World Cup 2010

[roseboy64]

Guy's got the track record though.

[Johnners]

Indeed he has, and at this stage it seems as though he's the favourite to get the gig. Only stumbling so far is that he wants to handpick his staff, which imo shouldn't be that big an issue, if he's good (which i'm led to beleive he is..) let him do it.

[roseboy64]

In other news Jamaica has re-signed Rene Simoes who guided us to the 1998 World Cup. He just got Coritiba into the Brazil topflight but chose to come here instead of continuing with them. Itstl. The new administration for football is the same one that hired him back in 1994 with some new faces after they fired the last administration's coach Velibor Milutinovic. NOt all for it be he can't do any worse.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Bump

First qualifying sessions for Asia & CONCACAF underway.

Today's games (in GMT)
08.30, Melbourne, grp 1: Australia 3-0 Qatar (demolished in first half)
10.20, Saitama, grp 2: Japan 4-1 Thailand (Japan rallied after being pegged back immediately after gaining the early lead)
11.00, Seoul, grp 3: South Korea 4-0 Turkmenistan (Korea affirm their favourite status)
11.30, Teheran, grp 5: Iran 0-0 Syria (disappointing start for Iran in one of the easier groups IMO - even though the FIFA rankings claim otherwise)
12.30, Dubai, grp 1: Iraq 1-1 China (Iraq had Akram sent off and Mahmoud injured, had a goal dubiously disallowed, yet got a cheap penalty for their goal)
14.30, Muscat, grp 2: Oman 0-1 Bahrain (group pretty much sewn up already, winners today go through)
15.00, Amman, grp 3: Jordan 0-1 North Korea (the North Koreans keep beating weaker sides, which should be enough to head through from this group)
15.15, Abu Dhabi, grp 5: UAE 2-0 Kuwait (easy victory for the Emirates, who have floundered in recent times)
16.00, Beirut, grp 4: Lebanon 0-1 Uzbekistan (early goal sealed the winner for the favourites)
17.15, Riyadh, grp 4: Saudi Arabia 2-0 Singapore (early lead, probably never threatened)
---
21.00, Guatemala City (neutral ground): Belize 3-1 St Kitts and Nevis
21.00, Diriamba: Nicaragua 0-1 Netherlands Antilles
23.00, Roseau: Dominica 1-1 Barbados
00.00, Oranjestad: Aruba 0-3 Antigua & Barbuda
00.45, Providenciales: Turks & Caicos 2-1 St Lucia
01.30, San Salvador: El Salvador 12-0 Anguilla (the expected rout)

Next round of matches: March 26.

[andruid]

If Kenya cans survive the entire qualifying campaign without landing a FIFA ban or suspension anywhere along the line I will be relieved.

[headhunter]

Giovanni Trapattoni named new manager of the Rep.of Ireland today.
Pleased enough with the new gaffer considering some of the names mentioned.

[Johnners]

Couldn't have asked for a better start really. The next match in China will be a big test though, and it'll be interesting to see if Verbeek can call upon the same number of our European players this time around, or if more A-League players will be needed.

[sledger]

I find it funny, that England pick an old experienced Italian manager....and Ireland do the same just a few weeks later...

[michfan2123]

I am hoping to make the journey to South Africa in 2010.

I like the squad the US is currently fielding. Hopefully we can be a threat in 2010.

[DJellett]

Macedonia (aka: Pandev +10) in a group that gives us at least half a chance of going through...i wish.

[Samuel_Vimes]

06.00, Kunming, grp 1: China 0-0 Australia (Aussie keeper saved a penalty...typical.)
10.00, Tashkent, grp 4: Uzbekistan 3-0 Saudi Arabia (demolition. Good for Saudi Arabia the rest of their group is so poor)
11.00, Shanghai (neutral), grp 3: North Korea 0-0 South Korea (settled for the honourable draw)
11.30, Singapore, grp 4: Singapore 2-0 Lebanon (The imported Singapore side gets its first win. Neither side has it in them to chase the top sides)
11.30, Bangkok, grp 2: Thailand 0-1 Oman (early away goal - Thailand heading out)
12.00, Ashkhabad, grp 3: Turkmenistan 0-2 Jordan (but Jordan have already dropped points at home)
12.30, Damascus, grp 5: Syria 1-1 United Arab Emirates (second-half equaliser gives UAE the lead in the group)
14.10, Riffa, grp 2: Bahrain 1-0 Japan (Japan dropping points, but this was the trickiest game in the group)
14.30, Doha, grp 1: Qatar 2-0 Iraq (Iraq heading out after sacking their coach - Qatar head into second place)
16.45, Kuwait City, grp 5: Kuwait 2-2 Iran (second point drop for Iran - ahead of Syria on scored goals)
---
2nd leg, CONCACAF:
19.00, Vieux Fort: St Lucia 2-0 Turks and Caicos (early goal meant Saint Lucia were through on away goals, sealed it seven minutes from time. Saint Lucia face Guatemala.)
19.00, St George's: Grenada 7-0 US Virgin Islands (one-leg tie. Grenada go through and play Costa Rica)
19.00, Kensington Oval: Barbados 1-0 Dominica (Stanford earns Barbados a glamour tie with the USA)
20.00, Nassau: Bahamas 1-1 British Virgin Islands
20.15, ARG: Antigua and Barbuda 1-0 Aruba (victory confirmed)
22.00, Tunapuna (neutral): Montserrat 1-7 Suriname (one-leg tie, ran away in the second half against the world's worst. Playing neighbours Guyana next)
23.00, Basseterre: St Kitts and Nevis 1-1 Belize (Belize qualify for elimination to Mexico)
00.00, Bayamon: Puerto Rico 1-0 aet Dominican Republic (one-leg tie, weak display by Puerto Rico ahead of the clash with Honduras)
00.00, Washington DC (neutral): Anguilla 0-4 El Salvador (16-0 overall - El Salvador go forth to meet Panama)
00.00, Willemstad: Netherlands Antilles 2-0 Nicaragua (the Netherlands Antilles waltz on, now face Haiti)

Two matches on March 30 will conclude this stage in CONCACAF.

[chaminda_00]

Go Qatar

[chaminda_00]

Qatar (2) - Iraq (0)



Australia 4 pts
Qatar 3 pts
China 2 pts
Iraq 1 pt

[Burgey]

Yep. Very, very handy result that.

Based on what I saw of China, if we get a close to full strength squad vs them at home, we should (should!) get 3 points there.

[Craig]

I would be very concerned for the fate of the North Korean team had they lost to South Korea.