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Messi scores three to see Argentina through

pinched

The Roar wrote:Australia’s inter-confederation playoff opponent has been determined in the final games of CONCACAF qualification on Wednesday morning (AEDT), with Honduras being the team to beat if the Socceroos want to get to the World Cup.

While the United States of America were favourites to pick up a direct qualification spot, they choked on the big stage, losing 2-1 to the bottom-placed Trinidad and Tobago.

Panama meanwhile, locked up third spot in the group with a 2-1 win over Costa Rica, while Honduras picked up a 3-2 win over Mexico to lock up fourth spot and the right to fight against the Socceroos for a spot on the grandest stage of them all.

So, the Yanks show Aus how to properly stuff up your chances.

GarlicJam wrote:pinched

The Roar wrote:Australia’s inter-confederation playoff opponent has been determined in the final games of CONCACAF qualification on Wednesday morning (AEDT), with Honduras being the team to beat if the Socceroos want to get to the World Cup.

While the United States of America were favourites to pick up a direct qualification spot, they choked on the big stage, losing 2-1 to the bottom-placed Trinidad and Tobago.

Panama meanwhile, locked up third spot in the group with a 2-1 win over Costa Rica, while Honduras picked up a 3-2 win over Mexico to lock up fourth spot and the right to fight against the Socceroos for a spot on the grandest stage of them all.

So, the Yanks show Aus how to properly stuff up your chances.

Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

I certainly called that one right!

Congratulations to Trinidad and Tobago!

Well done Panama.

Honduras vs Australia will be interesting.

yuppie wrote: Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

Having seen Honduras play twice while in Mexico in March (on TV, not live as the qualifiers were on tv and they weren't playing Mexico) they are a team of little skill, who make up for that with furious physicality. Also, who can forget how atrociously dirty they were in 2010 World Cup, where they set out to annihilate opposition teams rather than seemingly try to score. Not sure that we can claim the USA have it set up for them though. Maybe on paper you look at the situation and say, yep, 4/6 teams go through and Mexico aside we arent talking about any huge footballing giants for them to tackle, but its never that easy.

Latin America has a pretty established history of the insanely tough away game. Going to Costa Rica means playing at a decent level of altitude, but with reasonably hot and humid jungle weather. Playing in Panama in mid-winter (as USA did) means going somewhere with a 35-55 degree increase in temperature overnight and playing in very hot conditions with 100% humidity. Mexico City is the highest altitude mega city in the world. These are all factors that can make an easy game on paper a lot, lot harder.

Take Honduras. They play their home games in San Pedro Sula, which until the recent economic downturn in Caracas pushed crime rates through the roof, had the wonderful claim to fame of dominating every single item on the spectrum of "Worlds most dangerous city". Its a lawless no-go city with gangland paramilitary groups fighting pitched drug wars in the streets, and body counts that would make Rambo IV seem almost realistic. And those fans are passionate, and hostile.

Even with a team like San Marino, in those conditions, its a tough place to play. I dont think anyone beat them at home, but away they got pounded.... lost 6-0 to USA.

How on earth did Panama qualify?! Real shocker for USA not to get there too!

yuppie wrote:

Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

expect lots of rolling, diving, and histrionics too.

remember that whenever new depths are plumbed in international football, it happens first in South/Central America


and then appears in Spain/Portugal before disseminating across Europe, ending up in a TV studio with some ex footballer saying that a smarter player would have gone down there/made more of that

Durhamfootman wrote:

yuppie wrote:

Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

expect lots of rolling, diving, and histrionics too.

Be more entertaining than defenders playing sidewards passes on the deck with slow build up play, barely get in the opposite half, lose posession and have two banks of four back in their own final third

Just been reading that Fox in the US paid out over 400m for the rights to show the World Cup in the US, and with the US not reaching the finals that will mean a huge loss for them. Thats a cheery thought

Alviro Patterson wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:

yuppie wrote:

Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

expect lots of rolling, diving, and histrionics too.

Be more entertaining than defenders playing sidewards passes on the deck with slow build up play, barely get in the opposite half, lose posession and have two banks of four back in their own final third

I may not bother when it is sold to me like that

up and at 'em.... that's what we need

I see another under something England team has made a World Cup final!

budgetmeansbudget wrote:I see another under something England team has made a World Cup final!

Been watching a lot of this tournament. Very entertaining. I've said before tbat U17s, U19s and other levels there is a lot of talent and skill as far as England are concerned.

It just seems to be at senior level where it's all coached out of them.

presumably the kid who scored hat tricks in both the QF and SF, will return to Blighty, sign a £25k a week contract for one of the Manchester clubs, never play for them, and end up on loan at Macclesfield Town, after never being given the chance to oust a top foreign player on £300k a week

Durhamfootman wrote:

Alviro Patterson wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:

yuppie wrote:

Time for the world cup to go back to the US, so they can qualify? I mean CONCAF is set up so the US can qualify, and they stuffed it up big time

Mike saying Honduras play thuggish football. Not looking forward to that.

expect lots of rolling, diving, and histrionics too.

Be more entertaining than defenders playing sidewards passes on the deck with slow build up play, barely get in the opposite half, lose posession and have two banks of four back in their own final third

I may not bother when it is sold to me like that

up and at 'em.... that's what we need

4-4-2 with two wingers as well.

I want to see Hard Brexit football - direct, route one football with a proper targetman up front, none of this tika taka false nine rubbish.

3-5-2 with wing backs is really 5-3-2, wingers are not defenders and should be bombing it down the flanks.