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World Cup: Anyone else think the Pools are rigged?

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I think it just has to do with the location of the games. Pool B has northern european teams and is being played in northern european venues, so it limits travel. They could have swapped team NA and team Czech I guess, but I think that was done for variety's sake, since it's a bit odd to have team NA vs team Canada/USA a lot of times in the tournament.
 
Team Canada is a embarrassment of riches. Groupings and teams should be:

Group A
Canada 1
Canada 2
USA
North America U23

Group B
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Europe

The two Canadian teams could have been drafted and the Czech and Europe teams put together.

Yes I think the groupings are for ratings purposes.
 
48g90a138pts said:
Team Canada is a embarrassment of riches. Groupings and teams should be:

Group A
Canada 1
Canada 2
USA
North America U23

Group B
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Europe

The two Canadian teams could have been drafted and the Czech and Europe teams put together.

Yes I think the groupings are for ratings purposes.
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I thought it was hard to think anything dumber than the U23 and Team Europe teams, but I think your idea just topped it.
 
Mr Positive said:
I think it just has to do with the location of the games. Pool B has northern european teams and is being played in northern european venues, so it limits travel. They could have swapped team NA and team Czech I guess, but I think that was done for variety's sake, since it's a bit odd to have team NA vs team Canada/USA a lot of times in the tournament.
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Some pre-tournament games are played in Europe, but actual tournament is held in Toronto (the right way to do it, travelling across Atlantic mid-tournament like in 2004 can't be exactly an advantage), so no relevance to groups.
 
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48g90a138pts said:
Team Canada is a embarrassment of riches. Groupings and teams should be:

Group A
Canada 1
Canada 2
USA
North America U23

Group B
Russia
Sweden
Finland
Europe

The two Canadian teams could have been drafted and the Czech and Europe teams put together.

Yes I think the groupings are for ratings purposes.
Click to expand...


Why not just do:

Group A
Canada 1
Canada 2
Canada 3
Canada 4

Group B
Canada 5
Canada 6
Canada 7
Canada 8

And be done with it?
 
Mr Positive said:
I think it just has to do with the location of the games. Pool B has northern european teams and is being played in northern european venues, so it limits travel. They could have swapped team NA and team Czech I guess, but I think that was done for variety's sake, since it's a bit odd to have team NA vs team Canada/USA a lot of times in the tournament.
Click to expand...

What? All games are being played in Toronto...
 
I'd agree that they got the easier pool. But tinfoil hats are too expensive these days and I think it's just the way it worked out.
 
Rigged or strategicly planned

Can and US in same pool... SWE and FIN in same pool..
Maximize ratings... get CAN and US in top 3..
 
habbydays said:
I'd agree that they got the easier pool. But tinfoil hats are too expensive these days and I think it's just the way it worked out.
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It didn't just work out.. they didn't use any ranukings to make the 2 pools.. they placed the teams to generate maximum $$.. Nothing wrong with that.
 
LTIR said:
It didn't just work out.. they didn't use any ranukings to make the 2 pools.. they placed the teams to generate maximum $$.. Nothing wrong with that.
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There are no good rankings to use. IIHF rankings are silly and not worth acknowledging.

IIHF has Russia ranked second even though they are the worst of the big 6 medal wise.

Since 98 when the Olympics became a best on best tournament we have had 6 best on best.(5 Olympics 1 World Cup)

These are the medal standings through those tournaments.

Canada: 4G
Sweden: 1G, 1S
Czech: 1G, 2B
Finland: 2S, 3B
USA: 2S
Russia: 1S, 1B


If we use those as rankings to make groups (bad i know) and slot NA into 7th and EU into 8th (based on tonight's game) we get.



Groups 1
Canada
Czech
Russia
NA

Group 2
Sweden
Finland
USA
Europe


If we use total medal count instead we get

Group 1
Finland
Czech
Russia
NA

Group 2
Canada
Sweden
USA
Europe

Neither set is ideal as Czechs are to highly ranked in these rankings (Just like Russia in the IIHF rankings) and cause one group to have 3 of the top 4 teams. Therefore it makes sense to do groups based on how good each team is viewed to be and also to set up the strongest semi finals.

I think the groups are good and will allow the top 4 teams to get to the semi's.
 
ijuka said:
Yep, USA is likely to be #2 of group A like this. If they replaced anyone on group B they'd be essentially guaranteed to be #4.

Leave it up to Kopitar to throw a wrench in those plans, though.



However, what they should have done is have team Canada swap places with team NA. That way they'd have Canada, USA and Team NA in the semis essentially guaranteed.
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Europe has no chance. Top line with Kopitar and Zuccarello is the only line who is good enough both ways to keep up with the other teams top lines imo. Defense is weak as hell and goalies arent exactly stars either
 
Pekkafromswe said:
Going by NHL points and the overall status of the participating players Finland definitely isn't in the top 4 at the moment.

No one really puts any stock in silver or bronze medals. In fact I just now remembered that Sweden got silver in Sochi, that's how unimportant a non-gold is. Also, results from even four years ago aren't very relevant in terms of this tournament's ranking.
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It's been a constant though throughout the years that Finland never does well in the pre-tourney paper hockey based on the status of the individual superstar players.

Someone should go fish out what sort of cheatery they do at the team building phase, and out it and have them banned.
 
I personally think the pools are perfect... The best 4 teams will be in the semifinals, and the championship will likely be the best 2 teams.
 
I thought I got it right, but didn't.

This just might be rigged.
 
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I am angry about NA Cheater ;)!

This classification are ridiculous! The NHL-Dream is a Final CAN vs USA.

This is "unsportsmanlike"!

And i m in tense how biased the refs ;).
 
PWEI67 said:
I totally believe the pools were rigged in order to set up a Canada - USA final. I have not been following this closely at all, but for what I understand the top two teams in each pool make it on, with them playing the cross over team from the other pool. Each almost guaranteed that Canada - US will finish 1 -2 in their pool, giving them each a very good chance to make it to the final.
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I don't see how anyone can claim that this tournament is rigged for a Canada vs. USA final. Look at the American roster and I don't think that there is any way for them to get through the semi-finals. Aside from solid goaltending and a few skilled forwards, they went with 'grinders.' Their high flying offensive team was shutout in the semi's by Canada in Sochi...how does this team of average NHL'ers get by any of Russia, Sweden, Finland or even Team North America in the semi's. The answer is, they don't! They likely won't give up a ton of goals, but unless Kane, Pacioretty and Pavelski set the tournament on fire, they are in trouble.
 
Even if it is 'rigged'. The USA had to give up some of their best young players so they should get something back in return.
 
adam0307 said:
I don't see how anyone can claim that this tournament is rigged for a Canada vs. USA final. Look at the American roster and I don't think that there is any way for them to get through the semi-finals. Aside from solid goaltending and a few skilled forwards, they went with 'grinders.' Their high flying offensive team was shutout in the semi's by Canada in Sochi...how does this team of average NHL'ers get by any of Russia, Sweden, Finland or even Team North America in the semi's. The answer is, they don't! They likely won't give up a ton of goals, but unless Kane, Pacioretty and Pavelski set the tournament on fire, they are in trouble.
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I don’t see how anyone can claim its not rigged for a Canada – USA final. Bettman wants a Canada – USA final. Switch USA with Russia, USA will have a much tougher time getting to the semi finals. There is a definitely possibility that they don’t make it. If they do make it, they have a very high chance of meeting Canada in the semis. Compare that to the current pools, USA – Canada almost guaranteed to make it to the semi and they wont meet each other. Which scenario has the greatest chance of a Canada – USA final.

Who USA hockey picks to represent USA has absolutely nothing to do with the pool set up
 
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Just further emphasizing how big a joke this tournament is. They may as well have named it "Canada vs. The World" where everyone competes against each other to play Canada in the final.
 
I wouldn't say they were rigged. More so manipulated with the hopes the top two teams in each follow through to give the best semi-finals possible.
 
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