World Cup 2010

[GIMH]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8386207.stm

 

[Johnners]

BBC Sport - Football - Republic of Ireland ask for extra 2010 World Cup place

 

[sledger]

Hahaha, dire.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Ireland doing their worst to outdo Henry, I see...

(could always play NZ though )

 

[Uppercut]

Get over it FFS.

 

[The Sean]

FAI taking a great big wrecking ball to all the goodwill they gained out of that match.

 

[Matteh]

Ha ha had never read that thread before - some classic stuff.

Andy Cole > Henry clearly one of the very best though.

Andy Cole of the 93/94 season was better, but that was a fluke one off where a player with ok talent has maximum form, whereas Henry was at that level for 5-7 years at Arsenal.

 

[The Sean]

Andy Cole of the 93/94 season was better, but that was a fluke one off where a player with ok talent has maximum form, whereas Henry was at that level for 5-7 years at Arsenal.

Unless you mean that the Andy Cole of 93/94 was better than the Thierry Henry of 93/94 (which, given Henry was 17, is fair enough) then I couldn't even agree with that. As lethal as Cole was that season, he still ranked behind the likes of Cantona and Shearer as the best player in the League. Henry for several seasons in his prime ranked behind no one.

 

[Steulen]

Seeds announced, both England and The Netherlands are seeded. ITSTL. (others: South Africa, Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil)

Portugal and France miss out.

 

[Matteh]

Bar South Africa, that list is spot on.

Think i'm right in saying that South Africa are the worst ever ranked hosts, can only see Played 3, Lost 3 for them unless they get North Korea.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Seeds announced, both England and The Netherlands are seeded. ITSTL. (others: South Africa, Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Brazil)

Portugal and France miss out.

Not complaining really, but you got to wonder why the simple system of using the rankings was not published before they realised they had a good chance to punish France for the handball.

Also, why use the October ranks? (well, actually I know why, teams that played a play-off match got a bonus by the November ranks).

Mat: Austria at the Euro?

 

[Matteh]

Suppose. Fifa claim Austria were 92nd in June 08 compared to 85th for SA last month.

Both pretty awful compared to other countries that wanted to host it.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Suppose. Fifa claim Austria were 92nd in June 08 compared to 85th for SA last month.

Both pretty awful compared to other countries that wanted to host it.

Don't mind small countries hosting (spot the chap from a tiny country), but think we should move beyond host being seeded now. Football's so big that the matches in the final stages will be filled up regardless.

(and Austria and SA aren't really comparable because Austria didn't play any meaningful matches, and thus had to plummet. SA could have got points for the Africa qualifying, but hilariously failed. One of the innumerable problems with the FIFA ranking...)

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Refreshingly honest Saffa in an interview with the Cape Times

News - Opinion: Bafana can expect 'favourable' draw
"But more to the point," "I'm sure a system will be devised whereby South Africa receive a favourable draw all-round.

"It happened for the World Cup's Confederation Cup dress rehearsal earlier in the year when the rules basically ensured that South Africa were drawn in the same initial group as minnows New Zealand and Iraq and duly made their way into the semi-finals."

"It will be a draw conducted in accordance with prescribed rules," added Camroodien, "and will therefore be construed as fair - but it should be just a little fairer for South Africa than for the others."

 

[Uppercut]

Personally I think seeding for the World Cup group stages is bollocks. It's just a socially acceptable synonym for draw-fixing.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Personally I think seeding for the World Cup group stages is bollocks. It's just a socially acceptable synonym for draw-fixing.

Quite happy to avoid the possibility of Brazil, Italy, France, Germany myself...

 

[Matteh]

Would like to see Norway beat Brazil again myself.

 

[Uppercut]

Quite happy to avoid the possibility of Brazil, Italy, France, Germany myself...

Sounds pretty tasty to me tbh.

 

[sledger]

Bar South Africa, that list is spot on.

Think i'm right in saying that South Africa are the worst ever ranked hosts, can only see Played 3, Lost 3 for them unless they get North Korea.

Yeah this entirely.

Don't exactly disagree with Uppercut's claim that the seeding is draw fixing, though I have no problems with it myself, as it just acts as a safeguard for all the good teams being drawn in one side of the tournament and all of the rubbish ones in the other. An outcome which I don't imagine appeals to a great many people.

 

[GIMH]

Probably appeals to supporters of the rubbish teams tbh