Group 3

[Saraj Fanatico]

Group 3:

Czech Republic
Poland
Northern Ireland
Slovakia
Slovenia
San Marino


Thoughts? Are you happy with the draw your nation got? What will be the exciting match up in this one? What are your teams chances of making it? Share your thoughts!

[shevafan]

poland vs czech republic is going to be a very interesting match unless it wont really mean anything. northern ireland could create problems

[misteradelaide]

poland vs czech republic is going to be a very interesting match unless it wont really mean anything. northern ireland could create problems

agreed, unless northern ireland come strong it will be czech and poland without doubt.

[Bigpappys_gun]

slovenia slovakia might create upsets u never know

[misteradelaide]

slovenia slovakia might create upsets u never no

Of course anything can happen in football, but judging by the Euro qualifiers Slovakia and Slovenia will end up closer to the bottom than on top.

[shevafan]

slovenia slovakia might create upsets u never no
i rem slovenia once beat us in the playoffs for euro 2000. i was so pissed off cause i was 100% sure that was gonna be our first euro.

[Andygers]

Yeah but we beat Slovenia 3-0 over there then we got a disappointing 0-0 draw at Hampden. So these shocks can happen.

[Konrad81]

It's a good group. We don't have to travel a lot;)
Saying seriously, I'm rather happy with the draw. Czech Rep. and Poland should fight for the first place, but other three teams can be dangerous. Of course San Marino will be loosing to everybody. It's the weakest team in Europe I suppose.
So, there are obviously stronger groups and I can't complain. And we have to remember that this qualifications will be plaing during 2 years. Some teams can get weaker or stronger. For example: in WC 2006 Northern Irleand was very weak against Poland, and we don't have many problems against them. And in Euro 2008 qualiffications they caused many problems to Spain, Sweden, and Danmark. We have to be careful with our predictions then.

[wales]

Slovenia are the Austria 5th seeds. Czech Republic you would think 1st, Northern Ireland have a good chance of the play-offs.

[stuglue]

This is a pretty close one,Northern Ireland,if they can keep the form they've shown this year will take points off the likes of the Czech's and the Pole's.
Slovakia are a hard team to play against,very dour and defensive yet dangerous .I haven't seen the Czech's since WC2006 when it was obvious the old guard were past it.
As for Poland,i hate watching them,awfully boring

[Lusitânia Power]

Czech and Poles for the 1st place, the rest is only for the 3rd place...

[Andygers]

This is a pretty close one,Northern Ireland,if they can keep the form they've shown this year will take points off the likes of the Czech's and the Pole's.
Slovakia are a hard team to play against,very dour and defensive yet dangerous .I haven't seen the Czech's since WC2006 when it was obvious the old guard were past it.
As for Poland,i hate watching them,awfully boring Northern Ireland have a great chance if they keep this run up :)

[Bosnian Unit]

Czech Rep. and N.Ireland.

[SiN]

The old eastern European rivals from the Czech Republic and Poland should dominate the group, but neither will underestimate a resurgent Northern Ireland, who was in with a chance of qualifying for Euro 2008 until the last round of matches. The Czechs also met their neighbors Slovakia and San Marino in the same European qualifying group, winning all four matches with a 16-1 goal difference.

[Vic]

1- Czech Rep
2- NI/Poland

[wales]

lol I always wanted Slovakia to play Slovenia, similar names.

[wales]

Yeah but we beat Slovenia 3-0 over there then we got a disappointing 0-0 draw at Hampden. So these shocks can happen.

Scotland 0-0 Slovenia

Is that really a shock???

I dont think so.

[Konrad81]

The old European rivals from the Czech Republic and Poland
I wouldn't say we are old rivals. We play each agaisnt rather rarely.

[Konrad81]

As for Poland,i hate watching them,awfully boring
When did you last time watch game with Poland? In 1945?
And it is better to play "boring" and qualify, than not to qualify, like England for example.

[stuglue]

When did you last time watch game with Poland? In 1945?
And it is better to play "boring" and qualify, than not to qualify, like England for example.
Er,a little more recently,try 2006 AND 2002.Painful viewing

[Konrad81]

Er,a little more recently,try 2006 AND 2002.Painful viewing
So you didn't watch any of Euro 2008 qualifications games. Now it is a completely different team.

[Fenerliyim]

Poland was great in their WC06 qualifying campaign although they dissapointed in WC06, but they finished with flying colors in the ECQ, i expect another 1st place qualification from them.

2nd will be the Czechs

[wales]

I would very surprised if that happened, Czech Republic=1st I think.

[Jadhu]

Czech =1st...
Hard to tell about the 2nd but most likey Northern Ireland or Poland

[SiN]

Definatley Czechs getting first place here.

Altough some people think they are over-rated. They should be able to get through at least.

[Lech1]

Now my things are on Euro 2008 but of course after this competition will be next interesting Challenge.

I am happy that in many posts you write that Czech Republic or Poland.

Of course I understand that you can suspect me about lack of objective but I have a big respect for Czech. I remember that North Ireland play good in Qualification to Euro 2008. Slovakia makes progress, Slovenia is incalculable.

On polish forum are some people from Czech and they are sure that only Poland could be danger and they can add to their team 18 points for matches with (NOR IRL, Slovakia, Slovenia) before the start and only Poland must afraid to not lose points with this teams.

I think they are too arrogant.

I hope they will have to apologized after qualifications to South Africa. :smoking:

[octopus]

I think Slovakia is going to roll them over because Poland and Czechs are KO after Euro and they have to change their overaged generation.
Main reasons why i put Slovaks on 1st spot are these:
1) they took really good trainer who reached Champions league with underdogs (Artmedia in 2005)
2) their football national players are hungry for success. The reason is Slovak Ice Hockey national team which reached gold in world cup whilst they have reached nothing yet
3) extraordinary young talents: Stoch-best junior in Chelsea, Cech and Weiss-2 young members of premier league, Hamsik-1 of the best in seria A who is demanded by Juve and Chelsea, Skrtel-best defender in Liverpool, Sestak, Vittek-2 stable players in germany + Kozak, Sebo, Svento and Brezinsky who will shortly get into good euro teams.

I think all this is too good to be beaten by Poland or Czechs. I think Nor.Ireland:smoking: will come second.

[vojvoda]

1. Czech Republic
2. Poland/N. Ireland

[cluetocalo]

1.Czech Republic
2.Poland

[A(Bosancero)]

1.Czech Republic
2.Poland/Slovenia/N.Ireland

[NB-MVP]

I hope Slovenia gets something out of this but it's really hard for them, their football has been going down ever since their peak.

[A(Bosancero)]

what happened they were in the euro 2000 and played great not to mention tied to Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) 3-3 when they had a talented squad in that competition,Their clubs had participated in the CL and the Uefa Cup stages

[Kaspers]

Our(Slovenia) current squad is at least as good or maybe even better as the one that qualified to Euro 2000 and WC '02. The main difference is that today we have a much less competent coach and are missing a playmaker such as Zlatko Zahovič was during our "golden era".

Our domestic league has been in a terrible state for many years now. Stadiums are more or less empty, averaging around 1000 spectators per game. Domžale at 1.5 million € have the biggest budget in the league, that is why its no surprise that all our clubs are knocked out of European competitions before the 3rd round.

Anyway I believe that it can only get better from now on. We've been playing pretty well in our recent friendly matches and I'm positive we will do better than we did in the EURO '08 qualifications.

[stuglue]

Slovakia 4 3 0 1 8 5 9
[Poland] Poland 4 2 1 1 6 4 7
[Slovenia] Slovenia 4 2 1 1 5 3 7
Northern Ireland 4 1 1 2 5 4 4
Czech Republic 3 1 1 1 2 2 4
[San San Marino 3 0 0 3 1 9 0

[wales]

Good win for N.Ireland 3-2

[Rozbisurmaniony]

Two gifts from Boruc to SLK :

Slovakia - Poland 2:1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzcV8JZt8bY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftelebimy.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fpodsumowanie-meczu-polska-slowacja-12.html&feature=player_embedded)

^^
As you can we were far better than Slovakia but Boruc...

Three gifts from Boruc to NIR:

Northern Ireland - Poland 3:2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB4d9cDvu9M)

Boruc - The Polish Santa Claus :red-card:

From seven goals which we lost in current qualifying, five was from Boruc fault after very stupid mistakes...So now we have really difficult situation to be in WC2010 in South Arfica, but I think that it`s possible, because our players reacted great after big discredit in Northern Ireland and they are I can say "overfilled" of motivation now. Yesterday`s match, many really beautiful goals and plays, it was also the biggest win in polish NT history, worth seeing:

Poland - San Marino 10:0 (really good quality)
http://www.tvp.pl/sport/pilka-nozna/pilkarska-reprezentacja-polski/wideo/polska-san-marino-skrot-meczu

[octopus]

So you (WANIA POL) think Poland were better than Slovakia? But your trainer, Leo Benhakker said about the match quite opposite thing: that "the game was pretty under Slovak control".
I have no doubt about Slovak participation in South Africa with such a players but can you imagine that it might end up like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72mNEo09sXM&feature=related

[Mupy9391]

I think I might ask my high school varsity coach to set up a friendly between us and San Marino :lol:

I seriusly think we'd have a chance lol

[Lusankya]

San Marino's population is ~30000. I think they do pretty good for a size of a small town.

[Mupy9391]

yeah.. my high school has a population of 3,000 and I think my team would beat San Marino. :lol:

[stuglue]

Great result for N Ireland last night in Poland. The other result also went there way with Slovakia drawing.
They must beat Slovakia this Wednesday and pray that Poland v Slovenia is a draw. After that it is out of there hands as the games in October will be wide open. Ideally N Ireland would welcome the Czech Rep match and the Slovakia game to end as draws.

[wales]

I still dont think N.Ireland will qualify

[The_Crazy_Freak]

Haha, Group 3 is the least discussed out of all Groups. xD

Anyways, I find it really funny how (almost) everyone was underestimating Slovenia, and now it turns out we're going to South Africa. :D

[LindavG]

Haha, Group 3 is the least discussed out of all Groups. xD

Anyways, I find it really funny how (almost) everyone was underestimating Slovenia, and now it turns out we're going to South Africa. :D

Yeah congratulations on that, incredible achievement :)