Вперёд! 2018 World Cup Qualifiers
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
Ecuador is giving the ball away at the smallest bit of pressure from Argentina. And that goal from Messi was perfectly assisted from them, too. This will end 1-4..they probably got a nice sum from all those sponsors and that´s it. Or they are that bad...
My only change to UEFA would be to make head to Head the primary tie breaker. Overall GD is over valued as it likely leads to who can pound out big results over the dregs advancing.
Don't forget that Argentina are playing about 2 miles above sea level, they could run out of gas late, so they will want to build up a lead while they can.
Hopefully they make some smart defensively minded substitutions when needed.
Considering the last 15-20 minuets, they already need substitutions. Ecuador was pressing them, rightfully so. They couldn´t get the ball through midfield to the attackers with consistency and if they failed, Ecuadors attackers failed to produce anything in those minutes. Maybe Argentina is tiring, maybe they are nervous, but it did not look good. Maybe it will be enough in this game..
So Argentina should make it at No.4.
And it is probably between Chile, Paraguay and Peru for the 5th spot to go to the qualifier. If Chile beats Brazil (2-0 BRA right now), they could still overtake ARG, not likely, but we´ve seen stranger things.
As it stands:
1. Brazil 41 (leading 2-0)
2. Uruguay 31 (leading 3-1)
3. Colombia 29 (leading 0-1)
4. Argentina 28 (leading 1-3)
5. Chile 26 (trailing 2-0)
6. Peru 25 (trailing 0-1)
7. Paraguay 25 (home 0-0)
One Paraguay goal vs Venezuela could put Chile right out.
1. Brazil 41 (leading 2-0)
2. Uruguay 31 (leading 3-1)
3. Colombia 29 (leading 0-1)
4. Argentina 28 (leading 1-3)
5. Chile 26 (trailing 2-0)
6. Peru 25 (trailing 0-1)
7. Paraguay 25 (home 0-0)
One Paraguay goal vs Venezuela could put Chile right out.
I think GD as the first tiebreaker is mandated by FIFA. UEFA uses head-to-head in qualification for its own championship.
Argentina ends in third. Peru gets the NZ playoff and Chile is out.
Everything went Argentina's way today.
Everything went Argentina's way today.
Congrats! You won the game you needed to win, we didn't. Take a victory lap or sing We Are The Champions or something, dude.
Naw, super happy for you guys. Well deserved. Enjoy, will be cheering for you next summer.
Congrats. In my time following soccer, nobody in CONCACAF has improved more than Panama. You have been knocking on the door and 2014 was snatched away from you. If the US wasn't going to finish 3rd, glad you guys were able to pip Honduras. Enjoy the show.
If the Ecuador players were paid for last night, the strikers clearly didn't get in on it. My BIL thinks the defenders didn't make a great effort to defend Messi. I dunno. They certainly allowed him space and didn't mark him all that tightly, but there's a reason Ecuador's not going to the WC either. In any event, I DO NOT CARE. Argentina's play was drastically improved from previous matches, primarily because Di Maria played well and looked for Messi after botching two hits where it looked like he couldn't decide whether to shoot or pass to the far post. Once he found Messi for the passes against the grain, Messi did the rest. Also, the MF operated much better without Banega. I thought he and Biglia together were a waste. Acuna played very well on the left. Mercado had a pretty forgettable match. Perez and Fazio did decent work on the outside, keeping their workrate up, but not adding much creativity. Biglia's penchant for always making a backwards pass grates. Benedetto also had a good workrate and the broadcasters praised his performance without the ball and I would agree.
Sampa now has the breathing room and several months to really mold this team. His priority should be to devise a system where Messi and Dybala can thrive simultaneously. Those two and Aguero/Icardi are the key to the Argentina offense. Sampa will have the team motivated and pressing high which should lead to some offense organically, but Sampa (and Messi really) need to devise some broad strokes as to how to break down a defensively setup opponent. Hopefully Masche and Otamendi can command the defense. I'd really like one of the Correas, Vietto, Lamela, or Alario to break through, but I think Sampa will have to implement a hardworking blue-collar core around the dynamic attacking players he chooses.
Sampa now has the breathing room and several months to really mold this team. His priority should be to devise a system where Messi and Dybala can thrive simultaneously. Those two and Aguero/Icardi are the key to the Argentina offense. Sampa will have the team motivated and pressing high which should lead to some offense organically, but Sampa (and Messi really) need to devise some broad strokes as to how to break down a defensively setup opponent. Hopefully Masche and Otamendi can command the defense. I'd really like one of the Correas, Vietto, Lamela, or Alario to break through, but I think Sampa will have to implement a hardworking blue-collar core around the dynamic attacking players he chooses.
What are your thoughts on Benedetto? I don't think he showed enough to maintain his starting role when the tournament starts. He missed a lot of easy passes, and didn't have great touch/location on the ball when he was shooting (especially in the game previous to this one). Why not start Icardi instead?
He's a nice squad player and Sampa clearly valued having input on domestic players who have domestic club managers that are more likely willing to work with him than Europeans. That being said, there is no way Benedetto should start over Icardi, Aguero, Vietto, Correa, or Alario. He can be on the squad because he brings a different set of skills, but I imagine that he started these past two games because Sampa was able to work with him most closely for a narrow role these past two months. Benedetto didn't show much skill or quality these past two matches, but admittedly that was the first I'd seen of him.
The latest FIFA world rankings have been released so we now know which of the 8 UEFA playoff teams will be seeded for the playoff draw tomorrow. The seeds will be Switzerland, Italy, Croatia and Denmark, as they are the highest ranked. Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Greece make up the other nations involved.
I have a sneaky feeling that Italy will get Republic of Ireland.
I have a sneaky feeling that Italy will get Republic of Ireland.
Congrats in advance to Switzerland, Italy, and Croatia. Sweden is the only non-seed that might even plausibly give those 3 any trouble, and not much at that.
Too bad for them that the Swedes are still without Zlatan (partly from injury, of course, but also partly by choice IIRC).
Too bad for them that the Swedes are still without Zlatan (partly from injury, of course, but also partly by choice IIRC).
Zlatan would be one of the oldest international players at this point; although it will be interesting to see if he jumps on if they qualify; since they've played arguably better without him. With the US out all my eggs are going into the Sverige basket; I hope they draw Switzerland or Denmark.
I think the Swedes would have a better shot against Croatia than Switzerland, frankly. The Swiss have incredible fluency and mutual understanding - even against Portugal, they looked like a club team out there. Croatia looked to be the more typical "disjoint tactics and hero ball, with a few superstars on the roster doing superstar things", in the ~2 games of theirs I watched.
If the Swedes qualify, and Zlatan has a successful return to Man U in january, they'd be morons not to bring Zlatan along for the big dance. Who's their striker? Marcus Berg, who's 31 and plays in Abu Dhabi?
By Elo, the playoff teams are ranked:
#7 - Italy
(#13 - Netherlands)
#14 - Switzerland
#17 - Croatia
#20 - Denmark
#22 - Sweden
#24 - Ireland
#47 - N. Ireland
#50 - Greece
I guess I owe the Irish an apology.
If the Swedes qualify, and Zlatan has a successful return to Man U in january, they'd be morons not to bring Zlatan along for the big dance. Who's their striker? Marcus Berg, who's 31 and plays in Abu Dhabi?
By Elo, the playoff teams are ranked:
#7 - Italy
(#13 - Netherlands)
#14 - Switzerland
#17 - Croatia
#20 - Denmark
#22 - Sweden
#24 - Ireland
#47 - N. Ireland
#50 - Greece
I guess I owe the Irish an apology.
UEFA playoff draw was this morning
Northern Ireland v Switzerland
Croatia v Greece
Denmark v Ireland
Sweden v Italy
Northern Ireland v Switzerland
Croatia v Greece
Denmark v Ireland
Sweden v Italy
So we're down to it now, the business end of world cup qualifying. 23 spots are fixed, and 9 bids remain to the big dance. Here's the schedule of games that matter, all times ET:
Thu Nov 9:
2:45pm: N Ireland vs Switzerland
2:45pm: Croatia vs Greece
Fri Nov 10:
12:00pm: South Africa (4) vs Senegal (8) - win by Senegal qualifies them, a tie effectively qualifies them (up 3 points and 4 GD), an RSA win means I add in the final matches on Tues the 14th, including a rematch of this in Senegal.
2:45pm: Sweden vs Italy
5:00pm: Honduras vs Australia
10:15pm: New Zealand vs Peru - held at 4:15pm local time on the 11th. UTC +13!
Sat Nov 11:
12:30pm: Tunisia (13) vs Libya (3) - Tunisia is up 3 points on DRC, needs a result to qualify
12:30pm: DR Congo (10) vs Guinea (3) - DRC needs a win and a Libya win to go to tiebreakers
12:30pm: Ivory Coast (8) vs Morocco (9) - Ivory Coast can win and they're in, otherwise Morocco goes
2:45pm: Denmark vs Ireland
Sun Nov 12:
12:00pm: Switzerland vs N Ireland
2:45pm: Greece vs Croatia
Mon Nov 13:
2:45pm: Italy vs Sweden
Tue Nov 14:
2:45pm: Ireland vs Denmark
Wed Nov 15:
4:00am (!): Australia vs Honduras
9:15pm: Peru vs New Zealand
On paper, by Elo, the most competitive matches are Denmark-Ireland and Ivory Coast (#52) - Morocco (#49), followed by Sweden-Italy and Australia-Honduras. Peru (#11) and NZ (#73), meanwhile, might get a scoreline that's downright embarrassing.
Thu Nov 9:
2:45pm: N Ireland vs Switzerland
2:45pm: Croatia vs Greece
Fri Nov 10:
12:00pm: South Africa (4) vs Senegal (8) - win by Senegal qualifies them, a tie effectively qualifies them (up 3 points and 4 GD), an RSA win means I add in the final matches on Tues the 14th, including a rematch of this in Senegal.
2:45pm: Sweden vs Italy
5:00pm: Honduras vs Australia
10:15pm: New Zealand vs Peru - held at 4:15pm local time on the 11th. UTC +13!
Sat Nov 11:
12:30pm: Tunisia (13) vs Libya (3) - Tunisia is up 3 points on DRC, needs a result to qualify
12:30pm: DR Congo (10) vs Guinea (3) - DRC needs a win and a Libya win to go to tiebreakers
12:30pm: Ivory Coast (8) vs Morocco (9) - Ivory Coast can win and they're in, otherwise Morocco goes
2:45pm: Denmark vs Ireland
Sun Nov 12:
12:00pm: Switzerland vs N Ireland
2:45pm: Greece vs Croatia
Mon Nov 13:
2:45pm: Italy vs Sweden
Tue Nov 14:
2:45pm: Ireland vs Denmark
Wed Nov 15:
4:00am (!): Australia vs Honduras
9:15pm: Peru vs New Zealand
On paper, by Elo, the most competitive matches are Denmark-Ireland and Ivory Coast (#52) - Morocco (#49), followed by Sweden-Italy and Australia-Honduras. Peru (#11) and NZ (#73), meanwhile, might get a scoreline that's downright embarrassing.
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>>Thu Nov 9:
2:45pm: N Ireland vs Switzerland
2:45pm: Croatia vs Greece<<
N. Ireland loses 0-1 to Switzerland in Belfast.
Croatia pounds Greece 4-1 in Zagreb.
2:45pm: N Ireland vs Switzerland
2:45pm: Croatia vs Greece<<
N. Ireland loses 0-1 to Switzerland in Belfast.
Croatia pounds Greece 4-1 in Zagreb.
The PK that Switzerland was awarded that won them the match was the biggest embarrassment of a decision I've seen on this stage, non-Robben division.
Also, I will have had a few beverages by 5:00pm tomorrow. Ozzie ozzie ozzie, I say.
Also, I will have had a few beverages by 5:00pm tomorrow. Ozzie ozzie ozzie, I say.
Senegal wins, qualifying them with a game to spare. Their home game vs RSA on the 14th will now be just for funsies.
With a Tunisia result very likely, the only CAF match with real drama will be Cote D'Ivoire - Morocco tomorrow.
With a Tunisia result very likely, the only CAF match with real drama will be Cote D'Ivoire - Morocco tomorrow.
I’m biased but a very promising start for Sweden, as Italy looks content to sit back behind the ball (shocking I know) and it looks like goals are going to be at a premium. Emil Forsberg, who is like the Jozy Altidore of Swedish football, has been very active creating changes.
I'm just glad we get to see an aggressive, attacking Italy team now. See what they're made of.
They have 105 remaining minutes to score (and came inches away a few minutes ago); doing so the next ~15 would obviously mean way more than doing so at home.
They have 105 remaining minutes to score (and came inches away a few minutes ago); doing so the next ~15 would obviously mean way more than doing so at home.
Sweden vs. Italy 1-0
That´s almost a perfect result for Sweden vs. an opponent like Italy.
New Zealand vs. Peru 0-0.
Hm. Probably as good as it can get for NZL, didn´t see anything. With topscorer Guerrero out due to a failed doping test(only banned 30 days if i´m correct), they could have trouble scoring goals. He scored 6 of their 27 goals (15 @home).
Honduras vs. Australia 0-0
Good for Honduras, I guess, same with New Zealand and Sweden. They would try to get an away goal and keep the score down, although I doubt that NZL and HON will be able to keep their opponents from scoring.
Emil Forsberg could be Sweden´s best footballer today. I don´t know if you wanted to say that about Altidore
That´s almost a perfect result for Sweden vs. an opponent like Italy.
New Zealand vs. Peru 0-0.
Hm. Probably as good as it can get for NZL, didn´t see anything. With topscorer Guerrero out due to a failed doping test(only banned 30 days if i´m correct), they could have trouble scoring goals. He scored 6 of their 27 goals (15 @home).
Honduras vs. Australia 0-0
Good for Honduras, I guess, same with New Zealand and Sweden. They would try to get an away goal and keep the score down, although I doubt that NZL and HON will be able to keep their opponents from scoring.
What is the JA of the US football?
Emil Forsberg could be Sweden´s best footballer today. I don´t know if you wanted to say that about Altidore
Morocco puts up 2 goals on Ivory Coast in the first 30 mins. Plenty of UCL-grade players on the field; Benatia is absolutely clowning CIV's wingers.
Cote D'Ivoire, ranked #21 by FIFA (2nd in CAF), and participant in 3 straight WCFs (longest-running streak in CAF, tied with Ghana), may be about to get bounced before they can make it 4. Tough qualification process, probably the toughest.
Cote D'Ivoire, ranked #21 by FIFA (2nd in CAF), and participant in 3 straight WCFs (longest-running streak in CAF, tied with Ghana), may be about to get bounced before they can make it 4. Tough qualification process, probably the toughest.
I watched the Italy match on DVR last night and I don't have a clue what Ventura is doing. If the FIGC can hire Ancelotti before the second leg, they should do so. I don't know how Insigne could be left out, then substituted into the match to play Verratti's position. Playing conservative and not trying to get an away goal was farcical.
How many Ligue 1 goals goes Balotelli have to score to get back into the picture?
How many Ligue 1 goals goes Balotelli have to score to get back into the picture?
Forsberg was supposed to be the next great Swedish player and he’s done okay at Leipzig, but like Altidore his contributions to the national team have not always been equal to his skill. People thought he was going to be the next Freddie Ljungberg and he hasn’t really reached that potential and he takes a lot of criticism for not delivering for Sweden the way people imagined he would.Sweden vs. Italy 1-0
That´s almost a perfect result for Sweden vs. an opponent like Italy.
New Zealand vs. Peru 0-0.
Hm. Probably as good as it can get for NZL, didn´t see anything. With topscorer Guerrero out due to a failed doping test(only banned 30 days if i´m correct), they could have trouble scoring goals. He scored 6 of their 27 goals (15 @home).
Honduras vs. Australia 0-0
Good for Honduras, I guess, same with New Zealand and Sweden. They would try to get an away goal and keep the score down, although I doubt that NZL and HON will be able to keep their opponents from scoring.
What is the JA of the US football?
Emil Forsberg could be Sweden´s best footballer today. I don´t know if you wanted to say that about Altidore
He isn’t there best player imo; Granqvist is but Forsberg has been very good in qualifying. I’m surprised how competitive the matchup vs Italy was perceived to be considering the depth of talent on the Italian side compared to Sweden, which has only a few players playing in a Top 5 league.
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Serge Aurier gets teed up from essentially the penalty spot, and skies it 10 feet over the goal. That's pretty much curtains for the Ivorians. Tunisia likewise has Libya scoreless, likely qualifying them.
I'm flipping to the other football, there ain't much left to see here. Denmark v Ireland in an hour should be the real show.
I'm flipping to the other football, there ain't much left to see here. Denmark v Ireland in an hour should be the real show.
Fact of the day: Darren Randolph’s dad was one of the first American imports into the Irish Basketball League.
Fact 2: Mario Elie started his pro career in Ireland.
Fact 2: Mario Elie started his pro career in Ireland.
Tough result for the Ivorians. Their “Golden Generation” of Drogba, the Toure brothers, Kalou, Gervinho, et al. Three straight World Cups and a Cup of Nations victory during an era where the country was racked by civil war and repressive dictatorship was an amazing accomplishment.
The future is bright. Ivorians age 25 and under: Cornet, Bially, Aurier, Kessie, and Zaha. But how many careers never got going or how many talents never got discovered because of the civil strife?
It isn't until recently that Forsberg has been considered the next great Swedish player, and he is now 26. He has been quite the late bloomer. Never received a cap with the under 21 national team, staying in the Swedish premier division until age 23 when he transferred to Leipzig, a team that played in the 2. Bundesliga at the time and didn't achieve promotion until last year. His development since arriving at Leipzig has actually been shockingly good, leading all the european top leagues in assists last season, his first in the Bundesliga. Sure there were criticism of Forsberg during the Euros last year when he was poor like the rest of the team, but since then he has been getting a lot of praise for his play with the national team in a qualifying campaign that is already seen as a huge success here in Sweden.
I don’t live in Sweden so I appreciate this insight. My impression from reading stuff and being on social media that in recent years the expectations for Forsberg were high, and there are two sides of fan opinion; one that he is the next superstar of Swedish football, and another side that is resentful of the praise he has received and feel he has underperformed at times; but you sound more on top of that than I am.
Speaking of Jozy Altidore/Sweden comparisons, what is the domestic impression of Alexander Isak? From afar he looks like the best prospect they’ve had in 15 years and is the one guy in the pipeline that I see turning into a world-class player one day.
Yeah, I agree with you about Isak, he's a prospect with great potential. A very smart player with excellent technique, lanky but deceivingly strong. The hype surrounding him in Sweden was enormous last year when he played well for AIK as a 16 year old. Since Zlatan I've never seen a teenager that good in the Swedish league, never mind a 16 year old. Since transferring to Dortmund he predictably hasn't played that much, although he started and scored for them in the cup recently and has seen some minutes in the Bundesliga and UCL. It will be interesting to see what happens to him this summer, obviously he needs playing time and even if he's seemingly progressing okay at Dortmund it's probably not likely he'll be good enough to replace Aubameyang if he were to leave in the summer (which I think he will).
It's good to to see that you're on the Blågult bandwagon, what's your connection to Sweden?
I went to an AIK-Hammarby match in August 2016, when I was in Stockholm to run the Tough Viking race. I had adopted AIK as my Swedish football team, but didn’t know much about their players or roster. Seemed as though every other word out of every AIK fan’s mouth was something about “Alexander.” They clearly wanted him with the ball and thought of him as the next best thing in AIK football. I was bummed to see him jump to the Bundesliga, though I can’t say I blame him.
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It's funny you ask that because there really isn't one. When I was kid it seemed like everyone I played soccer with was really into their heritage (most of them were immigrants so we had a lot of kids from Guatemala, Uganda, Mexico, Russia, etc.) and they all had armbands and stuff with their flags colors on it and it was really cool. My mom is Irish, but that wasn't really that exciting and we don't really know what my father's ancestry is. In FIFA 2002 I loved to play as Sweden's national team, and I wanted to play like Freddie Ljungberg, so I just one day started telling people I was Swedish, and I had the blonde hair to back it up, and from then on I supported the national team and it certainly helped that they came up with one of the most exciting players in history right around that time. I know that sounds really stupid but and obviously at this point I know I'm probably not Swedish, but I'm not going to just stop supporting the national team, especially with the US KO'd for 2018.
