When we qualified for Japan/Korea in 02 we went the whole campaign unbeaten! The last time we qualified. Might be an omen. Hears hoping. What i'd do to face iran again though!!
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When we qualified for Japan/Korea in 02 we went the whole campaign unbeaten! The last time we qualified. Might be an omen. Hears hoping. What i'd do to face iran again though!!
There will be no easy game in this obiviously, but over 2 legs we are capable of beating those sides imo .
Preference would go Greece, Portugal, France, Russia.
The only team I don't would hold out no hope at all against is Russia. Any of the other 3 I give us a fighting chance against.
That said, even if we do get Russia, history tells us that one Whelan volley from 35 yards could change everything :D
If it has to be Russia how hard will it be to get a visa to get into the country?? If i remember correctly did the mancs & chelski fans not have loads of trouble with this. Does anyone know more about this??
Most of that was to do with a fall-out between the Brits and Russia over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. I would assume for us it will be tricky, but nowhere near as hard as it was for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by philliyk
Congratulations on reaching the play offs.Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
If you do draw Russia, the currently high volume of visa applicatons may be a problem at short notice. More below:
http://www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie/home/index.aspx?id=437
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...ian-federation
I've gone through the hassle of getting a Visa for Russia. Believe me it's an absolute nightmare. The Embassay opens for 3 hours a day and the queue's do be forming from early. If you're not there at 9am you won't make it to the top of the queue by 12. They are so slow it's unbelievable.
You'll have to get a letter of invitation too from the hotel you're staying at. It's got to the stage that when I have to get a Visa I go down at 7am to be first in the queue.
If Ireland get Russia and more then a couple of hundred are going the Embassay won't be able to cope with the demand, especially with the short time frame involved, add into that all the thicks that'll just turn up at the Embassay expecting to just get a Visa.
If you don't have the forms filled in correctly, your letter of invitation, your proof of travel etc, they won't entertain you.
Seems more than bit ridiculous for a visa to be an issue to travel anywhere for the European Qualifying stages. I realise that they arent a european member but surely if they are competing in european competition UEFA should make it a condition of their entry that fans have easy access for games
Visa is a pain to get for moscow, I remember champions league final, there was many issues, if we do get russia you would really need to get on the ball ie visa straight away. Portugal as cavan fan said will be tough, another night in the stade de france would be electric i think and i woulsnt fear them either after all the turbalence in their camp. all in all whether it will be athens or moscow or where ever it is , its going to be tough but i think out of them all id take france..!
wont be an issure, what will happen i guess is that your match ticket will act as a visa. that is how they did it for the european cup final i believe.
They did, but they were expecting 50 or 60 thousand applications in the UK. Only when they realised how many were going to that game from Ireland did they lift the restrictions here.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I reckon more Irish people went to the CL final then will be going to a play off should Ireland get Russia.
It would make sense to lift the restrictions though.
The worst thing about Russia would be the weather. If it wasn't in Moscow in November, I wouldn't mind. I mean, if we had two games against Russia on neutral territory, I believe we would stand a chance. It's just the Russian winter that worries me..... average daily low of -4 degrees, with a high of 0. And those are only averages!
The climate in Greece, Portugal and France at this time of the year is largely similar to ours, Athens slightly warmer (like September here) and Lisbon slightly wetter (more akin to Galway than Dublin).... though frankly no real difference in any of them.... and that is one of the key reasons I don't want Russia, cos they would freeze us out.
I've been there a few times and the visa is a pain in the arse, as is the OVIR registration (if you stay somewhere more than 72hrs you need to sign in at the local council - some hotels do this for you). It's a bit easier the last few times as my Russian is a bit better.Quote:
Originally Posted by philliyk
Also if you live abroad it can be difficult getting a visa on your domestic passport. By that I mean say you live in Frankfurt, London or NYC and want to travel on your Irish passport you are supposed to get the visa at the embassy in Dublin. Trying to get it at the embassy in London is, I can tell you from experience, hit and miss. If people hold dual nationality it will be easier to apply with the passport of the country you reside in.
To get a visa you need an invitation letter (usually a half decent hotel can provide this) and an itinerary of towns you are staying in. Put every place you might want to visit on this, eg. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Volgograd... etc) as you wont get any hassle for missing out places on list, but might (unlikey but possible) get grief if you turn up somewhere like Ufa when your list just says Moscow.
If we do draw the Russians, I'll post more stuff on here about Moscow, and stuff to see and do, basic phrases and if people post the name of hotels etc I'll transcribe the cyrillic text so you can show it to a taxi driver or someone working on the metro and they can point you in the right direction.
**** any of them. I mean really. At this point, **** them.
We are Irish and we go right?
so u will be there right??Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
it's saying on soccernet Ronaldo is out for 3-4 weeks, meaning he'd probably be out for the first leg of the play offs.
Yeah, it was a friendly after Mick had left and before Kerr was appointed. Doherty and Crowe were up front. Richie Partridge was on the bench. Dire game of football. Richard Dunne was given MOTM for playing at left full.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
i dont want portugal most of all. guarantee ya we wont bloody draw greece.
That's a gas post. Germany played the best football I've seen in the qualifiers by any team in the first half in Moscow. They have a real gem in Ozil, the kind of player they've been missing for years, i.e. a genuinely creative attacking midfielder. And still Russia could have got something, and definitely should have had a penalty at the end. Actually, overall that was one of the best games I've seen in a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
As for never looking like scoring, they had a hatful of chances, especially in the second half, but they had a 1-on-1 in the first half too.