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FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifying Thread

LukaMotion

WHL 1899-2017
May 17, 2010
2,883
5,926
Agreed. Italy is not known for its offensive beautiful football for me at least. The less Pulis-inspired teams, the better. The euros 2016 sucked because of it.
Calling the Italians a Pulis-inspired team is like calling Wladimir Klitschko a Tyson Fury-inspired boxer. The Italians play defensive football, agreed, but it's not thuggery, diving and time-wasting like Pulis teams. Baresi, Maldini, Chiellini, Cannavaro, Nesta, Bonucci, Zambrotta, Barzagli: In the last 25 years alone Italy have produced some of the very best defenders to have ever played the game, coupled with brilliant attacking players like Pirlo, Totti, Vieri, Zola, Inzaghi, Del Piero, Baggio.

I'm sorry, but Italy have never been boring to watch and the world cup will be worse for them not being in it.
 

WalkerboyUK

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2009
21,658
23,476
Surely the Peru/New Zealand game needs to be investigated a little bit, even if just for dirty tactics off the field.
1) There's video evidence of at least 2 NZ players, including the 'keeper, having laser shone in face
2) Peru military deployed air force directly over the NZ hotel in the early hours of the morning
3) Fireworks were also set off outside the hotel in the early hours

Sounds like typical South American style sort of stuff though...
 

Hakkz

Svensk hetsporre
Jul 6, 2012
8,196
17,270
Calling the Italians a Pulis-inspired team is like calling Wladimir Klitschko a Tyson Fury-inspired boxer. The Italians play defensive football, agreed, but it's not thuggery, diving and time-wasting like Pulis teams. Baresi, Maldini, Chiellini, Cannavaro, Nesta, Bonucci, Zambrotta, Barzagli: In the last 25 years alone Italy have produced some of the very best defenders to have ever played the game, coupled with brilliant attacking players like Pirlo, Totti, Vieri, Zola, Inzaghi, Del Piero, Baggio.

I'm sorry, but Italy have never been boring to watch and the world cup will be worse for them not being in it.

Sorry, I didn't mean to include Italy into the Pulis-gang. That was referring to ROI and NI.

Still, I've never liked watching Italy in tournaments and I'm always glad when they go out.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,101
47,055
So yet again the various provinces have left England to defend the honour of the UK (I assume Ireland don't want us defending their honour).

So cue England-centric coverage only of the World Cup...starting with....who can England get?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41962101

I was looking through that trying to work out who the weakest teams were that we could get, when it dawned on me that we are probably the team that everyone wants from pot 2.

It would be nice to see us play some different teams, so I'd like to see England with Belgium, Iran and Panama.

However we'll probably end up with Argentina, Sweden and Australia.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,554
So yet again the various provinces have left England to defend the honour of the UK (I assume Ireland don't want us defending their honour).

So cue England-centric coverage only of the World Cup...starting with....who can England get?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41962101

I was looking through that trying to work out who the weakest teams were that we could get, when it dawned on me that we are probably the team that everyone wants from pot 2.

It would be nice to see us play some different teams, so I'd like to see England with Belgium, Iran and Panama.

However we'll probably end up with Argentina, Sweden and Australia.
Poland in pot 1 over Spain proves again the idiocy of FIFA rankings.

Brazil, Spain, Denmark, South Korea has a very group of death-y feel to it, but tbh pots 3 and 4 don't look all that. Doesn't look like there are any real dark horses in either pot.

I agree with your group of England, Belguim, Iran, Panama, that would be a fun group.
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,344
129,918
So yet again the various provinces have left England to defend the honour of the UK (I assume Ireland don't want us defending their honour).

So cue England-centric coverage only of the World Cup...starting with....who can England get?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41962101

I was looking through that trying to work out who the weakest teams were that we could get, when it dawned on me that we are probably the team that everyone wants from pot 2.

It would be nice to see us play some different teams, so I'd like to see England with Belgium, Iran and Panama.

However we'll probably end up with Argentina, Sweden and Australia.
You never learn...

0C75CB09-04B7-47F7-8568-EFF58D71D858.jpeg
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
Poland in pot 1 over Spain proves again the idiocy of FIFA rankings.

Brazil, Spain, Denmark, South Korea has a very group of death-y feel to it, but tbh pots 3 and 4 don't look all that. Doesn't look like there are any real dark horses in either pot.

I agree with your group of England, Belguim, Iran, Panama, that would be a fun group.

Only South Korea from pot four I'm wary of is South Korea.
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
No other South Korea worth being wary of if you ask me. Which I’m sure you didn’t.

Haha also Just read that Morocco didn't concede a goal in the group part of the qualifying campaign which contained the Ivory Coast, got to be worth something.
 

talkshowhost86

Mod-Moose
Staff
Oct 2, 2004
48,101
47,055
I actually remember that game against Algeria being the moment where the English football part of my soul took a big hit.

It was the most boring game in the world. England were shit. And there was a moronic England fan sat in the pub who deliberately stood right in front of me and acted like a cock when I asked him to move. If Algeria had scored I would have cheered in his stupid face.
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,344
129,918
I actually remember that game against Algeria being the moment where the English football part of my soul took a big hit.

It was the most boring game in the world. England were shit. And there was a moronic England fan sat in the pub who deliberately stood right in front of me and acted like a cock when I asked him to move. If Algeria had scored I would have cheered in his stupid face.
Do you get to the pub much with @Stoof anymore?
 

cwy21

Well-Known Member
May 11, 2009
9,447
7,930
Surely the Peru/New Zealand game needs to be investigated a little bit, even if just for dirty tactics off the field.
1) There's video evidence of at least 2 NZ players, including the 'keeper, having laser shone in face
2) Peru military deployed air force directly over the NZ hotel in the early hours of the morning
3) Fireworks were also set off outside the hotel in the early hours

Sounds like typical South American style sort of stuff though...
The US deals with this type of stuff for every road match in Central America. It's part of the home field advantage.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,554
I actually remember that game against Algeria being the moment where the English football part of my soul took a big hit.

It was the most boring game in the world. England were shit. And there was a moronic England fan sat in the pub who deliberately stood right in front of me and acted like a cock when I asked him to move. If Algeria had scored I would have cheered in his stupid face.
Mine took a huge hit when we failed to get to Euro 2008 but at least some of those qualifying games were entertaining matches. That Algeria game was the final straw and I haven't truly cared since.
 

mattie g

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2007
935
2,168
Surely the Peru/New Zealand game needs to be investigated a little bit, even if just for dirty tactics off the field.
1) There's video evidence of at least 2 NZ players, including the 'keeper, having laser shone in face
2) Peru military deployed air force directly over the NZ hotel in the early hours of the morning
3) Fireworks were also set off outside the hotel in the early hours

Sounds like typical South American style sort of stuff though...

Just a normal experience for away teams playing in Central America. Didn’t realize that behavior extended well to south, as well.
 
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