FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualification - UEFA Play-Offs (9-11th and 12-14th November 2017)

I see the Irish rugby team have a home game on the 11th of November, which could pose difficulty: https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1011/911573-aviva/

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Originally Posted by RTÉ

Ireland, as an unseeded country, will face either Italy, Denmark, Switzerland or Croatia in the two-legged play-off, with the draw to be made next Tuesday [1pm Irish time, live on RTÉ Player]. The first legs are slated for November 9/10/11 with the return fixture on 12/13/14.

If Ireland are drawn to play at home first, they'll face a potential clash with the rugby team's autumn international at the Aviva Stadium against South Africa on Saturday 11 November. The series opener is a sellout, and kicks off at 5.30pm.

It's likely that Ireland would request a Thursday game if they are drawn at home first in the play-offs, to give stadium staff as much time as possible to complete the turnaround, but a 24-hour flip is not unprecedented.

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Ah come on Danny. Get with the programme. Not got your tickets? :P

It's always a potential problem with play offs as they invariably clash with the November tests. Back in 1997 we had a potential sitch as well playing Belgium while having NZ to town at the same time. Thankfully the draw saw to it we would play away that weekend and had the pleasure of that Nilis p**** and the all blacks ruining my weekend.

If we are drawn to play on the Saturday they'll just shift it to the Thursday or Friday. I want to be home first anyway.

In an ideal world this soccer match could be in Croker though! Stoopid sponsorship.

I'd prefer if we are away first. We're seemingly better away, so would be great to pick up a positive result and return to Dublin in a winning position, like against B&H last time.

We're so poor at home we could be faced with an awful uphill task in the second leg, like France 2009.

Is it possible they could just let us play Estonia again?

I was at the Leinster - Munster game the day after the Moldova game, so it's not an issue in that regards

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I was at the Leinster - Munster game the day after the Moldova game, so it's not an issue in that regards

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The issue is surely that we could be drawn to play at home on the 11th ie. the Saturday we are playing SA.

Any play-off should take precedence over a rugby friendly match.

In an ideal world that is..

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Any play-off should take precedence over a rugby friendly match.

In an ideal world that is..

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Perhaps. But given we have known of these fixtures for nearly 2 years the FAI and FIFA can jump.

Play the play-off in Croker! :) Stoopid Aviva!

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Perhaps. But given we have known of these fixtures for nearly 2 years the FAI and FIFA can jump.

Play the play-off in Croker! :) Stoopid Aviva!

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No way. It's too big for soccer. Pitch is miles away from the crowd.

Ya what?

Never felt it was too big at all.

The draw is to decide the playoff pairings and order of fixtures - the dates are not randomly chosen. When the draw is made all the 8 countries reps go off into a room and decide which dates they would prefer.

If we are drawn at home first we will be playing on the 9th or 10th. This is a non-issue.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

The draw is to decide the playoff pairings and order of fixtures - the dates are not randomly chosen. When the draw is made all the 8 countries reps go off into a room and decide which dates they would prefer.

If we are drawn at home first we will be playing on the 9th or 10th. This is a non-issue.

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Let's make it an issue.

Ticket details released by FAI:

http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/ticke...d-cup-play-off

Here is a history of us in Playoff Draws:

In 2016 Euro P/O we were UNSEEDED and drew the 1. Seed in the Seeded Pot - Bosnia. (1-1, 2-0)
In 2012 Euro P/O we were SEEDED and drew the 4. Seed in the Unseeded Pot - Estonia. (4-0, 1-1)
In 2010 WC P/O we were UNSEEDED and drew the 1. Seed in the Seeded Pot - France. (0-1, 1-1)
In 2002 WC P/O we, as top 2nd placed team in Europe were sent on a EUR/ASIA world cup playoff v Iran. (2-0, 0-1)
In 2000 Euro P/O all 8 teams were drawn at random, no seeding - we drew Turkey. (1-1, 0-0)
In 1998 WC P/O we were SEEDED, and drew the 3. Seed Belgium (1-1, 1-2)
In 1966 WC P/O we were involved in a Play-off with Spain after finishing level in Group 9. The playoff was held in Paris and we lost 1-0 by a goal from the hilariously named Ufarte.

1995 we lost a play off to the Netherlands 2-0 played at Anfield .

https://www.11v11.com/matches/nether...r-1995-246182/

Jack Charlton resigned soon after the game .

Walters may not be out of the play-offs just yet, according to the Irish Mirror's interpretation of Sean Dyche's comments on the player's recovery: http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/socc...ffers-11332555

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Originally Posted by Rory Dollard

Assessing the forward's recovery Dyche said: "We are still not putting timescales on it. But it won't be days, it will be weeks.

"We are hopeful it will settle down quickly. It already is.

"We were getting a specialist's view of it, it needed a period to calm down. It's a historical injury, a wear-and-tear injury and needed time to calm down.

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Looks like we're the team Danes want to avoid in the play-offs: http://www.punditarena.com/football/...mark-playoffs/

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Originally Posted by Simon O'Keeffe

Danish outlet BT Sporten have been conducting a poll to determine which of the unseeded teams that the public would or wouldn’t like to be paired with next Tuesday – and, at the time of writing, just 10% of the 5,400 people surveyed would like to come up against Ireland.

http://www.punditarena.com/wp-conten...10/Denmark.jpg

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

Here is a history of us in Playoff Draws:

In 2016 Euro P/O we were UNSEEDED and drew the 1. Seed in the Seeded Pot - Bosnia. (1-1, 2-0)
In 2012 Euro P/O we were SEEDED and drew the 4. Seed in the Unseeded Pot - Estonia. (4-0, 1-1)
In 2010 WC P/O we were UNSEEDED and drew the 1. Seed in the Seeded Pot - France. (0-1, 1-1)
In 2002 WC P/O we, as top 2nd placed team in Europe were sent on a EUR/ASIA world cup playoff v Iran. (2-0, 0-1)
In 2000 Euro P/O all 8 teams were drawn at random, no seeding - we drew Turkey. (1-1, 0-0)
In 1998 WC P/O we were SEEDED, and drew the 3. Seed Belgium (1-1, 1-2)
In 1966 WC P/O we were involved in a Play-off with Spain after finishing level in Group 9. The playoff was held in Paris and we lost 1-0 by a goal from the hilariously named Ufarte.

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That old turkey again :), what were the chances that all 4 higher ranked teams would meet the 4 lower ranked team and play the first leg away from home?

I think Croatia are still fragile despite them having a bunch of brilliant players and we could bust their balls. Italy have not been playing well either, nowhere near their standard of old but you'd be wary that they'd just do enough to steal the tie, the ability to qualify is in their dna. Denmark and Switzerland, good teams, but as seeds not that daunting.

Lee Carsley handling that ball on the ground was a killer

Not just a place in the Finals was killed, but the beginnings of a beautiful relationship (Connolly Keane) was cruelly dashed by Carsley's hand ball.