World Rankings

[swinfordfc]

Lads,

Before the Oz game, we are ranked 37th placed and Australia are ranked 16th - i know they have qualify for the World Cup already but they that far ahead of us? or are this rankings system crap?

[tricky_colour]

A problem with the system is that most teams play against teams in their own region or for most of their competive games. however having said that it is a decent system as you are likely to get, then again looking at recent results,
they drew 0:0 away with the mighty Qatar in a qualifier, same situation with Japan and Indonisia, also lost 1:0 at home to Kuwait so that does not seem too impressive really, but maybe Kuwait have a good side?
The also beat the more familiar Netherlands 1:0 away, but that was a friendly, but still quite impressive.

Anyhow whatever the system they are at a 15 year peak, however the ranking method may have change in that time so hard to say.

Cyprus can give us a good games so I am pretty sure they can.

Aslo we beat them 2:1 in 2003 when they were ranked, by they same/similar system, at 80th so......it aint gonna be a walk over, probably more of a walkabout.

[irishultra]

Nah we're near enough, they might be a bit better.

[ramondo]

they drew 0:0 away with the mighty Qatar in a qualifier, same situation with Japan and Indonisia, also lost 1:0 at home to Kuwait so that does not seem too impressive really, but maybe Kuwait have a good side?
The also beat the more familiar Netherlands 1:0 away, but that was a friendly, but still quite impressive.

The Kuwait game was a friendly, possibly the Indonesia one too (or an early preliminary where the result wouldn't have affected anything).

They beat Japan in the last qualifier - home.

Yes, the rankings are crap - I'd say the teams were about equal in ability right now. Should be interesting.