FIFA WC 26 - Other Nations LIVE Match Thread ⚽

[JS96]

To think the CAF had just one group second place team then have to go through the playoffs...

Nigerian we're totally off it while Cameroon where there abouts. Cape Verde have proven why they qualified.

I think Tunisia has Equatorial Guinea as their pot 2 team and they ended up 5th.

I think it was Mali who were touted to do well but didn't.

 

[JS96]

Ok it’s safe to say that this board has vastly overrated Uzbekistan. They’re nowhere near good enough. Probably not even at NZ’s level.

I guess they can still claim they’re the best of the stans.

Call it stage fright. Uzbekistan have some odd defensive vulnerabilities that we fail to exploit. When we play them they have a clear system and their passing and technical ability is superior.

We're clawing our way back with Volpato. It's just our stupid complacency and failure to maul teams that give them a chance to have a go.

 

[JS96]

Not a good WC for Asia

The newbies weren't supposed to advance. Maybe one upset.

The span is much wider now with Japan and Australia as mainstays. South Korea pegged back with a disappointment. Iran being Iran. Saudi Arabia were shit against a shit Uruguay.

Jordan, Uzbekistan had their moments while Iraq sadly crumbled. Oh and then there's Qatar...

 

[JS96]

What a shocker for AFC. With Japan facing Brazil and probably heading out, it’s down to us to salvage some pride for the confederation.

Realising just how far behind the rest of the world AFC is has been sobering. Puts a dampener on next year’s Asian Cup too. Why should anyone care when the overall standard is this low? Not much more than a mickey mouse tournament.currently.

I beg to differ. The AFC teams gave many opponents a tough game for most of the game before eventually winning. It wasn't to different to UEFA sides having to play in the tricky conditions of Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

They took leads and scored equalisers which some people didn't even expect them to do. It's the Middle Eastern weakness to fight that's a a problem. How I wish some more SE Asian had qualified.

 

[JS96]

I hate to be overly negative, but this 48-team group stage has been utterly boring (at least game three). So many matches have either been dead rubbers or dull draws where neither team has really pushed for the win.

FIFA either needs to expand to 64 teams or go back to the 32-team format.

Sorry for the negativity. Now, back to enjoying the World Cup.

Nearly every group has had a dramatic ending or position changes due to the results.

Despite draws being needed, teams did go for wins and didn't lie down. The only group that felt finalised was group C. I'd say Belgium's group was the most intense.

If Austria and Algeria just needed a draw then they certainly didn't get the memo.

 

[JS96]

My heart breaks for Iran. Man If i was in their shoes watching this game......

Just got a taste of bile in my mouth and a pit in my stomach. Whatever that game was it just isn't in the spirit of the game. Rules must be changed so this scenario can not happen again.

That teams don't get pipped so late? There has so be some kind of workaround. The schedule doesn't help as teams have to wait for others to play.

Suggestions such as group winners getting a bye and 3rd playing off but it starts to kill off the purpose of the group stage.

I don't know, groups are an enjoyable part of the tournament. A UCL league style wouldn't be fair as the vast gap between teams mean you could be very lucky.

 

[NoMates]

Is this the year a African side will win the world cup?

 

[JS96]

Is this the year a African side will win the world cup?

No.

 

[booney52]

Is this the year a African side will win the world cup?

If Morocco can beat the Dutch in R32 they will be feared by any further opponent.

 

[vanlassen]

Nearly every group has had a dramatic ending or position changes due to the results.

Despite draws being needed, teams did go for wins and didn't lie down. The only group that felt finalised was group C. I'd say Belgium's group was the most intense.

If Austria and Algeria just needed a draw then they certainly didn't get the memo.

We might be watching different tournaments

 

[JS96]

If Morocco can beat the Dutch in R32 they will be feared by any further opponent.

You mean the European academy 11?

 

[JS96]

We might be watching different tournaments

The only group that was sorted and dull was Scotland's. Even so Morocco and Haiti played an entertaining match.

Every other group had something riding on it. At least one of the two with a couple being more a formality between group leaders but they had their final position in play.

Which ones were dull draws? Australia Paraguay was tense because we were involved. Cape Verde Saudi Arabia was a goal away from chsnging everything. Austria Algeria was supposed to end goalless but was 3:3. Was Japan Sweden not exciting?

 

[socceroosmad]

If Morocco can beat the Dutch in R32 they will be feared by any further opponent.

There are match-ups in the round of 32 that would be worthy of a quarter-final or even a semi:
NED v MAR; POR v CRO; BEL v SEN; BRA v JAP; CIV v NOR; MEX v ECU

 

[JS96]

There are match-ups in the round of 32 that would be worthy of a quarter-final or even a semi:
NED v MAR; POR v CRO; BEL v SEN; BRA v JAP; CIV v NOR; MEX v ECU

But but the expanded tournament has ruined it by making it a round of 32 game!

I don't necessarily like the expanded tournament but it is nowhere near as bad, not bad for that matter, that the naysayers were building up to.

Very little about the sceptisicm pre world cup has come to fruition. We may see some heat issues this week but we have hydration breaks for that, right?

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Not a good WC for Asia

Just because a Korea side run by a dysfunctional KFA and various mediocre to minnow nations failed? If anything it proves why East Asia should have its own confederation, since two of the three East Asian teams got out of their group and none of the Arab teams did (nor did Uzbekistan).

What we’ve really seen is that CAF is stronger than people think, whereas CONCACAF only has three good teams and that oil money and naturalised foreignera haven’t done heaps to improve the performances of Arab states (Qatar are definitely better but still crap, Saudi haven’t really changed at all).

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Plus we'll have US, Mexico and Canada actually in the qualifying round - while I doubt they get tripped up, probably means the usual contenders will be strong enough to qualify this time (Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama?)

For CONCACAF I can actually see Curaçao and Suriname still making it. They’ve got decent players but they need more time playing together as a team. Some of Cape Verde’s players have been together for years and it’s starting to pay off now, for example. Suriname only recently stepped up their game when it comes to scouting diaspora. Jamaica should be able to make it but they underperform a lot. I was so proud that New Caledonia held them to just 1–0 in the playoff, since realistically Jamaica should’ve won like 6–0 (especially with the Kagus missing Josh Sotirio).

CAF deserves more spots. African teams have done really well at this World Cup even though neither Cameroon nor Nigeria made it. Cape Verde had a 1% chance of making it to the knockouts and they’ve done it, for example. It’d be interesting to see extra spots for good performances (like in continental club cups) then less spots for bad performances.

UEFA’s qualifiers need reform. They should scrap the spot for Nations League winners. It’s ridiculous that Sweden went without winning a single game in the group stage of the qualifiers only to automatically get a playoff spot by winning their League C group in the Nations League (Group 2, which consisted of Slovakia, Estonia and Azerbaijan).

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Next world cup may have 64 teams, which would make the qualifiers pretty redundant. The only way I can see it working if if Europe gets most of the extra spots. Maybe 8 more for Europe, 3 more for Africa, 2 more for Asia (lol) and one each for the Americas and Oceania. We may see Vanuatu at the World Cup yet.

No playoffs?

 

[HonestSpursFan]

So qualifiers by confederation:

Europe - 13/16
South America - 5/6
Africa - 9/10
North America - 3/6
Asia - 2/9
Oceania - 0/1

Broken down by region it gets more interesting:

AFC (2/9):

• Central Asia 0/1
• East Asia: 2/3
• Middle East: 0/4
• West Asia: 0/1

CAF (9/10)

• Central Africa: 1/1
• North Africa: 2/2
• Southern Africa: 1/1
• West Africa: 3/3

CONCACAF (3/6):

• Caribbean: 0/2
• Central America: 0/1
• North America: 3/3

CONMEBOL (5/6):

• Andean States: 2/2
• Brazil: 1/1
• Southern Cone: 2/3

OFC (0/1):

• West Pacific: 0/1

UEFA (13/16):

• Central Europe: 3/4
• Eastern Europe: 1/1
• Northern Europe: 2/2
• Southern Europe: 4/4
• Western Europe: 4/5

 

[HonestSpursFan]

What a shocker for AFC. With Japan facing Brazil and probably heading out, it’s down to us to salvage some pride for the confederation.

I wouldn’t be so sure. Brazil are definitely the clear favourites and I agree that they’ll beat Japan, but it won’t be as convincing as people think and Japan could even win. 3–2 to Brazil I reckon.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

It should have been 40 teams maximum but I believe the 48 teams was chosen deliberately to eventually expand to 64 teams

Where do we think the next few spots would go? I assume UEFA would get the bulk of them. Surely CONMEBOL doesn’t get any more, otherwise their qualifiers are basically redundant.