SA world cup qlf.

[striker 9]

Omni...we can't match their abuse .... hopefully -Hiddink can put a competitive team together

[Dan]

omni said:

You have no emotional investment in the matches RV. I don't care if they're good I just want the roos to qualify!

This is home now. So i do ;D

Good result for you lot i think. Why the negativity? They are far from unbeatable. As Fozzie says, its almost like you are destined to play them to earn your spot in germany.
After having one of the easiest qualifying runs to the world cup every 4 years (with the exception of some Concaf nations) its only right that you have a couple of tough games.

Come on Aussie.

[brett]

danthefan said:

omni said:

You have no emotional investment in the matches RV. I don't care if they're good I just want the roos to qualify!

This is home now. So i do ;D

Good result for you lot i think. Why the negativity? They are far from unbeatable. As Fozzie says, its almost like you are destined to play them to earn your spot in germany.
After having one of the easiest qualifying runs to the world cup every 4 years (with the exception of some Concaf nations) its only right that you have a couple of tough games.

Come on Aussie.

A couple of tough games? England wouldn't be in the world cup either if they played a few matches a year against sides up to the quality of South Africa for four years and then did this play off. You can talk about players and tactics all you like, our big disadvantage is still preparation.

[Dan]

I agree with you tiger, preparation and co-ordination is the big stumbling block.

I dont have the answers, apart from praying that in 'the future' a large amount of the Aussie squad would be taken from the large pool of home-grown talent playing in the hugely successful a-league.

As for quality opposition, the neighbours in asia are moving along at a steady rate of knots and this can only help Australia in the long term when they are included in this qualifying group.

All i am saying is that you have one of the easiest routes to the world cup as it stands. Just a personal opinion and no-one will change my mind, unless AM threatens to eat me.

As has been said before if you cant beat 5th placed south american team over 2 legs you shouldnt be there.

But you will, so dont worry about it. Just walk over to the stereo,put on the music and 'dance it out'. Its all good!!!

[DJ]

The first leg is massive! Lose by more than 2 goals and Australia can kiss the World Cup goodbye! Get an away goal, and that will be a massive boost!

Too early to say what the best tactics will be to face them but from what I saw today a 4-5-1 formation and pack the midfield giving them very little space may be the way to go! Recoba is class, and their skill levels and of higher standard!

Preparation is a major disadvantage I agree, playing the Soloman Islands is not going to prepare them for the real test! So why play friendlies against NZ and Jamaica?

If the Socceroos can do it, it will certainly be history in the making!

[dibo (pron. "DIB-OH")]

this playoff is huge.

i remember 1993, where we had argentina here and lost out 1-1 (h) 1-0 (a), but i was only 12 and it was argentina (with maradona) and so i thought "fair enough, beaten by the better team".

i remember 1997, where we had a team to do the job, then we had the score to do the job, then that fool peter hoare and the lunacy of an offside trap while leading the tie 3-2 had me in tears after the match.

i remember 2001, where a home win had me optimistic, only for a diabolical performance to hit me like a king-hit to the side of the head. that 3-0 away loss burns even now, and i hope the players feel it and more.

this tie is all about revenge.
this tie is about finally doing the job for australian football.
this tie is about showing johnny warren that his work for the game was not in vain.

bring it on, and on the night of the 16th of november, we're going to book a spot for the green and gold in germany!

[omni]

AM - Threaten to eat him - but he wouldn't taste good he's full of shit.

We would have the easiest if Scum Blatter didn't take away our instant spot or we played off against anyone but SA. When you play shite opposition for four years and then have to play some incredible quality it isn't easy.

Having said that, we can do it. Reading FourFourTwo today, "Stuff this obsession with qualifying for the world cup we should be wanting to win the damn thing."

[Auburn Mariner]

"AM - Threaten to eat him - but he wouldn't taste good he's full of shit."

No, he's not, Omni, I reckon you've got him covered there. And why would I eat a Merseysider?? By the way, when you play Uruguay at home, you fly in from Buenos Aires, which is in Argentina, not BRAZIL. Rio and Brasilia and thousands of clicks away,

Rocoba is a class act, we are up against it, if we win, we will have EARNED it. Get into 'em, %^&* em up!!!

[brett]

danthefan said:

All i am saying is that you have one of the easiest routes to the world cup as it stands.

Ha. Ask any Aussie. Give us a full European or Asian style qualifying campaign any day. Even if we have the 'advantage' of a sort of one-off roulette route, we dont have the quality game time under our belt to take advantage of it. As can be PROVEN by every year besides '74.

With a decent international calendar starting from 2007 we'll improve as a nation and start to fulfil the potential that's there. Then we can start thinking about consistently getting in the world cup, on our merits.

[sacko]

At least this is the last time it will come down to 2 competitive games, if the "Footieroos" are in the play offs in 4 years time it'll be because they weren't good enough over a competitive group series, there's no shame in that - Spain are in that boat this time round. I really hope they can get their this time the whole process is against them, however we've all know this for a couple of years. In my opinion a clean sheet or away goal are critical from the first leg, as we need to have a realistic chance to get the whole stadium buzzing not just bay 119 on November 16th. Time for plenty of Bay 16 practice before hand, although the forecast doesn't look good for a big crowd on Sunday...

[Yellowbeard]

omni said:

AM - Threaten to eat him

what have I started

[offtheball]

What is the procedure if goal aggregates are the same after the game in Sydney. Say two 1-1 draws?

[Yellowbeard]

paper scissors rock

[Dan]

offtheball said:

What is the procedure if goal aggregates are the same after the game in Sydney. Say two 1-1 draws?

given that they cant really compare achievements through the group stage, i imagine it would come down to a penalty shoot out.

omni: pot calling kettle..pot calling kettle....come in kettle?? ;D

[dibo (pron. "DIB-OH")]

it's the same as any other playoff

home and away best aggregate score wins, away goals rule applies in case of a tie. if the teams are not split after this, 15m each way extra time. if the teams still can't be split, standard penalty shootout applies.

oh god, if it comes to a penalty shootout... i think i would have a heart attack... (a bit sad as i'm a pretty fit 24yo!)

[omni]

Yea pot calling the kettle black (my kettle is clear though??) - but how can you look at North America and say we have it easy!?

[Dan]

omni said:

but how can you look at North America and say we have it easy!?

You may want to read my post on page 2 at this point.

Omni mate, all i am saying is that IN MY OPINION, Australia have an easier route to the world cup finals than most. Many countries would love to have a breeze of a qualifying campaign and every 4 years be almost assured of a 2 legged play off to get to the world cup finals. In this case against the FIFTH placed south american team.

This brings its own problems which has already been discussed and agreed.

Next time you will be in Asias group, have a tougher time qualifying (IMO) but this will be better in the long run as it will ensure consistent competitive matches for the national team. Most would probably agree with this.

Just because australia hasnt been in the WCF for years doesnt NECESSARILY mean that they have a tough qualifying run. It could actually mean that they just werent good enough.

You mentioned that you would have the easiest run if it wasnt against a S american team??? Guess what? Iran aint in south america.

As for Blatter robbing you of an automatic spot? You have got to be kidding me??? Why should you have a 'free' ticket??

But the here and now is that Australia have a 2 legged play-off with uraguay to reach the finals.
I hope and honestly believe that they will do this time.

If they do, the knock on effects for the game in this country and the A-league will be massive. Once you get to Germany ANYTHING can happen. And , as AM mentioned, Australia wouldve earned it.

But if they dont make it, lets not blame it on a harsh qualifying process or the opposition fans putting them off.

Love and kisses
Dan xxxxx

[omni]

I think they can do it this time - Iran was a royal screw up - these players are professionals and shouldn't be put off by opposition fans, hopefully they'll be wiser this time.

[brett]

DanthefanthemanwiththeplanfromPakistan.

You are right, some countries (lets say England because you would be coming from their point of view) may well choose to get into the World Cup by a two legged play off with a country that finishes 5th in a non euro confederation. England might have a good chance, because they are an experienced, tactically capable and cohesive team. We dont.

You say if Australia hasnt got in because they are not good enough, it's because in the current system we CANT get good enough.

We're better than Togo, therefore we deserve to be there. So is Uruguay. So the system is wrong. It's unfair. It's not easy.

You mentioned Iran. We're better than them too. Why didn't we beat them? Maybe it was all those matches we didn't play and all the experience we never got?

But I will go back to the overriding logical fact: We've qualified once ever. Be it directly or indirectly, the qualification route has held us back.

And with this hokey pokey 180 minute qualifying system, what if we DO get there? What if we draw Tunisia, Sweden and Korea? That would be one the easiest groups we could dream of, but since we've played f*** all teams we dont have experience against different styles, or playing with different styles ourself, we'd have little chance.

There's no way you can tell us that our qualification route is BETTER than a competitive group style one. In fact, I'm sure if there was anyone smart in charge at England, they WOULDNT want to swap their system for ours, because they would realise what it would do to them as a nation.

But, you haven't said it is better, you have said it is easier. I assume this is because, by the number of teams, we have a 1/2 chance of getting in. Whereas some countries, like Brazil, have to get past 9 other teams. Wow. 2 is a smaller number than 9. You are the next Einstein.

So if you are saying that the fact we could just get some lucky breaks and good calls over 180 minutes to get it, and therefore the mathematical chance of us getting in is more likely than teams that have to get in on their merits, you are a genius.

But if you are saying that we have a good qualification route, you have been proven wrong not by me, but by the fact we've only qualified once.

And I would struggle to believe an experienced football man like yourself would consider fluking your way to the World Cup would be more comment worthy than being a top 32 nation. So you are wrong!

[Dan]

Hmmmmmm.

Nah, totally lost me.....

See below!