Came across a few crime stories in SA today.
Unique way of dealing with police protests
FIFA supposedly have 3 countries lined up as back-up hosts for the tournament. SA's new stadium (the main one I assume) will not be ready in time for next years confederations cup. Would Germany be one of the back-ups? they would hardly get it two in a row!
Havin a weekend away is quite frankly,lettin ur team mates down!
Definitely not Germany as they have just had it.Originally Posted by EAFC_rdfl
It has to be countries that already have the infrastructure so probably Australia, USA and England in no particular order
Not true, 1 stadium (the new one in Port Elizabeth) which has had problems with the roof might not be ready for the confeerations cup but it will be ready for the world cup where I think is due to host games as far as the quarter final. The main stadium is Soccer City in Joburg which is a renovation job as opposed to a brand new stadium.
Or Spain
spain would seem like a logical choice
100% certain it will be in South Africa
At half-time Cuba 0:1 USA in their 2nd round? World Cup qualifier
After Edit 3:
Beasley(?) missed an open goal for the States. There are regular cries of U-S-A, U-S-A from fans who are covering their faces in case of severe repurcussions from the authorities back home.
USA win out 0-1.
Unconfirmed reports Canada are losing 2:1 to Honduras at home. Full time result.
Edit 4:
New Zealand confirmed as Oceania winners from FIFA.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...ionformat.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...ngs/index.html
New Zealand play the winners of a play-off between the two third place nations in the Asia Groups rd. 4.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...ngs/index.html
Last edited by HarpoJoyce; 07/09/2008 at 2:38 AM.
" I'll go right up to here,
it can't possibly hurt.
All they will find is my
beer and my shirt."
Libya beat Ghana
I want Libya to qualify because my best mate is from there. they have an exceptional player who is about 30 now, but he is called the 'zidane of africa'
lots of talent but just not the right physical attributes.
US will easily make the next round after two away wins. Uphill battle for Canada now. 1 point from two home games is bad in Concacaf.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
Haile Selassi! Ethiopia have been kicked out of the 2010 qualifying tournament because Ethiopian Football Federation Officials refused to follow a 'road map' agreed between the EFF, CAF and FIFA back in Feb. 2008 relating to the transfer of power from some of the previous EFF officials to the current ones.
FIFA wanted a more transparent transfer of power and requested EFF set-up an EGM and vote if they wanted to get rid of anyone, in the meantime FIFA recognised the previous leadership.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organis...ry+competition
Statement on agreed 'road map'.
http://www.fifa.com/associations/ass...e+ethiopian+ff
Suspension of EFF July 2008
http://www.fifa.com/associations/ass...tion+suspended
Ethiopia's four matches to date have been Cancelled.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...639/index.html
Its a three team group now and Morocco should beat Mauritania at home to take first place, but it affects Rwanda competing with other groups for a best runners-up spot.
Coup d'Etaits happen in any Football Federation, that's normal.
After Edit:
Tadias an American-Ethiopian publication ran the story ( bulk of it linked to a BBC article). But the one responder to the article made me smile.
http://www.tadias.com/2008/09/12/eth...out-world-cup/
Also, September 12th is the Ethiopian New Year, 2001, Julian calendar. How cruel are FIFA?
Last edited by HarpoJoyce; 14/09/2008 at 6:23 AM. Reason: spelling and added link
" I'll go right up to here,
it can't possibly hurt.
All they will find is my
beer and my shirt."
I know I'm jumping back the thread a little bit but I completely agree with Ruben Sosa about the European teams. They are the heartbeat of international soccer with a few South Americans aslo thrown into the picture. I think all the crap should have to play off against each other for a couple of remaining places with the empasis being put on trying to ensure the best 24 teams in the World are at the World Cup Finals. For example, in 2002 the Dutch missed out on qualification after narrowly failing to come out of a tough group which included and very consistent Republic and a top class Portugal side. I think the 3rd placed European should get to play off with the best of the crap and if the crap can win they'll have proved themselves worthy to compete in the greatest competition of them all. The likes of Saudi Arabia, Mexico and the US qualifying almost by default is a disgrace with the like of the Dutch not being there who are a proper soccer nation, albeit they were their own worst enemies on that occasion but they are only an example. I've no problem with the US or Mexico and certainly in Mexicos case they are generally amongst the Top 24 anyway.
Intresting. I've always thought that the World Cup structure was flawed, but how to fix it is a tricky one. Maybe the Dutch could do an Australia and enter Asia or Concacaf qualifiers and qualify at a canter. Netherlands V Turks And Caicos Islands anyone??
Maybe the Dutch were a bad example but basically what I was trying to say is that at the start of each European Qualifying campaign there are a lot of good football countries who are not going to qualify. Either ourselves, Portugal or Holland were destined to miss out on Japan/Korea before a ball was even kicked in our Qualifying group yet the likes of Saudi Arabia who are worse than useless get a pretty much a bye into the tounament every time and proceed to break all kinds of records for heaviest defeat, most matches without a win etc. It doesn't make sense. There's lots of countries that have far more footballing pedigree and have relatively good qualifying campaigns consistantly in tough European groups that will never/rarely make it because of the structure.
I agree with your point, but it is the World Cup, and having too many Europeans would maybe provide a better tournament, but those Saudi Arabian fans aren't going to tune in and watch Netherlands v Portugal. That's not good business for Fifa.. It's all about the money. Advertising at the World Cup is huge as you get seen all over the globe. If Asian or Caribean nations who are weak don't qualify, then a lot of people aren't watching..
Therefore, they're not going to go out to buy Coca Cola with their Mastercard whilst taking photos along the way with their Fuji camera whilst driving a Hyundai 4x4 with Continental tyres...
Last edited by Pike B; 09/10/2008 at 7:53 AM.
Just watched Brazil beat Venezuela 4-0. Two very good goals in the game. Vemezuela were pretty poor defensively.
They were saying that Dunga's only lost 5 of his 41 games in charge. Why is there pressure on him?
Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.
Two part guess, Brazil aren't dominating the qualifying group. I don't know when they did. And Brazil lost to Argentina at the Olympics.
" I'll go right up to here,
it can't possibly hurt.
All they will find is my
beer and my shirt."
Also the way they play now isnt what a Brazilian team should be playing like, but then Dunga is the coach and he wasn't the most creative player himself- even if he was a legend
Of course the correct way to determine the 31 qualifiers (host nation qualifies automatically) would be to put the 200 countries into 7 pots according to their FIFA rankings and draw 31 groups of either 6 or 7 teams.
Only the group winners to qualify.
Think of the marketing bonanza of Brazil playing in Kenya or Argentina in the new Lansdowne Road.
Carbon footprint would be up a little but you can't keep everybody happy
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