It’s obvious who the top four teams are in the current World Cup and once the remaining four games are played, places 1 through 4 will be determined.
As for the rest, while I’m not certain that this is how FIFA ranks the remaining teams I used the following methodology. For the teams that failed to move out of group play, I used total points earned as the first criteria with goal differential second and total goals third. For the teams eliminated in the round of sixteen and the quarterfinals, I separated them into separate groups and eliminated the points question, using goal differential and then total goals scored for all games.
Here’s what I came up with:
5.) Brazil
6.) Argentina
7.) Ghana
8.) Paraguay
9.) Portugal
10.) Japan
11.) USA
12.) Mexico
13.) South Korea
14.) Slovakia
15.) Chile
16.) England
17.) Ivory Coast
18.) Slovenia
19.) Switzerland
20.) South Africa
21.) Australia
22.) New Zealand
23.) Serbia
24.) Denmark
25.) Greece
26.) Italy
27.) Nigeria
28.) France
29.) Honduras
30.) Algeria
31.) Cameroon
32.) North Korea
ulee
You forgot Poland.
fucen tarmal
number 11, so this means what?? the gator bowl?
Cat Lady
Well, maybe nutjob Kim Jong Il will decide that feeding his countrymen = better soccer players. I wonder if the people there know what the outcome was yet.
Keith G
@Cat Lady: They never will.
SLKRR
Brazil ranked above Argentina = Copa do Mundo not a complete disaster after all. ;-)
Hexa 2014. See you all down here in four years time…
Jonothan8
C’mon! New Zealand staves off Italy, Slovenia and Paraguay – and you rank us below Australia? A yellow card for you my friend.
KyCole
Don’t know about all that. Just trying to figure out how to come home from work for a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon!
Randinho
@Jonothan8: Australia won a game and tied a game: that’s four points. New Zealand tied all three games and that’s three points. The numbers are the numbers.
Mark S.
Wikipedia seems to be down, but according to them, FIFA does it the same way you did 17-32. If a game is decided by penalty kicks, both teams get one point. Here’s how they did it for 2006.
valdivia
@SLKRR:
what you said about Brazil ranking above Argentina. :)
sorta OT why is Spain the favorite in the Germany game?
mark boggs
It seems there should be some sort of deduction against France for being the team to be the most disproportionate in terms of talent versus output. Say what you will about North Korea, they had discipline. France? Not so much.
Randinho
@mark boggs: That’s subjective. Say what you will about France, but the bottom three teams got zero points and France got one. France is above Honduras solely by virtue of Malouda’s goal.
I think North Korea’s minus 11 goal differential is a compelling argument for putting them last.
burnspbesq
There probably isn’t a reliable way to adjust for “strength of schedule,” but I think England has a legitimate beef about being the lowest rated of the round-of-16 losers.
Calouste
@valdivia:
Reputation rather than how the teams have actually played in the tournament so far. On the actual play, Germany should be about 1/4 to advance, not evens. (Holland is 3/10)
valdivia
@Calouste:
thanks for that explanation. I am just really really puzzled because Spain just doesn’t seem the favorite to me after seeing the tournament.
burnspbesq
Dunga won’t be unemployed for long. Around October 15, some club with outsized, unjustified aspirations (can you say Juventus? How about Manchester City?) that gets off to a bad start either domestically or in the Champions League or both will be ready to throw its manager overboard.
Randinho
@burnspbesq: Good point and I went and rechecked my numbers. Chile and England have identical goal differentials and goals scored. I put Chile ahead based on their six points in group play as opposed to England’s five. I couldn’t think of a better way to break a tie.
burnspbesq
I’m so desperate for a futbol fix I’m going to go watch Galaxy – Sounders on ESPN2. Those fans are going to tear the roof off of ol’ Victoria Street when Donovan and Buddle are introduced.
JL
Do yourself proud.
Name the team that will win it all.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
@burnspbesq: I have noticed, you do seem to like sports. ‘-) I do too, but am picky. It is good to see so much interest in soccer. I tease some about it, but it is truly an international sport, and seems to have the international camaraderie as an Olympics. And that is all win for the world.
Allison W.
omg when is this oooooverrrrrrrrrrrrr?
Calouste
@valdivia:
I specially can’t work out why Spain is considered favorite over Holland. Odds I have seen on various sites give Spain a slight edge over Germany to get to the final, but give Holland good odds to beat Uruguay. For Spain than to be still favorite to win, they have to overcome the worse odds compared to Holland they have in the semi by having massively better odds in the final itself, and I can’t just see those odds being there.
valdivia
@Calouste:
I don’t get that either but then again I guess Uruguay is considered an ‘easy’ team and Germany isn’t? Don’t know. I still think Spain will not be able to just play the kind of game they have been playing against a team like Germany.
burnspbesq
It took Donovan and Buddle all of 19 minutes to get back on track in league play. That sound you are hearing is David Moyes looking for 10 million pounds in between the cushions of his couch.
Bruce (formerly Steve S.)
@burnspbesq:
If there was the U.S. sure as hell wouldn’t be 11th. They were the only “upset” victim in the round of 16 using the last FIFA rankings.
Randinho
@Allison W.: We added a week. When you complain again we add an additional two weeks. Further complaints will increase it exponentially.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
@Randinho: LOL
Bailey
@burnspbesq: @burnspbesq:
Remind me again why Buddle didn’t get much playing time in South Africa?
Alas, as a Seattle-ite, I have to root against Donovan/Buddle. Well, at least for tonight. :-)
Tattoosydney
After getting almost every game prediction wrong for the entire tournament, my support would seem almost to be a certain kiss of death.
As such, I would like to confirm that I am not supporting the Netherlands, don’t want them to win, and do not in any way think that they will end up winning a Netherlands/Germany final.
If I spend the next week wearing orange, that is entirely a coincidence.
Mark S.
Wikipedia is finally back up, so here are the rankings using FIFA’s criteria.
This page is pretty cool: You can see how each country has done in every tournament.
JL
In your opinion, soccer fans, what team will win it all?
I’m starting to think none of you have an inclination to even attempt a guess.
Which is OK, of course. Albeit extremely lame.
The herd has been culled.
So pick the champ, that you might crow…
handsmile
@ Mark S.
I was just getting ready to go to bed and you’ve gotta go post that link!?!
Omigod, what a feast. Many thanks (I think)!
handsmile
@burnspbesq:
Your astute comment re Dunga’s future employment got me to thinking while I wait for the water to boil for tea (curses, Mark S.): has there ever been a Brazilian coach for a English Premier League team and if so, when? It seems most unlikely not to have happened, but my addled brain can’t come up with one.
Bill Murray
@handsmile: Big Phil Scolari managed Chelsea
eta: missed when — 2008/09
burnspbesq
@Bailey:
Playing against John Terry is a little different that playing against Tyrone Marshall.
Srsly, though, in MLS Buddle is able to muscle defenders off the ball. At the world level, not so much. And the neat little run he made to get open for the header on which he scored tonight, doesn’t get him open against world-class defenses.
handsmile
@Bill Murray:
Yes, of course, thanks very much! And he was sacked only last year, to be replaced by Hiddink.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Bill Murray
@handsmile: Big Phil was in many ways the opposite of the first (I’m guessing here) South American EPL manager the Argentinian Ossie Ardiles. Ossie liked to play 5 forwards
Mark S.
@handsmile:
[chortle]
@JL:
I like Germany over the Netherlands in the final.
KRK
I’ve been watching all of the games in webcast replay on espn3.com since I’m without TV. I see that espn3 is now telling me that starting in August they’ll have “more than 800 games” from top European leagues, including Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, and German. Anyone know whether they’ve done this in previous seasons?
Fern
@KRK: Damn – not available in Canada.
anyone know a canadian outlet that streams european football?
I don’t have a TV, and am going to go into football withdrawal after the world cup is over – I’m getting WC matches through CBC.ca
Steeplejack
@JL:
I have a gut feeling that the Netherlands will be the eventual winner. I had them over Brazil, and I think they have the stuff to beat Germany, too. It’s not a foregone conclusion, but I’d bet on the Orange.
ulee
Germany hasn’t just been winning, they have been stomping on their opponents. I don’t see anyone stopping them.
Bailey
@burnspbesq:
Playing against John Terry is a little different that playing against Tyrone Marshall.
Srsly, though, in MLS Buddle is able to muscle defenders off the ball. At the world level, not so much. And the neat little run he made to get open for the header on which he scored tonight, doesn’t get him open against world-class defenses.
Oh, I agree, it’s just that for all the time that Robbie Findley got up front, I didn’t see him making an impact at all. Buddle at least had some good familiarity working with Donovan to his credit and a crazy hot scoring streak, MSL or not.
Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people)
@JL: I think Germany will win. Very impressive play so far, especially the speed with which they break away and counterattack. I just haven’t seen the same level of play from the Netherlands, Spain or Uruguay. While the Netherlands is the only one of the four that’s won all its matches thus far, the sheer number of goals that Germany has scored against its opponents says something about the team’s strength (4-0 against Australia, 1-0 against Ghana, 4-1 against England, 4-0 against Argentina). The only time they lost (to Serbia), they were playing with just 10 men (no Klose).
SRW1
@ulee:
Not so:
The Polish contingent will end up the same place as Germany, the only difference is going to be an asterix after the rank.
SRW1
@Randinho:
And in that week we’ll have Honduras, Algeria, Cameroon and North Korea play out the positions 29 to 32.
fucen tarmal
maybe this is the wrong thread to ask but, anyone have any ideas for fantasy football team names /ducks
eastriver
Hy, dd y hr tht Brzl LST?
Hhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhh
hhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh
[DIsemvoweled this one as well. I have a low threshold for trolls]
Randy Paul
@Felanius Kootea (formerly Salt and freshly ground black people): They also missed a pk in that game, but the goal they gave up was a very bad mental lapse on their part.
Randy Paul
@eastriver: Honestly, are you trying to bait me? Some Brazilian woman dis you at a party or refuse to sleep with you? Save your trolling breath.
In 2006 we had some Argentinean guys laugh at us when Brazil was eliminated. My wife pointed to the five stars on her jersey and held up five fingers. No one else has as many stars on their jersey.
SLKRR
@Randy Paul:
Don’t let the haters get to you. É só inveja.
Hexa 2014!
frankdawg
@Allison W.:
Not until you quit complaining about soccer in soccer threads :)
frankdawg
I like the way the NCAA ranks ice hockey teams, RPI which factors in who you scored against & who scored against you. It seems like that might work here.
But my ignorant eye thinks you list looks pretty defensible.
SLKRR
Hey, Paraguay fans! Looks like Larissa Riquelme’s going to pose even though they lost… ;-)
globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/copa-do-mundo/paraguai/noticia/2010/07/larissa-riquelme-marca-ensaio-…
eastriver
@Randy Paul:
Yh, ‘m btng y. Bcs yr mght tm lst lk bnch f mght fckng lsrs.
Th btfl gm. H-fckng-h.
Fr mr yrs f drmng.
[You’ve been disemvoweled. Any such similar troll comments will also be disemvoweled. If you continue to insult me, and troll I’ll delete your comments. Govern yourself accordingly]
frankdawg
@eastriver:
Careful because the Gawds of Sport have a way of evening out the humiliation. I firmly believe that how swift & how sharp the drop is tied to the quantity and quality of the crowing done beforehand.
Brazil is a good example of that this year.
Paula
@burnspbesq:
I saw that on the teevee. I don’t know whether to be frustrated or embarrassed about the talk coming from the announcers (and that new Nike commercial I haven’t seen which apparently asserts that the USMNT don’t dive — huh??).
It was a round of 16 exit folks. Get a grip.
However, Donovan of all the players can rest a bit. All things considered, he had a good Cup. He also needs to get the fuck outta the MLS.
Whispers
Binary tournaments represent a poor method for determining anything other than the top team. For example, does a win over Ghana imply that Uruguay is a stronger team than Brazil, because Brazil lost to the Netherlands?
gaderson
@Bailey:
“Alas, as a Seattle-ite, I have to root against Donovan/Buddle. Well, at least for tonight. :-)”
As an San José/Earthquakes fan I also cannot get behind Donovan after he left. But, always fun to watch the amazing fans in Seattle.
handsmile
I prefer not to be too bloody-minded on these matters, but I’m going all Peckinpah wanting the head of Uruguay in this match.
While Marco Materazzi awaits to crown his successor as World Cup Villain, the leading candidate must be Luis Suarez for his self-procliamed “Hand of God” against Ghana. Debate will linger whether Suarez’s action was instinctual pragmatism or contemptible cheating, but his post-match boasting and the aggrieved remonstrances of coach Oscar Tabarez that reactions decrying the incident were “shameful” and “embarrassing,” inflame my yearning for retribution.
Of course, some small measure of justice has already been meted out with Suarez’s red-card absence. His likely replacements (Cavani or Abreu) are decidedly inferior strikers which will permit the Dutch defensive corps to immobilize Forlan. On the other side of the ball, Holland’s manifold offense should proved too patient and efficient for a Uruguayan defense stripped of fully half of its first-choice back line (Lugano and Fucile) due to injury and suspension. Thus, without Suarez to lend a hand, as it were, Uruguay will compete for fourth place come Saturday.
In a detailed post on an earlier thread, DavidB cautioned against Dutch complacency and overconfidence: “they [may] lose, not because of less skill, but because of psychology.”
As a member in good standing with the International Association of Amateur Sports Psychologists, I see little evidence of that immoderate trait in the current Netherlands’ squad. Accounts I’ve read, even skeptical ones, attest to the unprecedented comity within the team. (There was a brief kerfuffle between van Persie and Sneijder, but did you see how pal-sy they were, walking off arms over shoulders, at the end of the Brazil match?)
Had Uruguay’s offense been at full-strength, Holland might have sprung a leak with the suspension of midfielder Nigel de Jong. He has enjoyed an intrepid, self-possessed tournament, belying his reputation as badder cop to van Bommel’s bad cop.
Today’s appetizer of choice will be decorative bowls of Oranje. The banquet awaits tomorrow.