UEFA Nations League

[Satchmo Distel]

Format for the next one is even sillier: A, B and C = 16 teams each, D = 7 teams. There will be a play-off among Tier C bottom teams to see who avoids relegation to D.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E...Nations_League

Implications:

1) All relegation from last year's groups is cancelled
2) Will D still have a team in Euro 2024 given that the qualifier has absolutely no prayer?
3) What's the incentive to avoid relegation from C to D?

Oh, and Nations League 2022-2023 has its groups split across June and September due to the World Cup being moved to winter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E...eague#Schedule

[3 Colours Red]

I'd have been more surprised if there hadn't been any gerrymandering - after all, we can't have Germany and Croatia slumming it in Tier B with the likes of the Welsh now, can we?

[Satchmo Distel]

It should be easier to get promotion into Tier A though, now it's up to 16.

[3 Colours Red]

I'd have thought it would be more difficult - there's still only four promotion spots but now you have to play six matches instead of four.

[Satchmo Distel]

But Wales are ranked 19th so would be a top seed in Tier B

[3 Colours Red]

You'll have to forgive my pessimism; it's in my nationality.

[Ray de Galles]

No huge surprise ;

Uefa Nations League ties in September to be played behind closed doors

[Satchmo Distel]

England playing three games in 7 days in October, albeit one a friendly. won't go down well with the clubs.

[ursus arctos]

Spain take an early lead as Fernan Torres steals in and converts a cross

Italy rather on the back foot

[Ray de Galles]

Ah, we're using this one! Moving my earlier post over here ;

Did we have a thread on the current Nations League? If not, I'll mention here that Gavi becomes Spain's youngest ever international in the sem-final tonight where Chiesa has already forced a full length save from Simon.

It was a lovely improvised finish from Torres and it really should have been 0-2 a minute or so later after Donnarumma (who has been booed, presumably by Milan supporters) almost fumbled a tame shot in.

[Satchmo Distel]

Donnarumma, booed by the Milan fans, looks a bit shaky.

Spain seem very up for this; not sure about Italy.

[Ray de Galles]

Bonucci sent off following a deserved second yellow after a loose elbow connected with Busquets, who predictably made the absolute most of it,

0-2 now, Torres with another lovely finish but a header this time. Looks over already,

[ursus arctos]

Spain's kids are all right

Luis Enrique is going to be insufferable

[Ray de Galles]

Spain leave one man back for an 83rd minute corner and Chiesa robs him to run half the length of the pitch and set up Pellegrini to pull one back.

[Sporting]

Spain's kids are all right

Luis Enrique is going to be insufferable

Never write off anyone from Gijón.

[Sam]

Is it just me who had either forgotten or was totally unaware* that the second edition of the Nations League had even started, never mind reached the semi-final stage? I presume the year-long gap between the previous round and this one is down to the need to cram the World Cup qualifiers and Euros into this year following 2020, but when there's not a pandemic fucking the schedule up is the plan to have it culminating every two years? Presumably in odd-numbered years?

And to think Europeans get sniffy about how many Copas América CONMEBOL have held.

*I'm genuinely not sure whether I was aware of it last year or not, because I have no memory of it at all (perhaps due to it being on DirecTV, which I no longer have). I presume I must have been, but this week's semis have come as a big surprise.

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes, normally, these Nations League semis and final would have been in June 2021, as would this week's round of World Cup qualifiers, and instead of the qualifying groups not finishing until November, they'd be finishing now, with play-offs in November instead of March.

It was actually very fortuitous that Qatar 2022 was moved from June to Nov-Dec because otherwise I don't think they would have got everything done in time for a June 2022 World Cup given that they lost summer 2020 to COVID.

Moreover, the 2022-23 Nations League groups actually take place before the 2022 World Cup.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022%E...Nations_League

Both this year's NL and next one thus do have, as you observe, a ridiculously long gap between the groups and finals, with everyone being a year older, but that was also true of the gap between the Euro 2020 qualifiers and finals and will be true of the Qatar World Cup, with several teams qualifying by the end of November for a tournament a further 12 months away.

[Satchmo Distel]

Belgium bossing France here, who look a mess at the back.

[Discordant Resonance]

Particularly Lloris, who was badly exposed and positioned for both goals.

[ursus arctos]

Though he did make an excellent save on De Bruyne early

[Discordant Resonance]

Benzema pulls one back, and France look likely to level.

[Discordant Resonance]

And Mbappé levels from the spot.

[Satchmo Distel]

Belgium are wide open, not unsurprisingly given how they are carrying so much dead wood. This late Martinez period is not going well.

[Satchmo Distel]

So is the correct pronunciation 'De Broyner' or 'De Brooner' (the latter as per Ian Darke)?

[ursus arctos]

I think Darke's version is closer to the Flemish, but have no idea how Kevin pronounces it

And for what it is worth, I don't hear an "r" on the end of either variant