# World Cup qualification matches **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 26, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036 "2013-03-26T19:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/281 "2013-12-07T23:19:25Z")
Germany and England got the toughest group I think . I feel bad for the US too…LOL ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/282 "2013-12-08T03:31:41Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > Group A - Brazil Croatia Mexico Cameroon > > Likely to be very interesting, except the matches where Brazil are playing, and winning comfortably. Cameroon aren’t what they used to be, though, and Mexico always choke on the big stage, so Croatia for second. Mexico always makes it through the first round. As bad as they’ve been recently, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do so again. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/283 "2013-12-08T05:29:32Z")
Germany and US will go through. Ronaldo is absolutely unstoppable right now, but I remember 2002 when Portugal had Luis Figo, Rui Costa etc and the US beat them. Portugal look a bit brittle and with any luck the US can beat Ghana this time. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/284 "2013-12-08T15:29:33Z")
I feel good this year up against Ghana. Yeah, they pretty much made us their bitch (well, they and the refs) the last two cups, but we didn’t have the X-factor then – Klinsmann. Of course, Germany and Portugal will probably re-bitchify us, but, eh, whaddayagonnado? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/285 "2013-12-08T18:01:59Z")
Israel held Portugal twice and Israel is nowhere near the quality of the US. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/286 "2013-12-08T18:04:43Z")
The FIFA circus continues. After two years of sticking to their schedule… [**FIFA changes start times for 7 WC games, including USA-Portugal**](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131207/usa-portugal-fifa-start-time-world-cup.ap/?eref=si_soccer&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo) What’s next? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/287 "2013-12-08T19:19:12Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I feel good this year up against Ghana. Yeah, they pretty much made us their bitch (well, they and the refs) the last two cups, but we didn’t have the X-factor then – Klinsmann. > > Of course, Germany and Portugal will probably re-bitchify us, but, eh, whaddayagonnado? Getting out shot, out possessed, and winning in OT is making the US their bitch? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/288 "2013-12-08T19:51:25Z")
\ \<[giggles](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16868616&postcount=243)\> Random draw is random I guess. USA looks to have got a tough group but it could have been worse. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/289 "2013-12-08T22:27:28Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Getting out shot, out possessed, and winning in OT is making the US their bitch? Well, the key-word there is “winnning”, so … half-a-bitch, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/290 "2013-12-08T22:49:09Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > The FIFA circus continues. After two years of sticking to their schedule… > > [**FIFA changes start times for 7 WC games, including USA-Portugal**](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131207/usa-portugal-fifa-start-time-world-cup.ap/?eref=si_soccer&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo) > > What’s next? I dont see what the big deal is, they’ll get much higher TV viewing audiences this way. Would you rather have the US play their games while everybody is at work and unable to watch?? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/291 "2013-12-08T23:34:44Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Well, the key-word there is “winnning”, so … half-a-bitch, anyway. Making another team your bitch implies domination, not barely eking out a win. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/292 "2013-12-09T06:21:03Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > Also check out the [travel](http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbymcmahon/2013/12/02/the-numbers-that-show-the-inequity-of-the-fifa-2014-world-cup-draw-2/). The US is traveling 3X as far as Germany. Fun. Not just how far; look at where they’re travelling to: Manaus, Recife, and Natal. IOW, as I see it, the three hottest (temperature/humidity wise) venues in the Brazil WC. Yeah, playing in [85 degrees/75% humidity](http://weatherspark.com/averages/33478/6/Recife-Pernambuco-Brazil) isn’t going to take it out of the U.S. team, compared to playing in say, Porto Alegre or Curitiba. FIFA couldn’t have screwed the U.S. over harder if they’d tried. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/293 "2013-12-09T07:50:58Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > The FIFA circus continues. After two years of sticking to their schedule… > > [**FIFA changes start times for 7 WC games, including USA-Portugal**](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131207/usa-portugal-fifa-start-time-world-cup.ap/?eref=si_soccer&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo) > > What’s next? Nice they moved England - Italy. Now instead of kicking off at 2am London time, it will kick off at 11pm. That game is going to be insane in the pubs and clubs here - everyone is going to be hammered before kick off. I’ll bet the police will be hoping for an England win simply so as to hopefully keep a lid on it. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/294 "2013-12-09T11:09:18Z")
Didn’t they do the same for some games in Japan/Korea? Although in that case it was more like moving games from 9am UK time to midday. Of course the problem is that some of the games, including Italy - England, are getting moved earlier in the day to suit TV audiences, when it will be quite a bit warmer. Could be upper 20s Celsius at the new kick-off time in Manaus. ---
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/295 "2013-12-09T13:27:23Z")
> [@Cumbrian](#): > > Nice they moved England - Italy. Now instead of kicking off at 2am London time, it will kick off at 11pm. That game is going to be insane in the pubs and clubs here - everyone is going to be hammered before kick off. I’ll bet the police will be hoping for an England win simply so as to hopefully keep a lid on it. England have a very good record against Italy (as opposed to Germany). I think you guys can pull off an “upset” perhaps ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/296 "2013-12-09T13:52:22Z")
I’m afraid we don’t have much of record against Italy. We don’t play them very often, for one thing. I think we’ve only beaten them once in a serious match, a World Cup qualifier many moons ago. ---
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/297 "2013-12-09T16:11:39Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I’m afraid we don’t have much of record against Italy. We don’t play them very often, for one thing. I think we’ve only beaten them once in a serious match, a World Cup qualifier many moons ago According to FIFA stats England have an overall record of 8 Wins, 9 Losses and 7 Draws. Thats not half bad. Its a lot better then Germany, thats for sure [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/headtohead/team1=eng/team2=ita/index.html](http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/headtohead/team1=eng/team2=ita/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/298 "2013-12-09T16:32:35Z")
> [@Esco](#): > > According to FIFA stats England have an overall record of 8 Wins, 9 Losses and 7 Draws. Thats not half bad. Its a lot better then Germany, thats for sure > > [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/headtohead/team1=eng/team2=ita/index.html](http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/headtohead/team1=eng/team2=ita/index.html) We’ve not beaten them in a competitive match since 1978 and 5 of our 8 wins came before 1976. If England can get a draw in the game v Italy, that is a good result for us. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/299 "2013-12-09T17:30:12Z")
It’s true that Germany’s record is worse, although again competitive matches between the two are rare because they’re almost always seeded. Germany’s record is Played 8, Won 0, Drawn 4, Lost 4. England’s is Played 7, Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 4, and one of those draws is when they knocked us out of Euro 2012. ---
**Author:** ![Esco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de053/32.png) [@Esco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esco)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036/300 "2013-12-09T19:36:43Z")
> [@Cumbrian](#): > > We’ve not beaten them in a competitive match since 1978 and 5 of our 8 wins came before 1976. If England can get a draw in the game v Italy, that is a good result for us. I think thats doable. Pirlo aint getting any younger, and maybe Balotelli has an off-day. Interesting enough, Italy has never beaten Holland in major tournaments. They did tie us 0-0 in Euro 2000, and then beat us on penalties. They’ve also never scored a goal against Holland. We beat them 2-0 in 1978 Drew 0-0 in 2000 And beat them again 3-0 in 2008 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-qualification-matches/654036.md?page=16)