OT: Association Football

[Suitman]

A good watch.

 

[Eelementary]

How good is Luka Modric? Just an awesome player.

 

[Eelementary]

A good watch.

Thanks, Suity - that was a brilliant video.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

They've gone from 24 to 17 in the rankings since 2022.

*power

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How good is Luka Modric? Just an awesome player.

Still killing it at 50.

 

[Eelementary]

What a save, Mat Ryan!

 

[King-Gutho94]

I have grown up basically seeing Australia qualify for every world cup i have seen in my lifetime.

2002 i wasn't quite into it then or old enough.

So i think my generation probably don't appreciate and take it for granted how hard it is to make a world cup. Compared to those who went through the 80s & 90s and we never got there.

It's more just accepted now we should be making it. It may be a rude shock and crisis if we don't actually make a world cup in future years.

It was a strong campaign - 1 loss and avoiding the playoff with the automatic qualify.

Saudi Arabia are no slouches either especially on the road.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

It was more hit and miss back when we were in the Oceania conference because there was an all-or-nothing two leg playoff against Iran (1997) and Uruguay (2001 and again in 2005). Since then we’ve only had to win enough games during qualifying rounds rather than trying our luck in sudden death qualifiers.

 

[85 Baby]

Saudis weren’t at their best and it was probably a bit too hard for them/outcome all but certain, but a win in Jeddah is nothing to sneeze at in a World Cup qualifier. And we played fairly well.
Certainly Japan are far more capable at controlling the midfield, but we played well with the additional freedom.

 

[85 Baby]

It was more hit and miss back when we were in the Oceania conference because there was an all-or-nothing two leg playoff against Iran (1997) and Uruguay (2001 and again in 2005). Since then we’ve only had to win enough games during qualifying rounds rather than trying our luck in sudden death qualifiers.

Ummm… this is only the second time we’ve qualified direct out of AFC… we’ve gone to sudden death qualifiers the past 2 world cups

 

[Twizzle]

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Ummm… this is only the second time we’ve qualified direct out of AFC… we’ve gone to sudden death qualifiers the past 2 world cups

Surely it's still easier than playing the fifth ranked CONMEBOL side.

 

[Suitman]

Surely it's still easier than playing the fifth ranked CONMEBOL side.

So you were wrong.
Just admit it.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

So you were wrong.
Just admit it.

What was I wrong about? We used to dominate the OFC and still had to play off against a South American team. Now we didn’t even top our AFC group and we’re into the World Cup. Just like I said.

 

[Suitman]

Since then we’ve only had to win enough games during qualifying rounds rather than trying our luck in sudden death qualifiers.

85 Baby proved that untrue. You were wrong.

 

[85 Baby]

Surely it's still easier than playing the fifth ranked CONMEBOL side.

Dude… the previous World Cup qualification…