Euro: UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying
- Thread starter HajdukSplit
- Start date
- Status
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
Norway have to go thru the Nations league way, and Denmark have to get away with minimum a draw in Dublin on monday before any of them qualify.
Savi
Registered User
Bakayoko Ono
Registered User
This is why God created those air-supported domes, snowplows and under-soil heating systems.
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 17,592
- 17,489
And Portugal. And all three have more than double the population that Uruguay has.Same as Belgium
AB13
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2019
- 6,998
- 2,605
Only top academy clubs have regular access to the indoor domes during the winter, and playing on ice for four months a year is impossible, destroys the artificial grass.
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
Uruguay has to be the most impressive considering population, but isn’t football the undisputed #1 there? Sweden has icehockey and handball, and a good chunk of wintersports to compete with.
Not sure if Belgium has any other sports that football competes with? Maybe field hockey?
Another country that is impressive is Croatia, with only 4 mill.
and if Denmark qualify, would also be, with only 5.7.
And both Denmark and Croatia have several other sports that football competes with.
AB13
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2019
- 6,998
- 2,605
Portugal, Uruguay and Belgium don't have impossible playing conditions for more than 3 months a year though.
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
Tbf, they are not impossible in the south of Sweden, where football is more popular..
South Sweden also has a higher population than the north, no?
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 17,592
- 17,489
Historically it’s hard to argue vs Uruguay with their 2 world cups, 2 world championships and 15 Copa America titles.
More recently I would say Portugal too. Since 2000 in 10 major tournaments available to them they’ve made 5 semi finals including 2 finals and 1 tournament win. It’s a record that many of the major powers with 4-5+ times their population can’t boast. They, along with France, Germany and Spain are also the only European teams to qualify for every single tournament since the 2000s started.
Croatia is definitely in the same category of of a very small country punching far above their weight and competing with and even besting many countries perceived to be bigger footballing powers.
AB13
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2019
- 6,998
- 2,605
Yes that it true, but only about two million or so live in an area where they can play outdoor football all year long.
Hasn't Denmark won handball world and European championships more than once? Can't be bothered to check that out myself.
Yet, I guess that in their sporting history nothing surpasses the Euro 1992 victory.
Yet, I guess that in their sporting history nothing surpasses the Euro 1992 victory.
ChicagoBullsFan
Registered User
No and never won't be.
So long Finland producing NHL players and our national team wins medals IIHF tournaments
soccer and basketball won't become a threat of hockey in Finland.
Savi
Registered User
Football is the undisputed #1
Cycling and cyclocross are really the only other sports which get the same national attention football does because those are hardcoded into Belgian culture. I'm one of the rare Belgians that doesn't give a shit about cycling
Field hockey is at a high right now because of our current 'golden generation' mens national team. Similar as to when tennis was very popular when Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were racking up Grand Slams
Basketball, volleyball and athletics are pretty popular as well
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
Tell me about it, my wifes’ family are hardcore Danes, and love cycling. When I first moved here, I found it super odd, that the whole of July is just Tour de France on 2 or 3 Danish channels - Plus every newspaper is all about it aswell.Football is the undisputed #1
Cycling and cyclocross are really the only other sports which get the same national attention football does because those are hardcoded into Belgian culture. I'm one of the rare Belgians that doesn't give a **** about cycling
Field hockey is at a high right now because of our current 'golden generation' mens national team. Similar as to when tennis was very popular when Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were racking up Grand Slams
Basketball, volleyball and athletics are pretty popular as well
But back to football, Belgium have a good thing going, very impressed with how many high caliber talents you have churned out the last deacade or so - Guessing it is the product of the red line project? If that is even the name.
Last edited:
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
They have won 2 Euro golds, 1 silver and 3 bronze since 2002.
They won olympic gold in 2016.
They won their first WC this year, and have 3 silver and 1 bronze in the WC.
They are current world and olympic champions.
Yes, the 1992 Euros’ was big, but most Danes are most proud of the team in the 80s, that took the world by storm, with how they played.
Danish football did not allow pros’ to play for the NT untill the 70s
But the Danes are also proud of Tom K, all time Le Mans winner and their rowing medals.
Last edited:
AstrophysicalJet
Registered User
That was a very tight group, where Yugo finished 1pt ahead of Denmark in the Qual.
Yugo beat Denmark in Denmark, and Denmark beat Yugo in Yugo - Both had 1 loss, and that was to each other. The Danes lost out because they also had a draw, and the Yugos’ did not.
None the less, in my book it is even more impressive winning when not even qualified with a bunch of players who had not trained for some time, and without their biggest star in Michael Laudrup, who had a falling out with the coach.
Most Danes however expected more out of the 1986 WC team that beat Uruguay 6-1 but then lost 4-1 to Spain in the knockout stage due to some bad luck and costly mistakes.
Last edited:
I guess there are similarities there in that respect as the current Finnish team even though everyone is happy they finally made it is not as impressive as the team of the late 90s and early 2000s when Litmanen, Hyypiä etc were still active but they never qualified but gave hell of a fright in qualifications against England, Germany, Holland etc.
Didn't even qualify has to be put in perspective though. It was an 8 team Euro not 16 or 24...
And then they beat the current Euro and World Champs to win the Euro...
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 17,592
- 17,489
True. Very difficult back then. Qualification to the tournament proper was virtually a birth in the semi finals.
The chances of Iceland being in the playoffs are about 99.99%, so yeah, I guess you could call them "good".
Germany are 8/1 to win the Euros, and Belgium are 13/2. They are both clearly ahead of Portugal, who are 12/1. Belgium are ranked 3rd, which means leaving them out your tier 2 is an interesting take.
Jussi
Registered User
- Status
