Euro Leagues In Tatters As Qatar '22 Set To Be Played In The Winter!

???? This is so weird i’m not sure I understand what i’m looking at. Was a section actually built outside the stadium permiter?
This is the extra seating at the Yekaterinburg stadium, Russia. We got to see the bizarre view from there (high up behind the goal-ends) on TV a few times during matches held at that venue.
 
This is the extra seating at the Yekaterinburg stadium, Russia. We got to see the bizarre view from there (high up behind the goal-ends) on TV a few times during matches held at that venue.
Really? I thought this was the erectorset seating Qatar was building to be dismantled and shipped afterwards?
 
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Really? I thought this was the erectorset seating Qatar was building to be dismantled and shipped afterwards?
Possibly? If so, it's remarkably similar to the photo below of Yekaterinburg Stadium:
1507059939250.jpg
.
 
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Possibly? If so, it's remarkably similar to the photo below of Yekaterinburg Stadium:
1507059939250.jpg
.
Fck me, that’s an architectural abomination!!! It’s like they came up with a donut design only to realize they were short about 20k seats per FIFA guidelines, so just build them outside with marginal sight lines and call it a day. Russian Constructivism at its best. Where’s the vodka?!?
 
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Fck me, that’s an architectural abomination!!! It’s like they came up with a donut design only to realize they were short about 20k seats per FIFA guidelines, so just build them outside with marginal sight lines and call it a day. Russian Constructivism at its best. Where’s the vodka?!?
TBF it was an existing stadium but they couldn't accomplish the expansion in time. AFAIK.
 
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European Leagues in tatters? How about MLS when the World Cup is right in the middle of the playoffs?

Will MLS forego the MLS Cup Playoffs this year and have only the Supporters' Shield crown be the only title given out?
 
People (including myself) also said Russia wouldn't be good but it's the world cup. People will turn up, the stadiums will be ready and Qatar has the money to provide what's required.

Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of exploited migrant workers.

As for Qatar actually playing in a World Cup, the 2026 edition is going to have a lot of rubbish teams in it, so its not so bad now.
Pardon me if I quibble with using “exploit” as coded language for “enslave and murder”.
 
European Leagues in tatters? How about MLS when the World Cup is right in the middle of the playoffs?

Will MLS forego the MLS Cup Playoffs this year and have only the Supporters' Shield crown be the only title given out?
Hopefully we join the real world and match calendars. Or at least we go similar to Mexico’s calendar.


Our current calendar is shit anyway. Whatever they do, it won’t be worse.
 
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European Leagues in tatters? How about MLS when the World Cup is right in the middle of the playoffs?

Will MLS forego the MLS Cup Playoffs this year and have only the Supporters' Shield crown be the only title given out?

They'll probably just compress things. Remember, the international break during the conference finals is the only reason MLS Cup doesn't end before Thanksgiving. They'll only need to compress by 2-3 weeks to get it all in. If they add 2 or 3 midweek games for every team (not ideal, but it's not like we have a ton of midweek games as is), they'll be able to make it work. Regular-season ends Oct. 1'ish, four weeks of playoffs takes us to Nov. 1.
 
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Hopefully we join the real world and match calendars. Or at least we go similar to Mexico’s calendar.

Our current calendar is shit anyway. Whatever they do, it won’t be worse.
No way. I don’t want to be going to games in the middle of winter in New York. March to October is a fine regular season in the U.S. But they sure could fix the playoff format.
 
They'll probably just compress things. Remember, the international break during the conference finals is the only reason MLS Cup doesn't end before Thanksgiving. They'll only need to compress by 2-3 weeks to get it all in. If they add 2 or 3 midweek games for every team (not ideal, but it's not like we have a ton of midweek games as is), they'll be able to make it work. Regular-season ends Oct. 1'ish, four weeks of playoffs takes us to Nov. 1.

this is true, didnt last year take like almost 2.5 weeks for next game when it really didnt need to. granted TV dictates alot but still no need to let it go that long.
 
this is true, didnt last year take like almost 2.5 weeks for next game when it really didnt need to. granted TV dictates alot but still no need to let it go that long.

Yeah -- that's because of the international break. So you won't have that international break, and if you end MLS Cup by Nov. 1 (or thereabouts), you won't have a World Cup conflict issue.
 
Yeah -- that's because of the international break. So you won't have that international break, and if you end MLS Cup by Nov. 1 (or thereabouts), you won't have a World Cup conflict issue.

You also won’t have the possibility of an MLS cup played in a snowstorm.
 
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If the World Cup starts on November 21, how far in advance are players going to be released in order for teams to field camps and get prepared? 3 weeks? A month?

November 21 to December 18 is not the full extent of the break.
 
If the World Cup starts on November 21, how far in advance are players going to be released in order for teams to field camps and get prepared? 3 weeks? A month?

November 21 to December 18 is not the full extent of the break.
iirc, CL and EL group stages also end around this time... Which means it will also screw over that as well. There's gonna be some leagues-wide agreement, i would have to guess.
 
If the World Cup starts on November 21, how far in advance are players going to be released in order for teams to field camps and get prepared? 3 weeks? A month?

November 21 to December 18 is not the full extent of the break.

I feel like for this year's World Cup guys were released after the June 2 game. So figure a little over two weeks is the norm, and guys would get released around Nov. 5 or so?
 
I feel like for this year's World Cup guys were released after the June 2 game. So figure a little over two weeks is the norm, and guys would get released around Nov. 5 or so?

I went back and checked the International Duty thread. This year, FIFA required that players be released on May 21, and the World Cup began June 14, 24 days later.

For 2022, that would equate to a release date of October 28.
 
Thinking further about the scheduling issues that a December World Cup will create. When does qualifying end? Does it extend into the spring and early summer? When is the draw?

What does this mean for qualifying for 2026? There will be less time in between the end of the Cup and the start of qualifying.
 
Thinking further about the scheduling issues that a December World Cup will create. When does qualifying end? Does it extend into the spring and early summer? When is the draw?

What does this mean for qualifying for 2026? There will be less time in between the end of the Cup and the start of qualifying.
You reversed it- It'll be the other way around. This qualifying cycle will be shorter, but between 2022 and 2026 it will actually be longer
-EDIT- Nevermind, I'm dumb. It's happening at the end of 2022 instead of the middle of 2022, I was thinking it's moving forward to end of 2021, but I'm wrong.
 
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