Wales v Czech Republic

eirebhoy

Important match for Ireland today. A Wales win and we're level on points with the Czechs with the same amount of games played.

I still can't get over the fact that they're on 13 points. An undeserved win against Wales (apparently). A very undeserved win against Cyprus (apparently). And they could have easily lost against us if Keane could hit the target with a free header in the last few minutes.

Anyway, Come on Wales! A win for the Czechs and it'd make this very tough for us. I'd happily take a draw.

Royale with Cheese

Not a hope

eirebhoy

Royale with Cheese wrote:

Not a hope

Considering the Czechs were lucky to beat Wales at home I think there is a hope. Giggs' last game so the crowd estimate has doubled. Gabbidon, Koumas and Earnshaw back in the squad after missing the Ireland game. Davies, Giggs and Bellamy in there already. Not bad.

The Czech coach was close to resigning after the players had a party after losing to Germany. 6 players up with prostitutes until 6 o'clock the following morning. This is their first match since the story broke.

If the Welsh show a bit of heart they'll get at the Czechs.

There is not a good atmosphere surrounding the Czech team following the last matches against Germany and Cyprus and the scandal with celebrations after the match with Germany. People are angry about the national team, about the trainer, about the national team manager. Besides, our team is going to have troubles with players who did not play for a long time, like Rosicky and Baros.
And have you seen Jankulovski in the CL final? A pure crap. He made two huge mistakes at least, after which Liverpool could have scored. Midfielder Galasek won't play for sure. But I consider this news to be a good one. Another midfielder Plasil is in a poor form. Koller in the offense is well known to everybody. The Czech team plays the same way and all the opponents are well prepared for that.
The only good thik is the trainer decided to invite several players from Mlada Boleslav - Pecka and Matejovsky. I doubt he will field them from the start of the match, but they could create a very powerful offensive trio along with their former team-mate Kulic. All of them are in a great shape. But since Brückner is very conservative in his opinions and style, I think they can get into the game only as substitutes.
All in all, I think we will have a lot of troubles with the Welsh squad and a draw could be an acceptable result for us. I think the hosts won't lose this match.

ninebeanrows

I'll be rooting for Wales anyway, as you say a victory for the Welsh then Ireland are right back in the Qualification mixup

Off to get abit of study done and then taking a BREAK to watch it

Dub13

Is this on the box...?

Bounty Hunter

\fter watching wales twice go behind against New Zealand (ended 2-2) i have very little confidence for any help from the Welsh. But they have lots of players back and hopefully Giggs's last game will really focus them.

Royale with Cheese

Giggs last game shouldn't make a difference. I hope to God he doesn't get a great applause. Played when it suited him and then when the team are in the bad way they're in now he just decides he's had enough instead of staying as captain to help his country.

eirebhoy

Wales:

---

Hennessey

---

---

Collins--Gabbidon--Nyatanga

---

Ricketts

---

Ledley

---

Davies--Robinson--Koumas

---

---

Giggs

---

---

Bellamy

---

Czechs:

---

Cech

---

Ujfalusi--Kovac--Rozehnal--Jankulovski

---

Polak

---

--Sivok

---

Rosicky

---

Plasil---

---

Koller--Baros

---

Kojak

I hope Wales win, as it would benefit Ireland's chances of qualifying for Euro 2008, but I don't see it happening.

A lot of the talk will be about Giggs' last game for his country, which could prove a distraction for the rest of the players in the squad.

Score Prediction: Czech Rep. 3 - Wales 1.

Pigman II

eirebhoy wrote:

I still can't get over the fact that they're on 13 points.

Why? They've matched us result for result in every game so far in the group and even held us in our own backyard. If they get 2nd in this group it'll be well deserved as (apart from Germany) they're the only team to have demonstrated any level of consistency so far in their results.

You might get a result in one game "undeservedly" but when you do it consistently it deserves merit.

eirebhoy

Well the general opinion is they didn't deserve to beat Cyprus and Wales. They really scraped those 2 wins. A Petr Cech wonder save in the last few minutes saved them against Cyprus and apparantly Wales were better than them over there. You could look back at our 1-0 win in Cyprus a couple of years ago but then again, the vast majority of people didn't think we deserved to win that.

If the Czechs win today it'll be a smash and grab imo.

Zebra3

0-0 30 mins gone.

Not a great game by any means.

Are some Welsh fans really brain dead or has Giggs agent being paying people to hold crappy bits of cardboard on them with "Good luck Giggsy" and "Thanks Giggsy" on them?

Thanks for what? Finally calling it a day and putting them out of their misery? 64 caps in 16 years.

besty

For being their best player ever?

Andrew 83

Dub13 wrote:

Is this on the box...?

Sky Sports 2

Zebra3

besty wrote:

For being their best player ever?

Well, he's defo not the best ever performer in a Welsh shirt, that's for sure.

0-0 h-t.

super_furry

Can't understand how he can leave them halfway through the campaign, but let's be honest, he's never be committed to the cause.

eirebhoy

Great 2nd half so far.

Drag00n79

Great result. 2 points dropped by the Czechs.

eirebhoy

The Czechs just a point ahead.

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Win
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Draw

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw
Germany (a) - Lose
Slovakia (h) - Win
Cyprus (a) - Draw

Both finish on 22 points but we qualify thanks to the 2 away goals in Czech Republic.

KerranJast

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Draw
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Win

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw
Germany (a) - Lose
Slovakia (h) - Draw
Cyprus (a) - Draw

Ireland to finish on 22, Czechs on 20. We really should be trying to win both away matches out East though.

shane86

Great stuff Im not sure if we can grab them on away gals tbh, my predictions so far would be

Slovakia (a) - Draw or win, hopefully the latter but tbh I rated them as the strongest our mostly full strength squad faced thus far
Czech Republic (a) - Draw or loss
Germany (h) - Win
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Win


Im hoperful but I think we have to bank on a disastrous Cyprus trip for the Czechs. I dont think we can take the Czechs on goal difference if we end points even. And hope upon hope that, however unlikely, San Marino are still on a buzz from our trip and could cause an upset (near impossible I know, goals against the Czechs just wont happen, a woeful draw is our best bet)

eirebhoy

shane86 wrote:

Im hoperful but I think we have to bank on a disastrous Cyprus trip for the Czechs.

I wouldn't go that far. I'd say it's about 50/50 as to whether the Czechs will beat Cyprus or not.

Germany just scored before half time to make it 1-0 against San Marino.

Guy:Incognito

eirebhoy wrote:

Germany just scored before half time to make it 1-0 against San Marino.

Just the 5 more in the 2nd half aswell.


Jesus people should get off their high horses about Giggs. So what if he didnt like playing in friendlies, they're stupid, pointless agmes that should be either gotten rid of or used to give sxperience to kids/uncapped players. I support the decision by top players not to play them.

GuanYin

Good result for us. I don't rate Toshack as a manager and feel Wales have gone backwards in the last few years.

I'd like to think we can turn them and the czechs over, but then I don't rate Staunton either and I KNOW we've gone backwards in the last few years

ninebeanrows

At least this gives us a shout, it's back in our hands, if we win all our remaining games we're through, simple as that, we probably could afford a draw against the Slovaks OR Germans too

Pigman II

KerranJast wrote:

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Draw
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Win

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw
Germany (a) - Lose
Slovakia (h) - Draw
Cyprus (a) - Draw

Ireland to finish on 22, Czechs on 20. We really should be trying to win both away matches out East though.

I think we can get those results you predict but I also think Czech are going to do whole lot better than you forcast. Slovakia at Home? I'd put money on them winning that. Same for Cyprus away. Just because Cyprus mauled us we now have some psychological stumbling block that they are actually a force to be reckoned with in this group. They are not and have lost 4 games already against all sorts of opposition (good & bad , home & away).

As far as I'm concerned we're looking at having to win big (either v Czech away or Germany at home) or we can forget about qualifying.

eirebhoy

Pigman II wrote:

I think we can get those results you predict but I also think Czech are going to do whole lot better than you forcast. Slovakia at Home? I'd put money on them winning that. Same for Cyprus away. Just because Cyprus mauled us we now have some psychological stumbling block that they are actually a force to be reckoned with in this group. They are not and have lost 4 games already against all sorts of opposition (good & bad , home & away).

Wales played Cyprus in a friendly a couple of years ago and their keeper got motm. Cyprus won 1-0 but it could have been a lot more. Switzerland struggled against them twice in the last qualifiers. I doubt France had it easy over there either. Germany only drew with them over there while the Czechs struggled against them at home. I wouldn't put money on the Czechs winning.

shane86

Weathercheck wrote:

At least this gives us a shout, it's back in our hands, if we win all our remaining games we're through, simple as that, we probably could afford a draw against the Slovaks OR Germans too

I think we simply have to finish points above the Czechs, Cyprus and SM will/did probably rule us out on a goal difference decision. Two away goals in SM, compared to 13 odd for Germany, says it all. I really doubt we can win all remaining games, as said Im banking on some sort of disaster by the minnows for the Czechs.

Actually we need two things

No injiries for our key men. Given is essential, no Given no Euros. My heart sank when I heard of his injury after Germany/pre Czechs. Duffer is already out, which is awful as he was in such great form against Slovakia and Wales after some mediocre performances post Sweden. Robbie.....well.....Robbie is Robbie. Would Doyle and Hunt be better than Duff and Keane, even if Keane is uninjured? Possibly, but i dont think Stan will drop hm.

Already gave my Ireland predictions, Czechs Id say

Czech fixtures:
San Marino (a) - Win
Ireland (h) - Draw or win
Germany (a) - Lose or draw
Slovakia (h) - Win
Cyprus (a) - Draw or win

Atfer all a fairly unspectacular Welsh side held the Czechs to a goaless draw Cyprus could well be an away danger in that regard.

Its 4am, tbh i dunno if in my mind that puts them above or below us on points. Im knackered


Wondering as well, will the people who hoped for us to lose against the Czechs and SM to kick Stan out be cheering on now that we are looking slightly more in the running than before?

Of course they will. Not that Ireland actually needs/wants them now mind.

Benedict XVI

eirebhoy wrote:

The Czechs just a point ahead.

My predictions.

Ireland fixtures:
Slovakia (a) - Draw
Czech Republic (a) - Draw
Germany (h) - Win
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Draw

What have you seen from Ireland thus far in the competition that gives you the confidence above.

This is typical of what happens when Ireland are not playing and all others are, we start to get delusions about ourselves.

Here is what I think
Slovakia (a), Czech Republic (a) - 1 point from these 2 games
Germany (h) - Draw at best. I know it's CP and all and Germany way have the group won at that stage but i still cannot see Ireland doing much damage
Cyprus (h) - Win
Wales (a) - Draw(nothing to play for at that stage)

Guy:Incognito

shane86 wrote:

I think we simply have to finish points above the Czechs, Cyprus and SM will/did probably rule us out on a goal difference decision. Two away goals in SM, compared to 13 odd for Germany, says it all. I really doubt we can win all remaining games, as said Im banking on some sort of disaster by the minnows for the Czechs.
.

Goals against San Marino dont matter at all. It's only goals aginst either the teams you are level with on point or the top 4 or somesuch, not sure which off the top of my head,

gosplan

Man, everyone's a bit morbid about these matches.

Instead of what you think will happen, what will it take for Ireland to qualify?

Here's my thinking:

The Slovaks aren't that good. They pretty much offered nothing against us and I believe that they would always lose to any of the first three teams showing good form.

The Czechs aren't having the success they're used to these days. Last two games they scored one goal against Cyprus and Wales. Nedved is gone, their coach is good but very very old at this stage and apart from Jankolouviski and Chech, I don't think any of their players can claim to have had a good year.

It's possible that Ireland will get through but we need to beat the Slovaks at home. I don't think this is impossible. The match is being played in a fairly small 20,000 seat arena which makes it a bit easier. I think it's just a matter of whether Ireland can produce on the day instead of what Slovakia get up to.

As regards the Czech match, we need to win that or draw it and win against Germany who may well have qualified easily by the time we play them.

If I was going to be honest I'd say that we'll be close for a while and will eventually not qualify due to the away loss in Cyprus. I'd hope the team can produce some good results and get through. Essentially though it's all about the next two games. Anything less then 4 points and we're out. 4 or more and we've got a good chance.