The Road to Russia 2018

[Deutsch Wolf]

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sorry for spamming the thread:

Australia vs Syria in the Asian playoff confirmed and the winner plays off against whoever finishes 4th in CONCACAF (Honduras at the moment but could still be USA).

 

[jd1981]

I still think England will be the only home nations side at the World Cup again. I think Scotland will drop a couple of points in Slovenia which will prove terminal.
It's no given Wales will win in Georgia and the last game against Ireland has draw written all over it.
As good as NI have done have a bad feeling they'll get a stinking play off draw i.e. Italy.
Ireland biggest problem is scoring goals only 9 in 8 qualifiers now.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The playoffs are normally seeded by world ranking. So if all the above stayed the same:

Portugal
Italy
(Wales)
Sweden
Iceland
-----------
Slovakia
Northern Ireland
Bosnia
Montenegro

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Saunders AND Hoddle as pundits on the highlights? Oh ITV, you do spoil me.

 

[Boozad]

:icon_lol:

 

[Tony Towner]

Saunders AND Hoddle as pundits on the highlights? Oh ITV, you do spoil me.

And the host was a Wolves fan. She definitely earned her money last night

 

[Tony Towner]

I heard yesterday that the results against the bottom sides in the table are taken out before calculating which 2nd place side misses out. All seems a bit pointless to me.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I heard yesterday that the results against the bottom sides in the table are taken out before calculating which 2nd place side misses out. All seems a bit pointless to me.

Because originally there were going to be two groups of five but then Gibraltar and Kosovo got added late on. For whatever reason they didn't get rid of the rule rubbing out the results against the bottom team even though it now meant every group had six teams.

 

[Sniffer]

Argentina are struggling to qualify after drawing 1-1 at home to Venezuela. They are currently fifth in the group but need results at home to Peru (who are fourth) and the always tricky tie away at Ecuador to try and take one of the four automatic places for qualification. Fifth guarantees a play off against New Zealand although even fifth isn't certain as Chile are only a point behind them.

 

[Lupo]

Interestingly the last time Argentina failed to qualify was 1970 and the team that stopped them? Peru

Italy were jeered off after their narrow 1-0 win over Israel. The odd appointment of Giampiero Ventura and the recent contract extention he was given is not proving popular so far

 

[jd1981]

Both will get there just I'm sure, certainly don't think Italy will pose any danger once they get there tho.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

CONCACAF qualifying is a real joke, so many ways out for USA when they've been utterly shite in a shite section.

CONMEBOL is ridiculously tight.

 

[Lupo]

Both will get there just I'm sure, certainly don't think Italy will pose any danger once they get there tho.

It's the getting there part that worries me. However, once there it's a different story. Italy are traditionally poor in friendlies, lack lustre in qualifying (though we were doing ok until the Spain capitulation last Saturday) and slow starters but often come alive in tournaments even if the squad, on paper, looks mediocre

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Comes down to management though in tournaments, Lippi and Conte were/are brilliant. Not so sure about this guy.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Why do they call it CONMEBOL? It sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy novel. Surely CONSAF would just be a lot simpler!

 

[Lord Knows]

Both will get there just I'm sure, certainly don't think Italy will pose any danger once they get there tho.

Never underestimate Italy one of the strongest nations mentally and know how to progress in tournament football.

 

[Boozad]

Why do they call it CONMEBOL? It sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy novel. Surely CONSAF would just be a lot simpler!

Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol. CONSUBOL would probably have worked better.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Why do they call it CONMEBOL? It sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy novel. Surely CONSAF would just be a lot simpler!

Brazil call it CSF. The other Spanish-speaking nations like to be awkward...

 

[Alan]

CONCACAF qualifying is a real joke, so many ways out for USA when they've been utterly $#@!e in a $#@!e section.

Must... not... take... the bait...