England on Brink of Qualification for South Africa 2010
June 15, 2009
England have moved to within three points of qualification after another successful international week.
Fabio Capello’s men are the top European scorers and notched another 10 goals without reply, including three from Wayne Rooney who is now the individual top scorer. Put to the sword were Kazakhstan and Andorra who lost 4-0 and 6-0 respectively.
While both sides are undoubtedly minnows of the international game, the manner in which they were dispatched was impressive nonetheless. Kazakhstan did cause England some problems before Gareth Barry’s 40th minute opener but Andorra were effortlessly swept aside and could count themselves a little fortunate to concede just six goals.
England are now top of Group 6 by eight points and know a win in their next game, at home to Croatia, will confirm their place in South Africa. After the Andorra match, England’s head coach was quick to express his pleasure at both the performance and the support. Just over 55,000 fans were in attendance despite a tube strike and Capello said: “I am very happy for the fans, very happy for the people that stayed here. I am happy today.”
Should England beat Croatia, it will give the Italian a chance to experiment with some youngsters and fringe players. One of them is likely to be Jermain Defoe. The Tottenham front-man bagged two goals after coming off the bench on Wednesday, however with Capello favouring a big man plus Wayne Rooney up front, it will be an uphill battle for Defoe to secure a starting spot.
Another player keen to make an impression is 23 year old winger Ashley Young. Young was awarded his fourth international cap against Andorra and will be looking to build on a promising, if slightly wasteful performance.
If England are to achieve their ultimate goal and win the World Cup, these next few games could prove crucial. Fabio Capello has already found a successful plan A, if he can succeed where Eriksson failed and find a plan B, the ghosts of 1966 may finally be laid to rest.
Australia Back to Soccer’s World Cup
June 11, 2009
For the first time in Australia’s history, it has qualified for back-to-back soccer World Cups. For a country that normally associates World Cup qualifying with grief, pain and suffering, this experience was all pretty stress-free.
First and foremost, they had the advantage of being placed in a round-robin soccer league where one could afford to drop a game here or there. Contrast this with New Zealand who have been waiting since November 2008 for their next stage of World Cup qualifying. The All Whites face a play-off against an Asian side.
Then the draw for the soccer league was kind to the Socceroos. For the Third Round they were placed with Qatar, Iraq and China. For the Fourth Round they were grouped with Japan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain and again Qatar. The moment the draw was completed, soccer betting had Australia as a huge favorite to make it to South Africa.
They may not have played as carefree and free-flowing as some people may have liked, but they have played effectively. They took a maximum nine points from their first three games and that was basically that. With three of their final four qualifying matches at home, soccer betting closed the market.
So the response to qualifying for the soccer World Cup has been a lot muted from four years ago and there are two reasons for this. The first is that this time there is no 32 year drought. After all the agonizing near misses, getting back after so long was always going to be emotional. The second reason is the certainty of it. Since their opening World Cup qualifier against Qatar in February 2008, Australia have been in the driver’s seat. There is no way this can be compared with the thrill of and drama of a penalty shoot-out.
Australia still has one final World Cup qualifier to play and it will be against their nemesis, Japan. The two have both already qualified so much of the sting in this clash has been taken out. Both teams say they want to win the soccer league but ultimately, that is neither here nor there. What is of greater concern is that all players emerge from the match unscathed and without any major injuries.
If Japan hope to top the soccer league they will have to go for the win. This may not be a bad thing as it could cause the Australians to in turn come out of their shells and in turn provide a more entertaining contest.
David Wiseman is a sports analyst for Betfair Australia. As well as following the socceroos he loves horse, greyhound and harness racing.
England may rest players
June 10, 2009
Fabio Capello has hinted that he may rest players for the match against Andorra tonight as a few of the key players are only one yellow card away from suspension which would mean they would miss the World Cup qualifier against Croatia.
David Beckham, Glen Johnson and Emile Heskey are all only one yellow away from suspension.
“I have thought about this problem,” said Capello. “I have to decide if some players on yellow cards will play.”
Defender Rio Ferdinand is out injured, while Gareth Barry is suspended.
Capello suggested that even though Beckham is close to a suspension he, along with Shaun Wright-Phillips, are in contention for a midfield role as a replacement for the suspended Barry.
If Heskey is rested then Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe are all in contention for his position with Gary Neville likely to make his first England start in 2 years if Johnson is injured.
Theo Walcott has a below par performance on Saturday which has put his position in the team in doubt .
But Capello added: “Walcott will be very important because we have to play to attack and the wide position is very important.
“I’ve spoken to him and he trained very well. He needs to play to recover his best condition.”
And skipper Terry has spoken of the importance to England of getting in behind the Andorra defence.
“We must make sure we get the ball into wide areas early,” stated Terry.
“We need to move the ball really quickly and make it difficult for them.”
Heskey happy to be playing with Wayne
June 9, 2009
England strolled through their World Cup qualifier on Saturday with only a few scares along the way and the game saw Heskey and Rooney partnered up front, with Heskey scoring his first England goal for seven years.
Heskey speaking after the game spoke of how he enjoyed playing alongside Rooney. “Wayne’s a great player, he’s shown it for his club and for England.”
Welcoming the end of his international goal drought, Heskey added: “It’s nice to get on the score sheet but I’ll keep plugging away and hopefully get some more.”
“It’s going to be a difficult game after coming back from Kazakhstan, we’re very focused and hopefully we’ll get the result,” he added. “It’s difficult with the time difference, I’ve felt tired all the time, but hopefully it’ll be okay.”
Heskey’s sentiments were echoed by defender Matthew Upson, who dismissed the idea that England may be complacent against Andorra.
“We will dominate a lot of the play but sometimes those sort of games as a defender are the hardest,” said Upson who is set to partner captain John Terry at Wembley with Rio Ferdinand injured.
“You can’t get into any rhythm, you have long spells of the game without too much to deal with and then all of a sudden something happens so you have to try and stay focused. It’s a different kind of test.”
He added: “We just have to focus on winning. Everyone is training hard and competing to get in the team for Wednesday. Everyone’s hungry so I can’t see us being complacent.”
Croatia Earn One Point Against Ukraine
June 9, 2009
Croatia got off to what looked like a promising start as Mladen Petrić put them on the score sheet just 2 minutes in. However, Ukraine answered with an equalizer soon after via Shevchenko. Croatia took a blow in the second half when Oleksiy Gai took the lead for the visitors at the start of the second half, but Luka Modrić rescued them as he and Mario Mandžukić worked some magic to even up the score. Both teams fought until the end creating chance after chance. Croatia’s Luka Modrić struck the far post in a great effort to put his team ahead and Malden Petrić did the same in the dying minutes of the game. Unfortunately, neither side was successful, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
After Saturday’s fixtures, the group 6 table stands as follows…
England lead with 18 points
Croatia hold second with 11 points
Belarus come in third with 9 points
Ukraine are right behind with 8 points
Kazakhstan have only gained 3 points
Andorra sit on the bottom with 0 points
Croatia will next face Belarus in August and then England and Belarus once more the following month.
At this point, it may be doubtful that Slaven Bilić’s men will finish first in their group as they had hoped. Although they are quite confident in finishing 2nd and they are more than capable in doing so. It will be a tough fight between the 2nd place finishers for the spots in South Africa, but the Vatreni have enough fire in them to fight until the end. We will see them in 2010.
Jill Guthrie
Ferdinand to miss qualifier
June 8, 2009
Rio Ferdinand was unable to take part in Saturdays win over Kazakhstan and looks set to miss Wednesdays World Cup qualifier against Andorra as he has still not recovered in time from his injury.
Matthew Upson played alongside Terry on Saturday and is likely to start again as England look for win number 7 from & games.
Gareth Barry, who got on the score sheet at the weekend, is set to miss the game through suspension.
Ferdinand’s exclusion ends an injury-blighted campaign for the player.
He was troubled by the calf injury in the build-up to the Champions League final - but played in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat by Barcelona in Rome - and has also been troubled by a back complaint in recent times.
Bolton’s Gary Cahill was called up to squad by manager Fabio Capello last week for the first time as Ferdinand’s replacement.
Capello has opted not to call up a replacement for midfielder Gareth Barry, who scored England’s first goal in Almaty, but is suspended for Wednesday’s match at Wembley after being booked in the first half.
England struggled at the start in Almaty but ended up winning comfortably thanks to goals from recent £12m Manchester City signing Barry, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.
Bradley Names 23 USA Players For Confederations Cup
June 8, 2009
U.S. to Face Italy, Brazil and Egypt in Group B;
All Matches of the Confederations Cup to be Broadcast on the ESPN Networks
U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named the 23-man roster that will compete in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup from June 14-28 in South Africa.
The U.S. team will depart June 8 for South Africa, setting up camp in Tshwane/Pretoria the following day. The FIFA Confederations Cup is made up of the six champions of each regional confederation, the defending World Cup champions, and the host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“The FIFA Confederations Cup is a great opportunity to play against top level competition and gain further experience competing in tough games,” said Bradley, who holds a 25-9-4 record since being named head coach in 2007. “Equally important is the chance for our team to experience the environment in South Africa, everything from travel to food to weather. We believe the experience will be invaluable if we qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
Of the 23-man roster, 17 players are plying their trade in Europe, playing in nine different countries. Twenty-two players have at least one cap in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle, where the U.S. currently sits in second place in the final round hexagonal with a 3-1-1 record. DaMarcus Beasley, part of the Rangers side that won the Scottish ‘Double’ as both SPL and Scottish FA Cup champions, leads the group in appearances with 11 caps in 12 total qualifiers. With five goals, Jozy Altidore is the USA’s leading scorer in World Cup qualifying, riding a three-goal performance against Trinidad & Tobago in April. Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley have four apiece. In total, the U.S. has had 14 different goalscorers through the qualifying campaign.
Five players on the U.S. roster earned starts during the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France. Beasley scored the lone goal in the 2-1 loss to Turkey to open group play. Tim Howard started all three matches, while Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra and Danny Califf all made appearances.
Donovan is the leading capwinner on the roster with 110 international appearances. The USA’s all-time leader in goals (39) and assists (36) notched two goals in World Cup qualifying this past week, setting the mark for most career goals in qualifying history for the team (11).
The defense is backstopped in goal by Howard, the 2008 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year. Howard, who recently signed a five-year contract with Everton, led the Toffees to a fifth-place finish in the English Premier League and a spot in the FA Cup final against Chelsea. Bocanegra – the U.S. captain who scored the game-winning goal in the 2-1 win against Honduras on June 6 in Chicago – has been an anchor in central defense alongside Oguchi Onyewu, who helped marshal Standard de Liege to their second-consecutive Belgian league title. In 2008, the U.S. defense allowed the fewest average goals per game in team history, surrendering a paltry goals against average per game (0.57). The team is without the services of Steve Cherundolo and Frankie Hejduk, both wing backs sidelined through injury.
The midfield group boasts experience and youth. Along with Beasley and Dempsey, who just surpassed 50 caps, Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Michael Bradley has been an essential element in the center of the park. Having helped ‘Gladbach stave off relegation from the Bundesliga, he has played in three major international tournaments in the last three years, including the 2007 U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games. Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan is one of six domestic-based players on the roster. Earlier this year, he became the second player in U.S. history to score all of his first three goals for the full team in the same game when the U.S. earned a 3-2 win against Sweden on Jan. 24 in Carson, Calif. Pachuca (Mexico) midfielder José Francisco Torres is the only player on the roster who plays professionally outside of either Europe of the United States.
The U.S. is playing in its fourth FIFA Confederations Cup tournament, having appeared most recently in the 2003 event in a group with Brazil, Turkey and Cameroon. The team reached the semifinals of the 1999 tournament, beating Germany and New Zealand in group play before losing to hosts Mexico in the semifinals. The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup matches will represent the USA’s second time playing on South African soil, the team having defeated South Africa 1-0 on Nov. 11, 2007, in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
The U.S. qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup by winning their second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup. In front of 60,000 fans, the U.S. erased a 1-0 deficit and defeated regional rivals Mexico 2-1 in the final on June 24, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
The U.S. is in the midst of a grueling summer schedule. Following two World Cup qualifiers on June 3 and June 6 and their participation in the FIFA Confederations Cup, the U.S. returns to home soil to defend the Gold Cup title from July 3-26 in 13 venues across the United States. Now halfway through the final round of qualifying and sitting in second place with 10 points, the U.S. next travels to face Mexico on Aug. 12 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
U.S. Men’s National Team Roster by Position (Detailed Roster at ussoccer.com)
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
June 14-28, 2009 - South Africa
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Luis Robles (Kaiserslautern)
DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (Midtjylland ), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)
FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Xerez), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Charlie Davies (Hammarby), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
U.S. Men’s National Team 2009 Schedule in the Confederations Cup
June 15 Italy # 8:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. ET ESPN Loftus Versfeld; Tshwane/Pretoria
June 18 Brazil # 4 p.m. / 10 a.m. ET ESPN2 Loftus Versfeld; Tshwane/Pretoria
June 21 Egypt # 8:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. ET ESPN2 Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace; Rustenburg
C.
Mexico shocked by El Salvador 2-1 in World Cup Qualifier
June 7, 2009
The biggest shock on the night, as Mexico - in their first game with boss Javier Aguirre back at the helm - lost out 2-1 in El Salvador.
Hoping for a revival, all the Mexicans had to offer was more of the same on the night. Julio Martinez scored for the home side after only 11 minutes, but second-half substitute Cuauhtémoc Blanco - fresh back from international retirement - equalised from the spot with 71 minutes gone.
El Salvador, led by Mexican coach and former international Carlos de los Cobos, had the last laugh, though, when Eliseo Quintanilla hammered his own rocket home from the spot with just four minutes to go.
The result was celebrated long and hard by the home fans, while the Mexicans - second-from-bottom with three points from four games - trudged off the Cuscatlan pitch wearing haunted, hunted looks.
USA Defeat Honduras 2-1 in World Cup Qualifier
June 7, 2009
CHICAGO (June 6, 2009) — The U.S. Men’s National Team posted a historic victory 2-1 against Honduras behind a successful penalty kick conversion from Landon Donovan and a game-winning header from team captain Carlos Bocanegra in the 68th minute this evening in front of 55,647 fans at Soldier Field in Chicago. The win improved the USA’s unbeaten streak at home in World Cup qualifying to 16 matches, collecting a record of 15-0-1 on U.S. soil dating back to 2001.
Tonight’s come-from-behind victory was the first in qualifying for the Unites States in more than 24 years, the last occurring on May 15, 1985 against Trinidad & Tobago in St. Louis. Soldier Field hosted the latest come-from-behind victory as well, which occurred during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final when the U.S. came back from a goal down against Mexico to earn the regional title and a spot in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
With his goal, his second of the week after netting another penalty against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Donovan now stands as the USA’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifying with 11 goals. Bocanegra’s goal was his second game-winner of the qualifying cycle, with his first coming against Guatemala on Aug. 20, 2008, in Guatemala City.
After a disappointing performance in Costa Rica just three days earlier, Bradley made four changes to the starting line-up. Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Bornstein were called upon to man right and left back, respectively, while Ricardo Clark was selected for a central midfield spot.
Up front, Jozy Altidore earned his third-straight start, and was joined by with Conor Casey, who was added to the roster after the Costa Rica match when Brian Ching was ruled unavailable due to a hamstring strain. The appearance was Casey’s fourth start and fifth overall appearance in FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Honduras took the lead early on after Carlos Costly won the ball near the midfield line. He played the ball to his left for Wilson Palacios, who touched it inside and had a clear look at goal. He tucked a left-footed shot neatly past the outstretched hands of Tim Howard and inside the left post to give Honduras an early lead in the fifth minute.
After the goal, the U.S. took control of the game, holding possession and creating numerous chances. Spector joined the attack in the 25th minute, sprinting up the right flank to the endline before cutting the ball back across the goal mouth to create the first dangerous chance for the U.S. Casey tried to get on the end of the service but slipped in the goal mouth and Honduran ‘keeper Noel Valladares was able to get enough of a hand on it to put it out of danger.
The attack that led to the penalty kick started on the back line with Oguchi Onyewu. The central defender played a long ball through looking for Altidore, but Honduran defender Mario Beata knocked the ball down inside the area with his hand preventing Donovan from getting an opportunity at goal. Donovan stepped up and rifled the ball high past Valladares to level the score just two minutes before halftime.
Bradley exchanged Benny Feilhaber for Pablo Mastroeni to start the second half, and Feilhaber quickly got involved as the U.S. continued to control the pace of the game. In the 61st minute, Feilhaber crossed the ball from the left side into the box to Dempsey who was streaking to the far post. The Fulham midfielder lunged at the ball, but didn’t get a proper touch and missed the frame.
The game-winning goal came in the 68th minute on one of Donovan’s three corner kicks of the night. Donovan sent a driven ball in from the left side that went past the far post to Dempsey. Dempsey out-jumped his defender and headed the ball down and back in front of goal, where the Bocanegra dove to head the bouncing ball into net from close range.
Minutes after scoring, Bocanegra went down with a hamstring strain, handing Jay DeMerit with the task of helping to hold onto the lead in just his second career World Cup qualifier. For the rest of the game, the U.S. was content to hold possession, but had to fend off late attacks from Honduras as they started pressing for the equalizer. The Catrachos took risks late in the game and they nearly paid off.
In the 82nd minute, Danilo Turcios had a golden opportunity as he got to the end of a long cross into the box, but his effort at the far post from close range went barely over Howard’s goal. Minutes later, a slotted ball into the box nearly got to Walter Martinez, but instead bounced up and over his foot. Despite getting a hand on it, Howard couldn’t clear the ball out of danger, but Onyewu slid in just ahead of Costly and cleared it out of bounds.
The U.S. will depart on Monday for South Africa to prepare for its opening match of the FIFA Confederations Cup on June 15 against Italy in Tshwane/Pretoria. The Americans continue the eight-team tournament against Brazil on June 18 before moving to Rustenberg to round out group play on June 21 against Egypt.
After the Confederations Cup, the U.S. will continue its busy summer by defending the CONCACAF Gold Cup title. The 2009 edition of the regional championship kicks off on July 4 against Grenada at Qwest Field in Seattle and continues on July 8 against Honduras in Washington, D.C., and July 11 against Haiti in Foxborough, Mass
Earlier today, Australia, Japan and South Korea became the first three teams to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Australia advanced with a scoreless draw against Qatar, while South Korea defeated UAE 2-1 and Japan sneaked past Uzbekistan 1-0 to earn their spot in the World Cup Finals.
Match: United States vs. Honduras
Date: June 6, 2009
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifying; Final Round
Venue: Soldier Field – Chicago
Kickoff: 7:27 p.m. CT
Attendance: 55,647
Weather: Partly cloudy, 53 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
HON 1 0 1
HON – Carlos Costly (Carlos Pavon) 5th minute
USA – Landon Donovan (penalty) 43
USA – Carlos Bocanegra (Clint Dempsey) 68
Lineups:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 12-Jonathan Spector, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.) (14-Jay DeMerit, 71), 13-Jonathan Bornstein; 8-Clint Dempsey, 2 -Ricardo Clark, 4-Pablo Mastroeni (9-Benny Feilhaber, 46), 10-Landon Donovan; 11-Conor Casey (7-DaMarcus Beasley, 75), 17-Jozy Altidore
Subs not used: 18-Brad Guzan, 6-Marvell Wynne, 15-Charlie Davies, 16-Sacha Kljestan
Head Coach: Bob Bradley
HON: 18-Noel Vallardes; 14-Mauricio Sabillon, 2-Osman Chavez, 6-Mario Beata, 3-Maynor Figueroa; 13-Carlos Costly, 7-Amado Guevara (capt.), 4-Hendry Thomas, 10-Ramon Nunez (15-Walter Martinez, 79); 9-Carlos Pavon (16-Georgie Welcome, 67), 8-Wilson Palacios (17-Danilo Turcios, 66)
Subs not used: 1-Junior Morales, 5-Erick Norales, 11-Allan Lalin, 12-Emilio Izaguirre
Head Coach: Reinaldo Rueda
Carlos Torres
Difficult Times for USA and Mexico National Teams
June 5, 2009
The “Giants” of Concacaf will struggle in their next games
The North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone (CONCACAF) is gearing up for qualifying action at the weekend with all six remaining sides in the ‘hexagonal’ in action. Struggling Mexico, under new management, travel to El Salvador, while Trinidad and Tobago, also with a new man in the dugout, host new section leaders Costa Rica. USA, who’ve endured a rough week so far, will look to rebound at home against Honduras.
Few pundits expected mighty Mexico to be struggling in the ‘hexagonal,’ but such have been their woes that they parted company with Sven-Goran Eriksson after the team picked up just three points from as many games.
Now in the hotseat is former coach Javier “El Vasco” Aguirre, who has shuffled the pack, even calling old favorite Cuauhtemoc Blanco out of international retirement.
The ex-Atletico Madrid boss’s first test is on the road at the Estadio Cuscatlan, where El Salvador, coached by Mexican tactician Carlos de los Cobos, have picked up both of their points so far.
“I need players who want to go there without having their arm twisted,” the new Mexico coach, known for his reliance on discipline and commitment, told to FIFA.com in an interview.
“I need people who are proud to represent their country. They should be aware that the match will be on a difficult pitch against one of our regional rivals and that the three points at stake could give us a real lift.”
USA, who looked a pale shadow of their former selves in the 3-1 loss in Costa Rica on Wednesday, will need to find their form in time to host the always dangerous Hondurans in Chicago on Saturday. Up against a speedy and physical side, the Americans are certainly not guaranteed a win, even at home in their first qualifier in Chicago. “We came up short in every way,” said coach Bob Bradley about the loss in Costa Rica. “We’ll need to assess the situation and turn it around quickly on Saturday.”
Nearing the midway point of the final round of qualifying, Costa Rica are the team to chase. With a comprehensive 3-1 victory over the US in San Jose in the only midweek game, the youthful and vibrant Ticos are out in front of the pack with nine points from their four games, two ahead of the second-place Americans.
The next test for Rodrigo Kenton’s men is on the road in Port of Spain on Saturday, against a Trinidad and Tobago outfit mired in last place with just two points. Although it might look like a straightforward enough task for the runaway leaders, T&T will be bolstered by a new head coach.
Russell Latapy, one of the dual-island nation’s greatest-ever players, will line up in the technical area for his first match in charge since taking the reins from Francisco ‘Pacho’ Maturana.
Carlos Torres




