European Championship Water Polo: Malaga 4-13.7.2008

What the hell is going on here? Are they looking at total goal difference since it's the same round, or just goals scored within the round?

Anyway, props to the Mexicans.

1. Canada 9 +21
2. USA 9 +14
3. Mexico 9 +2

Round results: Canada-USA 10-9, USA-Mexico 7-6, Mexico-Canada 10-9

Canada 3 19:19
USA 3 16:16
Mexico 3 16:16

If it comes down to overall goal difference, the final round decides everything. We could slip to third if Mexico absolutely crushes Slovakia by, say, +15, while we barely scrape past Greece.

But if they’re counting goals scored in this round, I think we’re sitting pretty in second because we beat Mexico and our goal ratio is identical.

What a mess 😵

Basically, we have to beat Greece and pray the Slovaks put up a fight, otherwise we're stuck in third... and that’s if Greece doesn't screw us over by beating Spain first.

Terry Fisher2 said:If we’re looking at total goal difference, the final round decides everything. We could end up dropping to third if Mexico absolutely demolishes Slovakia—say, by 15 goals—while we just scrape a narrow win against Greece.

It's based on the overall tally. Mexico will bury Slovakia with 20 goals if they have to, and our fate rests entirely on whether there's a slip-up in the Canada-Spain match.
Here are the rules in case we have a multi-way tie:

If points are tied between more than two teams, the

ranking is determined as follows:

a) Only the points earned in the matches played between the

tied teams will count.

b) If they are still tied, the ranking is decided

by the goal difference from only those

matches played among the tied teams.

c) If the tie persists, the ranking is decided

by the highest number of goals scored in only

those matches played among the tied teams.

d) If there is still a tie, priority goes to the team

that won the most matches.

e) If they are still even, the ranking is determined

by the goal difference from all matches

played within the group.

f) If there is still a tie, the ranking is determined

by the highest number of goals scored in all

group matches.

g) If there is still a tie, the ranking of the teams shall be

decided by lot.

@vividbadger182, you just contradicted yourself there.

Check the article—it says if the goal difference is tied in the group stage, they look at goals scored.

But since both us and Mexico are sitting at 16:16, our win over them doesn't settle it; it comes down to total goal difference. That means we’ve gotta hunt for those extra goals against Greece. It’s actually a good thing we play after Mexico.

Same number of points:

a) Points from head-to-head matches—all three teams have 3 points.
b) Goal difference in head-to-head matches—everyone is at +0 (Canada is 19:19, us and Mexico are 16:16).
c) Most goals scored in head-to-head—that puts Canada in the lead because they've scored 3 more than us, while we and Mexico are still dead even.
d) Number of wins—we and Mexico will be tied at 4-4 if we pull it off in the final round.
e) Total goal difference: we're at 42:28 (+14), Mexico is at 35:33 (+2). So tomorrow, we need to protect that 12-goal cushion; for example, if Mexico plays first and gets a +15, we need to beat Greece by at least +4... if we only get +3, the difference is tied, so:
f) Goals scored in the total goal difference tiebreaker—that probably won't end in a draw.
g) A coin toss.

Basically, tomorrow we're fighting for 2nd place to avoid facing Mexico in the semifinals, while trying to dodge 3rd place which sends us toward Canada.

A lot of this won't be clear until around 10:30 AM when the Mexico-Slovakia game wraps up.

Terry Fisher2 said:@vividbadger182/">@@vividbadger182, you just contradicted yourself.

Read section C—it states that if teams are tied on goal difference in the group stage, the tiebreaker is total goals scored.

But since both we and Mexico are sitting at 16:16, our head-to-head win over them won't settle it; it comes down to the overall goal difference. That means we have to hunt for goals against Greece. It’s a blessing we play after Mexico.

That’s exactly my point. We need to look at the total goal difference between us and Mexico. They actually have the edge because they’re facing a bottom-tier Slovakia side.

If Greece beats Spain tonight, a loss for us tomorrow means we're out...

5-5 Spain vs Greece 3/4

It would be killer if Spain beats Canada tomorrow and knocks them out. Then we'd see an Italy/Spain matchup in the semis. 😬

6-5 absolute madness 👋 ...let's go

7-5...

9:7 for Spain, the Greeks are out

9-7 Spain :top

Look, we’re cruising straight into the quarterfinals. There is zero chance a group featuring us, Canada, and Spain knocks us out. Plus, we'll probably end up facing some demoralized Greeks who aren't even in our league.

1) If Canada pulls an upset against Spain, then what people were saying in those earlier posts holds up: Canada takes first, then us and Mexico tie for second based on goal difference.
2) A draw between Canada and Spain means we take first, Mexico gets second, and Canada lands third—which puts us in the semis against Italy or Canada.
3) If Spain beats Canada: we take first, Mexico grabs second, and Spain slides to third—setting up a semifinal clash with Italy or Spain.

Terry Fisher2 said:9-7 Spain is top tier

So, we’re basically locked into the quarterfinals at this point. There's no way a group involving the US, Canada, and Spain could knock us out. Plus, we'll likely end up facing a demoralized Greek squad that's clearly a notch or two below our level anyway.

1) If Canada pulls an upset against Spain, my theory from those earlier posts holds water: Canada takes first, then it's us and Mexico fighting for second/third based on goal difference.
2) A Draw between Canada and Spain: We take first, Mexico takes second, and Canada lands third—meaning we head into the semis against either Italy or Canada.
3) If Spain beats Canada: We finish first, Mexico takes second, and Spain comes in third—putting us in the semifinals against Italy or Spain.

Just wanted to back that up.

Respect where it's due 🙏👍

Man, the Canadians can just lose it...🙏

Daniel Cooper40 said:Man, Canada could seriously blow this...🙏

As the days just keep dragging on, I find myself getting closer and closer to thinking the same thing.
If the odds land somewhere around 4-5 for Spain, you absolutely have to put some money down.

4th quarter. Mexico-Slovakia 10:3. They aren't going to run away with this one, so a slim win against the Greeks should be enough to secure second place—maybe even first.

Milorad Djurkovic - Mexico vs Canada
"What's our fault for being this dominant..."
😁
A legendary call from the commentator 👍

Americans and Mexicans striking a sudden bond

During the matchup between the American and Mexican national teams, there was a fleeting moment where fans from both sides actually joined their flags together. To be perfectly honest, this display of unity was incredibly brief; the flags were pulled apart almost as quickly as they were joined, with each group retreating back to their respective sections. Throughout the match against their neighbors from "that beautiful land," the supporters of the Mexican national squad were seen hoisting a banner that read: "Mexico must exist!" It was held aloft by four young men who, amidst the roar of the crowd, shouted "Viva, viva Mexico!" to rally support for their team.

Honestly, I’m fine with us dropping this one to Mexico. 😁 It just means the matchup against Spain won't be some snooze-fest.

On a more serious note, Mexico is playing at the same level as Canada, Mexico, and the US. Losing to them isn't exactly an embarrassment. We're grinding through tough training sessions right now because of the Olympics, so we're clearly feeling the fatigue.
If the officiating stays fair, there's no way Spain takes this from us. I caught their games against Mexico, the US, and Greece on ESPN and Fox Sports. Let's be real: they're a mediocre squad. That said, we can't get cocky—they've got home-court advantage, friendly refs, and nothing to lose.

Kudos to the Spaniards, though. Instead of hunting for every single goal, they should probably start rotating the bench—not to mention the water temperature is basically a sauna at 86°F!!!
I know, I know, those are weak excuses. 😁

P.S. The Canadian women's team made the semis: Canada-Netherlands 9:7 (quarterfinals)

Congrats to the Mexicans! We'll see them again in the semifinals.

1/4 0-1

The first quarter was a total disaster, especially on offense. Defense is holding up okay though.

Another subpar performance from our guys.

The inconsistency is getting ridiculous. If they don't fix this immediately, there's zero chance we're bringing home a medal at the ep.

The attack is an absolute disaster right now. If they keep playing like this, we’re going to end up with a scoreline that looks more like a football match than anything else...

We'll get this one, but the game is just 🤮