2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa qualification

[nightwanker]

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/matches/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_2010

Europe
Spain and England are the European teams that won all 4 games till now.
Italy and Germany are also on their way with each 3 wins and a tie.
Also the Netherlands are flawless with 3 wins in 3 games.
My guess group winners: Denmark, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy and the Netherlands.
Second place qualifiers: France, Croatia, Turkey, Russia (depending on actual fixtures)
Portugal got severe problems.
Keep an eye on: Belgium, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sweden and of course Portugal anyway.

Africa
Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire are the best teams from second round.
I am curious what Egypt will do. They are always a strong African Nations Cup team, but hardly ever qualify for a world cup. I think 2010 they will take part!

South America
Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina will take their places! Who will be fourth and possible fifth? Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia?

Asia
Top Seeds for Australia, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran.
My guess: Australia, Korea Republic, Japan and Iran will make it.

North, Central America and Caribbean
Mexico, United States, Costa Rica and Honduras this time?

Oceania
New Zealand... sorry, I don't think they will make it. But maybe it's fifty-fifty.


2002 1, 2, 3
2006 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Who will make it to South Africa? e.g. 1, 2, 3

 

[calpoon]

Europe: what's to say? Nice to see England get up off their asses and show up. I think we all know how we all feel about all the other players. Like everyone else I was impressed by the dutch at Euro, so I will be keeping an eye on them.

Africa: I'm with you, but there are some other teams that I would have liked to have seen. I like Senegal.

South America: boring, same old thing.

Asia: ditto. I don't expect Aussie to get very far, sorry.

Central: US and Mexico are always must see for me. It would be nice to see Honduras. I would like to see Jamaica and maybe T&T too.

 

[bandanoantri]

Yeah, the Netherlands were really impressive at EURO 08, going out in the quarters. WTF? But we haven't seen this for the first time now have we? The Dutch losing it when it really counts.

I'm not quite sure of this yet, but I think a real threat could be Spain, now that they finally won a trophy again. And the Spanyards were really impressive from game one to the final. I was in the stadium when they played Sweden, and not even after Superzlatan equalised one had the feeling the Tre kronor could take away some points. Somehow everyone knew how that match would end, and it did eventually. If you're winning such games, you're part of the elite.

Anyhow, here are my picks of all the teams that will qualify for the World Cup 2010, wherever it might be played.

UEFA: Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy, Netherlands (9 group winners); Sweden, Russia, Turkey, France

CONMEBOL: Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile (will defeat Trinidad & Tobago)

CONCACAF: US, Costa Rica, Mexico

CAF: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire

AFC: Australia, Japan, Korea Republic, Iran, Saudi Arabia (will defeat Qatar and then New Zealand)

 

[calpoon]

eh. that's what you get at Euro, it's all about bunch of bullshit anyway because they always mismatch teams at the start.

Besides, I think that it might be cliche to say it's not about winning and losing, it's how the game is played, but it is kind of true when it comes to football because you are always looking ahead. Many times we've seen the better team lose, and then come back on top.

 

[tartanterrier]

I think this a world cup I wont be sad about missing out on,with all the muggings and shit that goes on down there :wave2:

 

[nightwanker]

Europe
Spain, England, Netherlands (all flawless) and Germany are doing a good job on their way to South Africa. Italy also is in the lead of their group and might be successful in the end. Serbia is in front of France. Teams like Russia and Croatia are behind Germany and England. Group 2 shows up a head to head between Greece and Switzerland, that is quiet interesting. Group 3 might be the one with the "worst" team to qualify directly, because there is no odds-on favourite - at least as Czech Republic was a disappointment so far. Group 1 shows up Denmark and Hungary in the lead followed by Portugal and Sweden, which were much better in last tournaments.

On June 6th Sweden and Denmark will have to face each other and this might be a game you shouldn't miss - above all: there will be hardly any other games of importance at this time in Europe.

But of course also:
Croatia v Ukraine (2nd Place in Group 6?)
Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland (2nd place Group 8?)
Serbia v Austria (will Serbia finish 1st ahead of France?)

Now babes: Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Irish, Serbian, Austrian, French

 

[calpoon]

Well I hope Serbia finishes ahead of France, they are boring.

Croatia will probably take Ukraine, even though I like them better.

I like Ireland better, but I don't know anything about Bulgaria.

 

[thegunner]

eh. that's what you get at Euro, it's all about bunch of bullshit anyway because they always mismatch teams at the start.

Besides, I think that it might be cliche to say it's not about winning and losing, it's how the game is played, but it is kind of true when it comes to football because you are always looking ahead. Many times we've seen the better team lose, and then come back on top.

Teams are 'mismatched' because they are seeded. This means the best teams don't play each other until the latter stages of the competition. They won their early round matches and so they have the advantage when it comes to playing others. It works that way in most competitions.

 

[calpoon]

Exactly, that's the whole point, because people want to see the most popular teams play against each other, rather than give a fair chance to all of the teams.

They just put one or two teams in a group that is clearly better than all the others and then they just knock them all out and advance to the next round. If they matched teams more evenly based on skill level it would be the same outcome for all the big league teams, they'd just get it done sooner instead of waiting till it came down to just them, and the other more mid-leval teams would get to play against each other, in games that would be just as interesting and that you normally don't get to see, instead of just getting knocked out right at the start.

So it really wouldn't effect the final at all because it would still come down to the same people, there would just be more of a range of play in between.

 

[assholebythedoor]

I don't want to see a popular team play each other. I want to see teams who can actually play.

 

[nightwanker]

The Netherlands won the sixth of six games so far and already got their ticket to South Africa.
England also won the sixth of six games, but Croatia still got theoretical chances after a tie against Ukraine.
Serbia is doing well. What will France do?
Sweden v Denmark 0-1

And just now: Honduras gains the lead against USA (edit: 1-1)
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/matches/index.html

South Africa, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia and South Korea will play in 2010.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8087372.stm
27 more needed.

 

[nightwanker]

Albania's fans vs Cristiano Ronaldo

found by bandanoantri
Rep here

 

[nightwanker]

South Africa, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia and South Korea will play in 2010.

And North Korea makes six.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_-_AFC_Fourth_Round#Group_B

It's their first appearance since 1966 and their second overall.
Also first time 'both Koreas'

Oh, and will she be supplemented by a northern babe?
http://board.freeones.com/showpost.php?p=284323

 

[Legzman]

why is soccer "futbol" (ever how the fuck its spelled) not popular in America, yet seems every other country in the world its like the national sport? Except canada of course they have their hockey thing going.

 

[nightwanker]

why is soccer "futbol" (ever how the fuck its spelled) not popular in America, yet seems every other country in the world its like the national sport? Except canada of course they have their hockey thing going.

Why isn't football/soccer that popular in North America?
http://board.freeones.com/showthread.php?t=164936

 

[Patrick_S]

I just hope they ban these fucking horns the audience is using in south africa. I watched two matches from the confederations cup yesterday and i still have a headache from hearing that noise non-stop for 2x90 minutes.

 

[free4440273]

Brazil looking good as always.

 

[Wainkerr99]

South Africa has done almost nothing to get ready for the World Cup.

 

[free4440273]

I wonder: will England disappoint in any penalty shoot-outs?? They seem to be cursed in that department.

 

[bandanoantri]

South Africa has done almost nothing to get ready for the World Cup.

Yeah, it's rather scary, even with a playmaker like Pienaar, who really had a good season. But one man alone is way too little firepower. So they could be the first host nation to not survive the group stage.

I wonder if North Korea really will participate at next year's tournament. Much can happen in one year when their madman leader has a bad day at the office.