FIFA World Cup (Bracket Style)

[Tovarich]

Like the title says, this is a bracket version of the World Cup. This is America. No little pieces of paper with countries printed on them being taken out of mini soccer balls drawn out of glass bowls to determine who plays who. Brackets, seeds, etc. That's how we roll.

So, this is not a 2014 World Cup re-creation even though I'll use that game to play it out. That is/has been done on here. Also, I have no desire to, even with re-drawn groups, re-create something that has already happened. I'd actually like to have done a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, but with Guam, Bhutan, Brunei, South Sudan, and others missing, and also FIFA WC 14 having Indonesia and Zimbabwe who are banned from the upcoming World Cup, I don't feel it's realistic. Also, this saves from playing a bunch of meaningless group stage games where things occasionally have no actual bearing on anything. Sure there will be blowouts in the first legs in lopsided matchups and the second leg will occasionally just be a formality but there's always a chance...

So, how does this work? I have created a 203 team bracket using the FIFA rankings from June 4th to seed the teams on the FIFA WC 14 game 1-203. 53 byes in the first round, the bottom 150 will play off to advance to Round 2 with the top 53. Each matchup will be a home and home playoff. The semifinals will remain 2 leg playoffs, but will be played at a neutral location, and then the championship game will be a single game, also in a neutral stadium.

I will play with each team in their home leg of the playoff. I did two blanket coin flips, which decided that I'll play as the home team and that the lower seed will be at home first in each playoff. Yes, unfortunately the CPU will not play knowing the aggregate score and all the strategies that accompany the playoff. It's unfortunate, but it's unavoidable as far as I can tell. Perhaps there is some fancy modding to be done somewhere, but that is generally above my pay grade. I'm trying to minimize this issue somewhat by playing with both sides.

How long will this take? I have no idea. 403 games will probably take a very long time. I'll hypothetically suppose that this tournament began some time back in 2014. I'm not going to change any ratings on the rosters, but I will be adjusting the starting 11 to get, formation allowing, the 11 best rated players on the field without playing anyone too far out of position. Jurgen may think that Landon Donovan shouldn't be on his 23 for the WC, but he'll be making some appearances for the USA on here.

Formations will be on the game's default for the first leg. I'll make some adjustments for the 2nd leg if the score of the first leg is in the 2-3 goal difference range and one team obviously needs to press or defend in the 2nd leg.

I'll be playing one playoff at a time rather than go through and play a bunch of 1st legs and then come back to them later.

Due to the scarcity of yellows, whether it be the ever-present Greg O'Millend who seems to do every other game not wanting to give any or just the style of play I use, I will not re-set cards at any point in the tournament. I initially had 3 allowed because of this, but there are so very few being seen, that I am now changing this back to 2 for a suspension.

Also, because of the lack of ability to go to extra time if the 2nd leg didn't end in a tie, extra time will be played by starting a brand new 3rd game, with the new lineups based on subs during the game, and it will become a golden goal situation. If my game with the minimum 4 minute halves ends tied, penalty kicks will be used.

[Tovarich]

So, the 1st-round matchups in the Germany Quarter:
#128 Tanzania vs. #129 Thailand
#64 Norway vs. #193 Mongolia
#65 Jamaica vs. #192 Samoa
#97 Qatar vs. #160 Swaziland
#96 Lithuania vs. #161 Malaysia
#113 Madagascar vs. #144 Curacao
#80 Belarus vs. #177 Montserrat
#81 Mozambique vs. #176 Taiwan
#112 St. Vincent & Grenadines vs. #145 Malta
#121 Syria vs. #136 St. Lucia
#57 Turkey vs. #200 Somalia
#72 Venezuela vs. #185 Comoros
#89 El Salvador vs. #168 Pakistan
#104 Antigua & Barbuda vs. #153 Singapore
#120 Libya vs. #137 Philippines
#56 Congo (DR) vs. #201 Djibouti
#73 United Arab Emirates vs. #184 Cayman Islands
#88 Angola vs. #169 US Virgin Islands
#105 Namibia vs. #152 Nicaragua

[Tovarich]

#128 Tanzania vs. #129 Thailand

First Leg
Rajamangala Stadium-Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand Starters (4-2-3-1)
Hathairatanakool
Sukha Jantakam Chuthong Kitpongsri
Kaewprom Pornsai
Makarom Nutnum Thonglao
Dangda

Tanzania Starters (4-2-2-2)
Kaseja
Haroub Yondani Shindika Kapombe
Nyoni Adubakar
Ngassa Khalfan
Samata Kiemba

Goals
None

Cards
None

Subs
55' (TAN) Barnabas > Samata
66' (THA) Winothai > Thonglao
66' (TAN) Domayo > Khalfan
79' (THA) Piyaphon > Nutnum
79' (THA) Choeichiu > Kaewprom
90' (TAN) Javu > Kiemba

Shots
Thailand 6 Tanzania 2
On Goal
Thailand 4 Tanzania 1
Possession
Thailand 52 Tanzania 48

0-0 aggregate after 1st leg

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2nd Leg
National Stadium-Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Thailand Starters (4-2-3-1)
Hathairatanakool
Sukha Jantakam Chuthong Kitpongsri
Kaewprom Pornsai
Makarom Nutnum Thonglao
Dangda

Tanzania Starters (4-2-2-2)
Kaseja
Haroub Yondani Shindika Kapombe
Nyoni Adubakar
Ngassa Khalfan
Samata Kiemba

Goals
20' (THA) Thonglao (THA 1-0)
45' (TAN) Nyoni (THA 1-1 on away goal)
81' (TAN) Javu (TAN 2-1)

Cards
39' (THA) Nutnum (1st yellow)

Subs
54' (TAN) Barnabas > Abubakar
54' (THA) Choeichiu > Thonglao
64' (THA) Biyaphon > Makarom
71' (THA) Lahso > Pornsai
75' (TAN) Javu > Samata
81' (TAN) Domayo > Kiemba

Shots
Tanzania 8 Thailand 4
On Goal
Tanzania 5 Thailand 3
Possession
Tanzania 56 Thailand 44

Tanzania advances over Thailand 2-1 on aggregate

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#64 Norway vs. #193 Mongolia

1st leg
Mongolian Football Federation Football Centre-Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Starters
Mongolia (4-4-1-1)
Tseveensuren
Olzvoi Altankhuu Donorovyn Baasan
Altankhuyag Garidmangnai Gongorjav Khurelbaatar
Ganbaataryn
Altantulga

Norway (4-4-2)
Jarstein
Vilsvik Forren Hangeland Reginiussen
Skjelbred Tettey Nordtveit Johansen
Elyounoussi Abdellaoue

Goals
8' (NOR) Elyounoussi (NOR 1-0)
21' (MON) Altankhuyag (NOR 1-1 on away goal)
34' (NOR) Abdellaoue (NOR 2-1)
40' (NOR) Abdellaoue (NOR 3-1)
45' (NOR) Abdellaoue (NOR 4-1)
45+2' (MON) Altantulga (NOR 4-2)
82' (NOR) Elyounoussi (NOR 5-2)
84' (NOR) Soderlund (NOR 6-2)
86' (MON) Tsedenbal (NOR 6-3)

Cards
78' Vilsvik (NOR-1st yellow)

Subs
60' (NOR) Henriksen > Tettey
68' (MON) Tsedenbal > Ganbaataryn
68' (MON) Chinzorig > Gongorjav
68' (NOR) Eikrem > Nordtveit
78' (NOR) Soderlund > Abdellaoue
78' (MON) Tsedenal > Khurelbaatar

Shots
Norway 14 Mongolia 8
On Goal
Norway 10 Mongolia 8
Possession
Norway 51 Mongolia 49

Norway leads 6-3 on aggregate after the 1st leg

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2nd leg
Ullevaal Stadium-Oslo, Norway

Norway Starters (4-4-2)
Nyland
Parr Forren Reginiussen Hogli
Storflor Henriksen Jenssen Johansen
Soderlund Braaten

Mongolia Starters (4-4-1-1)
Tseveensuren
Olzvoi Altankhuu Donorovyn Baasan
Altankhuyag Garidmangnai Gongorjav Khurelbaatar
Ganbaataryn
Altantulga

Goals
34' (NOR) Storflor (NOR 7-3)
90' (MON) Altantulga (NOR 7-4)

Cards
None

Subs
57' (MON) Chinzorig > Gogorjac
63' (MON) Munkh-Erdene > Garidmagnai
78' (MON) Tsedendal > Khurelbaatar

Shots
Norway 13 Mongolia 1
On Goal
Norway 8 Mongolia 1
Possession
Norway 56 Mongolia 44

Norway advances over Mongolia 7-4 on aggregate

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#65 Jamaica vs. #192 Samoa

1st Leg
National Soccer Stadium-Apia, Samoa

Samoa Starters (4-4-1-1)
Aitupe
Faalogo Setefano Bell Amosa
Asiata Umutaua Fakaua Gosche
Keli
Fa’aisuaso

Jamaica Starters (4-2-3-1)
Ricketts
Doyley Morgan Mariappa Cummings
McCleary Austin
McAnuff Richard Beckford
Shelton

Goals
8’ (JAM) Shelton (JAM 1-0)
20’ (JAM) Richards (JAM 2-0)
90’ (JAM) Phillips (JAM 3-0)

Cards
None

Subs
60’ (JAM) Morrison > Austin
63’ (SAM) Esaroa > Umutaua
79’ (SAM) Saofaiga > Fa’aisuaso
79’ (SAM) Easthope > Gosche
79’ (JAM) Phillips > Richards

Shots
Jamaica 15 Samoa 5
On Goal
Jamaica 9 Samoa 5
Possession
Jamaica 53 Samoa 47

Jamaica leads 3-0 on aggregate after the 1st leg

2nd leg

Independence Park-Kingston, Jamaica

Samoa Starters (4-4-1-1)
Aitupe
Faalogo Setefano Bell Amosa
Asiata Umutaua Fakaua Gosche
Keli
Fa’aisuaso

Jamaica Starters (4-2-3-1)
Ricketts
Doyley Morgan Gordon Cummings
McCleary Austin
McAnuff Richard Phillips
Fuller

Goals
6’ (JAM) McCleary (JAM 4-0)
17’ (JAM) Fuller (JAM 5-0)
42’ (JAM) Fuller (JAM 6-0)
57’ (JAM) Richards (JAM 7-0)
68’ (JAM)(PK) Fuller (JAM 8-0)

Cards
None

Subs
45’ (JAM) Morrison > McCleary
57’ (JAM) Nosworthy > Morgan
68’ (SAM) Easthope> Umutaua
68’ (SAM) Esaroa > Keli
77’ (SAM) Victor > Setefano

Shots
Jamaica 14 Samoa 1
On Goal
Jamaica 12 Samoa 1
Possession
Jamaica 59 Samoa 41

Jamaica advances over Samoa 8-0 on aggregate

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#97 Qatar vs. #160 Swaziland

1st Leg
Somhlolo Stadium-Lobamba, Swaziland

Swaziland Starters (4-4-2)
Ginindza
Mdluli Dlamini Mamba Dlamini
Mkhontfo Gamedze Motsa Skondze
Shongwe Steenkamp

Qatar Starters (4-3-3)
Burhan
Ismail Mohammed Marcone Amaral Abdulmajid
Al Bloushi Rizik Fabio Cesar
Razark Soria Al Khalfan

Goals
20’ (SWA) Motsa (SWA 1-0)
25’ (QAT) Soria (QAT 1-1 on away goal)
42’ (QAT) Al Bloushi (QAT 2-1)

Cards
None

Subs
68’ (SWA) Nxumalo > Gamedze
68’ (SWA) Gama > Motsa
68’ (QAT) Rahmati > Rizik
72’ (QAT) Al Haydos >Razark
79’ (SWA) Sikhondze > Mkhontfo
79’ (QAT) Al Shammari > Al Khalfan

Shots
Qatar 8 Swaziland 4
On Goal
Qatar 4 Swaziland 3
Possession
Qatar 54 Swaziland 46

Qatar leads 2-1 on aggregate after the 1st leg

2nd leg
Khalifa International Stadium-Doha, Qatar

Swaziland Starters (4-4-2)
Ginindza
Mdluli Dlamini Mamba Dlamini
Mkhontfo Gamedze Motsa Skondze
Shongwe Steenkamp

Qatar Starters (4-3-3)
Burhan
Ismail Mohammed Marcone Amaral Abdulmajid
Al Bloushi Rizik Fabio Cesar
Razark Soria Al Khalfan

Goals
73’ (QAT) Soria (QAT 3-1)

Cards
None

Subs
73’ (QAT) Al Shammari > Al Khafani
73’ (QAT) Rahmati > Razark
76’ (SWA) Maseko > Motsa
79’ (QAT) El Sayed > Fabio Cesar
82’ (SWA) Gama > Mkhontfo
90’ (SWA) Sikhonze > Shongwe

Shots
Qatar 10 Swaziland 1
On Goal
Qatar 6 Swaziland 0
Possession
Qatar 55 Swaziland 45

Qatar advances over Swaziland 3-1 on aggregate