Euro 2016 qualifiers

[MDK]

Well done to Wales. I'm English, but I'd like to see more home nations qualify for major international tournaments, and this team have been pulling out all the stops, and with some mightily vocal home crowds to boot. I hope they finish the job now.

Hey, as much as I like to deal out shit to the Jocks, the Paddies, the half Paddies and The Taffs, I always cheer them on and want them to make it to the major finals.

[GoGo Yubari]

goddamn it Norway

But it's not over yet! After all, maybe Croatia will get themselves DQed.

[Lineker]

That's a lot of dedication to being racist.

[Baddar]

"Having started this campaign as fourth seeds, victory against Belgium also means Wales will now be among the top seeds for 2018 World Cup qualifying."

[Matt]

That's crazy, well done to Wales though great achievement.

[Baddar]

It does show how shit the seeding/ranking system is though. Belgium being #2 in the world is nonsense. England tend to be so high because they can beat San Marino and the like to piss through qualifiers. You can move up significantly just by getting a draw against a higher placed team in a throwaway friendly.

[Matt]

Yeah, how *did* Belgium manage that?

[The Lusophone]

Not sure how far back the rankings take into consideration, but including the Wales result, they've lost just twice since late 2013 (and that was to Argentina at the World Cup).

[Twist]

goddamn it Norway

But it's not over yet! After all, maybe Croatia will get themselves DQed.

Croatia's check board flag (and thus their kit) was used by Croatian nazis in the Second World Was who killed a LOT of people. It was outlawed by Tito and then revived in the early 1990's as part of the nationalist wave that swept through Yugoslavia.

The point of that story being Croatia's flag and kit are symbols of nazism as well. So I can't say I'm that surprised by the swatstika.

[Bobfoc]

Not sure how far back the rankings take into consideration, but including the Wales result, they've lost just twice since late 2013 (and that was to Argentina at the World Cup).

I remember people saying that Switzerland had managed to go far enough up the rankings to be seeded at the 2014 World Cup because they had been involved in numerous friendly matches against weaker teams, while some of the teams that were better on paper, such as Italy and France, were routinely facing, and sometimes losing to, higher quality opposition. It certainly seems to be a system that can be exploited without too much effort.

[Colly]

goddamn it Norway

But it's not over yet! After all, maybe Croatia will get themselves DQed.

Croatia's check board flag (and thus their kit) was used by Croatian nazis in the Second World Was who killed a LOT of people. It was outlawed by Tito and then revived in the early 1990's as part of the nationalist wave that swept through Yugoslavia.

The point of that story being Croatia's flag and kit are symbols of nazism as well. So I can't say I'm that surprised by the swatstika.

Well that's made me far less sad that I didn't pick up that awesome Nike home kit they had about a decade or so ago.

[The Lusophone]

Not sure how far back the rankings take into consideration, but including the Wales result, they've lost just twice since late 2013 (and that was to Argentina at the World Cup).

I remember people saying that Switzerland had managed to go far enough up the rankings to be seeded at the 2014 World Cup because they had been involved in numerous friendly matches against weaker teams, while some of the teams that were better on paper, such as Italy and France, were routinely facing, and sometimes losing to, higher quality opposition. It certainly seems to be a system that can be exploited without too much effort.

Eh, maybe, but Belgium's winning run included wins over South Korea, Russia, the US and more recently France. They may not be the second best team in the world but they are one of the best.

[Bobfoc]

Not sure how far back the rankings take into consideration, but including the Wales result, they've lost just twice since late 2013 (and that was to Argentina at the World Cup).

I remember people saying that Switzerland had managed to go far enough up the rankings to be seeded at the 2014 World Cup because they had been involved in numerous friendly matches against weaker teams, while some of the teams that were better on paper, such as Italy and France, were routinely facing, and sometimes losing to, higher quality opposition. It certainly seems to be a system that can be exploited without too much effort.

Eh, maybe, but Belgium's winning run included wins over South Korea, Russia, the US and more recently France. They may not be the second best team in the world but they are one of the best.

Yes, I think Belgium have deservedly climbed the rankings, even if second place seems a bit much at the moment. I fully expect them to be among the favourites in the final tournament if they can keep most of their players injury-free. My point still stands about how exploitable the rankings are, though, and there always seems to be at least one glaring anomaly in the seedings at every major tournament.

Another thing I've read is that if England don't beat Slovenia tomorrow, Wales will probably be higher than them when the next rankings are confirmed. They'd deserve it too.

[Kaney]

Offside

[Matt]

Not sure how far back the rankings take into consideration, but including the Wales result, they've lost just twice since late 2013 (and that was to Argentina at the World Cup).

I remember people saying that Switzerland had managed to go far enough up the rankings to be seeded at the 2014 World Cup because they had been involved in numerous friendly matches against weaker teams, while some of the teams that were better on paper, such as Italy and France, were routinely facing, and sometimes losing to, higher quality opposition. It certainly seems to be a system that can be exploited without too much effort.

Eh, maybe, but Belgium's winning run included wins over South Korea, Russia, the US and more recently France. They may not be the second best team in the world but they are one of the best.

Yes, I think Belgium have deservedly climbed the rankings, even if second place seems a bit much at the moment. I fully expect them to be among the favourites in the final tournament if they can keep most of their players injury-free. My point still stands about how exploitable the rankings are, though, and there always seems to be at least one glaring anomaly in the seedings at every major tournament.

Another thing I've read is that if England don't beat Slovenia tomorrow, Wales will probably be higher than them when the next rankings are confirmed. They'd deserve it too.

Oh I actually hope that happens

[Kaney]

What a response!

[Twist]

goddamn it Norway

But it's not over yet! After all, maybe Croatia will get themselves DQed.

Croatia's check board flag (and thus their kit) was used by Croatian nazis in the Second World Was who killed a LOT of people. It was outlawed by Tito and then revived in the early 1990's as part of the nationalist wave that swept through Yugoslavia.

The point of that story being Croatia's flag and kit are symbols of nazism as well. So I can't say I'm that surprised by the swatstika.

Well that's made me far less sad that I didn't pick up that awesome Nike home kit they had about a decade or so ago.

I used to love true Croatia kit until I found this out. I'm still kind of gutted about it.

[Kaney]

Finished one each. Think we played better football, and I'm disappointed we didn't take all three points but hey oh.

[MDK]

Gibraltar doing well against the mighty Bosche. Roy Chipolina saved a penalty!

[MDK]

Norn Iron are doing their best to fuck it up