Friday's World Cup Qualifiers

First topic message reminder :

Scotland v Wales (20:00)
Sweden v Republic of Ireland (19:45)
San Marino v England (20:00)

Another Battle of Britain affair with Wales off to Scotland, expect Gareth Bale to take centre stage again. Let's be honest though, none of those teams will make it to Brazil. The Republic of Ireland travel to Sweden, a loss will cut Ireland adrift of qualifying, a win will put them right in the mixer. England will get an easy ride, away to the 207th team in World football. England's focus is probably centred on Tuesday, and their injury crisis, Walcott's out as well now.

Predictions:

Scotland 1-2 Wales
Sweden 2-2 R.O.I
San Marino 0-6 England

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

thats messed up every accumulator in the world

JamesLincs wrote:thats messed up every accumulator in the world

I doubt it. Their odds were that short that nobody in their right mind would have backed them.

FreekShow wrote:

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

They'll win the tournament no problem!! I made a mistake not backing them for the Euros. There's still no one who can stop them.

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

They'll win the tournament no problem!! I made a mistake not backing them for the Euros. There's still no one who can stop them.

They've lost one competitive match since the 2006 World Cup. They are still the top dogs.

FreekShow wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

They'll win the tournament no problem!! I made a mistake not backing them for the Euros. There's still no one who can stop them.

They've lost one competitive match since the 2006 World Cup. They are still the top dogs.

Ze Germans vil have something to say about that ja

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

They'll win the tournament no problem!! I made a mistake not backing them for the Euros. There's still no one who can stop them.

They've lost one competitive match since the 2006 World Cup. They are still the top dogs.

Ze Germans vil have something to say about that ja

Ze Germans alvays zav someving to zay about zat but zey ain't got ze cojones to do anyzing Zolly.

Don't only 1 team go through from a group of 5? France vs Spain on Wednesday could be a big game if so

Scotland

Just give up.

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

JamesLincs wrote:spain are at home arent they?

Yes.

Cue the "Spain have had their day" shouts.

They'll still qualify no problem.

They'll win the tournament no problem!! I made a mistake not backing them for the Euros. There's still no one who can stop them.

They've lost one competitive match since the 2006 World Cup. They are still the top dogs.

Ze Germans vil have something to say about that ja

The one thing I've learned about watching Germany is that they talk the talk but can fail to walk the walk. They'll either go out and spank you or play horrendously like they did v Italy. All they need is their one bad game to come against a half decent side and that'll be the end of them.

Germany have done final, group, semi, final, semi, semi in tournaments from 2002 I think.

Incredible they haven't won one.

Germany's star is starting to fade. Since their last success in Euro 96 France, Brazil, Greece(!), Italy and Spain have gone on to take major honours and all they are now is a name, albeit a big name..

Saying that they've at least arrived at the door to knock it. How England would like to be in that position!

My dark horses (for a good run) for Brazil 2014 are Belgium. Should they qualify of course.

Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

Belgium have only just come to life. If Messi leads Argentina to a World Cup ala Maradona then his claim to be the best ever will be a valid one.

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Do you know how old that makes me feel? Congratulations on completing my journey into full depression.

T'was the year after Jeremy Goss showed those Bayern Munich lads how to ping a volley. They were the days.

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Do you know how old that makes me feel? Congratulations on completing my journey into full depression.

T'was the year after Jeremy Goss showed those Bayern Munich lads how to ping a volley. They were the days.

That's like 20 years ago now dude! #oldman

They were the days. I hope we qualify for Europe again at some point. I wanna go and experience getting stabbed and racially abused in an Eastern European country

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Do you know how old that makes me feel? Congratulations on completing my journey into full depression.

T'was the year after Jeremy Goss showed those Bayern Munich lads how to ping a volley. They were the days.

That's like 20 years ago now dude! #oldman

They were the days. I hope we qualify for Europe again at some point. I wanna go and experience getting stabbed and racially abused in an Eastern European country

Never ventured into Europe myself. For that reason and the fact it's (apparently) like being in a foreign country

You never know. A league cup win or an FA Cup final appearance and you are there kidda. Gotta believe Olly.

I'm 3 and a half decades old next month and still waiting for my first chest hair. Always was a late developer

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Do you know how old that makes me feel? Congratulations on completing my journey into full depression.

T'was the year after Jeremy Goss showed those Bayern Munich lads how to ping a volley. They were the days.

That's like 20 years ago now dude! #oldman

They were the days. I hope we qualify for Europe again at some point. I wanna go and experience getting stabbed and racially abused in an Eastern European country

Never ventured into Europe myself. For that reason and the fact it's (apparently) like being in a foreign country

You never know. A league cup win or an FA Cup final appearance and you are there kidda. Gotta believe Olly.

I'm 3 and a half decades old next month and still waiting for my first chest hair. Always was a late developer

I'd only venture to Germany/Spain/France/Holland/Maybe Italy. I ain't going no further!

I'll believe. I'll be happy with a day out at Wembley though. Even if it's a JPT one in the future

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:

FreekShow wrote:

Olly wrote:Belgium are everyone's dark horse. The one everyone tips, never hardly ever, comes off.

Argentina are the ones to look out for. Messi is gonna cement his legacy in 2014

This is true though. I remember a lot of pundits backing Colombia to do well at the 1994 World Cup only for them to bomb out of the group stages. Which culminated in their full back getting assassinated coming off the plane. What were the odds on that? Missed a trick there Olly..

Of course I missed a trick there Freek! I wasn't alive

Do you know how old that makes me feel? Congratulations on completing my journey into full depression.

T'was the year after Jeremy Goss showed those Bayern Munich lads how to ping a volley. They were the days.

That's like 20 years ago now dude! #oldman

They were the days. I hope we qualify for Europe again at some point. I wanna go and experience getting stabbed and racially abused in an Eastern European country

Never ventured into Europe myself. For that reason and the fact it's (apparently) like being in a foreign country

You never know. A league cup win or an FA Cup final appearance and you are there kidda. Gotta believe Olly.

I'm 3 and a half decades old next month and still waiting for my first chest hair. Always was a late developer

I'd only venture to Germany/Spain/France/Holland/Maybe Italy. I ain't going no further!

I'll believe. I'll be happy with a day out at Wembley though. Even if it's a JPT one in the future

If I have my way it'll be a conference play off final. Now off with ya you young whippersnapper you!

Just back from Scotland game. Not too bothered as I knew I was going to see two sides with no chance of qualifying, but I wanted some positives, got none. Wales are poor, Scotland are even poorer of late. best way to sum it up. People can blame Snodgrass but the wee man has to take a bit himself, if I and over 40k others saw that it was coming so should the gaffer. Well done to Wales, played Scotland off the park most of the time. The one other thing is I suppose the squad was decimated by injury. Brown, Morrison, Fletcher, Naisy is way to go in midfield and none could start. Then S Fletcher got bad injury in first minute to make matters worse.

Only disappointing thing is the antics of some Wales players again. Diving was something they did a lot in the last game (stole a penalty too) but some of the stuff tonight was on a par with the Lithuania game for me. Don't expect that from a British side as much but noticed that a lot with them, even in other games.

Best moment of game for me was when a wee guy about 5 or 6 said to his dad, pointing at Bellamy out wide doing nothing, dead serious too: 'is he injured or just fat'. Definitely the latter mate haha

Professional display from England then. Peach of a goal by Young, great free kick by Rooney as well. Roll on Tuesday!

i predicted 8-0

Colan,

I hope you gave watched the game back because I couldn't disagree with your point about the Welsh players 'antics' even further. The reply's consistently showed that the scots were consistently fouling the Welsh players, often leaving their foot and tbh, i'm amazed there weren't more yellow cards for the Scottish team. The red card was only a matter of time and reflected the way Scotland went about it. I know Bellamy moans all the time, but you could genuinely see how angry he was with the ref for not giving his team the protection they deserved. The Jonathan Williams challenge that sent him into a front flip summed up the way the Scots wanted to play, which is a shame because I like a good tackle but not the way Scotland went about it.

On Jonathan Williams i've heard reports about him before and i'm very very exited about his prospects. For such a young man, he showed such compsure and maturity when with the ball and can't wait to have him starting for Wales on a regular basis. I now know why they call him 'joniesta' because the way he glides about the pitch and his composure when dribbling and passing is very iniesta like. When Wales can get all their midfielders fit we have a handy side, trouble is 2/3 injuries and we're down to the bare bones. Hoping we can sneak a win at home to Croatia tomorrow night and keep the momentum going under Coleman.