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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 6, 2004 4:13:33 GMT -5
This is the thread to talk about all the respective World Cup qualifiers, so this thread should go for a while.
Albania beat Greece 2-1. I think the Greeks took them lightly, and they are still on holiday chasing the women on the beach and not thinking about football, but they are celebrating in Tirana.
"Calamity" James showed some of his howler capabilities, but the Austrians were good enough to get a draw, though I didn't think they would.
Sweden 7-0, not a great test for their next match.
Norway we should have held on for a draw, and this was the best time to play Italy, but the Italians have the wood on us and it showed again, just have to win the next match on Wednesday.
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Post by ILR on Sept 6, 2004 5:58:25 GMT -5
James  We know exactly what he's like and Sven wants to play him again on Wednesday. There was a misunderstanding when Steven Gerrard was taken off and he made some strange tactical substitutions. He's losing it  |
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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 6, 2004 6:12:28 GMT -5
It's not as if the England team is that great anyway, but the line of goalkeepers isn't that high, unlike the midfield.
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Post by ILR on Sept 6, 2004 6:16:46 GMT -5
Bring in Paul Robinson!
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Post by Francine on Sept 6, 2004 7:32:57 GMT -5
Holland is playing the Czech republic yet again, on wednesday. Wonder if we'll win this time, last three meetings ended in a draw or victory for the Czechs. But Nedved an Poborsky aren't playing, so v. Basten might end up being the first national coach actually getting some praise.
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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 6, 2004 10:15:17 GMT -5
Dutch national coaches never get praise. I remember they still gave plenty of shit to Rinus Michels when he won Euro 88, and then they called him back again.
Van Basten is a huge name and I wonder if Johan the Great will continue to criticise the national team?
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 6, 2004 12:18:26 GMT -5
Sweden vs. Croatia  I bet the Croatians will trash talk Zlatan to a red card. |
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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 6, 2004 12:22:27 GMT -5
Sweden vs. Croatia I bet the Croatians will trash talk Zlatan to a red card. Worried about that match are we? Then again if Selakovic was playing they could do the same thing and also with Lucic. They will be aware of Zlatan, that goal he scored for Ajax was brilliant, big guys shouldn't have that much technique, look we have the clown Carew, who has got better, but he is a poor imitation. |
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 7, 2004 0:59:23 GMT -5
Worried about that match are we? Then again if Selakovic was playing they could do the same thing and also with Lucic. They will be aware of Zlatan, that goal he scored for Ajax was brilliant, big guys shouldn't have that much technique, look we have the clown Carew, who has got better, but he is a poor imitation. Lucic will play, but he's too cool to be provoked. Didn't you know the Swedish national team coaches hate Selakovic and almost never pick him and when they do they treat him like  . It's weird because he's always done well in the national team. And yes we are a bit worried. |
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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 7, 2004 1:10:29 GMT -5
Lucic will play, but he's too cool to be provoked. Didn't you know the Swedish national team coaches hate Selakovic and almost never pick him and when they do they treat him like . It's weird because he's always done well in the national team. And yes we are a bit worried. So I wonder why they hate Selakovic? I mean he is one of my best players in the Championship Manager game, and he does have plenty of talent, it's strange and it's good that the Swedes have a multicultural team, even the Norwegians are almost following suit. I would love a Sami in the national team provided he is good enough. It will be tough game and the Cro's will try and dirty tricks. Aphex, you should read the General tennis thread and the idiot interviews, I just posted one with Larsson. |
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Post by Francine on Sept 7, 2004 3:15:07 GMT -5
Van Basten is a huge name and I wonder if Johan the Great will continue to criticise the national team? If it wasn't for Johan the Great, v. Basten wouldn't be national coach. But no, he'll propbaly never stop critisizing (although he does it in a very polite manner) because of what happened in '90 and '94 when he was denied the position himself. |
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Post by Rassklovn on Sept 8, 2004 11:48:18 GMT -5
Johan the Great can't help himself to criticise the national team, though to be fair in many cases he is right.
The Dutch have many talented players, but too many egos that don't always work together. Euro 88 was no way a better team than the Dutch sides of the 70s, but they couldn't win for some reason.
It'll be interesting to see how they go against the Czechs.
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Post by Francine on Sept 8, 2004 15:24:16 GMT -5
the Dutchies won , go Marco ;D
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 8, 2004 15:58:50 GMT -5
Beckham ready to fill Gerrard's England boots
Fri 3 September, 2004 16:23
By Trevor Huggins
VIENNA, Sept 3 (Reuters) - England captain David Beckham is ready to step into Steven Gerrard's central midfield role for the World Cup Group Six qualifier in Austria on Saturday.
Gerrard is doubtful with a groin injury but Beckham told a news conference on Friday he would be happy to tuck in from his usual England role on the right to fill the gap.
"I usually play in centre midfield for my club Real Madrid and it's a position I'm confident and comfortable in," he said.
Beckham said England could also cover for striker Wayne Rooney, one of their best performers at Euro 2004 but sidelined since the tournament with a foot injury.
"We have Jermain Defoe and Alan Smith who can do that job too. It's great to see young talent coming in," added Beckham, who set England a minimum target of four points from the Austria game and one against Poland in Chorzow on Wednesday.
"Qualifying for the finals is the most important thing now, hopefully the summer is out of the way and in the past," he said of the team's Euro 2004 campaign.
"In the last couple of competitions we haven't gone as far as we expected," Beckham said. "With the talent we've got in the team we should get further and hopefully in Germany it's going to be our year.
"I don't lie when I sit here and say I do believe we can win a competition."
Beckham was on the same wavelength as manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
GETTING SERIOUS
Though the Swede said last month's 3-0 friendly win over Ukraine was serious, Eriksson told a news conference on Friday: "Now it's more serious. It's about getting points and qualifying for the World Cup. My dream is the same as yours, to play the final of a big tournament and hopefully win it."
England face an Austria side who are ranked 90th in the world and lost 3-1 to 2006 hosts Germany in a friendly last month but Eriksson is not under-estimating them.
"It's going to be a real challenge. As long as I've been in charge of England, we've never had an easy qualification game. We thought maybe it would be easy against Albania, who are not a hugely famous football nation, but it wasn't.
"We had to fight and we were a little bit lucky as well," he said of the World Cup qualifier in 2001. England eventually won 3-1 but could easily have drawn 2-2 after the hosts had a stoppage-time equaliser disallowed.
"I expect a very difficult game. We are maybe the favourites, but Austria have nothing to lose," Eriksson said.
Criticised by the British media in the wake of Euro 2004, Eriksson did not want to discuss his future if the next two games ended in disappointment.
"I've never thought my destiny be written in Austria and Poland," he said.
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 8, 2004 19:30:56 GMT -5
 Sweden lost to Croatia 0-1. The Spanish ref disallowed a Swedish equaliser when the Croatian goalie dropped the ball into is own net. Zlatan touched the keeper that's why it was not allowed. Problem is he did it after the goalie had already dropped the ball, so costly wrong reffing  . There was also almost a fist fight after a Croatian dive when Mellberg went totally mental  . Well at least some fun in an otherwise boring game which the Croats got to where they wanted. All in all a not very nice 24 hours for us Swedish sports fans. In fact :red:
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Post by ILR on Sept 11, 2004 9:28:47 GMT -5
Whew, so I finally get online (more about that in the chat thread) Confgrats to the England boys ;D Not convinving but a win is a win. Looks like Rio and Campbell will be back soon which is a bit of a disappointment personally  But nevermind. A great goal from Defoe, nice to see him get a chance and put one away like that. Congrats indeed....bring on Wales....Savage suspended. Nice bit of luck there, couldn't have happened to a nicer man..... |
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Post by Slaughterhouse on Sept 12, 2004 9:02:05 GMT -5
Bad results for Sweden losing at home to Croatia, it just means they will have to do the business in Croatia, but fortunately for the Swedes, they are in a fairly easy group.
Norway have started poorly 1 point when they should have 4. The loss against Italy was hard, but drawing with Belarus at home is a bad result, and the Norwegian fans gave the team the chamber music when they left the field.
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 12, 2004 9:51:15 GMT -5
"The chamber music" That's what the Swedish ice-hockey team got after their loss to the Czech Republic. |
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Post by Slaughterhouse on Sept 12, 2004 9:58:33 GMT -5
"The chamber music"  That's what the Swedish ice-hockey team got after their loss to the Czech Republic. Didn't see the game, but I saw the result and I wouldn't expect anything less after losing 6-1. I mean I like the Czechs, the country, the girls yum yum and the beer, but that's a hiding. "Chamber music or the chorus music" is what I like to call it, when teams haven't performed up to task. Norway has to beat Slovenia and Scotland at home, at least they are not playing primitive football these days. |
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 12, 2004 11:04:29 GMT -5
Isn't Åge Hareide Norway's coach these days? And isn't he more "Rosenborg" than "Drillo"?
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Post by Slaughterhouse on Sept 12, 2004 11:13:25 GMT -5
Isn't Åge Hareide Norway's coach these days? And isn't he more "Rosenborg" than "Drillo"? Yes, Hareide is the coach, but the former coach Semb was Rosenborg through and through. Hareide coached Helsingborg I think or was it Brondby? "Drillo" was shocking, the thing was as a player, he was quite technical and then he plays the old primitive football. Don't get me wrong I don't expect the Norwegian team to play neat triangles, but I think after 2 passes along the ground, before I can let rip an ole isn't that hard to ask. |
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 12, 2004 11:46:57 GMT -5
Hareide coached both Bröndby and Helsingborg. And I think he was champ in both countries. At least he was in Sweden.
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Post by fatboy aphex on Sept 12, 2004 12:07:46 GMT -5
Oops, sorry he was fired from Bröbdby, but didn't he win the Norwegian Championships with Rosenborg?
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Post by fatboy aphex on Oct 9, 2004 12:08:21 GMT -5
Sweden beat Hungary 3-0 at home.
Calvin Klein guy, THE Henrik and Anders Svensson scored. Sweden was pretty superiour all the way. They played nice attacking football but not great. Allbäck was probably best on the pitch. Svensson's goal was a beauty. Iceland away on Wednesday next.
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Post by Patrik Sjöberg on Oct 9, 2004 18:04:04 GMT -5
Ah some very interesting results from the World Cup qualifiers. Norway beating Scotland 1-0 away helps after the team got the chorus music from the fans in the Belarus match, that and the Slovenes win 1-0 against Italy makes things interesting in that group. I wonder if Wed will reveal more or just make it more confusing.
:lmao: :lmao: Liechteinstein drawing with Portugal 2-2 after being 2-0 down.
Poland beating Austria 3-1 away, the Greeks drawing with Ukraine.
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Post by Francine on Oct 10, 2004 11:21:35 GMT -5
Dutch. 2-2 in Macedonia. The van Basten-magic is obviously gone.
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Post by ILR on Oct 10, 2004 13:04:24 GMT -5
woohoo  Comfortable match really. Robbie Savage providing his comments was....interested |
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Post by fatboy aphex on Oct 11, 2004 0:53:26 GMT -5
Portugal  Liechtenstein And way to go Bulgaria!  (2-2 vs. Croatia)
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Post by fatboy aphex on Oct 13, 2004 15:58:18 GMT -5
Iceland lost to Sweden 1-4. Henrik 'Henke' Larsson 2, Marcus 'Mackan' Allbäck and Christian 'Chippen' Wilhelmsson scored for Sweden. Eidur 'Son of Arnor' Gudjonsen(I don't know his nickname ) scored for Iceland. Sweden scored on all of their chances in the first half. In the second the game got ugly and Larsson was subbed due to an injury. Why Calvin Klein-guy left I don't know. Maybe he chickened out from the dirty work?  |
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Post by fatboy aphex on Oct 13, 2004 16:02:37 GMT -5
btw: here's a link if you want to go nuts and check out all WC qualies results from around the world. www.fifaworldcup.com |
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We know exactly what he's like and Sven wants to play him again on Wednesday. There was a misunderstanding when Steven Gerrard was taken off and he made some strange tactical substitutions. He's losing it 
Sweden lost to Croatia 0-1. The Spanish ref disallowed a Swedish equaliser when the Croatian goalie dropped the ball into is own net. Zlatan touched the keeper that's why it was not allowed. Problem is he did it after the goalie had already dropped the ball, so costly wrong reffing 
But nevermind. A great goal from Defoe, nice to see him get a chance and put one away like that. Congrats indeed....bring on Wales....Savage suspended. Nice bit of luck there, couldn't have happened to a nicer man.....
Liechtenstein
