Men's Soccer (Football) Thread [Archived] Soccer • Page 639

We are pathetic

 

Shit I thought the game was at like 9pm

 

Thank you Bobby Wood

 

Do not like that we have to beat Panama. They've been our bogeyman since the San Zusi event.

 

To be honest, if you can't beat Panama, you don't deserve to be there.

 

While we probably don't deserve to be there based on performances all that much, that's kind of a laughable opinion from a confederation that lets teams like Belgium/Spain/Germany pad their stats by playing nations like Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, and San Marino.

The Hex is easily the second hardest qualification mechanism after CONMEBOL. With two matches left to be played, the five teams that have not clinched a spot are still all in contention for a spot. Can't say that about any single UEFA group, or for how CAF and AFC broke down.

Yes, we should beat Panama at home and Trinidad away in October. But it's so far from as easy as you think.

 

But all the other teams in the group also play against these weak teams so it doesnt help at all in the qualification process. Pretty much every team wins against them so it evens out.

Do you really think a team like Spain or Germany would have it more difficult to qualify in CONCACAF than in the UEFA? I dont think so. Or the other way round: do you think the USA would have it as easy as now if they would take part in the UEFA qualifiers? Don't think so too. So I guess it's easier to qualify in CONCACAF than in the UEFA.

 

Nah, it's definitely easier to qualify from UEFA than CONCACAF. UEFA get half the spots in the World Cup to start with, the draw is seeded to favour the bigger teams too. CONCACAF is far more balanced in terms of teams, plus travelling to some of the smaller countries with poor infrastructure (i.e. bad pitches, none of the small UEFA nations have as bad pitches as some of the CONCACAF teams do). Not to mention the state of officiating.

USA should be qualifying at least 2nd from the Hex every time, but there's a lot of outside factors that make it more difficult.

Of course Spain or Germany wouldn't have it more difficult to qualify from CONCACAF, they most likely wouldn't have it more difficult to qualify from any region due to them being 2 of the best teams in the world. What a stupid comparison. A team like England would have it more difficult to qualify from CONCACAF, and some of the smaller teams that are doing well in qualification would too.

 

What Sam said.

We're having a terrible round of The Hex this year. I won't deny that. We should be breezing through every game that isn't Mexico or Costa Rica. But the game is better in this region in large part because MLS is better.

 

A CAF WCQ is going to be replayed after the ref of the match in question was banned for life for match manipulation

 

I wasn't refering to anything about how easy or hard it is to qualify. I simply mean if you can't beat Panama, you aren't gonna manage to do anything at the World Cup anyway. Every single team bar maybe one or two of the weaker Asian teams like Saudi Arabia or Syria are better than them. You've got to be regularly beating every team in that continent other than Costa Rica and Mexico.

Trust me, England are hardly an inspiration. No tactical nous, no plan B, a lack of real central midfield playmakers, and a dodgy defence, and that's why we'll be last 16 knock outs at best, but we're still able to beat the weaker teams on a regular basis.

 

We weren't supposed to do anything at the last World Cup either but we made it further than Spain, Portugal, England, Italy...

 

Which, Mexico who only got into the World Cup last cycle because we beat Panama ironically enough on the last match day, also made it further than those teams. And they were as woeful last cycle as we've been this cycle.

 

This week has made me fucking love Sporting. The Dildo brothers comment, the (allegedly) intentionally fucking over Leicester, and now legal action towards West Ham over Carvalho. Amazing.

 

wait Jozy is dating Sloane Stephens?!

 

presented without comment...

 

I don't care that it's City v Liverpool. Football is back.

 

Otamendi having a mare so far. Looks a walking red.

 

How much did City spend on their defence again?

 

With Irma coming I forgot it came back today. Probably forgot to set my fantasy line-up too

 

Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha

 

What a pass to split the defense

 

De Brunye finally fucking does something for my fantasy team.

Also, that defending, jeez...

 

Who's pathetic attempt at a header set that up?

 

Mané just going ruined.