I agree, good choice, I like to see us play against different teams.Lorric wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:33England had a different idea: Ivory Coast.nogomet wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 22:16It had to be Switzerland for England if they wanted to play a strong team. They were the only one left. France and Belgium are supposed to be in Qatar in March, so they were not available. For the second window England will have to go with Ireland, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, or an absolute minnow like the Faroes or Kosovo, or a non-European low quality opponent.Lorric wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 19:48 England vs Switzerland on the first window.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60029386
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60082958
Nice match! They're having a good tournament right now! We've never played them before.
Friendlies
with a WC perspective, it's indeed a smart idea I think to play a good African team (as it is possible that England plays one African team in the WC)
Don't forget to post your predictions for the new season
viewtopic.php?p=563580#p563580
viewtopic.php?p=563580#p563580
Especially when we haven't played a non-UEFA team since 2018 (United States in a friendly.)
I'm more happy with this than other available options, including Belgium, as we've played plenty of matches against them and another match would just either be a slightly older and weaker Belgium than the previous ones, or an inexperienced, experimental one.
I'm not sure though how being from the same continent is relevant.
Ivory Coast plays nothing like Morrocco or Senegal or Egypt. The only "big" African countries that play somewhat like them are Cameroon and Nigeria.
Another example is that Japan and Australia are nothing alike in playstyle.
France to play South Africa in March.
Ireland in dire straits to find lucrative opponents for March and close the financial deficit they're facing.
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The FAI are rapidly running out of options as they seek crowd-pulling opponents for the Republic of Ireland in the March international window.
With the FAI desperate to generate much-needed revenue, there seems little prospect of a money-spinning friendly on home turf in the spring.
The latest door to close was England, who have agreed to host Switzerland at Wembley on March 26, with another home game to follow on March 29.
With World Cup holders France and runners-up Croatia involved in a four-team tournament in Qatar in March, the FAI may ask Belgium to reconsider the offer of a game against Stephen Kenny’s side in Dublin.
The world’s No 1 ranked team, who rebuffed pre-Christmas FAI overtures, have yet to announce their fixtures for March.
As it stands, none of the other European nations without confirmed games in March would fill the 51,000-capacity Aviva.
They include Armenia, who Ireland are due to play in the Nations League in June, and Azerbaijan, recent World Cup opponents.
The others are: Montenegro, Belarus, Kosovo, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, Liechtenstein, Latvia and Andorra. It’s not exactly an all-star cast.
European champions Italy had agreed to come to Dublin but their unexpected re-routing to the World Cup play-offs in March was a gut-punch for the FAI, who are eager to fill the Aviva and arrange a game worthy of the Centenary Year.
Neither of South America’s top two, Brazil and Argentina, are available due to 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The home internationals of 2020 were played behind closed doors, as was the qualifier against Luxembourg.
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The FAI are rapidly running out of options as they seek crowd-pulling opponents for the Republic of Ireland in the March international window.
With the FAI desperate to generate much-needed revenue, there seems little prospect of a money-spinning friendly on home turf in the spring.
The latest door to close was England, who have agreed to host Switzerland at Wembley on March 26, with another home game to follow on March 29.
With World Cup holders France and runners-up Croatia involved in a four-team tournament in Qatar in March, the FAI may ask Belgium to reconsider the offer of a game against Stephen Kenny’s side in Dublin.
The world’s No 1 ranked team, who rebuffed pre-Christmas FAI overtures, have yet to announce their fixtures for March.
As it stands, none of the other European nations without confirmed games in March would fill the 51,000-capacity Aviva.
They include Armenia, who Ireland are due to play in the Nations League in June, and Azerbaijan, recent World Cup opponents.
The others are: Montenegro, Belarus, Kosovo, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, Liechtenstein, Latvia and Andorra. It’s not exactly an all-star cast.
European champions Italy had agreed to come to Dublin but their unexpected re-routing to the World Cup play-offs in March was a gut-punch for the FAI, who are eager to fill the Aviva and arrange a game worthy of the Centenary Year.
Neither of South America’s top two, Brazil and Argentina, are available due to 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The home internationals of 2020 were played behind closed doors, as was the qualifier against Luxembourg.
Exotic opposition would be a better bet I think if they can't get Belgium. If available, Uzbekistan might be a good choice. Normally one of the best Asian teams after the big boys. New Zealand or whatever the best option from Africa is. CONCACAF less appealing but if available someone like Haiti / T+T / Guatemala. If it has to be European, I'd take Kosovo.nogomet wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:57 Ireland in dire straits to find lucrative opponents for March and close the financial deficit they're facing.
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The FAI are rapidly running out of options as they seek crowd-pulling opponents for the Republic of Ireland in the March international window.
With the FAI desperate to generate much-needed revenue, there seems little prospect of a money-spinning friendly on home turf in the spring.
The latest door to close was England, who have agreed to host Switzerland at Wembley on March 26, with another home game to follow on March 29.
With World Cup holders France and runners-up Croatia involved in a four-team tournament in Qatar in March, the FAI may ask Belgium to reconsider the offer of a game against Stephen Kenny’s side in Dublin.
The world’s No 1 ranked team, who rebuffed pre-Christmas FAI overtures, have yet to announce their fixtures for March.
As it stands, none of the other European nations without confirmed games in March would fill the 51,000-capacity Aviva.
They include Armenia, who Ireland are due to play in the Nations League in June, and Azerbaijan, recent World Cup opponents.
The others are: Montenegro, Belarus, Kosovo, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, Liechtenstein, Latvia and Andorra. It’s not exactly an all-star cast.
European champions Italy had agreed to come to Dublin but their unexpected re-routing to the World Cup play-offs in March was a gut-punch for the FAI, who are eager to fill the Aviva and arrange a game worthy of the Centenary Year.
Neither of South America’s top two, Brazil and Argentina, are available due to 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The home internationals of 2020 were played behind closed doors, as was the qualifier against Luxembourg.
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popularside
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 16:42
- Location: Dublin
Republic of Ireland have confirmed Belgium on March 26th and Lithuania on March 29th both in Dublin.
Croatia swooped in instead of Belgium for the tie vs Slovenia. So, Croatia plays Bulgaria and Slovenia in March window, both games to be played in Qatar.
The list is all but complete.
Belgium was the last of the non-minnows to finalize their friendly fixtures. They'll be playing Burkina Faso in the second March fixture.
There'll be a peculiar tournament between Malta, Kuwait, Azerbaijan and Latvia in Malta.
Notable mention goes to Grenada who will be touring Gibraltar and Andorra.
Only three blanks are left. I imagine Kosovo and Andorra will end up playing each other. But which non-European team will play San Marino to fill that final blank is the question of the day.
There'll be a peculiar tournament between Malta, Kuwait, Azerbaijan and Latvia in Malta.
Notable mention goes to Grenada who will be touring Gibraltar and Andorra.
Only three blanks are left. I imagine Kosovo and Andorra will end up playing each other. But which non-European team will play San Marino to fill that final blank is the question of the day.
Are losing WCQ semifinalists going to play a friendly on the second date? Perhaps with each other?
We have very "smart" and sneaky people in a financial department of PZPN. No matter if Poland play a do-or-die game or just an almost nearly meaningless friendly - prices for the tickets are the same, high prices. The cheapest one costs 120 PLN (26.5 EUR), then 180 PLN (39.5 EUR) and the most expensive one - 240 PLN (53 EUR). That's a lot for an average Polish pocket. So Polish fan has no choice and has to gamble and... buy a pig in a poke.