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RolStoppable said:
Before the tournament mode we are currently seeing at Euro, the World Cup used to have six groups of four teams, with only the first two of each group advancing. That's twelve teams, so the common knockout stage logic can't be applied. Instead the FIFA created four groups of three teams, with only the first of each group advancing to the semifinals. Groups of three teams pose the problem of extreme tactical play because there cannot be a matchday where all teams of any given group play. So with the expansion of Euro to 24 teams, there comes the problem of arriving at a proper number of teams that can qualify for the knockout stage. The mode that is being played right now is the best thing that can be done. The expansion was obviously driven by the desire to have more games which in turn bring in more money. I guess it's worth thinking about a tournament with 20 teams, four groups of five teams, with the first two of each group advancing to the quarter finals. Such a tournament would have 47 games, so only four fewer than the actual Euro 2016. |
I see. Thanks for the thorough explanation. I won't complain if we get a good game tonight, Portugal hasn't won a single game, yet here we are, and Poland played like rubbish.
