Aron Jóhannsson in Denmark

This should settle it. He belongs to Iceland. I'm sure a call-up is in the wings, especially with all the publicity he has gotten in the past week

 

Exactly. Belgium has been a bit of an underachiever lately. If they can put it together though, they're borderline top ten and the majority of their talent is really young. Running of the list of players they have makes you just say wow.
Hazard, Fellaini, Lukaku, Kompany, Vermaelen, Verthongen, Witsel, De Bruyne, Mertens, Lombaerts, Defour, Alderweild, Dembele, Mirallas all under the age of 27.

 

Nothing in his statements thus far tells me he's really committed to Iceland. I'm guessing he's not expecting a call-up from the US, which is why he said it was more of a joke than reality. But I doubt he was lying when he said a call-up from Klinsmann would be hard to turn down.

 

I do like the line "Maybe I said it as more of a joke," and I hope it's rightly translated.

Who knows what I was thinking when I said those things? Does anyone know what anybody ever thinks?

 

Sciaretta in response to this:

"@BrianSciaretta: @CominWitMoore I don't believe it. He told me twice. He knew in advance I was going ask him about playing for the US. He was serious"

 

IMO, he's just trying to make sure he isn't a traitor to the icelandic fans...

He's pulling a Timmy Chandler for them...

 

Funny because he might be doing exactly that

 

Their qualifying group is weak, no dominant team amongst them. They have a chance of qualifying for World Cup '14 imo.

 

C'mon the kid is European (if technically American too). Europe
was built on being wishy-washy. It is part of its great charm
Also, is it any wonder a 21 year old would want to keep all their options
open for their life? Hence the current situation ("I was just joking" etc)

 

Their chances are equal to Norway, Slovenia and Cyprus but I doubt they win it. But stranger things have occured.

 

On paper they should be regular WC/EC participants but they seem to always fall short of that. They'll have to really use those big names to top Croatia and Serbia.

 

This led me to look at Iceland's latest squad on Wiki, and they have the coolest names. Their goalkeeper: Gunnleifur Gunnleifsson. No one's ever going to **** with that guy.

 

No, their chances are vastly worse than Norway's and Slovenia's. And stranger things have not occurred in terms of tiny countries qualifying for the World Cup, or anything close to it.

Iceland's current population is 320K, roughly a quarter of the size of the smallest country ever to qualify (T&T, 2006 population of 1.3M) for the World Cup in 20 tournaments thus far.

A survey of a few oddsmakers shows that Iceland's odds of winning its group are 33/1, 40/1, or 80/1.

Norway's are 24/13, 21/10, or 15/8. Roughly 2/1. Meaning they're roughly 20 times more likely to qualify by winning the group.

Slovenia's at 11/4, 6/1, or 7/1, roughly 10 times more likely.

So if you were prepared to offer odds on Norway or Slovenia as long as Iceland's, you'd be dramatically outside the market. And of course odds to finish 2nd (and thereby qualify for a playoff) roughly track these proportions.
http://www.paddypower.com/football/international-football/2014-world-cup
http://www.online-betting.me.uk/blo...etting-qualification-groups-set-for-uefa.html
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/world-cup

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Wolf

This guy might And Germany is much higher ranked.

 

The conversation was about Belgium's odds, not Iceland's.

 

We figured out in the other thread that he would have to file a one-time switch, meaning 2 months is likely the earliest he would be available (and we can't bring into the friendly because he's provisionally tied to Iceland). Makes the decision a lot tougher... but if Iceland is out of WCQ and we are still in, then he might take the risk.

 

Ah, OK. Didn't see the connection.

 

He's even using Brian to do it, just like Chandler!

bshredder

 

Arsenal need to acquire this guy.

 

Aron has scored again today in the first half

8th goal on the year

 

wow

 

Is it safe to assume that Klinsmann would hesitate to bring him in for the October friendlies? Would a call from Klinsmann, indicating that he plans to bring him in for the November friendly or the January camp be enough to convince him to ask Iceland to wait?

 

See above and in the thread in the US Men's forum. He would have to file a one-time switch. Bunbury's switch took 2 months, so we can assume it would be the same -- meaning no October. In that situation, he probably wouldn't even file until it was clear the US would qualify to move on & Iceland wouldn't. He can't play in the friendlies either without the switch.

 

You knew it was coming..

2nd goal of the game for Aron now. 9th goal of the season

 

Wow.. and now an assist.

MOTM today