World Cup 2010

[Craig]

It should be noted Paraguay are very hard to beat at home and haven't lost at home in a WCQ (or at least to Argentina) since 1997. But still these are the games Argentina have to win, and they are failing to do that. How Maradona still has a job is beyond me.

 

[Craig]

Paraguay should of scored.

 

[Scaly piscine]

It should be noted Paraguay are very hard to beat at home and haven't lost at home in a WCQ (or at least to Argentina) since 1997. But still these are the games Argentina have to win, and they are failing to do that. How Maradona still has a job is beyond me.

Does the Hand of Cheat have any managerial experience? To me it would be the equivalent of England having Gazza as manager.

 

[TT Boy]

Won't have in a couple minutes time.

Argies will still probably go to South Africa. They will beat Peru at home and the new coach with the top boys back should take Uruguay away (huge game though). That still might not be enough for automatic but it gets them into the playoffs.

Warren Barton on commentary, Robert Ayala has 250 caps for Argentina. Not quite but he has well over a 100 on that newbie 36 year old.

 

[Burgey]

Does the Hand of Cheat have any managerial experience? To me it would be the equivalent of England having Gazza as manager.

Thought you meant Strauss tbh.

 

[TT Boy]

Does the Hand of Cheat have any managerial experience? To me it would be the equivalent of England having Gazza as manager.

Two previous jobs. Ended much like Gazza's time with Kettering Town.

 

[Craig]

Does the Hand of Cheat have any managerial experience? To me it would be the equivalent of England having Gazza as manager.

Argentine reginal provincal team Textil Mandiyú in 1994 and Argentine top flight club Racing in 1995. Both stints didn't last long (thanks, wiki).

Paraguay 1 - 0 Argentina

 

[Craig]

Won't have in a couple minutes time.

Argies will still probably go to South Africa. They will beat Peru at home and the new coach with the top boys back should take Uruguay away (huge game though). That still might not be enough for automatic but it gets them into the playoffs.

Warren Barton on commentary, Robert Ayala has 250 caps for Argentina. Not quite but he has well over a 100 on that newbie 36 year old.

Do you get Setanta Sport?

 

[Craig]

Brazil v Chile.

Massive lol at this guy's English accent

 

[Scaly piscine]

Won't have in a couple minutes time.

Argies will still probably go to South Africa. They will beat Peru at home and the new coach with the top boys back should take Uruguay away (huge game though). That still might not be enough for automatic but it gets them into the playoffs.

Warren Barton on commentary, Robert Ayala has 250 caps for Argentina. Not quite but he has well over a 100 on that newbie 36 year old.

Yea still can't see the Argies not qualifying, but there's always hope I suppose.

 

[TT Boy]

Do you get Setanta Sport?

Sky Sports. Now back in the UK...

 

[Craig]

Gilberto Silva still getting a game for Brazil. I'm not sure what country this commentator is from, but English is not his 1st language.

 

[Craig]

"Cor-ner kick for Dani Alves."

 

[Pothas]

Gilberto Silva still getting a game for Brazil. I'm not sure what country this commentator is from, but English is not his 1st language.

Cannot really fathom why to be honest.

 

[aussie]

England don't need him. Have more than enough (better) options on the right hand side.

But he will probably go to South Africa, commercialism dictates.

Becks is still a top impact player on the right in the last 30 mins of a game, nothing commercial about that. J Cole, Walcott, Lennon & Becks ATS should be wing options (right & left) in the final 23.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Paraguay.

No more jokes about their country's name putting me in mind of a disabled homosexual for me.

Argies will still make it if they finish fifth tho; likely be facing one of Hounduras or El Salvador in the play-off. Vimes to confirm which is the more likely.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Tables


South America

La Paz: Bolivia 1-3 Ecuador (Ecuador continue their good form with an early goal and then stonewalling against the group's muppets, who have a 14-33 goal difference in the 14 matches excluding the Argentina miracle. Ecuador should end on 26 points unless they're gifted something agsinst Chile in the final match. That'd set Argentina the task of getting four points from three games.)
Montevideo: Uruguay 3-1 Colombia (playing eleven against ten and getting an equaliser early, Colombia would have fancied their chances of keeping tight at the back and getting a point out of Montevideo, but instead unfancied toiler Andrés Scotti scored the winner with 15 minutes to spare to send Uruguay up to sixth, ahead of Colombia, but they still need a point in Ecuador to have a serious chance of qualifying. The visitors fell down to eighth at the end of the night, and face two of the top three in their final games.)
Asunción: Paraguay 1-0 Argentina (no complaints from the world's rather large contingent of silver-haters, as Dortmund strike Nelson Valdez scored early through a fine finish. Juan Sebastián Verón got himself sent off and will presumably miss the home match against Peru - a gimme even for current Argentina, which means the task to avoid the play-off will probably involves getting a point in Uruguay. To the delight of the aforementioned silver-haters, Maradona vows to "fight on as long as [he] has a drop of blood left")
Puerto la Cruz: Venezuela 3-1 Peru (Venezuela poured in goals on the bottom dwellers, but have an away match in Brazil left, where they need at least a draw to make the play-offs; considering Venezuela's best result in eight matches in the Lusophone nation is a 1-3 defeat in 1989, that seems too steep a task.)
Salvador de Bahia: Brazil 4-2 Chile (Dunga's Brazil could afford to play slightly more Brazilian now that they have qualified - Chile won't be too concerned with the defeat, as the visitors have a four-point cushion and are looking likely to appear in only their second World Cup since 1986.)

Brazil              16  9  6  1  32-9    33 Q
Paraguay            16  9  3  4  22-13   30 Q
Chile               16  8  3  5  27-20   27
Ecuador             16  6  5  5  21-23   23
-------------------------------------------
Argentina           16  6  4  6  20-19   22
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Uruguay             16  5  6  5  26-18   21
Venezuela           16  6  3  7  22-27   21
Colombia            16  5  5  6  10-14   20
Bolivia             16  3  3 10  20-34   12 E
Peru                16  2  4 10   9-32   10 E
Remaining matches
Oct 10: ARG-PER, BOL-BRA, COL-CHI, ECU-URU, VEN-PAR
Oct 14: BRA-VEN, CHI-ECU, PAR-COL, PER-BOL, URU-ARG

CONCACAF:

Port of Spain: Trinidad and Tobago 0-1 United States (the hosts formally eliminated, though they fought bravely and even had the better of the first half. Elimination of CONCACAF giants now seems unlikely.)
San Salvador: El Salvador 1-0 Costa Rica (Costa Rica continue to spiral towards the play-offs, conceding an injury time goal against fellow Central Americans, which means there is still time for a miracle for El Salvador.)
Ciudad de México: Mexico 1-0 Honduras (and another dull, clinical 1-0 victory to close off and confirm US and Mexico in the top two spots. Though the hosts needed a penalty.)

USA                  8  5  1  2  14-9    16
Mexico               8  5  0  3  12-9    15
Honduras             8  4  1  3  14-8    13
-------------------------------------------
Costa Rica           8  4  0  4   9-13   12
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
El Salvador          8  2  2  4   8-10    8
Trinidad and Tobago  8  1  2  5   8-16    5 E
Remaining matches:
Oct 10: CR vs TT, HO vs US, ME vs ES
Oct 14: ES vs HO, TT vs ME, US vs CR

Too many options, but at the moment I'd say Costa Rica is the likeliest to end up in play-off. They won't get points in the US, so that leaves them at 15, which means Honduras only needs two from the home match ith US and the trip to El Salvador.

 

[James]

NZ play Bahrain this weekend in the first-leg with the winner going to the World Cup.

Really hope they can go it, would be great to see the Kiwis there.

 

[ripper868]

Yeah I'd be happy to see the Kiwi's there as well, Australia vs NZ Final ftw, might go throw $2 on it now and retire in August next year.

 

[Nate]

If the Kiwis can hold the majority of possession, Bahrain's tackling will do the rest.