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Graham Arnold's Iraq thread

Graham always gets a tough group. whether manager or assistant. If they make it they get France(3) Senegal(19) and Norway (29) with Haaland. Good luck with that!!
 
ok I have a random brainbuster here.

If following the seeding path, the final playoff for the World Cup is likely to be Iraq v Bolivia.
Both nations have primary kits of green, so one will need to change. But, from research, when there is a clash even at home (eg, against Saudi Arabia), Iraq elect themselves to change to white (to mimic their 2007 Asian Cup triumph). I know they pulled a Greece and swapped their kit colours around (white for primary, green for clash), but they swapped that back just prior to the 2022 Qualifiers.

Should this be the final playoff, do we think that will happen again? Iraq in white, and Bolivia in green?
 
NicCarBel said:
ok I have a random brainbuster here.

If following the seeding path, the final playoff for the World Cup is likely to be Iraq v Bolivia.
Both nations have primary kits of green, so one will need to change. But, from research, when there is a clash even at home (eg, against Saudi Arabia), Iraq elect themselves to change to white (to mimic their 2007 Asian Cup triumph). I know they pulled a Greece and swapped their kit colours around (white for primary, green for clash), but they swapped that back just prior to the 2022 Qualifiers.

Should this be the final playoff, do we think that will happen again? Iraq in white, and Bolivia in green?
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Being the seeded side surely they will want to wear green?
 
NoMates said:
Being the seeded side surely they will want to wear green?
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You’d think so, but I’ve gone through images and highlights of games over the past 4-5 years, and they wear white quite often when they don’t need to, including home games against Saudi Arabia.

It kind of seems like, even though they have gone back to green as the primary/home jersey, that whenever there is a clash, they’re happy to change to white, rather than make the other change
 
melbcityguy said:
3 weeks to Iraq’s World Cup playoff and preparations are in chaos.

Head coach Graham Arnold is stranded in the UAE fearing for his safety. Embassy closures mean players & staff can’t secure visas, and travel to Mexico is near impossible.

Source: Iraqi Football Association
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It'd be a massive inconvenience for many parties but I'd say one option is driving to Saudi Arabia and the flying to Europe and playing the games there. The visa problem is the biggest one really.
 
The request to delay the Iraq group of the interntional playoff (ie Pathway 2) seems reasonable to me.

When it gets rescheduled to and who plays (Iraq/UAE) from the AFC is the bigger question.

Iraq seems to be saying "immediately prior" to the World Cup.

I think that FIFA need to reschedule to the start of the May/June window which allows a playoff followed by a friendly or two if the successful team wants them.

Somewhere on the USA West Coast would be an ideal Playoff Final location but keeping it in Mexico but delayed is probably more likely.
 
GoAussies said:
The request to delay the Iraq group of the interntional playoff (ie Pathway 2) seems reasonable to me.

When it gets rescheduled to and who plays (Iraq/UAE) from the AFC is the bigger question.

Iraq seems to be saying "immediately prior" to the World Cup.

I think that FIFA need to reschedule to the start of the May/June window which allows a playoff followed by a friendly or two if the successful team wants them.

Somewhere on the USA West Coast would be an ideal Playoff Final location but keeping it in Mexico but delayed is probably more likely.
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And this is why they shouldn't stretch out World Cup Qualifying so long now. I mean.. with more teams qualifying, by rights it should be over earlier than it used to (which used to be November for a standard June/July tournament)
 
It'll probably end up as expected but my head is so stuck on certain teams in the playoffs. Imagine if Suriname and Jamaica get in.

We're going to know a lot more about UEFA in a few days but some upsets will surely happen.
 
JS96 said:
It'll probably end up as expected but my head is so stuck on certain teams in the playoffs. Imagine if Suriname and Jamaica get in.

We're going to know a lot more about UEFA in a few days but some upsets will surely happen.
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Suriname just called up a bunch of Dutch guys including Joël Piroe who won the Championship with Leeds and Golden Boot last season, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they make it.
 
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