YESSSSS WE CAME THIRD?

dannydiamond

third/fourth place, playoff in the WC, I realise they want to give a third place medal but this is the ultimate in sadism, let them go home ffs, who actually wants to play this game?

Does anybody actually give a fk who wins this match?

Do the players?

Would they rather head home for their holidays before they have to be back for preseason trainibg?

Pauleta

Normally im not arsed but if Germany lose tomorrow then Klose will still have the chance to break the goalscoring record.

Frisbee

dannydiamond wrote: »

Do the players?

I'd imagine they'd rather a third place finish/medal yeah.

The_Kew_Tour

I do because I still want Forlan to have chance to be top scorer

newballsplease

So Gold and Silver medals at all events including the Olympics anymore then.

Eire-Dearg

Arevalo Pereria said he wants to win this game, so there's your answer!

I wouldn't go hell for bent on winning the game, and if there were some decent players in my squad who tasted little or no action I'd have played them.

eagle eye

Gotta agree with the op. Personally from a competitive standpoint I would be gutted after losing a semi-final and not at all interested in playing for third place.

If you can't win the whole thing whats the point? Its not like in League football where you have targets like the Champion's League/Europa League/avoid relegation even when you are out of the running for the title.

newballsplease

For the chance to get a 3rd place medal? For the chance to represent your country perhaps one last time at a world cup. Go go out on a high(well...as much can be after loseing semi) For the fans to see another game. To try claim top goalscorer. Also, yes..for maybe some squad players to be given a game.

I think ud be mad not to want to play it.

recylingbin

Third/Fourth place play off is the highlight of the tournament for me - Aprés match boys get the show to themselves.

aidan24326

Eire-Dearg wrote: »

Arevalo Pereria said he wants to win this game, so there's your answer!

Well he has to say that publicly anyway. I doubt many players would care too much about this game. It's probably the most pointless* fixture on the whole soccer calendar, a glorified friendly really.

*EDIT - make that second most pointless after that super cup thing.

amacachi

recylingbin wrote: »

Third/Fourth place play off is the highlight of the tournament for me - Aprés match boys get the show to themselves.

Really? Deadly!

Coillte_Bhoy

newballsplease wrote: »

So Gold and Silver medals at all events including the Olympics anymore then.

What a stupid comparison. You are not comparing like with like ffs.

recylingbin

amacachi wrote: »

Really? Deadly!

Yup.
Here's some of 2002's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaC3Jt5B5cg

dannydiamond

newballsplease wrote: »

So Gold and Silver medals at all events including the Olympics anymore then.

This isn't the olympics.

The players and the managers will of course all make the right noises,and others have pointed out that squad players may get a run out but this only serves to enhance the point that it's absolutely pointless,and a glorified friendly.

Degag

I'd imagine Uruguay will be massively up for the game. They will be playing either Germany or Spain and to beat either of them and claim 3rd would be huge.

Plus, doesn't their FA get an extra 2m or so for winning?

As well as that, any 3rd place playoff that i've seen, the players seem very happy to have won! I guess any World Cup medal is an achievement in one's career.

pickarooney

Usually one team wants to win it and the other can't be arsed (Sweden-Bulgaria comes to mind). More often then not there is a golden-boot candidate taking it very seriously and given that losign is realyl no big deal it lends itself to a fairly free-flowing encouter. S. Korea-Turkey in 2002 was a great game (remember Sukur scoring after 11 seconds!). Schweinsteiger showed what he was capable of in 2006 with a cracking performance against the Portuguese.

One this is absolutely sure - if Germany lose they semi tonight, they will win the 3rd place match. I couldn't imagine Spain caring enough to beat Uruguay on the other hand, even if Villa might be looking to seal the GB for himself.

flahavaj

Apart from affecting the Golden Boot betting I usually have little or no interest in this match tbh. Should've been abolished years ago? Does anyone seriously remember off the top of their heads who came third at any of the last few World Cups, or even care?

pickarooney

I do, but I maye be a freak.

ArmaniJeanss

flahavaj wrote: »

Does anyone seriously remember off the top of their heads who came third at any of the last few World Cups, or even care?

Yep, I could name 3rd and 4th place finishers back as far 1982, but I am a freak I guess.

I quite like it as a game and its led to some entertaining enough encounters.
If some first eleven players are too gutted etc to play then it allows the rest of the squad to get some game time.

As far as I know both losing semifinalists are then invited to the final the next day, which is a nice touch as well.

I think its a fairly harmless game, if you don't like the idea then don't watch it. And if enough of the participants felt as negatively about the game as people seem to think they do, then it probably would have been stopped years ago.

folan

third is better than where I came in the WC.

I didnt even place

JerryHandbag

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Yep, I could name 3rd and 4th place finishers back as far 1982, but I am a freak I guess.

1982 Poland, 1986 France, 1990 Italy, 1994 Sweden, 1998 Croatia, 2002 Turkey, 2006 Germany - up until Germany whoever finished 3rd failed to qualify for the following European Championships, so it could be seen as a curse until Germany broke it!

See, your not the only freak

Boskowski

dannydiamond wrote: »

third/fourth place, playoff in the WC, I realise they want to give a third place medal but this is the ultimate in sadism, let them go home ffs, who actually wants to play this game?

Does anybody actually give a fk who wins this match?

Do the players?

Would they rather head home for their holidays before they have to be back for preseason trainibg?

I know you're supporting England of course. Would you rather see them going home or come 3rd yourself if they happened to lose a semi-final? Really don't care?

Paul Tergat

Boskowski wrote: »

I know you're supporting England of course. Would you rather see them going home or come 3rd yourself if they happened to lose a semi-final? Really don't care?

England fan also.

Think the 3rd place game is a total waste of time. Players gutted after missing the chance to get to a semi final. Get em home, rest for a while and then back to the clubs for the season to start.

parker kent

I don't think major nations take it seriously, the reserve teams that are often fielded highlight that. It is often a chance to give a swan-song to an older player (Kahn making his only appearance at the last World Cup for example) or to give a game to a younger player or squad journeyman.

Boskowski

p_larkin99 wrote: »

England fan also.

Think the 3rd place game is a total waste of time. Players gutted after missing the chance to get to a semi final. Get em home, rest for a while and then back to the clubs for the season to start.

But especially for a footballing nation who is not routinely getting into semi-finals (England springs to mind for example SCNR) doesn't third place actually mean quite something?

parker kent

Boskowski wrote: »

But especially for a footballing nation who is not routinely getting into semi-finals (England springs to mind for example SCNR) doesn't third place actually mean quite something?

We celebrated coming third in the under-20 World Cup so we'd probably die of happiness coming third in the real deal.

Trashbat

IMO third place pay-offs are kind of unfair when they concern someone heading for golden boot. As we've seen before, often one team lies down in the 3rd/4th play off, allowing scores to be inflated higher than you'd expect based on WC form. If Klose scores tonight and gets one in the final, but David Villa goes out and whomps 4 past a hapless Uruguay side, then it is fair that he gets the Golden boot for a performance in a nothing match, where as Klose gets nothing for actually scoring in a properly competitive game?

flahavaj

Trashbat wrote: »

IMO third place pay-offs are kind of unfair when they concern someone heading for golden boot. As we've seen before, often one team lies down in the 3rd/4th play off, allowing scores to be inflated higher than you'd expect based on WC form. If Klose scores tonight and gets one in the final, but David Villa goes out and whomps 4 past a hapless Uruguay side, then it is fair that he gets the Golden boot for a performance in a nothing match, where as Klose gets nothing for actually scoring in a properly competitive game?

I'd much rather play in a World Cup Final, winning the Golden Boot doesn't compare in any way shape or form.

pickarooney

Trashbat wrote: »

IMO third place pay-offs are kind of unfair when they concern someone heading for golden boot. As we've seen before, often one team lies down in the 3rd/4th play off, allowing scores to be inflated higher than you'd expect based on WC form. If Klose scores tonight and gets one in the final, but David Villa goes out and whomps 4 past a hapless Uruguay side, then it is fair that he gets the Golden boot for a performance in a nothing match, where as Klose gets nothing for actually scoring in a properly competitive game?

It's as fair as someone bagging a hat-trick in the third group match against an already eliminated side.

Kidchameleon

Imagine the reception the Irish team would get bringing home bronze medals... Id be very very proud if our boys done that. So yeah I think the third place playoff is a great thing

ArmaniJeanss

pickarooney wrote: »

It's as fair as someone bagging a hat-trick in the third group match against an already eliminated side.

I see your hattrick and raise you to 5 with Oleg Salenko, joint golden boot winner 1994.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FIFA_World_Cup_-_Group_B#Russia_v_Cameroon

Pisco Sour

flahavaj wrote: »

Apart from affecting the Golden Boot betting I usually have little or no interest in this match tbh. Should've been abolished years ago? Does anyone seriously remember off the top of their heads who came third at any of the last few World Cups, or even care?

Yeh I could list the 3rd and 4th from every world cup dating back to 1934 ( they didnt have 3rd place play off in 1930).

Look its part of the history of the World Cup. Its been there in every World Cup since 1934 so why change it! If somebody doesnt want to play then there would be many a fringe player who would be only too glad to play and represent his country.

pickarooney

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

I see your hattrick and raise you to 5 with Oleg Salenko, joint golden boot winner 1994.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FIFA_World_Cup_-_Group_B#Russia_v_Cameroon

I was actually thinking of that exact game when I wrote that. Not that you'll believe me now!

Paul Tergat

Boskowski wrote: »

But especially for a footballing nation who is not routinely getting into semi-finals (England springs to mind for example SCNR) doesn't third place actually mean quite something?

It really doesnt mean anything. I see the match as a complete dead rubber. The good thing about it is sometimes the shackles come off and you can get a good game.

eagle eye

04072511 wrote: »

Yeh I could list the 3rd and 4th from every world cup dating back to 1934 ( they didnt have 3rd place play off in 1930).

Look its part of the history of the World Cup. Its been there in every World Cup since 1934 so why change it! If somebody doesnt want to play then there would be many a fringe player who would be only too glad to play and represent his country.

What age are you? Its not through memory of actually watching them I presume. Its just that you are a stats geek I'd imagine?

I can tell you every semi and quarter finalist since 1982 and its from watching the World Cup not reading up on who won what. I do know stuff that I've read too but if anyone asked me how did France do in the 1982 World Cup I would tell them they lost out in a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final to West Germany. I don't know nor care about where they finished be that 3rd or 4th because its unimportant.

_Bella_

I'm not sure it's necessary but why would anyone complain about more football?

JerryHandbag

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Imagine the reception the Irish team would get bringing home bronze medals... Id be very very proud if our boys done that. So yeah I think the third place playoff is a great thing

Would be brilliant alright. Much better than getting tamely knocked out in the last 16 and coming home to a "heroes" reception in the Phoenix Park with Boyzone singing and dancing :rolleyes:

Pisco Sour

eagle eye wrote: »

What age are you? Its not through memory of actually watching them I presume. Its just that you are a stats geek I'd imagine?

Yep you got me in one! Mid 20's, have known all this stuff since I was a wee kid!

eagle eye

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Imagine the reception the Irish team would get bringing home bronze medals... Id be very very proud if our boys done that. So yeah I think the third place playoff is a great thing

If they finished 4th they would get just as big a reception.

You see it wouldn't be about the bronze medals, it would be the fact they got to a World Cup semi-final.

baalthor

newballsplease wrote: »

So Gold and Silver medals at all events including the Olympics anymore then.

In many Olympic sports, both losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze medals. This includes boxing and team sports such as soccer ...

I doubt many people would miss the 3rd/4th place game if it was abolished.

Pisco Sour

Well after today there will be just two games of football to enjoy. I'd rather that than just one.

Het-Field

Like the idea of the Apres Match chaps getting another shot at punditry. The same thing happened in 1998, and it was an exercise in taking the piss out of Jimmy Hill.

Indifferent to the game itself. It is never really competitive, and it is often littered with goals, and mistakes. In 1994 there was 4, 1998 there was 3, 2002 there was 5 and 2006 there was 4.

I expect goals, and play with abandon !

MuPpItJoCkEy

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Imagine the reception the Irish team would get bringing home bronze medals... Id be very very proud if our boys done that. So yeah I think the third place playoff is a great thing

I was going to say exactly the same thing. If Ireland finished 3rd, we'd be all delighted. Giving them a hero's welcome at the airport. Personally, I didn't expect Uraguay to win their game against Holland but a part of me would have liked to see them do it because I remember how it was when Ireland beat them and how thrilled we were here and with the population they have, it's pretty similar to our own.

On another note, the fact that it's yet another football match to watch, I LOVE IT!