Originally posted by Bicnarok
HAHA England have got Croatia again and this time only one team goes directly through, what a nightmare🙂Heres the full draw.
The European qualifying draw in full:
Group 1
Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, MaltaGroup 2
Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia, LuxembourgGroup 3
Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San MarinoGroup 4
Germany, Russia, Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan, LiechtensteinGroup 5
Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, EstoniaGroup 6
Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, AndorraGroup 7
France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe IslandsGroup 8
Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia, MontenegroGroup 9
Holland, Scotland, Norway, FYR Macedonia, Iceland
Group 1 is the hardest IMO Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary ohh not at all easy.
The easyest is group 2, if a decent team was amongst them that is
Croatia will regret beating England now, if they hadn´t they would have not gone down the world ranking and had them in thier group, it´ll be revenge and Croatia will SUFFER :L))
Englang would be terribly pissed off, Croatia...depends on their performance on Euro'08. As for other teams from the group, Ukraine goes downwards (their forwards are aging and their other lines aren't impressive), and we, Belarusians, are going a bit upwards (though our strongest point is midfielders).
My prediction:
1-2. England&Croatia
3-4.Belarus&Ukraine
5.Kazakhstan
6.Andorra
Though it depends on many factors.
Croatia will regret beating England? are you off your meds or something. Yeah am sure a team regrets beating another team, a team as big a name as England pffft,
Originally posted by Slay
Should be no problem for us to qualify. Might have some trouble with Scotland though.
haha have a word mate, You guys did give us a thumping last time round, 6-0. That was when we had a silly German in charge of the team and we were really shit. We dod beat you guys 1-0 on the saturday tho.
Its a hard group to decide between, Iceland are alright and Norway are a tough team to get round, think we beat them 2-1 over there last world cup qualifiers.
Its a shame there is only 5 teams in the group, i wanted to go to 2 more games but ah well. Trip to Holland and Macedonia on the cards for me then, dont like the idea of going to iceland and Norway, hear its expeeensive.
Now it says the best 4 runners up from the groups will go into the playoffs. How will it work for Group 9 runner up? it can't go down to points as we would have had 2 less games. Perhaps on how much wins you have had?
Discos - hey....Scots are going to A-F-R-I-C-A *to the tune of we are going to Ibiza*
oh back to England's group, I am glad they have got Ukraine, its a hard place to travel to. Croatia will give them a good run again but I just wish England got either Portugal, France or Italy...or even Germany for someone to give them a right stuffing and get their eyes open even more.
Depending on Scottish Fixtures I think I might go to the Croatia game at Wembley,
Originally posted by Discos
haha have a word mate, You guys did give us a thumping last time round, 6-0. That was when we had a silly German in charge of the team and we were really shit.
You are now actually benefiting from the "that silly German´s" (who won the European cup with Germany) work actually. Most the players who did so well for Scotland he brought in, the system he brought in, ok the psychological work was done by the current Manager. But lets give credit were its due, Scotland arn´t unsuccessful because they have no decent players, not due to this manager and that.
Scotland will get stuffed again by Holland by the was, in both games.
Originally posted by Bicnarok
You are now actually benefiting from the "that silly German´s" (who won the European cup with Germany) work actually. Most the players who did so well for Scotland he brought in, the system he brought in, ok the psychological work was done by the current Manager. But lets give credit were its due, Scotland arn´t unsuccessful because they have no decent players, not due to this manager and that.Scotland will get stuffed again by Holland by the was, in both games.
The "psychological work" was started by Walter Smith. Mcleish just took over the reins.
I don't quite understand "Scotland arn´t unsuccessful because they have no decent players, not due to this manager and that."
😕
Originally posted by Victor Von Doom
Considering you only have one good player, probably yes.
But we are somehow pwned the Dutch without Hleb, and our U21 team are leading in their group at U21Euro championship.
Our goalkeeper, Yuri Zhevnov, is quite good. Though he plays in Russian championship, he seems at times better than those who occupy the most troublesome line of English team (the day you find good goalkeeper, England, is the day you'll actually win somthing impressive).
Ukrainians are in a little better situation, but they have an aging team and forwards are their only line worth talking (and it's only Voronin, as Shevchenko is just an overrated big name who shined back in a day by now). In fact looking realistically third place is the best we can hope (unless we go borrow some luck from our Russian neighbours).
The same problem is with Ukraine- those two teams are aging with no young stars (at least in case of the Ukrainians) while we have nice U21 team. Though there's no new Hleb so far, but some of our young players receive attention from clubs like Hamburg. We're not Croatia but we're not Andorra either🙂
Originally posted by Charlotte DeBel
But we are somehow pwned the Dutch without Hleb, and our U21 team are leading in their group at U21Euro championship.
Our goalkeeper, Yuri Zhevnov, is quite good. Though he plays in Russian championship, he seems at times better than those who occupy the most troublesome line of English team (the day you find good goalkeeper, England, is the day you'll actually win somthing impressive).Ukrainians are in a little better situation, but they have an aging team and forwards are their only line worth talking (and it's only Voronin, as Shevchenko is just an overrated big name who shined back in a day by now). In fact looking realistically third place is the best we can hope (unless we go borrow some luck from our Russian neighbours).
Holland didn't care about that match, and Hleb played until half time.
Hleb is probably my favourite player, though.
Originally posted by Victor Von Doom
Holland didn't care about that match, and Hleb played until half time.Hleb is probably my favourite player, though.
But out two goals were scored AFTER that half time, and Hleb got his trauma during the training session before the match (so his performance in the first part of the match was quite poor). So he didn't participate in scoring those.
And since that match wasn't deciding and we've already got our portion of shame, our manager didin't resist the temptation to see how our team would play without Hleb.
Hleb is cool, though. The first Belarusian soccer player who is known worldwide. Hleb forever! Arsenal forever!
Originally posted by Charlotte DeBel
But out two goals were scored AFTER that half time, and Hleb got his trauma during the training session before the match (so his performance in the first part of the match was quite poor). So he didn't participate in scoring those.
No, but the fact remains that the game was meaningless to Holland. Not to disrespect Belarus; it's the same as Germany letting Czech Republic walk over them- it didn't make the Czechs shit.
Originally posted by Charlotte DeBel
Hleb is cool, though. The first Belarusian soccer player who is known worldwide. Hleb forever! Arsenal forever!
If the man learns to shoot properly he'll be in the world's top few players.
Czech team is pretty scary one...at least it used to be that- so they at least have glorious past when we have nothing and managed to lose to damn Luxembourg recently (the amouth of shit poured both on team and the manager after that was unbelieveable). And for us it was only the second victory over Holland in our history- first one happened in 1995.
Yes, that's Hleb's weak point.
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I've visited some Kazakhstan soccer forums recently. They are pretty much pissed off since foreigners (not exUSSR ones) believe everything said in that crappy Borat comedy about Kazakhstan.
Though their team is pretty weak, second-rate Russian clubs are ashievment for their team's players.
In fact we, Belarusians, have all chances to become third in our group- Ukraine is aging team (and they were autogoal-happy in their last match against France).