Fishdoll thinks you two are cute when you flirt.

Anyway, Cyprus is spanking Bulgaria 4-1.

Denmark-Sweden is a pretty good game so far, though it's still scoreless.

Luck 'o the Irish, 1-0 up against Italy.

Denmark beat Sweden 1-0. Sweden deserved the win, but Denmark are going to SA!

HT Ireland 1 - 1 Italy. Camoranesi equalized.

(Fishdoll asks if Dunne can please stop kicking the Italian players. kthxbye).

Sh*t. That means Portugal gets it easier...damn!

Yep.

Remaining games in that group:
Portugal vs Hungary (currently playing)
Portugal vs Malta
Sweden vs Albania

Sweden have 2 point lead over Portugal as things stand, but Portugal have a game in hand. Portugal still need to win both games to make sure.

EDIT: Portugal lead 1-0.

Damn Swedes can't get ANYTHING right.

But Christine has gone off and has an icepack taped to her ankle. Liedson just took out a Hungarian player - surprised he didn't get a red for that one, nasty challenge.

So Locke, you dislike the Danes more than you dislike the Swedes? Or you just wanted to see Portugal for sure out?

Danes, Sweden, Norwegians.. what's the difference?

Yes.

@Kurt, Scots, Irish, Welsh...

There is no difference, they're all gay.

I can't believe you fell for that...notice the first specimen listed?

You said @ though!

Fishdoll fins up to Lippi. Subs are starting to come in and he's put Bocchetti on for Grosso. Nice to see one of the kids out there.

Fishdoll changes his mind and shoots people. Goal Ireland in the 88th. GRR.

EDIT: Mostly, Fishdoll shoots Gilardino FOR NOT GUARDING HIS MARKER ON THE EFFING SET PIECE.

EDIT2: Fishdoll only shoots him a little bit. he made up for his mistake by scoring in the 90th.

See the "a" in the middle of the "O"? A is the second letter in your last name, so that "O" with the "a" in was my way of addressing you. Only THEN did I start listing species.

Oh dear!

Italy are still top, even with defeat aren't they?

FT: Ireland 2 - 2 Italy.

Italy qualify for South Africa; Ireland sure of second place and the playoff.

Did Pirlo just play an excellent game as a 10? Nah, I must have been playing a video game...

Ancelotti and Leonardo... partners in stupidity!

So happy Ireland made it.

Fishdoll still thinks he should shoot Gilardino. And maybe Lippi for fielding some Gobbi who don't exactly deserve it (some of them, admittedly, do).

I can only laugh at Ireland for that. Priceless.

ronaldinho has never and will never ever be on the same level as Ricky, Ricky is the worlds best impact player while the other is just a ridiculous one trick pony.

Not sure about your timing, I_Rossoneri, but I pretty much agree with that.

It seems every time Pirlo pulls on the Azzurri shirt he changes into a fantastic footballer, same could be said of Zambrotta. Not sure whether it was because they were playing Ireland but the pair of them looked really good. Why can't they replicate these performances for Milan?

Gutted for Dunne and St. Ledger. One a Villa player, the other a Villa fan.

The people on Sky Sports are really praising Italy for the way they played today. See, we're not all blind, evil people when it comes to Italy.

Only just noticed the other post, don't post in here that often

Fishdoll eyes Kurt. SUrely you're joking. The Sky people are complimenting the italian national team? (Fishdoll asks Harry how many beers Kurt has had.)

To be fair they couldn't have not done, I watched most of the second half and it was all Italy.

Looking at the table that game being Ireland win/draw doesn't make much difference. Either way, Italy would win the group with a win over Cyprus.

Portugal lead 2-0. Looks like they'll make the fixed play-offs to get an easy route to South Africa afterall.

I don't think Zambrotta has been playing so well. I did not think he did so today either. Pirlo is always good with Italy because he's given more freedom when he's playing deeper and in the last two matches he has also played as a 10 which is where he should be playing at Milan too. But of course it won't happen, not just because he's been amazing in his usual role but also because we obviously need no changes... we're fineasweare.

If Portugal gets Ireland in the playoffs and get their oiled @sses kicked then I'll be mightily amused...

The Zambrotta I saw tonight was a totally different Zambrotta I watch playing for Milan, tonight he looked dangerous. Pirlo always seems to give 110% for Italy yet 70% for Milan

3-0 full time

http://www.football-italia.net/italy/ire-ita.html

Rep Ireland 2-2 Italy
Whelan 7 ®, Camoranesi 26 (I), St Ledger 86 ®, Gilardino 89 (I)
Croke Park, Dublin


Alberto Gilardino's last gasp equaliser sealed Italy's place in South Africa, as they twice fought back against the Republic of Ireland.

This was a head-to-head at the top of the Group and the Azzurri (tonight playing in white) needed only a point to be sure of qualification. Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland also required only a draw to lock down a play-off spot after Bulgaria's 4-1 defeat in Cyprus earlier this evening.

Fabio Cannavaro was suspended and Claudio Marchisio underwent knee surgery this morning, so Nicola Legrottaglie stepped into the defence, while Antonio Di Natale, Mauro Camoranesi and an advanced Andrea Pirlo supported lone striker Vincenzo Iaquinta. Giuseppe Rossi and Davide Santon were in the stands. Ireland had Damien Duff, Darron Gibson and Steven Reid injured, so gave Liam Lawrence his first competitive start.

Both teams were unbeaten in Group 8 and had drawn 1-1 when they met in Bari on April 1, although Giampaolo Pazzini was very harshly sent off just three minutes in. There was a minute's silence before kick-off for the dozens who died in recent floods in Messina.

Italy had played here three times before and won every game 2-1 in 1971, 1985 and 2005.

Ireland opened the scoring with their first chance. Legrottaglie mistimed his tackle on Robbie Keane down the right flank and the Lawrence free kick was rolled back to outside the D where Glenn Whelan smashed it into the near top corner.

Another Lawrence free kick, this time from the other wing, was flapped away with some difficulty by Gigi Buffon. Fabio Grosso fired a free kick into the defensive wall. Grosso then got down the left and skipped back past Lawrence only for Daniele De Rossi to scuff the finish. McGeady went on a rapid counter before he was eventually closed down.

Grosso took matters into his own hands with a splendid volley that Shay Given smothered with his chest. Moments later Di Natale caused panic in the Irish box.

From that corner Pirlo curled the ball in for Mauro Camoranesi's header from six yards as Italy equalised. Given, on his 99th cap, got his hands to it, but the header was just too powerful and squirmed in at the near post.

Whelan was first into the book for a tackle from behind on Angelo Palombo and will be suspended for the game against Montenegro. Iaquinta was flagged offside by centimetres when one-on-one with Given and another Pirlo corner, this time to the back post for Legrottaglie, was nodded wide.

Keane's acrobatic overhead kick was wide after fine work from Aiden McGeady, while Pirlo rather ambitiously hit a free kick straight at goal from 45 yards.

Italy thought they had gone 2-1 up within 90 seconds of the restart. Pirlo's free kick was flicked off Chiellini's head for Iaquinta to get a final touch, but the Juventus man was marginally offside and so the goal was disallowed.

An Irish free kick found John O'Shea totally unmarked, but his weak looping header was easy prey for Buffon. Ireland won a free kick outside the D, but Lawrence hit it at the wall and Andrews ballooned the follow-up over. Meanwhile, Trapattoni was spotted clutching his famous bottle of holy water on the touchline.

It took body blocks from both Legrottaglie and Chiellini to close down Keane for a corner. Lawrence whipped it in for Dunne's header straight at Buffon. Moments later Italy nearly scored a second, as Iaquinta lobbed it back from the byline for O'Shea to anticipate a totally unmarked Di Natale.

Iaquinta at full stretch couldn't get control of a smart Di Natale ball over the top and Pirlo's strike was charged down, then De Rossi was booked for a tug on McGeady. Trap made two changes, introducing Leon Best and Martin Rowlands.

Zambrotta cut in from the right and smashed a powerful angled drive that Given pushed round the base of the near post. De Rossi drilled wide from distance before Alberto Gilardino and Salvatore Bocchetti replaced Di Natale and Grosso. It was the senior Italy debut for the 22-year-old Genoa defender and pushed Iaquinta wide left.

O'Shea was again decisive when intercepting a Camoranesi cross for the head of Iaquinta. Trapattoni's final substitution saw Stephen Hunt replace McGeady.

Iaquinta blasted over at the end of a good passing move, as Italy were keeping the ball comfortably now. Best went into the book for a late sliding tackle on De Rossi and a Pirlo set piece flashed across the face of goal.

However, Ireland scored against the run of play. Hunt earned a free kick down the left and whipped it into the six-yard box for a diving St Ledger header at the back post. Gilardino should've cut out the cross, but was late, while Trapattoni had waved the defender forward for this kick.

Marcello Lippi was unbeaten since 2004 in Slovenia and threw on Simone Pepe for Palombo. It worked wonders! Italy equalised within 60 seconds! Pepe charged on the counter and passed low for Iaquinta, who rolled across for Gilardino at full stretch to side-foot in from eight yards, sending Given the wrong way.

Republic of Ireland: Given; O'Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Kilbane; Lawrence, Andrews, Whelan (Rowlands 70), McGeady (Hunt 78); Keane, Doyle (Best 67)

Italy: Buffon; Zambrotta, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grosso (Bocchetti 76); De Rossi, Palombo (Pepe 89); Camoranesi, Pirlo, Di Natale (Gilardino 76); Iaquinta

Ref: Hauge (Nor)

Argentina beat Peru, at home, with a last minute goal.

Peru are bottom of the group in the qualification group which just goes to show how bad the Argies are. Their keeper is awful and I would be surprised if they got out of the WC group stage, unless they get an incredibly easy one.

US Qualifies! Woo!

Oh, and Mexico did too.....

Now it is
After 2010 the entire world will envy our team cause we have Özil.

He doesn't sound German to me, are any of your players actually German these days?

He was born in Germany, Kurt. His parents were born in Turkey and Ozil could have played for Turkey or Germany. He picked Germany.

And Fishdoll was very pleased to see him do well yesterday -- Ozil is the star of his Bundesliga fantasy team.

I thought you stand for place of birth when it comes to one's nationality.

I do. All I said was that he didn't sound German, I didn't say he wasn't.

i agree with the title of this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E7z7Jcr-6g

Mesut Ozil is unbelievable i saw highlights against russia last night an he was dazzlin everyone there too

My name isn't Hans Müller either...

And unlike others with a migration background Özil decided to play for our team, so he isn't any less a German player than Adler or Ballack.
Plus, you're only sad that we still made it to every big tournament since 1968. And yesterdays game was proof enough for me that this isn't the childish kinda football we played under Klinsmann. It's simple but efficient. Just like it was in the old (and more successful) days.

Fishdoll belatedly notes that he doesn't have to do Bad Things to mtl, given that Handanovic kept a clean sheet yesterday. Slovenia blanked Slovakia 2-0.

I never said he wasn't German, I just said he doesn't sound it. If he's born in Germany then fine. Rossi doesn't sound American either, but he is. Agbonlahor doesn't sound English, but he is.

Don't get me started on your name again. Bwahahahahahahah!

It's not THAT spectacular either...