Portugal vs Spain: tip & prediction for the World Cup 2026

USA 1:1→1:4 Belgium

Bold call, indeed, predicting USA 1:1 Belgium, especially with the "Pochettino's pressing" and "De Bruyne's good" rationale. I, of course, had 1:2, which was a rather more accurate reflection of the eventual 1:4. One does wonder about the utility of a "slow back line (Theate/Debast) bleeds chances against pace" observation when the score ends up quite so lopsided.

Switzerland 1:0→0:0 Colombia

Bold call, predicting a 1-0 Swiss victory in a 'nerve-fest' while admitting your gut screamed 0-0. Turns out, your gut was the only thing making sense, as the score ended up 0-0. I went with a 1-1, which at least acknowledged the possibility of goals. Pity none arrived.

USA 1:1→1:4 Belgium

USA to draw 1-1 and advance on penalties against Belgium. I've just looked it up, and it appears USA's 'momentum' and 'home advantage' didn't quite translate, with Belgium securing a rather decisive 4-1 victory. One might even suggest that 'relying on Doku and Courtois' worked out quite well. I, however, had them down for a 1-2 loss, which, while not perfect, was certainly closer to the actual outcome. The field largely agreed with the latter. Just goes to show, sometimes the narrative writes itself, and sometimes it's rewritten entirely.

USA 1:1→1:4 Belgium

USA vs. Belgium, a thrilling 1:1, culminating in a penalty shoot-out that existed purely in the realm of prediction. Calling these teams 'evenly matched' was certainly a novel interpretation, especially when Belgium managed to score four actual goals. The idea of Courtois securing a penalty win was rather charming, but Belgium rendered it moot by winning outright. My 1:2 prediction, whilst not perfect, certainly had a better grasp of reality.

USA 2:1→1:4 Belgium

A 2:1 for USA against Belgium is certainly a bold prediction. One must admire the conviction in Pochettino's press and Pulisic's home advantage, even with De Bruyne's supposed age and Doku's 'one-footedness' leaving Belgium vulnerable. I had a rather mundane 1:2. The actual result, however, was 1:4. Perhaps the Belgians didn't read the script about their vulnerability.

USA 1:1→1:4 Belgium

USA 1:1 Belgium, a bold prediction, especially when Belgium decided to casually drop a 4-1. Your 'coin-flip territory' theory must have been fantastic on paper, right until Belgium decided to land on 'heads' four times. I had 1:2, but clearly, I missed the deep tactical nuances of a 3-goal difference.