The Bench Euros 2020 (taking place in 2021)

[Jakusotsu]

1 minute ago, Jakusotsu said:

I think creating a new instance of the rules would be better than editing the old page, though.

Ok, I took a closer look at those pages - perhaps not.

[Jejima]

17 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Ok, I took a closer look at those pages - perhaps not.

Phew. 

I have just negotiated 24 minutes to do 'computer work' from Peter (the timer is on), before more activity with Daddy time.

With luck, that should be enough!

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Jejima

[Jejima]

Finally, I have managed to sort out the groupings for the 'selections' for our picks. I was really tempted to go to ten selection groups, but I have managed to 'cram' it into nine.

I will set up a questionnaire with Survey Monkey soon to make this easier.  I will try to remember what Achiyama previously taught me about how to allow more than one questionnaire reply from the same computer (which will help my family, and others).

However please check the rules for squad selection....

You MUST select your representative team and counterbalance teams in your squad. So (for example) Jejima MUST select England (representative team) AND Hungary (counter-balance team).

(If you don't, whatever team(s) you have selected in that bracket will be replaced with the correct teams - but please make things easier for me, by selecting the correct teams in the first place!)

Additionally, please select two substitutes (free choice) - from teams which are NOT already in your squad.  These will come into play during the knockout rounds.

Here are the groupings.  (The letter in brackets is the group that each is in during the group stages.):-
The groups are of different sizes (between 2 - 4).  This is because I have kept teams with similar betting odds in the same groups.

I made the 'Bench Euro groups' before I looked at the real Euro 2020 groups, and I think that the outcome should keep things interesting for the group stages. This is because (due to Upper joi-jin pick), everyone will have at least one team from Group A - so all Bench matches with have relevance from the first couple of days of each round, and, as we all have to have an (important) Ozeki from either group E or F, the first of the Bench group matches will go down to the final two days, and the last two Bench group matches, will go to the final day.

Yokozuna
Belgium (B)
England (D)
France (F)

Ozeki
Germany (F)
Portugal (F)
Spain (E)

Sekiwake
Italy (A)
Netherlands (C)

Komusubi
Croatia (D)
Denmark (B)

Upper Joi-jin
Switzerland (A)
Turkey (A)

Lower Joi-jin
Poland (E)
Sweden (E)
Ukraine (C)

Upper-Mid Makunouchi
Austria (C)
Czechia (D)
Russia (B)
Wales (A)

Lower-Mid Makunouchi
Finland (B)
Scotland (D)
Slovakia (E)

Lower Makunouchi
Hungary (F)
North Macedonia (C)

[Jejima]

Part 1 - Make your full squad selection here!

Remember you MUST select your representative team and Counterbalance team in the options where they appear.

(I believe that multiple responses from the same computer are now possible.)

 

Part 2 - Choose your two substitutes to join your squad for the knockout rounds

The first substitute will join your squad for the octofinals (round of 16) onwards. The second substitute will join your squad for the quarterfinals (round of 8) onwards. These are free picks - but don't choose teams already on your squad for your substitutes!

 

Deadline - Friday, 4th June - but earlier would be preferred. (If everyone can enter earlier, then the final bits of pre-tournament admin can be done quicker.)

Edited May 31, 2021 by Jejima

[Terarno]

Boom.

In.

Thanks Jejima.

[Jejima]

4 minutes ago, Terarno said:

Boom.

In.

Thanks Jejima.

Don't forget to do the second questionnaire too. (I have to put it into two surveys, as a maximum of ten 'questions' are allowed with the free version of Survey Monkey).

[Athenayama]

Will there be a final table with our entries? As my cousin already forgot exactly what he picked... (insert facepalm emoji here) 

[Terarno]

35 minutes ago, Athenayama said:

Will there be a final table with our entries? As my cousin already forgot exactly what he picked... (insert facepalm emoji here) 

Depends if Jejima makes another newborn.

[Jejima]

1 hour ago, Athenayama said:

Will there be a final table with our entries? As my cousin already forgot exactly what he picked... (insert facepalm emoji here) 

Yes, there will be

But, I won't publish it until all entries are in.

[Athenayama]

7 minutes ago, Jejima said:

Yes, there will be

But, I won't publish it until all entries are in.

Of course. Thanks.

[Jejima]

I am trying to work out who I want to pick for my squad. Whilst doing so, I found something weird....

It looks to me as if it is better to come second in Group D (i.e. England's group), than to come first, due to the likely opponent in the 'octofinals'.

It's the runner-up in group E, probably Sweden, Spain or Poland for Group D's runner-up, and group F's runner-up, probably France, Germany or Portugal for Group D's winner!

Edited May 31, 2021 by Jejima

[Jejima]

This is the update regarding squads and substitutes submitted via the two Survey Monkeys.

A little key to how you have done....

 = I have your squad - and it has been checked to be 100% okay!

 = I have your squad, but you made an error (either NOT selecting your (R) representative team or your (C) Counter-balance team - or both) - but easy for me to fix. 

 = I have your squad, but at least one of your 2 substitutes is also a squad member - please redo your substitutes poll! 

Missing part of your squad/substitutes (you have only answered one of the questionnaires, so far - please answer the other!)

Group A - Refioji Pitinosato
Italy (Czechia) - Nantonoyama 
Switzerland (Poland) - Furanohana
Turkey (Sweden) - Baku 
Wales (Portugal) - Andrasoyama  

Group B - Refioji Godango
Belgium (Finland) - Athenayama 
Denmark (Ukraine) - Fujiko
Finland (Belgium) - Kaba 
Russia (Croatia) - Nekonishiki 

Group C - Refioji Jakusotsu
Austria (Netherlands) - Ganzohnesushi
Netherlands (Austria) - Pitinosato 
North Macedonia (France) - Joaoiyama 
Ukraine (Denmark) - Shounokuni

Group D - Refioji Achiyama
Croatia (Russia) - Kuma-Koma
Czechia (Italy) - Atenzan
England (Hungary) - Jejima 
Scotland (Germany) - Jakusotsu

Group E - Refioji Nekonishiki
Poland (Switzerland) - Djodjoyoshi 
Slovakia (Spain) - Chijanofuji
Spain (Slovakia) - Achiyama
Sweden (Turkey) - Ojisan

Group F - Refioji Athenayama
France (North Macedonia) - Terarno 
Germany (Scotland) - Finngall
Hungary (England) - Godango
Portugal (Wales) - chishafuwaku

Edited May 31, 2021 by Jejima

[Ganzohnesushi]

8 hours ago, Jejima said:

Yokozuna

 

Belgium (B)
England (D)
France (F)

England? Yokozuna? The team which has never won anything since 55 years?  

Ganzohnesushi

[Athenayama]

10 minutes ago, Ganzohnesushi said:

England? Yokozuna? The team which has never won anything since 55 years?  

Ganzohnesushi

Blame the bookmakers.

[Ganzohnesushi]

Yeah, English bookmakers are funny guys, I guess they are dreamers. For each World Cup, for each Euro they declare England as a co-favorit. Absolutely ridiculous. Just look at the list of former Euro Champions:

1960: USSR

1964: Spain

1968: Italy

1972: Germany

1976: Czechoslovakia

1980: Germany

1984: France

1988: Netherlands

1992: Denmark

1996: Germany

2000: France

2004: Greece

2008: Spain

2012: Spain

2016: Portugal

England even never reached the final. Flop after flop. Sekiwake level maximum....

 

Ganzohnesushi

 

[Athenayama]

Oh you don't need to convince me. I believe they put England as one of the favorites this time as its roster is based on the young generation who recently became world champion (U17 in 2017) and Europe champion (U19 in 2017).

Edited May 31, 2021 by Athenayama

[Yamanashi]

44 minutes ago, Ganzohnesushi said:

or each World Cup, for each Euro they declare England as a co-favorit. Absolutely ridiculous

 

2 minutes ago, Athenayama said:

I believe they put England as one of the favorites this time as its roster is based on the young generation

I've never bet on sports, so pardon my foolishness.  I'm trying to figure out a strategy that English bookmakers would use to make sure that a lot of English bettors would place a bet, but the bookmakers were pretty safe from losing money.  Can anyone here give me some ideas?

[Athenayama]

20 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

 

I've never bet on sports, so pardon my foolishness.  I'm trying to figure out a strategy that English bookmakers would use to make sure that a lot of English bettors would place a bet, but the bookmakers were pretty safe from losing money.  Can anyone here give me some ideas?

The biggest hint is this : "as clever as we think we are as regarding betting, as much as we think we know, as much as we have studied one game/bout/competition, the books are more clever, know more (something we don't know), have programs/algorithms which cover ALL our knowledge + 1 .... 
(in 99.99% of the cases)

Edited May 31, 2021 by Athenayama

[Sakura]

Given that local fans like to bet on local teams, it makes sense for English bookmakers to consider England as a favourite. In case England pulls off the unlikely then the bookmakers will lose a lot less on those bets.

Maybe a less biased (or manipulated) source are the Fifa world rankings. Though, those would still keep England as a Yokozuna but put Germany as a Sekiwake.

[Chijanofuji]

10 hours ago, Jejima said:

Part 1 - Make your full squad selection here!

 

Part 2 - Choose your two substitutes to join your squad for the knockout rounds

OK. Done! - Alea Iacta Est!

[Godango]

2 hours ago, Ganzohnesushi said:

Yeah, English bookmakers are funny guys, I guess they are dreamers. For each World Cup, for each Euro they declare England as a co-favorit. Absolutely ridiculous. Just look at the list of former Euro Champions:

2004: Greece

Ganzohnesushi

 

 Second-generation Greek here, this was the greatest day ever. I got the following day off school and everything.

 

Also, entered :).

[Athenayama]

12 minutes ago, Sakura said:

Given that local fans like to bet on local teams, it makes sense for English bookmakers to consider England as a favourite. In case England pulls off the unlikely then the bookmakers will lose a lot less on those bets.

Maybe a less biased (or manipulated) source are the Fifa world rankings. Though, those would still keep England as a Yokozuna but put Germany as a Sekiwake.

I'm not sure that's how it works though (at least not in the majority of cases). With that reasoning, books in Spain would have Spain as favorite, in the Netherlands "the oranje" favorites and so on... which is not the case.

[Athenayama]

2 hours ago, Godango said:

 Second-generation Greek here, this was the greatest day ever. I got the following day off school and everything.

 

Also, entered :).

Haha, I'm living in France and that evening when Greece scored, all the neighbourhood heard me screaming while all was silent. 2 days before the final I was invited in a house where 95% of the guests were Portuguese. They were all making fun of me saying that Greece would lose 4-1 (although we had beaten them in the group stage already!). Of course all the discussion was in a fun way, Portuguese are very nice people. 2004 was epic also with the Olympics and several medals for Greece then.

Biggest surprise in football history along with Denmark in 1992, as far as I'm concerned.

Edited June 1, 2021 by Athenayama

[Eikokurai]

4 hours ago, Ganzohnesushi said:

England? Yokozuna? The team which has never won anything since 55 years?  

Ganzohnesushi

What have Belgium won?

England and Belgium made the WC semi-finals in 2018.

Edited June 1, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Godango]

16 minutes ago, Athenayama said:

2 days before the final I was invited in a house where 95% of the guests were Portuguese. They were all making fun of me saying that Greece would lose 4-1 (although we had beaten them in the group stage already!). Of course all the discussion was in a fun way, Portuguese are very nice people.

Oh that would have been sweet! I was in my final year of High School (Australian born, raised, still here etc.) and we went to "The Greek Club" (it's called that, my grandparents helped found it and all) in our states capital city. The atmosphere was electric. Old men crying afterwards, you'd swear world peace had just been reached. Incredible.