Netherlands 4 - Hungary 1; Turkey 3 - Estonia 0; Romania 4 - Andorra 0

Bucharest was the site for Romania's home match  against Andorra.  It took Romania almost a half hour to break the Andorran defense, but any time a team can string three passes in the box, the result is likely to be a goal, and Gabriel Torje took the the third pass and curled it around his defender for 1-0.  A perfect rolled shot from the half circle by Costin Lazar one minute before the half struck the inside of the post after nearly avoided the goalkeeper's hand, giving Romania a 2-0 halftime lead.

The second half seemed destined to finish goalless.  Romania had lost all their willingness to attack, and Andorra were rarely able to challenge. However, in stoppage time, Romania got greedy.  Two goals in stoppage time made it four to Romania, who win 4-0 to record their second straight win to open the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Turkey played before their home fans in Istanbul against Estonia looking to right the ship.  In minute 19, Estonia's Enar Jaager took down Burak Yilmaz when he was the final defender and was thus shown a straight red, leaving the visitors to fight on with ten men.  Yilmaz scored the opener for Turkey in minute 42, but the referees blew the call as the ball had completely crossed the goal line before the Estonia defender stabbed it away. Emre Belozoglu gave Turkey their first official goal one minute later, taking a through ball up the middle and then dribbling left to bury a shot from an improved shooting angle.  Turkey led 1-0 at halftime.

The complete and total Turkish dominance continued in the second half.  A Sercan Sarerer cross found Umut Bulut rising over his man for a powerful headed finish to give Turkey their second goal on the hour mark.  With fifteen minutes left to play, a Hasan Kaldirim overlapping run allowed him to receive a pass and then slot across the box to Selcuk Inan, who having faded back into space, found plenty of time to create a fine finish for the hosts' third goal.  Turkey win 3-0.

Budapest was the scene as Netherlands paid a visit to Hungary.  It took the Oranje only three minutes to score as a Luciano Narsingh cross floated onto the head of Jeremain Lens for a 1-0 lead.  However, but two minutes later, Jordy Clasie tripped the attacker in the box.  Hungary converted the penalty kick for a 1-1 score.  Within the quarter hour, Netherlands had restored their lead.  Awful Hungarian marking on a Wesley Sneijder free kick allowed Bruno Martens a chance at an unmarked header, from which he scored for the 2-1 lead.  The teams went into their locker rooms with that same score in place.

Netherlands took advantage of good fortune as a Hungarian headed clearance fell to Lens in a dangerous area, leading to a fine finish for 3-1.  Hungary found themselves with a one-on-one situation through Tamas Priskin, but he blew the opportunity.  Sneijder nearly made it four a few minutes later as his bending strike from distance crashed into the crossbar.  Netherlands caught Hungary napping on a quickly taken free kick, springing a two-on-none break from where Lens slotted across to Klaas Jan Huntelaar for the final goal of the match. Netherlands win 4-1.

Romania 6 pts +6
Netherlands 6 pts +5
Hungary 3 pts +2
Turkey 3 pts +1
Estonia 0 pts -5
Andorra 0 pts-9

Goals
Romania
Gabriel Torje 29
Costin Lazar 44
Valerica Gaman 90+1
Alexandru Maxim 90+3

Turkey
Emre Belozoglu 44
Umut Bulut 60
Selcuk Inan 75

Netherlands
Jeremain Lens 2, 52
Bruno Martens 18
Klaas Jan Huntelaar 73

Hungary
Balazs Dzsudzsak 6 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699555/index.html
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/soccer-world-turkey-idINL5E8KBA1020120911
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699880/index.html
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/92461/hungary-vs-netherlands/report
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699654/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUOOS6jQ_0E (Romania v. Andorra)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sSIxiL76M8 (Turkey v. Estonia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr16w4Z3sYI (Netherlands v. Hungary)

Norway 2 - Slovenia 1; Cyprus 1 - Iceland 0; Switzerland 2 - Albania 0

Larnaca was prepared to welcome their heroes Cyprus as the had a winnable home game against Iceland.  Iceland looked likeliest to score in the opening frame with midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson running the midfielder and creating for his forwards.  The best chance of the half came off the boot of Cyprus' Anthos Solomou, but his shot was saved and the half ended scoreless.

Cyprus took the lead after a dozen minutes.  A ball was laid off from the right side of the box into the box for an onrushing Konstantinos Makridis (pictured, blue) to slot home to safety.  Iceland nearly equalized through Alfred Finnbogason (pictured, white) one minute later, but his effort found a post.  Iceland lost
Solvi Otteson to a red card in minute 86 due to his foul mouth. Cyprus win their first three points 1-0 over Iceland.

Oslo welcomed back the top seed in Group E Norway from their shock road loss to Iceland four days prior.  The visitors were Slovenia, and they proved unwilling to give the fans what they wanted to see.  Jasmin Kurtic sent a free kick spiraling toward the Norwegian goal which was misplayed by goalkeeper Rune Jarstein, allowing a rebound to fall for Slovenia center back  Marko Suler to push home for 1-0.  Tarik El Younoussi took a shot for Norway from the half circle which struck the crossbar and softly fell to the six-yard box, allowing Markus Henriksen to easily head home for the equalizer.  The first half ended 1-1.

Both teams came out nervously in the second half with few chances to be found.  Nobody came close to scoring until the fourth minute of stoppage time.  A Dejan Kelhar foul in the box gave Norway a penalty kick with time expiring.  John Arne Riise struck a low ball to the middle right that barely got by the goalkeeper, giving Norway the 2-1 victory.  Slovenia are surprisingly in last place in the group after falling to their two main rivals Switzerland and Norway in their opening two fixtures.

Lucerne saw Albania pay a visit to Switzerland in the final Group E fixture of the day.  Albania sent in a warning shot eighteen minutes in when a knuckling strike from Alban Meha forced a two-handed punch save by Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. Xherdan Shaqiri made good use of the reprieve given to his side by Benaglio by scoring Switzerland's opener four minutes later.  Shaqiri, whose family is of Albanian descent and who is allowed to switched to the Kosovo national team as soon as they are given FIFA membership due it to it being his country of birth, took the jeers of the many Albanian fans lining the stadium.  Switzerland is home to many who fled from the Albanian sections of Kosovo during the diaspora of 1998 and 1999.  The Swiss led 1-0 at the break.

Switzerland remained positive with their play in the second period, and a Shaqiri low skipping shot to the near post was tipped away on a dive, but Switzerland picked up the loose ball to work it around the box, eventually drawing a penalty kick off an Armend Dallku foul from behind.  Switzerland put away the spot kick for a 2-0 lead.  Benaglio made a great double save after popping up a rebound with ten minutes to go so high in the air that he was able to return to his feet to leap and catch his own rebound.

Switzerland 6 pts +4
Iceland 3 pts +1
Albania 3 pts 0
Cyprus 3 pts -1
Norway 3 pts -1
Slovenia 0 pts -3

Goals
Cyprus
Konstantinos Makridis 57

Norway
Markus Henriksen 26
John Arne Riise 90+4 PK

Slovenia
Marko Suler 16

Switzerland
Xherdan Shaqiri 23
Gokhan Inler 68 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699443/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699745/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/sports/soccer/kosovo-wants-a-national-soccer-team-and-to-call-its-players-home.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/09/11/2080.ap.soc.switzerland.albania.1st.ld.writethru.236/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1699797/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt326oC92NM (Cyprus v. Iceland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqW6ZjOI25U (Norway v. Slovenia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-XGApnQfao (Switzerland v. Albania)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZapcoCSrGw (Norway v. Slovenia: 1st half)

Jordan 2 - Australia 1; Japan 1 - Iraq 0

Japan welcomed Iraq, the charges of their former coach Zico, to Saitama for Matchday Four of the AFC Fourth Round.  2011 AFC Asian Cup champion goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima won on his game in the first half, saving Ahmed Ibrahim's forceful header off a corner kick and then Ahmed Yaseen's middle-range effort on a semi-breakaway on a full stretch dive.  Sandwiched in between, Japan stole a goal when Shinji Okazaki flicked a volley off a high bounce to an unmarked Ryoichi Maeda from point-blank range.  Japan took the undeserved 1-0 lead into the break against the young Iraq team.

Keisuke Honda nearly had Japan's second goal, but his diving header off a floating cross was saved onto and off the post by Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri.  The rest of the half passed with little action.  Japan win 1-0.  Japan, with more than double the points of their nearest competitor, are clearly going to be booking a place at Brasil 2014.  They very well may pull it off by the end of Matchday Seven.

Australia made the short trip from their friendly in Lebanon to Amman to take on Jordan for the first time ever.  The home side were looking to jump off the bottom of the Group Two table with an upset of the Socceroos.  Jordan had shouts for a penalty when Tim Cahill handled a ball inside his penalty area when he was the outside man of a five-man wall, but Jordan were unluckily not given their reward.  Brett Holman nearly added to the injustice immediately thereafter, but his shot was blocked by Basem Othman.  The half ended with no scores.

In the second half, delayed justice was Jordan's.  Mile Jedinak come on to begin the second period for Australia, and his presence nearly paid immediate dividends, but he missed an unmarked header.  A shameful dive by Odai Alsaify (pictured, white) led to the penalty kick Jordan should have had in the first half, and the spot kick was pushed home for a 1-0 lead to Jordan.  Jedinak nearly equalized from almost thirty yards, but his effort struck the post and bounced all the way out of the penalty area untouched.  On a Jordan counterattack, Alsaify went up the left side of the box, broke down Lucas Neill, and drew out the goalkeeper before slotting to an onrushing Amer Deeb, who tapped home for a massive second goal.  A smooth backheel layoff by Alex Brosque allowed an onrushing Archie Thompson to surge into the Jordanian box and slot home to the far post to close the gap to 2-1.  Australia's last surge did not result in a second goal, however.  Jordan win 2-1 in the biggest victory in their country's history.

Japan 10 pts +10
Jordan 4 pts -5
Australia 2 pts -1
Iraq 2 pts -1
Oman 2 pts -3

Goals
Japan
Ryoichi Maeda 25

Jordan
Hasan Abdel-Fattah 50 PK
Amer Deeb 73

Australia

Archie Thompson 85

Match Reports:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/soccer-worldcup-japan-iraq-idINDEE88A09K20120911
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/Jordan-beats-Australia-21-in-WCup-qualifier-48386960

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JufHVAygA5I (Japan v. Iraq)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4CAzTQadog (Jordan v. Australia)

Lebanon 1 - Iran 0; Uzbekistan 2 - South Korea 2

Uzbekistan welcomed Group One leaders South Korea to Tashkent in the third qualifier of round four for both sides.  Uzbekistan are off to a much slower start than anticipated, but South Korea entered with a 100 percent record with six points from two matches played.  Uzbekistan came out with a purpose early on, and their reward came before the quarter hour mark.  Sanjar Tursonov flicked on an underhit corner, which was then dealt with poorly by a South Korea defender as he headed into his own net.  The Taegeuk Warriors were not about to rush or alter their game plan in panic.  Perhaps they should have, for Tursonov found himself loose in the box after he shook his marker to the ground, but his rocket shot was palmed away by an alert goalkeeper, Jung Sung-Ryong.  Near the conclusion of play, a long South Korean free kick was misread by the Uzbekistan goalkeeper, and Kwak Tae-Hwi won the header to fire into a vacated net for the equalizer.  The halftime scoreboard read 1-1.

A dozen minutes in, South Korea again took advantage of a missed clearance, this team a defender the culprit when he leaped and missed the ball with his head.  The ball fell to a calm and collected Lee Dong-Gook, who pushed the ball under the goalkeeper for a 2-1 lead to the visitors.  Two minutes later, the score would change again.  On another purposely underhit corner, Tursonov again flicked on a header, except this time he needed no touch from a defender as the ball flew into the net for the goal of the contest.  The 2-2 score was a bit flattering to South Korea at this point, but they looked deserving off a third late in the match. It never came, so the match saw the teams share the spoils 2-2.

An unfancied Lebanon side welcomed Iran to Beirut.  Lebanon had been without captain Roda Antar (pictured, red) for their previous three qualifiers, but he was finally suited up again for this match.  His goalkeeper Abbas Hassan kept Lebanon in contention with a sharp save.  It was a Lebanon free kick swung to the back post by Mohammad Haidar that found Antar's head.  Antar, leaning away from goal, snapped his header just hard enough to elude any touch as it nestled itself in the net and in Lebanese history.  Lebanon took the 1-0 advantage in their locker room.

Upon returning, a revitalized Iran was in control of the second half.  Iran's Mohammad Noori had a header cleared off the line and then a volley parried away by Hassan.  Iran captain Javad Nekounam nearly equalized in stoppage time with his own goalkeeper coming into the attack, but the low driven shot was batted aside by Hassan.  Lebanon record the most important win in their history, 1-0 at home to Iran.

South Korea 7 pts +6
Iran 4 pts 0
Qatar 4 pts -2
Lebanon 4 pts -3
Uzbekistan 2 pts -1

Goals
Uzbekistan
Ki Sung-Yeung 13 OG
Sanjar Tursonov 59

South Korea
Kwak Tae-Hwi 43
Lee Dong-Gook 57

Lebanon
Roda Antar 27

Match Reports:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/09/11/2080.ap.soc.uzbekistan.south.korea.1st.ld.writethru.362/index.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jo5w7fRZAxC94_nuBmobWk1hKaAA?docId=CNG.b0a4c50ba027557db7c59fa615ce7509.c31
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Lebanon-upsets-Iran-1-0-in-WCup-qualifier-3856479.php
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Sports/Football/2012/Sep-11/187519-lebanon-beat-iran-1-0-to-keep-world-cup-hopes-alive.ashx#axzz26Sjx59Va

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=6B9T9l4QGv0 (Uzbekistan v. South Korea)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLMDRqo7sj4 (Lebanon v. Iran)

New Zealand 6 - Solomon Islands 1

Photo by Phil Walter

The two group leaders faced off today in rain-drenched Auckland.  Favorites New Zealand were facing Solomon Islands for the third time in four months, with the previous two meetings having been 1-1 and 4-3 to New Zealand.  A Leo Bertos cross twelve minutes in found Shane Smeltz's noggin and bounced into the net for a 1-0 lead to the Kiwis.  Kosta Barbarouses made it two midway through the period when he scored on an open net after a missed tackle by the Bonitos goalkeeper Samson Koti.  The half would end with New Zealand leading 2-0.

Smeltz nearly made it three to the good early in the second half, but his header snapped off the crossbar.  Solomon Islands revived their hopes soon thereafter when Henry Fa'arodo (pictured, yellow) one-timed a low driven cross from Leslie Nate into the Kiwi net.   New Zealand scored two minutes later after a soft headed goal was let in by Koti.  Koti also failed to tip away a cross that lead to New Zealand's fourth goal.  With ten minutes left, a fine Barbarouses cross was chested in by the tall Chris Wood for 5-1.  Koti was again beaten to a ball three minutes later, and his exposed net was soon thereafter breached after a simple slotted ball to the gaping goalmouth was pushed home.  It was a night to forget for Koti and the Bonitos.  New Zealand win 6-1 to take control of the group.

New Zealand 6 pts +7
Solomon Islands 3 pts -3
New Caledonia 0 pts -2
Tahiti 0 pts -2

Goals
New Zealand
Shane Smeltz 12
Kosta Barbarouses 25
Chris Killen 53
Tony Lochhead 69
Chris Wood 80
Marco Rojas 83

Solomon Islands
Henry Fa'arodo 51

Match Reports:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/162ef333-3e19-48f5-b51f-7f2e9de69ea3/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/a7b319bc-5923-488b-9b99-1bb718196286/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awwzl-7jai4&feature=g-all-u

Czech Republic 0 - Denmark 0

In the final match of UEFA Matchday One, Denmark played hosts to the Czech Republic in Copenhagen.  In the best chance of the half, Denmark's Daniel Wass hit a shot that was tailing away toward the inside of the far post until Petr Cech made a great save.  A frustrating, grinding half ended without any goals.  Both t

Early in the half, Czech Republic were on the attack, with Theodor Gebre Selassie coming up from right back to create a through ball across the face of goal, but no one was able to latch onto the ball.  Beginning at the hour mark, the impetus was completely with Denmark.  The ball rarely crossed midfield, and the Czechs were constantly on the defensive.  Cech continued to be up to the challenge, and saved a direct free kick from the right side of his box.  In stoppage time, substitute Andreas Cornelius flicked a header into the path of fellow substitute Leon Andreasen, but Cech made one final save to preserve his shutout and a 0-0 draw.  Both teams will likely point to not having their star attackers on the pitch as a reason for the lack of goals.  Tomas Rosicky missed out for the Czechs and Nicklas Bendtner missed out for Denmark through a one-game suspension.

Armenia 3 pts +1
Italy 1 pts 0
Czech Rep 1 pts 0
Bulgaria 1 pts 0
Denmark 1 pts 0
Malta 0 pts -1

Match Reports:
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Denmark-Czech-Republic-draw-0-0-in-WCup-qualifier-3850058.php

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XkzENjR0s

Scotland 0 - Serbia 0

Serbia made the trip to Glasgow to face Scotland in one of two qualifiers played today.  Early in the match, Serbia's Aleksandar Kolarov crushed a 21-yard free kick that was saved well on a dive at the near post from Allan McGregor.  Kolarov then got back on defense to head away two dangerous chances for Scotland in the next ten minutes.  The half ended scoreless.

Play began to open up more in the second half after a very slow first period.  Kolarov was the danger man of the match, and with just under a half hour to play, he fired a low shot that skipped just wide of the far post, leaving the game deadlocked at zero goals apiece.  McGregor saved a Serbian breakaway opportunity with one minute left in the match to preserve the draw.  His counterpart in the Serbian net Vladimir Stojkovic saved a final Scottish chance in stoppage time.  The match ends 0-0.

Belgium 3 pts +2
Croatia 3 pts +1
Scotland 1 pts 0
Serbia 1 pts 0
Macedonia 0 pts -1
Wales 0 pts -2

Match Reports:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/sep/08/scotland-serbia-world-cup

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79ofGHlYkE

Guyana 2 - El Salvador 2; Mexico 2 - Costa Rica 0

El Salvador welcomed Guyana to San Salvador for the first of their two matchups this week.  Many assumed La Selecta would take the full complement of six points, but the Golden Jaguars were not about to get eliminated from Brasil 2014 without a fight.  El Salvador took an early lead when a looping Rafael Burgos cross was pushed home on the volley by Isidro Gutierrez, but nary one quarter hour later, Guyana had equalized.  A three-on-two counterattack was finished from the top of the box via a laser shot from Treyon Bobb. La Selecta, unphased, pushed ahead anew one minute later when Osael Romero volleyed off a cross from inside the six-yard box.  The 2-1 lead in favor of El Salvador would be the halftime score.

The Golden Jaguars showed their grit in the second period.  Ten minutes after the restart, Gregory Richardson laced a long through ball into an area where only Bobb could reach the ball.  Bobb nutmegged the goalkeeper to earn Guyana the biggest result in their history, a 2-2 road draw in El Salvador.

Mexico visited San Jose to face Costa Rica.  Mexico appear to be the only visiting side to have San Jose figured out as they have not lost in Costa Rica since, a string of five games dating back to 1992 that includes three Mexican victories.  The two were level until three minutes remained in the first period.  An Andres Guardado (pictured, black) corner kick was headed backwards by Francisco Rodriguez and into Carlos Salcido, whose weak bouncing shot somehow found its way unimpeded into the Ticos' net.  Mexico led 1-0 at the break.

Another Guardado corner was whipped in seven minutes into the half when it was met off the volley by Jesus Zavala's right foot.  The caromed off the underside of the crossbar and into the Ticos' net for a 2-0 Mexico lead.  A desperate Costa Rica subbed on striker Randall Brenes for a defender and the move nearly paid dividends immediately.  Brenes won a header in the box, leaving the goalkeeper rooted to his spot as he watch the ball sail just wide.  Brenes later put the ball into the net, but he was correctly ruled offside.  Mexico win 2-0 and can clinch their spot in the CONCACAF Fourth Round with a win at home to Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Mexico 9 pts +5
Costa Rica 4 pts +2
El Salvador 2 pts -1
Guyana 1 pts -6

Goals
El Salvador
Isidro Gutierrez 4
Osael Romero 21

Guyana
Treyon Bobb 20, 54

Mexico
Carlos Salcido 43
Jesus Zavala 52

Match Reports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/costa-rica-0-2-mexico-032600710--sow.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhvwYXTnVQ (Guyana v. El Salvador)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788YtUqs-zw (Mexico v. Costa Rica)

Jamaica 2 - United States of America 1; Guatemala 3 - Antigua and Barbuda 1

Herculez Gomez wasted little time breaking down the right side of the Jamaican defense, launching a shot into the goalkeeper and then the rebound into the chest of a sliding Nyron Nosworthy.  A second rebound fell to Clint Dempsey, who finished to give the United States their fastest ever qualifying goal, besting his own record set in the 2010 FIFA World Cup home qualifier against Barbados.  Rodolph Austin was brought down by Kyle Beckerman, giving Jamaica a dangerous free kick, which Austin expertly slotted under the wall and into the Americans' net thanks to a deflection off the leg of Beckerman himself.  A sliding Dempsey effort late in the half was caught on a slide by Jamaican goalkeeper Dwayne Miller.  The half ended tied at one goal apiece.

In the second period, the lack of leadership in the American midfield became a severe problem.  The absences of Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley forced the United States to use a midfield of three defensive-minded players, and the lack of attack allowed Jamaica to play without worry.  Another free kick opportunity allowed Luton Shelton to dip a strike up and over the wall from thrity-one yards to give Jamaica a 2-1 lead.  The worry for the United States coming in was Jamaica's speed, but it ended up being that free kick prowess that did in the Yanks.  The Reggae Boyz win 2-1, their first ever victory over the United States.

Rainy Guatemala City was the scene as the hosts Guatemala welcomed Antigua and Barbuda.  The play was up and down, with chances coming from both sides as both teams knew a win would revive their hopes of advancing to the CONCACAF Fourth Round.  Guatemala struck a post on a long distance shot in the early going.  Antigua have not been intimidated by the rare air in which they find themselves.  Leading scorer Peter Byers received a ball at the center circle, boxed out his man, turned on his man, slalomed around a Chapin defender, and then slotted home from the top of the box to give his side a 1-0 lead at the half.  Byers, on ten goals, is the second-leading scorer in Brasil 2014, one behind Deon McCaulay of Belize.

Marco Pappa nearly equalized with a free kick, but his shot his the crossbar before rebounding off a teammate for a goal kick.  Pappa made a run up the right side of the field before unleashing a beautiful cross to the far post where Carlos Ruiz was waiting.  Ruiz's header equalized the match at one goal apiece.  Antigua looked closest to regaining the lead, but one shot was blasted off the crossbar and another was turned away by a Chapin defender off the line.  Antigua's Molvin James pulled off the ever-so rare double yellow card maneuver by a goalkeeper in minute 76, picking up his second yellow for time wasting and leaving Antigua with ten men for the final quarter hour.  Ruiz scored on a two-on-none breakaway to pushed his career goal tally to a Guatemalan record 52 goals.  Antigua, despite being a man down, nearly equalized, but a snap header was tipped over the bar by Ricardo Jerez.  A desperate Antigua pushed numbers forward in stoppage time, leaving them susceptible to a three-on-one break that ended with a third Chapin goal.  Guatemala win 3-1.

Jamaica 7 pts +2
USA 4 pts +1
Guatemala 4 pts +1
Antigua 1 pts -4

Goals
United States of America
Clint Dempsey 1

Jamaica
Rodolph Austin 22
Luton Shelton 62

Guatemala
Carlos Ruiz 58, 79
Dwight Pezzarossi 90+1

Antigua and Barbuda
Peter Byers 38

Match Reports:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/09/08/usa-jamaica-clint-dempsey/index.html?sct=sc_t11_a0
http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2012/09/MNT-Falls-to-Jamaica-in-Kingston.aspx

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm-50IVf-_c (Jamaica v. USA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xixji-Fkum0 (Guatemala v. Antigua)

Peru 2 - Venezuela 1

Venezuela, sliding down the CONMEBOL table since a fast start, needed their first ever win in Lima to remain in qualifying position.  Peru, on the other hand, were looking to move off the bottom of the table.  Venezuelan captain Juan Arango took advantage of a second chance free kick after he was awarded a second try to due to Claudio Pizarro (pictured, white) having encroached the ten-yard radius.  Arango made no mistake with the second kick and buried it from the just outside the half circle to give La Vinotinto a 1-0 lead at the half.

Peru wasted no time stealing all the momentum back.  A botched offside trap by Gabriel Cichero allowed a barely onside Jefferson Farfan to find himself completely unmarked from seven yards, and he calmly finished for 1-1.  At the hour mark, Farfan received a pass in the box, shook off Andres Tuñez, and beat goalkeeper Renny Vega one-on-one for a 2-1 lead to the home side.  Cichero, compounding his awful performance, was sent off for a second yellow in minute 67, leaving Venezuela down a man and down a goal.  Vega nearly cost Venezuela a third goal when he went out to clear a corner kick and whiffed, but Andre Carrillo left him off the hook when his header missed an open net.  Peru win 2-1 and move out of last place.  It must be said that Venezuela appear to be a team that lack depth in center midfield, for all three of their losses so far have coincided with the three matches missed by the injured Tomas Rincon.

Argentina 13 pts +9
Chile 12 pts +1
Ecuador 12 pts +1
Uruguay 11 pts +4
Colombia 11 pts +4
Venezuela 8 pts -3
Peru 6 pts -4
Bolivia 4 pts -5
Paraguay 4 pts -7

Goals
Peru
Jefferson Farfan 47, 59

Venezuela
Juan Arango 43

Match Report:
http://www.inbol.net/2012/09/result-peru-2-1-venezuela.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRgTU23JFjI&feature=g-all-u

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKUulPaNavY

Canada 1 - Panama 0; Honduras 3 - Cuba 0

Honduras, stuck in third place in Group Three after two rounds, had to get the job down on the road in Havana as they faced cellar-dwellers Cuba.  At the half hour mark, a cross found the head of Georgie Welcome inside the Cuban box.  Welcome nodded into the path of an unmarked Jerry Bengston, who finished with a nice left-footed half volley off the inside of the near post.  Honduras held a 1-0 lead into the intermission.

In the second period, Honduras continued to dominate.  Victor Bernardez curled a free kick low and around the inside of a three-man wall before finding the back of the Cuban net to put the Catrachos up 2-0.  A late turnover as Cuba were pushing up the pitch desperately allowed Marvin Chavez to run with the ball sixty yards on a counterattack before finishing for a 3-0 win.  If Cuba cannot secure a point on the road to Honduras on Tuesday, they will be eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Toronto was the scene as the two group leaders faced off.  Canada were the host in this matchup, but Panama were the slight favorites.  Canada knew they needed to secure multiple points from their home-and-home with Panama, so their home match was played very assertively.  Kevin McKenna had two open headers in the box to put the Canucks in front, but his first effort was scuffed and his second off the post.  The half finished 0-0.

Dwayne De Rosario turned on a ball he gathered at the top of Panama's box, but his rifled shot was met with two hands by Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo to preserve the deadlock.  Panama were called for a foul at the left edge of their box.  While Panama were still complaining about the call, an alert Atiba Hutchinson took a quick free kick and crossed into the box into the path of an onrushing De Rosario.  With the goal, De Rosario became Canada's all-time leading goalscorer with twenty.  Roman Torres almost pulled back a tie for Panama, but his scorcher just missed to the far post.  Canada win 1-0 and take over first place in Group Three.  This was Canada's eighth straight shutout in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Canada 7 pts +2
Panama 6 pts +2
Honduras 4 pts +1
Cuba 0 pts -5

Goals
Honduras
Jerry Bengston 31
Victor Bernardez 63
Marvin Chavez 90+2

Canada
Dwayne De Rosario 77

Match Reports:
http://deportesus.terra.com/sports/soccer/cup/2014/qualifiers/noticias/0,,OI6138795-EI18601,00-Honduras+defeat+Cuba+in+CONCACAF+Qualifiers.html
http://boxscorenews.com/honduras-tops-cuba-to-end-world-cup-qualifying-slide-p46629-68.htm
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/canada-edges-panama-1-0-in-world-cup-qualifier-1.947664
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Canada+edges+Panama+World+soccer+qualifying+with+late+DeRo+goal/7209636/story.html
http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/article/1253412--canada-beats-panama-1-0-in-world-cup-qualifying

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VaJfnZxv4I (Honduras v. Cuba)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dWllYdtEis (Canada v. Panama)

Argentina 3 - Paraguay 1

Argentina with a win would push themselves into first place in the CONMEBOL qualifying table.  They had a home crowd in Cordoba cheering them on as they faced a struggling Paraguay side.  An early goal from Angel Di Maria took an opportune deflection off Ezequiel Lavezzi's back to stake Argentina to an early 1-0 lead.  A silly accidental handball by Rodrigo Brana handball in his own box when no danger was lurking allowed Paraguay a penalty kick, which was converted for 1-1.  A through ball was not cleared by Richard Ortiz, which allowed an onrushing Gonzalo Higuain to latch onto the ball and clinically finish to the far post.  Lionel Messi nearly gave Argentina a 3-1 lead, but his free kick bounced off the post to safety.  The half would end with Argentina leading 2-1.

Messi nearly restarted play with a perfectly chipped goal, but his ball collidly solidly with the post for the second time in the match.  Messi for the third time in the match hit the post, but this time he struck the inside of the post on a curling 25-yard free kick to put Argentina ahead by two goals, 3-1.  Paraguay appeared to have pulled to within one goal with seven minutes left in the match, but the headed goal was correctly ruled back for offside.  The match ends in a 3-1 win for Argentina.

Goals
Argentina
Angel Di Maria 2
Gonzalo Higuain 31
Lionel Messi 63

Paraguay
Jonathan Fabbro 17 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697524/index.html
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/82137/argentina-vs-paraguay/report

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9QY3tP7tFo&feature=g-all-u

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W3FD6vkqAU (1st half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyEF6gEcegc (2nd half)

Ecuador 1 - Bolivia 0

Ecuador needed to keep pace with Colombia in order to maintain their direct qualification position out of CONMEBOL.  They welcomed Bolivia to the Estadio Atahualpa in Quito.  Ecuador always held the upper hand in the match, but Bolivia's defense made it so that their goal was rarely challenged.  Few attacks were successful in a scoreless first half.

An antsy home crowd was made to wait until twenty minutes remained in the match for the seminal moment.  The very same Ecuador team that was given an offsides goal to defeat Colombia at home was now given a phantom penalty so that they could beat Bolivia at home.  Luis Saritama pulled the dirtiest of flops in the opponent's box, and referee Juan Soto bit on the fake.  The penalty was expertly converted by Felipe Caicedo (pictured, yellow), but the resulting 1-0 final score was nevertheless completely undeserved.  Ecuador have two straight home wins instead of the two straight home draws they actually earned, so they have amassed twelve points instead of the true eight they earned.  These four points will likely be what push them over the edge and into Brasil 2014, further proof that it is better to be lucky than good.

Goals
Ecuador
Felipe Caicedo 72 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?id=17627223&ps=3290&srce=news_class&action=4&lang=es&_LT=UNLC_DPNWU00L4_UNEWS

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Pvs7pNMFM&feature=g-all-u

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__7e2UyCkxM (1st half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-LaLJZaOAE (2nd half)

Colombia 4 - Uruguay 0

Uruguay went into Barranquilla without their star striker Luis Suarez (due to yellow card accumulation) to face Colombia.  Uruguay nevertheless were expecting a good result, but their hosts were none too kind.  Colombia struck very early through the world's most in-form striker Radamel Falcao, who pounded home a mishit cross across  the six-yard box with his instep.  Uruguay never really got anything going in the first period, and were lucky to be down only 1-0 at the break.

In the second period, Teofilo Gutierrez (pictured, yellow) quickly sealed the match for Colombia with two strikes in quick succession.  The first came when he nutmegged the goalkeeper off a smooth through ball from James Rodriguez.  Rodriguez provided the service on Gutierrez's next goal as well.  The 3-0 Colombia lead held until stoppage time, when some nifty dribbling skill by Camilo Zuñiga allowed Zuñiga to slip into the box, from where he fired home for a 4-0 Colombia victory that pushes Colombia further up the qualifying table.

Goals
Colombia
Radamel Falcao 2
Teofilo Gutierrez 47, 52
Camilo Zuñiga 90+2

Match Reports:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/falcao-stays-hot-colombia-put-uruguay-sword-000632209--sow.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8qcDzRa4Dg&feature=g-all-u

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmhHF4JnjA

Switzerland 2 - Slovenia 0; Iceland 2 - Norway 0; Albania 3 - Cyprus 1

Cyprus made the trip to Tirana to face Albania in what looked to be a rare opportunity for Albania to earn three points and take a lead in a qualifying group.  Albania were completely dominant in the first half, and a dangerous free kick lead to a Cyprus own goal, giving the home side a 1-0 lead.  However, in stoppage time, a Cypriot free kick was whipped into the box, missing everybody's head and bouncing once into the net with the goalkeeper rooted to his spot, anticipating a redirection.  The match was level at 1-1 at the half.

Emiljan Vila nearly authored an impressive own goal with his own keeper approaching to grab the ball, but his Albanian teammate and captian Lorik Cana read the spin on the awful bounce to head off the goal line.  In the final ten minutes, Albania were able to put the game away.  The second goal came when the Cyprus goalkeeper ran to punch a cross and missed, allowing a soft backward header by Edgar Cani to go into the goal.  The clincher came on a rocket from around thirty yards by Erjon Bogdani that found its target in the upper ninety.  Albania win 3-1.

Switzerland found themselves in Ljubjlana in their matchup against hosts Slovenia in the Group E matchup of the day.  The two are the only two South Africa 2010 participants in the group.  Surprisingly, it were the visitors who dominated the match, with their superiority leading to an opening goal after twenty minutes.  Eren Derdiyok laid a ball off from Granit Xhaka.  Ten minutes later, a bad turnover in their own box by Slovenia allowed Derdiyok a look from a bouncing ball, but he put his shot into the underside of the crossbar and could not extend the lead.  Slovenia then found their footing, but Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio saved their best chance with his knee.

In the first effort of the half, Gokhan Inler struck a bomb from thirty-three yards to extend the Swiss lead to 2-0.  Tranquillo Barnetta was given his marching orders for his second yellow card in minute 76, leaving Switzerland down a man in their search to finish the match with a win.  Slovenia nearly really threatened again despit their numerical advantage, so Switzerland win 2-0 on the road to open their campaign.

Norway, nominally the top seed in the group but in reality the third favorite, visited Reykjavik to face fellow Scandinavians Iceland.  Norway had the first chance, but a low Mohammed Abdellaoue volley off a cross from the side of the box was pushed to safety by Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson.  Norway did the unthinkable four minutes later, allowing a long throw-in to land inside their six-yard box, setting up a goal off a mishit touch due to its proximity to the goalmouth.  Iceland had their fans believing and cheering a 1-0 lead.  A Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick almost made its way into Norway's net on accident when no one got a touch to the cross, but it connected with the post and bounced away.

Norway thought they had found an equalizer with fifteen minutes to go when Joshua King blasted a ball into the goal, but his strike had struck an offside teammate on its flight toward the goal. Five minutes later, Norway were caught too far upfield, and a through ball from midfield allowed Iceland substitute Alfred Finnbogason to face the goalkeeper without any pressure.  A cool finish sealed the match for the home side. King rocked the crossbar in stoppage time, but the result would not have been altered even if he had scored.  Iceland win 2-0 in upset fashion.

Goals
Albania
Michael Constantinou 35 OG
Edgar Cani 84
Erjon Bogdani 87

Cyprus
Vincent Laban 45+2

Switzerland
Granit Xhaka 20
Gokhan Inler 51

Iceland
Kari Arnason 21
Alfred Finnbogason 81

Match Reports:
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008634/postmatch/report/
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697247/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697324/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYbSzu9ZmYM (Albania v. Cyprus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQZMQlfVF3Q&feature=related (Switzerland v. Slovenia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQPkAm_gMXI (Iceland v. Norway)

Poland 2 - Montenegro 2; England 5 - Moldova 0

Poland made the trip to Podgorica to face off with Montenegro, the presumed closest challenger to England in Group H.  Montenegro's Milan Jovanovic took down Robert Lewandowski in the penalty area five minutes in, allowing Poland a penalty kick opportunity.  The conversion made it 1-0 to the visitors.  Montenegro's attitude did not suffer any negative effects, and their positive play paid dividends.  Nikola Drincic ran with the ball across the top of the box before unleashing an unstoppable strike to equalize.  A Montenegrin corner kick in stoppage time led to a Mirko Vucinic goal that gave the hosts a 2-1 lead to contemplate at the break.

An interesting moment occurred six minutes after the break.  Lewandowski allowed Montenegro's goalkeeper to leapfrog him in a failed effort to punch clear.  Lewandowski then was able to attempt a bicycle kick, but Stefan Savic was on the line to block the shot.  A short free kick two minutes on was finished by the head of Poland's Adrian Mierzejewski, knotting the match at two goals apiece.  Stevan Jovetic nearly ended the celebration seconds later, but his one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper was sent off frame, allowing Poland to exhale.  From their on out the match turned ugly.  Savo Pacevic saw a second yellow turn to red in minute 68, leaving the hosts handicapped for the final push of the match.  Poland then gave the advantage away due to Ludovic Obraniak's straight red card in minute 73.  The match ends in a 2-2 draw.

England made an excursion to Chisinau to face Moldova with the expectation of a large English win the prevailing sentiment.  An early handball in the box off Tom Cleverley's shot gave England a penalty kick, which was converted for 1-0.  A Glen Johnson cross to the six-yard box found Frank Lampard with space, and Lampard converted for his and England's second goal.  It was 3-0 following a lower ninety shot form Jermaine Defoe.  England were comfortably ahead 3-0 with only forty-five minutes left to play.

With fifteen minutes left, England began toying with Moldova.  A three-man attack held the ball in Moldova's penalty area for a good ten seconds against four defenders before James Milner ran up to score his first international goal to make it 4-0.  A wicked deflection off a hand in the wall from a Leighton Baines free kick saw the Three Lions pounce onto a 5-0 lead with less than ten minutes to play.  It was Baines's first international goal as well.  England win 5-0.

Goals
Poland
Jakub Blaszczykowski 6 PK
Adrian Mierzejewski 55

Montenegro
Nikola Drincic 27
Mirko Vucinic 45+2

England
Frank Lampard 4 PK, 29
Jermaine Defoe 32
James Milner 74
Leighton Baines 83

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697211/index.html
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/England-beats-Moldova-5-0-in-WCup-qualifying-3848253.php
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697217/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOGFoOTjS3M (Poland v. Montenegro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1pY4RI7yjk (England v. Moldova)

Belgium 2 - Wales 0; Croatia 1 - Macedonia 0

The crowd in Zagreb were eagerly awaiting their first chance to see Croatia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  Today, the opponents were Macedonia.  Eduardo nearly welcomed the visitors with a goal in the first minute, but his header hit a post.  Macedonia from thereon out were the better team in the first period.  Centerback Vance Sikov headed a Macedonia corner on frame, but it was cleared off the lead.  Goran Pandev then fired off the crossbar from twenty-five yards for the visitors.  The half would end at 0-0 with the Croatian goal living a charmed life.

Croatia were able to find the goal they wanted with just over twenty minutes left in the match.  A slow-moving buildup allowed four Croatians to surge into the visitors' box, and a lack of pressure allowed Luka Modric to pick out a cross, which was well headed back across the face of goal for an easy finish for Nikica Jelavic.  Croatia hold on for a 1-0 win.

Group A favorites Belgium, fresh off a 4-2 friendly win against the Netherlands, were in Cardiff to face Wales in both team's opening fixtures.  The Welsh had the upper hand early, but any chance of obtaining a result was lost early.  James Collins was given a straight red card in minute 26 for a devastating tackle of Guillaume Gillet, leaving the Welsh to face the prospect of playing down a man for over an hour.  After a quarter hour with an extra man, Belgium found the breakthrough.  Dries Mertens whipped a corner onto the head of Vincent Kompany, who proceeded to head with authority for a 1-0 halftime lead.

Gareth Bale hit a free kick well in an attempt to equalize, but the goalkeeper was up to the challenge and denied Wales their first goal.  The Belgians sealed the win late with a well-worked free kick.  The dead ball was pushed ever so slightly to the left, allowing Jan Vertonghen an unimpeded look at goal with the wall rooted in place.  Vertonghen absolutely crushed his shot, which tailed away from the goalkeeper and into the side of the net for a 2-0 lead.  Belgium saw the match out, and they win 2-0.

Goals
Croatia
Nikica Jelavic 69

Belgium
Vincent Kompany 41
Jan Vertonghen 83

Match Reports:
http://football.thestar.com.my/2012/09/08/jelavic-gives-lacklustre-croatia-10-win-over-macedonia/
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697281/index.html
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/wales-football-team/2012/09/07/world-cup-2014-qualifier-wales-0-belgium-2-55578-31791668/
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-08/top-stories/33695842_1_wales-marc-wilmots-vertonghen
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697248/index.html

Highlights:
http://football.thestar.com.my/2012/09/08/jelavic-gives-lacklustre-croatia-10-win-over-macedonia/ (Croatia v. Macedonia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqQmRUV5yg (Belgium v. Wales)

Ireland 2 - Kazakhstan 1; Germany 3 - Faroe Islands 0

Ireland made the trip to Astana, knowing the long trip to face Kazakhstan needed to result in three points in a group where they will be jockeying with Germany and Sweden for a place at Brasil 2014.  Geynrikh Shmidtgal whipped in a devastasting cross from a dead ball that has flicked on and into the net Irish net by Kairat Nurdauletov.  The 1-0 halftime lead gave Kazakhstan something to show for their complete dominance in the first period.

Kazakhstan's proverbial foot remained firmly on the accelerator in the second half, and it took all he had for Irish goalkeeper Keiren Westwood to save a breakaway that had caught his back four napping.  Just when all seemed lost, Ireland snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  Robbie Keane was felled in the box with two minutes to play.  He dusted himself off and converted the penalty for 1-1.  Ireland then snatched a miraculous winner when Stephen Ward knocked down a loose ball in the box and Kevin Doyle came onrushing to fire home from close range.  Ireland win 2-1 in dramatic fashion.

Germany opened their Brasil 2014 quest at home in Hanover against the Faroe Islands.  Faroe goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen put on an excellent display to keep Die Mannschaft at bay early on. He made five masterly saves before finally Germany find a breakthrough.  It took a Mario Goetze strike off the inside of a post to breach the Faroe Islands net.  In fact, toward the end of the half, a defensive header of the line from Per Mertesacker was all that prevented the Faroe Islands from equalizing.  The half ended at a surprisingly close 1-0.

In the next period, it took almost ten minutes, but Germany stretched their lead after a Thomas Muller cross found Mesut Ozil for a volley into the back of the net.  Marco Reus seventeen minutes on hit a great through ball to Ozil, who finished off Nielsen's body for the third and final goal.  Germany win 3-0.

Goals
Ireland
Robbie Keane 89 PK
Kevin Doyle 90

Kazakhstan
Kairat Nurdauletov 37

Germany
Mario Goetze 28
Mesut Ozil 54, 71

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1696909/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy4Vw5EdqYQ

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuwcXs2C5Y8 (Ireland v. Kazakhstan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_YqOvC7jhA (Germany v. Faroe Islands)

Bulgaria 2 - Italy 2; Armenia 1 - Malta 0

Armenia made a trip to the always tricky national stadium of Ta'Qali to take on Malta.  Armenia's Marcos Pinheiro struck the intersection of the crossbar and the near post and saw his rebound clip the goalkeeper and head back in before Alexander Muscat made an acrobatic scissor-kick clearance to save Malta's blushes.  Armenia dominated possession but found no goals in a scoreless first forty-five.

After the restart, Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg was forced into a diving save but made the play.  Yura Movsisyan made the run and assist to substitute Artur Sarkisov to break the deadlock with twenty minutes left to play that gave Armenia their first lead.  Henrik Mkhitaryan nearly added a second goal late on, but Hogg again made a wonderful diving save.  Hogg's efforts were not enough, however, as Armenia win 1-0.

In the most highly anticipated of all today's UEFA action, Italy traveled to Sofia, a place where they have never won, to face stubborn Bulgaria.  Italy looked to be rectifying this poor record with their early play as they dominated the ball and left the Bulgarians searching for answers. Bulgaria found an answer at the midway point of the half, but Ivan Ivanov's (pictured, white #15) shot was tipped to safety by 2006 Germany-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.  Stanislav Manolev scored the opener from a well-hit ball from distance to give Bulgaria a 1-0 lead after the first thirty minutes.  Italy responded well through Pablo Osvaldo (pictured, blue).  Emanuele Giaccherini headed down across the box and Osvaldo met the ball just outside the left post with his left boot to push the ball into the net for the equalizer.  Osvaldo found himself a second four minutes later when his header was deflected by a Bulgarian defender and redirected itself into the net because the goalkeeper had already committed himself to the original trajectory.  The half ended with Italy leading 2-1.

Ilian Micanski came on as a substitute in the second half and immediately made an impact for Bulgaria.  Micanski got to the endline, from where he slotted backward to an open Georgi Milanov, who crush a shot into the Italian net for his first international goal. Bulgaria really pushed for the victory in the final ten minutes, but Buffon saved efforts by Ivanov and Manolev to preserve a 2-2 draw for Italy.

Goals
Armenia
Artur Sarkisov 70

Bulgaria
Stanislav Manolev 30
Georgi Milanov 66

Italy
Pablo Osvaldo 36, 40

Match Reports:
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/09/08/soccer-armenia-leaves-it-late-but-gets-the-job-done-malta-01-armenia/
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697329/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697903/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy4Vw5EdqYQ (Armenia v. Malta)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPAEotux8Qg (Bulgaria v. Italy)

Russia 2 - Northern Ireland 0; Azerbaijan 1 - Israel 1; Portugal 2 - Luxembourg 1

Russia, surprising upset victims of Slovenia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoffs, open their 2014 account at home to Northern Ireland.  The talk of Group F is the battle for first between Russia and Portugal, so Russia wanted to get off to a winning start to keep the pressure on their group rivals.  In the first half, Russia dominated ball possession whereas Northern Ireland could barely string five passes.  However, it took half an hour to break the deadlock, but a fine bit of through ball play starting with Vladimir Bystrov and continued by Alexander Kerzhakov was finished by the left instep of Victor Fayzulin, who netted his first ever goal for Russia to stake them to a 1-0 lead.  The half finished with that score intact.

In the second period, the desperation of Northern Ireland started to improve their play.  Nevertheless, Russia found themselves with two dangerous dead ball opportunities.  With fifteen minutes left to go, Russia had a dead ball in the half circle which Kerzhakov curled over a huge wall off the far post.  Russia then found a golden opportunity when Craig Cathcart shoved a Russian attacker down in the box, leading to a penalty which was converted for 2-0.  Northern Ireland nearly pulled one back soon thereafter, but the header off a corner kick was cleared off the line at the far post by a well-positioned Russian player.  The final score read 2-0 in favor of Russia in the opening UEFA qualifier of Brasil 2014.

Azerbaijan welcomed Israel to Baku.  Israel have not been to a FIFA World Cup finals since Mexico 1970, but a road win would do wonders to change that.  The first half featured few chances in ended unsurprisingly at 0-0.

In the second period, Israeli Bebras Natcho hit a knuckle ball from long distance that ate up goalkeeper Kamran Agayev, a mistake that would end up costing the home side points.  Ruslan Abisov equalized within fifteen minutes on a rolled shot that in all honesty should have been saved by Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate.  Aouate made amends with two upper-ninety saves in the final two minutes plus stoppage time to secure Israel a point on the road.  The match ends in a 1-1 draw.

Luxembourg was the site of Portugal versus Luxembourg in the final match in Group F action today.  The home side was completed unaware of their supposed inferiority and took it to the Portuguese with reckless abandon from the opening whistle.  The opening quarter hour was convincingly Luxembourg's, and their supremacy translated into a shock goal.  Aurelien Joachim took a ball up the right side of the pitch and used his time and space to pick out a cross-field change-of-play.  The ball landed at the feet of Daniel Da Mota, who shook Bruno Alves and then finished past a diving Rui Patricio for Luxembourg's opening goal.  Tom Schnell made a sliding stop to prevent a Portuguese shot from troubling his goalkeeper five minutes on from Da Mota's goal.  Cristiano Ronaldo hit a dipping free kick on frame that was tipped over by Luxembourg goalkeeper Johnathan Joubert.  Portugal had awoken, however, and it took all Luxembourg had to desperately defend a 1-0 lead.  Lars Gerson got caught with the ball at his feet in his own half circle, and the ball was knocked away by Portugal right into Ronaldo's path.  His finish off the post equalized the scoreline. Ronaldo could have made it two, but his shot bounced off the turf, over the goalkeeper, and off the far post. Helder Postiga had a header in the box tipped over the bar by Joubert.  Joubert saved again from Postiga two minutes later, this time off the ground.  Da Mota regain control of the match with five minutes left in the half, but was unable to convert his opportunities in anything more than corner kicks.

Joubert, the figure of the match, was called into action after only three minutes to knee away a Ronaldo shot.  Postiga finally earned his time a lead after he headed a ball up to himself and then waited for the ball to finally fall to his foot.  He did not know much about the finish because he was being shoved to the ground, but his foot made proper contact and the ball found the net.  Just his team seemed out of it, Joachim did a pirouette around the ball before striking toward Rui Patricio's left; Rui Patricio was up to the task, however, and the lead was preserved.  The rest of the match was low energy, and Portugal coasted to a 2-1 win.

Goals
Russia
Victor Fayzulin 30
Roman Shirokov 78 PK

Israel
Bebras Natcho 50

Azerbaijan
Ruslan Abishov 64

Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo 27
Helder Postiga 54

Luxembourg
Daniel Da Mota 13

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1696841/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1696923/index.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697257/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG03QDebvuE (Russia v. Northern Ireland)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDEgSm8kNuU (Azerbaijan v. Israel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A8S_sY0QB4 (Portugal v. Luxembourg)

Netherlands 2 - Turkey 0; Romania 2 - Estonia 0; Hungary 5 - Andorra 0

Romania went into Tallinn looking for the full three points against their hosts Estonia.  Estonia were looking to build on their playoff berth in the qualifiers for Euro 2012.  The first half did not produce any memories and finished 0-0.

In the second frame, Romania announced their intentions to contend in Group D. Ten minutes into the half, Ciprian Marica beat two defenders up the left side of the pitch before slotting a perfect ball across four defenders and the goalkeeper so that only his sliding teammate Gabriel Torje could slot home for 1-0.  Twenty minutes later, Marica and Torje played a one-two-one to give Marica a shot to the far post from just wide of the near post.  He finished and so did Romania.  They left Estonia wondering what could have been after their 2-0 defeat of the hosts.

In the most highly anticipated of the Group D fixtures, Turkey made the trek to Amsterdam looking to knock group favorites Netherlands from their supposedly inevitable passage to Brasil 2014.  Omar Toprak headed a corner just wide of goal in the first minute, an early warning shot from the visitors.  Bruno Martens then nearly caused an own goal with a botched clearance, but he ran to his goalmouth to clear the ball for a corner kick.  In spite of having been outplayed, it were the Oranje who scored first.  Robin van Persie scored off a powerful header from a corner at the quarter hour mark to give Netherlands a 1-0 lead.  Turkey maintained pressure and were unlucky to see Arda Turan's breakaway effort roll outside the far post.  Umut Bulut later headed a cross over the goalkeeper toward an open net, but the crossbar interfered.  Miraculously, Netherlands won the first half 1-0.

In the second frame, Hamit Altintop fired another bullet for the visitors, but goalkeeper Tim Krul leaped to the rescue with a diving save.  Sercan Sarerer missed a header from the back post on a cross to further illustrate the luckless night of the Turks.  Netherlands scored a second goal off a long through ball in stoppage time when Turkey had nine men pushed forward.  The final scoreline of 2-0 to the Netherlands must surely be one of the most unjust scorelines in the history of football not to have been improperly affected by a poor referee.

Hungary went to Andorra la Vella looking to put up a big scoreline against group minnows Andorra.  Ronald Juhasz rose to meet a corner kick at its apex and nod home in the twelfth minute to give Hungary a 1-0 lead. A bad Marc Garcia tackle in his own box allowed Hungary a penalty kick that they would score for 2-0.  Hungary hit the post before the half.  The score at the break was 2-0.

In the second period, Hungary continued to attack.  A diving header on a cross to the far post by Adam Szalai made it 3-0.  Andorra lost a man to a second yellow card when Marc Vales was ejected in minute 66.    Hungary would add two more to their tally before the final whistle.  Hungary win 5-0 on the road.

Goals
Romania
Gabriel Torje 55
Ciprian Marica 75

Netherlands
Robin van Persie 15
Luciano Narsingh 90+2

Hungary
Roland Juhasz 12
Zoltan Gera 32 PK
Adam Szalai 54
Tamas Priskin 67
Vladimir Koman 82

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697312/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDBqymZWw1o (Romania v. Estonia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmg14hV-KdI (Netherlands v. Turkey)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U104_MKfU (Hungary v. Andorra)

Greece 2 - Latvia 1; Slovakia 1 - Lithuania 1; Bosnia and Herzegovina 8 - Liechtenstein 1

Bosnia and Herzegovina started their campaign with a real chance of making it to their first ever FIFA World Cup finals after having been drawn into a soft Group G with Slovakia and Greece.  Their first test was a simple road qualifier in Vaduz to face Liechtenstein.  Liechtenstein held out for twenty-five minutes, but then the floodgates opened.  Zvjezdan Misimovic hit a first half brace as part of a 4-0 Bosnia partial victory.

In the second period, Edin Dzeko scored a hat trick and Vedad Ibisevic picked up his third goal to earn his own hat trick.  When the scoreline was 5-0, Mathias Christen pulled one back for the hosts.  In the end, the match ends as an easy 8-1 Bosnian win.

Slovakia, Round of 16 participants at South Africa 2010, began their long journey back to the big stage with a trip to Vilnius to face Lithuania.  Lithuania grabbed the lead before twenty minutes had elapsed, but a costly turnover saw Slovakia equalize.  Marek Sapara stripped his man at the half circle, dribbled up field and passed off to a teammate.  His teammate lost the ball, but Sapara had continued his run and smoked the rebound home from outside the box to make it 1-1, which would be the halftime score.

Slovakia's Martin Skrtel headed over the go-ahead goal but made amends with a crucial block on the defensive end.  In minute 56, Viktor Pecovsky was ejected for a straight red, leaving Slovakia a man down.  Lithuania were never able to capitalize.  In fact, Tadas Labukas had a short day for Lithuania.  He was subbed on with fifteen minutes to go but had received his second yellow by the time the match had ended, though Lithuania only had to ten-on-ten a very short time in stoppage time.

Riga was the site as Greece made the trip to the Baltic Sea to play hosts Latvia.  Greece had the joy of being the better side throughout the opening stages of the match.  Two headers inside the box failed to threaten the Latvia goal, but a Theofanis Gekas side-foot volley struck the post flush with ten minutes remaining in the period.  Latvia drew a penalty five minutes later and converted for a 1-0 halftime lead against the run of play.

Greece still looked the stronger side in the second half.  Indeed, the Greeks must have felt snake-bitten not to have a goal after creating so many chances.  Miros Spiropoulos struck a ball from twenty-six yards with a left-footed swerving blast to equalize.  After all their botched chances, Greece broke through for a second on a turnover deep in Latvia's area that was one-timed into Gekas's path for a calm finish and a 2-1 lead.  After so much creating nothing out of something, Greece had created something out of nothing.  However, they proceeded to finish the match creating more nothing out of another solid set of chances.  Oskars Klava made a sliding block in stoppage time to deny the best of these chances, but it was no matter.  Greece win 2-1.

Goals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zvjezdan Misimovic 26,31
Vedad Ibisevic 34, 40, 83
Edin Dzeko 46, 64, 80

Liechtenstein
Mathias Christen 61

Lithuania
Marius Zaliukas 18

Slovakia
Marek Sapara 41

Greece
Miros Spiropoulos 57
Theofanis Gekas 69

Latvia
Aleksandrs Cauna 42 PK

Match Reports:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-rt-uk-soccer-world-liechtensteinbre88617q-20120907,0,3070868.story
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697348/
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697290/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhRuH5vSRI (Bosnia v. Liechtenstein)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElIA-_twfME (Greece v. Latvia)

France 1 - Finland 0; Georgia 1 - Belarus 0

Georgia welcomed Belarus to Tbilisi for the opener of Group I play.  The first half was controlled by Belarus, but Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Loria produced two key saves to deny first Sergey Kornilenko and then Anton Putsila.  0-0 was the halftime score.

Seven minutes after the resumption of play, a slow Belarus attack broke down and gave way to a quick counterattack for Georgia.  The ball was stripped and then slotted to Tornike Okriashvili, who ran twenty-four yards before shaking two Belarus defenders to the ground.  He then spun and finished to the far post as a third defender desperately tried to apply pressure.  Loria shut the down from thereon out, denying Belarus on two more occasions to secure a 1-0 win for Georgia.

France made a trip to Helsinki to face Finland in each team's first fixture in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  Abou Diaby (pictured, blue) made his return to Les Bleus after a year of injury.  Karim Benzema rewarded him midway through the opening half with a through ball directly down the middle of the pitch that allowed Diaby to latch on and swing wide to his right before finishing far post to give France a 1-0 lead that would hold through the first half.

In the second period, France pushed forward for a second goal to kill the game, but they nearly paid the price by allowing a Finnish counterattack to nip an equalizer.  Nevertheless, France escape with a 1-0 win to keep the pressure on Group I favorites Spain.

Goals
Georgia
Tornike Okriashvili 52

France
Abou Diaby 20

Match Reports:
http://www.espnstar.com/football/world-cup/news/detail/item852504/Grp-I:-Georgia-1-0-Belarus/
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/France-wins-10-at-Finland-in-World-Cup-qualifier-99121980
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1697161/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di9_ki3LDoA (Georgia v. Belarus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JB6JXCVMtI (France v. Finland)

Solomon Islands 2 - Tahiti 0; New Zealand 2 - New Caledonia 0

Tahiti returned to the site of their greatest triumph, the Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, where Tahiti won the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.  Their hosts today were Solomon Islands.  The host Bonitos had payback on their minds after suffering a 1-0 loss in the semifinals of the Nations Cup at home to this very Tahiti side.  Solomon Islands took a lead just beyond the quarter hour when a Benjamin Totori cross found captain Henry Fa'arodo, who finished for 1-0.  At the tail end of the first period in minute 43, Tahitian captain Nicolas Vallar was ejected from the match for a tackle he made as the last defender.  Goalkeeper Samson Koti made two diving saves to protect the Bonitos goal in the first half.  The Bonitos led 1-0 at the break.

Alvin Tehau found himself with a one-on-one chance to equalize early in the half, but he chopped his shot straight into Koti's chest.  On the hour mark, Himson Teleda and Fa'arodo completed a nice interplay of passing that led to the second Bonitos goal.  James Nawo was dangerous later in the half and nearly made it three goals to the good for his side, but his excellent service on corner kicks was not met with the headers they deserved.  Nelson Sale made a crucial block inside his own box to preserve the hosts' two-goal margin.  Solomon Islands win 2-0 and take the early lead in the OFC Third Round.

New Caledonia were looking to make it two straight wins against New Zealand as they welcomed the Kiwis to Noumea.  The Kiwis wanted to reverse their fortunes after a 2-0 loss to Les Cagous at the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.  Goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine looked to be repeating his heroics from the Nations Cup after he parried away an early shot, but the Kiwis were rewarded for their early pressure.  Nyikeine pushed away a Chris Wood shot, but the resultant rebound was chipped by Shane Smeltz into the net for a 1-0 All Whites lead.  Les Cagous pushed back, but their efforts were either off target or weak.  A poorly cleared Kiwi corner found its way to Michael McGlinchey, who chipped a ball to Smeltz, who nodded into Wood's path. Wood headed home from two yards to give New Zealand a 2-0 lead at the break.

In the second period, New Zealand were calm and composed and kept control of the ball.  Les Cagous had one chance with less than five minutes to play, but the loose ball in the box was pushed softly wide of goal.  New Zealand win 2-0 and next face Solomon Islands at home for the group lead on Tuesday.

Goals
Solomon Islands
Henry Fa'arodo 16
Himson Teleda 60

New Zealand
Shane Smeltz 12
Chris Wood 40

Match Reports:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/76c6641d-ef09-4770-9fc9-69fb4263fc3d/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/ce28daa5-28cc-49ab-b930-dc7c7c0ee983/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/438d1bb1-3576-41d4-a944-dacee2eb40b7/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/football/225037/football-all-whites-avenge-loss-new-caledonia
http://tvnz.co.nz/football-news/all-whites-buoyed-gritty-away-win-5069736

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqSxrDnuqo&feature=g-all-u (Solomon Islands v. Tahiti)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0IIw0TA86Y&feature=g-all-u (New Zealand v. New Caledonia)