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Ironically, Wales would have retained their seeding, had they qualified:
http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranki...men/index.html
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Highest ranked teams that did not qualify or make the play-offs: Chile, Wales, Netherlands, USA, Scotland, Ukraine, Turkey
I assume that New Zealand will always be the lowest ranked team that makes the play off (122 this time) due simply to no decent opposition
2022 hosts Qatar are 97th, Russia 65th. Doubt we've ever had two consecutive hosts this shit.
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- Mar 2008
- 20822
- Black Country Green Belt
- Crusaders FC, Norn Iron, not forgetting Serendib
- Blueberry vodka Jaffa cake on marzipan base
Think of European qualifying as a golf tournament. If so, the cut was 19 points (more or less- I accept that Netherlands got that and lost out). Wales and Scotland 2 other teams who had a relatively strong finish but had left themselves too much to do.
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Russia's FIFA ranking is also suppressed by the fact they've not played a competitive match since the last Euros. Had they been ine qualifiers I still don't think they'd have made it. When the World Cup draw was made in December 2015 they were 24th - 16th in UEFA - so would have been second seeded, but not expected to finish among 13 qualifiers. And they had a terrible Euros, whereas several other teams notably improved.
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I don't think you could make a draw in which the four seeds would not be favourites, except maybe Denmark v Sweden, which would perhaps be 50-50.
Apart from Sweden's task against Italy, it's fair to say, "If you can't beat these, you don't deserve to qualify."
At least Croatia v Greece is two countries I personally like (visited both last year) so I have a European team to support in June. Obviously Croatia have by far the better chance to get out of their group (which is another criterion by which I'd separate the seeds and non-seeds)
Denmark v ROI: anyone who likes football not clogball should support Denmark, although this is obviously not the cultured Denmark side of 1986.Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 17-10-2017, 13:29.
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- Oct 2011
- 26998
- Cambridgeshire
- Ipswich (convert)
- Those chocolate-coated ring-shaped ones you get at Christmas
Hoolahan is probably Norwich's best shot of getting a player at the World Cup this time so I'll be behind Ireland - can't see Timm Klose getting in the Swiss squad. Maybe Nelson Oliveria could push for a place on the Portugal bench, perhaps.
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Originally posted by antoine polus View PostYeah, but the Danes have a secretive job market that is impervious to outsiders. So they can get lost.
And yeah, MoN. Lucky lucky bastard. Ireland to get a 2-0 at Landsdowne. And he still won’t play Wes in the finals anyway. Not while the mighty Hendrick is around.
For the sake of football and the ole ole wankers infesting Dublin next year I hope it’s Denmark. But nah, everyone’s favourite old bigot will be there on the touchline.Last edited by Lang Spoon; 17-10-2017, 17:25.
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Originally posted by Lang Spoon View PostWoah, but but Berba said the Danish have the most perfect hire and fire culture that generates jobs like there’s no tomorrow. Are you saying you have to be called Soren or whatever to be part of the magic?
And yeah, MoN. Lucky lucky bastard. Ireland to get a 2-0 at Landsdowne. And he still won’t play Wes in the finals anyway. Not while the mighty Hendrick is around.
For the sake of football and the ole ole wankers infesting Dublin next year I hope it’s Denmark. But nah, everyone’s favourite old bigot will be there on the touchline.
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Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View PostHighest ranked teams that did not qualify or make the play-offs: Chile, Wales, Netherlands, USA, Scotland, Ukraine, Turkey
I assume that New Zealand will always be the lowest ranked team that makes the play off (122 this time) due simply to no decent opposition
2022 hosts Qatar are 97th, Russia 65th. Doubt we've ever had two consecutive hosts this shit.
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Most of Russia's fall in the rankings was by October 2016. Other hosts didn't drop nearly as badly, clearly, and Brazil and France have recovered. I'm not sure that Russia, post-2018, will rise back into the top 25. Floating around the same ranking as Hungary and Norway might become the new normal for them.
OTOH they might qualify via the ludicrous European Nations League Division C lucky lottery.
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