UEFA 2018 World Cup Qualification

Discussion in 'UEFA and Europe' started by Italy-Azzurri-Fan, Sep 5, 2016.

  1. Nani_17

    Nani_17 Member+

    Nov 3, 2011
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    From a tactics stand point I agree. I wouldn't use 2016 as an example as I feel Sweden is stronger now despite not having Zlatan anymore, they have started to incorporate some of their successful u21 team. I see Italy winning never the less but I personally feel Denmark will take Ireland by the very slightest of margins. It could be that I rate Denmark higher than many people though. Croatia should win comfortably despite the bunker style of Greece and Switzerland should take out NI fairly easily, maybe not by scoreline but NI will find it difficult to penetrate the Swiss.
     
  2. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Ireland controlled possession completely until they took the lead. I watched that game and literally until Ireland scored the goal, Sweden was nowhere to be seen. Sweden's goal was quite a lucky own goal. Maybe it wasn't a domination, but I do think Ireland were the better side by quite a bit.

    Yeah I get that Wales were the better team against you guys but the fact that your were able to get the result after being dominated is not something to be taken lightly. One thing that I really fear about your team is that they get dominated and still find a way to win or get a result.
     
  3. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I agree with you, Sweden is stronger now than Euro 2016, but not by that much. I mean they still could not beat Netherlands, and lost to Bulgaria one game.
     
  4. world soccer magazines

    Oct 31, 2016
    Croatia
    Denmark:(
    Switzerland
    Sweden:(
     
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  5. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    I'm just happy it's not a Denmark-Sweden derby. I am quite tired of those.

    Ireland is no pushover, but I think we have the quality to take them. I wish Denmark had the second leg at home, however.
     
  6. Kung

    Kung Member

    Nov 3, 2014
    Club:
    Hammarby IF
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    I would argue for Sweden being better then Ireland at the moment but since we’ll not find out during the playoffs it’s a dead discussion.

    Our performance during the euros was very poor but as I’ve mentioned before in this thread key players have left as well as our former coach. Therefore I would say that our “new team” is a lot better than the 2016 team.

    If someone don’t believe me you could always check how our qualification campaign for the euros 2016 went compared to this one. Erik Hamrén managed to get us our worse Fifa ranking in our history. I don’t think people abroad do realize how much the common swede wanted him gone. I do believe this team is better than the one we had 2014 as well.

    According to me we’ve done one bad result since Janne Andersson took over which was against Bulgaria. This was the first loss we had against them since 1974 (or 14 straight matches).
    The only excuses I can find for our poor match against them is that we got too cocky and underestimated them and that our coach had a stomach disease during the days in Bulgaria.

    Against France we played well and got 2-1 at home (thanks Lloris) while we lost with 2-1 away with one of their goals being offside.

    The first match against the Dutch our “new team” barely had a practice together and was on a teambuilding trip beforehand. Not even playing a friendly match before.
    However I would say that Netherlands deserved a win during that game since their second goal at stoppage time should have been allowed.

    When the second match didn’t start as Sweden wanted we panicked a bit at the start while Netherland of course pushed a lot forward.
    The second half was more even but Sweden just focused on the defense since we just needed to not lose with 7-0.
    We also had five players (now four) that risked getting suspended and therefore didn’t go for it at 100 percent since we couldn’t gain anything from it (not even get seeded).

    Of course Italy are favorites but I think it’ll get tough for them. I don’t think Sweden will lose at home since we rarely do in games that isn’t friendlies. Hopefully it can be a result that is strong enough for the away game.

    I would guess on 0-0 at home and a 2-1 loss away but I hope I’m wrong.
     
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  7. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    It will definitely be a tough game. I think more like a 1-1 draw in Sweden, and a 2-1 win at home for us.
     
  8. dinamo_zagreb

    dinamo_zagreb Member+

    Jun 27, 2010
    San Jose, CA / Zagreb, Croatia
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    They played all qualifying matches that way, poor performance after poor performance. That group of players is not a team.

    Record against Greece is awful, sole win in six matches, 21 years ago. Three matches in Croatia, three draws. Along with clubs, record is just awful, 25 matches, 3-6-16 (W-D-L). Greece won last two WC playoffs. In between, they topped group with Croatia in 2012 Euro qualifiers, 2-0 at Karaiskaki and 0-0 in Zagreb. Croatia never lost playoffs, won in 1998, 2012, 2014. I hope this streak ends in November.
     
  9. Ceres

    Ceres Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    Aarhus, Denmark
    Club:
    AGF Aarhus
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    #234 Ceres, Oct 17, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2017
    If you think Denmark has looked mediocre then how has Ireland looked in their group games ? ...I think you are underestimating this Denmark team ... In 2016 the new Danish NT coach was doing experiments, trying to implement several young talented players (like Kasper Dolberg, Jannik Vestergaard, Viktor Fischer and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg) who really did not quite seem ready for it, and he was also trying out different styles of play, like playing with only 3 defenders to see what would work best ... at that point in time Eriksen was also quite terrible for the Danish NT because he did not really have a free role in the team, but everything was suppose to go through him ...

    This all changed before the decisive Poland game ... the coach and experienced top players had a meeting, where they made a final agreement on how to play in the future and Eriksen got the free creative role he had wished for and this all worked perfectly in the 4-0 trashing of Poland ...



    The final result against Romania in the very last game of the group had no real improtance since at that point it stood clear that Denmark could neither win the group or finish 3rd.
     
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  10. cromagnum

    cromagnum Member+

    Aug 13, 2007
    Like Hrvatska is the only savez that is run by the mafija. You should look at Argentina they are no better but there fans would never boycott the national team.
    You hate Luka Modric a guy who had his house blown up by Serbs and his grandfather killed in the war. A guy who was rejected by Hajduk because he couldn't afford to give the management the money they were asking for. Ye a kid who was rejected by his beloved Hajduk because he was not your typical rich kid who can pay money to get into the club. Modric was made the scapegoat by the Yugo communist media who hates everything about Croatia. Croatian media is bigger fake news then American media.Yes luka lied about Mamic in court but the same piece of crap Mamic made Luka's career as Luka was ready to quit football after Hajduk rejected him. Who knows what Mamic has on Luka. You remember Robert Muric when Mamic threatened him if he didn't sign for Dinamo. When Markovic was in charge there may have not been as much corruption but it was still there. No money was being used to the HNL which was getting worse every year when Markovic was in charge. Just because i don't like Mamic or or Suker does not mean i go against my own country.
    Jadna Moja Hrvatska
     
  11. Desere

    Desere Red Card

    sampdoria
    Italy
    Oct 16, 2017
    I think Sweden will get through tbh. This isn't the same Italy team. Sweden have been one of the most in form teams of late during qualifying. But that doesn't always translate to where it matters, like France vs Portugal last year.
     
  12. Desere

    Desere Red Card

    sampdoria
    Italy
    Oct 16, 2017
    That being said from a tactical perspective I think I'd rather have Sweden than Greece though. Sweden have been better, but in terms of the way teams match up, Sweden are more open. Greece are more like us with their defending and ability to get a result.

    Northern Ireland would have been the best to draw, Ireland aren't the same as in the past but they always have that fighting spirit.

    If we deserve to get through we will, if we don't we don't. Fuc k it. We'll see how good we really are. No excuses.
     
  13. Italy-Azzurri-Fan

    Nov 15, 2014
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
     
  14. world soccer magazines

    Oct 31, 2016
    Ireland only scored 7 goals in 8 games in qualifying, excluding the games against Moldova.:eek:

    I'd like to say we compensate with a strong defence but I don't think we have a strong defence really.
     
  15. Desere

    Desere Red Card

    sampdoria
    Italy
    Oct 16, 2017
    I favour you guys vs the Irish. Great result vs Poland. I'd rather see Denmark there than Ireland tbh. Denmark have given me good memories in 98 and 2002. Had a good euro in 04 despite that Czech game and in 2012 upset the dutch. I wasn't old enough to witness euro 92.
     
  16. dinamo_zagreb

    dinamo_zagreb Member+

    Jun 27, 2010
    San Jose, CA / Zagreb, Croatia
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    I don't care about Argentina and neither should you. I care about my country, I care about something that should be mine as much as it is yours or Modrić's or President's or some guy from Split, Osijek, Žminj or somewhere from diaspora. But it is not, it is their team.

    I stopped reading there as argument "Look at Argentina" is lunatic.

    Πάμε, Ελλάδα! :cool:
     
  17. cromagnum

    cromagnum Member+

    Aug 13, 2007
    That's fine root for the Greeks! Keep reading reading Index,Vecernji,Jutarnji and believe everything they write is the truth.
     
  18. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    Happy about Serbian qualification as half serbian even if i feel more for Croatian team.

    Greece is not a good match up for us. But if we play with the same determination we showed in Ukraine we might do damages.

    Hope that Vlasic and Rebic will be called. We need the young ferraris on the wings to get off bench and put fire in greek walls.
     
  19. cromagnum

    cromagnum Member+

    Aug 13, 2007
    Why do you have a Yugoslavia flag? Are you a communist Tito supporter?
     
  20. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    Simply cause as half serbian half croatian i feel yugoslavian and i don't know another flag that represent the union of my family origins.
    Croatia is the team that i feel the most when it comes to football but i can't deny my origins.

    Even when bosnia hercegovina, montenegro or slovenia play i am proud of them.

    I didn't put it to offend anyone...i just have family and friends all over yugoslavia.
     
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  21. cromagnum

    cromagnum Member+

    Aug 13, 2007
    Oh ok i get it. Im all Croatian so that flag does bring back bad memories of the war. Croatia definitely most talented of all ex Yugo countries. Serbia have a good team but not the top class players Croatia has. Problem with Croatia is getting the savez mess cleaned up and getting a coach who can put all the top players to play together well.
     
  22. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    I took it off. It wasn't my point to awake bad memories. I love people whether they come from croatia serbia bosnia or anywhere else then here it is just sport rivalries.

    I also think Croatia got the world class players to go far in international tournaments. But Greece won't be easy. If we get past them everything is possible in Russia. If the bad luck we suffered in different tournaments since 20 years can turn into luck by our side this time we can get past anyone.
     
  23. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    Anyone knows why milinkovic-savic from Lazio is not in the serbian starting XI?
     
  24. Hidegkuti78

    Hidegkuti78 Member

    Sep 2, 2015
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Total mystery.
    He's a top 20 midfielder in the world...
     
  25. Nico777

    Nico777 Member+

    Olympique de marseille
    Croatia
    Oct 19, 2017
    I have just read now that the serbian coach was in Nice yesterday to watch him.
    But i still fail to understand how it can take so much time to take a player that was world champion u20 2 years ago that shined both in belgium and in italia. This is crazy. It is not like the players in serbian midfield got such quality...only matic can challenge him.
     

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