The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

Didn't realize they did that on Germany, much less in 30 minutes. Talk about a heck of a point to earn.

 

When you see something like that you realize how difficult it is to qualify in Europe. Even with the amount of teams they take from Europe, someone good always is out. But watch in the World Cup some shit team will tie or maybe beat a European team in the first week. Then someone will say Europe gets too many teams in, and there should be more from Asia and Africa. But a few weeks later it's forgotten when there's 5 or 6 from Europe in the quarters and 3 in the semis. It's like the shit you hear when a mid-major makes a run in the NCAA (like George Mason a few years ago).

 

Case in point, Spain will probably have to beat France in Paris to qualify automatically, after the French scored late to grab a point in Madrid.

 

But as defending champs they're in anyway right?

 

That rule went away for, I think, 2006. Only automatic bid now is the host.

 

Wow. That would be insane for them not to be in. Only team ever to win consecutive Euro championships.

edit: Looked up the group. If Spain does lose would think they beat whichever other runnerup they'd face. But when it's done there's gonna be at least one good European team not in Brazil.

 

There usually is. And there's generally one that qualifies that's way worse than whoever gets left out. Usually it's Greece. This time around, I'd imagine that will be whichever team comes out of the group with Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Slovenia and Cyprus. One of them is gonna qualify automatically, and one of France or Spain is gonna have to get in via the playoffs.

Hell, France shouldn't have been in the last World Cup. Not that their presence did anything to enlighten the tournament.

 

Yeah, I look at the European groups each time a World Cup or Euro qualifier is held and I see how many nations that would run things in other parts of the world (South America excluded) that get left out of whatever tournament just because the depth is so great.

 

Not even excluding South America most years. Uruguay and Paraguay were good in 2010 but most years it's Brazil and Argentina and a big drop to whoever is 3rd best. Before 2010, how long was it that a South American team other than Brazil or Argentina made the semis.

 

If Spain finishes second ... doesn't the best second-place team qualify automatically? Or is it the worst second-place team doesn't make it to the playoff round?