The draw for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers will be on July 30 in Brazil.

Here are the UEFA pots for the qualifying groups:

Pot 1: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, England, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Norway, Greece
Pot 2: France, Montenegro, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia, Turkey, Serbia, Slovakia
Pot 3: Switzerland, Israel, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belarus, Ukraine, Hungary
Pot 4: Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Georgia, Lithuania, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Poland
Pot 5: Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Cyprus, Latvia, Moldova, FYR Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands
Pot 6: Wales, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, San Marino




Easiest group:
Norway
Serbia
Hungary
Lithuania
Faroe Islands
San Marino

Toughest group:
Spain
Serbia
Ukraine
Poland
Finland
Wales

WWIII group:
Croatia
Serbia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Albania
FYR Macedonia
?

The key to a good qualifying group is getting one of the weaker top seeds and/or seeds from pot 3 (i.e. Hungary, Israel). Pot 4 is fairly unbalanced as well and Poland, Romania and Scotland are teams you definitely want to avoid. Wales is one of the worst pot 6 opponents you could ever get.

 

Best Group:
1. Norway
2. Serbia
3. Bulgaria
4. Armenia
5. Moldova
6. Malta

Worst Group:
1. Spain
2. Serbia
3. Turkey
4. Poland
5. Austria
6. Kazakhstan

"Fun" Group:

1. The Enemy
2. Serbia
3. The Other Enemy
4. The Last Century Enemy
5. The Friends
6. Malta

 

Looks like we agree almost entirely marakana.

I think Ukraine is the toughest team in pot 3, but I was debating between them, Turkey, and Czech Republic.

We've lost every time we've played Ukraine so they seem to be a horrible style matchup for us. And they have a young, talented team (Rakitskiy, Chygrynskiy, Aliyev, Yarmolenko, Milevskiy, Pyatov) and some decent veterans to back those guys up. Not a team I'd like to face.

 

I don't why... I just find that it would be more intimidating for our team to go to the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium or Türk Telekom Arena and face Turkey.

I agree that Ukraine has historically been a horrible match up for us, but I would fancy us against them in Belgrade, and to nick a point away. Turkey, just out of passion reasons would more of a challenge in my eyes.

 

I think Ukraine would be worse for us we simply cant play against their style of pla

 

I prefer
Croatia
Serbia
BiH
Macedonia
Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein would advance because they behaved best.

 

if i guess the group 100% right, every member here send me $100, deal?

Germany
Serbia
Bulgaria
Albania
Wales
Kazakhstan

 

That'd be good, we'll beat Germany, I mean, we're used to beat them now, you know roud:

 

Is Norway officially in Pot-1? I thought they were in Pot-2?

 

Norway? They've not done anything in 12 years?

 

Well not quite.. according to FIFA. The pots are based on the results of qualifiers and the FIFA rankings. The results over the past 1.5 years in qualifiers/friendlies:

12.08.2009 Norway 4-0 Scotland (Q)
05.09.2009 Iceland 1-1 Norway (Q)
09.09.2009 Norway 2-1 FYR Macedonia (Q)
10.10.2009 Norway 1-0 South Africa (F)
14.11.2009 Switzerland 0-1 Norway (F)
03.03.2010 Slovakia 0-1 Norway (F)
29.05.2010 Norway 2-1 Montenegro (F)
02.06.2010 Norway 0-1 Ukraine (F)
11.08.2010 Norway 2-1 France (F)
03.09.2010 Iceland 1-2 Norway (Q)
07.09.2010 Norway 1-0 Portugal (Q)
08.10.2010 Cyprus 1-2 Norway (Q)
12.10.2010 Croatia 2-1 Norway (F)
17.11.2010 Ireland 1-2 Norway (F)
09.02.2011 Poland 1-0 Norway (F)
26.03.2011 Norway 1-1 Denmark (Q)
04.06.2011 Portugal 1-0 Norway (Q)
07.06.2011 Norway 1-0 Lithuania (F)

The ones in bold are qualifiers. I am unsure if both friendlies and qualifiers count toward the ranking...

Over the past 1.5 year Norway has a total record of:

12 WINS, 2 DRAWS, 4 LOSSES

Pretty impressive. They are pretty consistent against smaller sides. The only game where they can say they should have gotten something from is Ukraine at home. Other than that they beat teams they should have at home, beat a couple of better teams a la Portugal and France, and lost to teams away that you would expect (Croatia and Portugal).

The one thing that marks all of the results besides one is that they were all decided by one goal, which illustrates the concentration they have defensively as well as the composure to work hard and make space limited, something Scandinavian teams are known for.

 

Surely they're only provisional pots by the way?

 

Does anyone other than me want Croatia or Albania in our group?

 

It's a double edged sword mate.

Win and qualify and we will never make them hear the end of it. Lose and it's the exact opposite.

I would like to avoid them.

 

But it should be based on more than just that. It usually is.

They've not made a majour tournament since 2000?

 

I really want us to make it to this one. I will definitely go to Brazil, have a place to stay and everything. Make it happen momci.

 

You have a place to stay in Brazil?

 

Yup. Ex work colleague who has moved back to Brazil. She said she will give me a place to stay if I come.

 

Count me in

I'm already going to Brazil 2014 no matter what. I've always wanted to go to Brazil and since they are hosting the WC nothing could be more perfect. Hopefully by that time we get rid of that low-life loser Pizon and adopt a new style of play in order to qualify for the event.

I wouldn't mind having the group of death aka Balkan group. Serbia has never failed to get out of a Balkan group because our players have INAT!!

That same INAT Nole lacked against Federer :doh:

 

In where? You're going no way near me.

 

It's ok.
I'd be afraid of someone like me as well :smileani:

 

we had the Croatians and Macedonians already for the Euro 2000 qualifiers

we had BiH for 2006

with proper preparation, i think a current group with ex-Yu republics is manageable

 

Norway or Greece would be the best options for obvious reasons but I don't see us getting either of them. Thus, I'd like to see some teams that we haven't played against for some time, makes it a little more exciting that way.

England
Serbia
Turkey
Hungary
Moldova
Andorra

Would be a challenging group. Meanwhile I'd say this would probably be our easiest group:

Norway
Serbia
Israel
Lithuania
Moldova
Liechtenstein

 

i am used to us getting hard groups and i expect no less this time around

but 2014 should be a great chance for us to qualify and put on a very good performance at the WC

 

Hopefully you're right alchemist, but you never know. Stankovic won't be around, but we should have players that will be able to fill his shoes in that time. Unfortunately, Vidic might not be around either, and although we still have Subotic, Ivanovic, etc. losing a world-class CB in Vidic would be a fairly big loss, to any team. My main concern is that we would still have Pizon and the likes of Tole and his friends in the FA. If we could somehow get rid of all those bastards come the WC in 2014, that would truly be amazing. I'm hoping Divac and Savo can somehow rid our football of these cancers.

 

the playing group that we can rely upon for the 2014 WC (inc. qualifying) is potentially the best since the mid 90's IMO

that is not to say that anything is guaranteed... i have watched too many potential very good/great players settle for mediocrity (eg. Perica, Mrkela, Boskovic etc.)

and its time for a change with regard to certain positions... the King is dead, love live the King :smileani:

 

alch, what hypothetical lineup could you envisage for 2014?

 

I hope we don't qualify for Euros, tbh. That is the onle way I see us moving towards a better future. They put the blame on Antic but if we don't qualify here then the blame goes on Tole and Co. Surely, their reign of terror is coming to a stop.

 

we didn't qualify in 2002 or 2004... we also missed out in 2008

i truly don't think the football admin in Serbia is capable of any great change or progress... hopefully, i am wrong

 

what if she moves back to England in the next 3 years? You're fucked...proper fucked.

 

Yes Tommy, proper fvcked.

 

Here is my line up in 2014. The ages in the brackets would be in 2014.

-------------------- Stojkovic (31) -----------------------

Ivanovic (30) -- Subotic (26) -- Vidic (33) -- Obradovic (26)

----------- Kuzmanovic (27) ---- Petrovic (25) ------------

Krasic (30) ------------------------------------- Tosic (27)

------------------------ Ljajic (23) -----------------------

----------------------- Lazovic (31) ----------------------

I've included Vidic (because i think he will still be more than good enough at 33) partnered with Subotic, who would will be more of an experienced player and mostly likely at a bigger club than now (unless Dortmund becomes a powerhouse by 2014). Ivanovic is an automatic RB selection with Obradovic at LB (because he's better defensively than Kolarov)

Kuzmanovic should have become a solid CM by 2014 with maybe Petrovic who by 2014 should be playing in a stronger league. Krasic and Tosic are two perfect wide wingers who love to get forward and attack. Could Ljajic be used as a AM/Playmaker/Supporting Striker?

As for the striker, i have not idea at the moment. I've put up Lazovic but i don't see any other players at the moment who would deserve to be there more. Would Zigic still be an option at 34 in 2014?

Im not too confident with the players we've currently got in our attacking third. Apart from the most of the defenders, any of the midfielders or strikers could easily lose their place. None of them have really made any of their positions their own yet. :rollani:

Key players leftover;
- Lukovic (32)
- Kolarov (29)
- Ninkov (29)
- Kacar (27)
- Gudelj (23)
- Tadic (26)
- Ninkovic (30)
- Djuricic (22)
- Sulejmani (25)
- Scepovic brothers (22/23)

These are just some of the players that i could think of the top off my head. Also which other keeper will be good enough to challange Stojkovic for the No.1 spot? At the moment i would still easily choose Stojkovic over Saranov, Brkic, Kahriman etc.