Friends in fútbol,
Was that the most bonkers quarterfinal round ever?
All four games had scripts that even soccer-loving Hollywood writers would struggle HARD to imagine.
It left us with clear paths to SZN championships for several of you. Commish lays them out below...
SEMIFINALS PICKS
- Pickles Pick'em
- Pelé Processional Bracket
- Old Man Buffon Survivor
- Your group picks (get in a group with friends!)
Survivor: It ends in this round.
We're down to just five brave souls. One is completely out of teams to pick. Three have a single team they must pick. And one has two teams... but they play each other.
So it ends here.
After the most legendary pick (and comment) in World Cup SZN history (Croatia over Brazil when they had both still available), @rstpaul's cupboard is fully bare.
@lillwaws and @Jimmysteinmetz had to pick Morocco. @TheBigGuy had to pick Croatia. @alex_goblue could choose either side of the France-Morocco game and chose France.
If the favorites win (France and Argentina), @alex_goblue is our champ. Otherwise it'll come down to our Championship Tiebreakers, which are, in order:
- Next round pickoff (so, who will win the Final)
- Number of upsets correctly picked
- Sum of FIFA ranking difference in your correct upset picks
- Final score prediction
Bracket: @RotoJeff leads, but many of you can still win
@RotoJeff (see his bracket) has amassed an impressive 41 points through two rounds, by going 7/8 in the Round of 16 and 4/4 in the Quarters.
His prediction was technically Morocco over Switzerland (his lone incorrect pick), but still. The man had Croatia over Brazil, too.
If France beats Messi in the Final, Jeff is our champ.
If Messi gets his Cup by beating France, @JoeDurp (bracket), who is just two points back, is our champ.
Before I get into other "fairly likely" scenarios, let me state that one person predicted Morocco over Croatia in the final. Let that wash over you. Picking Morocco to make the SEMIS was extremely bold. Picking them to even advance to the Final would have been viewed as borderline batshit. And to predict not only Morocco winning Africa's first Cup, but beating Croatia - now totally plausible! - to do it? If this transpires, it might be the greatest Bracket feat in SZN, nay world, history.
That person is @wingnut79 (bracket), who wouldn't win the competition (because @Jocogo813 also has Morocco winning and is 14 points ahead) but would go down as an absolute legend.
BEST OF THE REST:
- If Croatia tops France, @IrishMudd (bracket) is our champ
- If Croatia bests Morocco, it's still @IrishMudd given nobody has that matchup
- If France tops Croatia, @abanerji999 (bracket) is our champ
- If it's Argentina over Morocco, nobody has that matchup and so @JoeDurp still wins
- If it's Morocco in any scenario, as described above, @Jocogo813 (bracket) wins
Pick'em: It's down to 54 with a chance
@Curlybrazil and @comenayeah lead with 22 correct picks out of 28 so far. (Isn't it wild that we can do no better than 22? What an unpredictable World Cup.)
15 sit one win back, including 2013 NFL "BFIG" Survivor champ, @keving7685. And 39 sit two back.
If you're in that group two back, you can either play for the title or play for slightly improving your position. If you're playing for the title, you almost certainly need to pick both Croatia and Morocco in the semis and pray for chaos.
PICK STATS
Pickles Pick'em
- In today's matchup, Argentina-Croatia, we're 60% on ARG and 40% on CRO
- Tomorrow, we're 72% on France and 28% on Morocco
- You'd normally expect the numbers to be higher on the favorites, but we're firmly in the "NEED TO MAKE UP GROUND!" stage of this competition. Strategy!
Old Man Buffon Survivor
- As outlined above, we have two on Morocco, one on Croatia, and one on France
- If the final is France vs. Argentina, we have a champ (@alex_goblue)
- Any other scenario will produce a pickoff in the Final
Pelé Processional Bracket
- See above for champion scenarios!
- Reminder that clicking any username on the standings pages will show you their bracket.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Messi Magic Award
Our best weekly comment (or three)
@Jimmysteinmetz (Survivor: MOR): "And I quote "...all but one of the people who COULD have used Portugal - took the no-Ronaldos". Look who's laughing now (laugh/crying as I pick France's second team to beat their older brother)."
Commish says: All hail the one and ONLY person who could have used Morocco in the Quarters and didn't!
"Watch Me Dive" Award
Most convincing comment
@suckitspanos (Pick'em: CRO, MOR): "There’s no chance Morocco doesn’t make the final after another immortal performance by their keeper. That guy should run for President once the WC is over"
Commish says: And his name is Bono. Is Moroccan President really the ceiling of his potential? I didn't think it was possible to have another Emperor in this day and age... but we might be closing in on that reality.
Insulting Zizou's Sister Award
The spiciest/wildest take
@Sportzak (Pick'em: ARG, FRA): "My prediction that I'd score the same number of goals as Ronaldo in the tournament was correct—if you don't count penalties."
Commish says: WE'RE COUNTING IT
MORE COMMENTS
@Tijani (Pick'em: ARG, MOR): "Can't win anymore so now just picking solely on rooting interest"
Commish says: MESSI vs. BONO. WE ALL WANT IT!!!
@Keiffapro (Pick'em: ARG, FRA): "Cmon, Morocco can’t seriously win the Cup can they? I mean I hope they do, but my gambling brain says no way."
Commish says: Would you say that about a 12-seed in the Final Four? Just two wins left to glory!!!
@judigregry (Pick'em: CRO, FRA): "I should win a prize for picking all four of the quarter finals wrong. What are the odds!!"
Commish says: Turns out we averaged just 1.56 wins from our 4 picks in the quarters. So the odds were... higher than you'd think!
@hikee44 (Pick'em: ARG, MOR): "I'm not going to win. Neither is Morocco (but I also said that last round. And the round before). The first statement is true, the second would be fun if it were false. See? Being wrong can be fun."
Commish says: Is this a "secrets to a better marriage" self-help book or a World Cup pick comment?
@Rnidtowner (Pick'em: CRO, MOR): "Is Croatia even an underdog at this point?"
Commish says: Should they ever have been a big underdog?
@Peg (Pick'em: ARG, FRA): "Snoozefest. Like the rest of the lot. Really wish I had the balls to pick Morocco!"
Commish says: But... but... but... you DO. Find your inner Moxie. It's in you. It's in all of us.
@YikesVikes (Pick'em: CRO, MOR): "French flair, English penalty pain, Ronaldo’s ruin, and Moroccan mastery all featured in the final quarterfinals of a 2022 World Cup that continues to deliver games of excitement. As a non soccer fan I've even been glued to the tube, well at least for a couple matches. Morocco winning the World Cup would be like being a fruit loop in a bowl full of cheerios. But I picked them!"
Commish says: Raise your hand if you saw a Froot Loops analogy coming. PUT YOUR HAND DOWN.
Yours in Golden Boots,
The Commish