soccer soccer soccer

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Half the knockout field is set now, 4 UEFA, 1 CONMEBOL, 1 CONCACAF, one CAF, and one Oceanic team.

 

Australia is in AFC now

No, they're still in Oceania, they just play Asian teams because playing Oceania qualifying was like playing Aruba six times in a qualifying cycle.

 

I think you're confusing Australia and New Zealand, Australia is definitely in AFC and went through their qualifying.

[bukie]

 

Australia is in AFC now

No, they're still in Oceania, they just play Asian teams because playing Oceania qualifying was like playing Aruba six times in a qualifying cycle.

 

I think you're confusing Australia and New Zealand, Australia is definitely in AFC and went through their qualifying.

No, I get it, they qualify via AFC but they are still located in Oceania, so I hesitate to call them an Asian team.

[bukie]

As an aside, before FIFA ruins group play for the 2026 World Cup, I hope they consider a format like this: https://www.natgoldc.com/2026

 

Still 48 teams, still 3 teams per group, but each team still gets 3 games and you still get simultaneous 3rd cycle games.

[UMFan83]

No, they're still in Oceania, they just play Asian teams because playing Oceania qualifying was like playing Aruba six times in a qualifying cycle.

 

I think you're confusing Australia and New Zealand, Australia is definitely in AFC and went through their qualifying.

No, I get it, they qualify via AFC but they are still located in Oceania, so I hesitate to call them an Asian team.

 

Got it...I thought you were listing them by confederation since you broke the others down by confederation

[bukie]

Tomorrow's qualification scenarios (the last really exciting day, since Friday is a bit boring with Brazil and Portugal both through and basically assured 1st):

 

Group E:

- Spain is through with a win or draw vs Japan, or a Germany/Costa Rica draw.

- Japan is through with a win vs Spain or a draw and a Germany/Cost Rica draw.

- Costa Rica is through with a win vs Germany

- Germany is through with a win vs Costa Rica plus either a Spain win vs Japan or a goalless draw between Spain and Japan

 

Group F:

- Croatia are through with a win or draw vs Belgium

- Morocco are through with a win or draw vs Canada, or a Croatia win or draw vs Belgium

- Belgium are through with a win vs Croatia (or a very slim possibility of a draw vs Croatia coupled with a Canada 4 goal win)

[UMFan83]

Tomorrow's qualification scenarios (the last really exciting day, since Friday is a bit boring with Brazil and Portugal both through and basically assured 1st):

 

Group E:

- Spain is through with a win or draw vs Japan, or a Germany/Costa Rica draw.

- Japan is through with a win vs Spain or a draw and a Germany/Cost Rica draw.

- Costa Rica is through with a win vs Germany

- Germany is through with a win vs Costa Rica plus either a Spain win vs Japan or a goalless draw between Spain and Japan

 

Group F:

- Croatia are through with a win or draw vs Belgium

- Morocco are through with a win or draw vs Canada, or a Croatia win or draw vs Belgium

- Belgium are through with a win vs Croatia (or a very slim possibility of a draw vs Croatia coupled with a Canada 4 goal win)

 

Technically Costa Rica can qualify with a draw, as long as Spain loses by 14 goals :D

[soccer10k]

Tomorrow's qualification scenarios (the last really exciting day, since Friday is a bit boring with Brazil and Portugal both through and basically assured 1st):

 

Group E:

- Spain is through with a win or draw vs Japan, or a Germany/Costa Rica draw.

- Japan is through with a win vs Spain or a draw and a Germany/Cost Rica draw.

- Costa Rica is through with a win vs Germany

- Germany is through with a win vs Costa Rica plus either a Spain win vs Japan or a goalless draw between Spain and Japan

 

Group F:

- Croatia are through with a win or draw vs Belgium

- Morocco are through with a win or draw vs Canada, or a Croatia win or draw vs Belgium

- Belgium are through with a win vs Croatia (or a very slim possibility of a draw vs Croatia coupled with a Canada 4 goal win)

 

Technically Costa Rica can qualify with a draw, as long as Spain loses by 14 goals :D

 

If Costa Rica draws they move on if Spain wins too.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Costa Rica draws they move on if Spain wins too.

 

So what could happen tomorrow:

 

- Spain wins v. Japan because they're a force of nature

- Costa Rica Concacafs their way into a draw(or victory) against the Germans

- Morocco beats a Canada team playing a dead rubber

- Belgium gets a result in a must-win game against Croatia

 

That would add up to round of 16 matchups of Spain v. Croatia/Belgium, and....Morocco v. Costa Rica.

[UMFan83]

Tomorrow's qualification scenarios (the last really exciting day, since Friday is a bit boring with Brazil and Portugal both through and basically assured 1st):

 

Group E:

- Spain is through with a win or draw vs Japan, or a Germany/Costa Rica draw.

- Japan is through with a win vs Spain or a draw and a Germany/Cost Rica draw.

- Costa Rica is through with a win vs Germany

- Germany is through with a win vs Costa Rica plus either a Spain win vs Japan or a goalless draw between Spain and Japan

 

Group F:

- Croatia are through with a win or draw vs Belgium

- Morocco are through with a win or draw vs Canada, or a Croatia win or draw vs Belgium

- Belgium are through with a win vs Croatia (or a very slim possibility of a draw vs Croatia coupled with a Canada 4 goal win)

 

Technically Costa Rica can qualify with a draw, as long as Spain loses by 14 goals :D

 

If Costa Rica draws they move on if Spain wins too.

 

True, but that scenario is not as funny because it doesn't involve Spain losing by 14 goals.

[wolf stansson]

Can’t get out of the group? More like L tri am I right?

[TruffleShuffle]

 

Australia is in AFC now

No, they're still in Oceania, they just play Asian teams because playing Oceania qualifying was like playing Aruba six times in a qualifying cycle.

 

I think you're confusing Australia and New Zealand, Australia is definitely in AFC and went through their qualifying.

 

yeah, they moved because they wanted better competition (the oceania qualifying is a bunch of pacific island nations who are terrible, and new zealand) and to participate in the AFC champions league.

 

i've seen a few socceroos matches, they are legitimately not a good team. no idea how they beat denmark. they should lose by about 8 goals to argentina.

[soccer10k]

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Had Mexico won 3-1, assuming the other score was the same, they would have moved on. However, if that wasn't bad enough...

 

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Poland had no business only losing that game 2-0.

[bukie]

Morocco scores in the 4th minute vs Canada.

[imb]

Morocco scores in the 4th minute vs Canada.

 

off a baffling "clearance" from Borjan

[Rex Buckingham]

Morocco scores in the 4th minute vs Canada.

 

off a baffling "clearance" from Borjan

 

on first glance, I thought he forgot that Canada was wearing red and was making a pass

[bukie]

Oof, already a second for Morocco, not a great effort from Borjan.

[bukie]

Morocco gets another just before halftime, but this one was for the wrong team and it's 2-1 now (first OG of the tournament).

[bukie]

Lukaku off the inside of the post with the keeper out, stays out, still scoreless.

[bukie]

Less than a minute later, Lukaku misses a wide open net with a standing header, goes over the bar.

[bukie]

Landon has been saying it on the broadcast, but I agree, Belgium is playing with a weird lack of urgency in a "we'll take the draw here and just win the third leg" vibe where they just don't realize there are no more games after this if they don't score.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Less than a minute later, Lukaku misses a wide open net with a standing header, goes over the bar.

 

Oy, Lukaku had an open net again.

[bukie]

Holy horsefeathers, Lukaku, what are you doing?

 

Third effort at an open net and he just missed the ball from 3 feet away.

[bukie]

And Belgium are out of the World Cup.

 

Morocco wins the group.

[soccer10k]

Morocco wins the group.

 

And their reward might be facing Germany!

[bukie]

Morocco wins the group.

 

And their reward might be facing Germany!

I'm personally hoping for the Morocco-Costa Rica R16 game.