WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS: the Scottish balls-up scenario. It couldn't happen, could it?!

[ropy]

13 minutes ago, Lyle Lanley said:

Beat Wales in the semi final then we pump Portugal in the final at Hampden and Ronaldo in tears please. 

Could we retire him?

[Richey Edwards]

On 08/11/2021 at 09:43, Richey Edwards said:

Where does the assumption that we cannot beat Denmark come from?

I know they are a good team, but a beatable one at that.

I fucking telt yeez.

[AJF]

Give us Wales. I’d love to pap them out and get back at Bale for his diving shenanigans against us years ago. c**t.

[ScottR96]

16 minutes ago, LinkinFighter said:

How does it work to determine the home team in the final?

Think it’s just how it comes out the hat. 

[Gordopolis]

Think it’s just how it comes out the hat. 

It does. Totally random.

[Paco]

It’s all in the draw. Poland at Hampden followed by say Italy or the Czech Republic away is a mountain.

North Macedonia followed by Wales or Turkey at home? As good a chance as we’ll get.

We’ve done all we realistically can from 3rd seeds in WC qualifiers. Comfortable 2nd place, seeded for the play-off. Give us a bit of luck with the draw please…

[effeffsee_the2nd]

28 minutes ago, Paco said:

It’s all in the draw. Poland at Hampden followed by say Italy or the Czech Republic away is a mountain.

North Macedonia followed by Wales or Turkey at home? As good a chance as we’ll get.

We’ve done all we realistically can from 3rd seeds in WC qualifiers. Comfortable 2nd place, seeded for the play-off. Give us a bit of luck with the draw please…

we're the second top seeds who finished with more points than some of the group winners wheras Italy couldnt beat fuckin northern Ireland when it mattered ( what do they say about big teams again?) there are no more mountains with this team, only games 

 

as said already, if we are ever to achieve anything then we must rid ourselves of this losers mentality that permeates every part of our culture. no other countries are interested in doing well to get this far 

Edited November 16, 2021 by effeffsee_the2nd

[Donathan]

Turning our attention to tonight’s games, there are three groups left to complete: D, E and G.

 

 Portugal, Scotland, Italy and Russia have already clinched their seeding whilst Austria and North Macedonia are guaranteed to be unseeded. Poland and Sweden occupy the final two seeded spots, but will need results to go their way tonight to remain there.

 

 

Group D

Incredibly unlikely that this group will be seeded but still an interesting battle for second. France have already qualified and Finland occupy second spot. Ukraine must win on a difficult trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina and hope Finland fail to beat France at home in order to pinch second place. Finland can technically nick a seed but they’d have to beat France by multiple goals and hope other results go their way so let’s pencil in FINLAND OR UKRAINE as one of the non-seeds.

 

Group E

Belgium have already qualified and both Wales and Czech Republic will be heading to the playoffs. All that remains to be seen is which of them will take second place (and potentially seeding), and which will sneak in through the UNL. Wales will clinch second place and seeding (provided Turkey don’t smash Montenegro) with a point at home to Belgium. Czech Republic cannot be seeded barring a GD landslide but will clinch second with a win at home to Estonia if Wales are beaten. If Wales do grab a seed it would be at Poland’s expense. 

 

Group G

A fascinating end to the group with three teams who can all end up anywhere from 1st to 3rd. Netherlands are in pole position and will win the group with a point at home to Norway, but they will miss out altogether if they are beaten and Turkey defeat Montenegro. Turkey and Norway must win to clinch at least a playoff spot, and if both do then it comes down to GD. Most likely scenario is that Netherlands get the result they need and Turkey make the playoffs, if that’s the case then they likely will be seeded only if Wales lose to Belgium.

 

My prediction:

SEEDED:

PORTUGAL

SCOTLAND

ITALY

RUSSIA

SWEDEN

WALES

 

UNSEEDED:

TURKEY

POLAND

NORTH MACEDONIA

UKRAINE

CZECH REPUBLIC 

AUSTRIA 

[Donathan]

Turning our attention to tonight’s games, there are three groups left to complete: D, E and G.

 

 Portugal, Scotland, Italy and Russia have already clinched their seeding whilst Austria and North Macedonia are guaranteed to be unseeded. Poland and Sweden occupy the final two seeded spots, but will need results to go their way tonight to remain there.

 

 

Group D

Incredibly unlikely that this group will be seeded but still an interesting battle for second. France have already qualified and Finland occupy second spot. Ukraine must win on a difficult trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina and hope Finland fail to beat France at home in order to pinch second place. Finland can technically nick a seed but they’d have to beat France by multiple goals and hope other results go their way so let’s pencil in FINLAND OR UKRAINE as one of the non-seeds.

 

Group E

Belgium have already qualified and both Wales and Czech Republic will be heading to the playoffs. All that remains to be seen is which of them will take second place (and potentially seeding), and which will sneak in through the UNL. Wales will clinch second place and seeding (provided Turkey don’t smash Montenegro) with a point at home to Belgium. Czech Republic cannot be seeded barring a GD landslide but will clinch second with a win at home to Estonia if Wales are beaten. If Wales do grab a seed it would be at Poland’s expense. 

 

Group G

A fascinating end to the group with three teams who can all end up anywhere from 1st to 3rd. Netherlands are in pole position and will win the group with a point at home to Norway, but they will miss out altogether if they are beaten and Turkey defeat Montenegro. Turkey and Norway must win to clinch at least a playoff spot, and if both do then it comes down to GD. Most likely scenario is that Netherlands get the result they need and Turkey make the playoffs, if that’s the case then they likely will be seeded only if Wales lose to Belgium.

 

My prediction:

SEEDED:

PORTUGAL

SCOTLAND

ITALY

RUSSIA

SWEDEN

WALES

 

UNSEEDED:

TURKEY

POLAND

NORTH MACEDONIA

UKRAINE

CZECH REPUBLIC 

AUSTRIA 

[d31]

If that was the list then you are hoping for Macedonia or Ukraine at Hampden followed by a home tie avoiding Italy/Portugal.

Even away to some of the teams is not much different to drawing Serbia away.

Hopefully ladyluck shines and we don't even play any seeded teams. The likes of Czech or Poland could very easily take a scalp in the first game.

[Blootoon87]

I wish Steve Clarke was my da.

[Ro Sham Bo]

It feels weird that we can't possibly draw Israel.

[ArabGaz]

16 minutes ago, d31 said:

If that was the list then you are hoping for Macedonia or Ukraine at Hampden followed by a home tie avoiding Italy/Portugal

I’d love to play Portugal. Individually they’re excellent but as a collective they’re w**k. Also, the thought of our boys causing Ronaldo to cry is the stuff of dreams.

 

 

[Bully Wee Villa]

Would rather avoid Portugal. Have a feeling that FIFA would ensure that Ronaldo has one last World Cup and they would get every decision under the sun. Also, wouldn't fancy them on penalties as Ronaldo and Fernandes rarely miss (though, obviously, it was fucking hilarious when the latter did earlier this season).

Edited November 16, 2021 by Small Bovine Maisonette

[Donathan]

I think the draw for the potential final opponents is of more importance than who we host in the semi final. I’m not saying the semi final will be a gimme, but we need to beat any of those teams at home if we have any hope of being a top 13 team in Europe (what it takes to qualify for the World Cup)

 

To truly have a great chance of making it we need a) drawn at home for the final and b) avoid Italy and Portugal

 

Even still, qualifying for the euros and making the playoffs this time is a fantastic achievement and Steve Clarke is the best Scotland manager in generations. We need to build further and try to get promoted to UNL league A, which would truly get us recognised amongst the big boys of European football and put us in great position to make the next Euros, where we should be aiming not just to qualify but to make the knockout stages. 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Donathan

[PB1994]

Hopefully FIFA change the draw rules so the top 3 seeds play at home in the final too. They will be desperate to help Portugal and Italy in any way possible.

[Bully Wee Villa]

Hopefully they at least get rid of the ridiculous rule about bookings being carried forward. We are already at a disadvantage by being in a six team group.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

1 hour ago, Small Bovine Maisonette said:

Would rather avoid Portugal. Have a feeling that FIFA would ensure that Ronaldo has one last World Cup and they would get every decision under the sun. Also, wouldn't fancy them on penalties as Ronaldo and Fernandes rarely miss (though, obviously, it was fucking hilarious when the latter did earlier this season).

Scotland’s penalty is not bad either tbf.

[monthefife]

As it stands;

1	A	Portugal	8	5	2	1	17	6	+11	17	Seeded in semi-final draw
2	F	Scotland	8	5	2	1	14	7	+7	17
3	C	Italy	8	4	4	0	13	2	+11	16
4	H	Russia	8	5	1	2	14	5	+9	16
5	B	Sweden	8	5	0	3	12	6	+6	15
6	I	Poland	8	4	2	2	18	10	+8	14
7	E	Wales	7	4	2	1	13	8	+5	14	Unseeded in semi-final draw
8	J	North Macedonia	8	3	3	2	14	11	+3	12
9	G	Turkey	7	3	3	1	16	15	+1	12
10	D	Finland	7	3	2	2	10	8	+2	11

 

Key fixtures tonight for teams in bold. 

Belgium vs Wales - (Must win/draw to have a chance of making it as seeded team).  

 

Bosnia vs Ukraine - (Must win to have chance of replacing Finland as unseeded team should they lose to France).

Finland vs France - (Must match Ukraine to remain unseeded). 

 

Montenegro vs Turkey - (Must win to go seeded. Must match Norway to remain unseeded).  

Netherland vs Norway - (Must win and Turkey draw/lose to make seeded. Must draw and Turkey lose to replace Turkey as unseeded). 

 

[Insert Amusing Pseudonym]

18 minutes ago, monthefife said:

As it stands;

1	A	Portugal	8	5	2	1	17	6	+11	17	Seeded in semi-final draw
2	F	Scotland	8	5	2	1	14	7	+7	17
3	C	Italy	8	4	4	0	13	2	+11	16
4	H	Russia	8	5	1	2	14	5	+9	16
5	B	Sweden	8	5	0	3	12	6	+6	15
6	I	Poland	8	4	2	2	18	10	+8	14
7	E	Wales	7	4	2	1	13	8	+5	14	Unseeded in semi-final draw
8	J	North Macedonia	8	3	3	2	14	11	+3	12
9	G	Turkey	7	3	3	1	16	15	+1	12
10	D	Finland	7	3	2	2	10	8	+2	11

 

Key fixtures tonight for teams in bold. 

Belgium vs Wales - (Must win/draw to have a chance of making it as seeded team).  

 

Bosnia vs Ukraine - (Must win to have chance of replacing Finland as unseeded team should they lose to France).

Finland vs France - (Must match Ukraine to remain unseeded). 

 

Montenegro vs Turkey - (Must win to go seeded. Must match Norway to remain unseeded).  

Netherland vs Norway - (Must win and Turkey draw/lose to make seeded. Must draw and Turkey lose to replace Turkey as unseeded). 

 

Netherlands could lose to Norway and end up in 2nd if Turkey don't win.