FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifying

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The draw for the qualifying groups came at an unfortunate time for us - 3 months later and our FIFA ranking would have been good enough to make us a second seed. Oh well.

I see we have Germany at home in October. Mmm.
March next year look like the point at which we see how serious we are, Sweden away followed by Austria at home 4 days later.


Malawi got off to a dissapointing start in their qualifying, but Nigeria are not going strongly, so all hope hasn't been lost just yet.

I hope this is America's year. It's time we dominated soccer like we dominate basketball, baseball, American football, and golf.

America dominates golf?

Well Ireland don't look like getting through... Sweden and Germany. Yikes. We could finish 4th in our pool. I guess I'll be cheering on New Zealand again. Who'll we be up against in that playoff thing? Costa Rica? Canada? Jamaica?

Let's not rule out the new OFC Champions, Tahiti, of claiming the OFC spot just yet.

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I'm genuinely concerned that we won't win in Tórshavn.

I am though quite hopeful that tonight will be our last game under Trapattoni. The last few months have been the worst Irish football of my lifetime.

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Trapattoni has quit as Ireland manager.

He was essentially fired.
And rightly so.

His position was very precarious following the embarrassment in Poland.
Thankfully, he accepted his position had become untenable now.


I see Martin O'Neill is the favourite for the post. I just don't know if the FAI can afford him though (or indeed really anyone with reasonable credentials).

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What exactly happens if we beat the Faroer Islands and tie Sweden for 18 points and Sweden loses to Germany for 18 points too ?

Does the better goal difference count then, or the direct matchup (where we'd have an advantage since we won at home and tied abroad) ?

Does anyone know it ?

The ranking in each group is determined as follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
b) goal difference in all group matches;
c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings shall be determined as follows:
d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
g) greater number of goals scored away from home between the teams concerned (if the tie is only between two teams)

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Regulations/01/87/54/21/1875421_DOWNLOAD.pdf

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First Impressions...

A1 Brazil v B2 Chile   
C1 Colombia v D2 Italy

E1 Ecuador v F2 Nigeria   
G1 Germany v H2 Russia

B1 Spain v A2 Mexico     
D1 Uruguay v C2 Côte d’Ivoire

F1 Argentina v E2 Switzerland
H1 Belgium v G2 Portugal

QF
Brazil v Italy
Ecuador v Germany
Spain v Uruguay
Argentina v Portugal

SF
Brazil v Germany
Spain v Argentina

F
Brazil v Argentina