World Cup 2010 Qualifying Updates

[Ramseth]

Holland, Australia, Japan and South Korea have qualified.

England, Italy and Germany are near-sure-to-qualify.

The surprise is Portugal still struggling. If Portugal fails to qualify, Cristiano Ronaldo won't be able to play in World Cup 2010.

 

[BlueCat]

bro Ramseth,
kumsia kumsia for the update.

 

[Ramseth]

It's quite sad when top players of their times couldn't play in the World Cup, e.g. George Best (Northern Ireland failed to qualify for 1966), Kevin Keegan (England failed to qualify for 1978), Eric Cantona (France failed to qualify for 1994) etc. and etc.

 

[Loongsam]

Goh Chok Tong got qualify or not?

 

[Ramseth]

Europe Group 1:
Denmark - 16 points +11 goals
Hungary - 13 points +6 goals

Europe Group 2:
Greece - 13 points +8 goals
Switzerland - 13 points +5 goals

Europe Group 3:
Slovakia - 15 points +11 goals
N. Ireland - 13 points +6 goals

Europe Group 4:
Germany - 16 points +14 goals
Russia - 15 points +9 goals

Europe Group 5:
Spain - 18 points +11 goals
Bosnia-Herzegovina - 12 points + 11 goals

Europe Group 6:
England - 21 points +22 goals
Croatia - 11 points +6 goals

Europe Group 7:
Serbia - 18 points +10 goals
France - 10 points +1 goal

Europe Group 8:
Italy - 14 points +6 goals
Ireland - 13 points +3 goals

Europe Group 9:
Holland - 21 points +14 goals (qualified)
Scotland - 7 points -2 goals

---

Asia Group A:
Australia - 17 points +10 goals (qualified)
Japan - 15 points +6 goals (qualified)
Bahrain - 7 points -3 goals

Asia Group B:
South Korea - 15 points +8 goals (qualified)
North Korea - 11 points +2 goals
Saudi Arabia - 11 points -2 goals

 

[jw5]

It's quite sad when top players of their times couldn't play in the World Cup, e.g. George Best (Northern Ireland failed to qualify for 1966), Kevin Keegan (England failed to qualify for 1978), Eric Cantona (France failed to qualify for 1994) etc. and etc.

Also Ryan Giggs, sicne Wales never qualified.

 

[khunking]

Keegan played in the 82 world cup but England went home despite being undefeated with 3 wins and 2 draws.

Platini led France were rolled over by England during the group stage.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=59/results/matches/match=878/report.html

It's quite sad when top players of their times couldn't play in the World Cup, e.g. George Best (Northern Ireland failed to qualify for 1966), Kevin Keegan (England failed to qualify for 1978), Eric Cantona (France failed to qualify for 1994) etc. and etc.

 

[Ramseth]

Also Ryan Giggs, sicne Wales never qualified.

Yeah, very sad Ryan Giggs never featured in World Cup. He was an England Under-21, but when time came to choose and commit, he chose Wales. Can't blame him. It's him and his own allegiance.

 

[Ramseth]

Keegan played in the 82 world cup but England went home despite being undefeated with 3 wins and 2 draws.

Platini led France were rolled over by England during the group stage.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=59/results/matches/match=878/report.html

Yeah, it was a memorable World Cup for England, marking the return of England to the top ranks. However, made no difference by then. England couldn't have won the World Cup 82 anyway. The ascendency of Italy with Paolo Rossi was unstopple anyway whether England progressed further or not. Even Brazil with Zico, Socrates, Eder etc. was swept aside. In the Final, Italy led 3:0 against Germany even afer missing a penalty. They gave Germany face and allowed them to score a face-saving consolation goal. Finest hour in Italian history.

 

[khunking]

England only had themselves to blame. They missed an amazing number of sitters during the game against Spain. I would say they had a good shot at the title. Italy didn't impressed except for Rossi. They drew all their group games.

Yeah, it was a memorable World Cup for England, marking the return of England to the top ranks. However, made no difference by then. England couldn't have won the World Cup 82 anyway. The ascendency of Italy with Paolo Rossi was unstopple anyway whether England progressed further or not. Even Brazil with Zico, Socrates, Eder etc. was swept aside. In the Final, Italy led 3:0 against Germany even afer missing a penalty. They gave Germany face and allowed them to score a face-saving consolation goal. Finest hour in Italian history.

 

[Ramseth]

England only had themselves to blame. They missed an amazing number of sitters during the game against Spain. I would say they had a good shot at the title. Italy didn't impressed except for Rossi. They drew all their group games.

Yeah, England was on top form and looking invincible like Brazil. I think it was manager Ron Greenwood's mistake of not fielding Kevin Keegan against Germany. Until the game against Spain, Keegan was just warming up after long rest on bench, and fielded in second half as a sign of managerial desperation only. Greenwood was over cautious and over confident that Keegan and Trevor Brooking could be reserved in strength for the semi-final. Ended up, he never reached there.

In 1978, Mario Kempes took 4 games to score his first goal, but ended up topscorer and World Cup winner. In 1982, Paolo Rossi took 5 games to score his first goal and ended up topscorer and World Cup winner.

 

[Ramseth]

Italy didn't impressed except for Rossi. They drew all their group games.

I look at it otherwise. Besides Paolo Rossi, there's Dino Zoff, Marco Tardelli, Bruno Conti etc. all hitting top form at the right place at the same time. It was a glorious World Cup win for Italy as a team. And also not forgetting tribute the brilliant manager Enzo Bearzot, who stuck to his faith even after drawing first three games.

 

[Ah Guan]

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Ramseth
It's quite sad when top players of their times couldn't play in the World Cup, e.g. George Best (Northern Ireland failed to qualify for 1966), Kevin Keegan (England failed to qualify for 1978), Eric Cantona (France failed to qualify for 1994) etc. and etc.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Also Ryan Giggs, sicne Wales never qualified.

It's time they have a UK team

 

[Ramseth]

It's time they have a UK team

Yeah, imagine Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish in the same Britain team. The 70s wouldn't have been such a dark age for British international football. Anyway, I heard that there's going to be a Britain U-23 team for London Olympics 2012, cause Olympics won't accept England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland comepeting separately.

 

[Ah Guan]

Yeah, imagine Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish in the same Britain team. The 70s wouldn't have been such a dark age for British international football. Anyway, I heard that there's going to be a Britain U-23 team for London Olympics 2012, cause Olympics won't accept England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland comepeting separately.

Yeah I read about that too. I wonder who will be the coach of that team?

I really hope it will be the way of the future.... More berths would be available for Oceania and Asia in the World Cups.

 

[jw5]

Yeah, England was on top form and looking invincible like Brazil. I think it was manager Ron Greenwood's mistake of not fielding Kevin Keegan against Germany. Until the game against Spain, Keegan was just warming up after long rest on bench, and fielded in second half as a sign of managerial desperation only. Greenwood was over cautious and over confident that Keegan and Trevor Brooking could be reserved in strength for the semi-final. Ended up, he never reached there.

In 1978, Mario Kempes took 4 games to score his first goal, but ended up topscorer and World Cup winner. In 1982, Paolo Rossi took 5 games to score his first goal and ended up topscorer and World Cup winner.

I thought Keegan and Brooking were injured and that's why they didn't play.
It was not because they were being rested due to over-confidence.

 

[jw5]

Yeah I read about that too. I wonder who will be the coach of that team?

I really hope it will be the way of the future.... More berths would be available for Oceania and Asia in the World Cups.

Martin O'Neil would be a good choice.

 

[Ramseth]

I thought Keegan and Brooking were injured and that's why they didn't play.
It was not because they were being rested due to over-confidence.

The games against Germany and Spain were about 3 days apart. How could Keegan and Brooking be unfit for the Germany but fit for the Spain game? Possible of course, but very unlikely, more likely strategic reserving, from a point of view confident of holding Germany and beating Spain. Spain was host but somehow completely lost form, having lost to N. Ireland and Germany.

 

[Ramseth]

Martin O'Neil would be a good choice.

Good choice!

 

[Ramseth]

I really hope it will be the way of the future.... More berths would be available for Oceania and Asia in the World Cups.

With Australia having joined Asia, the Oceania federation has really been rendered meaningless and irrelevant. There's technically no continent anymore, just a scattering of sparesly populated islands. The rest of the Oceania should disband the federation and all join Asia.