FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 (soccer)

Discussion in 'Sports' started by CenterField, Aug 9, 2021.

  1. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    True, and in March when the playoff games happen, we'll have Spinazzola back; the fastest player in the Euros before his injury, as confirmed by electronic tracking.
     
  2. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    CONMEBOL suspended indefinitely the Ref for Brazil v. Argentina and the VAR director, for not showing a red card to that criminal, that thug Otamandi. CONMEBOL called it a serious and manifest error. Too bad that in soccer, these punishments and acknowledgment of egregious errors don't change the result of matches and the matches don't get to be replayed. Brazil were likely to win if Argentina were deservedly playing with 10 men. Otamandi should have been punished with a long suspension too, but I think that legally they have to go by the ref's report, and the ref didn't even show a yellow to Otamandi. Raphinha, the player assaulted by Otamandi, needed several stitches during halftime. And that bandit forcefully picked up Raphinha from the ground, pretending that Raphinha was diving, when Raphinha was bleeding all over the place.

    https://theathletic.com/news/conmeb...on-raphinha-by-nicolas-otamendi/SFhmRuRbcBDC/
     
  3. gnoib

    gnoib Well-Known Member

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    But that is the problem. The US depends on those 4 players and them playing to their potential
    Same with Portugal, if CR7 does not show up, thumbs down, Argentina and Messi, Brazil and N, Poland Lewe.
    The US has young talented players, but they have to leave MLS. The coach has to use his connection and get them to decent clubs in Europe' like Salzburg, Wolfsburg. Clubs that are good enough to play in the Euro League and because of their talent will not sit on the bench to much and have a chance to become starters.
    No, they did not play well against Jamaica, they were just average, because in MLS they do not get exposed to international play on a foreign field. Its like the hicks who has never left his county.
    Age is no excuse. If a 18 year old gets nominated for a European squad, they expect him to get the job done, not being shell shocked. Nervous for a few minutes is ok. But than those kids are playing the national leagues and the European leagues. 18, 19, 20 and so on, they are already seasoned internationally and are playing in the toughest European leagues.
    Jamaica showed the US problem, talent, but no experience and not able to get the job done without the baby sitters.
     
  4. gnoib

    gnoib Well-Known Member

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    I think you are falling into the same trap, Germany fell into.
    Italy has so many quality players, it does not have to depend on the super stars. Even its C team should have been able to qualify.
    The coach gives the players the wrong plan. Like Loewe did.
    Flick has the same players and than utilizes some of the kiddos. Under L they lost at home againnst " N. Macedonia ". At home, really.
    Same team in N Macedonia under Flick, a 0:6 or something like that
    You understand what what I mean. The quality of players Italy has, from C to B to A team, they should have easily qualified. The only real competitive team in that group was the Tell gang, the Nati. Everybody else should have been for the European Champion just training partners. For the A, B and C team.
    Italy sucks at the moment, even its A squad. No excuses.
     
  5. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    True. In a specific Italian forum that discusses the national team, I said similar things. We all lament certain decisions by Mancini, who is not always right. On the other hand, he did break the all-time record of undefeated games, and did win the Euro. Yes, Italy does have quality players... but not necessarily in offense. We do not have a true #9. We have excellent defenders and midfielders but our offense is not great. My hope with Spinazzola is that he is extremely dangerous to the opponent's defense when he comes up the left wing to support the offense. So I expect that our offense will perform better with Spinazzola there. Spinazzola is also an excellent Left Back, and we had a lot of trouble in that position, with nobody being as good, which made our otherwise excellent defense to sputter. Sure, he's just one player, but he is in a position that doesn't have enough depth because there aren't enough good left backs in Italy.

    These are the two positions we are most in need of good players: Left Back, and Center Forward. If Spina comes back healthy, the Left Back position is resolved (although it will remain shallow, because Emerson is definitely not a good replacement), but we still need a Center Forward. Immobile has scored 9 goals in 8 serie A games... but due to some sort of psychological block, he never performs as well for the Squadra Azzurra. So he is not the solution. We've tried a number of false 9s but false 9s are rarely as good for an offense as a true 9. Also, our two center backs are excellent (Bonucci and Chiellini) are excellent but they are old, and the latter is often injured. When he's not injured, our defense is much more solid. But with both growing so old, we need two new and younger ones, and we just can't find ones that are good enough, right now. Acerbi is definitely not a good replacement either.

    So, yes, we do have a good team, and we should have qualified easily, but we are not a perfect team and we do have serious flaws in some essential positions.
     
  6. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    FIFA draw, very bad for Italy.
    We play at home against Northern Macedonia, but then if we win, we play away the winner of Portugal v. Turkey.
     
  7. gnoib

    gnoib Well-Known Member

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    All doable for Italy, they just have to play good, again
     
  8. gnoib

    gnoib Well-Known Member

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    Well this should be fun for Us to watch.
    Italy, England and Germany play in the same group in the Nations Cup next year. HAAAA.
    I love it, what ya think @CenterField
    Just before the WC.
    What a warm up that Group will be for the WC.

    Ohbaby, Ohbay, I am already drooling
     
  9. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    Plus Hungary.

    btw, what is the Nation's League?
     
  10. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well, we may not even be at the World Cup. I'll worry about that first (it's in March) before worrying about the Nations League, which at that point will be glorified friendlies to test players for the World Cup.
     
  11. gnoib

    gnoib Well-Known Member

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    I think you are to pessimistic @Center Field. Italy will get it done.

    The Nations league will be a full dress rehearsal, its the very last chance to have a real competitive game against possible top teams.
    Germany for example will have only 1 week for the National team before it leaves to the WC
    Those games in June and July will define national teams.
    England and Germany had rather soft groups. Those meetings are about showing what you real have. They will come with their A teams.
    If Italy qualifies, they will come with their A team, too. Last chance to find out what you have and than if possible do some fine tuning with a couple of friendlies.
    We will see the best of the best those 4 teams have in June and July.
     
  12. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I don't think England participates in the Nation's League.
     
  13. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    It does. We're in the same group as Italy, Germany and Hungary.
     
  14. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    OK, I don't have a full understanding of how your federation relates to these nations/countries representations. Nice that England will be there.
     
  15. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    It's just the Olympics we avoid, because they want us to play as GB, and then it's only the men's team.
     
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  16. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Excellent. That will be a great test for all the teams.

    What I'll be most interested in seeing is how far Germany has come along since Hansi Flick took over the team.
     
  17. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I always though you should actually play as GB in all international competitions and all sports. You'd be stronger, being able to get some additional good players and good athletes from the other three nations. Then, celebrating eventual victories would be unifying, for your population and national identity. In unity there is strength, not only in soccer but also in geopolitics. But then, I don't pretend to fully understand the historical reasons for the internal rivalries you may have, and for the nationalist pride each of the four nations may have.
     
  18. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    Have you never met a Scotsman?
     
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  19. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Not that I have a problem with it, but it is kind of weird how the UK is allowed to let its regional bits and pieces compete individually. I get that many of them were independent nations, but who considers Northern Ireland a country?

    That would be like us sending New England, the Southeast, the Midwest, the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest to the WC. Perhaps, Texas should have its own team because it was once an independent country, too. ;-)
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2021
  20. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Maybe we have to keep you all separated since you've had such a hard time getting along with one another over the years. :wink:

    (Not that our history is any better.)
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2021
  21. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    BTW, Merry Christmas to all of you. :beer:
     
  22. Montegriffo

    Montegriffo Well-Known Member

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    The United Kingdom is a collection of 4 separate nations, each with its own independent Parliament.
     
  23. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Plenty of other countries have semi or fully independent regions with their own parliaments and they don't compete separately. The exception granted to the UK is because you were the founders and inventors of the game.
     
  24. CenterField

    CenterField Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    LOL, I haven't had the pleasure.
     
  25. Talon

    Talon Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Much like the United States, where each state or commonwealth has its own independent legislature. Our House of Delegates in Virginia (formerly the House of Burgesses) happens to be the oldest English-speaking legislature in the New World - we celebrated its 400th anniversary two years ago. If my memory serves me correctly, that makes our House about half as old your Parliament.
     

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