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90 Collective

@90collective.bsky.social
110 followers 1 following 3.4K posts

by @dparks.world - an account to house my threads, writing & graphs. trying to make the best international soccer content on the planet

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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
THE HIGHLIGHT: (0)🇵🇱-🇧🇪(1) elated that my standout tie of this round is so close. both Wullaert & Pajor good to go as leaders-from-the-front & by far the best stage for a 2nd leg here. personally rooting for Belgium as a more watchable team imo but i hope this goes down to the wire
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
🇸🇮(3)-🇹🇷(3): one of the most surprising results to me was Turkiye, who i liked on paper, not getting a win at home. makes this interesting, although i think the Netherlands are shredding whoever gets through here next
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
(1)🇷🇸-🇫🇮(3): Serbia going back home is worth having this on your radar despite the Finland lead. fighter's chance! (1)🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿-🇦🇱(0): Wales are 1 step away from their first ever WWC if they advance. atmosphere should be ROCKING (2)🇦🇹-🇽🇰(1): Austria has same note was Wales above
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Leg 1 is over, here are my notes for how Leg 2 is looking:
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
i hope i look stupid & we get a lot more close semifinals in the next 10 days than i'm expecting. we're coming off AFCON where hilarious amounts of upsets happened so hopefully that energy floats up to Europe eyes on UEFA for 2 weeks, let's see how these play out
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
i can't quite find where to watch all these in the US, sounds like it could be spread out a lot from fox to youtube to fifa+, but i will say Sofascore is really good for woso data & hopefully the stuff over there will be mature to supplement our look at these games
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
i will be doing a thread on these games - really hope there are good highlight packages somewhere out there for me to be able to do so - that way i can start to get some kind of idea on these teams going into the playoff finals, since i have yet to watch all of the Spring Nations League highlights
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
that wraps up my extremely surface level look at this window. my next-window one will be big enough to warrant an actual piece & be a lot more worldwide, but it will return for the finals of these playoff paths which again - THOSE ties are largely really enticing.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The Dutch struggle on the road though, which could open the door for Turkiye - off a great UNLB where they only lost Away to Switzerland. Turkiye has made some progress this decade without a big moment to show for it yet. Threatening the Dutch would definitely do that!
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇳🇱-🇭🇺/🇸🇮-🇹🇷 Another chalky feeling set of semis. Hungary are coming off C-to-B promotion & Slovenia are at their best ever in the modern age, but both are still levels below the other two. The Netherlands are overwhelming favorites to qualify, nearly did via League A & only was 2 points off it.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
in the interest of giving it it's own highlight post: Poland-Belgium is the standout women's international fixture of this Fall window, on paper at least. closest semifinal i am expecting & i am eagerly awaiting that one
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
both Ireland & Belgium are the best their women's sides have ever been. Ireland got their World Cup debut in 2023 while Belgium have made the last 3 Euros in a row.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇮🇪-🇰🇿/🇵🇱-🇧🇪 overwhelmingly the Path of Death. sorry to Kazakhstan who are outmatched, but the other 3 could all beat each other on any given day. Poland just made their Euros debut & have arguably the best center forward on the planet. Ewa is used to carrying them to victories.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
i am really circling Scotland here, however, as a potential spoiler for the Swedes. They won promotion in the most impressive fashion of anybody in League B by besting a very good team, Belgium. if there's going to be a massive shock at the end of the year, it could be this one
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇸🇪-🇱🇹/🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿-🇨🇿 Expect chalk this month. Czechia don't pack any punch & Lithuania did get out of League C, but on a 3-way tie of points, nothing dominant. Sweden hilariously ended the 2023 World Cup as the best ranked team in the world, have dropped off to #8 now, but have never missed a WC.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Austria remains the favorite in that one, however. Missing the 2025 Euro was a big disappointment for them & a 2027 WC would be big redemption. a final playoff between them & Switzerland would be really good, Austria getting the decisive leg at Home
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇦🇹-🇽🇰/🇨🇭-🇮🇱 Switzerland are rolling off of a good 16 months, making the quarterfinals at the Euro they hosted & following that up with an invincible promotion campaign out of League B. they should take care of Israel easily. Kosovo got promoted from C to B, don't count them out against Austria...
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Wales made their Euro debut last summer, just went invincible in their League B campaign this year for promotion & are a solid modern team. we know how frustrating Norway can be. them missing a World Cup would be unheard of, but i think Wales could really give them a go in the Winter
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇳🇴-🇷🇴/🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿-🇦🇱 Bracket this round feels chalky. Romania are heading up to UNLB, but are still levels below what Norway are. Wales have more Big Game experience than Albania do, but i could be underestimating the latter, i will admit. i think i am chalking Wales in because i want them to trouble Norway.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Portugal are at their best ever. A post away from advancing to the 2023 WC knockouts at the cost of the US; just won promotion back to UNLA. i think Northern Ireland could get them into a scrap, though. they're also at their best ever ranking-wise. worth keeping an eye on
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇮🇸-🇭🇷/🇵🇹-🇬🇧(NIR) Bracket I feel comfortable chalking in Iceland to this final. they struggle to score, but defend well & have made 5 Euros in a row. Croatia are at their worst since 2013 & still sit in the bottom of the Nations League Pyramid.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
despite all this, i think any ball-knowers will still say that Finland are pretty strong favorites & you should believe them. i would give Serbia a puncher's chance, though. keep an eye on the Leg 1 score out of Finland to consider tuning in to a possible Serbian upset at home after.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Serbia are have the favorable seed ahead of Finland by competing in League A last (they got relegated on 1 point in 6 games), they get to host Leg 2. They've been building something this decade. Finland only lost promotion to League A to Portugal on Goal Differential
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🇮🇹-🇧🇾/🇷🇸-🇫🇮 Bracket Belarus have actually had a good couple of years, though i don't see them testing Italy who have been a World Cup Finals staple since it expanded to 32 teams. the other 2 could give some problems to Italy, making for a potentially great semifinal this month too
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
that all being said, it is hard to see anybody here upsetting England who feel disappointed to even have fallen down into the playoffs. the better news? this is the ONLY bracket i feel is predestined to 1 team. we have 7 more that i think will be more competitive, even if its only in the winter:
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿-🇬🇷/🇺🇦-🇸🇰 Bracket Ukraine-Slovakia are both higher in the FIFA Rankings, but are at their relative "worst ever" places since those began in 2003. Greece just won promotion to Nations League B after a perfect C campaign - they have improved for 12 years by roughly 1 worldwide rank per year
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
...but as always, i want to package something together more for myself than anything else to look at the overhead setup: what i see from the teams historic finishes and what chalk might look like. i should have a full beehiiv preview for the next window, but for this just a quick overview
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
the bad news is that the current Fall window that just opened is... a lot less exciting. the only competitive games are the first round of the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs, which features an absurd amount of teams (32!!) I've only seen 12 of them play before, so i won't have much depth...
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
my focus on the 2027 World Cup has officially started! the good news is that the "Holiday" international window of Nov/Dec is looking amazing - i would call it the best non-tournament window in women's international soccer i have ever seen. i am really excited to preview & cover that
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Brief thread previewing the upcoming UEFA world cup qualifying playoffs:
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇧🇿0-2🇬🇫 i regret to admit that the Belize dream is probably over. i was fixated on their luck getting to host so many games, for a team i was extremely unfamiliar with. clearly the worse team by a lot in this one, just outmatched & not ready for a Gold Cup
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇨🇭2-1🇸🇮 another reason for me to spout about Dan Ndoye being their best big moments player. it doesn't surprise me that Manzambi & Amdouni were less impactful in a game as heavy favorites camping high up the field with the ball; still not sold on the latter, worried the former just had a WC heater
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇲🇰0-2🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 great starting 11 debut for Kieron Bowie, dynamic forward who made great runs & connected well with the guys beneath him. McBurnie was not quite central but the "wide left point of the pentagon" & it did not suit him; i think he is overtly-central only.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇮🇸3-0🇧🇬 another great outing from young captain Oskarsson, who i was alerted to last match. but the new standout from this one was Haraldsson who had a 10 role that was as free-roaming as you'll ever see. really fun 1-2 punch is cooking for Iceland, i think
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇪🇸3-1🇨🇿 Spain used their game against a bad team to mix in some new fullbacks & a new 9, Roberto Fernandez. i can't attest to watching this full game, but this shows how uninvolved with the ball he was. curious how much nontangible stuff his movement or pressing did
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
i don't see Croatia getting relegated, but i do not see them making any deep tournament runs for quite a while. really good stuff from England, my World Cup champion prediction, looking like the team i have long-known they could be. the GD could matter from this if they can upset Spain Away
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
🇭🇷0-7🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 kind of just a massive "lmfao" on this one? mentioned on main that i have been expecting a Croatia drop off for most of this decade & this feels like the moment to finally open that up? having Modric alone like this protecting the CBs can work against Ghana in the WC but not England
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇸🇻0-2🇯🇲 i was hopeful Jamaica would hit a wall here, but a red card changed those plans. Reggae Boyz are now close to the quarterfinals & my mind has not changed, i am still just perennially frustrated by this team. i will say i really like what Javon East has brought to this window
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇧🇧4-1🇧🇲 the story of League B has been standout heroes for each team & the one for Barbados is Thierry Gale, 2g/1a in this one bringing him to 4/2 in the 3 games so far. eye on him going forward!
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇸🇷0-0🇬🇹 all Suriname but no goals - good defensive stand from Guatemala to give them credit, starting to like defensive midfielder Rosales
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
i really need to sit down & watch some full Haiti 90s from this window. nobody is taking games over by themselves, it seems like it's a real team affair & the attack is free flowing, fun. i would not say the same about the back line as evidenced by Dorny's goal
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇩🇴1-4🇭🇹 i don't know much about the region or cultures, so i wasn't ready for how badly Haiti fanmogged DR in the DR. like i am aware of geography ofc but not the culture or how many Haitians were willing to get over there to make the stadium theirs. it was special though, they never get this
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇳🇮0-3🇨🇷 yeah 3-minute highlights can't do this one a lot, i've got nothing but since it's League A i do want it logged still actually log 🇲🇶2-1🇭🇳 under "i got nothing" from the 3 minutes too
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇨🇼1-0🇹🇹 the Bacuna brothers are often class on the field in a way that only a full 90' can show, they aren't often on the highlights. but Juninho was on them a lot today, the most *overtly* good game he has had that i can remember, extremely invovled as the 10.
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇩🇲1-5🇬🇾 Osaze looks to be leading this team straight into Nations League A & the gold cup, i mean complete hero stuff
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇻🇮0-5🇫🇷 sadly, this is the deserved result & even what maybe should have happened last game. i can't quite get a read on USVI's weakness vs. Saint Martin's strength (as in which does this say more about), but yeah SM are through basically, deservedly. it was fun while it lasted!
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇵🇱6-0🇷🇴 complete trick game if you just read scores. Poland could not get out of their half, keeper had to make a few good saves, & then on a long ball Lewa draws a stupid red. don't believe Poland are back because of this
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
🇺🇦0-3🇬🇧(NIR) 270' now without Northern Ireland conceding, usually by letting the other team have the ball too. despite the big win here, they're still set piece reliant when it comes to scoring, so i am not convinced in the attack but the defending seems very real
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
goodness, i keep forgetting that UEFA Nations League A has been doing quarterfinals. i keep thinking just the group winner goes to a Final 4 - i need to sit down & reassess how the groups are playing out at some point. point is, Belgium in great position to keep on into the next round
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90 Collective @90collective.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
a good 90' for the centerback pairing too who have yet to miss a minute together this window
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