There was non-stop rain for like a week in the greater Buenos Aires area and La Plata is hosting not one but two groups. This is the result... The pitch of the Santiago del Estero venue is also in poor condition due to the rain, eg. Argentina v Uzbekistan was played under a torrential downpour (which is VERY unusual in that region of the country, this competition has been really unlucky weather-wise).
oh boy so we could get either New Zealand or Nigeria Yeah one beat Italy and the other couldn't beat Uzbekistan, you know who I want....
Italy got cocky right away then was taught a lesson by Nigeria. I missed today's game but if they didn't beat DR, they didn't deserve the second round. USA now plays New Zealand who lost 5-0 to Argentina... https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/wa..._highlights)(l_)(ch_)(cc_2min)&pid=(p_go-box)
That means, if Tunisia W/T or L to Uruguay less than 3 goal, or France and Honduras do not end with T, then Japan is out. If Japan out, USA will face New Zealand in the knockout stage. It’s based on the image
Senegal totally outplayed Colombia and they are out while Colombia wins the group. 10 men Israel scores in overtime on Japan and they are in and great looking Japan is out. Youth soccer is exciting.
That was an interesting group. Prognosticators looked at Israel as a certain 4th place team, their version of Fiji. I saw highlights of Colombia-Israel and realized that Israel was a decent side. Japan is so unlucky to not go through. Their passing and overall technical ability is always fun to watch.
Also now the Wikipedia page is updated and highlights the possible scenarios still left https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_FIFA_U-20_World_Cup#knockout_stage
Israel is decent, and Colombia is mediocre team with a good keeper, Senegal has plenty of talent upfront, but the keeper was poor.
Thanks, it matches my calculation. The 1st scenario (3rd places of ABCD groups advance) can hardly happen, the condition is what I expressed in the last post.
If ANY of this happens, we get NZ In GROUP E A tie in the Uruguay - Tunisia game. OR a Tunisia loss by 2 goals or less. OR a Uruguay loss by 3 goals or less. OR Iraq beats England by 7 goals (lol). IN Group F Any Honduras win against France. OR a France win by two goals against Honduras.
France vs Honduras match can determine our opponent as well (should I believe the traditional supper power team?). And like I mentioned, we are 99% likely get New Zealand.
Because past results are used to determine the pots we should win to get into pot 1 for 2025! Well unless…
I can only imagine how those poor Senegal players feel. They outplayed pretty much all 3 opponents but choked away a win in the finale that would've guaranteed a knockout round ticket. Just unbelievably brutal. Could be to our benefit but good lord man was that ever brutal.
True, but the weak keeper, and Colombian might be the tournament MVP so far. So the whole group got turned upside down.
No one looked at Israel like Fiji. That’s an absurd comparison, Israel was just in the final against England at the youth euros last summer (albeit Gloukh isn’t here but still).
When good things go bad: injury time goal against Slovakia keeps them out and puts France in on goal difference and shuffles the 3rd place teams so the US gets Nigeria.
Yeah, I'm confused about that Israel line, I can only imagine the poster didn't dig under the hood which is understandable, UEFA's qualification system is a long and very winding road, but this is what Israel Did to qualify: Stage 1: Beat Cyprus 1-0 Beat Moldova 6-0 Thrashed by Netherlands 4-1 Advance via 2nd place Group Ticket to Elite Stage. Elite Stage 2: Tied Hungry 0-0 Beat Turkey 3-1 Beat Scotland 1-0 Advanced as group Winner to Final stage. Final Stage: Tied Serbia 2-2 (gave up 93rd minute goal) Beat Austria 4-2 Lose to England 1-0 Advance to U20 World Cup U19 Semifinals: Beat France 2-1 U19 Final: Lose to England AET 3-1 (tied in regulation 1-1) They didn't beat a lot of great teams, lets be fair, but they played and beat all the 2nd and 3rd tier teams they played beyond Hungry and Serbia who they tied, and they beat France, and took England (who beat the ever living ---- out of us 2 months ago) to extra time in the U19 Final, after having lost to them 1-0 on a 6th minute goal in the group stage. Israel was, based on the results, probably the 3rd or 4th best UEFA side in the tournament and clearly a top 10-15 side in the tourney that got thrown in the group of death and managed to survive it on a bit of a miracle comeback. They're legit good.
The important thing ( for us) is c NOT advancing. A France win by 3 has them leapfrog Japan. We still play New Zealand. There are some weird scenarios where it could go to card accumulation. Uruguay win by 3 and France win by one. ( I think). So I don’t know what would happen then.
I thought I saw New Zealand as done deal yesterday but I guess not. Either way, whomever the USA draw, it won’t be an easy game. The Americans are stil underdogs and considered inferior in the eyes of the world when it come to the game so hopefully they get luck going their way. As famed Italian , Milan coach Nereo Rocco once said after being asked ‘may the best team win’….. “ I hope not”! “Let’s hope we win”!