The Official 16/17 Various National Soccer Team News Thread

[Barnet Flame]

http://newsthump.com/2016/09/27/sam-...onal-football/




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[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by devo22

oh Sam ... we hardly knew ye.

Oh we knowed ye Sam all right, noweth suprize hereth

[Slava]

Apparently a number of managers are implicated in these schemes and things could be ugly as all the investigative journalists want a piece of the action. It's alluded to you a little bit in this interesting piece http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...medium=twitter

[Senator Clay Davis]

"Hey guys, did you see how much the quality of the Euro's declined after expanding to 24 teams?"

"I know, let's go to 48!"

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed a 48-team World Cup that would see 16 teams eliminated after one knockout match.

The proposal would essentially add a play-in round three days before the current 32-team group stage. From that point, the tournament would progress as it has in the past.

Infantino revealed his plan during a visit to Bogata, Colombia, and said the proposal will be discussed at a FIFA council next week before a final decision in made in January.

"The idea is that 16 teams would qualify directly to the group stage and the other 32 would play in a preliminary phase, in the country where the World Cup is being played -- they would play for the remaining 16 places," Infantino said, according to local media. FIFA confirmed the president's plan to Reuters.

"It means we continue with a normal World Cup for 32 teams, but 48 teams go to the party."

http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/...-play-in-round

I mean this is what we all want right? 16 games of bus parking and shootouts to probably get eliminated in the round of 32 anyway?

[GirlySports]

That actually would eliminate crappy teams from the 32

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That actually would eliminate crappy teams from the 32

It would not - see post above. The Senator is exactly right about what would transpire.

[d_phaneuf]

it depends how they expand

if it means an extra European or South American team can knockout a CONCACAF squad

i.e say the Netherlands gets in ahead of Honduras, or Columbia gets in ahead of Iraq

then yes it could be very good for the tournament

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah but it's FIFA. And given I imagine the ultimate goal of this is to get China in the WC anyway possible, it'll be AFC and CAF teams who take up most of the extra spots. I bet UEFA gets the fewest of the extra spots.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Yeah but it's FIFA. And given I imagine the ultimate goal of this is to get China in the WC anyway possible, it'll be AFC and CAF teams who take up most of the extra spots. I bet UEFA gets the fewest of the extra spots.

I've heard that China is actually taking a wise approach to youth development. It won't result in a rapid ascension but their next generation could be the start of their Icelandic-like progress.

[GirlySports]

I think Infantino is smart here, it gives the myth that more non-europeans will get in but more europeans will actually get in.

For World Cup 2022
Let's break this down simply using the current FIFA Rankings (in brackets)

Original 16 (These guys are in):
Hosts: QATAR
UEFA (6 spots): Belgium(2), Germany(3), Portugal(7), France(8), Wales(10), Spain(11)
CONMEBOL (3 spots): Argentina(1), Colombia(4), Brazil(5)
CONCACAF (2 spots): Mexico(15), Costa Rica(18)
AFC (2 spots): Iran(37), Australia(45)
CAF (2 sports): Cote D'ivoire(34), Algeria(35)

For the playoffs, lets give 1 spot to Oceania, 10 to UEFA, 3 to CONMEBOL, and 6 to the rest.

Oceania (1 spot): New Zealand(88)
UEFA (10 spots): England(12), Italy(13), Croatia(14), Suisse(16), Poland(17), Hungary(20), Turkey(21), Bosnia(23), Netherlands(24), Austria(26)
CONMEBOL (3 spots): Chile(6), Uruguay(9), Ecuador(19)
CONCACAF (6 spots): USA(22), Panama(62), Trinidad&Tobago(69), St.Kitts&Nevis(77), Guatemala(79), Jamaica(80)
AFC (6 spots): South Korea(47), Uzbekistan(49), Saudi Arabia(52), Japan(56), UAE(66), China(78)
CAF (6 spots): Senegal(39), Tunisia(42), Ghana(43), Congo DR(51), Egypt(53), Congo(54)

You would think that under normal FIFA procedures the top 16 would be seeded against the bottom 16

The top 16 are
Chile(6)
Uruguay(9)
England(12)
Italy(13)
Croatia(14)
Suisse(16)
Poland(17)
Ecuador(19)
Hungary(20)
Turkey(21)
USA(22)
Bosnia(23)
Netherlands(24)
Austria(26)
Senegal(39)
Tunisia (42)

How many of the other 16 can beat any of these 16? not many. You could have 16 European teams in a 32 team world cup.

[polak]

Don't like one game playoffs before the group. Anyone can win a game.

[GirlySports]

I can see the appeal for confederations not named UEFA or CONMEBOL. Like Canada would be competing for one of 8 spots instead of 3.5. And in a one gamer who knows!

But in most cases, the Euros would win the playoff. If you feel my allocation is too generous, you can adjust it.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Why in most cases? I think in most cases we'd end up with extra time or penalties, and then who knows. It would just be the absolute worst soccer to watch, we thought bus parking was bad at Euro 2016, but at least teams had multiple games. 16 games of teams trying to get to penalties would be pretty terrible to watch.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Why in most cases? I think in most cases we'd end up with extra time or penalties, and then who knows. It would just be the absolute worst soccer to watch, we thought bus parking was bad at Euro 2016, but at least teams had multiple games. 16 games of teams trying to get to penalties would be pretty terrible to watch.

Eliminate penalties. Make 'em play until someone scores.

After extra times elapses boards come up at the touch lines and each team loses two players to make it 9 on 9.

If he wants to screw with the game dont half-ass it.

[GirlySports]

i dont think the small teams are that good at parking the bus, it happens more when good and really good teams play each other. I can't think of really good examples in World Cups.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

i dont think the small teams are that good at parking the bus, it happens more when good and really good teams play each other. I can't think of really good examples in World Cups.

Small teams are particularly good at parking the bus. They tend to have to do it a lot.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Locke

Small teams are particularly good at parking the bus. They tend to have to do it a lot.

But it's not successful. Like I understand Greece parking the bus against Germany perhaps. But Jamaica don't even have parking the bus discipline to withstand 90 minutes. Europe has 17 teams in the top 30 in the world. That's the level where teams can defend.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

How many of the other 16 can beat any of these 16? not many. You could have 16 European teams in a 32 team world cup.

aka close to the dream of having the Euro's every 2 years and inviting Brazil and the Argies

[GirlySports]

totally forgot there was soccer today, Italy-Spain!

must be Blue Jays fever

[Senator Clay Davis]

Iceland scored twice in injury time to go from certain loss to beating Finland 3-2. Boom!