Well said.

FIFA :doh:

Really want Ireland to get to the WC

They'll have to via the play offs.

They wont be seeded so cant see it tbh

I can't see Ireland making it either given (no pun intended) FIFA are manipulating things to ensure the big teams are in South Africa. I seriously wouldn't put it past those crooks in FIFA to also have a word in the ears of the refs so they know what to decide whenever there is a 50:50 challenge.

This decision at this stage of qualification is nothing short of a scandal. The teams were already seeded when the qualification groups were drawn. To subsequently seed teams again when they have got to this stage by merit is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to manipulate who makes it to the World Cup.

FIFA are a bunch of cocksucking fucktards and I hope they all get gang-raped by Aids infected zebras.

Yeah that sucks the big one, should be a random draw.

I remember the fanfare Ireland bought in 2002, would be nice to see them back.

I didn't know you were in Japan and S.Korea for that WC.

I wasn't. :lol:

Just saying they created a good atmosphere, they were voted fans of the tourney I think.

Just wait,after tonight we may see the special Argentina Clause tucked away in a microdot in the Qualification Statute get brought out into the light as well...:rolleyes:

It should be about the teams who get there, not the teams they want to get there. It's not as if their pals from Coca Cola and Fuji Film WON'T have hoardings at the games if France don't get there....

I really do have to agree with Irish lads here.

Really is a disgraceful move by FIFA here.

Ireland will just have to win both games and qualify automatically then :scarf:

Il put up a list of likely runners up afer todays games.

More clearer then

Bahrain vs New Zealand finished 0-0 in the first leg.

:coffee:

They're a bit of a nonsense these play-offs anyway - one runner-up won't even qualify - the number of points accrued is in no way an indicator of "the best/worst runner-up" - what deos that even mean. There are some piss easy groups & some hard ones.

You should know who you play when the draw is made eg Group A second v Group B second etc & devise a format where all runners-up play off.

Ideally with some pre-qualifying.

Portugal more than likely
Greece more than likely
Slovenia more than likely
Russia definite
Bosnia definite
Ukraine more than likely
France definite
ROI definite

And Norway.

Of course one of them will not go through as the worst runners up.

Seeded teams - France, Portugal, Russia and Greece

That seem like a sensible way about it.

Probably the reason FIFA havent done it like that ;)

Dont agree with that.

No one should know who they are playing.

Make it random

Yeah, straight knockouts shouldn't be seeded tbh.

But then I guess the question should be asked, why stop there, why not unseed the groups?

Or just ditch the play-offs altogether and have the four best runners-up go through. Indeed the way things have panned out, that would have virtually guaranteed all their pals would have got through...

Go further even than that and do away with regional qualifiers completely.
I remember before the 2006 qualifiers FourFourTwo did a test draw for that, England ended up in the same group as Lesotho :lol:

Or go further and do away with qualifications all together and have one massive tournement ;)

The World League on ISS '98 made flesh....

Checking out the latest rankings (sponsored by Coca-Cola...) Just pick 32 teams from that at random on 1 June every four years and have done with it.


Turks And Caicos Islands in the sweepstake anyone?

Or go further and stop internationals altogether and have 16 best European clubs fight it out for the European Championship and 32 of the worlds best for the World Cup

Well that was the basis for the original World Cup of course, back in 1909. West Auckland :scarf:

That would work far better than people think.

Have some regional pre-qualifying to eliminate the lesser sides, like all Feds except Europe do anyway - to reach a final worldwide section of 15 groups of 4 (or 5) sides.

Top 2 go through = 30 + holders & hosts.

Half of the 60 or 75 teams will be European or North African & so many players fly half way round the world from Europe it wouldn't be too different.

Play 50% of the games at the end of the season before & the rest in two other batches during the season in the Spring & Autumn.

If i recall correctly, David Taylor played a major part in the European Championships being extended to 24 teams.

I guess the 4 best 3rd placed teams are rewarded there.

Wonder how big a part Scotland never threatening to qualify played in that? :rolleyes:

That makes far too much sense...

Even with that 'coincidence' they'll find a way to Scotland it anyway....:lol:

The World Cup was like that until Italia 90 I think.

Teams were getting through with 2 defeats & a draw.

Yep, 86-94 needed 36 games to eliminate just 8 teams.

1998 was the first one with 32 teams

Will probably be:

Russia (1)
Portugal (2)
France (3)
Ukraine (4)
.................
Greece (5)
Ireland (6)
Slovakia (7)
Bosnia (8)

Any of top four play any one of bottom four.

Ireland would have to hope for the Ukraine ideally.

:fury:

Could be Honduras v Argentina.

Palacios v Mascherano

2 of the most overated DMs around

Forlan will score 4 times vs. Argentina and consign them to a lay-off place tbh.

Not if Ecuador win as well which means

:wave: Argies

Norway are confirmed as the worst runners up

Something's just occurred to me with these play-offs as they're 2 legged.

Usually the November (and Feb) internation breaks don't affect the league - it's just a midweek match with fixtures either weekend beside it. Are we all having another fortnight off now - just to accommodate 4 matches?

Looks like it.

Are England playing a friendly next month?