WC Qualifiers: HRVATSKA vs. Andorra (15.10.08)

agree if we can't win this one we might as well give up on wc dream instantly.

I say we play 4-4-1-1 with Olic as a lone striker.

i think thats too offensive. we definively need more support at the back. you saw today our defenders made some big mistakes and it always looked dangerous when sheva got the ball and ran down the pitch.

andorrans come from mountain, they are used to the thinner air so when they come to lower grounds like croatia the extra air gives them extra energy.

therefore something like

plete
corluka - krizanac - vejic - simunic - pranjic
srna - n. kovac - j. leko - dekica
olic

is the way to go

we need two goalkeepers

anyway, in World Cup qualifying goal difference I believe is the first tiebreaker, hopefully we see another 6-0, 7-0 but we need to win by at least 3

HajdukSplit said:

we need two goalkeepers

anyway, in World Cup qualifying goal difference I believe is the first tiebreaker, hopefully we see another 6-0, 7-0 but we need to win by at least 3

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head to head isn't the first tie-breaker?

yeah but if we going for the 2nd place only the matches between first 4 teams are taken into accounts afaik when determining the ranking of 2nd placed teams.

so how much we win against andorra won't help us there as it won't negate the -3 we have with england.

Ante said:

head to head isn't the first tie-breaker?

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i believe that hs is right and that the tie breakers are different for euro and wc.

in UEFA it is (which is dumb in my opinion, at Euros you had teams winning the group after two rounds), not for FIFA. In fact head to head is the third tie-breaker for FIFA

for FIFA
1. Goal difference
2. Goals score
3. Head to head with the team you are tied with

Ante said:

head to head isn't the first tie-breaker?

Click to expand...

Welcome back Ante :thumbsup:

wait, at the end of qualifiers they will deduct 6 points right? Because the last group only has 5 teams and they need to determine the top 8 runners up. So at the end, these games against Andorra don't really matter, they still have to win them of course but even if they win 20:0 it won't matter much.

HajdukSplit said:

wait, at the end of qualifiers they will deduct 6 points right? Because the last group only has 5 teams and they need to determine the top 8 runners up. So at the end, these games against Andorra don't really matter, they still have to win them of course but even if they win 20:0 it won't matter much.

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Run that by me one more time. I never heard of that.

VAN CRO said:

Run that by me one more time. I never heard of that.

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not all groups have the same number of teams. so when ranking the 2nd placed teams , which they need to do as only 8 out of 9 2nd placed teams go to play offs, the teams don't have the same number of games played. so you need to equalize the number of games. thats why games against 6th placed teams in groups 1 till 8 which have 6 teams won't be taken into account.

to equalize it the last group, group 9 which has only 5 teams doesn't have anyone from the same pot as san marino, malta, andorra, lichtenstein... crew.

HajdukSplit said:

in UEFA it is (which is dumb in my opinion, at Euros you had teams winning the group after two rounds), not for FIFA. In fact head to head is the third tie-breaker for FIFA

for FIFA
1. Goal difference
2. Goals score
3. Head to head with the team you are tied with

Click to expand...

Nope, head to head is the 4th tie-breaker. FIFA Ranking is the third tie-breaker. That's why these FIFA rankings matter.

We're running out of inspirational speeches...

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I'd go with this lineup, but I know for sure Bilic would never use it, it seems he doesn't like experimenting even in friendly matches yet alone qualifiers

Subasic
Corluka - Krizanac - Knezevic - Pranjic
Srna - Vukojevic - Rakitic - Modric
Petric - Mandzukic

Try to play Klasnic, Ilicevic off the bench. I am very down on Kalinic lately and he doesn't deserve to play for the NT at this point

HajdukSplit said:

I'd go with this lineup, but I know for sure Bilic would never use it, it seems he doesn't like experimenting even in friendly matches yet alone qualifiers

Subasic
Corluka - Krizanac - Knezevic - Pranjic
Srna - Vukojevic - Rakitic - Modric
Petric - Mandzukic

Try to play Klasnic, Ilicevic off the bench. I am very down on Kalinic lately and he doesn't deserve to play for the NT at this point

Click to expand...

like that lineup but like u said our coaches never like to experiment in friendlies let alone qualifers in which we play a team which we should beat by 5 goals..

MaidenMadness said:

i think thats too offensive. we definively need more support at the back. you saw today our defenders made some big mistakes and it always looked dangerous when sheva got the ball and ran down the pitch.

andorrans come from mountain, they are used to the thinner air so when they come to lower grounds like croatia the extra air gives them extra energy.

therefore something like

plete
corluka - krizanac - vejic - simunic - pranjic
srna - n. kovac - j. leko - dekica
olic

is the way to go

Click to expand...

:thumbsup:. Great lineup!

spidey said:

like that lineup but like u said our coaches never like to experiment in friendlies let alone qualifers in which we play a team which we should beat by 5 goals..

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Remember when Herr Otto called up every Croatian player on the planet to play in a couple of friendlies? I wish Mr. "tejkitize" would do the same.

It's going to be an ugly game. Andorra packing the penalty box with nine players and all our chances will likely come from crosses, freekicks or long shots... Russia barely beat them 1-0, England had a hard time getting by 2-0, Belorus even conceded against them 3-1. If we want to beat them 5.6.7-0 then we have to play our best line-up. That means keep Olic off the pitch.