oldtype

You also have to take into account that if you want to develop international football in North America/Asia/Africa etc., you need to give more teams a foot in the door. Asian teams in particular just straight up don't have any important tournaments to prepare for if they don't make the World Cup because most people honestly don't care about the Asian Cup. Makes it hard for the national team to build support.

12 best teams by FIFA Ranking not to make it this year are: Italy, Colombia, Peru, Sweden, Ukraine, Chile, Tunisia, Nigeria, Russia, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary. None of those would be particularly out of place. Got a whole bunch of decent-ish teams after that too. Europe, South America, and Africa definitely could all use multiple additional slots. Oman would never make it man Would have been UAE if you had an extra slot for Asia this year. They are pretty shit, but it's fine.

I'm just reading through the list and this is ridiculous The worst team they've lost to at the World Cup is... maybe Norway 1998? They may be bottlers in the later rounds, but they sure get the job done against minnows.

So Brazil have not lost at the World Cup to a team outside of Europe or South America since... (scrolls through Wikipedia) ...ever.

That I wholeheartedly agree with.

All we need are two more goals from Switzerland and for Cameroon to score. Easy peasy.

Gonna be fun being the only person on here wanting Bruno to be shit next game

I don't think going to 48 would meaningfully decrease the quality. Lots of teams out there that are the same or similar in quality as the bottom-half teams in the tournament right now.

Now imagine if it was England and not Spain. (Or if there's a country the Irish hate more, feel free to insert).

I guess it's mathematically possible that Cameroon and Switzerland could do us a massive favor if Brazil doesn't give a shit.

Also, it could go to penalties and I'd just die on the spot.

Let's just nip all of this in the bud right now. We're not beating Brazil in an elimination match. And I hope Croatia tears Japan apart.

I don't want it. Losing that game would soil all the good memories this World Cup has given us forever. Everyone would try really hard to pretend that it's fine and we're still happy, but we wouldn't be.

Would honestly rather lose to Brazil 5-0.

I, for one, have been fully sportswashed. For a couple of days, at least.

Man, I might finally get to see how good that Bruno fella is and it's going to be while he's beating the shit out of us.

I have to start a workday now and I don't know how I'm going to do it.

There is now probably something like a 5% chance of this happening and I'm already scared shitless.

My only regret is that I didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture when the broadcast had the split-screen with us celebrating and Suarez crying. I would pay money to have that framed.

I was watching stoppage time in that match basically curled up in a fetal position and then I saw the Ghanian goalkeeper time-wasting and I was like... Uh.... Thanks?

I think I passed out for a little bit. Going straight from Korea winning to Suarez bawling his eyes out. The pleasure was too intense.

Holy fuck

Portugal playing for a draw Karma has to be on our side here.

That half season or so where Martins seemed like an good player was such a fun time.