World Cup 2018 Qualification Gets Under Way

[Bi-honar]

Well, Canada got off to a GREAT start to the 2018 WC after the disastrous and disappointing end to the 2014 WC campaign with that 8-0 loss to Honduras.

The Cnaucks (ranked 109) beat Dominica (ranked 168) 6-0 on aggregate after a 0-2 win in Dominica and a 4-0 victory at home last night in front of 10,000 jubilant fans at the BMO field.

Much like the Iran game against Turkmenistan, Canada took the lead early in the 1st 10 minutes through 23 year old Akindele (FC Dallas) in his 1st international goal for Canada and after a string of missed opportunities, Dominica began to look more assertive and dangerous toward the end of the half.

I was definitely having flashbacks of earlier in the day, but it was Canada who double the scored just before the half time whistle with a thunderous shot from Larin (Orlando City) in the 41st minute.

But what reminded me of the Iran game the most was the strong presence of Samuel Piette in Canada's midfield whose style of play and ponytail very much reminded me of our Ando! In fact, that's what we were calling him from the stands right behind Canada's dug-out - he even wears number 14!!!

At 20 years old and playing for Deportivo La Coruna B he already has 15 caps for Canada and seems to have a very promising future ahead of him in team Canada. I don't recall the last time we had such a capable and confident center midfielder with a pass accuracy ratio that seemed very close to 100% and extremely intelligent plays both on defense and offense.

On my advice Benito Floro (Canada's Spanish coach) pulled out Akindele in the 72nd minute and Canada won the match 4-0 after two 2nd half goals from Rickets (Hapoel Haifa) in the 2nd half.

The draw for the 3rd round will take place on July 25th with the games taking place between August 31st and September 8th. For now the Reds and their fans will be preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup (the continental championship) campaign against El Salvador, Jamaica and Costa Rica (respectively) with the last game held at the BMO field on July 14th.

I will definitely be going to that game too and the WCQ in September if anyone is interested in heading down together.

[Javeed]

Is there a short-term fix to India’s problems ahead of the Iran qualifier in…

The discussions over the last few days since India's loss against Guam on Tuesday have grown by the day and a lot of points have been mentioned about what needs to be changed and implemented to strengthen Team India, but I feel there is no short-term fix for our problems.
Why am I saying so? Simply put, for things to work at a national team level it takes time, which India doesn't really have when one looks at the upcoming joint 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Iran, Turkmenistan, Oman and Guam in September, October and November 2015. though India will have a longer camp in August to prepare for the tough match against Iran on September 8 in Bangalore.
I had written after the match against Oman an article in which I was critical about the drastic changes in the squad composition that Stephen Constantine had carried out because one could see that the stability in the team was lost though some praised India's performance against Oman, but in Guam those weaknesses were openly exposed.
The problem I feel is that after the 2011 AFC Asian Cup under Bob Houghton, in which players like Baichung Bhutia, Deepak Mondal, Mahesh Gawli, Samir Naik, Climax Lawrence, Renedy Singh and Abhishek Yadav had their big international moment. Other players like N.P. Pradeep, Steven Dias, Mehrajuddin Wadoo or Anwar, to name a few, under the new coach Wim Koevermans disappeared and new players or some older one's, who didn't play any role under Bob were suddenly in the squad.
Squad selection has been poor for the last few years

Now Stephen Constantine has come in and once more culled the national team and interestingly says that he has axed players who have been playing for seven/eight years for Team India. Sorry Stephen but there is where you are factually wrong. Most of the players you have left out, have two or three years of international experience besides some, who have been part of the national team set-up for over a decade and have even played under you. So squad selection has been an issue now with Team India for the last four years.
And what I have felt has been lacking since the Bob Houghton days, is the national coaches ability to judge which players, when they put on an India shirt will give everything for the country and excel, even if their club form hasn't the best.
Take Sunil Chhetri, who had a poor season as per his own standards at Bengaluru FC, but at international level, Chhetri's goals kept the defeats respectable and one should not forget it was his two goals against Nepal, who took us through the qualification round.
POI’s won’t help India get to UAE 2019

Then there is the issue of Players of Indian Origin(POI’s) wanting to play for India. A topic which has been lying in the cupboards of the AIFF for years with no development or plan and strategy.
Now some think that PIOs can be the saviours of Indian football. There are a few boys, who could strengthen the Team India set-up, but even with these new boys coming in, it would need time to settle down.
As I have mentioned earlier, India's aim in the remainder of the joint 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers needs to be to get into the next round of qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup as Russia 2018 is out of our grasp. We have to be at UAE 2019 to signify progress in the sport.
Building a new team is nice to do, but if India gets trashed by Iran and continue to dish out performances like against Guam, then Stephen Constantine has a serious problem on hand.
Our problems cannot be solved overnight and there is no short-term fix, except for Stephen Constantine to accept quickly he has made some wrong decisions and he needs to rectify them in the interest of the Indian national team.

http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/...r-in-september

[PersianLegion]

Is not Uzbekistan that is weak, is Korea DPR that make a great match.. Please put the goals in this topic when is online

The quality is awful since N.Korea is like 40 years behind the rest of the world.

[Damavand]

The quality is awful since N.Korea is like 40 years behind the rest of the world.

North Korea is off to a great start in the group of death. Looks like they mean business like their WC 2010 campaign.

[ali alipour]

North Korea is off to a great start in the group of death. Looks like they mean business like their WC 2010 campaign.

That's a pretty good conclusion after one game. I think Singapore and Hong Kong mean business as well

[Damavand]

That's a pretty good conclusion after one game. I think Singapore and Hong Kong mean business as well

Come on. N Korea has a history of being a formidable opponent. They have made the WC twice knocking us from the spot in 2010. What the hell have Singapore and Hong Kong done in their history.

[Javeed]

Yemen have forfeited their World Cup qualifier against North Korea, a match they made a Herculean effort to take part in, after fielding an ineligible player, FIFA said on Monday.

Yemen, officially the home side for the match played in Qatar, lost 1-0 on the pitch on June 11.

But that became a 3-0 walkover after the disciplinary committee of world soccer's governing body ruled that they fielded Mudir Abdurabu Ali Al Radaei who should have been serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

The decision meant North Korea leapfrogged the Philippines to go top of Asian zone Group H on goals scored. Both teams have six points from their opening two games, while Yemen have lost their first two matches without scoring.

Yemen, coached by the Czech Republic's Miroslav Soukup, were unable to play at home because of fighting in their country.

Photographs posted on Facebook showed the team sitting and sleeping on the cramped deck of a boat on a 13-hour crossing to Djibouti, on the African continent, which media reports said was the only way for them to leave Yemen.

Last week, Barbados were knocked out of the competition for the same offence. They beat Aruba 3-0 on aggregate in a two-leg tie, after winning the return 1-0, but this became a 3-2 defeat after Aruba were awarded a 3-0 win in the second leg.

Indonesia, who should have been in Group F, were expelled in June after FIFA suspended the country's football association because of government interference in the domestic league.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soc...ligible-player

[Bessos]

Yemen have forfeited their World Cup qualifier against North Korea, a match they made a Herculean effort to take part in, after fielding an ineligible player, FIFA said on Monday.

Yemen, officially the home side for the match played in Qatar, lost 1-0 on the pitch on June 11.

But that became a 3-0 walkover after the disciplinary committee of world soccer's governing body ruled that they fielded Mudir Abdurabu Ali Al Radaei who should have been serving a one-match ban for an accumulation of yellow cards.

The decision meant North Korea leapfrogged the Philippines to go top of Asian zone Group H on goals scored. Both teams have six points from their opening two games, while Yemen have lost their first two matches without scoring.

Yemen, coached by the Czech Republic's Miroslav Soukup, were unable to play at home because of fighting in their country.

Photographs posted on Facebook showed the team sitting and sleeping on the cramped deck of a boat on a 13-hour crossing to Djibouti, on the African continent, which media reports said was the only way for them to leave Yemen.

Last week, Barbados were knocked out of the competition for the same offence. They beat Aruba 3-0 on aggregate in a two-leg tie, after winning the return 1-0, but this became a 3-2 defeat after Aruba were awarded a 3-0 win in the second leg.

Indonesia, who should have been in Group F, were expelled in June after FIFA suspended the country's football association because of government interference in the domestic league.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soc...ligible-player

Wow, that sounds pretty disturbing :/ and saddening

[alireza0101]

They should just kick out Yemen from competition. To play home games outside of Yemen is unfair to them. Best not to play at all.

[alireza0101]

wc18seed.jpg

Europe qualifying pots for WC2018 official now that July ranking has been released by FIFA.

[Bi-honar]

^^^ Wow. Imagine a group with Germany, Italy/France, Sweden/Poland and Ireland/Turkey.

[Kiarash]

Germany
Italy
Sweden
Ireland
Cyprus
Georgia

Would be the toughest group IMO.

[Ghermez Agha]

every team in pot 2-6 is praying for romania, wales, and belgium thats for sure. cant wait to see what the groups will look like

[perspolis#1]

Official Draw to be done July 25th for all the confederations also

[Bessos]

Imagine a draw consisting of:

Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Would look funny.