2014 World cup qualifiers

[Jordan]

Under the current system if the Us or Mexico fail to quality the manager should be sent to 20 years hard labour.

Utter disaster for the Irish tonight, need to win im Germany now just to stand a play off chance.

Yeah but this is CONCACAF we're talking about here... I could almost imagine a scenario whereby USA or Mexico destroy the field but miss out on the World Cup because the idiots in charge forgot to send a fax to FIFA or some shit.

I'm not really sure what other format could be used that would be fairer and tougher at the same time. CONCACAF floated an idea in recent years to make the 32 top teams play a series of 3 group stages with a final round of 2 groups of 4, in which the USA and Mexico would almost likely never play each other. It took months of people laughing at CONCACAF before they dropped the idea. The only other option would be for USA and Mexico to join with CONMEBOL somehow.

And if you think your referees are bad... USA plays Costa Rica tonight with 8 players on yellow cards (yes, CONCACAF carries yellow cards over from the semifinal round, so a player that gets a yellow in game 1 of the semifinal could miss the final game of the final round for getting a second yellow 15 GAMES LATER). USA's next game is vs Mexico, and guess where the ref for tonight's game is from? Yes, Mexico! And the worst part about it is that I'm actually relieved we have a Mexican ref because even a Mexican ref with a slight bias would be a million times better than any other clown in our region!

Tonight's game is gonna be a battle, though. Costa Rica has 10 players on yellows themselves and I can see a few guys on both sides missing out on their next games.

[Guest MattP]

Aye I'm not criticising the set up, it's impossible to do anything else to be honest unless the joined the whole Americas up and that's impossible with the amount of nations playing in the Caribbean and Middle America.

 

Leave it as it is, you've got a ncie easy route and you are getting away with it.

[Guest shearfox]

Imagine being Welsh. Losing to Macedonia and then scrolling down a bit and seeing your next generation u21s lost to San Marino hahahahahha

lol wtf!!!

[dogadug]

Wes Morgan's starting for Jamaica against Panama

[shen]

Italy did their usual jammy 1-0 against the Bulgars to all but qualify. Interesting battle between Bulgaria (10pts), Armenia, Denmark and Czechs (all 9) for the playoff spot.

 

I've got a feeling Armenia will sneak it. The Danes are already trying to do the math on how Denmark can clinch second, but it requires a very unlikely point or three at home against Italy. All the talk is how Bulgaria and the Czechs need to drop points here and there (which they both did tonight), but considering Armenia have just beaten us and the Czechs away in successive games, surprisingly few consider them contenders for second. We have to improve IMMENSELY to avoid another embarrassment on Tuesday...

[Jordan]

This shit is supposed to be easy, huh?

Mexico 1-2 Honduras

Costa Rica 3-1 USA

Michael Bradley limped off the field with an ankle injury on the shitty Estadio Nacional grass after pre-game warm-ups, and as soon as I heard that, I knew we were ****ed.

[Aus Fox]

Aye I'm not criticising the set up, it's impossible to do anything else to be honest unless the joined the whole Americas up and that's impossible with the amount of nations playing in the Caribbean and Middle America.

Leave it as it is, you've got a ncie easy route and you are getting away with it.

Are there more nations in the whole of the Americas than Europe? Together they have the same amount of places could they have the same format?

[Aus Fox]

Aye I'm not criticising the set up, it's impossible to do anything else to be honest unless the joined the whole Americas up and that's impossible with the amount of nations playing in the Caribbean and Middle America.

Leave it as it is, you've got a ncie easy route and you are getting away with it.

Are there more nations in the whole of the Americas than Europe? Together they have the same amount of places could they have the same format?

[AjcW]

Good to see Coleman is still a complete clown... The last Paragraph says it all really.

Why take him all the way to pissing Macedonia in the first place???

"We cannot risk Gareth Bale or any of our players, we've got to send them back to their clubs," Coleman said.

"He's only probably trained three or four times in the last two months.

"He's such an athlete and he wanted to come, he came the evening of his unveiling in Madrid, he's trained the next day, he's trained three days, he's not ready.

"We can't take that risk. If he comes on and, God forbid, anything happens, then how is that building a relationship with Real Madrid?

"We know we need to win the game but we're also looking at the bigger picture.

"We can't be sending back players injured because we're taking chances, it's not fair on them."

Wales now need to beat Serbia in Cardiff on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming third place in Group A, which would boost their seeding when the draw for Euro 2016 qualification is made.

Coleman admitted there is an outside chance Bale could come off the bench against Serbia.

"He's never going to be ready to start, it's as simple as that," Coleman said.

"We'll see how he reacts between now and Tuesday, he's literally done not a lot of training.

"The fact he's turned up and is trying to be fit for us is such a huge positive and if he's ready then he may play a part.

"If he's not then we won't take the risk, it's as simple as that."

Coleman, who suffered the embarrassment of arriving late in Skopje on Thursday after missing the team flight from Cardiff because of a lost passport, rued a missed opportunity to beat Macedonia.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Wales under 21s lost to San Marino 1-0 ha

[Finnegan]

We should have kept the arrogant Dutch twat and left this clown on ITV or wherever the **** he was.

We've had some genuine talent since Tosh the Inept took charge and we've so far wasted all of it.

I'd rather we had Pulis if we've got to have a taff and given how much I hated his Stoke, that's a strong statement. At least we'd be hard to beat. We could battle Trap's Ireland for clean sheet awards.

Potentially the best first choice midfield in the British isles, the world's most expensive player, the best defense we've had in my lifetime (on paper) and we're still utter bollocks.

[Guest MattP]

Coleman still shits me out, everytime he comes on TV I do a double take and think it's Gary Speed.

 

The Bale situation is quite frankly ludricrous, a player on the bench you can't afford to risk.

[Alf Bentley]

Just sat and watched the Croatia vs Serbia game in a bar in Croatia, which was an experience.

 

Do expand on that, mate - sounds interesting!

 

What are we talking? Hundreds crammed in, floorboards bouncing up and down, red and white chequers wherever you look, martial songs, people hitting one another with bottles of Slivovic cherry brandy?!?

 

I liked my brief experience of Croatia on a 1980s Inter-Rail trip (when it was still part of the old Yugoslavia) - from arriving into Zagreb station at 7.30am to find people guzzling pints of lager for breakfast en route to work through to watching these young maniacs diving into a Dubrovnik lake in motorcycle helmets. My only memory of Serbia is the grim buildings of Belgrade and the massive dung heap in the station - the most disgusting toilet I've encountered in my life, and I've seen a few!

 

Not that I'd judge either place on such a brief encounter, of course....and certainly don't know enough of the history/politics to enter into the Balkans debate...

[Guest MattP]

Any recommendations for Croatia Alf? I'm going to Dinamo Zagreb v Hadjuk Spilt later this year on a weekend over there.

[Alf Bentley]

Any recommendations for Croatia Alf? I'm going to Dinamo Zagreb v Hadjuk Spilt later this year on a weekend over there.

 

I'm probably not the best person to ask - only spent about 4 days there, 25 years ago!

 

Zagreb was a pleasant, if unexceptional city. The coastal town of Dubrovnik is very old and very pretty - suffered some war damage in the 90s, but not terminal, I don't think. Parts of the coast are supposed to be very beautiful. When I was there, it took a long time to get anywhere by train, but things may have improved since then... They certainly like their beer - and I quite liked their bottles of Slivovic plum brandy (but maybe that's just the alkie side of my persona coming out!)

[Guest MattP]

I'm probably not the best person to ask - only spent about 4 days there, 25 years ago!

 

Zagreb was a pleasant, if unexceptional city. The coastal town of Dubrovnik is very old and very pretty - suffered some war damage in the 90s, but not terminal, I don't think. Parts of the coast are supposed to be very beautiful. When I was there, it took a long time to get anywhere by train, but things may have improved since then... They certainly like their beer - and I quite liked their bottles of Slivovic plum brandy (but maybe that's just the alkie side of my persona coming out!)

 

Dubronik is a millionaires paradise now, it's the Monte Carlo or Puerto Banus of Eatern Europe.

 

Never been to Zagreb, looking forward to it, I do like a country that like's it's beer.

[Alf Bentley]

This shit is supposed to be easy, huh?

Mexico 1-2 Honduras

Costa Rica 3-1 USA

Michael Bradley limped off the field with an ankle injury on the shitty Estadio Nacional grass after pre-game warm-ups, and as soon as I heard that, I knew we were ****ed.

 

The CONCACAF table is looking interesting now....

 

Unless USA contrive to lose at home to Mexico on Tuesday, it's the Mexicans who look to be in trouble.

Despite their defeat, USA will surely still qualify, alongside Costa Rica - and Honduras look set to pip the Mexicans to 3rd.

2 of Mexico's last 3 games are away to USA and Costa Rica, whereas Honduras (already above them) have 2 home games plus Jamaica away.....Mexico v New Zealand for the play-off (assuming the Mexicans can finish above Panama?). Mexico have scored 4 goals in 7 matches...what a disgrace!

 

South America is looking clearer now: looks like Argentina, Colombia, Chile, plus either Ecuador or Uruguay, with one of the last two going into the play-off.

 

Iceland and Armenia for the World Cup finals, anyone?

[Alf Bentley]

Utter disaster for the Irish tonight, need to win im Germany now just to stand a play off chance.

 

Sadly true...curtains for the boys in green, I think. In all honesty, when you look at the names on their teamsheet, they've probably over-performed to be in contention at all (albeit thanks to Trappatoni's defensive tactics). Scotland and Wales probably have better teams on paper and look at their standings.... Got to hand it to the old trouper Robbie Keane, though; there's not many who are put out to pasture in the American league and can still keep scoring at international level.... 

[Finnegan]

Coleman still shits me out, everytime he comes on TV I do a double take and think it's Gary Speed.

The Bale situation is quite frankly ludricrous, a player on the bench you can't afford to risk.

Speed inspired. He wasn't the brains of the operation but the youngsters were completely galvanized. Coleman can't even inspire my hate, at least Tosh did that.

Coleman is just bland. Eighteen shades of grey and beige before you even get beyond his personality.

[bovril]

Dubronik is a millionaires paradise now, it's the Monte Carlo or Puerto Banus of Eatern Europe.

 

Never been to Zagreb, looking forward to it, I do like a country that like's it's beer.

 

Nice food and drink to be had in Zagreb. I've been to a Hajduk vs Dinamo game and it's cracking being in with the 'bad blue boys'.

[bovril]

I've got a feeling Armenia will sneak it. The Danes are already trying to do the math on how Denmark can clinch second, but it requires a very unlikely point or three at home against Italy. All the talk is how Bulgaria and the Czechs need to drop points here and there (which they both did tonight), but considering Armenia have just beaten us and the Czechs away in successive games, surprisingly few consider them contenders for second. We have to improve IMMENSELY to avoid another embarrassment on Tuesday...

 

Nobody seems to want that second place and whoever gets it will probably be spanked in the playoffs. Hoping it's Bulgaria and they have 3 winnable games, they should beat Malta next week while the others all play each other.

[Jordan]

The CONCACAF table is looking interesting now....

Unless USA contrive to lose at home to Mexico on Tuesday, it's the Mexicans who look to be in trouble.

Despite their defeat, USA will surely still qualify, alongside Costa Rica - and Honduras look set to pip the Mexicans to 3rd.

2 of Mexico's last 3 games are away to USA and Costa Rica, whereas Honduras (already above them) have 2 home games plus Jamaica away.....Mexico v New Zealand for the play-off (assuming the Mexicans can finish above Panama?). Mexico have scored 4 goals in 7 matches...what a disgrace!

South America is looking clearer now: looks like Argentina, Colombia, Chile, plus either Ecuador or Uruguay, with one of the last two going into the play-off.

Iceland and Armenia for the World Cup finals, anyone?

Yeah, no need to panic if you're a USA fan. Mexico, on the other hand, have finally fired Chepo after last night's shocking home loss and after months of fan pressure just days before their big game at the US in Columbus, which is like a haunted house for them. I still think they will get in one way or the other, even if it means a return flight to Wellington, NZ.

Nothing went well for Ecuador, whom I always cheer for in South American competition. If they can get a win at Bolivia on Tuesday, they can breathe a bit easier in the thin mountain air.

As for Group E, Ãfram Ãsland! I visited their national stadium (Laugudalsvöllur), where Iceland stand a decent chance to get results in their next two games (vs Albania and Cyprus)

I was talking to someone there when I was exploring the sports complex there who told me excitedly, "You should go see our national stadium!" So I said OK, I'll check it out, then the guy starts looking all forlorn and says he really doesn't like the national stadium, that it's better for athletics and not good for football, that it's so wide open so it's too windy. the atmosphere is poor, and that Iceland should have designed it like a typical lower-division English club stadium so that there are stands on all four sides and close to the pitch. That made me a whole lot less interested in visiting the stadium but I was right there anyway so I walked around and took a few photos.

Iceland might just have the best squad they've ever had and got a really favorable group draw but I certainly wouldn't bet on them qualifying unless I got some long odds. IIRC, UEFA is continuing the theme they started when they conspired against the Irish to seed the 2nd round, so if a team like Iceland or Armenia did qualify for the 2nd round, they'd probably run into a team like France (or England? ) and that would be the end of that.

[Dan]

Yeah but this is CONCACAF we're talking about here... I could almost imagine a scenario whereby USA or Mexico destroy the field but miss out on the World Cup because the idiots in charge forgot to send a fax to FIFA or some shit.

I'm not really sure what other format could be used that would be fairer and tougher at the same time. CONCACAF floated an idea in recent years to make the 32 top teams play a series of 3 group stages with a final round of 2 groups of 4, in which the USA and Mexico would almost likely never play each other. It took months of people laughing at CONCACAF before they dropped the idea. The only other option would be for USA and Mexico to join with CONMEBOL somehow.

And if you think your referees are bad... USA plays Costa Rica tonight with 8 players on yellow cards (yes, CONCACAF carries yellow cards over from the semifinal round, so a player that gets a yellow in game 1 of the semifinal could miss the final game of the final round for getting a second yellow 15 GAMES LATER). USA's next game is vs Mexico, and guess where the ref for tonight's game is from? Yes, Mexico! And the worst part about it is that I'm actually relieved we have a Mexican ref because even a Mexican ref with a slight bias would be a million times better than any other clown in our region!

Tonight's game is gonna be a battle, though. Costa Rica has 10 players on yellows themselves and I can see a few guys on both sides missing out on their next games.

 

Have five groups of seven with the top of each qualifying. Easy.

[shen]

Nobody seems to want that second place and whoever gets it will probably be spanked in the playoffs. Hoping it's Bulgaria and they have 3 winnable games, they should beat Malta next week while the others all play each other.

 

Bulgaria have been very poor and uninspiring, much like Denmark. The Czechs try, but lack quality. Armenia are on a hot streak (how the devil they managed to lose at home against Malta will remain a mystery) and look like they have a very solid counter-attacking concept. My guess is though that neither one of them will qualify for the playoffs, but will end up with the wooden spoon when it comes to the best second-placed teams.

[Jordan]

Have five groups of seven with the top of each qualifying. Easy.

So no games at all between USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and either Jamaica/Panama/T&T? Listen: bribes can only get you so far in CONCACAF; you need to be able to provide kick-backs on the TV deals, too...