World Cup qualifying draw

General Discussion on Indian Football.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Dhruv
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 3957
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2002 3:09 am
Has thanked: 3 times

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by Dhruv »

The draw is out, Live coverage provided by Indianfootball.com :)

Anyway bad draw for India. Only team team qualifies from the group and the group is

Japan
Oman
India
Singapore
User avatar
BSharma
Authors
Authors
Posts: 12076
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:51 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: USA

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by BSharma »

32 teams from Asia have been divided into eight groups of four teams. At least 4 teams from Asia will qualify for the World Cup in Germany in 2006. There is also another so-called half-slot up for grabs, an extra berth they can fight over with CONCACAF.

Japan and Korea played in the last World Cup that was jointly hosted by the two nations. Japan should win their group easily and move on to the next stage, and will most likely be one of the Asian teams in Germany.
Jacknut
Member
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2003 12:12 pm

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by Jacknut »

Well that pretty much sucks. Having a top flight team in your group will kill a campaign pretty fast.
User avatar
BSharma
Authors
Authors
Posts: 12076
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:51 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: USA

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by BSharma »

Could India have advanced to the second round if placed in another group? I doubt it.

Eight groups of four teams with the winner advancing to the next round.
Top two teams in each four-team third-round group qualify
Top two teams qualify
Third-place teams meet in home-and-home play-off
Playoff winner advances to playoff against South America, CONCACAF and Oceania

GROUP 1
Iran
Qatar
Jordan
Laos

GROUP 2
Uzbekistan
Iraq
Palestine
Chinese Taipei

GROUP 3
Japan
Oman
India
Singapore

GROUP 4
China
Kuwait
Malaysia
Hong Kong

GROUP 5
UAE
Thailand
Yemen
North Korea

GROUP 6
Bahrain
Syria
Kyrgyztan
Tajikistan

GROUP 7
South Korea
Lebanon
Vietnam
Maldives

GROUP 8
Saudi Arabia
Indonesia
Turkmenistan
Sri Lanka
Garin
Member
Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 11:47 am

Qualifying Draw

Post by Garin »

Hey, why such negativity at what I think is a great draw for India and Indian football fans?

Bring them on, I say!! None of those teams will relish coming to play in India. I think we will see some excellent football and the atmosphere will be red hot.

Watching India is always great fun. I have seen them play in England and the U-17s in Germany. How about a trip to the Far East? Japan and Singapore?? Anyone else up for it?? :xmas:
pindou
Member
Member
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 7:34 pm

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by pindou »

india can win against japan :notworthy:
User avatar
PKBasu
Member
Member
Posts: 36869
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 6:04 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: New Delhi / Kolkata
Been thanked: 8 times

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by PKBasu »

This is undoubtedly a tough draw, especially with Japan being in the same group. But, given India's ranking, we should have expected that one of the top Asian teams would be in the same group. The fact that Japan is in the same group is definitely better than Korea, and probably better than having Iran/SaudiArabia. The climate factor on Indian soil could be a big factor.
I'm relishing the prospect of hosting the Indian team here in Singapore -- where there should be a reasonable-sized Indian cheering section!
At a minimum, I hope we comfortably beat Singapore and Oman home and away, and put some serious pressure on Japan. Despite having two or three pros who play in the leading European leagues, Japan's big weakness remains its striking (goal-scoring) ability.
User avatar
amr090
Authors
Authors
Posts: 4371
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 10:31 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: Baltimore, MD

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by amr090 »

I agree, while this is a difficult draw, we need to look on this positively. One of the most obvious ideas to improve a team is to give it top level exposure. Normally, world-class teams such as Japan and Korea would never want to play India. In terms of world soccer, India has no respect. Coach Constantine should use this as a motivational tool. Beat Japan, or even stretch them to their limit, and you start gaining respect. In addtition, playing such a team gives you experience and a good performance instills confidence. Additionally, the players have got to be jacked up with excitement for this. How can you not be??? This for the World Cup one of the most sought after glories in sporting.
One of our few advantages is that Japan will come in not knowing too much of India or their style of play. Obviously, they will do their homework and learn about Bhutia and he will be marked tightly. However, they have to come in a bit overconfident. Most have them to picked to win the group as well as gain 1 of Asia's slots for the World Cup. I am hoping Constantine can come up with some magic to get the needed wins. Once again our glaring weakness is not having even 1 top flight, athletic aggressive striker. I am hoping we can find one before the qualies. Perhaps Bishwas...Malswam....basically we need an xfactor to step up other than the usual Bhutia.
arunava
Member
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 9:57 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: Remscheid, Germany
Contact:

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by arunava »

I hope you all liked our indianfootball.com live coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony from Frankfurt on Friday.
I was happy to see that my new notebook and Wlan worked without any problems at the media centre...

Sitting in the Festhalle in Frankfurt and following the draw live, I initially was quite happy with the draw. Singapore, then our Indian team plus Oman in Group 3. Looked a workable group but as I had also told Stephen ahead of the draw, I think we will get a bigwig of Asian football in our group, and yes Japan was the final team which came into our group.
Chris and I were stunned and unhappy but the same reaction came from our Japanese colleagues sitting around us.
And that was and still is the biggest surprise to me.
One would expect the co-hosts of the last world cup and one of the big names of Asian football to be content with such a group but the Japanese fear the group.
Oman has recently beaten South Korea 3-1 and topped their Asia Cup group, India's exploits in the Afro-Asian Games and Milk Cup haven't gone unnoticed plus Baichung Bhutia is a known name in Japan.
But what Japan really fear is travelling to India, playing in our conditions - weather, hot and humid or even monsoon plus the travelling.
The fear comes as Japan are likely to travel to India in early-September at the start of the European season, were the Nakata's, Inamoto's and Takahara's will have to do some travelling from Europe to Japan to India and back...
Plus the Japanese aren't playing so well at the moment, having some problems in their team.

So if Oman and India can disturb the Japanese in their early matches, then anything is possible, similar to the last World Cup qualifiers, were the UAE finished on 12 points and Yemen and India on 11.

Arunava

PS - Garin: India are likely to play in Japan on June 9, 2004.
Maybe lets think of flying across to support our team!!!
Chris and I have discussed it as well.
Who would like to join us???
nnipp
Member
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:50 am

.

Post by nnipp »

India can definitely put a shock into Japan on its own turf. However, they must dispose of easier matches such as Singapore both home and away. Even Singapore is ranked higher than India and was the toughest team in the fourth pot. Hopefully, India can handle Singapore and steal a game from both Japan and Oman. This group should not be the cakewalk Japan was hoping for.
sunnyd
Member
Member
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:46 am
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: Sydney, Australia

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by sunnyd »

Yes, the group is tough, but I don't see we us being in any easier group either. If not Japan, we would have to face either China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan or Iran.

Beating Singapore and Oman is a distinct possibility. India needs to play well away from home too if it intends to beat Oman. I have seen a few clips of the Oman team and I noticed they have good stamina.

As PKBasu noted, India does stand a very good chance of atleast drawing if not winning, at home against Japan due to the climate factor.

I also noticed that soe countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia is not any any of the groups. Was there a pre-qualifiying round before the 1st round?
arunava
Member
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 9:57 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: Remscheid, Germany
Contact:

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by arunava »

There was a preliminary round qualifiers in Asia:

The results (aggregate):
Sri Lanka 3-0 Laos
Kyrgyzstan 6-0 Pakistan
Maldives 13-0 Mongolia
Tajikistan 4-0 Bangladesh
Turkmenistan 13-0 Afghanistan
Chinese Taipei 6-1 Macao


For details on the qualifying draw go to http://www.indianfootball.com/specials/wc2006/ .
User avatar
BSharma
Authors
Authors
Posts: 12076
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:51 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: USA

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by BSharma »

Japan tried to host all the Group matches but for the right reasons India and other nations declined the offer. Priyaranjan Dasmunshi of AIFF said, "Japan had offered to host all the Group matches but weren't successful."
sunnyd
Member
Member
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:46 am
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: Sydney, Australia

World Cup qualifying draw

Post by sunnyd »

Haha...how very amusing. Did the Japanese actually think that the countries would agree to give up home advantage?
User avatar
trinanjans
Member
Member
Posts: 223
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 3:22 pm
Please enter the middle number: 1
Location: India
Contact:

India do stand a grim chance

Post by trinanjans »

Well,
it will be unfair to say tht we don't stand any chance.I think we have it in us to get outright wins against Singapore,and we can even hold Oman if Baichung & co. play their hearts out.If we can do something creditable in Japan,who knows we can spring a few surprises against them here in our homeground .Lets be optimistic !
Post Reply