World Cup 2018 Qualification Gets Under Way

[Damavand]

Go to 2:26 mark and check out how Gorgeous the Stadium is in Maldives, while in Iran we cannot even finish a stadium in Esfahan.

[KC McElroy]

Thailand 2-2 Iraq

LOL Aroghis!!!

[irani8perspolis]

Go to 2:26 mark and check out how Gorgeous the Stadium is in Maldives, while in Iran we cannot even finish a stadium in Esfahan.

thats not maldives

[TheBoss]

Go to 2:26 mark and check out how Gorgeous the Stadium is in Maldives, while in Iran we cannot even finish a stadium in Esfahan.

The game was in China. At Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium to be exact. Didn't the loud cheering when China scored give anything away?

Maldives play their home match at China because their own stadium sucks. Maldives is bunch of really tiny islands. Even if they want they can't build a stadium like that in Maldives.

This is the capital of Maldives, the whole thing. you can see their stadium on right



And this is the stadium in the video



The Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, at Shenyang, China

[Damavand]

The game was in China. At Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium to be exact. Didn't the loud cheering when China scored give anything away?

Maldives play their home match at China because their own stadium sucks. Maldives is bunch of really tiny islands. Even if they want they can't build a stadium like that in Maldives.

This is the capital of Maldives, the whole thing. you can see their stadium on right



And this is the stadium in the video



The Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, at Shenyang, China

Never knew this. Thanks for the clarification.

I wonder why they played their home game at home when we played them 4 years ago.

[eerooni]

Feels so good to see Thailand smacking 2 back into their ass if you look at the cocky and arrogant goal celebrations of the Iraqi's.

Thai fans are incredible, they all wear their country's jerseys and rabidly support their team against an Iraq which really deserved to lose....

[Kiarash]

Thai fans are incredible, they all wear their country's jerseys and rabidly support their team against an Iraq which really deserved to lose....

I think Vietnam will give them a hard time too.

[Bi-honar]

I wonder why they played their home game at home when we played them 4 years ago.

I think AFC is cracking down on bad stadiums much harder this time and wants its members to meet some minimal FIFA requirements. I don't think we had ever heard about this 2nd level thing for Azadi either (not being used without proper seats) until this year. It would be nice if they raise their standards for pitch conditions too.

[Bi-honar]

BTW, for our Canadian members... We're through to the 4th round after a 1-1 away tie with Belize gave us a 4-1 on aggregate.

The 4th round is round-robin format and we're grouped with Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador. First match is on Friday the 13th (November 2015) against Honduras at home. Not sure about the venue yet, but I hope CSA is not stupid enough to play it in Montreal again in front of an all-Honduran crowd like they did in 2010 WCQ.

We faired better against them in 2014 WCQ in Toronto and should have won that match, but it's going to be freezing cold here in November. I guess Vancouver is the only other possible venue

And Ghotbi and Kluivert's team (Curacao) is out after losing both their matches with El Salvador (home and away) 1-0. It would have been nice to see Ghotbi in Toronto for an interview or something.

Also, the Reggae Boys redeemed themselves with a 2-0 away win against Nicaragua to go through with a 4-3 on aggregate, after they had lost their home match 3-2.

[Bessos]

Thai fans are incredible, they all wear their country's jerseys and rabidly support their team against an Iraq which really deserved to lose....

I hope Thailand makes it through and gets to face Iran in the next round.

Epic fans

[Bessos]

Thanks for all the highlights guys

This is the reason the Malaysia - Saudi match was suspended:

Was watching the video and at 3:26 I was like... hmm this guy looks a lot like Bert van Marwijk (the Dutch coach who brought Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, against Spain) and then I googled and omg....

He is coaching the Saudi team now?!

[mahestan]

Was watching the video and at 3:26 I was like... hmm this guy looks a lot like Bert van Marwijk (the Dutch coach who brought Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, against Spain) and then I googled and omg....

He is coaching the Saudi team now?!

Yep

http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/...87/story.shtml

Probably got expenses he had to pay and needed the $$$.

[nmssis]

Was watching the video and at 3:26 I was like... hmm this guy looks a lot like Bert van Marwijk (the Dutch coach who brought Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, against Spain) and then I googled and omg....

He is coaching the Saudi team now?!

Koreans wanted to hire him but he wanted to work from home and only visit korea during friendlies, tournaments, etc. He was told to fuck off.

[Kiarash]

Koreans wanted to hire him but he wanted to work from home and only visit korea during friendlies, tournaments, etc. He was told to fuck off.

You guys got a much better coach in Uli Stielike.

Van Marwijk has been an average coach who took Netherlands to the World Cup final in 2010 simply because players like Sneijder (5 goals), Van der Vaart, Van Bommel, Robben and Stekelenburg had the forms of their life and were top class players during that tournament. Two years later he miserably failed to get past the group stage at EURO 2012.

[eerooni]

[QUOTE=Bessos;2320802]Was watching the video and at 3:26 I was like... hmm this guy looks a lot like Bert van Marwijk (the Dutch coach who brought Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, against Spain) and then I googled and omg....

He is coaching the Saudi team now?![/QUOTE
Yea because Saudi FA unlike IFF has every possible means available to them to get the best coach in the world. What hinders their development is lack of gifted players like Iran. So basically buying a Ferrari to be driven by guy who just got his license !