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World Cup 2018 - Qualification
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| ringo182 |
Posted on 17-11-2017 08:44
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The problem for New Zealand and the Oceanic region is that they don't have a single country at this moment in time that is realistically good enough to qualify. People talk about merging Oceania with Asia, but there would still be no Oceanic Qualifiers other than Australia.
New Zealand got beaten by Peru, but realistically they would have probably lost in the playoff to any of the South American countries and so had less than 5% chance of qualifying right from the beginning of the campaign. They would also have probably lost to any of the countries involved in all of the other play-offs around the World. I mean, during the qualification campaign they drew against both New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands!
"Ringo is exactly right", Shonak - 8 September 2016
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| ringo182 |
Posted on 17-11-2017 13:36
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Classics Specialist
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Anyone know what time the draw will be yet. I know it'll be on 1 December but nowhere seems to give a time it will start.
"Ringo is exactly right", Shonak - 8 September 2016
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 21-11-2024 18:01
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| OZrocker |
Posted on 17-11-2017 14:16
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ringo182 wrote:
The problem for New Zealand and the Oceanic region is that they don't have a single country at this moment in time that is realistically good enough to qualify. People talk about merging Oceania with Asia, but there would still be no Oceanic Qualifiers other than Australia.
New Zealand got beaten by Peru, but realistically they would have probably lost in the playoff to any of the South American countries and so had less than 5% chance of qualifying right from the beginning of the campaign. They would also have probably lost to any of the countries involved in all of the other play-offs around the World. I mean, during the qualification campaign they drew against both New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands!
Yeah, their results don't great but when a decent team competes solely with teams who are clearly a step below it's a known phenomenon that they can get dragged down into playing worse. Australia's "golden generation" also drew a home tie with the Solomon Islands in 2004, yet would win a playoff against Uruguay the next year with some of the same players. I'm not saying that they deserved to qualify this time, but if New Zealand were placed in a group with teams like those in the final CONCACAF round I think they would stand at least as good a chance as Honduras or Panama of qualifying.
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| viking90 |
Posted on 17-11-2017 14:35
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ringo182 wrote:
Anyone know what time the draw will be yet. I know it'll be on 1 December but nowhere seems to give a time it will start.
16.00 CET , 15.00 GMT atleast that is what I have found. |
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| AbhishekLFC |
Posted on 01-12-2017 07:15
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So everyone excited about the draw? Any group predictions? 
Since I support Germany, I'll make a prediction for their group that I had made in another site...
Germany - Colombia - Iceland - Morocco
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 01-12-2017 11:28
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Not really my predictions, but a possible outcome predicted by the WC Draw Simulator some days ago:
Let's see how reliable this system is  |
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| viking90 |
Posted on 01-12-2017 11:32
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AbhishekLFC wrote:
So everyone excited about the draw? Any group predictions?
Since I support Germany, I'll make a prediction for their group that I had made in another site...
Germany - Colombia - Iceland - Morocco
I hope we dont get Germany. But its hard to pick any teams from A group.
But Portugal could be fun. But hopefully a nation outside Europe so we can take England from group B. And hopefully avoid Japan from group D.
So something like this: Argentina, England, Sweden and what the heck take Nigeria so we have the same group as in 2002, that went good  |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 01-12-2017 12:13
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The teams to avoid are definitely:
Spain & Uruguay from B
Senegal & Egypt from C
Serbia & Nigeria from D
Other teams look beatable. Portugal, Poland and Russia by far the worst teams in A. The other 5 + Spain should play out the champion. For me the Power Ranking would be something like:
1. Spain
2. Belgium
3. France
4. Argentina (looking like a tournament team for me, despite the awful qualifiers)
5. Germany (I'd like us strong again, but we are missing the special quantu in my opinion)
6. Brazil (don't count them really as favourites, lacking any sort of international level on defense - mostly talking about tactical discipline here)
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| OZrocker |
Posted on 01-12-2017 14:21
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After all this qualifying, there is a faint possibility that Australia might not even make it to the World Cup. You know that there's some failings in governance when bloody FIFA might need to step in. https://www.abc.ne...tion=sport
FreitasPCM wrote:
Not really my predictions, but a possible outcome predicted by the WC Draw Simulator some days ago:
Let's see how reliable this system is
I think everyone in Group A or H would be ecstatic with that draw. Group E, not so much
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| viking90 |
Posted on 01-12-2017 15:57
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Germany , Mexico , Sweden and South Korea.
Hmm could have been worse even if I did not want Germany.
Group D seems fun with Argentina, Island, Croatia and Nigeria.
Portugal and Spain is the same group is interesting aswell. |
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| SotD |
Posted on 01-12-2017 15:59
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Awesome group for Denmark.
Not surprisingly Russia in the easiest group in this decade.
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| clamel |
Posted on 01-12-2017 16:40
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SotD wrote:
Awesome group for Denmark.
Not surprisingly Russia in the easiest group in this decade.
Of course no-one is Surprised mate
Russia is experts in getting what they want. 
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“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” 
"If thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 01-12-2017 17:20
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OZrocker wrote:
FreitasPCM wrote:
Not really my predictions, but a possible outcome predicted by the WC Draw Simulator some days ago:
Let's see how reliable this system is
I think everyone in Group A or H would be ecstatic with that draw. Group E, not so much
Even the Draw Simulator understands Russia needs to go to the easiest group.
Portugal with Spain, Iran and Morocco. Iconic duel against the North African side ever since we were knocked out by them from the 1986 WC in Mexico after we beat super favourites England on the opening match. They have great players, Boufal, Benatia, Boussoufa, Dirar, Harit, Ziyech, Hakimi... mix of youth and great experience. Won't be easy. Iran with Carlos Queiroz will be tricky, being our former national coach, I'm pretty sure he will know how to set up a good strategy to stop the Portuguese team. Spain will always be Spain, hoping an intense and tactical duel against them. Complicated group, we will rely on Ronaldo's form and Fernando Santos's prophecies. And another miracle shot from Eder. |
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| ringo182 |
Posted on 01-12-2017 18:04
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Classics Specialist
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Happy with England's draw. The most important thing is we will play someone from group H in the second round (if we qualify). On paper we should be capable of beating anyone in that group. Also, we play Belgium last so If we beat Tunisia and Panama that game will be for the group winners.
"Ringo is exactly right", Shonak - 8 September 2016
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| OZrocker |
Posted on 02-12-2017 03:55
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Overall, this is not too bad, although Russia and Group A obviously got an easy draw the rest is not too unbalanced. Spain v Portugal the only major clash of what I usually consider the top teams. Group E is rated the strongest on FIFA rankings, which makes sense to me since their rankings system doesn't really work.
Good news too, I won't have to get up in the middle of the night to watch the Socceroos this time 
On the negative side, I'll probably have to avoid PCM.daily from June 16-23 next year!
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| deek12345 |
Posted on 03-12-2017 12:50
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Strange not seeing ITALY in the draw ,1st time in 60years .
England v Belgium
Spain v Portugal
looking forward to the most in the group stage |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 16-05-2018 16:46
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Well the England team selection is out, and i am extatic to see Nick Pope getting in ahead of Joe Hart! I mean, Pickford will be #1 but to see Pope get proper recognition is brilliant ahead of the flailing Hart.
Alexander-Arnold gets into the defence, as does Phil Jones. Did not expect those three but thought we'd see Bertrand and Smalling. Cahill a good pick for experience whilst i hope he doesn't start ahead of Stones, Jones or Maguire.
Very happy to have Loftus-Cheek selected, he's been excellent this season and playing regularly. Loads of support for Wilshere to go, but he doesn't play and Ruben can bring some strong forwards drive to the midfiled. Hoping to not see Dier and Henderson line up together but placed alongside Ruben or Alli to add creativity.
The big challenge will be getting the best attacking combo on the field. Alli can be spectacular from a slighter deeper position. I'd have Kane up-front alone with Sterling right, Lingard left and Alli dropped a touch deeper in the middle, backed up by Dier and Loftus-Cheek at center-mid. Saving Rashford, Welbeck and Vardy as impact subs who can use their pace and drive when defences are tiring. Obviously with Walker at right back, Stones and Maguire in the middle and i'd have Young on the left.
Anyway, squads are coming out and i'm getting nicely excited for the Cup in a months time
Also i'm happy to see quite a few MLS players getting picked!
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
