2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa qualification
- Thread starter nightwanker
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- world cup
I have to say, as much as I'm looking forward to the World Cup, once again the qualifying is a joke as always.
England and Spain advanced easily, not just because both teams are great, but also because in their group there is not one team that could have beaten them for the first place in the group. Same goes for the Netherlands and Italy.
All the while, Germany and Russia are struggling for qualification, because they are both equally strong (in their group as well as on an international level). Even though Germany hasn't lost a single qualifying match so far and has the best GD aside from England, it is still possible that Germany doesn't qualify.
And then I'm looking at the CONCACAF, AFC or OFC qualifyings...and most of those teams about to qualify for the World Cup couldn't even score a draw against Germany or Russia...kinda screwed up, if you ask me.
I know, it's a World Cup, but still... no wonder many soccer experts anticipate the European Championship more then the World Cup.
Speaking of the European Championship, I'm looking forward to Germany's women soccer team kicking the crap out of England tomorrow and taking the European Championship for the 7th time. Ha!
I was under the impression that England were not the seeded team in their group. I'm led to believe it was Croatia. (Ranked something like 5th in the world at the beginning of qualification.) Am I wrong?
You're absolutely right. Croatia were seeded (unsurprisingly, considering England didn't even make it to Euro 2008, and that Croatia had done the double on them in qualifying).
England are NOT a great team, and certainly weren't coming off the back of the McClaren era, when they had no confidence and no coherence.
Great players almost never make great coaches. They can't understand how to play football without their genius. Maradona is no exception.
France could put out an entire Arsenal back line. Does anyone think that Gallas, Clichy, Sagna, Silvestre could NOT play as a cohesive unit FOR FRANCE? Silvestre might be slow but the last time I saw Abidal he was getting clowned in the Euros. He ain't all that fast anymore....
Henry has no business starting anymore. He should be coming off the bench. He doesn't even want to play for France anymore.
Domenech relies too much on his pet players...France should only be playing the players who actually look good in practice...and they should only be inviting players who are in form to even make the player pool....
Henry has no business starting anymore. He should be coming off the bench. He doesn't even want to play for France anymore.
Domenech relies too much on his pet players...France should only be playing the players who actually look good in practice...and they should only be inviting players who are in form to even make the player pool....
nightwanker
Proud first owner of FreeOnes Playing Cards
also Paraguay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CONMEBOL)
Argentina still having difficulties...
I don't agree.
First, Croatia has taken a nosedive since the Euro 2008. Everyone following soccer not just occasionally knows that. Two or three top players like Olić or Petrić don't automatically make a top team. Just take a look at Portugal.
Second, all the while England was renewed under Capello and was a year ago already considered as being at least as good as Germany or Russia. England has very good players and they play as a single unit. You hardly see any games where there's just one striker standing around alone surrounded by three or four players from the opposing team. There are always three or four players working as a harmonious unit, who can all bring themselves into very dangerous position to score a goal anytime they're in or near the box, may it be Cole, Rooney, Lampard, Crouch...., and that's the reason why you will see more goals watching England than any other European team at the moment.
The FIFA ranking that the qualifying system was based on is from 2007, mind that. Croatia was never ranked higher than Germany, nevertheless they defeated Germany at the Euros 2008. Croatia was a surprise, whereas England was a disappointment. Now, Croatia is a disappointment and England is the new wildcard.
Besides that, I wouldn't use the official FIFA world rankings to make a point about how good a team is. If you look at the current ranking, Germany, France, Italy, Israel and Brazil are ranked too high, whereas the US, Bosnia-Herzegovina, South Korea, Japan, England and Spain should be ranked higher. At least that's my opinion.
No, you're missing my point. Of course Croatia have fallen off a lot, and England have improved immeasurably. But when they selected the groups for the qualifiers, I believe that Croatia were seeded and England were not. Due to Croatia's higher ranking at the time.
I'm not saying Croatia are better than England. Obviously they're not. But they were two years ago.
England still aren't a great team though. They're a very well organised team with a brilliant manager, who are sorely lacking a top class keeper, striker, and right back. They are not Spain and Brazil - the genuinely excellent teams right now.
Yesterday we somehow managed to defeat Azerbaijan. :dunno:
I still don't know how to explain the first halftime. :dunno:
Klose was maybe the best player of the whole game
I still don't know how to explain the first halftime. :dunno:
Klose was maybe the best player of the whole game
nightwanker
Proud first owner of FreeOnes Playing Cards
I don't have a good feeling about the Russia game
2:2 or (what I fear) even 1:2
2:2 or (what I fear) even 1:2
i hope argentina qualifies
nightwanker
Proud first owner of FreeOnes Playing Cards
Many games today 10-10-2009
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/matches/fixtures.html
At least all these should be tantalizing
Denmark v Sweden
Russia v Germany
Cameroon v Togo
Ecuador v Uruguay
Republic of Ireland v Italy
Honduras v USA
Czech Republic v Poland
Slovakia v Slovenia
Portugal v Hungary
Greece v Latvia
Inter-confederation playoffs
Bahrain v New Zealand
Every game a playoff game for Argentina
Argentina v Peru
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/matches/fixtures.html
At least all these should be tantalizing
Denmark v Sweden
Russia v Germany
Cameroon v Togo
Ecuador v Uruguay
Republic of Ireland v Italy
Honduras v USA
Czech Republic v Poland
Slovakia v Slovenia
Portugal v Hungary
Greece v Latvia
Inter-confederation playoffs
Bahrain v New Zealand
Every game a playoff game for Argentina
Argentina v Peru
Only closed circuit coverage for this game..... What could be the clinching game for USA will not be seen by the majority of the USA fans.
Red card for Germany!
Thanks Boateng. Remember this day, because it will be your first and last game
Thanks Boateng. Remember this day, because it will be your first and last game
Vanilla Bear
Bears For Life
GregCentauro
Banned
Nazis qualified for SA. There's some irony in that sentence. :cussing:
