"The feeling of waiting for a death sentence": Korean and Scottish fans trapped in a "possibilities" hell... Scottish fans scream, stuck in the U.S. facing a financial bomb

*This content was translated by AI.

Like South Korea, Scottish football fans are spending blood-curdling days ticking off one "possibility" after another.

On the 26th (Korean time), TalkSport reported that football experts Gabriel Agbonlahor and Jeff Stelling strongly criticized the World Cup Group 3rd-place ranking system. They pointed out that the system is "unfair" to fans. They further explained, "Scotland is currently one of the nations in an ambiguous situation. We must wait until all group-stage matches are over to see if Scotland can advance to the Round of 32 as one of the top eight Group 3rd-place teams."

In this tournament, Scotland was drawn into Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti. It was a difficult group containing strong teams like Brazil and Morocco. Scotland raised hopes by defeating Haiti 1-0 in their opening match, but later lost to Morocco and suffered a 0-3 defeat to Brazil in the final match. Ultimately, they finished third in the group with one win and two losses (3 points), and a goal difference of -3.

However, elimination is not yet confirmed. In this tournament, not only the top two teams from each group but also the eight best-performing teams among the 12th Group 3rd-place teams advance to the Round of 32. Scotland finds itself in a situation similar to South Korea. The South Korean national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, recorded one win and two losses (3 points), two goals scored and three conceded, and a goal difference of -1, finishing third in Group A. Currently, South Korea is ranked 6th in the Group 3rd-place standings, while Scotland is in 8th place, the "line in the sand."

Both South Korea and Scotland are setting up favorable "possibilities" for their national teams and watching the results of matches in other groups day by day. First, the matches held on the 26th in Groups D, E, and F all worked against them. In Group D, Australia needed to defeat Paraguay in the third match to favor South Korea and Scotland, but both teams were in a situation where adding even one point would not be bad. Ultimately, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. In Group F, Japan needed to defeat Sweden by a margin of two goals or more. However, the result was a 1-1 draw.

A major upset occurred in Group E. Ecuador defeated "champion favorite" Germany 2-1. If Ecuador had not won, both South Korea and Scotland could have finished ahead of Ecuador, but the plan was completely derailed. Ecuador recorded one win, one draw, and one loss (4 points), securing a spot in the Round of 32 as the third-place team in Group E. South Korea and Scotland are thus ticking off their "possibilities" one by one.

Scottish football fans conveyed their despair through Reddit, the world's largest community. In the Scottish football community, reactions included: "We have dropped to 8th in the Group 3rd-place standings. It's practically over," and "None of the other group results we wanted came out. It feels like lying in bed waiting for a death sentence." Shortly after the draw between Australia and Paraguay, one Scottish fan expressed anger, saying, "Did those two teams come out for a cardio workout? They ran all over the field without scoring a single goal."

South Korea and Scotland must check the "possibilities" again on the 27th. In Group G, Egypt must defeat Iran, and in Group H, Spain must defeat Uruguay. In Group I, a draw between Senegal and Iraq in the third match would favor South Korea and Scotland. When one Scottish fan sarcastically asked, "Is it not over yet?", another fan reorganized the remaining "possibilities." This is not much different from the situation of South Korean football fans.

The bigger problem is the football fans still present at the World Cup venue. Since it is not yet decided whether they will advance to the Round of 32, Scottish fans are forced to wait in the United States. Many fans are reportedly staying in Miami, where the third group-stage match against Brazil was held. However, during the World Cup, local living costs such as accommodation, airfare, and food inevitably rise significantly. The longer the wait, the greater the burden.

TalkSport reported, "Agbonlahor and Stelling also did not view Scotland's current situation favorably. The two criticized the impact of the World Cup's new Group 3rd-place ranking system on fans."

Agbonlahor stated, "The cost is the problem. Just staying in Miami is an issue. Fans have to pay more for accommodation and wait for the next match. This is very difficult and unfair for fans," and pointed out that "prices will skyrocket during the World Cup."

Even if Scotland miraculously advances to the Round of 32, another problem arises. This is because it is impossible to know in which city the Round of 32 matches will be held. If Scotland advances to the next round, there is a possibility they will play in New York, Boston, or Mexico City in the United States. Scottish fans will have to urgently secure airfare, accommodation, and match tickets as soon as their advancement to the Round of 32 is confirmed. Agbonlahor and Stelling pointed out that additional costs will inevitably occur in this process.

Agbonlahor raised his voice, saying, "This new format created by FIFA is unfair to fans. It is not just a problem for Scottish fans. Fans of other teams are in the same situation. Fans will think like this: Where should we go? Should we go home first? If we return to Scotland, can we come back again? They will be left with such worries."

In addition, Stelling said, "What should the players do? Are they just waiting around right now? Should they just train as usual? And how should they motivate themselves?"

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*This content was translated by AI.