We’re two games away from our first World Cup since 2002.
The minute the full-time whistle went on Monday night and while the replays of James McClean’s goal were playing on the television in the background, the permutations started.
Will Ireland be seeded or unseeded? Who can we meet? Is there any chance of an Irish El Clásico (or An-Clasaiceach as it would be known) and meet Northern Ireland in a winner takes all two-legger, a game in the north of the country and a game in the southern half.
That derby seems to be out of the question sadly, and four teams have emerged as possible opponents for Ireland to meet in the play-offs for Russia 2018: Switzerland, Italy, Croatia and Denmark.
We took to Twitter to ask the Irish public of those four teams, who do we want to see in the play-offs or better still, who would we have the best chance against.
There was only one clear winner…
Ok, who do we want in the play-offs? #COYBIG #WCQ2018 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) October 10, 2017
Croatia came in dead last and rightly so. The Irish have bad memories of facing them and the last time we crossed paths competitively was in Euro 2012 and we all know how that tournament went down…
Anyway, the less said about that, the better.
Italy, surprisingly come in second last place which is strange considering THAT night in Stade Pierre-Mauroy when Robbie Brady – actually never mind, we’re sure you know how that story goes.
However, a time long before Robbie Brady goals and last minute winners, when Irish fans heard the words, Italy, they immediately thought of Salvatore Schillaci or ‘Toto’ as he is better known.
The hurt from his poxy goal in Italia ’90 still runs deep and it’s something that we don’t want to chance happening again.
Switzerland came in second place in the poll with 28% of the vote. Currently ranked seventh at the moment (11 October) in the FIFA World Rankings, you’d wonder why Irish fans would rather see the Swiss instead of the bottom two.
It could be down to the fact that they were just pipped to the post of automatic qualification because of a final day defeat to Portugal.
Maybe, that would leave a sour taste in the Swiss mouth which would follow on into the play-offs.
However, our record against them isn’t great either and in the last five competitive games we’ve played against Switzerland, we’ve lost two and drawn three, maybe better to avoid them too…
So, there was only ever going to be one clear winner then, right?
Drawing Denmark in the play-off draw would make 61% of our voters extremely happy as they feel it’s our best chance of reaching Russia.
Do you agree? Or do you think that no matter who we get, we’re going to have two magnificent nights not to be forgotten and reach our fourth ever World Cup tournament?
