Comments on: England Fixture List for 2009 http://england.worldcupblog.org/england-team-news/england-fixture-list-for-2009.html World Cup 2010 - South Africa Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:57:53 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Alex0032 http://england.worldcupblog.org/england-team-news/england-fixture-list-for-2009.html/comment-page-1#comment-117231 Alex0032 Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:01:12 +0000 http://england.worldcupblog.org/england-team-news/england-fixture-list-for-2009.html#comment-117231 The only matches left for England to play that we might lose are against Croatia (once) and Ukraine (twice). I don't underestimate Belarus, but I'd like to believe we'd beat them again. If we lose all three, which I'm hopeful won't happen, then we'll have 21 points, and it's generally a given teams need at least 24 points (I think) to have a certainty to qualify. Which means we need to win at least two of those three games. Personally I hope we beat Ukraine, but I think we might draw with them one of the two times, and hopefully beat them the other time. I think Croatia will beat us but a draw would be just fine, and hopefully not unachievable considering our great form. Of course that said we could lose to Ukraine, it's not that impossible. But overall I predict we finish qualification with... Maximum: 25 points with a loss to Croatia and a draw to Ukraine Minimum: 22 points, with a loss to Croatia and Ukraine, and maybe an embarrassing slip up at home to Belarus, or maybe just a heroic performance by them. You'd expect Croatia to win all their other matches, so it will be tight. Even being ahead at this stage is no guarantee we'll finish first. The only matches left for England to play that we might lose are against Croatia (once) and Ukraine (twice). I don’t underestimate Belarus, but I’d like to believe we’d beat them again.
If we lose all three, which I’m hopeful won’t happen, then we’ll have 21 points, and it’s generally a given teams need at least 24 points (I think) to have a certainty to qualify. Which means we need to win at least two of those three games.

Personally I hope we beat Ukraine, but I think we might draw with them one of the two times, and hopefully beat them the other time. I think Croatia will beat us but a draw would be just fine, and hopefully not unachievable considering our great form.

Of course that said we could lose to Ukraine, it’s not that impossible. But overall I predict we finish qualification with…

Maximum: 25 points with a loss to Croatia and a draw to Ukraine
Minimum: 22 points, with a loss to Croatia and Ukraine, and maybe an embarrassing slip up at home to Belarus, or maybe just a heroic performance by them.

You’d expect Croatia to win all their other matches, so it will be tight. Even being ahead at this stage is no guarantee we’ll finish first.

]]>