Euro: UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying

[Lepardi]

Some people in Finland have said that making it to the Euro 2020 is the biggest ever team-sport achievement for Finland.

Obviously there are hockey-fans or even basketball-fans who might slightly disagree.

A small country in whose sport it can become world champion again and again, this sport will always be at the top.

This has certainly given Finnish hockey-haters a great opportunity to showcase how delusional they are. They're complaining about how Finns are just pathetic gloryhunters who don't understand that qualifying for the Euros is a much bigger achievement than winning the WHC.

This begs one question: what country celebrates qualifying for the 24-team Euros with more passion than winning the WHC? I'm pretty sure that country doesn't exist, because people in Stockholm, Moscow, Prague, Bratislava and Zurich haven't gotten the memo from Finnish football hipsters. Unlike these Finnish hipsters, they realize that the real time for partying is when you've actually done something at the Euros.

 

[member 305909]

I quite like this system whereby the pots are determined solely by the qualification-record instead of some totally subjective rankings.

No host-countries being automatically top-pot and funnily enough the world champions not being in the top-pot even though based on their ability they probably should but they weren't good enough in the qualifiers.

 

[maclean]

I quite like this system whereby the pots are determined solely by the qualification-record instead of some totally subjective rankings.

No host-countries being automatically top-pot and funnily enough the world champions not being in the top-pot even though based on their ability they probably should but they weren't good enough in the qualifiers.

I mean theoretically it's great and all but if Finland wins tonight and sends Czech Republic to the fourth pot I'm going to curse it (though honestly I'm more mad at the team for not showing up to round out the group in style once they'd qualified... let's hope Finland takes a similar approach).

 

[Lepardi]

(though honestly I'm more mad at the team for not showing up to round out the group in style once they'd qualified... let's hope Finland takes a similar approach).

The Finnish players were drinking after the match on Friday. That's very amateurish when you've got such an important match coming up. Should have saved it for tomorrow.

 

[Prntscrn]

Pretty much a new starting eleven for Sweden (10 new players compared to last game) but still no Kulusevski

Also weird to take this game so lightly since as far as I understand the more points and goals we score the better the chance for a less difficult group in the Euros

 

[Lepardi]

Also weird to take this game so lightly since as far as I understand the more points and goals we score the better the chance for a less difficult group in the Euros

How so? A win will take Sweden into pot 3 and they have no chance of rising into pot 2.

 

[Prntscrn]

How so? A win will take Sweden into pot 3 and they have no chance of rising into pot 2.

So all it takes is a win? After the Romanian game I read it could come down to goal difference etc. But maybe results got our way saturday and yesterday

 

[Lepardi]

So all it takes is a win? After the Romanian game I read it could come down to goal difference etc. But maybe results got our way saturday and yesterday

If Sweden wins tonight, Finland and Hungary will both have to beat them in goal difference for Sweden to drop into pot 4. Sweden is currently +4. Finland is +2 and they're playing Greece away. Hungary is -1 and they're playing Wales away.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Who's smart idea was to play the Greece-Finland game at the Olympic Stadium? There's like 500 people there

 

[HajdukSplit]

Took 35 minutes for a shot on target in the Ireland-Denmark game, the Irish had it against the run of play too. Denmark already had to make two subs due to injury

Finland up to Pot 3 for now as they lead Greece

 

[jepjepjoo]

The group, including group winners Italy is arguably the weakest in the entire qualifying campaign. Still, a goal a game shouldn’t necessarily be discredited but I was more referring to his recent form in the PL.

10 in 10 now.

 

[Lepardi]

Finland up to Pot 3 for now as they lead Greece

The pre-match studio on Finnish TV was embarrassing. The pundits were talking about how this match doesn't really matter that much and how there's no pressure because of that. Then they had a jolly good laugh talking about the epic hangovers the players must have acquired after they beat Liechtenstein.

In reality winning this match is very important if Finland wants to have a decent chance to make the round of 16. That would be way bigger than qualifying for this open-doors tournament with 24 teams.

 

[koyvoo]

10 in 10 now.

Yes, but again I was making reference to his form in the PL right now or against top level competition. He hasn’t scored in the PL in a long time and this qualifying group the only team at top level is Italy. He scored 1 goal against them in the two games and it was a penalty. He is a championship or B level talent.

 

[Lepardi]

the only team at top level is Italy. He scored 1 goal against them in the two games and it was a penalty.

Did you see how he won that penalty? That was a professional at work.

 

[AB13]

If Sweden wins tonight, Finland and Hungary will both have to beat them in goal difference for Sweden to drop into pot 4. Sweden is currently +4. Finland is +2 and they're playing Greece away. Hungary is -1 and they're playing Wales away.

Sweden are +12 and Finland are +8, or do they take away goals against the worst team?

 

[Pouchkine]

With all the crap Nations League playoffs NOW we get a ton of meaningless Euro Qualifying games that normally would be nail bitters. Like today Ireland-Denmark like N.Ireland-Holland...

 

[koyvoo]

With all the crap Nations League playoffs NOW we get a ton of meaningless Euro Qualifying games that normally would be nail bitters. Like today Ireland-Denmark like N.Ireland-Holland...

But it also means that those nations league games are in fact meaningless and far from glorified friendlies. They have qualification and seeding implications. The teams themselves took them more seriously than friendlies by plaint their A lineups right from the First Nations league match day.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Greece score very early in the 2nd half, poor defending by Finland but Greece probably deserved it based on the play

 

[Lepardi]

Sweden are +12 and Finland are +8, irrelevant correction but I just want the facts to be right.

The matches against the 6th-placed teams in the groups are not considered in the overall ranking that determines the seeding. Sweden is now +5 and Finland is now +2:

UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying - Wikipedia

 

[AB13]

The matches against the 6th-placed teams in the groups are not considered in the overall ranking that determines the seeding. Sweden is now +5 and Finland is now +2:

UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying - Wikipedia

Yeah just realised that, thanks for explaining.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Switzerland as expected running away with it in Gibraltar and will win the group should results hold, however they will need to win by 9 goals to move up to Pot 2

 

[HajdukSplit]

Greece take the lead minutes after Pukki missed a good chance

Ireland starting to open up a bit but both teams lack that final pass

 

[HajdukSplit]

Good night Ireland, nice touch finish by Braithwaite from a cross. It was Denmark’s first shot on target and only the second of the match

If results hold, Portugal move up to Pot 2

 

[HajdukSplit]

Italy up 9:1 Usually they stop after 3-4 in these games lol

 

[HajdukSplit]

Ireland equalize, typical goal from them, cross then header. They have 5 mins plus injury time