most people here agree with you - i dont - but also most people here are sheep and think NZ football helps Australia when it is very much the otherway around by allowing the nix in the AL 

we spend money and resources on NZ football and get ZERO back the NZ FA and NZ government dont care about football and are happy to milk us they dont deserve world cups at least the CR fans turned up and showed passion 

Here I was about to post about this thread being a bit of a 'Hot Take'. 

Wow Japan! Beating Germany AND Spain in the group stages to top their group cannot be understated. That is absolutely massive for Asian football! 

Honestly, most people care less than you think. Why be so insecure about NZ? We do benefit indirectly from having them in the World Cup, with more A-League players getting exposure at the top, potential bump in Phoenix support etc. But I doubt it's the first thing on Aussie minds when looking at Costa Rica's performances. 

im not insecure i dont support a nation that i have no affiliation with it like ppl here....i dare say you are pretty insecure if you simply cant say 'fair enough' agree to disagree 

i support Australia and and Australia football the NZ FA milk it thus i am against it, dont think NZ FA or NZ sky care about football at all and are happy for Australia to constantly foot the bill - that is not being insecure im sorry people just dont understand or simply refuse to understand that fact 

but ill end it to this you're allowed your opinion lets just agree to disagree 

Sure, let's leave it at that.

Great result from Japan! Hopefully Korea can pull a rabbit out of the hat, too. 

Pretty sure Quickflick spent months telling us how good Canada are and how horrible we are aha
Yeah, gloating is gross

How much of these conversations are influenced by which clubs the individual players are playing at Vs how good the team performs. 

I know that Canada had a very successful qualifying campaign, but so much of the conversation I have heard re: Canada is Alphonso Davies plays for Bayern ergo Canada are amazing.

To put things in perspective Wellington Phoenix received $950,000 from Sport NZ in 2020 to keep it afloat. That money was from NZ not
Australia.

It is a franchisee. The franchisor distributes funds to its franchisees of which Wellington Phoenix is one and as such it is entitled to that distribution.

I get you have an intense dislike for the Kiwis but it would be inequitable for it to receive less than the other franchisees.

That was enormous by Japan, to come back from a 1-0 HT deficit against top European teams, not once, but twice!
And that first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, that is the most intense, frantic pressing I have ever seen in my life!  Spain didn't know what hit them.

Both Japan & Australia have progressed through to the Round of 16 playing counter-attacking football and giving up large amounts of possession. 

I'm not going to come on here and say possession is overrated, but what I will say is playing to your strengths is extremely UNDERRATED. 

For decades in the big tournaments, weaker teams have relied on counter-attacking football to get results against stronger teams.

In the case of Japan, I would differentiate slightly.  Twice they went behind against a strong nation - so you can't rely entirely on counter-attacking under those circumstances.

They did the identical thing on both games - for the start of the 2nd half, with subs, did an opening 10 minute salvo of manic, intense pressing, the likes of which you rarely see anywhere. Looking back, it's pure genius, because the winning team is comfortable for the start of the 2nd half, they are going to play like normal, play from the back, etc, etc - so Japan goes bang!  try playing  from the back now!   quality opponent caught on the hop, momentarily bewildered, before they know what's going on, they are 2-1 down.

Quickly got the two goals...THEN they went counter-attacking.

So it's partly playing to your strengths, but also, it's partly knowing your opponent.

This is what I've been trying to tell you about your gloating rage posts for so long :D

Yep!

I even agree with many of Davstar's points but it's counterproductive to exagerrate - South Korea are not out yet, just like Japan weren't out. Why is it 'dumb' to say that? Japan at least had it all in their own hands, so I admit it's a tall ask for SK. 

 

I think Asia is underrated in terms of how well countries tend to perform at World Cups.
Most people would put Africa third, due to there generally being stars from Euro clubs, but they usually tend to implode a bit. Glad to see Senegal and Morocco go through.
CONCACAF is too focused on Mexico/USA for them to be considered I think. You could say the same about South America, but usually those below Argentina/Brazil perform well, and also give those two a run locally.
Using that theory though, I would then put Africa above Asia, with the case in point being, who would have qualified for this World Cup if they did indeed make 2022 edition 48 teams

Extra qualifiers this world cup would have been:
UEFA: Ukraine, North Macedonia, Sweden
OFC: New Zealand
CONMEBOL: Peru, Colombia
CONCACAF: Panama, Jamaica
AFC: UAE, Iraq/Oman (the other to intercontinentals)
CAF: 4 of Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Mali, DR Congo (the fifth goes to intercontinentals)
Intercontinental Playoffs (2 of these qualify)
Solomon Islands
Chile
Honduras
5th extra CAF qualifier (above)
Iraq/Oman
Syria/China

ill hold my hand up i was wrong on that one you can hammer me on this - always happy to be wrong when it comes to a good outcome 

we got two teams to the next round, Africa also have 2 teams in the next round, CONCOCAF has 1, South America has 2 as it stands 

if anything South America might bit slightly over-rated Ecuador, Argentina and Uruguay have all performed 'below' the expected level. Also a South American nation has not won a world cup in 20 years   

Aha but maybe hold off on saying things like "lmao fuck some people are dumb" when they disagree with you ;)

never football is about passion we need more people making outrage claims on this forum not less - otherwise you end up just circle jerking 

Fuck you're dumb
There you go :)

now you get it ;P 

:heart:

You santimonious bastar, ;)

Pleaae lend me a hanky to wipe the Japanese egg rice off my face.

bastard*

I think it's helpful to ask what we mean by "underrated".

Do we mean, top-class teams underestimate Asian teams? Then, yep, Asia is underrated. Some Asian teams have outstanding tactical organisation, high football IQ (as a group), consistently good footballers across thw park and some technically-sublime (and athletic) players. Japan is probably the best ecample. And now they've beaten both Germany and Spain at the Wrld Cup in the space of a week or so.

I, also, underestimated just how good Japan is. I thought they were very good. But I wouldn't have picked them to beat both Germany and Spain

Do we mean Asia is (relatively) stronger than other confederations and/or more difficult to qualify for the World Cup through?

On this point, I stand by what I said earlier (but I can still be proven wrong if Asian team(s) continue to win deep in the tournament).

I'll be shouted down here but oh well.

I think Asia is about as strong as North America. Even the results so far at this tournament) don't exactly contradict that idea (and remember Asia has home advantage plus familiarity with conditions).

The difference is that Asia gets one spot more than North America.

Asia has broached another international gap and is now a formidable opponent on the international stage.

Insofar NZ's financial contribution to the A-League is simple. TV owners, sponsors and advertisers see it as an additional market and they pay more for it through the TV rights that go to Australia. 

I probably 'agree' but i 'dont' think Africa as a 'confederation' is better then Asia or CONCOCAF either - i think they are over-rated because they often have a 'few stars' that come out of the confederation usually do to their 'close' ties with France. 

last world cup not a single African team made it out of the group this one they are 'fairing' much better with 2 probably 3 teams likely to make it but chances are none of there nations will come close to winning the world cup - of course i could be wrong but i feel like African football has 'not really' improved since 2010 in which Ghana went on that Solid run to the 1/4 finals

Japan, Mexico, Korea and to some extent in recent years The USA with the MLS all have 'solid' leagues that produce talent Africa doesnt really have a single nation with a 'good league' i think the Egyptian league is suppose to be fairly strong but they struggle to come together to make the world cup so im not sure. 

Africa is still very much 'at the mercy' of big European clubs scouting talent and developing it - it is why it is important to have a 'decent' professional league that grows talent 

Yesss Uruguay out. Hahaha fuck Suarez and the rest of these 'divine right' wankers.

Now they're shoving and jostling the ref, who we had against Tunisia. I don't see what Uruguay are complaining about. What an utter disgrace. 

Oh wrong thread. South Korea through!