The Road to the FIFA World Cup - South Africa 2010

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Khadrim wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Khadrim wrote:Turkey winning Emre scored.

Could be a HUGE goal.

Salihovic just scored a stunning free-kick. Right in the top corner

I think Terim (turkey's manager) has been sent to the stands.

I'd be delighted for either if they qualified via the play offs.

Saw the game, it was quite a good watch. Turkey are one of those sides that would be great in a World Cup for a neutral - they can play exciting stuff going forward, but are not perfect in defense so their games tend to be enjoyable. And they're totally mental, including the coach, as we saw last night - slightest provocation and the match can turn into a bloodbath. Hope they qualify

Fuck off with those annoying turks, there already is not much to like about them! Any idea what they do if they win? 5 hours of endless carhorn sounds, hope they wont make it!

I think Bosnia-Herzegowina would alos be nice for the neutrals, so its ok too. But they have to make it through the playoffs first anyway.

great to see that Turkey and Poland are unlikely to make it to S Africa

those megalomaniacs should no longer get ANY German support until they start voting for us in the European Song Contest

72-76-80-96-08 wrote:great to see that Turkey and Poland are unlikely to make it to S Africa

those megalomaniacs should no longer get ANY German support until they start voting for us in the European Song Contest

as long as germany qualifies for South Africa I assume that there'll be a few of them there (i.e. the families of the "german" players)

Goal.com's world cup qualifiers team of the round:
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/world-cup-2010/2009/09/10/1492388/world-cup-special-team-of-the-roundDecent selection. I did see the games of Italy, Paraguay, England, & Brasil and those guys mentioned above were brilliant. Cabanas was just amazing against Argentina.

Ray Parlour wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

The Professor wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

The Professor wrote:France break the deadlock

Thierry Henryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy with the goal

Big game player

Billy Gallas with the assist

I see that Bendtner scored again tonight

This boy is going to turn into a hell of a forward I keep telling ya all

I suppose this is as close as it gets to scoring in a big game for Henry so credit where its due.

You keep telling us all about Bendtner and we'll all keep on laughing

BIG VINCE

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/3384934/

god damn it, no way we get the play-off spot now.

We'd be amazing if we didnt lose out on Inler and the Derdiyok to the Swiss and Ozil and Tasci to the Germans.

We just have horrible scouts, we only notice turkish players when they make headlines or are called up to another countries NT.[strike]

What about nurturing your own talent? None of those players were born in Turkey, learned to play football in Turkey, or even played a single match for Turkey's youth teams.

So other federations have to educate and form those players just for you to pick them up when they are ready? And you just have to improve your 'scouting' of players with 'Turkish roots' and you are set? I'm afraid that's not going to work in future. The vast majority of the third or even fourth generation Turkish immigrants in Europe have a different view on the country of their birth than their parents did. Things are changing slowly, but they are changing. Altintop and Sahin are going to be the exception in future I'm afraid.

The Turkish FA is relatively rich, as are a number of Turkish clubs. Turkey is a big country with a long football tradition. It makes much more sense to invest in your own youth setup and improve it, instead of trying to improve your 'scouting'.

blutgraetsche wrote:What about nurturing your own talent? None of those players were born in Turkey, learned to play football in Turkey, or even played a single match for Turkey's youth teams.

So other federations have to educate and form those players just for you to pick them up when they are ready? And you just have to improve your 'scouting' of players with 'Turkish roots' and you are set? I'm afraid that's not going to work in future. The vast majority of the third or even fourth generation Turkish immigrants in Europe have a different view on the country of their birth than their parents did. Things are changing slowly, but they are changing. Altintop and Sahin are going to be the exception in future I'm afraid.

The Turkish FA is relatively rich, as are a number of Turkish clubs. Turkey is a big country with a long football tradition. It makes much more sense to invest in your own youth setup and improve it, instead of trying to improve your 'scouting'.

Yes, improve the Turkish youth setup. Now the Germans have realised another way to win they'll be right over to poach the younger Turkish players showing any potential, taking them over to Germany and putting them through the youth setups of various German clubs, claiming them for the German team if they are any good. None of their Turkish heritage matters at all or who they might freely want to play for given a choice without outside pressures of being treated like a second-rate citizen due to not having a European passport.

Any of them that don't make it will of course not be given a German passport and deported back to Turkey, dirty immigrants.

The German national team is basically holding that country together, hence its that important to them. Its like one of the few days they can actually be proud of the country while waving the national flag believing in a unity that isnt there. So thats why they steal youngsters from all over the globe, and are only interested in the endresult. Dont blame germany, pity it.

110% wrote:

blutgraetsche wrote:What about nurturing your own talent? None of those players were born in Turkey, learned to play football in Turkey, or even played a single match for Turkey's youth teams.

So other federations have to educate and form those players just for you to pick them up when they are ready? And you just have to improve your 'scouting' of players with 'Turkish roots' and you are set? I'm afraid that's not going to work in future. The vast majority of the third or even fourth generation Turkish immigrants in Europe have a different view on the country of their birth than their parents did. Things are changing slowly, but they are changing. Altintop and Sahin are going to be the exception in future I'm afraid.

The Turkish FA is relatively rich, as are a number of Turkish clubs. Turkey is a big country with a long football tradition. It makes much more sense to invest in your own youth setup and improve it, instead of trying to improve your 'scouting'.

Yes, improve the Turkish youth setup. Now the Germans have realised another way to win they'll be right over to poach the younger Turkish players showing any potential, taking them over to Germany and putting them through the youth setups of various German clubs, claiming them for the German team if they are any good. None of their Turkish heritage matters at all or who they might freely want to play for given a choice without outside pressures of being treated like a second-rate citizen due to not having a European passport.

Any of them that don't make it will of course not be given a German passport and deported back to Turkey, dirty immigrants.

I haven't even read your answer, but blut is 110% correct.

Isn't it about time San Marino were made to qualify for the qualifiers?

Last time Turkey beat Belgium someone set fire to the mannequin piss and the roads were blocked for hours. was a great laugh

Last time Turkey beat Belgium someone set fire to the mannequin piss and the roads were blocked for hours. was a great laugh

Ray Parlour wrote:Isn't it about time San Marino were made to qualify for the qualifiers?

Exactly!

San Marino
Malta
Moldova
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan
Liechtenstein
Armenia
Andorra
Kazakhstan
Faroe Islands
Cyprus
Lithuania

They should all be in some pre-qualifying compeition. They can play the games when everyone else is at the euros.

Kimbo wrote:

Ray Parlour wrote:Isn't it about time San Marino were made to qualify for the qualifiers?

Exactly!

San Marino
Malta
Moldova
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan
Liechtenstein
Armenia
Andorra
Kazakhstan
Faroe Islands
Cyprus
Lithuania

They should all be in some pre-qualifying compeition. They can play the games when everyone else is at the euros.

Lithuania ?

They won 3-0 away to Romania and lost 1-0 at home to France.

They got a point v Italy away in qualifiers for Euro 2008 and held out for about 82 mins away to France in same qualifiers so you can leave them out.

I also think Cyprus has gone beyond the minnow stage.

They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Kimbo wrote:

Ray Parlour wrote:Isn't it about time San Marino were made to qualify for the qualifiers?

Exactly!

San Marino
Malta
Moldova
Luxembourg
Azerbaijan
Liechtenstein
Armenia
Andorra
Kazakhstan
Faroe Islands
Cyprus
Lithuania

They should all be in some pre-qualifying compeition. They can play the games when everyone else is at the euros.

I think there is a certain population beyond which it is hopeless. Iceland would be the example. Never going to quaify but good enough to trip up a few teams. There population is about 300,000.

Places like Andorra, Lichtenstein and Andorra are minuscule and shouldn't be countries in the first place since they only exist as tax havens.

Kimbo wrote:They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Couldn't agree more and a great list of teams that shouldn't be competing with other european teams. This way we can cut in amount of international games or perhaps just give national team coaches weeks where they can train their team but perhaps not play games. This has been suggested before so the team can get familiar.

toon h wrote:I also think Cyprus has gone beyond the minnow stage.

Which is an *incredible* performance by them as they have only 700,000 inhabitants

Axeslammer wrote:

toon h wrote:I also think Cyprus has gone beyond the minnow stage.

Which is an *incredible* performance by them as they have only 700,000 inhabitants

Yeah I must they I have been very impressed with them. They have had two different teams in consecutive Cl's. APOEL were quite decent and had some good fans aswell. But I wonder how much improvement they can do with a population of only 700.000.

Argentina is in a spot of bother at the moment

Super Granero wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Couldn't agree more and a great list of teams that shouldn't be competing with other european teams. This way we can cut in amount of international games or perhaps just give national team coaches weeks where they can train their team but perhaps not play games. This has been suggested before so the team can get familiar.

Why should they have to qualify? There's a reason we have seeding.

Every group has ranked teams ranging from good to bad. It's arrogance at the highest level. Why shouldn't teams with small populations get a chance to qualify directly? Because it inconveniences the big boys?

Playing for your nation = Playing another Carling Cup game.

Olé wrote:

Super Granero wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Couldn't agree more and a great list of teams that shouldn't be competing with other european teams. This way we can cut in amount of international games or perhaps just give national team coaches weeks where they can train their team but perhaps not play games. This has been suggested before so the team can get familiar.

Why should they have to qualify? There's a reason we have seeding.

Every group has ranked teams ranging from good to bad. It's arrogance at the highest level. Why shouldn't teams with small populations get a chance to qualify directly? Because it inconveniences the big boys?

Playing for your nation = Playing another Carling Cup game.

People want us to cut down on european qualifying, that means getting rid of a group or two. You could just make the remaining groups bigger, but that won't please the likes of Puro as you will most likely get another minnow to beat up on, plus it would make an already congested schedule even worse.

What's your solution?

Olé wrote:

Super Granero wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Couldn't agree more and a great list of teams that shouldn't be competing with other european teams. This way we can cut in amount of international games or perhaps just give national team coaches weeks where they can train their team but perhaps not play games. This has been suggested before so the team can get familiar.

Why should they have to qualify? There's a reason we have seeding.

Every group has ranked teams ranging from good to bad. It's arrogance at the highest level. Why shouldn't teams with small populations get a chance to qualify directly? Because it inconveniences the big boys?

Playing for your nation = Playing another Carling Cup game.

Give the small nations a break.. might as well go the final 16 in the CL then... after all, teams like Dynamo Kiev or Bordeaux wont win it anyway..

Kimbo wrote:

Olé wrote:

Super Granero wrote:

Kimbo wrote:They've also never qualified for a tournament. They're good compared to the rest though so should qualify for qualifying, not to worry Pierre.

Same goes for Cyprus.

Couldn't agree more and a great list of teams that shouldn't be competing with other european teams. This way we can cut in amount of international games or perhaps just give national team coaches weeks where they can train their team but perhaps not play games. This has been suggested before so the team can get familiar.

Why should they have to qualify? There's a reason we have seeding.

Every group has ranked teams ranging from good to bad. It's arrogance at the highest level. Why shouldn't teams with small populations get a chance to qualify directly? Because it inconveniences the big boys?

Playing for your nation = Playing another Carling Cup game.

People want us to cut down on european qualifying, that means getting rid of a group or two. You could just make the remaining groups bigger, but that won't please the likes of Puro as you will most likely get another minnow to beat up on, plus it would make an already congested schedule even worse.

What's your solution?

If it is the congested schedule that is the problem, then just make more groups.. or the nations with two cup tournaments might consider scrapping one of them..

If you're cutting down on qualifying spots then how is more groups going to help?

Right now we have play off spots right? So we can let fewer of the no 2s get into the tournament.