The Soccer Thread (Version 8)

So, 2/3 of the teams will have a 2 game World Cup and there obviously can't be simultaneous games to end a group stage (which will increase the chance of a team playing for a draw).

 

What I read about the proposed change stated no draws in group stage.

 

So PKs after 90 or 120? That means a lot of minnows playing 10 behind the ball in hopes of the PK lottery.

 

A 48-team tournament means a 32-game knockout stage plus 48 group games. It'll stretch the World Cup to nearly six weeks. Which, if you enjoy the WC, is awesome.

The footy will be shite, but whatevs.

 

Dayton's ready to host the First Four. Or just bring eight teams to England for an elimination game and play them at Fulham, QPR, Watford and Blackburn.

 

Vanuatu vs. Nepal
San Marino vs. Djibouti

 

3 team groups seems like crap even before you consider the incentive to go to PKs.

Isn't there just one more game, the round of 32? By my math there are already 48 group games. 32x3/2=48. 48x2/2=48. I could be missing something.

 

32 teams in knockout stage = 31 games + 1 third-place game.

Bracket games always = # of teams -1.

 

Totally whiffed on your point. I thought you were saying the group games were going to be more. Gotta stop sniffing glue at lunch.
So six days for the round of 32? 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2.

 

I misread that there were going to be 32 teams in the knockout stage -- thought it was 16. Interesting and I wonder if they will reseed for the knockout stage.

 

The devil is in the details. All that stuff will have to be worked out.

I find it interesting that the U.S. will probably be the place where they roll out the new format. (That should be awarded this year, too, and I can't see how the U.S. gets screwed over again after the blatant payoff by Qatar.).

 

Can I just point out that multiplying a number (in this case 2) and then dividing by the same number is unnecessary because by dividing by the same number you multiplied something by you undo your multiplication. It's basically multiplying/dividing by 1. Not apropos of anything but wanted to point that out because I haven't gotten a wedgie in a while.