topcat(The most tip top) Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 6 minutes ago, Lurkst said: I remain to be sold on the idea of 3 team groups with the top 2 qualifying. Seriously devalues the first round if you ask me. But it means we're straight into "Win or Go Home" territory for the last 32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsr Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 4 minutes ago, Ross. said: They already play the top teams on a regular basis, so theoretically have that advantage over the lesser teams elsewhere. Playing better teams should help you improve. Possibly, but if (in Europe) there are 20 teams better than you and less than 20 places up for grabs, your chances of qualification are significantly lower than a team of equal ability in say Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 While I'm generally pro-expansion I agree that the 48 team format has its pitfalls. Too much potential for the teams playing in the last game engineering a mutually-beneficial result, too much advantage to the team that rests in the second game, too little drama with only a third of teams eliminated. Then again, the knockout stage from 32 teams onwards could be fantastic. I would be all for expansion to 64 and go back to the much fairer groups of four. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 1 minute ago, nsr said: Possibly, but if (in Europe) there are 20 teams better than you and less than 20 places up for grabs, your chances of qualification are significantly lower than a team of equal ability in say Asia. Sadly, that's just how it is. Unless you go the other way completely and make it a competition for only the top ranked teams, which to me would take far more away from the competition than the current changes will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurkst Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 8 minutes ago, booj1893 said: Especially if your the team that doesn't play in the initial game and the team your up against have already played knowing all they need is a point to go through. It will have many shite games. It seems Infantino wants all drawn group games to be decided on penalties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsr Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I would base the number of places on actual performance in the tournament. European teams did well in the WC? Give them extra places. Asian teams did well? Give them extra places. South American teams didn't do much? No change. North American teams did poorly? Lose places. Etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 The best side doesn't always win the tournament The best 2 sides don't always contest the final The best 4 sides don't always make it to the semi finals With this in mind It seems a bit churlish to start complaining that the 41st best side might not make the last 48 while the 52nd best side does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Nah. No continent should have more than a third of the teams in a World Cup, unless Pangaea reforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsr Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said: Nah. No continent should have more than a third of the teams in a World Cup, unless Pangaea reforms. I agree. An upper and lower limit could be applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 2 hours ago, senorsoupe said: With Oceania getting an automatic spot, will Australia go back to playing in that zone? They must fancy their chances of beating New Zealand and some islanders regularly 2 hours ago, Ross. said: No need for them to, with Asia getting 8 spots. As I said in a previous comment, they are still almost guaranteed qualification but still have the benefit of playing stronger teams in the process. Going back to Oceania would be a step backwards in terms of developing better players. Plus, the World Cup isn't the only reason why Australia moved to Asia. More competitive games with the Asia Cup, more competitive games for women/youth sides, better youth development and chances for Australia's club sides to play stronger professional sides from countries like Japan & China on a regular basis in continental competition, helping the development of their clubs/league. Australian football as a whole, not just the national team, is better off in Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 The upper limit for Europe would be sixteen. Which is what they have asked for. And what they have received. And what you are complaining about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsr Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I'd give them 16 as a starting point and an upper limit of 24 (I misread your earlier post as saying 2/3). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky88 Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 35 minutes ago, booj1893 said: Especially if your the team that doesn't play in the initial game and the team your up against have already played knowing all they need is a point to go through. It will have many shite games. 3 team groups with 1 team through is much better, better than current system. every game would have something riding on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtual Insanity Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 51 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said: Nah. No continent should have more than a third of the teams in a World Cup, unless Pangaea reforms. We have comfortably more than a third at present and I think the current system strikes a pretty good balance. I'm anti expansion anyway, but if we have to do it I feel it should happen along the lines of the current ratios. While I take your analogy re: European club competition, it really is already weighted far more heavily than the WC - in the last CL group stages we had: 5 England, 4 Spain, 3 Germany and 3 Italy, so just shy of 50% of the places were taken by 4 nations (representing 7% of UEFA members). At the moment 44% of the world's top 100 are UEFA members, which matches up pretty well with our current levels of WC representation. The 16th best team in Europe (Austria) is currently ranked 26th in the world. I don't want to shoehorn in the top 48 countries in the world, but there has to be a better balance. At the moment, 28 of the top 48 nations are UEFA, so 16 places seems pretty miserly. ETA By comparison, Asia has 2 of the top 48 countries in the world (by ranking) and will have 8 places. Take 2.5 from Asia/Oceania and give them to Europe and I think we'd be just about right, Oceania is getting 1 spot effectively for a team ranked 120th in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurkst Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Lurkst said: It seems Infantino wants all drawn group games to be decided on penalties. Thinking about it a team that wins the first game 1-0 then loses the second on penalties would still be guaranteed qualification. 1 hour ago, sparky88 said: 3 team groups with 1 team through is much better, better than current system. every game would have something riding on it Unless one team wins the first two games in the group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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