Вперёд! 2018 World Cup Qualifiers

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
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Won’t be able to watch the game because I can’t convince my boss to let me go home to watch my fake-country play a soccer game.
 

Boston Brawler

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With the US out, I'm rooting for Italy, Germany or Argentina. I've been stationed in Italy and Germany (and one kid born in each) and wife is from Argentina.

Germany is probably the best shot, though.
 

SocrManiac

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To be clear, the first was for Italy's lineup, the second was for their play, and the third was for the ACL pop.
 

cromulence

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Aug 25, 2009
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I'll toss in a fourth "Gross" for the way the fans acted during Sweden's anthem. Fuck Italy and fuck their scumbag fans.
 

cromulence

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Oh please. If the "good ones" don't like the banana throwing or holocaust denying, they should speak up instead of allowing Italy's reputation to get to where it is now. No sympathy.
 

Kliq

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I'm refreshing the page every minute; its an exhausting exercise; they are so fucking close.
 

Zososoxfan

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Italy looking pretty threatening the last 10 minutes or so. Getting the ball forward quickly and getting quality crosses in. Sweden is organized though. Watch out for set pieces.
 

Schnerres

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Sweden is playing this out like Italy did so many times before. Hold firm, play really calm, score on a ugly set piece, hold on even more. So far, it works. I never gave them a chance.
 

Schnerres

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Ball was on Granqvists hand, but it bounced there from within a foot...
Another corner, tifosi wake up, Buffon plays forward...
 

Kliq

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Tremendous, what a beautiful result. The Swedish defense, particularly their CBs, were great during these two legs, although Italy didn't put up the most intimidating attack. After failing to qualify twice with Zlatan they manage to qualify without their superstar striker; just a completely unexpected run to Russia.
 

InstaFace

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They could really use Zlatan when Russia actually comes around, though. They qualified in spite of their deficiencies at striker.
 

Kliq

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They could really use Zlatan when Russia actually comes around, though. They qualified in spite of their deficiencies at striker.
This team played significantly better without Zlatan than they did with him, at least since Henrik Larsson retired. Part of that is because Sweden never really used Zlatan correctly; during the Euros in 2016 they used him as an attacking midfielder and tried to use his overall skill to distribute to other players, and that predictably never worked because Zlatan isn't Zidane. In theory that could be changed by a tactical shift, but the reality is he also cast an enormous shadow over his teammates and their was immense pressure on them to get Zlatan the ball all the time. They lack name talent at the striker position, but they finished sixth in qualifying in total goals scored. Obviously I wouldn't say not to Zlatan coming out of retirement to play for Sweden in the World Cup, but the team has played very well without him.
 

Stanley Steamer

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I've watched the last 3 UEFA playoff matches, and my scoreless streak is well past 270 minutes. Thank God I have to work rather than watch Ireland v Denmark.
 

SocrManiac

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Oh please. If the "good ones" don't like the banana throwing or holocaust denying, they should speak up instead of allowing Italy's reputation to get to where it is now. No sympathy.
Yeah, we want to go down this path. All Red Sox fans are racists.

I'm happy with the result but do feel for Buffon.
This isn't the Italian team I grew up with, with the exception of Buffon. He had the opportunity to appear in six World Cups. The goalkeeper position has changed dramatically over the years, but no moreso than during his career. The change in the ball and the worldwide shift of goalkeepers as an eleventh field player both happened during his tenure and he adapted. Not many did, let alone at such a high level.

Comparing goalkeepers across eras is as challenging as it is for major positions in other sports, but it's hard to make an argument that he isn't among (if not THE) greatest of all time.

Too bad Giovinco isn't good enough to help Italy!
Ventura was a disaster, but not calling Giovinco barely moves the needle on his list of transgressions. Italy have had some really managers over the past twenty years, but Ventura is so head-scratchingly awful. No consistency in system, formation, or player selection (other than poor). He had personal gripes with some of Italy's brightest and refused to field his strongest side as a result. I genuinely believe that even with the chaos it would have caused, pitching him after the first leg in Sweden (and his subsequent comments about not worrying about the return leg, instead thinking about the group stage) would have lead to a brighter result yesterday. Certainly there would have been a higher chance of the right players being in the right position to make a difference.
 

Zomp

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I think part of Italy's problem is they are too wedded to the 352 formation. I understand their 3 best players are centerbacks but IMO they didn't have the personnel to have success with it. It is so ingrained in the national team that maybe Ventura thinks its the only way to play. Your 2 best attackers are pacey wingers who can beat a man 1 v 1 and then you have a decent 9 in Belotti. Insigne, El Sharaway and Belotti should have played. How you get them into a formation can be done a number of different ways, but 352 isn't one of them.
 

coremiller

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Italy is also just not as good as they used to be. Where are all the good Italian forwards? The 2006 team that won the world cup had Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Toni, Gilardino, and Iaquinta. The current team has Belotti and Immobile and that's it, and even those two might not have even got in the 2006 squad. They started Gabbadini yesterday, which tells you everything you need to know.
 

The Gray Eagle

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They should have the soccer version of the NIT, a tournament with the US, Italy, Chile, Scotland, Wales, Cameroon, Denmark/Ireland, Northern Ireland, etc.

I ain't proud, I would watch that for sure.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Absolutely, they should be in too.
You could do an 8-team Not Invited Tournament that would be a lot of fun to watch.
 

coremiller

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Men In Blazers have been promoting this idea for weeks as the Alternative Facts World Cup.
 

InstaFace

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FIFA won't sanction other games during the World Cup.
The world cup ends July 15th. Plenty of time over that next month to have another tournament.

USA, Italy, Chile, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Australia/Honduras loser, Peru/NZ loser? That's a hell of an 8-team mini-tournament. Just run same format as the Confed Cup. It's not like the US wouldn't tune into the matches because it's not the WCF.
 

67YAZ

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Italy is also just not as good as they used to be. Where are all the good Italian forwards? The 2006 team that won the world cup had Totti, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Toni, Gilardino, and Iaquinta. The current team has Belotti and Immobile and that's it, and even those two might not have even got in the 2006 squad. They started Gabbadini yesterday, which tells you everything you need to know.
The Italians used to have an unending supply of world class players and managers, but the player flow has become a trickle. (Except at GK. Going from Buffon to Donnarumma is like what...going from DiMaggio to Mantle or Williams to Yaz? And they still have Scuffet & Meret in reserve).

Italy has been surpassed in terms of talent generation in UEFA by Germany, France, Spain, Belgium. Whereas the US failure to qualify is prompting a lot of soul searching about youth development, there is going to be a firestorm in Italy. While Atalanta has blazed a trail in recent years, will Serie A as a whole get serious about investing in their academies? Will the mega-clubs be open to participating in a more systematic, nationalized approach to youth development? (I will say that Serie A academies are much more international than other top leagues, which is overall good for the league but not necessarily the national team.)

The managerial talent is there, even if Ventura was a miserable choice. Interestingly, Italy has a highly centralized system for coaching qualifications with only a single school providing UEFA A & Pro credentials. But there's Carrera at Spartak, Spaletti at Inter, Di Francesco at Roma, Gasperini at Atalanta, Sarri at Napoli...all of whom will probably be offered the national team job sooner or later. And all of whom can probably paste over the relative talent disparity with solid tactics and disciplined organization to be more competitive for the next round of Euros & World Cup. But getting back to being true World Cup contenders is going to be a long haul.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Does away goals break the tie in these qualifiers? Not sure if Ireland needs one goal or two to qualify right now.
 

Zososoxfan

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What other qualifiers are yet to happen? I know Peru-NZ is tomorrow, is that the last one or is there more qualifying still in Africa and/or Asia?
 

InstaFace

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What other qualifiers are yet to happen? I know Peru-NZ is tomorrow, is that the last one or is there more qualifying still in Africa and/or Asia?
See my post upthread. Just Australia-Honduras at 4:00am (!) and then Peru-NZ at 9:15pm.

If my sick 1-year-old has a night like she did last night, it'll be me and Sydney here posting in the wee hours, rooting for vile things to happen to the Hondurans.
 

Infield Infidel

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The world cup ends July 15th. Plenty of time over that next month to have another tournament.

USA, Italy, Chile, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Australia/Honduras loser, Peru/NZ loser? That's a hell of an 8-team mini-tournament. Just run same format as the Confed Cup. It's not like the US wouldn't tune into the matches because it's not the WCF.
Champions league final is May 26, WC starts June 14. They could squeeze a little tournament in there.
 

SoxFanInCali

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California. Duh.
But if it were 2-2, it would have gone to extra time before they take the away goal result, right? Not that it matters anymore.
No, this had the same rules as the Champions League. Extra time only happens if everything (including away goals) is tied. Once there was any score in the game, extra time was impossible due to the 0-0 first leg.

I know some people hate the rule, but it definitely increases the excitement when a single goal can change the result from a loss to a win, rather than just a draw.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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No, this had the same rules as the Champions League. Extra time only happens if everything (including away goals) is tied. Once there was any score in the game, extra time was impossible due to the 0-0 first leg.

I know some people hate the rule, but it definitely increases the excitement when a single goal can change the result from a loss to a win, rather than just a draw.
Thank you
 

swiftaw

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Jan 31, 2009
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So, the next big event (after the two playoff second legs today will be the draw for the World Cup groups. This year the pots are being constructed entirely by rankings. Draw rules say that teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn in the same group except for UEFA teams which are limited to no more than 2 per group.

Here are the pots:

Pot 1:
Russia
Germany
Brazil
Portugal
Argentina
Belgium
Poland
France

Pot 2:
Spain
Switzerland
England
Colombia
Mexico
Uruguay
Croatia
Peru

Pot 3:
Denmark
Iceland
Costa Rica
Sweden
Tunisia
Egypt
Senegal
Iran

Pot 4:
Serbia
Nigeria
Australia
Japan
Morocco
Panama
South Korea
Saudia Arabia
 
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