Get to know our opponents in the upcoming Qualifiers

[teammelli91]

Turkmenistan has one dude who is decent. Plays his football in Russia with Zenit and I believe he's an LB.

I know the road to the final round of qualifying doesn't seem all that hard, but that doesn't mean we underestimate our opponents.

As Carlos has said before. One match at a time. Step by step. Plan for every match and focus.

Focus on the prize which is a ticket to Russia in 2018.

[aenima_8]

"Our aim is to win all home games, says Indian football coach Stephen Constantine
Sunday, 7 June 2015 - 9:12pm IST Updated: Sunday, 7 June 2015

Pitted against formidable Asian powerhouses like Iran and Oman in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Indian national football team coach Stephen Constantine said that his main aim is to target an all-win record in the home games.

Pitted against formidable Asian powerhouses like Iran and Oman in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Indian national football team coach Stephen Constantine said that his main aim is to target an all-win record in the home games.

India will start their campaign against Oman here on June 11 followed by an away match against Guam on June 16.
"In these kind of contests like World Cup Preliminary Qualifiers, ideally we would like to win home games. Anyway beating teams like Iran, Turkmenistan and others, at home or away is difficult," he told reporters here after team's training session.

The Indian squad are here for a preparatory camp ahead of its 2018 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualification matches against Oman and Guam. India have been clubbed in Group D of the qualifiers along with Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Guam.

Constantine said Oman is a very good side and boys will be under pressure. "Oman has been a very good side for a very long time. You don't go to Asian finals if you are not a good side. Boys will be under pressure playing against Oman. They have to deal with pressure," he said.

Constantine further said there are no easy games at international level, even teams like Iran and Turkmenistan would be difficult to beat.
"There are no easy games for us, whomever we play against. Oman, Turkmenistan and others will not be easy to beat," he said.
Constantine said it is not about good or bad team, but about participating regularly, unlike playing two matches in a year.

"It also depends on how active and inactive you are. If we play two games in a year - that is why we are so low because you are not active. It is not just about how good and how bad is the team is, it is about your participation," he said.

Constantine said he would like to have two to three weeks at his command before going into the match against Oman because he had some new players in his side.

"Obviously, I would have liked two or three weeks. We have new players and obviously takes time to make them understand what we need but there is no point crying about it. We want to do as good as we can in short span that we have," he further added.

Replying to a question, Constantine said he had picked players for the national side watching them perform in I-League.
"I-league is the first option where I would have to see players perform and pick them up for the national side. If I don't find players from I-League, where will I find?" he said.

Asked if he is happy with the kind of players he has in the Indian squad, Constantine said,"Possibly, we have the best players at the moment making into the Indian squad." Questioned why he opted for Bengaluru to host India-Oman match, Constantine said it is a good place to play but wished for a training facility at par with international standards.

"I think this is a good place to play. I just wished we had training facility. International teams badly need training centre, where we can always go. I would like to see that happening in some point of time in future," he said. Constantine had chose a 26-member squad for the two matches from an initial list of 38 players. "

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report...antine-2093343

[aenima_8]

"Guam find their voice ahead of first home World Cup qualifier

In tiny Guam, a United States territory of less than 200,000 inhabitants in the North Pacific Ocean, a nation are finding their voice ahead of their first ever home World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

The match against Turkmenistan, who they have never faced, will be Guam’s first World Cup fixture since they were thrashed 16-0 by Tajikistan in 2000 which came two days after their debut at this level, a 19-0 loss in Iran.

To mark Thursday’s historic fixture at the National Training Center in Hagatna, Guam’s goalkeeping coach Adrian Creamer tapped his musical friends to provide a football anthem.

Creamer’s contact was Ronan McManus, the younger brother of British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, who wrote and released “Biba Guahan” with his band Brand New Zeros which the Guam Football Association have posted for free online.

“It’s sort of a Hollywood story, really,” McManus was quoted as saying by Sunday’s Pacific Daily News. “A small nation really making great strides. You can feel the excitement.”

Some members of the British-based band needed some convincing at first, McManus said.

“There was a little bit of an explanation as to where Guam is, but once they heard the story they all loved it. They were happy to be involved. They were delighted.”

And hopes are high of a happy ending to Thursday’s script for the team known as the ‘Matao’, a traditional term for the indigenous Chamorro population that refers to courage.

Since the arrival of Englishman Garry White in 2012 as head coach and technical director the double digit devastations have ceased for the side which became FIFA members in 1996.

In 2013, they recorded a first win over Taiwan and last year achieved their best ever FIFA ranking of 160th, a sizeable feat for a squad headlined by Los Angeles Galaxy defender A.J. DeLaGarza but featuring many players with limited U.S. college experience.

For Jason Cunliffe, the side’s 31-year-old skipper and forward who juggles his national team duties with working in a bank, the opportunity was one to grab with both hands.

“We go out to win,” he told FIFA. “We are looking to take scalps. We are not going to sit back and park the bus. We are going to come at you, and you will have to beat us.”

White, who was released by English Premier League side Southampton as a youth player, couldn’t wait for the opening match of the joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

“The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the planet. It’s bigger than the Olympics,” White, who held similar roles with other tropical minnows British Virgin Islands and Bahamas, told the Pacific Daily News.

“This type of event could inspire our next generation of players. It could be the turning point for some of them.”

Thursday’s match is followed by another home qualifier on June 16 against India, the world’s second most populous nation.

A trip to Iran follows in September at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, which could almost house the entire population of Guam having routinely hosted 100,000 fans for matches. Oman are also Group D opponents.

Cunliffe said the home fixtures were a chance to put Guam, which takes four hours in a flight from Manila, on the map.

“We can show them that maybe we only have a population of about 180,000, but when we come to play, we can bring it, too,” he told local media."

http://news.gnom.es/sports/guam-find...-cup-qualifier

[TheBoss]

"Our aim is to win all home games, says Indian football coach Stephen Constantine
Sunday, 7 June 2015 - 9:12pm IST Updated: Sunday, 7 June 2015

even teams like Iran and Turkmenistan would be difficult to beat.

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report...antine-2093343

Did this mofo just put Iran and Turkmenistan in the same level? I hope our boys don't go easy on them and annihilate them. So, they would learn the difference.

[perspolis#1]

They are a large nation and they want to show they can compete. Let them cheer for themselves. As long as we win who cares what they say. I wish we had their attitude in the World Cup.

"Argentina might be hard to beat but we will definitely try to"

[CAGE]

Did this mofo just put Iran and Turkmenistan in the same level? I hope our boys don't go easy on them and annihilate them. So, they would learn the difference.

Hes got massive respect for Iran even acknowledged them as 'the Best in Asia'

[jahandoost]

Hes got massive respect for Iran even acknowledged them as 'the Best in Asia'

Very kind of him.

[teammelli91]

There should be a prediction thread for "what will be Iran's goal difference after this round?".

[ali alipour]

So I guess people have forgotten that queiroz has played a defensive style against almost every opponent no matter their strength for the past 2 years

[Nokhodi]

So I guess people have forgotten that queiroz has played a defensive style against almost every opponent no matter their strength for the past 2 years

Nope. Iran only started playing defensive after the loss to Uzbekistan in Tehran and even that wasn't consistent. For example Iran-Lebanon in Tehran - Iran played very offensive.

[ali alipour]

Nope. Iran only started playing defensive after the loss to Uzbekistan in Tehran and even that wasn't consistent. For example Iran-Lebanon in Tehran - Iran played very offensive.

I meant after the korea game/qualifying to the World Cup. I remember people saying he wouldn't play defensively in the asian cup or in friendlies leading up and we all saw what happened. So I wouldn't be surprised if we see a defensive style against both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

[jonny63]

ANNOUNCEMENT: The scheduled friendly between Global FC and the Turkmenistan National Team will not push through as the members of the latter were not able to travel out of their country.


https://www.facebook.com/globalfootb...34444369930007

They were scheduled to play today in Manila, Philippines.

[aenima_8]

"Al Habsi: 'There are no weak teams in the group'Iran are favourites because they have a good side but at the end of the day the team that works hard will qualify.http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/26...s-in-the-group

[Damavand]

Guam - Turkmenistan

LA 11:15 PM Wed
NY 2:15 AM
UK 7:15 AM
CET 8:15 AM
Tehran 10:45 AM


India - Oman

LA 6:30 AM
NY 9:30 AM
UK 2:30 PM
CET 3:30 PM
Tehran 6:00 PM

[perspolis#1]

Apparently India's Sandesh Jhingan is injured and wont play against Oman. I know this means little but I checked their squad and they only have one defender that has ANY previous caps for their NT. Oman might blow them out