World Cup Football 2010

World Cup Qualifiers 2010 - Argentina 2 - 1 Peru Higuain Palermo Goals 11/10/09

2009-11-12T04:09:00.000-08:00

World Cup Qualifiers 2010 - Argentina 2 - 1 Peru Higuain Palermo Goals

The Football Association / England 3 - 0 Belarus - World Cup 2010 Qualifier

2009-11-12T03:58:00.000-08:00

Watch highlights and all the goals from the England v Belarus World Cup 2010 Qualifier from Wembley (14 October 2009).

England rounded off an impressive World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory over Belarus at Wembley.

Crouch grabbed his first from close range early on, before Wright-Phillips doubled the lead in the second half. The Tottenham man wrapped up Englands ninth win in ten Qualifiers on 75 minutes, after Carlton Coles shot was initially saved by Yury Zhevnov.

Brazil v Argentina: 2010 South American World Cup Qualifiers

2009-11-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Watch highlights for Brazil vs Argentina during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South America Qualifiers.For more great highlights, full game replays and news

World Cup Soccer

2009-11-12T03:45:00.000-08:00

A dancer performs during the inauguration ceremony of the new Santos stadium in Torreon, Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. FIFA President Joseph Blatter and former Brazilian soccer star Pele attended the inauguration ceremony of what is considered the most modern soccer stadium in the country

World Cup Soccer

2009-11-12T03:43:00.000-08:00

Mexico's Santos Jose Cardenas, left, fights for the ball with Brazil's Wagner Diniz during the inauguration match of the new Santos stadium in Torreon, Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. FIFA President Joseph Blatter and former Brazilian soccer star Pele attended the inauguration ceremony of what is considered the most modern soccer stadium in the country.

World Cup Soccer

2009-11-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

Brazil's soccer legend Pele kicks the fair play next to Mexico's Santos goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez and Brazil's Santos Rodrigo Souto during the inauguration ceremony of the new Santos stadium in Torreon, Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. FIFA President Joseph Blatter and former Brazilian soccer star Pele attended the inauguration ceremony of what is considered the most modern soccer stadium in the country.

Live UEFA Champions League Match Villarreal vs Arsenal Live Stream

2009-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Soccer Match: Villarreal vs Arsenal

Date:	April 7, 2009
Time:	2:30pm
Competition:	UEFA Champions League
Live/Repeat:	Live
Details:	UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals

Watch Villarreal vs Arsenal Live on TV and online on these channels

ITV 4	The Sports Network - TSN 2	Setanta Sports USA	ESPN Deportes	ESPN 360

SC Heracles Almelo vs NAC Breda

2009-04-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

SC Heracles Almelo vs NAC Breda Dutch Eredivisie Football Live Stream
SC Heracles Almelo vs NAC Breda Live Streaming match on 16th April.

Place - Polman Stadion

Thursday, April 17, 2009
TIME - 19:45 UK

Competition: Dutch Eredivisie
Watch Dutch Eredivisie Live Stream football match of SC Heracles Almelo vs NAC Breda.

Werder Bremen vs Hannover 96 Live Stream Video Online || German Bundesliga

2009-04-05T08:07:00.001-07:00

Werder Bremen vs Hannover 96

Live 16:00UK

Date: 05.04.09

Live Werder Bremen vs Hannover 96

Competiton: German Bundesliga, Germany

Venue: Weserstadion

17:00 - 19:00

German Bundesliga

Live!

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Live Stream Video Online || Live EPL

2009-04-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

Manchester United vs Aston Villa

Time:16:00UK

Date: 05.04.09

Live Manchester United vs Aston Villa

Competition: English Premier League

Venue: Old Trafford

Falkirk vs Rangers Live Stream Video Online || Live Scottish Premier League

2009-04-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Falkirk vs Rangers

Time: 14:00uk

Date: 05.04.09

Live Falkirk vs Rangers

Competiton: Scottish Premier League

Venue: Falkirk Stadium

AC Milan vs Lecce Live Stream Video Online || Live Italian Serie A

2009-04-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

AC Milan vs Lecce

Time: 20:00uk

Date: 05.04.09

Live AC Milan vs Lecce

Competiton: Italian Serie A

Venue: Giuseppe Meazza

Watch Lecce vs AC Milan Live Online Streaming || Live Italian Serie A

2009-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

AC Milan vs Lecce

Time: 20:00uk

Date: 05.04.09

Live AC Milan vs Lecce

Competiton: Italian Serie A

Venue: Giuseppe Meazza

Karlsruhe vs Borussia Monchengladbach Live Stream Video || Live German Bundesliga

2009-04-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Karlsruhe vs Borussia Monchengladbach

Live 16:00UK

Date: 05.04.09

Live Karlsruhe vs Borussia Monchengladbach

Competiton: German Bundesliga, Germany

Venue: Wildparkstadion

St Etienne vs Marseille Live Soccer Match Free Online On 5th April

2009-04-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

St Etienne vs Marseille Live Soccer Match Free Online On 5th April

Watch today French Ligue soccer match between St Etienne vs Marseille Live free online here. You can enjoy this match live from Geoffroy-Guichard, France at 20:00 GMT in 5th April 2009.

St Etienne vs Marseille

Match Information
Stadium: Geoffroy-Guichard, France
French Ligue
Match Time: 20:00 UK
Date: 05-04-09

St Etienne vs Marseille LIVE STREAMING LINK

Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna Live Stream

2009-04-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna Live Stream

Watch live football match on pc in online . Today match Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna Live Stream live in Spain La Liga.

2008 La Liga, Round 29

Venue: Vicente Calderon

Date: 5th April

Time: 11:00 AM ET

Enjoy live football match online stream of Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna Live Stream in Spain La Liga.

Watch Live Football

* Watch Lecce vs AC Milan Live Online Streaming || Live Italian Serie A
* Watch Rangers vs Falkirk Live Online Streaming || Live Scottish Premier League
* Watch Sporting Lisbon vs Leixoes Live Online Streaming || Live Portuguse Liga
* Watch Getafe vs Valencia Live Online Streaming || Live La Liga
* Watch Osasuna vs Atlético Madrid Live Online Streaming || Live La Liga

World Cup Football 2010 in South Africa

2009-04-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

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The Beckhams @ 2010 FIFA World Cup

2009-04-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Victoria Beckham and her three sons, Brooklyn, 10, Romeo, 6 1/2, and Cruz, 4, were spotted at Wembley Stadium to watch England v. Ukraine at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier. While Cruz proudly displayed his stuffed animal to the paps, it looked like Posh almost cracked a smile! What a cutie!

The boys have been in their glory watching their dad play football and become England’s most-capped outfield player.

Highlights of World Cup 2010 Qualification: March 28 - April 2, 2009

2009-04-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

With the conclusion of FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers yesterday we move one step closer to determining which thirty-one other countries will be joining host South Africa to contest for the globe’s biggest sporting honor. A slew of matches across the world at all time zones really reinforces that no sport can dare rival football for supremacy in popularity but also, unfortunately, in tragedy.

That point was underscored by the tragic deaths of 22 fans in Cote D’Ivoire as a result of a stampede. Their memories were honored in midweek qualifiers where a minute of silence was taken before kick-off. Organizers from South Africa had to reassure fans and FIFA that no such repeat would happen at the World Cup Finals. While there was a measure of somber from this news, there was plenty of interesting takes on the matches over the past five days.

Officially On Hiatus

2009-04-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am definitely going to take a break from wub Nord.I have no idea if it will be for days, weeks, months or forever.But I do know that I am burnt out, and need to step away.
As soon as I know more, so will you.Thanks for all the great patronage.

OF This World News

The volume on the speculation of David Beckham staying at AC Milan has reached supersonic levels. It's like a parana feeding frenzy. One headline caught my attention as the most clever: "Defaulting on a loan" from the Philadelphia Daily News. Bravo!

CD CHIVAS USA

The team has re-signed newly acquired left fullback Ante Jazic. I assume this move will push Jonathan Bornstein up into the left midfield spot left vacant when Pancho Mendoza left the Amerigoats for the Mexigoats.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The team has also hired their former defender, and former USA International, Carlos Llamosa as a new assistant coach! Cool.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Ann Killion of the Mercury News feels that the Quakes landing a major sponsor in this economic climate is very big news.
-Here are several pictures of the new shirts and a giant blow up version.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune and Gary Washburn of the Post Intelligencer both with a articles on newly signed midfielder Osvaldo Alonso.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

TORONTO FC

Gareth Wheeler of The Sun knows that TFC still has a long way to go to be a true contender. And I completely agree with his assessment of the teams lack of improvement on defense. They have done almost nothing since day 1 to improve their biggest weakness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MLS Rumor City - Don't Tease Me Bro!

The Orlando Sentinel says that RSL is looking at Liga de Quito striker Luis Miguel Escalada. He is a very talented player, but has a highly questionable personality (6 teams in 5 years speaks volumes). The good news is that he is young.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MLS Stadium Talk

Jay Hipps of Center Line Soccer has a Q & A with San Jose Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff on team and stadium progress.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Harrisburg Patriot News with the latest on the stadium financing arrangements for Philadelphia.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MLS Expansion News

Slams Sports describes the MLS Honcho's meeting with potential new franchise owners in Ottawa.
-Slam also looks at what it would take to build a stadium in Ottawa.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Team USA

Coach Bob Bradley plans to continue training sessions with players who were on the team for the Sweden friendly, with some of them ending up on the roster for the World Cup qualifier against Mexico on Feb 11. The list of those players for the extended January camp is expected to be announced shortly.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Americans In Europe

Landon Donovan at Bayern Munich

Here is what is on the docket for Landon Donovan and Bayern Munich over the next 2 weeks:
-Friendlies:
Bayern Munich 3-0 Bamberg -Sat Jan 17 - the game was played on a snow covered pitch with an orange ball. LD came on at half time already up 2-0 and did not figure in the last goal.
Kaiserslautern 0-2 Bayern Munich - Mon Jan 19 - LD came on as a sub in the 62nd minute and scored on a great glancing header to seal the win.
Bayern Munich 5-0 Mainz - Thu Jan 22 - Came on in the 60th minute and this time Landon bags 2!
-DFB Pokal Round of 16:
Stuttgart 1-5 Bayern Munich - Tue Jan 27 - LD came on as a sub in the 67th minute with the score already 0-5.
-Bundesliga:
Hamburger v Bayern Munich - Fri Jan 30 - live at 1:30pm Central on GolTV.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Most Recent Matches
(only players who saw the field are listed)
All games on Wed Jan 28:

England Premiership
-Tim Howard - Everton - v Arsenal
-Jonathan Spector - West Ham - v Hull
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

England Championship
-Eddie Johnson - Cardiff - at Coventry
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

German DFB Pokal
-Heath Pearce - Hansa Rostock - at Wolfsburg
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Americans In Mexico

Luis Bueno of the Touchline has a recap of how our players did last weekend.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

UNCAF Championship

Central American Championship website
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This 7 team tournament, being hosted by Honduras, will qualify 5 teams for next summers CONCACAF Gold Cup. The top 5 are the ones who will advance.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Group A
*9 Honduras +6
*4 El Salvador +3
2 Nicaragua -3
1 Belize -4
Group B
*6 Costa Rica +5
*3 Panama -3
0 Guatemala -3
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama & El Salvador advance to the Gold Cup, with the 5th place game winner joining them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
Panama 1-0 Guatemala - Pana goal by Alberto Zapata.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

5th Place Match & Score:
-Thu Jan 29
Nicaragua v Guatemala
Semifinal Matches & Scores:
-Fri Jan 30
Costa Rica v El Salvador
Honduras v Panama
3rd Place Match & Score:
-Sun Feb 1
Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
Final Match & Score:
-Sun Feb 1
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mexico & FMF News

National Team Match & Score:
-Wed Jan 28
Mexico v Sweden - in Oakland CA at McAfee Stadium
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Copa Libertadores

The final play-in round of the Libertadores starts on Tuesday. 6 teams will advance to the group stage which begins on Tue Feb 10.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pre-Round 1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
El Nacional (Ecuador) 0-5 Nacional (Paraguay)
-Wed Jan 28
Independiente Medellin (Colombia) v Penarol (Uruguay)
Universidad de Chile (Chile) v Pachuca (Mexico)
-Thu Jan 29
Sporting Cristal (Peru) v Estudiantes (Argentina)
Deportivo Anzoategui (Venezuela) v Deportivo Cuenca (Ecuador)
Palmeiras (Brazil) v Real Potosi (Bolivia)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

European News

FRANCE

Coupe de France
15 teams have advanced to the Round of 16, with one game yet to be played in this round. Here are the teams who advanced: En Avant Guingamp, AC Ajaccio, Lille, Toulouse, Dijon FCO, Lorient, US Boulogne, Rodez AF, AS Vitre, CS Sedan Ardennes, Stade Rennes, Le Mans, Grenoble, Paris St Germain & Monaco.
Round of 32 Match & Score:
-Wed Jan 28
Lyon v Marseille
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

GERMANY

DFB Pokal
Round of 16 Matches & Scores:
-Tue Jan 27
Freiburg 1-3 Mainz
Stuttgart 1-5 Bayern Munich
Hamburg 3-1 1860 Munich
Carl Zeiss Jena 1-4 Schalke
-Wed Feb 28
Bayer Leverkusen v Energie Cottbus
Karlsruher v Wehen Wiesbaden
Wolfsburg v Hansa Rostock
Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SPAIN

Copa Del Rey
Quarterfinal 2nd leg Matches & Scores (with 1st leg scores included):
-Wed Jan 28
Sporting Gijon v Athletic Bilbao (0-0)
Barcelona v Espanyol (0-0)
Real Betis v Mallorca (0-1)
Sevilla v Valencia (2-3)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Important Podcast

Glenn Davis on his radio show Houston Dynamo All Access had interesting interviews with Marcelo Claure (teaming with Barcelona to bring MLS back to South Florida), Brian Ching (Houston and USA forward) and Dwayne DeRosario (new in Toronto) on Tuesday night. Download or listen here. (NOTE: podcast in .wav format, not .mp3)

The 2009 MLS Schedule Has Been Released

Here it is, the official 2009 MLS match schedule.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

No More Talking Without Payment News

A 0-1 win at Portsmouth today moved Brad Friedel and Aston Villa up to a tie for 2nd place in the EPL, but they have played one more game than Liverpool. None the less - amazing!

CD CHIVAS USA

They re-signed Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky. Let's hope he plays more than the 10 or so seconds he played last season.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The Quakes have a sponsor for the front of their shirts -it's Amway Global. Here is the logo.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

The team has signed Cuban midfielder Osvaldo Alonso from First Division team Charleston.

The team's Domestic Preseason Matches:
-Feb 9 at LA Galaxy (training game)
-Feb 10 v Shandong Luneng (China) in Oxnard CA (training game)
-Feb 11 at Ventura County Fusion (PDL) (open to the public)
-Feb 13 v San Jose Earthquakes in San Luis Obispo CA (open to the public)
-Feb 20 at U Portland (NCAA) (open to the public)
-Feb 22 v Vancouver Whitecaps (USL-1) at Qwest Field (closed)
-Mar 12 v Colorado Rapids at Qwest Field (closed)

MLS Expansion News

The Ottawa Citizens reports that the MLS Expansion scouting circus rolled into town today.

Soccer In America

Billy Witz of the New York Times tells us that your best bet to becoming a long time member of the US national team is to become a left fullback.

Americans In Europe

Landon Donovan at Bayern Munich

Here is what is on the docket for Landon Donovan and Bayern Munich over the next 2 weeks:
-Friendlies:
Bayern Munich 3-0 Bamberg -Sat Jan 17 - the game was played on a snow covered pitch with an orange ball. LD came on at half time already up 2-0 and did not figure in the last goal.
Kaiserslautern 0-2 Bayern Munich - Mon Jan 19 - LD came on as a sub in the 62nd minute and scored on a great glancing header to seal the win.
Bayern Munich 5-0 Mainz - Thu Jan 22 - Came on in the 60th minute and this time Landon bags 2!
-DFB Pokal Round of 16:
Stuttgart 1-5 Bayern Munich - Tue Jan 27 - LD came on as a sub in the 67th minute with the score already 0-5.
Match report from Bayern's website.
-Bundesliga:
Hamburger v Bayern Munich - Fri Jan 30 - live at 1:30pm Central on GolTV.

Upcoming Matches

All games on Wed Jan 28:

England Premiership
-Tim Howard - Everton - v Arsenal
-Jonathan Spector - West Ham - v Hull

England Championship
-Eddie Johnson - Cardiff - at Coventry

German DFB Pokal
-Heath Pearce - Hansa Rostock - at Wolfsburg

Most Recent Matches
(only players who saw the field are listed)

All games from Tue Jan 27:

England Premiership
-Clint Dempsey - Fulham - played the entire match but they lost 1-0 at Sunderland.
-Brad Friedel - Aston Villa - went the distance as they beat Portsmouth 0-1 on the road.

England League One
-Jemal Johnson - Milton Keynes - played all 90 but lost at home 1-2 to Leyton Orient.

Italy Serie B
-Danny Szetela - Brescia - came on as a sub in the 83rd minute as they drew at Sassuolo 0-0.

German DFB Pokal
-Landon Donovan - Bayern Munich - came on as a sub in the 67th minute and they won big 1-5 away to Stuttgart. They move on to the quarterfinals now.
-Gregg Berhalter - 1860 Munich - played the full match but lost at Hamburg 3-1.

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying News

Where will the USA play their other 4 [CORRECTED] home qualifiers in the Hexagon (game 1 is in Columbus)? They have already said that they will not play any games on grass or a field that has grass laid over fake turf. That eliminates places like Boston, Portland & Seattle right off the top. Dallas, Salt Lake, Los Angeles and Chicago all have nice MLS stadiums with real grass to they are in. I can't imagine this round going by without a game at RFK in Washington DC either. So where else could the games be held? In the past Cleveland, Hartford and Birmingham have all played host to the USA. What about Houston or Phoenix. The Bay Area. The Carolinas. Anyone with other ideas?

UNCAF Championship

Central American Championship website

This 7 team tournament, being hosted by Honduras, will qualify 5 teams for next summers CONCACAF Gold Cup. The 4 semifinalists and the 5th place game winner will advance. [CORRECTED]

Group A
*9 Honduras +6
*4 El Salvador +3
2 Nicaragua -3
1 Belize -4
Group B
*6 Costa Rica +5
0 Guatemala -2
0 Panama -3
* have qualified for the semifinals.

Tuesday's final group stage game between Panama and Guatemala will determine the 4th team to advance. The losers goes into the 5th place game.

Group Stage Matches & Scores:
-Thu Jan 22
El Salvador 1-1 Nicaragua - El S goal by Carlos Ayala. Nica goal by Marlon Medina.
Honduras 2-1 Belize - Hond goals by Walter Martinez & Amando Guevara(PK). Beli goal by Lisbey Castillo.
-Fri Jan 23
Costa Rica 3-0 Panama - CR goals by Andy Furtado & Alvaro Sanchez.
-Sat Jan 24
Belize 1-4 El Salvador - Beli goal by Jeremy James. El S goals by Alfredo Pacheco (3, one via PK) & Ramon Sanchez.
Honduras 4-1 Nicaragua - Hond goals by Mario Cesar, Danilo Turcios, Saul Martinez & Walter Martinez. Nica goal by Armando Ismael Reyes.
-Sun Jan 25
Guatemala 1-3 Costa Rica - Guat goal by Marco Papa. CR goals by Alvaro Sanchez, Pablo Herrera & Roberto Segura.
-Mon Jan 26
Nicaragua 1-1 Belize - Nica goal by Juan Berrera. Beli goal by Byron Usher.
Honduras 2-0 El Salvador - Hond goals by Carlos Pavon(PK) & Marvin Chavez.
-Tue Jan 27
Panama v Guatemala -

USA v TnT World Cup Qualifying Viewing In The Twin Cities

2009-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone in the Twin Cities metro area!

Come join your fellow local fanaticos watching the USA in a World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad & Tobago.

It's a great way to make new friends in futbol.

USA v Trinidad & Tobago
Hexagon Matchday 3
Wednesday April 1
Kick off at 6:30pm Central
Live from LP Field in Nashville

All ages welcome!

The Sweetwater Grill and Bar
at the Best Western Kelly Inn
161 Saint Anthony Ave
I-94 & Marion
St Paul
(651) 224-6373

Map

ps. The problems we have encountered in the past at the Sweetwater with karaoke conflicts have all been cleared up - there is no more overlap - Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

South America

2009-04-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

In South America there is one large group with Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The top four teams qualify for the World Cup and the fifth place team will play off against the fourth place CONCACAF Qualifier. They have already played 6 of the 18 matches in this group, and there have been a few surprises to date. The largest has been how Brazil have struggled under Dunga: they are currently sitting in fifth place and facing criticism in the media after being beaten by a 10 man Paraguay. Paraguay have been the other surprise story in this group, as they currently sit in first place. FIFA has also repealed its ban on high altitude games, which should benefit Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, who play some or all of their home games at high altitude. This leads to a lot of home wins and away losses for these teams. I can not imagine a scenario in this group where Brazil and Argentina do not qualify… though the way Brazil are going, they could end up in fourth. Colombia have been playing well; I see them qualifying for the World Cup. For the last two spots, I see a battle between current front-runners Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Venezuela. I don’t think that Bolivia and Peru are in contention. I think that Chile has enough strength to hold off the others, and Paraguay will ride their early success to secure the playoff spot. This would set up a playoff between Cuba and Paraguay, from which I see Paraguay coming out on top.

World Cup Qualifying Round Up

To wrap up the World Cup: the only team currently qualified is South Africa, as hosts. The five other African spots will go to the winners of the five groups of four teams that have yet to be drawn. It will be exciting to see which teams are drawn together. The twenty teams that I think will be in these groups are: Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Zambia, DR Congo, Guinea, Angola, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Egypt, Tunisia, Swaziland, Libya, and Cape Verde. Europe has thirteen places up for grabs, 9 for group winners, who in my opinion will be Portugal, Israel, Czech Republic, Russia, Spain, England, France, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. The eight best second place teams will be drawn in playoffs against each other. Here are my picks for the nine second place teams: Denmark, Greece, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Croatia, Romania, Italy and Scotland. Asia is down to two groups, and the top two teams from each advance. I think these will be Australia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Then the two third place teams will meet in a playoff; I see this as Japan against Iran, with Japan winning. Japan would then meet the Champion of Oceania, whom I see as New Caledonia, with Japan winning again to qualify for the World Cup. With the Americas, in the North the top two teams from the three preliminary groups make the final group. I think these will be the USA, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. The top three teams from this final group will then qualify for the World Cup. My prediction is Mexico, the USA, and Canada, with Cuba finishing in fourth to obtain a playoff spot against the fifth place South American team. I predict this being Paraguay, who will defeat Cuba to qualify for the World Cup. Now that you know my fifth place pick from South America, I view the top four, who all qualify automatically, as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. So there you have it: a clearer view of the World Cup qualifying, complete with the teams to watch. I hope that you enjoy the matches - I know I will!

CONCACAF

2009-04-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

This brings us to the Americas - we will work our way from North to South. In CONCACAF, we see the first ever qualifying group featuring teams that have all made an appearance in the World Cup. This is group 2, the most difficult of the CONCACAF groups. There are three groups of 4, with the top two teams in each advancing to the final round, in which the top three teams will advance to the World Cup and the fourth place team will be in a playoff against a South American team.

Group 1 – Cuba, Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States of America
USA are heavy favourites in this group, and I see them having no problem qualifying for the next phase. After that, this group gets interesting. T & T should be the favourites, but they were very nearly eliminated in the last phase by minnows Bermuda. With star striker Kenwyne Jones currently out with a knee injury until October, they could be in tough against the other teams. T & T definitely have the quality, but have not been playing up to their potential. To make matters worse, they are up against Cuba and Guatemala in their first two matches where they are likely to still be without Jones. I think that Cuba have enough talent to make it through as a second place team, sending the Soca Warriors and Guatemala home.

Group 2 – Canada, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico
This is a group that should have CONCACAF officials rethinking the way that they set up qualifying groups. This group has three teams ranked higher than every team in Group 3, and three teams ranked higher than three teams in Group 1. That is because three of the top five teams in CONCACAF are all in the same group. This group is a three-way race between these teams: Mexico, Honduras, and Canada. Jamaica are certain to be the also-rans in this group. Mexico are the big favourites to advance and it would be a huge shock if they didn’t. They have brought in former England manager Sven Goran Erikson to lead the team, and as there are no quarter finals or penalties as a part of the group stage, I see Sven’s new team qualifying. This brings the fight for the second spot to Canada and Honduras. Canada need to find some consistency in their game if they are to advance. They played fantastically against Brazil in a friendly and then followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Panama, but prior to the match with Brazil, Canada had slumped to two 2-0 defeats against Estonia and South Africa. Canada need the team that gave Brazil a run for their money to show up for qualifying or it will be another failed qualifying campaign. Honduras have been impressive in their run up to this stage, except for the last match at Puerto Rico, where the Islanders held them to a 2-2 draw. These two teams need to get wins against Jamaica, and as many points as they can from Mexico, and of course from each other. In the end, I am predicting that Canada will progress to the next stage with a slim margin over Honduras, putting Jamaica in fourth.

Group 3 – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, and Suriname
This group contains the only teams to pull off an upset in the last phase: El Salvador knocked out CONCACAF’s #4 team Panama, while Suriname beat neighbours Guyana. Similar to the USA in Group 1, Costa Rica should advance without too much difficulty. That said, they had their own problems with Grenada in the last phase, but they were able to get things together for the second leg. Costa Rica will win this group. In the battle for the second spot, I don’t think that the Haitians will mount a big challenge here - for me it is down to the underdogs from the last round, El Salvador and Suriname. It could really go either way here, but I am tipping El Salvador to advance to the next stage.

CONCACAF Summary
This places the USA, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and El Salvador in the final group. From this group I like Mexico, the USA, and Canada to grab the automatic spots for the World Cup. I think the fight for the fourth spot will be between Cuba and Costa Rica. El Salvador will be outclassed in this group. I think that Cuba might just have enough to sneak into the fourth place to play off against the South American team.

Oceania

2009-04-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

This region was dominated by Australia for a long time, so with their departure for Asia, this is a big chance for another team to have a shot at the World Cup. Oceania is down to a two team race: New Zealand and New Caledonia. New Zealand currently have a one-point lead and a game in hand (at home to Fiji) over New Caledonia. These two teams will meet in a home and home series to decide who gets to playoff against the Asian team for a spot in the World Cup. New Caledonia have to win both matches to make it, assuming that New Zealand beat Fiji and there is no reason to believe that won’t happen. I think that New Caledonia will beat New Zealand at home to set up a tense match in New Zealand in October. I am going to go with the long shot: I see the Caledonians beating the All Whites to advance to the playoff against the Asian team.

Asian champions

2009-04-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

This brings us to Asia, the land of upsets, where the 2007 Asian champions, Iraq, have already been sent packing along with China. The focus of this final stage of Asian qualifying has to be the presence of the small nations from the Arabian Peninsula: Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. They have been playing some good football to date, and are deservedly in the last ten teams. These ten teams are divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the World Cup. The two third place teams will play each other in a playoff, the winner of which will take on the Oceanic Champions for a spot in the World Cup. In case you missed it, after the last World Cup Australia joined the Asian Football Conference.

Group 1 – Australia, Bahrain, Japan, Uzbekistan, and Qatar
Japan is the top ranked team in Asia at the moment, but I am worried about them in this group. They had some disappointing results on the Arabian Gulf, losing in Bahrain and drawing in Oman. With two of their opponents from that region, Japan are going to have to find a way to get results in the Gulf if they want to make it out of this group. That is something that I don’t think the Aussies will have a problem doing; they have been playing well, though a side filled with reserves was defeated by China in the last round. I see the Aussies winning the group and making their second straight World Cup. Uzbekistan have had a strong campaign thus far, suffering only one away defeat to Saudi Arabia. It remains to be seen how they will deal with teams like Japan and Australia, or how those teams will deal with travelling to Uzbekistan. I think that the fight for second place will be between the Japanese and the Uzbeks, with Qatar in 4th and Bahrain in 5th. I was impressed by the Uzbeks in the last stage and I think they have what it takes to knock Japan into third.

Group 2 – Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North), Republic of Korea (South), Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates
Iran, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea are the teams to beat in this group. It will be a big upset if North Korea or U.A.E. qualify. I think that South Korea and North Korea will draw both of the matches between them just as they did in the previous qualifying round and in most of the matches that I can recall between them. If South Korea are able to get a result from one of these games, then I see the Taeguk Warriors winning the group; if they are both draws, as I predict, then I have South Korea advancing in second place behind Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia are playing well at the moment and I see them making it back to the World Cup for the fifth time in a row. I think that Iran will draw too many matches and end up in 3rd place, setting up an exciting playoff with Japan. North Korea will finish 4th, with UAE in the last spot. Frankly, I think UAE will be lucky to get more than a few points in this group.

Asian Summary
I have Australia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea advancing to the World Cup, with Japan and Iran competing for the playoff spot against the winners of Oceania. I think that Japan will emerge as the Asian playoff team and most likely defeat the team from Oceania, but in a playoff anything can happen.

European qualifying

2009-04-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

European qualifying gets underway in August, and is the only region that has yet to begin. The draw for groups was made a few months ago. Because the teams were drawn based on older rankings, you may notice that some groups are much more difficult than others. I would prefer to see the draw done after the European Championships and based on the new rankings. All in all there are 13 places up for grabs here, with 8 groups of 6 and 1 group of 5. The group winners all advance to the World Cup, and the 8 best second place teams are play off against each other for the remaining four places.

Group 1 – Albania, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, Portugal, and Sweden
Portugal are the favourites to advance out of this group, but anything can and does happen in qualifying. Portugal are aware of this, having qualified for the European Championships second in their group behind Poland. Portugal will be going into the qualifying with a new coach, as Scolari has left to join Chelsea. His replacement is Carlos Quiroz, former Real Madrid Manager and Manchester United Assistant. How this will affect their form, I don’t know. I do see them winning this group and qualifying for the World Cup, though. Second place in this group is wide open. Sweden, Denmark, and Hungary are all capable of grabbing it. I think that Albania will be the spoilers, getting a few results, but not enough to nab second, and Malta are along for the ride. Sweden are in a period of overhaul, as a number of players are announcing their retirement from international competition. Sweden will rely heavily on the scoring of Inter Milan Striker Zlatan Imbrahimovich. It is a difficult choice to make, but I see Denmark emerging from the fray as the second place team, with Sweden third, Hungary fourth, Albania fifth, and Malta sixth.

Group 2 – Greece, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, and Switzerland
Greece are supposed to be the favourites in this group, but after their performance at the Euros, where they lost every match and were the only team not to register a point, it is difficult to count them as favourites. This group is the main reason why I think the qualifying draw should be made later - if you look at the FIFA rankings before Euro 2008, Greece are #8, but when you look at it after they are #18. While #18 isn’t bad, 6 of the 9 groups include two teams that are both better than #18! Anything could really happen in this group. Switzerland are a solid team that doesn’t score too often. They didn’t allow a goal in the last World Cup, and lost on penalties to Ukraine in the round of 16. At Euro 2008, they were unlucky to lose against Turkey, and beat the Portugal B team. The Swiss are another team going into the qualifying campaign with a new head coach. This group is a great chance for Israel to make the World Cup - they finished right behind England in the difficult Euro 2008 qualifying group that included Croatia and Russia. I think that Israel will seize the opportunity and win the group, with Greece, Moldova, and Switzerland fighting it out for second. Latvia, who qualified for Euro 2004, will be the spoilers stealing points, while Luxembourg will end up being tourists - they should enjoy the history of Greece & Israel, the mountains and valleys of Switzerland…. I think that Greece will rediscover some of the form that led them to the top of Europe in 2004 and get second place. Switzerland will be in third, Moldova in fourth, Latvia in fifth, and Luxembourg in sixth.

Group 3 – Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Poland, San Marino, Slovakia, and Slovenia
The Czech Republic are the favourites in this group, but they are another team that, like Sweden, is going through a roster transition. Petr Rada is the new head coach for the Czechs, replacing Karel Bruckner. The Czech Republic have faltered in qualifying before, missing the World Cup in all but their last attempt, despite being ranked highly. Poland are the looking good for second place; they had some injury problems in the most recent Euros, but also the emergence of some new talent. Northern Ireland is the team that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents. David Healy, the top goal scorer of the Euro 2008 qualifying, led Northern Ireland to a dramatic victory in Belfast over Spain, the winners of Euro 2008 and the top-ranked team in the world. On their day they can beat anyone, but the question remains - how often will it be their day? Unfortunately, I see them making another dramatic push for qualification only to fall short again. Czech Republic to win, Poland to finish second, Northern Ireland in third, Slovakia in fourth, Slovenia in fifth, and San Marino in sixth.

Group 4 – Azerbaijan, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Wales
This is the first of two groups that pit Euro 2008 semi-finalists against each other. Germany go into this group as the favourite - they have a lot of young players that have performed well for them. Russia are the new kid on the block; under Guus Hiddink they have seen a significant raise in the level of their play. Russia were surprise semi-finalists at Euro 2008, upsetting the Netherlands in the quarters. They look likely to continue improving. Wales and Finland are in the same boat: they are always on the outside looking in. Wales are coming off a disappointing Euro 2008 qualifying, finishing 5th in their group, while Finland looked good finishing in a tie for third and only 3 points shy of qualifying. I think that they are both tough to qualify from this group. I believe that Russia will emerge as the team to beat and win the group, with the Germans finishing in second, Wales in third, Finland in fourth, Azerbaijan in fifth, and Liechtenstein in sixth.

Group 5 – Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, Spain, and Turkey
Here is the second group featuring two of the semi-finalists from Euro 2008. Newly crowned European Champions and World #1 Spain are heavy favourites to win this group and qualify for the World Cup, though they will be doing it with a yet-to-be-named new coach after the resignation of Luis Aragones. Turkey found a way to win in the European Championships, usually in the final seconds, shocking the Czechs, Croatians, and nearly the Germans. They have kept Fatih Terim on as coach, and he should have the players ready to continue their success. This group is very much a two horse race with the other teams fighting it out for third. It is difficult to imagine Spain not winning this group… in fact I can’t do it, and thus am picking them to advance to the World Cup as group winners, with Turkey in second place. A point of interest is that former Spanish coach Aragones has taken over Turkish club side Fernerbache - I wonder if he will give his new charges some tips on beating the Spanish? Stats are not in the Spanish court either, with the European Champions always having difficulty in the following World Cup: 1992 European Champs Denmark failed to qualify in 1994; then in 2002, France, champions from 2000, failed to make it out of the group stage; Greece followed by failing to qualify in 2006. Germany managed to buck the trend in 1998, as they made it to the Quarter Finals. For Turkey, the match to watch is Turkey and Armenia, as the countries do not officially recognize each other and have no diplomatic relations. Armenia is upset that Turkey has never recognized or apologized for the genocide of Armenians. In fact, this has been a point of tension between Turkey and other countries such as the USA and France, who have made official statements about the genocide.

Group 6 – Andorra, Belarus, Croatia, England, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine
This group sees a rematch between England and Croatia. England are keen on revenge as Croatia eliminated them from the Euro 2008 qualifying at Wembley. Another interesting match up is England and Kazakhstan, this being entirely fuelled by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and his portrayal of a fictional Kazakh reporter named Borat. This was not well received in Kazakhstan, so I am more interested in what happens off the pitch than on it in this one. Ukraine, who attended the last World Cup, are in a tough position to make it to South Africa; for that to happen they are going to need a lot of production out of their strikers, Shevchenko and Voronin, both of whom are warming benches at Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively. Belarus are another side that are improving, but I don’t think that they have improved enough to give Croatia or England any problems. New English coach Fabio Capello has been sorting out a lot of the problems that plagued the squad under Steve McLaren, so I see England winning the group and Croatia finishing in second, with Ukraine third, Belarus fourth, Kazakhstan fifth, and Andorra sixth.

Group 7 – Austria, Faroe Islands, France, Lithuania, Romania, and Serbia
France should be the favourites in this group, which I am voting as the most boring group in World Cup Qualifying. Austria, Faroe Islands, and Lithuania shouldn’t give anyone any problems. Under the leadership of the recently not fired Raymond Domenach, France go up against ultra-defensive Romania and ultra-defensive Serbia. Domenach is well known for his belief in astrology: not picking some players for France’s disastrous Euro 2008 campaign because they had the wrong star sign, and then blaming their exit on the hotel layout. I had picked France to win the group under the leadership of the new coach, but with Domenach still in charge I am struggling to put them second. I see Romania winning the group, and France narrowly beating Serbia to finish second. I think that there is enough talent in the French players to overcome Domenach and his craziness. Also I have Austria fourth, Lithuania fifth, and Faroe Islands in sixth.

Group 8 – Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, and Montenegro
Italy are the favourites in this group, and have Marcello Lippi back at the helm. Lippi, of course, was in charge of Italy when they won the last World Cup. They face an improving Bulgarian side led by soon-to-be former Tottenham Hotspur Striker (depending on which paper you read) Dimitar Berbatov, and a strong Ireland squad led by former Tottenham Hotspur Striker Robbie Keane. I think that we can safely rule out Cyprus, Georgia, and Montenegro from contention. Italy have stumbled a bit lately, and the poor form at Euro 2008 cost coach Roberto Donadoni his job. The problem with the Azzuri is that the next wave of talent hasn’t been able to fill the gaps left by some of the departing veterans. Italy should use the qualifying period to get these players comfortable in the side. I think that this will be one of the tightest races: I have Bulgaria finishing first and Italy sneaking in at second with Ireland missing out. Georgia’s conflict with Russia has caused the cancellation of a UEFA Cup qualifying match and will likely cause some disruption to the match schedule - some of Georgia’s home matches may end up being played in neutral venues. I think that this will have the greatest impact on Georgia, whom I had in fifth, but I now have them finishing last behind Cyprus in fourth, and Montenegro in fifth.

Group 9 – Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Macedonia, and Scotland
Netherlands are the favourites in this group, especially after the way that they performed in the “group of death” at Euro 2008 - total football could be on its way back. Coach Marco van Basten has left to take the reins at Ajax of Amsterdam, and a new coach has yet to be named. Scotland are expected to offer the most resistance, having given World Cup finalists France and Italy a run for their money in Euro 2008 qualifying, but it is a wide open group - of all of the groups this one has the most parity. I see the Netherlands advancing as winners and Scotland taking second place, with Norway in third, Iceland in fourth, and Macedonia in fifth.

European Summary
Ok, I have Portugal, Israel, Czech Republic, Russia, Spain, England, France, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands qualifying for the World Cup as group winners. Denmark, Greece, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Croatia, Romania, Italy and Scotland will fight it out amongst themselves as second place teams. One of the second place teams will miss out and the other 8 will play each for a place in the World Cup. This could offer some thrilling matches - can you imagine Germany against Italy for a spot in the finals? What a shame it would be to not have both these great teams at the World Cup, but what an exciting playoff that would be!

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying – The Road to South Africa 2010

2009-04-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Group 1 - I was wrong again. T & T came out and beat Cuba in Cuba which wasn't how I thought that would go down. Cuba are in big trouble and I no longer see them advancing from this group. USA has won all of their matches and are cruising in 1st place, I would say that they are a lock for the next round. The race is on between Guatemala & Trinidad & Tobago, I think that Guatemala may have the edge here, a lot depends on when Jones is available for T & T.

Group 2 - Wrong again, this is getting old. I had predicted that Canada would get some joy from their home matches, but they are sitting in third place on one point. There is technically still a chance that Canada can progress in second place, but though I really really want it to happen, I just can't see it. I think that Mexico & Honduras will advance.

Group 3 - A ha! I finally got one right Costa Rica & El Salvador find themselves in the same situation as Mexico & Honduras in group two with the 3rd & 4th place teams 5 points back of 2nd. I see them advancing without much trouble.

The Next Stage - So the amended prediction is that USA, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, & El Salvador will make up the final six. I think that El Salvador are a team on a role and could cause some upsets along the way. Though it will likely be USA, Mexico, & Honduras that advance with Costa Rica in the playoff against South America.

Africa

African qualifying is already most of the way through the first stage that will narrow the field from 47 teams down to 20. The winner of each of the 12 groups along with the 8 best second place teams will advance to the next stage. So far Nigeria is the only team to secure a berth in the next round. There is some complicated math involved in this group, as Eritrea dropped out of the competition right before it started, leaving one group with only 3 teams. This means for calculating the 8 best second place teams, the points gained against the worst team in the group will not be counted. A new complication is that Ethiopia has been suspended by FIFA (football’s governing body) for failing to follow a plan to bring actions taken by the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) in line with FIFA regulations. At the moment it is not clear what effect this will have on qualifying.

Group 1 – Cameroon, Cape Verde, Mauritius, and Tanzania
Cameroon are the big favourite to win this group, and they appear to be on their way to doing it. They had a surprise 0-0 draw at Tanzania, but I think that will be their only slip-up in this stage. Cape Verde have been the best of the rest, beating Mauritius and Tanzania. I see them making it to the next stage as a second place team, with Tanzania third and Mauritius last.

Group 2 – Guinea, Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
Guinea are the favourites in this group. However, through 4 matches it is much closer than anyone in Guinea would like, with their team suffering a loss at Kenya and a draw with Zimbabwe. Kenya have turned Nairobi into a fortress by winning both home matches there. Their road form needs some help if they are going to progress. This was a tough one to pick - I am going with Guinea to get some results and advance as the group winners, Kenya to progress as a second place team, Zimbabwe to place third and Namibia fourth.

Group 3 – Angola, Benin, Niger, Uganda
Angola were the favourites in this group, having qualified for the last World Cup. However they currently find themselves sitting in second place behind Benin. Uganda beat Angola at home then drew with them in Angola - these performances have the Ugandans tied with Angola in second place. Niger have lost all of their matches and that doesn’t look like it will change. Benin are in the driver’s seat playing both Angola and Uganda in their last two matches, knowing if they win they are in, but if they draw both of their games, all three teams will end up tied for first place, and the team that progresses will be based off of their goal difference. Benin currently have the best goal difference at +4. However with both Angola and Uganda still to play Niger, that could change. The way I see it is that Angola will beat Benin in Benin, and Uganda will manage at least a draw with them in Kampala, meaning Angola win the group and Uganda advance as a second place team. Yet there is another piece of news that could dramatically affect the outcome of this group: a Scottish club, Hearts, have just named the Ugandan boss their new coach - this could spell disaster for the Ugandans.

Group 4 – Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa
Your first question about this group is probably something along the lines of, “Why is South Africa in the qualifying round?”, given that as hosts they have qualified for the World Cup already. The answer is that the African World Cup qualifying also doubles as the African Cup of Nations qualifying. If South Africa were to qualify for a place in the World Cup, the qualifying spot would simply go to next best team. This is the easiest group of all to predict, as the favoured Nigeria have won all 4 of their matches to date and already qualified for the next stage. South Africa had some poor results so far, and have been strongly criticised in the media for it; ultimately it doesn’t matter where they finish, as I don’t see the second place team from this group advancing. South Africa were coached by Carlos Alberto Parreira, who coached Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, however he resigned for family reasons and returned to Brazil. He was replaced by another Brazilian, Joel Santana. The coaching change hasn’t helped ease the struggles of the Bafana Bafana.

Group 5 – Gabon, Ghana, Lesotho, and Libya
Ghana are the favourites to advance from this group, given the star power on their roster: the likes of Chelsea midfielder Essien and new Inter Milan-signing Muntari. They have dropped a few points so far, but I still see them making it to the next stage as group winners. However, the dropped points by Ghana have made for quite an interesting battle between Ghana, Gabon and Libya. Libya have games against Ghana at home and Gabon away, while Gabon are away to Lesotho and home to Libya. I think that Ghana will win against Libya meaning that Libya will go to Gabon needing a win, which I see them getting. Libya has been playing well and they are my pick to make to the next stage as a second place team, with Gabon third and Lesotho well behind in fourth.

Group 6 – Algeria, Gambia, Liberia, and Senegal
Senegal are heavy favourites to advance from this group. After a terrific run in Korea/Japan 2002, Senegal failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but the Teranga Lions will be hoping to be back in the big show this time around. Senegal has been disappointing on the road, managing only a draw at both Gambia and Liberia. While they still have to travel to Algeria, and play Gambia at home, I don’t see them dropping any points, and they should advance as group winners. As for second place, there is a good battle going on between Algeria and Gambia; even Liberia are not out of the running yet. Unfortunately for all of these teams, they are taking too many points out of each other, and I don’t see any of these teams advancing to the next stage. That said, I do see Gambia grabbing the second spot, with Algeria third and Liberia fourth.

Group 7 – Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Mozambique
Les Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire are the favourites in this group, with many of the top African footballers on their side, such as Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Kolo Toure, and Didier Zakora. All of these players play their professional football in London with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham. Much like Senegal in the previous group, Côte d’Ivoire has had some disappointing results, however they seem to have found their form and will easily qualify in first place. This is another tight race for second, with all three teams still in it. Madagascar still have to travel to Côte d’Ivoire and I don’t see them getting any points there; they will likely finish last. Mozambique host Côte d’Ivoire and travel to Botswana. I see them drawing with Botswana and losing to Côte d’Ivoire; this will result in Botswana finishing in second place. However, I don’t see the Zebras (Botswana) having enough points to qualify as a second place team. Mozambique will likely finish in third and Madagascar in fourth.

Group 8 – Ethiopia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Rwanda
Morocco are the favourites to advance and I see them doing it, only I see them advancing on goal difference. That is because Rwanda has been one of the surprises of qualifying, beating Morocco 3-1 in Kigali, en route to a perfect 3-0 start before a loss in Morocco. I think that the Rwandans will keep up the pace and easily qualify as a second place team. Ethiopia has just been banned by FIFA for not solving problems within the EFF, though the EFF is trying to sort this out before the next scheduled match. I don’t see Ethiopia’s troubles affecting the outcome of the group, though. Mauritania have just had a coup, which may result in their remaining home match against Rwanda being played at a neutral venue.

Group 9 – Burkina Faso, Burundi, Seychelles, and Tunisia
Tunisia went into the group as favourites, but that has changed now, as they find themselves in second place behind a Burkina Faso team that is finally reaping the rewards of a solid performance at the 2003 Under-20 World Cup. Burkina Faso have won all of their matches including away to Tunisia. I think that they will advance out of the group with their perfect record intact. Tunisia will cruise into the next round as a second place qualifier. It should be mentioned that the Burundians have played some good football, but faced two much better teams in this group; they will grab third, with the Seychelles finishing in fourth.

Group 10 – Chad, Congo, Mali, and Sudan
Mali are the favourites from this group, and should advance as group winners - their only loss came away to Sudan. After Mali, the group is wide open - so far Chad and Sudan have only played 3 matches. Sudan also qualified for the African Cup of Nations in 2008 and is the second favourite from the group. The home and away matches against Chad are going to be highly charged battles, with the problems of Darfur hanging over them. Darfur is a region in the west of Sudan which borders Chad, and is where militias have been committing genocide, causing hundreds of thousands of people to cross the border into Chad. The Government of Chad had not being saying much publicly until the militias crossed into Chad as well. From a footballing standpoint I see these matches as two draws or possibly they trade victories. I think that Congo have enough talent to grab a win against Sudan in Sudan. This will see them in second just above Sudan. It will not be enough for the Congo to qualify, though, as I don’t see them gaining enough points to advance.

Group 11 – Swaziland, Togo, and Zambia
This was Eritrea’s group, but they withdrew just before the qualifying was to begin. Togo is the favourite, or I should say was the favourite, from this group. Togo were surprise qualifiers for Germany 2006, led by Emmanuel Adebayor, the £30 Million rated striker from Arsenal in the English Premier League. Togo will play no matches in Togo as a result of crowd violence in Lome during the last round of African Cup of Nations Qualifiers. Zambia were expected to give Togo a challenge but after the first match played at a neutral venue, in Accra, Ghana, Togo won 1-0. Then things got interesting: Zambia travelled to Swaziland, a match the Chipololo boys (Zambia) were heavily favoured to win, and it was a draw. Swaziland then followed that up with a shock 1-0 victory over Togo. Togo’s next match is against Zambia in Zambia. This is a huge match in this group. For me, Togo have been a disappointment, and I see Zambia winning the match and moving on as the winners, with Swaziland sneaking a second place spot. The Togolese will likely crash out despite their stunning qualification for the last World Cup.

Group 12 – Congo DR, Djibouti, Egypt, and Malawi
Egypt are the favourites to advance from this group, given that that they are the 2006 & 2008 African Champions. They had to come from behind to beat Congo DR in Egypt, and then suffered a shock defeat at Malawi. They now face the difficult task of travelling to Kinshasa to face Congo DR. I think that the Congolese will manage at least a draw here. If they win, the top spot is theirs, but if it is a draw, it sets up an exciting final day. Egypt are behind on goal difference by 4 and face Djibouti at home, which is a sure win, while the Simbas (Congo DR) travel to Malawi and need a win. What makes it interesting is that Djibouti have one of the leakiest defences, already allowing 23 goals, so Egypt scoring 4 or more goals is not out of the question. Weighing all of the factors, I like the DR Congo to beat Egypt at home and beat Malawi away, winning the group, while Egypt easily qualifies for the next round as a second place team.

African Summary
To summarize, I have Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Zambia, DR Congo, Guinea, Angola, and Morocco advancing as group winners. Advancing with them will be the 8 best second place teams, which I foresee being Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Egypt, Tunisia, Swaziland, Libya, and Cape Verde. These teams will be drawn into five groups of four teams playing a round robin system, with the winner of each group making the World Cup. There is nothing for second place this time… ok, I lied - the African groups are also the qualifying groups for the African Cup of Nations (ACN) in Angola in 2010. The second and third place teams in each of the groups of four will also qualify for the ACN. Angola, as the hosts, are already in, so the three other teams drawn with Angola (assuming Angola progress, which I predict they will) will automatically qualify for the ACN. It would be a relief to some of the surprise teams like Swaziland, Kenya and Cape Verde to qualify automatically for the ACN, so that they are free to focus on making the World Cup.

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying – The Road to South Africa 2010

2009-04-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Things in South America are continuing, there were a few surprises in the last round of matches. Colombia had been playing well but was spanked by Chile 4-0, they will need to rebound quickly from this as there next match is at home to leaders Paraguay. Paraguay have continued to play well and have built up a four point lead at the top of the table. Paraguay won at home to Venezuela and drew away to Argentina but they really opened up a gap because Brazil and Argentina both drew their last matches. Brazil was at home to Bolivia, a match that they should have won easily. I am sure that even though Brazil are tied for 2nd with ten games to go Dunga must be feeling some pressure. Argentina followed up their draw at home to Paraguay with a draw at Peru. Manchester United striker got another red card for his country, which is certain to put him in the coaches bad book. Not a lot have changed since my intial predictions, despite poor results Brazil & Argentina will advance, Paraguay is looking more likely to join. Colombia are going to struggle to stay in the hunt. It will be an interesting last ten matches.

Hala Madrid!!

2009-04-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Parejo press conference

Daniel Parejo commented on the team’s chances of winning La Liga during Tuesday’s press conference.

How will the fact that the internationals have very little time to rest between now and Saturday affect the match?
Such a circumstance affects teams like ours because we have so many internationals and very few days to recover. However, we will still do our best to beat Malaga for the three points.

Are you disappointed about the little playing time you have received?
Playing for this club is the greatest that can happen to a player. I am not playing a lot, but I am happy to have debuted. I am young and have a lot of time ahead of me. I am happy to come to training every day and to wear the shirt I wear. I am grateful to players like Raul who constantly give me advice.

How was your experience in England?
It was all about training and developing away from home. It was the right move and it helped a lot.

There’s been talk about new midfielders coming in.
This is the best club in the world and the best footballers will come. I will fight in every workout and can only think about the present. I am here and I will do whatever it takes to earn a spot.

Does Juande deserve to continue next season?
We should worry more about what happens on the pitch. The club must decide. That said, Juande is doing a good job and we’re putting up champion-like numbers. We will support whatever coach is here.

Will this stoppage force you to ease up on the pressure being put on Barcelona?
They are six points ahead but we will not lose hope. Thirty points are still in play and we won’t give up because we are Real Madrid.

The recent assembly cooled down the social tension. Did it affect the team at all?
No it didn’t. It’s a club matter and we need to focus on what happens on the pitch.

Has the name Florentino Perez come up in the dressing room?
No it hasn’t and we’re not concerned with the matter.

Brazil travel to Peru for World Cup 2010 Qualifier

2009-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Coverage: Click Here!

Peru - Brazil will play in the third match-day of their Road to South Africa, World Cup 2010 Qualifiers, tonight at 22:10 CET. We will offer you the live online coverage for this match. Join us at 10pm and you can read the live text commentary, get the live streams and watch videos with the most important events of the game.
Brazil have 4 point at the moment after two rounds. Leaders for the CONMEBOL region are Argentina with 9 points. Lionel Messi’s side have already won their 3rd round game yesterday, check the highlights here. On the other side Peru counts a single point and will sure want to improve their balance. Join us tonight in order to follow the events.

Peru vs Brazil - Match Info
Competition: World Cup 2010, CONMEBOL
Stage: Qualifiers
Location: Monumental Stadium, Lima
Date: Sunday, 18th November 2007
Kick off time: 10pm, 22:00 CET
Referee: not available yet.
Live Coverage: FcFootballBlog

Peru vs Brazil - Live Streams
With the following live streams you can watch the match live on your PC. Please note that the live streams have announce this match in their schedule, but it might happen that they’re off-line at the time of the kick-off. So please try all of them until you get something that works. Good luck!
Sopcast: CBTV, Unknown Channel.
TVants: Live1, Tuttosport, Canal 13, CCTV-5.
PPMate: Caifu Sports, CCTV-5.
TVU Player: CCTV-5.
Pcast: Caifu Sports.

Peru vs Brazil - Betting Tips
I compare Brazil’s run recently with Barcelona’s performance. Both teams have the players have the skill but they just can’t get it right every time. Both of them find it difficult to score sometimes, especially in their away games. Brazil should win this one but an upset is also probable. I would go for an x2 bet for this event.

Peru vs Brazil - Head to Head
The recent head to head hitsory shows a positive balance for Brazil. Dunga’s side have won twice and draw also twice in their most recent 4 meetings.
27.03.05 Brazil 1-0 Peru World Cup Qualifiers
16.11.03 Peru 1-1 Brazil World Cup Qualifiers
15.07.01 Brazil 2-0 Peru Copa America
26.04.01 Brazil 1-1 Peru World Cup Qualifiers

Brazil Vs Argentina Highlights - World Cup 2010 Qualifier

2009-04-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

World Cup 2010 Qualifier:

South American football heavyweights Brazil and Argentinia went head to head in a World Cup 2010 Qualifier last night. Both had dissapointing result in their previous qualifiers and were looking to bounce back in this all important match.

Brazil Vs Argentina Just for a moment we are taking some time out of Euro 2008 to have a look at the supreme powerhouses of South American football, yes that’s right, it’s Brazil and Argentina and they went head to head in an all important World Cup 2010 qualifier last night. Brazil were looking to bounce back from the disappointing 2-0 defeat to Paraguay in their previous World Cup 2010 qualifier and Argentina were also looking for improvement after they drew 1-1 with Ecuador last time out. Read on to watch Brazil Vs Argentina highlights.

Votes Two of my least favourite "Canadians"

2009-04-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

From a more widely read blog . Wells does the smackdown on Harper. But shouldn't Hargreaves, as a guy who has "always felt more British" be doing photo-ops with Gordon Brown instead? It gets worse. Way worse : “Owen Hargreaves is one of Canada’s most famous and accomplished international ...

From a more widely read blog. Wells does the smackdown on Harper. But shouldn't Hargreaves, as a guy who has "always felt more British" be doing photo-ops with Gordon Brown instead?

It gets worse. Way worse:

“Owen Hargreaves is one of Canada’s most famous and accomplished international athletes,” said the Prime Minister. “Given soccer’s massive worldwide appeal, it is certainly refreshing to note that one of the sport’s brightest stars is Canadian.”

Are you sure he's Canadian, Steve-O? Maybe you should check his jersey. (No, not the AIG shirt. The one with the lions.)

“I know that the Red Devils provoke a rather passionate reaction from football fans on both sides of the Atlantic,” joked the Prime Minister. “But that certainly won’t prevent me from rooting for Owen’s continued success. Thank you, Owen, for all you have done to shine the international spotlight on Canadian soccer.”

Bolivia vs Argentina Highlights Video | World Cup Qualifier Highlights

2009-04-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

www.lovefooty.net — Watch all the Bolivia vs Argentina highlights online from their world cup qualifier. Bolivia - Argentina World Cup Qualifying Highlights Wednesday 1st April 2009 Bolivia vs Argentina highlights video here after the match.

SA football upbeat about 'Amajita'

2009-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

When Carlos Alberto Parreira, Joel Santana's predecessor, was in charge of Bafana Bafana, he stressed time and time again that it was important to build from the ground up, with football at under-20 level being particularly important.

Parreira said South Africa needed to be competitive in youth championships, and now the country is performing at that level.

In January, the South Africa under-20s played in the African Youth Championships in Rwanda.

Known as "Amajita" - meaning a group of boys - the team booked their place in the finals by thumping Reunion 8-2 on aggregate in the first round of qualifying, followed by a 3-0 aggregate victory over Botswana.

Tough group

In Rwanda, where only the top eight teams contest the finals, South Africa was drawn in a tough group featuring Nigeria, Egypt and the Ivory Coast. Undaunted, South Africa's under-20s beat the Ivory Coast 1-0 in their first outing.

In their second match they made people sit up and take notice when they beat Nigeria, traditionally a bogey team for South African sides, by two goals to one.

Egypt defeated South Africa 2-1 in their third and final group match, but the previous two victories were enough to see Serame Letsoaka's charges through to the semi-finals as second-place finishers in the group, behind Nigeria on goal difference.

Semi-finals

That meant South Africa had to face Group A winners Ghana in the semi-finals. In a high-scoring contest, Ghana secured a 4-3 victory.

Nigeria, meanwhile, went down 2-0 to Cameroon in their semi-final, meaning they would take on South Africa once more for third place.

This time around the Nigerians won 2-1. Ghana went on to clinch the title with a 2-0 win over Cameroon.

Fifa under-20 World Cup

Despite finishing fourth, by reaching the semi-finals South Africa booked a place at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, which takes place in Egypt from 25 September to 16 October 2009. It was the first time they had qualified for the World Cup in 12 years.

The big name to emerge from the under-20 side of 1997 was striker Benni McCarthy. A year later, in the 1998 African Cup of Nations, he was joint-top scorer alongside Egyptian great Hossam Hassan, with seven goals. That mark has been bettered only once in the history of the event.

McCarthy has gone on to become the highest scorer in Bafana Bafana's history. He has also played club football in Spain, Portugal, and England, for Celta Vigo, Porto, and Blackburn Rovers respectively.

A generation of stars?

The South African under-20 side impressed in Rwanda, and some are suggesting that a generation of stars is on its way. Yet stars are only determined by results and performances, so the team's showing in Egypt will go some way towards revealing just how good the SA under-20s are.

South Africa's under-20 coach Serame Letsoaka, in an interview with Fifa.com, said: "We are a good side, but it's always good when we go to these tournaments as underdogs. That way we can surprise people.

"We have exciting players," Letsoaka said. "I'm sure they want to lift their hands up and persuade the senior team coach that they are ready for the big stage."

Bafana coach Joel Santana has taken note of some of the under-20 players, including stars performers, such as Masibusane Zongo, Ramahlwe Mphahele and Phumelele Bhengu.

With some of the Bafana Bafana squad heading towards the end of their international careers, Santana will need to keep his eye on the talent that is emerging at age-group level.

Well known players

Many well known names in South African football have passed through the under-20 ranks. Some of them have secured big money moves overseas, although now, with the Premier Soccer League now the seventh most lucrative league in the world, staying at home is a more attractive option than it used to be.

Among those who have won contracts abroad are:

Matthew Booth, who recently returned to Mamelodi Sundowns after stints at FC Rostov and Krylia Sovetov Samara in Russia
Delron Buckley, with German clubs Vfl Bochum, Arminia Bielefeld, Borussia Dortmund, Mainz 05, and Swiss side FA Basel
Bradley Carnell with Vfb Stuttgart, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Karlsruhe
Lance Davids with TSV 1860 Munich and Swedish outfit Djurgårdens IF
Thembinkosi "Terror" Fanteni, with Maccabi Haifa
Benni McCarthy, with Celta Vigo, Porto, and Blackburn Rovers
Nasief Morris, the most capped player at under-20 level with 25 internationals, at Aris FC, Panathinaikos, and Recreativo Huelva
Steven Pienaar, with Ajax Amsterdam, Borussia Dortmund, and Everton
Elrio van Heerden, at FC Copenhagen and Club Brugge.

Mafikeng adopts Obama's team

2009-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

The strains of "The Star Spangled Banner" were heard at Redibone Middle School in Mafikeng, North West province on Friday as South Africa's "My 2010 School Adventure" campaign arrived at the school.

The campaign, which aims to promote both education and participation in football, has seen schools in all nine of the country's provinces "adopting" teams participating in the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup.

Along with the rest of North West province, Redibone Middle School - whose under 14 boys and girls teams won the North West region's Confederations Cup schools tournament, which also part of the campaign - have adopted North American Concacaf champions the United States.

"I am very excited about South Africa hosting the Fifa Confederations Cup and the 2010 Fifa World Cup, as it is such a world-spanning tournament and the first time the African continent is hosting such an event," US Consul General Andrew Passen said as he addressed 1 000 pupils at the school on Friday.

"You are not only a school of champions," Passen told the children. "You are in fact a school of double champions. I really hope I get to watch my province become the national champions," Passen added, referring to the upcoming national finals of the schools tournament, which will see the four finalists from each province battle it out for the title of national champions in May.

"I felt so good when we won, but we are now training very hard for the national finals," said Reginah Olehile, a member of the under-14 girls team.

"It is great to have won, because I want the opportunity to play as much football as I can, I want to play professionally, I want to play for Bafana", said Omphile Lemphane, a forward for the under-14 boys team.

A total of 8 349 schools across South Africa are participating in My 2010 School Adventure, which also sees pupils learning more about the culture, football, history and language of Confederations Cup contenders Spain, Italy, Brazil, Iraq, New Zealand, Egypt and South Africa.

"I am learning so much about America, and now I want to go there myself," Lemphane said. "I want to meet Barack Obama."

The programme is a partnership between the Department of Education, the Department of Sport and Recreation, the 2010 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Construction workers 'real 2010 heroes'

2009-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

South Africa's successful bid to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup has proven to be a major catalyst for positive development in country - particularly for the construction industry.

As South Africa gears up to host the biggest single-code sporting event in the world, the construction work is ever increasing.

From upgrading the country's transport infrastructure, hotel and accommodation facilities to creating 10 world-class stadiums which are either being refurbished or built from scratch in nine host cities, local construction companies and their workers are receiving a major boost in tough economic times.

Vasco Pedrina, the Italian-based vice-president of Builders and Wood Workers International (BWI), an international federation that campaigns for fair working conditions around the world, paid a visit to the construction site at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium on the weekend.

"This is my first time in South Africa and this is my first inspection of a South African site, and my impressions of the conditions at Soccer City stadium are positive," Pedrina said.

"In fact the organisation and conditions on site are a lot better than a lot of sites I have been to."

For Crosby Moni, vice-president of the National Union of Mineworkers and an executive member of BWI, the inspection was a showcase of how the world, as well as South Africa, can benefit from the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

"We are not only setting parameters for South Africa, but for events around the world," Moni said. "The standards that will be set in South Africa will be the standards of the world in the construction sector".

BWI regional representative Crecentia Mofokeng said that hosting soccer's showpiece event had permanently altered the construction landscape of South Africa.

"Before South Africa won the bid the construction sector was not doing so well, but the successful bid for 2010 has raised the hopes for construction workers to now get a job".

The trade union delegation was due this week to visit both Green Point stadium in Cape Town, where workers recently started to lift the giant roof into place, as well as the workers at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, who recently completed the iconic arch over the stadium.

2010 World Cup: 500 days to go

2009-03-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

South Africa's preparations for the 500-day countdown to the opening of the 2010 Fifa World Cup are well under way, with a wide range of activities taking place across the country, and a main event scheduled for the Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre in Bloemfontein on Monday.

"Monday next week will be exactly 500 days to go to the world's biggest sporting spectacle, watched by a cumulative audience of more than 26-billion spectators worldwide, and South Africa's preparations are in overdrive," the 2010 Local Organising Committee said in a statement this week.

Media conference

A media conference will be held in Johannesburg, and will be attended by Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke, LOC chairman Irvin Khoza and LOC chief executive Danny Jordaan.

They will talk about the achievements made since South Africa was awarded the right to host the event five years ago, as well as the remaining milestones leading up to the tournament's kick-off on 11 June 2010 at the Soccer City Stadium to the south of Johannesburg.

Host city posters

The mayors from all nine host cities, as well as Provincial and Local Government Minister Sicelo Shiceka, will be at the sports centre in Bloemfontein, where they will officially unveil their respective host city posters.

To kick-off the day's activities, delegates from the Italian Embassy, together with 2010 ambassadors Mark Fish and Philemon Masinga, will visit two schools in the area as part of the 2010 "Adopt-a-Nation" schools campaign, which will be followed by a mini schools football tournament.

Street parade

Ahead of the countdown, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will mark the day by holding a street parade and a fun walk in the streets of KwaThema, Tsakane and Duduza, before culminating in a massive celebration at the KwaThema Stadium this Sunday.

The event is expected to several senior officials, including Gauteng provincial sports minister Barbara Creecy and Ekurhuleni executive mayor Ntombi Mekgwe, as well as local councillors, community leaders, soccer veterans and members of the public in general.

Football World Cup 2010 South Africa

2009-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for the 2010 World Cup

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.

2010: half-a-million ticket bookings

2009-03-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

2010: half-a-million ticket bookings

More than half-a-million ticket applications for the 2010 Fifa World Cup have been made by people in over 140 countries since tickets went on sale on 20 February. Attention now shifts to the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, which kicks off in less than 100 days.

South Africans: come to the party!

2009-03-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

South Africans: come to the party!

There can be no better advertisement for the 2010 Fifa World Cup than full stadiums at its curtain-raiser, the 2009 Confederations Cup. But with just three months to go until the "Festival of Champions" kicks off, the pace of ticket sales is slow. The onus is on South African fans to come to the party.

SA, Norway clash to reopen stadium

2009-03-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

SA, Norway clash to reopen stadium

Rustenburg's new-look Royal Bafokeng Stadium, a venue for the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup, will get its first taste of action when Bafana Bafana tackle Norway in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge match on 28 March.

Nelspruit stadium 'will meet deadline'

2009-03-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Nelspruit stadium 'will meet deadline'

Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, one of nine cities that will host the 2010 Fifa World Cup, is 75% complete and will be ready for handover to Fifa in September, South African Deputy President Baleka Mbete was informed on the weekend.

Video: Engineering a 2010 marvel

2009-03-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Video: Engineering a 2010 marvel

Zoopy TV takes a closer look at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium, a key venue for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, tracing the sequence of engineering marvels that will go into raising the stadium's iconic hanging roof - made up of 37 000 square metres of glass weighing 4 500 tons.