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Syn_13

Fly On, Little Wing
Jul 17, 2008
14,851
20,659
Why the feck do the winners of Groups E and F play 2nd place from D and E respectively, whilst all the other group winners get to play a 3rd place team?

I'll be honest, I'm mostly pissed off because it affects one of my teams. It means Italy end up with either Croatia or Spain in the next round whilst a winner of a group could end up with someone like Romania or Czech Republic.

I get the whole thing about having to beat the best to win the tournament, but having an easier run up certainly helps.
 

Gbspurs

Gatekeeper for debates, King of the plonkers
Jan 27, 2011
26,945
61,824
Yeah they have messed it up a bit by allowing 3rd place side go through.
 

Riandor

COB Founder
May 26, 2004
9,413
11,620
Should of had two more groups and kept it at top two qualify. Groups should be about winning and not playing for draws.
 

Col_M

Pointing out the Obvious
Feb 28, 2012
22,637
45,672
It's luck of the draw isn't it? It was decided before the draw was made so everyone knew the outcome.
 

Led's Zeppelin

Can't Re Member
May 28, 2013
7,333
20,178
Is there a better alternative?

More teams to start with would have meant some groups having even weaker teams to play, so it would still all be down to the luck of the draw.

I think it's OK.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,544
The World Cups in '86, '90 and '94 did the same though.

I think the Euros should've stuck with 16, I don't like that pretty much half of UEFA nations qualify for the tournament, but once they've done it I don't see a better alternative.
 

hughy

I'm SUPER cereal.
Nov 18, 2007
31,840
56,924
Yeah the format was determined before the draw, so it could have been the same for any team...


...apart from France. Being the host nation and guaranteed to be in Group A they were always going to get a slightly easier RO16 opponent if they won their group. That's what I think is unfair.
 

worcestersauce

"I'm no optimist I'm just a prisoner of hope
Jan 23, 2006
26,891
45,039
To be fair we are going into the final round of group matches and just about every team still has something to play for so its kept it interesting to the end.
 

fortworthspur

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2007
11,244
17,536
no way to do it well with 24 teams, but it might be more fair to have a random draw after the group stage. of course that would interfere with travel plans and ultimately money.
 

Disconosebleed

Well-Known Member
Dec 22, 2005
2,553
2,569
To be fair we are going into the final round of group matches and just about every team still has something to play for so its kept it interesting to the end.

Shame barely any of the actual games have been interesting because the groups are packed with limited but well-organised sides who have looked to get goalless draws against the first and second seeds, then try and nick a win against the other crap side in the group. There have only been a handful of games where both sides were actively trying to win. Hopefully things will start to improve by the quarters.
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
UEFA ranking shouldn't be a deciding factor. I know it's very unlikely that it'll come down to that, but I'd rather lose to a coin toss than be eliminated just because they a team has a higher ranking. The tournament is already favoured toward the better teams.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
After points and GD it goes to fair play and then UEFA ranking.
UEFA ranking shouldn't be a deciding factor. I know it's very unlikely that it'll come down to that, but I'd rather lose to a coin toss than be eliminated just because they a team has a higher ranking. The tournament is already favoured toward the better teams.
Not really, its
1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals Scored
4. Position on fair play league
5. uefa ranking

TBF if they are still even after the fair play league then they don't have much choice unless they do a separate draw or coin toss. But choosing a team to go through at the toss of a coin would be crazy
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
Not really, its
1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals Scored
4. Position on fair play league
5. uefa ranking

TBF if they are still even after the fair play league then they don't have much choice unless they do a separate draw or coin toss. But choosing a team to go through at the toss of a coin would be crazy
A coin toss is fairer than UEFA ranking. Everyone should be going into the tournament on an even playing field. It's bad enough that there is seeding to make sure the sponsor's favourites go through.

What if, for example, Portugal and Northern Ireland are level on everything, but Portugal go through just because they are ranked higher but couldn't get out of an easier group despite being No.1 seeds in the group, whereas N. Ireland were 4th seeds? If anything it should be the other way
 

UpTownSpur

Says it like it is
Dec 31, 2014
2,266
4,362
Not really, its
1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals Scored
4. Position on fair play league
5. uefa ranking

TBF if they are still even after the fair play league then they don't have much choice unless they do a separate draw or coin toss. But choosing a team to go through at the toss of a coin would be crazy

This is from Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016#Tiebreakers

Tiebreakers
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria will be applied:[44]

  1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
  2. Superior goal difference resulting from the matches played between the teams in question;
  3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question;
  4. If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3, teams still have an equal ranking (e.g. if criteria 1 to 3 are applied to three teams that were level on points initially and these criteria separate one team from the other two who still have an equal ranking), criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams who are still level to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 9 apply;
  5. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
  6. Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
  7. If only two teams have the same number of points, and they are tied according to criteria 1–6 after having met in the last round of the group stage, their ranking is determined by a penalty shoot-out. (This criterion is not used if more than two teams have the same number of points.)
  8. Fair play conduct: 1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card (a yellow card followed by a direct red card will be evaluated as 4 points);
  9. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.
The four best third-placed teams are determined according to the following criteria:[44]

  1. Higher number of points obtained;
  2. Superior goal difference;
  3. Higher number of goals scored;
  4. Fair play conduct (see above);
  5. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.
 

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
A coin toss is fairer than UEFA ranking. Everyone should be going into the tournament on an even playing field. It's bad enough that there is seeding to make sure the sponsor's favourites go through.

What if, for example, Portugal and Northern Ireland are level on everything, but Portugal go through just because they are ranked higher but couldn't get out of an easier group despite being No.1 seeds in the group, whereas N. Ireland were 4th seeds? If anything it should be the other way
Me personally I agree with the Uefa ranking except imo it should be that the lower ranked team goes through as the higher ranked team should have done better
 

Riandor

COB Founder
May 26, 2004
9,413
11,620
A coin toss is fairer than UEFA ranking. Everyone should be going into the tournament on an even playing field. It's bad enough that there is seeding to make sure the sponsor's favourites go through.

What if, for example, Portugal and Northern Ireland are level on everything, but Portugal go through just because they are ranked higher but couldn't get out of an easier group despite being No.1 seeds in the group, whereas N. Ireland were 4th seeds? If anything it should be the other way

Me personally I agree with the Uefa ranking except imo it should be that the lower ranked team goes through as the higher ranked team should have done better

Possibly favours negative football even more.
The lower ranked teams have been playing for draws as it is, should this be encouraged even more by knowing that to boot you will get the more favourable decision where it to come to more tied results?

If anything they could have gone the other way, top 1 from each group plus the best 2nd place teams to make up the numbers, losing the two worst of those!

The groups have remained interesting, but the games themselves have suffered. Its all about not losing.
 

lol

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2008
6,651
6,082
lol the reason why u have winners playing third place teams is because u want to guarantee the bigger team gets through. you dont want a france italy for quarters because it kills your finals rating. kinda like how in the nba the top seed always plays the last seed to make sure they get the best chance to get to the final.
 
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