World Cup 2018 qualiflying

[Super_horns]

Here are the Pots for the groups to be drawn in late July.

Pot 1: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Romania, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Croatia/Italy

Pot 2: Croatia/Italy, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Iceland, Denmark, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Pot 3: Poland, Ukraine, Scotland, Hungary, Sweden, Albania, N Ireland, Serbia, Greece

Pot 4: Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Estonia

Pot 5: Cyprus, Latvia, Armenia, Finland, Belarus, Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Moldova

Pot 6: Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Georgia, Malta, San Marino, Andorra


Italy will be pot 1 if they win Tuesday against Portugal on Tuesday, lose/draw they'll be pot 2.

Guess France and potentially Italy will be the dangers in Pot 2 for those in the top pot whilst Pot 3 has a few tricky teams in it (and we are bound to get Poland or Sweden!)

 

[mnb089mnb]

Best thing about Wales being in Pot 1 is that we avoid having to play England.

I do think UEFA need to start stopping teams being drawn together two qualifying campaigns in a row. There aren't that many games, so it'd be nice to face some different teams.

 

[Leewilson]

I'd love us to get a tough group. Fed up of us qualifying with ease and then flopping in the actual tournament. I think we'd benefit from some real tough games in the group to get us accustomed. Something like,

England
France
Sweden
Turkey
Finland
Georgia

We may not even get through but if not, then we're obviously not good enough. It will add an air of excitement to matches and perhaps make it more of a focus for players.

Not doubt we'll get,

England
Slovakia
Albania
Estonia
Moldova
San Marino

And be bored off our tits.

 

[DarkSithLord]

As Long as we dont get San Marino I will be happy!

 

[JJH]

I'd love us to get a tough group. Fed up of us qualifying with ease and then flopping in the actual tournament. I think we'd benefit from some real tough games in the group to get us accustomed. Something like,

England
France
Sweden
Turkey
Finland
Georgia

We may not even get through but if not, then we're obviously not good enough. It will add an air of excitement to matches and perhaps make it more of a focus for players.

Not doubt we'll get,

England
Slovakia
Albania
Estonia
Moldova
San Marino

And be bored off our tits.

Agree with this. There's no excitement in going to play San Marino in a guaranteed thumping, we've lacked competition and excitement in the last 2 qualifying campaigns, and I'd be all for an interesting and tough draw for this, as much as the risk of not qualifying is. Admittedly - I'd rather have a tough Euro qualifying group for the Euro's, rather than than World Cup, as it means more to me personally, but we'll see.

 

[blademan89]

Czech republic
Hungary
Israel
Cyprus
Malta.

That would be my ideal group some cracking away trips to go on.

 

[blademan89]

Here are the Pots for the groups to be drawn in late July.

Pot 1: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Romania, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Croatia/Italy

Pot 2: Croatia/Italy, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Iceland, Denmark, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Pot 3: Poland, Ukraine, Scotland, Hungary, Sweden, Albania, N Ireland, Serbia, Greece

Pot 4: Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, Montenegro, Estonia

Pot 5: Cyprus, Latvia, Armenia, Finland, Belarus, Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Moldova

Pot 6: Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Georgia, Malta, San Marino, Andorra


Italy will be pot 1 if they win Tuesday against Portugal on Tuesday, lose/draw they'll be pot 2.

Guess France and potentially Italy will be the dangers in Pot 2 for those in the top pot whilst Pot 3 has a few tricky teams in it (and we are bound to get Poland or Sweden!)

Wheres gibralter too

Just checked. Theyve not joined fifa apparently

 

[Alty]

Turkey in the same pot as the Faroes

 

[Kenneth E End]

France have suffered being at home in Euro 2016, because none of their games are "competitive", so not getting higher ranking points. Wales in Pot 1 is a bit of a joke to be honest; the rankings are all over the place at the moment, although that tends to happen in a non tournament year.

 

[mnb089mnb]

France have suffered being at home in Euro 2016, because none of their games are "competitive", so not getting higher ranking points. Wales in Pot 1 is a bit of a joke to be honest; the rankings are all over the place at the moment, although that tends to happen in a non tournament year.

France's last two games were a 1-0 loss to Albania, and a 3-4 loss to Belgium. How many ranking points would that have earned them if they were competitive games?

 

[Kenneth E End]

0.

 

[Benji]

Greece haven't won a single game in close to a year and make Pot 3.

 

[mnb089mnb]

Wales are currently top of their Euro group by 3 points. The more I think about it, the more I don't think it's *that* ridiculous.

 

[mnb089mnb]

Greece haven't won a single game in close to a year and make Pot 3.

Greece got to the 2nd round of the last World Cup too. Further than England. Yet England are Pot 1.

I'm not really sure how I'd go about seeding teams for qualifying draws. Should the fact that sides did well at a World Cup a couple of years ago influence how they're seeded for a draw? You need to get the balance right between keeping the same old teams at Pot One and allowing new teams to earn the right to be Pot One.

What's interesting is that UEFA dictate that England, Germany and Spain will get a 6 team group to enable them to sell more TV rights. Sporting integrity...?

 

[Dazza]

Hopefully England will get a more interesting group than our current Euro 2016 qualifying group. Something like France, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Finland and Malta.

 

[blademan89]

Czech, hungary, israel , cyprus and malta will suit me perfectly all new away trips.

 

[GodsGift]

England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Matla

Easy.

 

[Leewilson]

Group A: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg

Group B: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra

Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, NORTHERN IRELAND, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino

Group D: WALES, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia,

Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan

Group F: ENGLAND, Slovakia, SCOTLAND, Malta, Lithuania, Slovenia

Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, Liechtenstein

Group H: Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus

Group I : Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland

 

[Hooped Wizard]

Poor Northern Ireland.

Wales group is very exciting on paper. The top four seeds could quite feasibly qualify.

 

[Super_horns]

2 battles of the home nations as such then!

Tough for Wales and NI.

Shame for them they weren't in I.

 

[Leewilson]

Once again an awful group for England. At least we have the Scotland games to provide some motivation and excitement but as usual we'll canter and yawn our way through that. The Scots must fancy 2nd place there. Slovenia and Slovakia are both very average.

Tricky little group for Wales though there. Austria are a rapidly improving nation whilst Serbia are very unpredictable but represent a hostile away day (if a crowd is allowed) at the very least. Plus ROI will be functional and a test although I don't expect them to qualify there.

Northern Ireland were looking pretty until Germany were drawn. Norway are a fairly poor international side although have individuals capable of pulling results out. The Czechs are not what they were but will fancy that group. Be a tight battle for 2nd I imagine.

Elsewhere, Netherlands, France and Sweden will be a great battle in group A. Surely even Portugal can't struggle in their group. The Romanian group is dull as. I'd fancy Poland to top that. Spain and Italy together is fun although it's a case of who gets 1st and 2nd looking at the other teams in that group. Belgium and Bosnia together again. I actually wanted England to go in the bottom group as every match there is a challenge. Hard to predict two from them five as they will all take points from each other. I'd go Croatia and perhaps Ukraine to sneak it though. The Turks have underperformed internationally for a while but this is an opportunity for them if they get their finger out.

 

[You Orns]

We didn't draw San Marino, scotland should sell out both games, as good a draw as we could have got while keeping it interesting without severely damaging our hopes of qualifying.

 

[SALTIRE]

What a draw delighted with it. Have a relatively easy one for a change. Should have a good chance of finishing second there!

 

[Murphy]

Like a JPT draw, Greece vs Cyprus, Slovakia vs Slovenia, England vs Scotland. Should make for a few interesting games amongst the groups, along with some of the big boys playing eachother which is always nice.

I love Group I as well, reckon that ought to be a cracker.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Could have been worse for England. We have avoided San marino/Andorra, Malta is a great away day and of course we have Scotland. The others though are meh!

Group I looks very tight!! Thank fuck we avoided Group B.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Scotland should be a laugh.

 

[Dazza]

England should finish first and Scotland second.Rest of the group fixtures are dull.Some decent trips for the England away fans though.

 

[GodsGift]

OptaJoe
100 - England have a 100% win record against all the teams in their WC 2018 qualifying group (W11), bar Scotland. Fancied.

 

[Stevencc]

We should top that group with absolutely no trouble at all.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

I feel for Zlatan. Presuming they don't qualify then by 2022 it will have been a record 16 year world cup drought for the Swedes.