2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification

[Touring Mars]

 

[MUSC4EVER]

All this talk reminds me of something I read last year, during the latter stages of Euro 2012 Uefa announced that the 2016 Euro would have 24 teams rather than 16 and when the tournament director was asked why he said that 'Great teams aren't here, like the Scots', the Scots haven't been anywhere in 15 years!

 

[Carbonox]

Well, the inclusion of 8 more teams gives a chance for teams like Finland... Or probably still not.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Daniel Sturridge out for England on Friday, Rickie Lambert to make his first start...

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Macedonia v Wales kicks off in about 15 minutes, Bale is on the bench which is no surprise really but no doubt we will see him later in the game..

 

[sumbrownkid]

Meanwhile, in CONCACAF...

The ref for the the Costa-Rica-USA match will be Mexican, and both teams are dealing with yellow cards situation.

USA has to walk away with a draw at least and only one or two players missing at most for the showdown with Mexico.

Costa Rica has been showing a lot of butthurt for losing in that blizzard game. If the USA pulls another win tonight, what's gonna be the reaction down there?

I know I'll be giddy.

 

[CAM]

Honestly, Costa Rica deserve to lose just because of how their fans are acting. It was their choice to play out the match, not ours.

But, I'll be interested to see how the full senior team meshes after quite a period off, since the Bosnia game wasn't exactly pretty.

As a side note, breaking out my new Dempsey jersey for tonight's game. Hopefully it'll get washed in some good winning luck from either of these next two games.

 

[CinnamonOD]

Mexico vs. Honduras "en el Azteca" today, they need to win, they have to win, they must win

Wow, that's a lame behavior by mexican fans

Hey Famine, you should put New Zealand into the classified category...

👎

 

[CAM]

This was just hard to watch. We completely and utterly dominated and it didn't come out right.

 

[CinnamonOD]

This was just hard to watch. We completely and utterly dominated and it didn't come out right.

We're on the same boat

 

[CAM]

I'd venture to say after 2 soft goals we held 75% of the possession and couldn't do anything. It sucked so much.

 

[sumbrownkid]

I'd venture to say after 2 soft goals we held 75% of the possession and couldn't do anything. It sucked so much.

Eh, according to statisticians, USA has a 99.7% chance of qualifying for the world cup anyway.

Obviously not the result we wanted, but with Mexico now firmly in panic mode and having to play in our territory, I like Klinsmann's men to come out on top in four days. I think we were getting too carried away with that win streak of ours and the loss was a reality check of sorts.

If Americans can do the dirty deed to the Mexicans (and it will go down in history right below the "disaster" known as the Round of 16 World Cup 2002) I think qualification is still assured. We need Panama to tie at least in their next match to make this happen also.

 

[CAM]

Maybe we will win and Honduras and Costa Rica will both lose (unless they play each other).

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Decent win for England who are now top of the group but all the other Home Nations lost, I still cant understand why Bale didn't play for Wales last night, Coleman hasn't given a proper explanation...

 

[MoLiEG]

No, they didn't dominate. On the 1st half, maybe. On the second one, they let them come, they got comfortable with that single goal... prefered to manage the game... and then... get got what they deserved...

At least Chepo is gone now...







Wanna see Mexican football grow??? Prepare for a World Cup no show... that's the only way...

 

[CinnamonOD]

At least Chepo is gone now....

Is he really gone?

I think they must hire Vucetich, or this guy ↑

 

[Ross]

Decent win for England who are now top of the group but all the other Home Nations lost, I still cant understand why Bale didn't play for Wales last night, Coleman hasn't given a proper explanation...

I thought Welbeck was outstanding last night; shame he didn't get his hattrick. The only thing that was annoying was the yellow card, totally undeserved. Oh and Lambert, just wow, that's 2 goals and 2 assists for England now in 2 games.

 

[ASH32]

Decent win for England who are now top of the group but all the other Home Nations lost, I still cant understand why Bale didn't play for Wales last night, Coleman hasn't given a proper explanation...

He did before the game, he said they are not our players and he can't risk playing anyone was not fully match fit, basically meaning Bale. Why he named him on the bench was the odd thing because he knew he was not going to play him.

 

[Famine]

Quick shout out to Ethiopia.

As one of Africa's 24 lowest ranked teams (currently 102) they had to come through the first knockout round of CAF qualifying. They've then come through a group with Central African Republic (88), Botswana (101) and South Africa (67) to make it through to the final knockout stage of qualifying - two games away from qualifying for the World Cup Finals, the only 1st round team to do so...

However it looks like they'll be drawn against one of Cote d'Ivoire (18), Ghana (24), Algeria (34), Nigeria (35) or Cape Verde (38)* so it may not last much longer.

*Cape Verde's ranking seems to be an anomaly - after 38 years of doing nothing they suddenly reached the QF of the African Cup of Nations last year. That said, they seem to have called upon quite a few Portuguese born players in recent years, thanks to colonial connections

 

[Liquid]

Yeah, the thing that stood out to me then was Cape Verde being 38th.

Also, Wales failed to deliver against bottom-placed Macedonia. Even though WC qualification is well and truly over, thanks in no small part to a 6-1 mauling against Serbia, we need to still play to win to improve our seeding for the expanded Euros.

Fiddlesticks.

 

[Blitz24]

Israel is eliminated (well they were when Russia won) following a 1-1 tie to Azerbaijan.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Yeah, the thing that stood out to me then was Cape Verde being 38th.

Also, Wales failed to deliver against bottom-placed Macedonia. Even though WC qualification is well and truly over, thanks in no small part to a 6-1 mauling against Serbia, we need to still play to win to improve our seeding for the expanded Euros.

Fiddlesticks.

We needed to beat Macedonia AND Serbia to improve our seeding for the next Qualy campaign

I still haven't a clue with what happening with Bale, Coleman says he wont play Tues despite being fully fit, what Is going on? is this Madrid's doing?

 

[Famine]

Israel is eliminated (well they were when Russia won) following a 1-1 tie to Azerbaijan.

According to my math, they're 3pt behind 2nd place Russia and 5pt behind first place Portugal with 3 games left to play - 9 points available. They're neither out of automatic qualification nor a play-off spot.

Indeed their next match is Russia on Tuesday, which will see them switch places if Israel win (a 1 goal margin puts them tied on goal difference, Israel ahead on goals scored; any greater margin puts Israel ahead on goal difference), followed by Portugal in October. And they get to round off the group with Northern Ireland, should they need a decent goal difference...

 

[Liquid]

We needed to beat Macedonia AND Serbia to improve our seeding for the next Qualy campaign

I still haven't a clue with what happening with Bale, Coleman says he wont play Tues despite being fully fit, what Is going on? is this Madrid's doing?

I don't think it's Madrid's ruling per say, but obviously the whole world is waiting for his Real debut and with that comes the cotton wool treatment.

If he's fully fit, he should play. He's our most influential player; possibly even more so than Bellamy, whom I rate highly and whose advancing years I wish I could erase.

 

[Akmuq]

I don't think it's Madrid's ruling per say, but obviously the whole world is waiting for his Real debut and with that comes the cotton wool treatment.

If he's fully fit, he should play. He's our most influential player; possibly even more so than Bellamy, whom I rate highly and whose advancing years I wish I could erase.

Possibly?

 

[Blitz24]

According to my math, they're 3pt behind 2nd place Russia and 5pt behind first place Portugal with 3 games left to play - 9 points available. They're neither out of automatic qualification nor a play-off spot.

Indeed their next match is Russia on Tuesday, which will see them switch places if Israel win (a 1 goal margin puts them tied on goal difference, Israel ahead on goals scored; any greater margin puts Israel ahead on goal difference), followed by Portugal in October. And they get to round off the group with Northern Ireland, should they need a decent goal difference...

Oops. Thought it was over for group play. If only they won vs. the draw they had against Portugal.

 

[Liquid]

Possibly?

Clearly you do not fully appreciate what Craig Bellamy brings to a football pitch. Fantastic footballing spirit, aggression, strength, hold up play, dribbling, free kick taking, finishing and so forth.

Within the context of the national team, he has been Wales' best player by miles for so many years. But now, with his age and Bale's rise to stardom, it's only now starting to fluctuate.

 

[Akmuq]

I'm not doubting Bellamy, I've always thought he's a good player, even when he's in one of his public spats with a team-mate or manager. Under-rated in my opinion.

It's just since Bale matured into a match winner a couple of years ago, he has been by far Wales's best player, not knocking Bellamy, but he's just not on the same level.

 

[marxlien]

After the Friday games, Chile is almost on the WC, what a team we have now!!! =D.

 

[Liquid]

I'm not doubting Bellamy, I've always thought he's a good player, even when he's in one of his public spats with a team-mate or manager. Under-rated in my opinion.

It's just since Bale matured into a match winner a couple of years ago, he has been by far Wales's best player, not knocking Bellamy, but he's just not on the same level.

They bring different things to the team. Right now, if I could have one of those in the team, and the other sent home, it'd be Bellamy. Which isn't a knock on Bale saying "he's not quite there yet", but unlike Bale, Craig Bellamy can play as a lone attacker and win games on his own.

For a team like Wales, that's very important. We're going to need 10 men behind the ball against Serbia. Of course, things would be a lot better if they both played...