MATCH THREAD: Group D - Spain vs Croatia - KO 20:00 (ITV)

[jal123]

It's a stupid system. Italy are going to get a harder game than most 2nd/3rd place teams for winning their group. Additionally the winners of groups e and f are arbitrarily handed harder games than the winners of groups a through to d.

I'm a fan of having more teams in the tournament but the way progression has been organised seems inherently unfair.

Who cares, it makes for much better viewing for us.

 

[The Cowboy]

It's a stupid system. Italy are going to get a harder game than most 2nd/3rd place teams for winning their group. Additionally the winners of groups e and f are arbitrarily handed harder games than the winners of groups a through to d.

I'm a fan of having more teams in the tournament but the way progression has been organised seems inherently unfair.

You make it sound like it's been manipulated. Italy got Spain because Spain lost to Croatia. I agree that it's tough that some group winners face a 2nd place whilst others face a 3rd place but the draw format is determined before the groups are even drawn. So it really is the luck of the draw, nothing more.

 

[toffeejack]

Glad it isn't just me who noticed that. They had pretty much the entire German and Ukraine team joining them last week.

mentioned it during the last german game, they were taking the whole back 4, as well as gotze haha

 

[RFUS]

You make it sound like it's been manipulated. Italy got Spain because Spain lost to Croatia. I agree that it's tough that some group winners face a 2nd place whilst others face a 3rd place but the draw format is determined before the groups are even drawn. So it really is the luck of the draw, nothing more.

Some group winners face a 2nd place and some face a 3rd place. How is that not more than luck of the draw? It's predetermined and surely inconsistency between the rewards of topping various groups is inherently unfair?

Drawing Spain is bad luck and nothing more though, I agree. But there's a difference between drawing a tougher team because someone has underperformed, and drawing a tougher team because your group arbitrarily assigns you against a 2d best rather than the 3rd best team.

 

[toffeejack]

You make it sound like it's been manipulated. Italy got Spain because Spain lost to Croatia. I agree that it's tough that some group winners face a 2nd place whilst others face a 3rd place but the draw format is determined before the groups are even drawn. So it really is the luck of the draw, nothing more.

it's the same luck of the draw which sees teams get an easy group, like england did, whereas belgium got a much tougher one even though they were both in the same pot. There's always going to be a team that will get a rough deal, if you;re the best team though you'll beat all in front of you.

 

[The Cowboy]

Some group winners face a 2nd place and some face a 3rd place. How is that not more than luck of the draw? It's predetermined and surely inconsistency between the rewards of topping various groups is inherently unfair?

Drawing Spain is bad luck and nothing more though, I agree. But there's a difference between drawing a tougher team because someone has underperformed, and drawing a tougher team because your group arbitrarily assigns you against a 2d best rather than the 3rd best team.

They have no choice to have it that way, as there are 6 group winners and only 4 3rd placers, so 2 group winners have to face 2 runners up. Which groups it impacts is determined before the draw to fill up the groups, so if you end up in one of those groups, well that's your luck out.

Believe me, I don't like the 24 team format either, but it's not like anything has been manipulated after the draw. It's just the way the results have fallen.

 

[toffeejack]

Some group winners face a 2nd place and some face a 3rd place. How is that not more than luck of the draw? It's predetermined and surely inconsistency between the rewards of topping various groups is inherently unfair?

Drawing Spain is bad luck and nothing more though, I agree. But there's a difference between drawing a tougher team because someone has underperformed, and drawing a tougher team because your group arbitrarily assigns you against a 2d best rather than the 3rd best team.

yeah i understand that too tbh. Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is the best 3rd place teams comparisions. a team could come 3rd in such a tough group and have worse GD than a team in an easy group, when their achievement was actually much better.

 

[The Cowboy]

yeah i understand that too tbh. Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is the best 3rd place teams comparisions. a team could come 3rd in such a tough group and have worse GD than a team in an easy group, when their achievement was actually much better.

Even more crazy is that if the last Group F games are both draws, Iceland will (I think) go through in second on 3 points whilst a 3rd placed team could miss out with 4 points!

 

[ijjysmith]

Even more crazy is that if the last Group F games are both draws, Iceland will (I think) go through in second on 3 points whilst a 3rd placed team could miss out with 4 points!

It all gives me a truly massive headache.

 

[RFUS]

They have no choice to have it that way, as there are 6 group winners and only 4 3rd placers, so 2 group winners have to face 2 runners up. Which groups it impacts is determined before the draw to fill up the groups, so if you end up in one of those groups, well that's your luck out.

Believe me, I don't like the 24 team format either, but it's not like anything has been manipulated after the draw. It's just the way the results have fallen.

Didn't accuse anything like that. I said it's inherently unfair. Which it is.

I'd prefer a 16 or 32 team competition with only the top 2 from each progressing.

 

[toffeejack]

It all gives me a truly massive headache.

i love it when people come up with bonkers ideas. Like when the europa league had 5 team groups, you only play each team once and it's the luck of the draw if it's home or away haha