Azzurri Thread (89 Viewers)

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
42,253
Switzerland are a decent side. No Muricans should be talking about easy qualification Bro.

You guys play El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica to qualify for the World Cup. That's about as guaranteed as it gets.

Your only decent competition is a bunch of cartel boys, maple syrup and Costa Rica (sometimes).

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Continental champs + hosts should always qualify. What's the point of winning an entire tournament if you still have to qualify - seems ridiculous and asinine, but we all know FIFA and UEFA only care about money, just like the filthy billionaires of our time and pharmaceutical companies.
Bro, Canada is usually one of the worst teams in Concacaf :lol2:

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Why would anyone have a guaranteed spot if they suck? I mean, sure, they won it but 4 years ago. If change of generation happened, chances are big they can start sucking. I see no reason for them to have a spot because they didn't earn it to defend it. If they can't beat peasants that says a lot about their quality.
The most recent continental champs should get automatic qualifying spot. It’s only two years prior, and that limits potential major tournament win hangover during the final stages of qualifying. You win a major international tournament over the rest of your continent/region right smack dab in the middle of World Cup qualifying and you should obviously be guaranteed a spot.

This isn’t to excuse Italy’s failure here, or 4 years ago. For example, 4 years ago you had Italy and Spain in the same group with only one guaranteed spot which is a major :lol: considering they are two of the biggest sides in international football.
 

Cerval

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2016
26,829
There’s one group in africa that has Sudan, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau with Marocco or something. Marocco is like 19-1 stats after 6 games and they could face Mali or Kongo to qualify for World cup.

Then we could see world cup with no Italy or Portugal in it. And as someone said, defending champion should always be there to defend what they won 4 years prior, because it’s logical as fuck.

People saying Italy should have won this or that, well maybe but there’s no african groups where’s one good team and rest are called Madagascar n shit, which are more known for their endangered bats than their football ability.

A total farce.
Its the world cup, not Euro v2
 

Xperd

Allegrophobic Infidel
Jun 1, 2012
34,833
Bro, Canada is usually one of the worst teams in Concacaf :lol2:

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The most recent continental champs should get automatic qualifying spot. It’s only two years prior, and that limits potential major tournament win hangover during the final stages of qualifying. You win a major international tournament over the rest of your continent/region right smack dab in the middle of World Cup qualifying and you should obviously be guaranteed a spot.

This isn’t to excuse Italy’s failure here, or 4 years ago. For example, 4 years ago you had Italy and Spain in the same group with only one guaranteed spot which is a major :lol: considering they are two of the biggest sides in international football.
That's because prior to Mancini taking over, Italy was an embarrassment on the international stage. Getting embarrassed in world cups, dropping to an all time low in the rankings.
You just can't be handed a spot just cus you have pedigree. A very Agnelli-esque take here. Prior to this year, Italy haven't been a top side for well over a decade. It's their own fault that they couldn't beat average/half decent sides to be in a much easier group and qualify for the WC.
Heck, they are not able to do it even now with a much easier group compared to the past. So called 'biggest teams' of international football. Some standard they're setting there.

Chile won back to back Copa's and still dint qualify for the World Cup in 2018. I didn't see much hue and cry over it back then.

Egypt were dominating the African Nations cup for years and still couldn't find a berth in the world cup until the very recent edition.

Don't see why things should change now just because Italy are struggling to beat European farmers.
 

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
42,253
That's because prior to Mancini taking over, Italy was an embarrassment on the international stage. Getting embarrassed in world cups, dropping to an all time low in the rankings.
You just can't be handed a spot just cus you have pedigree. A very Agnelli-esque take here. Prior to this year, Italy haven't been a top side for well over a decade. It's their own fault that they couldn't beat average/half decent sides to be in a much easier group and qualify for the WC.
Heck, they are not able to do it even now with a much easier group compared to the past. So called 'biggest teams' of international football. Some standard they're setting there.

Chile won back to back Copa's and still dint qualify for the World Cup in 2018. I didn't see much hue and cry over it back then.

Egypt were dominating the African Nations cup for years and still couldn't find a berth in the world cup until the very recent edition.

Don't see why things should change now just because Italy are struggling to beat European farmers.
Nah. I think it should be for everyone. You win the Continental Championship that happens during qualifying, that’s an automatic berth in World Cup. And it makes complete sense to me. That’s a major international tournament win, and not ages prior to the World Cup. All federations should have it.

And how is it at all like Super league? C’mon dude. It’s literally the opposite. You have to win the most recent international major tournament to earn your spot. That’s meritocracy at its finest. It’s the same as CL winners and Europa Winners earning a spot in next years edition even if they don’t qualify domestically.
 

Bianconero81

Ageing Veteran
Jan 26, 2009
40,174
Nah. I think it should be for everyone. You win the Continental Championship that happens during qualifying, that’s an automatic berth in World Cup. And it makes complete sense to me. That’s a major international tournament win, and not ages prior to the World Cup. All federations should have it.

And how is it at all like Super league? C’mon dude. It’s literally the opposite. You have to win the most recent international major tournament to earn your spot. That’s meritocracy at its finest. It’s the same as CL winners and Europa Winners earning a spot in next years edition even if they don’t qualify domestically.
Xperd does cricket Bro.

His specialty is Hyderbad Bombers vs Calcutta Blasters.
 

Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
115,943
Switzerland are a decent side. No Muricans should be talking about easy qualification Bro.

You guys play El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica to qualify for the World Cup. That's about as guaranteed as it gets.

Your only decent competition is a bunch of cartel boys, maple syrup and Costa Rica (sometimes).

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True. The Swiss aren't a bad side at all, but Italy just won the Euros. The US could never win the Euros!
 

Siamak

╭∩╮( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)╭∩╮
Aug 13, 2013
18,341
1400-08-26 07_33_16-Instagram.jpg


Italy - Portugal - Sweden - Russia - Scotland - Wales
Poland - Czech Republic - Ukraine - Northern Macedonia - Austria - Turkey

Note: Italy will host one of the teams of the second side in the first game on April 4 or 5, and if they win on April 8 or 9, they will play the final or the last play-off game. In the last game, the host is determined by drawing lots.
 

Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
115,943
If the US had to qualify out of UEFA they wouldn’t have played a World Cup ever sadly. Just like us moose shagging, maple syrup lovers :(
We would have qualified every time and won the damn thing since we'd basically be Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the rest of the farmer leaguers over there. Although now we'd have to send Italy to present-day Jersey since they're holding us back.
 

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
42,253
We would have qualified every time and won the damn thing since we'd basically be Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the rest of the farmer leaguers over there. Although now we'd have to send Italy to present-day Jersey since they're holding us back.
Nah. Just take current America put em up against UEFA qualifying instead of Mexico plus a bunch of farmers, and the US hasn’t participated in a world cup yet. :heart:
 

Pegi

Senior Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,825
People fail to realize that it’s World cup, literally the world championships. It needs to have the best nations there, no matter what. It’s good to have these continental champions, they deserve to be there as well because that’s how you figure out who’s best internationally. You can have Euros, you can have Copa Americas, Asian and African championships BUT when it’s time to see who’s the best around the world, it needs to find a way to get the absolute best in there. To play qualifying games in a game, that already has tons of games over the season, covid season with tougher pace, all the cups, all the Euros, Copas etc. 2 years non-stop action and the next year World Cup again, it’s ridiclous to expect all these big nations to have good games every time, just because quality teams with quality players play more games over the season. Then, even if you managed to be ranked 4th or 7th, you still need to wonder whether you make it or not even your rank says, that you’ve played the top-top NT football over long period of time. It’s like club level you wouldn’t make UCL, because Genoa beat you on a certain date or you fucked up one game out of 4. It’s fucking unbeliavable how Fifa, Uefa and domestic leagues are forcing players to play, to represent their team and club day in, day out and 90% of the games are almost meaningless, especially in the NT level because you play these San Marinos n shit and beating them 10-0. It’s 4 year period, it should take all the NT games over that span into account instead of 8 fucking useless, meaningless and disgraceful games into account, where you might have one decent side ln your group. It ain’t no surpise you draw against macedonia or something, because you played a derby and UCL game previous week, it just happens. You come to NT, always different players, no time to make up the system etc and you’re playing against more fresh opponents. Then that game, might be enough for you not to make it and what you did past 4 years is gone, even if you didn’t lose but couple of games.

It’s actually ridiclous if you think about it.
 

Bianconero81

Ageing Veteran
Jan 26, 2009
40,174
They're not adding games. They still have to play two games and win both games to qualify.

Essentially, there are 12 teams remaining, divided into 3 groups of 4 teams each. There are 2 seeded teams and 2 unseeded teams in each group. A seeded team will play an unseeded team in a one off match; the winner advances to play the other winner in the final of that four team group. The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup.
 

Elvin

Senior Member
Nov 25, 2005
36,923
They're not adding games. They still have to play two games and win both games to qualify.

Essentially, there are 12 teams remaining, divided into 3 groups of 4 teams each. There are 2 seeded teams and 2 unseeded teams in each group. A seeded team will play an unseeded team in a one off match; the winner advances to play the other winner in the final of that four team group. The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup.
OK good then.
 

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