World Cup 2022 Qualifiers

I assume Azerbaijan canโ€™t host home games with the ongoing conflict. Might want to get that โ€œawayโ€ game first and then maybe inconvenience out group rivals later. Like when we got Georgia away in Mainz

Serbia are like the great football nations of Eastern Europe - in decline .

A lot of them are suffering from declining population , no immigration , cash strapped association and lack of investment.

That said hard to Ireland finish above them

well - that may change tho as i think things have settled
Maccabi Tel aviv played Qarabag in the Ali Sami Yem stadium or Fatih Terim is it called now last week as the game couldnt be played in Baku
Thats in the Asian Europa league group comprising of Sivasspor/Mac TA and Qarabagโ€ฆ Villareal the odd one out

1 Like

Have we played Luxembourg since the qualifiers for Euro 88 ??

As Dunphy astutely observed, you need poverty and dictatorship for a successful football team. Those โ€œcrack Eastern European outfitsโ€ were stronger behind the iron curtain with the backbone of the national team playing for the likes of Kiev and Sofia.

I think that line has been proved redundant in the modern game - the last 4 WC winners were all liberal European democracies who invest hugely in the game although a good few french players come from fairly tough ghettos around Paris .

Did we not playing really well (by our standards)against Serbia last team in a 1-0 home loss?

Qatar to go into Group A :grimacing:

Ah lads.

Our vast experience playing Oman will stand to us here

Qatar own PSG right?

no doubt Dela was involved

2 Likes

Qatar are daycent

This is good news, with no friendlies before the qualifiers we could get two games against them in Aviva.

1 Like

Serbia away the first game FFS.

Did we have the same fixture 4 years ago ??

2-2 draw. Big Daryl Murphy

2 Likes

Expecting a serious knowledge of flags from Davy keogh and the ole brigade

1 Like