2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification

[Barra333]

Perhaps I was wrong in assuming it 'always' was like that but on at least a few occasions the play-off was OFC/AFC

This got me curious as to who the OFC teams had to playoff against. Here goes...

2014 - CONCACAF
2010 - AFC
2006 - CONMEBOL
2002 - CONMEBOL
1998 - AFC
1994 - 2 playoffs - CONCACAF then CONMEBOL
1990 - CONMEBOL
1986 - UEFA
1982 - AFC and OFC qualified together for 2 spots
1978, 1974, 1970 - AFC and OFC qualified together for 1 spot

A couple of oddities - Israel qualified with OFC for 1986 and 1990, and Rhodesia qualified with OFC/AFC in 1970

 

[Barra333]

You didn't always get a South American team. We played you in a play off to see who got to go to the 1986 World Cup.

I think I only remember from about 1994 onwards for qualification.

EDIT: Sorry, double post fail

 

[Touring Mars]

I only remember from about 1994 onwards for qualification.

We can only remember from 1998 backwards

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Ireland 0-1 Serbia and Moldova 0-2 Wales, Wales now overtake Ireland for second place in the group, took till the 80th minute to break Moldova's resistance with Robson Kanu's goal and an assist from Woodburn, Ramsey struck late on to seal the win, Kolarov got the only goal in Dublin. Wales play Ireland in Cardiff next month.

 

[Barra333]

Thanks not scoring enough goals on Thailand, Australia now have to play a two legged playoff against Syria. The reward for the winner is a playoff against a CONCACAF team (probably USA, Honduras or Panama). I suddenly want the US to lift their game and qualify directly.

 

[Famine]

Syria

Syria qualify for Round 4, on goal difference from Uzbekistan, thanks to a 93rd minute equaliser against Iran. And Syria scored both of the goals that Iran have conceded in the 10 games of Round 3, and 40% of all of the goals Iran have conceded in qualification, in one game...

Also - with no offence intended to Australians - I rather hope Syria gets through... to face the USA

Edit: The African groups are mad. Cape Verde just beat South Africa again - twice in four days - but are still second in their group behind BURKINA FASO. South Africa are bottom and the other team in that group is Senegal...

Cote d'Ivoire lost at home to GABON. They still top the group but only by a point. Group A has seen both Cameroon and Algeria eliminated, the latter today by losing to ZAMBIA. Nigeria top that group...


And the USA has just equalised against Honduras in the 85th minute. A defeat would have been extremely bad, but not the end...

 

[Shaun]

You didn't always get a South American team. We played you in a play off to see who got to go to the 1986 World Cup.

Yep still remember standing at the old Olympic Park in Melbourne for that one after staying up late to watch the first leg from Hampden.

 

[Liquid]

Wales' chance of making the UEFA play-offs.

Remaining fixtures
vs Georgia (A)
vs Ireland (H)

Scenarios

If Wales win both games and one of these happens:

Group A - Netherlands beat Sweden
Group E - Montenegro beat Denmark; Poland beat Montenegro
Group F - Slovakia fail to beat Scotland; England beat Slovenia
Group H - Bosnia fail to beat Belgium
Group I - Turkey beat Iceland; Turkey fail to beat Finland and Ukraine fail to beat Croatia

If Wales win one game and draw one game and this happens:

Group H - Belgium beat Bosnia and Cyprus beat Greece

The kicker? Some of those games take place after Wales' final game versus Ireland.

It is also possible for Wales to still top their group but this requires a maximum 6 points and the hope that Serbia, playing Austria (A) and Georgia (H), only score 1 point or lose both games. Highly unlikely.

Ireland, should they win both of their games, can also top Group D with the same scenario but only with a GD swing of 8 in their favour. Very unlikely.

 

[88GTA]

Terrible game by the US yesterday after giving away a goal in the first 25 minutes to Honduras. They were lucky to have Bobby Wood equalize in the 84th minute to steal a point. The remaining games should be easier but with the way the "team" is playing, I have my doubts.

They have no chemistry right now and Zusi at right back is a huge liability. I couldn't understand why they left Miazga out of the team and I hope Arena learns his lesson. Timmy Chandler should have been on the team as well.

 

[Famine]

I think that's everything for another month - I've updated all of the tables, results, qualifiers and eliminated teams on page 1. The fun resumes on October 5th.

 

[88GTA]

Thanks again @Famine for keeping up with it all. After reading your updated post, I realized Panama jumped over the US for the 3rd and final automatic qualifying spot.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

I would also like to thank @Famine for updating everything....well almost everything as it looks like the best second place Euro qualifier table you have got hasn't been updated....

 

[Famine]

I would also like to thank @Famine for updating everything....well almost everything as it looks like the best second place Euro qualifier table you have got hasn't been updated....

That's odd, as it should be. The old one was after 5 games, the current one is after 8 games.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Still shows that Wales have won once and drawn five and it should be won three and drawn five, a few others in that table haven't been updated too...

 

[Barra333]

Still shows that Wales have won once and drawn five and it should be won three and drawn five, a few others in that table haven't been updated too...

Despite there being an equal number of teams in each group, the results against the sixth place team don't count in the 2nd place standings.

 

[Famine]

Still shows that Wales have won once and drawn five and it should be won three and drawn five, a few others in that table haven't been updated too...

Results against the current bottom team in each group do not count*. The current bottom team in Group D is Moldova, so Wales's W2 +6 -0 record against them isn't counted.

*Although they should; this is an artefact from when the groups were originally set up, with 7 groups of 6 and 2 groups of 5; Kosovo and Gibraltar joining evened up the groups to 9 groups of 6, but this rule was not changed.

 

[Liquid]

Nice moment for Syria.

 

[girabyt3]

Just to remind you how awesome the CONMEBOL (southamerican) qualifiers are . Here's the HISTORICAL board after yesterday's HISTORICAL round!!!

Historical since, Venezuela scored points against Argentina for the 1st time in their History, Chile is one foot... ehh... One TOE away from the CUP due to losing to Bolivia, and the MAIN COURSE! Peru did history winning for 1st of many times to Ecuador in Quito 1-2, and securing (for now) a streak-ending 4th direct-entry position!!!

Spoiler

VIVA EL PERU!!! ♥

 

[Famine]

FIFA has ordered a match in CAF to be replayed, after the referee who officiated it was banned for life, for "match manipulation".

The match was South Africa - Senegal, played in November last year. It originally finished in a 2-1 win for South Africa, with the referee awarding a penalty to South Africa in questionable circumstances. It will be replayed in November.

 

[Liquid]

FIFA has ordered a match in CAF to be replayed, after the referee who officiated it was banned for life, for "match manipulation".

The match was South Africa - Senegal, played in November last year. It originally finished in a 2-1 win for South Africa, with the referee awarding a penalty to South Africa in questionable circumstances. It will be replayed in November.

Could that have any effect on Burkina Faso or Cape Verde's qualifying hopes?

 

[Famine]

Could that have any effect on Burkina Faso or Cape Verde's qualifying hopes?

Potentially.

With the result as it stood, South Africa were bottom with 4pt from 4 games and Senegal second bottom on 5pt from 4 games, a point behind Burkina Faso and Cape Verde. The annulment leaves South Africa bottom on 1pt after 3 games. Senegal stays second bottom, on 5pt from 3.

Any difference in result moves Senegal up - a goalless draw will put them second, while a score draw or win puts them top. Senegal would then have to play South Africa again and Cape Verde.

 

[Inferno251]

@Barra333 I'm not sure how you felt about the Socceroos performance, but going into the Thailand game you realise all those games we should have won (Thailand away, Iraq Away, Japan at home) have come back to haunt us. We should be in by now...

Ange had one job, and he 🤬 it up

 

[Barra333]

@Barra333 I'm not sure how you felt about the Socceroos performance, but going into the Thailand game you realise all those games we should have won (Thailand away, Iraq Away, Japan at home) have come back to haunt us. We should be in by now...

Ange had one job, and he 🤬 it up

In all honesty, I haven't seen any of the games - they tend not to air them in Canada. However, from what I have read of the match reports etc, I agree, the games we should have won have really come back around. Even just the Thailand one would have made a difference.

I don't expect that they will make it through both playoffs. When they get knocked out, I expect the outcome will be a dominant 0-0 draw at home and a 1-0 loss in a evenly matched away game.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

FIFA world rankings have been updated

1.Germany
2.Brazil
3.Portugal
4.Argentina
5.Belgium
6.Poland
7.Switzerland
8.France
9.Chile
10.Colombia
-------------------
13.Wales
15.England
20. N.Ireland
34.Ireland
43.Scotland

Wales above England. 👍

 

[88GTA]

Where are the USA and Italy? I would guess 60 and 17 respectively.

 

[Liquid]

Nice for the one-upmanship but the world rankings are so screwed and skewed. I read somewhere that the reason England are now ranked below Wales is because England have played more friendlies, which don't carry as much weight as a competitive fixture. It could sound a bit apologist to me; Wales and England have played the exact same number of competitive games and England have actually performed better in the last 12 months.

Which makes you wonder why Wales have climbed above them in the first place. We haven't been great recently so it's a pleasant surprise to be 13th. Great for us if we make the WCQ play-offs because the 8 team draw is seeded according to world ranking; we'd be second after Portugal as it stands.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Italy 17th with USA 28th.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Wales performed a lot better in the Euros, beating teams like Belgium which were really high in the table, giving them a load of points. England, however, lost to Iceland who had a tiny coefficient, which didn't do them well. Performances at tournaments are understandably counted as higher.

As the rankings are based on the last 2 years, the Euros are still relevant.

 

[Dennisch]

As the rankings are based on the last 2 years, the Euros are still relevant.

If that's the case, why are we even on the list?

 

[Liquid]

Wales performed a lot better in the Euros, beating teams like Belgium which were really high in the table, giving them a load of points. England, however, lost to Iceland who had a tiny coefficient, which didn't do them well. Performances at tournaments are understandably counted as higher.

As the rankings are based on the last 2 years, the Euros are still relevant.

True enough, I just thought we'd gone past the point where the WCQs matter more.

But now that you mention it I still don't see how Belgium have been consistently ranked as high as they have been though. They've been consistently in the top 5 for about 3-4 years and in that time they've done no better than England, Spain or Italy in qualifiers and never astonishingly at tournaments. It's unusual how they're so much higher.

At one point in the last 24 months they went 1st in the rankings despite losing their game that particular week.