FIFA 2022 World Cup (Qualification)

PTH2009

What a **** way to qualify, hats off Croatia

Brussels Sprout

That's the risk when you park the bus like Russia did. They're usually terrible in tournaments so they're no loss if they don't qualify. Would have been weird if the finalists from the last tournament missed out.

citytillidie

North Macedonia into the Play-offs beating out Iceland and Romania in their group to 2nd spot behind Germany

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118165877#Comment_118165877

Amazing achievement

citytillidie

South Africa out of the World Cup

sligeach

Madness! Serbia have scored in the last minute to lead Portugal 2-1.

Speak Now

Last minute Ronaldo like finish from Mitrovic, off to the play offs for Portugal 😁

Sudden Valley

Wonder if that would have happened if we hadn't got Pepe sent off in our match

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166933#Comment_118166933

Pixie took a big risk selecting Mitrovic from the start of the group. Wasn't starting for Fulham at the time.

Has weighed in with 7 goals, 5 of them crucial, points-securing goals.

Mr.Nice Guy

Mitrovic is some legend. Almost unthinkable to have a World Cup next year without Ronaldo involved. Fascinated to see who they get paired with in the play-offs.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118164474#Comment_118164474

Fair play to Serbia. The only one of the away teams to do it in those 5 matches today.

Mr.Nice Guy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167152#Comment_118167152

That sounds very tricky.

Brussels Sprout

The top 6 ranked teams based on group performances (in which Portugal will definitely be) will have home semi-finals. The real unknown is that the locations for the finals in each of those three play-off tournaments will be drawn randomly between the teams who reach them. So Portugal could end up having to go to the likes of Basel, Warsaw, Cardiff or Stockholm to try and qualify for the World Cup.

Hammer Archer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166645#Comment_118166645

The penalty that won the game for Ghana was incredibly soft.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168048#Comment_118168048

Incredibly so. Same for the one in the DRC game as well I thought.

jacool

UEFA – how its looking before final games tonight/tomorrow night

 Portugal Playoff

Sweden Playoff

Italy/Switzerland                  one wins group, one goes to play-off

Finland/Ukraine                   battle for second

Wales*/Czech Republic*    battle for second but both guaranteed play-off place

Scotland Playoff

Netherlands/Turkey/Norway          three-way battle for group win, playoff place or nothing

Russia Playoff

Poland Playoff (I am assuming San Marino don't beat England here!)

North Macedonia Playoff

 

*Wales are guaranteed a play-off place due to topping their Nations League group last year but, to have any chance of a home draw in the play-offs, they must finish second. There will be 12 teams in the play-offs, playing for 3 places. They will be divided up into groups of 4, sadly based on seedings to try and keep the minnows in their place.

Latest seedings

Portugal                    guaranteed seeding

Russia                        guaranteed seeding

Switzerland   

Sweden

Poland           

Wales

Scotland

North Macedonia   guaranteed no seeding

Turkey

Finland

Austria           guaranteed no seeding

 

Nations League path for qualification

France           Q through WC group so remove from list

Spain             Q through WC group so remove from list

Italy                guaranteed at least second place so remove from list

Belgium         Q through WC group so remove from list

Wales                         qualified from NL if don’t get second   

Austria                      qualified from NL     

Czech Republic       qualified from NL if don’t get second   

 

Its such a travesty set on maintaining the status quo that North Macedonia, who over-achieved from pot 4 in their group are punished by being “non-seeded” in this draw, even though they clearly should merit a level playing field at this stage.

The only other caveat in the draw is that if the Ukraine overtake Finland, then they cannot be drawn against Russia. Politics all the way!

Brussels Sprout

At least the seeding is based on this campaign alone rather than bringing previous campaigns and tournaments into it (a sure way to screw the historically weaker nations even more).

Aside: Is there a more inconsistent team in UEFA than Armenia?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167366#Comment_118167366

Any chance of a game in Dublin ?

Portugal vs Finland or Sweden maybe

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169359#Comment_118169359

No, I don't think there is. I believe the host venues will be one of the two countries in the final.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169454#Comment_118169454

Oh right I misunderstood the post. Home venue is a random draw and I took that as random venue

kksaints

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

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168242#Comment_118168242

https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/59290195

South Africa are appealing the result. Hard to see that going anyway although interestingly they had to replay a match a few years ago because of dodgy refereeing.

Penalty decision is 35 seconds in. Very questionable decision.

Kermit.de.frog

Scotland are 1 goal up against Denmark. Would they be seeded for the playoffs of they win?

BorneTobyWilde

I think every world cup should have a rest of the world squad. It gets so many more countries involved. Too many great players have never played a world cup, and it's just because they were born in very low seeded country. Some of the best players that have ever played football, never played in a world cup

Mr.Nice Guy

2-0 to the Swiss now. I think Italy need a traditional 9 on. Belotti should be introduced.

Edit: he's on now. 25 minutes for them to get the breakthrough.

Mr.Nice Guy

The Swiss have the third goal now. Italy need 2 goals and they look like they'll struggle to get one.

England beating San Marino 10-0.

Did you smash it

magennis must have thought he was offside there. Don’t think he was?

retalivity

Poor San Marino...

BorneTobyWilde

If San Marino can get one back it's game on .

Mr.Nice Guy

That play-off draw will be one to watch. November 26th is the date apparently.

briany

Great performance from NI tonight, to be fair. In terms of performances in their groups, Ireland finished slightly the better, but only on goal difference.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172046#Comment_118172046

Jesus Italy were woeful though. Woefully short of attacking ideas anyway.

briany

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172058#Comment_118172058

By their own standards, Italy blow hot and cold. They can win the World Cup or Euros one year and be also-rans in the next campaign. Seems to be the pattern over the last 20 years.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172071#Comment_118172071

Yeah its a reversion to the recent bad days for them.

citytillidie

Current playoff teams

Play-off

Seeded

Portugal

Scotland

Italy

Russia

Sweden

Poland

Un-Seeded

Wales

North Macedonia

Turkey

Finland

Austria

Czech Republic

Wales win tomorrow night will see them going into the seeded section, same for Turkey, Finland need to win by a couple of goals to get into the seeded part.

Norway can still beat out Turkey to get into the play-offs both on 18 points, but then I win for Norway will put them ahead of the Netherlands.

Ukraine can also overtake Finland so a couple of things to be settled tomorrow night.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172058#Comment_118172058

Their Plan B was to stick on a big man.

Then Plan C was to stick on a 2nd big man.

BorneTobyWilde

England 8-1 for WC , That's a good EW shot.

Cake Man

Let’s assume Italy and Portugal get through their semi final play offs, could they then meet in one of the three play off finals? Or are the play off finals also seeded?

Would be a mouth watering game if they could/did meet, either Ronaldo never gets another WC shot or the current Euro champions miss a second WC in a row!

EDIT: They can meet, here’s hoping

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118173112#Comment_118173112

Unless FIFA/UEFA make another last minute change to suit the big teams

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118173406#Comment_118173406

Ha ha yeah as long as Wales don't win tomorrow night Italy and Portugal will be in the top half of the top seeds. I wouldn't put it past FIFA to introduce an extra layer of seeding to keep them apart. If they don't resort to something like that I believe that mathematically there is a 20% chance of both Italy and Portugal ending up in different play-offs AND both getting home draws for the final (the most favourable draw possible in order to get them both through). In contrast, there is also a 20% chance that they end up in the same play-off tournament.

Italy were one of those teams, like Brazil and Germany who I never thought I would see not qualify for a World Cup. It's now possible that they will miss two in a row! There's precedent in recent times for Euros winners to not qualify for the following World Cup. Both Denmark and Greece failed to do so although to be fair both of them were shock winners so it was probably less of a surprise.

citytillidie

Round two is to be an open draw 3 paths with 2 seeded teams and 2 unseeded teams in each path. In theory Italy and Portugal could be drawn in the same path but you never know with UEFA. Only thing that can't happen is if Ukraine get though they and Russia can not be drawn in the same Path.

ArmaniJeanss

In fairness 4 years ago the conspiracy theory was that Italy would get the easiest possible playoff (Ireland or Greece) via a fixed draw, but they got the hardest possible (Sweden). And then the theory was that the refs would give them everything in the 2 games, but the 180 minutes was played straight and fair.

And the World Cup survived and indeed was a complete success without them (and also without the lucrative USA). So there seems no particular need to fix it. Which obviously won't stop the 'fix claimers' if either Italy or Portugal get a soft path.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118174204#Comment_118174204

Those were big shocks alright. I've been watching World Cups since 1990 and there had been 7 countries who had qualified for each of the 7 tournaments between then and 2014. Then 2 of them blew it at once for that last tournament. Whatever about Italy's failure, the USA's was an absolute shambles given how much easier it is to qualify out of CONCACAF. The sport seems to have held up there anyway and it's good to see Canada in a good spot at qualifying this time too.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118174204#Comment_118174204

Personally I wasn't talking about conspiracy theory fixing but the very real and open fixing that was done in 2010 by announcing a seeded draw last minute. Which almost backfired was it not for a sneaky hand

PTH2009

What's the story with Group G ? Fascinating Group with 3 teams still in contention

Speak Now

Netherlands need a draw at home to Norway to qualify.

Brussels Sprout

Nigeria currently drawing 1-1 at home to Cape Verde with 25min left. If they were to lose that they would be out.

Brussels Sprout

Nigeria have gone through. Algeria also go through so 8 of the 10 play-off teams are known and the last 2 will be decided later on tonight. The big game is Cameroon at home to Cote d'Ivoire. Cameroon win if they go through otherwise Cote d'Ivoire go through. Seems mad that they ended up in the same group.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118176661#Comment_118176661

It's the fault of Cote d'I really - big reputation but didn't qualify for the last WC and poor in the last 2 ACNs (group failure and quarter-final) So they slipped down the rankings. I'm sure everyone wanted to avoid them from pot2 of the draw though.

citytillidie

AFC

Third Round

Results

Matchday 5

Group A

South Korea 1 V 0 United Arab Emirates

Iraq 1 V 1 Syria

Lebanon 1 V 2 Iran

Group B

Australia 0 V 0 Saudi Arabia

China 1 V 1 Oman

Vietnam 0 V 1 Japan

Matchday 6

Group A

Iraq 0 V 3 South Korea

Syria 0 V 3 Iran

Lebanon 0 V 1 United Arab Emirates

Group B

China 1 V 1 Australia

Oman 0 V 1 Japan

Vietnam 0 V 1 Saudi Arabia

Mr.Nice Guy

Cameroon leading 1-0 at half-time via Toko Ekambi's goal. Plenty of talented names in that Cote d'Ivoire side that could miss out: Cornet, Boly, Bailly, Aurier, Kessie, Haller. The game is live on YouTube on the FIFA channel.