World Cup 2014 Group C Qualification Fixtures Meeting - Frankfurt 17/18 November 2011

[Sullivinho]

Can't see too much wrong with that. Shades of Armenia starting and finishing with Kazakhstan.

[Stuttgart88]

Sorry, read that backwards for some reason

Aviva is the same backwards as forwards though

[Closed Account 2]

Are those dates absolute, for instance if you are thinking of going to Kazakhstan away and want to book flights now, might the game be switched to Thurs 6th or Sat 8th ?

[pineapple stu]

Don't recall the final fixture list ever being changed before (barring visa problems). So yeah, can't see too much risk booking now.

[Wolfie]

Can't argue with that sequence of fixtures too much, I suppose.

The only slightly worrying aspect would be if we slipped up in Kazakstan and were straight into a very tough game with Germany. A home game that any country in the world could lose.

Could lose ground quickly.

[French Toasht]

The Swedish media seem satisfied with that result. They got what they wanted, Germany at home last. Their rationale behind that is that hopefully they will have banked all the points neccessary to be clear of Ireland, and at least secured a playoff spot by that stage. Also they beat Holland at home in the last game of their last campaign and are confident of beating anyone at home in their new stadium(they had a 100% home record in qualification for Euro 2012), if it does come to a winner takes all match between themselves and Germany for top spot.

Rumours persist over whether Zlatan may retire after the Euros. However he has just been awarded his 5th consecutive Swedish Golden Ball award and at the ceremony he stated he wanted to stick around for another campaign. He is such a controversial character (and has just released an equally controversial autobiography), that he has polarised much of the Swedish support. For example many commentators believed Sweden played far better against Holland in Zlatans absence.

I'm happy enough with the fixtures, but believe this group may be just a step too far for us. Would be much more confident of overturning Sweden if we drew them in our Euro 2012 group, but over ten games in qualification they are just so consistent and whilst I think we measure up to them in personnel, I think the crucial difference is Traps old favourite the "mentaliteee" to go and secure away wins against the big guns and confidence to beat any side at home. On the positive side the ageing centre back combination of Majstorovic and Mellberg may be possible to exploit.

Best thing we can hope for is that Sweden have a terrible Euro 2012, Zlatan throws his toys out of the pram, decides to retire and the Swedes enter the WC qualifiers in a state of disorganisation.

[geysir]

I don't think we have to depend on Sweden falling apart in order to have a chance. They have a better record and possibly a better team but I would back us to finish ahead of them on present form. Though it's not going to be pretty.

[Charlie Darwin]

The Ibrahimovic thing is interesting.

The same was said of Bulgaria with Berbatov, that the team were better without him. He was pretty ineffective against us, but look at how miserably Bulgaria performed in the campaign just gone. I would always be more wary of facing a team with a world class goalscorer than a couple of honest, hard working forwards. Same as us with Robbie Keane - he might not get through the dirty work as much as Doyle or Walters but he's the player other teams are always most wary of.

[Stuttgart88]

I think we can take Sweden. They are our benchmark in my mind, and have been for some time now. Norn Iron drew there last year and I think by and large they're like us, no stars (bar Zlatan) but lots of good enough guys. They're northern European too, which I think suits us.

I think even getting one point from Germany might be a result, as it might be one more than Sweden gets. When do GER & SWE play each other?

[ifk101]

Norn Iron drew there last year.

I'm sure NI would take any positive result they are given but it's four years since NI played Sweden. But agree with the generally gish of your point. Sweden are nothing to fear.

[jbyrne]

When do GER & SWE play each other?

ger v sweden is on 16th October 2012

[Dodge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FI...3_UEFA_Group_C

Full fixture list. Sweden with toughest run in of all 4 potential qualifiers IMO

[French Toasht]

I'm sure NI would take any positive result they are given but it's four years since NI played Sweden. But agree with the generally gish of your point. Sweden are nothing to fear.

Do you not think Hamrén has got them playing very well these days? Don't think the challenge is beyond us but it is a massive step up from our previous two second seeds under Trap, Bulgaria and Slovakia, neither of whom, we managed to beat.

Ps on a completely unrelated note, the hero who nicked the Estonia tracksuit and balls and blagged his way onto the pitch has made the news over here. Fair play to him.

http://www.dn.se/blogg/leonelsguldkorn/?a=

[Handy]

Kazakhstan away first - think it's definitely a goo thing to get that trip out of the way. Echoes of Armenia there. Must be a Trap tactic.

It's really difficult to see Germany dropping many, if any, points in this group. That's a good thing from our perspective as it levels the playing field with ourselves as Sweden.

[theworm2345]

Sweden home and then Austria and Germany away in Sept/Oct of '13 could make or break it.

[mypost]

Not very happy with the list tbh, especially relating to the Germany games. Delaney probably saw the 10 million on offer for the German game asap, and ran away. But having to go to their (probable) qualification celebration party 12 months later, how or why did he agree to that?

No double-headers away in the same week either, the run-in looks very tough. Sweden, followed by trips to Vienna and the Germans wouldn't be my idea of a preferred run-in. Vienna is going to be a real banana skin, and we have an awful record there.

Kazachstan dates are the only real ones I could say I'm happy with. The Swedes have done very well with their list, and getting the Germans in their final game at home. I certainly didn't expect that. Germany are usually bankers for the last game at home.

Awkward is the best way I could describe our list, and a real challenge to make the playoffs again.

[SwanVsDalton]

I'm happy enough. No one has an easy run-in and I think we've done well to get Sweden when we have and those run of home games in the middle will do fine. Sweden may be happy to play Germany at home last, but I'd still rather avoid Germany last full stop. They don't do dead rubbers.

[geysir]

By the time of the last round of games, the Swedes hopefully/probably will be looking at our home tie with the Kazaks, with envy.

[Stuttgart88]

Not very happy with the list tbh, especially relating to the Germany games. Delaney probably saw the 10 million on offer for the German game asap, and ran away.

Isn't it all centrally distributed now? There's no advantage to drawing Germany over a lesser TV watching nation.

[Bayern Munchies]

If we have to qualify by beating Kazakhstan in the last game...