Football World Cup Qualifying Draw

[Neil Pickup]

Anyway, world football is going on apace as we speak, time for a round up

The South American Qualifiers look very interesting, with 10 teams fighting for 4.5 places (well it's five really, because Australia will lose the play off)

Brazil have already drawn with Uruguay and in Peru whilst Argentina were held in Colombia and at home to Chile. Paraguay meanwhile have recorded three wins and despite a stuffing in Peru, top the group. Peru then lost in Chile and were held 0-0 in Ecuador...

Standings after four matches out of 18
Paraguay 9pts, GD+2
Argentina 8, +6
Brazil 8, +2
Uruguay 7, +3
Venezuela 6, -3
Peru 5, +2
Eduador 4, 0
Chile 4, -1
Bolivia 3, -5
Colombia 1, -6

Recent Asian First Round Qualifiers (2 legs to make the Groups)
Sri Lanka 3-0 Laos
Maldives 12-0 Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan 4-0 Pakistan
Tajikistan 2-0 Bangladesh
Laos 0-0 Sri Lanka
Pakistan 0-2 Kyrgyzstan
Macao 1-3 Chinese Taipei
Mongolia 0-1 Maldives
Bangladesh 0-2 Tajikistan
Chinese Taipei 3-0 Macao
Afghanistan 0-2 Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan 11-0 Afghanistan

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Honduras are a class act

So are Norway :P

Just checked out their last results. Seems like I have to reassess my views on CONCACAF football, guess it comes from spending too much time studying WC '78 results and Ryman League tables...

 

[Neil Pickup]

You certainly do

How does it feel realising that teams you ridiculed to have a better chance of making it than Norway?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

You certainly do

How does it feel realising that teams you ridiculed to have a better chance of making it than Norway?

That FIFA are an absolutely junk of corrupt old men to make a qualifying system skewed to make Honduras, China and their likes go through, and Romania and Ukraina/Greece to be left out Honduras lost to Finland in their last friendly...and even Norway beats Brazil.

 

[Neil Pickup]

That FIFA are an absolutely junk of corrupt old men

Whoa.. two adjectives, no noun

If I recall correctly, it was a match Brazil cared very little about and the same Norway side failed to beat Scotland.

The Qualifying System is about maximising global football growth - and to be fair, there are still 14 European places available...

 

[Magrat Garlick]

A poorly assembled collection of corrupt old men. Happy now?

Brazil doesn't care about the Copa America or the Gold Cup either, so there. Besides, they'd lost 4-2 in a friendly the year before, and the line-up was full of stars: Taffarel - Cafú, Baiano, Gonçalves, Roberto Carlos - Dunga (c), Leonardo, Denilson, Rivaldo - Bebeto, Ronaldo

Compared to Taffarel - Cafú, Baiano, Aldair, Roberto Carlos - C.Sampaio (57 Edmundo), Leonardo (46 Denilson), Dunga (c), Rivaldo - Ronaldo, Bebeto.

Just Goncalves in for Junior Baiano and Denilson on for Cesar Sampaio compared to the final. I don't think that's taking it easy. And they failed to beat Scotland because of an inept keeper.

 

[Neil Pickup]

That's one good result in the last ten years then?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

With that statement, you revealed that you know as much about Norwegian football as me about Honduran.

Let me quote some results from the last ten years for you (no friendlies bar the Brazil one in 1997):

1993: Norway 2, England 0 (in Oslo)
1993: England 1, Norway 1 (at Wembley).
1993: Netherlands 0, Norway 0 (in Rotterdam)
1994: Norway 1, Netherlands 1 (in Oslo)
1995: Norway 1, Czech Republic 1 (in Oslo. Do note that the Czech team went on to the final)
1997: Norway 4, Brazil 2 (friendly in Oslo).
1997: Finland 0, Norway 4 (in Helsinki - 4 goals away is impressive, no matter who you play)
1997: Norway 5, Switzerland 0 (in Oslo)
1998: Norway 2, Brazil 1 (in Marseilles)
1999: Greece 0, Norway 2 (in Athens)
2000: Norway 1, Spain 0 (in Rotterdam)
2002: Romania 0, Norway 1 (in Bucharest - one of very few home losses for Romania in qualifying).

So there! 12 good results, 6 of which exceptional for a nation of 4.5 million inhabitants.

 

[Swanny]

To be fair Neil, i'd say Norway do have a fairly useful outfit. Although John Carew must be one of the most over-rated players i've ever seen, hes useless how hes playing in Serie A is beyond me. I think they should beat Scotland although probably a bit much to expect them to beat the Italians. Saying that they aren't always the best qualifiers.

As for England I don't think the draw could have gone much better, except maybe avoiding Wales, who were so far and away the best team in pot 4, it was a bit unfair for them to be there really. Still i guess its punishment for being rubbish in the last few years.

It's nice that FIFA try and get all these other Federations well represented but i'm not sure of half of them are actually worthy of it.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Just winding him up

[Child] And how many World Cups have Norway won? [/Child]

 

[Swanny]

Recent Asian First Round Qualifiers (2 legs to make the Groups)
Sri Lanka 3-0 Laos
Maldives 12-0 Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan 4-0 Pakistan
Tajikistan 2-0 Bangladesh
Laos 0-0 Sri Lanka
Pakistan 0-2 Kyrgyzstan
Macao 1-3 Chinese Taipei
Mongolia 0-1 Maldives
Bangladesh 0-2 Tajikistan
Chinese Taipei 3-0 Macao
Afghanistan 0-2 Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan 11-0 Afghanistan


11-0 and 12-0!! Its true then, there no easy games in international football anymore!!

 

[marc71178]

It's just that when I hear CONCACAF, I think USA, I think non-footballing nations

Like Norway you mean :P

Egil the pig Farmer!

 

[marc71178]

Turkmenistan 11-0 Afghanistan

Irrespective of the result, it is a triumph for Afghanistan even to be there.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Like Norway you mean :P

Egil the pig Farmer!

Who put the ball in the Germans' net? :P

Originally posted by Swanny
To be fair Neil, i'd say Norway do have a fairly useful outfit. Although John Carew must be one of the most over-rated players i've ever seen, hes useless how hes playing in Serie A is beyond me. I think they should beat Scotland although probably a bit much to expect them to beat the Italians. Saying that they aren't always the best qualifiers.

As for England I don't think the draw could have gone much better, except maybe avoiding Wales, who were so far and away the best team in pot 4, it was a bit unfair for them to be there really. Still i guess its punishment for being rubbish in the last few years.

It's nice that FIFA try and get all these other Federations well represented but i'm not sure of half of them are actually worthy of it.

Brilliant assessment Swanny Agree 100 %, Carew is rubbish, we don't need him with Solskjær and Flo on form. Only small point: Norway were in pot 4 too, and we beat Wales in the WC qualifiers 2001 - and we got to the play-offs, just like Wales. But then, Wales had a tougher group, so they are maybe just a bit better than Norway now (then again, Norway have an excellent statistic against England )

And, to Neil: [child] why did the referee say that was a goal? The ball wasn't over the line, was it [/child]

 

[Neil Pickup]

And, to Neil: [child] why did the referee say that was a goal? The ball wasn't over the line, was it [/child]

Because the linesman was clearly incompetent

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Because the linesman was clearly incompetent

So how many World Cups have you really won?

(OK, it's a bit like first-chance averages, but still)

 

[Neil Pickup]

So how many World Cups have you really won?

(OK, it's a bit like first-chance averages, but still)

One. 4-2 minus 1 = 3-2.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

3-2 minus a goal that was scored because the Germans had to send 10 men up front to win in the 118th minute because the score happened to be 3-2 while really it should have been 2-2 = 2-2.

Zero. :P

 

[marc71178]

Who put the ball in the Germans' net? :P

Owen (3), Heskey, Gerrard.

 

[marc71178]

3-2 minus a goal that was scored because the Germans had to send 10 men up front to win in the 118th minute because the score happened to be 3-2 while really it should have been 2-2

Actually it should've been full time at 2-1 - hand ball in the lead up to the equalizer :P:P:P:P