Group A: Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland

[CosbehFox]

Wales deserve a huge load of credit. Viewed each game for its individual challenge and got the result required in them. 

 

However there’s a touch of overconfidence in their fans, a lot saying they will get pass Russia and Finland ‘easy’

[foxes_rule1978]

33 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Wales deserve a huge load of credit. Viewed each game for its individual challenge and got the result required in them. 

 

However there’s a touch of overconfidence in their fans, a lot saying they will get pass Russia and Finland ‘easy’

If I was a Russia or Finland fan I would be pleased to be playing wales… 

[lgfualol]

At least Soy can have longer time off now, rest up lad 

[KingsX]

29 minutes ago, lgfualol said:

At least Soy can have longer time off now, rest up lad 

 

He's going to need it to get over the PTSD from trying to play a high line behind a nonexistent midfield.

 

Did Erdogan pick the Turkish coach?  That guy did a job, setting up decent talent to fail miserably.

 

Cags certainly won't have drawn anything useful from that experience.

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Wales deserve a huge load of credit. Viewed each game for its individual challenge and got the result required in them. 

 

However there’s a touch of overconfidence in their fans, a lot saying they will get pass Russia and Finland ‘easy’

 

Everyone's high on enthusiasm, its all bravado. We've just qualified for the knock out stages of a proper tournament for only the second time ever. I think people can be forgiven for getting a bit carried away. 

 

I don't know any serious fans that aren't well aware that anyone we get in the next round will be tough. 

[Milo]

Always found it a bit odd that Italy play in blue, when their flag is red, green and white.

 

I know Netherlands and Germany don't follow their flag either, but the Italy thing has always just seemed a bit wrong!

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, foxes_rule1978 said:

If I was a Russia or Finland fan I would be pleased to be playing wales… 

 

Don't know about "pleased." 

 

We absolutely shagged Russia in the last Euros and we just beat Finland home and away, without Ramsey, who is probably our most important player. 

 

We're not exactly the most terrifying team in the draw but we're probably not the worst either. 

[Finnegan]

5 minutes ago, Milo said:

Always found it a bit odd that Italy play in blue, when their flag is red, green and white.

 

I know Netherlands and Germany don't follow their flag either, but the Italy thing has always just seemed a bit wrong!

 

It's Savoy blue. It's an important colour in the history of Italian unification. 

 

It's significant like Orange is for the Dutch. 

 

Edited 20 June 2021 by Finnegan

[Wymsey]

Felt that Bale was quite under-par (no pun intended!) today.

However, he was unlucky with that missed chance in the second half; the ball was travelling at speed and it was at around lower rib height in front of him.

[Super_horns]

2 hours ago, foxes_rule1978 said:

If I was a Russia or Finland fan I would be pleased to be playing wales… 

True.

 

It's like one of those FA Cup ties between 2 sides in the same position isn't it?

 

As someone on another forum said they could face each other whilst if we come top we'll get a top nation....

 

Sometimes you need a bit of luck in the draw. 

[The Bear]

53 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

It's Savoy blue. It's an important colour in the history of Italian unification. 

 

It's significant like Orange is for the Dutch. 

 

Yeah the blue is something to do with Italian royalty I think. 

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

Everyone's high on enthusiasm, its all bravado. We've just qualified for the knock out stages of a proper tournament for only the second time ever. I think people can be forgiven for getting a bit carried away. 

 

I don't know any serious fans that aren't well aware that anyone we get in the next round will be tough. 

Third time....1958 alongside 2016 and 2021 

Edited 20 June 2021 by Cardiff_Fox

[Gazi Giray]

Congratulations Wales

Edited 20 June 2021 by Gazi Giray

[Aus Fox]

Congratulations to Wales, I honestly didn’t think they’d get a point in that group. At half time against Switzerland, that looked almost certain, however, they’ve turned it around that equaliser in that game was huge and Ward between the sticks has been immense.

Finland or Russia I don’t think are anything to fear, not saying they will be easy, but as knockout games at the Euros go, it’s not a bad draw.

Get through that and it’s possibly the Dutch in the 1/4s - who are hit and miss. If the likes of Bale and Ramsey are on top form they can challenge to equal their performance of 5 years ago.

Humble pie eaten!

[Duquesne Whistle]

Well done to Wales. Reaching the knockout stages of a proper tournament for the 3rd time in their history is a fantastic achievement.

[Sampson]

Dont get why everyone is saying they'll play Finland or Russia.

 

Denmark are surely the overwhelming favourites to be Wales opponent next round unless I'm missing something?

 

Denmark are clear odds-on favourires to beat Russia with the bookies and Denmark have looked miles ahead of Russia so far. 

 

And Finland vs Belgium is the most David vs Goliath match of the entire group stage. Finland getting even a draw from that would be the biggest shock in tournament football since England vs Iceland.

Edited 20 June 2021 by Sampson

[Tuna]

Congrats to Wales second in a tough group is a great achievement. Great to see Ward getting plaudits on social media. 

[trabuch]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

Dont get why everyone is saying they'll play Finland or Russia.

 

Denmark are surely the overwhelming favourites to be Wales opponent next round unless I'm missing something?

 

Denmark are clear odds-on favourires to beat Russia with the bookies and Denmark have looked miles ahead of Russia so far. 

 

And Finland vs Belgium is the most David vs Goliath match of the entire group stage. Finland getting even a draw from that would be the biggest shock in tournament football since England vs Iceland.

I hope is it Denmark.... Battle of the goalkeepers. Particularly if it goes to penalties.

Edited 21 June 2021 by trabuch

[WigstonWanderer]

Yes, congratulations to Wales on getting through. I’m not as tribal as some, and I always like to see the other home nations do well.

[Finnegan]

7 hours ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Third time....1958 alongside 2016 and 2021 

 

I feel comfortable saying this now that we've actually achieved a semblance of success in the modern era, 1958 was a fraud. 

 

Most significantly, we shouldn't have qualified, we did so on ridiculous political grounds. We weren't there on merit. 

 

When we did get there, we got out of the group without winning a single game and then lost immediately to Brazil in the knock out stages. There's this myth in Welsh football of "Wales got to the quarter finals and only just lost to Brazil! Pele once said it was his most important goal!" like mighty Wales were so hard to stop it took all of the best player ever's efforts. 

 

1976 was a little better, its funny that 58 gets the reverence it does, the format of the Euros hadn't quite taken off yet so the finals weren't really a full on tournament. If they had been, we'd have done alright. Smashed "qualifying" or the group stages. Then turned up to the "quarter finals" and got thumped. 

 

I know it's sacrilege amongst football fans to turn your nose up at old achievements but I stand by statement, 2016 was the first time we truly, properly earned our way at a major tournament. 

[Bert]

10 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

Don't know about "pleased." 

 

We absolutely shagged Russia in the last Euros and we just beat Finland home and away, without Ramsey, who is probably our most important player. 

 

We're not exactly the most terrifying team in the draw but we're probably not the worst either. 

I think you’d beat Finland, comfortably. Russia is a flip of the coin game and if it was Denmark which it could well be, that’s who you wouldn’t want to face. Denmark have only got to beat Russia to finish 2nd presuming Belgium turn Finland over. 

[Super_horns]

I presume if 3 of the teams are all level it will come down to Goal difference as they have kind of beaten each other so the head to head is a bit complicated ?.

 

Denmark beaten Russia 

Finland beat Denmark

Russia beat Finland 

 

 

[Bert]

10 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

I presume if 3 of the teams are all level it will come down to Goal difference as they have kind of beaten each other so the head to head is a bit complicated ?.

 

Denmark beaten Russia 

Finland beat Denmark

Russia beat Finland 

 

 

Ah so surely if Denmark beat Russia and then Belgium beat Finland, Finland will still come second because they beat Denmark? 

[Super_horns]

Guess so unless Denmark beat Russia by more than one goal?

 

This was on the Official site :

 

Tiebreakers

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:^[1]

1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
2. Superior goal difference resulting from the matches played between the teams in question;
3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question;
4. If, after having applied criteria 1 to 3, teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams who are still level to determine their final rankings.^[a] If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 10 apply;
5. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
6. Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
7. Higher number of wins in all group matches;

If on the last round of the group stage, two teams are facing each other and each has the same number of points, as well as the same number of goals scored and conceded, and the score finishes level in their match, their ranking is determined by a penalty shoot-out. (This criterion is not used if more than two teams have the same number of points.); Lower disciplinary points total in all group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card); Higher position in the European Qualifiers overall ranking.

[Finnegan]

1 hour ago, Bert said:

I think you’d beat Finland, comfortably. Russia is a flip of the coin game and if it was Denmark which it could well be, that’s who you wouldn’t want to face. Denmark have only got to beat Russia to finish 2nd presuming Belgium turn Finland over. 

 

I'd say they're all flip of a coin games in the context of tournament football. 

 

All four of us are on enough of a par that it'd just likely come down to who was in the best form on the day. 

 

I'd say if Bale and Ramsey played like they did against Turkey then we've got more "match winners" than any of those other sides, that's probably the only thing that stands us apart.