Until any of that happens, because of seeding in qualifying and subsequent seeding in the competition itself should they perform miracles and actually qualify, the smaller European nations will struggle to do anything in the Euros and the WCs.
Couldn't agree more...... the other issue is that with the different regions being given a certain number of slots the number of slots available to UEFA is 14. It's still a larger proportion of the final 32 than other region, and with 54 sides that made up the UEFA qualifying groups it proportionally is higher than most others (Sth America get 5 slots for 10 teams in the qualification, most others get around 10%). However the strength of most of those 54 UEFA sides vs let's call them developing regions means that it is quite a task to even get to the World Cup - with no NL, Italy, Wales, etc.
Don't know a solution though; we want the developing regions to stand a chance but honestly are Panama and Saudi Arabia worthier attendees at the World Cup from a playing strength perspective than Italy, or 'even' Wales or Scotland?
That said - what a WC so far. Best ever?
Those two teams you listed are shocking and losing one of them to give the European sides another qualifying group would be wholly justified imho.
With out meaning to race on 4 years are Qatar going to be worthy competitors? I'm sure the stadia will be very impressive etc but as hosts I can't see them coming close to victory.
Think there's talk of 48 teams in the finals come 2026 so there will undoubtedly be some absolutely shocking performances if that's the case.
In Scotland though I would argue football is the main sport by far. There are no competitors - aside from rugby in the borders - we've been poor for 20 years now and I can't see it changing.
Agree with the point about qualification being harder, even though more places are available, because of the strength of European sides. Would global qualifying groups just be silly?
@deadlydarcy - we beat Italy 1-0 (Robbie Brady) and progressed into the next round. So it's not all doom and gloom
In Scotland though I would argue football is the main sport by far. There are no competitors – aside from rugby in the borders – we’ve been poor for 20 years now and I can’t see it changing.
Really though? Central belt probably, but where I lived (west coast) the schools wouldn't teach it, and it was far easier to get involved with shinty, or even MTB in our village. Don't know about other countries but the whole depressing sectarian angle of Scottish football REALLY puts me off, thinks it's also why my dad was never all that keen for me to get involved. Suppose other countries maybe have an equivalent, but in wee towns when your choice of team apparently dictates your religion and apparently now politics and Brexit stance (kidding, sort of) it gets a bit stupid.
I guess as kids the lure of hillwalking etc. is less strong, I certainly didn't pick it up till I was past my prime footballing age, but still, there's a sport that Scotland takes seriously, and dare I say it, punches above its weight in the international arena? (well, mountaineering anyway).
Edit: actually, thinking about my town (Oban) I wonder how much influence the midgies had, I'm pretty sure indoor sports like basketball, badminton and squash enjoyed a lot of popularity with schoolkids had something to do with the swarming clouds of midgies waiting for us outside...
I give up, can anyone make this link work
Well this is crap so far ...
Need Spain to win!
Got Spain winning and then a a combination of Denmark /Mexico/Belgium/Croatia winning ... But in each accumulator Spain has to win!
Well I can see this being an extra time of mistakes rather than quality based on the last 10 mins
just a case of can russian legs hold out for penalties
Spain are so dull. It's like the Simpsons parody of football.
They used to be patient and precise, but at least eventually tried to penetrate the defence or wear it down by being a bit more urgent with the ball.
would footballers be allowed to play with a caffeine gel stuffed in their socks ? seems to me that the number of bad decisions/choices made late in games by players might be reduced with something to wake up the brain as well as the legs.
This is absolutely bloody awful!
I'm watching this in a small bar in Italy. I'm sat next to a touring Belgium football team. There are about five different nationalities here.
We are united in our boredom.
Yep it's been on and I'm only still watching as at least a shoot out will be interesting. ON the basis of this Spain don't deserve to go forwards, unable to adapt to play a team who wants to sit back.
and on the VAR do the FSB have an intercept on the feed??
I think the ref bottled that one.
Maybe he didn’t fancy palonium in his tea?
First advantage to Russia
I think some Vodka may be consumed this evening....
Football...... bloody hell!!! 😳
Maybe he didn’t fancy palonium in his tea?
Maybe, like the rest of us, he just doesn't like Sergio Ramos very much.
Half of england just put themselves in the final now! 😆 I wouldn't count on anything in this WC!
he just doesn’t like Sergio Ramos very much.
Or his mate Costa too
with those "box melees" anything from either player be push, pull, arm up, arm around, leaning in, being and all round pussy and going to ground early it will be deemed 50:50 regardless of what the other player does... Harry Kanes was given for the defender hitting Kane.
BYE BYE RAMOS!
Man that felt good, notice he couldn't even manage the duration of a penalty shootout without doing something unsportsmanlike...
What, his little chat with the next penalty taker? Didn't go unnoticed by me, either.
could have been "good luck and all the best" 😉
Even before that, he was either shouting some vehement words of encouragement to De Gea, or was haranguing the Russian goalie...
Didn’t like that Spanish/Russian game much, and certainly not down to penalties.
Looking forward to Cro-Den though.
Our Spanish neighbour is in the garden ,drunk & quietly cursing in her mother tongue. Ha.
My dollar is on Croatia for this one.
Croatia 5/2 to reach the final at the moment, same as England
Well that is going to make things interesting
game on then! 😆
and all square!! What the hell is in the water out there, round of smirnof all round before kick off?
The perfect antidote to the Spanish bore-fest! 😃
So by reckoning other than England none of the other teams in their half of the draw have ever made the final.
I think that result massively ramps up the pressure on England. They will struggle to ever get an easier route to the final.. I don't think they'll get there as they will bottle it, but if these were opponents in friendlies I'd expect them to be strong favourites in each, even Croatia
It looks increasingly like the semi in the other half of the draw will decide the winner. I reckon it'll be France, who I fully expect to destroy England's dodgy defense if they meet, based on yesterday's showing
hmm, start penalties the now, after a promising first 5 mins, this has been dull!
I quite rate this ref, but WTF is he doing with his socks over his knees!
last throw of the dice here!!
The Croatia that absolutely battered Argentina seem to have gone AWOL
This is a bit of a bore, I'm only watching for reasons of continuity.
Denmark deserve this now. Like Russia,Croatia are only after penalties. Dull as dishwater.
So who did I offend or upset? Stuck on a train with bad signal and no wifi for France vs Argentina and I've watched these 2 snoozefests here
Croatia don't want to lose this one, Denmark look to be playing like everything past this is a bonus
I quite rate this ref, but WTF is he doing with his socks over his knees!
WTF do any players have socks over their knees for? wouldnt have happened back in the day of norman hunter, tommy smith, jumpers for goalposts etc etc.....
Penalty it is then, somebody was going to bring him down, should have pulled him down way back there though if your being cynical
