Certainly one to watch.

I don't suppose Penny's playing. Wood would murder him.

Quicknick wrote:I don't suppose Penny's playing. Wood would murder him.

He was on the bench for the World Cup qualifier against Ecuador last month but hasn't played since November 2015 when he played in the two qualifiers against Paraguay and Brazil.

Honduras v Australia
Peru v New Zealand

Surely it would make travelling etc better for teams involved if the Asian play off plays the Oceania play off and South America v North America?

claretburns wrote:Honduras v Australia
Peru v New Zealand

Surely it would make travelling etc better for teams involved if the Asian play off plays the Oceania play off and South America v North America?

Remember - it is organised by Fifa

I'll be flying to Wellington to see the NZ home leg. Dates not yet decided.
Think a lot of kiwis are happy that it's "only Peru" but they're in good form, in a tough qualifying group, and ranked (for what it's worth) over 100 places above the All Whites. It'll be tough!

ClaretTony wrote:Remember - it is organised by Fifa

Good point CT, what was I thinking trying to bring some common sense into the decision making

I seem to remember there was a draw for which federations got which others in a fair way - so Asia got Concacaf (north and central america ) and conmebol (south america) got oceania. I think this was done at the same time as the initial draws for europe.

Peru are certainly no mugs after their efforts in qualifying this time shows. They should wipe the floor with NZ to be fair but you never know.

not seen it mentioned anywhere but the peru goal that got them through to the play off at the expense of chile was impressive.

they were awarded an indirect free kick which guerrero decided to shoot from. david ospina in colombia's goal decided to try and save it but didn't get enough on it and it went in.

i'm sure alexis sanchez will be thanking him when they both return to arsenal.

South American qualifying genuinely exciting. All five matches in the final round mattered and the positions changed in the final minutes when Peru equalised moving them above Chile on goal difference who then played a 0-0-11 formation to try and score resulting in Brazil walking a third goal in with Claudio Bravo up-field.

Six teams all ranked in FIFAs top 20. Peru (12th) play-off, Chile (9th) go out.

Peru should have too much fro New Zealand over two legs but as has been pointed out the travelling is crazy and could possibly play a part.

quoonbeatz wrote:not seen it mentioned anywhere but the peru goal that got them through to the play off at the expense of chile was impressive.

they were awarded an indirect free kick which guerrero decided to shoot from. david ospina in colombia's goal decided to try and save it but didn't get enough on it and it went in.

i'm sure alexis sanchez will be thanking him when they both return to arsenal.

Colombia would have already qualified if it weren't for another two massive Ospina blunders in their last match against Paraguay. Probably not good news for Arsenal either, with no World cup to look forward to at the end of the season nothing to stop Sanchez signing a pre contract with someone in January then tossing it off for the remainder of the season.