The disqualification is as a result of games played in the confederation. Hence the next game, where ever played, is the game for which the suspension applies.

On the other hand, any yellows received do not carry over, so the players who are able to play have a clean slate.

It is actually quite rational in its application.

It's obvious now more than ever than Ange's time is up. I've been his biggest supporter but we will not get past Honduras with him in charge.

So many issues - formation, tactics, personnel selection. If we have 3 at the back in honduras we will get diced up.

Exactly.  The suspensions also apply to the level of play.

If a player was suspended in the EPL prior to national duty, he would still be eligible to play at the higher level, but suspended when he goes back.

If a player gets suspended playing for the NT for any reason (2/3 yellows in the lead up games, red etc) he gets suspended for the next NT game.  Won't be suspended at club level.

My only question is then, if they are suspended, does that mean they have to travel but just can't be selected, or they can serve their suspension by not travelling with the squad. in effect not being in the squad?  Always thought that a suspension at this level stays live until the player IS secected for NT duty by actually travelling witht he squad, but just can't be select for the game day squad.

I don't think so. Pretty sure that if a player is injured, he serves the suspension for the next game, even if he wouldn't have been able to play because of injury. If we play the away leg first, I'd imagine our suspended players could stay home.

I don't doubt that with the formations and shit Ange has been pulling as of late.

-PB

those home results don't look particularly scary. their 2 wins were against the bottom team in the group and against a team who had already qualified.  

Honduras got in by very unlikely circumstances as we had seen by all those mad results.
Point is mind you they like us have a 50/50 chance now getting through.
No matter their flaws we have ours as we know - remember that Stallone movie First Blood, whoever draws first blood as it was quoted pretty much sums it up.
Gaining the high ground in the first game will count so so much.

Did you ever get around to watching the Chile game?
You know, the one you said you missed but keep now using as evidence?

Looks as though the first leg in Honduras will be on the 10th with the return leg on the 14th. So a Friday-Tuesday turnaround as North America as behind us on time difference. Seriously short turnaround considering it is a pretty lengthy flight. We'll have to be very strategic with who plays and who doesn't. Thinking this rules Rogic out till the 2nd leg and makes whether to start Cahill or not a bit trickier. 

Would like to see Ruka stay in the squad. By no means is he a atarter but i think he offers something off the bench.

Should Chile not making the WC be acknowledged?

Was thinking about that earlier as well.
The team we faced was the one that didn't qualify not the one that won 2 copa americas

So have we heard what the hondurans think of this fixture? 
ESPN FC have australia as favourites but say we shouldn't underestimate them but on the otherhand they have said honduras can ship 5 or 6 goals in a match while in their experience think that australia will be in the hunt til the last minute. 

It should, while we played well against Chile they were also far from impressive considering their standards and have continued to struggle massively afterwards. Not to mention, we didn't even win.

Tbf Im not sure how they have played in qual. Maybe Peru are quite good. 

I watched the Holland Sweden game and think Holland would easily beat us atm. I guess you make your own luck, but Sweden got lucky against France and Holland went out on gd. 

Spain would demolish us atm under Ange. 

Since the confed cup they lost 3-0 to Paraguay at home, away to Bolivia, battered by Brazil once they had already qualified and a scrappy win against Ecuador. To put that into context they lost more games these past 2 months in qualification than they did in well over a year and against weaker opposition for the most part.

I did miss it. But yep, I've gotten around to watching it.

Rather compelling evidence, imo. Chalk and cheese when you compare it with that match in Bangkok, for instance.

Away conditions are going to be a shitfest comparable to Montevideo. Need to be ready for a kicking on and off the pitch.

How d'you rate Blågult's chances in the play-offs? Which of the potential opponents would they be as good as or better than?

Hahahaha

Honduras XI v Mexico

Escober (Olimpia, Honduras)
Alvarado (Olimpia)
Beckeles (Necaxa, Mexico)
M. Figueroa (FC Dallas)
H. Figueroa (Motagua, Honduras)
Claros (Real Espana, Honduras)
Mejia (Xanthi)
Lopez (Olimpia)
Elis (Houston Dynamo)
Quioto (Houston Dynamo)
Hernandez (Motagua)

Subs: Acosta (Tenerife), Palacios (Olimpia)

Izaguirre (Celtic) was suspended but started against Costa Rica.

Just get that away goal boys...  even a 2-1 loss is not so bad, if we get that away goal.

We must play cautiously, defend hard if the pressure is on, clear the ball long when needed and take our chances up front.
Going all out attack, away from home, with 3 defenders will be suicide.

and tell Qantas or Caltex to cough out for that charter flight back home to Sydney... 

We cant take any team lightly at this stage. Personally I don't think we have ever done well against Central American or South American style opposition. They are in the final stages of the play offs for a reason and need to be treated with the utmost of respect. That last game against Mexico is a great result and we all know how good Mexico can be, even if people say that Mexico didn't have anything to play for. It still makes me cautious. 

One thing is, with Milligan being out luckily we have Jedi with a timely return - we should look forward to how his return to the Villa fold goes as apparently he's near to 100% now and if he doesn't feature in Villa's game this weekend, he'll feature in the next:

https://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/jedinak-looms-as-milligan-replacement-475208

This is a potential silver lining as we've really missed Jedi and it's being during his long absence that we've been conceding all these goals during the back three period. He's the steel and defensive screening re-inforcement that we're sorely missed. Some of the crap we've faced and been subjected to, Jedi would not have suffered and righted the ship on the park. Milligan and his centre mid partners, for all their qualities, lack these facets and that's a fair part of the reason why we're soo vulnerable to the counter with our back three so often isolated. We need that presence to re-assert ourselves in that middle and back third to give some of the opposition second thoughts in their attempts to rough us up as they did Milligan in the first leg. It can't just be our defence with the bravery and steel as Degenek showed over two legs, but one of the defensive midfielders too to help re-balance a side laden with front-half talents like Mooy and Rogic who will push into that front half leaving us vulnerable to scenarios like that first goal last game.

It can't be for a moment too soon as Honduras and that Away atmosphere calls for some wise heads, strong nerves and steely resolve to not be shell shocked or intimidated, but to re-assert and be battle ready and our Captain in-practice aswell as name is the one to bring it and not a moment too soon.

Replacing the in-form Leckie in an area where we're weak for depth is a much bigger issue, but whoever gets the chance had better seize it as there's no bigger stage than now.


Absolutely - Syria was just the warm-up really and first leg in Malaysia couldn't get much more convenient! If these recent AFC Play-Offs aren't the wake up call to get our selves in order, then Honduras and what will welcome us in the first leg will certainly show us what the occasion means and asks for. There is still a sense we're in second or third gear, soo slow to gell and adjust with persistent errors and misunderstanding in team-play. No room for lapses focus and no more reminder than the fancied, box-seat, Americans losing their advantaged position to the Group's bottom team, Trinidad & Tobago to be eliminated altogether, failing to Qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 20 odd years! That should be our wake up call - Central America has dominated CONCACAF's 2018 World Cup Qualifying places, perhaps a new Golden Age for that region with the North Americans hitting a low ebb.

So we've been warned, they've taken out the US and to do so, this Honduran team defeated Mexico in the process and now they're coming for us.

so Hondurus has a guy who plays for Anderlecht. Why do we see less of him? I would nively think he is their best player

I can't remember the last time Maty made a save... it usually the post that saves him...

Robben would look at our backline and just do his cheeky smile. The guy would tear us apart on his own - he did it to Sweden too...

"Finally, to the Syria free kick that hit the outside of our post late in the game. I think we had one too many people in the wall. That led to my view being blocked from the position I would normally take up in the goal. I was yelling, but my teammates couldn’t hear me because of the crowd noise. The ref blew the whistle so I had to get set as well as I could. I didn’t see the ball until after it had come off his boot."
https://www.playersvoice.com.au/maty-ryan-my-thoughts-on-ange/#RDHhO830hcAwHllB.99