New Zealand vs. Bahrain

[culduthel]

New Zealand take on Bahrain down here in NZ in a couple of weeks time for a place in the world cup finals in Sth Africa. New Zealand qualified through the Oceania zone group where they took on the heavyweights of international football -- Fiji , New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Six games in all!

Bahrain have played eighteen games to get where they are.

The Scottish Football Association should apply for a transfer to the Oceania Group then we might have a chance of qualifying next time around. We seem to play at the equivalent level of Fiji and Vanuatu so maybe this is where we belong in world footballing terms.

[caley100]

Not a bad idea Culduthel, bit of a hassle for the fans though! we should start a North sea area group where we play wee teams like Iceland and Norway that should help us qualify...

[Gabby]

Good luck to the Kiwis. It would be great to see Aust and NZ at the World Cup.

[Sir C the 3rd]

Good luck to both teams. But I'm sorry this is where the World Cup is stupid in my view. I understand teams from around the globe should have equal chance of qualifing for the finals. But surely you want the best teams at the finals. I think its a little unfair on the likes of for example France or Ireland missing out when possibly New Zealand qualifying from a group even Caley would have a chance in.

One other thing, I also think the play-offs in Europe are a disgrace. Why should France, Portugal etc be seeded when they only finished 2nd in qualifying, the same as the other teams. I know FIFA want the best teams to be there, but over the qualifying stages those 8 teams are equal!

[CaleyD]

The world isn't that big a place these days (in terms of ease of travel)....surely it wouldn't be all that much of a hassle to just shove all teams in a hat and draw groups without the need to do it geographically? If we can travel to Japan for a friendly, then why not for a qualifying game?

If it was like that then it could be done in such a way that we wouldn't have any need for play-offs.....32 qualifying groups of 6 (made up from the top 192 ranked teams) with the winner of each going through to the finals.

[culduthel]

Not a bad idea Culduthel, bit of a hassle for the fans though! we should start a North sea area group where we play wee teams like Iceland and Norway that should help us qualify...

caley100 - i think you definitely have the better idea, a North Sea/Atlantic Zone that would include as you say Iceland, Norway and the Fareo Islands. Could also extend it to Greenland. I still reckon we would struggle given our record against the Fareos.

If ICT played the NZ national team it would be a close run thing, so that gives you an idea of the standards down here.

[Gabby]

Good luck to both teams. But I'm sorry this is where the World Cup is stupid in my view. I understand teams from around the globe should have equal chance of qualifing for the finals. But surely you want the best teams at the finals. I think its a little unfair on the likes of for example France or Ireland missing out when possibly New Zealand qualifying from a group even Caley would have a chance in.

One other thing, I also think the play-offs in Europe are a disgrace. Why should France, Portugal etc be seeded when they only finished 2nd in qualifying, the same as the other teams. I know FIFA want the best teams to be there, but over the qualifying stages those 8 teams are equal!

Typical European bias. Aust have qualified first for the World Cup by finishing top of the Asian Group along with Japan, North and South Korea, the later being a recent semi finalist.

NZ are in the Oceanic Confederation (which Aust left for Asia just after the last World Cup). We qualified from this Confederation last time after defeating Uraguay home and away in a final qualifier. We made it to the 2nd round where we were robbed by a dive by an Italian that Drogba would be proud of deep into injury time. Not bad for an alleged wee team. (Actuially I heard we were ranked 14 recently)

The World Cup is just that - not the European Cup.

[Johnboy]

Not a bad idea Culduthel, bit of a hassle for the fans though! we should start a North sea area group where we play wee teams like Iceland and Norway that should help us qualify...

caley100 - i think you definitely have the better idea, a North Sea/Atlantic Zone that would include as you say Iceland, Norway and the Fareo Islands. Could also extend it to Greenland. I still reckon we would struggle given our record against the Fareos.

It is a good idea, but I wouldn't want to see us in a another group with Norway again...

[CaleyD]

Not a bad idea Culduthel, bit of a hassle for the fans though! we should start a North sea area group where we play wee teams like Iceland and Norway that should help us qualify...

caley100 - i think you definitely have the better idea, a North Sea/Atlantic Zone that would include as you say Iceland, Norway and the Fareo Islands. Could also extend it to Greenland. I still reckon we would struggle given our record against the Fareos.

If ICT played the NZ national team it would be a close run thing, so that gives you an idea of the standards down here.

Greenland aren't a FIFA member, and are not eligible to play in the World Cup. This is, in large part, due to the fact that they do not have any pitches which meet the required standards for playing qualifying matches (or any other FIFA sanctioned competitions).

[culduthel]

Not a bad idea Culduthel, bit of a hassle for the fans though! we should start a North sea area group where we play wee teams like Iceland and Norway that should help us qualify...

caley100 - i think you definitely have the better idea, a North Sea/Atlantic Zone that would include as you say Iceland, Norway and the Fareo Islands. Could also extend it to Greenland. I still reckon we would struggle given our record against the Fareos.

If ICT played the NZ national team it would be a close run thing, so that gives you an idea of the standards down here.

Greenland aren't a FIFA member, and are not eligible to play in the World Cup. This is, in large part, due to the fact that they do not have any pitches which meet the required standards for playing qualifying matches (or any other FIFA sanctioned competitions).

All the more reason for us helping them get into the FIFA and then we could have a group that we might qualify from. We should start the petition now!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

May the best sheep shagging nation win.

[Gabby]

[Yngwie]

Well NZ made, 1-0 on aggregate.

Last time I saw them play (and probably the only time) was at Espana 82. Scotlland's 5-2 win seemed good at the time but was arguably the result that put us out.

[Yngwie]

Last time I saw them play (and probably the only time) was at Espana 82.

Oops, I managed to erase from my mind Berti leading us to a famous 1-1 draw v NZ at Tynecastle in 2003. Scotland team included Brian Kerr and other superstars like Paul Devlin, Maurice Ross and Andy Gray.

[culduthel]

Last time I saw them play (and probably the only time) was at Espana 82.

Oops, I managed to erase from my mind Berti leading us to a famous 1-1 draw v NZ at Tynecastle in 2003. Scotland team included Brian Kerr and other superstars like Paul Devlin, Maurice Ross and Andy Gray.

Given Scotland's performance last night and New Zealand's I think NZ are far the better side nowadays. If they played each other now I think NZ would run out winners by two or three goals.

In fact looking at the standard of the Scottish football team I think they would struggle to qualify from the Oceania Region if they did play down here. I think Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu would draw with Scotland comfortably and maybe even beat them.

I think Scottish International football died a death last night. The death of interest from the vast majority of Scots.

[Renegade]

Last time I saw them play (and probably the only time) was at Espana 82.

Oops, I managed to erase from my mind Berti leading us to a famous 1-1 draw v NZ at Tynecastle in 2003. Scotland team included Brian Kerr and other superstars like Paul Devlin, Maurice Ross and Andy Gray.

Given Scotland's performance last night and New Zealand's I think NZ are far the better side nowadays. If they played each other now I think NZ would run out winners by two or three goals.

In fact looking at the standard of the Scottish football team I think they would struggle to qualify from the Oceania Region if they did play down here. I think Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu would draw with Scotland comfortably and maybe even beat them.

I think Scottish International football died a death last night. The death of interest from the vast majority of Scots.

Maybe it's time to start looking to them for players.

[Yngwie]

:dancing03:

How did you get on scouting at Murrayfield today?

[Renegade]

I wasn't there, I had to witness another world class display by ICT at Fortress Tulloch.

Plus that and the fact that I've never been to a rugby match in my life.