[Archived] World Cup Qualifiers 2010

[4ever&ever]

Well done Admiral Nelson and the rest of the NZ team.

[Nate]

Final whistle, and we have (pending a sale in January) a Rover at the World Cup!

You can add a couple more to that list

[jim mk2]

Well played the En Zedders. Hopefully show that mad egg ball-chasing country what a real World Cup is all about.

[John]

Good on NZ. Out and about this evening so will miss it but really keen on watching the Ireland game, should be interesting.

[Tom]

Well done Nelsen and New Zealand, proud moment for him if he can be the first person to captain his country in a World Cup

[LeChuck]

Excellent for Nelsen, it'll add an extra bit of interest to the World Cup for all of us too.

It must be really unexpected for him as well, we let him miss games to play in the Olympics last year because he said something like "it might be the only chance I'll get to play in a major tournament for my country", so he obviously didn't realistically expect that they'd qualify for the World Cup whilst he was still playing.

[philipl]

Congratulations and very well done to our Admiral!

Assuming he keeps injury free, will he be the first Rover to captain a side at the World Cup Finals since Ronnie Clayton in 1958?

[Parsonblue]

Congratulations and very well done to our Admiral!

Assuming he keeps injury free, will he be the first Rover to captain a side at the World Cup Finals since Ronnie Clayton in 1958?

I know Ronnie played in Sweden in 1958, but I'm pretty sure that Billy Wright was the captain at that time. Didn't Ronnie take over once Wright had retired at the end of the 1958-59 season.

[philipl]

I know Ronnie played in Sweden in 1958, but I'm pretty sure that Billy Wright was the captain at that time. Didn't Ronnie take over once Wright had retired at the end of the 1958-59 season.

I think you are right on that one but I think Ronnie did skipper one World Cup match- was it Brazil when he was man to man against Pele?

So does this make Ryan potentially Rovers' first ever full World Cup skipper? Find it hard to believe but I am struggling to come up with anyone else.

[FourLaneBlue]

Colin Hendry captained Scotland in the 98 World Cup.

[philipl]

Thanks= I knew there had to be someone who had the honour.

Crazy things in Africa already with Nigeria qualifying after twice looking to be down and out. My Tunisian friends will be gutted but Mozambique having the incentive of an ACN place was always going to make that tricky and they had given Nigeria a tough time in Maputo as well.

Not World Cup but Aaron Ramsey is destroying Scotland all on his own- Wales 3 up after 30 minutes.

[Mr. E]

What an incredible game NZ vs Bahrain, haven't been this excited for a neutral match in a long time. Their keeper especially is a hero. They played some very decent football too, I don't think they'll be the total pushovers everyone thinks they'll be at the WC.

[philipl]

What an incredible game NZ vs Bahrain, haven't been this excited for a neutral match in a long time. Their keeper especially is a hero. They played some very decent football too, I don't think they'll be the total pushovers everyone thinks they'll be at the WC.

The observation posted by someone who also watched it that Nelsen was a yard quicker than his colleagues suggests otherwise I am afraid.

[Mr. E]

The observation posted by someone who also watched it that Nelsen was a yard quicker than his colleagues suggests otherwise I am afraid.

They were indeed a bit shaky in defense and that is their main weakness, but up front they were pretty crafty and have a couple of guys with a good shot...one volley that a striker managed to strike mid-turn that looped the defenders and hit the cross-bar stands out.

[Ste B]

French fail to see funny side over Irish Response to box request

Doubt its real, but funny nonetheless

[OhmiBRFC]

ha ha ha ha that is quality!

[Tom]

Kalinic got an assist today in Croatia under 21's win

[begresko]

anyone watching the Ireland game? Keith is having a good game...

[philipl]

Just switched on Radio 5 and the first thing I heard was "poor ball by Keith Andrews".

Has to be said Ireland are as good as dead now having conceded the deflected goal.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Despite people saying he's playing well directly above you, you decide he's having a sh!t game because of one misplaced pass mentioned on the radio?

Hahahahaha.

Never fail to make me laugh, mate.

[JAL]

anyone watching the Ireland game? Keith is having a good game...

Dont talk rubbish, Keef could never have a good game even if he was playing against blind men.

[stuwilky]

anyone watching the Ireland game? Keith is having a good game...

He did have quite a good game. Got a bit of a hard time from one of the commentary team for a stray ball after playing some excellent wide balls for Duff and Co toget on the end of.

[philipl]

Despite people saying he's playing well directly above you, you decide he's having a sh!t game because of one misplaced pass mentioned on the radio?

Hahahahaha.

Never fail to make me laugh, mate.

You said I decided he was having a bad game so I am glad you are enjoying the laugh against yourself- I simply reported the first words I heard when I switched the radio on!!!

I didn't venture an opinion as I was not watching the game.

For what its worth, over the last 15 minutes, Andrews name was mentioned just twice more- a clip forwards which was headed clear and the barny with Diarra after the final whistle.

What I did hear was the Irish midfield conspicuously failing to get any sort of grip on the game compared with the options the French had all the time and hence no platform for the Republic to attack from; just the one French mistake which apparently led to their keeper saving brilliantly from Whelan was the only offensive response of note over the last 15 minutes which is all that I listened to.

I hope Keith has an absolute blinder in Paris. It is going to be desperately needed because as things stand three European qualification places are on a knife edge and France are going to South Africa.

The South African boss has publicly advised Benni to leave Rovers in his comments following their 0-0 friendly at home to Japan.

[Miker]

You said I decided he was having a bad game so I am glad you are enjoying the laugh against yourself- I simply reported the first words I heard when I switched the radio on!!!

I didn't venture an opinion as I was not watching the game.

For what its worth, over the last 15 minutes, Andrews name was mentioned just twice more- a clip forwards which was headed clear and the barny with Diarra after the final whistle.

What I did hear was the Irish midfield conspicuously failing to get any sort of grip on the game compared with the options the French had all the time and hence no platform for the Republic to attack from; just the one French mistake which apparently led to their keeper saving brilliantly from Whelan was the only offensive response of note over the last 15 minutes which is all that I listened to.

I hope Keith has an absolute blinder in Paris. It is going to be desperately needed because as things stand three European qualification places are on a knife edge and France are going to South Africa.

The South African boss has publicly advised Benni to leave Rovers in his comments following their 0-0 friendly at home to Japan.

According to the match report on the FIFA.com website, Dunne along with the two central midfielders (Andrews and Whelan) were keeping France at bay for long periods of the game and were generally playing well.

[Mr. E]

Yeah, this was probably the best game I've seen Keith Andrews play, at least in the first half. Didn't create much which is obviously still a big flaw, but he put in some great tackles, got forward and almost scored a pretty good goal.