The 32 teams/nations are in.
We are going to look at them a bit more closely, running up to the official Draw, on Dec. 4. Today, by how they communicate.
Cup teams by languages:
(Note: Includes several countries where a language is rarely a native tongue but has "official" status.)
English: 8 (Australia, Cameroon, England, Ghana, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, United States).
Spanish: 7 (Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, Uruguay).
French: 4 (Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, France, Switzerland).
German: 2 (Germany, Switzerland).
Italian: 2 (Italy, Switzerland).
Korean: 2 (North Korea, South Korea).
Portuguese: 2 (Brazil, Portugal).
And one each: Arabic (Algeria), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Netherlands), Greek (Greece), Japanese (Japan), Serbian (Serbia), Slovakian (Slovakia), Slovenian (Slovenia) ... and several African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Bantu, Baule, Berber, Ewe, Dagbani, Gurma, Hausa, Igbo, Malinke, Senoufo, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu, to name most of those most commonly spoken.
So, if you're going to the World Cup, English is the best language to know, because it is an official language of South Africa (though spoken as a mother tongue by only 8 percent of the population) ... and because fans from seven other national teams ought to understand you.
If you also know Spanish and French ... now you've covered 19 World Cup countries, and that doesn't even count places such as Denmark, Germany and Switzerland where English is widely spoken, or the United States, where a significant number of people now understands Spanish.
So, with one language, English, you will be able to get along. With three (English, French, Spanish), the odds are good you will be able to communicate on some basic level with just about everyone.
Read more!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Also, Note the Counter is Going to Hit 200 Days
Two hundred days until kickoff of South Africa 2010. We counted down right past that during this 24-hour period.
Seems like a long time but ...
Two hundred days is just 18 days over half a year.
Napoleon's return to France from Elba, his recapture of the government and his career-ending Battle of Waterloo ... all of that took less than 100 days.
For Americans ... the period of time during which Franklin Roosevelt pushed through his massive social programs, in 1933, is known as The Hundred Days.
Two hundred days is only a little more than two seasons of the year.
Two hundred days is 35 times as long as the map-changing Six Day War of 1967 between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. It is also 26 days longer than the 1982 Falklands War between England and Argentina.
Two hundred days is less time than it takes for a human to be conceived and be born. Usually.
Anyway ... we're getting close. Read more!
Seems like a long time but ...
Two hundred days is just 18 days over half a year.
Napoleon's return to France from Elba, his recapture of the government and his career-ending Battle of Waterloo ... all of that took less than 100 days.
For Americans ... the period of time during which Franklin Roosevelt pushed through his massive social programs, in 1933, is known as The Hundred Days.
Two hundred days is only a little more than two seasons of the year.
Two hundred days is 35 times as long as the map-changing Six Day War of 1967 between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. It is also 26 days longer than the 1982 Falklands War between England and Argentina.
Two hundred days is less time than it takes for a human to be conceived and be born. Usually.
Anyway ... we're getting close. Read more!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Ireland Replay? Fifa Says, Uh, NO!
It might have seemed reasonable.
The Ireland-France match, so important, so fatally flawed by the missed hand ball by Thierry Henry that led to the winning French goal ...
Of course it should be played over. It's only fair. It's reasonable. It could be done.
But those of us who have been watching Fifa for, oh, a couple of months or more knew that it would never happen. Fifa is infallible. Fifa never admits to mistakes. Sort of like popes. Judgment call, end of story.
The official decision came down Friday. And, surprise, Fifa still has never made a mistake. That's 1 billion for 1 billion in getting things right.
I know this won't make the Irish feel any better, but Thierry Henry apparently said that Ireland deserves a replay. Which was easy for him to suggest, knowing 1) his reputation in the English-speaking world was taking a beating (all that "cheater-cheater pumpkin-eater" stuff) and 2) Fifa would never allow it.
This also won't make the Irish feel better, but I am convinced France goes to South Africa 2010 next year with some really vile karma in the ol' kit bag. Something Heavy will fall on this French team, dysfunctional, disjointed, led by a toad (Raymond Domenech) and qualified by dint of a horrible mistake.
No way they last, not with that cosmic burden on their bleu backs.
It won't heal the wounds in the Emerald Isle, when the French go down ... but maybe it will numb them a little. Read more!
The Ireland-France match, so important, so fatally flawed by the missed hand ball by Thierry Henry that led to the winning French goal ...
Of course it should be played over. It's only fair. It's reasonable. It could be done.
But those of us who have been watching Fifa for, oh, a couple of months or more knew that it would never happen. Fifa is infallible. Fifa never admits to mistakes. Sort of like popes. Judgment call, end of story.
The official decision came down Friday. And, surprise, Fifa still has never made a mistake. That's 1 billion for 1 billion in getting things right.
I know this won't make the Irish feel any better, but Thierry Henry apparently said that Ireland deserves a replay. Which was easy for him to suggest, knowing 1) his reputation in the English-speaking world was taking a beating (all that "cheater-cheater pumpkin-eater" stuff) and 2) Fifa would never allow it.
This also won't make the Irish feel better, but I am convinced France goes to South Africa 2010 next year with some really vile karma in the ol' kit bag. Something Heavy will fall on this French team, dysfunctional, disjointed, led by a toad (Raymond Domenech) and qualified by dint of a horrible mistake.
No way they last, not with that cosmic burden on their bleu backs.
It won't heal the wounds in the Emerald Isle, when the French go down ... but maybe it will numb them a little. Read more!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Should Ireland Get a Replay?
The anger seems to be building.
France won a spot in the World Cup at Ireland's expense in extra time Wednesday night on the strength of a goal set up by a player, Thierry Henry, who handled the ball -- twice -- before actually using his feet to pass it to William Gallas, who scored.
Ireland is calling on France and Fifa for a replay. Another match. Which would be nice. But, for better or (in this case) worse, this is not how soccer works.
Soccer prides itself on uninterrupted play. Fans of American sports often are mocked, around the world, for putting up with all the stoppages of play in their games. American football, in particular.
Some of the sports stoppages in the U.S. are television-driven. Some of them are just part of the games. And others, increasingly, are made to allow electronic review of critical calls. To get them right, or as close as possible to "right" as the technology will allow.
It seems clear that Ireland would have benefited greatly by even the most primitive video-replay technology. The video of the key moment appears to have been taken down all over the web by the rights holders, but there seems universal agreement from those who saw TV of the match that Henry handled the ball twice -- and the referee just missed it.
This would not have happened in an American football game. A coach would have called for a replay, the game would have been stopped and various cameras would have caught Henry in the act, which the referee would have seen, and reversed himself. The goal would have been disallowed, Henry may have been assessed a yellow card and the Irish given the ball. And, presumably, eventually someone would have won the match ... fairly.
But ...
But ...
Is soccer ready for instant replay? Will it allow "the beautiful game" to be held up while the officials go to the video, American-style?
Only for goals? How about for offsides (now there's a can of worms)? To the legalistic American mind, soccer is maddening in its inability even to get right such simple calls as "who gets this throw-in?" Even in the biggest matches, linesmen get that "possession" wrong a dozen times, on throw-ins.
Soccer and quasi-"instant" replay? We don't see that happening any time soon. It goes too much against the grain of the game, and its traditions. It is a game that seems to have built in a certain, shall we say, "elasticity" when it comes to rules.Everyone knows it and they allow everything from kiddie games to World Cup matches ("Hand of God", anyone?) to be decided by blatantly illegal plays that go unseen by referees.
Also, bringing technology to all levels of World Cup qualifying might not be possible. Think of all the early matches in the underdeveloped parts of the world that aren't even televised. When and where, then, does Fifa start using viedo-replay? All the time, in Europe? In the last qualifying stage in Africa?
There are basic technical problems.
But, ultimately, soccer just allows X amount of stuff to go on. You either accept the game in its entirety -- and that means the more-than-occasional horrific, game-changing call -- or you don't have the game you have now. Can't have it both ways.
So, the Irish have a right to be angry and upset. But as coaches and athletes have been saying, of late, "it is what it is" ... which is jockspeak for "can't do anything about it now."
There will be no replay. Not saying that's right. But that's the soccer way. Read more!
France won a spot in the World Cup at Ireland's expense in extra time Wednesday night on the strength of a goal set up by a player, Thierry Henry, who handled the ball -- twice -- before actually using his feet to pass it to William Gallas, who scored.
Ireland is calling on France and Fifa for a replay. Another match. Which would be nice. But, for better or (in this case) worse, this is not how soccer works.
Soccer prides itself on uninterrupted play. Fans of American sports often are mocked, around the world, for putting up with all the stoppages of play in their games. American football, in particular.
Some of the sports stoppages in the U.S. are television-driven. Some of them are just part of the games. And others, increasingly, are made to allow electronic review of critical calls. To get them right, or as close as possible to "right" as the technology will allow.
It seems clear that Ireland would have benefited greatly by even the most primitive video-replay technology. The video of the key moment appears to have been taken down all over the web by the rights holders, but there seems universal agreement from those who saw TV of the match that Henry handled the ball twice -- and the referee just missed it.
This would not have happened in an American football game. A coach would have called for a replay, the game would have been stopped and various cameras would have caught Henry in the act, which the referee would have seen, and reversed himself. The goal would have been disallowed, Henry may have been assessed a yellow card and the Irish given the ball. And, presumably, eventually someone would have won the match ... fairly.
But ...
But ...
Is soccer ready for instant replay? Will it allow "the beautiful game" to be held up while the officials go to the video, American-style?
Only for goals? How about for offsides (now there's a can of worms)? To the legalistic American mind, soccer is maddening in its inability even to get right such simple calls as "who gets this throw-in?" Even in the biggest matches, linesmen get that "possession" wrong a dozen times, on throw-ins.
Soccer and quasi-"instant" replay? We don't see that happening any time soon. It goes too much against the grain of the game, and its traditions. It is a game that seems to have built in a certain, shall we say, "elasticity" when it comes to rules.Everyone knows it and they allow everything from kiddie games to World Cup matches ("Hand of God", anyone?) to be decided by blatantly illegal plays that go unseen by referees.
Also, bringing technology to all levels of World Cup qualifying might not be possible. Think of all the early matches in the underdeveloped parts of the world that aren't even televised. When and where, then, does Fifa start using viedo-replay? All the time, in Europe? In the last qualifying stage in Africa?
There are basic technical problems.
But, ultimately, soccer just allows X amount of stuff to go on. You either accept the game in its entirety -- and that means the more-than-occasional horrific, game-changing call -- or you don't have the game you have now. Can't have it both ways.
So, the Irish have a right to be angry and upset. But as coaches and athletes have been saying, of late, "it is what it is" ... which is jockspeak for "can't do anything about it now."
There will be no replay. Not saying that's right. But that's the soccer way. Read more!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
And No. 32 ... Uruguay!
No more calls please! We have a lineup!
You can examine it right here on the home page. Just look down the column on the right ... and there are the 32 who are going to South Africa 2010. It took nearly three years of qualifying to figure it out, so it must be right.
Uruguay was last in the tournament, and is last in the alphabet ... but will never be "least." Not as long as New Zealand is around.
Uruguay got the final berth because it didn't play until late in the day, Wednesday. And not that the rest of the world doesn't respect Concacaf teams, but after Uruguay was held to 1-1 at home by Costa Rica (winning the aggregate 2-1), coach Oscar Tabarez felt compelled to promise that his team would play better in the World Cup.
Hey, Costa Rica can play a little. The Ticos had that bad stretch where they were outscored 8-0 and lost three straight (Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador), which killed their chances for a guaranteed berth, but they led Concacaf qualifying at the midpoint.
So ...
Let's divide the 32 teams into five groups, by order of what we might expect from them come South Africa, little more than 200 days away:
--The Just Here to See the Sights and Leave After the Group Stage Group: Algeria, Japan, Honduras, New Zealand, North Korea, Slovenia, South Korea, Uruguay.
--The Could Sneak into the Knockout Round Which We Will Consider Success Group: Chile, Greece, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay, Slovakia, South Africa, United States.
--The We're Thinking Quarterfinals Even if It's Not Realistic Group: Argentina (as long as Maradona is coach), Denmark, France, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland.
--The Four Who Could Make the Semis if Everything Breaks Right Group: Cameroon, England, Italy, Serbia.
--The One of Us Is Gonna Win and Most Everyone Knows It Group: Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Spain.
More interesting breakdowns of the Final 32 in tomorrow's post. Read more!
You can examine it right here on the home page. Just look down the column on the right ... and there are the 32 who are going to South Africa 2010. It took nearly three years of qualifying to figure it out, so it must be right.
Uruguay was last in the tournament, and is last in the alphabet ... but will never be "least." Not as long as New Zealand is around.
Uruguay got the final berth because it didn't play until late in the day, Wednesday. And not that the rest of the world doesn't respect Concacaf teams, but after Uruguay was held to 1-1 at home by Costa Rica (winning the aggregate 2-1), coach Oscar Tabarez felt compelled to promise that his team would play better in the World Cup.
Hey, Costa Rica can play a little. The Ticos had that bad stretch where they were outscored 8-0 and lost three straight (Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador), which killed their chances for a guaranteed berth, but they led Concacaf qualifying at the midpoint.
So ...
Let's divide the 32 teams into five groups, by order of what we might expect from them come South Africa, little more than 200 days away:
--The Just Here to See the Sights and Leave After the Group Stage Group: Algeria, Japan, Honduras, New Zealand, North Korea, Slovenia, South Korea, Uruguay.
--The Could Sneak into the Knockout Round Which We Will Consider Success Group: Chile, Greece, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay, Slovakia, South Africa, United States.
--The We're Thinking Quarterfinals Even if It's Not Realistic Group: Argentina (as long as Maradona is coach), Denmark, France, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland.
--The Four Who Could Make the Semis if Everything Breaks Right Group: Cameroon, England, Italy, Serbia.
--The One of Us Is Gonna Win and Most Everyone Knows It Group: Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Spain.
More interesting breakdowns of the Final 32 in tomorrow's post. Read more!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
In: France, Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Algeria
The final day of 2010 World Cup qualifying, and it did not disappoint.
Maybe the tactics were a little cautious ... OK, more than a little cautious as none of the first five matches produced more than one goal in 90 minutes ... but the results were anything but predictable as underdogs won three of the five South Africa 2010 berths decided so far today. With only Costa Rica-Uruguay left on the docket to settle the 32nd (and final) 2010 berth.
The biggest shock? Slovenia 1, Russia 0, at Maribor. And now Slovenia goes to its first World Cup finals on the strength of an away goal on a 2-2 aggregate.
No. 2 shock? Algeria defeating Egypt 1-0 in the unfortunately named "Match of Hate" in Omdurman, Sudan. Algeria's victory in the one-game playoff comes just four days after Egypt's last-gasp victory in Cairo. Most thought Egypt would carry that momentum to victory at the neutral site.
Greece 1, Ukraine 0 is something of a surprise, too, but it's the sort of surprise Greece has been springng for the past half-decade. Greece won the 2004 Euro Cup with the same tactics it used to dispatch fancied Ukraine -- defend like mad and convert one of your few opportunities. Greece wins the series on aggregate 1-0, which sounds about right for Otto Rehhegel's squad.
France continued its dicing-with-death shtick by giving up a first-half goal to Ireland and going to extra time before William Gallas scored (on a pass from Thierry Henry who is, I believe, 55 years old) to give the French a 2-1 victory on aggregate. Under deeply unpopular coach Raymond Domenech, France has made a habit of just escaping disaster, and did so again. But les bleus are through.
The one clear non-upset was Portugal subduing Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-0, to win 2-0 on aggregate. Portugal played without Cristiano Ronaldo (bad ankle) but had enough left to handle BH, which had become a sort of out-of-nowhere darling that seemed to melt on its home pitch in Zenica -- with its first World Cup finals at stake. Raul Meireles scored for Portugal, which advances to its third consecutive finals -- but only fifth all-time.
Further observations from a frantic night of action:
Biggest party? Probably a tie between the nations of Algeria and Slovenia.
Algeria goes to the finals for the first time since 1986, and (making it far sweeter) it goes at the expense of its arch-rival Egypt.
Meanwhile, Slovenia -- which back in 1986 was just a piece of Yugoslavia -- is in the finals for the first time in its brief history, and got there by dispatching big, bad Russia. Slovenia is a Balkan nation of only 2 million people, living in a country the size of Massachusetts.
Best sad party? The nation of Ireland, crying in its beer ... probably gallons and gallons of beer (dare we say, a Guinness record?) ... as it pushed France to the verge only to lose in 120 minutes.
Biggest disappointment? Russia, which just didn't show up at Maribor. Slovenia's 87th minute goal at Moscow on Saturday opened a crack for the Slovenes, and when Zlatko Didic scored in the 44th minute, Slovenia was in control, needing only to hold on to that 1-0 lead to advance, on the strength of the after-thought away goal on Saturday. Russia embarrassed itself in the second half, rarely threatening to score, even with big names such as Andrei Arshaven and Yuri Zhirkov on the pitch ... and ended with only nine men on the field after red cards on substitute forward Alexander Kerzhakov and Zhirkov (two yellows). Vladimir Putin can't be happy.
Biggest bore: Greece. Of course. The world's dullest good side, a team so negative and stultifying that it makes Italy look like a bunch of risk-taking wild men, is with us still and (sigh) headed for South Africa. Ukraine can blame only itself, especially after falling prey to the same tactics Greece has been rolling with since Rehhegel took over and they won the 2004 Euro. Dimitrios Salpingdidas got the goal in the 31st minute, and then Greece just killed the game, and nobody kills a game like these guys. Adieu, Andrei Shevchenko.
Sweetest vengeance? Algeria, for sure. When Algeria arrived in Egypt last week its team bus was stoned by Egyptian civilians, and three players suffered significant cuts from flying glass. Then the Algerians went into a stadium that the Algeria federation president suggested was a war zone, not a soccer pitch, and needing only a one-goal loss to advance ... Algeria saw that go poof on an Egypt goal in the fifth minute of extra time to win 2-0, forge a dead-heat atop Group C and force this extra game. Taking down the Egyptians, on a 40th-minute volley by Antar Yahia, had to be the most fun Algerian sport has enjoyed in a long time.
The best match I saw in Abu Dhabi? That would be the only one available on standard cable, and that was Egypt vs. Algeria, seen at a hotel tavern. An Egyptian who was in the bar stormed out when Algeria scored its goal, but there was still nearly an hour to go of Algeria hanging on and packing the box with nine or 10 men ... and winning. No horns honking tonight on the streets of Abu Dhabi (as opposed to Saturday night) which tells me one thing: There are far more Egyptian expats in this town than Algerian expats.
Gutsy losers: The Irish. And haven't we said that a time or two in the history of the Emerald Isle? They gave France, 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up, all they wanted ... but it wasn't enough to get the Irish into the big event. Erin Go Broke.
Greatest soccer country not headed to South Africa? Russia would have to win this one, though they looked far less than great the past four days. Followed by Croatia (actually ranked higher than Russia by Fifa.com, 8 vs. 12) with the Czech Republic (15 in Fifa) coming in third.
And we'll see, tomorrow, how things turned out with Uruguay and Costa Rica. Read more!
Maybe the tactics were a little cautious ... OK, more than a little cautious as none of the first five matches produced more than one goal in 90 minutes ... but the results were anything but predictable as underdogs won three of the five South Africa 2010 berths decided so far today. With only Costa Rica-Uruguay left on the docket to settle the 32nd (and final) 2010 berth.
The biggest shock? Slovenia 1, Russia 0, at Maribor. And now Slovenia goes to its first World Cup finals on the strength of an away goal on a 2-2 aggregate.
No. 2 shock? Algeria defeating Egypt 1-0 in the unfortunately named "Match of Hate" in Omdurman, Sudan. Algeria's victory in the one-game playoff comes just four days after Egypt's last-gasp victory in Cairo. Most thought Egypt would carry that momentum to victory at the neutral site.
Greece 1, Ukraine 0 is something of a surprise, too, but it's the sort of surprise Greece has been springng for the past half-decade. Greece won the 2004 Euro Cup with the same tactics it used to dispatch fancied Ukraine -- defend like mad and convert one of your few opportunities. Greece wins the series on aggregate 1-0, which sounds about right for Otto Rehhegel's squad.
France continued its dicing-with-death shtick by giving up a first-half goal to Ireland and going to extra time before William Gallas scored (on a pass from Thierry Henry who is, I believe, 55 years old) to give the French a 2-1 victory on aggregate. Under deeply unpopular coach Raymond Domenech, France has made a habit of just escaping disaster, and did so again. But les bleus are through.
The one clear non-upset was Portugal subduing Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-0, to win 2-0 on aggregate. Portugal played without Cristiano Ronaldo (bad ankle) but had enough left to handle BH, which had become a sort of out-of-nowhere darling that seemed to melt on its home pitch in Zenica -- with its first World Cup finals at stake. Raul Meireles scored for Portugal, which advances to its third consecutive finals -- but only fifth all-time.
Further observations from a frantic night of action:
Biggest party? Probably a tie between the nations of Algeria and Slovenia.
Algeria goes to the finals for the first time since 1986, and (making it far sweeter) it goes at the expense of its arch-rival Egypt.
Meanwhile, Slovenia -- which back in 1986 was just a piece of Yugoslavia -- is in the finals for the first time in its brief history, and got there by dispatching big, bad Russia. Slovenia is a Balkan nation of only 2 million people, living in a country the size of Massachusetts.
Best sad party? The nation of Ireland, crying in its beer ... probably gallons and gallons of beer (dare we say, a Guinness record?) ... as it pushed France to the verge only to lose in 120 minutes.
Biggest disappointment? Russia, which just didn't show up at Maribor. Slovenia's 87th minute goal at Moscow on Saturday opened a crack for the Slovenes, and when Zlatko Didic scored in the 44th minute, Slovenia was in control, needing only to hold on to that 1-0 lead to advance, on the strength of the after-thought away goal on Saturday. Russia embarrassed itself in the second half, rarely threatening to score, even with big names such as Andrei Arshaven and Yuri Zhirkov on the pitch ... and ended with only nine men on the field after red cards on substitute forward Alexander Kerzhakov and Zhirkov (two yellows). Vladimir Putin can't be happy.
Biggest bore: Greece. Of course. The world's dullest good side, a team so negative and stultifying that it makes Italy look like a bunch of risk-taking wild men, is with us still and (sigh) headed for South Africa. Ukraine can blame only itself, especially after falling prey to the same tactics Greece has been rolling with since Rehhegel took over and they won the 2004 Euro. Dimitrios Salpingdidas got the goal in the 31st minute, and then Greece just killed the game, and nobody kills a game like these guys. Adieu, Andrei Shevchenko.
Sweetest vengeance? Algeria, for sure. When Algeria arrived in Egypt last week its team bus was stoned by Egyptian civilians, and three players suffered significant cuts from flying glass. Then the Algerians went into a stadium that the Algeria federation president suggested was a war zone, not a soccer pitch, and needing only a one-goal loss to advance ... Algeria saw that go poof on an Egypt goal in the fifth minute of extra time to win 2-0, forge a dead-heat atop Group C and force this extra game. Taking down the Egyptians, on a 40th-minute volley by Antar Yahia, had to be the most fun Algerian sport has enjoyed in a long time.
The best match I saw in Abu Dhabi? That would be the only one available on standard cable, and that was Egypt vs. Algeria, seen at a hotel tavern. An Egyptian who was in the bar stormed out when Algeria scored its goal, but there was still nearly an hour to go of Algeria hanging on and packing the box with nine or 10 men ... and winning. No horns honking tonight on the streets of Abu Dhabi (as opposed to Saturday night) which tells me one thing: There are far more Egyptian expats in this town than Algerian expats.
Gutsy losers: The Irish. And haven't we said that a time or two in the history of the Emerald Isle? They gave France, 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up, all they wanted ... but it wasn't enough to get the Irish into the big event. Erin Go Broke.
Greatest soccer country not headed to South Africa? Russia would have to win this one, though they looked far less than great the past four days. Followed by Croatia (actually ranked higher than Russia by Fifa.com, 8 vs. 12) with the Czech Republic (15 in Fifa) coming in third.
And we'll see, tomorrow, how things turned out with Uruguay and Costa Rica. Read more!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Six Matches, Six Qualifiers for 2010 Finals
This is all fairly dramatic.
6x90 = 6
Six matches left in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, Wednesday, and when they're over the final six slots to South Africa will be filled.
Five of the matches are the second half of home-and-home playoffs. In none of them is a team leading, after one match, by more than one goal.
The sixth match is the special one-game, neutral-site playoff between Egypt and Algeria, who finished tied atop their African qualifying group after the ultra-intense 2-0 Egyptian victory on Saturday.
We have a sense at least one of these will go down to penalty kicks. And how nervous would that be?
A look at how the final six shape up, in order of appeal:
--Greece at Ukraine. Yes, a Euro matchup, and we ought to be all excited about it, blah blah blah. But Greece is dull and the Ukraine is not a first-tier power, either, so it's hard to get fired up about this one. Especially after they went 90 minutes without scoring a goal in Athens in Game 1. This one is in Donetsk, and if the planet's soccer fans are lucky Andrei Shevchenko or someone will score for Ukraine and keep the play-not-to-lose Greeks out of 2010.
--Costa Rica at Uruguay. Again, those of us from the Western Hemisphere find this interesting: "How much better is South America than North America?" is of lasting fascination in the New World. Uruguay got a key goal in the first leg, at San Jose, but it isn't as if Costa Rica couldn't score a couple in Montevideo. Ticos coach Rene Simoes told his fans that they are playing a 180-minute game, and only half of it is over, and also brought up some history of upsets -- specifically Uruguay over Brazil in the 1950 World Cup. The Ticos have been in a three-month funk; they need Bryan Ruiz or Walter Centeno to score. Otherwise, the Uruguayans will just drain the match away and give Conmebol its fifth World Cup team.
--Russia at Slovenia. The Slovenes managed a late goal away, at Moscow on Saturday, in a 2-1 Russia victory, so that gives Slovenia a shot to make its first World Cup finals. A 1-0 victory puts them through on the strength of that away goal. Russia is a much more solid club, boasting international stars such as Arsenal striker Andrei Arshavin, Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Chelsea winger Yuri Zhirkov. Russia also is coached by Dutch master Guus Hiddink. Slovenia's team doesn't have the same sort of credentials. Veteran striker Milivoje Novakovic (Cologne) is probably their best scoring threat, followed closely by captain (and West Bromwich Albion midfielder) Robert Koren. The match is at Maribor, and no one outside the borders of tiny Slovenia thinks Russia might lose, but it would be a major upset if it did.
--Portugal at Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tactically, competitively, this might be the most interesting match of the day. A couple of fast, flashy teams known for coming forward boldly. But BH isn't really on the global radar yet and has never been in the World Cup, so it's not quite as sexy as the matches listed next. But it's certainly significant. Portugal is a world power and has the best player in the world in Cristian Ronaldo (out with an ankle injury), and some other guys who can play, as well, led by Simao, Deco and Liedson. Bosnia is considered a team on the rise, which is another way of saying not everyone knows who they are quite yet. We'll just go with their good young forwards, Edin Dzeko (who plays at Wolfsburg) and Vedad Ibisevic (Hoffenheim). Portugal won the first half 1-0, but Bosnia certainly is capable of flipping that score at Zenica and knocking the Portuguese out of the World Cup.
--Ireland at France. In some ways, this pairing seems tired. Haven't we been talking about it for a month? And haven't we all been waiting for France (and Raymond Domenech) to fail for half a year? Well, yes and yes. But it's France, 1998 champion, 2006 runner-up, and Ireland, a side that gets the formidable machinery of British journalism revved up. So here we are talking about it again. France got a lucky goal in Dublin on Saturday, a shot by Nicolas Anelka that bounced off an Irish defender, and all they have to do in the Stade de France tomorrow is keep the Irish from scoring, which isn't as exactly the toughest task in world football. Hard to imagine Ireland going forward, but don't tell them that. This one probably will be seen by more people than any match of the day.
--Algeria vs. Egypt at Omdurman, Sudan. The Unexpected Game ... the reprise of the Saturday match that was supposed to clear up who got to go to South Africa. But Egypt scored in the final seconds of play to win 2-0 and force a dead heat atop their group and this one-match-for-all playoff in the suburbs if Khartoum. Given the extreme partisanship of this pairing, Sudanese officials must be wondering whom they offended to have to host this thing. Half the 40,000 tickets are reserved for fans from Egypt and Algeria, and Algeria's national airline apparently is ferrying in 60 planeloads of fans for a cut-rate price of $200. Algeria's team seemed frightened and intimidated in the Satuday match in Cairo, and for good reason, considering their bus was almost destroyed on the way to the hotel. Egypt is surging and may be hard for the Algerians to hold off in what has turned into Africa's hottest rivalry.
Bring 'em on. After this, the next match isn't until June 11.
Read more!
6x90 = 6
Six matches left in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, Wednesday, and when they're over the final six slots to South Africa will be filled.
Five of the matches are the second half of home-and-home playoffs. In none of them is a team leading, after one match, by more than one goal.
The sixth match is the special one-game, neutral-site playoff between Egypt and Algeria, who finished tied atop their African qualifying group after the ultra-intense 2-0 Egyptian victory on Saturday.
We have a sense at least one of these will go down to penalty kicks. And how nervous would that be?
A look at how the final six shape up, in order of appeal:
--Greece at Ukraine. Yes, a Euro matchup, and we ought to be all excited about it, blah blah blah. But Greece is dull and the Ukraine is not a first-tier power, either, so it's hard to get fired up about this one. Especially after they went 90 minutes without scoring a goal in Athens in Game 1. This one is in Donetsk, and if the planet's soccer fans are lucky Andrei Shevchenko or someone will score for Ukraine and keep the play-not-to-lose Greeks out of 2010.
--Costa Rica at Uruguay. Again, those of us from the Western Hemisphere find this interesting: "How much better is South America than North America?" is of lasting fascination in the New World. Uruguay got a key goal in the first leg, at San Jose, but it isn't as if Costa Rica couldn't score a couple in Montevideo. Ticos coach Rene Simoes told his fans that they are playing a 180-minute game, and only half of it is over, and also brought up some history of upsets -- specifically Uruguay over Brazil in the 1950 World Cup. The Ticos have been in a three-month funk; they need Bryan Ruiz or Walter Centeno to score. Otherwise, the Uruguayans will just drain the match away and give Conmebol its fifth World Cup team.
--Russia at Slovenia. The Slovenes managed a late goal away, at Moscow on Saturday, in a 2-1 Russia victory, so that gives Slovenia a shot to make its first World Cup finals. A 1-0 victory puts them through on the strength of that away goal. Russia is a much more solid club, boasting international stars such as Arsenal striker Andrei Arshavin, Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Chelsea winger Yuri Zhirkov. Russia also is coached by Dutch master Guus Hiddink. Slovenia's team doesn't have the same sort of credentials. Veteran striker Milivoje Novakovic (Cologne) is probably their best scoring threat, followed closely by captain (and West Bromwich Albion midfielder) Robert Koren. The match is at Maribor, and no one outside the borders of tiny Slovenia thinks Russia might lose, but it would be a major upset if it did.
--Portugal at Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tactically, competitively, this might be the most interesting match of the day. A couple of fast, flashy teams known for coming forward boldly. But BH isn't really on the global radar yet and has never been in the World Cup, so it's not quite as sexy as the matches listed next. But it's certainly significant. Portugal is a world power and has the best player in the world in Cristian Ronaldo (out with an ankle injury), and some other guys who can play, as well, led by Simao, Deco and Liedson. Bosnia is considered a team on the rise, which is another way of saying not everyone knows who they are quite yet. We'll just go with their good young forwards, Edin Dzeko (who plays at Wolfsburg) and Vedad Ibisevic (Hoffenheim). Portugal won the first half 1-0, but Bosnia certainly is capable of flipping that score at Zenica and knocking the Portuguese out of the World Cup.
--Ireland at France. In some ways, this pairing seems tired. Haven't we been talking about it for a month? And haven't we all been waiting for France (and Raymond Domenech) to fail for half a year? Well, yes and yes. But it's France, 1998 champion, 2006 runner-up, and Ireland, a side that gets the formidable machinery of British journalism revved up. So here we are talking about it again. France got a lucky goal in Dublin on Saturday, a shot by Nicolas Anelka that bounced off an Irish defender, and all they have to do in the Stade de France tomorrow is keep the Irish from scoring, which isn't as exactly the toughest task in world football. Hard to imagine Ireland going forward, but don't tell them that. This one probably will be seen by more people than any match of the day.
--Algeria vs. Egypt at Omdurman, Sudan. The Unexpected Game ... the reprise of the Saturday match that was supposed to clear up who got to go to South Africa. But Egypt scored in the final seconds of play to win 2-0 and force a dead heat atop their group and this one-match-for-all playoff in the suburbs if Khartoum. Given the extreme partisanship of this pairing, Sudanese officials must be wondering whom they offended to have to host this thing. Half the 40,000 tickets are reserved for fans from Egypt and Algeria, and Algeria's national airline apparently is ferrying in 60 planeloads of fans for a cut-rate price of $200. Algeria's team seemed frightened and intimidated in the Satuday match in Cairo, and for good reason, considering their bus was almost destroyed on the way to the hotel. Egypt is surging and may be hard for the Algerians to hold off in what has turned into Africa's hottest rivalry.
Bring 'em on. After this, the next match isn't until June 11.
Read more!
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