Some trying travel time/adjustments for all those sides, probably contributes to lack of goals. A one game playoff in neutral ground (Qatar maybe? ) might make for better contests.
New Zealand v Peru also finished scoreless last night; second leg in Peru to come, so you'd fancy them there.
Some trying travel time/adjustments for all those sides, probably contributes to lack of goals. A one game playoff in neutral ground (Qatar maybe? ) might make for better contests.
If you can find a stream Cote d'Ivorie/Morocco seems a good pre-playoff watch. Winner take all, a draw gets CI in, but Morocco currently 2-0 up after a half-hour.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
A draw would have seen Morocco through, not Ivory Coast. But Morocco won in the end anyway.
Also wasn't mentioned, but Egypt qualified last month - first time since 1990, and only the third time overall. Since they last qualified for the World Cup, they've been African champions four times, but have been jinxed when it comes to the World Cup. Their starting keeper - Essam El-Hadary - is 44 years old and will break Faryd Mondragon's record as the oldest player to play at the World Cup if he appears next summer; he'll be 45 in January.
A pity, as there are few names that sound better than Faryd Mondragon, and mentioning that record would be one way to hear it.
Imagine, we could be dreaming of a group of Russia, Peru, ourselves and the Saudi's in a few weeks time......I love this time of year, pre-World Cup.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
The Swiss can have no complaints if they don't make it. They've had a load of chances in the first half hour.
Big chance for Evans at the end, but that's it. The North are out, the Swiss in.
The Swiss were brutal. Almost felt sorry for the Occupied Zone going out to such a pile of puke. Almost.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
NI will reflect on the decision that cruelly cost them, but really Switzerland should have killed the tie off on numerous occasions.
True. Another day and the Swiss would have blown them away tonight.
Switzerland had two games to blow them away and didn't come close in either.
The North had two games to create a chance, and barely managed it, the 180th minute side.
It's a shame one side has to progress
Their results in the group stage don't really back that up? Seferovic had a nightmare alright, that Embolo guy looks promising though.
I agree with NFB. Obviously poor finishing made it difficult in the end but if they had led 4-0 at half time yesterday it wouldn't have flattered them. And they controlled the first game pretty well too without creating a whole pile.
Switzerland were far superior, despite what Gerry Armstrong may think, and deserve to go through. Certainly the North gave them cause to concern for the last 25 minutes but Switzerland had 3 or 4 clear scoring chances during that time.
They deserve to go through in the sense that they were better than the OZ. But they were pure gash it must be said, and will not "grace" the World Cup.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Wouldn't be that dismissive but goalscoring is the obvious weakness.
Gerry Armstrong must have been at Fabian Schar's Wiki page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Sch%C3%A4r
On 9th November 2017, in the World Cup play-off v Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast, Schar chopped Stuart Dallas in half with one of the worst "tackles" ever witnessed in international football. The bent referee unbelievably let him away with a yellow card. He is an animal.
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