3rd place play off - why?

[Lou Grant]

Anyone on here going to be watching? Would for example England reserves v Belgium reserves get your juices flowing? Is anyone that starved of football after 58 games (and with a final to come) that they'll settle down on a Saturday night to see this one?

I appreciate it's world cup tradition to have a 3rd place play off, but that's from an era when football on TV was a novelty and the competition itself only had as little as 18 games in total.

Of course I have no real objection to the playing of a match of football that I can easily avoid, but it does strike me as odd that this non event still exists.

[Jonathan]

In reality I’m sure all the losing semi finalists would rather be on their holidays.
No idea why they persist with it.

[beingsoblase]

Does seem a bit pointless, why not give both teams a runner up type medal and be done with it.

[Kowalski]

To make more money.

[subsub]

Total waste of time.

There have been occasions where some teams were desperate to win it (Sweden in 1994 and Turkey in 2002, for example), but the big teams couldn't give a toss about it.

[Zambo]

Anyone on here going to be watching? Would for example England reserves v Belgium reserves get your juices flowing?

It didn't in the group stages, and it wouldn't for 3rd place. Ditch it.

[m4rkb]

At least it gives us another game to watch before they finally deprive us for another 4 years.

[Shedboy]

It might be my last game of the World Cup because there's no fecking way I'm watching a final with England in it.

My nerves wouldn't stand it.

[The End]

I've got a ticket for it! It came with the package - I've no interest in it. I will go, however, if only to collect as many of the souvenir pint glasses that light up.