Nations League

[magicTs]

4 minutes ago, Redondo said:

Is it not the case that if there’s a spare place going in the Group C playoffs because 1 of the initial playoff teams qualifies via normal qualification, then the next best team in Group C gets that slot, And  if a Group C team also ends up in the Group B playoffs then it would be a lower ranked Group C team.  Seems fairer.

Correct. 

The reality is that a draw tomorrow will in all likelihood see us get a play off spot however a win gives us a significantly greater chance of getting through via a play off given the opposition we would then face. 

Edited November 19, 2018 by magicTs

[Texas Pete]

22 minutes ago, Scotland Ever More said:

Wouldn't that require every team from league A and B to automatically qualify in the normal qualifiers, which surely can't be mathematically possible? 

The 16 best ranked teams in the Nations League that don’t qualify directly will be involved in the playoffs. 

Assuming all League A teams qualify (highly likely) and 8 League B teams qualify (less likely but possible) then there would only be 4 League B teams in the playoffs so there would need to be 4 League C teams (not the group winners) involved in the League B playoff path. 

Of the 55 UEFA teams, 36 will either qualify or will be involved in the playoffs. As we are guaranteed to finish 32nd at worst we have a good chance of a playoff even if we lose tomorrow (although it would be against League B or even League A opposition). A draw would increase our chances. 

Let’s just win tomorrow though and we won’t need to wait nervously until after the qualifiers.

[magicTs]

18 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

The 16 best ranked teams in the Nations League that don’t qualify directly will be involved in the playoffs. 

Assuming all League A teams qualify (highly likely) and 8 League B teams qualify (less likely but possible) then there would only be 4 League B teams in the playoffs so there would need to be 4 League C teams (not the group winners) involved in the League B playoff path. 

Of the 55 UEFA teams, 36 will either qualify or will be involved in the playoffs. As we are guaranteed to finish 32nd at worst we have a good chance of a playoff even if we lose tomorrow (although it would be against League B or even League A opposition). A draw would increase our chances. 

Let’s just win tomorrow though and we won’t need to wait nervously until after the qualifiers.

 

Yep! Gets it! 

Winning tomorrow is massive. Probably the biggest Scotland match in terms of what it may mean since Italy in 2007. We will have a very legitimate chance of qualifying for Euro 2020 if we win tomorrow regardless of what happens in the upcoming traditional qualifying. We could be looking at one off home games v Finland and then Norway/Serbia to qualify. I’d be hoping Serbia maybe get there automatically as they are useful but this is a golden opportunity make no mistake. In essence it could be 3 home wins (even if ET is required) against Israel, Finland and Norway/Serbia to get to a major tournament!  

Edited November 19, 2018 by magicTs

[Redondo]

Geez this is far from straightforward.  Is the Nations League final that's going be in Portugal different from the Group A playoff?  

[Toepoke]

4 minutes ago, Redondo said:

Geez this is far from straightforward.  Is the Nations League final that's going be in Portugal different from the Group A playoff?  

Aye. Conceivably England could win the Nations League but miss out qualifying for the Euros by losing the play off (if they finish worse than 2nd in their Euros group).

 

Edited November 19, 2018 by Toepoke

[McTeeko]

23 minutes ago, Scotland Ever More said:

As Magic T says the 3/4 place playoff only applies to league A and the winners of the nation's league.

On that note, a playoff to see who comes 3rd in this tournament has to be one of the most unappealing matches ever.

Aye right enough, I’m confusing myself here! 🙈

[McTeeko]

33 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

It’s in the country of one of the 2 teams. I thinks it’s bs that whilst they have the teams ranked 1-4 play and 2-3 play the top ranked team doesn’t get the home advantage for the final.

Clearly a lot can happen in the Euro qualifying but if we win tomorrow there is every chance none of us, Serbia, Norway or Finland will make it automatically which would see the following as we would all be group winners and therefore ineligible to play again higher ranked sides: 

Scotland v Finland 

Norway v Serbia 

So say that works out as you say, and it’s a Scotland v Serbia final - when do they draw the venue and how long after the semis is the final played?

[Texas Pete]

7 minutes ago, Redondo said:

Geez this is far from straightforward.  Is the Nations League final that's going be in Portugal different from the Group A playoff?  

 

4 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

Aye. Conceivably England could win the Nations League but miss out qualifying for the Euros by losing the play off.

 

I doubt any League A teams will need a playoff. 

Hollland maybe, based on their recent qualifying record but that’s about it.

How Holland ended up in League A in the first place is a bit of a mystery right enough. 

[Texas Pete]

12 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

Yep! Gets it! 

Winning tomorrow is massive. Probably the biggest Scotland match in terms of what it may mean since Italy in 2007. We will have a very legitimate chance of qualifying for Euro 2020 if we win tomorrow regardless of what happens in the upcoming traditional qualifying. We could be looking at one off home games v Finland and then Norway/Serbia to qualify. I’d be hoping Serbia maybe get there automatically as they are useful but this is a golden opportunity make no mistake. In essence it could be 3 home wins (even if ET is required) against Israel, Finland and Norway/Serbia to get to a major tournament!  

It’s an absolutely massive match. 

Just a pity a lot of people don’t realise this and will sit at home tomorrow night. 

[Scotland Ever More]

6 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

It’s an absolutely massive match. 

Just a pity a lot of people don’t realise this and will sit at home tomorrow night. 

Agreed. Everyone who can make it should try and get along to support the team.

[magicTs]

18 minutes ago, McTeeko said:

So say that works out as you say, and it’s a Scotland v Serbia final - when do they draw the venue and how long after the semis is the final played?

 

The play off draw for all Nations Leagues is on 22nd November 2019 just 3 days after Euro qualifying ends and it is simply a case of drawing which one of the semi finals, say Scotland/Finland or Norway/Serbia will host so the countries involved will know well in advance of the games. 

The dates for the semi-finals of all Nations Leagues are Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th March 2020 and the finals Sunday 29th to Tuesday 31st March 2020. 

Edited November 19, 2018 by magicTs

[magicTs]

14 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

 

I doubt any League A teams will need a playoff. 

Hollland maybe, based on their recent qualifying record but that’s about it.

How Holland ended up in League A in the first place is a bit of a mystery right enough. 

 

I think Iceland are on their way back down.  

[magicTs]

Norway just completed their group. We now know for sure that a Scotland win tomorrow means we are the top ranked Nations League C team ensuring Hampden advantage in the one of semi final play off. This would definitely be against Finland assuming none of us, Norway, Serbia or Finland qualify automatically. 

Should we draw tomorrow we would be the next best finisher in Nations League Group C, behind the 4 group winners and in all likelihood have to play a play off away from home against a League B side. Not advisable! 

Of course all this is moot if we finish in the top 2 of our Euro qualifying group. 

Edited November 19, 2018 by magicTs

[Scotland Ever More]

In

10 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

The play off draw for all Nations Leagues is on 22nd November 2019 just 3 days after Euro qualifying ends and it is simply a case of drawing which one of the semi finals, say Scotland/Finland or Norway/Serbia will host so the countries involved will know well in advance of the games. 

The dates for the semi-finals of all Nations Leagues are Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th March 2020 and the finals Sunday 29th to Tuesday 31st March 2020. 

So does that mean, hypothetically, Serbia could be drawn to host the playoff final then loses their semi and it could be Norway v Scotland but in Serbia?

[PASTA Mick]

Based on League D results, it is a mathematical certainty that one of:

Georgia 🇬🇪
Belarus 🇧🇾
Kosovo 🇽🇰
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 
FYR Macedonia 🇲🇰

Will feature at Euro 2020. None of these teams has ever reached a European Finals as an independent nation.

[magicTs]

12 minutes ago, Scotland Ever More said:

In

So does that mean, hypothetically, Serbia could be drawn to host the playoff final then loses their semi and it could be Norway v Scotland but in Serbia?

No it will be winner of semi final A/B is at home to winner of semi final A/B. So either Scotland or Finland (semi final A) would be at home to either Norway or Serbia (semi final B ) or vice versa. If hypothetically we were to get the home draw we are basically 3 home wins over Israel, Finland and one of Norway/Serbia from Euro 2020!! 

Edited November 19, 2018 by magicTs

[weekevie04]

I believe IF we win tomorrow, we've guaranteed ourselves a home playoff IF we need that to qualify!

Norway 9pts (plus 5 goal difference)

Serbia 8pts (IF they beat Lithuania) 

Finland 6pts 

We are on 6pts with a plus 5 goal difference. 

Trying to not get too excited but IF IF IF Scotland just do it, just tomorrow, we'll have a playoff spot and a Hampden one too! 

[Texas Pete]

22 minutes ago, magicTs said:

 

I think Iceland are on their way back down.  

True but they’ve still got a decent chance of qualifying directly. They’ll be in pot 2 right enough. 

Its a pity they didn’t scrape into pot 1 as they would have been a great pot 1 team to get. 

[Redondo]

9 minutes ago, magicTs said:

Should we draw tomorrow we would be the next best finisher in Nations League Group C, behind the 4 group winners and in all likelihood have to play a play off away from home against a League B side. Not advisable! 

One slight twist.....I think if Romania win and Serbia only draw against Lithuania , both will finish on 12 points with Romania winning the Group on their head-to-head via away goals (assuming that's the criteria), and Serbia will have only gained 4 points off bottom team Lithuania, leaving them on net 8.  So Serbia not defo guaranteed yet to win group, and therefore us drawing and being on 7 points not guaranteeing us being next best finisher?  I think btw! 

[weekevie04]

2 minutes ago, PASTA Mick said:

Based on League D results, it is a mathematical certainty that one of:

Georgia 🇬🇪
Belarus 🇧🇾
Kosovo 🇽🇰
Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 
FYR Macedonia 🇲🇰

Will feature at Euro 2020. None of these teams has ever reached a European Finals as an independent nation.

Excellent.

I enjoyed Albania, Iceland at Euro 2016. 

Kosovo have been hugely impressive. Only started playing 'real' games 4 years ago. They have a huge diaspora to choose from, but they are on some run of form - last lost ironically a year ago to Iceland (who will not have won a game for a year soon).

Georgia have always looked a very decent side when I've seen their qualifiers against us or the Irish. Azerbaijan too. 

Roll on the Euros! 

[weekevie04]

2 minutes ago, Texas Pete said:

True but they’ve still got a decent chance of qualifying directly. They’ll be in pot 2 right enough. 

 Its a pity they didn’t scrape into pot 1 as they would have been a great pot 1 team to get. 

You'd imagine they'll probably get a playoff spot too considering the quality in League A. 

[Redondo]

8 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

Trying to not get too excited but IF IF IF Scotland just do it, just tomorrow, we'll have a playoff spot and a Hampden one too! 

So after all the gloom and doom, we "could" end up having the best record of all Group C teams!  

[Texas Pete]

3 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

I believe IF we win tomorrow, we've guaranteed ourselves a home playoff IF we need that to qualify!

Norway 9pts (plus 5 goal difference)

Serbia 8pts (IF they beat Lithuania) 

Finland 6pts 

We are on 6pts with a plus 5 goal difference. 

Trying to not get too excited but IF IF IF Scotland just do it, just tomorrow, we'll have a playoff spot and a Hampden one too! 

It’s hard not to get carried away isn’t it? I remember being excited before the Slovenia game last year and that went tits up.

We would have got murdered in a world cup playoff as well if we had made it. This time we have a real chance. 

I don’t want to bring you down or anything but remember we would need to beat two teams in the playoffs and only the first match would be guaranteed to be at home. 

[Texas Pete]

6 minutes ago, weekevie04 said:

You'd imagine they'll probably get a playoff spot too considering the quality in League A. 

They’re pretty much guaranteed a playoff spot unless something amazing happens. 

All League A and League B teams are more or less guaranteed a playoff if they need one. 

[magicTs]

11 minutes ago, Redondo said:

One slight twist.....I think if Romania win and Serbia only draw against Lithuania , both will finish on 12 points with Romania winning the Group on their head-to-head via away goals (assuming that's the criteria), and Serbia will have only gained 4 points off bottom team Lithuania, leaving them on net 8.  So Serbia not defo guaranteed yet to win group, and therefore us drawing and being on 7 points not guaranteeing us being next best finisher?  I think btw! 

 

You are actually spot on! I doubt very much Serbia don’t beat Lithuania at home but should we be winning I wouldn’t mind seeing Romania pip them for the top spot.