World Cup: National Team threads #2

[cgf]

I disagree on a couple of those being a consistently better option and there are probably ways to include others of that grouping e.g. ditch Sanabry) in the same lineup if playing him.

We could accommodate Müller at the cost of better players, but why would we want to?

 

[KlausJopling]

FIFA orders Mexico to forfeit Zendejas matches

Mexico has been ordered to forfeit a pair of friendlies and fined $10,900 by FIFA for using American forward Alejandro Zendejas.

www.espn.com

End (or almost the end) of a weird story.

Zendejas played to the US U-17 team at the 2015 U-17 Word Cup. He then played for the Mexico U23 team and full team in friendlies in 2021 and spring of 2022. Most assumed this meant he had filed his one-time switch to Mexico (since it was required to play in these games). Then last fall he was called up to Mexico team again but rejected. He says because they were requiring him to sign a paper that he would only play for Mexico. So, it seems like Mexico eventually caught the issue of never having him file the one-time switch and were getting him to do it then. This led to reporting on the story in both Mexico and US which seems to have led to FIFA actually realizing he played a few games without being eligible (no official comp games).

He has now been called up to the US team for the January team.

 

[HajdukSplit]

UEFA Nations League Final Four draw was made today:
Netherlands vs. Croatia (Rotterdam)
Spain vs. Italy (Enschede)

Matches will be played June 14/15 with the final between the two winners on the 18th in Rotterdam (the stadiums in Amsterdam and Eindhoven were already pre-booked with concerts)

UEFA also announced some changes for 2024-onwards
- The Nations League will include a quarterfinal round now, basically the top two teams in League A will move on to this stage, play a two-leg match to determine the Final Four. There will also be more opportunities for League B teams to promoted, as runners-up will be involved in some sort of playoff
- For the 2026 World Cup and onwards, UEFA will have 12 qualifying groups rather than the traditional 9-10; groups will be 4 or 5 teams, however the format will roughly be the same, group winners qualify automatically while the remaining spots will be decided by playoffs/NL results

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Brahim Diaz switches allegiance to Morocco. Will play in March.

 

[Jussi]

Varane retires from international football:

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Varane retires from international football:

Delete

 

[robertmac43]

 

[mmk786]

Interesting.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Not sure where to put this but huge news

 

[Eye of Ra]

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Champs are back.
Everyone got a call up… waiting for mine.

 

[Power Man]

Everyone got a call up… waiting for mine.

lol

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

lol

I mean what in the world is Perrone doing there loool

I hope scaloni plays the WC squad in the first game and then drops all of the for the 2nd. Everyone takes part you celebrate the winning players and lock down Garnacho. Win win win

 

[Power Man]

I mean what in the world is Perrone doing there loool

I hope scaloni plays the WC squad in the first game and then drops all of the for the 2nd. Everyone takes part you celebrate the winning players and lock down Garnacho. Win win win

Yeah I was surprised to see Perrone I doubt he will play any game during that break

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Andrey Santos got called up to the Brazil squad, which rocks.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Yeah I was surprised to see Perrone I doubt he will play any game during that break

Or just in general. I get why their called up tho it’s good for the future

 

[luiginb]

Some guys here were laughing at me when I said Borini should be called up for Italy, but then Mancini just announced his pre-squad with a striker from the Romanian league... Italy's center forward situation is that dire!

 

[cgf]

Kicker is reporting that Mitchell Weiser is exploring a switch to the Algerian NT and could run out for them at the end of the month.

EDIT:
Weiser has confirmed that he's in the process of getting an Algerian passport and is excited for the adventure.

 

[Savi]

Toby Alderweireld has retired from the Belgian NT. A bit surprising since from all the "old" guys I would have seen him as most likely to continue. He even said after the WC he would play on as long as he got called up.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Argentina getting raided by Italy.

Zapelli is hyped too. So this is disappointing.

 

[Evilo]

Maybe Italians will stop saying the French are team Africa.
No they won't.

 

[cgf]

Müller & Neuer are officially not being nominated for the next NT matches, with Kai & MAtS taking their spots. Don’t think Mouki or Adeyemi will recover in time, so could be time we see:

Havertz
Sane - Musiala - Wirtz​

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Müller & Neuer are officially not being nominated for the next NT matches, with Kai & MAtS taking their spots. Don’t think Mouki or Adeyemi will recover in time, so could be time we see:

Havertz
Sane - Musiala - Wirtz​

Wirtz as a winger eh?

 

[cgf]

Wirtz as a winger eh?

It would be a super fluid group, but 2 of those 4 would need to play on the wings. Sane is an easy pick for one of those wide spots, and Kai’s the best of that quartet to play as the false 9.

So that means one of Musiala or Wirtz at the 10 with the other outwide…and Musiala has been playing predominantly as a 10 or 8 for Bayern, whereas Wirtz is plying as part of a front three for Bayer.

Which is why I put Musiala in the middle and Wirtz outwide, but again, it would be very fluid and they’d be free to swap around since both can be dangerous from wide & central areas.

 

[John Price]