Aussies go through, Swiss too

[ramondo]

Celebrations in Oz last night (Wed) - Socceroos (definitely need a new name) through to Germany '06 after beating Uruguay on penalties in front of 83,000 at Telstra Stadium.

Looks like Hiddink (talk of saintood, Sir Gus etc. etc. already) will not be available until at least July. I can see the Aussies reacting with shedloads of money to entice him to stay if the stories of him leaving after the World Cup are true.

Not the same, but at least I'll have some interest in the competition. Rooting for them now but come June may have had enough from the sport-mad media here to the point I'll be praying for them to be hammered every game - we'll see how it goes.

Swiss go through after Istanbul thriller too.

As a matter of interest, does anyone know what would have happened if the Ireland France game in Dublin had finished 1-1 or 0-0 and all other results had been the same?

Ramondo.

[Qwerty]

As a matter of interest, does anyone know what would have happened if the Ireland France game in Dublin had finished 1-1 or 0-0 and all other results had been the same?

Ramondo.

We would have found a way to lose to Switzerland, probably.

[Stuttgart88]

As a matter of interest, does anyone know what would have happened if the Ireland France game in Dublin had finished 1-1 or 0-0 and all other results had been the same?
4 way tie on 18 points I think, with Israel, Switzerland, Ireland & France being ranked in that order due to the total goals scored in the matches between the sides, and then total goal diff. That's what I think anyway off the top of my head, but Group 4 no longer has a priority spot in my brain. Israel got two 2-2 draws which would have put them top.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Spain are through... fair enough... Czech Republic are through :), Trinidad are through :) Australia are through (for the last time in Oceania) and Switzerland are through :(

[finlma]

Why do people complain so much about Switzerland qualifying - is it cause they outplayed us in the last 4 games we played them and deservedly out-qualified us. So what if Frei gloated - I'd be gloating if we qualified. Fair play to them for getting through against Turkey cause there wouldn't have been a snowballs chance in hell of us doing it.

Good luck to them I say.

[pete]

The biggest crime is that 4 North American team qualify. Thats the same number as South America & Asia. Africa only has 5. Its terrible the way CONCAF can get 4 places just because they have a lot of individual members (many small islands) so have a lot of FIFA votes.

[NeilMcD]

I am glad the swiss qualified. If they had been beaten or hammered, what woudl that have said about us. Also the Turkish players and crowd take things a little too far.

[hamish]

The biggest crime is that 4 North American team qualify. Thats the same number as South America & Asia. Africa only has 5. Its terrible the way CONCAF can get 4 places just because they have a lot of individual members (many small islands) so have a lot of FIFA votes.

I think that's because Jack Warner of the region is a power maker in FIFA and used his position to get more places for CONCACAF

[Gerrit]

The biggest crime is that Blatter promised Oceania a direct place (which they fully deserve, it's a continent just like all the others) and then swallowed his promised after being re-elected.

[Gerrit]

I am glad Switzerland qualified. Belgians and Turkish are not exactly best friends ;) Quick edit: and that is not racism, it's them kicking BE out of the Euro 2002