Maybe FIFA don't even want to risk France having to go through the play-offs:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...616979,00.html
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Maybe FIFA don't even want to risk France having to go through the play-offs:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...616979,00.html
A number of people have said Portugal are likely to be in the play-offs. Sweden are two points ahead of them and I think Portugal will struggle against Hungary considering Hungary are still in with a slight chance of making the play-offs. There is enormous pressure on Portugal now and Queiroz is looking like a dead man walking.
Also, the Denmark-Sweden game is pretty much 50-50 so there is a chance Sweden will win that which would make Portugals results meaningless anyway.
So to say with any certainty that Portugal are in the play offs is way off the mark.
How many of fergies number 2s have proved to be just that?! When given the chance to be no1 they have failed, mostly terribly.
Greece are ranked higher then Portugal.
The likely posts are;
Pot 1, Russia, Croatia, France, Greece
Pot 2, Portugal, Ireland, Bosnia, Slovenia
I think the FIFA Ranking predictive table has Portugal well ahead of Greece after these 2 games.
This all reminds me of that time we were studying the Asian qualifiers for getting to the WC. ;)
It's too hard to call who we'll get, there's about 16 options. Ideally we'll get someone beatable and for travelling, where it's not freezing in November. Slovenia and Bosnia fits the category.
Alternatively, we could get Russia, which would be the worst of both worlds.
I'd take France, Croatia or Greece.
I would not like to be up against Russia/Germany.
Watching Russia v Germany. Glad the Germans will now qualify and leave the Russians in second. The Russians are good but by no means great. Spoke too soon. Stonewall peno for Russia not given. Germany win 1-0.
Ukraine could jump us in rankings if they beat England I think...
anyone have a stream for the cyprus bulgaria match? its on now right... no dice on iraq goals
Cyprus 2 nil up Charalambidis scores both
Ukraine 1 up
Bosnia 2 up and look secure for 2nd spot
Could be interesting.
Ukraine beat England
is that Croatia out (pretty much)?
The Croatians will need to win in Kazakhstan and hope the Ukraine to drop points in Andorra.
The commentator on Sky said that we've clinched a playoff spot as a result of the Cyprus win- is this correct?
Serbia are winning 3-0 vs Romania and France are 3-0 against Brian Kerr's Faeroe Islands, so that means Serbia are at the World Cup and France are in the playoffs, unless Platini does his mooted point deduction.
Well we ARE in the playoffs now:
Here is the latest line up, barring a massive turnaround in Lisbon in the next 30 mins these are the teams in the play-offs:
Russia
Ukraine/Croatia
Bosnia
Greece/Swiss/Israel
France
Slovenia/Slovakia
Portugal*
*Almost certainly it will be them ahead of Norway, unless Hungary can do something in the next 30 mins.
Anyway with France, Russia, Portugal and Ukraine/Croatia in we will be in the bottom half and face one of them. Not mission impossible but we would want to avoid Russia. The good news is we wont face Bosnia (who will be lower seeds like ourselves) as they would be a massive threat.
watched the Russia v Germany game earlier and again was not overly impressed with the Russians. They have some excellent players but some very, very poor players as well. they created lots of chances against Germany but never really looked like scoring. I would fear Portugal and France more than the Russians. But none of them were good enough to qualify outright so who is to say plaing France is harder than Bosnia? I always prefer to play big named teams in decline rather than unkowns on the rise.
We are fawked !! :eek:
The play off are a disaster for us. I head is saying we aint gonna get there, the heart is all we have to go on.
So... what dates are the play-offs?
So, we're either playing Russia, Greece, Portugal or France?
Edit: Would it be fair to say that the English are ******* for losing tonight, and thus promoting Portugal to the seeded teams (or am I wrong)????
I think we would beat the French, they are in a real state under Domonech. Goalkeeper is a joke for them, Llloris or Manadana, neither are up to much. I would rather play France than Russia, Russia away in the Luzhniki is one of the hardest fixtures in international football.
But I think we have a reasonable chance, 50-50, as long as we are away in the first leg Trap will keep it tight and we could sneak it.
I've updated the table with current FIFA rankings:
Russia (6)
France (10)
*Greece (12) / Swiss (15)
Portugal (17)
----------------
Ukraine (25)
IRELAND (38)
Bosnia (46)
** Slovenia (54) / Slovakia (44)
*Even assuming Greece beat Luxemburg in Athens, Switerland only need a point home Israel to win group 2.
** Slovenia are away to San Marino, so Slovakia will have to win in Poland to maintain top spot in grp 3
I know technically not all of those teams I've listed on their own are confirmed runners up, but Russia, France, Bosnia, and ourselves are. Portugal only need to win vs Malta (home) and Ukraine only need to win vs Andorra (away).
Basically we will face one of Russia, France, Greece/Swiss or Portugal. It's difficult but not impossible against any of those teams. I would love to see us face the Swiss as I dont like them one bit and revenge for Euro 2008 and WC2006 would be nice (the latter could also apply to France) - but we would need to be ware as UEFA/FIFA tend to give a hidden helping hand to the Swiss and I could see a sloppy ref being picked in that one, and they will probably pick up a point home to Israel anyway.
I want Portugal. Seeing Ronaldo cry would make my day when we knock them out.
I hope we get France. Imagine Paris for the away leg!!!!!! Would be amazing.
I want Greece, then France / Poprtugal. I want to avoid Russia most.