***Official*** Road to World Cup 2014

[Tom Halsey]

Don't see how they are not above England. Final of Euros and had little trouble quailfying.

Yeah I don't expect many people to agree with me on that but I honestly don't think they are. Needed penalties to overcome England on the way to that final and then got embarrassed in it. Admittedly the win over Germany was impressive but it was only one game. They also were not very convincing at all in getting out of the group stages of the Euros, if memory serves only a late goal from Spain against Croatia sent them through. It was one of those cases where a team makes the final having basically had one impressive result in getting there.

They had little trouble qualifying but in much the same way as Belgium had little trouble. They had a piss easy group and were pretty uninspiring in their way out of it. They had a worse record than England did in qualification (if we go down to seperating on goal difference) against considerably worse opposition.

 

[NUFAN]

Guess you'll have to change your name to Costa Rica Fan.

Yessss, exactly, crazy how that panned out. I'm really gutted about Australia's group, the teams we are playing are too clinical. At least if we got drawn where Costa Rica did, we'd have Uruguay, who we beat famously to make the World Cup, England who obviously we have a massive rivalry in different sports and Italy knocked us out of our best World Cup, so the games would mean heaps, even though progressing out of Costa Rica's group would still be very tough.

 

[Burgey]

Had been hoping we'd draw England this time around, if for nothing else then the massive rivalry, as N00fers said. Te draw we have is a nightmare. We'll be lucky to salvage a point.

 

[NUFAN]

I feel as though we are up against the best team from each pool. The killer is having Chile, if say it was Cameroon or perhaps Algeria, we play them first up and getting 3 points from that game would apply heaps of pressure on Spain+Netherlands. This way, its likely that Chile supporters will have those thoughts if they can beat Australia.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Haha just seen the whole draw. Australia's group is ridiculous.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah I don't expect many people to agree with me on that but I honestly don't think they are. Needed penalties to overcome England on the way to that final and then got embarrassed in it. Admittedly the win over Germany was impressive but it was only one game. They also were not very convincing at all in getting out of the group stages of the Euros, if memory serves only a late goal from Spain against Croatia sent them through. It was one of those cases where a team makes the final having basically had one impressive result in getting there.

They had little trouble qualifying but in much the same way as Belgium had little trouble. They had a piss easy group and were pretty uninspiring in their way out of it. They had a worse record than England did in qualification (if we go down to seperating on goal difference) against considerably worse opposition.

They also totally outclassed England in that game though, it may have gone to penalties but there was no doubt who the better side was. They also played well against Spain in the group game and I think they were going through without that Spain goal, although I might be wrong. Either way I don't think you can make a case for England being anywhere near as good as Italy at Euro 2012. Obviously that does not mean they are automatically better now and Pirlo is unlikely to be at the same level in the World Cup but don't see what England have done since to really change things. I have only seen Italy in the Confederations cup since the Euros and while not brilliant by any means they looked a better side than England.

Was there group really any weaker? Ukraine probably stronger yes but are Czech Republic and Denmark worse than Poland and Montenegro? I doubt it. It is probably safe to say that Bulgaria and Armenia are easily better than Moldova. England also had San Marino of course which explains the goal difference.

Italy are of course more than capable of being awful at a World Cup but I don't think there is anything to suggest they are not better than England.

 

[Pothas]

Haha just seen the whole draw. Australia's group is ridiculous.

Yeah it is superb. Should be a great group.

Also, how lucky are France.

 

[Burgey]

Gotta love the young bloke. Gets up and flicks on Fox Sports....

"Fmd we're gonna get pumped".

One of those awkward moments where you have to tell a kid to watch his language but also can't help but laugh.

 

[Furball]

Italy being under-rated because not many people watch Serie A any more, I feel.

 

[Tom Halsey]

They also totally outclassed England in that game though, it may have gone to penalties but there was no doubt who the better side was. They also played well against Spain in the group game and I think they were going through without that Spain goal, although I might be wrong. Either way I don't think you can make a case for England being anywhere near as good as Italy at Euro 2012. Obviously that does not mean they are automatically better now and Pirlo is unlikely to be at the same level in the World Cup but don't see what England have done since to really change things. I have only seen Italy in the Confederations cup since the Euros and while not brilliant by any means they looked a better side than England.

Was there group really any weaker? Ukraine probably stronger yes but are Czech Republic and Denmark worse than Poland and Montenegro? I doubt it. It is probably safe to say that Bulgaria and Armenia are easily better than Moldova. England also had San Marino of course which explains the goal difference.

Italy are of course more than capable of being awful at a World Cup but I don't think there is anything to suggest they are not better than England.

Nah just checked it and (assuming I've done my maths correctly) before the Spain goal, Italy were going out on goal difference. Balotelli then scored another against Ireland 2 minutes later anyway. Had Spain not scored then after Balotelli's goal, Italy and Croatia's records would have been identical, so not sure what would have happened there. Play off I assume?

Regarding the England match, certainly Italy had the better of the play. The fact remains that they didn't score though, and indeed England came pretty close themselves more than once in the early parts of the match.

I don't think there is any huge difference between the four sides you mention. Would probably have Denmark on the whole as the strongest of the four, but they are all sides of a reasonable caliber but that Italy and England should be beating. Even ignoring the San Marino games, England would have had a superior goal difference to Italy in two less games.

It's a close thing but if someone put a gun to my head and told me to choose the stronger of England and Italy I'd say England still. I think both will fare worse than Uruguay in Brazil though.

 

[Spikey]

"well hey at least we're not australia" the reaction of american supporters

 

[Nate]

Haha, can barely imagine a tougher group. At least the pressure is completely off.

So excited for England vs Uruguay too.

 

[James]

Anyone know which Australian tv network has got live coverage to all the matches?

 

[Nate]

Sbs.

 

[James]

Sbs.

Thanks, where did you find this out of interest?

 

[Nate]

Thanks, where did you find this out of interest?

Pretty sure I've heard it mentioned during Thursday FC.

 

[Spikey]

sbs should never not have it

 

[Uppercut]

Nah just checked it and (assuming I've done my maths correctly) before the Spain goal, Italy were going out on goal difference. Balotelli then scored another against Ireland 2 minutes later anyway. Had Spain not scored then after Balotelli's goal, Italy and Croatia's records would have been identical, so not sure what would have happened there. Play off I assume?

Regarding the England match, certainly Italy had the better of the play. The fact remains that they didn't score though, and indeed England came pretty close themselves more than once in the early parts of the match.

I don't think there is any huge difference between the four sides you mention. Would probably have Denmark on the whole as the strongest of the four, but they are all sides of a reasonable caliber but that Italy and England should be beating. Even ignoring the San Marino games, England would have had a superior goal difference to Italy in two less games.

It's a close thing but if someone put a gun to my head and told me to choose the stronger of England and Italy I'd say England still. I think both will fare worse than Uruguay in Brazil though.

I don't really understand how you can have watched that Euros QF and not come away thinking Italy are definitely better, they were dominated so comprehensively. Even the BBC pundits admitted they weren't in the same league.

It's so much about Pirlo though. If he's not fit England are favourites- he was out for that friendly in August and they won 2-1, it changed everything. They'll surely put Welbeck on him this time if he is fit, and he could do a great hatchet job on him. Last time it was Rooney's job and he didn't bother his fat arse.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I don't really understand how you can have watched that Euros QF and not come away thinking Italy are definitely better, they were dominated so comprehensively. Even the BBC pundits admitted they weren't in the same league.

I didn't actually say that. I don't deny Italy played better in that game.

EDIT: To elaborate, I just pointed out that Italy didn't score and England easily could have done. Italy played better in what I'd term the traditional measures of how well a team has played, but they don't count for much if you don't score.

It's a bit of a bugbear of mine, you can dominate play all you like but if you don't win then you didn't deserve to win either unless you were unlucky (and missing chances alone is not unlucky, it's poor finishing). In this case Italy probably were a bit unlucky not to win but IMO not enormously so.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah I agree with all of that, although tbf winning the shoot-out was more superior finishing than luck too. Despite not scoring, the match was a very, very convincing case that Italy>England, at least when Pirlo plays. And sure, it's only one match, but there's not much else to suggest otherwise in the past couple of years.