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Euro 2020 Qualifiers and associated friendlies

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    Euro 2020 Qualifiers and associated friendlies

    Have we had a thread yet? They start this week obviously with some friendlies thrown in around them. Wales play Trinidad & Tobago tonight and Wrexham's Racecourse Ground hosts its first international in over a decade.

    Unsurpringly, it's a pretty experimental side for us :

    [URL]https://twitter.com/cymru/status/1108438450527703041?s=21[/URL]

    #2
    Rabbi Matondo is an excellent name.

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      #3
      I'm afraid to refresh my understanding of how these groups interact with the subsequent Nations League based playoffs, as I think last time I tried to get my head around it I took two weeks to finally understand. Wasn't the upshot that Scotland and England can both lose every single game in these qualifying groups but still get a playoff chance of qualifying?

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        #4
        A quintessential Wales friendly performance so far. I'm beginning to recall why Coleman didn't bother with them.

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          #5
          Originally posted by Rogin the Armchair fan View Post
          I'm afraid to refresh my understanding of how these groups interact with the subsequent Nations League based playoffs, as I think last time I tried to get my head around it I took two weeks to finally understand. Wasn't the upshot that Scotland and England can both lose every single game in these qualifying groups but still get a playoff chance of qualifying?
          Top two in each qualifying group qualify for the finals, giving twenty finalists.
          The remaining four finalists will be decided by four sets of playoffs - one for each division within the Nation's League. Each division's playoffs will involve four teams which will be awarded to the four highest ranked sides in each division that have not qualified via their qualifying group. England and Scotland both won their sections in the Nations League and so, as you say, are guaranteed a playoff place even if they lose every game.

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            #6
            Woodburn chesting the ball in from almost on the line in injury time gives us a 1-0 and prevents it ending up a complete May's speech of a game.

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              #7
              Horrendous foul on Sané:

              https://www.theguardian.com/football...-draw-friendly

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                #8
                I'm going to Slovakia vs Hungary this evening. I hope things don't get nasty off the pitch - it's the first time the countries have met competitively since the Czechoslovak split.

                Will let you know how Slovakia are shaping up ahead of Sunday's game in Cardiff, which a couple of my Welsh friends are going to. With Martin Skrtel, Tomas Hubocan and Adam Nemec retiring since the Nations League, Slovakia have lost 220 caps worth of experience. Defensively they still look all right, and Marek Hamsik will always need watching. The centre-forward may well be Pavol Safranko, who's been scoring goals for Dundee United. Interesting to see if he can transfer good form in the Scottish Championship to international football.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by jameswba View Post
                  I'm going to Slovakia vs Hungary this evening. I hope things don't get nasty off the pitch - it's the first time the countries have met competitively since the Czechoslovak split.
                  As you know there is a dodgy hardcore of blackshirted Hungarian fans who tend to do these kind of trips and spread trouble. The two recent qualifiers they've played in Bucharest has involved them showing up in a group wearing "greater Hungary" flags/maps and smashing up the city centre. Met of course by their Romanian counterparts who hold up banners saying 1918 and visit random acts of violence on who they can find. I hope that things will be better in Slovakia - where is it being played?

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                    #10
                    Safranko’s goals have rather dried up recently but the fans still love him as he never gives up.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Southport Zeb View Post

                      Top two in each qualifying group qualify for the finals, giving twenty finalists.
                      The remaining four finalists will be decided by four sets of playoffs - one for each division within the Nation's League. Each division's playoffs will involve four teams which will be awarded to the four highest ranked sides in each division that have not qualified via their qualifying group. England and Scotland both won their sections in the Nations League and so, as you say, are guaranteed a playoff place even if they lose every game.
                      A good summary and what the BBC's guide suggests. What I didn't realise though was that the Nations League finals in June have no impact on Euro 2020 qualifying, it's a standalone tournament, even though the four teams involved could end up playing each other again next year for a place in Euro 2020 if none have qualified automatically. I think.

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                        #12
                        It's unsatisfactory because teams might play-off against sides they had already beaten in the Nations League groups; e.g England v Croatia.

                        OTOH if you can't make Top 2 in England's group, you've fucked up mightily.

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                          #13
                          Anyone know why I might have seen Scotland supporters at Prague airport on Tuesday? On a convoluted route out to Kazakhstan?

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Ray de Galles View Post
                            Anyone know why I might have seen Scotland supporters at Prague airport on Tuesday? On a convoluted route out to Kazakhstan?
                            Possibly. There was one on the radio this morning who had done Edinburgh > Bologna > Moscow > Astana which seems convaluted but probably cheap. It took 16 hours.

                            And as I type Scotland are 2-0 down.

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                              #15
                              Inside ten minutes. Oh dear.

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                                #16
                                Fucking hell, Scotland.

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                                  #17
                                  I know McLeish is trying to give the kids a chance, but this seems a bit extreme even so. Our stand-in skipper Callum McGregor is winning his 10th cap, and is one of only two players out there who is in double digits.

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                                    #18
                                    Pretty fortunate only to be a couple behind at h/t.

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by blameless View Post
                                      I know McLeish is trying to give the kids a chance, but this seems a bit extreme even so. Our stand-in skipper Callum McGregor is winning his 10th cap, and is one of only two players out there who is in double digits.
                                      Just as well you've the Nations League semis as a get out of jail card.

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                                        #20
                                        3-0. Scotland really don't like tournaments.

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                                          #21
                                          The BBC Rate The Players thingy currently has Burke at 2.71 out of 10 as Scotland's highest ranked player.

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                                            #22
                                            A quick glance at Kazakhstan's wiki page suggests that they've only ever scored 3 goals before in competitive games against Andorra since joining UEFA (3-0 and 4-0). Nations League (bottom tier) got them 1 win (v Andorra) and 3 draws. Only 8 worse sides in the tier so I think they were 47th when the pots were allocated for the Euro 2020 the qualifying draw. Scotland were 25th.
                                            Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 21-03-2019, 16:52.

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                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by blameless View Post
                                              I know McLeish is trying to give the kids a chance, but this seems a bit extreme even so. Our stand-in skipper Callum McGregor is winning his 10th cap, and is one of only two players out there who is in double digits.
                                              Was it a deliberately experimental side or considered the strongest one he could pick given the available players?

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                                                #24
                                                Must admit was concerned when I heard Liam Palmer was starting. He had a torrid first half of the season at Wednesday (while still getting picked week in week out). Somehow since Luhukay got the push, Palmer's been much better (hence the call up, I presume ). But a tough Euro qualifier in Kazakhstan seemed a considerable step up. No idea how he's played, but the defence as a whole clearly has not been great.
                                                Last edited by ad hoc; 21-03-2019, 17:10.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Meanwhile the Welsh contingent may be interested to know that today's Guardian football weekly podcast starts off with about 15 minutes on Wales (before they even touch on England! What's the world coming to).

                                                  Mind you Ellis James later goes on to make fun of how easy Scotland's first game is.

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