Euro: UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying

[Eye of Ra]

"Little" Sweden?

yes just 10 millions in our country..

 

[QuietContrarian]

i wish denmark, sweden, finland, norway in same group. battle for scandinavia

Norway have to go thru the Nations league way, and Denmark have to get away with minimum a draw in Dublin on monday before any of them qualify.

 

[Savi]

yes just 10 millions in our country..

Same as Belgium

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

Considering the population is very small and that there is snow on all outdoor pitches for months every year it is very impressive to qualify so often.

This is why God created those air-supported domes, snowplows and under-soil heating systems.

 

[koyvoo]

Same as Belgium

And Portugal. And all three have more than double the population that Uruguay has.

 

[AB13]

This is why God created those air-supported domes, snowplows and under-soil heating systems.

Only top academy clubs have regular access to the indoor domes during the winter, and playing on ice for four months a year is impossible, destroys the artificial grass.

 

[QuietContrarian]

And Portugal. And all three have more than double the population that Uruguay has.

Uruguay has to be the most impressive considering population, but isn’t football the undisputed #1 there? Sweden has icehockey and handball, and a good chunk of wintersports to compete with.

Not sure if Belgium has any other sports that football competes with? Maybe field hockey?

Another country that is impressive is Croatia, with only 4 mill.

and if Denmark qualify, would also be, with only 5.7.

And both Denmark and Croatia have several other sports that football competes with.

 

[AB13]

And Portugal. And all three have more than double the population that Uruguay has.

Portugal, Uruguay and Belgium don't have impossible playing conditions for more than 3 months a year though.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Portugal, Uruguay and Belgium don't have impossible playing conditions for more than 3 months a year though.

Tbf, they are not impossible in the south of Sweden, where football is more popular..

South Sweden also has a higher population than the north, no?

 

[koyvoo]

Uruguay has to be the most impressive considering population, but isn’t football the undisputed #1 there? Sweden has icehockey and handball, and a good chunk of wintersports to compete with.

Not sure if Belgium has any other sports that football competes with? Maybe field hockey?

Another country that is impressive is Croatia, with only 4 mill.

and if Denmark qualify, would also be, with only 5.7.

And both Denmark and Croatia have several other sports that football competes with.

Historically it’s hard to argue vs Uruguay with their 2 world cups, 2 world championships and 15 Copa America titles.

More recently I would say Portugal too. Since 2000 in 10 major tournaments available to them they’ve made 5 semi finals including 2 finals and 1 tournament win. It’s a record that many of the major powers with 4-5+ times their population can’t boast. They, along with France, Germany and Spain are also the only European teams to qualify for every single tournament since the 2000s started.

Croatia is definitely in the same category of of a very small country punching far above their weight and competing with and even besting many countries perceived to be bigger footballing powers.

 

[AB13]

Tbf, they are not impossible in the south of Sweden, where football is more popular..

South Sweden also has a bigger population that the north, no?

Yes that it true, but only about two million or so live in an area where they can play outdoor football all year long.

 

[member 305909]

Hasn't Denmark won handball world and European championships more than once? Can't be bothered to check that out myself.

Yet, I guess that in their sporting history nothing surpasses the Euro 1992 victory.

 

[koyvoo]

Hasn't Denmark won handball world and European championships more than once? Can't be bothered to check that out myself.

Yet, I guess that in their sporting history nothing surpasses the Euro 1992 victory.

Which they didn’t even qualify for but were a replacement for the war torn Yugoslavia. Regardless, I’d agree it was likely their biggest national sporting achievement.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Is now soccer more popular than hockey in Finland?

No and never won't be.
So long Finland producing NHL players and our national team wins medals IIHF tournaments
soccer and basketball won't become a threat of hockey in Finland.

 

[Savi]

Not sure if Belgium has any other sports that football competes with? Maybe field hockey?

Football is the undisputed #1

Cycling and cyclocross are really the only other sports which get the same national attention football does because those are hardcoded into Belgian culture. I'm one of the rare Belgians that doesn't give a shit about cycling

Field hockey is at a high right now because of our current 'golden generation' mens national team. Similar as to when tennis was very popular when Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were racking up Grand Slams

Basketball, volleyball and athletics are pretty popular as well

 

[QuietContrarian]

Football is the undisputed #1

Cycling and cyclocross are really the only other sports which get the same national attention football does because those are hardcoded into Belgian culture. I'm one of the rare Belgians that doesn't give a **** about cycling

Field hockey is at a high right now because of our current 'golden generation' mens national team. Similar as to when tennis was very popular when Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were racking up Grand Slams

Basketball, volleyball and athletics are pretty popular as well

Tell me about it, my wifes’ family are hardcore Danes, and love cycling. When I first moved here, I found it super odd, that the whole of July is just Tour de France on 2 or 3 Danish channels - Plus every newspaper is all about it aswell.



But back to football, Belgium have a good thing going, very impressed with how many high caliber talents you have churned out the last deacade or so - Guessing it is the product of the red line project? If that is even the name.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Hasn't Denmark won handball world and European championships more than once? Can't be bothered to check that out myself.

Yet, I guess that in their sporting history nothing surpasses the Euro 1992 victory.

They have won 2 Euro golds, 1 silver and 3 bronze since 2002.

They won olympic gold in 2016.

They won their first WC this year, and have 3 silver and 1 bronze in the WC.

They are current world and olympic champions.

Yes, the 1992 Euros’ was big, but most Danes are most proud of the team in the 80s, that took the world by storm, with how they played.

Danish football did not allow pros’ to play for the NT untill the 70s

But the Danes are also proud of Tom K, all time Le Mans winner and their rowing medals.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Which they didn’t even qualify for but were a replacement for the war torn Yugoslavia. Regardless, I’d agree it was likely their biggest national sporting achievement.

That was a very tight group, where Yugo finished 1pt ahead of Denmark in the Qual.

Yugo beat Denmark in Denmark, and Denmark beat Yugo in Yugo - Both had 1 loss, and that was to each other. The Danes lost out because they also had a draw, and the Yugos’ did not.

None the less, in my book it is even more impressive winning when not even qualified with a bunch of players who had not trained for some time, and without their biggest star in Michael Laudrup, who had a falling out with the coach.

Most Danes however expected more out of the 1986 WC team that beat Uruguay 6-1 but then lost 4-1 to Spain in the knockout stage due to some bad luck and costly mistakes.

 

[member 305909]

They have won 2 Euro golds, 1 silver and 3 bronze since 2002.

They won olympic gold in 2016.

They won their first WC this year, and have 3 silver and 1 bronze in the WC.

They are current world and olympic champions.

Yes, the 1992 Euros’ was big, but most Danes are most proud of the team in the 80s, that took the world by storm, with how they played.

Danish football did not allow pros’ to play for the NT untill the 70s

But the Danes are also proud of Tom K, all time Le Mans winner and their rowing medals.

I guess there are similarities there in that respect as the current Finnish team even though everyone is happy they finally made it is not as impressive as the team of the late 90s and early 2000s when Litmanen, Hyypiä etc were still active but they never qualified but gave hell of a fright in qualifications against England, Germany, Holland etc.

 

[Pouchkine]

Which they didn’t even qualify for but were a replacement for the war torn Yugoslavia. Regardless, I’d agree it was likely their biggest national sporting achievement.

Didn't even qualify has to be put in perspective though. It was an 8 team Euro not 16 or 24...

And then they beat the current Euro and World Champs to win the Euro...

 

[koyvoo]

Didn't even qualify has to be put in perspective though. It was an 8 team Euro not 16 or 24...

True. Very difficult back then. Qualification to the tournament proper was virtually a birth in the semi finals.

 

[Lepardi]

Norway are guaranteed playoffs

Iceland aren’t yet but chances are good. Only way they won’t is is four of the following don’t qualify automatically: Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Croatia

The chances of Iceland being in the playoffs are about 99.99%, so yeah, I guess you could call them "good".

 

[Lepardi]

I’d say France in a tier of their own, and then teams like Spain, Portugal, England and the Netherlands might currently make up the 2nd tier. As mentioned the German team has enough talent as well but I don’t trust them with Jogi at the helm.

Germany are 8/1 to win the Euros, and Belgium are 13/2. They are both clearly ahead of Portugal, who are 12/1. Belgium are ranked 3rd, which means leaving them out your tier 2 is an interesting take.

 

[Lepardi]

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[Jussi]