World Cup Qualifiers + Friendlies | November 2017

Lyricist said:
9 WC Playoff games in, these were the results:

N. Ireland 0-1 Switzerland (gifted pen)
Croatia 4-1 Greece (two giveaways by furthest back players of Greece near their own goal)
Sweden 1-0 Italy (deflected shot)
Honduras 0-0 Australia
New Zealand 0-0 Peru
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
Switzerland 0-0 N. Ireland
Greece 0-0 Croatia
Italy 0-0 Sweden

What the actual feck?!
Are we going to see a good goal at some point or no?
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Huge stake in those matches man. Playing on wc is peak for every player. Playing for manchester, real, barca, winning titles with club... it is all big thing but playing in world cup is highlight of their careers. Playing for their country in world cup is reward for everything their did in their football life.
Goals will come in wc. There players enjoy in that reward
 
Italy’s style has over the years brought them great success, but it’s always depended on them having those great ‘fantasistas’ like Totti, Baggio or del Piero. This current generation doesn’t have one on that level and it showed yesterday. They simply couldn’t crack the Swedish safe open.
 
Feel gutted for Buffon missing a record equalling 6th WC.
Also, Italy had been reaching finals of a world cup every 12 years since 1970. That record will no longer hold true as well
 
What has happened to Italian football? They always had world class players in midfield, in defence and up front. Now they have none and only in goal.
It goes back to the start of the WC. They always had that extra class when it mattered most.
 
anant said:
Feel gutted for Buffon missing a record equalling 6th WC.
Also, Italy had been reaching finals of a world cup every 12 years since 1970. That record will no longer hold true as well
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Don't know why people are so bothered. They have a terrible side at the moment. Hopefully we get a new World Cup winner this time. I mean we won't but it would be nice.
 
Classical Mechanic said:
Don't know why people are so bothered. They have a terrible side at the moment. Hopefully we get a new World Cup winner this time. I mean we won't but it would be nice.
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Because they are a better side than some of the teams that have qualified including Sweden. Italy, no matter how shit their side may be, almost always become a force in the tournament and reach the latter stages.
As far as new WC winner is concerned, we won't. Martinez cant win WC for Belgium and Croatia are a stylish style not a pragmatic one. Also, apart from Modric and Rakitic, none of them has ever played under the kind of pressure that they would face should they reach the business end of the tournament
 
SwedishFish said:
:lol::lol::lol: Buffon...

and the title of that video, It was clear that they were bringing out all the stops to rile up the Swedes.

I felt then and there that I wouldn't be sorry for Buffon's sake that he's missing out on the world cup, disgraceful thing to do.

Hope Denmark will join up with us tomorrow but it's always going to be a hard game playing against Ireland away tbh.
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Don't think you understood anything from that. He applauded and showed respect.

crossy1686 said:
He's been around the block enough to know that booing your rivals national anthem during a world cup qualifier will just spur them on. I think there's been quite a few examples where he's applauded the opposing teams national anthem. Might have been at the Euro's in France?
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Could have been, really don't remember. Thought this was a nice gesture.
 
So what's up with Neymar crying at the press conference while the coach defends him?? What happened during the match?
 
I get a feeling that Ireland-Denmark will be a shockingly boring affair. Will we end with penalties?
 
James Peril said:
Come on, have you seen our National team? What do you mean by very decent? Skjelbred is the very definition of a totally lacklustre player, he can only run around. Sander Berge might end up as a midfielder for let’s say Stoke, the only exciting player is Ødegaard and who knows how he will turn out? If he reaches 75% of Eriksen’s level I’d take it immediately.
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By seing your NT play was the main reason I thought about that. You guys clearly have a very decent bunch of players. Enough quality to try and fight for a 2nd spot on qualifying stage, you just need a manager who can create team harmony and team spirit, which is the most important thing in international football, since the time for tactical training is scarce.

Your team plays much worst than teams with a much more poor quality pool than you. You guys need someone to make that click.

Don't dismiss Skjelbred. I usually watch some Bundesliga games and he is a good box-2-box midfielder. His passing is good and he's a very objective player. The only thing I can point is that he doesn't risk that much. You don't make such a solid career at germany top level without quality.

And Berge is appointed as one of the most hot young prospects in europe atm.
 
anant said:
Because they are a better side than some of the teams that have qualified including Sweden. Italy, no matter how shit their side may be, almost always become a force in the tournament and reach the latter stages.
As far as new WC winner is concerned, we won't. Martinez cant win WC for Belgium and Croatia are a stylish style not a pragmatic one. Also, apart from Modric and Rakitic, none of them has ever played under the kind of pressure that they would face should they reach the business end of the tournament
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That is rubbish - if Italy were a better side they would have beaten Sweden to Qualify.

It is a cup competition at the end of the day anything can happen.
 
One of my most vivid memories from the 2004 euros are a banner saying '2-2 and the spaghettis are out', not really on topic but it sprang into my mind for some reason

I'm not really super nervous about tonight (yet) for some reason. Confident if we play our game and remain strong on set pieces Ireland will struggle more than us. Just need to avoid too many silly freekicks, but it will be hard with the Irish going down easy as soon as they are within a free kick distance of the penalty area.
 
Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87 said:
We don't like Northern teams, do we? :lol:
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No i like them, they're good people(except Berg, who should be punted into the Sun), it's just that the Irish fans are a delight. Now more than ever, i want them in Russia

Sweden were heroic yesterday, i wish them well in Russia(except Berg, who should be punted into the Sun)
 
Ralaks said:
One of my most vivid memories from the 2004 euros are a banner saying '2-2 and the spaghettis are out', not really on topic but it sprang into my mind for some reason
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Removed that from my memory, thanks to 2006. Yeah, you can be right cnuts when you want to :lol:

Not that we didn't do the same to Sweden in France :D

No, the irony is not lost...
 
Rooney24 said:
Its gonna be brutal. All about getting through though at the end.
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Its being said that Denmark has not practiced penalties at least (which the Irish have). Not that I think it makes that much of a difference anyway. You simply cannot recreate the pressure in training.
 
Phil Jones 79 said:
Think it is something to do with the rumours going around that he is unhappy at PSG.
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What's with all these crying nowadays? Such drama queens over nothing rumours really. Unless, there is more to just being unhappy in the circulated rumours.
 
K2K said:
Who?
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Its not going to happen. One of the WC holder sides will win it. You can have surprise winners in the Euro's (Denmark Greece, Czechoslovakia), but the WC for all its critics, is remarkably difficult to win.Big, historic football nations like France or Spain only have one win.

None of the dark horses are strong enough from top to bottom to win it. Maybe Belgium or Portugal make the semi's, but I have a hard time seeing them beating Brazil or Germany in knockout game.
 
RoyH1 said:
Its not going to happen. One of the WC holder sides will win it. You can have surprise winners in the Euro's (Denmark Greece, Czechoslovakia), but the WC for all its critics, is remarkably difficult to win.Big, historic football nations like France or Spain only have one win.

None of the dark horses are strong enough from top to bottom to win it. Maybe Belgium or Portugal make the semi's, but I have a hard time seeing them beating Brazil or Germany in knockout game.
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Poland will win it.
 
2-0 Ireland tonight.

McClean to score in the 57th minute. Long to add a second on the counter in the last five.
 
Ralaks said:
One of my most vivid memories from the 2004 euros are a banner saying '2-2 and the spaghettis are out', not really on topic but it sprang into my mind for some reason

I'm not really super nervous about tonight (yet) for some reason. Confident if we play our game and remain strong on set pieces Ireland will struggle more than us. Just need to avoid too many silly freekicks, but it will be hard with the Irish going down easy as soon as they are within a free kick distance of the penalty area.
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You just know Arter will turn to his greatest asset: diving/rolling around from a little touch to create their biggest chances.. Sweet jesus, he was annoying last match.. and he even has a very sympathic background.. Deserves a Gravesen/Tøfting treatment
 
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