How depressing is the seeding news?

I don't know why people are assuming that Sweden, Russia and Croatia are definitely going to be in the play-offs. I think Portugal will make 2nd place in Group 1. They have 2 winnable games at home, and unless Sweden win in Denmark I can't see them getting second. We would have no chance against Portugal, imagine Ronaldo running at Kilbane over 180 minutes.

Russia have got Germany at home next and if they win they will probably win Group 4. The Germans have also got Finland at home in their last game, and they have a bad recent record against them (2 draws in 2002 World Cup qualifiers, without these Beckham's goal against Greece wouldn't have mattered). To be honest, I'd rather draw the Germans than the Russians in a play-off. I think Russia have got a very good side now and a great manager, and Moscow in November is the ultimate nightmare draw. I think the Germans would probably beat us as well, but I don't think they are as good as everyone thinks they are.

If the Ukraine beat England in Kiev then Croatia are as good as out, as Ukraine play Andorra in their last game. Not sure if they will but it's more than possible as England have nothing to play for. Also Norway are as good as out as the worst placed second team, so I'm not sure why they are being mentioned. If we draw France, Russia or Portugal I think we'll lose; Germany or Croatia we'll probably lose but we'd have an outside chance; Czech Republic, Greece or Ukraine is the best we can hope for out of the top seeds.

Terrible news alright, in a play-off situation the bigger boys usually have enough over two legs. Even when it's a one off they seem to scrape through, I'm fearing a repeat of the Netherlands play-off in Anfield.
On a separate note, what's the deal with a Russian visa if we were to play them, are they difficult/expensive to get?

I woke up yesterday and saw the seeding news on the world cup page of soccernet, and i posted it foolishly without a link figuring it was old news as I am 5 hours behind Dublin here in NY....But I apologize for not linking it yesterday morning.

You know what else I was curious about, would as many Irish fans travel to a place like say Serbia or Greece as would travel to Paris? Taking into consideration this doesnt happen every year (or even every 4th year)? I would consider going to many places but not Serbia.

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Originally Posted by irishfan86

What exactly are "the real interests of football?" Some would say having the best teams at the major tournaments is in the best interests.

If we can't beat another second placed team, regardless of their reputation, we don't deserve to be in South Africa.

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that's an absolute rubbish post

Its just bloody favourtism again by FIFA and not in any bit surprising. They are worried about the revenue that will be lost if Germany and France lost in a playoff, so they bring in this joke of a rule a month before the playoffs to assist these teams. They always do this, they essentially have a set list of teams that they want in the world cup. Its no advantage whatsoever to FIFA to have little old Ireland qualifying rather than say Germany. Just look at the World Cup draw for example. 32 teams will have all gone through very tough qualifying and will have deserved their place there. Yet when the draw takes place for the groups, FIFA seeds teams to again assist the big boys. It should be a level playing field in the main competition and only geography should seperate teams.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

I woke up yesterday and saw the seeding news on the world cup page of soccernet, and i posted it foolishly without a link figuring it was old news as I am 5 hours behind Dublin here in NY....But I apologize for not linking it yesterday morning.

You know what else I was curious about, would as many Irish fans travel to a place like say Serbia or Greece as would travel to Paris? Taking into consideration this doesnt happen every year (or even every 4th year)? I would consider going to many places but not Serbia.

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Give me a trip to somewhere like Serbia over the same to Paris any day. Paris will have tens of thousands of Irish day trippers, Serbia will be one for the hardcore fans and that always means a better time!

FIFA are absolute gangsters. It should be a level playing field as all the teams are in the play-offs on merit after finishing second place in groups that were already seeded and should have therefore been of similar quality anyway.

There is only one reason for them to do this and that is to prevent the countries with the big TV audiences from knocking each other out. There is no other possible point to do it. Its shocking that these wan*ers can hijack the world's most popular sport and turn it solely into a business. To decide to wait and see first what teams are likely to make the play-offs and then to announce the draw will be seeded makes it even more obvious of their intentions. It also shows that they don't really give a sh*t whether people know it or not. Maybe they'll start seeding the knockout stages of the World Cup Finals if it looks like Germany, France, England or Brazil might get knocked out in the second round.

Anyone got an email address for FIFA we should give them a piece of our minds?

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Originally Posted by Jicked

Terrible news alright, in a play-off situation the bigger boys usually have enough over two legs. Even when it's a one off they seem to scrape through, I'm fearing a repeat of the Netherlands play-off in Anfield.
On a separate note, what's the deal with a Russian visa if we were to play them, are they difficult/expensive to get?

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An English lad from work had a lot of bother with the Russians in trying to sort his visa for the game played on astro turf. I'm pretty sure they lost 2-1 :D. I don't think it was expensive, just the chasing up because there was a back log and the Russian embassy in London didn't sound the friendliest of sorts.

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We would have no chance against Portugal

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Yeah we would really be ****ed against a team that draws nil nil at home to ten man Albania. We have nothing to worry about in portugal, they have been made to look extremly ordinary in the qualifiers. A bit of me would prefer a team like portugal rather than a real form team like Bosnia

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Originally Posted by elroy

Whereas if we win, it puts all the pressure on them, they must win at home to Cyprus, you never know what could happen in that scenario.

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I honestly think that the more Italy need to beat Cyprus, the lighter work they will make of it. Obviously, it would still be better that they do need to win. It would be fantastic to win our remaining games anyway, would do an awful lot for our rankings I'd imagine. The win against italy would carry a lot of weight I suspect.

As for the playoff seeding, it's completely backward that it doesn't have to be laid out at the beginning of the qualification process. Not sure why they don't just do that though, it was always going to be the best way of ensuring the big teams are at the Finals.

Wouldn't mind Portugal, we've gotten results off them in the past when it mattered. Russia is who you want to avoid, although I do remember Wales going out there in the Euro 2004 playoff and getting a 0-0.

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Originally Posted by carloz

Yeah we would really be ****ed against a team that draws nil nil at home to ten man Albania. We have nothing to worry about in portugal, they have been made to look extremly ordinary in the qualifiers. A bit of me would prefer a team like portugal rather than a real form team like Bosnia

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But they are the greatest shower of cheats I have seen in football and would always worry against them if the ref was anyway dodgy...

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Originally Posted by Jicked

Give me a trip to somewhere like Serbia over the same to Paris any day. Paris will have tens of thousands of Irish day trippers, Serbia will be one for the hardcore fans and that always means a better time!

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are you sure...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8280399.stm

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Originally Posted by Leeside Swagger

Wouldn't mind Portugal, we've gotten results off them in the past when it mattered. Russia is who you want to avoid, although I do remember Wales going out there in the Euro 2004 playoff and getting a 0-0.

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Also got a spanking off them in 95 when it mattered, would much sooner avoid them.

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

are you sure...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8280399.stm

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Indeed. Was about to say the same thing..

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Originally Posted by Leeside Swagger

Russia is who you want to avoid, although I do remember Wales going out there in the Euro 2004 playoff and getting a 0-0.

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Russia are an awful team to get in a play-off situation. I remember the Wales matches well, and they did brilliantly to get a draw in Moscow. However its history which weighs heavily on Russia's side; i'm pretty sure they've only ever lost one 'competitive' home match.. ever (V France in '98). And this includes results as USSR. A phenomenal record.

Anyone who fancies our chances over two games against Portugal is insane. I realise they have played badly in their group, that is why they are even struggling to make the play-offs, and ordinary sides like Denmark and Sweden may knock them out. But they are still capable of raising their game, and they are one of the teams to avoid in the play-offs which is why we'll probably get them. For the same reason I think France would not be a great draw. Their only problem is that they have got a clueless manager. There's nothing wrong with a squad that can boast Henry, Ribery, Benzema, Evra, Clichy, Diarra, Gallas etc. We also haven't got a great record against the French.

Anyway, I don't like all this talk of who we are going to get in the play-offs. We haven't got there yet. I just hope that Bulgaria don't win in Cyprus, because if we lose to the Italians then the Montenegro game will be very difficult. They are a good side with outstanding individuals in Jovetic and Vucinic, and it will be a hard game and a very nervy evening if we need to win.

Don't understand all the uproar.

If we were good enough in the past, we'd be seeded and have no complaints.

If we're good enough now, we'll beat a seeded team in the play off.

If we were good enough during the group stage, we'd qualify without a play-off.

Any team that beats us in a play-off, deserves to qualify ahead of us....if we are good enough we'll qualify.

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Originally Posted by irishfan86

What exactly are "the real interests of football?" Some would say having the best teams at the major tournaments is in the best interests.

If we can't beat another second placed team, regardless of their reputation, we don't deserve to be in South Africa.

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The real interest have been and have always been money.

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Originally Posted by Greenbod

Don't understand all the uproar.

If we were good enough in the past, we'd be seeded and have no complaints.

If we're good enough now, we'll beat a seeded team in the play off.

If we were good enough during the group stage, we'd qualify without a play-off.

Any team that beats us in a play-off, deserves to qualify ahead of us....if we are good enough we'll qualify.

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If and when we finish 2nd, we will have finished 2nd as equals to all the other teams who finish 2nd. After that, there should be no seeding, and if there is, it should have been clarified long before qualification started.