World Cup qualifying seeding (non Irish discussion)

First Seeds:
Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Croatia and England
Second Seeds:
Romania, Scotland, Greece, Russia, Poland, Norway, Ukraine, Sweden and Serbia.
Third Seeds:
Turkey, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Israel, Switzerland, Finland and Hungary,
Fourth Seeds:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovakia, Belgium, Cyprus, Wales, Moldova, Albania, Georgia and FYR Macedonia.
Fifth Seeds:
Slovenia, Iceland, Armenia, Latvia, Austria, Lithuania, Belarus, Azerbiajan and Liechtenstein
Sixth Seeds:
Kazakhstan, Estonia, Malta, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Andorra, Faroe Islands and Andorra

Just a couple of things that struck me...

1) A proud moment for Liechtenstein as it moves out of the bottom group.
2) Remember when Belgium were brilliant? Wow, what a fall.
3) Austria may be the worst European team ever to host a major finals next year
4) On the 5th seeds both Slovenia and Latvia have reached major finals in the recent past
5) We could have a group containing Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Montenegro. Shame Macedonia weren't 3rd seeds.
6) You could also have England, Scotland, Northern Ireland & wales in a group

You hear the pundits or some parts of the media, saying what is the point of having teams like Andorra etc, allowed to compete in the qualification process. Well the proof is showing here.

I remember the times when Georgia, Albania, Cyprus in pot 4 were all bottom seeds, they have improved and become much better teams over the years, and for me, if they do continue to part of process, these teams will get better and make it a very difficult task for any group.

How does qualification work??

Just the top team and a couple of best runners up??

Scope for some interesting groups there

Pudding for a top seed IMO:

Scotland
Hungary (What are they doing in pot 3?!?!)
Moldova
Liechtenstein
Andorra

Nightmare for a top seed IMO:

Romania
Turkey
Macedonia
Latvia
Montenegro

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

How does qualification work??

Just the top team and a couple of best runners up??

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Top team. Then best 8 runners up go into 4 play offs for the other spots. Worst runner up gets nothing. Results against bottom team don't count for that purpose

Considering the recent past of Slovenia and Latvia, the fact that they are fifth seeds is a remarkable achievement.

And what can you say about Austria? It's amazing that a country of that size and with a decent domestic league can't produce a better national side.

Belgium have had a rough time for the last number of years but I think to do have a decent team coming through and I think they'll do well in the World Cup qualifying regardless of whom they draw.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

Considering the recent past of Slovenia and Latvia, the fact that they are fifth seeds is a remarkable achievement.

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Slovenia had a couple of good qualifications in 2000 and 2002 but that's it. They no longer have the once magnificent Zahovic and they no longer have any players produced by the former Yugoslav football system. The domestic league is weak and corrupt and they're only exporting players to middle or lower tier European leagues at best. They've also failed to find even a vaguely competent manager since Katanec, try three successive Steve Stauntons. I'd still give them a chance of beating Ireland though.

It's nice to see Liechtenstein show that there's mobility at all levels of the seeding system and even microscopic nations can aspire to at least something slightly better.

If Scotland had beaten Italy on Saturday (or maybe if they'd held on for the draw), they'd probably be first seeds, having been fourth seeds for the Euros.

Iceland ran qualification close in Euro 2000 too - drew with France, drew in Ukraine, beat Russia, went 2-1 up in St Denis on the last day when a win could have qualified them at France's expense. Also just one point away from a play off in Euro 2004, and now they're fifth seeds.

On a similar note, Belarus have lost to Luxembourg and beaten Holland in successive home games!

Poland are going to be a top team, imo. They have looked very good whenever I saw them play this campaign.

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Originally Posted by superfrank

Poland are going to be a top team, imo. They have looked very good whenever I saw them play this campaign.

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Tournamet is probably the last hurrah for this Polish squad

And you're not the first person to say it about them but I genuinely haven't been that impressed :confused:

Although in fairness I've only seen two and a bit games, one of which they were very good in

Quote:

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Originally Posted by superfrank

Poland are going to be a top team, imo. They have looked very good whenever I saw them play this campaign.

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Qualified with easse for the World Cup too but didn't perform. I won't be backing them

After the November Rankings:


POT 1
Italy - Spain - Germany - Czech Rep - France - Portugal - Holland - Croatia - Greece

POT 2
England - Romania - Scotland - Turkey - Bulgaria - Russia - Poland - Sweden - Israel

POT 3
Norway - Ukraine - Serbia - Denmark - Northern Ireland - Rep of Ireland - Finland - Switzerland - Belgium

POT 4
Slovakia - Bosnia - Hungary - Moldova - Wales - Macedonia - Belarus - Lithuania - Cyprus

POT 5
Georgia - Albania - Slovenia - Latvia - Iceland - Armenia - Austria - Kazakhstan - Azerbaijan

POT 6
Liechtenstein - Estonia - Malta - Luxembourg - Montenegro - Andorra - Faroe Islands - San Marino

Hungary dropping out of pot 3 is a blow for all pot 4 and 5 teams hoping to improve, in my opinion.

From my earliler notes

1) A proud moment for Liechtenstein as it moves out of the bottom group.
Denied. RRS

2) Remember when Belgium were brilliant? Wow, what a fall.
Not that big a fall after all

3) Austria may be the worst European team ever to host a major finals next year
No doubting this bit

4) On the 5th seeds both Slovenia and Latvia have reached major finals in the recent past
When was the last time Austria did? not that far back?

5) We could have a group containing Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Montenegro.
Still could

6) You could also have England, Scotland, Northern Ireland & Wales in a group
No, you couldn't

So basically I jumped the gun... :o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dodge

4) On the 5th seeds both Slovenia and Latvia have reached major finals in the recent past
When was the last time Austria did? not that far back?

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France '98, iirc. Toni Polster and Andreas Herzog were in that team.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dodge

Just a couple of things that struck me...

1) A proud moment for Liechtenstein as it moves out of the bottom group.
2) Remember when Belgium were brilliant? Wow, what a fall.
3) Austria may be the worst European team ever to host a major finals next year
4) On the 5th seeds both Slovenia and Latvia have reached major finals in the recent past
5) We could have a group containing Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Montenegro. Shame Macedonia weren't 3rd seeds.
6) You could also have England, Scotland, Northern Ireland & wales in a group

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England wouldn't get out of that group :D

Quote:

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When was the last time Austria did? not that far back?

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World Cup 1998.

Is this on the internet live anyone know?

its on http://www.rte.ie/live/

and http://fifa.com/worldcup/preliminarydraw/index.html

England got Croatia :D

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Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

England got Croatia :D

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Liked the cheers that went up when Croatia came out :D

Full Groups

Group 1 Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Malta

Group 2 Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia, Luxembourg

Group 3 Czech Republic, Poland, Northen Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino

Group 4 Germany, Russia, Finland, Weles, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein

Group 5 Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Estonia

Group 6 Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Andorra

Group 7 France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands

Group 8 Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia, Montenegro

Group 9 Holland, Scotland, Norway, FYR Macedonia, Iceland

Group 1 & 9 look the toughest, imo.

2 looked the hardest to call for me. Greece/Israel/Switzerland/Latvia:confused:

9 is a very handy draw for the top two.

A handy draw for Macedonia too.

I'd give Israel a shout in their group too.

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Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

I'd give Israel a shout in their group too.

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I would as well. I think Greece have benefited in the rankings from an easy EURO 08 group. They didn't qualify for the WC either. I think a good few of their key players are approaching retirement age too.

Israel have an excellent home record in competitive games (only one loss to Croatia over two campaings I think).

I think Ireland's group is the group of death.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

I would as well. I think Greece have benefited in the rankings from an easy EURO 08 group.

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Still won it very handily in fairness (five points dropped in 12 games). They're a good team.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dmandmythdledge

I think Ireland's group is the group of death.

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Don't know if I agree. Bulgaria are probably the weakest of the second seeds (not that they'll be easy obviously). Going from seven to nine groups though means less groups of death. Hard to see any fourth seeds making any sort of challenge, so it's two from three in each group, then take your luck in the play offs. We're just unlucky to get Montenegro, but there's only two million in the country, so I don't think they'd be any better than a fourth seed. Georgia are average fifth seeds and Italy will walk the group.