[juicethps]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/wor...coach-giovanni

check this out, so true

[NY Hoop]

Originally Posted by juicethps

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/wor...coach-giovanni

check this out, so true

Amen. The bigger nations mean more revenue. They cant have France playing Russia in a play off.

The people running football now are career politicians who dont know anything about the game. The one ray of hope is Michel Platini. Already he has tried to reduce the Champions League and to give all champions a better chance of competing. More ex players need to get involved.


KOH

[Samarkand]

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Amen. The bigger nations mean more revenue. They cant have France playing Russia in a play off.

Kind of. Where it's really aimed is at the finals themselves. The rights are based on TV population, so it'll always be in FIFA's financial interest to have France or Russia qualify ahead of Ireland or Slovenia. What is interesting is that if you look at the supposed #1 or top seeds for the playoffs, they are nearly all big countries (France, Germany, Russia) compared to the #2 seeds, Ireland, Sweden, etc.

A naked money grab by FIFA, nothing else, and football's the poorer for it.

[NY Hoop]

Originally Posted by Samarkand

Kind of. Where it's really aimed is at the finals themselves. The rights are based on TV population, so it'll always be in FIFA's financial interest to have France or Russia qualify ahead of Ireland or Slovenia. What is interesting is that if you look at the supposed #1 or top seeds for the playoffs, they are nearly all big countries (France, Germany, Russia) compared to the #2 seeds, Ireland, Sweden, etc.

A naked money grab by FIFA, nothing else, and football's the poorer for it.

No kind of about it. Already explained above.

Play off secured anyway not that tonights results made any difference.



KOH

[billyireland]

It's bullshit, but to be honest only two of the other teams really worry me. If we get Russia I cannot see us getting through, and if we get Portugal we need to hope Ronaldo is injured, off form or that Trapp comes up with a plan to limit/stop him (if we can do that, I like our odds against them to be honest). We should easily have enough to see off Greece though, and while France have a lot more talent than us, I can see Trappatoni making a fool of Domenech.

Either way, if we draw anybody other than Greece we will have to cross our fingers that Given can pull off saves like he did against that Iranian fella in 2001.

Pure bullshit nonetheless, mind.

[JBigjake]

Isn't it a seeded draw for the groups in the first place?
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/wor...ng-of-the-play
"being grouped accordingly at the start of the qualifiers with respect to each world ranking"
Hasn't it happened before?
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/0930/ireland.html
"In keeping with their format for qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany when six teams were placed in two pots of three"
In any event, is anyone really surprised by this? Is anyone outside the smaller countries upset by this? FIFA is probably upset that China, Iran & Saudi Arabia are out, with tiny Bahrain still in the running.
Ireland currently 22nd-highest UEFA club in the FIFA rankings:
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ra...27275&rank=184
What team would be odd-man out (worst second finisher)? Norway? They only have 10 points & their group play is complete. No other country can have less, even with points versus the 6th place team dropped. Ireland would have 11, after deducting 6 points for the two wins over Georgia.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...condplace.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FI...up_9#Standings
"Norway will qualify for UEFA Play-offs if: In Group 1:
Portugal lose to Malta by at least three goals
AND: Sweden draw with Albania (if Portugal lose by exactly three goals, Sweden must also score five more goals than Portugal)
AND Hungary do not defeat Denmark by five or more goals,
OR Sweden do not defeat Albania
AND Hungary defeat Denmark by at most four goals
AND: the combined margin of Hungary's win and Portugal's loss is at least eight goals,
OR the combined margin is exactly seven goals
AND Hungary score at least five more goals than Portugal."
Odds on any of these event happening?

[evan eleven]

it's true FIFA are killing football, with their refusal to improve refereeing with instant replay and goal line technology. after the Hand of Henry there should be no more debate. Maradona's Hand of God should have been the last straw in '86 but by now they have so many cameras and computer technology for big professional matches there should be no more excuse for the continued refereeing blunders and blatant cheating and diving. how can the old men at FIFA continute to deny such obvious problems with the game? many other professional sports have used video correction of referees for years already. now it's time for the fans worldwide to demand an end to FIFA's incompetence!
who's with me?

[allegrabene]

Originally Posted by evan eleven

it's true FIFA are killing football, with their refusal to improve refereeing with instant replay and goal line technology. after the Hand of Henry there should be no more debate. Maradona's Hand of God should have been the last straw in '86 but by now they have so many cameras and computer technology for big professional matches there should be no more excuse for the continued refereeing blunders and blatant cheating and diving. how can the old men at FIFA continute to deny such obvious problems with the game? many other professional sports have used video correction of referees for years already. now it's time for the fans worldwide to demand an end to FIFA's incompetence!
who's with me?

there will never be replay because that would limit uefa and fifa's ability to effect the outcome of matches. today is further proof. should have had debate after south korea/italy in '02 but didn't because south korea was choreographed. couldn't choreograph as easily with accountability that comes with replay. so let me repeat, there will NEVER be replay in football

[evan eleven]

Originally Posted by allegrabene

there will never be replay because that would limit uefa and fifa's ability to effect the outcome of matches. today is further proof. should have had debate after south korea/italy in '02 but didn't because south korea was choreographed. couldn't choreograph as easily with accountability that comes with replay. so let me repeat, there will NEVER be replay in football

so, yer implying that FIFA directed the referees to disregard the Henry Handball so that France would make it to the worldcup? i do believe that FIFA plays favorites but i think in this case it's more likely that the referee just didn't see the handball. but that's exactly why we, the fans, need to demand the "accountability that comes with replay". if we could all just hold our attention spans long enuff to make a movement to demand a change we could force FIFA's hand. it's not like politics where whole nations and wars are at stake, and presidents have the power to defy the people... football is played for the entertainment of the fans. if the fans demanded a change we could have it soon enuff...

[billyireland]

I actually do agree with you here entirely (had the ref been instructed to give France the game, he would have awarded Anelka that penalty shortly beforehand). I had some guy sat near me in the pub screaming "fix, how much did the ref get paid, etc" from Le Shitbag's goal onwards, and to be blunt I felt like going over kicking him in the face... BUT ...I do have to say it is very, very interesting that neither the UEFA.com nor FIFA.com match reports have a single mention of a handball in them (at least the ones I have seen) despite it being the biggest talking point of the night, playoffs or possibly UEFA qualifying overall.

That's some disturbing shit right there...