Final: Nico becomes an Archon, Messi an immortal

 

Lionel Messi reaches the summit and joins Diego Maradonna as arguably the two greatest players

Mbappe's hattrick, a first in a World Cup Final since 1966, was not enough for France

Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup for Argentina.

That is undoubtedly the most incredible World Cup Final we have witnessed, and the most intense and enjoyable Football4Mates since the competition kicked off in 1990. With only 10 minutes left, Argentina's 2-0 lead against the World Champions was a certainty for millions of Argentinians and Nico, who at that stage had the title of Archon all wrapped up. But with victory in sight, Kylian Mbappe’s two goals in the 80th and 81st minute turned the Final on its head. At the time this writer was drafting his congratulations post to Nico; that message had to be discarded. With the scores tied and the ascendancy with the French, it was Aramis, who had predicted 3-2 (France), who out of nowhere, was likely to pull off an incredible victory. As we moved into extra time, many who had also predicted a draw or had Argentina 3-2 were obviously riding on a wave of excitement. Incredibly, with the scores locked at 3-3 after 120 minutes, it was Michael who for the second time in the tournament, pulled off the fantastic Outcome, Score and Penalty Bonus prediction. However, at the end of this memorable morning, Argentina, Lionel Messi, and Nico deservedly prevailed. Nico's Outcome and Penalty Bonus predictions for the Final gave him a 6-point lead over his nearest rivals. The Archonship is about balance; it requires a Mate to have the ability to predict both the Game Outcomes and Score Bonus predictions consistently. In this tournament, Nico has been a standout. Therefore Football4Mates is proud to say congratulations...

Nico M
Archon World Cup 2022

We hope you enjoyed Qatar 2022 and that Football4Mates has lived up to the hype of making even matches that seem irrelevant on paper matter. Have a fantastic Christmas and Happy New Year, and we hope to come together again for Germany 2024 in that 'provincial tournament' called the European Championships. 

A new World Cup Archon

Standing firm over a gallant Morocco, France's Theo Hernandez scores the first in a 2-0 win

Lionel Messi's mesmerising run teas up Argentina's third and his date with complete immortality

We realise that a football legend is one game away from football immortality, but this World Cup is not just about Lionel Messi reaching the highest summit. It has been an impressive turn of form, combined with an incredible run of consistent cool-headed predictions that have elevated Nico to Football4Mates legendary status. Euro Archon in 2004, Nico is now just one game away from officially being crowned World Cup Archon 2022. It is an impressive never-before performance by any Mate; to move from being bottom of the ladder at the end of Round 1, third when we reached the Quarter Finals, to the very top by the time the tournament moved into the Semi-Finals. Even before Argentina and France walk out to play the Final come Monday morning, it appears the title of Archon is all but wrapped up. Or is it? By tipping this morning's second semi-final, Aramis and Nestor have opened a slithering possibility to claim the top honour. This will mean that Batman and Robbin (who seem to predict the exact outcome and scores for each game) need a different Outcome prediction and a Score Bonus (from Nico) to dismantle our leader. It all comes down to the Mate with the superior game Outcomes over the tournament's two Score Bonus leaders. Hence for transparency, Nico, Aramis and Nestor will send their predictions to our Euro Archon Yianni, who will hopefully release these to the group the evening before the Final. Argentina versus France. VERY Exciting!

QF Day 2: Amazing Morocco, incredible Nico

 

Incredible! Morocco first African nation to make the World Cup Semi Finals (Morocco 1 Portugal 0)

Deadlocked at 2-2, Argentina again knock out the Netherlands on penalties

Olivier Giroud header against England send the World Champions into the Semi-Finals (2:1)

Another penalty shootout, another victim (Brazil) added to Croatia's wonderful record 

It is as incredible as Morocco and Croatia's place in the Semi-Finals of this World Cup, Nico, who at the end of Round 1 Group Games was bottom of the ladder, today sits at the top of the Football4Mates ladder with a 5 point lead over Aramis and Nestor. But it is more than just about the comeback and predicting great Score bonuses for Nico. Check out his Outcome predictions, and you can see that consistency has been the solid hallmark for this Mate, who is now the favourite of becoming a World Cup Archon. Three games to go, can Nico hold onto the lead, or will there be another surprise? Angelique, for example, is only one game behind Nico in Outcome predictions and is only three points behind second place. With Brazil and England's exit, we can officially declare that there will be no Delphi Oracle for this World Cup. 

Semi Finals

France v Morocco

Argentina v Croatia

MD 15: Morocco stun Spain and Portugal hit Switzerland for six.

 

An incredible hat trick for Goncalo Ramos (Portugal 6 Switzerland 1)

Winning in penalties Morocco stun and send Spain home

With the Quarter Finalists now determined, Aramis and Nestor are tied at the top. The stealth-like surge of Nico has him moving into the top three for the first time. Nice comeback Nico from where you were at the beginning of Round 2; dead set last, and 6 points behind 10th. This could be a rather extraordinary story in F4Mates folklore if you can continue this form. But form is not all that one needs in these next four fixtures. The strategy is also important. Some of us have been doing this for some time, while others simply know who one is going to pick because we know each other's sentiments. This is where things get really interesting. For example, we can predict with near certainty that our two leaders Aramis and Nestor will go for a France victory over Southgate's cubs. This no doubt gives hope to Nico, Yianni and Si Webb to go for England; there is almost no chance that Stylianos will predict an English win. The World Champions are however in great form, and one can definitely question Southgate's tactics in big games. The risk is entirely yours.  Brazil v Croatia and Morocco v Portugal seem straightforward predictions, with Mates aiming for a Score Bonus to make up ground or extend their lead. Therefore, the crucial game and the one that is hardest (at least on paper) to predict is Netherlands v Argentina. Therefore, lose ground with England v France and you can possibly make it up with Netherlands v Argentina. Most importantly there are ONLY six points that separate Angelique, who has a superior Games record and is in seventh place (74 points) from the leaders. For Alexander, Jonathan, Dung and Michael, please draw from Nico for inspiration. Dud Delphic Oracle predictors are Alexander, Aramis, Nestor and Stylianos. Rest up and good luck to everyone. 

MD: 14 Seleção stroll into Quarter Finals and Croatia do it again on Penalties

 

Paying tribute to a Football Immortal; favourites Brazil after their 4:1 win against South Korea

Once again Croatian players thank their penalty superhero, goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic

Incredible tension in each of our respective homes this morning, particularly for the Japan v Croatia clash. This is what Football4Mates is all about. With Croatia pressing to go 2-1, Aramis and Si Webb were looking the goods to grab five points. However, the Japanese defence denied the hopeful aspirants and it was instead Nestor who grabbed the occasion (5 points). But alas, he too was denied by the heroics of Croatia's goalkeeper (Livakovic). And with that, up stepped Yianni to claim the first F4Mates penalty bonus points to keep his hopes alive. Yianni predicted 0-0, hence 4 points to the Euro 2020 Archon. Realising the consequence of his missed opportunity, Aramis tried to complain to the referee that he should be awarded 1 point for predicting Croatia to win on penalties. He was waved away; "Penalty Bonus does not work that way Ace". Disappointment for the young man. 

Tomorrow's two matches may perhaps seem straightforward on paper at least, but Morroco has proven themselves by coming first in their group by beating Belgium and Canada and drawing with Croatia. While Spain was caught on the break on more than one occasion by the Japanese. In the other game, Portugal for all their qualities is always a temperamental team, and Switzerland, for their defensive frailties is capable of delivering an unexpected knockout blow. Tough decisions!

MD 13: France and England have a Quarter Final date

 

Two goals for Mbappe and another for Giroud. France 3 Poland 1

Captain Kane is off the mark and England is into the Quarter Finals. England 3 Senegal 0

So close for Si Webb and Dung this morning; Poland's goal in the ninth minute of injury time denied the dynamic duo 5 points. Dung bombed out with the England game; throwing the dice and going for a Penalty Bonus 😒. Angelique, Alexander, Michael and Stylianos were hoping that Senegal could get the one goal and make it 3:1...but fell short. Aramis is still 5 points ahead, but it's close, and anything can happen; Japan v Croatia could be the game that may shake things up at the top. Brazil v South Korea is tomorrow's other game.

MD 12: The Martinezs' deny the Socceroos

 

Two extraordinary defensive moments by Argentina's Lisandro Martinez (top left and bottom) and Emiliano Martinez to deny a resurgent comeback by the Socceroos (Argentina 2 Australia 1)

This morning's clash between Argentina and Australia captures just about everything that this game is all about, including what it means to the players and fans. For all the drama and excitement, we must take our hats off to both teams, who showed extraordinary commitment. This game was about Messi and his quest for immortality, his team's utter dedication to helping their captain get to that summit, and Australia, the most unfancied team in the competition, who had everything to playful, which always seems to be about lifting the reputation of our game in a county filled with commercial media 'boofheads'. The Socceroos played beyond their talents and salaries. For all the positive reasons, Argentina v Australia is turning into a genuine modern-day football rivalry. 

Regarding the ladder, Si Webb's small patriotic gesture, which was perhaps a mixture of a pro-Australia or England v Argentina rivalry, caused a minor slip-up in his standing that has allowed Aramis to extend his lead, Nestor to move momentarily into second, and Yianni to go equal third; all three predicted Argentina 2-1.  Tomorrow morning, England plays Senegal and World Champions France will go against Poland. And yes, in the earlier game, the Netherlands beat USA 3:1, and will now play Argentina again in the Quater Finals. 

MD 11: Aramis takes out Round 3 on another dramatic evening

 

Contrasting emotions; South Korea advance at the expense of Luis Suarez's Uruguay  

Another dramatic evening of Round 3 matches, with South Korea, in injury time, hitting a winner (2:1) on the break against Portugal. Along with Portugal, South Korea has progressed into the Round of 16. That is now three nations from Asia qualifying for the Round of 16 (Australia, Japan and South Korea). On the Football4Mates ladder, Aramis has broken through Si Webb's hold of the lead to go top and claim the copper-coloured bar. Following Jonathan, another new generation of F4Mates finds himself sitting at the top of the ladder. Congratulations Aramis! Stylianos claimed the highest tally of points (27) for Round 3 to move into equal third with Dung. Great comeback for the veteran. Stylianos was sitting at the bottom of the ladder at the end of Round 2; that unsavoury honour goes to our newest group member, Michael. However, we still have plenty of games and opportunities for the ladder to shift dramatically. 

Knock out phase kicks off tomorrow morning with Netherlands v USA and Argentina v Australia. The win probability for Australia is 5%.  Remember that the new PENALTY SHOOTOUT BONUS will be active. Check your email and get your tips in. Good luck!

MD 10: Extraordinary sequence of Group games

The moment that leads to Japan's second goal

Germany, perhaps undeservedly, was left stunned and out of the World Cup. 

This World Cup has been the most extraordinary one I can ever remember, and this morning's Group E Round 3 games were, without a doubt, the pick of the lot. Spain and Germany were a no-brainer to progress when something remarkable happened during the halftime break. Minutes into the second half, the world of football, our game, was turned on its head. Japan and Costa Rica somehow, out of somewhere, found themselves not only in the lead (both 2-1) but miraculously sitting in first and second position. In the end, Germany, out of self-pride and hope that their fellow football superpower would turn the result around (4:2), saved Spain's backside from a humiliating exit. The Spanish hoping to return the favour once learning that Germany had regained control of the game, aimed to do the same, pressuring the Japanese goal to no avail, going down 2:1. Spain fell short but progressed nevertheless. But for the second consecutive World Cup, Germany, perhaps undeservedly, is out in the Group Stage. For Spain, it's a Round 16 clash with the team which finished first in Group F; Morocco! Japan now has to deal with Croatia, who finished second (Group F), another shock to the tournament as Belgium also packed their bags. 

On our ladder, we had more shaking and moving. Michael, Jonathan and Alexander have suffered significant slides, but the gap between the bottom and top is not disastrous...yet. Si Webb holds a three-point lead from Aramis, who is now equal second with another of the veterans, Nestor (prominent nosebleed position). Nestor and Stylianos are, to date, the top tippers for Round 3, scoring 23 points. Can Mr Three Lions hold on and take out Round 3? 

I will send an official excel sheet after tomorrow's games. In the meantime, you can ponder the games that have been determined for Round 16. Now, pay attention! Round 16 means knockout, extra time, and the possibility of a penalty shootout. In the past, F4Mates did not count the dreaded penalty. That changes for Qatar World Cup 2022. I will also send an email regarding how this works; very easy. 

MD 9: A veteran awakens, and Australia shock the football world

The body language says it all. Ecstasy (Mathew Leckie) and Shock (Riley McGree); Australia 1:0

Argentinian delight, recovering from a shock first-game loss to sweep into the last 16 (Argentina 2 Poland 0)

On a morning when Australia pulled off an 'against all the odds' moment, our veteran of eight F4Mates World Cups finally broke through to correctly predict the score of not one but two matches; Stylianos pulled out the score for Australia and Mexico victories, while also getting the Outcome for Argentina. Congratulations! For those quality predictions, you are now equal last with Nico. Si Webb (Mr Three Lions) holds a one-point lead over Aramis; both Mates scored 7 points. After a poor Round 2 by his standards, Yianni (4th) is determined to throw himself back into contention; his 17 points in Round 3 are the highest to date. Finally, Jonathan, Michael and Stylianos are comfortably ahead on their Outcome predictions. 

MD 8: Si Webb goes top, and welcome to the Round of 16 USA and Senegal

Senegal players celebrate their victory over Ecuador and progress into the Round of 16

Christian Pulisic injures himself while scoring his team's winning goal (USA 1 Iran 0)

A brace for Marcus Rashford (England 3 Wales 0)

While his Game Outcome predictions have been a tad on the average side, his Scoreline predictions have left the rest of the competition eating some Qatari sand. Congratulations Si Webb, our new outright leader. Webb's 7 points this morning were enough to bump Jonathan (6 points) off the top. Could this be the beginning of something special for Mr Three Lions himself? The next generation of F4Mates, including Jonathan and Aramis, may have other ideas. However, one thing is certain: the table is getting very tight. Aramis has climbed back into contention, moving to equal second and only one point before Mr Three Lions himself. Angelique and Nestor were the morning's biggest winners, scoring 11 points and showing that there is still hope for the rest and that there is still time to make some gains within Round 3. Good luck Mates, and good luck Australia against Denmark.

NEW! The knockout special Penalty Bonus

 

Yep, we are excited to introduce a new dynamic to Football4Mates. 

The knockout special Penalty Bonus feature that has been specifically created for the knockout phase of the competition will be launched at Qatar 2022. 

These Italian lads are excited because they won the World Cup in this fashion way back in 2006. The dreaded penalty shootout, yeah why not. 

Now Mates will also have the opportunity to extend their lead, gain ground, or slide down the F4Mates ladder. 

Take a risk and you can win OR lose everything! 

The Penalty Bonus is going to be the first addition to the competition since we kicked things off way back at Italia 90. Stay tuned.   

MD 8: Jonathan's superior Game Outcomes put him top at the end of Round 2

 

Portugal celebrate! Two goals by Bruno Fernandes against Uruguay and Portugal are through to the Round of 16.

Casemiro's goal sinks Switzerland and Brazil progresses with a 1:0 win 

Aboubakar scores in a fantastic game of football between Serbia and Cameroon (3:3)

Ghana celebrates its victory over South Korea (3:2) 

Congratulations Jonathan and Si Webb, who finished equal on points at the end of round two; Jonathan however claims the copper-coloured bar for his superior Game Outcomes; 38 points to Si Webb's 32. Nicos claimed the highest tally for the round, his 27 points, were 7 clear of his nearest rival. Dung mustered a late surge to jump back into contention by claiming third spot. Only one point behind our two leaders, it seems that Dung has again found his crystal ball. With plenty of drama installed, the next round of matches are going to come thick and fast. Three teams (Brazil, France and Portugal) have booked themselves into the knockout phase, and two (Canada and Qatar) have no hope of progressing. Round 3 is now or never for some of our Mates who are struggling to either get some Bonus points (Michael and Stylianos) or score any form of consistency. 

MD: 7 Germany; they want to hang around a little longer

Not keen on going home early, Germany draw against Spain (1:1)

Costa Rica's first shot on target at Qatar results in a 1:0 win over Japan.

Morocco sweep past what was once Belguim's Golden Generation 2:0

Luka Modric; Underestimate him and his mates at your own peril (Croatia 4 Canada 1)

A great evening of tipping by Si Webb, Yianni and Aramis; the only Mates worth mentioning in what was otherwise a below-average to a disastrous evening of tipping. From a footballing perspective, we should not have been taken by surprise by these results, because in the Round 1 games Germany should have buried Japan, Belgium were lucky against Canada, and Morroco were extremely positive against a strong Croatian team which many are again underestimating. As for Costa Rica, they were simply caught sunbathing and did not hear the alarms to evacuate the beach for an oncoming tsunami which came in a red wave called Spain. Jonathan is keeping the lead but he now has Si Webb who is finally showing his potential as a potential F4Mates Archon. Aramis has climbed into third while Dung continues to slide down the ladder. Had the competition commenced from Round 2, Nico would be enjoying a six-point lead from the rest. Good luck for tonight, it seems that many of us need it.