World Cup 2018 FIFA World Cup Draw-December 1

[Zidane98]

All this talk about Denmark being a one man team but from what I saw in the qualifiers you could say the same thing about us and Cahill. Okay sure, the WC is an entirely different ball game but we'd want to improve on the qualifiers because we're lucky to even be there. Who knows what might have happened if Syria didn't go down to 10-men. The Saudis according to the bookies are weaker than Denmark and Peru and we couldn't get the job done against them so I'm far from confident we'll get into the second round.

We drew with Saudi and beat them here. Syria should've been out of the picture in extra time after an absolutely ridiculous penalty was awarded to them after bring completely dominated in the first leg. Australia goung through the playoffs was a good thing for the AFC. Honduras would have done Saudi Arabia over 2 legs.

 

[sydney_gws]

We drew with Saudi and beat them here. Syria should've been out of the picture in extra time after an absolutely ridiculous penalty was awarded to them after bring completely dominated in the first leg. Australia goung through the playoffs was a good thing for the AFC. Honduras would have done Saudi Arabia over 2 legs.

Denmark also have Christensen, a Chelsea defender who is a very good player. We can still beat both Peru and Denmark though they both are slight favourites against us.

 

[SM]

That talk makes me chuckle.

For one, saying they’re a one man team really makes light of Schmeichel and Christensen.

And secondly, we’re a no-one man team. We don’t have anyone like Eriksen, not even close.

Why all this talk as if he's some superstar of the game when he's just a kid? Really smacks of people looking at players, looking at the club they play for, and if it's a Top 6 PL club, then that's all they need to know.

Denmark have a couple of other decent players playing in other leagues.

It'd be like saying Mooy and Jedinak are our main players because they've played PL, and completely discounting Rogic.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Why does everyone still look at rankings, any fan knows they're quite flawed.

Peru's first world cup since Spain 82 and playing in Europe. Denmark is a worry. France have one of if not the best team on paper but can be mental short people. We can go in to this World Cup with some hope of escaping the group unlike 2014.

 

[Zidane98]

France >> Spain
Netherlands >>> Denmark
Chile >>> Peru


That's how 2014 & 2018 groups stack up for me. We are a chance.

 

[Restricted Free Agent]

Love any sport no matter what it is.

 

[Great8]

Great news for the Socceroos with
Paolo Guerrero, the Peru captain and all-time record goalscorer being handed a 12 month ban for cocaine use. Will miss the World Cup

 

[jd2010]

4 points and hopefully we don't lose by too much to France and we can sneak through. It's not impossible but would be a great upset for us to go through

 

[Donnie Darko]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(AFC)#Groups_2

finishing 3rd in that group is not a good omen for finishing 2nd in a far tougher group.

 

[SM]

4 points and hopefully we don't lose by too much to France and we can sneak through. It's not impossible but would be a great upset for us to go through

Most places rate us the second best chance of going through or pretty much even with Denmark, wouldn't say it's a great upset at all.

 

[Jatz]

Most places rate us the second best chance of going through or pretty much even with Denmark, wouldn't say it's a great upset at all.

Really? Denmark are a better side than we are.

 

[SM]

Really? Denmark are a better side than we are.

Arguably.

 

[Jatz]

Arguably.

Really? I wouldn’t have thought so. We were very, very average through the qualification process. I know it’s hard to compare national sides from Asia/Europe but I’d have Denmark ahead of us.

FWIW, the bookies have them ahead of us.

 

[SM]

Really? I wouldn’t have thought so. We were very, very average through the qualification process. I know it’s hard to compare national sides from Asia/Europe but I’d have Denmark ahead of us.

FWIW, the bookies have them ahead of us.

Qualification stage means nothing. Can't believe people still bang on as if that's an indication. 18 months ago we beat all of Asia and won the Cup. Last World Cup we more than held our own. Qualification we played around with formation and players to figure out the best way to perform at the WC and dropped games as a result.

 

[Jatz]

Qualification stage means nothing. Can't believe people still bang on as if that's an indication. 18 months ago we beat all of Asia and won the Cup. Last World Cup we more than held our own. Qualification we played around with formation and players to figure out the best way to perform at the WC and dropped games as a result.

Not a very good tactic considering it almost cost us a spot at the World Cup completely...

Can only go off recent form. An ours is very mediocre.

 

[SM]

Not a very good tactic considering it almost cost us a spot at the World Cup completely...

Can only go off recent form. An ours is very mediocre.

Our recent form was beating two teams in play offs to make the WC.

 

[jd2010]

Most places rate us the second best chance of going through or pretty much even with Denmark, wouldn't say it's a great upset at all.

Lol how?

 

[Zidane98]

Not a very good tactic considering it almost cost us a spot at the World Cup completely...

Can only go off recent form. An ours is very mediocre.

We did pretty well at the confederations cup.

 

[jd2010]

Really? I wouldn’t have thought so. We were very, very average through the qualification process. I know it’s hard to compare national sides from Asia/Europe but I’d have Denmark ahead of us.

FWIW, the bookies have them ahead of us.

Australian bookies?

 

[jd2010]

We are a long way behind Denmark unless we get an unbelievable manager. They've got 3 players at top English sides. We've got 2 at promoted clubs. Not to mention the gulf in quality of where some of the rest of their side plays to us.

 

[SM]

We are a long way behind Denmark unless we get an unbelievable manager. They've got 3 players at top English sides. We've got 2 at promoted clubs. Not to mention the gulf in quality of where some of the rest of their side plays to us.

Because a side's barometer is how good a PL side is? Come on mate.

 

[nobbyiscool]

We are a long way behind Denmark unless we get an unbelievable manager. They've got 3 players at top English sides. We've got 2 at promoted clubs. Not to mention the gulf in quality of where some of the rest of their side plays to us.

This is a frankly embarrassing attempt to try and quantify talent.

 

[jd2010]

This is a frankly embarrassing attempt to try and quantify talent.

Because a side's barometer is how good a PL side is? Come on mate.

How so? On paper it 100% quantifies it. What it doesn't do is guarantee anything on field. Just look at England's failings with a better side on paper. But right now we don't even have a manager and we don't have the quality.

Our best isn't good enough to play at a top half club in one of the top 4 leagues in Europe. There's is. Not just in England but in Spain and Germany also.

Just do pure comparisons in a few positions and you see the gulf in class

Schichael vs Ryan
Eriksen vs Rogic/Mooy
Sisto vs Leckie
Vestergaard vs Sainsbury
Kjaer vs Jurman
Delaney vs Milligan

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Denmark>Australia
Unfortunately.

 

[SM]

How so? On paper it 100% quantifies it. What it doesn't do is guarantee anything on field. Just look at England's failings with a better side on paper. But right now we don't even have a manager and we don't have the quality.

Our best isn't good enough to play at a top half club in one of the top 4 leagues in Europe. There's is. Not just in England but in Spain and Germany also.

Just do pure comparisons in a few positions and you see the gulf in class

Schichael vs Ryan
Eriksen vs Rogic/Mooy
Sisto vs Leckie
Vestergaard vs Sainsbury
Kjaer vs Jurman
Delaney vs Milligan

Because Christensen is bang average but is at Chelsea which somehow makes him better than Ryan because he's at Brighton?