2022 Qualifiers - Other Games Thread (AFC & beyond)

[Philosophy_King]

We have benefit from the fact that Iraq and Syria are totally underperforming! I really think that winning our next two games will lead to our qualification for WC.
Would be interesting to do how we would perform in the other group...

[Damavand]

FIFA lifted the ban on Iraq hosting games at home. From now on they will play their home matches against Syria, Korea and UAE in Basra.

So all of a sudden they decided the country is safe ?? Sounds suspicious to me.

[Philosophy_King]

FIFA lifted the ban on Iraq hosting games at home. From now on they will play their home matches against Syria, Korea and UAE in Basra.

If true, we should be very thankful that we had to play iraq in Qatar instead. This will be a huge disadvantage for Korea. I can see Korea dropping point against Iraq again

[mbaizai]

If true, we should be very thankful that we had to play iraq in Qatar instead. This will be a huge disadvantage for Korea. I can see Korea dropping point against Iraq again

absolutely

[allan123]

Canada 4 vs Panama 1

Canada is very good team.

[Azeem98]

So some teams that are in place to qualify for their debut or after 20 years at least.

Americas: Canada, think they'll make it

Asia: Oman can likely reach the intercontinental playoffs but won't make it probably.

Africa: Mali and Tanzania are top of their group. After that it's a playoff and Mali out of two can cause a shock

Europe: Romania, Scotland, Norway in place of playoffs. Turkey too in position to displace Norway from the spot

[Iran_19]

Iran-19 jan,
We all know level of opponent in these qualifiers is not theft important. It’s a mental game more than anything. Otherwise in terms of ability Iran should have been in every World Cup since 1974 !
I also disagree with replacing Skocic if he gets us to the World Cup. Changing your coach at that stage is a disaster in waiting. Look what happened to Ivory Coast when they did that.

I think Skocic need to be replaced after Lebanon and Syria match.
if we beat Lebanon and Syria, we already sealed our qualification and new coach will have plenty of time. We will not achieve anything with Skocic in world stage.

[KC McElroy]

So some teams that are in place to qualify for their debut or after 20 years at least.

Americas: Canada, think they'll make it

Asia: Oman can likely reach the intercontinental playoffs but won't make it probably.

Africa: Mali and Tanzania are top of their group. After that it's a playoff and Mali out of two can cause a shock

Europe: Romania, Scotland, Norway in place of playoffs. Turkey too in position to displace Norway from the spot

Doesn't Africa have a whole other round of group qualifiers after this round?

[Azeem98]

Doesn't Africa have a whole other round of group qualifiers after this round?

Nope 10 group winners will play in a playoff round to decide the 5 qualification slots. Currently the pots if teams finish as of now

1: Senegal(Q), Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco(Q), Nigeria
2: Egypt, Ivory Coast, Mali, South Africa, Tanzania

[Taz]

Canada are a familiar tale with 2 elite players in Davies and David dragging them up. Our remaining 9 are a little superior to theirs but with reduced training and coaching time for all teams, it seems relying on individual talent may be a more common theme than past world cups.

[Medzdidz]

Canada are a familiar tale with 2 elite players in Davies and David dragging them up. Our remaining 9 are a little superior to theirs but with reduced training and coaching time for all teams, it seems relying on individual talent may be a more common theme than past world cups.

They also have the great Liam Millar who used to make the odd appearance for us in a cup game before we shipped him off to Switzerland.

[peiman92]

North african teams are looking good, especially Algeria and Morocco.
If they avoid eachother in the draw for the final round, we could have 4 qualifying for the WC.

[PSGman#19]

North african teams are looking good, especially Algeria and Morocco.
If they avoid eachother in the draw for the final round, we could have 4 qualifying for the WC.

Hopefully not

[Kiarash]

Here's an interesting Dutch article regarding the situation at Iraq NT. No wonder why they have been doing so bad lately. Justin Meram, their star player and one of the few legionnaires they have quitted their NT because he thinks Advocaat is not putting enough effort to coach the team. He also says that Advocaat isn't watching their domestic players because he's not going to Iraq and he lets his assistants go instead. Just another example of washed up Western-European managers who come to the Middle-East just for their pay check, with zero knowledge about the players and football culture. They also have no motivation to help the team. That's why I think we should never go for another Wilmots or Advocaat. Full article below:

Monday, October 18, 2021 at 12:05 PM • Dominic Mostert • Last update: 13:15 PM

Justin Meram has announced his retirement from Iraq international. The 32-year-old attacker of Real Salt Lake became unhappy with the national team, partly due to the collaboration with the new national coach Dick Advocaat. In an interview with the Hat-trick program of the Iraqi UTV, Meram tells his story. He speaks of discrimination within the national team and accuses Advocaat of a lack of both communication skills and passion for the team.

Meram says that he discussed his role in the team with previous national coaches such as Hakeem Shaker, Radhi Shenaishil and Srecko Katanec. He calls those trainers 'ten times better' than Advocaat, who did not talk to him. "He didn't do a good job as a national coach. He exchanged one word with me, 'hello', and then there was never any direct contact. Lawyer is a bad trainer who is not fit to lead the national team," he said. he out. "I have never experienced such a trainer. To be honest, this trainer does not deserve to be the national coach of Iraq."

"He is not willing to give himself completely for Iraq, as the players do. Previous national coaches had an enormous passion for the team. Lawyer is not ready to give everything for the team," the winger repeats. "This national coach himself is never in Iraq to watch players. Instead, he sends his assistants. Wasn't he chosen just because of his name?" Meram has had little contact with representatives of the union in recent months. When he joined nine days in early September for the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea (0-0) and Iran (0-3 defeat), he had no idea what his role and responsibilities were.

"And during halftime of a match, the assistant yelled at me to do one thing, but the head coach yelled at me to do another. What is that?" he wonders. Meram does not think that the cultural difference is the reason for the poor communication. He points to his past with Frank de Boer, Bob de Klerk and Orlando Trustfull at Atlanta United in 2019. "Lawyer also speaks normal English, so there are no excuses. The unacceptable level of the team in the last four games is due to the technical staff," says Meram, who asks the people in Iraq not to turn against the players, although he himself therefore stops as an international.

"I say this with a heavy heart: I have decided to stop as an international," says Meram. "Yes, my decision is final. I thank the people in Iraq for their support and I thank all the trainers who helped me in the training. I have proudly represented Iraq for seven years. I preferred an international career with Iraq to an international career with the United States. Maybe the situation will change in the future, you never know, but for now my story with the Iraq national team is over." Meram played a total of 35 international matches for Iraq since 2014, in which he scored 4 times.

Meram participated in the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Iran at the beginning of September. It was his first international match since October 2019. Meram was born in the United States, but has two Iraqi parents. His entry into the national team is precisely the result of a more active search by the national association for people with Iraqi roots who live abroad. Over the past ten years, that quest has also brought players such as Ahmed Yasin, Yaser Kasim, Brwa Nouri, Rebin Sulaka, Frans Putros, Amir Al-Ammari and the Dutch Iraqi Osama Rashid to the national team in recent years.

https://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=395182

[Nokhodi]

Here's an interesting Dutch article regarding the situation at Iraq NT. No wonder why they have been doing so bad lately. Justin Meram, their star player and one of the few legionnaires they have quitted their NT because he thinks Advocaat is not putting enough effort to coach the team. He also says that Advocaat isn't watching their domestic players because he's not going to Iraq and he lets his assistants go instead. Just another example of washed up Western-European managers who come to the Middle-East just for their pay check, with zero knowledge about the players and football culture. They also have no motivation to help the team. That's why I think we should never go for another Wilmots or Advocaat. Full article below:

Monday, October 18, 2021 at 12:05 PM • Dominic Mostert • Last update: 13:15 PM

Justin Meram has announced his retirement from Iraq international. The 32-year-old attacker of Real Salt Lake became unhappy with the national team, partly due to the collaboration with the new national coach Dick Advocaat. In an interview with the Hat-trick program of the Iraqi UTV, Meram tells his story. He speaks of discrimination within the national team and accuses Advocaat of a lack of both communication skills and passion for the team.

Meram says that he discussed his role in the team with previous national coaches such as Hakeem Shaker, Radhi Shenaishil and Srecko Katanec. He calls those trainers 'ten times better' than Advocaat, who did not talk to him. "He didn't do a good job as a national coach. He exchanged one word with me, 'hello', and then there was never any direct contact. Lawyer is a bad trainer who is not fit to lead the national team," he said. he out. "I have never experienced such a trainer. To be honest, this trainer does not deserve to be the national coach of Iraq."

"He is not willing to give himself completely for Iraq, as the players do. Previous national coaches had an enormous passion for the team. Lawyer is not ready to give everything for the team," the winger repeats. "This national coach himself is never in Iraq to watch players. Instead, he sends his assistants. Wasn't he chosen just because of his name?" Meram has had little contact with representatives of the union in recent months. When he joined nine days in early September for the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea (0-0) and Iran (0-3 defeat), he had no idea what his role and responsibilities were.

"And during halftime of a match, the assistant yelled at me to do one thing, but the head coach yelled at me to do another. What is that?" he wonders. Meram does not think that the cultural difference is the reason for the poor communication. He points to his past with Frank de Boer, Bob de Klerk and Orlando Trustfull at Atlanta United in 2019. "Lawyer also speaks normal English, so there are no excuses. The unacceptable level of the team in the last four games is due to the technical staff," says Meram, who asks the people in Iraq not to turn against the players, although he himself therefore stops as an international.

"I say this with a heavy heart: I have decided to stop as an international," says Meram. "Yes, my decision is final. I thank the people in Iraq for their support and I thank all the trainers who helped me in the training. I have proudly represented Iraq for seven years. I preferred an international career with Iraq to an international career with the United States. Maybe the situation will change in the future, you never know, but for now my story with the Iraq national team is over." Meram played a total of 35 international matches for Iraq since 2014, in which he scored 4 times.

Meram participated in the World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Iran at the beginning of September. It was his first international match since October 2019. Meram was born in the United States, but has two Iraqi parents. His entry into the national team is precisely the result of a more active search by the national association for people with Iraqi roots who live abroad. Over the past ten years, that quest has also brought players such as Ahmed Yasin, Yaser Kasim, Brwa Nouri, Rebin Sulaka, Frans Putros, Amir Al-Ammari and the Dutch Iraqi Osama Rashid to the national team in recent years.

https://www.voetbalzone.nl/doc.asp?uid=395182

I forget who it was on this forum, but they once made a very good analogy.

They basically said West European coaches are decent drivers who are put into a very nice car (Mercedes-Benz, BMW...).

Anyone who wants to actually manage successfully in Iran will have some of the nice car parts, but they'll have to put it altogether and manufacture the rest, otherwise they're stuck in a LADA.

Modern, Dutch, English and Belgian coaches for the most part are charlatans. Plug and play types - they can't produce anything of their own, at best they'll maintain.