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Road To Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup


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We could, but I think that Saturday was our best shot and we couldn't close it out. Weak red card did not help. 

Greece should concentrate on Bosnia and not dropping useless points vs Cyprus or Estonia. 

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Estonia demolished Croatia yesterday in a friendly game, 3-0 the final result. Croats missed Modric, Rakitic and co but overall their squad was consisted of very capable players like Kovacic, Perisic, Kalinic etc. My point is since they seem to have the momentum going, Bosnia and (maybe) Belgium which both have to play in Tallinn, could possibly drop points there. Thankfully we have already beaten Estonia away, (we still have them at home though), perhaps they can be an X-factor in the group out of nowhere.  

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Belgium smashed them and I'm pretty sure they will have no problem beating them again. Bosnia smashed them as well.  On the other hand even though we one 2-0 I still think they out played us and had the better chances. Even though we were minutes away from beating Belgium I still strongly believe they are a lock for fist and the only chance Greece has to making the WC is through a playoff.  The Bosnia game is the biggest game and we better be prepared because they are going to seriously try and attack us and play for they will be playing for the win not the tie. I do think we need the mindset that we need the win but I would still play to our strengths and think defense first and attack when we get a chance on the counter. 

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Speaking about the qualification through the playoffs, the last two times we advanced to the world cup by beating our opponents in playoffs. We were seeded these times though, if we advance now we'll be unseeded unless we pull of a miracle and with a strong finish manage to be the last seeded team. In case we'll be unseeded though, we'll have to avoid Italy(or Spain). The likes of Ireland, Slovakia, Nothern Ireland and maybe Sweden are pretty much beatable..

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Being seeded isn`t out of reach. If qualification ended today, Rep of Ireland would be seeded and they're ranked 24th. A string of results, coupled with the right nations finishing second in other groups can place us where we need to be when it's all said and done. 

Edited by Argy
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On 27/03/2017 at 9:58 AM, Argy said:

I know there is a long way to go and the picture will be much clearer after June 9th, but we are in line for a playoff and here is how that stands:

POT 1:

Portugal (8), Italy (15), Iceland (23), Rep. of Ireland (24)

POT 2:

Slovakia (25), Northern Ireland (35), Sweden (45), Greece (46)

 

Even after rankings are updated for this round, the pots will look roughly the same. The current second place teams will certainly look different in November, but POR/SWI, ITA/SPA will be waiting in Pot 1. Priority is obviously securing a playoff spot, which will be a dogfight until the bitter end, but, as some other posters have brought up in other threads, it is paramount that we start climbing the rankings, and that may take scaling a couple of friendlies. The good news is that most of our negative results were bunched up two years ago and hold less weight moving forward, therefore victories in the next 6 months are crucial. 

Update: Most everyone improved

POT 1:

Portugal (8), Italy (12), Iceland (21), Rep. of Ireland (26)

POT 2:

Slovakia (23), Northern Ireland (26), Sweden (34), Greece (39)

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Lets not look far enough as we might get disappointed.
Even after the Bosnia match I don't think we ll have a clear appearance of the Group.

Cyprus is the fear of Bosnians when it comes to National Team Football.  Estonia seems to have a momentum and , like Cyprus, having nothing to lose might make them harder to beat. Belgium is also questionable as weather they can stomp Bosnia to help us or evne if Bosnia manages a draw that might send us to 1st spot. Literally nothing has come to a conclusion. The only thing this "1st round" (since every team now payed with each other) brought up is the expected result of which 3 teams will be fighting for the top 2 spots, and which teams will be uninterested.

Something I would like to mention is the result against Gibraltar. Everyone bashed our NT for only scoring 4 past them but Bosnia only scored 5 and in the middle of campaign while it was our first official match under a new coach in the beginning of a new era.

I  will remain with my initial belief. No matter if we qualify or not, Sokratis even said it himself. This team has shown huge improvement and progress from the 16 qual campaign and this should be considered frankly enough. It seems that it's the players' will right now that's pushing them more to try and persuade the qualification, which makes it even more enjoyable to watch and can easily be understood from their coexistence in the field. 

Target for me is not qualifying, but ending 2nd spot and not going in the play offs with the hands down. Some serious ranking boost will come with this aim as well.

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We all need to step back and not jump ahead.. All we have done is put ourselves in a good position to take 2nd place but we haven't secured anything yet. Yes the team showed heart and guts and spirit against Belgium and I'm feeling a little more optimistic after the Belgium game. Our position can change after the Bosnia game and we can easily be in third as well so before we start worrying about where we will be seeded for the playoff lets just chill and see if we make it there first and take it one game at a time. I want to see us build on the Belgium outcome and keep moving forward as a team and I don't want us to take a step back that's my concern. The Bosnia game will be a true test as the Bosnians are much stronger at home then they are on the road and I fully expect them to control the pace of the game. If we can come out of there with 3 points then that truly will change the picture. regardless we need to take at least a point or Bosnia will have a much better chance then us to take 2nd.

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  • 2 months later...

With four matches remaining Greece have a slight advantage over Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 2nd place play-off spot in Group H. Both teams are up against the same four teams in the remaining matches only that Greece are a point in front & play three of it's four matches at home while Bosnia and Herzegovina are away for all but the Belgium match.

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If anybody have been following the standings for teams in playoff position, as it stands right now. 

Italy (16), Portugal (15), France (13), Iceland (13), Northern Ireland (13), Greece (12), Slovakia (12), Republic of Ireland (12). Montenegro would be the odd team out with the fewest points (10). 

Edited by Molon Lave
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On 23/6/2016 at 0:09 PM, RED SHERIFF said:

Spain had unemployment in the mid 20% between 2008-2012...they won 2 euros and a WC...

 

 

Sorry to disappoint you...Holebas, Kone, Manolas, Sokratis, Vyntra and co.....have not suffered or lost sleep over Greek debt crisis..

 

Fortounis and Mitro on mega  bucks + per year in their early to mid 20s and as much pussy as they want were not affected by any morale issues...

 

the problems were they were caught unawares mentally poorly prepared after a WC success...dropping points early...and Santos not blooding younger players properly in the team

Fifa Ranking.

 

As long as we avoid Spain/Italy and Portugal/Switzerland who will be 100% seeded
Ireland/Iceland/Wales (the most possible rest top seed contenders) don't seem such a big of a problem.

With some friendly wins and a mixture of results fron other teams we might even end up seeded.

Its too early to predict anything. I think what we do vs Belgium might even decide if we re top or bottom seed.

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Yup.  The last time around our high seed drew a favourable opponent and we went through.

So difficult to make world cup out of Europe.  All this hoping to grab second and we will have to get lucky in the draw to avoid big nations should we get the spot.  Looking forward to the expanding of the tournament, it's long overdue for European countries.  

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It would be nice to see the top two seeds make it. Europe will always be hard to make it out of though. Unless we win out, including vs Belgium, gaining a healthy number of FIFA rankings points, it is likely we will draw one of Spain, Italy, France, Portugal or the like in the playoffs. One step at a time though. 

Edited by Argy
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Spain/Italy is one seed we have to avoid

Portugal/Switzerland is another seed we want to avoid, probably less than the other though

France wil top their group. Sweden/Netherlands are very close in the ranks with us so it could even kick us top of them coz these Rankings are hell and unpredictable.

Most possible stuff to happen in my opinion in the playoffs, if the Rankings don't change much:

Pot 1 Italy, Switzerland(prob them) Iceland Northern Ireland

Pot 2: Denmark/Montenegro Greece Ireland/Serbia Slovakia

In my opinion Northern Ireland is a very low quality team. We did lose to them twice but I believe we have a very different mentality right now and outclass them a lot.

Iceland seem decent (working well, nothing perfect rosterwise) but they were considered a nothing in the Euro Group, underrated (similar to the costa rica in 2014 wc). Anyways I believe we outclass them as well, with mediocre players like Finnbogannson who barely made an impact in the GSL. I guess everyone tryhards to win them and they get countered. Another factor is that I ve never seen them play vs a highly defensive side. All their Group teams hunting for 2nd spot are trash defensively : Ukraine/Turkey. Even Croatia has nothing defensive to hold the status *Favorite to win the WC* as some are saying. Bottom line I believe that even they are a favorable draw.

Switerland is better than us but we ve beat better teams in the playoffs as well. We got the mentality of the play off winner.

Anyways to sum up. Pots might be meaningless. Especially since very good teams like Sweden/Netherlands/Slovakia might end up pot 2.

Remember the Romanians partying that *we re lucky we got Greece in the playoffs*? Yeah let's not be THOSE GUYS.

 

**Sidenote. Has anyone noticed that whoever gets to f*ck with us they end up being ridiculusly sad afterwards?
Bosnia hyped for finishing first -> Eliminated after 2 games by f*ckin Nigeria. Even we beat them with a SuperLeague consisted team. Sad af.
Romania afther WC 2014-2016: 0 Points in the Euro? 1? . Now hoping to manage to finish above 4th position in their EASY AS F*CK GROUP.

We really are a black sheep.

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about the playoffs, for us to be seeded or to have at least a favorable draw

group 1: france 1st, sweden 2nd. most possible scenario to happen. 

group 2: portugal 1st, switzerland 2nd. same here

group 3: germany 1st, nothern ireland 2nd. most possible to happen too. 

group 4: ireland 1st, serbia 2nd. ireland are hosting the serbs and the moldovans while travelling to georgia and wales. serbia are hosting moldova and georgia while playing away to austria and ireland. so the ireland-serbia result will be desicive. quite possible too.

group 5: poland 1st, montenegro 2nd. realistic scenario and likely to happen

group 6: england 1st, slovenia 2nd. quite realistic to happen.

group 7: spain 1st, italy 2nd. nothing you can do here.

group 9: croatia 1st, ukraine 2nd. the most impossible to happen since ukraine needs to beat croatia and turkey at home and iceland away at the same time. in the end iceland will clinch the 2nd spot

 

so. seeded: italy, switzerland, iceland, sweden

unseeded : greece, slovenia, nothern ireland, serbia. 

montenegro worst second placed team. 

aaand let's make a prediction about the draw too

italy v nothern ireland 

switzerland  v serbia

iceland v slovenia

sweden v greece 

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