World Cup 2010

[headhunter]

Originally Posted by luckyeddie

Indeed.

Have you been to see the RoI play footy at Croker yet or do you just restrict yourself to an annual GAA pilgrimage?

Nope was at the 2 All-Ireland's this year but not seen any "foreign" sports there yet. Would love to go see Ireland v Brazil there in February and obviously would of loved to have gone to either of the rugby games played there earlier this year.

[Johnners]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Australia to get knocked out after playing too matches with all A-League sides at home or 2nd string European sides away. Even with Aloisi, Thompson, Moore, Tiatto, Milligan, Burns etc I reckon China and Iraq at full strength will beat an all A-League side. Away from home in Iraq and Qatar you need full strength sides. When our players legs are gone after 60 minutes, a touch of class is what will win matches.

Talk is that they are going to play pretty much all A-League side at home and 2nd string European sides away in the first group phase. Then bring the big boys back for the 2nd group phase. If thats not asking to get knocked out in the first round, then I don't know what is.

Hopefully they go the current Olyroos approach and play everyone possible and rotate the main players if required. They are going to go no where if they play three different sides, as they have bee talking about doing.

It's certainly the toughest group in Asia imo, but I still think we have what it takes to make it through even if we can't play full strength for a number of matches. Wish the FFA would just hurry up and sign a new coach though.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Australia to get knocked out after playing too matches with all A-League sides at home or 2nd string European sides away. Even with Aloisi, Thompson, Moore, Tiatto, Milligan, Burns etc I reckon China and Iraq at full strength will beat an all A-League side. Away from home in Iraq and Qatar you need full strength sides. When our players legs are gone after 60 minutes, a touch of class is what will win matches.

Talk is that they are going to play pretty much all A-League side at home and 2nd string European sides away in the first group phase. Then bring the big boys back for the 2nd group phase. If thats not asking to get knocked out in the first round, then I don't know what is.

Hopefully they go the current Olyroos approach and play everyone possible and rotate the main players if required. They are going to go no where if they play three different sides, as they have bee talking about doing.

Will Australia actually go to Iraq? I mean it is pretty obvious that player's safety would be a massive concern. I can just see the match played at a neutral ground.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Iraq have played all their recent matches in Qatar iirc.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Clapo

It's certainly the toughest group in Asia imo, but I still think we have what it takes to make it through even if we can't play full strength for a number of matches. Wish the FFA would just hurry up and sign a new coach though.

Its not that easy when you consider a lot of countries are looking for new coaches, as well as many clubs. Should have signed Neekens(sp) when we had a chance though. The guy still wants to coach us and we keep trying to look for a 'better' coach.

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

From the BBC.

Group 1 Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Malta

Group 2 Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia, Luxembourg

Group 3 Czech Republic, Poland, NORTHERN IRELAND, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino

Group 4 Germany, Russia, Finland, WALES, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein

Group 5 Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Estonia

Group 6 Croatia, ENGLAND, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Andorra

Group 7 France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands

Group 8 Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia, Montenegro

Group 9 Holland, SCOTLAND, Norway, FYR Macedonia, Iceland

Bloody Croatia again! Could've been worse, I suppose, but could've been lot better too.

TBH, when I first saw Group 2 I thought you'd missed the "big" team and started from the second seed down. Then I realised you hadn't.

Weakest qualifying group ever?

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by Craig

Will Australia actually go to Iraq? I mean it is pretty obvious that player's safety would be a massive concern. I can just see the match played at a neutral ground.

Viduka will be playing a lone role up front...the rest of the team will be knocking long balls in from Iran.

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by Clapo

It's certainly the toughest group in Asia imo, but I still think we have what it takes to make it through even if we can't play full strength for a number of matches. Wish the FFA would just hurry up and sign a new coach though.

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Its not that easy when you consider a lot of countries are looking for new coaches, as well as many clubs. Should have signed Neekens(sp) when we had a chance though. The guy still wants to coach us and we keep trying to look for a 'better' coach.

AWTA on both counts. Could have done without both China and Iraq but I honest believe that a full strength Australian side is good enough to make it, and even a not-quite-full strength team should be able to win at home.

The coach situation is becoming a worry though - I thought we'd have it sorted by now, and what must it do to Arnie to just keep being strung along and having it made so clear to him that as soon as we find someone better he's gone. Not that I necessarily think he should be the Australian coach, but I don't think it's been handled as well as it could have been. We must have had reasons to turn down Neeskens - you don't often get someone with that kind of pedigree practically begging for the job - and I just hope those reasons were good ones.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Well, the first match isn't even a recognised international date, and the English and German league have matches either side of that game. Could be tricky to get any players released.

AFC need to get there act sorted out and fixture these matches during international friendly dates like South America, Africa and Europe do. Mind you China have the same problem, but they never seem to like picking their European players, as none get game time at most of their clubs.

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

I can't decide whether I'm looking forward to the resumption of hosilities between the two Koreas, or Australia crashing out without a stream of excuses about referees and anti-Oceanian bias. The only thing that would make it better would be New Zealand winning the OFC/AFC playoff, but that's probably pushing it.

Why the bitterness, Neil? We're hardly a threat to you (the pleasurable yet essentially meaningless friendly win a few years ago notwithstanding) so I wouldn't have thought it would matter.

And for all the bluster over our exit last year, how many genuinely knowledgable Australian football fans (it's not the oxymoron you might think it is!) actually thought we deserved to beat Italy? Very few, IMO.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by The Sean

AWTA on both counts. Could have done without both China and Iraq but I honest believe that a full strength Australian side is good enough to make it, and even a not-quite-full strength team should be able to win at home.

The coach situation is becoming a worry though - I thought we'd have it sorted by now, and what must it do to Arnie to just keep being strung along and having it made so clear to him that as soon as we find someone better he's gone. Not that I necessarily think he should be the Australian coach, but I don't think it's been handled as well as it could have been. We must have had reasons to turn down Neeskens - you don't often get someone with that kind of pedigree practically begging for the job - and I just hope those reasons were good ones.

The lack of first team experience was why they didn't offer him the job. They wanted a guy that has been the first team coach of side through a World Cup campaign. His only first team experience was with an average Dutch club. I would have taken the risk personally and still would.

[biased indian]

Originally Posted by The Sean

TBH, when I first saw Group 2 I thought you'd missed the "big" team and started from the second seed down. Then I realised you hadn't.

Weakest qualifying group ever?

if england loose always and greece win always what can uefa do..

i think greece had the best record in the euro 2008 qualifications rite ???

[Johnners]

Originally Posted by The Sean

Why the bitterness, Neil? We're hardly a threat to you (the pleasurable yet essentially meaningless friendly win a few years ago notwithstanding) so I wouldn't have thought it would matter.

And for all the bluster over our exit last year, how many genuinely knowledgable Australian football fans (it's not the oxymoron you might think it is!) actually thought we deserved to beat Italy? Very few, IMO.

AWTA

Still waiting on the coach, although it seems we may be getting closer with Verbeek, and Phil Troussier (can someone give me a bit of a background on him? Honestly never heard of him before..) being the likely candidates.

Would probs prefer Verbeek at this stage, as mentioned in that link, he has experience in Asian football. Oh and the fact that he's not French...

[Matteh]

'Known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso, Troussier is best known as a coach for his time spent with the Japanese national team.

Troussier coached Japanese national team from 1998 to 2002, winning the 2000 Asian Cup, placing second at the 2001 Confederations Cup and made the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup. He also coached the Japanese team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney to a fifth-place finish and 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up.'

[Johnners]

Thanks for that, seems he also has a fair bit of experience & success in Asian football. Still, he's French.