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2010 World Cup Qualifying
Topic Started: Sep 9 2008, 05:12 AM (3,173 Views)
raconteur
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I would not be surprised by Switzerland's qualification for the World Cup. They've ahd several good crops of young players coming up and with Ottmar Hitzfeld, a wise old coach diretcing them they have the sort of team I do not think many nations will really want to face in the World Cup. I think the Swiss are ateam which could surprise some people next summer and tonight I expect them to assure their trip to South Africa.

Wow it all looked like it was falling into place for Slovakia didn't it? But last weekend's home loss really complicates things for them and now they need to beat Poland away. Not an easy task but with Poland already eliminated, it is not an impossible one. Still I do think as Merengue does that Slovenia have the easier route to direct qualification.
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Manzanares
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Slovakia made it! A 1-0 win over Poland sends the Slovaks to their first World Cup thanks to a 3rd minute own goal. And better for them neighbors and rivals Czech Republic after a 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland finished 3rd. Slovenia beat San Marino and takes 2nd and the playoff spot.

Switzerland also made it with a 0-0 tie with Israel, Greece defeated Luxembourg to qualify for the playoffs.

Ukraine crushed Andorra to advance to the playoffs in their group and the Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal easily won 4-0 over Malta, making Sweden's 4-1 win over Albania futile. Some say Portugal play better witout Ronaldo, more as a team, and they scored 4 goals in both games against Malta without Ronaldo but that is hardly an apt comparision. But no way does Queiroz leave a healthy Ronaldo out of Portugal's lineup if he's healthy for the playoffs.

So the group winners and automatic qualifiers from Europe:

Denmark
Switzerland
Slovakia
Germany
Spain
England
Serbia
Italy
Netherlands

And the playoff teams (Norway finished 2nd in their group but had the poorest record and are eliminated):
Portugal
Greece
Slovenia
Russia
Bosnia
Ukraine
France
Ireland
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Martin
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Anybody see the highlights of Slovakia's win in Poland? The field was covered in snow they had to shovel off the end lines and the penalty box just so you could see them! And this is on October 14! Slovakia scored when a low cross on the wet, snow covered turf skidded off the foot of a Polish defender attempting a clearance and ended up in the back of the net! Congratualtions though to Slovakia on their first time World Cup qualification.

Manzanares, I've read the same claim about portugal playing betetr without Ronaldo. As you write, hard to prove by the results against Malta but it would not surprise me as Ronaldo is an individualistic player. But as you write, Queiroz will not drop Ronaldo from the starting team when he's available. Plus he does have match winning capabilities even if he rarely ahs shown them with Portugal.

So if the 8 playoff teams will be split into two pots with the top four highest FIFA rankings in one pot they will be divided thusly:

Pot 1
Russia
France
Greece
Portugal

Pot 2
Ukraine
Ireland
Bosnia
Slovenia

If I were a team in Pot 1 the team I would want to avoid would be Ireland. They are a tough team to beat and will be extremely difficult in a two game series especially with a wily coach like Trappatoni.

If I am a team in Pot 2, the nation I would most welcome getting paired with would be Greece. I'd rather play Greece than Russia, France or Portugal.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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shelsoccer
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Martin, I agree with your pot theories :D
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raconteur
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shelsoccer,Oct 15 2009
06:55 AM
Martin, I agree with your pot theories :D

haha, I agree with them too! Ireland is going to be a difficult opponent in these playoffs. I don't know if it is because of increased interest or if they are remodeling the national football stadium but ireland ar enow playing at a larger stadium which is the home of hurling and Gaelic football and seats nearly 80,000 fans and they've been filling the place for their qualifying matches. Obviously Trap ahs won acceptance there and Ireland with a smart coach, excellent crowd support and a teancious squad of players will be tricky opponents for any of the top seeds.

And of the top seeds, I too think Greece is the easiest opponent. Not that they are a pushover but I would rather face Greece than Russia, France or Portugal. There may be this discussion of Portugal playing betetr without Ronaldo but the bottom line is afetr a very slow start, they ended qualifying playing pretty well, scoring the encessary goals while being stingy in defense.
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Simon
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It depends which Russia turns up. They can be awful on their bad days, or electric on good days. I've rarely known a team blow hot and cold to quite that extent.
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Mr. Pither
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So here then are the draws for the playoffs, first team named to host 14 November first leg, return legs on 18 Nvember:

Republic of Ireland v France
Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Greece v Ukraine
Russia v Slovenia

Quite an interesting game set up between Ireland and France. With both teams known for their defense, 0-0 or 1-0 results would not surprise me. While France have the better players, Ireland to me have the better team and I think they can pull it off. Domenech has remarked that since so many of his players play against Irish ones in the English league that should help them (should not that work the same then for Ireland?) and he called Ireland, "another England." Well, maybe he's right, they're both coached by Italians! :lol:

Portugal gets the unpredictable Bosnia and their prolific set of attackers in what should also be a pretty good matchup but I think you have to make Portugal favourites, Greece plays Ukraine in what to me looks like an even set of games while Russia play Slovenia. As Simon wrote,

It depends which Russia turns up. They can be awful on their bad days, or electric on good days. I've rarely known a team blow hot and cold to quite that extent.

Well of course they run hot and cold, they're coached by a Dutchman!

I expect Russia however to easily beat Slovenia in the most lopsided of all of these European playoffs.
P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD
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Don Balon
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Ireland-France does look like an even matchup but I agree with Pither, it likely won't be too high scoring. Now Portugal-Bosnia to me looks more interetsing although if Bosnia play defensively as they did versus Spain last week, Portugal will eat them up. Seems like after a slow start Portugal have gotten themselves together, with or without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Again I will agree with Pither's comments that Greece-Ukraine looks very even while Russia-Slovenia should be won by the Russians.
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Pepe
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I am with Don Balon's view, Portugal-Bosnia could be an exciting matchup. Portugal should be too balanced for them but any team with strikers like Dzeko and Ibesevic backed by Misimovic in midfield will be a danger. But Portugal do have the defenders and apparently the confidence which was previously missing to handle them.

I also agree with those saying Ireland will give France a tough time. Ultimately I think France sneaks through but not without some anxiety for followers of Les Bleus.

I don't think Ukraine has the attack to beat Greece while Russia will advance against Slovenia.
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hobbes
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I think two of the ties will depend largely on the first leg. If Slovenia can be within a goal of Russia coming home I think they can spring the upset. They’re a capable team and have been playing well. That being said I think Russia will do the business at home and cruise from there.

On a similar note, if Portugal doesn’t win their home leg I don’t think they’ll qualify. Bosnia has the quality to get some goals and if they come home with confidence I think they will be very tough to beat.

Why am I having flashbacks to the Ukraine-Swiss round of 16 game from Germany when I think about Ukraine-Greece? That game from 06 could still be happening and no one would have scored yet. I think Ukraine will beat Greece, but a goal may be all it takes.

I would love for Ireland to qualify, but I don’t think they have the quality. I like their back line a lot and St. Ledger (whom I’d never heard of before) looked decent against Italy. That being said I can’t see how they can hold posession against top teams with Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan playing in the middle of the park. Dunn and McGeady are dangerous on the flanks and Keane is dangerous, but I think France will have too much of the ball.

I think Trapattoni’s brilliant, but I don’t think it’ll be enough.

cheers,
hobbes

P.S. Martin> I actually saw the Poland v Slovakia match. Great fun. Well it was a lousy match, but memorable. I know a few Slovaks and was happy for them. I hadn't seen them and was curious to see how they had done so well, but the conditions didn't really tell me anything about their qualities.
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
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Simon
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Mr. Pither,Oct 19 2009
11:54 AM
Domenech called Ireland, "another England."

Wow. He'll now be almost as unpopular in Dublin as he is in Paris! Reminds me of how Jack Charlton didn't think he had any decent Irish players and so simply rounded up a bunch of English players who weren't good enough to play for England, contrived ridiculous reasons for them being eligible to play for Ireland e.g. they'd once seen Riverdance or had a grandfather who'd once had a pint of Guinness, and shoved them in his Ireland squad. They then played a really stereotyped Wimbledon-style long-ball game, but it worked. 'England Reserves' we called them, but the joke was on us when they qualified for USA 94 and we didn't! Team spirit and togetherness was the key in those days, as it apparently is for the Irish today. It could be counter-productive at times though, as with one brilliant story related by Roy Keane ahead of the Ireland-Holland play-off at Anfield for a place at Euro 96. Charlton took his squad for a meal at Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip shop in Liverpool. The players egged each other on to order 'Harry's Challenge' from the menu - a truly colossal plate of fish and chips. Due to bravado, each player in the squad forced down the whole lot, no-one wanting to be the only player who failed the challenge. As Roy Keane acidly remarked, "none of us could run the next night when we lost to Holland, but hey, at least we'd completed Harry's Challenge!" :D

I'll support Ireland in the play-offs, in that magnanimous way that we English support all the other nations of the British Isles while they meanwhile always want us to lose! ;) But, like Hobbes, I suspect they'll come up short.

A shudder went through me when Hobbes mentioned Ukraine-Switzerland from 2006, one of the worst games of football I've ever seen. I remember during extra time when the BBC commentator turned to co-commentator Mick McCarthy (a Yorkshireman who played for Ireland under Jack Charlton, possibly due to being called 'Mick') and asked him a question about the game. The always witty McCarthy said "you want me to answer that question and keep on commentating? Do you really reckon there's anyone still watching?" Well, I was, till the bitter end. But I reckon I've learnt my lesson now and I'll steer clear of Ukraine-Greece.
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Manzanares
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Simon and hobbes brought me a scare too mentioning Switzerland-Ukraine, that was perhaps the worst World Cup match I have seen since the 1990 World Cup (where there were too many games like that to single any in specific out).

I read where Franck Ribery will be out for both legs of France-Ireland. There is a boost for the men in green there. Interesting that of the four "seeded" teams, only France will have the benefit of playing the 2nd leg at home. Maybe that was UEFA's way of throwing a bone to the unseeded teams?
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Nkono
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Manzanares,Oct 22 2009
03:14 PM
I read where Franck Ribery will be out for both legs of France-Ireland. There is a boost for the men in green there. Interesting that of the four "seeded" teams, only France will have the benefit of playing the 2nd leg at home. Maybe that was UEFA's way of throwing a bone to the unseeded teams?

Losing Ribery obviously is a blow for France but in a way it should open the game up for Gourcuff. I get the impression that Ribery and Gourcuff have not yet clicked on the field together and that when one plays without the other he can have more of an impact playing for {i]Les Bleus[/i]. At some time they will learn to play together but I don't think that yet is the case. Here is the team I would like France to use against Ireland in that first away leg in Dublin:
Gignac
Henry, Gourcuff, Anelka
Toulalan, L. Diarra
Evra, Squillaci, Gallas, Sagna
Lloris

Maybe away Govou could come on for Anelka to give a little more cover in midfield but I think this is a team France can use which will have success against Ireland. Gignac has become the team's most reliable goalscorer and although not well known internationally he is I think a player who will have an impact in this series. Should be a fascinating two matches as Ireland are a combative team who play with passion. France will have to play well to emerge victorious.
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Mr. Pither
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Nice preview of France nkono. Keep us posted once Domenech announces his roster for the playoff versus Ireland. Giovanni Trapatoni has released Ireland's squad:

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Man City), Kieren Westwood (Coventry), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe)

Defenders: John O'Shea (Man Utd), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Kevin Kilbane (Hull), Eddie Nolan (Preston), Sean St Ledger (Preston, on loan at Middlesbrough) Paul McShane (Hull), Darren O'Dea (Celtic, on loan at Reading)

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Damien Duff (Fulham), Darron Gibson (Man Utd), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (Blackburn), Liam Miller (Hibernian), Stephen Hunt (Hull), Andy Keogh (Wolverhampton), Liam Lawrence (Stoke)

Strikers: Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Shane Long (Reading), Leon Best (Coventry), Anthony Stokes (Hibernian)

Given, O'Shea, Duff and Keane are the best known players but what makes Ireland a difficult opponent is their team play.
P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD
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raconteur
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Trap always has something up his sleeve, he will make Ireland a very difficult opponent for the French. France naturally will be the favorite but really how mnay of us would be shocked if the Irish pulled off the upset?

Guus Hiddink named Russia's team to play Slovenia:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo Moscow).

Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg).

Midfielders: Igor Semshov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton), Alexei Rebko (FK Moscow), Dmitry Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow).

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur), Pavel Pogrebnyak (VfB Stuttgart), Alexander Kerzhakov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow).

You will be able to see the CSKA Moscow and Rubin Kazan boys playing this week in the Champions League. And the same of course for Arshavin at Arsenal and Pogrebnyak with Stuttgart. A few new names I do not recognize from their Euro 2008 team otherwise it is a very similar team to that successful group.
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