Mate, you are the most pessimistic person I've ever seen I think! Scotland are good, they really are. They finished at second place in the group, didn't they? That says something!!
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Euro2004: the play-off draws (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Slagathor
- Start date
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My problem isn't Scotland playing the Netherlands...or even Scotland playing any of the teams...when Scotland get destroyed I'll say well played, good game, good luck in the finals.
My problem is with the structure of the results of the draw overall.
What are the odds of putting five black balls and five white balls in a bag and drawing out five perfect odd colour pairings first time?
Just seems very convenient
correction...Scotland are now 53rd in the world...for some reason they moved up considerably in August...or a whole load of other teams moved down
My problem is with the structure of the results of the draw overall.
What are the odds of putting five black balls and five white balls in a bag and drawing out five perfect odd colour pairings first time?
Just seems very convenient
correction...Scotland are now 53rd in the world...for some reason they moved up considerably in August...or a whole load of other teams moved down
From fifa.com
FRANKFURT, Germany, Oct 13 (AFP) - Scotland drew the short straw Monday when they were matched with Holland in the play-offs to qualify for next year's European Championship finals in Portugal.
Scotland coach Berti Vogts said: "This is probably one of the toughest draws in the group but it is still just two games. Anything can happen and we have a chance."
He pointed out that Holland coach Dick Advocaat knew Scottish football well after his spell as Rangers manager.
Vogts, who would have preferred to have Latvia, Slovenia, Norway or Wales, was also denied his wish of playing the first leg away.
"But the team played very well against Germany in Dortmund and we will have to do the same against the Netherlands," he said.
"We had six players missing through injury against Lithuania and hopefully we will have them back against the Netherlands."
Advocaat had earlier told the Scottish Daily Record: "Scotland is the only team I really want, for very personal reasons.
"Most importantly, I know all of their players, which is a big advantage for me as manager."
Wales also face a tough tie against Russia. Russia's assistant coach Alexander Borodyuk was happy with the draw.
"To play the first match at home against the Welsh team is one of the best possible results for us," he told the ITAR-TASS news agency.
Wales coach Mark Hughes refused to be downhearted.
"We have got to be reasonably happy with the draw," he said. "We are playing the second leg at home and I think everyone's view is that is an advantage.
"Russia have had some great players in the past so we know it will be a test and now we just have to do all the research, look at all the videos, to make sure we know about their players of the present."
Russia have never played Wales although the Soviet Union beat the Welsh three times and drew twice.
World Cup semi-finalists Turkey, denied an automatic place in the finals by England, got a fairly easy draw against Latvia.
Spain face Norway and Croatia take on Slovenia in what should be a tense battle between the two former Yugoslav republics.
The Spain-Norway match is likely to be tight with Norway conceding a miserly five goals in eight qualifying games and scoring just nine goals.
"Spain were second, behind Holland, in the list of teams we wanted to avoid," said Norway coach Nils Johan Semb.
"We have to face up to reality. We have a big challenge ahead of us," said Norway midfielder Frode Johnsen. "It will be difficult but nothing's impossible in football. We've beaten them in the past."
The ties, to be played on November 15-16 and 18-19, will decide who joins hosts Portugal, champions France, Sweden, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Greece in the finals.
Former European champions Holland are desperate to qualify after missing the 2002 World Cup and they seem to have unearthed a new batch of promising youngsters.
They will also be able to count on Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy who was banned for last wekend's 5-0 win over Moldova after clashing with Advocaat when he was substituted in last month's 3-1 loss to the Czech Republic.
But Clarence Seedorf of AC Milan, who also missed Saturday's win over Moldova are after he complained about being made to play on the wing, might not be recalled.
© 2003 AFP
FRANKFURT, Germany, Oct 13 (AFP) - Scotland drew the short straw Monday when they were matched with Holland in the play-offs to qualify for next year's European Championship finals in Portugal.
Scotland coach Berti Vogts said: "This is probably one of the toughest draws in the group but it is still just two games. Anything can happen and we have a chance."
He pointed out that Holland coach Dick Advocaat knew Scottish football well after his spell as Rangers manager.
Vogts, who would have preferred to have Latvia, Slovenia, Norway or Wales, was also denied his wish of playing the first leg away.
"But the team played very well against Germany in Dortmund and we will have to do the same against the Netherlands," he said.
"We had six players missing through injury against Lithuania and hopefully we will have them back against the Netherlands."
Advocaat had earlier told the Scottish Daily Record: "Scotland is the only team I really want, for very personal reasons.
"Most importantly, I know all of their players, which is a big advantage for me as manager."
Wales also face a tough tie against Russia. Russia's assistant coach Alexander Borodyuk was happy with the draw.
"To play the first match at home against the Welsh team is one of the best possible results for us," he told the ITAR-TASS news agency.
Wales coach Mark Hughes refused to be downhearted.
"We have got to be reasonably happy with the draw," he said. "We are playing the second leg at home and I think everyone's view is that is an advantage.
"Russia have had some great players in the past so we know it will be a test and now we just have to do all the research, look at all the videos, to make sure we know about their players of the present."
Russia have never played Wales although the Soviet Union beat the Welsh three times and drew twice.
World Cup semi-finalists Turkey, denied an automatic place in the finals by England, got a fairly easy draw against Latvia.
Spain face Norway and Croatia take on Slovenia in what should be a tense battle between the two former Yugoslav republics.
The Spain-Norway match is likely to be tight with Norway conceding a miserly five goals in eight qualifying games and scoring just nine goals.
"Spain were second, behind Holland, in the list of teams we wanted to avoid," said Norway coach Nils Johan Semb.
"We have to face up to reality. We have a big challenge ahead of us," said Norway midfielder Frode Johnsen. "It will be difficult but nothing's impossible in football. We've beaten them in the past."
The ties, to be played on November 15-16 and 18-19, will decide who joins hosts Portugal, champions France, Sweden, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Greece in the finals.
Former European champions Holland are desperate to qualify after missing the 2002 World Cup and they seem to have unearthed a new batch of promising youngsters.
They will also be able to count on Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy who was banned for last wekend's 5-0 win over Moldova after clashing with Advocaat when he was substituted in last month's 3-1 loss to the Czech Republic.
But Clarence Seedorf of AC Milan, who also missed Saturday's win over Moldova are after he complained about being made to play on the wing, might not be recalled.
© 2003 AFP
++ [ originally posted by Roverbhoy ] ++
Hey Erik.
Ever thought about stand up comedy dude?:cheesy:
Hey Erik.
Ever thought about stand up comedy dude?
:cheesy:
Actually, Advocaat isn't going to play him anymore. He stated: "the partnership Kluivert-Van Nistelrooy hasn't performed at all. Van der Vaart and Kluivert on the other hand are a great duo. Ruud shouldn't expect a sudden return to the starting line-up, there are no good grounds for such a move!"
