Big week coming up. Just hope we can win in Armenia to set up a massive clash v Turkey at the CCS.

Turkey may treat that second game as a bit of a friendly, although seeding may keep them honest.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 49 seconds ago
Turkey may treat that second game as a bit of a friendly, although seeding may keep them honest.
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I'm hoping they won't care but they will I suppose. Job to do in Armenia first though. It would be typical losing twice to them but getting 7 points from the four games v Turkey and Croatia!

I would guess the play-off will look something like
Poland vs Estonia
Wales vs Iceland

if Wales don't Q automatically.

Fine work, DJ

League B play-offs
Israel vs Iceland (if Italy finish above Ukraine then Ukraine come in here and Iceland move to League A)

Bosnia vs Finland.

Norway are next in line for either Group B or A, with Ireland after that.


League C play-offs
Georgia vs Luxembourg
Greece vs Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan are first reserve, Kosovo second - all but Georgia can still qualify through the groups.

Is there any way we can get a play-off DJ?

Not that we deserve it.

Yes, but it is very long odds. Need Israel to qualify ahead of Romania with Switzerland going through, and Iceland to qualify ahead of Slovakia.
May be another way, but I think it is pretty much done and dusted for the Green Army.

We get 9 spots now? Wonder if Nigeria can qualify now. We always have the quality but the worst managers to ever exist. How many teams qualify for the world cup now total?

48 teams for 2026.

Nigeria have South Africa, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho in their group.

there's a huge huge amount of very low grade games this round but there seems to be a little sense coming back into it with some teams playing Thursday and Friday and accepting less prep time.

Portugal for example will return players to clubs on Monday.

however brazil being Brazil won't return players to Europe before Friday.

I think really Europe has such a wide gap in ability in teams compared to South America that thry can afford to rock up and win after 3 days prep.

Yeah, South American teams haven't really got much room to "take it easy". Bolivia home is arguably that one game, but going there has its well known issue.
On the flip side, I would guess 3 or 4 teams will have qualified we a few games to spare, given 6 of the 10 go straight through, so that may be when they try new things

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 13 minutes ago
Yeah, South American teams haven't really got much room to "take it easy". Bolivia home is arguably that one game, but going there has its well known issue.
On the flip side, I would guess 3 or 4 teams will have qualified we a few games to spare, given 6 of the 10 go straight through, so that may be when they try new things
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Brazil's first ever defeat in a WC qualifier came in the '94 qualifiers against Bolivia as I recall

match was played at <3000 m altitude

>3000 m that should be

Can't find any evidence of Bolivia winning away in a qualifier since 18th July 1993 - a 7-1 win in Venezuela They also beat them 7-0 at home and qualified for the World Cup. Barely get any draws either.

Usually pick up 3 or 4 home wins though, home advantage has never been so apparent as up there.

Since they won the Copa America in 1967 - at home of course - they have won 9 games. 5 of them in 1997 when they hosted and came runners-up, and 4 in the 63 other matches.

Good post DJ, well set out.

Travelling 4 hours each way to see Scotland play in what is effectively a dead rubber on Sunday.

We got stitched up in Spain and it's taken away the excitement of what should be win two games and top the group to needing a very unlikely Spain slip for it to get any better than it is.

We are depleted through injuries at the moment so it may be a tough ask for us to take advantage if the slip does come.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 3 hours, 1 minute ago
Yeah, South American teams haven't really got much room to "take it easy". Bolivia home is arguably that one game, but going there has its well known issue.
On the flip side, I would guess 3 or 4 teams will have qualified we a few games to spare, given 6 of the 10 go straight through, so that may be when they try new things
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Its certainly much tougher there but they make it tougher just due to how they set up qualifications.

All 10 sides are in the same group. they crazy thing is that they have SIX places up for grabs and a 7th place in a play off so all they are doing is eliminating 3 teams.

What they really just need is less games but more teams so they could have 2 or 3 groups. place for top 2.

IN theory they could go 3 teams, 3 teams and a group of 4. it'd not be great though. If they had 12 countries then they could be 3 groups of 4 playing off 6 games and the top 2 out of each group qualify.

comment by moreinjuredthanowen (U9641)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 3 hours, 1 minute ago
Yeah, South American teams haven't really got much room to "take it easy". Bolivia home is arguably that one game, but going there has its well known issue.
On the flip side, I would guess 3 or 4 teams will have qualified we a few games to spare, given 6 of the 10 go straight through, so that may be when they try new things
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its certainly much tougher there but they make it tougher just due to how they set up qualifications.

All 10 sides are in the same group. they crazy thing is that they have SIX places up for grabs and a 7th place in a play off so all they are doing is eliminating 3 teams.

What they really just need is less games but more teams so they could have 2 or 3 groups. place for top 2.

IN theory they could go 3 teams, 3 teams and a group of 4. it'd not be great though. If they had 12 countries then they could be 3 groups of 4 playing off 6 games and the top 2 out of each group qualify.


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Would result in a chances at entry for the non-traditional nations if they only need a couple of fluke results which could be a plus but would hurt them at the tournaments.

From a competitive aspect it would make some sense for the Americas to combine. Would be about 45-50 teams, similar to Europe, Aisa and Africa.

However, there are a lot of reasons they would not go for it.

until the 98 WC qualifiers the South American qualifiers were split between 2 groups

Also, "interestingly", there were only 9 teams in qualifying in 90, 94 and 98.

Its almost impossible for a brazil or Argentina, no matter how bad to not qualify. thats never good.

but we could say the same for the hapless situation europe where England play teams like macedonia.

I think a World Cup without Brazil or Argentina would be a poorer one.