Nations Notions

[Mr Beast]

The corner given away by McTominay with seconds to go has to be seen to be believed. And then he allowed a free header.

[Amor de Cosmos]

And it's all Serbia so far in extra time.

[Ray de Galles]

You know there is an armchair thread, given none of the games tonight are Nations League ones?

[Felicity, I guess so]

Calum Paterson looks like a sergeant major

[Wouter D]

You know there is an armchair thread, given none of the games tonight are Nations League ones?

The Nations League playoff games are not Nations Leagues games?

edit: they actually aren't. This "league" is such a confusing mess.

[Satchmo Distel]

Calum Paterson looks like a sergeant major

From the Edwardian era. But I'm chuffed for him tonight.

[The Red Max]

For 22 years we've left it up to England to give the rest of the UK a chuckle as they exit ignominiously from international tournaments.
Step aside lads, we're back in the game, we'll take it from here....

[Duncan Gardner]

Well done to the neighbors. Hope ye get a chance to watch it at Hampden

[ad hoc]

Romania as a nation was so chuffed to get finals matches at the Euros. Aside from one UEFA Cup final a few years ago, it's the first ever such recognition. The two fixtures that they have ended up hosting after all this? Austria vs North Macedonia and Ukraine vs North Macedonia. I'm partly hoping that everyone will still be on lockdown, because I suspect the number of fans attending will be similar either way.

[Duncan Gardner]

Heh. In different circumstances I could fancy the Orient Express across Mitteleoropa to those games- hopefully meeting AH for some langos and slivovic

[Belhaven]

I woke up to the news this morning that Scotland are through. A great result that and congrats!

[Patrick Thistle]

I've got to say I'm sick of Wales playing Ireland. If that's the outcome of the Nations League, that we have to have these games every year, then the whole format can get in the bin.

[pebblethefish]

Even if Wales never play Ireland ever again, I'd support putting the whole format in the bin

[Jah Womble]

England vs Scotland in front of a handful of fans at Wembley should be interesting...

[Satchmo Distel]

Romania as a nation was so chuffed to get finals matches at the Euros. Aside from one UEFA Cup final a few years ago, it's the first ever such recognition. The two fixtures that they have ended up hosting after all this? Austria vs North Macedonia and Ukraine vs North Macedonia. I'm partly hoping that everyone will still be on lockdown, because I suspect the number of fans attending will be similar either way.

Romania and Ukraine share a land border, though, so wouldn't that be a derby? Fans from Lviv making the trip?

[ad hoc]

Romania and Ukraine share a land border, though, so wouldn't that be a derby? Fans from Lviv making the trip?

It's very far and very slow (and the Ukrainian/Romanian border is very far from Bucharest and very far from any population centres in Ukraine. We're a lot more likely to get people coming from Vienna

[Satchmo Distel]

I suppose the possibility of a 3rd placed team going through reduces the probability of dead rubbers so at least those games should be competitive. North Macedonia are slow and their best player will be nearly 38 but they do have some quality to bother Austria and maybe Ukraine.

[The Red Max]

These lads have a game on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/BBCSportScot/status/1327236184838434817

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

So Sergio Ramos was winning his 177th cap against switzerland to make him the most capped European player ever. He had a memorable night

[Duncan Gardner]

I hear that Norway have called off their visit to Romania. Any details? If true I assume Romania will be awarded the win, Norway get a nominal fine, Austria promoted and NI relegate

[ursus arctos]

The Norwegian FA actually wanted to fulfill the fixture, but the squad was barred from travelling by the health authorities.

I don't think that the sanction had been announced. The FA will try to claim force majeure.

[Ray de Galles]

I presume the Faroe Islands' continued good form has already been mentioned on here? Drawing 1-1 away to Latvia yesterday (what has happened to them since the noughties?) and only needing a point for promotion.

Levin might find this a particularly interesting story too :


How Hilmar Leon Jakobsen went from handball star to international striker in months

[Me Old Flower]

So Sergio Ramos was winning his 177th cap against switzerland to make him the most capped European player ever. He had a memorable night

Hang on, what the hell is going on with the Swiss shirt/shorts combo?

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I presume the Faroe Islands' continued good form has already been mentioned on here? Drawing 1-1 away to Latvia yesterday (what has happened to them since the noughties?) and only needing a point for promotion.

Levin might find this a particularly interesting story too :


How Hilmar Leon Jakobsen went from handball star to international striker in months

They've been gradually working away at it like a mini iceland. They were decent enough under Brian Kerr, and they'd sometimes get 80 minutes of the way to a good result, but fade at the end. It seems like they've managed to push that out to 90 minutes.

[Ray de Galles]

Hang on, what the hell is going on with the Swiss shirt/shorts combo?

Puma tried to get the red shirts/maroon shorts kit combo going a few seasons ago.

Vincent Tan's Red Dragon Franchise launched one (until a laughable campaign from it's customers demanded a return to the "traditional" (ie two years standing) black shorts) and a German side (Hamburg I think) actually wore one for at least a season - though that was Adidas as I recall.