The Official sj.com World Cup '06 pool

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

This is The Official SportsJournalists.com World Cup ’06 pool (Perhaps we can even call it the first annual).
There is no entry fee and you will not win prizes (unless Webby wants to throw in a SportsJournalists.com thong, but I didn't ask so there's no prizes).

RULES:
Pick the first- and second-place teams in each group. Fill out the bracket accordingly.
You get points five points for correctly picking a team’s finish in group play and three points for picking a team to advance to the knockout stages but not in the correct group finish (I know that’s not very clear so … e.g. You pick the Italians to finish first and the Czechs to finish second in their group. They finish in that order so you get 10 points, five for each team. However, if the Americans finish first and the Italians finish second, you would get three points for picking the Italians to advance). In the knockout stages, you get points like a typical bracket pool. Five (5) points for picking first-round games correctly, six (6) points for quarterfinal games, seven (7) for semifinals and nine (9) for picking the champion correctly.

Pick the first- and second-place finisher in each group in order.

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

Group B
England
Sweden
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago

Group C
Netherlands
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Mont

Group D
Mexico
Portugal
Iran
Angola

Group E
Czech
USA
Italy
Ghana

Group F
Brazil
Japan
Croatia
Australia

Group G
France
South Korea
Switzerland
Togo

Group H
Spain
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia
Ukraine

Left side of bracket
A1 vs.
B2

C1 vs.
D2

E1 vs.
F2

G1 vs.
H2


Right side of bracket
B1 vs.
A2

D1 vs.
C2

F1 vs.
E2

H1 vs.
G2

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
A1-B2 winner vs. C1-D2 winner
E1-F2 winner vs. G1-H2 winner

Right side
B1-A2 winner vs. D1-C2 winner
F1-E2 winner vs. H1-G2 winner

SEMIFINALISTS
A1-B2--C1-D2 winner vs. E1-F2--G1-H2 winner
B1-A2--D1-C2 winner vs. F1-E2--H1-G2 winner

CHAMPION
Uh … alphabet soup.

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game
2: Total corner kicks in the title game
3: Most correctly picked finishes in group standings

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

EXAMPLE
Please use this format so I don’t go crazy in grading this mess.
Team listed first is in first place, second is second place.
Group A
Poland
Ecuador

Group B
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago

Group C
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Mont

Group D
Iran
Angola

Group E
Italy
Ghana

Group F
Croatia
Australia

Group G
Switzerland
Togo

Group H
Saudi Arabia
Ukraine

Left side of bracket
A1 Poland vs. B2 T&T

C1 Ivory Coast vs. D2 Angola

E1 Italy vs. F2 Austrailia

G1 Switzerland vs. H2 Ukraine


Right side of bracket
B1 Paraguay vs. A2 Ecuador

D1 Iran vs. C2 S&M

F1 Croatia vs. E2 Ghana

H1 Saudi Arabi vs. G2 Togo

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
T&T vs. Ivory Coast
Italy vs. Ukraine

Right side
Paraguay vs. S&M
Ghana vs. Togo

SEMIFINALISTS
T&T vs. Italy
S&M vs. Ghana

CHAMPION
Italy def. Ghana.

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game -- 7
2: Total corner kicks in the title game -- 32

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Their group or the whole ****in' thing?

 

[Armchair_QB]

I know nothing about soccer so I provide these picks purely as comic relief. Consider me the "Marge from Accounting" of the soccer pool.

Pick the first- and second-place finisher in each group in order.

Group A
Germany
Poland

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Netherlands
Argentina

Group D
Mexico
Portugal

Group E
Czech
USA

Group F
Brazil
Croatia

Group G
France
Switzerland

Group H
Spain
Tunisia

Left side of bracket
A1 Germany over B2 Sweden

C1 Netherlands over D2 Portugal

E1 Czechs over F2 Croatia

G1 France over H2 Tunisia

Right side of bracket
B1 England over A2 Poland

C2 Argentina over D1 Mexico

F1 Brazil over E2 USA

H1 Spain over G2 Switzerland

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
A1-B2 winner vs. C1-D2 winner: Germany over Netherlands
E1-F2 winner vs. G1-H2 winner: Czechs over France

Right side
B1-A2 winner vs. D1-C2 winner: Argentina over England
F1-E2 winner vs. H1-G2 winner Brazil over Spain

SEMIFINALISTS
A1-B2--C1-D2 winner vs. E1-F2--G1-H2 winner: Czechs over Germany
B1-A2--D1-C2 winner vs. F1-E2--H1-G2 winner: Brazil over Argentina

CHAMPION
Brazil cancels Czechs

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game: 3
2: Total corner kicks in the title game: 6
3: Most correctly picked finishes in group standings

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Bump.
For the soccer people.

 

[MertWindu]

BBa_m, when do you want these by?

 

[Cadet]

And do you want them as big 'ol posts or as PMs?

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Entries due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 8.
BBAM is not responsible for lost or misdirected votes.
Posts prefered over PMs.

 

[MertWindu]

Entries due by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 8.
BBAM is not responsible for lost or misdirected votes.
Posts prefered over PMs.

Void where prohibited...

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

If you are under 18, get your parents permission.

 

[MertWindu]

Offer not valid in Texas or Louisiana, no purchase necessary, side effects may include headaches, stomach pain, and anal leakage...

 

[Monkey]

Monkey's pics

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Netherlands
Ivory Coast


Group D
Mexico
Iran

Group E
USA
Italy

Group F
Brazil
Australia

Group G
France
South Korea

Group H
Spain
Saudi Arabia

Left side of bracket
A1 Germany vs. B2 Sweden

C1 Netherlands vs. D2 Iran

E1 USA vs.
F2 Australia

G1 France vs.
H2 Saudi Arabia


Right side of bracket
B1 England vs.
A2 Costa Rica

D1 Mexico vs.
C2 Ivory Coast

F1 Brazil vs.
E2 Italy

H1 Spain vs.
G2 South Korea

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
Germany vs. Netherlands
USA vs. France

Right side
England vs. Ivory Coast
Brazil vs. Spain

SEMIFINALISTS
Germany vs. USA
England vs. Brazil

CHAMPION
Brazil def. USA

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game: 3
2: Total corner kicks in the title game: 6

 

[ServeItUp]

Presumably, you want the picks in public for humiliation purposes? Get your tomatoes ready...

Group A: 1. Germany, 2. Ecuador
Group B: 1. England, 2. TnT
Group C: 1. Argentina, 2. Netherlands
Group D: 1. Mexico, 2. Portugal
Group E: 1. Czech, 2. Ghana
Group F: 1. Brazil, 2. Japan
Group G: 1. France, 2. South Korea
Group H: 1. Ukraine, 2. Spain

Left side of bracket
Germany over TnT
Argentina over Portugal
Czechs over Japan
France over Spain

Right side of bracket
England over Ecuador
Netherlands over Mexico
Brazil over Ghana
South Korea over Ukraine

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
Argentina over Germany
Czechs over France

Right side
Netherlands over England
Brazil over South Korea

SEMIFINALISTS
Czechs over Argentina
Brazil over Netherlands

CHAMPION
Brazil over Czechs

Tie breakers
1: 3
2: 8
3: Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Bump. For the morning crew.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

I'll post my picks on Tuesday .... maybe, fellas. Maybe Wednesda .... or Tursday.

 

[Dessens71]

I'm new around here, but I'd like to play, please.

Group A
Germany
Poland

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Netherlands

Group D
Portugal
Mexico

Group E
Czech
Italy

Group F
Brazil
Croatia

Group G
France
Switzerland

Group H
Ukraine
Spain

Left side of bracket
Germany vs. Sweden
Argentina vs. Mexico
Czech vs. Croatia
France vs. Spain

Right side of bracket
England vs. Poland
Portugal vs. Netherlands
Brazil vs. Italy
Ukraine vs. Switzerland

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
Germany vs. Argentina
Czech vs. Spain
Right side
England vs. Portugal
Brazil vs. Ukraine

SEMIFINALISTS
Germany vs. Czech
Portugal vs. Brazil

CHAMPION
Brazil def. Germany

Tie breakers
1: 4
2: 12

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Yer in, buddy. BOTTOMS UP!
GO AZZURRI!!

 

[fmrsped]

Group A
Germany
Ecuador

Group B
England
Paraguay

Group C
Argentina
Netherlands

Group D
Mexico
Portugal

Group E
Czech
USA

Group F
Brazil
Croatia

Group G
France
South Korea

Group H
Spain
Ukraine

Left side of bracket
A1 Germany over B2 Paraguay

D2 Portugal over C1 Argentina

E1 Czech over F2 Croatia

G1 France over H2 Ukraine


Right side of bracket
B1 England over A2 Ecuador

C2 Netherlands over D1 Mexico

F1 Brazil over E2 USA

G2 South Korea over H1 Spain

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
A1-B2 Germany over C1-D2 Portugal
G1-H2 France over E1-F2 Czech

Right side
D1-C2 Netherlands over B1-A2 England
F1-E2 Brazil over H1-G2 South Korea

SEMIFINALISTS
France over Germany
Brazil over Netherlands

CHAMPION
France over Brazil

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game--3
2: Total corner kicks in the title game--9
3: Most correctly picked finishes in group standings

 

[Jim Tom Pinch]

I may edit this before Friday after I've done a little more reseach. If somebody else is Marge from Accounting, I'm going to be Steve from the press room, who loves the NBA but doesn't really follow college basketball, but does research before making his picks.

Pick the first- and second-place finisher in each group in order.

Group A
Germany
Poland

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast

Group D
Portugal
Mexico

Group E
Czech
USA

Group F
Brazil
Croatia

Group G
France
Switzerland

Group H
Spain
Saudi Arabia

Left side of bracket
Sweden beats Germany

Mexico beats Argentina

Czech beats Croatia

France over Saudi Arabia


Right side of bracket
England beats Poland

Ivory Coast beats Portugal

Brasil over USA

Spain over Switzerland

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
Sweden beats Mexico
Czech over France

Right side
England beats Ivory Coast
Brasil beats Spain

SEMIFINALISTS
Czech over Sweden
Brasil beats England

CHAMPION
Czech over Brasil

Tie breakers
Total goals in the title game: 3
2: Total corner kicks in the title game: Gross. I have no idea where to go here. Is 8 reasonable?

 

[Pastor]

Final Standings: Group A

• 
  1. Germany
  2. Poland
  3. Ecuador
  4. Costa Rica

Final Standings: Group B

• 
  1. England
  2. Sweden
  3. Paraguay
  4. Trinidad & Tobago

Final Standings: Group C

• 
  1. Netherlands
  2. Argentina
  3. Ivory Coast
  4. Serbia & Montenegro

Final Standings: Group D

• 
  1. Portugal
  2. Mexico
  3. Angola
  4. Iran

Final Standings: Group E

• 
  1. Czech Republic
  2. USA
  3. Italy
  4. Ghana

Final Standings: Group F

• 
  1. Brazil
  2. Croatia
  3. Japan
  4. Australia

Final Standings: Group G

• 
  1. France
  2. South Korea
  3. Togo
  4. Switzerland

Final Standings: Group H

• 
  1. Spain
  2. Ukraine
  3. Saudi Arabia
  4. Tunisia

Left side of bracket
Germany v. Sweden

Netherlands v. Mexico

Czech Republic v. Croatia

France v. Ukraine


Right side of bracket
England v. Poland

Portugal v. Argentina

Brazil v. USA

Spain v. South Korea

QUARTERFINALISTS
Left side
Germany v. Netherlands
Czech v. France

Right side
England v. Argentina
USA v. Spain

SEMIFINALISTS
Netherlands v. France
USA v. Argentina

CHAMPIONSHIP
Netherlands v. Argentina

WINNER
Netherlands

Tie breakers
1: Total goals in the title game: 3
2: Total corner kicks in the title game: 12
3: Most correctly picked finishes in group standings: ALL ;D

Yeah, I'm a homer. Deal with it! :D