Israel vs. Faroe [R], FIFA World Cup Qualifying Round, 07.09.2005

This is the offical thread for this match. Here are my preliminary thoughts:

If we can win SUI or come away with a tie, I do not belive it is outside the realm of posibility or for the Faroes to allow ISR to win the game. Im not saying a 7-1 win, perhaps I am asking for a good will gesture.

Play the game all the way through, and if by some chance it is a tie or a loss than in the final 5-10 minutes of the game FRO should allow us to score. They have no chance at the WC and we may if we tie/win SUI.

I think it is no chance at all that the Faroe would throw a game for anyone, for any reason.

If Israel can't win both games against the Faroe Islands without the games being thrown then Israel doesn't deserve to make the World Cup.

I assume this is joke. Of course, these sort of things are known to happen, especially in the Israeli leagues when relegation is at stake...

I can't believe you are starting this thread just before the biggest match in qualifying. I hope the players and coaches aren't looking past Switzerland like you are.

Well now that we are past the Swiss we can talk about Faroe. I am very nervous about these matches. Even though they only have 1 point, they played some close matches. Ireland beat them 2-0 with both goals in the second half, Swiss beat them in Faroe 3-1 but it was tight until the end, in fact they were tied with 20 minutes left.

After so many disapointing results over the years such as losing in Cyprus and the Austria fiasco I am in fear of another let down. we dont just need to win, we need to win by 4 or 5 goals each match because our goal differential is +2 while everybody else is +7 or 8.

Well we need to have Tikvah! Harbeh Tikvah!

Re: Tidbits

In the F. Islands the sun sets at around 6:30 and some players have complained of the lighting in the stadium. it is very difficult to see the ball at times.

Re: Tidbits

There's an Israeli network in the US

A summary of what I've read in the press over the last couple of days:

Most of the reports coming out of national team camp are focusing on the boredom and sleepiness of the Faroe Islands. The Israeli players and coaches are concerned that the idyllic setting will lull them into complacency when they need to play with great intensity.

Benayoun, Zandberg, and Ben Haim have been held out of most of the training as a precuation for some slight knocks they picked up against the Swiss, but all participated in the final training session today and are expected to be fit to play.

The Faroese players have been showing Israel a lot of respect, with one player (I think the GK) being quoted as saying that based on what they have seen, Israel may be the best team in the group (I don't think he has a future in scouting once his playing career is over). Still, they are confident when playing at home and expect to give Israel a tough game. They think a draw is attainable but that a win is a stretch. They know they can create chances but say the main difference between them and Israel is that Israel puts away chances and they don't. Still, for all this respect they admitted not having heard of any of the Israeli players, even Benayoun.

The two teams are staying on different floors of the same hotel and running into each other often and even mixing a little at the bar.

Despite taking a lot of heat, Avraham Grant remains convinced that his cautious tactics against Switzerland were justified and the players are backing him up, claiming that removing a defensive-minded player in favor of an attacker would surely have led them to concede another goal and lose the match. Grant does, however, realize that he must be more aggressive in the next two matches and will field a more attack-minded lineup with a three-pronged attack consisting of Katan and Benayoun wide and Balili in the middle.

Re: Tidbits

Yes, it seems there actualy isn't any lighting in the stadium, it relies completely on natural light and between the cloud cover and the early sunset, it was pretty hard to see this evening at the team's last training session (held at the same time of day as the match will take place tomorrow).

Some recent match odds:

Faroe Islands 15 to 1 to win
6.5 to 1 to draw
Israel 1 to 5 to win

Suan set to take Idan Tal's place in the starting lineup. Klemi Saban also dropped from the first team.

Players are a little frustrated and are raring to go. I expect a sloppy start to the match.

Nimni looks horrible.

22nd minute
Suan bounces back from his yellow card and blasts it wide of the goal as he charges forward for a shot off a nice layoff from Balili(?).

Davidovich getting way too many touches.

Too much rushing from Israel, they have to be more patient on the ball as they obviously have more ball skills.

27th minute Balili denied nicely by FI keeper, corner, nothing comes of it.

I assume there's no video or audio link for this game? The audio would have to be in english, as my hebrew isn't very good anymore.

Thanks.

Yaniv is not playing at all...

he needs to go up infront near Balili and pressure the Defence..