Russia 2018 World Cup - AFC Qualifiers

[Wilso8948]

Sorry I didn't realise there's still games to play.. carry on..

[lquiquer]

If Panama beat Trinidad then we play the USA.

Not yet son....see above post

[De-Champ]

"Luck" doesn't cost you over 10 games that sorts it out fairly.

This has been coming and to be honest, I think it is a slap in the face we need.

Thailand got 2 points in 10 games! They scores only 6 goals and 3 were against us. That's where we blew it.

Luck can go both ways. In a way we were lucky the game did not finish 2-2. That was a definite penalty for the Thais, possibly a send off as well.

[Giges]

Yeah. It's the two draws away to the two bottom placed teams hurt the most.
Iraq beat Thailand 4-0 at 'home' ffs.

Seremban District...outside KL. They're been getting crowds between 4-5k.
2-2 at the Azadi is not to be sneezed at either.
The roller coaster continues....

Last qualifying campaign there were only 5 teams at the final stage.
This time round there is 6 with Thailand being the 6th team.
Japan & Saudi got 6 points from the Thai’s where we only got 4.
If you there were only 6 teams like last time we would have been ok.

Dead set devastated after seeing the Saudi result this morning…

[MFKS]

Thailand did well. They were launching themselves at everything that looked like a shot. As everyone has said, the draw in Thailand looks pretty embarrassing now.
Confident we can beat both Syria and Panama (assuming they beat Trinidad). If we can't, then I think we have squandered enough chances.

I sometimes wish we played top 20 opposition more. Much better to watch being the underdog. They've raised our hopes over the years. Made us think we were a powerhouse in Asia.

Interesting thing with the belittling of the Thais as being unable to play etc

Look at the way they worked their goal
Look at the way they took their chance

They did what a team is meant to do


They actually a lot better than their 130 ranking or whatever it is and will only improve

Where we failed is to put them to the sword and kill the contest both times we played them

In Bangkok we were on top and Mooy clocked off in defence ok correction did his usual lazy effort and they got a goal out of nowhere and grew in confidence and got themselves into the game

Last night was a ****ing turkey shoot really and we should have been 3-4 up at HT but failed to take any chance

[belchardo]

Oman that was a terrible one.

before we thai ourselves in knots, i'll malay down for a rest.

[Bremsstrahlung]

Wait,
So there's 6 teams in the Central American.
My app has 3 teams in blue (auto qualify- like our group top 2) and the 4th team is purple (like our 3rd place and Euro 2nd place).
Do we play the 3rd team? Or the 4th?

[lquiquer]

Wait,
So there's 6 teams in the Central American.
My app has 3 teams in blue (auto qualify- like our group top 2) and the 4th team is purple (like our 3rd place and Euro 2nd place).
Do we play the 3rd team? Or the 4th?

4th

[Wilso8948]

Interesting thing with the belittling of the Thais as being unable to play etc

Look at the way they worked their goal
Look at the way they took their chance

They did what a team is meant to do


They actually a lot better than their 130 ranking or whatever it is and will only improve

Where we failed is to put them to the sword and kill the contest both times we played them

In Bangkok we were on top and Mooy clocked off in defence ok correction did his usual lazy effort and they got a goal out of nowhere and grew in confidence and got themselves into the game

Last night was a ****ing turkey shoot really and we should have been 3-4 up at HT but failed to take any chance

Give up on your Mooy bashing. Bloke is light years above anything we have in the NT setup and bossed our team last night. Everything came through him.

Direct your anger to someone like Leckie. The most frustrating player in the world to watch. Overrated and does one thing good all game. Countless turnovers, stepping on the fall, heavy touches, poor passing, poor crosses. How he and Kruse continually get in this team is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that we really have no better options..

[plague]

I'm with Member the Thais were better than us in game 1 and last night actually looked like the team that had something to play for.

We are so ****ing slow in atrack. Both on the counter and when trying to create in a crowded area.

Yet starting Tim Cahill seemed the best option.

The Aussies are where they are because of who they are.

It's been a garbage campaign, from a national team that is declining, not improving.

[lquiquer]

It's been a garbage campaign, from a national team that is declining, not improving.

In saying that yes hasn't been the best campaign but and I think the Member already brushed on the followings:
we only finished 1 point behind Japan
we scored only 1 goal less than Saoudis and conceded only one goal more than Saoudis.
we also got 4 points more than South Korea and only 3 points less than Iran.

[plague]

and the Gypos only scored one goal less than Griff in the '08 GF.

dont matter shit.

'Win all your home games and you're through' - we didn't.

'Get a result away to Japan and we're comfortable' - we didn't.

'Get max points against the minnows' - we didn't.

The team underachieved.

[MFKS]

and the Gypos only scored one goal less than Griff in the '08 GF.

dont matter shit.

'Win all your home games and you're through' - we didn't.

'Get a result away to Japan and we're comfortable' - we didn't.

'Get max points against the minnows' - we didn't.

The team underachieved.

2014
P8
W3
D4
L1

Qualified for Brazil

This time
P10
W5
D4
L1

Didn't qualify


We actually did better this time than under Holger

[MFKS]

Give up on your Mooy bashing. Bloke is light years above anything we have in the NT setup and bossed our team last night. Everything came through him.

Direct your anger to someone like Leckie. The most frustrating player in the world to watch. Overrated and does one thing good all game. Countless turnovers, stepping on the fall, heavy touches, poor passing, poor crosses. How he and Kruse continually get in this team is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that we really have no better options..

Mooy bashing??

The bloke failed to defend and track his man in Bangkok for the first goal

Only calling reality on it

The bloke for all his attacking efforts is lazy as defensively same as Rogic

Both lazy defensively and we can't carry both of them in the starting XI

[Macca]

For me, I wouldn't be playing Rogic in these games against teams sitting back. He has a decent shot on hi and wants to attack goals, and likes taking people on. That's great if the game's a bit open and there are counter attacking opportunities. His dribbling isn't good enough to get through tight spaces, shown against Japan and Thailand. And his passing isn't quick enough or incisive enough.

Mooy found a lot of good passes around the edge of the 18 and can shoot when required. Luongo showed against Japan he can play the first time stuff needed to create gaps and I think he has better defensive work rate too.
Milligan is probably our best holding midfielder, but not really required until we are playing stronger opposition who will look to contest possession in our own half. He didn't offer much offensively.

[MFKS]

For me, I wouldn't be playing Rogic in these games against teams sitting back. He has a decent shot on hi and wants to attack goals, and likes taking people on. That's great if the game's a bit open and there are counter attacking opportunities. His dribbling isn't good enough to get through tight spaces, shown against Japan and Thailand. And his passing isn't quick enough or incisive enough.

Mooy found a lot of good passes around the edge of the 18 and can shoot when required. Luongo showed against Japan he can play the first time stuff needed to create gaps and I think he has better defensive work rate too.
Milligan is probably our best holding midfielder, but not really required until we are playing stronger opposition who will look to contest possession in our own half. He didn't offer much offensively.

Rogic to me is a last 30 minute player

As the game opens and space is available then sub him on to exploit it

I think we would get greater joy out of it and so would Rogic

Ange needs to stop ****ing around with Milligan and pick him in the one role not change him every second game

[Tommyjet]

More luongo and the ball will get moved forward quicker

[plague]

More luongo and the ball will get moved forward quicker

This.

Why can't Mooy and Luongo be in the guts and play Rogic at 10 instead of Cahill? Put a striker on who can defend up top (which I think Juric does ok at).

The Rogic Mooy Cahill combo is too slow.

[evolution]

Panama 3-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago.

Costa Rica snagged 1-1 draw with Mexico, they are a mere point away from Russia. Current standings:

2nd - Costa Rica - 15 points (+7 GD)
3rd - Panama - 10 points (+2 GD)
4th - USA - 9 points (+1 GD)
5th - Honduras - 9 points (-7 GD)

Panama host USA next round will be a big one. If Panama win that and Honduras lose to Costa Rica they'll qualify for the first time ever.


EDIT: Argentina currently 5th and Chile 6th in the CONMEBOL standings... RIP New Zealand

[Jetmaster]

The knives are out - Slater:

https://www.foxsports.com.au/footbal...9f952aa8cef3d0

Bozza:

https://www.foxsports.com.au/footbal...4f27e5b04d10b7