FIFA World Cup-Reverse Bracket Edition

[Tovarich]

Note that in the unlikely event we find out EA is putting out a full World Cup game with full qualifying and every country, I'll abandon this and use WC22 to do a bracket as I did back in 2015-2107
https://forums.operationsports.com/f...ket-style.html

I don't expect that to happen though, so I'll return to the last time they made a good decision and use the WC14 game.

This one however...the losers advance. I've re-made the bracket with reversed seeds. Germany is now the 203 seed. Anguilla is the 1 seed. The top 53 are so bad we don't even need to see them in the first round. They'll get a bye into the 2nd round. It will be a home and home just as the other was, probably until we're down to the last 8 or so when we'll move them to Brazil for all the pageantry and attention they deserve.

There will be no rhyme or reason this time to decide which team I play with in which order or who will be home first and second. It will be randomly decided for each matchup. In the previous iteration, I would occasionally use a B team in the second leg for people who had a comfortable lead. I won't do that this time. Everyone puts their best team out on the field. I'll be doing some editing to get everyone's best starting 11 together based on the game's ratings, while keeping people in their relatively similar positions and each country to their chosen default formation.

Two yellows total gets a suspension. I don't get many yellow cards in this game so it may never even happen. Reds will also get a suspension. Anyone who is forced to leave a game injured in the first leg will be assumed to miss the second leg. An injury in the second leg won't result in a missed game as there would realistically be ample time in between rounds to recover in most cases.

Road goals will be used to break a tie in aggregate until the final 8 get to Brazil. Once it is a neutral field, then there will be no more road goals. If I must go to extra time after the 2nd leg but the game didn't end in a draw, I'll begin a 3rd game with the ending lineups for game 2 which will be significantly shortened to reflect just a 30-minute game and then it'll go to penalty kicks if no goals are scored in the short extra time. Golden Goals will apply. The 30 minute extra time won't be finished if not necessary. If each leg ends in a draw, I can simply continue the second leg into extra time.

[Tovarich]

I'll post a graphic of a bracket once it gets smaller and can fit into a screenshot better. For now, the upper left quarter.

#128 Haiti vs. #129 Honduras-Loser advances to face #1 Anguilla
#64 Tajikistan vs. #193 Switzerland
#65 Georgia vs. #192 Romania
#97 Cuba vs. #160 Northern Ireland-Loser advances to face #32 Laos
#96 Sudan vs. #161 Nigeria-Loser advances to face #33 Turkmenistan
#113 Estonia vs. #144 Ireland-Loser advances to face #16 Turks & Caicos
#80 Moldova vs. #177 United States-Loser advances to face #49 Indonesia
#81 Kenya vs. #176 Scotland-Loser advances to face #48 Belize
#112 Morocco vs. #145 Gabon-Loser advances to face #17 San Marino

#121 Sierra Leone vs. #136 Zambia-Loser advances to face #8 Papua New Guinea
#57 North Korea vs. #200 Colombia
#72 Barbados vs. #185 Chile
#89 Azerbaijan vs. #168 Senegal-Loser advances to face #40 Bangladesh
#104 Macedonia vs. #153 Albania-Loser advances to face #25 Nepal
#120 Armenia vs. #137 Trinidad & Tobago-Loser advances to face #9 Tonga
#56 Liberia vs. #201 Argentina
#73 Luxembourg vs. #184 Austria
#88 Dominican Republic vs. #169 Ukraine-Loser advances to face #41 Yemen
#105 Ethiopia vs. #152 Japan-Loser advances to face #24 Macau

[Tovarich]

#128 Haiti vs. #129 Honduras

Sylvio Cator Stadium-Port-au-Prince, Haiti




(5-2-1-2)
GK-J. Placide
RWB-R. Goreux
RCB-K. Jaggy
CB-J. Pierre
LCB-J. Aveska
LWB-J. Alcenat
RCM-J. Louis
LCM-P. Joseph
CAM-C. Herold
RS-J. Maurice
LS-K. Belfort


(4-4-2)
GK-N. Valladares
RB-E. Izaguirre
RCB-V. Bernardez
LCB-M. Figueroa
LB-J. Garcia
RDM-A. Najar
LDM-E. Alvarez
RM-B. Garcia
LM-R. Espinoza
RS-J. Bengtson
LS-C. Costly

Goals
72' (HAI) Joseph
75' (HAI) Louis

Subs
61' (HON) Rojas > Bengtson
72' (HON) Palacios > Alvarez
75' (HAI) Marcelin > Herold
75' (HAI) Jean-Francois > Joseph
86' (HON) Lozano > Costly
89' (HAI) Guerrier > Maurice

Shots
Haiti 10-5
On Target
Haiti 7-1
Possession
Haiti 56-44
Tackles
Haiti 22-16
Corners
Haiti 3-1

Haiti lead 2-0 after the 1st leg

[Tovarich]

#64 Tajikistan vs. #193 Switzerland

Central Tajikistan Stadium-Dushanbe, Tajikistan



(4-4-2)
GK-V. Sysoev
RB-A. Negmatov
RCB-D. Ergashev
LCB-S. Savankulov
LB-F. Choriev
RM-K. Makhmudov
RCM-M. Sadikov
LCM-A. Khodzhibaev
LM-I. Rabimov
RS-K. Saidov
LS-D. Dzhalilov


(4-2-3-1)
GK-D. Benaglio
RB-S. Lichtsteiner
RCB-F. Schar
LCB-T. Klose
LB-R. Rodriguez
RDM-P. Schwegler
LDM-G. Inler
RAM-B. Dzemaili
CAM-X. Shaqiri
LAM-T. Barnetta
ST-J. Drmic

Goals
4' (TJK) Savankulov
22' (SUI) Drmic
44' (SUI) Drmic
90+2' (SUI) Behrami

Cards
3' (SUI) Drmic-Yellow

Subs
60' (SUI) Behrami > Schwegler
74' (TJK) Tokhirov > Khodzhibaev
75' (SUI) Derdiyok > Drmic
87' (TJK) Khamrakulov > Saidov

Shots
Switzerland 10-8
On Goal
Tajikistan 6-5
Possession
Tajikistan 53-47
Tackles
Switzerland 19-18
Corners
Tajikistan 3-1

Switzerland lead 3-1 after the 1st leg

[Tovarich]

#65 Georgia vs. #192 Romania
Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena-Tbilisi, Georgia



(4-2-3-1)
GK-N. Revishvili
RB-D. Kvirkvelia
RCB-G. Kashia
LCB-Z. Khizanishvili
LB-G. Popkhadze
RDM-L. Kenia
LDM-S. Grigalashvili
RM-A. Kobakhidze
LM-J. Ananidze
CAM-A. Ebralidze
ST-V. Dvalishvili


(4-2-3-1)
GK-C. Pantilimon
RB-S. Radu
RCB-P. Papp
LCB-V. Chiriches
LB-R. Rat
RDM-C. Lazar
LDM-A. Bourceanu
RM-G. Torje
LM-C. Tanase
CAM-A. Maxim
ST-A. Mutu

Goals
14' (GEO) Ananidze
37' (GEO) Popkhadze

Subs
61' (ROU) Pintili > Lazar
67' (ROU) Chipciu > Maxim
71' (GEO) Targamadze > Ebralidze
81' (ROU) Marica > Mutu
81' (GEO) Amisulashvili > Kobahidze

Shots
Georgia 7-3
On Goal
Georgia 5-0
Possession
Georgia 55-45
Tackles
Romania 20-13
Corners
Georgia 2-1

Georgia lead 2-0 after the 1st leg

[Tovarich]

#97 Cuba vs. #160 Northern Ireland
Estadio Pedro Marrero-Havana, Cuba




(4-1-4-1)
GK-O. Molina
RB-Y. Colome
RCB-R. Malblanche
LCB-J. Clavelo
LB-J. Corrales
CDM-Y. Marquez
RM-A. Martinez
RCM-J. Colome
LCM-A. Urgelles
LM-A. Gomez
ST-Y. Lahera


(4-4-1-1)
GK-R. Carroll
RB-A. Hughes
RCB-G. McAuley
LCB-J. Evans
LB-D. Lafferty
RM-J. Ward
RCM-C. Baird
LCM-C. Brunt
LM-S. Davis
CAM-N. McGinn
ST-K. Lafferty

Goals
8' (CUB) Gomez
47' (NIR) Baird

Subs
59' (NIR) McCourt > Ward
89' (CUB) Fernandez > Marquez
89' (CUB) Hernandez > Colome
89' (CUB) Francisco > Urgelles
89' (NIR) McKay > K. Lafferty

Shots
Northern Ireland 9-4
On Goal
Northern Ireland 5-2
Possession
Cuba 55-45
Tackles
Northern Ireland 16-15
Corners
Cuba 1-0

Cuba and Northern Ireland 1-1 after the 1st leg, Northern Ireland lead by the away goal

[Tovarich]

#96 Sudan vs. #161 Nigeria
All Merriekh Stadium-Omdurman, Sudan



(4-3-1-2)
GK-M. Hafez
RB-M. Maaz
RCB-S. Ali
LCB-A. Abdalla
LB-M. El Tayeb
RCM-H. Mustafa
CM-N. Omer
LCM-A. Yousif
CAM-M. Bashir
RS-M. Tahir
LS-M. El Tahir


(4-3-3)
GK-V. Enyeama
RB-E. Ambrose
RCB-J. Yobo
LCB-K. Omeruo
LB-E. Echiejile
RCM-O. Onazi
LCM-J. Mikel
CAM-E. Igiebor
RW-V. Moses
ST-E. Emenike
LW-A. Musa

Goals
4' (NGA) Emenike
68' (SUD) El Tahir (PEN)

Cards
78' (NGA) Echiejile-Yellow

Subs
62' (NGA) Ideye > Emenike
68' (NGA) Odemwingie > Igiebor
72' (SUD) Galag > Omer
76' (NGA) Ogude > Onazi
78' (SUD) Gabir > Maaz
88' (SUD) Hamid > Yousif

Shots
Nigeria 6-4
On Goal
Nigeria 6-1
Possession
Sudan 59-41
Tackles
Nigeria 27-16
Corners
Nigeria 2-0

Sudan and Nigeria 1-1 after the 1st leg, Nigeria lead by the away goal

[Tovarich]

#113 Estonia vs. #144 Ireland
Lillekula Stadium-Tallinn, Estonia



(4-2-3-1)
GK-M. Meerits
RB-E. Jaager
RCB-R. Piiroja
LCB-R. Klavan
LB-D. Kruglov
RDM-K. Vassiljev
LDM-A. Purje
RM-H. Ojamaa
LM-J. Lindpere
AM-S. Mosnikov
ST-T. Kink


(4-4-2)
GK-D. Randolph
RB-S. Coleman
RCB-C. Clark
LCB-R. Dunne
LB-S. Ward
RM-A. McGeady
RCM-J. McCarthy
LCM-G. Whelan
LM-D. Gibson
RS-R. Keane
LS-S. Long

Goals
12' (EST) Kink
32' (EST) Purje
38' (IRL) Long
60' (EST) Kink
68' (IRL) Keane
72' (EST) Lindpere

Subs
58' (IRL) Hoolahan > Whelan
64' (EST) Vunk > Mosnikov
64' (IRL) Stokes > Long
82' (EST) Luts > Purje
82' (EST) Sisov > Jaager

Shots
Estonia 9-7
On Goal
Estonia 7-4
Possession
Estonina 51-49
Tackles
Ireland 16-8
Corners
2-2

Estonia lead 4-2 after the 1st leg