Slovenia were under heavy pressure but break away and put one past the Kazakh goalie to retake the lead. That likely seals their place for next summer.
That game was heating up really nicely the last 5-10 minutes, you could sense the nerves of the crowd as Kazahkstan kept coming forward.
Playoff qualification is mad tho - Kazakistan and Luxembourg got 18 points Georgia got 8 🤣
luck of the draw surely?
Put Luxemborg or Kazakistan in our group instead of Malta and see how many points they would get.
It goes on nations league performance which is my point. A well constested qualification (Luxembourg had Portugal Iceland Slovakia Bosnia) is equaled by half hearted nations league which I don’t deem fair.
Playoff qualification is mad tho - Kazakistan and Luxembourg got 18 points Georgia got 8 🤣
luck of the draw surely?
Put Luxemborg or Kazakistan in our group instead of Malta and see how many points they would get.
It goes on nations league performance which is my point. A well constested qualification (Luxembourg had Portugal Iceland Slovakia Bosnia) is equaled by half hearted nations league which I don’t deem fair.
Yeah qualification is a bit BS in my opinion. Bosnia have finished 5th out of a group of 6 and still have a play off place. Group J might as well have not happened. Estonia finished rock bottom of their group with 1 point and still made the play offs.
Estonia getting in after only getting 1 point in their qualifying group feels wron, especially as they only won their nations league group because they had malta and san marino. For context, Kosovo came 2nd out of 4 in their nations league group with Greece, northern ireland and cyprus, got 11 points in their qualifying group and dont get in.
it gives the lesser teams competitive games against similarly ranked countries, but also provides a path to the play off that they would have no chance of usually making
Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England
Pot 2: Hungary, Denmark, Albania, Austria & 2 others
Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Netherlands & 1 other
Pot 4: Serbia, Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C and 2 others
Teams with their pots to be decided after tonight: - Turkey (Pot 2 or 3), - Romania (Pot 2 or 4), - Switzerland (Pot 2 or 4), - Italy (Pot 3 or 4) - Croatia (Pot 2, 3 or playoffs) - Wales (Pot 3, 4 or playoffs)
Playoffs A: Poland, Estonia, Croatia or Wales & one of Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Playoffs B: Israel, Bosnia & two of Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Playoffs C: Georgia v Luxembourg, Greece v Kazahkstan
Wales need to hold their lead against Turkey and hope for an unlikely Armenian equaliser or they will be heading to the Path A playoffs.
Elsewhere, Romania and Switzerland have both qualified but are battling for Pot 2 vs Pot 4 position. Romania would hold Pot 2 with a home win or draw, while Switzerland need to win in Bucharest to join Pot 2.
Croatia 1-0 Armenia Wales 1-0 Turkey Romania 1-0 Switzerland
As it stands:
Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England
Pot 2: Hungary, Denmark, Albania, Austria, & Croatia & Romania Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Netherlands & Turkey Pot 4: Serbia, Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C & Switzerland & Italy
Playoffs A: Poland v Estonia, Wales v Finland/Ukraine/Iceland Playoffs B: Israel v Ukraine/Iceland, Bosnia v Finland/Ukraine Playoffs C: Georgia v Luxembourg, Greece v Kazahkstan
Wales' opponent would be one of three Path B teams, to be decided by a draw in the upcoming days.
This leaves the other two Path B teams to face Israel and Bosnia, who get the luxury of skipping the above draw and stay in Path B because they won their Nations League groups.
Israel will be facing the "4th best" teamso cannot face Finland(who would be third best, if not drawn against Wales) while Bosnia will be up against the "3rd best" team so can't be pitted against Iceland (who would be fourth best, if not drawn against Wales).
Comments
That game was heating up really nicely the last 5-10 minutes, you could sense the nerves of the crowd as Kazahkstan kept coming forward.
Kazakhstan will have to settle for the Path C playoffs.
Ukraine will have to settle for the Path B playoffs.
Charlton are now keeping tabs
Put Luxemborg or Kazakistan in our group instead of Malta and see how many points they would get.
it gives the lesser teams competitive games against similarly ranked countries, but also provides a path to the play off that they would have no chance of usually making
It’s as close to a bye into the playoff final as you can get for the best team that didn’t qualify automatically.
Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England
Pot 2: Hungary, Denmark, Albania, Austria & 2 others
Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Netherlands & 1 other
Pot 4: Serbia, Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C and 2 others
Teams with their pots to be decided after tonight:
- Turkey (Pot 2 or 3),
- Romania (Pot 2 or 4),
- Switzerland (Pot 2 or 4),
- Italy (Pot 3 or 4)
- Croatia (Pot 2, 3 or playoffs)
- Wales (Pot 3, 4 or playoffs)
Playoffs A: Poland, Estonia, Croatia or Wales & one of Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Playoffs B: Israel, Bosnia & two of Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Playoffs C: Georgia v Luxembourg, Greece v Kazahkstan
Croatia
Netherlands
Italy
you heard it here first
Wales need to hold their lead against Turkey and hope for an unlikely Armenian equaliser or they will be heading to the Path A playoffs.
Elsewhere, Romania and Switzerland have both qualified but are battling for Pot 2 vs Pot 4 position. Romania would hold Pot 2 with a home win or draw, while Switzerland need to win in Bucharest to join Pot 2.
Romania have just taken the lead there.
Wales 1-0 Turkey
Romania 1-0 Switzerland
As it stands:
Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Spain, Belgium, England
Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Netherlands & Turkey
Pot 4: Serbia, Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C & Switzerland & Italy
Playoffs A: Poland v Estonia, Wales v Finland/Ukraine/Iceland
Playoffs B: Israel v Ukraine/Iceland, Bosnia v Finland/Ukraine
Playoffs C: Georgia v Luxembourg, Greece v Kazahkstan
Wales' opponent would be one of three Path B teams, to be decided by a draw in the upcoming days.
It's all really simple............... :-)
Everything else as above should be correct.
Blame the Turks not me! Or the Welsh, if you prefer.
- Group of Death: England, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy
- Group of …not Death: England, Albania, Slovenia, Estonia
- Group of Brits: England, Romania, Scotland, Wales