World Cup: McCarthy in no-win situation

Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy is in a no-win situation as his team bid to complete their unbeaten Group Two World Cup qualifying campaign against Cyprus in Dublin on Saturday.

Win, lose or draw, Ireland are guaranteed at least play-off games against an as yet unknown Asian Group side with the first match scheduled for Dublin on November 10 and the return five days later.

Portugal look red-hot favourites to emerge as automatic qualifiers from the Republic’s group to reach the finals in Japan and South Korea next summer.

Victory at home to Estonia on Saturday would have Portugal on 24 points, the same as the Irish providing they overcome Cyprus.

But Portugal currently have a superior goal difference of plus 21 against Ireland's plus 14.

"Realistically we have to be thinking of those play-offs next month and the opposition could be Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, or maybe loads of other places," said McCarthy.

McCarthy is determined to travel to the play-off games between the two teams who finish second in the Asian groups to determine who plays his side.

Those matches will not take place until the end of this month, giving Ireland little time to prepare for their travels into the unknown.

McCarthy has been given vital background information on potential opponents by former Northern Ireland star Gerry Armstrong, now the top analyst on Asian Group games for Eurosport.

"Big Gerry has been more than helpful. He has promised to supply me with all the videos of the potential opposition and a complete dossier on who we might face," said McCarthy.

But right now the Republic supremo is more concerned about stretching his team’s remarkable unbeaten record to 15 games.

"Once we get that match out of the way, and Niall Quinn celebrates his 35th in style, we can start thinking about the play-offs," he said.

"At present we really just do not have a clue which nation we will meet from the Asian groups."

With the current political turmoil in the Middle East, the Gulf States and those nations surrounding Afghanistan, there is no guarantee that the Irish games can go ahead as scheduled. Insurance for players is likely to be a major hurdle.

McCarthy is worried FIFA may follow UEFA’s decision to make it a one-off game in a neutral country.

Rangers found themselves in that situation when drawn against Anzi Makhachkala from the former Soviet Union state of Dagestan in the last round of the UEFA Cup.

Eventually the European governing body ruled that the tie be a one-off game in Warsaw as Dagestan was too close to the troubled Russian state of Chechnya. Rangers won 1-0 in Poland.

"FIFA may decide that we should have a one-off game against our Asian Group opponents in somewhere like Switzerland as opposed to home and away games in Dublin and wherever," said McCarthy.

Robbie Keane, Jason McAteer, Kenny Cunningham and Mark Kinsella are all on yellow cards from previous Group Two qualifiers.

"Can you imagine if we were leading 2-0 against Cyprus on Saturday with Robbie Keane bearing down on goal," added McCarthy.

"Then he is called up for an offside decision, kicks the ball away in disgust and gets booked.

"Robbie would be out of a possible one-game play-off match. I don’t like the sound of that."

McCarthy is, therefore, likely to only select players with a clean disciplinary record in the competition.