FIFA/UEFA up to their old tricks

[RMCF]

RTÉ Sport: Ireland to face top seeds in play-offs

I notice that this hasn't got any attention on here, probably because England are already through, but frankly it stinks.

FIFA are going to seed the WC play-offs in Europe to make it easier for the likes of Germany, France and Portugal to get to the tournament.

They didn't have this rule at the start of the qualifying (presumably because these 'top' teams were meant to qualify easily) but have now introduced it after the event because they need the 'big' teams there so they can sell more advertising, TV space etc.

Shocking.

[DJT75]

Hadn't heard anything about this before but it certainly does stink. If seeded at all if should be based on the qualification results & nothing else.

[kopchoir]

Its all about greed and your right it does stink

[dazza74]

They were asking for trouble all along only letting the top team in any one group go through automatically. It's all very dodgy this qualification business if you ask me, just look at the south american group you've got top 4 out of 10 automatically qualify and coming 5th gets you a play off.

[Miron]

FIFA clearly wants the big teams to qualify .... it is both ...lobby and money. Nothing strange or unexpected.

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by dazza74

They were asking for trouble all along only letting the top team in any one group go through automatically. It's all very dodgy this qualification business if you ask me, just look at the south american group you've got top 4 out of 10 automatically qualify and coming 5th gets you a play off.

To be fair if the WC didn't have a lot of SA and Euro teams would anyone watch it?

ITs needs them to make it, cos most of the other nations in the world are cack.

[lee12]

Indeed, it's a joke that either Bharain or New Zealand will be there at the expense of a far superior European team.

[Miss Chief]

Originally Posted by dazza74

They were asking for trouble all along only letting the top team in any one group go through automatically. It's all very dodgy this qualification business if you ask me, just look at the south american group you've got top 4 out of 10 automatically qualify and coming 5th gets you a play off.

This is because all the South American teams are in one big group. To have 4 south American teams, along with another of they win the playoff isn;t really that many when there'll be at least 8 European teams, is it?

[stevenisace]

Its a bit of a coincidence that France are in the play offs and they now decide to change the rules. Platin (spelling) must have had a say in this when he saw that his country would have to go through the play offs

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by Miss Chief

This is because all the South American teams are in one big group. To have 4 south American teams, along with another of they win the playoff isn;t really that many when there'll be at least 8 European teams, is it?

You've got a 40% chance of automatic qualification in South America, a 25% chance in Europe. That was all I was trying to say.

[LFC_SL]

The majority do want to see the big sides, satire above noted

Hypothetical: England are in the play-offs. We get Russia. Whilst Arshavin is tearing it up, who here would not have wanted a seeding system?

Any England fan who tells me they would still not want a seeding system is either very principle in which case my compliments, or you are a liar

[dazza74]

Looking forward to that Uruguay v Argentina game tonight, if Uruguay can win and Ecuador can beat Chile (Who've already qualified so nothing to play for) Argentina won't even make the play offs

[QuietRiot1983]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Any England fan who tells me they would still not want a seeding system is either very principle in which case my compliments, or you are a liar

I'd prefer England not to qualify, so we don't have another summer of beered-up louts in england shirts everywhere with a million England flags on their white vans.

[Aaron D84]

Originally Posted by dazza74

Looking forward to that Uruguay v Argentina game tonight, if Uruguay can win and Ecuador can beat Chile (Who've already qualified so nothing to play for) Argentina won't even make the play offs

Chilean manager is Argentinan so will probably play a full strength side with them being home and it's a sell out according to a Chilean i know.

I do hope Ecuador beat them as their game is before the Argentina match so if they beat them they will go in under even more pressure knowing that they simply cannot loose.

After the way Argentina played agaisnt Peru i wouldn't bet on them not being in SA next summer as they were woeful bar Higuiain.

There's lots of comments about Cristiano Ronaldo going missing in big games but every time i've watched Argentina in qualifying Messi has been awful.

[dazza74]

Originally Posted by Aaron D84

After the way Argentina played agaisnt Peru i wouldn't bet on them not being in SA next summer as they were woeful bar Higuiain.

I only caught the 2nd half of that game, well I say the 2nd half parts of the pitch were a bit of a blur towards the end, that weather was atrocious wasn't it. You wouldn't have thought Peru were bottom of the group from watching that game, that's for sure.