The 2014 World Cup finally kicked off yesterday with a match between Brazil and Croatia, with the home side walking away with the victory. An incorrectly given penalty marred the match when it was tied 1-1, but Brazil's third goal sealed the deal after dominant periods of possession and wasteful Croatian finishing.
Check Out The Simulated Result Of Mexico vs. Cameroon, Which Kicks Off Today
My simulation for that match using FIFA 14's new free World Cup Kick-off mode predicted a close 1-0 Brazil win, while I personally expected a scoreline closer to the real result (bad penalty call aside). Today we'll be treated to three games to enjoy, with some intriguing matchups on tap. The first (kicking off shortly in real life) is Mexico vs. Cameroon, which you can see my simulated result for here.
Later, reigning World Cup champions Spain face off against Netherlands today in a repeat of the 2010 Final, but my simulation did not finish with the same result. Netherlands upset the world's number one ranked national team with a 2-1 win, going on top with a late goal despite conceding first.
How Accurate Was The Brazil vs. Croatia FIFA 14 Simulation?
Andres Iniesta put in the rebound from a blocked Costa header 37 minutes in, putting the Spanish on top until late in the second half. Arjen Robben equalized with a left-footed shot (of course) from outside the area with 20 minutes to play, before Van Persie poached what proved to be the winner 5 minutes from full time.
The result is definitely an upset, and I ran a few extra simulations to see if the game fluked this result, but it only resulted in a draw or Netherlands win: FIFA 14 firmly thinks this Netherlands squad will come out on top. I have my doubts, as the roster on paper is one of their weakest in years and they haven't been convincing lately, but it remains to be seen how Van Gaal's team will play. Spain haven't been as dominant or ruthless as we've seen at the last World Cup and Euros--have teams figured them out? The squad is still an absurd collection of superstars, so it would be irrational to rule them out regardless--I expect a 1-0 (maybe 2-1?) Spain victory.
My simulation featured two AI-controlled sides on Legendary difficulty facing off against one another, using the squads expected to start today's game. There may be one or two differences in the selections or the way the team lines up, but these were approximations that are as close to likely as possible.
EA's own simulation of the whole tournament using 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil predicted that Germany would lift the trophy in July, which would make them the first European side to win the World Cup in South America.