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Draw places Brazil, Portugal into Group of Death: The draw for the final tournament of the 2010 Men’s World Cup was kind to the defending finalists, but not the losing semifinalists. 2006 champions Italy face Paraguay, New Zealand, and first time qualifiers Slovakia in Group F, whilst France, who fell to the Azzurri in the 2006 final, were drawn against hosts South Africa, Mexico, and Uruguay in Group A. The Group of Death is widely considered to be Group G, which contains Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire, and Portugal. The tournament’s opening match will be South Africa-Mexico at Johannesburg’s new Soccer City stadium on FRI 11 JUN 2010.
» Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
» Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Rep, Greece
» Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
» Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
» Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
» Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
» Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal
» Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
[posted SAT 05 DEC 2009 – 00:58:11 UTC]

Pots decided for South Africa 2010 draw: FIFA have settled on the pots, seedings, and draw procedure for the 2010 Men’s World Cup final tournament. The top seeds include hosts South Africa and the top seven teams in the FIFA world rankings of OCT 2009, who occupy Pot 1. Pot 2 contains the teams from the AFC, CONCACAF, and the OFC. Pot 3 holds the remaining teams from CAF and CONMEBOL, whilst Pot 4 contains the remaining UEFA teams. Each group will receive one team from each pot, and no group may contain more than two UEFA teams or more than one team from any other confederation. The draw begins at 17:00 UTC on FRI 04 DEC 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
» Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
» Pot 2: Australia, Honduras, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Rep, Mexico, New Zealand, United States
» Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Paraguay, Uruguay
» Pot 4: Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
[posted THU 03 DEC 2009 – 02:54:28 UTC]

UEFA matchday 16 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on WED 14 OCT 2009.
» Poland 00-01 Slovakia: Heavy snow in Chorzów may have contributed to the disastrous start; just four minutes in, Seweryn GANCARCZYK bundled a cross into his own goal. Slovak goalkeeper Ján MUCHA spent the rest of the match keeping the inspired home side out of his goal, giving Slovakia the points they needed to win Group 3. Slovenia took second place by defeating San Marino.
» Switzerland 00-00 Israel: A second yellow for Avihai YADIN ended Israel’s slight hopes of advancing out of Group 2. The draw meant a second consecutive Men’s World Cup appearance for the Swiss and a playoff place for Greece, who won against Luxembourg.
» Andorra 00-06 Ukraine: Ukraine had little trouble with the wooden spoon recipients of Group 6 and earned a place in the playoffs.
» Portugal 04-00 Malta: Portugal completed their Group 1 comeback and earned a playoff place with an easy win over Malta, their fourth win in the last five matches.
¤ Qualified: Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
» Advanced to playoffs: Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Greece, Ireland Rep, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine
[posted FRI 16 OCT 2009 – 04:54:42 UTC]

UEFA matchday 15 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on SAT 10 OCT 2009.
» Russia 00-01 Germany: Miroslav KLOSE was the hero as Germany secured qualification from Group 4. Russia will have another chance in the playoffs.
» Estonia 00-02 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Bosnia-Herz also wrapped up a playoff place as the number two team in Group 5. Vedad IBIŠEVIĆ sealed the win with Bosnia-Herz’s second goal midway through the second half.
» Ukraine 01-00 England: Ukraine now have a leg up on Croatia for the Group 6 playoff place after their win over previously undefeated England. Three Lions goalkeeper Robert GREEN was sent off for a professional foul just fifteen minutes in.
» Denmark 01-00 Sweden: A thunderous strike from Jakob POULSEN twelve minutes from time proved decisive as Denmark won Group 1. Sweden must now hope for Portugal to slip up against Malta on WED 14 OCT 2009.
» Greece 05-02 Latvia: Fanis GEKAS took his tally to nine total goals in the qualifiers with four tonight, helping Greece keep second place in Group 2. A win against Luxembourg on the last matchday means at least a playoff place.
» Slovakia 00-02 Slovenia: The Slovaks blew a chance to secure their first trip to a Men’s World Cup as Valter BIRSA and Nejc PEČNIK scored for Slovenia. Slovakia will have another opportunity to take the Group 1 crown against Poland on Wednesday.
» Ireland Rep 02-02 Italy: Sean ST LEDGER sent the fans at Croke Park into a frenzy as he scored his first goal for Ireland Rep to take the lead in the 87th minute. But just two minutes later, Alberto GILARDINO equalised, and Italy earned qualification from Group 8. Ireland Rep are assured of a playoff position.
¤ Qualified this matchday: Denmark, Germany, Italy, Serbia
» Advanced this matchday: Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Ireland Rep, Switzerland
× Eliminated this matchday: Austria, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey
[posted SUN 11 OCT 2009 – 00:25:19 UTC]

UEFA matchday 14 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on WED 09 SEP 2009.
» Latvia 02-02 Switzerland: The Swiss held on to their Group 2 lead as substitute Eren DERDIYOK scored a late equaliser.
» Norway 02-01 Macedonia FYR: Norway secured second place in Group 9, but they may find themselves shut out of the playoffs as the worst runner up.
» Hungary 00-01 Portugal: PEPE’s early goal off a DECO free kick improved Portugal’s chances in Group 1, as Denmark were held in Albania.
» Northern Ireland 00-02 Slovakia: Goals from Stanislav ŠESTÁK and Filip HOLOSKO kept Slovakia five points clear in Group 3. N Ireland are tied with Slovenia for second but have played one match more.
» Wales 01-03 Russia: Russia kept up with Group 4 leaders Germany by winning in Cardiff. Germany and Russia are each assured of at least a playoff place.
» Belarus 00-00 Ukraine: Ukraine’s second consecutive Men’s World Cup qualification slipped further away as they could only manage a draw in Minsk...
» England 05-01 Croatia: ...leaving the door open for England to take the Group 6 crown in decisive fashion.
» Spain 03-00 Estonia: Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Group 5 draw with Turkey earlier in the day, coupled with Spain’s decisive performance, sent la Furia Roja through to South Africa 2010 as Iker CASILLAS broke Andoni ZUBIZARRETA’s national record of 56 clean sheets.
¤ Qualified this matchday: England, Spain
» Advanced this matchday: Germany, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia
× Eliminated this matchday: Belarus, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, Macedonia FYR, Scotland, Wales
[posted THU 10 SEP 2009 – 05:36:34 UTC]

UEFA matchday 13 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on SAT 05 SEP 2009.
» Scotland 02-00 Macedonia FYR: Goals from Scott BROWN and James MCFADDEN gave Scotland the advantage heading into Group 9’s last matchday. They can secure second place with a draw against already qualified Netherlands on WED 09 SEP 2009.
» Denmark 01-01 Portugal: Seven points adrift in Group 1, Portugal needed to attack early and often in Copenhagen. Though Nicklas BENDTNER scored against the run of play late in the first half, LIEDSON equalised for his new country in the 86th minute.
» Hungary 01-02 Sweden: Sweden also did their part to make Group 1 much more interesting; at the death, Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIĆ blocked Gábor BABOS’s clearance into the goal for an improbable win. Denmark are still four points clear, but Hungary are now just one point ahead of Sweden and three ahead of Portugal for second place.
» Georgia 00-02 Italy: But the most unlikely goals of the day were both scored by Georgia’s Kakha KALADZE – in his own net. Italy remain one point ahead of Ireland Rep in Group 8 with a match in hand.
» Switzerland 02-00 Greece: Greece’s Loukas VINTRA saw his second yellow as the first half expired, but the Swiss could not capitalise until the last six minutes of the second half. They now pull ahead of Greece for the lead in Group 2.
» Slovakia 02-02 Czech Rep: Marek HAMŠÍK put Slovakia ahead 2-1 on a second half penalty but then received a second yellow card. Milan BAROŠ scored on a header to level the match again, leaving Slovakia still two points clear of Northern Ireland in Group 3 with a match in hand.
» Spain 05-00 Belgium: Spain ratcheted their goal difference to +16 as David SILVA and David VILLA each scored twice. They are assured of at least a playoff place and need four more points to win qualification from Group 5.
» Advanced this matchday: Spain
× Eliminated this matchday: Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Faroe Is, Moldova, Montenegro
[posted MON 07 SEP 2009 – 04:48:55 UTC]

UEFA matchday 10 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on SAT 06 JUN 2009.
» Bulgaria 01-01 Ireland Rep: Dimitar TELKIYSKI neutralised Richard DUNNE’s goal just five minutes later, but Ireland Rep must surely be pleased with the draw, which leaves them one point back of Group 8 leaders Italy.
» Sweden 00-01 Denmark: Sweden’s trials continued in Solna, where Kim KÄLLSTRÖM stepped up to take a penalty in the 12th minute. But his weak effort was easily saved by Thomas SØRENSEN, and Thomas KAHLENBERG scored ten minutes later to send Denmark back atop Group 1.
» Serbia 01-00 Austria: Nenad MILIJAŠ, however, made no such mistake on his early penalty. Serbia extended their Group 7 lead to five points over France.
» Iceland 01-02 Netherlands: But the day belonged to the Dutch, who won their sixth straight qualifier to become UEFA’s first qualifier for South Africa 2010. Nigel DE JONG and Mark VAN BOMMEL gave the Netherlands a 2-0 lead after just sixteen minutes. Though Kristján Örn SIGURDSSON scored for the home side with two minutes remaining, the Netherlands held on to win Group 9.
¤ Qualified this matchday: Netherlands
× Eliminated this matchday: Albania, Georgia
[posted TUE 09 JUN 2009 – 07:58:42 UTC]

UEFA matchday 9 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on WED 01 APR 2009.
» Turkey 01-02 Spain: The venue was different, but the result the same. Semih ŞENTÜRK put the home side ahead midway through the first half, but a penalty by Xabi ALONSO and a stoppage time winner by Albert RIERA kept the pressure on Spain’s Group 5 opposition.
» Bosnia-Herzegovina 02-01 Belgium: Edin DŽEKO continued his form against Belgium, scoring twice in the first fifteen minutes. Bosnia-Herz held on to maintain their hold on second place in Group 5.
» Italy 01-01 Ireland Rep: Giampaolo PAZZINI set an unfortunate record for the Azzurri by being sent off, for an elbow to John O’SHEA, just four minutes in, fastest in team history. Six minutes later, though, Vincenzo IAQUINTA put Italy ahead. The goal would stand until Robbie KEANE’s 89th minute equaliser. Italy and Ireland Rep are still first and second, respectively, in Group 8.
» Hungary 03-00 Malta: Both Hungary and Group 1 co-leaders Denmark won their fourth in a row, as both are now seven points clear of Portugal, Sweden, and Albania.
» Greece 02-01 Israel: Georgios SAMARAS scored the winning penalty for the Greeks, who lead Group 2 on goal difference over Switzerland.
» Northern Ireland 01-00 Slovenia: Warren FEENEY’s 73rd minute headed goal kept N Ireland in the lead in Group 3, but closest competitors Slovakia have two matches in hand.
» Scotland 02-01 Iceland: With the Netherlands handily defeating all comers, Scotland are fighting for second in Group 9.
× Eliminated this matchday: Malta, San Marino
[posted THU 02 APR 2009 – 22:31:25 UTC]

UEFA matchday 8 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on SAT 28 MAR 2009.
» Belgium 02-04 Bosnia-Herzegovina: The day’s best match in UEFA was in Genk, where Edin DŽEKO put the visitors ahead just seven minutes in. Moussa DEMBÉLÉ equalised in the second half, at which point smoke bombs thrown onto the pitch forced the referee to take the players off temporarily. After the restart, Sanel JAHIĆ led Bosnia-Herz’s improbable three goal fightback, leaving them in second place in Group 5.
» Spain 01-00 Turkey: But the class of Group 5 is clearly the European champions Spain, who stood their ground against Turkey’s strong performance and won the match with a 60th minute goal by Gerard PIQUÉ, his first for la Furia Roja. In a scheduling quirk, the group’s matches on WED 01 APR 2009 are a reverse of today’s.
» Russia 02-00 Azerbaijan: Russia took advantage of their opportunities: when the referee ordered a first half free kick retaken, Roman PAVLYUCHENKO sent the second chance through the Azeri wall and past the goalkeeper. Pavlyuchenko also assisted on Russia’s second half goal by Konstantin ZURIANOV, and Russia now sit in second place in Group 4.
» Northern Ireland 03-02 Poland: Violence was found in and around Belfast on match day, and play had to be stopped when an assistant referee was struck by an object thrown from the crowd. Warren FEENEY scored ten minutes into the match for the home side, and Jonathan EVANS’s first goal for his national team proved decisive as N Ireland took over first place in Group 3.
» Romania 02-03 Serbia: Romania’s Dorel STOICA scored two goals – the bad news was that one of them was in his own net. Serbia’s other goals came through Milan JOVANOVIĆ and Branislav IVANOVIĆ as they took sole possession of first place in Group 7.
» Israel 01-01 Greece: Greece held on to first place in Group 2, ahead of Switzerland on goal difference, by holding back the attack minded Israeli squad and earning a draw. Like Group 5, this group sees the return matches of today’s action on Matchday 9.
» Portugal 00-00 Sweden: Both teams may now hit the panic button, as they fought to a goalless draw in Lisbon that leaves them both tied with Albania for third in Group 1, four points behind joint leaders Denmark and Hungary.
[posted MON 30 MAR 2009 – 06:20:43 UTC]

UEFA matchday 4 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on SAT 11 OCT 2008.
» Ukraine 00-00 Croatia: After their nerves calmed, Croatia held most of the possession in this Group 6 match, but could not score past Ukraine keeper Andriy PYATOV.
» Sweden 00-00 Portugal: With talent like Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIĆ, Cristiano RONALDO, and João MOUTINHO on the pitch, this match was expected to offer many fireworks. But the shots were well off target, and the teams shared the points and watched Denmark become Group 1 leaders.
» Turkey 02-01 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Edin DZEKO put visiting Bosnia-Herz ahead midway through the first half, but with goals by Arda TURAN and Mevlüt ERDİNÇ in the second half, Turkey earned the win to keep pace with Spain and Belgium in Group 5.
» Poland 02-01 Czech Rep: Pawel BROZEK and Jakub BŁASZCZYKOWSKI were the goalscorers as they, along with Slovenia and Slovakia, pulled away from the back three in Group 3.
» Romania 02-02 France: Down 2-0 after just seventeen minutes, les Bleus fought back and earned a draw with goals from Franck RIBÉRY and Yoann GOURCUFF. Both teams remain tied for third in Group 7.
» Germany 02-01 Russia: Early in the second half, Andrei ARSHAVIN pulled Russia halfway back from a two goal deficit, but Germany held on to keep the lead in Group 4.
[posted TUE 14 OCT 2008 – 06:26:42 UTC]

UEFA matchday 3 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA group phase on WED 10 SEP 2008.
» Lithuania 02-00 Austria: Lithuania took over the Group 7 lead through two goals from Tomas DANILEVICIUS.
» Finland 03-03 Germany: Three times Finland took the lead, but each time Miroslav KLOSE was there to score an equaliser. Germany maintain their slim lead atop Group 4.
» Turkey 01-01 Belgium: EMRE Belözoğlu scored on a second half penalty, salvaging a draw after Wesley SONCK’s goal for Belgium. The teams are tied in Group 5, two points behind Spain.
» Switzerland 01-02 Luxembourg: The Swiss believed they had escaped ignominy when Blaise N’KUFO scored to draw level. But in the 86th minute, Alphonse LEWECK found net, and Luxembourg moved into an unlikely tie for third place in Group 2.
» Slovenia 02-01 Slovakia: Milivoje NOVAKOVIČ scored two goals, leading Slovenia to a tie with Poland for first in Group 3.
» Croatia 01-04 England: Since becoming independent, Croatia had never lost a Men’s World Cup qualifier at home. But Theo WALCOTT, who is only slightly older than Croatia itself, ended that record in decisive fashion with three goals. England, along with Ukraine, now lead Group 6.
» France 02-01 Serbia: After losing to Austria in their opener, France got back on track by defeating Serbia on goals by Thierry HENRY and Nicolas ANELKA.
» Portugal 02-03 Denmark: This wild encounter was 1-0 in Portugal’s favour with seven minutes remaining. But a late flurry culminated in a winning goal in stoppage time from Daniel JENSEN, putting Denmark in the thick of a three way tie for first in Group 1.
[posted THU 11 SEP 2008 – 05:08:06 UTC]

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