Two more Asian Cup qualifiers took place today, but didn’t quite produce the outcome expected.
In Amman group E was thrown wide open when bottom side Jordan beat table toppers Iran 1-0 at home thanks to a late winner from Amer Deeb to claim their first win of the campaign.
Thanks to playing this match on a non-FIFA designated international day, Iran were missing some of their foreign based stars and it showed as they were unable to break through Jordan’s defence. The win was hailed slightly melodramatically as the “turning point for Jordanian football” by the coach Adnan Hamad. That remains to be seen but Jordan have given themselves a chance to qualify now.
However, Iran still top the group and are still odds on to qualify and I would expect that to still be in first place.
In the day’s other match things were slightly more straightforward with China beating Lebanon at home, although the 1-0 scoreline gives an indication of how the hosts struggled against a resolute Lebanese defence. The result though means that Syria and China have group D almost wrapped up.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Blue Samurai in Hong Kong
With vuvuzelas still ringing in their ears from their weekend jaunt to South Africa, Japan eased closer to Asian Cup qualification with a 4-0 win in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The result kept Japan on top of the Group A table ahead of Bahrain, although having played a game more. Bahrain bounced back from their heartbreaking encounter with New Zealand by hammering Yemen 4-0 at home in Manama.
Hong Kong put up a decent fight, offering some stubborn resistance and held out until the 32nd minute when Makoto Hasebe put the Blue Samurai ahead.
Unlike in the reverse encounter in Shimizu in October when Japan inflicted a 6-0 hammering, Hong Kong this time kept resolute in defence despite a few close calls late in the first half.
In fact they held out until the 74th minute when Hisato Sato’s header extended the visitor’s lead. This ended any hopes Hong Kong may have had of snatching an unlikely point against one of Asia’s powerhouses, and two more goals were added late on from Espanyol’s Shunsuke Nakamura with a trademark free-kick, and an injury time penalty from Shinji Okazaki, after the striker himself had been fouled.
This brought Okazaki’s goal haul for 2009 to an incredible 15 goals. Ok, so a number of these were against sub-standard opposition, but the Shimizu S-Pulse striker has built a fabulous reputation in the J-League and now for the national team. Whether he can step up and perform when it really matters in the World Cup next summer is another matter, but 15 goals in one year for an international striker is no mean feat.
In typical polite Japanese fashion, the coach Takeshi Okada commented that “Hong Kong played a wonderful game and competed hard” and also “We owe our performance to the great competitiveness of the Hong Kong team”.
While this may be heaping a bit too much praise on their hosts, it does show the determination with which Hong Kong tried to hold out. He also praised his own team’s patience in overcoming a lesser opponent who was fighting hard defensively.
Japan’s next qualifier is in Yemen on 6th January, in which a win would guarantee their qualification for Qatar 2011. A greater indication of Japan’s progress will come with friendlies next February with China and South Korea as the build up to the World Cup kicks in to gear.
Current Group A Standings: (Top 2 qualify)
Pl. W D L F-A Pts.
Japan 4 3 0 1 12-2 9
Bahrain 3 3 0 0 8-1 9
Yemen 3 1 0 2 2-6 3
Hong Kong 4 0 0 4 1-14 0
The result kept Japan on top of the Group A table ahead of Bahrain, although having played a game more. Bahrain bounced back from their heartbreaking encounter with New Zealand by hammering Yemen 4-0 at home in Manama.
Hong Kong put up a decent fight, offering some stubborn resistance and held out until the 32nd minute when Makoto Hasebe put the Blue Samurai ahead.
Unlike in the reverse encounter in Shimizu in October when Japan inflicted a 6-0 hammering, Hong Kong this time kept resolute in defence despite a few close calls late in the first half.
In fact they held out until the 74th minute when Hisato Sato’s header extended the visitor’s lead. This ended any hopes Hong Kong may have had of snatching an unlikely point against one of Asia’s powerhouses, and two more goals were added late on from Espanyol’s Shunsuke Nakamura with a trademark free-kick, and an injury time penalty from Shinji Okazaki, after the striker himself had been fouled.
This brought Okazaki’s goal haul for 2009 to an incredible 15 goals. Ok, so a number of these were against sub-standard opposition, but the Shimizu S-Pulse striker has built a fabulous reputation in the J-League and now for the national team. Whether he can step up and perform when it really matters in the World Cup next summer is another matter, but 15 goals in one year for an international striker is no mean feat.
In typical polite Japanese fashion, the coach Takeshi Okada commented that “Hong Kong played a wonderful game and competed hard” and also “We owe our performance to the great competitiveness of the Hong Kong team”.
While this may be heaping a bit too much praise on their hosts, it does show the determination with which Hong Kong tried to hold out. He also praised his own team’s patience in overcoming a lesser opponent who was fighting hard defensively.
Japan’s next qualifier is in Yemen on 6th January, in which a win would guarantee their qualification for Qatar 2011. A greater indication of Japan’s progress will come with friendlies next February with China and South Korea as the build up to the World Cup kicks in to gear.
Current Group A Standings: (Top 2 qualify)
Pl. W D L F-A Pts.
Japan 4 3 0 1 12-2 9
Bahrain 3 3 0 0 8-1 9
Yemen 3 1 0 2 2-6 3
Hong Kong 4 0 0 4 1-14 0
Friday, 20 November 2009
Asian Cup Round-up
Asian Cup qualifying for Qatar 2011 is reaching the latter stages now, with the latest round of matched this week. For the uninitiated, the Asian Cup has 16 finalists coming from a variety of qualification routes – just to make things easy.
Qatar qualify automatically as hosts, as do the top 3 nations from the previous tournament in 2007, who were Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. India have somehow snuck in with an automatic spot as winners of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, as will the winners of the 2010 equivalent, meaning that 10 spots are available for everyone else. So there are five groups, from which the top two in each would advance. Got it?
Group A
Japan and Bahrain are out in front in group A, both on 9 points, although Bahrain have a game in hand thanks to being otherwise occupied with World Cup matters in recent months. Yemen and Hong Kong provide the opposition to those two, such as it is. Put simply, if Japan and Bahrain fail to qualify, I’ll run naked through Shinjuku on a busy Saturday night.
This week Japan beat Hong Kong 4-0 and Bahrain did exactly the same to Yemen. They switch opponents in early January, and if the big two both win then qualification will be all over with time to spare.
Pl. Pts.
Japan 4 9
Bahrain 3 9
Yemen 3 3
Hong Kong 4 0
Group B
A slightly closer affair this one. Kuwait and Australia head the pack, but not by much. The Aussies began their campaign losing 0-1 at home to Kuwait in Canberra with what was essentially a second string team. Further points were dropped away to Indonesia, but on Wednesday the Socceroos moved back up in to a qualifying spot with an away win in Oman. Indonesia and Kuwait drew 1-1 leaving things close with all four teams still in with a shout. The big game of the group come in early January when Australia travel to Kuwait. Defeat there, combined with a win for Oman in Indonesia would result in a few anxious Aussies.
Pl. Pts.
Kuwait 4 7
Australia 4 7
Oman 4 4
Indonesia 4 3
Group C
Just the three teams here thanks to India’s automatic qualification saving them the bother of playing this lot which is just as well really since they’d probably have struggled.
Uzbekistan are top and have already booked their place in the Finals thanks to three wins from three. This leaves UAE and Malaysia fighting for the other spot., and given that the group began with Malaysia being tonked 0-5 at home by the UAE I think we can safely say that our wealthy friends from the Gulf will be making the short trip to Qatar in 2011. This should be confirmed on 6th January when they meet in Dubai.
Pl. Pts.
Uzbekistan 3 9
U.A.E. 2 3
Malaysia 3 0
Group D
Lebanon had to overcome a preliminary tie with the Maldives to reach this group, where presumably the biggest problem they had was avoiding the temptations of scuba, snorkelling and general relaxation in the Maldives. They certainly weren’t given any hassle on the pitch.
Then again, they may wonder why they bothered, since three straight defeats leaves them bottom of group D. This may well become zero from four on Sunday when they travel to Zheijang to play China.
Syria top the group ahead of China and Vietnam, with the Vietnemese being the only country to avoid defeat against Syria, drawing 0-0 in Damascus on Wednesday. A win for China on Sunday against Lebanon would leave qualification all but over with two rounds still to go.
Pl. Pts.
Syria 4 10
China 3 6
Vietnam 4 4
Lebanon 3 0
Group E
Another close one to finish off with, Iran, Singapore and Thailand separated by just 2 points at the top of the table, with Jordan bringing up the rear. Iran are still to play their fourth match which is on Sunday against Jordan and could well extend their lead as a result.
Thailand got off to an uninspiring start under their previous English boss Peter Reid, and the new Englishman in Bangkok, Bryan Robson, got off to a better start winning away in Singapore last weekend only to go and spoil it all by losing the return in Bangkok on Wednesday.
I fully expect Iran to run away with it, leaving Singapore and Thailand fighting it out, in which case having taken 3 points from each other their results against everyone else will be what counts., both with games remaining against Iran and Jordan.
Pl. Pts.
Iran 3 7
Singapore 4 6
Thailand 4 5
Jordan 3 1
Qatar qualify automatically as hosts, as do the top 3 nations from the previous tournament in 2007, who were Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. India have somehow snuck in with an automatic spot as winners of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, as will the winners of the 2010 equivalent, meaning that 10 spots are available for everyone else. So there are five groups, from which the top two in each would advance. Got it?
Group A
Japan and Bahrain are out in front in group A, both on 9 points, although Bahrain have a game in hand thanks to being otherwise occupied with World Cup matters in recent months. Yemen and Hong Kong provide the opposition to those two, such as it is. Put simply, if Japan and Bahrain fail to qualify, I’ll run naked through Shinjuku on a busy Saturday night.
This week Japan beat Hong Kong 4-0 and Bahrain did exactly the same to Yemen. They switch opponents in early January, and if the big two both win then qualification will be all over with time to spare.
Pl. Pts.
Japan 4 9
Bahrain 3 9
Yemen 3 3
Hong Kong 4 0
Group B
A slightly closer affair this one. Kuwait and Australia head the pack, but not by much. The Aussies began their campaign losing 0-1 at home to Kuwait in Canberra with what was essentially a second string team. Further points were dropped away to Indonesia, but on Wednesday the Socceroos moved back up in to a qualifying spot with an away win in Oman. Indonesia and Kuwait drew 1-1 leaving things close with all four teams still in with a shout. The big game of the group come in early January when Australia travel to Kuwait. Defeat there, combined with a win for Oman in Indonesia would result in a few anxious Aussies.
Pl. Pts.
Kuwait 4 7
Australia 4 7
Oman 4 4
Indonesia 4 3
Group C
Just the three teams here thanks to India’s automatic qualification saving them the bother of playing this lot which is just as well really since they’d probably have struggled.
Uzbekistan are top and have already booked their place in the Finals thanks to three wins from three. This leaves UAE and Malaysia fighting for the other spot., and given that the group began with Malaysia being tonked 0-5 at home by the UAE I think we can safely say that our wealthy friends from the Gulf will be making the short trip to Qatar in 2011. This should be confirmed on 6th January when they meet in Dubai.
Pl. Pts.
Uzbekistan 3 9
U.A.E. 2 3
Malaysia 3 0
Group D
Lebanon had to overcome a preliminary tie with the Maldives to reach this group, where presumably the biggest problem they had was avoiding the temptations of scuba, snorkelling and general relaxation in the Maldives. They certainly weren’t given any hassle on the pitch.
Then again, they may wonder why they bothered, since three straight defeats leaves them bottom of group D. This may well become zero from four on Sunday when they travel to Zheijang to play China.
Syria top the group ahead of China and Vietnam, with the Vietnemese being the only country to avoid defeat against Syria, drawing 0-0 in Damascus on Wednesday. A win for China on Sunday against Lebanon would leave qualification all but over with two rounds still to go.
Pl. Pts.
Syria 4 10
China 3 6
Vietnam 4 4
Lebanon 3 0
Group E
Another close one to finish off with, Iran, Singapore and Thailand separated by just 2 points at the top of the table, with Jordan bringing up the rear. Iran are still to play their fourth match which is on Sunday against Jordan and could well extend their lead as a result.
Thailand got off to an uninspiring start under their previous English boss Peter Reid, and the new Englishman in Bangkok, Bryan Robson, got off to a better start winning away in Singapore last weekend only to go and spoil it all by losing the return in Bangkok on Wednesday.
I fully expect Iran to run away with it, leaving Singapore and Thailand fighting it out, in which case having taken 3 points from each other their results against everyone else will be what counts., both with games remaining against Iran and Jordan.
Pl. Pts.
Iran 3 7
Singapore 4 6
Thailand 4 5
Jordan 3 1
Hand-gate
Now that the dust has begun to settle after the events in the Stade de France on Wednesday night, it’s a little easier to reflect with a bit of perspective.
Ireland were beaten by a goal that should never have been given, that much is clear, and as such can consider themselves very unfortunate. But is Thierry Henry really the villain he’s being vilified as?
He cheated, yes. But show me a player who doesn’t. Perhaps even the word “cheat” is a little too strong, he basically tried to gain an advantage and hope that he got away with it. Is that really any different to all the players who dive to win a penalty or free-kick, feign injury to get an opponent booked, claim a corner when they know the ball came off them last and so on and so on…
The big difference is that Henry’s sleight of hand directly resulted in a decisive goal, and that he got away with it. At the other end of the pitch Robbie Keane attempted to gain an advantage twice by handling the ball, but he was spotted by the referee. What’s the difference?
I’m not defending it or saying that it’s right, because I wish these incidents were removed from our game, nor am I decrying the sense of frustration and injustice the Irish must be feeling. But Henry shouldn’t be overly vilified for it – well, not too much anyway.
To my mind the real culprits were the officials for not spotting a blatant handball, and FIFA for keeping their heads firmly in the sand about the use of video technology. Hell, even Platini’s scheme of two goal line officials would have prevented this goal from standing.
To deal with the officials first of all, the referee Martin Hansson looked to be unsighted due to several players blocking his view and so he can be excused. But he is meant to receive help from his linesman. The linesman was on the far side from the incident, meaning he was facing Henry. Was his eye line blocked by Given? That can be his only excuse, but he should have been in a position to see it.
As for FIFA, perhaps this furore will serve as a form nudge in the direction of video evidence. Their argument against is two-fold. Firstly that the referee’s judgement can’t be questioned, but other sports have shown that a video ref merely aids the referee when he is unsure and helps make correct decisions. Secondly, that it would slow the game down.
My suggestion would be for each team to have a set number of challenges, say 2 or 3, which can be used at any point in the match at the manager’s discretion. Another challenge would be available if a game went to extra time as it did on Wednesday.
The manager can’t waste challenges on minor points and risk not having one if something major happens – such as a handball in the lead up to a goal! But what do I know.
The Irish FA have made an official appeal to FIFA to have the match replayed. As much as I sympathise with the injustice of it all, I don’t see how FIFA could do anything other than what they have done, which is to turn down that appeal.
The Irish cited the precedent of the 2005 qualifier between Uzbekistan and Bahrain being replayed, but that was due to the laws being applied incorrectly, rather than something being missed by the officials. If we go down the road of replaying every match where the result is affected by a referee’s mistake then we’ll never get anything done, and the World Cup Finals could well last for 6 months!
It is rotten luck, and no reward, for an excellent battling performance from Ireland, although their play in the first leg was rather less impressive. Their complaints are utterly understandable, but cries of conspiracy are well over the top. Had there been a conspiracy then surely the referee would have given a penalty when Nicolas Anelka fell in the area, or in the first leg when Patrice Evra did likewise. That would have been a rather easier way of ensuring a French victory than waiting until deep into extra time and ignoring a handball.
For many of the Irish, this was their last opportunity to add to their 2002 appearance, with none of the current crop old enough to have played in 1994. It’s a great shame that they were beaten by an injustice, but let’s not forget the scores were tied at the time, and they could well have lost anyway. The younger players will have to try again in four years time, and will carry this injustice with them and can hopefully use it an inspiration.
As for France, they’ve scraped through to the Finals, and perhaps a suitable punishment is the fact that they now will keep Raymond Domenech as coach, which should ensure a dismal performance next summer, unless he persuades Zidane out of retirement again! They will also go to South Africa with many people hoping them to fail, if that counts for anything.
Ireland were beaten by a goal that should never have been given, that much is clear, and as such can consider themselves very unfortunate. But is Thierry Henry really the villain he’s being vilified as?
He cheated, yes. But show me a player who doesn’t. Perhaps even the word “cheat” is a little too strong, he basically tried to gain an advantage and hope that he got away with it. Is that really any different to all the players who dive to win a penalty or free-kick, feign injury to get an opponent booked, claim a corner when they know the ball came off them last and so on and so on…
The big difference is that Henry’s sleight of hand directly resulted in a decisive goal, and that he got away with it. At the other end of the pitch Robbie Keane attempted to gain an advantage twice by handling the ball, but he was spotted by the referee. What’s the difference?
I’m not defending it or saying that it’s right, because I wish these incidents were removed from our game, nor am I decrying the sense of frustration and injustice the Irish must be feeling. But Henry shouldn’t be overly vilified for it – well, not too much anyway.
To my mind the real culprits were the officials for not spotting a blatant handball, and FIFA for keeping their heads firmly in the sand about the use of video technology. Hell, even Platini’s scheme of two goal line officials would have prevented this goal from standing.
To deal with the officials first of all, the referee Martin Hansson looked to be unsighted due to several players blocking his view and so he can be excused. But he is meant to receive help from his linesman. The linesman was on the far side from the incident, meaning he was facing Henry. Was his eye line blocked by Given? That can be his only excuse, but he should have been in a position to see it.
As for FIFA, perhaps this furore will serve as a form nudge in the direction of video evidence. Their argument against is two-fold. Firstly that the referee’s judgement can’t be questioned, but other sports have shown that a video ref merely aids the referee when he is unsure and helps make correct decisions. Secondly, that it would slow the game down.
My suggestion would be for each team to have a set number of challenges, say 2 or 3, which can be used at any point in the match at the manager’s discretion. Another challenge would be available if a game went to extra time as it did on Wednesday.
The manager can’t waste challenges on minor points and risk not having one if something major happens – such as a handball in the lead up to a goal! But what do I know.
The Irish FA have made an official appeal to FIFA to have the match replayed. As much as I sympathise with the injustice of it all, I don’t see how FIFA could do anything other than what they have done, which is to turn down that appeal.
The Irish cited the precedent of the 2005 qualifier between Uzbekistan and Bahrain being replayed, but that was due to the laws being applied incorrectly, rather than something being missed by the officials. If we go down the road of replaying every match where the result is affected by a referee’s mistake then we’ll never get anything done, and the World Cup Finals could well last for 6 months!
It is rotten luck, and no reward, for an excellent battling performance from Ireland, although their play in the first leg was rather less impressive. Their complaints are utterly understandable, but cries of conspiracy are well over the top. Had there been a conspiracy then surely the referee would have given a penalty when Nicolas Anelka fell in the area, or in the first leg when Patrice Evra did likewise. That would have been a rather easier way of ensuring a French victory than waiting until deep into extra time and ignoring a handball.
For many of the Irish, this was their last opportunity to add to their 2002 appearance, with none of the current crop old enough to have played in 1994. It’s a great shame that they were beaten by an injustice, but let’s not forget the scores were tied at the time, and they could well have lost anyway. The younger players will have to try again in four years time, and will carry this injustice with them and can hopefully use it an inspiration.
As for France, they’ve scraped through to the Finals, and perhaps a suitable punishment is the fact that they now will keep Raymond Domenech as coach, which should ensure a dismal performance next summer, unless he persuades Zidane out of retirement again! They will also go to South Africa with many people hoping them to fail, if that counts for anything.
One Year and counting...
After a second 0-0 draw this week for the Netherlands, they remain the Unofficial Football World Champions, with their latest title defence coming against Paraguay in Heerenveen on Wednesday. It seems there weren’t many chances on either side, with both teams missing key players.
In the absence of any meaningful action to report, I’ll just state that this means the Netherlands have now held the title for a year, and their next title defence is set for March when they face United States in Amsterdam as the build up to the official tournament builds up.
What’s this all about? The Unofficial Football World Championship, sometimes known as the World Perpetual Football Championship.
In the absence of any meaningful action to report, I’ll just state that this means the Netherlands have now held the title for a year, and their next title defence is set for March when they face United States in Amsterdam as the build up to the official tournament builds up.
What’s this all about? The Unofficial Football World Championship, sometimes known as the World Perpetual Football Championship.
And then there were 32...
Well, quiet a night that was eh? Drama aplenty across the globe in the final night of World Cup qualification.
First up were Algeria and Egypt, in Khartoum. A cagy, niggle match was settled with a stunning winning from a centre back no less to send Algeria through to their first finals since 1986. Egypt, despite having much of the possession, didn’t threaten as much as their quality suggested they might, although the Algerian keeper did pull off a couple of fine saves. The celebrations at the end were extreme, both in Khartoum, Algeria and in Paris, where the Champs Elysees was taken over by Algerians, not always in a good way.
In Europe, Greece progressed thanks to a terrific away win in Ukraine, and Portugal did likewise in Bosnia. The main drama was elsewhere, with Slovenia beating Russia 1-0 to go through on away goals as Russia were made to pay for letting the Slovenians back in the first leg. So the World Cup will be without Hiddink, Arhsavin and the Russian team who at times lit up Euro 2008.
Ireland beat France over 90 minutes in Paris thanks to an excellent battling performance. That meant extra time, which was settled thanks to Thierry Henry’s handball before passing to Gallas to score the winner.
Much has been said and written about this already, but in my opinion Thierry Henry isn’t the real villain of the piece. Yes he cheated, but then show me a footballer who doesn’t? Robbie Keane handled the ball twice trying to gain an unfair advantage but was spotted, Henry got away with it, that’s the difference.
The referee, linesman and FIFA are the ones who should be embarrassed the most. It should have been spotted, and while the referee was probably unsighted, the linesman has no excuses. As for FIFA, the backlash from this incident is an indictment on their refusal to entertain the idea of video replays, as almost every other major sport has done.
More on this issue later, so moving on, the 32nd and final spot in South Africa was claimed by two time champions Uruguay thanks to a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in Montevideo. Costa Rica needed just one more goal to take them through instead but fell short.
Needless to say my predictions were laughable. I only got 3 out fot eh 6 qualifying teams correct, and most of them didn't quite do it how I though they would...ah, well.
First up were Algeria and Egypt, in Khartoum. A cagy, niggle match was settled with a stunning winning from a centre back no less to send Algeria through to their first finals since 1986. Egypt, despite having much of the possession, didn’t threaten as much as their quality suggested they might, although the Algerian keeper did pull off a couple of fine saves. The celebrations at the end were extreme, both in Khartoum, Algeria and in Paris, where the Champs Elysees was taken over by Algerians, not always in a good way.
In Europe, Greece progressed thanks to a terrific away win in Ukraine, and Portugal did likewise in Bosnia. The main drama was elsewhere, with Slovenia beating Russia 1-0 to go through on away goals as Russia were made to pay for letting the Slovenians back in the first leg. So the World Cup will be without Hiddink, Arhsavin and the Russian team who at times lit up Euro 2008.
Ireland beat France over 90 minutes in Paris thanks to an excellent battling performance. That meant extra time, which was settled thanks to Thierry Henry’s handball before passing to Gallas to score the winner.
Much has been said and written about this already, but in my opinion Thierry Henry isn’t the real villain of the piece. Yes he cheated, but then show me a footballer who doesn’t? Robbie Keane handled the ball twice trying to gain an unfair advantage but was spotted, Henry got away with it, that’s the difference.
The referee, linesman and FIFA are the ones who should be embarrassed the most. It should have been spotted, and while the referee was probably unsighted, the linesman has no excuses. As for FIFA, the backlash from this incident is an indictment on their refusal to entertain the idea of video replays, as almost every other major sport has done.
More on this issue later, so moving on, the 32nd and final spot in South Africa was claimed by two time champions Uruguay thanks to a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in Montevideo. Costa Rica needed just one more goal to take them through instead but fell short.
Needless to say my predictions were laughable. I only got 3 out fot eh 6 qualifying teams correct, and most of them didn't quite do it how I though they would...ah, well.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Judgement Day: Part Two
So there is one more night of World Cup qualifying to go, 12 countries still dreaming of
Africa –
This is a straight forward one off playoff after the dramatic scenes in
The neutral venue of
As for the football, clearly the teams are fairly evenly matched, but
Prediction:
Europe –
Prediction:
Bosnia-Herzegovina (0) v.
This one is certainly more in the balance, and a hostile atmosphere in Zenica could swing it the host’s way.
Prediction: A draw on the night to send
Another finely balanced tie thanks to
Prediction: A draw to send
A scoreless draw at home in the first leg isn’t a bad result at all given the importance of away goals, but I expect Ukraine to win the second leg and the tie in Donetsk. Put simply, they have more quality than
Prediction:
Intercontinental Playoff:
Prediction:
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Focus On: New Zealand
New Zealand made it to only their second World Cup Finals at the weekend when they beat Bahrain in their intercontinental playoff. The All Whites’ previous appearance came in Spain in 1982 when they lost all 3 group games to Brazil, USSR and Scotla
nd.
While 1982 qualification is undoubtedly the crowning glory in New Zealand’s football history, they have won silverware in the form the OFC Nations Cup on no less than four occasions, the latest being 2008 in a group which doubled as the final stage of Oceania World Cup qualification. They have also competed in the Confederations Cup on three occasions.
New Zealand were the first winners of the OFC Nations Cup in 1973 when they beat Tahiti 2-0 in the final. The tournament wasn’t played regularly and in the next edition hosted by New Caledonia in 1980, New Zealand failed spectacularly by losing their two group games to Tahiti and Fiji.
However, glory was around the corner for the All Whites during the qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup. They topped their first round group ahead of perennial rivals Australia, having remained unbeaten through the 8 games. This took them to the final qualifying round with Kuwait, China and Saudi Arabia from which the top two teams would be going to Spain.
Thanks to a spectacular 5-0 away win in Saudi Arabia a week before Christmas 1981 in their final match, New Zealand finished joint second, tied with China on goal difference thanks to the five goals scored in Riyadh.
Under current rules, they would have progressed thanks to goals scored, but back then it went to a playoff on neutral ground in Singapore which the Kiwis won 2-1. New Zealand set numerous records on their first successful campaign. They played 15 qualifying matches and travelled 55,000 miles during qualification. Their 13-0 score against Fiji set a world cup record as did Steve Sumner’s six goals in that match. Also during qualifying goalkeeper Richard Wilson went a world cup record 921 minutes without conceding a goal.
In the Finals themselves, New Zealand lost their opening encounter 5-2 against Scotland in Malaga, and it went downhill from their, losing 3-0 to USSR and 4-0 to Brazil which was hardly a surprise. World Cup qualification would remain a distant dream in the years that followed, usually losing out in a playoff with Australia.
OFC Nations Cup hostilities resumed in 1996, with New Zealand losing a two-legged semi final to Australia, but revenge was gained in the 1998 final, New Zealand taking the title in Australia thanks to a goal from Mark Burton.
This took New Zealand to the 1999 Confederations Cup but back on the global stage it was another three defeats, this time to Brazil, Germany and USA.
The OFC title swapped again to Australia, and then back again to New Zealand in 2003 with a victory on home soil again beating Australia 1-0, this time scored by Ryan Nelsen. The 2003 Confederations Cup followed, but the story was the same. Three more defeats on the global stage, the punishment this time inflicted by Japan, Colombia and France.
Qualification for the 2006 World Cup doubled as the OFC Nations Cup, but New Zealand were embarrassed to be beaten in the semi finals by the Solomon Islands.
With Australia leaving the Oceania zone in 2006, that left New Zealand as the only “power” in the region, and helped them somewhat in their World Cup exploits. Again the 2008 Nations Cup tournament doubled as the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, and New Zealand comfortably topped the group in Australia’s absence to claim their fourth OFC Nations Cup title. With this came progression to the playoff with Bahrain, and a place in the 2009 Confederations Cup where New Zealand claimed their first point at global level, drawing 0-0 with the Iraq, having started in usual fashion with defeats to Spain and South Africa.
Other than 1982 and now 2010, New Zealand’s World Cup history is patchy to say the least. They first entered in 1970, on that occasion lasting a mere two matches, beaten home and away by Israel.
They finished bottom of their qualifying group again for 1974, finally recording their first World Cup victory in the 1978 qualifying, beating Chinese Taipei twice but losing out to Australia. The successful 1982 campaign followed, but after that it was slim pickings again, either losing out in a group or successfully navigating past some Pacific Island nations and then losing to Australia in a playoff.
New Zealand’s progress to next summer’s World Cup owes a lot to Australia’s move to Asia, but they still had to win their playoff which is a new experience for them. They are currently ranked 83rd by FIFA, which surprisingly wouldn’t make them the lowest ranked of the finalists. That honour would fall to hosts South Africa, currently two places below New Zealand. Their highest ever ranking of 49th came in 2003 and it’s a bit of a mystery how that happened.
At the very least, New Zealand’s fans will bring some excitement to the World Cup in South Africa, but the prospects of the team leaving with much to shout about are slim to none.
nd.While 1982 qualification is undoubtedly the crowning glory in New Zealand’s football history, they have won silverware in the form the OFC Nations Cup on no less than four occasions, the latest being 2008 in a group which doubled as the final stage of Oceania World Cup qualification. They have also competed in the Confederations Cup on three occasions.
New Zealand were the first winners of the OFC Nations Cup in 1973 when they beat Tahiti 2-0 in the final. The tournament wasn’t played regularly and in the next edition hosted by New Caledonia in 1980, New Zealand failed spectacularly by losing their two group games to Tahiti and Fiji.
However, glory was around the corner for the All Whites during the qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup. They topped their first round group ahead of perennial rivals Australia, having remained unbeaten through the 8 games. This took them to the final qualifying round with Kuwait, China and Saudi Arabia from which the top two teams would be going to Spain.
Thanks to a spectacular 5-0 away win in Saudi Arabia a week before Christmas 1981 in their final match, New Zealand finished joint second, tied with China on goal difference thanks to the five goals scored in Riyadh.
Under current rules, they would have progressed thanks to goals scored, but back then it went to a playoff on neutral ground in Singapore which the Kiwis won 2-1. New Zealand set numerous records on their first successful campaign. They played 15 qualifying matches and travelled 55,000 miles during qualification. Their 13-0 score against Fiji set a world cup record as did Steve Sumner’s six goals in that match. Also during qualifying goalkeeper Richard Wilson went a world cup record 921 minutes without conceding a goal.
In the Finals themselves, New Zealand lost their opening encounter 5-2 against Scotland in Malaga, and it went downhill from their, losing 3-0 to USSR and 4-0 to Brazil which was hardly a surprise. World Cup qualification would remain a distant dream in the years that followed, usually losing out in a playoff with Australia.
OFC Nations Cup hostilities resumed in 1996, with New Zealand losing a two-legged semi final to Australia, but revenge was gained in the 1998 final, New Zealand taking the title in Australia thanks to a goal from Mark Burton.
This took New Zealand to the 1999 Confederations Cup but back on the global stage it was another three defeats, this time to Brazil, Germany and USA.
The OFC title swapped again to Australia, and then back again to New Zealand in 2003 with a victory on home soil again beating Australia 1-0, this time scored by Ryan Nelsen. The 2003 Confederations Cup followed, but the story was the same. Three more defeats on the global stage, the punishment this time inflicted by Japan, Colombia and France.
Qualification for the 2006 World Cup doubled as the OFC Nations Cup, but New Zealand were embarrassed to be beaten in the semi finals by the Solomon Islands.
With Australia leaving the Oceania zone in 2006, that left New Zealand as the only “power” in the region, and helped them somewhat in their World Cup exploits. Again the 2008 Nations Cup tournament doubled as the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, and New Zealand comfortably topped the group in Australia’s absence to claim their fourth OFC Nations Cup title. With this came progression to the playoff with Bahrain, and a place in the 2009 Confederations Cup where New Zealand claimed their first point at global level, drawing 0-0 with the Iraq, having started in usual fashion with defeats to Spain and South Africa.
Other than 1982 and now 2010, New Zealand’s World Cup history is patchy to say the least. They first entered in 1970, on that occasion lasting a mere two matches, beaten home and away by Israel.
They finished bottom of their qualifying group again for 1974, finally recording their first World Cup victory in the 1978 qualifying, beating Chinese Taipei twice but losing out to Australia. The successful 1982 campaign followed, but after that it was slim pickings again, either losing out in a group or successfully navigating past some Pacific Island nations and then losing to Australia in a playoff.
New Zealand’s progress to next summer’s World Cup owes a lot to Australia’s move to Asia, but they still had to win their playoff which is a new experience for them. They are currently ranked 83rd by FIFA, which surprisingly wouldn’t make them the lowest ranked of the finalists. That honour would fall to hosts South Africa, currently two places below New Zealand. Their highest ever ranking of 49th came in 2003 and it’s a bit of a mystery how that happened.
At the very least, New Zealand’s fans will bring some excitement to the World Cup in South Africa, but the prospects of the team leaving with much to shout about are slim to none.
UFWC Undisputed Title Match
The latest instalment of the Unofficial World Football Championship took place in
Unfortunately the match appears to have been a bit of a damp squib, ending goalless and notable mostly for a serious injury to Robin van Persie which may see him sidelined for a couple of months.
The
The Dutch have held the unofficial title just short of a year since taking the title from Sweden in a friendly last November, winning seven and drawing four of eleven UFWC title matches.
What’s this all about? The Unofficial Football World Championship, sometimes also known as the World Perpetual Football Championships.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
High drama in Africa
Nigeria and Egypt were the beneficiaries of the most dramatic twists on this final day of African qualifying. Nigeria won 3-2 in Kenya, which combined with Tunisia's 1-0 defeat in Mozambique means that they have scraped through to their 3rd World Cup Finals.
Meanwhile the most dramatic finish was in Cairo where fierce rivals Egypt and Algeria were in a winner takes all match. Egypt lead 1-0 going into stoppage time, which would have sent Algeria through on goal difference. A 2-0 win would have meant the teams could not be separated on goal difference, goals scored or head-to-head, and 5 minutes into stoppage time this happened...
The 2-0 scoreline means that a playoff will be required to separate them, which will take place on neutral ground in Sudan on Wednesday.
Cameroon also booked their World Cup spot for an African record 6th time by winning 2-0 in Morocco. My memories of Italia '90 mean I will always have a soft spot for Cameroon so I'm pleased that they've made it through again, to join Nigeria and the two nations already qualified, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Egypt or Algeria will of course join them on Wednesday.
This being an African World Cup makes it a bigger than usual tournament for the African teams who will undoubtedly receive huge support in South Africa. The hosts themselves are relatively weak and are very much up against it, but in Ghana and Ivory Coast in particular, Africa has two teams capable of having a good showing next summer.
The full list of qualifiers now reads:
Hosts: South Africa
Asia: Australia, Japan, South Korea, North Korea
Europe: Holland, England, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia, Italy
North & Central America: United States, Mexico, Honduras
South America: Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina
Oceania: New Zealand
Africa: Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria
6 places are still up for grabs, and all will be decided on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the most dramatic finish was in Cairo where fierce rivals Egypt and Algeria were in a winner takes all match. Egypt lead 1-0 going into stoppage time, which would have sent Algeria through on goal difference. A 2-0 win would have meant the teams could not be separated on goal difference, goals scored or head-to-head, and 5 minutes into stoppage time this happened...
The 2-0 scoreline means that a playoff will be required to separate them, which will take place on neutral ground in Sudan on Wednesday.
Cameroon also booked their World Cup spot for an African record 6th time by winning 2-0 in Morocco. My memories of Italia '90 mean I will always have a soft spot for Cameroon so I'm pleased that they've made it through again, to join Nigeria and the two nations already qualified, Ghana and Ivory Coast. Egypt or Algeria will of course join them on Wednesday.
This being an African World Cup makes it a bigger than usual tournament for the African teams who will undoubtedly receive huge support in South Africa. The hosts themselves are relatively weak and are very much up against it, but in Ghana and Ivory Coast in particular, Africa has two teams capable of having a good showing next summer.
The full list of qualifiers now reads:
Hosts: South Africa
Asia: Australia, Japan, South Korea, North Korea
Europe: Holland, England, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia, Italy
North & Central America: United States, Mexico, Honduras
South America: Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina
Oceania: New Zealand
Africa: Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria
6 places are still up for grabs, and all will be decided on Wednesday.
World Cup Play Off Roundup
New Zealand became the 24th nation to book their place in South Africa with a 1-0 win over Bahrain in Wellington, wining the tie by the same score on aggregate. This will only be New Zealand's second World Cup Finals, after going out in the group stage in Spain in 1982.
Elsewhere yesterday saw the first legs of playoffs in Europe and the Americas. France took control of their tie with Ireland with a 1-0 win in Dublin in a match where the extra quality of the French told in the end. Russia beat Slovenia as was expected, however the concession of a late away goal means the tie is now in the balance with Russia taking a 2-1 lead to Slovenia. If Russia were to miss out to Slovenia it would probably be a bigger shock than France or Portugal missing out since Russia are a highly rated team playing well, unlike Portugal who are drastically underperforming..
Speaking of Portugal, they won their home leg 1-0 over Bosnia-Herzegovina which very much leaves it in the balance. I would love to see Bosnia-Herzegovina overturn this one on Wednesday, the only pity being that we won't get to see Cristiano Ronaldo cry since he won't be there. The final playoff in Europe saw Greece and Ukraine draw 0-0 so that is still anyone's game.
Across the Atlantic, Uruguay took control of the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica with a 1-0 away win. Costa Rica came within minutes of qualifying automatically from their group only to lose out thanks to late US goals meaning Honduras took the automatic spot from them. I have to say I would rather see the Ticos in the World Cup than the overly physical and slightly dreary Uruguay, but they have their work cut out now.
Elsewhere yesterday saw the first legs of playoffs in Europe and the Americas. France took control of their tie with Ireland with a 1-0 win in Dublin in a match where the extra quality of the French told in the end. Russia beat Slovenia as was expected, however the concession of a late away goal means the tie is now in the balance with Russia taking a 2-1 lead to Slovenia. If Russia were to miss out to Slovenia it would probably be a bigger shock than France or Portugal missing out since Russia are a highly rated team playing well, unlike Portugal who are drastically underperforming..
Speaking of Portugal, they won their home leg 1-0 over Bosnia-Herzegovina which very much leaves it in the balance. I would love to see Bosnia-Herzegovina overturn this one on Wednesday, the only pity being that we won't get to see Cristiano Ronaldo cry since he won't be there. The final playoff in Europe saw Greece and Ukraine draw 0-0 so that is still anyone's game.
Across the Atlantic, Uruguay took control of the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica with a 1-0 away win. Costa Rica came within minutes of qualifying automatically from their group only to lose out thanks to late US goals meaning Honduras took the automatic spot from them. I have to say I would rather see the Ticos in the World Cup than the overly physical and slightly dreary Uruguay, but they have their work cut out now.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Irish Eyes Frowning
France won a deserved victory in this playoff first leg in Dublin, thanks to a deflected Nicolas Anelka goal in the second half. Ireland had a decent first half but rarely threatened after the break as France showed their class.
Early on Ireland put pressure on the French and came extremely close to scoring after Robbie Keane had pressurised the French keeper leaving a gilt edged chance for Liam Lawrence. At first glance it looked like he'd missed an open goal, but in fact Patrice Evra managed to deflect the ball wide of the open goal.
Ireland never threatened the same again, and in the second half it was mostly one way traffic with France dominating possession although not creating too many clear opportunities themselves. At times it did look like men against boys however, with Ireland's occasional sporadic attacks having the energy and enthusiasm of a lower league team trying their best in an FA Cup match against Premier League opposition, but the same lack of quality. They charged forward more in hope than expectation it seemed, whereas France's confidence grew throughout the match and finished off comfortable winners.
Is it all over? Far from it. Ireland will be backed by thousands in Paris on Wednesday and scoring an away goal there leaves it all to play for, and they've shown throughout this campaign that they are capable of scoring against the best of them.
Unfortunately for them, France seem to have regained some of the belief which had deserted them earlier in their campaign, and will be favourites to progress now.
Early on Ireland put pressure on the French and came extremely close to scoring after Robbie Keane had pressurised the French keeper leaving a gilt edged chance for Liam Lawrence. At first glance it looked like he'd missed an open goal, but in fact Patrice Evra managed to deflect the ball wide of the open goal.
Ireland never threatened the same again, and in the second half it was mostly one way traffic with France dominating possession although not creating too many clear opportunities themselves. At times it did look like men against boys however, with Ireland's occasional sporadic attacks having the energy and enthusiasm of a lower league team trying their best in an FA Cup match against Premier League opposition, but the same lack of quality. They charged forward more in hope than expectation it seemed, whereas France's confidence grew throughout the match and finished off comfortable winners.
Is it all over? Far from it. Ireland will be backed by thousands in Paris on Wednesday and scoring an away goal there leaves it all to play for, and they've shown throughout this campaign that they are capable of scoring against the best of them.
Unfortunately for them, France seem to have regained some of the belief which had deserted them earlier in their campaign, and will be favourites to progress now.
Judgement Day in Europe - Part One
The first legs of the European zone play-offs has some intriguing ties. Ireland - France will be full of passion at Croke Park, but will the French have the skills to overcome the Irish onslaught? This tie is extra juicy thanks to the war of words in the lead up to the match with French coach Raymond Domenech referring to Ireland as "England B" and Irish defender Richard Dunne responding with attacks on Domenech. My prediction? Ireland to win by 1 goal tonight, but to lose out overall.
Portugal face a youthful and exciting Bosnia-Herzegovina without Cristiano Ronaldo who is injured. Can playing Nani in his place possibly get them to the World Cup? My prediction is for Portugal to answer Sepp Blatter's prayers and make it to South Africa, but only just.
Will the World Cup be a poorer place for the absence of France or Portugal should they lose? Maybe. But there's been many a great player to miss out on the tournament because their team didn't do the business, and the only thoughts of loss should be within those countries themselves. If they'd played better they both had the class to have secured qualification before now.
Highgly rated Russia face off against possibly the weakest playoff team Slovenia, and in the last tie Greece face Ukraine. My predictions for those are for Russia to win home and away and ease through, and for Ukraine to edge past Greece.
Nothing will be decided conclusively tonight of course, although a good win for anyone could see the tie effectively over before Wednesday's judgement day part two.
My viewing choice will be Ireland - France, where I'm expecting a green onslaught against a potentially fragile France team, although their more recent run of form shows the runners-up from the 2006 World Cup aren't to be taken lightly.
Portugal face a youthful and exciting Bosnia-Herzegovina without Cristiano Ronaldo who is injured. Can playing Nani in his place possibly get them to the World Cup? My prediction is for Portugal to answer Sepp Blatter's prayers and make it to South Africa, but only just.
Will the World Cup be a poorer place for the absence of France or Portugal should they lose? Maybe. But there's been many a great player to miss out on the tournament because their team didn't do the business, and the only thoughts of loss should be within those countries themselves. If they'd played better they both had the class to have secured qualification before now.
Highgly rated Russia face off against possibly the weakest playoff team Slovenia, and in the last tie Greece face Ukraine. My predictions for those are for Russia to win home and away and ease through, and for Ukraine to edge past Greece.
Nothing will be decided conclusively tonight of course, although a good win for anyone could see the tie effectively over before Wednesday's judgement day part two.
My viewing choice will be Ireland - France, where I'm expecting a green onslaught against a potentially fragile France team, although their more recent run of form shows the runners-up from the 2006 World Cup aren't to be taken lightly.
All White On The Night
New Zealand's All Whites scraped through in a close encounter in Wellington to beat Bahrain 1-0 and qualify for only their second World Cup Finals. A header from Rory Fallon was enough to win this intercontinental playoff, although Bahrain missed a second half penalty which would have seen them through on away goals.
To be honest, it was two poor teams scrapping it out. On this evidence New Zealand will need to up their game somewhat next summer, although the tension of the occasion may account for some of the scrappiness. Bahrain did more of the attacking, including a late onslaught, but in truth never really threatened aside from a couple of long shots, up until their penalty.
New Zealand threatened in patches, but the goal was well taken and they also hit the woodwork twice in the few chances they did create. All in all, a decent game with few chances, played out in great atmosphere as the Kiwi fans donned white instead of black to cheer their team through.
Neither team would have caused much of a ripple next summer, but it's New Zealand who will get the chance. What price being paired with Australia or England in South Africa? But let's not take away from New Zealand's big moment.
They may only have had to scrape past New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Bahrain to qualify - surely the easiest route to the Finals ever? - but qualify they have, and you can only beat what's put in front of you. Their fans will I'm sure bring a party atmosphere to proceedings in South Africa and will enjoy every moment, however short lived it will be.
To be honest, it was two poor teams scrapping it out. On this evidence New Zealand will need to up their game somewhat next summer, although the tension of the occasion may account for some of the scrappiness. Bahrain did more of the attacking, including a late onslaught, but in truth never really threatened aside from a couple of long shots, up until their penalty.
New Zealand threatened in patches, but the goal was well taken and they also hit the woodwork twice in the few chances they did create. All in all, a decent game with few chances, played out in great atmosphere as the Kiwi fans donned white instead of black to cheer their team through.
Neither team would have caused much of a ripple next summer, but it's New Zealand who will get the chance. What price being paired with Australia or England in South Africa? But let's not take away from New Zealand's big moment.
They may only have had to scrape past New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Bahrain to qualify - surely the easiest route to the Finals ever? - but qualify they have, and you can only beat what's put in front of you. Their fans will I'm sure bring a party atmosphere to proceedings in South Africa and will enjoy every moment, however short lived it will be.
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