** World Cup 2026 - USA, Canada, Mexico Thread **
Saw no thread was active yet while it starts tomorrow so I'd gave it a go
No real time for an extensive write-up but lets
Protect the towels at all costs!!! And be careful that you can win the game on the pitch but still lose it in kangaroo court :p
Yah this **** format has nuked matchday 3 in tons of groups. Japan/Sweden and Aus/Paraguay should all be playing for boring draws.
Overall I am glad they allowed the smaller countries in, has made for some great games but I agree on the point about MD3.
The original plans for the expanded tournament were ****ing awful though, even worse than this. Only getting two games at the World Cup? Penalty shootouts to decide qualifiers where you get to pick who goes through? I think whatever they chose there was going to be some bs.
Other expansion formats explored
The expansion to 48 teams had already been approved on January 10, 2017, when it was initially decided that the tournament would include 16 groups of 3 teams, and 80 matches in total, with the top two teams of each group progressing to a round of 32.[10][17] Under this later-superseded format, the maximum number of matches per team would have remained at seven, but each team would have played one fewer group match than before. The tournament would still have been completed within 32 days.[18] This format was initially chosen over three other proposals, ranging from 40 to 48 teams, from 76 to 88 matches, and from one to four minimum matches per team.[19][20][21]
Critics of this format argued that the use of three-team groups with two teams progressing significantly increased the risk of collusion between teams.[22] This prompted FIFA to suggest that penalty shootouts may be used to prevent draws in the group stage,[23] although even then some risk of collusion would remain, and a possibility would emerge of teams deliberately losing shootouts to eliminate a rival.[22] To address these concerns, FIFA continued considering alternative formats[24]—a process that ended with the 2023 announcement that the format would be 12 groups of 4 teams.[25]
Yah, Tunisia was pot 1 and in their group they drew:
Pot 2 - 9th best of 9
Pot 3 - 8th best of 9
Pot 4 - 8th best of 9
Pot 5 - 9th best of 9
Pot 6 - 5th best of 9 (these were all **** anyway, so didn't matter)
Just insane luck for them and basically given a gimmie to the WC
thats crazy
then if you look at their results, which i didn't do until today, they got an 87th minute pen to beat malawi 1-0, an 82nd minute pen to beat equatorial guinea 1-0 and a 90+4 winner to beat equatorial guinea 1-0. idk if there's anything sus going on there, and they didn't need the extra help, but does sorta indicate how lol they are
(0 goals conceded in qualifying is kool tho)
and then they ran into wc group of netherlands, japan and sweden gg
group f ended up just absurd, winner gets morocco, 2nd brazil, 3rd probably france in the round of 32 all 3 of those were in the final 8 last world cup. and 2 in the semifinals which was not brazil
even if you just use fifa rankings, that's versus #6, 5, 2. 7 vs 6 in the round of 32, gj fifa
Meanwhile 2nd place Canada draws South Africa. Life's unfair
Then again, 2 years ago we got 3rd in the european cup poule only to be rewarded with the easiest path to the semis starting vs Romania
Welp. Let's see if Japan can't get another one.
Tunisia really doesnt like defending set pieces
ooooooo that was saucy.
Japan/Brazil I think will be a popular upset pick which makes me want to load up on Brazil.
Ecuador result also ****s Mexico hard in that now Mexico will likely face them instead of Scotland.
Ecuador has #14 elo, which is pretty insane for a 3rd place team PLUS Ecuador is the only team that won't be at a disadvantage against Mexico City's altitude b/c Quito is actually higher.
I'm really hoping it doesn't deprive us of a potential England v Mexico at Azteca in the R16 b/c that could be an epic match.
Ecuador result also ****s Mexico hard in that now Mexico will likely face them instead of Scotland.Ecuador has #14 elo, which is pretty insane for a 3rd place team PLUS Ecuador is the only team that won't be at a disadvantage against Mexico City's altitude b/c Quito is actually higher.I'm really hoping it doesn't deprive us of a potential England v Mexico at Azteca in the R16 b
They've been in Ohio for a month though. I don't know **** from apple butter about anatomy but does that altitude advantage last after a month at sea level?
The team names are funny in that Mex/Ecu matchup. It's El Tri vs La Tri.
They've been in Ohio for a month though. I don't know **** from apple butter about anatomy but does that altitude advantage last after a month at sea level?
If you grew up at elevation, you can re-acclimate much quicker (seeing benefits in 1-3 days and back to peak in 7-10 days) compared to sea-level natives needing several weeks at elevation to adapt.
So they probably won't get back to peak, but will be much better off than teams not used to elevation.
So close to a game winner by Isak.
Seems like an easy solution would just be to rank all the qualifying teams based on pts then GD and the top team gets to choose their R32 opponent, then 2nd chooses, etc. and set the bracket that way.
Or if you don't want to force them to choose just have top qualifier play weakest qualifier, and so on.
MD3 strangeness,
Weirdest betting markets ever for Australia v Paraguay
Algeria v Austria still tops that, no idea whats happening there and a lot of ppl lumped on the draw already.
MD3 strangeness,
Weirdest betting markets ever for Australia v Paraguay
Algeria v Austria still tops that, no idea whats happening there and a lot of ppl lumped on the draw already.
Algeria won't advance with a loss is what's happening there and Austria would also happily do nothing for 90 minutes a draw (though 3rd place is better than runner up as runner up gets spain. 3rd most likely the swiss). Paraguay is a similar situation to Algeria. (at best either would tie scotland at -3 Goal differential for the last spot or so with a loss and idk what that would end up either without having to figure it out)
man if it's tied late austria should intentionally fire one into their own net. That would make everyone mad though. (edit--probably, if there's enough 4 point teams maybe not)
Algeria won't advance with a loss is what's happening there and Austria would also happily do nothing for 90 minutes a draw. Paraguay is a similar situation to Algeria. (at best either would tie scotland at -3 Goal differential for the last spot or so with a loss and idk what that would end up either without having to figure it out)
Yeah I understand the factors, just idk about these price movements.
Turkiye team sheet looks like they want to win.
