ESPN rate Ireland’s chances of World Cup qualification as somewhere between slim and none

The lads at ESPN have put used their Soccer Power Index (SPI) to grade each country and rate their hopes of qualification for the World Cup in Brazil next year.

The SPI is based on the notional idea of how many points a team would get if all the teams in the world played a round robin tournament. Yeah, we don’t really get it either and the fact they rate Argentina ahead of Spain in the list released today is definitely a red flag for the accuracy of it. Anyway, using this metric they then applied it to the World Cup to rate each teams’ chances of qualification. As you’ll see if you click here, Brazil and Australia are at 100 per cent as they have already made it, and Argentina, top of South American qualifying, are rated as 99.9 per cent to be at next summer’s jamboree. So, where are dear old Ireland? Well Germany, top of our group, are at 99.85 per cent so we can write off topping the group it seems. Ireland are in fact rated at 7.4 per cent to qualify, which doesn’t make for pleasant reading. Our most immediate rivals in Group C Austria (8.56) and Sweden (24.41) have a much better shot according to the ESPN boffins. We reckon that while Ireland still have it all to do, we certainly have a better shot than a mere 7 per cent. Considering the bookies have us at 7/2 to make it, we reckon the lads at ESPN are doing us wrong here. Time will tell I suppose.