The 2014 World Cup finally kicked off today 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 SImulation Of The Brazil-Croatia Match Here
My simulation yesterday predicted a close 1-0 Brazil win, while I personally expected a scoreline closer to what happened today (bad penalty call aside). Tomorrow we'll be treated to three games to enjoy rather than just the one, with some intriguing matchups on tap. The first is Mexico vs. Cameroon, which I've simulated using FIFA 14's new free World Cup Kick-off mode.
The African side came away with the win in my simulation, defeating the CONCACAF team 1-2. The scoring began early with a goal from Eyong Enoh in the 10th minute, set up by a short ball from legend Samuel Eto'o. Mexico pulled it level 16 minutes later however, somewhat surprisingly through a Jose Juan Vasquez half-volley.
EA Sports Simulation Predicts Germany To Lift World Cup Trophy
It wasn't meant to be for Mexico though, with M'Bia restoring the lead right after halftime and not looking back. The match ended 2-1 and, like the Brazil prediction, I don't think that's unrealistic. Mexico has been pretty poor over the last year, and Cameroon is a decent side--a draw is not out of the question either. Cameroon held 70 percent posession in the sim, but only outshot Mexico by one.
My simulation featured two AI-controlled sides on Legendary difficulty facing off against one another, using the squads expected to start tomorrow'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, making them the first European side to win the World Cup in South America--a difficult feat.
