Wednesday, August 31, 2011

AFC Round Three: Group E Preview

Group E is the final group left to preview for the third round of AFC qualifying. IT features Bahrain, Indonesia, Iran and Qatar. It is one of the more competitive groups and should be quite the battle for the top two spots.

With AFC and CONCACAF games beginning on Friday, we will preview all the games at some point tomorrow and make predictions so stay tuned for that. For now, lets take a look at group E.

Bahrain

FIFA rank: 101

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 1-0 by New Zealand in the Intercontinental playoff

How they got here: Received a bye to this round

The last two qualifying cycles have been filled of drama and heartbreak for Bahrain. Both times they played in the Asian playoff, which they won each time. Unfortunately they lost in the Intercontinental playoff both times.

First in 2006 qualifying Bahrain finished third in its group in the final round just one point ahead of North Korea. This setup a playoff with Uzbekistan. In a playoff soaked with controversy, FIFA ordered the first game replayed due to a referee error, Bahrain advanced on the away goals rule, 1-1 on aggregate. Bahrain then faced Trinidad and Tobago for a spot in the World Cup. The first leg finished 1-1 in T&T and Bahrain was favored to win the tie. However, T&T pulled out a huge 1-0 victory in Bahrain to make the World Cup.

Last cycle Bahrain once again finished in third in its group during the final round, four points in front of Qatar. They matched up against Saudi Arabia in the Asian playoff, and advanced on the away goals rule yet again, after one of the most dramatic finished ever. With the score tied at one in the 91st minute Saudi Arabia scored and Bahrain was headed out. Shockingly just a minute later Ismail Abdul-Latif struck from a corner to see Bahrain through. This time, they faced up with New Zealand for the World Cup spot. Once again they failed to seize the opportunity, missing a penalty and losing on aggregate 1-0.

Bahrain has never qualified for the World Cup and has only made four Asian Cups with its best result fourth in 2004. In the 2011 edition Bahrain was placed in the group of death along with Australia, India and South Korea. The side failed to progress from the group stage, losing 2-1 to South Korea, beating India 5-2 and falling to Australia 1-0.

Peter Taylor became coach of Bahrain in July. He was actually the first coach to give David Beckham the captaincy for England. Taylor was the caretaker manager for England for one match in 2000. Taylor has spent most of coaching career in the lower divisions of England. Here is the squad he called in for the first two qualifying games.

Bahrain Squad: Sayed Mohammed Jaffar, Abbas Ahmed, Hamad Al Dossary, Ebrahim Al Meshkhas, Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Saleh Abdulhameed, Salman Isa, Hamad Rakea, Hussain Baba, Dawood Saad, Mahmood Abdulrahman, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Fahad Al Hardan, Hamad Faisal Al Shaikh, Ahmed Hassan, Ahmed Al Khattal, Faouzi Aaish, Abdulla Ismail Omar, Mohammed Hussain, Rashed Al Hooti, Mohammed Al Duaij, Waleed Al Hayam, Mohammed Al Tayeb and Sayed Dhiya Saeed.

Abdulla Al Marzooqi and Hussain Baba are the anchors of the defense, both have over 60 caps for their country. Midfielder Salman Isa has over 100 caps for Bahrain and 16 goals. Ismaeel Abdullatif is counted on for his heading abilities up front.

Bahrain played two friendly matches in August, a 1-1 draw with Oman and a 1-0 triumph over Sudan, which may give them some momentum heading into qualifying.

While Bahrain is talented they have several issues, including a potential division in the squad. They are not favored to advance, but if they can beat rival Qatar, second place can be all theirs.

Indonesia

FIFA rank: 131

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 11-1 on aggregate to Syria in round two

How they got here: Defeated Turkmenistan 5-4 on aggregate in round two

Technically, Indonesia has made a World Cup. Way back in 1938, when the country was known as the Dutch East Indies, they became the first Asian side to qualify for the World Cup. They lost 6-0 to Hungary in the first round.

Indonesia has qualified four times for the Asian Cup, from 1996 to 2007. They never made it out of the group stage in any edition. The side's only wins were one in 2004 and one in 2007.

The Southeast Asian nation is one of only two teams left in AFC qualifying that did not make this round in the last cycle, the other being Tajikistan. In 2010 qualifying, Indonesia advanced to the second round after Guam withdrew. They faced off with Syria and were crushed on aggregate 11-1.

This cycle, Indonesia was given a fortunate draw in round two, being paired with Turkmenistan. The first leg saw Indonesia come away with a 1-1 draw and a potential crucial away goal. Full of confidence, Indonesia raced out to a lead in the second leg and then hung on for a 4-3 win and 5-4 triumph on aggregate to make the group stage. 88,000 people came to the home match for Indonesia.

The coach of Indonesia is Wim Rijsbergen, who was named in charge in 2011. He formerly coached several clubs in the Netherlands and briefly managed Trinidad and Tobago. Here is the squad he called in for the opening group games.

1) Markus H.

2) M. Roby

3) Ferry R.

4) M. Ilham

5) Hamka H.

6) M. Nasuha

7) Arif S.

8) Zulkifly S.

9) Tony S.

10) Beny W.

11)Wahyu W.

12) Irfan B.

13) C. Gonzales

14) Eka R.

15) Okto

16) Supardi

17) M.Ridwan

18) Bambang P.

19) Firman U.

20) Ferdinand S.

21) Made W.

22) Hariono

23) Amrizal

Captain Bambang Pamungkas is a striker who has 36 goals for the national side. Midfielder Firman Utina is another integral player for the squad. While the defense may not be the most experienced, they are backed in net by Markus Haris Maulana. All players on the squad play in the domestic league.

Since its win against Turkmenistan, Indonesia has played two friendlies in August. The first was a 4-1 victory over eliminated side Palestine and the second a 1-0 defeat to group A member Jordan. Highlights from the Palestine win are below.



It is highly unlikely that Indonesia will advance out of this group, and if they finish anywhere but last it will be a surprise. The side will have huge support at home however, which could go a long way in helping Indonesia obtain points.

Iran

FIFA rank: 53

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in final group stage with 11 points from eight games

How they got here: Defeated the Maldives 5-0 on aggregate in round two

Iran is one of the more successful teams in Asia, having qualified for three World Cups and 12 Asian Cups. Iran has also reached a high of 15 in the FIFA rankings, back in 2005.

Iran has never advanced out of the group stage in the World Cup. In its first appearance in 1978, the side's lone point was a 1-1 draw against Scotland. In 1998, Iran won one game, 2-1 over the USA. The 2006 World Cup went similarly for Iran, once again they only obtained one point, a 1-1 draw versus Angola.

Iran was the best team in Asia in the 1970s. They won three consecutive editions of the Asian Cup. However, since then the side has not made it back to the final. Recently, Iran's best result was a third place finish in 2004. The 2011 Asian Cup started off well for Iran, they won all three group games against Iraq, North Korea and U.A.E. However, in the quarterfinals Iran fell to South Korea 1-0 in extra time.

After the Asian Cup, Iran hired Carlos Queiroz to become manager of the squad. Queiroz was the assistant at Manchester United for most of the 2000s, before taking the job coaching Portugal, who he led at the 2010 World Cup. Here is the squad he called in for the opening group matches.

Goalkeepers:
Seyed-Mehdi Rahmati
Ali-reza Haghighi
Shahab Gordan

Defense:
Ehsan Hajsafi
Mehrdad Pouladi
Seyed-Jalal Hosseini
Hadi Aghili
Hanif Omranzadeh
Khsrow Heydari
Hossein Mahini

Midfield:
Javad Nekounam
Ghasem Hadadifar
Milad Zeneyedpour
Maziar Zare
Andranik Teymourian
Ali Karimi
Mojtaba Jabbari

Forwards:
Mohammad-reza Khalatbari
Arash Afshin
Gholam-reza Rezaei
Farhad Majidi
Mohammad Ghazi
Karim Ansarifard
Saeed Daghighi

Javad Nekounam and Ali Karimi have both received over 110 caps for Iran and have 26 and 37 international goals respectively. Nekounam plays in La Liga for Osasuna. Most members play in the domestic league in Iran however. Iran has called in a bunch of forwards, the most experienced is Farhad Majidi at the age of 35. Defensively, Jalal Hosseini and Hadi Aghili should anchor the side while in net Mehdi Rahmati will start.

Iran is the big favorite to win the group and progress. It will be interesting to see what Queiroz can do in charge of the national team and if he can lead them back to the World Cup.

Qatar


FIFA rank: 88

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in the final group stage with six points from eight games

How they got here: Defeated Vietnam 4-2 on aggregate in round two

The hosts of the 2022 World Cup have never qualified for football's biggest event. They have reached eight Asian Cups, making the quarterfinals twice including the most recent tournament, which they hosted.

In the 2011 edition, Qatar opened with a disappointing 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan. However, they rebounded with two nice wins, a 2-0 victory over China and a 3-0 thrashing of Kuwait. They finished second in the group and were paired with favorite Japan in the quarterfinals. Qatar took the lead twice in the game, but lost it each time and succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to the eventual champion.

The last qualifying cycle was a successful one for Qatar. They nudged out Iraq and China for the second spot in the first group round, advancing them to the final group stage. They finished four points back of Bahrain for the playoff spot, winning 4-0 against Uzbekistan and earning three draws.

Qatar was given a potentially tricky tie in the second round of qualifying in July with Vietnam. They quickly quelled any fears of an upset with a 3-0 win at home, despite losing 2-1 on the road, the team had enough to advance.

Sebastião Lazaroni, who coached Brazil at the 1990 World Cup, is currently the coach of Qatar. The squad he called in for the first group games can be found here.

All players on the squad play in the domestic league in Qatar. The side is captained by Bilal Mohammed, a defender who has 59 caps. Khalfan Ibrahim, 23, is potentially a danger man for the side. Up front, Sebastián Soria has 57 caps and 23 goals in his career, and will be counted on to continue his great strike rate if the side are to advance.

Recently Qatar has struggled. They played two friendlies in August and dropped them both. A 1-0 defeat to Iraq was followed by a 3-1 loss to the U.A.E. This is not a positive sign at all for Qatar's chances. They need to sort out their problems quickly if they want to finish ahead of Bahrain.

Prediction

Iran should finish at the top of the group without much of a problem. On the other hand, Indonesia should finish at the bottom of the group without much of a problem. However, the battle for second between Bahrain and Qatar should be very interesting. Eventually, Bahrain takes advantage of Qatar's poor recent form and just edges them out.

1. Iran
2. Bahrain
3. Qatar
4. Indonesia

FIFA Updates

With qualifying games a couple of days away, here is some news from several teams preparing for their opening games.

There is talk of hope and confidence in the Jordan camp.

Head coach of Australia, Holger Osieck, talked about playing positive football.

Australia's opposition, Thailand, have high hopes for its first two games.

New China coach, Jose Antonio Camacho, spoke of his goals for the side.

Japan has had Keisuke Honda and Kengo Nakamura ruled out of its first two qualifying games due to injury.

The U.A.E. are hoping for a big crowd for its crucial opening game against Kuwait.

In COCNACAF, Canada midfielder Marcel De Jong spoke about the possibility of qualifying for the World Cup.

Bermuda hopes for a result in its opening game against Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking of Trinidad and Tobago, they have high expectations for qualifying.

Finally, a bit of old news. Recall that in June Belize was suspended by FIFA for governmental interference. They lifted the suspension in time for the country to hold its second leg against Montserrat in the first round. Well now, they have officially cleared the country to continue in qualifying.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

AFC Round Three: Group D Preview

With only two groups left to preview, group D is up next in Asia. This group may be the most clear-cut group of the five in Asia with a drop in quality between all teams. Group D features Australia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. The top two finishers advance to the final round of Asian qualifying.

Australia

FIFA rank: 22

2010 qualifying result: Qualified for World Cup, failed to advance out of group D with four points

How they got here: Received bye to this round

Australia is the heavy favorite in this group and with good reason. One of the three best teams in Asia, the Socceroos are trying to qualify for its third consecutive World Cup and fourth overall.

Before the 2006 World Cup, Australia officially moved to the Asian Confederation from the Oceania Confederation. This was done to avoid having to participate in a playoff for a spot in the World Cup as a member of the OFC. For four straight World Cups, the Aussies had to playoff against another confederation in a home and away series for a World Cup place.

In 1994 qualifying, Australia first had to face Canada, who they defeated on penalty kicks, and then Argentina, who they lost to on aggregate and were eliminated from qualifying. 1998 qualifying saw more heartbreak, in the playoff Australia faced off against Iran. A 1-1 away draw had the Aussies in good shape, and they took a 2-0 lead in the home leg. However, Iran fought back and tied the game at two, and advanced on away goals. 2002 qualifying brought more of the same, Australia ran through Oceania qualifying and faced Uruguay in the playoff. They won 1-0 in Melbourne, but fell 3-0 in Montevideo and failed to qualify.

Finally in 2006 Australia was able to push through the playoff, just after it was announced that the side was moving to the AFC. Again paired with Uruguay, Australia lost the away leg 1-0. In the home leg, Australia won 1-0 which forced a penalty shootout, which the Socceroos triumphed 4-2 to qualify. The side had a great performance in the 2006 World Cup, making the knockout round where they fell to eventual champion Italy on a controversial late penalty.

In its first qualifying cycle as a member of the AFC, Australia easily navigated its way to the World Cup. They cruised to the top spot in the first group round despite losing two games, mostly with experimental squads. The final round saw Australia demonstrate its dominance as one of the premier teams in Asia. The side went undefeated with six wins and two draws and finished top of the group that featured Japan, Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan. while only conceding one goal. However, Australia failed to advance out of its group at the World Cup. An opening 4-0 loss to Germany was the difference, as a 1-1 draw with Ghana and 2-1 defeat of Serbia was not enough to improve its goal difference.

Following the 2010 World Cup, Holger Osieck was named the head coach of Australia. A distinguished manager, Osieck was the assistant on West Germany's 1990 World Cup champions team. He also managed Canada to its biggest achievement, winning the 2000 Gold Cup. His first tournament in charge was the 2011 Asian Cup, where Australia was in a group with South Korea, Bahrain and India.

Australia topped the group with seven points and faced Iraq in the quarterfinals. In a hard fought game, Australia advanced to the semis thanks to a 118th goal from Harry Kewell in extra time. There the side crushed underdogs Uzbekistan 6-0 to make the final where they faced off with Japan. Once again, the game went into extra time, but Australia conceded in the 109th minute and fell 1-0.

Here is the squad Osieck has called in for the first two qualifying matches.

Tim CAHILL - Everton FC, ENGLAND
Nathan COE - Sønderjysk Elitesport, DENMARK
Luke DeVERE - Gyeongnam FC, KOREA REPUBLIC -
Brett EMERTON - Blackburn Rovers, ENGLAND
Adam FEDERICI - Reading FC, ENGLAND
Brett HOLMAN - AZ Alkmaar, NETHERLANDS
Mile JEDINAK - Crystal Palace FC, ENGLAND
Josh KENNEDY - Nagoya Grampus, JAPAN
Neil KILKENNY - Bristol City FC, ENGLAND
Robbie KRUSE - Fortuna Dusseldorf, GERMANY
Scott McDONALD - Middlesbrough FC, ENGLAND
Matthew McKAY - Brisbane Roar, AUSTRALIA
Mark MILLIGAN - JEF United, JAPAN
Lucas NEILL - Al-Jazira Club, UAE
Sasa OGNENOVSKI - Seongham Ilwha Chunma, KOREA REPUBLIC
Adam SAROTA - FC Utrecht, NETHERLANDS
Mark SCHWARZER - Fulham FC, ENGLAND
Matthew SPIRANOVIC - Urawa Red Diamonds, JAPAN
James TROISI - Kayserispor Kulubu, TURKEY
Carl VALERI - U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, ITALY
Luke WILKSHIRE - FK Dinamo Moscow, RUSSIA
Rhys WILLIAMS - Middlesbrough FC, ENGLAND
Michael ZULLO - FC Utrecht, NETHERLANDS

Once again, Australia count on the comfortable presence of Mark Schwarzer in goal as he approaches 100 international caps. There is experience all around this squad, in defense with Lucas Neil and Luke Wilkshire. The midfield is also extremely experienced and the strong point for the Aussies. Tim Cahill leads the midfield and looks to add to his 24 international goals. Brett Emerton and Brett Holman are also familiar faces to fans everywhere while on the younger side of things James Troisi and Adam Sarota look to impress. Up front there is a little more inexperience, but plenty of talent. Joshua Kennedy will look to reach double digits in international goals and young Robbie Kruse at 22 may be the next Australian star forward.

Australia is the overwhelming favorite in this group and should easily top it. Ideally for them, they clinch qualification early and can experiment with some new players in the later games.

Oman


FIFA rank: 103

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in first group stage with eight points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Myanmar 4-0 on aggregate in round two

Oman has never reached a World Cup and has only qualified for the Asian Cup twice, in 2004 and 2007. Both times they failed to advance from the group stage. The side has always been a tier or two below the elite and above-average teams in Asia the past decade.

Oman just missed out on reaching the final qualifying round in 2010 qualifying. They finished third in a group that was topped by Japan with Bahrain placing second, Oman third and Thailand bottom. Losing to Bahrain at home was Oman's undoing, and they finished three points back of Bahrain at the conclusion of group play.

The side was involved in a controversial incident in round two against Myanmar. After winning the first leg 2-0, Oman also held a 2-0 lead in the second leg right on the stroke of halftime. Then, the referee brought the match to a halt after supporters of Myanmar began throwing objects on to the field. The match was not restarted and Oman was awarded the 2-0 win and moved onward.

While the country may not have ever reached a World Cup, the coach of Oman has. Paul Le Guen, a former defender for PSG and France, was named Oman coach in June 2011. Le Guen led Cameroon to the 2010 World Cup, where the side was the first eliminated and lost all three of its group games. Le Guen has also coached Rennes, Lyon, Rangers and PSG during his coaching career and won three Ligue 1 titles.

Since Le Guen's appointment as manager, Oman has experienced some great results and is unbeaten. His opening match in charge was a 1-1 draw with Kuwait, which was followed by a 1-0 win over Lebanon and 1-1 draw with Syria.

In August, Oman has played two friendlies to prepare for the opening of group play in round three. They tied Bahrain 1-1 and then defeated Kuwait a few days ago 1-0. These are encouraging signs for a side that is not expected to advance out of this group. Here is the squad called in for the first two qualifying games.

Ali al Habsi, Mohammed Huwaidi, Ismail al Ajmi, Hassan Mudhaffar, Ahmed Mubarak ‘Kanu’, Fauzi Basheer, Imaad al Hosni, Ahmed Hadeed, Faiz Rushaidi, Hassan Rabee’a, Qasim Masoud, Abdulrahman Saleh, Mohammed Saleh, Eid al Farsi, Ahmed Saleem, Saad Suhail, Nasser al Ali, Hamoud al Saadi, Rashid al Farsi, Hashim Saleh, Abdullah al Handasi, Mohammed She’eba.

Oman will rely heavily on Ali al Habsi, the Wigan goalkeeper, to keep them in matches. HAssan Mudhaffer, Ahmed Hadeed and Ahmed Mubarj are key components to the side in defense and midfield. Up front, Imad al Hosni is counted on to put the ball in the back of the net. He scored a goal in each game versus Myanmar.

While they may be dismissed by many, Oman has shown improvement under its new coach and has a shot to pull a shocker and beat Saudi Arabia out for the second spot. The two face each other in the opening match of group play in Oman, and the home side needs a win.

Saudi Arabia

FIFA rank: 87

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 2-2 on aggregate due to the away goals rule to Bahrain in the AFC playoff

How they got here: Defeated Hong Kong 8-0 on aggregate in round two

Saudi Arabia qualified for its first World Cup and 1994 and made it to the round of the 16. This began a streak of four consecutive World Cup appearances for the Middle Eastern nation as they became one of the powerhouses of Asian football. This streak ended in 2010 qualifying in one of the most dramatic games in World Cup qualifying.

Saudi Arabia qualified for the Asian playoff by finishing in third place in group B in the final round of qualifying. The side finished level with second place North Korea, but because of an inferior goal difference, lost out on automatic qualification. Therefore, they matched up against Bahrain, who finished third in group A. The first leg in Bahrain ended up 0-0, so a win in the second leg was all Saudi Arabia needed.

The Saudis scored in the 13th minute to take the lead, but Bahrain equalized just before halftime. With time running out on Saudi Arabia's World Cup chances as the second half entered injury time, the Saudi's scored in 91st minute to send the home fans into raptures. The side looked to have done enough and just needed to hold on for a couple minutes. However, in the 93rd minute Bahrain scored to tie the match at two and go through to the intercontinental playoff on away goals, crushing the dreams of the home fans and players.



Saudi Arabia has won three Asian Cups and also have finished second three times. The side's most recent win was in 1996 while they lost the 2007 final to Iraq 1-0. However, in 2011 they had a disappointing campaign, failing to advance out of the group stage.

In a group with Japan, Jordan and Syria, the Saudis were expected to move on, but they had a horrible tournament. It started with a shock 2-1 defeat to Syria. Another shock 2-1 defeat to Jordan was followed by a 5-0 thrashing by Japan, a real low-point for Saudi football.

After the Syria defeat, coach José Peseiro was fired. Interim coach Nasser Al-Johar saw out the rest of the tournament as the search began for a new manager. Under-20 coach Rogério Lourenço took charge of the second round qualifying games against Hong Kong, which Saudi Arabia was able to cruise through without any trouble. Then in early August, the Saudis found their man.

Frank Rijkaard was one of the Netherlands' greatest players, receiving 73 caps for his country. He then coached his homeland at Euro 2000, where he guided the side to the semifinals where they lost on penalties to Italy. Rijkaard eventually moved on to Barcelona, winning the UEFA Champions League and two La Liga titles during his tenure. After a brief coaching stop in Turkey with Galatasaray, he was given the Saudi Arabia job. Here is his first ever squad that was called in for the opening qualifiers.

Hasan A Otaibi, Yasser Al Musailim, Waleed Abdallah, Husein Shiaan, Abdallah Shohail, HAsan Muath, Ahmad Otaif, Nasser Al Shamrani, Osama Hosawi, Majed Al Mershidi, Abdallah Al Zouri, Mohammad Al Shalhoub, Nawaf Al Abed, Hamad Al Montashiri, Mohamed Eid Al Bishi, Rashed Al Raheb, Nayef Hazzazi, Taysir Al Jasem, Mutaz Al Musa, Ibrahim Ghaleb, Mishal Saeed, Yousef Al Salem, Yahya Al Shahri, Mohammad Al Sahlawi, Ahmad Al Faridi, Saoud Kariri, Abdulazizi Al Dosari, Yasser Al Qahtani.

Captain Yasser Al Qahtani has 72 caps and 28 goals for the national side, and is the only player who does not play his domestic football in Saudi Arabia. He plays for U.A.E. club Al-Ain. Midfielder Ahmed Al Fraidi is an emerging player for the side and should see an increase in responsibility. Naif Hazazi and Mohammad Al-Sahlawi are young strikers who may have bright futures. Mohammad Al-Shalhoub and Saud Kariri are the experienced players in the side that will be counted on in midfield.

Saudi Arabia is favored to advance out of the group, but if its performance in the Asian Cup is anything to go by, they could be ripe to upset. Rijkaard's first game in charge will be away to Oman and he needs a positive result.

Thailand


FIFA rank: 120

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in first group stage with one point from six games

How they got here: Defeated Palestine 3-2 on aggregate in round two

Thailand has never qualified for the World Cup although they have made six Asian Cups. The side's best result was third in the 1972 edition. Thailand had made five consecutive Asian Cups, failing to advance out of the group stage every time, until the 2011 version when they failed to qualify.

Thailand had a tough time in round two against upstart Palestine. In the first leg, they won 1-0 at home, giving them a very slim advantage to hold on to. In Palestine, Thailand fell behind early when Palestine took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. The away side fought back and equaled the score in the 33rd, which meant Palestine needed to score two goals to advance. Palestine got one in the 90th, but could not get the second and Thailand got a goal of its own just before the final whistle to solidify its aggregate win.

The East Asian nation hopes to better its performance in this round compared to last cycle. In 2010 qualifying, Thailand destroyed Macau 13-2 in round one before squeaking by Yemen 2-1 to make the first group stage. The side was placed with Japan, Bahrain and Oman. Thailand had one of the worst performances of all the teams still left in the competition, only gaining one point in the round, a draw to Bahrain.

Winfried Schäfer was named coach of Thailand in June. He formerly managed the Cameroon national team in the early 2000s. Here is the squad he called in for the opening two qualifying matches.

GK:
1. Siwarak Tetsungnoen (Buriram PEA)
2. Sintaweechai Hatairatanagun (Chonburi)
3. Chatchai Butpornhom (Osotspa)

Defenders:
4. Sutinan Pukhom (Chonburi)
5. Chonlatit Jantakam (Chonburi)
6. Niwet Siriwong (Pattaya)
7. Pratum Chootong (Osotspa)
8. Paitoon Tiemba (Muang Thong)
9. Supachai Komsilp (Bangkok Glass)
10. Teerathon Bunmatan (Buriram PEA)

Midfield:
11. Adul Lasoh (Chonburi)
12. Pokklao Anan (Police)
13. Surat Sukha (Chonburi)
14. Rangsan Wiwatchaichok (Buriram PEA)
15. Suchao Nutnum (Buriram PEA)
16. Datsakorn Thonglao (Muang Thong)
17. Jakrapan Kaewprom (Buriram PEA)
18. Athit Suntornpit (Chonburi)
19. Piyapon Bantao (Muang Thong)

Forwards:
20. Teerasil Dangda (Muang Thong)
21. Chatree Chimtale (Bangkok Glass)
22. Sompong Soleb (Buriram FC)
23. Sarayoot Chaikamdee (Bangkok Glass)

Thailand is missing a couple of important players that are out because of injury. Starting goalie Kawin Thammasatchanan is out as well as defender and captain Nataporn Phanrit. Striker Teerasil Dangda at 23 has 17 goals already in his young international career in only 38 caps. Also up top, Sarayuth Chaikamdee has 30 international goals in his experienced career. Midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao scored both of Thailand's goals in the second leg at Palestine and should receive his 80th cap for his country in the second match. Defensively, the side will have to count on the experience of Niweat Siriwong, who has over 90 caps.

The Thai's chances of finishing in the top two are slim, and need to do a lot just to stay off the bottom of the table. They may be the worst team left in Asia, and may not win any points during this round.

Prediction


At first glance it seems like Australia and Saudi Arabia should advance easily. That's probably true for Australia, but not so much for Saudi Arabia. The team has not had great performances at all this year, while Oman has produced some impressive results lately. In the end I think Saudi Arabia just has enough to move on, but would not be surprised if Oman knocks them off.

1. Australia
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Oman
4. Thailand

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Weekend Friendly Results

Six friendly games were held over the weekend that featured CONCACAF and AFC teams preparing for their opening qualifying matches in the next round.

First on Friday, Bahrain, placed in group E for the third round, defeated Sudan 1-0. Bahrain is in the same group as Iran, Qatar and Indonesia. Also on Friday, group A member Iraq tied an Ugandan U-23 side 2-2. Highlights of Iraq's goals are below.



Saturday saw two friendlies played between four sides still in Asian qualifying. Group D member Oman hosted and defeated Kuwait, of group B, 1-0. The lone goal was scored by Hussain Al-Hadhri.

Indonesia traveled to group A team Jordan and fell 1-0, thanks to a goal by Abdullah Deeb that was scored directly from a corner kick, an Olympic goal. Highlight below.



In CONCACAF, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines squared off in two friendly matches on Friday and Sunday. Antigua and Barbuda hosted both matches and won the first one by the score of 1-0. The group F side drew 2-2 with the group E member on Sunday, with the goals coming through captain George Dublin and Jaime Thomas for Anitgua and Barbuda. Here is an article describing the team's preparation with quotes from Dublin.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

AFC Round Three: Group C Preview

Next up in Asia is group C, the group of death in this round. Two of the four teams in the group made the 2010 World Cup, Japan and North Korea. Japan also won the 2011 Asian Cup while group member Uzbekistan made the semifinals. Tajikistan rounds out this group after being reinstated in the competition. Syria originally was placed into this group after beating Tajikistan in round two, but were disqualified after fielding ineligible player George Mourad in both games.

Japan

FIFA rank: 15

2010 qualifying result: Qualified for World Cup, eliminated in round of 16 on penalties to Paraguay

How they got here: Received a bye to this round

Japan is without a doubt the best team in Asia at the moment, having been unbeaten since the last World Cup, and is expected to make its fifth consecutive World Cup. Italian Alberto Zaccheroni took over in August 2010 and his first official match in charge was a shock 1-0 win over Argentina.

His first tournament in charge was the 2011 Asian Cup. After a troubling 1-1 draw with Jordan in its opening match, the side turned on the style for the rest of the group, beating Syria 2-1 and Saudi Arabia 5-0. It was enough to win the group and set up a quarterfinal match versus Bahrain.

Shinji Kagawa scored two goals and Japan came back from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 behind Masahiko Inoha's 89th minute goal. In the semifinals, Japan defeated rival South Korea on penalties to make the final. Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima saved all three penalties he faced in the shootout. This set up a final against Australia. With the match still 0-0 after 90 minutes, it entered extra time and appeared to be headed to penalty kicks. Finally, in the 109th minute, Tadanari Lee scored his first international goal to give Japan its fourth title and third in the last four editions. The win also qualifies Japan for the 2013 Confederations Cup.

Japan easily qualified for the 2010 World Cup, winning its first qualifying group with 13 points from its six group matches against Bahrain, Oman and Thailand. In the final group stage, Japan finished second to Australia with 15 points from its eight matches. This was enough to beat out Bahrain, who finished with 10 points, for the second automatic qualifying spot.

At the tournament, Japan advanced to the knockout stages after finishing second in group E with six points. The side won its opening match against Cameroon 1-0 and then fell to the Netherlands 2-0. Its final group match resulted in a 3-1 win over Denmark. In the round of 16, Japan battled Paraguay to a scoreless draw, but lost in penalty kicks 5-3.

In August, Japan defeated South Korea 3-0 in a friendly, a great sign for its upcoming qualifiers. Here is the squad called in for the first two qualifying matches.

Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Lierse SK/BEL), Shusaku Nishikawa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo)

Defenders: Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Yuzo Kurihara (Yokohama Marinos), Masahiko Inoha (Hajduk Split/CRO), Tomoaki Makino (1FC Koln/GER), Atsuto Uchida (FC Schalke/GER), Maya Yoshida (VVV Venlo/NED)

Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Yuki Abe (Leicester City/ENG), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg/GER), Hajime Hosogai (FC Augsburg/GER), Yosuke Kashiwagi (Urawa Red Diamonds)

Forwards: Tadanari Lee (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Shinji Okazaki (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Takayuki Morimoto (Novara/ITA), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Cerezo Osaka), Genki Haraguchi (Urawa Red Diamonds)

Okazaki and Honda are the two stars of the side and are expected to lead the front line. Japan is very experienced in the midfield with Endo, Nakamura, Abe and Hasebe all having played together for awhile. Uchida of Schalke has over 40 caps for the national side and is only 23.

Japan is the favorite and this group and despite the overall strength of the group, the side should be able to finish at the top.

North Korea

FIFA rank: 114

2010 qualifying result: Qualified for World Cup, eliminated with zero points from three games

How they got here: Received a bye to to this round

In 2010, North Korea qualified for its second World Cup and first since 1966. In the 1966 version, North Korea made the quarterfinals after a huge 1-0 upset win over Italy. Unfortunately, the side's luck was not the same in 2010.

After an impressive 2-1 defeat to favorite Brazil, North Korea was trounced 7-0 by Portugal and 3-0 by Ivory Coast. Star striker Ji Yun-Nam scored the lone goal of the tournament for North Korea, and statistically the side finished last out of all 32 nations.

The road to South Africa was a difficult one for North Korea, and was a tremendous accomplishment. After dispatching Mongolia 9-2 on aggregate to make the group stages, the side was placed with South Korea, Jordan and Turkmenistan. Not expected to advance, North Korea went unbeaten with three wins and three draws to make the final round. There they were placed with South Korea again, as well as Saudi Arabia, Iran and U.A.E.

Going into the final match, North Korea was tied with Saudi Arabia for second place and only one point ahead of Iran. A 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, combined with a 1-1 draw between South Korea and Iran, saw North Korea qualify due to a better goal difference.

Since the World Cup, North Korea has struggled with its form, including a disappointing Asian Cup campaign. There the side opened with a 0-0 draw with the U.A.E. followed by two troubling losses against Iran and Iraq. In preparation for the opening round of qualifiers, North Korea drew 0-0 with Kuwait in early August.

Not much info is known about the North Korean side, due to the way the country is run. They have not released a squad for the first two qualifying games yet. They are coached Yun Jong-Su.

The recent run of poor form has seen the side plummet in the world rankings, so despite the fact they had a bye to this stage, they were seeded in the worst pot. Unless something quickly changes, North Korea seems unlikely to repeat its run to the World Cup.

Tajikistan

FIFA rank: 153

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 3-1 on aggregate by Singapore in round two

How they got here: Defeated Syria 6-0 on aggregate in round two

A 6-0 aggregate win over Syria in round two looks great in the official results, but that does not tell any of the story of Tajikistan's journey. The side originally lost 6-1 on aggregate until they complained to FIFA about Syria playing George Mourad.

Mourad had previously been capped by Sweden in 2005 during two friendlies. He was still eligible to switch to Syria since he had not played in any official competition for Sweden. However, it appeared FIFA did not receive the proper paperwork detailing his change of nationality. FIFA's governing body sided with Tajikistan and threw the results of both legs out and made them both 3-0 victories to Tajikistan.

Tajikistan has never qualified for a World cup nor an Asian Cup. Already this is the furthest they have gotten in qualifying. In the last cycle they defeated Bangladesh 6-1 on aggregate in the first round, before falling to Singapore 3-1 on aggregate in the second.

Tajikistan's biggest achievement as a footballing nation was a win in the AFC Challenge Cup in 2006. This is a competition held for emerging nations in the continent, in an effort to help them develop football in their countries. The side won the inaugural edition in 2006, defeating Sri Lanka 4-0 in the final. In the 2008 tournament they finished second, losing to India 4-1 in the final. They placed third in 2010, defeating Myanmar 1-0 i the third place match. They are not eligible for the 2012 edition since they have risen too high up in comparison to the other nations.

Alimzhon Rafikov is currently the head coach of Tajikistan. He called in this squad for the first two qualifying matches.

Goalkeepers:
1. Alisher Tuychiev - Istiklol
2. Alisher Dodov - Regar-TadAZ
3. Vladimir Sisoev - Regar-TadAZ

Defenders:
4. Farhod Vosiev - Shinnik, Russia
5. Davron Ergashev - Istiklol
6. Jeraj Rajabov - Istiklol
7. Sohib Suvonkulov - Istiklol
8. Akmal Saburov - Istiklol
9. Umid Habibulloev - Istiklol
10. Odil Ergashev - Istiklol
11. Safarali Karimov - Regar-TadAZ
12. Farruh Choriev - Regar-TadAZ

MF:
13. Ibragim Rabimov - Istiklol
14. Fathullo Fathulloev - Istiklol
15. Mahmadali Sodikov - Istiklol
16. Dilshod Vosiev - Istiklol
17. Jahongir Jalilov - Istiklol
18. Nuriddin Davronov - Istiklol
19. Hurshid Mahmudov - Regar-TadAZ
20. Jamshid Ismoilov - Regar-TadAZ
21. Ilhom Ortikov - CSKA Pomir

Forwards:
22. Navruz Rustamov - Ravshan
23. Numon Hakimov - Regar-TadAZ
24. Jusuf Robiev - Istiklol
25. Farhod Tohirov - Istiklol

Robiev and Hakimov are the top two scorers in history for Tajikistan, with 15 and 14 goals respectively. Midfielder Rabimov can also score for the side, with seven career goals. The side has not played a competitive fixture since the Syria game.

Tajikistan is really lucky to be here and while they are developing nicely and improving, they probably will not pose a huge threat to the elite teams in this group.

Uzbekistan

FIFA rank: 82

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in final group stage with four points from eight games

How they got here: Defeated Kyrgyzstan 7-0 in round two

Currently the sixth highest ranked team in Asia, Uzbekistan has been right on the precipice of achieving some great accomplishments, but has not been able to get over the hump.

The biggest near-miss came in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. They had placed third in its group for the final round, meaning it had to playoff against the third place team in the other group, Bahrain, for a spot in the intercontinental playoff against Trinidad and Tobago. They originally won the home leg 1-0, but due to a referee error, the match was ordered replayed by FIFA. The replay finished in a 1-1 draw, and the away goal by Bahrain proved crucial as they held Uzbekistan to a 0-0 draw and advanced.

In 2010 qualifying, Uzbekistan once again made the final round. They won its group in the first group round, edging out Saudi Arabia on goal difference. The side could not measure up to Japan, Australia, Bahrain and Qatar and finished bottom of the group. Its lone win was a 4-0 triumph over Qatar.

The 2011 Asian Cup was Uzbekistan's best result at a major tournament. They won group A on the strength of 2-0 win against Qatar, a 2-1 victory over Kuwait, and a draw 2-2 to China. This was enough to win the group. In the quarterfinals, Uzbekistan met up with Jordan. Ulugbek Bakayev was on target twice for a 2-1 win. Unfortunately for Uzbekistan, they were thrashed 6-0 in the semifinals by Australia and fell 3-2 in the third place match against South Korea.

Uzbekistan is coached by Vadim Abramov and this is the squad he called in for the first two qualifying matches.

Goalkeepers:
Ignatiy Nesterov 1983 Bunyodkor
Viktor Mochalov 1991 Bunyodkor

Defenders:
Shavkat Mullajonov 1986 - Al-Ahli, Qatar
Viktor Karpenko 1977 - Bunyodkor
Islom Tuhtahodjaev 1989 - Neftchi
Anzur Ismailov 1985 - Changchun Yatai, China
Akbar Ismatullaev 1991 - Pakhtakor
Salim Mustafaev 1991 - Dinamo
Vitaliy Denisov 1987 - Dnepr, Ukraine

MF:
Server Djeparov 1982 - Al-Shabab, Saudi Arabia
Odil Ahmedov 1987 - Anji, Russia
Sanjar Tursunov 1986 - Volga, Russia
Timur Kapadze 1981 - Incheon United FC, Korea Republic
Aziz Haydarov - 1985 Al-Shabab, UAE
Vagiz Galiulin 1987 – Sibir, Russia
Stanislav Andreev 1988 - Pakhtakor
Lutfulla Turaev 1988 - Nasaf
Fozil Musaev 1989 - Nasaf
Jasur Hasanov 1989 - Buhoro
Djavlon Ibragimov 1990 Bunyodkor

Forwards
Aleksandr Geynrikh 1984 - Suvon, Korea Republic
Maksim Shatskikh 1978 - Arsenal, Ukraine
Ulugbek Bakaev 1978 – Djetisu, Kazakhstan
Marat Bikmaev 1986 - Alaniya, Russia
Bahodir Nasimov 1987 – Neftchi, Azerbaijan

Geynrikh has 24 international goals in 64 caps, including three at the Asian Cup. Midfielder Djeparov is the captain and has 16 goals in 75 caps. Maksim Shatskikh played ten years at Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukraine, and has 33 goals in his international career. In a good sign for the future of Uzbek football, the U-17 side made the quarterfinals of the 2011 U-17 World Cup.

Uzbekistan has been steadily growing as one of the better teams in Asia and will want to continue that with another final round appearance. There is added pressure on them, since the side is being tipped as a sleeper pick to qualify for the World Cup.

Prediction


Japan is in great form at the moment and should be able to top the group. Tajikistan will finish bottom of the group, there is too much of a gulf in quality between the sides. It will come down to Uzbekistan and North Korea for the second spot in the final round. Uzbekistan will narrowly edge the Koreans who have been in a decline since the World Cup.

1. Japan
2. Uzbekistan
3. North Korea
4. Tajikistan

Friday, August 26, 2011

AFC Round Three: Group B Preview

Group B for the third round of Asian qualifying features Kuwait, Lebanon, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Here Korea is the obvious favorite while there should be quite the battle for the second spot. Three of the four teams in this group have made the World Cup in their history.

Kuwait

FIFA rank: 95

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with four points from six games

How they got here: Defeated the Philippines 5-1 on aggregate in round two

Kuwait's biggest period of success came in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time they won the Asian Cup in 1980, and finished second in 1976 and third in 1984. The country's biggest achievement was qualifying for the 1982 World Cup. At the tournament, Kuwait drew its opening game with Czechoslovakia before falling to France 4-1 and England 1-0.

However, recent history has not been so kind to Kuwait. They did not qualify for the 2007 Asian Cup and finished bottom of their group in the third round of 2010 qualifying. That group included Iran and U.A.E. as the two advancing teams, as well as Syria who placed third. Kuwait's lone win in that round was a 4-2 home victory over Syria. The team did qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup.

In that tournament Kuwait only scored one goal and finished with three losses. An opening 2-0 loss to China was followed by a 2-1 defeat to group winner Uzbekistan. Kuwait finished the tournament by getting whipped by Qatar 3-0. Bader Al-Mutwa scored the lone goal for Kuwait in the group stage, a penalty kick.

Kuwait was given one of the harder draws in round two, a feisty Philippines side. They dealt with the potential threat well, starting the tie with a 3-0 leg victory at home before following up with a come from behind 2-1 triumph away.

Since the Asian Cup disappointment, the side is unbeaten and has picked up some great results. In March, Kuwait tied Asian Cup quarterfinalist Jordan 1-1 and beat rival Iraq 1-0. Prior to the second round of qualifying, Kuwait played a series of matches where they beat fellow group B member Lebanon 6-0, drew Oman 1-1 and defeated Iraq again 2-0. Earlier this month the side drew World Cup participant North Korea 0-0.

Kuwait has been coached by Serbian Goran Tufegdžić since 2009. The squad almost all come from the domestic league, the Kuwaiti Premier League. The league has been won by Al-Qadsia for the last three years and a majority of these players are called into the national side. Bader Al-Mutwa is Kuwait's best player at the moment, with 30 goals in 83 caps. Young forward Yousef Nasser has 11 goals in 20 caps, and is a player with a bright future at the young age of 20.

In all likelihood Kuwait will be battling U.A.E. for the second spot in this group and advancement. The first match is huge for Kuwait, they travel to U.A.E. and if they can pick up a point it will be a massive result.

Lebanon

FIFA rank: 160

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with zero points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Bangladesh 4-2 on aggregate in round two

Lebanon is most likely the worst team in Asia still left in the competition. They have the lowest FIFA rank and its recent results have been poor.

The program seemed to go in a self-imposed exile in 2010, not playing a game in over a year. This caused its FIFA ranking to plummet, and in April it was 178, Lebanon's worst ever. Luckily for Lebanon, the AFC chose to seed its teams for qualifying by performance in the last cycle and not current ranking, meaning Lebanon got a bye to the second round and was seeded.

In 2010 qualifying, Lebanon made the group stage by defeating India 6-3 on aggregate. They were placed in one of the weaker groups of the round, with Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Uzbekistan, but unfortunately they had a dismal performance. The side failed to accumulate any points in the round, losing all six games and only scoring three goals while conceding 14.

In the second round of qualifying in July, Lebanon was drawn with Bangladesh. They capitalized on the home advantage in the first leg, putting four past Bangladesh for a comfortable lead. Despite falling in the away leg 2-0, Lebanon had done enough to make it back to the group stage once again.

Lebanon's first two games back from its exile were both defeats. A 6-0 destruction by fellow group member Kuwait was followed by a 1-0 loss to Oman, then a 6-2 defeat to group member U.A.E. Earlier in the month, the Lebanese had an improved performance against Syria, falling 3-2 and also welcoming a new head coach.

Emile Rustom was fired as head coach after the second round of qualifying and former head coach, German Theo Bucker was appointed to take over. Bucker led the team during 2002 qualifying and has returned to attempt to help the resurrection of Lebanese football. In an interview with FIFA.com this month, Bucker reminded everyone "that nothing is impossible".

Lebanon's squad is made up of players from its weak domestic league. Not a lot of information is known about its players, although most play for teams in and around Beirut. Hassan Maatouk is the side's best scoring threat. He scored the opening goal against Bangladesh and has 11 goals in 21 appearances for the country.

Any points gained during this group stage will be a much-improved performance for Lebanon after its disastrous results during the last cycle. The side has almost no chance of advancing and if they do not finish in last place it will be a huge surprise.

South Korea


FIFA rank: 33

2010 qualifying result: Qualified for World Cup, lost in the round of 16 2-1 to Uruguay

How they got here: Received bye to the third round

South Korea is attempting to make its eighth consecutive World Cup and ninth overall. Its best result is fourth place overall, which they obtained at the World Cup it co-hosted with Japan in 2002.

The side easily qualified for the 2010 tournament in South Africa, not losing any of its games in both group rounds, finishing in first place of its group in the final round. Placed in group B in South Africa, Korea made the knockout round on the strength of a 2-0 win over Greece and a 2-2 with Nigeria.

In the round of 16 South Korea squared off against Uruguay. After falling behind in the first ten minutes, Korea fought back and equalized in the 68th. However, Uruguay took the lead for good in the 80th minute when Luis Suarez scored his second of the game to send the Asian nation home.

Cho Kwang-Rae took over as coach of the side following the World Cup, and his first tournament in charge was the 2011 Asian Cup in January, which Korea won the first two editions of, in 1956 and 1960.

Korea was placed in group C along with one of the favorites, Australia. The side would finish with seven points in the group stage, but place second in the group due to Australia's superior goal difference. South Korea opened the cup with a 2-1 victory over Bahrain, followed by a 1-1 draw against Australia and a 4-1 demolition of India.

In the quarterfinals Korea came up against group D winner Iran. After a scoreless 90 minutes, the match entered extra time. Yoon Bit-Garam scored in the 105th minute to put Korea into the semifinals where they faced rival Japan. In an enthralling match, Korea once again was forced to go into extra time after finishing tied at one. Japan scored early in extra time, but Korea came back and equalized with seconds remaining to force penalty kicks. However, Korea failed to make any of its shots and eventual champion Japan advanced. Korea would win the third-place match against Uzbekistan.

Since the Asian Cup, the team achieved some great results in the spring. A 0-0 draw with Turkey was followed by a 4-0 win over Honduras and 2-1 wins against Serbia and Ghana. In early August the recent run of good form was ended by a 3-0 defeat to Japan, not what Korea needed before they entered qualifying.

Having lost Park Ji-Sung to international retirement after the Asian Cup, Korea has had to reshape its squad. It is also without Bolton winger Lee Chung-Yong, who is out due to injury. Here is the squad called in for the first two qualifying games.

Goalkeepers: Kim Young-kwang (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Jin-hyun (Cerezo Osaka, Japan), Jung Sung-ryong (Suwon Bluewings)

Defenders: Kim Young-kwon (Omiya Ardija, Japan), Lee Jae-seong (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Jung-soo (Al Sadd, Qatar), Cho Young-cheol (Albirex Niigata, Japan), Cha Du-ri (Celtic, Scotland), Hong Jeong-ho (Jeju United), Chul Hong (Seongnam Ilhwa)

Midfielders: Ki Sung-yueng (Celtic, Scotland), Kim Bo-kyung (Cerezo Osaka, Japan), Kim Jae-sung (Pohang Steelers), Kim Jung-woo (Sangju Sangmu), Nam Tae-hee (Valenciennes, France), Park Hyun-beom (Suwon Bluewings), Yeom Ki-hun (Suwon Bluewings), Lee Yong-rae (Suwon Bluewings), Yoon Bit-garam (Gyeongnam FC), Lee Keun-ho (Gamba Osaka, Japan)

Forwards: Park Chu-young (AS Monaco, France), Ji Dong-won (Sunderland, England), Son Heung-min (Hamburg, Germany), Jung Jo-gook (Auxerre, France)

Park Chu-young is the captain and best goalscoring threat up front. Ji Dong-Won of Sunderland is only 20 and has been very impressive during his brief international career. In the midfield, Ki Sung-Yueng and Koo Ja-Cheol are young and talented while on defense Cha Du-Ri is counted for experience and calm.

Korea should be able to cruise through this round and finish top of the group, most likely unbeaten. Ideally for the side, they are able to integrate new, younger players as the round progresses.

United Arab Emirates


FIFA rank: 108

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in final group stage with one point from eight games

How they got here: Defeated India 5-2 on aggregate in round two

The U.A.E. has only qualified for one World Cup, in 1990. They lost all three games in Italy, falling 2-0 Colombia, 5-1 to West Germany and 4-1 to Yugoslavia. The 1990s was the country's best period of success, finishing fourth at the 1992 Asian Cup and coming in second place in 1996. The U.A.E. hosted this edition and lost in the finals on penalties to Saudi Arabia.

After failing to qualify for the 2000 Asian Cup, U.A.E. has made the last three editions of the tournament, but has been unable to advance further than the group stage. In 2011, the side's lone point was a scoreless draw against North Korea. The other two games were losses to Iran and Iraq, 3-0 and 1-0 respectively.

The U.A.E. did make the final round of qualifying last edition. After defeating Vietnam 6-0 on aggregate to make the first group stage, the country was placed with Iran, Syria and Kuwait.

The side just barely advanced out of the group, finishing tied for second with Syria on eight points. Due to a better goal differential, U.A.E.'s was zero while Syria was negative one, U.A.E. moved onward.

Placed in the tougher of the two groups in the final round, the team struggled for points and only picked up one due to a draw versus Iran. South Korea and North Korea qualified to the World Cup from the group while Saudi Arabia moved on to the playoff.

U.A.E. was paired with India in the second round and convincingly navigated through a potentially tricky tie, winning the first leg 3-0 and drawing the second 2-2. On August 25th, the side prepared for its opening group games by playing a friendly against Qatar. They won 3-1, a huge positive result for its chances in qualifying.

All of the squad plays in the domestic league in the U.A.E. The team is coached by Srečko Katanec, a Slovenian who has been in charge since 2009. Prior to that he coached Macedonia for a few years. Forward Ismail Matar is who the side will count on to score goals in this round.

The U.A.E. has a decent shot at advancing, and it should come down to them or Kuwait for second placed. If the country can beat Kuwait at home it will set them up nicely for accomplishing its goal of moving on.

Prediction

South Korea should easily win the group while the U.A.E. and Kuwait battle for the other spot. Ultimately, the U.A.E. edges Kuwait out while Lebanon has a great chance of finishing with zero points.

1. South Korea
2. United Arab Emirates
3. Kuwait
4. Lebanon

Thursday, August 25, 2011

New FIFA Rankings and Friendly Results

The latest edition of the FIFA world rankings was released yesterday and has a new team at the top. The Netherlands moved in front of the team they fell to in the World Cup final, Spain, to take the top spot for the first time in history. Germany remained third while England moved up two spots to fourth and Brazil fell two spots to sixth. Uruguay stayed steady at fifth and Italy and Portugal swapped seventh and eighth while Argentina and Croatia traded places at ninth and 10th.

Mexico is 20th to lead CONCACAF with the USA moving up two spots to 28th. In Asia, Japan and Australia each moved up one spot, to 15th and 22nd respectively, and South Korea fell back five to 33rd. The Chinese continued its recent resurgence in the rankings, climbing five spots to 69th and were featured by FIFA. Ivory Coast leads the African teams, tied with Japan at 15, with Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria at 34th, 36th and 38th respectively. Finally in Oceania, New Zealand is still 94th and Fiji a ways back at 141st, but did rise 15 places.

Two friendly also took place yesterday, one in Asia and one in the Caribbean. In Thailand, the national side took on Singapore. The two sides fought out a 0-0 draw in a game where each side had chances to take the lead. Group A's Singapore is prepping for its opening qualifying match at China while group D's Thailand prepares for its qualifying match at Australia. Highlights below, Thailand are in yellow and Singapore in red.



India wrapped up its Caribbean tour with a 2-1 defeat at Guyana. Vurlon Mills and Walter Moore were the two scorers for Guyana, a group B side for the second round of CONCACAF qualifying. Guyana hosts Barbados in its opening group match on Sept. 2nd.

More friendlies are scheduled over the next few days. Later today, U.A.E. hosts Qatar. Tomorrow Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines play the first of two friendlies while in Asia, Bahrain hosts Sudan and Iraq hosts an Ugandan under-23 side.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Barbados and Saint Lucia Tune Up for Qualifiers with Friendly

Barbados trounced Saint Lucia 4-0 in an international friendly Tuesday, as both sides prepare for their opening group games in round two of CONCACAF qualifying.

Teenager Kadeem Atkins was on target twice for the home side, with Riviere Williams and Kyle Gibson rounding out the goalscorers. Barbados, ranked 145 by FIFA, is in group B with Bermuda, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago and opens group play on the road at Guyana.

Saint Lucia is 183rd in the FIFA rankings and made the second round after defeating Aruba on penalty kicks after they ended their tie 6-6 on aggregate. Saint Lucia is in group D with Canada, Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts and Nevis. They begin on the road at favorite Canada.

Monday, August 22, 2011

AFC Round Three: Group A Preview

Only 20 teams are left in Asian qualifying for the World Cup. In round three, the teams are split into five groups of four and will play each group member home and away, starting Sept. 2nd. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the fourth round, where the 10 teams will be placed into two groups of five.

Group A is one of the more competitive groups and contains multiple compelling story-lines. Two of the nations, China and Iraq, have recently hired new coaches. The two other countries that comprise the group, Jordan and Singapore, are trying to make the World Cup for the first time.

China

FIFA rank: 73

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with six points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Laos 13-3 on aggregate in round two

The most populous nation on earth has only qualified for one World Cup in its history, an appearance in 2002 where the side lost all three games without scoring a goal while conceding nine. China's best result in a FIFA tournament has been two second place finishes in the Asian Cup, which came in 1984 and 2004.

China has not been able to duplicate the success of 2002 qualifying during the past two cycles. In 2010 qualifying, the side was eliminated at this point after only obtaining six points in a group that Australia and Qatar advanced from while fellow Group A member in Iraq finished one point ahead of China for third place.

In the 2011 Asian Cup, China failed to advance out of a fairly weak group. After beating Kuwait 2-0 to start the tournament, the Chinese fell 2-0 to Qatar and drew 2-2 Uzbekistan to finish third in the group with four points. The tournament was the beginning of the end for head coach Gao Hongbo who, despite leading the team to an easy 13-3 aggregate victory over Laos in round two of qualifying, was replaced by José Antonio Camacho in August.

Camacho is the former manager of Real Madrid, Benfica, Sevilla and Espanyol. He was also the coach of the Spanish national team from 1998 to 2002 where he led the team to a quarterfinal appearance in the 2002 World Cup. Camacho also played in two World Cups as a left-back for Spain in 1982 and 1986 and brings loads of international experience to the job. However, it will be a daunting task to guide China to the finals yet again.

Since the Asian Cup disappointment, China has been on a nice run of form as of late. In June the team defeated Asian Cup semifinalist Uzbekistan 1-0 and 2010 World Cup participant North Korea 2-0. In addition to its two qualifying wins in July, the Chinese defeated CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinalist Jamaica 1-0 on Aug. 10th in preparation for the third round of qualifying.

The national team is composed of almost all players from the domestic league, the Chinese Super League. Here is China's squad for the two upcoming qualifying matches.

Position Name Club Age App Gls
GK Yang Zhi Beijing Guoan 28 28 0
GK Zeng Cheng Henan Jianye 24 11 0
GK Zhang Lie Shaanxi Chanba 29 2 0
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DF Li Weifeng Tianjin Teda 32 106 13
DF Du Wei (C) Hangzhou Greentown 29 61 4
DF Sun Xiang Guangzhou Evergrande 29 51 4
DF Rong Hao Hangzhou Greentown 24 35 0
DF Feng Xiaoting Guangzhou Evergrande 25 25 0
DF Liu Jianye Jiangsu Sainty 24 19 0
DF Li Xuepeng Dalian Shide 22 9 0
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MF Zheng Zhi Guangzhou Evergrande 30 53 12
MF Zhao Xuri Shaanxi Chanba 25 44 1
MF Hao Junmin Shandong Luneng 24 37 8
MF Yang Hao Guangzhou Evergrande 28 31 2
MF Deng Zhuoxiang Shandong Luneng 22 29 7
MF Yu Hai Shaanxi Chanba 24 27 7
MF Huang Bowen Jeonbuk Hyundai 24 19 2
MF Chen Tao Tianjin Teda 26 13 2
MF Feng Renliang Shanghai Shenhua 22 10 0
MF Huang Xiyang Henan Jianye 26 0 0
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FW Qu Bo Shaanxi Chanba 30 71 18
FW Gao Lin Guangzhou Evergrande 25 47 12
FW Yang Xu Liaoning Whowin 24 16 9
FW Yu Dabao Tianjin Teda 23 2 0

It is an experienced side for Camacho's first two games in charge, led by Li Weifeng who has the most caps in Chinese history. Zheng Zhi is the anchor in midfield while up front Yang Xu scored four goals in the second round against Laos.

China has the potential to win this group and are one of the favorites. On the other hand, they could also come in third place and fail to advance. The key will be how quickly Camacho can implement his system and get the players to understand it.

Iraq

FIFA rank: 108

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with seven points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Yemen 2-0 on aggregate in round two

The 2007 Asian Cup champions have qualified for one World Cup, the 1986 edition held in Mexico. Iraq lost all three games by one goal in the tournament and finished bottom of its group.

Iraq was in the same group as China during this stage in 2010 qualifying, but the two nations failed to advance, losing out to Australia and Qatar. Iraq finished third in the group with seven points and just missed advancing. Going into the final match, Iraq and Qatar were tied on seven points and squared off against each other. Unfortunately for Iraq, Qatar won 1-0 and moved onward.

In this year's Asian Cup, Iraq placed second in group D with six points. An opening 2-1 loss to eventual group winner Iran did not stop the Iraqis from advancing. 1-0 wins over the U.A.E and North Korea followed and Iraq qualified to the quarterfinals. There, the side took Australia to extra time before the Aussies won the match courtesy of a 118th minute goal by Harry Kewell.

In the second round of qualifying, the Iraqis were given one of the tougher opponents for a higher ranked team in Yemen. A 2-0 win in the first leg was enough to see them advance as they held Yemen scoreless throughout both legs. As preparation for the beginning of the third round, Iraq squared off against group E member Qatar in Doha on Aug. 19th. The away side came away with a nice 1-0 win courtesy of a goal from Salam Shakir.

Like China, Iraq also has a new coach in charge of the program. Brazilian great Zico has just agreed to a deal to coach the national team. As a player, Zico scored 52 goals for Brazil and is a former World Player of the Year winner. As a coach, he has coached Japan at the 2006 World Cup and also managed Olympiakos and CSKA Moscow.

The national team players generally play in the domestic league or in neighboring Iran. Several members including captain Younis Mahmoud play in Qatar. Iraq's experience comes from its midfield, Nashat Akram has over 100 caps for the national side while Hawar Mulla Mohammed and Mahdi Karim are also key contributors. Offensively the Iraqis have some firepower. Mahmoud has 34 international goals and fellow forwards Mustafa Karim and Alaa Abdul-Zahra have plenty of talent. Abdul-Zahra has been in excellent form for the national team of late with four goals since the Asian Cup.

Zico does not have a lot of time to get acclimated to the job and Iraq's first game on Sept. 2nd against Jordan is incredibly important in determining who advances out of the group. Iraq has the ability to win the group, but will likely be fighting for the second spot.

Jordan

FIFA rank: 91

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with seven points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Nepal 10-1 on aggregate in round two

One of the more underrated teams in Asia at the current moment, Jordan has quietly had a very successful year so far. The side does not have a strong football tradition, having never qualified for a World Cup and only reaching two Asian Cups, but are currently trying to change that.

The side had a great performance at the Asian Cup earlier this year. In its first game, Jordan almost upset eventual tournament winner Japan if it were not for a 92nd minute equalizer by the Japanese. The side followed up that result with wins over traditional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, 1-0 and Syria by the score of 2-1. Jordan qualified for the quarterfinals were they succumbed to group A winner Uzbekistan 2-1.

In 2010 qualifying Jordan finished third in its group during round three, losing out on advancing to North and South Korea. The side only picked up one point in four matches against the two eventual World Cup finalists and its lone wins were against bottom side Turkmenistan.

Jordan is prepping for its upcoming qualifiers with two friendlies. The first one took place on Aug. 22nd against Tunisia and ended in a 3-3, a good result against a typically strong African team. The second friendly match will take place on Aug. 27th and will see Jordan take on group E member Indonesia.

In the second round, Jordan had an easy time with Nepal, defeating them 9-0 in the first leg. The nine-goal win was the biggest of the round. It left nothing to be decided in the second leg where Jordan sent out a weakened squad and still managed to come away with a 1-1 draw and a hefty aggregate victory.

The national team is made up of mostly members from the domestic league. Al-Wahdat is the strongest team in the league having won the title four of the past five seasons. The club's rival Al-Faisaly Club won the league in 2010 and hold the record for most titles with 31. The two club teams have many players called into the national side. Hassan Abdel Fattah plays for Al-Wahdat and scored four goals in the 9-0 victory over Nepal.

Jordan qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup back in 2007 and a lot of those players have begun to step into the senior team. The side's performance at the Asian Cup and 9-0 drubbing of Nepal will raise confidence levels of the players as they enter the third round. Jordan may potentially win the group, but they also could find themselves looking up at two teams and fail to advance.

Singapore

FIFA rank: 131

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with six points from six games

How they got here: Defeated Malaysia 6-4 on aggregate in round two

Singapore has never qualified for a World Cup and has only played in one Asian Cup, way back in 1984. However, Singapore is one of several Southeast Asian nations that is making a concentrated effort to improve its national team.

The year 2010 was a disappointing one for Singapore. They failed to advance out of the group stage of the 10-team AFF Suzuki Cup which features national teams of Southeast Asia. In the tournament's group stage, Singapore surprisingly drew with the Philippines and lost to host nation Vietnam with its lone win coming against Myanmar. Singapore had won this tournament three times in the past.

In qualifying for this year's Asian Cup, Singapore finished in last place in its qualifying group. In a group that featured qualifying teams Iran and Jordan as well as Thailand, Singapore's only points were wins over Jordan and Thailand. The low point came at the beginning of qualifying, a 6-0 defeat to Iran.

Singapore reached this stage of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, where they were placed in a group composed of Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. The side's only wins in the round were both games against Lebanon, the four other matches were losses and they failed to advance.

In round two of qualifying in July, Singapore had a tough time with neighbor Malaysia. The first leg saw the side escape with a 5-3 home victory, but leave them in precarious position having conceded three away goals. However, the defense held firm in the away leg and came away with a 1-1 draw.

Radojko Avramović has been the coach of the Singapore national team since 2003. Prior to the job, he was the coach of Kuwait in 2002. After the poor performance of the side in 2010, Avramović has attempted to revamp the team for 2011 and the World Cup qualifiers.

Every member of the squad plays their club football in the domestic league, the S-League. Aleksandar Đurić, a 41 year-old, scored two goals for the national side in the first leg against Malaysia. Shi Jiayi, a midfielder, scored a goal in each leg in the second round. Singapore also has a friendly coming up. On August 24th they will travel to Thailand to take on the group D side.

Singapore is a long shot to advance out of the group, however they were blessed with one of the weaker groups of this round. The team will be desperate to redeem themselves for its poor performance in 2010 and will pose a threat to the other group members, although Singapore will likely finish at the foot of the group.

Prediction


Any one of three teams can win this group and it will come down to who can pick up points away from home. Another key factor will be how quickly China and Iraq can adapt to new coaches taking over the reigns. This group might be the toughest to call in this round. In the end, Jordan and China will emerge as the top two sides, barely besting the Iraqis.

1. Jordan
2. China
3. Iraq
4. Singapore

Sunday, August 21, 2011

CONCACAF Weekend Friendlies

With less than two weeks to go until the start of the second round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, several national teams spent the weekend preparing for their first matches on Sept. 2nd.

The Dominican Republic and Curaçao played two games against each other, on Saturday and Sunday. Both matches were won 1-0 by the Dominican Republic. Friday's contest saw the lone goal come in the 70th minute by defender Johan Cruz.

On Sunday, the Dominicans, ranked 132 by FIFA, won by the same scoreline. This time Fernando Casanova was on target in the 29th minute with the goal. The Dominican Republic begins qualifying at group A favorite El Salvador while Curaçao also starts on the road versus fellow group F member Antigua and Barbuda.

The other weekend friendly saw India begin its Caribbean tour at group B member Trinidad and Tobago. T&T put on an impressive display and came away with a 3-0 win on Sunday. A first half penalty from all-time leading scorer Stern John set the tone for the game. John now has 70 career international goals. In the second half, Darryl Roberts capped a great performance with two goals. The result is an excellent sign for the team as they prepare for its first match against Bermuda. Meanwhile, India will play Guyana on Aug. 24th.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

CONCACAF Round 2: Group F Preview

The final group in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying, group F, is the weakest group of the round with lots of compelling stories. This group is wide open and consists of the lowest-ranked top-seeded team in Haiti, a relatively unknown Caribbean team that has quietly produced some excellent results in Antigua and Barbuda, a team playing its first official FIFA matches in Curacao and a Cinderella story, the U.S. Virgin Islands. The winner of this group advances to group A in the next round, joining the USA, Jamaica, and the winner of group E in round two.

Anitgua and Barbuda

FIFA rank: 106

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 8-3 on aggregate to Cuba in round two

Anitgua and Barbuda has quietly been one of the better national teams in the Caribbean over the past two years, despite not qualifying for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. At the 2010 Caribbean Cup the side made the group stage after entering the competition in the second preliminary stage of qualifying. A 2-1 win over a solid Suriname team and two draws against Dominica and Caribbean powerhouse Cuba were enough to finish second in the group and advance. In the group stage Antigua and Barbuda placed third, failing to make the semifinals, earning three points from a win against a good Guyana side and losses to Jamaica and Guadeloupe.

The only fixture Antigua and Barbuda has played this calendar year was a 2-2 draw against Gold Cup participant Grenada back at the end of May. Around that time the national team reached its highest ever FIFA rank at 100 and they just missed being placed in the first pot for the round two draw. Luckily, they caught a break and were placed with Haiti, who just beat them out for the last spot in pot one.

One of the major reasons for the improved performance by the national side has been the formation of Antigua Barracuda Football Club. The team was formed in 2010 and joined the USL Professional Division, the third tier of soccer in the United States. Out of the 20 players called for the Caribbean Cup, 12 came straight from the new professional team. In addition to the club, Anitgua and Barbuda does have its own domestic league, but only a few of these players are called into the national side.

A few members of the squad play their football in the lower divisions of England. Defender Marvin McCoy plays for Wycombe Wanderers in League One, midfielder Josh Parker plays for Oldham Athletic in the same league while fellow midfielder Kieran Murtagh plays in the Conference National for Cambridge United. The top goal-scorer for Antigua and Barbuda is Peter Byers who plays for the Los Angeles Blues in the USL Professional Division.

This is a great opportunity for the national team of Antigua and Barbuda to gain some worldwide recognition by winning this group. They have the talent to advance, they just need to be able to come through against Haiti.

Curaçao

FIFA rank: 157

2010 qualifying result (as Netherlands Antilles): Eliminated 1-0 on aggregate by Haiti in round two

Curaçao has never played an official match as a FIFA nation since the 1950s before they became known as the Netherlands Antilles. Once the Netherlands Antilles dissolved in late 2010, Curaçao inherited its record much in the same way Serbia has the official record of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro. Those that have eligibility to play for Curaçao and have played for the Netherlands Antilles in the past are allow to continue their international careers with Curaçao.

As the Netherlands Antilles, the nation never reached a World Cup or a Gold Cup in its history. At the 2010 Caribbean Cup the side had a disappointing campaign, failing to advance out of the first preliminary qualifying phase. The team lost to Guyana and Suriname with its lone point against minnow Saint Lucia.

The Curaçao domestic league is called Sekshon Pagá and is one of the weakest in all of CONCACAF. Prior to the Netherlands Antilles dissolving, the top finisher in the league would play the winner of the Netherlands Antilles' league for the Netherlands Antilles Championship. Typically the winner of this game was the Curaçao team.

Most of the players that will likely be called up for qualifying do not play in the domestic league. Instead they play all over the world in countries such as Germany, Cyprus, Greece, Austria, Canada, Ukraine and Australia. However, a majority of the squad plays in the Netherlands, not surprising considering the ties this constituent country has to the Dutch.

Curaçao's strength is a great mystery considering they have not played an international since becoming a member of FIFA. The Netherlands Antilles was traditionally one of the above-average teams in the Caribbean, capable of a surprising result but not really a threat to win anything. However, this group is wide open and the team has a chance.

Haiti

FIFA rank: 117

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three of qualifying with three points from six games

If Antigua and Barbuda is a Caribbean nation on the rise, Haiti is one on the decline. In the most recent FIFA world rankings, Haiti fell 28 spots. Last year was a major disappointment for Haiti due to a underwhelming performance at Caribbean Cup which prevented them from qualifying for the Gold Cup.

At the Caribbean Cup, Haiti was thrashed 4-0 by Trinidad and Tobago and was beaten on goal differential by Guyana for second place in the group. This failure to make the Gold Cup ended Haiti's streak of reaching the Gold Cup at two, including a quarterfinal appearance in 2009.

Haiti has qualified for a World Cup, way back in 1974. In its first game, it took a shock lead against Italy before the Italians stormed back for a 3-1 victory. Two other losses, 7-0 to Poland and 4-1 to Argentina, completed Haiti's appearance.

Haiti has only played one international this year, a 1-0 loss to group A favorite El Salvador in February. In November of 2010, the side did pick up a nice 1-0 victory in Qatar against the hosts of the 2022 World Cup. Haiti has called up 21 players for its first two matches in this round.

Haiti's squad play in leagues all over the world, but mainly in France and the United States. The most capped player on the roster is defender Jean-Jacques Pierre who has appeared 56 times and has scored 5 goals. Brunel Fucien and James Marcelin are the experienced midfielders while Jean Marc Alexandre of Real Salt Lake will be counted on to score goals.

Not winning this group would be a tremendous disappointment for Haiti. They are probably the most talented team in this group, but may have trouble with Antigua and Barbuda who have experience playing together as a team for both club and country.

U.S. Virgin Islands

FIFA rank: 149

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 10-0 on aggregate to Grenada in round one

The USVI won its first qualifying games in history in the first round against the British Virgin Islands. A 2-0 and 2-1 wins were good enough for the USVI to advance to the second round for the first time in history. The two wins elevated the team up 44 spots in the FIFA rankings.

Prior to the two wins, World Cup qualifying consisted of many blowouts for the USVI. In 2010 qualifying the side lost 10-0 in one leg to Grenada. Back in 2006 qualifying they lost 11-0 on aggregate to Saint Kitts and Nevis. The first time they attempted to enter qualifying, for the 2002 World Cup, they lost 14-1 on aggregate to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The side only has three victories in its history, all against the British Virgin Islands. In addition to the qualifying wins, the USVI won its first international game 1-0 in 1998.

The side does not play many international games. It did not enter the Caribbean Cup and did not play any fixtures in 2009 and 2010. It did draw Anguilla 0-0 in June as preparation for its first round games. Most members of the squad play in the relatively weak and unknown domestic league while a couple of others play in America at colleges.

Midfielder Reid Klopp scored a goal in each leg in the first round. He was born in Salisbury, Maryland and played college soccer for Salisbury University before moving to the USVI. He now plays for Free Will Baptist, a club in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Qualifying has already been a great success for this minnow and any points in this round will be a huge surprise and accomplishment. For more on the USVI team, FIFA recently wrote an excellent feature on the team.

Prediction

This group will go down to the wire. Antigua and Barbuda and Haiti are two favorites to advance, but Curaçao is a dangerous sleeper team. Goal differential may come in to play, so the teams will be trying to put as many as possible past the USVI. In the end, I think Antigua and Barbuda just edges out Haiti for the top spot.

1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Haiti
3. Curaçao
4. U.S. Virgin Islands

Bahamas Withdraws from World Cup Qualifying

The Bahamas withdrew from the second round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Friday, citing an inability to host home games.

Thomas Robinson National Stadium in Nassau was recently renovated by a Chinese firm that increased the stadium's capacity from 9,000 to 23,000. However, the part of this project that was supposed to be done domestically, creating roads, proper sewage and parking lots, is far behind schedule. Rather than host its home games abroad, which would be cost prohibitive, the Bahamas FA decided to withdraw from the competition.

This now leads group C with only three teams, Dominica, Nicaragua and Panama. Bahamas was one of the five round one winners, defeating Turks and Caicos 10-0 on aggregate, although it appears FIFA will not reinstate Turks and Caicos to the competition.

Lack of proper infrastructure is a big problem for these Caribbean minnows, several countries typically play home games on other islands like Trinidad and Tobago because of better facilities. Hopefully another football association is not forced to pull out of the competition because of this same reason.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Syria Disqualified from World Cup, Tajikistan Reinstated

Syria have been thrown out of World Cup qualifying due to fielding an ineligible player for both its matches last round against Tajikistan.

The ineligible player was George Mourad, who scored in the first leg against Tajikistan. Mourad had previously represented Sweden at the UEFA Under-21 Championship and was capped twice for the senior team. He was not cap-tied to Sweden because of his appearances, but Syria must not have filed the proper paperwork to FIFA announcing Mourad's switch. Due to that his participation was ruled illegal and the result of both legs in round two were changed to 3-0 victories to Tajikistan.

Tajikistan now takes Syria spot in group C joining Japan, North Korea and Uzbekistan.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

First Game of India's Caribbean Tour Postponed

On Wednesday India, who was eliminated in round two of Asian qualifying 5-2 by the UAE, was scheduled to play Barbados in an international friendly. However, due to changes in India's travel schedule caused by the London riots the game was canceled and not rescheduled.

Barbados, who is in group B for this round of CONCACAF qualifying, was the first of three opponents India had scheduled for its Caribbean tour. Barbados was planning to use this friendly as prep for its first two games of the round on Sept. 2nd and 6th. The remaining two games of India's tour, against two other group B members, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, will go on as planned on Aug. 21st and 24th.

Tomorrow the final CONCACAF group for round two, group F, will be previewed. Then the series of previews will turn to Asia, where the five groups of four teams begin play on Sept. 2nd.

Monday, August 15, 2011

CONCACAF Round 2: Group E Preview

So far, all the groups aside from group B in CONCACAF have had a definite favorite. The two groups left to preview are not so clear-cut. Group E features Belize, Grenada, Guatemala and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It also features a couple of great players, including one that may be the difference for his team winning the group or failing to advance. The winner will join USA, Jamaica and the winner of group F in the next round.

Belize

FIFA rank: 148

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 9-0 on aggregate to Mexico in round two

Thanks to its two victories against Montserrat in the first round, Belize currently holds its highest FIFA ranking ever at the moment. The two wins were just the second and third in the country's history in world cup qualifying, the other being against Saint Kitts and Nevis in round one of qualifying for the 2010 finals.

Keep in mind that Belize is lucky to still be in the competition at this point. On June 17th, two days before the second leg against Montserrat, FIFA suspended Belize for government interference in football. If the match was not rescheduled by July 10th, Belize would have been thrown out of the competition. Fortunately for the country, FIFA lifted the suspension on July 7th.

Generally regarded as the weakest Central American nation, Belize has never qualified for a CONCACAF Gold Cup or even advanced out of the group stage of the UNCAF Nations Cup, the tournament between the seven Central American national teams. In eight tournaments, Belize has never won a match and its only points are three draws, one against Guatemala and twice versus Nicaragua.

Most of Belize's national team members play in the domestic league, the Belize Premier Football League, which was won by the club Belize Defense Force Football Club. The team's elite players play in the stronger Honduras domestic league, such as goalie Shane Moody-Orio, midfielders Elroy Smith and Harrison Roches and striker Deon McCauley. McCaulay is currently the second top-scorer in CONCACAF thanks to his four goals in the first round.

Belize does not have the talent, depth nor facilities (they may play its home games in Honduras) to compete in this group and the country's best-case scenario would be coming in third in this group.

Grenada

FIFA rank: 120

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 5-2 on aggregate to Costa Rica in round two

Grenada made it in to the top-seeded pot due to strong performances in the past two Caribbean Cups, which helped them qualify for the last two Gold Cups. The side finished second in the 2008 Caribbean Cup, defeating Cuba on penalties in the semifinals before falling to Jamaica 2-0 in the final. In the 2010 edition, Grenada placed fourth, losing to Jamaica in extra time in the semifinals.

Despite making the 2009 and 2011 Gold Cups, Grenada's performance in both tournaments have not been anything to write home about. The team has lost all six games they have played in the competition, scoring just one goal while conceding 25. In 2011, one of the losses was to fellow group member Guatemala, a 4-0 thrashing, not a good sign for Grenada's hopes of topping this group. However, they were missing an integral part of their side.

Shalrie Joseph is the best player the country has ever produced. He has played for the New England Revolution since 2003, appearing 228 times and scoring 33 goals. The two-way midfielder has attracted interest from Europe with Celtic being interested several times. Joseph has been named to the MLS best XI four different times in his career. For the national team, Joseph has 30 caps and played in the 2009 Gold Cup and past World Cup qualifiers. However, he declined the invitation to participate in the 2011 Gold Cup, wanting to play for his club instead. It is uncertain if he will make the same decision for the qualifiers since MLS does not break for FIFA dates. The Revolution currently sit far outside the MLS playoff picture, so there is not much incentive for Joseph to stay with the club for late season games. Joesph's presence on the field for Grenada changes so much, he controls the offense,breaks up plays on defense and is a real game-changer.

As for the rest of the squad, members mostly play in the lower divisions of England, MLS or in the country's domestic league. Midfielder Craig Rocastle is an important player and plays for Sporting Kanasas City. Forward Marcus Julien is a unique member of the squad. Instead of following fellow national team players to England or the USA, Julien plays for North Imphal Sporting Association in the Indian second division.

Grenada may be the only top-seeded team that is not favored to advance out of the group. They have the talent to win, but must work out their defensive issues and convince Joseph to play in the qualifiers if they want a chance at moving on.

Guatemala

FIFA rank: 115

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round three with five points from six games

Surprisingly, Guatemala was not in the top-seeded pot for this round. One of CONCACAF's above-average teams, Guatemala was relegated to the second pot because of its failure to qualify for the 2009 Gold Cup, poor performances in 2010 and in the 2011 UNCAF Nations Cup.

Guatemala did have a satisfactory performance in this summer's Gold Cup. They advanced to the knockout stage with four points from their three group games, a 4-0 win against Grenada and a 0-0 draw with Honduras. In the quarterfinals they took an early lead versus eventual champion Mexico, but were beaten back by two second half goals.

Historically, Guatemala has never qualified for the World Cup, with its best result coming in 2006 qualifying. There the side made the final round hex. They finished fifth with 11 points from their 10 games, just two points back of Trinidad and Tobago, who would go on to qualify for the finals after defeating Bahrain in the intercontinental playoff. In 2010 qualifying Guatemala reached the third round, but failed to advance after losing out to the USA and T&T once again.

Guatemala's best players are a mix of the old and the new. Carlos Ruiz, 31, now plays for Veracruz in Mexico after years in MLS and is Guatemala's leading goalscorer with 44 goals. Marco Pappa, 23, currently plays for the Chicago Fire and has greatly impressed this year. Pappa has three goals for the national team including one against Grenada in the Gold Cup. Most of the rest of the team plays in the domestic league where C.S.D. Municipal is the most successful team.

Guatemala is a team that has traditionally played very well at home and will need to defeat Grenada at home if they want to advance. If they get great performances from their midfield and defense, they should have enough to win the group.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines


FIFA rank: 161

2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 7-1 on aggregate to Canada in round two

Like its similarly named island nation Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' best qualifying result came during 2006 qualifying. Back then, the side defeated Nicaragua 6-3 on aggregate in the second round to make the third round and group stage with Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and SKN. St. Vincent defeated SKN both times but fell in its other four games and did not advance along with Mexico and T&T.

Recently, St. Vincent had a decent showing at the 2010 Caribbean Cup. They advanced to the second qualifying phase after coming in second place in their group in round one. A 7-0 win over Montserrat was enough to see them through on goal difference following draws with SKN and Barbados. In round two St. Vincent finished bottom of its group, losing to T&T, Haiti and Guyana.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of the stronger nations in the Caribbean, but has never qualified for the World Cup and has only made one Gold Cup, way back in 1996 where they qualified due to its second place finish in the 1995 Caribbean Cup.

The players that make up the national team mostly play in the domestic league, the NLA Premier League. The current champion is Avenues United Football Club. Other squad members play in Trinidad and Tobago including all-time leading scorer Shandel Stewart who has scored 35 international goals. The side is relatively young and includes 21-year-old Cornelius Stewart who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not have the talent nor experience to repeat its accomplishments from 2006 qualifying and will be fitting Belize to stay off the bottom of the group.

Prediction

This group may hinge on whether or not Joseph decides to play for Grenada and will likely go down to the final game between Grenada and Guatemala. I think Guatemala wins the group narrowly because of better team defense.

1. Guatemala
2. Grenada
3. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
4. Belize