World Cup Qualifiers | October 2017 | Play off draw on Tuesday

Bye the way the other 3 pots will be based on ranking position and not on location like in 2014.

Looking at the potential seeding this seems to be a much more balanced system actually and reduced the chances of a group of death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding

a group like

Germany
Spain/Italy
Colombia/Uruguay
Mexico

is not possible with the new system

I can see your point, but I think that a system were Spain and Italy if they qualify, are not seeded, seems fundamentally flawed to me. FIFA gives too much value for its fairly useless ranking system. Historic performance in big tournaments has to be given much bigger value in their calculations. Poland has no business being seeded.

You could still get a group of death with the new system. You can have a Germany, Spain, Croatia and Ivory Coast or a Brazil, Italy, Denmark, Serbia.
 
Anyone else see USMNT and think of United States Mutant Ninja Turtles?

No but whenever I see TMNT I think of the excellent Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters

blogger-image--1272115636.jpg
:cool:
 
Bye the way the other 3 pots will be based on ranking position and not on location like in 2014.

Looking at the potential seeding this seems to be a much more balanced system actually and reduced the chances of a group of death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding

a group like

Germany
Spain/Italy
Colombia/Uruguay
Mexico

is not possible with the new system

Yeah, you still can't have three European teams in the same group but they are not just all put in two pots to avoid that but spread across all of them.

From Poland's perspective (we are in pot 1!!!) my dream group would be with Peru, Senegal and Saudi Arabia, the worst possible one would be with Uruguay, Croatia and Nigeria.
 
Biggest shock since Bulgaria's failed qualifications.

I'd put the Dutch not qualifying this year or in 2002 as more shocking that the US. Uruguay in 2006, Portugal in 1998, France and England in 94.
 
I can see your point, but I think that a system were Spain and Italy if they qualify, are not seeded, seems fundamentally flawed to me.
Not saying it's great, I agree that it's flawed. Just saying that it's slightly better than last time. Spain and Italy would not be seeded with the '14 system either. Pot 1 was determined with the exact same method like now.
 
care to explain, recurring mind wants to know
The USMNT has been knocked out of the World Cup, my alma mater suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in the 2000's (American Football (college)), and my #1 pick in the Caf Fantasy league is now out for the season.
 
This is quite embarassing for USA, failing to qualify in CONCACAF. Bare in mind that Tim Howard was quite terrible in both goals. He totally mistimed his both jumps and he was falling to the ground way before the ball past over him.

Iceland deserves props: not only they qualified to the WC, they did it in a very tough group. I think some top teams would fail to qualify in such a group.
 
http://www.sportbible.com/football/...-chile-out-of-the-world-cup-20171011.amp.html

Hey, can anyone explain this. It says Peru got an indirect free kick but the goal was given because the keeper touched the ball else it would have just been a goal kick. I didn't even know such a rule existed.

Which rule? The indirect free kick or the keeper touching it?

The indirect free kick only mentions that the goal is only valid if another player besides the free kick taker touches the ball, doesn't matter if it's your team or opposite team.
It was an instictive gesture by the keeper,.
 
Here's a squad of 23 players, each from a different country who won't be going to the World Cup. In November you'll be able to replace some of these 23 with better players from the sides who lose in playoffs.



Substitutes:

Kameni (Cameroon), Hysaj (Albania), Reid (New Zealand), Kolasinac (Bosnia), Tuprak (Turkey), Rincon (Venezuela), Jovetic (Montenegro), Mkhitaryan (Armenia), Mahrez (Algeria), Yarmalenko (Ukraine), Pulisic (USA), Griffiths (Scotland)

There should be space for this squad. It would give the fans of 23 different countries a side to get behind at the World Cup and we'd still see the likes of Bale, Sanchez, and Robben on the biggest stage.
 
Which rule? The indirect free kick or the keeper touching it?

The indirect free kick only mentions that the goal is only valid if another player besides the free kick taker touches the ball, doesn't matter if it's your team or opposite team.
It was an instictive gesture by the keeper,.
The indirect free kick. Under what circumstances is it given?
 
http://www.sportbible.com/football/...-chile-out-of-the-world-cup-20171011.amp.html

Hey, can anyone explain this. It says Peru got an indirect free kick but the goal was given because the keeper touched the ball else it would have just been a goal kick. I didn't even know such a rule existed.
An indirect free-kick can't be directly put into the goal. So if the Peru player shot it directly into the goal, it would have been called a foul and a goal-kick given. Ospina unfortunately tried to save it and got a touch, which means the shot did not go in directly, which means the goal stands
 
The indirect free kick. Under what circumstances is it given?

It is usually used on passive dangerous play (for example: a player makes a two foot tackle just to scare the opponent, but does not hits him).

It was also adopted for small infractions like double handling by the keeper, foot backpass to the keeper that he handles the ball, etc.
 
It is usually used on passive dangerous play (for example: a player makes a two foot tackle just to scare the opponent, but does not hits him).

It was also adopted for small infractions like double handling by the keeper, foot backpass to the keeper that he handles the ball, etc.
Thanks. It's crazy I have been watching football for so long but was completely unaware of this rule. So, Peru was awarded an indirect free kick for dangerous play?
 
An indirect free-kick can't be directly put into the goal. So if the Peru player shot it directly into the goal, it would have been called a foul and a goal-kick given. Ospina unfortunately tried to save it and got a touch, which means the shot did not go in directly, which means the goal stands
Thanks. I got that part. I just wasn't aware about indirect free kicks being a thing except inside the penalty box.
 
Thanks. It's crazy I have been watching football for so long but was completely unaware of this rule. So, Peru was awarded an indirect free kick for dangerous play?

Can't help you with that. Only saw the highlights and they only show from the free kick part.
 
Panamaian TV. Great scenes. That equaliser though :D



20 years ago Thomas Helmer scored the exact same goal in Germany. German federation ordered a replay. They got hammered and warned by FIFA. So you are safe Panama. You have a precedent.

Btw back then the team lost 1-2. They replayed the game and now they lost 0-3 and I shit you not: they got relegated on that goal differential difference.
 
I'd put the Dutch not qualifying this year or in 2002 as more shocking that the US. Uruguay in 2006, Portugal in 1998, France and England in 94.
2002 yes, this year? They've looked poor for some time now.
 
Howard was a mess for both goals the US conceded.
 
When you see the reactions of the players from places like Panama, you know there is still nothing bigger than the World Cup, no matter how hard the EPL or UCL work to make you believe otherwise.

There's nothing bigger for a football player than representing his country at the World Cup. No league or Champions League appearance or win could trump the feeling and pride of putting on your national colours and representing your country on that stage.