Bounou; Hakimi, Saïss , Feddal, Mendyl; Ziyech, Belhanda, Taarabt ( 77' S. Amrabat), Harit; Alioui, En-Nesyri

Uzbekistan (Defensive 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Quvvatov; G'iyosov, Xoshimov ( 85' A'zamov), Krimets, Zoteev; Ahmedov, Hamrobekov  ( 90+1' Afonin), Salomov, Sobirxo'jaev ( 69' Rashidov), Aliboev ; Shomurodov 

Report:
Morocco went up just over ten minutes into the game when Rachid Alioui headed in a corner kick. Uzbekistan did not let their heads drop, however, as the first half was pretty evenly matched. The second half was of a whole other level as Morocco imposed its dominance on the Asians. Younes Belhanda placed a penalty kick on the outside of the Uzbeki post and Youssef En-Nesyri had a goal ruled out for offside, but the Sevilla striker did get his goal in the final minute of the game and gave the Atlas Lions a deserved 2-0 win.

Statistics:
2 Goals 0
22 Shots 9
13 On Target 6
2.5 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.0
37% Possession 63%

Man of the Match:
Younes Belhanda - Morocco
(2 assists, clean sheet, 6 crosses completed, 3 key passes, 2 chances created, 6 recoveries)
 

[Timetxu]

DAY 11 - GAME 2

It's the last game in the Eastern Hub for now as Australia has a shot at qualifying for the next round if they beat Burkina Faso.

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

Lineups:

Australia (5-3-2 WB):
Ryan; Sainsbury, Degenek, Jurman, Grant ( 77' Karacic), Smith; Mooy , Rogic ( 90' Troisi), Luongo; Giannou, Kruse ( 77' Maclaren)

Burkina Faso (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Wide):
Koffi; Yago, Koné, E. Tapsoba, Coulibaly; C. Kaboré , Dabo ( 84' Touré), B. Traoré, Youssef, Bandé ( 63' Koura); L. Traoré ( 58' Nakoulma)

Report:
A thunderous wonder strike from 25 yards out by Aaron Mooy decided this game in the advantage of the Socceroos and sealed the Australian passage to the next round. The win was thoroughly deserved as the Ozzies could have been up before half time. Burkina Faso did manage to create some chances in the second half, based on the bountiful amount of possession that they amassed, but the score did not change.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
15 Shots 10
6 On Target 4
2.2 Expected Goals 1.0
29% Possession 71%

Man of the Match:
Aaron Mooy - Australia
(1 goal, clean sheet, 6 crosses completed, 3 key passes, 4 tackles won, 9 recoveries, 95% passing accuracy)

[jcoll]

Love the format of the match reports, how did you manage to get Expected Goals data? Is that a FMT thing?

[Timetxu]

23 minutes ago, jcoll said:

Love the format of the match reports, how did you manage to get Expected Goals data? Is that a FMT thing?

Thanks for following!

Regarding the expected goals: once I first heard of them, I was very interested in how these were calculated. About five years ago I came across the stat for the first time but there was absolutely no clear site to be found that showed what chance is worth what amount of goals. So I grew frustrated and then decided to track all shots during an entire Eredivisie season in a pretty basic way. I divided the pitch into six zones and tracked how many times a shot went in from that zone and how many times a header would go in from that zone. Ever since I have been using the results from that experiment in many of my FM saves where I simply score all attempts according to whether they were headers/shots and from where they were taken. It's not 100% accurate, but I've compared it to some other databases that are extremely detailed and I'd say I got very close, so I'm happy to use it as sort of a rough guideline.

This is the calculation I use:

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 11 - GAME 3

We're into the final sextuplet of this second round and so we are heading South. The first game is a very interesting tie between two European sides.

Second Round of Pool Play
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico

Lineups:

Switzerland (Cautious 4-2-1-3 DM Wide):
Sommer; Elvedi, Schär, Akanji , Rodríguez; Zakaria, Xhaka, Fernandes; Shaqiri, Vargas , Embolo

Sweden (Cautious 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Olsen; Krafth, Lindelöf, Gagliolo ( 88' Jansson), Augustinsson ; Ekdal, Larsson, Olsson, Forsberg ( 86' Tankovic); Quaison , Isak ( 69' Berg)

Report:
It was a true World Cup classic in Guadalajara and a tale of two halves. Sweden stormed out of the gates and scored early on a beautifully set up team goal that was finished by Kristoffer Olsson. Gagliolo's header made it 2-0 for the Tre Kronor and the Swedes even came close to a third goal before forward Robin Quaison made a completely random two footed tackle on Ricardo Rodríguez in the central part of the field. It was a red card for Quaison which meant Sweden had to play with ten men for the last hour of the game. Sweden looked stunned and when Breel Embolo was able to pull Switzerland back into the game with a completely unmarked header, you just knew something was on the cards for the second half. That prediction came true as the Swiss had a half of their own. They bombarded the Swedish goal and they struck gold in the 69th minute when Denis Zakaria scored what might be the goal of the tournament. A completely bullet from 25 yards that kissed the crossbar as it went in. Just minutes later, Ricardo Rodríguez scored another one for the Swiss which put them up ahead for good.

Statistics:
3 Goals 2
17 Shots 11
10 On Target 6
2.1 Expected Goals 1.3
39% Possession 61%

Man of the Match:
Breel Embolo - Switzerland
(1 goal, 1 assist, 8 shots, 100% passing accuracy)

[Timetxu]

[Insert the Soul Glo theme song]

[Timetxu]

DAY 11 - GAME 4

We continue two sides who can use a victory after they opened the tournament with draws: it's Mexico against Austria.

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

Lineups:

Mexico (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Ochoa; Sánchez, Montes ( 85' Araujo), Salcedo , Calderón ; Álvarez, Rodríguez, Herrera, Vela; Lozano ( 58' Pizarro), Jiménez

Austria (Defensive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Lindner; Lazaro ( 75' Lainer), Dragovic, Hinteregger, Alaba; Baumgartlinger ( 90' Ilsanker), Grillitsch ( 66' Laimer), Schlager , Sabitzer; Arnautovic, Gregoritsch

Report:
Co-hosts Mexico have yet to impress during this World Cup, but they did record their first three points. In a very poor game, they had the best chances in the first half, but both teams went into half time with a goalless tie. Austria then started to take control and the Europeans thought they had scored on a goal by Arnautovic who tapped in a beautiful cross from David Alaba. The goal was ruled offside, however, and just minutes later, the home team took the lead on a corner kick header by César Montes. Austria continued to be the more dangerous side in the second half, but it was Rodolfo Pizarro who sealed the win for the Mexicans after a beautiful assist by Raúl Jiménez. Austria is yet to score a goal this tournament and will have to go guns ablazing in their last match against Iran.

Statistics:
2 Goals 0
8 Shots 9
5 On Target 3
1.0 Expected Goals 1.2
41% Possession 59%

Man of the Match:
César Montes - Mexico
(1 goal, clean sheet, 6 interceptions, 14 recoveries)

Edited September 21, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 11 - STANDINGS

With only one day of matches remaining in this second round of pool play, the standings are becoming more interesting. We see the first teams with three points falling out of the Top 24. The threshold is still not extremely steep - with 3 points and a goal difference of -1, you're in - but it does make it nearly impossible for the lowest six teams to qualify for the next round.

At the top, we now see there are more teams with 6 points than there are direct spots in the Round of 16, so there will be no useless games in the final round of pool play!

[andychar]

Really enjoyed following this. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

[Timetxu]

DAY 12 - GAME 1

We're back for the last eight countries to play their second game of the tournament. We have two Pot 1 sides remaining who drew their first games, so they will want to make sure to put in a good performance against some tough Pot 2 sides.

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

Lineups:

Portugal (4-2-3-1 Wide):
Patrício; Cancelo, Dias, Pepe , Guerreiro; Neves ( 73' Moutinho), Fernandes, B. Silva, Félix, Guedes ( 68' Rafa ); Ronaldo

Iran (4-4-1-1):
Beiranvand; Ghafouri , Hosseini, Cheshmi, Hajsafi; Dejagah ( 56' Torabi), Pouraliganji, Amiri ( 62' Nourollahi), Jahanbakhsh; Shojaei , Azmoun

Report:
Portugal stormed out of the gates, missed a great chance after just half a minute but scored so shortly after that the Europeans still had the lead before the second minute of the game was up. Would it be a walkover after that? Not at all. Portugal did create the most chances, but the quality wasn't very high. This led Iran to believe they still had a shot at grabbing an equaliser, but the Persians never really became any dangerous themselves. Ronaldo could have finished the game with twenty minutes to go when Portugal got a penalty kick after a foul on Rafa, but the Juve star hit the post from twelve yards.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
22 Shots 5
8 On Target 2
2.4 + 1 PK Expected Goals 0.5
62% Possession 38%

Man of the Match:
Bruno Fernandes - Portugal
(1 goal, clean sheet, 7 recoviers, 4 fouls against, 94% passing accuracy)

Edited September 23, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 12 - GAME 2

How will the last of the title favourites fare against a tough opponent? It's Argentina facing Ghana.

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

Lineups:

Argentina (4-2-3-1 Wide):
Rulli; Bustos, Otamendi, Kannemann, Tagliafico ; Banega ( 74' Palacios), Lo Celso, Messi, Dybala, Di María ( 64' Martínez); Agüero ( 82' Domínguez)

Ghana (Defensive 4-2-3-1 Wide):
Ofori; Amartey  ( 81' Yiadom), Aidoo, Adams, Asamoah; Partey, Duncan ( 76' Acquah), Twumasi, Ekuban, Waris ( 74' Boateng); Ayew

Report:
Argentina got off to a good start when Paulo Dybala volleyed in a corner kick after only thirteen minutes. The Albiceleste had a slight advantage in the first half, but saw that advantage slip in the second half as Ghana created some really good chances. Argentine goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli had the post and woodwork to his aid a couple of times. A beautiful cross from Ángel Di María to Sergio Agüero unexpectedly put the South Americans up ahead two goals to nil, after which Ghanaian resistance broke and Argentina walked away with a flattered victory.

Statistics:
4 Goals 0
17 Shots 10
8 On Target 3
2.3 Expected Goals 0.9
58% Possession 42%

Man of the Match:
Paulo Dybala - Argentina
(2 goals, 7 shots, 12 recoveries, 4 fouls against, 95% passing accuracy)

Edited September 23, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 12 - GAME 3

The last two remaining matches are between Pot 3 sides. Both Ivory Coast and Ecuador managed to snatch a draw against a Pot 2 team in their first game. With a game remaining against a Pot 1 side, a win in this game is every so important. 

Second Round of Pool Play
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Lineups:

Ecuador (Cautious 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
Domínguez; Carabalí, Arboleda, Arreaga, Ramírez; Orejuela, Sornoza ( 79' Sierra), Gruezo ( 66' Gaibor); Cazares , Bolaños, Valencia

Ivory Coast (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Gbohouo; Aurier, Koné, Deli, Konan; Kessié, Sangaré ( 79' Fofana), Pépé, Traoré, Gervinho ( 79' Séri); Zaha

Report:
The start to the game was very promising as both teams managed to score a goal withing the first fifteen minutes. However, from then on the game would turn into a real chore. Neither side managed to create anything until the final fifteen minutes of the game. Miller Bolaños was close to his second goal of the game when he headed the ball against the post and Wilfried Zaha had a goal ruled out just five minutes before the end after the striker was found a few inches offside.

Statistics:
1 Goals 1
15 Shots 9
6 On Target 5
1.6 Expected Goals 1.4
40% Possession 60%

Man of the Match:
Ibrahim Sangaré - Ivory Coast
(1 goal, 4 tackles won, 91% pass accuracy)

Edited September 23, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 12 - GAME 4

It's the very last game of the second round of pool play. We finish with Iraq and Honduras, two sides that lost their first game and have even more riding on this all-Pot 3 encounter. It's do or die in Monterrey.

Second Round of Pool Play
Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Monterrey

Lineups:

Iraq (Cautious 5-3-2 WB):
G. Mohammed; I. Ahmed, N. Saad, F. Ali, A. Ala'a ( 72' Putros), A. Ali; Mahdi, Rewan , Safaa; Hammadi ( 67' Jiloan), Mohannad ( 72' A.Z. Ala'a)

Honduras (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Morales; Beckeles , J. Palacios, Figueroa , Izaguirre ( 67' Leverón ), W. Palacios , García, Toro, De León, Acosta ; Lozano

Report:
Honduras scored the quickest goal of the tournament as Anthony Lozano found the net on the exact one minute mark. It was a pretty bland game after that with a lot of bad passing. Honduras created the most chances, but Iraq had the best. Still, the game was pretty dead up until the final quarter of the game. Amin Rewan got a second yellow card, but instead of being down, the Iraqi players went in complete overload. They piled their chances and even got a penalty kick ten minutes before the end. However, Honduras goalkeeper Donaldo Morales became the hero for the Central Americans as he saved that penalty kick as well as an absolute clear cut sitter in the very last second of the game by Abdul Zahra Ala'a to win it for Honduras.

Statistics:
0 Goals 1
11 Shots 11
4 On Target 6
1.8 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.1
41% Possession 59%

Man of the Match:
Donaldo Morales - Honduras
(clean sheet, 5 saves, penalty saved)

Edited September 24, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

SECOND ROUND OF POOL PLAY - RECAP

The second round of games are over and the standings are definitely worth watching now. There's only three points left to win for every team, so it's pretty clear which teams are through and which teams can start packing their bags. But let's start look at the results first:

The new threshold is still 3 points, but a positive goal difference is an absolute necessity. And with the last 24 games playing out the way they will, 4 points will most probably be needed instead of gambling for those 3 points. . In that light, it's going to be near impossible for the the teams who are on 0 points right now.

At the top, it's going to be extremely interesting. I think there will be not more than a handful of teams that will finish with 9 points, because of all the Pot 1 encounters yet to come. 7 points will probably be enough to skip the first knockout round and maybe even 6 points with a very good goal difference. Brazil is looking good, with a Pot 2 encounter, just like the Netherlands with a Pot 3 encounter. But England, Spain, Uruguay and Germany all have Pot 1 encounters left. What will happen to them? From next round on, I'll start posting the standings after every single game, just to be able to analyze the consequences better.

The top goalscorers:

4 - Harry Kane (ENG)

3 - Roberto Firmino (BRA), Álvaro Morata (ESP)

2 - Lionel Messi (ARG), Paulo Dybala (ARG), Neymar (BRA), John Stones (ENG), James Morrison (ENG), Marcus Rashford (ENG), Marco Reus (GER), Son Heung-min (KOR), Moussa Marega (MLI), Hans Hateboer (NED), Paolo Guerrero (PER), Ricardo Rodríguez (SUI)

1 - 94 players

(+1 Own Goal)

----------

Which brings us to the last set of games in the pool play phase. It's the home stretch now!

[corinthiano]

Promises to be an exciting last round of games! Go Brazil

[Timetxu]

DAY 13 - GAME 1

All teams are two matches down and everyone knows - more or less - what they'll have to do to reach the last 24 of this World Cup. We start off with Brazil, who have been dominant with the full 6 points from 2 matches against a very tough Slovakian side. The Seleção can assure a free pass to the Round of 16 with a win. But they'll need to score against a defense that hasn't allowed a single goal yet.

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

Lineups:

Brazil (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Wide):
Alisson; Alves, Silva, Marquinhos, Sandro; Arthur, Fernandinho ( 63' Casemiro), Costa ( 63' Everton), Coutinho, Neymar; Firmino ( 69' Jesus)

Slovakia (Cautious 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Dubravka; Pekarik, Skriniar, Vavro, Hancko; Hrosovsky, Hamsik, Lobotka, Duda ( 72' Rusnák); Bozenik, Kucka ( 56' Duris)

Report:
After two easy victories by Brazil, it was a tough game to watch in Philadelphia as this match ended in a draw. The South Americans went ahead early as Thiago Silva was able to tap in a free kick from close range, but Marek Hamsik put Slovakia back into the game with a beautifully curled shot from the edge of the penalty area. Brazil passed the eye test as being the best side in the game, but mostly because of the quality of the rare amount of shots that they had. The longer the game lasted, the less a goal by Brazil would seem likely. That was, until the 85th minute, when Neymar headed a ball onto the crossbar, but that shot too would not go in.

Statistics:
1 Goals 1
14 Shots 7
6 On Target 4
2.2 Expected Goals 0.6
44% Possession 56%

Man of the Match:
Marek Hamsik - Slovakia
(1 goal, 8 recoveries, 92% passing accuracy)

----------

Looking at the standings, Brazil was already qualified for the next round but it might have just wasted the golden opportunity to qualify directly to the Round of 16. However, with 7 points and a +7 goal difference, you're tempted to assume that they will make it to the Top 8. As for Slovakia, nothing is official yet but 5 points will most definitely be enough to go through to the first knockout round.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Timetxu

[corinthiano]

Disappointing stuff from Brazil...hope they hang on to Top 8 - is there some sort of seeding going into the knockouts i.e. does it make a difference if you finish 1st or 8th?

[Timetxu]

On 28/09/2020 at 18:42, corinthiano said:

Disappointing stuff from Brazil...hope they hang on to Top 8 - is there some sort of seeding going into the knockouts i.e. does it make a difference if you finish 1st or 8th?

There is actually. I made this preliminary knockout schedule:

Finishing with the 1st seed will most definitely get you an average opponent, while finishing with the 8th seed might get you the team that finished only one spot under you. Plus you might face the number 1 seed in the quarter finals.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Timetxu

[corinthiano]

Then the draw could be costly...nice looking schedule, looks a lot like Wikipedia

[Timetxu]

4 hours ago, corinthiano said:

Then the draw could be costly...nice looking schedule, looks a lot like Wikipedia

Haha you got me. I've always loved Wikipedia's simplistic but clear presentation, so whenever I simulate a tournament I always copy their house style!

[Timetxu]

DAY 13 - GAME 2

We have comparable stakes in the next game. France can assure themselves from a spot in the Round of 16 with a win while Costa Rica - who are on four points - will want to minimize the damage as much as possible. Four points might be enough to go through and with their +1 goal difference, a one goal defeat might not even be that bad for the Central Americans.

Third Round of Pool Play
Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada

Lineups:

France (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Lloris; Pavard , Varane, Umtiti, Mendy  ( 81' Hernández); Kanté, Pogba , Matuidi  ( 76' Tolisso), Fekir; Mbappé, Griezmann

Costa Rica (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Wide):
Navas; Gamboa, González , Duarte, Oviedo ; Borges ( 76' Tejeda), Guzmán, Bolaños ( 85' Urena), Ruíz, Campbell ; Rodríguez ( 62' George)

Report:
After a drab first quarter of the game, France opened the scoring when Antoine Griezmann beautifully sent away Kylian Mbappé through on goal with a laser quick counter attack. Costa Rica played extremely poor and came up well short offensively, so their strategy in the second half was to consolidate the slim margin and hope that the four points and a goal difference of zero would be enough. They succeeded in their mission to prevent the French from creating open play chances. However, les Bleus did manage to score two identical goals from two corner kicks where the ball was headed into the 5 yard box and then easily tapped in by Griezmann at the near post.

Statistics:
3 Goals 0
14 Shots 5
7 On Target 2
2.3 Expected Goals 0.5
48% Possession 52%

Man of the Match:
Antoine Griezmann (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 key passes, 1 chance created)

----------

With that victory, the French can take a good, long break as we will not see Les Bleus again until the Round of 16. For Costa Rica, it's the hot seat now. The Central Americans have four points, which is great. But that -2 goal difference might pose a problem.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 13 - GAME 3

An interesting matchup between two sides who have so far amassed a decent amount of points and will both be certain of a spot in the next round with a win. A loss, however, could be very dangerous agian. So it's an all or nothing affair in New York!

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

Lineups:

Colombia (Attacking 5-3-2 WB):
Ospina; Mina, Sánchez , Murillo, Cuadrado, Fabra; Uribe , Rodríguez, Lerma ( 62' Cuéllar); Muriel ( 75' Falcao), D. Zapata

Scotland (4-4-2):
Gordon; O'Donnell, Souttar, Cooper, Robertson; Forrest, McGregor, McTominay, Fraser ; Naismith, Griffiths

Report:
It was a true shock result in East Rutherford as Scotland managed to beat Pot 1 foes Colombia by 2-1. The first half was a bore, but Colombia showed the most anxiousness to score a goal. They continued on the same path of slight dominance over the Tartan Army in the second half, but a counter attack instigated by a great buildup from Ryan Fraser and Scott McTominay resulted in the Newcastle forward slotting it home. Colombia looked startled and had problems regaining the initial dominance. This was illustrated by a horrible scrimmage in the box only fifteen minutes later, which ended in Leigh Griffiths dispossessing Yerry Mina in his own box and easily scoring Scotland's second. Duván Zapata pulled one back late, which could prove very important in the race for a spot in the next round, but will only three points from the South Americans be enough? Scotland can celebrate, because 7 points will see them go through.

Statistics:
1 Goals 2
13 Shots 8
5 On Target 4
1.6 Expected Goals 1.1
53% Possession 47%

Man of the Match:
Ryan Fraser - Scotland
(1 goal, 15 tackles won, 12 recoveries)

----------

This win will send Scotland through and as for Colombia.... well, they're still in the Top 24, but if any of the 24 teams that are below them in the standings win, it's the end for los Cafeteros.

[Timetxu]

DAY 13 - GAME 4

We end this thirteenth day of the World Cup with a primetime showing of co-host Canada. Just like their opponents of tonight South Korea, they have won and lost a game. Theoretically speaking, both team could go through with a win, as their goal differences are pretty much solid, but a win is always better. Especially given that a win 100% seals the deal.

Third Round of Pool Play
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Lineups:

Canada (5-3-2 WB):
Borjan; James, Edgar, Henry, Córdova, Davies; Arfield, Hutchinson, Eustáquio; David, Cavallini ( 76' Akindele)

South Korea (Positive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Cho H.W.; Lee Y., Hong J.H., Kim M.J. , Kim J.S.; Son J.H., Hwang I.B., Lee J.S., Kwon C.H.; Hwang H.C., Son H.M.

Report:
BMO Field was buzzing tonight. Canadian football fans have had to wait a long time for some success, but their national team was on the verge of qualifying for the second round of a World Cup for the first time. Toronto exploded when a great buildup by Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies led to a close range goal by Lucas Cavallini. It took a good twenty minutes for BMO Field to calm down and after that, the nerves started showing up. South Korea overall created the better chances in the first half. In the second half, rather than leaning back, Canada tried to retake initiative, which they did successfully as they were led by a great performance from Davies. The Canucks defended high on the Korean half and managed to bring the narrow victory home. With that win, Canada will definitely be back in the next round.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
16 Shots 11
6 On Target 5
1.9 Expected Goals 1.6
47% Possession 53%

Man of the Match:
Alphonso Davies - Canada
(1 assist, 1 chance created, 7 tackles won, 21 recoveries, 7 fouls received, 4 shots)

----------

In the updated standings we see that Canada is the eleventh country to book its passage to the next round. For South Korea, it's the waiting game now, but they'll be happy that they've beaten Tunisia 4-0 in their second game. Colombia is still clinging on, but that's mostly because both Canada and South Korea were already in the Top 24 before the game started. That means the minimal threshold is still 3 points and a 0 goal difference. However, the teams on 4 points are getting closer to that threshold, as Costa Rica, a 4 points team, is now in 18th position.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 14 - GAME 1

This World Cup is two weeks underway and for the first time so far, we have a relatively meaningless game. Meaningless in the sentence that both of these teams started with 0 points from 2 matches, so unless one of these two sides scores half a dozen of goals, both will be playing their final game in this World Cup today.

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

Lineups:

Denmark (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Schmeichel; Wass, Christensen, Kjær, Skov ; Billing, Delaney , Falk ( 74' Højbjerg), Eriksen; Dolberg ( 79' Poulsen), Fischer ( 89' Cornelius)

Tunisia (Cautious 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Hassen; Dräger, Meriah, Bronn ( 70' Abdennour), Haddadi; Skhiri , Sassi, Rafia, Msakni, Khazri; Jebali

Report:
Denmark needed at least four goals to keep a slim chance of progressing to the next round alive and they looked well underway by leading 2-0 at the break. Both Viktor Fischer and Kasper Dolberg slotted in from close range after sloppy defending from Tunisia. It could've been a closer game by then, if Dylan Bronn had scored a penalty kick just minutes prior to the 2-0. Denmark started rather slowly with the second half as hopes started fading away. Issam Jebali's goal from a corner kick put all Danish dreams to bed. The last quarter of the game progressed as a snoozefest.

Statistics:
2 Goals 1
15 Shots 12
8 On Target 9
1.8 Expected Goals 1.6 + 1 PK
34% Possession 66%

Man of the Match:
Kasper Dolberg - Denmark
(1 goal)

----------

The result doesn't do a lot for the standings, rather than confirm that Denmark and Tunisia are officially the first two nations eliminated from this World Cup.

[Timetxu]

DAY 14 - GAME 2

The game between Denmark and Tunisia kicked off a string of four games between countries which, unless they demolish their opponents, are likely to go out from this World Cup. Therefore, here's another game where it's mostly pride that's at stake.

Third Round of Pool Play
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Lineups:

Cape Verde (Cautious 4-4-2):
Vózinha; Gégé, F. Varela, Ponck, Stopira; Pereira , Rocha Santos ( 64' H. Tavares), Monteiro, Rodrigues; Djaniny, Zé Luís

China (Cautious 5-3-2 WB):
Yan; L. Zhang, Z. Gao, Shi ( 87' Feng), Ji, H. Yu; Yennaris, Hao ( 79' Chi), Zheng ( 79' Huang); Elkeson, Wu

Report:
Both teams went into this game knowing they could record their first ever World Cup win and it was Cape Verde who got off to their best start. Hildeberto Pereira was brought down in the box after only two minutes and it was striker Djaniny who slotted home. The game was pretty even among both sides, so it was clear there would be no miracle of Toronto for any of the two sides today and when fullback Yu Hai beautifully volleyed home, the only thing left for both sides was the honour. That glory went to the Blue Sharks when Zé Luís beautifully headed in a cross with only a quarter of the game to go. China got close to a late equaliser, but Elkesons tap-in was ruled out for offside.

Statistics:
2 Goals 1
10 Shots 12
6 On Target 7
0.9 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.4
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Hildeberto Pereira - Cape Verde
(1 assist, penalty earned, 3 crosses completed, 7 tackles won, 10 recoveries, 9 fouls received)

----------

As we say goodbye to the Northern Hub, we've seen another game between two sides who were clearly close to an early exit beforehand. The win is a nice showing for a tough Cape Verde side, but the Africans, as well as China, are out of this World Cup.

Edited October 5, 2020 by Timetxu

[bazhsw]

Really enjoying following this and it's good to see that even the last two games have still had something to play for (albeit an outside chance).

 

I am sure Colombia are sweating on the Italy and Belgium results who likely won't slip up again.

 

It's a fascinating experiment and I am loving it from both a story telling point of view and a viable experiment for a larger World Cup.

[Timetxu]

6 minutes ago, bazhsw said:

Really enjoying following this and it's good to see that even the last two games have still had something to play for (albeit an outside chance).

 

I am sure Colombia are sweating on the Italy and Belgium results who likely won't slip up again.

 

It's a fascinating experiment and I am loving it from both a story telling point of view and a viable experiment for a larger World Cup.

Thanks for your comment! It's true that even though some games might not sound exciting on paper, there's way less games that are "worthless" in the last round of the games as there have been in regular format World Cups.

Regarding Colombia, it would have been great having them in the next round, but I really don't see how they will survive...

Once again thanks for your comment and I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm planning on writing a bit of an evaluation post when this experiment is over on how FIFA should modernize their tournament planning heading into the future. It's not impossible to have tournaments with bigger amount of teams, but it does mean you have to let go of the idea you always need that exact format of 2/4/8/16 groups. I was very amazed that, when researching the perfect amount of teams for the 2026 World Cup, they've only looked at the way they could distribute teams over groups rather than looking at the actual tournament structure itself. You have so many people in there with tournament organizing experience and you're telling me nobody thought of another structure than the one that's been in place since 90 years ago?

[Timetxu]

DAY 14 - GAME 3

Heading to the Western Hub, it's another game between two teams that will need a lot of goals to keep their hopes alive. It's Paraguay against the United Arab Emirates.

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

Lineups:

Paraguay (Cautious 4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Fernández; Moreira , Balbuena, Alderete ( 89' R. Rojas), Alonso ; R. Piris, Ortiz, Martínez , M. Rojas; Santander  ( 45' Romero), Almirón ( 78' Gómez)

United Arab Emirates (Defensive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Khaseif; Lashkri ( 87' Al-Rumaithe), Al-Kamali, Abbas, Hezam ; Khalifa ( 70' Al-Ali), A. Abdulrahman, Salmin, O. Abdulrahman; Khalil, Mabkhout ( 78' Caio)

Report:
It was a game that Paraguay dominated from start to finish, but the South Americans had a hard time finding the net. It took until the 61st minute and two rebounds before Miguel Almirón wound his way through the Emirati defense and scored the opening goal of the game. It was clear by then that none of the teams would have a shot at going through to the next round, so Paraguay decided to hang onto the result from there. That plan could have nearly been thrown out of the window as Junior Alonso received a second yellow card with fifteen minutes to play, but the Guaraníes held onto the deserved victory.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
18 Shots 7
7 On Target 4
2.7 Expected Goals 0.8
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Matías Rojas - Paraguay
(clean sheet, 9 crosses completed, 1 chance created, 4 tackles won, 9 recoveries, 87% passing accuracy)

----------

Paraguay finished with a more respectable amount of 3 points and as for the Emirates... it's pretty much certain they'll finish this World Cup in last place.

I was revising the standings just a little bit and I noticed that Slovakia is actually the twelfth country through to the next round. There are theoretically 16 countries that could finish higher than them, but as there are 4 direct encounters between these nations, Slovakia can never finish lower than 24th place.

Edited October 5, 2020 by Timetxu

[collindinho]

1 hour ago, Timetxu said:

FIFA should modernize their tournament planning heading into the future...  when researching the perfect amount of teams for the 2026 World Cup, they've only looked at the way they could distribute teams over groups... nobody thought of another structure than the one that's been in place since 90 years ago?

I would absolutely LOVE a tournament structure like this experiment you have (expertly) put together, but how likely is it that FIFA will re-consider if they (and sponsors) continually make money with the current methods? Money comes first, unfortunately. If you do write that evaluation post, I'll definitely give it a read! This experiment has even given me inspiration on how to implement this for work FIFA/Mario Kart competitions. ps. Hoping for Sweden to secure qualification with 3 points against Ghana!

Edited October 5, 2020 by collindinho
a word

[Timetxu]

DAY 14 - GAME 4

It's the final game of the day between two teams with a horrible goal difference. However, not all is lost, because a win puts Egypt on 4 points and that might just be enough, even after that heavy thumping against England.

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

Lineups:

Turkey (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Çakir; Çelik, Demiral  ( 88' Çetin), Söyüncu, Erkin ; Yokuslu , Belözoğlu, Çalhanoglu, Kahveci ( 81' Yazici); Tosun ( 24' Ayhan), Ünal

Egypt (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
El Shennawy; Elmohamady, Samir, Gabr, Hafez; Morsy ( 77' Magdy), Elneny, Gomaa, Sobhi; Hassan, Salah

Report:
It was an absolute thriller in Denver tonight. The first half delivered plenty of fireworks as Caner Erkin was sent off after only 24 minutes, but Turkey still took the lead after a penalty goal by Emre Belözoğlu. Right before half time, Egypt drew level on a corner kick which was headed in by Ramadan Sobhi. However, some sloppy defending put Turkey up ahead again just minutes later. Even in the second half, the ten Turks wouldn't back down and created many chances to put the game to bed. That approach proved to be very costly, because a beautifully cross from Ahmed Elmohamady was met with the toe of Mohamed Salah. Egypt then turned on its turbo jets and they were rewarded with only minutes to play when fullback Karim Hafez bolted in a shot in the top corner. It proved to be enough for the win, but will it be enough to go through to the next round?

 Statistics:
2 Goals 3
17 Shots 18
6 On Target 7
2.2 + 1 PK Expected Goals 2.0
52% Possession 48%

Man of the Match:
Mohamed Salah - Egypt
(1 goal, 1 assist, 5 crosses completed, 4 key passes, 2 chances created, 4 shots)

----------

With that win, Egypt makes an absolute monster jump in the standings. They go all the way from 42nd place to 19th and are on a safe spot for now. If the threshold for going through will turn out to be 4 points, the Pharaohs will most definitely go out with that -8 goal difference. But it takes six countries below them to win their games for that.

Turkey is definitely out of the tournament, as is Colombia, who now move down to 25th.

[corinthiano]

It's getting interesting now!

Surprised at how poorly Turkey have performed...also, starting to look like 3 points will not be enough...

[dcu4life]

This is very cool. Love the idea and updates! 

[Timetxu]

24 minutes ago, corinthiano said:

It's getting interesting now!

Surprised at how poorly Turkey have performed...also, starting to look like 3 points will not be enough...

Yeah, I was surprised with that too. I had no idea what to expect but I certainly didn't think they would finish with 0 points.

I really thought beforehand that there would be a couple of 3 point teams going through, but as it looks now, we'll be lucky to see even one.

20 minutes ago, dcu4life said:

This is very cool. Love the idea and updates! 

Thanks for following!

[Timetxu]

DAY 15 - GAME 1

This will be the day we will see the conclusion of the Western Hub, which means the two juicy encounters between Pot 1 sides. But first, it's two games among teams who can all claim a spot in the next round with a victory. We start off with the first all-African encounter at this World Cup. Both Nigeria and Mali are on 3 points, but on whole different sides of the spectrum if it comes to goal difference. Mali are pretty much through with a point, Nigeria will very likely be among the worst teams with 4 points if they don't win. Ergo, winning is key.

Third Round of Pool Play
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada

Lineups:

Nigeria (4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Akpeyi; Ebuehi, Troost-Ekong , Omeruo, Aina; Aribo, Ndidi, Etebo, Iwobi, Iheanacho; Osimhen ( 83' Musa)

Mali (Defensive 4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Samassa; H. Traoré, Wagué, Konaté, Koné ; T. Doumbia ( 77' Bissouma), Samassékou , Haidara, S. Diarra; K. Coulibaly ( 83' C. Diabaté), Marega

Report:
The game finished exactly the way it started but how Nigeria didn't manage to score is beyond belief. The Super Eagles stormed the Malian goal but 90 minutes later, the score was still level. Even though a vast amount of their shots were from long range, 27 shots should have at least given them the single goal needed for a win. The result will leave Mali very confident with 4 points and a +3 goal difference, but as for Nigeria, they just need to hope that missing all those chances will not come to bite them.

Statistics:
0 Goals 0
27 Shots 7
7 On Target 2
2.7 Expected Goals 0.7 
59% Possession 41%

Man of the Match:
Tyronne Ebuehi - Nigeria
(clean sheet, 4 crosses completed, 1 chance created, 15 recoveries, 4 fouls received, 4 shots, 91% passing accuracy)

----------

Mali takes a pretty safe 14th spot for now. As for Nigeria, they hang on to a 20th spot and it will be a very tense final 15 games for them because of that horrible goal difference. As for the rest of the standings, we see that the Grim Reaper is knocking on South Korea's door. One team overtaking them and it's done for the Asians.

[mattyjames_]

Am I correct in thinking that a team like Colombia isn't guaranteed to be eliminated just yet?

Because technically, if the US and Sweden or Peru lose their final game by enough points to put their GD below that of Colombia, they would be elevated back into the top 24?

A format like this definitely means that every single result is still important - I love it! Keep up the great work!

[Timetxu]

10 hours ago, mattyjames_ said:

Am I correct in thinking that a team like Colombia isn't guaranteed to be eliminated just yet?

Because technically, if the US and Sweden or Peru lose their final game by enough points to put their GD below that of Colombia, they would be elevated back into the top 24?

A format like this definitely means that every single result is still important - I love it! Keep up the great work!

If it comes to goal difference, then yes, there could be countries who are higher than Colombia right now that will eventually finish lower. But if Sweden loses, it would mean that Ghana would take its place and Colombia would still be 26th. The same happens with either Uzbekistan and Croatia. Now I'm calculating all these things by head, so I could still be wrong, but I think that they're technically eliminated. Or rather 99% sure of it  

Edited October 6, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 15 - GAME 2

In Dallas, co-hosts USA can qualify for the next round with a win over Japan. The Samurai Blue will need a win of their own to keep hopes alive, anything less than that will mean an early exit for the Asians.

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

Lineups:

United States (Positive 5-3-2 WB):
Steffen; González, Brooks ( 80' Miazga), Yedlin, Johnson; Bradley , McKennie ( 67' Trapp), Adams; Zardes ( 73' Wood), Altidore

Japan (Defensive 4-2-3-1 Narrow):
Kawashima; Sakai, Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Nagatomo; Endô  ( 80' Morioka), Shibasaki, Kagawa, Nakajima, Okazaki ( 58' Ôsako); Minamino ( 74' Kamada)

Report:
Team USA, who for some reason chose not to use Chelsea star Christian Pulisic today, got off to a flying start thanks to a lightning bolt from playmaker Michael Bradley. The Americans easily dominated Japan for the biggest part of the game and missed some huge opportunities to expand their lead. For Japan, the memo that winning the game was the only way to stay in this World Cup arrived pretty late, as the Samurai Blue started a late offense with only ten minutes to go. The Asians came close a few times, but a draw wouldn't have been deserved.

Statistics:
1 Goals 0
23 Shots 8
12 On Target 2
3.0 Expected Goals 1.2
40% Possession 60%

Man of the Match:
DeAndre Yedlin - United States
(1 assist, clean sheet, 4 crosses completed, 3 key passes, 2 chances created, 8 recoveries, 4 shots)

----------

The United States are officially through to the next round with that win. The result means double trouble for Asia as not only Japan, but also South Korea has been eliminated. I think it's pretty safe to say that 4 points will be a necessity for going through now.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Timetxu

[bazhsw]

I'm loving that even with 48 teams there are games which hinge on moments.  How different it would look if Nigeria put one of their chances away.

England Vs Germany and Uruguay Vs Spain look amazing ties to try and cement the top 8.

 

[Timetxu]

17 hours ago, bazhsw said:

I'm loving that even with 48 teams there are games which hinge on moments.  How different it would look if Nigeria put one of their chances away.

England Vs Germany and Uruguay Vs Spain look amazing ties to try and cement the top 8.

 

You're absolutely right. There's no calculating for anything, except for Ghana and Sweden maybe, but aside from that, every goal is valuable. I mean, winning 1-0 and 2-0 still means getting three points, but it could be the difference between finishing in 16th or 19th and with that a whole other opponent.

[Timetxu]

DAY 15 - GAME 3

Well, it's there. One of the best matchups of the first round of games. It's title favourites Germany and England pitted together in Denver. The winner of this game seals an automatic passage to the Round of 16. The loser will probably be seeded in the first knockout round still, but it's going to be a great game for sure.

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

Lineups:

Germany (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Neuer; Klostermann ( 61' Reus), Rüdiger, Süle, Schultz; Kimmich, Kroos, Gündogan ( 61' Can), Havertz; Werner, Volland ( 51' Götze)

England (4-4-2 Diamond Narrow):
Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Stones, Chilwell; Henderson, Maddison ( 85' Grealish), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alli; Abraham, Kane

Report:
The Battle at Mile High has been won by the Three Lions in a very interesting encounter. The Germans started off rather surprisingly without Marco Reus in their starting lineup. Apparently they did not take this shot at reaching the Round of 16 directly all too serious, because his absence was felt in a game where die Mannschaft lacked the power in midfield to resist the attacking mindset of England. England got right into the game on a beautiful finish by Tammy Abraham after only five minutes into the first half. Only five minutes into the second half, Abraham was sent through on goal again, but this time Manuel Neuer was able to parry the shot. Unfortunately for the Germans, tournament top scorer Harry Kane was there to tap in the 2-0. Germany then finally had the guts to push up higher onto the field when they finally brought in Marco Reus after an hour played. They created quite some good chances and were eventually rewarded when they received a penalty kick when Emre Can was pushed down in the box. The Germans then tried to push for a late equaliser, but it was another goal on the break by Harry Kane, his sixth of the tournament, that ensured a perfect 9 out of 3 for England and perhaps a number 1 seed going into the knockout stage.

Statistics:
1 Goals 3
14 Shots 12
6 On Target 8
1.6 + 1 PK Expected Goals 1.5
48% Possession 52%

Man of the Match:
Harry Kane - England
(2 goals, 3 key passes)

----------

As confirmed, England now leads the overall table by quite the margin. They're not only through to the Round of 16, but they are 99% sure of that first overall seed. The team closest to reaching Englands total is Spain and they would neet to beat Uruguay by eight goals. As for Germany, they suddenly fall out of the top 8. As a comfort, they ARE certain of a seeded spot in the first knockout round as there are too many matchups among the teams below them for eight teams leapfrog them.

Edited October 7, 2020 by Timetxu

[Timetxu]

DAY 15 - GAME 4

It's another highly anticipated match as Uruguay and Spain play for the same stakes as Germany and England. A win is an automatic bye to the Round of 16. Who prevails up North in Edmonton?

Third Round of Pool Play
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada

Lineups:

Uruguay (Cautious 4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Muslera; Cáceres, Giménez, Godín, Olaza ; Valverde , Vecino ( 82' Lodeiro), Torreira, Bentancur; L. Suárez, Cavani

Spain (Positive 4-1-2-3 DM Wide):
De Gea; Roberto, Ramos , Hermoso, Alba; Busquets, Thiago, Koke ( 66' Saúl); Williams ( 89' Rodrigo), Vitolo ( 84' Isco), Morata

Report:
There were no early nerves in Edmonton as Uruguay got off to a flying start when a beautiful cross from fullback Lucas Olaza was met by the head of Edinson Cavani. Uruguay then pushed back for the entirety of the first half which proved a hard nut to crack for La Roja. The Uruguayans were already thinking of their halftime speech when Iñaki Williams was suddenly left all free at the far post after a Vitolo cross. The South Americans shook off any disappointment and started the second half the same way like the first half: in a very offensive way. Cavani and Luis Suárez perfectly worked together, aided by playmakers Nicolás Lodeiro en Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayans might not get a lot of shots, but all of the shots they had were extremely dangerous. This was highlighted by a rare slipup in the Spanish defense by Sergi Roberto after which Cavani thundered home his second goal of the day. This time the Spanish answer came a lot quicker when a scrimmage at the other side of the pitch was slotted home by Álvaro Morata. The game turned into a stalemate after that as the teams calculated that a draw might put them both through to the Round of 16. We'll see if that mindset was the correct one.

Statistics:
2 Goals 2
7 Shots 19
6 On Target 10
0.8 Expected Goals 2.4
48% Possession 52%

Man of the Match:
Edinson Cavani - Uruguay
(2 goals, 1 chance created, 7 recoveries, 4 fouls received)

----------

Not a lot of changes at the top. Spain looks pretty solid with that 3rd spot. Only seven teams could potentially still leapfrog them, so they are pretty much through to the Round of 16. Uruguay finished two places lower, so their chances of going through to the Round of 16 directly are still alive, only considerably smaller than Spain's.

[Timetxu]

DAY 16 - GAME 1

The Northern and Western Hub have been finished so we move on to what probably is going to be the most interesting hub: the Eastern one. In there, title favourites Italy, Belgium and Croatia are on one point only and will all need convincing wins to extend their World Cup runs.

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

Lineups:

Jamaica (Cautious 4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Blake; Powell, Hector, Mariappa , Lawrence; Austin, Watson , Vassell , Pratley ( 80' Lowe); Decordova-Reid ( 61' Nicholson), Bailey  ( 80' Orgill)

Italy (4-2-2-2 DM Narrow):
Donnarumma; Lazzari, Bonucci, Acerbi ( 83' Romagnoli), Spinazzola; Jorginho , Cristante, Verratti, Pellegrini ( 83' Barella); Immobile ( 72' Politano), Insigne

Report:
The first two games of the Italians have been rather disappointing with only 1 point and not a single goal scored. How ironic was it that a defender would finally finish the drought? Fullback Manuel Lazzari stormed into the box after only three minutes and lasered a strike into the bottom corner. Just minutes later, it was Lorenzo Pellegrini doubling the scoring with an identical goal. With that goal, Italy for the moment was on 4 points and a positive goal difference for the first time this tournament. However, rather than continuin to attack, the Italians leaned back and were happy to let Jamaica have the ball. In fact, the Azzurri should have been happy they didn't concede a goal right before half time. The same scenario continued to unfold in the second half with Italy leaning back, seemingly not realizing how important one extra goal could be for their chances of advancing in the tournament. At least they didn't concede a (deserved) Jamaican goal, which leaves Italy with a +1 goal difference, but it could well be that even that score will not be enough.

Statistics:
0 Goals 2
12 Shots 9
7 On Target 5
1.2 Expected Goals 0.9
43% Possession 57%

Man of the Match:
Manuel Lazzari - Italy
(1 goal, 8 recoveries, 89% passing accuracy)

----------

Italy finally makes it into the Top 24 for the first time this tournament, but will a 19th spot (for now) be enough? It's going to be extremely tense for them, that's for sure. Jamaica has been officially eliminated.

[Number seven]

Man this thread is fantastic. Is there a plan to releases this editor file?

[Timetxu]

13 hours ago, Number seven said:

Man this thread is fantastic. Is there a plan to releases this editor file?

Thanks for your comment! I have been simulating all the games in this thread manually through the Versus Mode option in FM Touch. So unfortunately there is no editor data file of this format (yet?).

Edited October 8, 2020 by Timetxu

[bazhsw]

I can see Italy sneaking through on bookings!  (How dramatic would that be if 24th and 25th were decided on yellow cards...)

[Timetxu]

6 hours ago, bazhsw said:

I can see Italy sneaking through on bookings!  (How dramatic would that be if 24th and 25th were decided on yellow cards...)

That would be something but I genuinely hope it won't come to that 

[Timetxu]

DAY 16 - GAME 2

The only title favourite from the Eastern Hub who already assured itself of qualification for the next round is the Netherlands. The Dutch can guarantee a spot in the Round of 16 with a win against the All Whites.

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

Lineups:

New Zealand (Defensive 5-3-2 WB):
Marinovic; Tuiloma, Boxall, Smith, Kirwan ( 25' Wynne), Cacace ; Thomas, Singh, Howieson ( 68' Bell); Barbarouses, Wood

Netherlands (Attacking 5-3-2 WB):
Cillessen; De Ligt, Van Dijk, De Vrij, Hateboer, Blind; Wijnaldum ( 80' Strootman), De Jong, Van de Beek ( 80' De Roon); Depay ( 80' Huntelaar), Bergwijn 

Report:
It was probably the most professional win of any win during this World Cup as Oranje beat New Zealand by the slimmest of margins. The Dutch stormed out of the gates, scored on a Frenkie de Jong thunderbolt just two minutes into the game, then pushed the Kiwis back to their own half for the rest of the first 45 minutes. It was a miracle the Dutch didn't score any other goals during the half as New Zealand barely crossed the halfway line. In the second period, the All Whites had their first shot in the 58th minute, which was pretty much all the offense they would get in the game. The Netherlands, however, didn't seem too keen on risking a place in the Round of 16 if the upside was just the one spot higher up the overall ranking.

Statistics:
0 Goals 1
2 Shots 19
1 On Target 9
0.2 Expected Goals 2.1
37% Possession 63%

Man of the Match:
Frenkie de Jong - Netherlands
(1 goal, clean sheet, 7 recoveries, 97% passing accuracy)

----------

The Netherlands are the third country certain of a free passage to the Round of 16. The only other nations who can still finish with 9 points are Australia and Morocco, so we can start filling out the knockout schedule soon enough. For New Zealand, despite winning their first game, the tournament is over.

For Spain and Brazil, the Round of 16 looms pretty close as there are only seven countries who can still leapfrog them, but with two direct encounters among them, they can potentially fall five spots at most.

[Number seven]

10 hours ago, Timetxu said:

Thanks for your comment! I have been simulating all the games in this thread manually through the Versus Mode option in FM Touch. So unfortunately there is no editor data file of this format (yet?).

Hope that the (yet?) will end up in a future release. Would hav loved to played a WC like this.

[Timetxu]

DAY 16 - GAME 3

We continue with a game of a fallen giant. The runners up of last World Cup Croatia are fighting for survival as they face Uzbekistan. Croatia will need to win this game, and by a fair margin too, as Uzbekistan might be able to sneak into the Top 24 with just the draw.

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

Lineups:

Uzbekistan (Cautious 5-3-2 WB):
Quvvatov; Xoshimov , Krimets, A'zamov, Masharipov, Ismoilov ( 57' Afonin); Hamrobekov, Ahmedov, Sobirxo'jaev  ( 62' Aliboev); Shomurodov, Rashidov  ( 67' Sergeev)

Croatia (5-3-2 WB):
Livakovic; Lovren , Vida , Caleta-Car, Jedvaj ( 74' Juranovic), Strinic; Modric, Kovacic, Rakitic  ( 74' Brozovic); Petkovic, Livaja ( 58' Rebic)

Report:
It was a thoroughly disappointing result for the vice World Champions as Croatia takes an early exit after a goalless draw with Uzbekistan. The Europeans were in control most of the game, but it was another solid game from the Uzbeki defense, as they have proven to be a very tough team to break down so far. Croatia was limited to mostly long range shots and lacked the creativity to push through. Uzbekistan managed to hang on for the draw and with that result, the White Wolves might actually sneak through to the next round. They are slowly becoming the surprise package of this World Cup!

Statistics:
0 Goals 0
3 Shots 18
1 On Target 8
0.2 Expected Goals 1.9
50% Possession 50%

Man of the Match:
Yegor Krimets - Uzbekistan
(clean sheet, 4 interceptions, 10 recoveries)

----------

This result confirms a couple of things. First: Croatia has been eliminated from this World Cup in quite underwhelming fashion. Second: Uzbekistan now moves up to a safe spot, but it's not a very secure position to be in yet. Third: the threshold for advancing to the next round is now officially 4 points and with nine game remaining, it's safe to say that not just 4 points will be enough to go through, but a positive goal difference as well.

Lastly: Because of the fact no-one leapfrogged Mali with this result, the Africans are now officially the fourteenth nation through to the next round.