FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualification - UEFA Play-Offs (9-11th and 12-14th November 2017)

[thischarmingman]

I'll take that.

[DannyInvincible]

Loving the Tuaisceart Eireann bit!

Ha, that certainly made me smile.

Had to get a screenshot.

http://i68.tinypic.com/xgi3gy.png

I wonder did the IFA approve of that.

[Olé Olé]

Lovely. Best we could have asked for. It gives us every chance.

[DannyInvincible]

Serious chance of making the World Cup now.

[ifk101]

As above, good draw for us. Danish coach believes we'll look to play on the counter in Copenhagen. Says they'll need to go all out to break us down, and they'll have to win the 50:50 battles and take chances.

[tetsujin1979]

I had a slight preference for Switzerland, but wanted to avoid Italy and Croatia. I'll take Denmark, with the home leg second.
They had a good qualifying campaign, beating eventual group winners Poland 4-0 in Copenhagen, but also lost at home to Montenegro

[koneinc]

Well that could have been worse!

[Stuttgart88]

I had a slight preference for Switzerland, but wanted to avoid Italy and Croatia. I'll take Denmark, with the home leg second.
They had a good qualifying campaign, beating eventual group winners Poland 4-0 in Copenhagen, but also lost at home to MontenegroI think the Swiss are underrated. Some weak spots but a tidy enough team with some good attacking players too. I think we got the best available draw.

[backstothewall]

Perfect draw for the Irish sides

[NeverFeltBetter]

I had a slight preference for Switzerland, but wanted to avoid Italy and Croatia. I'll take Denmark, with the home leg second.
They had a good qualifying campaign, beating eventual group winners Poland 4-0 in Copenhagen, but also lost at home to Montenegro

Those are the two games to focus on, for sure. In one of them Denmark did everything right, in the other it was all wrong. Both are probably fluky in their own way, but show how dangerous and how vulnerable the Danes can be. If we could take Eriksen out of the tie somehow we could really neuter them.

[liamoo11]

The pitch will be in bits after the rugby I assume they will try to play it the Tuesday to give pitch some recovery time. Be great to move it to croke park cause that rugby nonsense will have the pitch in an awful way unplayable really for such a huge game

[ifk101]

A pitch in bits suits us more than Danes. They'll no doubt have the intention of passing the ball. Folly.

See us securing a resounding 1-1 victory in Denmark and a merciless 0-0 hammering in Dublin.

[Mr A]

Is there anything to be said for playing the home leg in Clontarf?

[DannyInvincible]

Away leg confirmed for 7:45PM (Irish time) on the 11th of November, which is the Saturday night, and the home leg will be on the following Tuesday: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1017/912949-ireland-will-play-denm-ark-in-world-cup-play-offs/

[tricky_colour]

Nothing will be easy, we have had some good results v the better teams, sometimes being the underdog helps.

[tetsujin1979]

Started a match thread in the Ireland folder, I'll leave this open if people want to discuss the other play off games

[backstothewall]

Is there anything to be said for playing the home leg in Clontarf?

Tullamore would suit us better.

[BonnieShels]

Ha, that certainly made me smile.

Had to get a screenshot.

http://i68.tinypic.com/xgi3gy.png

I wonder did the IFA approve of that.

Any chance you could head over to OWC and see the bleating?

[tricky_colour]

Denmark only beat Poland 4-0 suggesting we have every chance. :p

[tetsujin1979]

Denmark only beat Poland 4-0 suggesting we have every chance. :p
Poland were more or less qualified at that stage, so I don't think they gave their all in that game

[Colbert Report]

What's the injury situation like? Specifically will Duffy, McCarthy, Walters, and Long be available? Am I missing anyone?

[DannyInvincible]

Any chance you could head over to OWC and see the bleating?

Ha, unfortunately not. I haven't had access to there for quite a while and their paranoia levels mean it's an absolute ball-ache to try get signed up again. They always manage to sniff me out. Maybe I smell of tarmac or a sewer or something?...

[Diggs246]

What's the injury situation like? Specifically will Duffy, McCarthy, Walters, and Long be available? Am I missing anyone?

Duffy has ruled himself in anyway. Long was fine for Southampton at the weekend. For me with meylar suspended, its vital McCarthy gets fit. He is far better then Whelo and that could be the difference

[Gather round]

Ha, unfortunately not. I haven't had access to there for quite a while and their paranoia levels mean it's an absolute ball-ache to try get signed up again. They always manage to sniff me out. Maybe I smell of tarmac or a sewer or something?...

Fear not, OWC stalwart here. We*/they are too busy gurning about the crazy ticketing system to worry about T-shirt Eireann (talking of which, I prefer this classic design from the Euros):

http://i.imgur.com/KcHH731.jpg (https://imgur.com/KcHH731)

* I'll be watching on TV as a) skint and b) too far down the pecking order. One, two, one, one and three away qualifiers respectively in the last five tournaments

[seanfhear]

Fear not, OWC stalwart here. We*/they are too busy gurning about the crazy ticketing system to worry about T-shirt Eireann (talking of which, I prefer this classic design from the Euros):

http://i.imgur.com/KcHH731.jpg (https://imgur.com/KcHH731)

* I'll be watching on TV as a) skint and b) too far down the pecking order. One, two, one, one and three away qualifiers respectively in the last five tournaments
Its good to see ye becoming a bit more inclusive and using an indigenous language ; Tuaisceart Eireann .

How would God Save the Queen sound in Gaelic .

[Gather round]

Sorry Sean. My Irish knowledge isn't up to songs or conversation. Just like 98% of Ireland once they leave primary school and don't go on holiday to Donegal any more ;)

[DannyInvincible]

Fear not, OWC stalwart here. We*/they are too busy gurning about the crazy ticketing system to worry about T-shirt Eireann

It seems someone must have raised issue with it to FIFA: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/cultural-sensitivity-fifa-style-football-governing-body-admits-northern-ireland-name-as-gaeilge-was-a-mistake-36236073.html


A [FIFA] spokesman told the Belfast Telegraph: "We have taken note of the inclusion of Irish also for Northern Ireland in the video produced for the 2018 FIFA World Cup European play-off draw.

"It was simply a mistake in the graphics production with no certain intention. The error is being corrected for the version available on FIFA’s YouTube channel."

I was wondering were FIFA going to replace "Tuaisceart Éireann" with something else and was eager to see what that was going to be, but it seems they have just deleted the entire introductory section from their Youtube video of the draw:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrLYlIEN1k

In spite of the above and FIFA's statement yesterday, an unnamed unionist politician (who, it transpires, does have a cúpla focail, after all) was to feature on the Nolan Show this morning (https://twitter.com/BBCNolan/status/920560378656018433) to complain and demand an apology from FIFA. I don't think he ever got round to speaking though, as developments at Stormont (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-41664610) whilst the show was on air forced a change of schedule. Clearly, it was a very slow news-day up until then, but it was gonna be Gregory they wheeled out, wasn't it?... :rolleyes:

And I'll assume Jamie Bryson was engaging in some bizarrely-contrived historical denialism here rather than taking issue with the appearance of the non-indigenous tongue of English:

http://i64.tinypic.com/2zz5i06.jpg

[Lionel Ritchie]

Shouldn't it be Tuaisceart na hEireann?

I'm no scholar of irish OR Latin but Tuaisceart Eireann reminds me of People Called Romans They Go The House

[seanfhear]

It seems someone must have raised issue with it to FIFA: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/cultural-sensitivity-fifa-style-football-governing-body-admits-northern-ireland-name-as-gaeilge-was-a-mistake-36236073.html




I was wondering were FIFA going to replace "Tuaisceart Éireann" with something else and was eager to see what that was going to be, but it seems they have just deleted the entire introductory section from their Youtube video of the draw:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrLYlIEN1k

In spite of the above and FIFA's statement yesterday, an unnamed unionist politician (who, it transpires, does have a cúpla focail, after all) was to feature on the Nolan Show this morning (https://twitter.com/BBCNolan/status/920560378656018433) to complain and demand an apology from FIFA. I don't think he ever got round to speaking though, as developments at Stormont (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-41664610) whilst the show was on air forced a change of schedule. Clearly, it was a very slow news-day up until then, but it was gonna be Gregory, wasn't it?... :rolleyes:

And I'll assume Jamie Bryson was engaging in some bizarrely-contrived historical denialism here rather than taking issue with the appearance of the non-indigenous tongue of English:

http://i64.tinypic.com/2zz5i06.jpg

Jamie Bryson is his usual confused self here .

[Olé Olé]

I wonder who they pinned it on? There was obviously someone involved in creating the graphic who did a quick Google translate for 'Northern Ireland' in Irish. But let's not let that get in the way of a little outrage.

[Olé Olé]

Shouldn't it be Tuaisceart na hEireann?

I'm no scholar of irish OR Latin but Tuaisceart Eireann reminds me of People Called Romans They Go The House
If I'm correct, there's an interesting little distinction in there. The literal translation of 'Tuaisceart Eireann' is Northern Ireland. However, in school and learning Irish, we would have been taught 'Tuaisceart na hEireann' which literally translates to the North of Ireland.

I'm sure we all know which would have outraged Bryson and co. More.

[backstothewall]

If I'm correct, there's an interesting little distinction in there. The literal translation of 'Tuaisceart Eireann' is Northern Ireland.

I'm no expert either, but would the literal translation of 'Tuaisceart Eireann' not be "North Ireland".

[tetsujin1979]

it is, but it's the noun "north" instead of the adjective "Northern"

What little Irish I have left isn't enough to read this article from Tuairisc on it: http://tuairisc.ie/gaeilge-fifa-ina-diol-suntais-ag-daoine-agus-tuaisceart-eireann-curtha-ar-an-mapa-acu/

[Olé Olé]

I'm no expert either, but would the literal translation of 'Tuaisceart Eireann' not be "North Ireland".
Actually, maybe I was in correct there so. Maybe Gaeilge doesn't account for the distinction with Northern and North of and let's us at it with North of alone?

[BonnieShels]

it is, but it's the noun "north" instead of the adjective "Northern"

What little Irish I have left isn't enough to read this article from Tuairisc on it: http://tuairisc.ie/gaeilge-fifa-ina-diol-suntais-ag-daoine-agus-tuaisceart-eireann-curtha-ar-an-mapa-acu/

There's very little in that article that you won't have read elsewhere on some of our other "clickbait" and "news" sites.

[KrisLetang]

There's very little in that article that you won't have read elsewhere on some of our other "clickbait" and "news" sites.

But those comments about how he says all Ireland fans pee on the dishes in the sink....just so uncalled for.

[nigel-harps1954]

You wouldn't technically be wrong in saying Tuaisceart Éireann as a literal translation of both words, but it would be almost gramatically wrong follow Tuaisceart simply with Éireann. I'd have said you would follow it with 'ná hÉireann' as said already, although that leaves it literally translated as North of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland.

There's a number of ways of saying it, as there are with pretty much everything in Irish. But such are the rules of the language, you're never going to be right or wrong, just what is understood.

As Tets says, Tuaisceart is simply the noun. Your adjective in this case would be Tuaisceartach: 'an Tuaisceartach' - The North.

[seanfhear]

You wouldn't technically be wrong in saying Tuaisceart Éireann as a literal translation of both words, but it would be almost gramatically wrong follow Tuaisceart simply with Éireann. I'd have said you would follow it with 'ná hÉireann' as said already, although that leaves it literally translated as North of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland.

There's a number of ways of saying it, as there are with pretty much everything in Irish. But such are the rules of the language, you're never going to be right or wrong, just what is understood.

As Tets says, Tuaisceart is simply the noun. Your adjective in this case would be Tuaisceartach: 'an Tuaisceartach' - The North.
I think thats ( Tuaisceart Eireann ) the way Protestants / Unionists / Loyalists say it . Its an Ulster Scots tweak .

[BonnieShels]

Nice artcle about the first UEFA WC play-offs back in 1997:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy/2017/oct/17/world-cup-playoffs-croatia-italy-ireland

[tricky_colour]

The draw was rigged, an insider tells me the the Irish and Danish balls were warmed up so they could know which balls they were which.

The balls should be scooped out with a spoon to stop such abuse.

[tricky_colour]

But those comments about how he says all Ireland fans pee on the dishes in the sink....just so uncalled for.

Yea I always take the dishes out.

[nigel-harps1954]

The draw was rigged, an insider tells me the the Irish and Danish balls were warmed up so they could know which balls they were which.

The balls should be scooped out with a spoon to stop such abuse.


Draw might take a while...but this would be entertaining, and a real leveler.

http://www.ju90.co.uk/nimr/shaiweb.jpg

[DannyInvincible]

My da came across this column by John Devine - on FIFA's use of "Tuaisceart Éireann" and the surrounding controversy - in last Thursday's Strabane Chronicle:

http://i65.tinypic.com/qrxnk4.jpg

Might be of interest to someone.

[KrisLetang]

Why in the world would Serbia sack the manager? US should hire him.