Conference trucks::football;1

I feel like a winner!! Group 6 have France as the absolute favourite, but the 
rest looks like fairly reasonable competition for Sweden. We beated Austria 6-0
not long ago, and Finland 6-0 just before WC in Italy. The dark horse in the 
group is Israel, who havn't been competing in Europe-qualifications before.

Group 1, 2 and 3 looks like real nightmares. In group 1, Scotland have to 
play Italy, Portugal and Switzerland, countries witch are very difficult to
beat at their home ground. Group 2 contains England, Poland and Tyrkey, what a
surprise! I don't think thar our neighbours in Norway are happy about that. 

Group 3 looks like the worst group to me. Spain, Denmark and Ireland together 
with two Baltic coutries that nobody knows anything about. And the Eire-derby
will be real prestige. Looks like Gray won't be having any mone left over for 
beer the next two years, Travelling 2 times to the Baltics, Spain, Albania and
Denmark can be quite expensive. Wales are probably celebrating tonight. Group 4
looks quite easy for them, but look out for the Faroes!! I think that group 5 
will contain only 5 teams in the end (Yugoslavia leaving), and that looks 
promising for Hungary or Greece.

It's a bit early, but heres my predictions of qualifiers for USA;

Group 1      Group 2      Group 3      Group 4      Group 5      Group 6

Italy        England      Ireland      Romaina      USSR         France
Scotland     Holland      Denmark      Wales        Hungary      Sweden

Mats

    
    Mats,
    	Israel have participated in the European qualifying group before
    	as they were in Scotland's group for the '82 World Cup.(Scotland
    	winning 3-0 at home and 1-0 away).
    
    	Anyway,I know where i'll be holidaying in the next two years,SFA
    	permitting.(Honest,i've always fancied Portugal and Malta as
    	holiday Resorts.BTW,what are the annual temperatures in
        Estonia.);^)       
    	

    Englands group doesn't look to simple......both Poland and Norway
    have tripped us up before, but it should be England and Holland
    that go through.
    
    Better make sure the goals go in against San Marino!
    
    -Dom

    Seems not to easy for Holland, especially Norway and Poland are
    tricky outsiders. But I'm looking forward to the matches against
    England. If they're from the same quality as Holland-England during
    the EC '88 it will be a joy to watch them.
    I predict also England and Holland go through.
    
    Rob

    regarding group 5....
    
    The draw was made on sunday...on monday we hear the USSR does not
    really exist anymore!!!
    
    How are FIFA going to handle this? They cant expect a country to
    play games if the country no longer exists. Maybe the shoudl
    allow the Commonwealth of Russeia, Byelorussia and Ukraine to
    compete in the USSR's place....but what about the other ex-Soviet
    republics then??
    
    Confused!
    
    *Tiger*

    re: .2
    
    >> Israel have participated in thr European qualifying group before
    >> As they where in Scotland's group for the '82 World Cup.(Scotland
    >> winning 3-0 at home and 1-0 away)
    
    Correct, and the other teams was N.Ireland, Poland and .....Sweden!! We
    did very badly in that qualification. Two draws against Israel (1-1
    home, 0-0 away), and two losses against Scotland (0-1 home, Strachan scored
    and 0-2 at Hampden Park, John Robertson scored 2 (?)). We also lost 3-0
    against N.Ireland away.
    
    No wonder i have constrict that qualification.;-)
    
    Mats
    
    P.S. The name "Gray" should of course be "Gary" in .1, a minor
    SBTB-problem (Shit Behind The Buttoms).
                           

    
    Three or four teams qualify: the two group winners directly qualify, and 
    the second team in group B. The second team in Group A plays the winner of
    the CONCACAF/OCEANIE eliminators.
    
    Group A: Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru
    Group B: Brazil, Uruguay, Equator, Bolivia, Venezuela

The following is my interpretaion on how the British Isles have done in the
draw:

I was watching the draw reveal itself on CEEFAX last night, and when it came
down to the point when all but the 2nd seeded teams had been drawn I thought
"Please don't put Scotland into group 1". Someone obviously heard me and
Scotland were first out of the hat ;-(

This is going to be a very close group. Scotland know all about Switzerland
after the Euro '92 qualifiers, and they are a very difficult team to beat.
Portugal, are also very tough, and should be there or thereabouts at the end.
Italy's reputation precedes them, and after the shock of not qualifying for
Sweden, they'll be eager to make amends. Estonia could cause some upsets,
depending on how many of the USSR team come from there. I expect that Italy will
go through, and Scotland will go through after the last game of the group
between Malta and Estonia :-)

England too have not got an easy task. I don't have to say anything about
Holland. Poland have shown themselves to be strong, and very difficult to beat,
and as has been mentioned before, Norway aren't walk-overs. It will be
interesting to see how Turkey develop over the next couple of years. They are
getting stronger every year. I expect England & Holland to go through

Group 3 should be interesting. A shaken up Spain side, like Italy, will be
hoping to improve on poor Euro qualifiers. Denmark are very unpredictable. The
Republic should have no problems in this group, I can see them winning it
handsomely, with Spain second. The Irish derbys could prove to be the crucial
games.

Wales have a very good chance of causing an upset. They did well against Belgium
in the Euro qualifiers. I don't know much about the Czechs. Romania are tough,
but they tend to rely on Hagi & Lacatus, so if these two are marked out of the
game there is a possibility of a result. Probably Belgium & the Czechs to
qualify, but I'd love to see Wales get there.

	Better get back to work

	Al

    Well here we go again. I am pleased that Scotland have a tough group,
    thats when we do better. Italy and Scotland to go through.
    
    1994 could be the best year ever for the offshore countries. England
    look fairly comfortable for second place, Scotland will squeeze though.
    Wales have a great chance in their group and the Republic should get
    through theirs.  If by some chance NI sneak in it could be five out of
    five. Then watch the politics for amalgamation start.
    
    The real question is will Iceland qualify ?  Russia and Yougoslavia
    could both fail to exist and then Greece or Iceland or who know what
    could happen in group 5.
    
    When do the qualifying games start, before Sweden 92 ?
     

    I am pleased to see that everybody thinks that their home team will
    make it to the States in '94....Too bad we don't suporters of the
    Baltic republics in this notes...
    
    I think that a major factor in the qualifications will be in which
    order the games are scheduled. Amazingly enough the French have always
    done very well in building a schedule tailor-made to help them qualify(
    like playing Iceland a couple of months after the end of their
    championship or scheduling the last game at home against the so-called
    weak team....).
    
    Watch out for major manoeuvering when the schedules are build....
    
    I agree with everybody though.... France will make it!
            
    Jacques

Re .9;

In Yugoslavias case, FIFA states that as long as they are members of the United
Nations, they are members of FIFA. I suppose that goes for USSR as well.

Re .9;

FIFA states that the qualification should be played between March 1992 and
November 1993. Sweden refuses to play any qualification-games befor Euro-92.
I suppose that the other six Euro-92 countries won't do that either. Sweden
wants to play three games 1992 and the remaining seven in 1993. It would be
nice to start with Austria home, Israel away and France Away, and start next
year with Finland Home, Austria away and Israel home. should be at least
9 points after six games. Sweden are traditionally weaker in the spring as 
our season is spring-autumn, so it's good to start 1993 against easy
competition.

Mats

    According to Seamus Martin, the Moscow correspondent of the Irish
    Times, the power of Soviet soccer was in Moscow, Georgia and the
    Ukraine. None of the current USSR team contain players from the Baltic
    states. Indeed, it is felt that their re-affiliation is more a
    political statement than a reflection of their soccer strength. Still
    they're an unknown quantity and until we see them play we can't judge.
    
    I don't think that there is much to choose between Spain, Denmark and
    ourselves. Norn Iron won't do us any favours either. We'll see how it
    goes...

    RE Group 3,
    			At least the TGA will have a chance to add new
    		names to the list of countries he has failed to score
    		against!!!
    
    
    
    						Hass..

The World Cup draw has been reasonably kind to Ireland.  Denmark and Spain
will be difficult opponents however we are quite capable of beating every
team in tghe group.  France and Italy were the 2 teams to avoid and being
grouped with England, Poland and Turkey again with the addition of Norway
would not be that exciting either.

Northern Ireland will be dangerous opponents however I can't see them 
qualifying.  We're at a diadvantage here as our 2 games will be major
events.  Still it cuts down on the travelling expenses.

As for the Baltics, Lithuania had a team in the Soviet first division before 
regaining independence so they won't be pushovers but will hardly qualify.  I
know nothing about Latvian football.

Albania will hardly pose a threat although they cost Northern Ireland a 
place in the 1984 European championships.

    In every other Cup there has always been a surprise team. In 86 we had
    Marroco, 90 we had Costa Rica. Who will it be in 94? The Faroe Islands,
    San Marino, Israel, one of the Baltics? Hard to imagine any of them
    qualifying but....what do you think?
    
    JC
    
    

	
	Not too many "surprise teams" likely from Europe. I reckon the
	USA will surprise a few people in the finals though. Will they
	be No. 1 seeds? 

	Dave

    
    What about Cameroon as the surprise of the 90 tournament ?
    
    For 94 I'll go for USA and Japan
    
    Since I'm sure it won't be such a surprise that an african team
    reaches the semifinals.
    
    Heiko