England - The Road To Brazil .. .Or not

Mendonca In Asdas

England have 2 home qualification games left to play to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil , Montenegro on Friday , & Poland on Tuesday , what do you think the scores of those games will be, and do you think England WILL qualify outright?

I'm going for :

England v Montenegro as 2-0 Home Win
England v Poland as 1-1

I think Ukraine will win both of their games (Poland at home & San Marino Away) and win the group , getting automatic qualification, i think that would mean we'd be in the playoffs if we finish 2nd?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/fixtures


I genuinely don't think its going to be a walk in the park , hope i'm wrong , and below doesn't happen again.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24354888

Riviera

I bloody hope so seeing as I've booked flights and hotel for final.

A-R-T-H-U-R

So do I, Riviera.
I promised my three children to white slave traders in the Ukraine and my wife to a life as a diamond miner in Zimbabwe if we don't win the final 3-0.

Feel I may have been a touch optimistic about our chances?

Callumcafc

Six fixtures left in the group, three results are locked on for me:

Moldova vs San Marino - HOME WIN
San Marino vs Ukraine - AWAY WIN
Montenegro vs Moldova - HOME WIN

which leaves the group looking like this:



from there the other three fixtures are:

England vs Montenegro
Ukraine vs Poland
England vs Poland.

Friday really is the crunch night with all four countries up against each other while Moldova and San.M play a dead game. Win against Montenegro and we take them out of the automatic picture. Lose and we're relying on Moldova taking points from them in Podgorica (which won't happen 9 times out of 10). A draw would be OK as long as Ukraine do not win against Poland, something we'd have to do ourselves at that point.

Or put another way: if Ukraine beat Poland, we have to beat Montenegro to stay in touch.

All four can still qualify automatically but for Poland, that's unlikely. Our goal difference is much better than everyone else in the group but Ukraine might be hoping to bridge the gap against San Marino from their +15 to our +22.



Maybe I took this thread too seriously lol...

A-R-T-H-U-R

Seriously, Callum, bet your kids on it!

PL54

Callumcafc said:

Six fixtures left in the group, three results are locked on for me:

Moldova vs San Marino - HOME WIN
San Marino vs Ukraine - AWAY WIN
Montenegro vs Moldova - HOME WIN

which leaves the group looking like this:



from there the other three fixtures are:

England vs Montenegro
Ukraine vs Poland
England vs Poland.

Friday really is the crunch night with all four countries up against each other while Moldova and San.M play a dead game. Win against Montenegro and we take them out of the automatic picture. Lose and we're relying on Moldova taking points from them in Podgorica (which won't happen 9 times out of 10). A draw would be OK as long as Ukraine do not win against Poland, something we'd have to do ourselves at that point.

Or put another way: if Ukraine beat Poland, we have to take six points from our two games.

All four can still qualify automatically but for Poland, that's unlikely. Our goal difference is much better than everyone else in the group but Ukraine might be hoping to bridge the gap against San Marino from their +15 to our +22.



Maybe I took this thread too seriously lol...

That is some effort.

10 of us from work going on Tuesday - just hope there is something to play for and if there is that England put some effort in.

Super_horns

I guess Tuesday really depends on how motivated Poland are as they will probably have to beat Ukraine to stand a chance of going through on Friday.

stonewallpenalty

Super_horns said:

I guess Tuesday really depends on how motivated Poland are as they will probably have to beat Ukraine to stand a chance of going through on Friday.

They will have 15,000 fans there at the home of football in a game where they can once again be infamous in our history and famous in theirs. They will be motivated whatever happens on Friday. I have seen nothing from the england team to suggest that poland should be fearful.


I will be at both games.

3 points: very confident


4 points: confident

6 points: not confident.

Callumcafc

If I took it too seriously before, I'm not sure where I'm at now. Done a 3x3 grid leaving only the ENGvPOL game left to fill in. The only thing stopping me filling in that final game is not being able to add a third dimension!





(above assumes that Ukraine beat San Marino and that Montenegro beat Moldova next Tuesday)


I haven't got much to do tonight and my mathematical mind has gone into overdrive...

golfaddick

I'm pretty confident we'll win both games & top the group.

forzajuve_27

Riviera said:

I bloody hope so seeing as I've booked flights and hotel for final.

Without being guaranteed tickets yet!? Unbelieveable Jeff!

Also the fact that Montenegro's best player, Mirko Vucinic is out injured and their second best player Stevan Jovetic is a doubt means that this should be a much easier game for England. If those two were both playing I don't think it would be at all easy as some are making out both are very good players

BigRedEvil

We haven't beaten any of Poland Ukraine or Montenegro so far.

My prediction is a Joe Hart howler like Green, Carson and Seaman before him, which will cost us

ValleyGary

Poland and Ukraine will draw.

4 points will be enough.

Southendaddick

I think we will win both but 4 points will be enough.

We are sat next to the Polish fans on Tuesday

SE9

Riviera said:

I bloody hope so seeing as I've booked flights and hotel for final.

lol which England will lose on penalty's!!!

Mendonca In Asdas

Crickey Callum , well done , you should be sorting out the countries finances!

For those going to Wembley , hope you have a great time , i thought about going and decided not too , seeing as water is pouring through my bathroom ceiling , i thought i better buy a new bathroom!

ForeverAddickted

I think we'll win both quite comfortably... Like the Ukraine away game where Hodgson put a team out to draw (i.e. Deliberately so we didnt put the group into their hands) Roy will send out quite an attacking team at home... i.e. usual squad but without the defensive shackles

Busterblitz

From what I can see the Poland game is a must win. A draw with Montenegro previously will guarantee us at least second. Obviously hoping and confident that we can get the job done.

MrOneLung

Mendonca In Asdas said:

Crickey Callum , well done , you should be sorting out the countries finances!

For those going to Wembley , hope you have a great time , i thought about going and decided not too , seeing as water is pouring through my bathroom ceiling , i thought i better buy a new bathroom!

Wouldn't bother, will get ruined by the water pouring through the ceiling.

cafctom

I think we will do it.

I'm going to the Montenegro game this Friday. Just hoping the crowd don't get too subdued if we don't take the lead early.

Folev the red

Hopefully us and Poland win on Friday and thats qualification all but guaranteed, unless we get battered by Poland on Tuesday

Friend Or Defoe

Callumcafc said:

If I took it too seriously before, I'm not sure where I'm at now. Done a 3x3 grid leaving only the ENGvPOL game left to fill in. The only thing stopping me filling in that final game is not being able to add a third dimension!





(above assumes that Ukraine beat San Marino and that Montenegro beat Moldova next Tuesday)


I haven't got much to do tonight and my mathematical mind has gone into overdrive...

That's a class table Callum. You could split the 3D table in to 3 levels for each permutation of the Poland game! I think we'll beat Poland and draw against Montenegro. With Poland drawing against Ukraine to see us through.

BowieAddick

If two countries finish level on points is it decided on goal difference or head to head?

Chris_from_Sidcup

I'm expecting 2 wins, but i'm sure it won't be easy. Montenegro have a few injuries and Poland are pretty poor to be fair.

Also, we have players like Sturridge and Rooney who've found fitness and form at just the right time.

JT

Will cruise through.

ValleyGary

BowieAddick said:

If two countries finish level on points is it decided on goal difference or head to head?

Goal difference.

Only 8 of the 9 runners-up get through to the play-offs.

Callumcafc

Good question, I didn't think to check that. Found this on Wikipedia, taken from the FIFA regulations for 2014 qualifying:

The ranking in each group is determined as follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
b) goal difference in all group matches;
c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings shall be determined as follows:
d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
g) greater number of goals scored away from home between the teams concerned (if the tie is only between two teams)


So points first, of course. Then goal difference and goals scored come before head-to-head.

MrOneLung

Which group is likely to miss out on the play offs?

ForeverAddickted

Am curious to know what people think of Wilshere's comments in regards to Januzaj and other non English players representing our National Team in the future.

In terms of my own view I agree with him 100% (yes Welbeck should have played for Ghana and John Barnes should have played for Jamaica yet those players were born in England), International football is becoming a joke enough as it is at the moment without players picking and choosing who they represent.

I also believe and said this the moment Qatar were awarded the World Cup that they'll bring a load of Brazilians etc... players in to play in their leagues (for ridiculous amounts of money) when they've played long enough they'll fast-track their national status so they can play Internationally for Qatar and then be a lot stronger at their own World Cup

ValleyGary

looking at it, its likely to be one of the groups where 2nd is on 13 points. Iceland/Bulgaria.

forzajuve_27

ForeverAddickted said:

Am curious to know what people think of Wilshere's comments in regards to Januzaj and other non English players representing our National Team in the future.

I personally don't like the view that players who are nationalised can't play for the country. It's the players desire that's most important and if they feel proud to be associated with their country of residence then let them play. Italy, Spain and Germany all do it with a few players and if it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for England. Don't get why England has been so adverse to it when these countries embrace it, it comes across almost arrogant which given the current squad they can't really be.