Croatia 2 - Serbia 0; Wales 2 - Scotland 1; Belgium 2 - Macedonia 0

Zagreb was the site of the historic first match between eternal rivals and former enemies-at-war.  The home side Croatia welcomed Serbia into their abode knowing a win would all but eliminate their opponents and would allow them to maintain pressure on Belgium. This was the very stadium in which the Croatian War for Independence from Serbia had begun in 1990, and the terrible history between the two nations was palpable in the stands as the Croats made their displeasure with Serbia known.

Croatia's game plan was to attack through the middle of the pitch and only to look for width with Darijo Srna coming upfield from his right back position.  Debutant Mateo Kovacic ran the offense as the only one of Croatia's four midfielders playing in a defensive stance.  Srna's runs would attack Serbia's weakness, left back Aleksandar Kolarov, and indeed it was a mistake from Kolarov that led to the first goal.  His quick free kick was hit immediately to Mario Mandzukic, who then started a breakawy.  Ivica Olic eventually received teh ball and laid it off for Mandzukic, who gave Croatia a 1-0 lead.  A quarter hour later, Srna hit a free kick into the six-yard box that was somehow allowed to bounce by Serbia goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic.  Olic knocked home off the bounce for a 2-0 lead that would hold through the half.

Right after the half began, Kolarov tried to make up for his mistakes, but his low shot was saved by Croatia goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa.  Dusan Tadic came on for Serbia and nearly made a side of the boot assist to Filip Duricic, but Pletikosa again made the save, the first of a double save that had to be made after a short rebound was relinquished.  The final ten minutes were pretty uneventful, which was great news for Croatia.  They win 2-0 over their archrivals and go top of Group A.

Skopje was the site of Macedonia's home leg in the first of two matches against Belgium in five days' time.  In the first minute, Macedonia nearly had the lead. Goran Pandev drove up the left side of the pitch in order to cross to Adis Jahovic at the back post.  Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made himself big and had the ball hit his body in order to prevent the opener.  Two minutes later, a Pandev free kick gave Ivan Trickovski a free header from just inside the penalty spot, but he nodded wide.  Belgium finally woke up, and it was Kevin de Bruyne who provided the opener.  He beat Aleksandar Lazevski to a lofted through ball and then, having muscled away his only marker, de Bruyne clinically finished at the near post with the goalkeeper poorly positioned.  Belgium led 1-0 at the break.

At the hour mark, Maroune Fellaini made a pass to the penalty spot to Eden Hazard, who was crushed by Lazevski, resulting in a penalty kick for Belgium.  The kick was converted, and Belgium were in total control at 2-0.  Belgium came closest to a third through a de Bruyne effort smacked wide, but the result was never in doubt.  Belgium win 2-0 to keep pace with Croatia.

Glasgow served as the snowy site for Scotland's home match against Wales.  Before the qualification cycle began, Wales were considered the underdogs, but they have proved more resilient than have Scotland.  Scotland were dealt a blow as Darren Fletcher had to be substituted within five minutes after picking up a lower leg injury.  Somehow, Scotland maintained enough composure to play on without their big-name star.  A Charlie Mulgrew inswinging corner kick in stoppage time found Grant Hanley, who cut inside of his defender to find an opening for a header, which he drilled.  Scotland led 1-0 at the break.

Scotland held firm in the second half until Robert Snodgrass commited a foul at the edge his own penalty area that resulted in a yellow card, his second of the match.  Snodgrass was dismissed in minute 71 for his rash challenge on Christopher Gunter, and Wales tied the score at 1-1 on the ensuing penalty kick.  One minute later, Andrew King sent in a cross that was met by the powerful leap of Hal Robson-Kanu for his first international goal.  The Welsh had their second goal and their first lead.  In the last action of the match, the Welsh playmaker Aaron Ramsey was given a straight red for stopping a goalscoring opportunity, meaning only twenty men were on the pitch for the final whistle.  Wales hold on to win 2-1 and send Scotland to the cellar of Group A.

Belgium 13 pts +9
Croatia 13 pts +6
Wales 6 pts -7
Serbia 4 pts -1
Macedonia 4 pts -3
Scotland 2 pts -4

Goals
Croatia
Mario Mandzukic 23
Ivica Olic 37

Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne 26
Eden Hazard 62 PK

Wales
Aaron Ramsey 72 PK
Hal Robson-Kanu 74

Scotland
Grant Hanley 45+2

Match Reports:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/sports/soccer/croatias-win-over-serbia-ends-with-coaches-embrace.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.dw.de/croatia-beats-serbia-2-0-in-no-ordinary-game/a-16694684
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/03/24/croatia-2-0-serbia-brave-decision-to-use-kovacic-in-midfield-helps-croatia-dominate-the-game/
http://www.macedonianfootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5443:belgium-macedonia-10&catid=13:international&Itemid=64
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/22/scotland-wales-world-cup-match-report

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj7Ea2m30tw (Croatia v. Serbia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXLdXxqUECg (Belgium v. Macedonia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_zVxllW6xE (Wales v. Scotland)

Ireland 0 - Sweden 0; Germany 3 - Kazakhstan 0; Austria 6 - Faroe Islands 0

Kazakhstan decided to start their match at home in Astana at midnight as they took on Germany for the first of two meetings over five-day span.  The odd start time did nothing to affect Germany as they had the upper hand from start to finish.  Twenty minutes in, a beautiful flick to himself by Bastian Schweinsteiger led to a hard shot on goal that was redirected by Thomas Muller's chest onits way into the goal.  Two minutes later, Germany were up 2-0.  Muller had been tackled off the ball by Kairat Nurdauletov, but miscommunication between Nurdauletov and his goalkeeper led to the ball being kicked out softly by Muller to a grateful Mario Gotze, who finished into the vacated net.  Germany took the 2-0 lead into the break.

Germany eventually made it a three goal lead on a play where Gotze had dispossesed two Kazakhs in their defensive third.  Gotze gave the ball to Mesut Ozil, who in turn created a passing lane through which he fed Muller for a slotted finish.  The goal sealed the victory, and the Germans coasted to the finish.  Germany win 3-0 and look to make it six points in five days against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Vienna was the site for Austria's home match against the Faroe Islands.  The Austrians will never take the Faroese lightly, having lost to them in 1992.  It took less than ten minutes for Austria to establish a lead.  A low Christian Fuchs cross was met first time by Philipp Hosiner, who scored his first international goal on the play.  Odmar Faero gifted the second goal to Hosiner after his backtracking header back to his goalie was woefully devoid of power, leading to an easy finish for Hosiner. Andreas Ivanschitz robbed Frodi Benjaminsen of the ball and then fired a long-distance shot that bounced into the goal for Austria's third within a half hour.  The halftime scoreboard read Austria 3, Faroe Islands 0.

Austria went fifty minutes between goals, but they suddenly burst out for three more in a six-minute span.  Zlatko Junuzovic and David Alaba both scored on well struck balls, and Faroese goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen misread the sixth goal, getting eaten up by a weak curler.  Austria win 6-0 and can dream of a playoff spot given their strong goal differential.

Ireland made the trek to Solna to take on Sweden.  Ireland nearly had the opener, but Shane Long made a mess of his chance after latching onto a James McCarthy through ball.  Ireland would never again have a strong effort in attack in the match.  Ireland goalkeeper David Forde came to the rescue minutes later after a flicked-on header from Andreas Granqvist forced him into a diving tap-aside.   The game was scoreless at the half.

Ireland were on the defensive the entire second period, but their defense was strong and held firm time and again.  Sweden's best chance came during stoppage time when a ball was kicked backward softly into the path of Alexander Kacaniklic, who fired on a half-volley but was denied by the raised arms of Forde.  Ireland escape with a 0-0 draw on the road.

Germany 13 pts +12
Sweden 8 pts +3
Austria 7 pts +9
Ireland 7 pts -1
Kazakhstan 1 pts -13
Faroe 0 pts -13

Goals
Germany
Thomas Muller 20, 73
Mario Gotze 22

Austria
Philipp Hosiner 8, 20
Andreas Ivanschitz 28
Zlatko Junuzovic 77
David Alaba 78
Gyorgy Garics 82

Match Reports:
http://www.goal.com/en-india/match/92455/kazakhstan-vs-germany/report
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008574/postmatch/report/index.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2297969/Ciaran-Clark-delighted-Swedens-Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-quiet-Ireland-secure-vital-point.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4do_QJyUJlo (Germany v. Kazakhstan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRTf44E3yj4 (Austria v. Faroe Islands)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR4rRaQEEic (Ireland v. Sweden)

Israel 3 - Portugal 3; Luxembourg 0 - Azerbaijan 0

Ramat Gan and the surprising Israel hosted Portugal in a pivotal match to decide the runner-up in Group F.  In the opening minute, Portugal established their intentions.  Bruno Alves rose up at the six-yard line to head home a corner kick and put Portugal ahead 1-0.  Halfway through the period, Israel struck back.  Eden Ben Basat stepped over a weakly hit cross and in doing so faked out the Portuguese defense.  He nearly caught Tomer Hemed off guard, but Hemed was able to turn and chase down the ball before firing off a spin to the bottom left of the Portuguese goal for the equalizer.  Helder Postiga should have reclaimed the lead nine minutes later, but his chance at an unmark shot was lost when he slipped.  Postiga stood up only to fire off the near post under pressure. 
Seven minutes after that, Ben Basat pushed Israel ahead after latching onto an Eytan Tibi through ball and outrunning the entire Portuguese defense.  His blast made it 2-1.  Postiga was in on goal again at the end of stoppage time, but Tal Ben Haim tackled away at the last moment.  The score at the half was Israel 2, Portugal 1.

The danger man Postiga nearly had a goal again eleven minutes in, but Tibi made a saving tackle.  Carlos Martins came on for Portugal and nearly tied it up from twenty-five yards, but Israel goalkeeper Dudu Aoueta held the ball on the dive.  Two minutes after that, Israel had a third.  Null Gershon rose above Alves to head the corner home, an embarrassing situation for Portugal given that they had eight men defending only three Israeli attackers.  Two minutes later, Postiga finally got his reward.  A through ball from Vierinha gave Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured, red) his first real opportunity, and Ronaldo's cross to the back post was hit in by Postiga on the slide.  In the penultimate minute of regulation, Fabio Coentrao nearly equalized after heading a Vierinha cross off the ground and over Aoueta, but the ball landed on the crossbar.  In the final minute of stoppage time, a Hugo Almeida header beat Aoueta, bounced off the crossbar, and led to an attempted clearance by Yuval Shpungin.  Coentrao blocked the clearance into the net and the time ran out.  Portugal escape with a 3-3 draw on the road.

Luxembourg welcomed Azerbaijan to the city of Luxembourg with both teams looking to move ofut of the cellar.  Ruslan Abishov almost snatched a road goal, but Luxembourg goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert was up to the challenge, diving to his right to punch away desperately.  Luxembourg responded with a ball up the left side of the pitch.  Daniel Da Mota did extremely well to keep the ball inbounds, but his efforts when for not when Aurelien Joachim hit his shot straight into the goalkeeper from close range.  Paris Fardzhad-Azad had a chance to put Azerbaijan ahead, but his header off a long cross to the far post was nodded onto the far post with less than five minutes before the halftime whistle.  The whistle blew with the score knotted at zero goals apiece.

The second half was a mere shell of the exciting first half, with neither side able to produce much offense.  The match ends in a 0-0 draw that really does neither team any favors as they try to move up the group table.

The final scheduled match in Group F was to take place in Belfast between home side Northern Ireland and group leaders Russia, but the snowfall proved too much and the match was postponed.

Russia 12 pts +8
Israel 8 pts +5
Portugal 8 pts +3
N. Ireland 3 pts -2
Azerbaijan 3 pts -4
Luxembourg 2 pts -10

Goals
Portugal
Bruno Alves 2
Helder Postiga 72
Fabio Coentrao 90+3

Israel
Tomer Hemed 24
Eden Ben Basat 40
Null Gershon 70

Match Reports:
http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/portugal-snatch-late-3-3-draw-israel
http://www.goal.com/en-za/match/92449/israel-vs-portugal/report
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008674/postmatch/report/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5rV3qPEnO4 (Israel v. Portugal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0QFVBOtNnw (Luxembourg v. Azerbaijan)

Schedule:
23 March 2013
Northern Ireland at Russia 10:00 Belfast (Note: this match was snowed out again the next day and was postponed for a later matchday entirely).

News Reports:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/22/weather-inspection-northern-ireland-world-cup

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 - Greece 1; Liechtenstein 1 - Latvia 1; Lithuania 1 - Slovakia 1

Vaduz was an unlikely place for a result to be found as Liechtenstein welcomed Latvia to town.  In a real team effort, four Liechtenstein players touched the ball in the final third as the ball was incrementally swung from left to right.  The third man was David Hasler, who chested the ball and then provided a soft touch behind himself to the right.  Michele Polverino scored the opener for the home side as the fourth man to touch the ball, putting Latvia under immense pressure on the road.  Aleksandrs Cauna responded on the half-hour mark as his thirty-two yard free kick went in off the underside of the crossbar at the right upper ninety.  The score was 1-1 at the half.

A hand ball just beyond the hour mark provided Latvia with the opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot.  Fortunately for Liechtenstein, their goalkeeper Peter Jehle tipped Cauna's effort around the posts to preserve the draw.  Liechtenstein actually had the better of the final half hour, but they were unable to snatch the victory.  The match ends in a 1-1 draw.

Zilina was the scene as a desperate Slovakia looked to use the homefield advantage against Lithuania to propel themselves make into the race for Brasil 2014.  In the second minute, Slovakia almost made it count.  A Marek Sapara free kick was curled to the left side, from where Jan Durica headed back to an open Juraj Kucka at the far post, who blew the open header from two yards over the crossbar.  An unlucky rebound off a clearance saw the ball land at the feet of Lithuanian Mindaugas Kalonas, who dribbled away from one defender.  The ball was stolen from him, but the thief was his own teammate Darydas Sernas, whose one-time finish gave the visitors the lead twenty minutes into the match.  A quarter hour on, a Robert Mak through ball had Marek Hamsik one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his effort was meekly hit straight at the only obstacle in his way.  Three minutes later, Sapara sent a free kick flush off the crossbar, and the Lithuanians appeared to be living a charmed life.  In perhaps the least promising of their first half chances, Slovakia equalized with five minutes to play in the half.  A perpetually loose ball came to Martin Jakubko with his back turned to goal.  Jakubko rose up for the half bicycle kick and equalized for Slovakia.  The half ended at one-goal apiece.

A dozen minutes into the second period, a Kucka volley attempt off a clearance was hit squarely but collided with the far post rather than the side netting, leaving Slovakia wondering what voodoo was placed against them on this day.  With under five minutes to go, Lithuania substitute Arvydas Novikovas slalomed around Dusan Svento to lay off a great pass to Sernas, who smacked the opportunity wide right.  The match finishes as a 1-1 draw.

Zenica and the Bosnia home crowd welcomed Greece into town for what could be deemed the de facto deciding match of Group G.  Unmarked from seven yards off a corner kick, the first chance went to Bosnian Ognjen Vranjes, whose header was saved on the dive by Greece goalkeeper Orestis-Spyridon Karnezis.  Bosnia were undeterred by this missed chance, and they took the lead before the half hour mark.  A long free kick from Zvjezdan Misimovic was whipped into the box.  Edin Dzeko performed an amazing half-spin header from nine yards out to nod the ball home for the opener.  Six minutes later, Bosnia won a penalty when Georgios Tzavelas tripped and rolled over Mensur Mujdza.  Karnezis saved the initial spot kick, but the ball was eventually bungled over the line after it was knocked back toward goal by a Greek player despite the efforts of two onrushing Greek defenders.  The half ended with the home side ahead 2-0.

Eight minutes into the second half, Bosnia put the game away.  A Misimovic free kick was perfectly curled onto Dzeko's head, from where the ball was nodded away to the near post for a three-goal advantage.  In the penultimate minute of regulation.  Miroslav Stevanovic held off his defender for an open shot, but Karnezis saved.  In the final minute of stoppage time, Greece pulled a goal back when Georgios Samaras slotted a through ball to the far post for a tap in by Theofanis Gekas.  Bosnia win 3-1 and are well-positioned for their first ever berth at a FIFA World Cup finals.

Bosnia 13 pts +15
Greece 10 pts +2
Slovakia 8 pts +2
Lithuania 5 pts -3
Latvia 4 pts -3
Liechtenstein 1 pts -13

Goals
Liechtenstein
Michele Polverino 17

Latvia
Aleksandrs Cauna 30

Lithuania
Darvydas Sernas 19

Slovakia
Martin Jakubko 40

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Edin Dzeko 30, 54
Vedad Ibisevic 36

Greece
Theofanis Gekas 90+3

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=2041491/index.html
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008723/postmatch/report/index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/soccer/wires/03/22/2080.ap.soc.bosnia.greece.1st.ld.writethru.242/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.wat.tv/video/lie-vs-lat-wawsport-5y5gb_4zqor_.html (Liechtenstein v. Latvia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyL7UlTu2qE (Lithuania v. Slovakia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXrzKFJX8kw (Bosnia v. Greece)

Romania 2 - Hungary 2; Netherlands 3 - Estonia 0; Turkey 2 - Andorra

 Turkey went into Andorra la Vella to face Andorra and to revive their faltering campaign.  A great free kick on the half hour mark from Selcuk Inan bounced off the goalkeeper's hand on its path goalward, giving Turkey the opener.  In stoppage time, a half-field run from Turkey captain Arda Turan led to an open look for Burak Yilmaz, who made no mistake with the finish, putting Turkey ahead 2-0 at the break.

Turan nearly had Turkey's third, but his bounced volley was pushed aside by Andorra goalkeeper Josep Gomes.  Turkey had an open goal at its mercy, but Umut Bulut somehow botched a volleyed shot from six yards away.  After a poor giveaway, Andorra were through in on goal, but Sebastian Gomez saw his shot sail high with only the goalkeeper to beat.  In stoppage time, Turan fired off the top of the crossbar from distance.  Turkey win 2-0.

Hungary were looking to wrestle control of second place at home in Budapest against Romania.  The fans were absent from the venue due to their anti-Semitism displayed in a friendly against Israel.  At the quarter hour mark, Tamas Hajnal stood over a free kick for Hungary.  His delivery was headed home with power by Vilmos Vanczak, and the home side led 1-0, though Romania center back Dorin Voian really should have won the header.  As the standings suggested, the sides were evenly matched, and Romania had its fair share of chances, but no further goals were found in the first forty-five.

Hungary had the first warning shot of the second half, but Romania were the side to find the next goal.  A bouncing through ball had to be won by Gheorghe Grozav, who tapped the ball behind after beating two Hungarians to the spot.  Adrian Mutu collected and was clipped on the edge of the penalty area by Zsolt Korcsmar.  The penalty kick was converted by Mutu, who began Romania's joint all-time leading scorer with the goal.  Voian continued his awful game by conceding a penalty three minutes later after clipping Korcsmar in the other box.  Poor transistion defense cost Hungary the win in stoppage time as three Hungarian defenders converge and failed to clear or even contact a hopeful through ball to no one.  After all the misses, Romania substitute Alexandru Chipciu came up golden with the equalizer.  The 2-2 draw now gives Romania the inside track to finish group runners-up.

Amsterdam and the Netherlands national side welcomed Estonia.  Perhaps the Dutch were too welcoming in the first period, as the only chance of any note was a pair of strikes Konstantin Vassiljev within the span of four seconds as the initial rebound off the gloves of goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer forced himself into a second save coming out of a prone position.  The lackluster first half was a scoreless one.

The deadlock was broken two minutes after the resumption of play by a Rafael van der Vaart shot that dribbled in from the penalty spot after being deflected on its way to goal.  Netherlands' attack awoke after the first goal, and the match tilted in their favor.  A Daryl Janmaat cross was met with an airborne volley redirect by Robin van Persie to put the Dutch ahead by two goals with less than twenty minutes to play.  Martin Vunk should have pulled one back as he found himself alone against a hesitant Vermeer, but he skied his shot despite the lack of defensive pressure.  A van Persie cross six minutes from time was somehow missed by Arjen Robben, but the rebound off the grass fell to Ruben Schaken, who finished far post through traffic to extend the lead.  The Netherlands win 3-0 to inch ever closer to Brasil 2014.

Netherlands 15 pts +14
Hungary 10 pts +5
Romania 10 pts +4
Turkey 6 pts 0
Estonia 3 pts -8
Andorra 0 pts -15

Goals
Turkey
Selcuk Inan 30
Burak Yilmaz 45+2

Hungary
Vilmos Vanczak 16
Balazs Dzsudzsak 71 PK

Romania
Adrian Mutu 68 PK
Alexandru Chipciu 90+2

Netherlands
Rafael van der Vaart 47
Robin van Persie 72
Ruben Schaken 84

Match Reports:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-beats-minnow-andorra-2-0-in-world-cup-qualifier.aspx?pageID=238&nid=43499
http://sportinglife.aol.co.uk/football/match/report/8585486/hungary-v-romania
http://football.thestar.com.my/2013/03/23/netherlands-beat-estonia-30-to-maintain-perfect-start/
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/92466/netherlands-vs-estonia/report

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sEn4hj8_Vk (Turkey v. Andorra)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi8Ig12dtZ0 (Romania v. Hungary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlJavgg04Kk (Netherlands v. Estonia)

Denmark 3 - Czech Republic 0; Bulgaria 6 - Malta 0

Sofia was the snowy scene as Malta paid a visit to Bulgaria.  No fans were allowed to watch as punishment for their having been very racist in a previous Bulgaria home match.  Today's match was a comedy of errors for hapless Malta.  The first Bulgaria goal was a well-struck shot by Aleksandar Tonev, but his second squirmed through the hands of legs of Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg.  Bulgaria took the 2-0 lead into the second period.

 Just after the restart, a Georgi Milanov run up the left allowed Ivelin Popov to find space across the face of goal, from where he tapped in a Milanov through ball.  Luke Dimech had a brain cramp on the fourth goal, trying to dribble out of his own penalty area before being dispossesed in a play that led to Bulgaria's fourth goal.  Tonev completed his hat trick before the hour mark with a shot from outside the box.  Ivan Ivanov found the sixth as he snuck his boot waist-high between two defenders to tap the ball in from two yards away.  Bulgaria win easily 6-0 and further solidify their second-place position in Group B.

Czech Republic welcomed Denmark to Olomouc for their qualifier today.  The Czechs had the upper hand early, but Denmark goalkeeper Stephan Andersen (pictured, blue) made two identical diving stops to his right in the first half hour to deny the hosts a lead.  By the end of the half, Denmark had firmly established themselves in the match and had the momentum after the scoreless period ended.

Andreas Cornelius was peppering the Czech goal after the restart, and he was rewarded for his efforts when a rebound off a teammate fell to him inside the penalty area.  He took a touch and then rifled into the roof of the net from sixteen yards out, giving Denmark a 1-0 lead.  Cornelius drew a corner kick ten minutes later after his sparkling run drew three Danish defenders, forcing Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech to break up the shot that came after Cornelius's pass.  On the resulting corner kick, Simon Kjaer was first to the near post, and his header gave Denmark a 2-0 lead midway through the period.  Center back Kjaer created the third goal as his high pressure blocked a clearance ten yards from the Czech endline.  The rebound fell to Niki Zimling, who eventually unleashed a driven shot from just beyond the half circle that nearly ripped the net.  Denmark would coast home the rest of the match to claim a 3-0 win on the road.

Italy 10 pts +6
Bulgaria 9 pts +7
Denmark 5 pts +1
Czech Rep. 5 pts -1
Armenia 3 pts -2
Malta 0 pts -11

Goals
Bulgaria
Aleksandar Tonev 6, 38, 58
Ivelin Popov 47
Emil Gargorov 55
Ivan Ivanov 78

Denmark
Andreas Cornelius 57
Simon Kjaer 67
Niki Zimling 82

Match Report:
http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/football/2013/03/2013322183251455959.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130322/denmark-czech-republic-world-cup-qualifying-uefa.ap/

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v18fMrb-SJA (Bulgaria v. Malta)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BewBcH1YZ4 (Denmark v. Czech Republic)

Albania 1 - Norway 0; Iceland 2 - Slovenia 1

Ljubljana was the site of the home match for struggling Slovenia as they looked to revive their flagging campaign against unfancied Iceland.  With less than a dozen minutes left in the half, Slovenia appeared to have revived their chances.  A weak headed clearance by an Iceland centerback bounced right to Milivoje Novakovic, who half-volleyed into the side netting after a quick reaction to give the home side a 1-0 lead.  Iceland from then on gained the upper hand, but the score remained 1-0 going into the break.

In the second period, Iceland did not let off the gas.  They were rewarded ten minutes in when Gylfi Sigurdsson curled a thirty-yard free kick into the right upper ninety from straight on, leaving the sparse crowd stunned.  Kolbeinn Sigthorsson found himself through on a long through ball, but after a nice first touch he shot weakly into the goalkeeper's legs, allowing Slovenia the let off.  With twenty minutes to go, a well-designed Slovenia free kick allowed Novakovic to shot low and to the side of the wall, but his shot to the bottom right was pushed to safety by a diving Hannes Halldorsson.  Dejan Lazarevic came off the bench for Slovenia and made an impact with two hard driven shots, the second of which required Halldorsson to one-hand punch away on a horizontal dive to maintain parity.  With a dozen minutes left, Iceland had found the lead.  A pass into Sigurdsson led to the Tottenham midfielder dancing Slovenia captain Bostjan Cesar off the ball before slotting away to the near post.  Iceland would hold on to win 2-1 and move into second place in Group E.

Oslo is in Norway but the stands were filled by Albania supporters as the two sides met with second-place on the line.  The first half did not provide many chances, but Norway came closest with about ten minutes left.  A three-versus-three break saw a nice back-to-the-goal pass by Norway's Markus Henriksen to Tarik El Younoussi, whose shot on goal was deflected inches wide of the post by Armend Dallku.  Dallku's block kept the score level on 0-0, which would be the score heading into the intermission.

An incredibly well-designed dead ball play from Albania provided the opener.  A ball on the outside right edge of the Norwegian penalty area was made for a curled in ball, so Albania instead slotted a pass across the top of the box from where an instep shot from Hamdi Salihi left the entire Norway team flat-footed as it sailed into the top corner.  Norway desperately tried to level the score to no avail.  Andi Lila picked up two yellow cards in the final six minutes, leaving Albania with ten men with stoppage time still to be played, but Norway were unable to capitalize.  Albania win 1-0 and go joint-second in the group.

Switzerland 10 pts +6
Iceland 9 pts +1
Albania 9 pts +1
Norway 7 pts 0
Cyprus 3 pts -4
Slovenia 3 pts -4

Goals
Iceland
Gylfi Sigurdsson 55, 78

Slovenia
Milivoje Novakovic 34

Albania
Hamdi Salihi 67

Match Reports:
http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2013-03-22/world-cup-qualifying-match-report-slovenia-1-2-iceland/
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2013/03/22/ice-cold-albanians-stun-drillos/

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtsKRS4YOpM (Iceland v. Slovenia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJIejpMkBW0 (Albania v. Norway)

New Zealand 2 - New Caledonia 1

Photo by Teaukura Moetaua

Dunedin was the site of the effective deciding match of the OFC Third Round. If New Zealand could defeat New Caledonia at home, then New Zealand would clinch the OFC berth in the intercontinental playoffs. However, if New Caledonia were to win, they would be level on points with New Zealand, but the Caledonians would have the edge on goal differential. A draw would leave New Zealand needing a point in the last round to clinch advancement.  New Zealand looked like winning after an early corner kick resulted in a header from six yards that was nodded home by Chris Killen.  New Zealand held that 1-0 lead and the Oceania intercontinental playoff berth going into the break.

Ten minutes after the restart, Les Cagous were on level terms.  A long, floated ball from Georges Gope-Fenepej was chested by Cesar Loholea in the Kiwi penalty area, and the ball dropped perfectly to Loholea for a volleyed finish.  With one minute remaining in regulation, a high boot from Joel Wakanumune cut open Shane Smeltz's head, leaving the All Whites striker on the ground bleeding.  The referee chose not to mark the foul (or produce a card), which would have resulted in a penalty.  New Zealand would have their revenge in stoppage time, however, as a looping header from Tommy Smith on a jump ball found its parabolic path over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.  With the 2-1 victory, New Zealand win the OFC intercontinental playoff berth and New Caledonia are eliminated.

New Zealand 15 pts IN
New Caledonia OUT
Solomon Islands OUT
Tahiti OUT

Goals:
New Zealand
Chris Killen 10
Tommy Smith 90+4

New Caledonia
Cesar Loholea 56

Match Reports:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/db55c249-3fca-40e6-ad51-a07a842615bb/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=2040074/index.html?intcmp=newsreader_news_box_2
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/0f7326a9-7b9c-44c8-96fc-eecbb5e5dae1/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luz_aYWe-us

Match Schedule: March 2013

The OFC Third Round comes to its conclusion this month with either New Zealand or New Caledonia claiming a spot in the intercontinental playoffs.  In Asia, Japan are looking to become the first team to qualify for Brasil 2014 with a victory against Jordan.  Matchdays Two and Three take place in the CONCACAF Fourth Round, while in CONMEBOL Matchdays Eleven and Twelve take the tournament to two-thirds completion.  The CAF Second Round makes it to its halfway point with Matchday Three.  UEFA continues its journey toward Brasil with a double date of matches that will take most European teams past the midway point of their qualification cycles.

All times are given in Central Time (GMT-5).

22 March 2013
New Caledonia at New Zealand 1:35 Dunedin
Portugal at Israel 7:45 Ramat Gan
Malta at Bulgaria 11:00 Sofia
Serbia at Croatia 12:00 Zagreb
Iceland at Slovenia 12:00 Ljubljana
Turkey at Andorra 12:15 Andorra la Vella
Germany at Kazakhstan 13:00 Astana
Albania at Norway 13:00 Oslo
Latvia at Liechtenstein 13:30 Vaduz
Lithuania at Slovakia 14:10 Zilina
Azerbaijan at Luxembourg 14:15 Luxembourg
Montenegro at Moldova 14:30 Chisinau
Romania at Hungary 14:30 Budapest
Denmark at Czech Republic 14:30 Olomouc
Faroe Islands at Austria 14:30 Vienna
Estonia at Netherlands 14:30 Amsterdam
Ukraine at Poland 14:45 Warsaw
Belgium at Macedonia 14:45 Skopje
Greece at Bosnia and Herzegovina 14:45 Zenica
Ireland at Sweden 14:45 Solna
Finland at Spain 14:45 Gijon
Russia at Northern Ireland 14:45 Belfast
England at San Marino 15:00 Serravalle
Georgia at France 15:00 Saint-Denis
Wales at Scotland 15:00 Glasgow
Bolivia at Colombia 15:00 Barranquilla
Mexico at Honduras 16:00 San Pedro Sula
Paraguay at Uruguay 17:00 Montevideo
Venezuela at Argentina 19:00 Buenos Aires
Chile at Peru 19:15 Lima
Panama at Jamaica 20:30 Kingston
Costa Rica at United States of America 21:11 Commerce City
Solomon Islands at Tahiti 1:00 (23 March) Pirae

23 March 2013
Togo at Cameroon 9:30 Yaounde
Gabon at Congo 9:30 Pointe-Noire
Malawi at Namibia 10:00 Windhoek
Kenya at Nigeria 10:00 Calabar
Gambia at Cote d'Ivoire 12:00 Abidjan
Angola at Senegal 12:00 Conakry, Guinea
Niger at Burkina Faso 13:00 Ouagadougou
Sierra Leone at Tunisia 13:00 Rades
Central African Republic at South Africa 13:15 Cape Town
Switzerland at Cyprus 13:30 Nicosia

24 March 2013
Morocco at Tanzania 7:00 Dar Es Salaam
Botswana at Ethiopia 8:00 Addis Ababa
Guinea at Mozambique 8:00 Maputo
Zambia at Lesotho 8:00 Maseru
Mali at Rwanda 8:30 Kigali
Libya at Democratic Republic of Congo 9:30 Kinshasa
Cape Verde at Equatorial Guinea 11:00 Malabo
Sudan at Ghana 11:00 Kumasi
Uganda at Liberia 11:00 Paynesville

26 March 2013
New Zealand at Solomon Islands 23:00 (25 March) Honiara
Tahiti at New Caledonia 2:00 Noumea
Oman at Australia 3:30 Sydney
Qatar at South Korea 6:00 Seoul
Lebanon at Uzbekistan 8:00 Tashkent
Japan at Jordan 9:00 Amman
Czech Republic at Armenia 11:00 Yerevan
Portugal at Azerbaijan 12:00 Baku
Andorra at Estonia 12:00 Tallinn
Zimbabwe at Egypt 12:00 Alexandria
Hungary at Turkey 13:30 Istanbul
Moldova at Ukraine 14:00 Odessa
Bulgaria at Denmark 14:15 Copenhagen
Scotland at Serbia 14:30 Novi Sad
Romania at Netherlands 14:30 Amsterdam
Benin at Algeria 14:30 Blida
San Marino at Poland 14:45 Warsaw
Kazakhstan at Germany 14:45 Nuremberg
Macedonia at Belgium 14:45 Brussels
Italy at Malta 14:45 Ta'Qali
Croatia at Wales 14:45 Swansea
Israel at Northern Ireland 14:45 Belfast
Austria at Ireland 14:45 Dublin
England at Montenegro 15:00 Podgorica
Spain at France 15:00 Saint-Denis
Argentina at Bolivia 15:00 La Paz
Paraguay at Ecuador 16:00 Quito
Colombia at Venezuela 18:30 Puerto Ordaz
Uruguay at Chile 19:30 Santiago
Jamaica at Costa Rica 21:00 San Jose
Honduras at Panama 21:00 Panama City
United States of America at Mexico 21:30 Mexico City

Jamaica 0 - Mexico 0

2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico, the prohibitive favorites to qualify in first place from the CONCACAF Fourth Round, welcomed Jamaica to Mexico City for each team's debut in the final round of qualifying for Brasil 2014.  Unfortunately for the home side, the stadium was not close to being filled to the brim, so the imposing environment usually expected at the Estadio Azteca never came to fruition.  Although the lion's share of shots came from Mexico, the best chance of the first period went to the Reggae Boyz.  Garath McCleary made a run down the right side of the pitch before unleashing a cross into the box.  Jobi McAnuff got enough of a touch to direct the ball over Mexico goalkeeper Jesus Corona, but the ball bounced off the crossbar.  It landed at McAnuff's feet, but his next shot was smothered by Corona.  Hector Herrera put in a well-hit shot at the Jamaica goal, but goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was up to the task.  The half ended scoreless.

Early in the period, Mexico had a point blank shot from Javier Hernandez chested away from an oncoming Ricketts after Hernandez's original attempt at a back heel finish clipped his other boot.  Jamaica should have stolen the win after a poor Andres Guardado turnover under token pressure led to Ryan Johnson being one-on-one with Coronoa, but Johnson attempted finish was breathtaking in its ineptitude, letting Mexico off the hook.  A brutal head-to-head collision left Mexico striker Oribe Peralta on the field for a few minutes at the tail end of regular time after his challenge with Nyron Nosworthy.  Jamaica were unable to pull off the complete upset, but they do earn a most unexpected point with a valiant 0-0 draw.

In the most embarrassing display of any fan group not involving racism that we have seen during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Mexican "faithful" began cheering every touch the Reggae Boyz made for a period of two minutes with around ten minutes left in the match while booing every Mexican touch vehemently.  For a national program that has achieved so much recent success, winning the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the 2012 Olympic gold, one unexpectedly poor performance should not have unleashed such a hailstorm of hatred.  The Mexican Football Federation should punish the Mexico City fans for their insolence and instead play qualifiers in cities that would be appreciative of the rare opportunity to host El Tri's matches.  The current highly successful generation of players deserves to have a supportive fan base behind them.

Honduras 3 pts +1
Costa Rica 1 pts 0
Panama 1 pts 0
Jamaica 1 pts 0
Mexico 1 pts 0
USA 0 pts -1

Match Reports:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Disciplined-Boyz-hold-Mexico-0-0-at-half-time
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1517388-mexico-vs-costa-rica-world-cup-qualifier-live-score-highlights-recap

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Judooqrp4u0

Costa Rica 2 - Panama 2

The Canaleros of Panama played host to neighbors and 2013 Copa Centroamericana champions Costa Rica in Panama City.  Panama looked very much like they would make their home field advantage translate into three points with a very dominant opening thirty minutes.  Panama's opener was set up off a throw-in that took advantage of a Ticos backline that was too bunched together.  Armando Cooper put a pass across the box, and Luis Henriquez took one touch back toward Cooper, leaving his defenders wrong-footed as he slotted home for 1-0 to Panama.  The lead was doubled just over ten minutes later when Marcos Sanchez made a remarkable individual play with his fancy double spin move dribble to free himself for a cross that he unleashed into the grateful knee of his teammate Roman Torres, who knocked the ball into the net with said knee.  With five minutes left in the first period, a Ticos corner was played short to the left boot of Christopher Meneses, who then struck a beautiful cross that found the head of striker Alvaro Saborio, who finished into the side netting from thirteen yards.  Panama led by that 2-1 scoreline at the break.

Costa Rica looked the much better side in the second forty-five minutes.  It took a brave charging body save from Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo to prevent the equalizer early in the half.  Not to be outdone, Ticos goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton made an even braver charging body save on the other side of the pitch, getting the wind knocked out of him in the process.  With six minutes remaining in regulation, an attempted pass played behind Costa Rica forward Bryan Ruiz (pictured, white) allowed him to achieve a moment of brilliance.  Ruiz turned and fell to his back doing a bicycle kick from the penalty spot that hit the inside of the far post and stayed in the goal for a spectacular equalizer.  Panama were unable to regain their lead, so Costa Rica leave town with a valuable road point after a 1-1 draw.

Goals
Panama
Luis Henriquez 16
Roman Torres 27

Costa Rica
Alvaro Saborio 40
Bryan Ruiz 84

Match Reports:
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/2/6/3962346/panama-vs-costa-rica-2013-final-score-result-concacaf-world-cup-qualifying
http://sports.terra.com/soccer/costa-rica-rescues-a-point-against-panama-in-2-2-draw,b49e705fad2bc310VgnVCM20000099cceb0aRCRD.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9tEb9rP1k

Honduras 2 - United States of America 1

San Pedro Sula was the locale as Honduras welcomed the United States of America to town for the first of the thirty matches in the CONCACAF Fourth Round.  The flow of the early minutes was completely in the favor of los Catrachos as they took advantage of the slow start by the United States, who were adjusting to an unbalanced formation in which they had never before played.  Nevertheless, the Americans weathered the storm as goalkeeper Tim Howard made an excellent punching save from Catracho winger Mario Martinez, who tried to curl a ball over Howard when Howard strayed a bit off his line.  Honduras nearly had the opener on one other occasion, but American fullback Fabian Johnson stepped around his mark at the last moment to steal the pass that was about to result in a tap-in goal.  The Americans found a jewel of a goal when center midfielder Jermaine Jones knocked a brilliant elevated through ball that was volleyed home from an angle by Clint Dempsey (pictured, blue).  The 1-0 lead was short-lived, however, as the Americans did not handle an overhit corner very well three minutes later.  Victor Bernardez (pictured, white #5) chased down the ball, and under no discernible pressure, gathered his wits before crossing to Maynor Figueroa, who chested a ball in the air that allowed Juan Carlos Garcia to unleashed from an amazing bicycle kick to equalize in stunning fashion.  1-1 was the score at intermission.

The Americans seemed to be much more comfortable in the second period, but a spree of substitutions around the hour mark seemed to take away from some of their attacking impetus.  Honduras regained their wits after a sliding block by goalscorer Garcia prevented a goalward shot by Dempsey from troubling their goalkeeper with midway through the period.  From then on, Honduras's defense stood firm, setting the foundation for a quick-strike winner.  On the whole, the young American backline seemed to be slow to react to situations that called for stepping up and closing down space all afternoon, and this habit bit them a second time with under a dozen minutes left in the match.  A through ball from Figueroa to fourteen yards caused indecision between an oncoming Howard and retreating centerback Geoff Cameron, so Oscar Boniek Garcia was able to get a touch across the face of goal from where Jerry Bengston was free to slot home for a 2-1 lead.  Honduras saw the match out comfortably, though an injury forced Bengston off the pitch.  The 2-1 victory for los Catrachos marks their first ever home victory against the United States in a competitive match.  All in all, this was a remarkably clean match, with neither team earning a yellow card as both were wary of conceding set pieces to the other side.

Goals
Honduras
Juan Carlos Garcia 39
Jerry Bengston 79

United States of America
Clint Dempsey 36

Match Reports:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130206/us-loses-world-cup-qualifier-to-honduras/index.html?mobile=no
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1330042/u.s.-loses-to-honduras-2-1-in-world-cup-qualifier?cc=5901

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pap4fEDxxc

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_T3vCZMJ-0

Match Schedule: February 2013

Matchday One of the CONCACAF Fourth Round is the only source of matches for February 2013.  This is the first of ten matchdays that will decide which three North American teams will advance directly to Brasil 2014.  Matchday One will be played the same day as the semifinals of the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

All times are given in Central Time (GMT-6).

6 February 2013
United States of America at Honduras 15:00 San Pedro Sula
Costa Rica at Panama 20:00 Panama City
Jamaica at Mexico 20:30 Mexico City

Burkina Faso and Gabon docked points for ineligible players

On 2 June 2012, Burkina Faso played to a 0-0 draw at home to Congo.  On 3 June 2012, Niger played to a 0-0 draw at home to Gabon.  According to FIFA's rulings handed down in the past week, those two matches have been awarded as 3-0 victories to Congo and Gabon.

FIFA apparently think they are now bigger than the game they govern.  CAF had cleared the two players deemed ineligible by FIFA for action at the 2012 African Cup of Nations.  The Gabonese player Charly Moussono had featured in four competitive matches during that tournament, and the Burkinabe player Herve Zengue also featured in the tournament during qualifying.  Moussono (pictured, right) had appeared at a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2006 for Cameroon.  Zengue (pictured, left) is Cameroonian by birth and Burkinabe by marriage.

The two teams have until mid-January 2013 to appeal the stupid suspensions.  Hopefully, an arbitration panel will overturn these technicality-induced penalties and restore competitive balance in CAF Group E.  Gabon and Niger surely thought that clearance from CAF and no previous FIFA intervention meant that their players were eligible, but FIFA claim that they did not have governing control over the 2012 African Cup of Nations.  The arbitration panel selected is hopefully intelligent enough to see right through that pathetic claim.

The current group standings pending the appeal are given below.

Congo 6 pts
Niger 3 pts +2
Gabon 3 pts -2
Burkina Faso 0 pts -4

News Reports:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20782436
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1975992/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20816001

Wish List for 2013

With the final draw for Brasil 2014 less than a year away, now is a good time to ask politely for which teams I want to see at the final draw.  Keep in mind that UEFA receives thirteen places, including four from intraconfederation playoffs, CAF receives five places, AFC receives four places, CONMEBOL receives four places, and CONCACAF receives three places.  Add in Brasil as hosts plus the two intercontinental playoff winners (AFC-CONMEBOL, CONCACAF-OFC) and we have our final thirty-two contenders.

UEFA
Group A - Belgium

The young bucks striving for a shot at glory would be a fun team to watch.  Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel, Marouane Fellaini, and Vincent Kompany will all be aged 28 or less when Brasil 2014 comes around.

Group B - Italy

Would it be a FIFA World Cup without them?

Group C - Germany

See Italy.

Group D - Netherlands

They are aging, yes.  They are in decline, yes, as evidenced by their flameout at Euro 2012.  But they are clearly the class of their group, and after having lost three grand finals before, who would deny this generation of the Oranje one final shot at glory?

Group E - Switzerland

It's either them or Norway, folks.  Let's see if Diego Benaglio can concede zero goals in the Swiss net like Pascal Zuberbuhler before him did at Germany 2006.

Group F - Russia

After their slipup in the playoffs against Slovenia in 2009 and their shock group stage elimination at the hands of Greece at Euro 2012, the Euro 2008 semifinalists who showed so much promise have yet to put it together on the biggest stage.  With hosting privileges awaiting them in 2018, let's hope Russia can put together a run in 2014.  Knocking Portugal five points off the pace in Group F was a good start.

Group G - Bosnia and Herzegovina

The strike force is world class, and a wish list is built around attacking football.  Edin Dzeko, Vedad Ibisevic,  Miralem Pjanic, and Zvjezdan Misimovic have combined for fourteen goals in four qualifiers so far.  If they avoid the playoffs, they avoid bug-a-boo Portugal, thus qualifying for their maiden major international tournament.

Group H - Montenegro

The newest national team in UEFA has the inside track at making its first FIFA World Cup finals.  Captain Mirko Vucinic would put a wonderful face on Balkan football at Brasil 2014, and young star Luka Dordevic could be a revelation.  Center back Marko Basa, overlooked for Germany 2006 by Serbia and Montenegro, would make his first appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals.

Group I - Spain

Whether the two-time defending European champions and defending world champions get in via direct qualification or through the playoffs does not matter to me.  It would be more interesting to watch the French media freak out during a playoff after the debacle at South Africa 2010 and the circumstances under which they defeated Ireland in the playoffs.  Plus, I feel Spain are likely to snatch a victory in Saint-Denis when the two powers next meet in Group I play.

Playoff One - England

Perhaps going through the playoffs would unify a team that always seems to be disjointed in some fashion.  Brasil 2014 would be better off with England around than at home with the talent they bring to the equation, and their high ranking would see them avoid being drawn with a France or Portugal in the playoffs, giving them a good chance to advance.

Playoff Two - France

They may not win their group, but the new crop of players is motivated to put South Africa 2010 behind them.

Playoff Three - Sweden

After the four-goal shows they put it to come back from 4-0 down in Germany for a tie in qualifying and to defeat England 4-2 in a home friendly, the world needs Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the showcase.

Playoff Four - Portugal

Why Portugal with the final spot?  Perhaps I could have asked for Croatia or Greece, and indeed, Portugal have been a disappointment since making the semifinals of Euro 2012.  Why, then, select Portugal?  Simply put, Portugal have a better chance of going deep into any tournament than the other two teams do.  Also, would you rather watch Mario Mandzukic, Georgios Samaras, or Cristiano Ronaldo?  Exactly.

AFC
Group One - South Korea

See Italy, Germany.

Group One - Uzbekistan

What better way for the White Wolves to continue as the shining light in Central Asia than to be become the first Central Asian and third Soviet republic to make the FIFA World Cup finals (after Russia and Ukraine)? Midfielder Odil Ahmedov was the player of the year for his Russian club, Anzhi Makhachkala, over Yuri Zhirkov and even Samuel Eto'o, but the world has yet to recognize his existence.

Group Two - Japan

They have already wrapped up a spot barring forfeiture of their final three matches.  The world needs to be ready for Shinji Okazaki, Shinji Kagawa, Yuto Nagatomo, and the rest of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup champions.

Group Two - Australia

The Socceroos are having all sorts of difficulties at the moment, but would we truly prefer to see Jordan, Oman, or Iraq in their place?  And miss the rise of Matt McKay, Alex Brosque, and Robbie Kruse?  And miss the last hurrah of Brett Emerton, Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer, and Lucas Neill?

Iran and Iraq were under consideration for spots in their respective groups.  Honestly, though, who would not tune in to watch an Iran-Iraq fifth-place playoff series for the right to take on a South American opponent?

CAF
Spot One - Cote d'Ivoire

The golden generation needs to make it to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup to solidify its legacy.  A kinder draw would be helpful, too.  Also, winning the 2013 African Cup of Nations after finishing second in 2006 despite conceding no goals would earn them a trip to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup to acclimate themselves to the stadia in Brasil.  The world already loves the old guard (Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou, Boubacar Barry), and the world will fall for the new guard in time (Max Gredel, Gervinho).

Spot Two - Zambia

The 2012 African champions were one point away from qualifying from United States 1994 in spite of suffering a tremendous loss of life in a plane crash in 1993.  They have placed the sad memory away for motivation and instead are living the dream, having taken their maiden continental title in the same country (Gabon) where that plane went down.  The Chipolopolo have stockpiles of underappreciated talent with Rainford Kalaba, Chisamba Lungu, Emmanuel Mayuka, and Stoppila Sunzu all still early in their career arcs.  Also, if Zambia qualify, that means Ghana are out, and quite frankly I am tired of watching the Black Stars' anemic offense magically reach the knockout stages of FIFA World Cups on the backs of penalty kicks resulting from handballs in the box by their opponents.

Spot Three - Nigeria

For all the disarray in which the Super Eagles have found themselves, they remain one of the premier teams in Africa.  They even placed their women's side at Germany 2011.  What fan base in Africa could be more passionate than that of the overly-demanding Nigerian fans?

Spot Four - Egypt

Oh, right, the Egyptian fans, the only group more passionate and desparate than the Nigerian fans.  Egypt won four African Cup of Nations since 1998, including three consecutive cups between 2006 and 2010, yet they have not made it to a FIFA World Cup finals since Italy 1990.  Much maligned American coach Bob Bradley has a chance to prove his doubters wrong and to bring joy to a country now struggling to reestablish its government and political stability.

Spot Five - Mali

Spot five contenders included Ethiopia, Senegal, and Tunisia.  The allure of Tunisia would be the opportunity to see Youssef Msakni on the big stage for the first time.  Senegal would bring the strike force of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse to the table.  Ethiopian qualification would shed light upon the Horn of Africa, a region often overlooked in the footballing world but now on the rise following Ethiopia's shock qualification for the 2013 African Cup of Nations.  Also, it would be interesting to see if Saladin Said would be able to use the platform to facilitate a move abroad to a major club, the first for a habesha player in quite some time.  However, the choice was Mali because Les Aigles have been so close to continental glory on so many occasions only to fall at the semifinal hurdle four times since 1994.  Plus, who doesn't want to see Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra make one appearance on the grandest of stages before exiting the international scene?

CONCACAF
Spot One - Mexico

Mexico believe they are in a golden generation, having won the 2007 and 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cups along with the 2012 Olympic gold medal.  Will this finally be the tournament where they advance to a quarterfinal away from home soil?  Five straight trips to the Round of Sixteen, four straight losses and a shootout exit in 1994.  Their only win in the knockout stages was at home in 1986.  Mexico's all-time record in the knockout stages is a depressing 1 win, 5 losses, 2 draws with 2 penalty shootout losses.  If this team cannot make the breakthrough as a potential seed, can we say for certain that Mexico are jinxed?

Spot Two - United States of America

See Italy, Germany, South Korea.

Spot Three - Panama

This team is big and physical.  Felipe Baloy in the back is a tank.  Luis Tejada up top is a bulldozer, and his strike partner Blas Perez is a great finisher.  La Marea Roja has been on the rise for the past eight years, and in fact made a quiet appearance in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup final match, which they drew with the United States only to fall on penalties.

Playoff with OFC - Honduras

With regards to the playoff, I simply do not see this incarnation of New Zealand as being as bright as the 2010 version.  This is why I wish for a fourth CONCACAF side to advance.  Quite honestly, any of the remaining three teams would have much to offer, but Costa Rica and Jamaica simply do not speak to me the way Los Catrachos do.  Oscar Boniek Garcia is a midfield maestro, and with forwards Mario Martinez and Jerry Bengston, center back Victor Bernardez, and midfielder Roger Espinoza in tow, no other country could better exemplify the strength of Major League Soccer.  All I know for certain is that the CONCACAF Fourth Round will be spectacular.

CONMEBOL
Hosts - Brasil

See Italy, Germany, South Korea, United States of America.

Spot One - Argentina

Who would deny the world a chance to see Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, and Angel di Maria up top in Brasil 2014?  Also, see Italy, Germany, South Korea, United States of America, Brasil.

Spot Two - Colombia

Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Guillermo Cuadrado, Freddy Guarin... Feel free to start drooling at any time.

Spot Three - Ecuador

Would it not be spectacular to see four former constituent countries of Gran Colombia at a FIFA World Cup finals together (Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela)?  Especially after none had qualified for the previous tournament?

Spot Four - Venezuela

One of the most underrated footballers of his generation would finally get his due on an international stage in what may well be his last attempt to qualify for the grandest of stages.  Juan Arango, the left winger and undisputed greatest player in the history of La Vinotinto, is highly regarded by German fans since his stint in the Bundesliga began in 2009.  With his exploits going unnoticed by the biggest clubs in the world, it is a fair question to ask if the reason he has not received a transfer to a big club is because of his nationality.  If Venezuela make it to Brasil 2014, the stigma attached to their players should vanish and never again would a talent like Arango be overlooked.

Playoff with AFC - Uruguay

I was debating either Iran or Iraq for the final spot, but with the tournament finals being held on continental soil, the party would be better served with another South American side.  Chile are in disarray in terms of discipline within their ranks, and though I would love to see Peru with Paolo Guerrero, Juan Vargas, Jefferson Farfan, and Claudio Pizarro in attack, their road form in qualifying will surely let them down.  The choice is Uruguay, who are no strangers to the playoffs, having claimed CONMEBOL's playoff spot in the past three tournaments.

The picture for this article is a reflection of a draw I made based on the current ELO ratings and the thirty-two teams for which I have politely asked to be at Brasil 2014.

Azerbaijan 1 - Northern Ireland 1

Belfast was the site for the final Brasil 2014 match of 2012 with Azerbaijan paying a visit to Northern Ireland.  The miserable foggy night was indicative of the miserable fog that was to come for the hosts on headed chances.  The hosts nearly went ahead in the third minute when Niall McGinn's cross found Kyle Lafferty five yards from goal, but Lafferty blasted his header over the bar.  Two minutes later, the visitors found a goal via a wonder strike by Rauf Aliyev.  He was well marked and put under pressure from thirty yards, but he curled the ball around his defender and into the corner out of reach of the diving goalkeeper.    On the half hour, the hosts managed to hit three headers inside the box in succession only to see Craig Cathcart head wide with the goal at his mercy.  Azerbaijan took their 1-0 lead into the break.

The hosts remained in the ascendancy in the second period, but a well-hit cross by Shane Ferguson was inexplicably headed down wide of the net by Christopher Baird.  Northern Irish fans around the stadium surely must have felt that their side were going to lose until a free kick opportunity from just outside the box presented itself.  David Healy dribbled a simple shot around a six-person wall and into the net without much trouble, leaving the knowledgeable observer wondering how the wall could have been so poorly positioned.  The final whistle blew with the final score a 1-1 draw.

Russia 12 pts +8
Israel 7 pts +5
Portugal 7 pts +3
N. Ireland 3 pts -2
Azerbaijan 2 pts -4
Luxembourg 1 pts -10

Goals
Azerbaijan
Rauf Aliyev 5

Northern Ireland
David Healy 90+6

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900961/index.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdyrMR_-eWE

Montenegro 3 - San Marino 0

The crowd in Podgorica was expectant of a Montenegro victory over visiting San Marino and hopeful for the impending move by the home side to the top of Group H.  Montenegro opened their account just before the quarter hour with a one-two-one play from Vladimir Volkov and Filip Kasalica, but Volkov's chose to slot across the goal rather than shooting.  Luckily for him, Andrija Delibasic was at the far post for the simple tap-in and a 1-0 lead.  Seventeen minutes on, a Simon Vukcevic corner found a completely unmarked Mitar Novakovic at the back post.  However, rather than aim for the net, Novakovic headed down for Delibasic, who toe poke before his defender could slide tackle him, giving Montenegro a 2-0 lead they would take into the locker room.

Midway through the second half, Montenegro closed their scoring tab.  Luka Djordjevic passed off for Elsad Zverotic, who stopped the ball fifteen yards from goal, surveyed his options, and then swung hard enough to beat the goalkeeper on a dive for a three-goal advantage.  Blazo Igumanovic struck the woodwork with a free kick in stoppage time for Montenegro, but the outcome was not affected.  Montenegro win 3-0 to take first place in Group H.

Montenegro 10 pts +10
England 8 pts +10
Poland 5 pts +2
Moldova 4 pts -5
Ukraine 2 pts -1
San Marino 0 pts -16

Goals
Montenegro
Andrija Delibasic 14, 31
Elsad Zverotic 68

Match Reports:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/world-cup-montenegro-beat-san-marino-leapfrog-england-194713293.html

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y340U9GTIw

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1axgZaUgEdw

Uzbekistan 1 - Iran 0; Qatar 1 - Lebanon 0

Doha was the site for Qatar's home match against Lebanon.  Qatar had defeated Lebanon 1-0 in the two teams' opening AFC Fourth Round fixture.  This match was a tale of two halves.  The first half saw the rise of Lebanon.  Abbas Ahmad Batwi fired a shot from the half circle that was plucked out of the air on the dive by Qatar goalkeeper Qasem Burhan, who had yet another vintage performance on this night.  Ahmad Zreik nearly sent a goal in from thirty yards, but once again Burhan was alert and rose to catch the ball.  The half ended 0-0.

The second half saw the fall of Lebanon.  Sebastian Soria made a solo run from the halfway line unmarked to a spot thirty-two yards from goal, from where he decided it wise to unleash an outside-of-the-boot swerve.  His shot left Lebanon goalkeeper Abbas Hassan rooted on his spot as the ball sailed into the back of the net.  Hassan made a crucial save mere moments later on a driven shot from Lawrence Quaye, but his offense could mount no charge on an equalizer.  Qatar win 1-0 to jump into a tie for second-place.

Tehran was the site of the rematch between visiting Uzbekistan and Iran.  The visiting White Wolves felt hard-done by the officiating in their home match against Team Melli on Matchday One, so they wanted to even the score on the road tonight.  Team Melli were without their usual support as the rain-drenched Azadi Stadium was filled to less than half-capacity.  Team Melli scored the opener through Mohammed Nori, but his goal was ruled back for offsides as his teammate Mohammed Khalatbari was blocking the goalkeeper's vision while in an offside position.  A fight nearly broke out when a felled Uzbek player had a ball back-heeled into his head by an Iranian player as he lay on the pitch.  Server Djeparov has his usual dangerous self for the White Wolves, and his free kicks caused havoc all night.  Iran were lackluster for the most part, and the first half ended in a tepid 0-0.

With twenty minutes to go, Djeparov stood over another free kick forty yards from goal.  The ball kept floating on a low line before dipping to hip level inside the six-yard box.  Ulugbek Bakaev ran onto the ball after getting goalside on his defender, giving himself an easy volley from three yards to give the White Wolves a lead.  Sanjar Tursonov nearly made it two to the good, but his effort inside the six-yard box was deflected off frame.  Iran scored another offside goal in stoppage time, leaving them to ponder what could have been.  Uzbekistan win 1-0 to move alone at the top of Group One.

Uzbekistan 8 pts +1
South Korea 7 pts +5
Iran 7 pts 0
Qatar 7 pts -2
Lebanon 4 pts -4

Goals
Qatar
Sebastian Soria 75

Uzbekistan
Ulugbek Bakaev 71

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900130/index.html
http://boxscorenews.com/uzbekistan-stuns-iran-as-bakaev-nets-winner-in-afc-world-cup-qualifying-p50861-68.htm

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nkLQ0PvDqg&feature=relmfu (Qatar v. Lebanon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IznDusB2QUI&feature=relmfu (Uzbekistan v. Iran)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibv0OSdYhjA (Uzbekistan v. Iran)

Iraq 1 - Jordan 0; Japan 2 - Oman 1

Oman welcomed Group Two leaders Japan to Muscat in the hopes of finally breaking their duck against the Samurai Blue by recording a first win in their ninth match against Japan.  However, even a draw would see Oman skip idle Australia to move into second position in the group.  Oman had a golden chance ten minutes into the match when Ismail Al Ajmi's run down the right side of the box drew two defenders and the goalkeeper before laying a ball off in front of the empty net.  However, Fawzi Bashir missed the easy effort well over the goal.  Japan would punish Bashir's miss ten minutes later.  Japanese left back Yuto Nagatomo sent a weak cross from the left side of the box that somehow eluded all the Oman defenders in the area, allowing Hiroshi Kiyotake to score his first international goal to give Japan a 1-0 lead.  The visitors took that lead into the break.

With less than one quarter hour remaining in the match, Oman found their equalizer.  Ahmed Mubarak stood over a free kick from twenty-three yards.  Mubarak selected a low ball that rolled around the wall and curled into the far corner as it passed beyond the reach of multiple outstretched legs searching for a redirecting touch.  In the final minute, the crowd were stunned into silence.  Gotoku Sakai raced down the let flank and sent a ball into the box that was flicked on at the near post by Yasuhito Endo.  Shinji Okazaki was the beneficiary as the ball bounced to him for a tidy short-range put away and a road victory.  Japan win 2-1, guaranteeing themselves at worst a spot in the Asian fifth-place playoff with today's result.

Doha, Qatar was the home site for Iraq against Jordan.  This match was dominated by the two goalkeepers: Noor Sabri of Iraq and Amer Shafi of Jordan.  A whipped in cross was too much for Jordan forward Tha'er Bawab to handle as his header could not find the frame unmarked from ten yards.  Jordan right winger Khalil Bani Attiah preserved the tie later in the half as his last-ditch sliding block prevented an Iraqi shot from five yards.  Jordan had a good chance to go ahead near the end of the period, but Abdallah Deeb's dipping effort from outside the box was parried away on the short hop by Sabri.  The half ended scoreless.

In the latter portions of the second half, Shafi was called into action often.  He punched away a strong strike from substitute Amjed Rahdi.  With four minutes left, Iraq's Hammadi Ahmed took advantage of the time and space he had at the left side of the half circle by unleashing a ball that tailed away from a diving Shafi and into the Jordanian net.  Iraq held onto their new-found 1-0 lead for the remainder of the match to grab their first win of the campaign 1-0 over Jordan.

Japan 13 pts +11
Australia 5 pts 0
Iraq 5 pts -1
Oman 5 pts -3
Jordan 4 pts -7

Goals
Japan
Hiroshi Kiyotake 20
Shinji Okazaki 89

Oman
Ahmed Mubarak 77

Iraq
Hammadi Ahmed 86

Match Reports:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900115/index.html
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/soccer/story/Japan-beats-Oman-21-in-WCup-qualifier-20504303
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1900117/index.html
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Iraq-beats-Jordan-1-0-in-2014-WCup-qualifier-4036526.php

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjCh5aAwS5A&feature=g-all-u (Japan v. Oman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50I9dCipWRE&feature=relmfu (Iraq v. Jordan)

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYeRIiRV-Pw (Japan v. Oman)

CONCACAF Fourth Round Schedule

The final six teams in CONCACAF will face each other in a double round-robin that will see each team play ten fixtures over a nine-month period.  The top three finishers in this final group stage will progress directly to the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brasil.  The fourth-place finisher will advance to an aggregate-scoring home-and-away playoff against the first-place finisher in Oceania.

The draw for the CONCACAF Fourth Round took place on 7 November 2012 in Miami Beach, United States of America.  Each of the ten originally scheduled matchdays were slated to have three games, but Matchday Six conflicted with Mexico's participation in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, so their match scheduled for that date was moved forward by two weeks in order to accommodate their busy schedule.

6 February 2013
United States of America at Honduras
Jamaica at Mexico
Costa Rica at Panama

22 March 2013
Mexico at Honduras
Panama at Jamaica
Costa Rica at United States of America

26 March 2013
Jamaica at Costa Rica
United States of America at Mexico
Honduras at Panama

4 June 2013
Mexico at Jamaica

7 June 2013
Honduras at Costa Rica
United States of America at Jamaica
Mexico at Panama

11 June 2013
Jamaica at Honduras
Costa Rica at Mexico
Panama at United States of America

18 June 2013
Panama at Costa Rica
Honduras at United States of America

6 September 2013
United States of America at Costa Rica
Honduras at Mexico
Jamaica at Panama

10 September 2013
Panama at Honduras
Costa Rica at Jamaica
Mexico at United States of America

11 November 2013
Costa Rica at Honduras
Panama at Mexico
Jamaica at United States of America

15 November 2013
Mexico at Costa Rica
Honduras at Jamaica
United States of America at Panama

Match Schedule: November 2012

Matchday Six of the AFC Fourth Round takes place in November, as do two matches in Europe.  The small slate of six games marks the end of Brasil 2014 matches until February 2013.

All times are given in Central Time (GMT-6).

14 November 2012
Japan at Oman 5:30 Muscat
Jordan at Iraq 7:00 Doha, Qatar
Lebanon at Qatar 8:45 Doha
Uzbekistan at Iran 10:30 Tehran
San Marino at Montenegro 11:00 Podgorica
Azerbaijan at Northern Ireland 13:45 Belfast