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Here’s the groups for easy reference if you missed the WC 2022 draw… Still need to slot in the playoff spots.

GROUP A
Qatar
Ecuador
Senegal
Netherlands

GROUP B
England
Iran
United States
European Playoff (Wales vs. Ukraine/Scotland)

GROUP C
Argentina
Saudi Arabia
Mexico
Poland

GROUP D
France
Intercontinental Playoff 1 (Peru vs. UAE/Australia)
Tunisia
Denmark

GROUP E
Spain
Intercontinental Playoff 2 (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)
Germany
Japan

GROUP F
Belgium
Canada
Morocco
Croatia

GROUP G
Brazil
Serbia
Switzerland
Cameroon

GROUP H
Portugal
Ghana
Uruguay
Korea Republic

    loopdokter how are you feeling about Belgium and Croatia? Tough group! Surely no expectations?

    Canada got quite a good draw if you ask me.

    Canada vs. Belgium
    Belgium are obviously the biggest threat in this group. They’re the first proper top 5 FIFA ranked team we’ll have played in ages and this will be the acid test of how good our squad really is (or isn’t?). I’m actually really excited to see how well or we perform against Belgium, considering we’re on the upswing of our Golden Generation and they’re on the tail end of theirs. Belgium have seriously under-performed at tournaments considering the wealth of talent they have. Part of me wonders if they’re suffering from the same thing the English did in the late 1990s and 2000s where the pitch wasn’t big enough to contain the egos. Belgium win this one - but just - 2-1.

    Canada vs. Croatia
    Croatia are aging, but they tend to perform well in major tournaments. I like our chances against them, but not sure if we’ll win. I’m guessing a draw in the range of 1-1 - maybe 2-2. I see Croatia really struggling with our pace on counter-attacks seeing as we’ve probably got some of the fastest attacking players in the entire world. There’s also another added layer of intensity because several players who play on the same club sides like Beşiktaş (Cyle Larin, Atiba Hutchenson provided he stays fit at 39, Domagoj Vida) and Lille (Jonathan David, Ivo Grbić) will be playing against each other. Canada’s #1 keeper, Milan Borjan was born and partially raised in Serbia and plays there too, so there will be a big push for him to perform well against Croatia. In addition, my next door neighbours emigrated from Croatia in the 1980s, so it will be fun ribbing them a bit if Canada win.

    Canada vs. Morocco
    I think Morocco have it tough with this one. This is our ‘bye’ game and is where we need to to make up things on goal differential. We have to absolutely pump Morocco and I think we will. The Atlas Lions have been pretty solid in the lead up to their qualification, but I see our style of play dominating theirs. 3-1 Canada.

    If we get out of this group, it will be on goal differential and probably come down to the wire. I like our chances against Croatia and Morocco, but I’m not sure we’re quite good enough to beat Croatia outright yet. Belgium are my biggest concern and we’re going to have to every player defend, defend, defend and catch them out on quick counter attacks - of which we’re very capable with our pacy wingers and strikers.

    I can’t fucking wait for this!

      loopdokter the eternal optimist! You could pass as English 👍 Good luck to your boys, but can see you getting whalloped by both Belgium and Croatia. Peresic is still a weapon and Modric is somehow still of fire.

        loopdokter
        A solid 4th place coming up!

        Plucky 3rd if you’re lucky.

        Enjoy the ride brother

        Unbroken1

        Consett actually. …But Geordie enough. Beth Priestman, who’s now in charge of the women’s team and is an understudy of Herdman, is also from Consett. They know each other from back in the UK. 😄

        He’s a fucking legend. He’s an amazing tactician and motivator and has done more for the beautiful game in this country than anyone else that I can think of. First it was the women’s side and now the men. He’s managed to get players who were about to play with traditionally much better sides to be capped by Canada.

        Literally the games are now outdrawing hockey in terms of attendance and viewership. We’re finally a footballing nation!

          Loopster already predicted they’ll get through the group stage, without even knowing the make-up of the actual group at the time, which is quite the bravado considering they’ve not qualified for a WC in over three decades.

            ScottBailey the eternal optimist! You could pass as English 👍 Good luck to your boys, but can see you getting whalloped by both Belgium and Croatia. Peresic is still a weapon and Modric is somehow still of fire.

            If I were English I’d say we’d be going out on penalties - again! 😆

            I don’t think we’re going to get slapped back into the Stone Age by Croatia, although I do accept that we might take a good kicking from Belgium - but I still think we’ll be competitive in the group.

            The one advantage I have over the Europeans on here is that I’ve seen Canada play in person in World Cup Qualifiers and also nearly every game they’ve played in the final rounds - along with the build up over the past four years. You guys as far as I’m aware wouldn’t have had their games televised, whereas the European, South American and African games were televised here.

            I’m a football junkie. I watch loads, play, ref and for a long time I didn’t believe because of how shit we’ve been for so long. John Herdman said we were going to qualify for the World Cup in 2018 when he was hired and the press nearly laughed him out of the room. I firmly believe now.

            If we can beat Mexico and draw with them at the Azteca in Mexico City, we are good enough to beat or draw Croatia.

            I understand the hesitancy in believing, but the US also ranks higher than Croatia in FIFA (which I’m aware can be contentious) and we also drew with them in the US and beat them - without our best player in Alphonso Davies.

            Another thing worth considering is that last year we scored the most goals of any team in FIFA and jumped the highest amount in rankings over any country as well. We also had to play the largest number of games to get to Qatar as well and STILL finished atop of CONCACAF and only lost two games in the entire process.

              Unbroken1 …FFS 😆, lifelong Toon fan, he’s a Geordie alright.

              Hehe. At this point he could be Scouse for all I care considering all he’s done for us. I think you missed the cheek of my reply. When you listen to him talk it’s pretty bloody obvious!

              Echo Loopster already predicted they’ll get through the group stage, without even knowing the make-up of the actual group at the time, which is quite the bravado considering they’ve not qualified for a WC in over three decades.

              Eh? In this thread? I don’t recall having said that personally but don’t deny that may have sounded like something that would have come out of my mouth whilst riding the high of our success! Haha.

              • Echo replied to this.

                2022 World Cup Participants (Ordered based on world rankings)
                FIFA ranking Team Odds to win
                1 Brazil +500
                2 Belgium +1100
                3 France +650
                4 Argentina +1100
                5 England +700
                7 Spain +750
                8 Portugal +1200
                9 Mexico +10000
                10 Netherlands +1600
                11 Denmark +2800
                12 Germany +900
                13 Uruguay +5000
                14 Switzerland +8000
                15 United States +10000
                16 Croatia +5000
                18 Wales (playoff) +20000
                20 Senegal +10000
                21 Iran +35000
                22 Peru (playoff) +25000
                23 Japan +20000
                24 Morocco +20000
                25 Serbia +8000
                26 Poland +10000
                27 Ukraine (playoff) +15000
                29 South Korea +25000
                31 Costa Rica (playoff) +100000
                35 Tunisia +25000
                37 Cameroon +20000
                38 Canada +25000
                39 Scotland (playoff) +35000
                42 Australia (playoff) +40000
                46 Ecuador +20000
                49 Saudi Arabia +50000
                51 Qatar +20000
                60 Ghana +20000
                101 New Zealand (playoff) +100000

                loopdokter

                loopdokter We’ll see what the groups are like next Friday, but I honestly feel we can get out of the group stage with the way we’ve been playing

                  Echo

                  It’s semantics, but feeling like and actually saying we will are quite different to me.

                  That’s fine. I’ll roll with it. I’m not walking back my stance! I have faith in this side. The hard work WILL pay off.

                  I predict we’ll score pur fist goal, win our first game and get out of our group too. So there. Last time in 1986 we did none of these things and I know Herdman is very competent at making our lads hungry to achieve.

                    loopdokter Please explain to me the North American way of stating odds in hundreds. Brazil’s odds are 5-1 right? Is it to avoid fraction calculations like those in European odds? (5-2, 11-4 etc etc)?

                      vinnyt77 it’s in relevance of a fraction, so 50,000 chances to 1 that they will do x. Don’t quote me on that because I don’t bet on sports based upon odds or really at all, but that’s my understanding.

                        The board must be happy that I’ve brought Loopstick back to our warm bosom.

                        Who would have thought it would only take Canada to qualify and we have our very own Richard Keys spilling his football knowledge all over the board like vomit over Romford High Road on a Friday night