Official Worldwide Football (Soccer) Discussion Thread (34 Viewers)

[owlbee]

Unfortunately, it will never go back to 32 teams. It's just too much money for FIFA. I think it's been confirmed that 2030 (Morocco, Spain, Portugal) will be 48 teams. Not sure how 2034 (Saudi Arabia) will be able to host 48 teams. It will most definitely be 64 teams in 2038 and now the host selection process should favor joint host bids. So at least two more World Cups with the 3rd place nonsense.

 

[Coyote]

IMHO, all kinds of sports, world-wide, should be banned as a spectacle.
Currently, it's just the fuel of organised crime.

 

[Mr Winberg]

they increased it to a 24 team competition in the 80’s that had the best 4 third place teams go through.

Actually, in 1982 only the top two made it through the first group stage, no "best thirds" that year. The 12 teams that went through formed 4 new groups with 3 teams each, where the winner of each group proceeded to the semi final. It was an interesting approach, but unfair that the two teams in each group's final match had an advantage in knowing what result they needed, which the team who played in the first two matches didn't have.

But the real group stage drama was in the first group stage (6 groups of 4) where West Germany and Austria (the non-kangaroo Austria) screwed Algeria big time. FIFA hadn't yet realized that the final matches within groups of 4 MUST be played at the same time. Algeria played it's game earlier, so Germany and Austria who playedater stopped playing after 5 minutes at 1-0, knowing both would proceed if the result stayed. It was like minutes 85-92 in this year's match between Austria and Algeria (ironic!!), but for 85 minutes! In 1986 FIFA had learned their lesson and started having simultaneous starts of these kind of matches.

1998 was the first with 32 teams, which was perfect!

 

[Mr Winberg]

IMHO, all kinds of sports, world-wide, should be banned as a spectacle.
Currently, it's just the fuel of organised crime.

Did you think that way 2004 as well?

 

[BKisback]

Germany - oof.

 

[legend672]

Barney Rubble coaching the Dutch. Watching game with my Moroccan friends on Fox not telemundo

 

[Grimace]

Barney Rubble coaching the Dutch. Watching game with my Moroccan friends on Fox not telemundoView attachment 1697101View attachment 1697102

What a goal by Marrocco to even it up. Well done

 

[legend672]

Total bedlam. Pure excitement

 

[Grimace]

Total bedlam. Pure excitement

What an ending. See you Saturday.

 

[legend672]

 

[legend672]

What an ending. See you Saturday.

Why in Houston? You guys should be playing in the dominions of Canada

 

[Grimace]

Why in Houston? You guys should be playing in the dominions of Canada

100% agree. This would be a massive match if they played it in Toronto.

 

[MeridianFC]

Holy fuck!

 

[elPadroni]

What a way to start the Knockout rounds. Games have been phenomenal so far. I NEEEED a Mexico win tomorrow so I can see them play live on Sunday

 

[Mr Winberg]

Why in Houston? You guys should be playing in the dominions of Canada

100% agree. This would be a massive match if they played it in Toronto.

The Canada route was reserved if they won their group, at least the first two rounds.

 

[Coyote]

Did you think that way 2004 as well?

Me, absolutely yes. I never watched a single game, and I even took my girlfriend for a walk in the countryside, on the night of the final.

 

[MeridianFC]

 

[ChaosRock]

I'm a bit on the fence regarding the 48 teams. It does have a list of issues that comes with it, that's for sure. Now, looking exclusively from a football fan perspective, I find myself quite enjoying it. I don't think the level of the games were significantly worse than previous versions with 32 team, and I watched all the games except the ones that played at the same time. Yes, there were bad games and weaker teams but that was the case with 32 teams as well. Even with 48 teams, Italy was out, Hungary was out, Romania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Chile, Peru, etc... We also gained an additional full elimination round with 16 games, which is where the nail biting thing comes from.

For me, leaving aside all the negatives for the players/teams, it's been good, great even. And I was a skeptic before the Copa started, mind you.

Having said that, being born in Brazil and following football since I was born, I couldn't agree more with @Coyote regarding the sport being dominated by corruption, at least in some countries. I can't think of anything as bad as football, really... Maybe boxing... And that is one of the reasons not always I want to see Brazil do well, just in hopes the criminals running football there can find another thing to suck dry...

I have a sense that with the amount of investments football is getting the past couple of decades and how professional it has become, the corruption can slowing disappear. I'm optimistic but wouldn't be surprised to be proven wrong...

 

[Mr Winberg]

We also gained an additional full elimination round with 16 games, which is where the nail biting thing comes from.

Agreed! One of the things Iike about the new format!

 

[legend672]

That was a helluva game this afternoon