Romania were grateful to still be in the game, and they nearly found an equalizer. With half the period gone, Adrian Popa took a shot that rocked the post, coming so agonizingly close to tying the match. Deep into stoppage time, Turkey finally put the game away. Mevlut Erdinc put a couple shimmies together with a couple slow steps before curling a shot to the far corner underneath the goalkeeper. Turkey win 2-0 and are suddenly a factor once again in the chase for the playoffs.
Estonia were on the road in Budapest to take on Hungary. Krisztian Nemeth nearly put the home side early on, but his effort from ten yards hit the crossbar and shot back into play. Hungary did take the lead within a dozen minutes through the flukiest of all goals, a double-deflection own goal by Estonia. Danger man Balazs Dzsudzsak had started the goal sequence from the left wing on the first goal, and he did it again on the second goal. Vladimir Koman provided the final pass for Tamas Hajnal to ram home for a 2-0 lead to Hungary. A spectacular solo forty-yard run through more than four Estonian defenders by Daniel Bode was capped off by his finish from the half circle. Hungary lead 3-0 at halftime.
Tarmo Kink picked up a loose ball and scored for Estonia very early in the second half, reviving hope for the visitors. Twenty minutes later, that hope was squashed. Koman settled a loose ball at the half circle and push wide for Nemeth, who scored his first international goal with his shot, sending Hungary ahead by three goals. Dzsudzsak scored on a free kick with less than ten minutes to go, seeing a deflection off the wall wrong-foot the goalkeeper. Hungary win 5-1 and eliminate Estonia from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Andorra la Vella was the unlikely site of the first celebration party in European qualifying. Netherlands were in town to face Andorra. Wesley Sneijder was the danger man for the Oranje in the first half, but his best effort was kept out by the knee of Andorra goalkeeper Ferran Pol. The first half score was Andorra 0, Netherlands 0.
A special strike from Robin van Persie gave Netherlands the lead. His shot from twenty-five yards bent around Ildefonso Lima and in off the far post. Four minutes later, a missed punch by Pol and the hard rebound of the chest of his defender Emili Garcia allowed van Persie to scoop up the ball and easily chip in for his second goal of the night. Sneijder was again robbed by Pol, this time on a full dive to Pol's right. Pol prevented a hat trick with a dive to his left to deny a van Persie header. Netherlands win 2-0 on the road and become the first European team to clinch a spot at Brasil 2014.
Netherlands 22 pts IN
Hungary 14 pts +6
Turkey 13 pts +7
Romania 13 pts +1
Estonia OUT
Andorra OUT
Goals
Turkey
Burak Yilmaz 22
Mevlut Erdinc 90+5
Hungary
Ragnar Klavan 11 OG
Tamas Hajnal 21
Daniel Bode 41
Krisztian Nemeth 69
Balazs Dzsudzsak 85
Estonia
Tarmo Kink 48
Netherlands
Robin van Persie 49, 53
Match Reports:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-defeats-romania-2-0-passing-first-do-or-die-test-on-road-to-world-cup-.aspx?pageID=238&nid=54237
http://www.goal.com/en/match/92579/romania-vs-turkey/report?
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sports/2013-09/11/c_132710500.htm
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-hungary-revive-world-cup-hopes-5-1-211529423--sow.html
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/9/10/4716380/andorra-vs-holland-world-cup-qualifying-result-final-score
Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGB_CyH7FDw (Turkey v. Romania)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HoCUJVZd9U (Hungary v. Estonia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-URZhalm6og (Netherlands v. Andorra)
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