Impact of Nations Leagues (UEFA original, Concacaf) on World Football? [Multiple R]

If league A and B had 4 team groups, it would leave group D with only 7 teams. Then you surely couldn’t have a league D team qualify for the Euros (not necessarily a bad thing)

 

So the best second-place team would go to the playoffs? Hmm.. that would be a bit messy/unfair. Also the promotion/relegation between leagues B and C would be awkward since one league would have 3 groups and the other has 4 groups. Unless you reduce the # of teams in league C, but that would mean we have 5 leagues.
{ Just highlighting that it would create alot of changes to the format and structure of thr NL besides merely the # of games teams play.}

 

I haven't seen anyone having issues with some groups having 3 and some having 4.

As @BocaFan noted it would make for a lot of structural issues with the competition that would be quite difficult to fix.

I'll also note that it wouldn't be popular to eliminate friendlies almost completely for the best UEFA teams.

 

Good

 

I am still a fan of the NL, but I have to admit that its existence took away some of the meaning of these Euro 2020 qualifiers that took place this week. Granted the qualifying just started, and Euro 2016 qualifying was like watching paint dry for the most part. But we did have that fascinating race in group A four years ago (i.e. Czech, Turkey, Netherlands, Iceland group). Even if something similar happens again, say with Portugal - who are off to bumpy start - we know in the back of our head that they'll have a second crack at qualifying in a 4-team playoff that will, frankly, be quite weak apart from whatever top-rated team that might've screwed-up the first-phase of qualifying (e.g. Portugal, Iceland, Montenegro, Israel).

Thoughts?

 

I was thinking the same thing while watching the Portuguese and their couple of flat results. Knowing they have a backdoor as a lifeline does make it a tiny bit less exciting.

That said, I want to see the best / talented teams in the tournament as a true neutral with no dog in the fight so the more chances for teams that just happen to stub their toe on bunkering defensive teams the better in my opinion.

 

But that backdor are two win-or-go-home matches. It would be crazy to say "fu*k this, we have another way to qualify" and I am sure none of the teams think that way. Take a look at Macedonia - they assured playoffs, but they started better than ever before (I am sure about this, although I did not check).

 

No one is saying that, It is just not as exciting to know that even if a team does not finish top 2 they can still qualify.

 

The 3 teams format gives groups in which each match is relevant for winning it.
In a 4 teams group a couple of matches become irrelevant.

 

https://www.11v11.com/teams/england/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Netherlands/

 

I am very interested in seeing what happens in this tournament. Not necessarily who wins it but if the fans of the winner will celebrate it like it was some sort of major tournament.
Although I can pretty much pencil in if Portugal wins it the fans will probably go crazy in the streets due to it being in Portugal.

I would like to see what happens if any of the other teams wins it. It will be unique.

 

Probably. Unless we get some fluke year with a bunch of teams that dont travel well. And even then I don't see a scenario where they would change it back to a home team.

 

Portugal hasn't succeeded on the biggest stage. In World Cup 2006, they won all three Group Stage games and lost to France in the Semifinals. In the last three World Cups, they had 5 points and finished second in their group and lost in the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2018, and had 4 points and were third behind Germany and USA in 2014. Sweden won as many games in World Cup 2018 as Portugal won in the last three combined.

Edit: Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have ever scored in a World Cup Knockout Round.

 

Didn't watch, but Portugal just beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the inaugural Nations League final.

This gives Portugal only its second senior international title of any sort. And for trivia junkies, this also makes it the first team in any confederation to hold both the relevant continental championship and nations league title at the same time. A dubious distinction, since this is the first nations league that has ever been completed up to this point, but true nonetheless.