Socceroos 2018 WCQ THREAD-v HONDURAS FOR SPOT IN RUSSIA (Dates TBC)

[youngbear]

7 wins and a draw (Jordan away) should be bare minimum IMO. Really easy draw to get the top countries through to round 3. Probably should be a bye for the top 4-6...

 

[The Fonz]

We get the added benefit of playing the final 2 games back to back at home
Jordan play at home and then have to fly out here for the last game

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

First match is on June 16 against Kyrgyzstan away and the first home game is in Perth against Bangladesh on September 3. Jordan is our last opponent.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

The groups.

Group A: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Timor Leste, Malaysia.

Group B: Australia, Jordan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh

Group C: China, Qatar, Maldives, Bhutan, Hong Kong

Group D: Iran, Oman, India, Turkmenistan, Guam

Group E: Japan, Syria, Afghanistan, Singapore, Cambodia

Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei

Group G: Korea Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, Laos

Group H: Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Philippines, DPR Korea, Yemen

Most of them look pretty straightforward for the top ranked nations.

Group H could be close as might C.

Australia did well though. Wish the Philippines had snuck into Group F or maybe even E.

 

[Flapjacks]

Yikes someone is gonna be disappointed in Group H!

 

[Zarrix]

Japan with the group of death...

 

[eth-dog]

UAE vs Saudi Arabia might surprise a few.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

The only downside is a few difficult road trips from a logistical point of view (getting blokes to Krygyzstan midweek from Australia and Europe will be fun), and the FFA would be flat none of the teams have a huge expat population which will make them a hard sell from a PR pov. But playing them in Perth and Adelaide is a good start.

Japan won't be relishing away trips to Syria and Afghanistan, or are they in neutral venues?

But we should breeze through and be able to gvr plenty of young guys time.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Well, that's a good group for Round 2, and for once we're not playing so many Middle East countries, a welcome change. I look forward to the Tajiks and Kyrgyzs, that will be quite interesting. Also, we finally play a subcontinental cricket nation!

On the other hand, wow, Group H. You've got 4 contenders for qualifying spots there, that's going to be a very tough group, and a lot of fun to keep an eye on.

The only downside is a few difficult road trips from a logistical point of view (getting blokes to Krygyzstan midweek from Australia and Europe will be fun), and the FFA would be flat none of the teams have a huge expat population which will make them a hard sell from a PR pov. But playing them in Perth and Adelaide is a good start.

Japan won't be relishing away trips to Syria and Afghanistan, or are they in neutral venues?

But we should breeze through and be able to gvr plenty of young guys time.

According to the fixture list, Syria usually play their games in neighbouring countries, but most often Jordan. Afghanistan will either play in the Middle East (Again, Jordan), or, rather interestingly, the Maldives, where they have played their last 4 games.

So no worries on the safety front there.

 

[hanrahs]

Happy with that draw... was hoping we might play somewhere I wanted to travel to. Looks like I might try and catch the game in Tajikistan. Probably won't be a whole lot of other Aussies there but it should be fun.

 

[JimDocker]

Just got my tickets for the Bangladesh game in Perth !

Despite still being an England fan, I may go and buy a Socceroo shirt and go crazy !

 

[ioppolo]

Bishkek's average weather for June is high 20's. No strange weather to plan for (hopefully).

 

[ioppolo]

Cheapest tickets are $55, seriously wtf? That's ****ing ridiculous.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

People bitch and moan about never having a game here and then snub their nose at the price and/or opposition when they do have a game here. Don't sook if the Socceroos don't come back for another 10 years. This isn't a friendly too, it's a qualifier.

 

[ioppolo]

They'll get a full house here anyway just cause it's the Socceroos. We won't see them back here till 2018 when the new stadium is finished. We had Indonesia here in 2005 but before that I have no idea when they actually had them play here.

 

[ioppolo]

Btw, first qualifier May 24th, Thailand vs Vietnam.

 

[TooUglyForFugly]

SOCCEROOS SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United), Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Mat Ryan (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Defenders

Aziz Behich (Bursaspor, Turkey), Jason Davidson (West Brom, EPL), Tarek Elrich (Adelaide United), Ivan Franjic (unattached), Trent Sainsbury (PEC Zwolle), Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney), Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai, Korea Republic), Bailey Wright (Preston North End, England)

Midfielders

Oliver Bozanic (FC Luzern, Switzerland), Chris Ikonomidis (Lazio, Italy), Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace, EPL), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town, England), Matt McKay (Brisbane), Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht, Holland)

Strikers

Nathan Burns (Wellington), Tim Cahill (Shanghai Shenhua, China), Tomi Juric (Western Sydney), Mathew Leckie (FC Ingolstadt, Germany), James Troisi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium)

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...n-road-to-russia/story-fnii0fc4-1227367942045

 

[TooUglyForFugly]

8 defenders and 7 midfielders. Interesting.

 

[eth-dog]

Matt McKay? Come on, he's not that good and won't be around in 2018. Would rather give a young bloke a go.

 

[youngbear]

Matt McKay? Come on, he's not that good and won't be around in 2018. Would rather give a young bloke a go.

I agree, but at this stage he's a better depth player than most we have available (and I hate McKay, so using the word better to describe him was hard). Also, being an away match in the middle of nowhere, you wouldn't want a kid who has never been in camp before. Get the 3 points and experiment with squad players in home ties.

 

[Scotland]

$55 to watch Australia vs Bangladesh, well that is interesting.

Australian group matches and the semi-finals of the Asian Cup were $49.

I would've thought a first round WC qualifier against the team ranked 169 in the world would be cheaper than the above, but hey perhaps I'm just a whinger...

 

[ioppolo]

I'd give Langerak the gloves for the Bangladesh match. And Leckie a spot in the starting XI. Leave Cahill on the bench for this one.

 

[eth-dog]

Bailey Wright plays CB?

 

[TooUglyForFugly]

Bailey Wright plays CB?

Apparently.

 

[musha_13]

$55 to watch Australia vs Bangladesh, well that is interesting.

Australian group matches and the semi-finals of the Asian Cup were $49.

I would've thought a first round WC qualifier against the team ranked 169 in the world would be cheaper than the above, but hey perhaps I'm just a whinger...

Perth fans have cried out to see the Socceroos for years. It's a small-ish stadium, I think they have the pricing right. If it doesn't sell out (or close) then the FFA have been justified in their decision over the last few years.

Bailey Wright plays CB?

He does.