September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

[Kevin S]

Tough test for Group A leaders Iceland as they go to Netherlands on Thursday. That said, though, the Dutch were fortunate in the end to get a point at home to Turkey back in March.

Iceland's second game of this double header week is at home to bottom side Kazakhstan. If they can avoid defeat to the Netherlands then hopefully qualification will be sewn up with a home win over Latvia in October.

[imp]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Germany v Poland here in Frankfurt on Friday. It's long since been sold out, and nobody has any idea where the tickets went. Every time I went to the DFB site it promised to come with more details soon, then it was 'forget it'. Despite that, there are huge posters around the city advertising the game, as though to say, 'Look what you can't get into, so Fuck Off!'

I'm toying with the idea of going to hang around the stadium early to see if I can pick up a spare. I think I want to see with my own eyes German players, in the flesh, making mistakes so that I can convince myself that Scotland might have a chance against them on Monday.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

If Martin O'Neill's Ireland could get a draw off Germany in Gelsenkirchen, Scotland can certainly get something off them at Hampden Park.

[imp]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Yes, but I fear that they'll have got over their World Cup hangover by now.

[jameswba]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

imp wrote: Germany v Poland here in Frankfurt on Friday. It's long since been sold out, and nobody has any idea where the tickets went. Every time I went to the DFB site it promised to come with more details soon, then it was 'forget it'. Despite that, there are huge posters around the city advertising the game, as though to say, 'Look what you can't get into, so Fuck Off!'

Similarly with next Tuesday's Slovakia v Ukraine game in Zilina. The differences are that Zilina has a capacity of just 11,000 compared to 50,000+ and that the Slovak FA has freely - and proudly - admitted that 7,000 of the tickets are being dished out for nothing to sponsors and 'friends of Slovak football', whatever the fuck that means. Obviously the definition doesn't include the 4,000 who paid to see Slovakia-Lithuania in a snowstorm two and a a half years ago. But it will include people who later go on social media saying things like 'I got a free ticket, I don't normally like football, but it was SUCH fun'.

All the online sales details for the Ukraine game are still up on the ticketing site, even though those tickets apparently went in 8 minutes on one day back in July. When you click on the stadium plan now, you're greeted with the words 'currently unavailable'.

[gavc23]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Please note that there plenty of tickets available for Finland v Faroes at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki on Monday.

Bring your friends, preferably 34,000 of them.

[Magik]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Germany v Poland here in Frankfurt on Friday. It's long since been sold out, and nobody has any idea where the tickets went.

4 of them are in my toilet for some reason.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Won't that make them a bit soggy?

[imp]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Magik wrote:

Germany v Poland here in Frankfurt on Friday. It's long since been sold out, and nobody has any idea where the tickets went.

4 of them are in my toilet for some reason.

Well, if any of them are going spare, soggy or not, feel free to let me know. I'll be more than happy to cheer on Poland for 90 minutes.

[Duncan Gardner]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

gavc23 wrote: Please note that there plenty of tickets available for Finland v Faroes at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki on Monday.

Bring your friends, preferably 34,000 of them

No tickets at all available for the Faroes home game on Friday- they sold out in half an hour.

[Magik]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

I'll let you know Ian. And no need to be cheering Poland. I mean I won't, just wanted to see Frankfurt am Main having been to its little brother am Oder couple of times.

[imp]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Cheers. If you're interested, I can give you a tour of Frankfurt's other football stadiums on Friday afternoon, with refreshment stops.

[Kevin S]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Azerbaijan V Croatia finished 0-0 in the early kick off. Only goal in tonight's games so far is for Israel V Andorra.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Just switched on Netherlands-Iceland in time to see Bruno Martins Indi get sent off for waving his arm vaguely in the face of Kolbeinn Sigthorsson as the pair of them wriggled on the ground. Very soft red card.

A few seconds earlier, Robben went off with some kind of injury. Not looking good for the Dutch now.

The Iceland keeper's jersey looks exactly like a Faroe Islands outfield jersey.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

With 40 minutes on the clock, Blind takes off Huntelaar and brings on Jeffrey Bruma as boos ring out around the ArenA.

He seems to be sending a big signal to the Icelandic players that a draw is now realistically the best that the Netherlands can get from this match.

[Jah Womble]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Wales should be ahead in Cyprus - it's been pretty even, however Edwards had a goal harshly disallowed on the half hour.

Oddly, they've been guilty of several handballs, however.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

At half-time, just seen a replay of an astonishing miss by Iceland's number 15, one yard out in front of an open goal.

it doesn't even go down as a goal attempt, because the ball rolled across goal and out of play without him touching it at all.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

My god, the Czechs are losing at home to Kazakhstan. That'll be a huge help to both Iceland and the Dutch if it somehow stays that way.

[Kevin S]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Half times:

HT Netherlands 0 - 0 Iceland
HT Turkey 0 - 0 Latvia
HT Belgium 2 - 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
HT Cyprus 0 - 0 Wales
HT Israel 4 - 0 Andorra
HT Bulgaria 0 - 0 Norway
HT Italy 0 - 0 Malta

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Penalty to Iceland as van der Wiel takes the legs of Iceland's number 8.

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

A very weak kick by Sigurdsson – but Cillessen's feeble right hand still can't keep it out. No wonder he's never saved a penalty in his entire career.

[Kevin S]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Get in Gylfi!!!

[Borracho]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Gudmundsson hits the post with an excellent first-time curler as Cillessen is totally beaten.

The Dutch are a complete fucking shambles. No one wants the ball, they're all hiding.

[Kevin S]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Gorgeous first time shot off the post there for Iceland. Netherlands not looking composed at all.

[Kevin S]

September's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Yeah, what GC said.