UEFA Nations League

Mr.Nice Guy

Portugal playing well but can't find the breakthrough. Bruno Fernandes wasted half-chances. Bernardo Silva been very good. Ronaldo's had his moments. Van Dijk doing well at the back. Still all to play for but the Dutch need to step it up. Think they might tire in the second half.

Berserker

Portuguese look the better of the two sides so far. Netherlands have offered nothing in the final third.

osarusan

A question after watching Wijnaldum try to lift it over the keeper after being played in behind the defence - it looked like a pretty clear offside, but they let play go on until the attack is over. I understand this, good to let things pan out, then if there is a goal you go back and check VAR for offside.

What I don't get is that when the attack comes to nothing, the referee blows up for offside pretty much immediately, without any apparent check of VAR at all.

If it is so clearly offside that the ref/lino can give it without VAR once the attack ends, why can they not do it before that?

~Rebel~

osarusan wrote: »

A question after watching Wijnaldum try to lift it over the keeper after being played in behind the defence - it looked like a pretty clear offside, but they let play go on until the attack is over. I understand this, good to let things pan out, then if there is a goal you go back and check VAR for offside.

What I don't get is that when the attack comes to nothing, the referee blows up for offside pretty much immediately, without any apparent check of VAR at all.

If it is so clearly offside that the ref/lino can give it without VAR once the attack ends, why can they not do it before that?

Weird alright, seemed to be following neither one rule not the other.


Netherlands looking the better side this half so far.

<edit>
ha, just as I say that, Guedes pops up. Great finish!

Berserker

Portugal take a deserved lead.

Mr.Nice Guy

Guedes makes it 1-0 after Bernardo sets him up. Think Cillessen should do better there.

Guy:Incognito

Should be saving that.

Berserker

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Guedes makes it 1-0 after Bernardo sets him up. Think Cillesen should do better there.

Shot was hit was proper force, got a hand to it but hard to get that round the post.

Agent Coulson

That is a pen why isn't VAR used there?

Strumms

Stonewall penalty there. Nothing given.

Berserker

Strumms wrote: »

Stonewall penalty there. Nothing given.

Why didn't they go to VAR?

Strumms

Berserker wrote: »

Why didn't they go to VAR?

Beats me :eek: but reply confirmed it was :eek:

Benimar

Berserker wrote: »

Why didn't they go to VAR?

It did, sort of. The ref doesn’t go to VAR, VAR automatically reviews and tells the ref if his decision was wrong.

Basically, all refs think that holding sh1te is ok, which is a bit nuts.

Berserker

Benimar wrote: »

It did, sort of. The ref doesn’t go to VAR, VAR automatically reviews and tells the ref if his decision was wrong.

Basically, all refs think that holding sh1te is ok, which is a bit nuts.

Yep, so much for VAR putting an end to all that stuff.

ERG89

At least there is no extra time; pretty poor game of football.

osarusan

Portugal deserved it, more attacking for most of the game. Dutch never really got going in the final third until after about an hour.

Bernardo Silva was dazzling in the last 20 minutes or so.

Mr.Nice Guy

Portugal are Nations League Champions.

Great achievement for Fernando Santos to win the European Championships and now this.

brevity

Yea, Portugal were the better side. Netherlands seemed to get flustered the minute they hit the final third.

fyfe79

The Dutch would be a great side if they had a real top-level striker or two.

Drumpot

Am I right in saying that Ireland are pretty much guaranteed to be in the playoffs next March at worst? I’ve been trying to figure it out.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020_qualifying_play-offs

Scroll down to “teams selected” and you see Ireland ranked 23rd I believe out of 24 teams in group A and B.

So the first 20 teams will qualify from the normal group stages (1st and 2nd). I think it’s fair to say that most of these teams will come from Group A and Group B in the Euro nations.

Now group A and B have 8 playoff spots so if 15 teams from group A and B have already qualified then Ireland will definitely be in playoffs!

LuckyLloyd

It’s 99% certain we get a playoff

adaminho

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It’s 99% certain we get a playoff

Hopefully we'll finish at least second!

Dr. Bre

99% I like those chances!

Strumms

fyfe79 wrote: »

The Dutch would be a great side if they had a real top-level striker or two.

When you think of the likes of Cruyff, Van Basten, Van Nistilrooy, Bergkamp, Van Persie, Hasslebank, Rep, Kluivert, Van Basten... now basically Huntelaar !

Berserker

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

It’s 99% certain we get a playoff

Think NI are in a similar position but they'll be away from home in their play off. Anyone have any idea what the odds on RoI v NI in the play offs are?

Collie D

Berserker wrote: »

Think NI are in a similar position but they'll be away from home in their play off. Anyone have any idea what the odds on RoI v NI in the play offs are?

I am very open to correction but I think for that to happen we’d need to be the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams in the playoff of whichever League’s standings we go into.

So we’d need 9 of the 10 teams above both of us in League B to qualify directly

OR

11 of the 12 League A sides and 6 League B sides to qualify directly.

That’s just for the semi. Could also both meet in final but that venue would be decided by a draw.

Collie D

Just to add to the above.

Both teams are currently top of their groups and would automatically qualify as it stands. However, if they fell out of the top 2 and the current third placed sides qualified instead of them (Georgia and Netherlands) and all other groups stayed the same we’d both just miss out.

Kermit.de.frog

This seems convoluted.

So in the playoffs we'd have to go through a "semi-final" and "final".

Loafing Oaf

citytillidie

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

This seems convoluted.

So in the playoffs we'd have to go through a "semi-final" and "final".

Yes instead of a two legged game it is a semi-final and final with the winners getting a spot in the Euros, it is a one off game giving the higher ranked teams home advantage. In other words more games - more money for UEFA

simongurnick

So league D has teams like belarus and others in it. Will one of that group of four qualify then?

citytillidie

simongurnick wrote: »

So league D has teams like belarus and others in it. Will one of that group of four qualify then?

Yes

This is how the play offs currently stand

Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H Group I Group J
England Ukraine Northern Ireland Ireland Croatia Spain Poland Turkey Belgium Italy
Czech Republic Luxembourg Germany Switzerland Hungary Sweden Israel France Russia Finland


Play-offs
League A League B League C League D
Portugal Bosnia Scotland Georgia
Netherlands Denmark Norway North Macedonia
Iceland Austria Serbia Kosovo
Slovakia Wales Finland Belarus

simongurnick

citytillidie wrote: »

Yes

This is how the play offs currently stand

Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H Group I Group J
England Ukraine Northern Ireland Ireland Croatia Spain Poland Turkey Belgium Italy
Czech Republic Luxembourg Germany Switzerland Hungary Sweden Israel France Russia Finland


Play-offs
League A League B League C League D
Portugal Bosnia Scotland Georgia
Netherlands Denmark Norway North Macedonia
Iceland Austria Serbia Kosovo
Slovakia Wales Finland Belarus

Thanks man. That's cracked. Fair enough give the lesser nations a chance but this isn't under 8's. You qualify on merit