@[deleted]. Coutinho is a good player in bits and spurts. Skillful, nippy, and has a howitzer of a right foot. He's not as great as Liverpool fans big him up to be, but neither is he as scrubby as his detractors would have you believe. I like him as a player.

invisibleman18 wrote:

Awaiting the South America results now to see who NZ play in the playoff. Could be a unique opportunity to see some pretty big names in the flesh.

Imagine if it's Peru or Paraguay

Congrats to Ireland. They seem to like the WC playoffs spot a lot. Saw that Brady was tearing into Ramsey's performance. Didn't watch the match, how did he fare?

Leaving work now to go see Australia play Syria. Basically we need to beat them or keep them scoreless and we're through to the next play-off.

I thought it was unfair that the ref gave them such a cheap penalty in the first leg so, now, i hope you beat them.

Clrnc wrote:

invisibleman18 wrote:

Awaiting the South America results now to see who NZ play in the playoff. Could be a unique opportunity to see some pretty big names in the flesh.

Imagine if it's Peru or Paraguay

Congrats to Ireland. They seem to like the WC playoffs spot a lot. Saw that Brady was tearing into Ramsey's performance. Didn't watch the match, how did he fare?

He was easily Wales best player IMO. Got sucked deeper and deeper as the game went on because Wales were struggling to break Ireland down and was looking to take more control. Any dangerous moments they managed he was involved in. Fortunately there weren't that many though. A lot of sterile possession for Wales, especially in the first half.

Asterix wrote:

Leaving work now to go see Australia play Syria. Basically we need to beat them or keep them scoreless and we're through to the next play-off.

That was close. Syria could have easily won it. Not sure if Syria is really quality or Australia is just plain average nowadays.

I would say that if a 50 year old Cahill is still their most influential player, Australia has gone past their golden age.

We are certainly past our golden age that's for sure. We are still annoyed at Fabio Grossi's dive in the 2006 World Cup. We feel we could have beaten Italy in extra time or on penalties, then made it past Ukraine and into the semi finals. Oh well. If's and buts.

We were the dominant team over two legs and should have won much more easily, but we struggle to convert dominance into goals. Yes, Syria could easily have snuck a goal, and had a storming free kick smash away off the post in the last minute which would have sent them through. They were resolute, despite showing the worst of Middle Eastern football with their continual time wasting and feigning of injury. They have a couple of very good players, and were missing a few key ones through suspension last night.

Our coach has had good success, winning the Asian Championships in 2015, and has great success in Australia at club level, but some of his decisions recently have been baffling. He dropped Aaron Mooy last night, but had to bring him on after an injury to Bournemouth's reserve left back Brad Smith. Mooy was easily the dominant player in the game. His ability to hold the ball and pick passes is outstanding. The coach, Postecoglou, also chose not to play Massimo Luongo in either game and he is one of the better midfielders in the Championship with QPR. Tommy Rogic does really well with Celtic and had flashes last night, but needs to impose himself more on games.

@[deleted] - yes, how surprising eh that an Iranian ref gave Syria a soft penalty in the first game. The ref last night was pretty good. He subbed himself off after 90 minutes and the 4th official came on and also did well.

Australia will most likely play Panama or Honduras (please USA beat T&T - don't want to play them). It should be tight. We have a very good home record, but our defence is shaky. Attackers seem to get in behind much too often. Personally I think I'd prefer Honduras - we typically like a good old fashioned bruising encounter. Anyway, I'll be back at the Olympic Stadium in November yelling myself hoarse again. That's what football do to ya.

Asterix wrote:

(please USA beat T&T - don't want to play them).

well, that's not something you hear every day..  lol

Tiny Trinidad and Tobago is more dangerous than Panama/Honduras?

And there's the Messi hattrick.

So Sanchez will get a rest after 5 seasons in the summer he leaves on a free from Arsenal.

Peru it is for NZ. Bit disappointing not too get to see one of the more glamorous teams come here. NZ could have a slight chance.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

And there's the Messi hattrick.

Asterix wrote:

We were the dominant team over two legs and should have won much more easily, but we struggle to convert dominance into goals. Yes, Syria could easily have snuck a goal, and had a storming free kick smash away off the post in the last minute which would have sent them through. They were resolute, despite showing the worst of Middle Eastern football with their continual time wasting and feigning of injury. They have a couple of very good players, and were missing a few key ones through suspension last night.

@[deleted] - yes, how surprising eh that an Iranian ref gave Syria a soft penalty in the first game. The ref last night was pretty good. He subbed himself off after 90 minutes and the 4th official came on and also did well.

Australia will most likely play Panama or Honduras (please USA beat T&T - don't want to play them). It should be tight. We have a very good home record, but our defence is shaky. Attackers seem to get in behind much too often. Personally I think I'd prefer Honduras - we typically like a good old fashioned bruising encounter. Anyway, I'll be back at the Olympic Stadium in November yelling myself hoarse again. That's what football do to ya.

To be fair they had a clearer penalty shout not given before the referee gave that extremely soft pen in the first leg. They also missed at least 2 or 3 good chance to win. It shouldn't have been this close against a team who have no home to play in, with some of their best players killed in war and barely have coaches to train them regularly. Thought some of the Syrian strikers technical level is good enough for some decent clubs in europe. As things stand you will face USA, unless Panama can get another goal.

Typical that the season Alexis leaves us he gets a full pre-season rest. Paraguay must be slapping themselves hard for losing at home against the bottom team.

And the US is out.. fucking pathetic bottlers. Bruce Arena a complete joke saying euro teams would struggle to qualify from concacaf.. try getting your own team to qualify first..

Panama got a late goal USA is out of the world cup totally. Honduras will face Australia now.

USArsenal wrote:

Asterix wrote:

(please USA beat T&T - don't want to play them).

well, that's not something you hear every day..  lol

No, I meant we don't want to play the USA. And now we won't have to. 

It will be a bit weird not having the USA and Chile at the World Cup.

Honduras will be a stern test for the Aussies. Scoring 3 against Mexico is no mean feat. 

FIFA must be pissing themselves tonight. I wonder what their sponsorship contracts say wrt to the USA's participation at the World Cup. Despite Bruce Arena's protestations, CONCACAF is such a joke, FIFA must have assumed that they would be given, and sponsorship/tv contracts might have been written with some financial downside in the event of their non participation.

Chile's non-participation will be sad. I find them genuinely exciting. It also means that we will have a morose Sanchez for the rest of the year. We failed to manage a moody Arshavin when Russia failed to qualify for the World Cup 8 years ago, so Wenger does not exactly have a track record for righting these situations. I am genuinely concerned for this season.