Futbol Prem Thread 2023/24 V12: Another International Break Edition

[The_Renaissance]

These little tiny Euro countries like Gibraltar, San Marino, Malta should do some sort of pre-qualifying tournament before facing the full Euro qualifiers or World Cup qualifiers.

It cheapens the competition for national teams to face amateur teams. Concacaf has something like this. The little Caribbean countries play each other first, then the top teams move on to play the full tournament.

For me we go further.


No qualifiers.


One gigantic 6 week tournament. Every single country involved. No groups. Like a global FA Cup. No seeds. Germany might be unlucky and draw Spain round 1 and lose. Moldova draw San Marino and advance.


It would fucking add excitement because every single game would matter. Group stages always devolve into tactical cagey affairs most of the time.


Make it a literal nutfest. You might get the odd weird winner like Poland one time if they've had a flukey draw but usually the winner will be a top team.


EDIT - On second thought everyone wants a big game in the final. So you moderately seed. Two pots. The top X and the Y. And then from the first round onwards (when most of the minnows are gone) its a free for all. You might draw Germany. You might draw Kosovo. Get on

 

[BroRogan]

16 Teams Euro were the most entertaining and most quality tournaments. No nonsense and straight banger matchups from the start.

 

[Ignicious]

Norway just slamdunked the scotts in the 3rd minute. Great timing guys.
Hope the scotts turns it around like at Ullevaal
Had enuff @650lb Sumo

 

[BroRogan]

@650lb Sumo Humphries unstoppable 13:5 already

 

[Ignicious]

Fun fact? Norways GK today Egil Selvik plays for FK Haugesund. I live in Haugesund.
2-2 now. Fun game

 

[BroRogan]

@Ignicious what did you make of this years Tippeligaen season? <_< I know still a couple of games but the title should be secured by Bodö, right? Was going through a lot of league tables these days and also checked out the norwegian league

 

[Ignicious]

@Ignicious what did you make of this years Tippeligaen season? <_< I know still a couple of games but the title should be secured by Bodö, right? Was going through a lot of league tables these days and also checked out the norwegian league

Bodø already secured it. Their 3rd win in the last 4 years. They have an interesting guy in charge (have been pursued by Celtic & Ajax).

And he has embarrased Mourinho in one of those non Champions league games.
Always a bonus

 

[650lb Sumo]

Scotland 3 - 2 Norway

 

[650lb Sumo]

Scotland 3 - 3 Norway

 

[Dr J]

Just thought i'd give you guys an update. Jayden's team finished 1st place in one of their leagues with a 7-1-1 record. Only 5 goals conceded. 7 Cleansheets. In their other league they came in 2nd with a 6-2-0 record. 8 goals conceded. 3 Cleansheets. May have him try out for ODP next year just to see how he does. One of the parents started to record some of the games late in the season so thought I'd share one of his goals from this season when he wasnt playing as a LB/CB. Yesterday started their League Cup Run group stages. Easily won 9-1. Growing into himself defensively. He's also started private group trainings for former Colorado Rapids defender Mike da Fonte. It's definitely helped. This summer I think i'm gonna have him do some strength training to get ready for his JV tryouts. Theres 6 full games up if you wanna waste your time viewing them during international break. Jayden is #22



@EOW @Chules @Dr J @Arqueto @650lb Sumo

Awesome. I’d recommend ODP for sure. We’ve really enjoyed so far. It’s been extra touches and practices with really good kids, and my son’s made friends with a bunch of kids from other teams, which certainly can’t hurt when it comes to recruiting later on.

In other news, he scored his first Olimpico this weekend at ODP—far post upper 90 from the corner kick. Keeper barely got a finger tip to it. A part of me was pretty jealous—I wanted to do that so badly as a kid and used to practice hooking them in all the time.

 

[650lb Sumo]

3 -3 honours even. A respectable result for Norway, a little disappointing for Scotland. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Maybe Norway can still go through via the playoffs - that's a little complicated and I haven't checked the details.

I am now officially supporting FK Haugesund in the Eliteserien! They are currently 12th (out of 16). Their highest finish was third and they have been runners up in the cup twice (Norway only has one cup as such, although they have a match between the league and cup winners, which is known as a cup match). They also got to the third round of the Europa League in 2019 - 2020. Their main rivalries are with Viking FK, in Stavanger, and SK Brann, in Bergen.

This is their mascot, who appears to just be known as 'The Seagull':

@Ignicious can you confirm that the mascot doesn't have a name?

During my research I also found an April Fool's page saying that Haugesund's new mascot was going to be Balldrick the Ball:

an American page saying it's 'Hugo the Friendly Viking Warrior' and an interview from 2014 with the mascot actor.

This is their stadium, Haugesund Stadium:

capacity 8,800 (although fewer for European matches with the stricter regulations). Norwegian matches can be watched for £2.99 per match in the UK on OneFootball.

Kom igjen Haugesund!

Fun Fact: The thistle is supposed to have become Scotland's national symbol after the Battle of Largs in 1263. The Norwegian army was creeping up on the sleeping Scots at night and they took their shoes off to be quiet. They trod on thistles and went 'ow', waking the Scots, who then defeated them. Not very convincing but that's the story.

 

[Chules]

@BroRogan @UVee @Jonathan Utah

concert vid

Spoiler

lany bless

 

[Jonathan Utah]

@BroRogan @UVee @Jonathan Utah

concert vid

Spoiler

lany bless

Chat up any birds?

 

[Chules]

Chat up any birds?

Spoiler

Barely any fit ones near me lol. Felt like I was in Indonesia or the fillipines. They have a massive Asian following and it seems they all got on a flight for it! I was also wiv my friend from Manchester so I couldn’t let the Chules Charm go freely imo

 

[Possum Jenkins]

16 Teams Euro were the most entertaining and most quality tournaments. No nonsense and straight banger matchups from the start.

16-team Euro, 32-team World Cup, and a single-game Intercontinental Cup between the Champions League and Libertadores champs were perfect.

Greedy cunts have screwed things up with these huge tournaments with a bunch of shit teams. Nations League lol.

 

[EOW]

@Partlow

Sherdog have taken away our shocked face blue emoji from us

I'm shaking right now

 

[Chules]

Spoiler: Owen jones

Lolllll @UVee

 

[Rawex]

Scotland 3 - 2 Norway

Germany meets Scotland.gif ?
@Deffid

 

[BAM]

Straya mate, biggest bottle in the game, chests out. Cummins with cast iron balls for that call of the year, bowling first in India, relying on dew to get us over the line. Head all around spectacular - fielding, bowling and that legendary chase.

was up to 4am watching it, then had to roll into work and shirtfront my Indian coworkers

{<Mcgoat}

 

[Ignicious]

@650lb Sumo The Mascot is called Maakeungen, which can be translated as The Kid Seagull-
Love the support too. We should be able to stay up again this year, unless they have a total collapse in the remaining games