WCQ 2022: Qualifiers for Qatar's Questionable Quagmire

Ale Xander

Ale Xander

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Tough question. Slovenia and Slovakia were tied with 14 points for 3rd in the group. IIRC they're supposed to play Poland in the 2nd team playoff system.

If I was benevolent dictator, I would put both Poland and Ukraine in and then rework Scotland/rest of playoffs. Not sure what is fair.

Edit:also could be Israel who have 16 points in a different group and lost tiebreaker with Austria.

Edit 2: Austria's inclusion I think is based on FIFA rankings. So basically I have no clue.
Perhaps the highest FIFA ranked team 3rd team finisher
 
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Kliq

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UEFA qualifiers kicking off today at 3:45.

Portugal vs Turkey
Wales vs Austria
Sweden vs Czech Republic
Italy vs North Macedonia

Some heavyweight with Italy and Portugal; the winner of their games plays each other so one of them is not going to Qatar. I'll be watching Sweden vs Czechia, two squads that overachieved in their most recent tournaments. Zlatan has come out of international retirement and will be on the bench; could be an opportunity for some really special late magic there. Isak and Kulusevski start in front from Sweden, who were not born when Zlatan made his professional debut.

Scotland vs Ukraine was slated to happen but has been PPD. Poland will play the winner of Sweden/Czechia, they were slated to play Russia but were given a bye to the final round after Russia was booted from the competition.
 
Kliq

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Sweden catching a break here facing Czechia without Patrik Schick, who is out with a muscle injury. Sweden are however, playing a defender from the Chinese league, and Viktor Claesson, who currently doesn't have a team (he was playing in the Russian league when his contract was terminated after the war started).
 
Kliq

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Sweden/Czechia and Italy/North Macedonia are tied 0-0 at the half. Portugal lead 2-0 over Turkey. Wales up 1-0 over Austria, Bale with the goal.
 
fletcherpost

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In the first half Bale scored a beautiful free kick from outside the box. Top bins.

Now Bale gets another from inside the box. Looking good for Wales. 2-0 v Austria
 
Kliq

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fletcherpost said:
In the first half Bale scored a beautiful free kick from outside the box. Top bins.

Now Bale gets another from inside the box. Looking good for Wales. 2-0 v Austria
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What is the status of the Scotland game? Is that going to be played this weekend?

Kulusevski down with a head injury for Sweden. Nervous moment for this Sweden/Spurs supporter, let me tell you.
 
Ale Xander

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Kliq said:
What is the status of the Scotland game? Is that going to be played this weekend?

Kulusevski down with a head injury for Sweden. Nervous moment for this Sweden/Spurs supporter, let me tell you.
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Postponed until June

the winner of the game plus Scotland and Ukraine will be drawn together on April 1
 
Kliq

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Sweden really scrapping the bottom of the bench here at fullback. Ludwing Augustinsson (Sevilla) and Emil Krafth (Newcastle) both were out for this game. Martin Olsson (Malmo) and Marcus Danielson (Dalian Professional) filled in, but now Olsson is subbed off due to injury. Pierre Bengtsson, who has made 33 career appearances but was only added to the team last night after Augustinsson got sick, is now on.
 
fletcherpost

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Kliq said:
What is the status of the Scotland game? Is that going to be played this weekend?

Kulusevski down with a head injury for Sweden. Nervous moment for this Sweden/Spurs supporter, let me tell you.
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Won't be played until June, possibly June 4th but I've not seen a confirmed date yet.
 
Kliq

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This Sweden/Czech Republic game is UGLY. Not a lot of shots, tons of cynical tackles. Feels like a 1-0 game.
 
fletcherpost

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Wales could have had a penalty there. Bale takes the freekick outside the box and the Austrian player kind of takes his arm to the ball. VAR says no dice.
 
nolasoxfan

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Things about to heat up in Porto. VAR gives Turkey a PK...

oooh! Burak bops it over the net. Portugal maintains a 2-1 lead. Meu Deus do ceu!
 
fletcherpost

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Turkey get a soft penalty and Burak skies it over the bar. I didn't think he fancied it. Huge miss.
 
nolasoxfan

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CR7 has been all but invisible this half.

Edit: 2nd half. To be fair, I wasn't paying much attention during the first half.

Edit 2: @ 89th minute and CR7 with a full net to shoot on and couldn't get a boot on the ball.
 
Ale Xander

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Sucks that they can’t put other games in the Solo, News or ABC

Ciao bella!
 
Kliq

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Sweden and Czechia in extra time. Czechs had a golden chance to win it in stoppage time but the player sliced a volley when he had a ton of space on the right hand side of the box. Ugly, ugly game. 7 Yellow Cards and counting.
 
nolasoxfan

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Kliq said:
Sweden and Czechia in extra time. Czechs had a golden chance to win it in stoppage time but the player sliced a volley when he had a ton of space on the right hand side of the box. Ugly, ugly game. 7 Yellow Cards and counting.
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What channel is covering this match?
N/M looks like ESPN+
 
Kliq

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Sweden putting on the pressure in ET so far. They are really catching this Czech squad at the right time. Not only is Shick out, but their entire backline from the good EURO 2020 squad is unavailable for various reasons.
 
Kliq

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Sweden's coach doesn't seem to like Elanga, who has been in pretty good form these last few months.
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He's never played for the senior team before. I'd love to see him come in, but not surprising that Andersson is relying on his older players for such a critical game.
 
Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Kliq said:
He's never played for the senior team before. I'd love to see him come in, but not surprising that Andersson is relying on his older players for such a critical game.
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Ahh didn't realize that.

He might not be the guy you want taking a critical penalty either I guess if it comes to that. I believe that he missed to get United knocked out of the FA Cup against Boro and putting him in that spot again would be a bit cruel.
 
Vinho Tinto

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Italy won a Euro in between missing two world cups. North Macedonia has a chance to knock off last two Euro champions. They did win at Germany 2-1 (Lost at home 4-0). These teams of destiny shouldn’t be discounted.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Interestingly the difference in the group play for Italy was not actually head to head with Switzerland. They could have won the group with a good result against Bulgaria but ended up drawing the game at home. Turns out the undoing of the Champions of Europe was not getting beaten by other European powerhouses, but having trouble handling the minnows.

Meanwhile, what is going to happen with the last Europe qualification spot when they do the draw in a couple of days? Does Scotland/Wales/Ukraine just go into pot 4 as one entry?
 
Kliq

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Ugly game and then that beautiful goal. Quaison had been invisible since he came on.
 
Ale Xander

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
Interestingly the difference in the group play for Italy was not actually head to head with Switzerland. They could have won the group with a good result against Bulgaria but ended up drawing the game at home. Turns out the undoing of the Champions of Europe was not getting beaten by other European powerhouses, but having trouble handling the minnows.

Meanwhile, what is going to happen with the last Europe qualification spot when they do the draw in a couple of days? Does Scotland/Wales/Ukraine just go into pot 4 as one entry?
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Yes
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Vinho Tinto said:
Italy won a Euro in between missing two world cups. North Macedonia has a chance to knock off last two Euro champions. They did win at Germany 2-1 (Lost at home 4-0). These teams of destiny shouldn’t be discounted.
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Less than a year removed from winning Euro too. The level of play in Europe right now is off the charts.

The thing that's so amazing about that win by North Macedonia away to Germany is that they only ended up taking second place in the group by 1 point. You can't really go back and say what might have happened, but as it stands they would not have gone through to the playoff if they had drawn in Germany. Nobody else in the group took any points from Germany. Not counting the North Macedonia game, Germany outscored its opponents 20-1 at home in the qualification group.
 
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