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World Cup Qualifiers


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Just looking at today's AFC results. Here are the results from two groups:

 

Australia 7-0 Tajikistan

Jordan 8-0 Bangladesh

 

Japan 5-0 Afghanistan

Syria 6-0 Cambodia

 

I think it's great that football is globally inclusive and all, but given that we had to airlift Australia out of OFC because of the imbalance, what good is this going to do anyone? If Jordan - not even a leading team in the Middle East, much less the continent - can put eight past Bangladesh, Australia could manage even more on a good day (just the 5-0 and 4-0 when they actually did play.)

 

No easy answer to this because the weaker teams do need to face quality opposition to improve but there comes a point when you need to ask if it's worth it.

 

Then again, the likes of Turkey used to be whipping boys and now they're serious contenders. Iceland showed what even a tiny country can do.

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And may as well just get it out of the way: yes, a bunch of African qualifiers are fixed and FIFA won't do anything about it.

 

Same in international cricket, come to mention it.

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I'm sure I read somewhere that by population Bangladesh is the worst-achieving sporting country on earth. They looked at the top-level sports in which it competes, plus the Olympics, and found they were pretty rubbish at all of them.

 

Another title Scotland loses out on... :P

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I'm sure I read somewhere that by population Bangladesh is the worst-achieving sporting country on earth. They looked at the top-level sports in which it competes, plus the Olympics, and found they were pretty rubbish at all of them.

 

Another title Scotland loses out on... :P

 

Tbf, they're consistently in the top ten of the worlds best crickets nations.  :bag:

<span style='font-size: 14px;'><em class='bbc'>"That LinwoodTon's a c*nt, eh?"</em></span>

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Aye... 10th. And if Ireland keeps getting ringers to play for them that may not last forever. And if Zimbabwe ever stops being a corrupt mess (probably never, then) it could happen even sooner.

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I'll happily admit that I have no clue how to practically implement this idea, but anyway. I believe we should have far more intercontinental playoffs in World Cup Qualifying. Obviously you don't just want a World Cup consisting only of European and South American teams with only a couple of token teams from other continents, but there's also got to be a degree of quality control and basically handing automatic qualification to utter shite like Australia in every tournament through AFC getting four places isn't on.

 

There'd be a lot to lose for Europe in this as well as it'd obviously mean reducing the number of automatic places, but it'd have the potential for even more to qualify with the chance for middling European teams to prove they're better than aforementioned shite like Australia. Have 16 places decided by continent - 6 to UEFA, 4 to CONMEBOL, 4 to CAF, 1 to CONCACAF, 1 to AFC, 0 to OFC. Then have the remaining 16 decided by intercontinental playoffs. That means the likes of Australia, South Korea & Mexico no longer have qualification guaranteed no matter how shite they are, but if they're good enough they still have a fair chance to make the tournament, proving they truly deserve their place ahead of European, South American and particularly African sides who are restricted by being up against far superior sides in qualifying with more competition for places.

 

The teams from weaker continents will if anything have even more chances to play against stronger sides giving them the opportunity to develop and qualify on merit rather than geographical anomaly, while it ensures a stronger World Cup and addresses the problem of the much improved African teams not having enough places without reducing European or South American places.

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Oh Lord, Brian Wake

 

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Didn't we have a playoff against Australia for the 86 World Cup? Ireland also played Iran for the 02 one I think. Get it back.

 

 

Carrying on the AFC theme. Japan and Oz put another 5 past Syria and Jordan respectively.

 

 

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Yep, a 2-0 aggregate win to go to the World Cup of 1986. These two games (2-0, 0-0) remain the only competitive matches we've had with Australia. Some friendlies, too - won two, lost one.

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A big shock in AFC as the Philippines beat North Korea 3-2. Admittedly DPRK are ranked only at 94th now, down a lot from previous years, but that's still a surprise.

 

The winnning goal was scored by Iain Ramsay, born in Australia. As his dad is Scottish he would have been eligible for us... :)

 

Tonight there's a full card in CONMEBOL as well, Colombia-Ecuador the highlight as the visitors look to continue their great start. Argentina are at home to Bolivia and it's not too early to call this a must-win.

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Normal service resumed in CONCACAF as USA win 4-0 at home to Guatemala to go second in their group, having previously lost in Guatemala and drawn in Trinidad. Would have been incredible if they'd been eliminated in this stage but realistically that's not going to happen now - would require them to drop points at home to Trinidad with Guatemala winning in Trinidad.

 

Brazil not looking too clever in CONMEBOL just now with only two wins from six games. If they don't get at least four points from their September games with Ecuador away and Colombia at home - both above them currently - they're in massive trouble.

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Oh Lord, Brian Wake

 

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I saw Brazil's late equalizer, they are in real trouble.

 

In semi-related news, Amnesty International is going to release a report tonight on forced labor at the Qatar 2022 stadiums. FIFA's response will presumably be along the lines of "damn, wish we'd thought of that for Brazil and Russia."

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