The 2018 World Cup has thrown up a few interesting things, surprise results, and many a talking point, but one of the biggest at the conclusion of the World Cup Group stage is the Japanese qualification to the Round of 16 by virtue of having received fewer Yellow cards.
To be honest, we guess it is a reasonably rare occurrence to have two teams on equal points, equal goal difference, equal goals scored and conceded after the three games, and using Fair Play and the awarding of Yellow Cards. If you overlook the slightly dishonest way the Japanese protected their scoreline against Poland that is.
Never before has a team benefited from Yellow cards since Fulham made it to the final of the Europa League having qualified via fair play.
Some say that making it out of the World Cup Group Stage on Yellow Cards, is a bit silly. So as ever we are prepared to come up with some alternatives which could replace them, or be even more ridiculous, depending on your viewpoint.
So here are our Alternative Ways to Decide World Cup Group Stage Qualification.
AMOUNT OF FOULS CONCEDED
Yellow cards can be dealt out a little inconsistently across the games, and are often given out late in the game, where similar offence in the first half is overlooked.
So why not base it on the fouls conceded, which could be a much more accurate way of measuring actual fair play.
SHOTS ON TARGET
Why not reward teams having a go, rather than tooling around in their defensive half for 20 minutes. That way instead of Japan wasting time, they could have been vulnerable if Senegal went on an accurate shooting rampage.
HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
If the teams have already played each other. Worthless if they haven’t or it was a draw. But a good box ticket if they have.
ONE OFF PENALTY SHOOT OUT
Everyone loves a penalty shoot out. Even better, removing the previous 120 minutes and having just the nail biting fun of the penalty shoot out.
You could arrange a venue convenient to each team well before the game to have the penalty shoot out.
Or even more fun is send both sides to the Round of 16 venue, and an hour before kick off the two teams would play out the penalty shoot out as a curtain raiser, and the winner gets to hang round and play the match, the losers to sit in the stands and watch.
VOTE FROM ALL THE PLAYERS FROM THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE GROUP
No one knows these teams have gone in the World Cup Group stage than the teams that have played them. They’ll know if one of the teams has been luckier than the other, or were generally awful but got the meanest of own goal headers against them.
So, to use Group H at this year’s World Cup Group stage as an example, this would mean every players from the Colombian and Polish squads would vote for which team they would see
VOTE FROM ALL THE FANS FROM THE TEAM THEY’D PLAY IN THE ROUND OF 16
Similar to above, but voted on by the fans of the team waiting to play one of the disputed teams in the next round. Fans would have to be registered with the FA of the team of course.
THE TEAM WHO HAS SPENT THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME LYING ON THE GROUND WAITING FOR THE FREE KICK
Diving and/or exaggerating the slightest contact is one of the most annoying things about any World Cup. What a great way then to kill this part of the game and to have a great tie breaker.
PAUL THE OCTOPUS
Is having an tipstradamus similar to Paul the Octopus deciding the fate of two teams looking to escape the World Cup Group stage phase really more ridiculous than using yellow cards?
Yes, but that shouldn’t stop us.
SIZE OF FIFA “CONTRIBUTION”
An easy, honest way of choosing a winner.
Must be only post Blatter funds.
