Europe has 13 spots available for 53 teams. Their qualifying process involves eight groups of six teams and one group of five. Each team plays its group members home and away, with the group winners qualifying directly to the finals. The eight best second place teams (result against the six place teams are ignored) are then paired together in home and away playoffs, with winner of each tie filling up the four remaining spots. Here are the groups with world rankings in parenthesis.
Group A
Croatia (9th)
Serbia (27th)
Belgium (37th)
Scotland (61st)
Macedonia (96th)
Wales (112th)
Group B
Italy (8th)
Denmark (21st)
Czech Republic (38th)
Bulgaria (48th)
Armenia (70th)
Malta (173rd)
Group C
Germany (3rd)
Sweden (19th)
Ireland (33rd)
Austria (66th)
Faroe Islands (112th)
Kazakhstan (126th)
Group D
Netherlands (2nd)
Turkey (24th)
Hungary (47th)
Romania (53rd)
Estonia (79th)
Andorra (203rd)
Group E
Norway (12th)
Slovenia (22nd)
Switzerland (30th)
Albania (59th)
Cyprus (80th)
Iceland (121st)
Group F
Portugal (7th)
Russia (18th)
Israel (32nd)
Northern Ireland (62nd)
Azerbaijan (111st)
Luxembourg (128th)
Group G
Greece (13th)
Slovakia (29th)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (41st)
Lithuania (58th)
Latvia (83rd)
Liechtenstein (118th)
Group H
England (6th)
Montenegro (17th)
Ukraine (45th)
Poland (69th)
Moldova (85th)
San Marino (203rd)
Group I
Spain (1st
France (15th)
Belarus (42nd)
Georgia (57th)
Finland (75th)
Saturday, July 30, 2011
World Cup Qualifying Draw- OFC
The draw for the second round of Oceania qualifying sees eight teams placed in two groups. The top two in each group will advance to the third and final round of qualifying which is one group of four. The first round of qualifying has not been completed yet, it involves four teams (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga) in one group. The winner of the group will join the other seven teams in the second round. Second round play begins in June of 2012. Here are the two groups with the world ranking in parenthesis.
Group A
Vanuatu (169th)
New Caledonia (164th)
Winner Round 1
Tahiti (182nd)
Group B
Fiji (156th)
New Zealand (94th)
Solomon Islands (181st)
Papua New Guinea (unranked)
Papua New Guinea has not played a competitive game in more than four years so they are unranked.
Group A
Vanuatu (169th)
New Caledonia (164th)
Winner Round 1
Tahiti (182nd)
Group B
Fiji (156th)
New Zealand (94th)
Solomon Islands (181st)
Papua New Guinea (unranked)
Papua New Guinea has not played a competitive game in more than four years so they are unranked.
World Cup Qualifying Draw- CONCACAF
The second round of CONCACAF consists of six groups of four teams. The matches will be played from September through November and each team will play its fellow group members home and away. The winner of each group will go on to round three, which was also drawn today. FIFA ranking in parenthesis
Group A
El Salvador (78th)
Suriname (110th)
Cayman Islands (172nd)
Dominican Republic (132nd)
Group B
Trinidad and Tobago (88th)
Guyana (114th)
Barbados (145th)
Bermuda (185th)
Group C
Panama (65th)
Dominica (133rd)
Nicaragua (177th)
Bahamas (152nd)
Group D
Canada (105th)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (122nd)
Puerto Rico (141st)
Saint Lucia (183rd)
Group E
Grenada (120th)
Guatemala (115th)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (161st)
Belize (148th)
Group F
Haiti (117th)
Antigua and Barbuda (106th)
Curacao (157th)
US Virgin Islands (149th)
Here is the draw for the third round
Group A
USA (30th)
Jamaica (40th)
Winner Group E
Winner Group F
Group B
Mexico (9th)
Costa Rica (56th)
Winner Group A
Winner Group B
Group C
Honduras (51st)
Cuba (99th)
Winner Group D
Winner Group C
Group A
El Salvador (78th)
Suriname (110th)
Cayman Islands (172nd)
Dominican Republic (132nd)
Group B
Trinidad and Tobago (88th)
Guyana (114th)
Barbados (145th)
Bermuda (185th)
Group C
Panama (65th)
Dominica (133rd)
Nicaragua (177th)
Bahamas (152nd)
Group D
Canada (105th)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (122nd)
Puerto Rico (141st)
Saint Lucia (183rd)
Group E
Grenada (120th)
Guatemala (115th)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (161st)
Belize (148th)
Group F
Haiti (117th)
Antigua and Barbuda (106th)
Curacao (157th)
US Virgin Islands (149th)
Here is the draw for the third round
Group A
USA (30th)
Jamaica (40th)
Winner Group E
Winner Group F
Group B
Mexico (9th)
Costa Rica (56th)
Winner Group A
Winner Group B
Group C
Honduras (51st)
Cuba (99th)
Winner Group D
Winner Group C
World Cup Qualifying Draw- Asia
Here are the five groups of four teams for the third round of Asian qualifying. The teams will play each team in their group twice, home and away, and the top two teams in each group advance to the fourth round. FIFA rank in parenthesis
Group A
China (73rd)
Jordan (91st)
Iraq (108th)
Singapore (131st)
Group B
South Korea (28th)
Kuwait (95th)
United Arab Emirates (109th)
Lebanon (159th)
Group C
Japan (16th)
Uzbekistan (83rd)
Syria (104th)
North Korea (115th)
Group D
Australia (23rd)
Saudi Arabia (92nd)
Oman (107th)
Thailand (119th)
Group E
Iran (54th)
Qatar (90th)
Bahrain (100th)
Indonesia (137th)
Group A
China (73rd)
Jordan (91st)
Iraq (108th)
Singapore (131st)
Group B
South Korea (28th)
Kuwait (95th)
United Arab Emirates (109th)
Lebanon (159th)
Group C
Japan (16th)
Uzbekistan (83rd)
Syria (104th)
North Korea (115th)
Group D
Australia (23rd)
Saudi Arabia (92nd)
Oman (107th)
Thailand (119th)
Group E
Iran (54th)
Qatar (90th)
Bahrain (100th)
Indonesia (137th)
World Cup Qualifying Draw- Africa
The first round of African qualifying will consist of the 24 lowest ranked teams in 12 home-and-away ties. The matches will be played on November 11th and 15th. Here are the contests with the teams world rank in parenthesis.
Djibouti (194th) vs Namibia (140th)
Mauritius (195th) vs Liberia (125th)
Guinea-Bissau (151st) vs Togo (123rd)
Seychelles (199th) vs Kenya (130th)
Somalia (191st) vs Ethiopia (139th)
Equatorial Guinea (155th) vs Madagascar (149th)
Comoros (175th) vs Mozambique (103rd)
Eritrea (188th) vs Rwanda (134th)
Chad (158th) vs Tanzania (127th)
Lesotho (184th) vs Burundi (143rd)
Swaziland (169th) vs Congo DR (123rd)
São Tomé and Príncipe (unranked) vs Congo (129th)
The reason São Tomé and Príncipe is unranked is because they have not played a match since 2003 and the world rankings only look at matches played in the last four.
Djibouti (194th) vs Namibia (140th)
Mauritius (195th) vs Liberia (125th)
Guinea-Bissau (151st) vs Togo (123rd)
Seychelles (199th) vs Kenya (130th)
Somalia (191st) vs Ethiopia (139th)
Equatorial Guinea (155th) vs Madagascar (149th)
Comoros (175th) vs Mozambique (103rd)
Eritrea (188th) vs Rwanda (134th)
Chad (158th) vs Tanzania (127th)
Lesotho (184th) vs Burundi (143rd)
Swaziland (169th) vs Congo DR (123rd)
São Tomé and Príncipe (unranked) vs Congo (129th)
The reason São Tomé and Príncipe is unranked is because they have not played a match since 2003 and the world rankings only look at matches played in the last four.
Friday, July 29, 2011
AFC Second Round Results
Here are the second round results. Listed first is the result of the 2nd leg, then the aggregate score is in parenthesis. Home team for the second leg is listed first.
Nepal 1 (1)
Jordan 1 (10)
This tie was over after the first leg, so Jordan brought a much changed squad to Nepal and came away with a 1-1 draw. Jordan is seeded in the second pot for Saturday's group stage draw. Match report and rainy highlights
Maldvies 0 (0)
Iran 1 (5)
Iran also had a big advantage after the first leg and cruised to the next round by picking up a win courtesy of a late first half goal by Mohammad Reza Khalatbari. Iran will be seeded in the first pot on Saturday. Match report and highlights
Hong Kong 0 (0)
Saudi Arabia 5 (8)
The Saudis did not want to take any chances relaxing on a three goal advantage entering the second leg and scored five in Hong Kong. The tie was officially put to bed when the Saudis scored three goals in 10 minutes in the second half. Saudi Arabia will be in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Laos 1 (3)
China 6 (13)
China scored the most overall goals in this round, scoring six in Laos after entering the second leg with a five goal lead. China got the last spot in pot one, which they will be thrilled with. Match report and highlights
Myanmar 0 (0)
Oman 2 (4)
Different leg, same result for Oman. Same goal scorers as well, even in the same order as Amad Al Hosni and Ismail Sulaiman Al Ajmi sent Oman into the next round. This match was abandoned in the 92nd minute due to crowd trouble, but FIFA allowed the result to stand instead of giving Oman a walkover 3-0 win. The punishment for Myanmar has not been released yet. Oman will be in the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Kyrgyzstan 0 (0)
Uzbekistan 3 (7)
Uzbekistan safely cruised into the next round, extending their lead from the first leg with three second half goals. Uzbekistan just missed out on the first pot, and will be in the second for the draw. Match report and no highlights available yet.
Vietnam 2 (2)
Qatar 1 (4)
Qatar put the tie out of reach early in the second leg via a 16th minute goal from Yusef Ali. This meant Vietnam needed to score five unanswered in order to advance, they did regain some pride by scoring two and coming away with the win, although their campaign is over. Qatar will be placed in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Bangladesh 2 (2)
Lebanon 0 (4)
The four goal deficit was simply too much for Bangladesh to overcome, although they did pick up a nice home win to close out their campaign. Lebanon, due to their low FIFA ranking, will be the last ranked team in the draw and placed in pot four. Match report and highlights
Yemen 0 (0)
Iraq 0 (2)
This match was held in the UAE due to the political instability in Yemen. It proved to be a rather dull encounter as well. Iraq's two goal advantage from the first leg was enough to send them to the next round where they will be placed in the third pot. Match report but no highlights
Tajikistan 0 (1)
Syria 4 (6)
Syria was at risk for an upset after only winning by one in the home leg, but came out firing in Tajikistan. Two first half goals by Raja Rafe quelled their worries and they ended up with a comfortable 6-1 win on aggregate. Syria will be in the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights.
Philippines 1 (1)
Kuwait 2 (5)
The Philippines got a first half goal in stoppage time to make this tie interesting. It got even more interesting when Kuwait had a man sent off in the 58th minute, but in the end Kuwait was able to overturn the deficit and pick up a 2-1 win to win the tie comfortably. Kuwait will be placed in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Palestine 2 (2)
Thailand 2 (3)
In a highly entertaining game, Thailand was able to scrap their way to the next round. Palestine scored in the sixth minute through Murad Alyan to even the tie at one, but Thailand equalized the game and took the lead in the tie in the 33rd when Datsakorn Thonglao scored. Palestine needed to win by two to advance, and was able to score in the 90th with Alyan again the scorer. However, they ran out of time pushing forward and Thonglao clinched progression with a 94th minute goal. Thailand will be put in the fourth pot. Match report and highlights
India 2 (2)
UAE 2 (5)
This game was played underwater it appears (check these highlights), and UAE was able to solidify their lead from the first leg, scoring the first two int he match. India regained some pride by answering back with two late goals but bow out of the campaign. UAE will go in to the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Malaysia 1 (4)
Singapore 1 (6)
This match saw 90,000 people attend, by far the biggest of the round. Facing a two goal deficit, Safee Sali scored in the 58th minute to give Malaysia some hope of advancing. However, Shi Jiayi replied in the 73rd minute to restore Singapore's advantage in the tie and send them through. Singapore will be in the fourth pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Indonesia 4 (5)
Turkmenistan 3 (4)
Everything was up for grabs in this second leg, and Indonesia opened the game with two goals from Cristian Gonzáles in the first 20 minutes. A 42nd minute goal extended their lead to 4-1 on aggregate going into halftime and it looked like they would waltz to the next round. When Turkmenistan scored in the 70th, Indonesia answered right back in the 76th. Two late goals in the 83rd and 86th from Turkmenistan made things interesting, and one more would have sent Turkmenistan through. Indonesia would hang on and advance to the next round, where they will be in the fourth pot. Match report and highlights
So to summarize this round, there were no big surprises. None of the teams who had to play in the first round made it past the second, Malaysia and Palestine came the closest to doing so. Here are the pots the team will be placed in for the draw tomorrow including the five teams (Australia, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, and Bahrain) who had byes up until this round. Listed in parenthesis is the FIFA ranking of the country.
Pot 1
Japan (16th)
Australia (23rd)
South Korea (28th)
Iran (54th)
China (73rd)
Pot 2
Uzbekistan (83rd)
Qatar (90th)
Jordan (91st)
Saudi Arabia (92nd)
Kuwait (95th)
Pot 3
Bahrain (100th)
Syria (104th)
Oman (107th)
Iraq (108th)
UAE (109th)
Pot 4
North Korea (115th)
Thailand (119th)
Singapore (131st)
Indonesia (137th)
Lebanon (159th)
Nepal 1 (1)
Jordan 1 (10)
This tie was over after the first leg, so Jordan brought a much changed squad to Nepal and came away with a 1-1 draw. Jordan is seeded in the second pot for Saturday's group stage draw. Match report and rainy highlights
Maldvies 0 (0)
Iran 1 (5)
Iran also had a big advantage after the first leg and cruised to the next round by picking up a win courtesy of a late first half goal by Mohammad Reza Khalatbari. Iran will be seeded in the first pot on Saturday. Match report and highlights
Hong Kong 0 (0)
Saudi Arabia 5 (8)
The Saudis did not want to take any chances relaxing on a three goal advantage entering the second leg and scored five in Hong Kong. The tie was officially put to bed when the Saudis scored three goals in 10 minutes in the second half. Saudi Arabia will be in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Laos 1 (3)
China 6 (13)
China scored the most overall goals in this round, scoring six in Laos after entering the second leg with a five goal lead. China got the last spot in pot one, which they will be thrilled with. Match report and highlights
Myanmar 0 (0)
Oman 2 (4)
Different leg, same result for Oman. Same goal scorers as well, even in the same order as Amad Al Hosni and Ismail Sulaiman Al Ajmi sent Oman into the next round. This match was abandoned in the 92nd minute due to crowd trouble, but FIFA allowed the result to stand instead of giving Oman a walkover 3-0 win. The punishment for Myanmar has not been released yet. Oman will be in the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Kyrgyzstan 0 (0)
Uzbekistan 3 (7)
Uzbekistan safely cruised into the next round, extending their lead from the first leg with three second half goals. Uzbekistan just missed out on the first pot, and will be in the second for the draw. Match report and no highlights available yet.
Vietnam 2 (2)
Qatar 1 (4)
Qatar put the tie out of reach early in the second leg via a 16th minute goal from Yusef Ali. This meant Vietnam needed to score five unanswered in order to advance, they did regain some pride by scoring two and coming away with the win, although their campaign is over. Qatar will be placed in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Bangladesh 2 (2)
Lebanon 0 (4)
The four goal deficit was simply too much for Bangladesh to overcome, although they did pick up a nice home win to close out their campaign. Lebanon, due to their low FIFA ranking, will be the last ranked team in the draw and placed in pot four. Match report and highlights
Yemen 0 (0)
Iraq 0 (2)
This match was held in the UAE due to the political instability in Yemen. It proved to be a rather dull encounter as well. Iraq's two goal advantage from the first leg was enough to send them to the next round where they will be placed in the third pot. Match report but no highlights
Tajikistan 0 (1)
Syria 4 (6)
Syria was at risk for an upset after only winning by one in the home leg, but came out firing in Tajikistan. Two first half goals by Raja Rafe quelled their worries and they ended up with a comfortable 6-1 win on aggregate. Syria will be in the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights.
Philippines 1 (1)
Kuwait 2 (5)
The Philippines got a first half goal in stoppage time to make this tie interesting. It got even more interesting when Kuwait had a man sent off in the 58th minute, but in the end Kuwait was able to overturn the deficit and pick up a 2-1 win to win the tie comfortably. Kuwait will be placed in the second pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Palestine 2 (2)
Thailand 2 (3)
In a highly entertaining game, Thailand was able to scrap their way to the next round. Palestine scored in the sixth minute through Murad Alyan to even the tie at one, but Thailand equalized the game and took the lead in the tie in the 33rd when Datsakorn Thonglao scored. Palestine needed to win by two to advance, and was able to score in the 90th with Alyan again the scorer. However, they ran out of time pushing forward and Thonglao clinched progression with a 94th minute goal. Thailand will be put in the fourth pot. Match report and highlights
India 2 (2)
UAE 2 (5)
This game was played underwater it appears (check these highlights), and UAE was able to solidify their lead from the first leg, scoring the first two int he match. India regained some pride by answering back with two late goals but bow out of the campaign. UAE will go in to the third pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Malaysia 1 (4)
Singapore 1 (6)
This match saw 90,000 people attend, by far the biggest of the round. Facing a two goal deficit, Safee Sali scored in the 58th minute to give Malaysia some hope of advancing. However, Shi Jiayi replied in the 73rd minute to restore Singapore's advantage in the tie and send them through. Singapore will be in the fourth pot for the draw. Match report and highlights
Indonesia 4 (5)
Turkmenistan 3 (4)
Everything was up for grabs in this second leg, and Indonesia opened the game with two goals from Cristian Gonzáles in the first 20 minutes. A 42nd minute goal extended their lead to 4-1 on aggregate going into halftime and it looked like they would waltz to the next round. When Turkmenistan scored in the 70th, Indonesia answered right back in the 76th. Two late goals in the 83rd and 86th from Turkmenistan made things interesting, and one more would have sent Turkmenistan through. Indonesia would hang on and advance to the next round, where they will be in the fourth pot. Match report and highlights
So to summarize this round, there were no big surprises. None of the teams who had to play in the first round made it past the second, Malaysia and Palestine came the closest to doing so. Here are the pots the team will be placed in for the draw tomorrow including the five teams (Australia, South Korea, Japan, North Korea, and Bahrain) who had byes up until this round. Listed in parenthesis is the FIFA ranking of the country.
Pot 1
Japan (16th)
Australia (23rd)
South Korea (28th)
Iran (54th)
China (73rd)
Pot 2
Uzbekistan (83rd)
Qatar (90th)
Jordan (91st)
Saudi Arabia (92nd)
Kuwait (95th)
Pot 3
Bahrain (100th)
Syria (104th)
Oman (107th)
Iraq (108th)
UAE (109th)
Pot 4
North Korea (115th)
Thailand (119th)
Singapore (131st)
Indonesia (137th)
Lebanon (159th)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New World Rankings and Pot Allocations Released
Today FIFA updated their world rankings. These rankings will be used to help seed teams in their respective confederations for qualifying. The pot allocations for each confederation's next stage were also released.
There will be a draw held on Saturday for each confederation's next round and tomorrow is the second leg of the second round of AFC qualifying. Results and highlights should be posted here sometime Friday. At some point here, the first round of CONCACAF qualifying will be reviewed.
There will be a draw held on Saturday for each confederation's next round and tomorrow is the second leg of the second round of AFC qualifying. Results and highlights should be posted here sometime Friday. At some point here, the first round of CONCACAF qualifying will be reviewed.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
AFC Second Round First Leg Qualifying Results
Here are the results of the first leg for the second round of AFC World Cup qualifying. The second legs will be held on July 28th. The home team is listed first while the team's FIFA ranking as of June 27th is in parenthesis.
China (75th) 7
Laos (174th) 2
A quick look at the score appears to show an easy win for the Chinese, however they did struggle with Laos. Laos scored the first two goals of the game before China pulled one back just before halftime. The Chinese then erupted for six unanswered in the second half, with Yang Xu finishing with a hat-trick. Surprisingly, only 13,500 Chinese fans came out for this game held at Tuodong Stadium which seats 40,000. Going into the second leg, it appears the Chinese have done enough to advance to round three as they attempt to reach their first World Cup since 2002. Match report and highlights
Syria (109th) 2
Tajikistan (135th) 1
This match was played in Jordan due to the political instability in Syria. Syria would take the lead just before halftime when George Mourad, who previously had played twice for Sweden's national team in friendlies, scored his first goal in four appearances for Syria. Kamael Saedov equalized for Tajikistan with a fantastic left-footed shot just two minutes into the second half before Raja Rafe headed in winner in the 77th although the tie is definitely up for grabs in the second leg in Tajikistan. Match report and highlights
United Arab Emirates (110th) 3
India (147th) 0
UAE took a significant step toward progressing with an easy 3-0 win at home. Two first-half penalties in ten minutes was all they needed and a late goal in the 82nd appeared to put the tie out of reach. For India, unless they are able to overturn this deficit it will end yet another disappointing campaign for the second most populous nation in the world. Match report and highlights
Thailand (123rd) 1
Palestine (167th) 0
In one of the more evenly matched ties, Thailand used a 19th minute goal from midfielder Jakkraphan Kaewprom to pick up the tight win against Palestine. His right-footed shot across goal appeared to take a deflection and got by keeper Mohammed Shbair. Thailand had numerous chances to extend their lead, hitting the bar twice and having a penalty kept out by Shbair, and may rue those missed opportunities if Palestine can win by two or more goals on Thursday. Match report and highlights
Oman (107th) 2
Myanmar (167th) 0
Oman cruised to a 2-0 win, which sets them up nicely for advancing. A header from a corner kick could not be cleared off the line in the 20th minute, which gave Oman the lead. In the second half they extended their lead after Myanmar could not clear an indirect free kick effectively. Amad Al Hosni scored his 37th international goal with the opener and Ismail Sulaiman Al Ajmi scored the second, his 12th international goal. Match report and highlights
Lebanon (177th) 4
Bangladesh 163rd) 0
Don't be fooled by Lebanon's low FIFA ranking, they are much better than what they are ranked. Two goals in each half were plenty and should put Lebanon into the next round easily. Match report and highlgihts
Jordan (84th) 9
Nepal (148th) 0
Jordan had the biggest win of all the games and should be assured of advancement after their nine goal win. Hassan Abdel Fattah scored four goals in the match, getting the scoring started in the 10th minute and concluding it as well with his 93rd minute tally. Nepal will try to salvage some pride in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Uzbekistan (86th) 4
Kyrgyzstan (169th) 0
Uzbekistan, a popular sleeper choice for qualification, won the first leg of the battle of the stan's on the strength of three second half goals. Uzbekistan completely dominated the match from the start, but could not put one in until Alexander Geynrikh scored in the 28th minute. The floodgates opened in the second half and Uzbekistan seems assured of advancing to the next round. Match report and highlights
Iraq (96th) 2
Yemen (131st) 0
A goal in each half spurred Iraq by Yemen as the 2007 Asian Cup Champions look to qualify for the second time in history. A ninth minute goal from Hawar Mulla Mohammed started things for the Iraqis before a 63rd minute team goal ended by Alaa Al-Zahra ensured the victory, which gives Yemen a tough deficit to overturn in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Saudi Arabia (92nd) 3
Hong Kong (146th) 0
Saudia Arabia erased some of the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2010 finals and their performance in the 2011 Asian Cup by dispatching Hong Kong at home. Two goals in added time in the first half sent them on their way, before a third just two minutes into the second half sealed the win and perhaps the tie. Match report and highlights
Kuwait (102nd) 3
Philippines 159th) 0
Kuwait, another potential sleeper, defeated the upstart Philippines. Yousef Nasser scored the opener in the 16th minute. In the second half, Musaed Neda extended the lead finishing a goalmouth scramble. Fahad Al Ebrahim scored a great solo goal that should thwart any hope of a Philippines comeback in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Qatar (94th) 3
Vietnam (140th) 0
The 2022 host nation eased to a three goal win against Vietnam. Mohammed Kasola scored an early goal off a set-piece to give Qatar the lead. In the second half, Meshal Mubarak doubled the host's advantage with a shot from an acute angle. Yusef Ali may have ensured advancement with his goal in the 68th minute. Match report and highlights
Iran (50th) 4
Maldives 151st) 0
The highest ranked team in this round had no problem with the Maldives. Karim Ansarifard scored the first two goals, one just four minutes in and the second in the 62nd, as Iran looks to get back to the World Cup after missing the 2010 finals. Ali Karimi, former Asian player of the year, and Saeid Daghighi were the two other scorers for Iran. Match report and highlights
Turkmenistan (143rd) 1
Indonesia (132nd) 1
There is everything to play for in the second leg of this match up as these two sides played to a tight draw. The home side took the lead in the 12th minute through Vyacheslav Krendelyov, but Muhammad Ilham would equalize in the 30th minute for Indonesia. Turkmenistan had a man sent off in the 76th minute, but Indonesia could not capitalize and the teams head to Jakarta. Match report and highlights
Singapore (142nd) 5
Malaysia (144th) 3
The craziest game in the round once again goes to Malaysia, who fell in this eight-goal thriller. Malaysia took the lead in the very first minute only to give it up six minutes later. Singapore appeared as if they would run away with the leg, as they took a 4-1 lead. However, Malaysia struck back with goals in the 70th and 71st minutes to cut the deficit to 4-3 to set up a thrilling finish. Aleksandar Duric would put the game away in the 82nd minute although this tie is far from over. Each side had a player sent off in the game in this derby between neighboring nations. Match report and highlights
China (75th) 7
Laos (174th) 2
A quick look at the score appears to show an easy win for the Chinese, however they did struggle with Laos. Laos scored the first two goals of the game before China pulled one back just before halftime. The Chinese then erupted for six unanswered in the second half, with Yang Xu finishing with a hat-trick. Surprisingly, only 13,500 Chinese fans came out for this game held at Tuodong Stadium which seats 40,000. Going into the second leg, it appears the Chinese have done enough to advance to round three as they attempt to reach their first World Cup since 2002. Match report and highlights
Syria (109th) 2
Tajikistan (135th) 1
This match was played in Jordan due to the political instability in Syria. Syria would take the lead just before halftime when George Mourad, who previously had played twice for Sweden's national team in friendlies, scored his first goal in four appearances for Syria. Kamael Saedov equalized for Tajikistan with a fantastic left-footed shot just two minutes into the second half before Raja Rafe headed in winner in the 77th although the tie is definitely up for grabs in the second leg in Tajikistan. Match report and highlights
United Arab Emirates (110th) 3
India (147th) 0
UAE took a significant step toward progressing with an easy 3-0 win at home. Two first-half penalties in ten minutes was all they needed and a late goal in the 82nd appeared to put the tie out of reach. For India, unless they are able to overturn this deficit it will end yet another disappointing campaign for the second most populous nation in the world. Match report and highlights
Thailand (123rd) 1
Palestine (167th) 0
In one of the more evenly matched ties, Thailand used a 19th minute goal from midfielder Jakkraphan Kaewprom to pick up the tight win against Palestine. His right-footed shot across goal appeared to take a deflection and got by keeper Mohammed Shbair. Thailand had numerous chances to extend their lead, hitting the bar twice and having a penalty kept out by Shbair, and may rue those missed opportunities if Palestine can win by two or more goals on Thursday. Match report and highlights
Oman (107th) 2
Myanmar (167th) 0
Oman cruised to a 2-0 win, which sets them up nicely for advancing. A header from a corner kick could not be cleared off the line in the 20th minute, which gave Oman the lead. In the second half they extended their lead after Myanmar could not clear an indirect free kick effectively. Amad Al Hosni scored his 37th international goal with the opener and Ismail Sulaiman Al Ajmi scored the second, his 12th international goal. Match report and highlights
Lebanon (177th) 4
Bangladesh 163rd) 0
Don't be fooled by Lebanon's low FIFA ranking, they are much better than what they are ranked. Two goals in each half were plenty and should put Lebanon into the next round easily. Match report and highlgihts
Jordan (84th) 9
Nepal (148th) 0
Jordan had the biggest win of all the games and should be assured of advancement after their nine goal win. Hassan Abdel Fattah scored four goals in the match, getting the scoring started in the 10th minute and concluding it as well with his 93rd minute tally. Nepal will try to salvage some pride in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Uzbekistan (86th) 4
Kyrgyzstan (169th) 0
Uzbekistan, a popular sleeper choice for qualification, won the first leg of the battle of the stan's on the strength of three second half goals. Uzbekistan completely dominated the match from the start, but could not put one in until Alexander Geynrikh scored in the 28th minute. The floodgates opened in the second half and Uzbekistan seems assured of advancing to the next round. Match report and highlights
Iraq (96th) 2
Yemen (131st) 0
A goal in each half spurred Iraq by Yemen as the 2007 Asian Cup Champions look to qualify for the second time in history. A ninth minute goal from Hawar Mulla Mohammed started things for the Iraqis before a 63rd minute team goal ended by Alaa Al-Zahra ensured the victory, which gives Yemen a tough deficit to overturn in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Saudi Arabia (92nd) 3
Hong Kong (146th) 0
Saudia Arabia erased some of the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2010 finals and their performance in the 2011 Asian Cup by dispatching Hong Kong at home. Two goals in added time in the first half sent them on their way, before a third just two minutes into the second half sealed the win and perhaps the tie. Match report and highlights
Kuwait (102nd) 3
Philippines 159th) 0
Kuwait, another potential sleeper, defeated the upstart Philippines. Yousef Nasser scored the opener in the 16th minute. In the second half, Musaed Neda extended the lead finishing a goalmouth scramble. Fahad Al Ebrahim scored a great solo goal that should thwart any hope of a Philippines comeback in the second leg. Match report and highlights
Qatar (94th) 3
Vietnam (140th) 0
The 2022 host nation eased to a three goal win against Vietnam. Mohammed Kasola scored an early goal off a set-piece to give Qatar the lead. In the second half, Meshal Mubarak doubled the host's advantage with a shot from an acute angle. Yusef Ali may have ensured advancement with his goal in the 68th minute. Match report and highlights
Iran (50th) 4
Maldives 151st) 0
The highest ranked team in this round had no problem with the Maldives. Karim Ansarifard scored the first two goals, one just four minutes in and the second in the 62nd, as Iran looks to get back to the World Cup after missing the 2010 finals. Ali Karimi, former Asian player of the year, and Saeid Daghighi were the two other scorers for Iran. Match report and highlights
Turkmenistan (143rd) 1
Indonesia (132nd) 1
There is everything to play for in the second leg of this match up as these two sides played to a tight draw. The home side took the lead in the 12th minute through Vyacheslav Krendelyov, but Muhammad Ilham would equalize in the 30th minute for Indonesia. Turkmenistan had a man sent off in the 76th minute, but Indonesia could not capitalize and the teams head to Jakarta. Match report and highlights
Singapore (142nd) 5
Malaysia (144th) 3
The craziest game in the round once again goes to Malaysia, who fell in this eight-goal thriller. Malaysia took the lead in the very first minute only to give it up six minutes later. Singapore appeared as if they would run away with the leg, as they took a 4-1 lead. However, Malaysia struck back with goals in the 70th and 71st minutes to cut the deficit to 4-3 to set up a thrilling finish. Aleksandar Duric would put the game away in the 82nd minute although this tie is far from over. Each side had a player sent off in the game in this derby between neighboring nations. Match report and highlights
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
AFC First Round Results
Here are the aggregate results of the first round of World Cup qualifying for Asia. Overall this round went as expected without any major upsets according to the FIFA World Rankings.
Vietnam 13 Macau 1
The highest ranked team in this round according to FIFA at 140th had no problem with Macau, dispatching them 6-0 at home and 7-1 on the road for the biggest win of the round. Lê Công Vinh, who currently plays for the 2010 V-League champions Hà Nội T&T, scored a first half hat-trick in the first leg and followed it up with four more goals in the second leg. Second leg highlights are here
Myanmar 2 Mongolia 1
In a closely contested round, Myanmar overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit by winning the second leg at home 2-0 to advance. A 85th minute goal by Mai Aih Naing turned out to be the difference.
Bangladesh 3 Pakistan 0
A first leg victory at home by the score of 3-0 would be all Bangladesh would need to cruise by Pakistan. Mohamed Hasan scored in the first minute of the match. Highlights are here. The second leg in Pakistan ended 0-0.
Laos 8 Cambodia 6 (a.e.t)
In the craziest two legs of the round, these two southeast Asian nations battled in two high scoring games. The first leg in Cambodia resulted in a 4-2 victory for the home side. Laos opened the with two first half goals before Cambodia pulled one back before halftime. Laos scored two more at the beginning of the second half and appeared to be moving on until Cambodia made the leg 4-2 and 6-6 on aggregate with 15 minutes to go. Since each leg finished the same score, the teams went into extra time where Laos put the tie away with two goals to win the second leg 6-2 and advance to the next round. Here are some highlights of the second leg
Nepal 7 Timor-Leste 1
Nepal had the fortune of drawing the worst side in Asia according to FIFA as Timor-Leste is ranked 202nd in the world. They faced a difficult first leg at home however, winning 2-1. After a penalty put Nepal ahead in the first half, Timor-Leste equalized at the start of the second, before Ju Manu Rai ensured victory with a 70th minute tally. Highlights of the first leg here. The lack of infrastructure in Timor-Leste led to the second leg also being played in Nepal. They had a much easier go of it in this leg, winning comfortably 5-0.
Philippines 5 Sri Lanka 1
The Philippines scrapped out a 1-1 draw in the away leg. Nate Burkey, a former player at Virginia Commonwealth University, scored the equalizer in the 50th minute. The Philippines then erupted for four goals in the second leg to win the tie. Phil Younghusband, who played for Chelsea's youth and reserve teams, scored two goals in the 4-0 victory. Highlights of the second leg can be found here
Palestine 3 Afghanistan 1
In a slight upset, Palestine beat Afghanistan 2-0 on the road in the first leg to help propel them into the second round. In the second leg, Hussam Wadi scored a fantastic goal in the home leg to give his team the lead before Afghanistan equalized as it finished 1-1.
Malaysia 4 Chinese Tapei 4 (Malaysia advances on away goals rule)
Malaysia held off an upset bid from Chinese Tapei, barely advancing to the next round. They would win the home leg 2-1 thanks to goals from Safiq Rahim and Mohamad Abd Radzak. A late goal by Chinese Tapei would give them hope entering the second leg. They would use two penalties to edge Malaysia 3-2 on the day, coming from a goal down twice. However, it would not be enough to advance due to Malaysia scoring two away goals compared to the lone one for Chinese Tapei. Highlights of the two legs are here.
Vietnam 13 Macau 1
The highest ranked team in this round according to FIFA at 140th had no problem with Macau, dispatching them 6-0 at home and 7-1 on the road for the biggest win of the round. Lê Công Vinh, who currently plays for the 2010 V-League champions Hà Nội T&T, scored a first half hat-trick in the first leg and followed it up with four more goals in the second leg. Second leg highlights are here
Myanmar 2 Mongolia 1
In a closely contested round, Myanmar overturned a 1-0 first leg deficit by winning the second leg at home 2-0 to advance. A 85th minute goal by Mai Aih Naing turned out to be the difference.
Bangladesh 3 Pakistan 0
A first leg victory at home by the score of 3-0 would be all Bangladesh would need to cruise by Pakistan. Mohamed Hasan scored in the first minute of the match. Highlights are here. The second leg in Pakistan ended 0-0.
Laos 8 Cambodia 6 (a.e.t)
In the craziest two legs of the round, these two southeast Asian nations battled in two high scoring games. The first leg in Cambodia resulted in a 4-2 victory for the home side. Laos opened the with two first half goals before Cambodia pulled one back before halftime. Laos scored two more at the beginning of the second half and appeared to be moving on until Cambodia made the leg 4-2 and 6-6 on aggregate with 15 minutes to go. Since each leg finished the same score, the teams went into extra time where Laos put the tie away with two goals to win the second leg 6-2 and advance to the next round. Here are some highlights of the second leg
Nepal 7 Timor-Leste 1
Nepal had the fortune of drawing the worst side in Asia according to FIFA as Timor-Leste is ranked 202nd in the world. They faced a difficult first leg at home however, winning 2-1. After a penalty put Nepal ahead in the first half, Timor-Leste equalized at the start of the second, before Ju Manu Rai ensured victory with a 70th minute tally. Highlights of the first leg here. The lack of infrastructure in Timor-Leste led to the second leg also being played in Nepal. They had a much easier go of it in this leg, winning comfortably 5-0.
Philippines 5 Sri Lanka 1
The Philippines scrapped out a 1-1 draw in the away leg. Nate Burkey, a former player at Virginia Commonwealth University, scored the equalizer in the 50th minute. The Philippines then erupted for four goals in the second leg to win the tie. Phil Younghusband, who played for Chelsea's youth and reserve teams, scored two goals in the 4-0 victory. Highlights of the second leg can be found here
Palestine 3 Afghanistan 1
In a slight upset, Palestine beat Afghanistan 2-0 on the road in the first leg to help propel them into the second round. In the second leg, Hussam Wadi scored a fantastic goal in the home leg to give his team the lead before Afghanistan equalized as it finished 1-1.
Malaysia 4 Chinese Tapei 4 (Malaysia advances on away goals rule)
Malaysia held off an upset bid from Chinese Tapei, barely advancing to the next round. They would win the home leg 2-1 thanks to goals from Safiq Rahim and Mohamad Abd Radzak. A late goal by Chinese Tapei would give them hope entering the second leg. They would use two penalties to edge Malaysia 3-2 on the day, coming from a goal down twice. However, it would not be enough to advance due to Malaysia scoring two away goals compared to the lone one for Chinese Tapei. Highlights of the two legs are here.
The AFC World Cup Qualifying Process
As stated in the previous post, Asia is guaranteed four spots in the 2014 World Cup and a possible fifth via playoff. The qualifying process is similar to what the confederation used for the 2010 finals, which you can look at here.
A total of 43 of the 46 AFC teams entered qualifying. The three teams that did not were Guam, Brunei and Bhutan. Bhutan are the only members of FIFA to not participate in any World Cup qualifying matches although they did enter for 2010, but withdrew before playing a match due to difficulties getting their stadium ready. Guam's only participation in qualifying came during the 2002 cycle and they have not entered subsequently. Brunei was banned from entering qualifying. They had been under suspension by FIFA since September 2009 after government interference in football affairs. On May 31st of this year, Brunei was reinstated.
Prior to the draw for qualifying, the teams were seeded based on their performances in 2010 World Cup qualifying. The top five teams received a bye to the third round of qualifying. Teams ranked six to 27th received a bye to the second round while the remaining teams were placed in two pots. Pot A were the teams ranked 28-35 and Pot B was the teams ranked 36-43. A list of the rankings can be found here.
The first round consists of these teams being matched up and playing each other home and away with the aggregate winners joining teams in the second round. The second round consists of 15 of these matchups, with the winners joining the five teams already qualified for the third round.
In the third round, the 20 teams will be seeded and placed in five groups of four. Teams will play each opponent in their group both home and away with the top two in each group advancing to the fourth round.
The 10 remaining teams will then be drawn into two groups of five. They will play each group member home and away with the top two teams advancing to the World Cup Finals. The two third place teams will play off against each other for the spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Up next we will look at the results of the first round of qualifying, which match days were June 29th and July 3rd.
A total of 43 of the 46 AFC teams entered qualifying. The three teams that did not were Guam, Brunei and Bhutan. Bhutan are the only members of FIFA to not participate in any World Cup qualifying matches although they did enter for 2010, but withdrew before playing a match due to difficulties getting their stadium ready. Guam's only participation in qualifying came during the 2002 cycle and they have not entered subsequently. Brunei was banned from entering qualifying. They had been under suspension by FIFA since September 2009 after government interference in football affairs. On May 31st of this year, Brunei was reinstated.
Prior to the draw for qualifying, the teams were seeded based on their performances in 2010 World Cup qualifying. The top five teams received a bye to the third round of qualifying. Teams ranked six to 27th received a bye to the second round while the remaining teams were placed in two pots. Pot A were the teams ranked 28-35 and Pot B was the teams ranked 36-43. A list of the rankings can be found here.
The first round consists of these teams being matched up and playing each other home and away with the aggregate winners joining teams in the second round. The second round consists of 15 of these matchups, with the winners joining the five teams already qualified for the third round.
In the third round, the 20 teams will be seeded and placed in five groups of four. Teams will play each opponent in their group both home and away with the top two in each group advancing to the fourth round.
The 10 remaining teams will then be drawn into two groups of five. They will play each group member home and away with the top two teams advancing to the World Cup Finals. The two third place teams will play off against each other for the spot in the intercontinental playoff.
Up next we will look at the results of the first round of qualifying, which match days were June 29th and July 3rd.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Welcome
Hi and welcome to The Road to Brazil 2014. This blog will provide information and analysis during qualifying for the 2014 edition of the FIFA World Cup. You may or may not know this, but qualifying is already underway.
204 teams have entered qualification, all competing for 31 spots. Brazil has already qualified as the host nation. We will breakdown each confederations qualifying process and which nations are the favorites to progress to the finals. We will also try to illuminate the earlier rounds of qualifying where the minnows have their chance to shine.
There are six confederations in FIFA and they each have a certain allocation of places at the World Cup.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC): 4 or 5 places
The Confederation of African Football (CAF): 5 places
The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF): 3 or 4 places
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL): 4 or 5 places (not including Brazil)
Oceania (OFC): 0 or 1 places
Union of European Football Association (UEFA): 13 places
The fifth placed AFC team will play-off against the winner of OFC qualifying for a spot while the fifth placed team in CONMEBOL will play-off against the fourth placed team in CONCACAF. The playoffs will be two legs, home and away.
So welcome to the blog up first we will take a look at the AFC qualification process, which began at the end of June. Expect that post in the next couple of days.
204 teams have entered qualification, all competing for 31 spots. Brazil has already qualified as the host nation. We will breakdown each confederations qualifying process and which nations are the favorites to progress to the finals. We will also try to illuminate the earlier rounds of qualifying where the minnows have their chance to shine.
There are six confederations in FIFA and they each have a certain allocation of places at the World Cup.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC): 4 or 5 places
The Confederation of African Football (CAF): 5 places
The Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF): 3 or 4 places
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL): 4 or 5 places (not including Brazil)
Oceania (OFC): 0 or 1 places
Union of European Football Association (UEFA): 13 places
The fifth placed AFC team will play-off against the winner of OFC qualifying for a spot while the fifth placed team in CONMEBOL will play-off against the fourth placed team in CONCACAF. The playoffs will be two legs, home and away.
So welcome to the blog up first we will take a look at the AFC qualification process, which began at the end of June. Expect that post in the next couple of days.
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