AUSTRALIA GROUP WC Q

[HELLENIC]

AUSTRALIA
IRAQ
CHINA
QATAR

[The Kop]

interesting, will the new foreign department rubber stamp the game in Iraq?

If the existing one advised the Australian Cricket team not to travel to Zimbabwe when they had civil war, what will they say to a dispute 10times larger and with Australian interests????

[olympiakos]

interesting, will the new foreign department rubber stamp the game in Iraq?

If the existing one advised the Australian Cricket team not to travel to Zimbabwe when they had civil war, what will they say to a dispute 10times larger and with Australian interests????

dont iraq play their home games in jordan? thats a tough group though, top 2 make it through to next stage right?

[The Kop]

yeh just checked, they play in Syria.

yeh top 2, then into another round robin group stage, then top 2 of 5 nations in 2 groups make it, the 3rd place of the 2 groups plays off and the winner plays off with Oceania winner for the 5th spot.

seems very lengthy, cant they just chuck em all into 1 group stage like in Europe.

[glasgowrangers]

Well the olyroos played Iraq in Qatar

[delfino_1936]

very tough group. China and Iraq are good sides. Qatar should be the easy beat, but i think it'll be a 3 way battle

[Blue Mastiff]

And people were complaining about playing 180 minutes to make it to the World Cup.

How times have changed.

Australia had to play vs A Uruguay/Colombia/Chile/Peru/Bolivia to cement a place in the World Cup and its

Now New Zealand who have inherited the 5th place play off and loving life by in the event they win Oceania and not having to face off against a South American Side but an Asian 5th place opponent.

If I was New Zealand I would rather face off vs an Iraq than a Colombia/Uruguay and time.

[Blue Mastiff]

Australia has never be mentioned as an Asian country and takes its place in the Oceanian Region.

Australia should have remained in Oceania and should have qualified through Oceania and then meet the Asian 5th place team.

I feel we have been robbed.

[Scholes]

Welcolme to the real world. You complained when you were in Oceania & wanted to be part of Asia, now you are part of Asia, you are still complaining.Qualifying for the World cup should not be easy for any country, Australia included.If you are good enough, you will be there.

[Judge Judy]

Welcolme to the real world. You complained when you were in Oceania & wanted to be part of Asia, now you are part of Asia, you are still complaining.Qualifying for the World cup should not be easy for any country, Australia included.If you are good enough, you will be there.

exactly right

[manU4life]

very tough group but id rather take this path than play solomon islands and co and smash them 8-0. we feel a real football nation and like someone said if we are good enough we will be at the 2010 world cup. rigoni, qatar will not be easy .....

[Piola]

Qatar is the team which nationalises and pays big money to get argentines and uruguayans to play for them yeh??

they're a decent team.

If Socceroos use a-league squads then i can honestly see them bombing out early. Europe based players will be needed at least against Iraq and china.

[olympiakos]

im surprised no one has mentioned what im about to mention

I cannot believe this "we will use A League players for home games" mentality, does australia want the best chance of getting to the world cup or not? it baffles me that this is even mentioned, should we not qualify then who is to blame? such a stupid way of thinking, australia needs to have the best 11 on the park for any WCQ and not just local players for home games because it is too "hard" for our so called stars to get back for them, if A League players are good enough to make the squad then thats fine but it is unbelievable stupid to have a bunch of players playing only because its convenient, is this making sense?

[HELLENIC]

Imagine NZ qualifying for the WC by winning Oceania and the 5th Asian while Australia fails. Tragety

[manU4life]

olympiakos you bring up a good point and i hope they dont take that view, im sure the manager when he comes in will make the european showponies fly back and play and we out here deserve to see them in action. flat out, if we play a bunch of a leaguers against qatar,china or iraq we will not finish in the top two in this group thus meaning we sit at home and twiddle our thumbs when the world cup is on and if we dont qualify for 2010...the progress the game has made in the last couple of years goes down the shitta

[Piola]

depends on the manager

If it is a boss of Hiddink's stature they players will show respect and fly back and play each and every match whether its in melbourne, beijing or baghdad.

If they get a second class manager, Id imagine youll see guys like Milligan, carney and bruce djite playing, no disrespect intended, but they will not even get you out of this first group stage.

Oh and NZ are shocking, wouldnt surprise me if Solomon Islands finish top of Oceania.

[manU4life]

depends on the manager

If it is a boss of Hiddink's stature they players will show respect and fly back and play each and every match whether its in melbourne, beijing or baghdad.

If they get a second class manager, Id imagine youll see guys like Milligan, carney and bruce djite playing, no disrespect intended, but they will not even get you out of this first group stage.

Oh and NZ are shocking, wouldnt surprise me if Solomon Islands finish top of Oceania.

rick herbert has then going well, won both their games last week....

this is why i think zico is the one the FFA should appoint as he knows all to well you cant take this region for granted and would demand the guys from europe to play. having said that, these guys have rocks in their heads....the FFA shouldnt have to demand anything....they should come because they want to play for their country!!

[ozzie owl]

Welcolme to the real world. You complained when you were in Oceania & wanted to be part of Asia, now you are part of Asia, you are still complaining.Qualifying for the World cup should not be easy for any country, Australia included.If you are good enough, you will be there.

Solution scrap Oceania and merge i into Asia.

[ozzie owl]

A very tough draw we will need to be at our best.

[pires7]

I'll bet the Asian teams were even more pissed of when they found out Australia was going into Asia, as they potentially lose a qualification spot!

I thought Asia would be a walkover after teams like Saudi Arabia who nearly always qualify lost 8-0 to Germany at WC2002!

[manU4life]

I'll bet the Asian teams were even more pissed of when they found out Australia was going into Asia, as they potentially lose a qualification spot!

I thought Asia would be a walkover after teams like Saudi Arabia who nearly always qualify lost 8-0 to Germany at WC2002!

yep rice would have been spilt that night when they found out

[Hawkesy]

You have to look at the future of the national side. Mexico tried to do similar a while back. They were sick of being under prepared after qualifying through N America every time. They felt the future would be to not necessarily qualify through every tournament in S America but be better prepared once they did.

FIFA at that time turned down Mexico's proposal.

But have to admit to laughing hysterically if the Soloman Islands qualified and the convicts didn't.

[olympiakos]

olympiakos you bring up a good point and i hope they dont take that view, im sure the manager when he comes in will make the european showponies fly back and play and we out here deserve to see them in action. flat out, if we play a bunch of a leaguers against qatar,china or iraq we will not finish in the top two in this group thus meaning we sit at home and twiddle our thumbs when the world cup is on and if we dont qualify for 2010...the progress the game has made in the last couple of years goes down the shitta

agree with what u say 100%

another question is..........what sort of manager would command respect from players, ok, we have had hiddink and he commanded respect, who else is similar to hiddink in that department that commands respect and players will want to play for him? im talking about managers that are available, mourinho, say what u want about him but he does command respect and does not take any sh$t, but he would be way too expensive, klinsmann? i just dont think he would command respect as much as the mentioned coaches, lippi i think would command respect as would capello no doubt, but these are the guys that we need to aim for, this is what we have to get, i really dont think we will get anyone like this at the end of the day and may end up with a viera who would be good because of his success with iraq and knowledge of asia, imagine a mourinho in charge of australia!!!!!!!!!!!!! that would cause a massive wave of interest

[Missing Post Count]

I'll bet the Asian teams were even more pissed of when they found out Australia was going into Asia, as they potentially lose a qualification spot!

I thought Asia would be a walkover after teams like Saudi Arabia who nearly always qualify lost 8-0 to Germany at WC2002!

Hah... the Saudi keeper knew there was net behind him so he didn't bother stopping the balls.

[Missing Post Count]

Welcolme to the real world. You complained when you were in Oceania & wanted to be part of Asia, now you are part of Asia, you are still complaining.Qualifying for the World cup should not be easy for any country, Australia included.If you are good enough, you will be there.

Solution scrap Oceania and merge i into Asia.

I'd rather they thow all 209 appiclants in one bowl and draw thirty one groups of six or seven, the winners all qualifying (irrespective of what federation they are from)

[delfino_1936]

Welcolme to the real world. You complained when you were in Oceania & wanted to be part of Asia, now you are part of Asia, you are still complaining.Qualifying for the World cup should not be easy for any country, Australia included.If you are good enough, you will be there.

Solution scrap Oceania and merge i into Asia.

I'd rather they thow all 209 appiclants in one bowl and draw thirty one groups of six or seven, the winners all qualifying (irrespective of what federation they are from)

so many issues against it though. travelling, opportunities for minnow sides to make it if they have to go against big nations etc.

[Hawkesy]

I'd rather they thow all 209 appiclants in one bowl and draw thirty one groups of six or seven, the winners all qualifying (irrespective of what federation they are from)

That would be fantastic but logistically not possible. Why would Samoa bother turning up to play germany? Paying tens of thosands of pounds (that they haven't got) and travelling for 20 somethiing hours just to get beat 30-0.

[Missing Post Count]

I know some of the smaller nations would pull out in this case, but it eliminate the argument of who should get how many berths etc. Not a fan of seeding either.

[Missing Post Count]

Why would Samoa bother turning up to play germany?

Then again the locals may be chuffed to see Germany play in their back yard.

[Googes]

What is wrong with the A League players we have got?
Thompson
Milligan
Alosi
Moore
Covic
Bolton
Bridge
vukovic
Rudan
Brosque
Ahmad Elrich
Costanzo
Dodd
Sarkies
Agostino
Burns
Djite

That is just some who can play with many more others and you can include the players in europe who is only playing reserves. E.G. Troisi, Leijer and etc.

Putting all them together can make a good side and for the future of including the olyroos.