Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

I'll retract that.

The average MLS game attracts more people than the average NBA or NHL game.

Well, soccer has much more potential for bigger attendances than sports that have to be played in arenas. The biggest basketball courts seat around 20.000 people or little more, that for a footie stadium is an average sized stadium.

[FunkMonk]

This was from The Guardian's Joy of Six today and jesus christ how do you do that http://youtu.be/UkxEbVk5xZ0

[Liep]

This was from The Guardian's Joy of Six today and jesus christ how do you do that http://youtu.be/UkxEbVk5xZ0

Wow, that's pretty much perfect.

[dps]

Very impressive, yeah.

[Zanza]

All teams for Euro 2012 are now qualified. The pots for the draw on 2 Dec are:

Pot 1: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia
Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden
Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

Ukraine and Poland being seeded means that groups A and D are much easier than groups B and C which will have Spain and the Netherlands in them.

[Valdemar]

All teams for Euro 2012 are now qualified. The pots for the draw on 2 Dec are:

Pot 1: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia
Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden
Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

Ukraine and Poland being seeded means that groups A and D are much easier than groups B and C which will have Spain and the Netherlands in them.

These dual nation host tournaments should remove the free spots and free seeding from the hosts. With only 16 nations there are some strange places on that list. And some even stranger nations not partaking due to Poland and Ukraine taking up the spots.

V

[Zanza]

The hosts not having to qualify is okay with me as a tournament without the host team would be strange. However, I wouldn't seed them in the first pot. Just seed them with everybody else and then shuffle the groups so that the play at home. Shouldn't be that hard.

[Duque de Bragança]

All teams for Euro 2012 are now qualified. The pots for the draw on 2 Dec are:

Pot 1: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia
Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden
Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

Ukraine and Poland being seeded means that groups A and D are much easier than groups B and C which will have Spain and the Netherlands in them.

Possible group of death :

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France


Next Euro will have more countries qualifying so no more cutthroat group phases anyways.

[Valdemar]

Yeah, I can't decide if I think that is a good idea or not. next one after that will have 24, thats half the 53 members of the UEFA, meaning qualifying would be easier, but also that there will be too little "Win or Die" in the competition.

I still think Denmark should take portugal or swedens places.. neither finished first in the group. I DO know its the last three tournaments that counts, but still...

V

[The Larch]

All teams for Euro 2012 are now qualified. The pots for the draw on 2 Dec are:

Pot 1: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia
Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden
Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland

Ukraine and Poland being seeded means that groups A and D are much easier than groups B and C which will have Spain and the Netherlands in them.

Possible group of death :

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France


Next Euro will have more countries qualifying so no more cutthroat group phases anyways.

Somebody on P'dox mentioned the "Group of debt", with Spain, Italy, Greece/Portugal and Ireland. 

Or swap Italy with Germany and have every team ultra-motivated to beat the krauts, in order to avenge their dire straits. 

[Zanza]

Yeah, I can't decide if I think that is a good idea or not. next one after that will have 24, thats half the 53 members of the UEFA, meaning qualifying would be easier, but also that there will be too little "Win or Die" in the competition.

It makes the qualification so much less interesting for the big teams though.

[Liep]

Somebody on P'dox mentioned the "Group of debt", with Spain, Italy, Greece/Portugal and Ireland. 

[Valdemar]

Yeah, I can't decide if I think that is a good idea or not. next one after that will have 24, thats half the 53 members of the UEFA, meaning qualifying would be easier, but also that there will be too little "Win or Die" in the competition.

It makes the qualification so much less interesting for the big teams though.

Even for the smaller ones if you only need third spot to go to play off games as 1 and 2 qualify directly

V

[Josephus]

I think it works best the way it is. That's my problem with the world cup where the first round produces a series of snore-fests with teams that shouldn't be there. With the Euros, which I've always felt is the best international tournament, part of its appeal was its short, every game matters, no minnows feel.

[Grey Fox]

MLS expansion draft today.

Who will the Impact pick?