Play-off opponents

The draw is this lunchtime and according to the UEFA website, we will be drawn against one of five opponents:

FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
PFC CSKA Sofia (BUL)
FC Nordsjælland (DEN)
NK Maribor (SVN)
FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)

Without doing lots of research into those teams, I'm hoping for the Danes. I'd like to avoid long journeys for the team, and I suspect that CSKA Sofia might be among the tougher draws from this set of options. The home leg will very possibly be my 7-year-old's first evening game at the Cottage, so I hope we avoid the Ukrainians, if only so that I can pronounce our opponents name when I tell him who he's going to see.

 

I agree, i wouldnt like to meet PFC CSKA Sofia or FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, i know that they have some very good players,

 

Captain, is the Ukrainian team the only one you can't pronounce?! How do you say Trnava?

I'm afraid I know nothing about any of these teams but agree with your point about distance.

 

Some long names in that draw

 

Penguin, the Ukranians were merely the longest and, I felt, best option for comic effect. Incidentally, in an old temp job many years ago I discovered that one of my fellow temps was a member of pop-beat combo The Ukranians. I was delighted, and he was just amazed that somebody in the office had even heard of them. Ah, happy days.

 

Ha ha! And there I was assuming you were fluent in Slovakian

 

The Ukranians sound like they were named by someone with a stutter Dnipro..Dnipro..Dnipro..Dnipropetrovsk.

I must admit I prefer not to have to play a team whose name you have to take a run up to pronounce.

 

I'd like to avoid CSKA Sofia, because they're the only team I've heard of so they must be half-decent.

 

We play Dnipro in the next round. What do you all reckon? Good news for us - a challenge - communication issue ?

 

I think the biggest issue will be the travel. Although to be fair we got off lightly this year compared to 09/10.

 

First leg away which is good - always prefer the decider at home.

 

It's funny how all the English sides all got the decider at home and the Scottish teams all have the decider away

 

Judging by their kit colours on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnipro_Dnipropetrovsk do you think I could get away with telling my eldest that we've been drawn against Coventry City? That way I don't have to practice pronouncing the Ukranians' proper name.

 

I've just noticed that the Ukranians are managed by Juande Ramos. That's the media's angle on the tie taken care of: Jol versus the man who took his job at Spurs! That way the Standard won't even have to mention Fulham at all!

 

its easy to pronounce lol

http://www.forvo.com/word/дніпро_дніпропетровськ_(dnipro)/

 

Спасибі, Крейвен, високо цінується.

 

I see their first choice keeper is Jan Lastuvka.

On an unrelated note, they have the worst defence in the top half of their league.

 

Exactly Capt, lol. yeh thats Jan Lastuvka is a good keeper. that have rusol their captain aswell who is good and Derek Boateng. i have been looking through there team and i am seeing a few really good players.

i use to follow shakthar Donesk like mad so i know quite a few players in that league. i think they will be our hardest team to get without a doubt.

 

Antonov seems to have a good scoring record recently - don't know of him though

 

Nah the person we have to watch would be Gladkiy. he use to play for Shakhtar and he kepted neri castillo and fernandiho out the eam aswell