San Marino

[Skills]

Has to be everyone's second favourite nation. I always hope we draw them because they're pure entertainment.

I wish the FA put on a friendly with them the year we don't draw them in the group's.

 

[Samid]

Harry K is that you?!

 

[Penna]

You have to admire any footballer who plays for them. To know you'll never win must be rather soul-destroying after the first 100 times.

 

[tenpoless]

I swear the only big NT that plays San Marino is England. What do you mean you hope to draw them, you always have.

 

[DWelbz19]

You have to admire any footballer who plays for them. To know you'll never win must be rather soul-destroying after the first 100 times.

On the other hand, it's probably pretty cool being from a country with a population of about 40k and having the experience of playing against some of the best players in Europe. Even if you get smashed every time.

 

[Adam-Utd]

You have to admire any footballer who plays for them. To know you'll never win must be rather soul-destroying after the first 100 times.

I guess it's a bit of a double edged sword.

You're guaranteed to take a spanking, but then you're also playing against Euro's elite which 99% of normal footballers will never be able to.

I doubt any of these San Marino players are good enough to play in any top leagues?

To say you've played at Wembley against England with Harry Kane to your grandkids would be pretty cool wouldn't it.

 

[Lewnited]

Why do we play against them 18 times a year?

 

[Robbie Boy]

I wonder is there anyone on here that's better than some of their players...

 

[Nick7]

On the other hand, it's probably pretty cool being from a country with a population of about 40k and having the experience of playing against some of the best players in Europe. Even if you get smashed every time.

And just think of how amazing and historic it would be if you were part of that team that actually got a big win.

 

[stefan92]

And just think of how amazing and historic it would be if you were part of that team that actually got a big win.

Just scoring a goal would be epic for them.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

And just think of how amazing and historic it would be if you were part of that team that actually got a big win.

I reckon yer man who scored the opening goal in the WC match vs England is still dining out on that story now.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I reckon yer man who scored the opening goal in the WC match vs England is still dining out on that story now.

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[Big Andy]

They've only scored about 18 goal in 31 years

 

[Ayoba]

I enjoyed last nights match. It was interesting to see the gulf in class between professional footballers and semi pro's. Just the way England moved the ball, their speed of thought, the range of passing etc. Reminds me of our 5 a side team (we're a bunch of middle aged fat alcoholics) playing against some very decent opposition who we can't get near and nearly always end up losing.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

It feels like we play them in every qualifying group every year, but looking at their records, this is the first time we've been drawn with them since Euro 16 qualifiers in 14/15. We didn't play them in any competition between 1994 and 2011. That can't be right. They must've had so many hammerings that they've fudged the history books, those wiley Sammarinese.

 

[Ramos]

But why are they SO bad though? Out of the last 10 qualification campaigns, they were the worst 9 times.

Gibraltar and Liechtenstein are just as small, but usually don't leak as many goals as them. And Faroe Islands aren't that much bigger and they have at least half a dozen wins in the last decade.

 

[Real Madras]

The hard work of Rooney, Charlton and Linekar all for nothing.
Harry Kane about to break their records against a team like San Marino is just utter garbage.
We play such shocking teams, the country gets hyped up because we’ve won every single game but when it comes to the big tournaments we come unstuck because we’re not used to playing good opposition.

Much like PSG in their farmers league. All season they play against dross and then come unstuck in the latter stages of the CL.

 

[Red Star One]

Always thought it would be super cool to be actually from there, live your non-football life and occasionally get a call up for the national team to face the best players of the game, even if you get destroyed every time. Great quality of life in that place too.

Anyway, I saw quite a few pundits saying likes of San Marino, Gibraltar and Lichtenstein are quite pointless in European qualifiers as they only serve as cannon fodders and a way for UEFA to artificially increase the number of games (and income from tickets/broadcast). Most called such thinking rather self-centered and reminded that it’s all about the soul of football and a dream that any team can make it, much like with the Super League idea, but I’m not entirely sure where I stand on this - I kind of agree there’s not too much football value added in teams that regularly finish on 0 points after 10 games and the players already have too many games in their calendar.

 

[Cloud7]

You have to admire any footballer who plays for them. To know you'll never win must be rather soul-destroying after the first 100 times.

I think it’s cool. Imagine you’re doing your normal day to day job, then ever since often you and your buddies get together and get to play football against some of the best players in the world, with your whole country cheering for you.

The expectation is naturally minimal, likely among the players as well, since they’re all part timers. They probably view it as fun.

 

[Name Changed]

I reckon yer man who scored the opening goal in the WC match vs England is still dining out on that story now.

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[Berbaclass]

Felt sorry for them last night.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

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[11101]

But why are they SO bad though? Out of the last 10 qualification campaigns, they were the worst 9 times.

Gibraltar and Liechtenstein are just as small, but usually don't leak as many goals as them. And Faroe Islands aren't that much bigger and they have at least half a dozen wins in the last decade.

Probably something to do with how close they are to Italy. Gibraltar and Spain aren't that friendly and Liechtenstein is very much an independent country, but San Marino is practically part of Italy. I've only been there once but if it's anything like other Italian provincial towns it will be full of old people, the young having long since left for big cities and had their now Italian kids there instead.

Liechtenstein also remain the only team ever to lose to San Marino.

 

[RUCK4444]

The hard work of Rooney, Charlton and Linekar all for nothing.
Harry Kane about to break their records against a team like San Marino is just utter garbage.
We play such shocking teams, the country gets hyped up because we’ve won every single game but when it comes to the big tournaments we come unstuck because we’re not used to playing good opposition.

Much like PSG in their farmers league. All season they play against dross and then come unstuck in the latter stages of the CL.

Yup I've been saying this for a while. Apparently Rooney had his fair share against teams like this but England are playing this dross every international break, it's a joke.

Games like last night offer England ZERO benefit in the long run. The don't reflect competitive games remotely. You have Maguire 10 yards inside the opposition box ffs whilst the rest of the team just take shot after shot, it's akin to a training session of attack vs defence.

 

[SuperiorXI]

Pointless at this level... who even bothered to watch? Not even worth your time to watch as nothing can be gained given the difference in quality. Might as well have the team go smash a random youth team.

 

[KirkDuyt]

I guess it's a bit of a double edged sword.

You're guaranteed to take a spanking, but then you're also playing against Euro's elite which 99% of normal footballers will never be able to.

I doubt any of these San Marino players are good enough to play in any top leagues?

To say you've played at Wembley against England with Harry Kane to your grandkids would be pretty cool wouldn't it.

I doubt any of them are good enough to be a professional footballer. Most aren't as far as I know.

Edit: they've had 2 pro's in their storied history. Though none at the moment.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

I guess it's a bit of a double edged sword.

You're guaranteed to take a spanking, but then you're also playing against Euro's elite which 99% of normal footballers will never be able to.

I doubt any of these San Marino players are good enough to play in any top leagues?

To say you've played at Wembley against England with Harry Kane to your grandkids would be pretty cool wouldn't it.

They had a player called Bonini who famously played at Juventus alongside Platini in midfield. Played almost 300 times for them, plus won 3 Serie A titles and a European Cup according to the all-knowing Wikipedia page.

 

[JuveGER]

I think it’s cool. Imagine you’re doing your normal day to day job, then ever since often you and your buddies get together and get to play football against some of the best players in the world, with your whole country cheering for you.

The expectation is naturally minimal, likely among the players as well, since they’re all part timers. They probably view it as fun.

I also think it is cool. Germany played Lichtenstein and there was a story about one of their players (Lichtenstein's, just to be clear ) who is usually on the bench for a club in the 5th tier of German football. Ironically he works in marketing and has had projects with Bayern and contact with some of their players. And now he was playing against some of them in an international match.

Guys like him are pretty much regular guys with 9 to 5 jobs who play a bit of amateur football at the weekend. But every now and then they are snapped out of average life and get to play superstars at a big stage. How is that not cool?

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Feel like England play them every couple of months.

 

[DWelbz19]

Yup I've been saying this for a while. Apparently Rooney had his fair share against teams like this but England are playing this dross every international break, it's a joke.

Games like last night offer England ZERO benefit in the long run. The don't reflect competitive games remotely. You have Maguire 10 yards inside the opposition box ffs whilst the rest of the team just take shot after shot, it's akin to a training session of attack vs defence.

It's the same across the board in Europe at the moment. Memphis Depay is 13 goals behind RvP as Netherlands top scorer and will very easily go down as their top scorer, injuries permitting. Haaland's on 12 in 15 and he hasn't even played a major tournament yet! Their top scorer is 33, he'll beat that in about 3 years time - which would make him their all time top scorer at 24!

I don't know if it's just nostalgia blindness or what, but yeah, it really does seem like national goal records are a bit dilute these days.

 

[Dave Smith]

Absolute nonsense that these sort of teams don't have to do a pre-qualifer.

 

[RUCK4444]

It's the same across the board in Europe at the moment. Memphis Depay is 13 goals behind RvP as Netherlands top scorer and will very easily go down as their top scorer, injuries permitting. Haaland's on 12 in 15 and he hasn't even played a major tournament yet! Their top scorer is 33, he'll beat that in about 3 years time - which would make him their all time top scorer at 24!

I don't know if it's just nostalgia blindness or what, but yeah, it really does seem like national goal records are a bit dilute these days.

Hmm maybe it's the fact I hate to see Rooney's record go so easily against the likes of San Marino. I'm not even English hah I can' just imagine how Wazza feels, must have been screaming at the box for Southgate to bring Kane off.

 

[RUCK4444]

Absolute nonsense that these sort of teams don't have to do a pre-qualifer.

Yeah this is what should happen, they shouldn't be playing against the likes of England who were in the final of a major competition a few months back.

It does nothing for either team really. I'm sure San Marino don't like the embarrassment of being spanked by these top sides multiple times per year either.

 

[slored1]

Absolute nonsense that these sort of teams don't have to do a pre-qualifer.

Why? So they wait 3 years for another competitive match? Everyone deserves to play.

 

[Dave Smith]

Why? So they wait 3 years for another competitive match? Everyone deserves to play.

Ok, let's invite Folgore into the Champions League group stage if that is the case.

 

[SuperiorXI]

Why? So they wait 3 years for another competitive match? Everyone deserves to play.

Can I play?

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Pointless that they are in the same groups. They just lose to any decent teams anywhere between 5 and 13 nil like clockwork. Not getting any better, just wasting everyone's time. Should be a small pre-qualifier.

I don't get why people are so staunch against it. You don't put Blyth Spartans in a group against Man City every year and say they're entitled for their chance to qualify. Leagues and divisions exist in football all the time and in all sports at every level. Why are San Marino any different?

 

[Classical Mechanic]

The hard work of Rooney, Charlton and Linekar all for nothing.
Harry Kane about to break their records against a team like San Marino is just utter garbage.
We play such shocking teams, the country gets hyped up because we’ve won every single game but when it comes to the big tournaments we come unstuck because we’re not used to playing good opposition.

Much like PSG in their farmers league. All season they play against dross and then come unstuck in the latter stages of the CL.

Hmm maybe it's the fact I hate to see Rooney's record go so easily against the likes of San Marino. I'm not even English hah I can' just imagine how Wazza feels, must have been screaming at the box for Southgate to bring Kane off.

In the case of Rooney it just isn't true. Kane has the same amount of goals against the absolute minnows as Rooney did. Kane actually doubled his tally against the minnows last night. Kane only started 1/4 games against San Marino and Andorra in this qualification campaign. In the case of Linekar he didn't play as much dross that is true.

I've probably watched every single England game of both Kane and Rooney's career. The simple fact is that this England team is much better than most of the versions that Rooney played in and Kane has been better for England than Rooney was. In Rooney's era most qualifcation campaigns were a borefest. We would play awful football and sneak wins against the like of Albania, Slovenia etc. These days we rack up high scores a lot more against those sides.

I think Rooney's era was worse for competition levels too. Before the Nations League we used to play some garbage friendlies. Towards the end of Rooney's career we did start to only play 'prestige friendlies' against the better nations but all through Kane's career and before the Nations League we played those types of friendlies.

We have drawn San Marino 3 times in the past decade which is why it seems like we play them a lot.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Yeah maybe you could say it for Charlton, but Kane has been far better than Rooney in bigger games and tournaments for England. Kane has 10 goals in 3 major tournaments, Rooney had 7 over 6 tournaments.

 

[VinzentFTW]

This is Oles level.