World Cup Playoffs

[Duncan Gardner]

NI v Switzerland is on ESPN2 so I might have it on while doing something more life-affirming, like embalming a corpse.

That's false "play-off" glamour too because, if it were a game in the finals, I wouldn't go near it

Right on, Satch. Everyone knows you're going to watch it, so why sneeringly pretend otherwise? I've endu...enjoyed the occasional night out in Barnsley, least you can do is give the GAWA some grudging credit. No-one pretends it has any glamor beyond NI fans.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

As well as playoffs, the African groups conclude. South Africa and Senegal play each other home and away with South Africa needing two wins to qualify, Senegal one. If Bafana Bafana win one but draw the other Burkina Faso can still nick the place. Morocco go to Ivory Coast for a group decider.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Morocco Ivory Coast is on BT Sport.

[Satchmo Distel]

Right on, Satch. Everyone knows you're going to watch it, so why sneeringly pretend otherwise? I've endu...enjoyed the occasional night out in Barnsley, least you can do is give the GAWA some grudging credit. No-one pretends it has any glamor beyond NI fans.

You have rumbled me. To be fair, this week is a televised football desert in the US as far as I can tell so that might sway me.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Sweden v Italy is very lively. Full blooded, end-to-end. Well officiated, still 0–0 on 40 minutes.

[Satchmo Distel]

Watching this on FS1 then will see how much of Honduras v Australia I can last on Telemundo

[Satchmo Distel]

Sweden score; Italy had been on top in the 2ND half but lost focus with a lot of play-acting.

[San Bernardhinault]

Sweden sneak a lead, and I can't help wondering if the Italians might not have distracted themselves from defending by trying to wind the Swedes up too much.

[ursus arctos]

Ventura is going to have to leave the country if they don't manage to overturn this in the return leg.

And the Milano crowd is anything but unequivocal in their support of the national team.

[Satchmo Distel]

It seems a strange location to host such a game. Imagine the reception for Juventus players.

[anton pulisov]

That was some piss poor pissed poorness out of Italy

[Satchmo Distel]

Honduras already arguing with the ref. Pitch is heavy and is going to cut up.

[Satchmo Distel]

Keeper whacks Wright. Ref gives goal kick.

Honduras are quicker but somewhat rash. Australia plodding but able to get free kicks and corners that cause much defensive flapping. Wright and Irvine are dangerous.

[Satchmo Distel]

Juric shoots wide in a 1 v 1 with the keeper

[tee rex]

Chris Wood's diary: sat on plane from Heathrow to NZ, now sitting on bench in Wellington.

[tee rex]

Wood came on late, to no avail. 0-0, but Peru didn't park, they made the running. NZ media chuffed, like non-Leaguers celebrating a 3rd round replay.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Senegal have qualified.

Mali went out of the World Cup despite not conceding a goal at home in qualifying. Wonder if that's a first?

[Southport Zeb]

I'm sure there are plenty of examples for sides going out without conceding a home goal when the format has meant head to head playoffs - Yugoslavia in 1938 look to be the first victims, having beating Poland 1-0 in Belgrade but were eliminated due to losing 4-0 in Warsaw.

From a group stage it will be rarer - Italy did it 1958, beating Northern Ireland 1-0 and Portugal 3-0 at home. However they lost both return games and so finished a point behind Northern Ireland.

Mali may have the record for most home games keeping a clean sheet without qualifying with four.

[Satchmo Distel]

The one I remember is Ecuador in 1982, essentially due to altitude:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_F...ion_(CONMEBOL)

It's possible that Ecuador did it more than once. They are almost certainly the most extreme case of home v away discrepancies over a long period in the World Cup (England/Japan/South Korea in major tournament finals might be the next up).

[Southport Zeb]

Netherlands Antilles in 1962 may be the side keeping a clean sheet who conceded most away from home - they kept three clean sheets, first in a preliminary round with Dutch Guyana, then in the final group with Costa Rica and Mexico. However away from home they conceded 14 (4.67 per game).

[Satchmo Distel]

CONMEBOL sides going out without conceding a home goal:

Paraguay 1966, Ecuador 1982

1974: Peru went out to Chile in a play-off in Montevideo after both sides won 2-0 at home and Venezuela withdrew

1978: Bolivia won their first phase group, no goals conceded at home, but finished bottom of a play-off group with Brazil and Peru played in Colombia.

[Satchmo Distel]

Wood came on late, to no avail. 0-0, but Peru didn't park, they made the running. NZ media chuffed, like non-Leaguers celebrating a 3rd round replay.

Away goals rule makes a strong away team more attacking but a weak home team more defensive.

[Duncan Gardner]

Mali may have the record for most home games keeping a clean sheet without qualifying with four

At least one other possible non-qualifier kept four clean sheets in this tournament (San Marino, Azerbaijan, Norway and Czechia).

PS Might see yer namesake in at least a cameo tomorrow?

[anton pulisov]

Ivory Coast vs Morocco should be a humdinger.

Africa needs more qualification spots. Having Nigeria, Algeria and Ghana in the same group and only one of the three going through is an absolute travesty.

[Satchmo Distel]

Slovakia kept four home clean sheets after losing 1-0 to England in the opener.