quote:
The 48 teams will be divided into 16 groups of three. The top two teams in each group will progress to a new knock-out phase of 32. It means that 16 teams will go home after playing just two matches, and critics have argued that a format featuring groups comprised of three teams is likely to be very unbalanced.

There is also, some say, a significant disadvantage to being the team that does not feature in the opening group game. Sixteen countries will start their campaigns against a team who have already played. If that team won their opening game they will know they only need a point to progress. If they lost it, they know they need a win to stand any chance of avoiding elimination. Both suggest a very different approach to a game where both teams start on zero points.

Supporters of expansion say the strength of the format is that while it adds 16 extra teams, it adds only 16 extra matches, and barely impacts the number of days it takes to play the tournament. The two teams who reach the final will have still played six matches to get there, as they currently do. In effect, 32 teams are still guaranteed to have at least three matches in the competition, which is what happens in the current 32 team format.

What are your thoughts on the change from 32 to 48? I searched and didn't see a discussion. I can see the issues with the initial group stage. I'm trying to play out all the scenarios in my head on what could happen with a 3 team group...Finishing with a loss and a tie, or what if all three teams tie 0-0? I heard they may require shootouts in group stage to address this. There's also fears of collusion because there can't be simultaneous games in the last match of group play like in the current 4 team format.

3 ...

Report Post

Posted by etm512

Mandeville, LA

Member since Aug 2005

21001 posts

Posted on 6/13/18 at 9:50 am to SUB

quote:
What are your thoughts on the change from 32 to 48?

Unnecessary but it could be done better. The problem is

quote:
3 team group

Just incredibly stupid. A 2 game group stage is asinine. Also as you mentioned the final game in the group stage not happening at the same time just opens the door to all kinds of issues.

If they had to go to 48 teams, should have been 12 groups of 4. Top 2 advance from each group and the best 8 3rd place teams advance. This could be done by simply taking the 8 highest point totals from the 3rd place teams. Or they could have done something like in UEFA WCQ where they don't count the points earned against the worst teams in each group for the third place teams and judge them on their 2 games against the top 2.

1 ...

Report Post

Posted by Broski

Member since Jun 2011

79467 posts

Posted on 6/13/18 at 10:15 am to SUB

32 teams was perfect, and they messed up something perfect

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by SUB

Silver Tier TD Premium

Member since Jan 2009

24913 posts

Posted on 6/13/18 at 10:27 am to etm512

quote:
If they had to go to 48 teams, should have been 12 groups of 4.

Argument against that is the quantity and quality of games. They wanted to keep the finalists level at playing 7 total games, but having 12 groups of 4, then a 32 team knockout round would add an additional game. There would probably be a lot of blowouts as well in group stage with 12 groups of 4 with the injection of 16 inferior teams.

I'm with you though. Just allow a little more time for the whole event and 1 extra game shouldn't be a big deal.

This post was edited on 6/13/18 at 10:29 am

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by RockChalkTiger

A Little Bit South of Saskatoon

Member since May 2009

11060 posts

Posted on 6/13/18 at 11:57 am to SUB

Easy mercy killings for the 16 teams that do not really belong, essentially warm-up matches for the Round of 32 (the real tournament) while still allowing for the possibility of a Cinderella or two. No issues.

Page 1