Soccer FanHouse

Slovenia Shocks Russia to Qualify for World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:08:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International

Guus Hiddink has been hailed over the last decade as a Dutch Master, working wonders at the last two World Cups with South Korea and Australia, respectively.

Wednesday in Maribor, Slovenia, Hiddink's luck finally ran out as his Russian team was stunned by Slovenia 1-0, to advance after the two-leg UEFA playoff ended 2-2. Slovenia gets through on the basis of its away goal scored in the closing minutes Saturday in Moscow.

For Slovenia, it's the nation's first trip to the World Cup since 2002.

Slovenian striker Zlatko Dedič became an instant hero as he scored the game's only goal in the 44th minute, leaping in the air to poke his right foot onto the ball just inside the penalty area and firing it just inside the right post past Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev.

It proved to be a great day for players from the German club Bocum, as Dedic and Algerian goal-scoring hero Antar Yahia each punched their countries tickets to the World Cup with goals on Wednesday.

Russia ended the match down to nine players. Striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov was sent off in the 65th minute when he kicked prone Slovenia keeper Samir Handanovič. Later in the closing minutes Yuri Zhirov was shown the door for picking up his second yellow card of the match.

With Russia missing out on qualification, the question arises what will happen to Hiddink, who did step in as the interim coach of Chelsea earlier this season. His contract only runs through 2010, but it's hard to imagine he'll be bound to it with Russia failing to qualify. The deep pockets of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who's helped to personally pay for Hiddink to coach Russia, could be a factor.

Perhaps host South Africa, which has gone through a couple head coaches, might spring for the Dutch genius to coach its team in hopes it could replicate what Hiddink did with South Korea, when he lead the Red Devils to the semifinals on home soil in 2002.

In the other UEFA playoff qualifiers, Portugual, which played without injured Cristiano Ronaldo, managed to squeeze into its third-straight World Cup, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 Wednesday to win the two-leg affair 2-0. Rual Meireles scored the lone goal for Portugal, which controlled most of the match.

Earlier Wednesday Greece qualified for its first World Cup since 1994, beating Ukraine 1-0 on a goal by Dimitrios Salpigidis in rainy Donetsk.

Slovenia Shocks Russia to Qualify for World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Algeria Holds Off Egypt, Qualifies for 2010 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International

Wednesday's World Cup playoff between Algeria and Egypt immediately brought to mind the famous quote from legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankley, "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that."

For the 34,000 inside Al Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan, and millions in the countries themselves, the 90-minute match was a crucible of pressure. The tension was only heightened by rioting, stone throwing and a group of Algerians setting fire to the offices of Egypt Air in Algiers due to long-standing animosity between the two North African nations.

Though the match itself wasn't an all-time classic, the external factors made Algeria's eventual 1-0 victory one of the more memorable images of soccer in 2009, typified by keeper Faouzi Chaouchi celebrating atop his net after the full-time whistle.

The fact that Wednesday's match was played in the first place was improbable, to say the least. After Egypt won 2-0 against Algeria, with the second goal coming in the fifth minute of injury time on Saturday, the two teams were level on just about every possible tie-breaking scenario, thus the one-game playoff on "neutral" soil was needed.

As expected, tensions were high on-and-off the field. It took less than 10 minutes for the sides to set a mini-skirmish after numerous fouls and collisions. A total of seven yellow cards were issued, but surprisingly no players were sent off for either team.

The deciding goal came in the 39th minute thanks to newly minted Algerian national hero Anthar Yahia, who latched onto the end of a cross from Karim Ziani from the left side. Yahia, who plays for Bochum in the Bundesliga, powered a shot from a sheer angle on the right side of the penalty box, ramming it under the cross bar and past Egyptian keeper Essam El-Hadary.

Down a goal Eygpt pressed the rest of the match, but the Algerian defense held firm. Chaouchi cleaned up any of the other chances, making at least two fine saves in the second half, including a stop from close-range on Emad Metaeb.

Algeria now qualifies for its third World Cup and first since 1986. The Desert Foxes join African stalwarts Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire at the first World Cup held on African soil next June along with, of course, the hosts -- South Africa.

Egypt's World Cup drought now extends another four years. The Pharaohs last qualified for the 1990 tournament, ironically at the expense of Algeria, which helped increase the animosity between the two countries. Oddly enough, Egypt has won the biannual African Cup of Nations three times in that period, including the last edition in 2008.

There's a chance the two rivals won't have to wait too long to see each other, as the upcoming 2010 African Cup of Nations kicks off in Janaury in Angola, with the draw taking place in on Friday.

Right now, though, that doesn't matter much as they're sure to be jubilee in Algiers and misery in Cairo.

Algeria Holds Off Egypt, Qualifies for 2010 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slovenia Stays Alive vs. Russia in UEFA World Cup Playoffs

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer , FIFA World Cup, International

Guus Hiddink's Russia looked about ready to start calling a travel agent to book its arrangements for South Africa in June. The Russians held a comfortable 2-0 lead against Slovenia in Saturday's UEFA playoff in Moscow thanks to a pair of goals from Everton's Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

To Slovenia's credit, the World Cup hopefuls didn't stop charging and its effort paid off when substitute Nejc Pecnik headed home a rebound from a shot by Robert Koren to make it finish 2-1. For Slovenia it was a crucial away goal as the two-leg playoff heads to Maribor on Wednesday.

After its goal, Slovenia nearly drew that match at two, with Russia needing keeper Igor Akinfeev to pull off a full-stretch diving save to keep it 2-1 before the final whistle.

Should Russia stumble next week, it'll clearly rue a slew of missing oppurtunities to extend its lead in the second half. English Premier Leaguers Roman Pavlychenko and Andrey Arshavin each had clear chances in the second half to give Russia a nearly insurmountable lead, yet Slovenia keeper Samir Handanovic rose to the occasion each time and kept his side in the match.

After Bilyaletdinov broke the deadlock with a nice turn-and-shoot at the top of the box in the 41st minute, Russia looked like the side who'd be on its way to South Africa.

Prior to the goal, the best Russian chance had come on a long and tricky run from his own half by Chelsea back Yuri Zhirov, but his shot was turned away by Handanovic.

The Russians even caught a break just before halftime when Arshavin got in a tangle with Miso Brecko near midfield, with the Slovenia defender falling to the ground as if he'd been shot. After both sides surrounded referee Klaus Larsen, the Arsenal star was only given a yellow card.

Russia doubled its lead on Bilyaletdinov's second goal of the match, which came after he kicked it off a Slovenian defender and it came right back to him allowing him to slot it by Handanovic on the second effort.

Clearly, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin -- who was in attendance inside the Luzhniki Stadium -- will not be happy. Nor will the 80,000-strong loud and boisterous Russian crowd, who were issued medical masks to help protect from swine flu.

Either way, they probably left the stadium with a sour, sick taste in their stomachs, as a trip to the World Cup is now anything but a certainty for a team that's been on the rise ever since Euro 2008.

Slovenia Stays Alive vs. Russia in UEFA World Cup Playoffs originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Portugal Plans to Calls In Injured Ronaldo for UEFA Playoffs

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer , FIFA World Cup, International

Carlos Queiroz has always been an interesting character. Heck, anyone that coached the New York/New Jersey Metrostars and lived to tell about it deserves a special place in the history of world soccer.

Saturday, the now coach of the Portugal national team, made a move that will certainly make headlines one way or the other as he plans to call in injured superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for the upcoming two-leg UEFA World Cup playoffs against Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Portugal will announce its full lineup on Sunday.)

Normally calling in a talent like Ronaldo is a no-brainer. At worst he's a top three talent in the world.

Yet, Ronaldo isn't fit. He's missed seven-straight league matches for Real Madrid due to an injured ankle, which he aggravated on national team duty on Oct. 10 against Hungary.

Real Madrid, which paid a king's ransom for the Ronaldo over the summer to pry him away from Manchester United certainly can't be too pleased with Queiroz's decision, especially with Los Merengues clinging tenuously to second-place in the Champions League Group C standings with two matches left to play in the group stage. (You wonder, if Queiroz didn't mind tweaking the Spanish giants since he was fired as the club's head coach after 10-months at the helm in 2004.)

Obviously this once again raises the issue of club vs. country and which entity has the authority to decide whether or not a player can in fact play on international duty.

Another question it raises is Queiroz right to gamble with Ronaldo, for both the short and long term?

Is it worth using a roster space on a player who might not be able to play? Suppose Portugal falls behind to Bosnia on the first leg in Lisbon on Nov. 14? What if they need to bring on Ronaldo, for say, 15 minutes. Is it worth risking him re-injuring the ankle and forcing him completely out for the second-leg on Nov. 18?

Queiroz clearly thinks the gamble of even a half-strength Ronaldo is more useful than a fully fit player. He still has some time to finalize his roster and determine if Ronaldo will be able to play.

Either way, Queiroz is setting himself up for a classic second-guess, especially if Portugal falls short of qualifying for South Africa.

Portugal Plans to Calls In Injured Ronaldo for UEFA Playoffs originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edgar Castillo Gets First U.S. Call-Up

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

The official U.S. roster hasn't been released yet for the U.S. National Team's upcoming European friendlies against World Cup qualifiers Slovakia and Denmark, but Goal.com is reporting that Edgar Castillo will be selected for the squad by coach Bob Bradley.

Castillo, who has played his entire career in Mexico, originally declared his intentions to play for El Tri despite the fact he was born in New Mexico. A new tweak in the FIFA rules allowed Castillo to switch allegiances since he never appeared for Mexico in an "official match."

The addition of Castillo, 23, is a bit of a boon for the U.S., or at the very least a dose of good news. In the last month the team has lost starters Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit to varying injuries.

Castillo, a defender, also gives Bradley another option at the left back position other than the oft-criticized Jonathan Bornstein. In fact, bringing into Castillo for the friendly matches is borderline critical because the only other viable U.S. options at the positions aren't in play. Captain Carlos Bocanegra will be forced into the center of the defense by necessity after a brief flirtation by playing him outside left. Another option -- Heath Pearce -- might not be on the roster since he's seen sporadic playing time since being let go by German club Hansa Rostock before eventually landing at FC Dallas, which didn't make the MLS playoffs.

Many U.S. fans would love to jump to the conclusion that Castillo is the panacea the U.S. has been searching for at the position for years. Of course, in the soccer world, the prospect of the unknown tends to trump the reality of the situation quite often. Until seeing how he fits in the U.S. set-up it's impossible to gauge Castillo's actual potential and worth to the team heading into the World Cup.

The bigger question from Castillo's switch from Mexico to the U.S. is if other American-born players with Mexican or other national roots opt to play for the Stars and Stripes, following the leads of Castillo and Jose Francisco Torres.

As of now, the status of the U.S.'s other international, for lack of a better term, switcher -- Jermaine Jones -- remains unclear as the Schalke 04 midfielder remains on the sidelines until at least December due to a second surgery on his injured ankle. Despite his best intentions, there won't be too many opportunities for Jones to integrate himself into the U.S. team before next June.

For now, Castillo's inclusion for the Nov. 14 match in Slovakia and Dec. 18 match in Denmark add a nice wrinkle into a pair of games -- that unlike the marathon slate played by the U.S. in 2009 -- don't have a whole lot riding on them.

Edgar Castillo Gets First U.S. Call-Up originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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France vs. Ireland Highlights UEFA World Cup Playoffs

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:52:00 EST

Filed under: International Soccer , International, English Premier League

Update: Follow France vs. Ireland live blog.

Most of the intrigue that could have resulted from Monday's draw for the second-place playoffs for the final four 2010 World Cup berths from Europe was eliminated when it was decided the eight remaining nations would be broken up and seeded via their FIFA ranks near the end of the qualification process.

So instead of creating some possible Cinderella scenarios from smaller nations like Slovenia or Bosnia-Herzegovina would have a good chance to qualify for their first World Cup, the underdogs now face an uphill battle. This is no more the case than for the Republic of Ireland, which must played a wounded, yet still very dangerous France team next month.

Ireland and boss Giovanni Trapattoni should have a beef with the way UEFA broke down the seedings. Ireland did finish its qualifying campaign without a loss, only to finish runners up to defending World Cup champ Italy. Now the Irish must play France -- which struggled throughout qualification -- but is still features some of the best players in the world.

The three other unseeded teams probably feel like the Irish. They fight through difficult qualifying campaigns, but then with two rounds left, find out the playoffs will in fact be "seeded."

So this leaves another struggler -- Portugal -- with a good chance to advance to South Africa as it faces Bosnia in a home-and-home series played on Nov. 14 and 18.

The other two matchups pit Russia against Slovenia and Greece vs. Ukraine.

Still for any complaining, all the underdogs need to do is get results over two matches, which isn't impossible. And whenever you link the words "soccer" and "draw" there is almost always going to be some sort of conspiracy angle.

Overall, the World Cup picture is almost complete. Aside from the UEFA playoffs, there still remains the Asian/Oceanic playoff between Bahrain and New Zealand and the CONCACAF/COMNEBOL playoff with Costa Rica and Uruguay. The three remaining spots up for grabs come from the final sets of African qualifiers next month.

France vs. Ireland Highlights UEFA World Cup Playoffs originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AC Milan VP Calls Beckham Loan A "Done Deal"

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:47:00 EST

Filed under: International, MLS, Serie A (Italy)

In a very unsurprising development, AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani declared that the club is "95 percent" finished on bringing back David Beckham to the club in January on loan. Galliani went as far as to call it a "done deal."

Unlike last year when there was a lot of alarm and acrimony when Beckham announced his intentions to play somewhere else during the break in the MLS season, this time there doesn't seem to be too much problem that he'll be away from the Los Angeles Galaxy for a period of time after the 2009 season wraps in November.

The circumstances are much different the second time of Beckham's loan.

For one, the Galaxy are actually a good team, having already clinched a playoff spot in the upcoming MLS playoffs and sitting in a three-way tie atop of the Western Conference. On top of that, Beckham, after a rocky start including being jeered at the Home Depot Center and called a "fraud" during a friendly with Milan early in the summer, the English midfielder has assumed a leadership role, ingraining himself into the fabric of the Galaxy, with two goals and three assists in his nine starts.

At this point, it seems few Galaxy fans would begrudge him for going to Italy, since he wants to retain the possibility of playing for England at next June's World Cup. England manager Fabio Capello has said that the 34-year-old midfielder has minimal shot at playing at his fourth World Cup if he's not playing at a high level. It doesn't help matters that the MLS season doesn't begin until April.

The winds have also changed toward Beckham in this regard. There seems like a realistic chance that he will fulfill his five-year contract with MLS and not stay with Milan beyond whatever the details of his latest loan end up specifying. (It would seem likely he'd return to the Galaxy in July, after the World Cup.)

In fact, the irony of this loan is that Milan is now the club that is struggling, sitting 12th in the Serie A table with only nine points from seven matches.

Oddly enough, the biggest news to come out of Galliani's mouth on Thursday is that Milan might explore its options toward getting some compensation from the U.S. Soccer Federation after defender Oguchi Onyewu tore his patellar tendon on national team duty Wednesday night vs. Costa Rica.

AC Milan VP Calls Beckham Loan A "Done Deal" originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Argentina Survives, Advances to 2010 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer , International

For one day, at least, Diego Maradona can silence his critics and get the last laugh.

Lampooned, mocked and second-guessed throughout Argentina's nearly disastrous 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, Maradona can let out a massive sigh of relief after Wednesday's 1-0 win against Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. Argentina gains the fourth and final automatic CONMEBOL qualifying spot, while Uruguay moves into the playoff against either Costa Rica or Honduras.

Wednesday, there wasn't the dramatic slide across the field like there was after Saturday night's last-second win against Peru.

Instead it was a pretty standard celebration following Mario Bolatti's 84th minute goal that was set up on a foul that resulted in the sending off of Uruguay's Martin Cacares for his second yellow card. The goal was nothing special as Bolatti tapped in after Uruguay couldn't get the ball out of its penalty area.

When the whistle sounded, Maradona was -- as expected -- mobbed by players and photographers.

Argentina joins Brazil, Paraguay and Chile as the other automatic South American qualifiers. For Argentina it's the country's 10th consecutive place in the finals, and 15th overall.

The question, now, immediately turns to if Maradona will be the man to lead Argentina next June in South Africa. Throughout the qualifying campaign his squad selections and tactics left almost everyone scratching their collective heads.

Whatever happens, the inclusion of Maradona in South Africa likely means a lot more fun for neutral fans and journalists due to his unpredictable behavior. If Maradona is fired or steps down, it likely means Argentina will be taken a lot more seriously. Expect this "will he/won't he?" game to play out for the next couple months.

At the very least, Argentina's win ensures that Lionel Messi will have the possibility to dazzle on the World stage.

Meanwhile, Uruguay finds itself in the same position it was four years ago, awaiting a playoff. In 2005, Uruguay was paired against Australia -- then a member of Oceania -- losing out to the Socceroos in penalty kicks in Sydney after the two-leg affair ended 1-1.

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Argentineï¿½s forward Lionel Messi (C) runs to elude Uruguayï¿½s midfielders Jorge Rodriguez (L) and Diego Perez (R) during their FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on October 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO / PABLO PORCIUNCULA (Photo credit should read PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina's Martin Demichelis, left, fights for the ball with Uruguay's Luis Suares during a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Montevideo, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Andres Cuenca)

France's national soccer coach Raymond Domenech, right, yells out during their World Cup 2010 group 7 qualifying soccer match against Austria at Stade de France, in Saint Denis, north outskirts of Paris, France, Wednesday Oct. 14, 2009. France won the match 3-1. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

Chile's Humberto Suazo celebrates with his teammate Manuel Iturra after scoring during a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Ecuador in Santiago, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Santiago Llanquin)

Argentina's Diego Maradona gives instructions to his players during a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Uruguay in Montevideo, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A fan of Honduras' soccer team holds up his nation's flag prior to the start of a 2010 World Cup qualifying match with El Salvador in San Salvador, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Luis Romero)

Argentineï¿½s defender Gabriel Heinze (R) duels for the ball with Uruguayï¿½s midfielder Diego Perez during their FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on October 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO / PABLO PORCIUNCULA (Photo credit should read PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina's head coach Diego Maradona is seen on a screen while people watch the FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match between Uruguay and Argentina in Buenos Aires on October 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO / Juan Mabromata (Photo credit should read JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Chile's national football team coach Marcelo Bielsa gestures during their FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match at the Monumental stadium in Santiago on October 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ Claudio Santana (Photo credit should read CLAUDIO SANTANA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina's players leave the pitch at the end of the first half during their FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match against Uruguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on October 14, 2009. AFP PHOTO / ALEJANDRO PAGNI (Photo credit should read ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP/Getty Images)

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Argentina Survives, Advances to 2010 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slovakia, Switzerland Punch Tickets to 2010 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer , FIFA World Cup, International

It's hard to imagine a scenario where the date Oct. 14, 2009 doesn't become the stuff of lore in the European country of Slovakia as it turned out to be the day the nation booked its place in its first FIFA World Cup finals.

And the Slovaks achieved history in perhaps the most adverse conditions possible in a soccer match, downing Poland 1-0 at the Silesian Stadium during a driving snowstorm that would seem more at home for an NFL playoff match than a World Cup qualifier.

Slovakia made an own-goal by in the fourth minute from Seweryn Gancarczyk stand up for the rest of the match. When the final blew, the Slovakian players rushed toward the crowd to celebrate with the handful of fellow countrymen who braved the weather to witness history.

The run by Slovakia under coach Vladimir Weiss is rather remarkable, as they edged out both the Czech Republic (which the nation split apart with in the 1993) and Poland, which had qualified for both the 2006 World Cup and 2008 Euro. In fact neither of those countries will be in South Africa, as Slovenia finished second to enter the UEFA Playoffs.

But back to Slovakia. For English-speaking fans, perhaps the only known entity on the Repre roster is Liverpool central defender Martin Skrtel.

No matter, the Slovaks went through qualifying with a 7-2-1 mark and join Serbia as European countries that will make their Finals debut as independent nations next June.

Elsewhere across the continent, Switzerland qualified by winning Group 2 thanks to a 0-0 draw with Israel, knocking Greece into the second-place playoffs.

Rounding out the second-place playoffs will be: Russia, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland and France, along with the aforementioned Slovenia and Greece.

The draw for the playoffs will take place on Ict. 19 in Zurich and will be played on Nov. 14 and 18. The draw will use the FIFA rankings released on Friday to seed the teams, so it's likely that Russia, France, Greece and Portugal will be seperated, as they have the current highest rankings by a fair amount.

Notable countries that will now start looking toward qualification for Euro 2010, include: Croatia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Norway, which was the lowest rated second-place finisher and eliminated from playoff contention.

In other noteworthy matches from the final day of qualification included, England defeating Belarus thanks to a brace from Peter Crouch, Italy ralling from down two goals to beat Cyprus 3-2 on a hat trick by Alberto Gilardino in the final 14 minutes and Spain finishing qualification with a perfect 10 wins after a winning at Bosnia 5-2.

Overall, aside from the mild surprise of Slovakia getting through automatically, UEFA qualification went pretty much by the book, though the exclusion of Croatia is a bit surprising. The playoffs could yield the bigger shocks, especially if France or Portugal stumble.

Slovakia, Switzerland Punch Tickets to 2010 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Italy, Denmark, Germany, Serbia Qualify For 2010 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:36:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer , FIFA World Cup, International

The puzzle pieces for the 2010 FIFA World Cup became a lot clearer on Saturday on the penultimate day of UEFA qualification. Longtime stalwarts Germany and Italy both punched their tickets, while Denmark and Serbia also booked passage to South Africa next June.

Germany was the first European country to qualify on Saturday, defeating Russia 1-0 in what was essentially a first-place Group 4 playoff game in Moscow. The Germans held on with 10-men after a first-half goal from Miroslav Klose. Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink's Russia must now await its fate in the second-place playoffs. For the Germans, it's the country's 15th-straight World Cup finals berth and 17th overall placing it second to Brazil. (These streaks include time as West Germany.)

A little later in Copenhagen, Denmark kept up its unbeaten run in Group 1, defeating rival Sweden 1-0 on a late goal from Jakob Poulsen. It was a sweet victory for the jubilant Danes, which were ousted from qualifying from Euro 2008 by the Swedes.

Sweden now must await its fate on the final matchday, as it drops behind Portugal by one point for second place, which defeated Hungary Saturday. Sweden will host Albania, while Portugal welcomes Malta. As a result, it means either Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo will miss out on the world stage next June in South Africa.

Later from Croke Park in Dublin, Marcello Lippi's Italy will travel to South Africa, looking to defend its 2006 crown. The Azzurri got through at the expense of the Republic of Ireland, who's fate is now left to the second-place playoffs. Tied 1-1 late in the match, Ireland looked like it would keep its chances of automatic qualification alive when Sean St. Ledger got on the receiving end of Stephen Hunt's 87th minute free kick. The Irish, however, couldn't hang on as Vincenzo Iaquinta found Alberto Gilardino at the top of the box, as he beat Shay Given to make it 2-2.

Serbia took care of business, romping 5-0 over Romania to qualify for its first World Cup independent from Montenegro. The Serbs victory means France, a 5-0 winner over the Faroe Islands, throws its fate into the UEFA second-place playoffs.

Elsewhere, England suffered its first qualifying loss under Fabio Capello, falling 1-0 at Ukraine on a goal from Serhiy Nazarenko. Ukraine now gets the inside edge on Croatia for the second-place spot by one point. Ukraine is at Andorra on Wednesday, while Croatia travels to Kazakhstan.

The only two UEFA Groups that haven't been claimed are 2 and 3. Switzerland leads Group 2 and gets through with a win or draw vs. Israel, which itself is still alive for the second place spot with Greece and Latvia. In Group 3, Slovakia has already clinched at least a playoff spot and will fend off a challenge from Slovenia, which places point-less San Marino on Wednesday. Slovakia owns a two-point lead, with an equal goal differential with Slovenia and plays Poland Wednesday. The Czech Repblic and Northern Ireland are still alive, but are likely long shots for second-place.

Around the globe, Cote D'Ivoire booked its place in its second-consecutive World Cup, winning CAF Group E.

The playoff between Oceanicia winners New Zealand and fifth-place Asian team Bahrain played out to a 0-0 draw. The return leg will be played in New Zealand on Nov. 14.

CONMEBOL and CONCACAF qualifiers take place later on Saturday night.

Italy, Denmark, Germany, Serbia Qualify For 2010 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. on Brink of World Cup Berth

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer , International, Soccer Posts, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

This much is simple for the U.S. national team's Saturday night 2010 World Cup qualifier at Honduras. If the U.S. leaves San Pedro Sula with three points, then it automatically qualifies for next June's World Cup in South Africa. Anything else? Well it's so confusing that the U.S. Soccer site has established a scenario generator to run through all the possible outcomes.

It's also known that a) the U.S. is stepping into a tricky road environment in a country in the midst of a political crisis, b) the U.S. won't have midfielder Clint Dempsey and c) the game will not be seen in America except for select closed circuit establishments.

So what should U.S. fans fortunate to find a way to watch the match expect?

For one, the U.S. is facing a very strong Honduras team, which is looking to book its place in the World Cup for the first time since 1982. Los Catrachos can qualify Saturday night with a win and a Costa Rica loss to Trinidad and Tobago and feature Premier League players Wilson Palacios, Hendry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa, along with Inter Milan's David Sauzo.

This will be the fourth meeting in 2009 between the two nations, with the U.S. winning all three including a 2-1 qualifier at Solider Field in Chicago in early June.

The crowd, too, bears watching. Due to the ongoing civil hostilities, will the home crowd look to the game as a 90 minute respite? Or will they expect the team to dazzle them from the opening whistle and run the Americans off the field? If this doesn't happen, could the home crowd get antsy?

"The main thing that we have talked a little bit about and are very aware of is the fact that this game means everything to Honduras and to its people and that the atmosphere in the stadium will be loud, passionate and exciting," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said during Thursday's media conference call. "We have seen that in other places, so we draw the parallels and draw up on those experiences. I think that will work well for us."

As for Bradley's U.S. team? Aside from the loss to Dempsey to injury, it figures to be business as usual (at least on the field) with Landon Donovan the key man once again. Bradley hinted on Thursday that either Stuart Holden or Benny Feilhaber will be the candidate to replace Dempsey in the starting XI.

Bradley wasn't too concerned with defender Oguchi Onyewu's lack of playing time at AC Milan, so the U.S. lineup should look very familiar, with the biggest questions beside replacing Dempsey being who starts at right and left back between the quartet of Jonathon Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathon Bornstein and Frankie Hejduk.

It's likely the young tandem of Charlie Davies and Jozy Altidore will start at forward, though Brian Ching could be in the mix if the U.S. plays a more conservative lineup.

Factoring into all the lineup decisions is a worrisome issue that Altidore, Carlos Bocanegra, Conor Casey, Cherundolo, Donovan, Feilhaber and Hejduk would all miss the Costa Rica match should they receive a yellow card on Saturday.

"The yellow card situation is a challenging one. I think that we have to find balance in this, in some cases, that includes players that play the same position who maybe are both carrying yellow cards, making some decisions in those ways," Bradley said.

The U.S. has been adequate on the road during qualifying, posting a 4-3-1 mark. Yet only one of those wins has come during the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, last month at Trinidad & Tobago.

By contrast, Honduras is 8-0-0 at home in qualifying. However they are 0-3-0 vs. the U.S. in 2009 and 10-2-3 overall, including a 2-1-1 in Honduras, so something will have to give on Saturday.

"We know each other very well. There's a great deal of respect, and if you look at their group of players, there's talent. Guys have done well, particularly in England. As everybody knows, I know Amado [Guevara] very well, who won't be playing in this match, he's out with cards," Bradley said. "As far as knowing the personnel, knowing the style of play, we have respect for the way they play and their talent. We think they're well coached. And now, when we go into this game we understand how much they're playing for and how much it means to their fans."

Should the U.S. falter, it still has next Wednesday's match against Costa Rica to get a result and avoid the dreaded playoff with the fifth-place South American team.

"Ideally we can finish up things Saturday but, again, there are factors in all of this that are sometimes out of our control. It's been a very tight final round because of some of the other results. But the opportunity to go there and play to win and come away with three points is a great challenge, one that we are embracing," Bradley said. "I think the players are ready for it and we're going to go for it with everything we have knowing that obviously we still have the home game to follow."

U.S. on Brink of World Cup Berth originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clint Dempsey Ruled Out vs. Honduras

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International, Soccer Posts, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

For fans of the U.S. national team clamoring for midfielder Clint Dempsey to move from the right side of midfield to the right side of the bench, well, they've gotten their wish, though the circumstances aren't exactly ideal.

Dempsey has been ruled out for Saturday's 2010 World Cup qualifier at Honduras due to a shoulder sprain. Dempsey picked up the injury in the closing minutes of Fulham's 2-2 draw Sunday vs. West Ham United. His status for next Wednesday's final qualifier vs. Costa Rica in Washington is still unknown.

Dempsey's injury most likely means that Stuart Holden will get the nod at starting right midfielder. Holden shined during July's CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring goals and setting them up.

Though the injury forced coach Bob Bradley's hand, many U.S. fans had questioned the constant inclusion of Dempsey in the starting XI due to his sometimes listless and disinterested performances. Yet while Dempsey has a tendency to drift through matches, he does have the ability to rise to the occasion and score important goals including the first-half equalizer in the U.S's 2-1 win over El Salvador last month.

However it shakes out, the match vs. Honduras -- which the U.S. would punch its ticket to South Africa with a win -- will show the U.S. and U.S. fans what life without 90 minutes of Dempsey looks like. There's the chance the U.S. could soar, but the fans also might need to be careful what they wish for.

Clint Dempsey Ruled Out vs. Honduras originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Korea Drops US at U-20 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:05:00 EST

Filed under: International, US Soccer

Much like an American sports columnist needing a punchline and relying on old standbys like, say, the Detroit Lions, their British equivalents can always fall back on some good old fashioned bashing on American soccer when needed. Lately, though, as America has improved across the board both internationally and with MLS, this old cliche doesn't ring as true.

Yet Friday afternoon the stodgy old Brit working the English language feed of the U-20 World Cup in Egypt wasn't far off with his relentless bashing and tweaking of the U.S. performance. Needing a result vs. South Korea to guarantee advancement to the knockout stages, the U.S. was instead thoroughly defeated 3-0 in Suez.

The U.S. now must wait for the final group stage matches Saturday to see if it's one of the top four third place finishers.

In the first half the U.S. never looked very composed, allowing goals by Young Gwon Kim (24th minute) and Bo Kyung Kim (43rd) to make it 2-0. The second goal came when Hee Sung Park played a ball over the top, which Sheandon Williams mistimed his jump, allowing Kim to finish with a powerful strike. This came shortly after U.S. midfielder Brek Shea raced up the left side, but fired his shot across the goal mouth and wide.

It only got worse in the second half as South Korea missed numerous chances to put the match away. The Koreans sealed the match in the 74th minute on a penalty kick from captain Ka Cheol Koo. It also resulted in the sending off of defender Ike Opara for his second yellow card offense of the match.

If the U.S. somehow advance with a negative-3 goal differential it will have to play its Round of 16 match with a string of players, as the team collected five yellow cards on Friday. By the same token, the U.S. finished with only one shot on target.

Ahead of Saturday's results, the U.S. sits third, behind Italy and Nigeria. There are plenty of permutations, but at first glance the best chance for the U.S. to advance would be for the Group D match between England and Uzbekistan (both with zero points) to finish a draw later on Friday.

But based on how the U.S. played against Germany and South Korea it really shouldn't feel too bad if it's on a plane back to the States on Sunday. Once the game got to 3-0 against Korea, the U.S. looked more concerned with going in for two-footed tackles then pulling back a crucial goal which would make the prospect of advancement more conceivable.

After a string of results like this, there is a tendency to over react and cast a pale over the U.S. developmental program. While it doesn't look good, tournament's like the U-20 World Cup can be deceiving since it's only three games. Plus as a rule, the FIFA underage tournaments are generally a mixed bag in terms of finding players.

It is a little concerning, however, that compared to the last U-20 World Cup in 2007, where players like Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley established themselves as important cogs for the U.S. senior team. Right now, it's hard to gauge anyone on the current roster for coach Thomas Rongen as anything other than a fringe player.

It also makes you wonder on a deeper level if the U.S. development system is working. Teams like Korea or Germany have an identity and a style of play, while U.S. doesn't necessarily. If anything the American identity seems to be picking up an unusually high amount of needless fouls in international competitions.

That's a question, though, for another day. For now the U.S. must wait out the final six results and hope that it gets a second chance at life at the tournament.

South Korea Drops US at U-20 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Bradley Names US Squad for Final 2010 Qualifiers

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:23:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

Whichever side of the fence you fall on in the matter of Bob Bradley coaching the U.S. men's national team, there's one thing both his supporters and detractors can agree upon -- the man is consistent.

Thursday Bradley selected his 22-man roster for the upcoming CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica. There is little, if any, surprise in the players Bradley recalled for the crucial games, which will determine if the U.S. qualifies for South Africa automatically.

The only real issue that Bradley faced when deciding on the roster was in the defense. Central defender Jay DeMerit picked up an injury to his eye while playing for his club, Watford, as was unavailable. Usual U.S. stalwart Oguchi Onyewu finally featured for AC Milan during its midweek shock defeat to FC Zurich in the Champions League, coming in as a 61st minute substitute, but he still could be rusty come Oct. 10 in Honduras.

With those issues in mind, Bradley brought in some cover in the forms of Jimmy Conrad and Clarence Goodson.

Somewhat surprisingly, New Mexico-born Edgar Castillo -- who's recent switch from Mexico to the U.S. was approved by FIFA -- wasn't included. It's hard to imagine Bradley would have given Castillo his first start in a such a difficult environment like Honduras, yet he could have included him in the squad to get him acclimated going forward. That means the much-maligned Jonathan Bornstein is probably the starting left back since recent FC Dallas signing Heath Pearce was also left out of the mix.

There's nothing remarkable about the U.S. midfield, other than the fact Robbie Rogers was included while Kyle Beckerman stays home.

At forward, Kenny Cooper gets recalled after a nice start since transferring to 1860 Munich from FC Dallas. Unless the U.S. clinches in Honduras, it's hard to see him getting any playing time, but at least he provides another option should the first-choice pairing of Charlie Davies and Jozy Altidore fizzle.

The U.S. wraps up an automatic berth in the World Cup with a win or if Costa Rica loses to Trinidad & Tobago. The U.S. can move to South Africa with a draw at Honduras, should Costa Rica also draw.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew, José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Hull City), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (1860 Munich), Charlie Davies (FC Sochaux), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Bob Bradley Names US Squad for Final 2010 Qualifiers originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honduras Brings in Big Names for Important Qualifier vs. US

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International, US Soccer

As of right now, the Oct. 10 CONCACAF World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Honduras still has the green light from FIFA to be played in San Pedro Sula, even though the Central American nation is a state of political turmoil.

Wherever the match is played, Honduras manager Reinaldo Rueda brought in a a first-choice squad, which could pose some problems for the U.S. who will qualify for South Africa with a win. Honduras, would guarantee a place if it beats the U.S. and Costa Rica loses to Trinidad & Tobago.

Big name players like Tottenham's midfield enforcer Wilson Palacios and Wigan's Hendry Thomas figure to put pressure on the U.S. center of the field. Inter Milan striker David Sauzo, who's missed most of the final round of qualifying due to a torn knee meniscus, could pose problems for the U.S. defense, especially if paired with Carlo Costly. Other well-known Honduran players include Toronto FC's Amado Guevera and ex-FC Dallas midfielder Ramon Nunez.

A Sauzo-less Honduras gave the U.S. all it could handle in a June 6 qualifier in Chicago, with the American falling down a goal, but rallying then hanging on for a 2-1 victory. (A more experimental U.S. lineup topped an equally experimental Honduran twice by 2-0 scorelines at July's Gold Cup.)

Honduras has only qualified for the World Cup once before back in 1982. The nation will at least qualify for the CONCACAF playoff with the fifth-place South American team so long as the unlikely scenario of El Salvador defeating Mexico at Azteca doesn't come to fruition. (Mexico will be without rising star Gio Dos Santos for that match and the Oct. 14 game at Trinidad.)

It does bear watching what would happen if the political situation in Honduras further deteriorates. Suffice to say, it's a messy situation, which should make the U.S.'s already tricky foray into Central America all the more frenzied. (U.S. coach Bob Bradley has yet to name his roster for the matches against Honduras and Costa Rica.)

Though FIFA made assurances of the match going on as scheduled on Tuesday, there's still time to make the necessary logistical changes (i.e. neutral venue/playing game behind closed doors) should the safety of both teams not be guaranteed.

On a larger scale, throughout its history soccer has worked as both a unifying and polarizing force. It might be a simplistic thought, but perhaps should Honduras qualify for next June's World Cup it could help start the process of reuniting the country. At the very least for a coupe days at least around the qualifier, maybe it could half the political infighting between Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti.

From an American perspective, hopefully, it doesn't come at the expense of the U.S.

Full Honduran roster:

Goalkeepers: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Ricardo Canales (Motagua).

Defenders: Victor Bernardez (Anderlecht), Osman Chávez (Platense), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Oscar Garcia (Olimpia), Emilio Izaguirre (Motagua), Erick Norales (Marathon), Carlos Palacios (Real España), Mauricio Sabillon (Marathon).

Midfielders: Edgard Alvarez (Bari), Julio Cesar de Leon (Parma), Ramon Núñez (Cruz Azul), Amado Guevara (Toronto FC), Wilson Palacios (Tottenham), Hendry Thomas (Wigan), Danilo Turcios (Olimpia), Melvin Valladares (Real España).

Forwards: Carlos Pavon (Real España), Carlo Costly (Belchatow), Walter Martinez (Marathon), Jerry Palacios (Marathon), David Suazo (Inter Milan).

Honduras Brings in Big Names for Important Qualifier vs. US originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Germany Thumps US at U-20 World Cup

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: International, US Soccer

Maybe it's something about U.S. soccer teams playing the first games in FIFA tournaments held in Africa. Saturday in Suez, Egypt, the U.S. Under-20 national team was beaten 3-0 by Germany at the U-20 World Cup Group C opener for both teams. (If you remember, the U.S. senior national team lost to Italy 3-1 in the Confederations Cup opener played in South Africa in June.)

It was a rough day all around for coach Thomas Rongen's men, who had a tough time finding their footing. A two-goal blitz by the Germans that netted consecutive scores in a span of three minutes midway through the first half put the game away.

The Germans missed a couple early chances inside the first 15 minutes when Richard Sukuta-Pasu missed wide twice from inside the penalty area.

By the 30th minute, though, the Germans broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after Brian Ownby brought down Bjorn Kopplin in the box. Semih Aydilek ripped a shot to the left, which sent U.S. keeper Brian Perk the wrong way.

It only got worse for the young Americans from there. Less than three minutes later German captain Florian Jungwirth found himself unmarked at the back of the penalty area after a corner and ripped a shot that Perk got a hand to, but it was hit with so much power it sailed into the right corner.

After the halftime break the play improved for the Americans. In the 62nd minute they got their best chance when Bryan Arguez, who's on the books at Hertha Berlin, slipped in a pass to Mikkel Diskerud, but the Norweigan-born player couldn't attempt a shot as German keeper Ron-Robert Zieler raced off his line to smother the attempt.

Three minutes later, after more positive play, Jared Jeffrey beat Zieler but his blistering shot thumped off the crossbar and back into play.

Germany made the U.S. pay for the missed chances when it sealed the game on a 72nd counter attack pushed in on the full run by substitute Manuel Schaffler, making it 3-0.

The Germans finished with a 12-4 advantage in shots.

For whatever it's worth, there was a fairly large disparity between the composition of the rosters of Germany and the U.S. The Germans brought in players from the country's mega-clubs (Bayern Munich, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkausen, Werder Bremen, etc.) and even had one player -- Zieler -- who calls Manchester United home. Meanwhile the U.S. roster was mainly players from MLS and nine currently at NCAA Universities. Is that the reason they lost by three goals Saturday? No, but it bears some consideration as the U.S. progresses as a soccer nation.

Much like the Confederations Cup team, the U-20s can't afford to get too down on themselves after the opening-game throttling. The remaining group stage matches are against Cameroon and South Korea, which should be a little more winnable than Germany.

Dropping the opening fixture shouldn't be that disconcerting, either. At the 2007 edition of the tournament in Canada, the U.S. drew Korea 1-1 in the opening match, then when on to stomp Poland 6-1 and upset Brazil 2-1 en route to a place in the quarterfinals where it was surprisingly dropped by Austria.

The U.S. returns to action Tuesday against Cameroon live on ESPN2 at 12:45 p.m.

Germany Thumps US at U-20 World Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Americans on Pine a Cause for Concern

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer , International, US Soccer, U.S. Men's National Team

Aside from the fact that they're both a) human beings, b) American international soccer players of African descent and c) from the greater Washington, D.C. area, there aren't too many similarities between Freddy Adu and Oguchi Onyewu, saying nothing of the pair's nearly one-foot height and seven-year age discrepancy.

Adu, as we all recall, entered MLS in 2004 with fanfare worthy of a Michael Bay special effects blockbuster and was supposed to set the league afire with his amazing skill and footwork -- all at 14 years of age. Since his arrival the pint-sized midfielder has played for two MLS clubs, made a much ballyhooed transfer to Portuguese giants Benfica and now at 20 years old finds himself loaned out for the second time in three years.

Meanwhile the same year Adu attempted to burst onto the MLS scene, Onyewu quietly moved from French club Metz to Belgian power Standard Liege, where he blossomed into a hulking central defender with a pair of Jupiler League crowns under his belt. Most American fans probably didn't even know of the alliterative defender's existence until his famous stare-down of Mexican forward Jared Borgetti in the U.S.'s 2-0 win over El Tri in Columbus, Ohio, which booked a place in the 2006 World Cup.

While Onyewu -- who transferred to AC Milan in July -- has been a regular in the U.S. back four since his 2005 breakout, Adu has struggled to make an impact on either the club or country level, but his potential still teases many U.S. fans.

However, a little less than two weeks before the final pair of CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Onyewu and Adu find themselves in similar situations -- stuck on the bench for their club teams. For Adu this is nothing new, as he spent long spell of inactivity at Benfica before being loaned to AS Monaco where he again struggled to crack the starting XI. Currently loaned out to Belenenses in Portugal, Adu has yet to feature since moving there at the end of the summer transfer window in August.

Adu, though, doesn't seemed worried Tweeting on Sept. 19, "Not in the 18 against academica BUT dont worry spoke with the coach and all is good.Wants to take it slow for first couple games.StepBYstep."

Granted, Adu was an extreme long shot to be called into the U.S. fold by coach Bob Bradley, who has made it a point that American internationals need to be playing at their club team in order to feature for the Yanks. This issue reached a boiling point for sections of U.S. supporters who called for the inclusion of Jozy Altidore even though the New Jersey teenager languished on the bench at Villareal before being loaned to Xerez where he also didn't play.

The lack of club playing time didn't seem bother Altidore all that much during the U.S.'s run at June's Confederations Cup, including a famous goal against Spain in the American's 2-0 semifinal win. (The playing time certainly helped Altidore, as he was loaned to Hull City before the start of the Premier League season, where he's now getting steady playing time.)

Yet Bradley's "play-to-play" policy (for lack of a better term) should be put to the test next month when it comes to Onyewu, who has yet to play in a competitive match for Italian giants. In fact, Onyewu now sits fourth on the Milan central defensive depth chart and rarely even makes the final matchday roster. On a personal level for Onyewu, this isn't all that hard to believe, since it takes time to adjust to a new league and language. Long term, too, it could prove a beneficial move for Onyewu, but it will take time to work his way into the starting lineup past Alessandro Nesta, Thiago Silva and Kakha Kaladze.

Unless suspended or injured, though, Onyewu has been one of Bradley's first names written down on the U.S. team sheet.Will the 6-foot-4 Washington native's lack of playing time be taken into a account when the U.S. heads to Tegucigalpa to play Honduras in a critical match on Oct. 10? Can Bradley risk starting a center back, who may train everyday against the likes of Alexandre Pato and Andrea Pirlo, but isn't being tested in game situations.

And by the same token what to make of the coach's son Michael, who's recently found himself in the doghouse at Borussia Mönchengladbach? (Michael Bradley did play on Tuesday in Gladbach's 1-0 loss to Duisberg in the German Cup, though it was his first appearance since being subbed out at halftime in a 3-0 loss to Werder Bremen on Aug. 23.)

The Onyewu situation would seem the easier to address, since the U.S. could either play Marshall next to Jay DeMerit or slide captain Carlos Bocanegra to the center of the defense. As for the Michael Bradley? If we don't factor in the father-son dynamic, there isn't exactly a ready-made replacement in the center of the field, which could force the elder to shift his tactical lineup with perhaps a pass-first player like Jose Francisco Torres getting the nod.

Onyewu's lack of playing time at Milan also underlines another lingering doubt inside the minds of some U.S. fans, namely the lack of Americans competing in either the UEFA Champions League or to a lesser extent the Europa League. A long held belief by some, is that is the U.S. is truly going to take the next step in international progress, it needs players competing at Europe's top clubs and by extension the Champions League. (In the first Group Stage matchday of the 2009-10 competition, the only American was DaMarcus Beasley, who sat the bench for Rangers.)

For the immediate future, Bob Bradley faces a tough decision, which opens himself up for second guessing. Does he stick with the U.S. regulars (Onyewu, Bradley) even though they're spending time on the bench and could be rusty? Or does he gamble on players who are more in form (Chad Marshall, Benny Feilhaber) though less experienced in the U.S. team fold?

Should the U.S. get the necessary points next month to qualify for South Africa this issue of "play-to-play" could take on added significance as the calendar ticks closer to June 2010, especially if the U.S.'s best player -- Landon Donovan -- decides to act on the rumors and take one final dip in European waters.

Americans on Pine a Cause for Concern originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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England, Spain Punch Ticket to South Africa

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer , FIFA World Cup, International, Soccer Posts

Wednesday England became the ninth team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup thanks to its comprehensive 5-1 victory over recent nemesis Croatia at Wembley Stadium. Manager Fabio Capello completed the turnaround for the Three Lions in the first cycle after missing out on Euro 2008 as they improved to 8-0-0 in qualifiers.

What made England's victory a double-delight is that midfield stars Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard each scored twice. Former England coaches Steve McClaren and Sven-Goran Eriksson were continually criticized for their failure to find a system where both Premier League standouts could function successful for the country.

Wayne Rooney also scored, keeping him atop the UEFA qualifiers leaderboard with nine goals.

England, which qualifies with two games remaining, still could have a major say in who places second in UEFA Group 6 and moves on to the second-place playoffs. Croatia currently sits second with 17 points, two ahead of Ukraine, which has two more games remaining compared to Croatia's one. Ukraine hosts England on Oct. 10 and then plays at Andorra, while Croatia only plays at Kazakhstan on Oct. 14.

Spain also joined England as UEFA 2010 qualifiers on Wednesday, thanks to a 3-0 win over Estonia.

Meanwhile, Serbia and Denmark each failed to automatically clinch berths. Serbia drew 1-1 to 10-man France at home, but still leads Group 7 by four points. Denmark coughed up a 1-0 halftime lead at Albania, drawing 1-1 so it's lead is down to three points over rival Sweden in Group 1.

Overall in UEFA Group 1 remains the group to keep on eye on, because as it stands either Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal or Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden will miss out on South Africa. Sweden seems the more likely to survive, as it benefited from an 81st minute own-goal to win at Malta 1-0 Wednesday. This comes days after Ibrahimivic's 93rd minute winner at Hungary, which revived Swedish hopes.

Sweden plays at Denmark on Oct. 10 in the group's most important match. As you'll no doubt recall, the two met in Euro 2008 qualifying, when a Danish fan rushing onto the field forcing the match to be abandoned.

Portugal, even with it's 1-0 win away to Hungary Wednesday, still face an uphill climb needing to beat the Magyars at home on Oct. 10 to stay alive and other results to fall in its favor.

Elsewhere across European qualifying Slovakia maintained its lead in Group 3 and appears on track to qualify for its first World Cup since splitting with the Czech Republic. Five teams remain in line for second place with Slovenia, North Ireland, the Czech Republic and Poland all still mathematically alive.

Group 2 remains a four-horse race with Switzerland (17 points), trying to fend off Greece (14), Latvia (14) and Israel (12).

In Group 4 its down to powers Germany (22 points) and Russia (21), with everyone else in the group eliminated. As luck would have it, Russia hosts Germany on Oct. 10, so queue up your World War II references.

Italy is on the verge of qualifying atop Group 8 after beating Bulgaria 2-0 Wednesday. The Republic of Ireland remains on track to finish second and hosts the Azzurri on Oct. 10.

Finally in Group 9, the Netherlands finished a perfect 8-0-0 campaign with a late 1-0 win vs. Scotland, which eliminated the Tartan Army. Norway currently finishes second in the group but needs other results to break in its favor to gain the UEFA second-place playoffs.

The UEFA playoffs will be contested on Nov. 10 and 14.

England, Spain Punch Ticket to South Africa originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brazil Qualifies; Argentina on the Brink

Michael Cardillo — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International

In perhaps the year's least surprising world soccer news -- Brazil has qualified for the 2010 World Cup. The five-time World Cup champs punched their ticket thanks to a 3-1 victory at Argentina late Saturday night featuring brace by Luis Fabiano.

Slightly more surprising, Brazil's all-time rival Argentina finds itself dangling ever-so-close to the precipice after that defeat in Rosario. The look coach Diego Maradona's face in the video posted above pretty much says it all for the Albicelestes these days.

Saturday night and into Sunday it was a mostly doom-and-gloom forecast for Argentina by the media. And while losing to Brazil, at home no less, is never a good thing for Argentina, it actually could be a whole lot worse.

Even with Saturday's loss Argentina still sits fourth in the CONMEBOL table, meaning it would get one of the automatic berths and avoid a playoff with the fourth-place CONCACAF team. Argentina still holds a two-point lead over both Columbia and Ecuador.

In fact, the bigger story out of South America Saturday should have been Columbia beating Ecuador 2-0 or more stunning, Uruguay dropping a 1-0 result at last-place Peru.

All these other results don't mask over Argentina's lukewarm display vs. Brazil, in particular it's phantom marking on Luisão in the 24th minute. Yet it seems the worldwide media is quick to pounce on Maradona. Granted he hasn't been the most effective coach on the planet, with his strategy revolving somewhere in the realm of tossing Lionel Messi on the field and hoping for the best. Let's not even get into his bizarre team selection either.

Still, Argentina controls its own 2010 qualification destiny. Wednesday Argentina plays at Paraguay, which is five points clear in third place. Meanwhile, Argentina's biggest chasers for fourth place, Colombia and Ecuador face tricky matches. Colombia plays at Uruguay in what's likely a do-or-die match for the hosts, meanwhile Ecuador travels to Bolivia where the altitude of La Paz give La Verde one of the world's best home-field advantages.

Again, Argentina isn't in a good spot right now, but predictions of its imminent demise are clearly premature at least until after Wednesday. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess if Maradona will still be around for the final two matches.

Brazil Qualifies; Argentina on the Brink originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gio Dos Santos Revives Mexico

Michael Cardillo — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:21:00 EST

Filed under: FIFA World Cup, International Soccer , International, Soccer Posts

In the wake of Mexico's 3-0 demolition of Costa Rica on the fast turf of Saprissa late Saturday night, fans of El Tri ought to be grateful coach Javier Aguirre doesn't have the same policy for playing young players as his U.S. counterpart Bob Bradley.

After spending most of the summer worrying whether or not if Mexico would get out of CONCACAF World Cup 2010 qualification, El Tri are squarely back in the mix for one of the region's three automatic spots thanks to 20-year-old rising star Gio Dos Santos.

American fans surely saw enough of the former Barcelona starlet Dos Santos running rampant in Mexico's 5-0 win over the U.S. in July's Gold Cup final, and then in last month's 2-0 Mexico win at Azteca in qualifying.

Saturday night in the central American cauldron that is Saprissa, Dos Santos almost single-handedly gave Mexico three crucial points on the road.

In first half stoppage time, Dos Santos conjured a true golazo out of nothing, ripping off a low rocket from the outside left edge of the penalty area, pin-pointing it in the bottom right corner. Cristiano Ronaldo himself couldn't have placed it any better.

Later in the second half, Dos Santos laid off centering passes to set up easy tap-in goals for Guille Franco and Andres Guardado to complete the 3-0 destruction of the Ticos.

The win threw CONCACAF qualifying into mild chaos with three games remaining. Honduras leads the group with 13 points, ahead of the U.S. on goal difference. Mexico and Costa are just behind with 12 points. With three automatic spots and the fourth place team gaining a playoff with the fifth place South American team, it figures to be a soccer version of musical chairs.

But that's getting ahead of things before Wednesday's matches.

Today it's about realizing Mexico's lifeline through the feet of Dos Santos.

What makes Dos Santos' current run of form for Mexico all the more impressive is his unsettled club situation. During last summer transfer window he was a surprise purchase by Tottenham from Barcelona. With all of Spurs turmoil, he was eventually briefly loaned out to Ipswich Town before returning back to North London for the start of the 2009-10 season, where he is only appearance is a League Cup match.

Unlike Bradley in similar situations, Aguirre was undaunted by Dos Santos' lack of first team playing time. Aguirre kept his faith in Dos Santos and hitched his coaching wagon to the youngster's rising star, which has moved Mexico from possible roadkill to right back on track for South Africa next summer.

Gio Dos Santos Revives Mexico originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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