2010
Monday, November 26, 2007
The various regions' 2010 World Cup qualifying draw had been made yesterday. This is the European qualifying groups, if you're too lazy to see it on an official football news site.
Group 1: Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Malta
Group 2: Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia, Luxembourg
Group 3: Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino
Group 4: Germany, Russia, Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein
Group 5: Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Estonia
Group 6: Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Andorra
Group 7: France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands
Group 8: Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia, Montenegro
Group 9: Holland, Scotland, Norway, FYR Macedonia, Iceland
The top team qualify directly to the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, whilst the highest ranked eight second placed teams will battle it out in the playoffs for four remaining places.
So England have a fairly straightforward group, just like its Euro2008 qualifier group. It's just really up to them not to complicate matters. As there are only 6 teams to a group, there'd be lesser matches left should matters be complicated. Each team plays each other team twice, I think, home and away, and a team plays 10 games in total. England need to beat the likes of Andorra and Kazakhstan, no screw up like draws, screw ups here don't include losses, unlike their third game when they drew to Macedonia in the Euro2008 qualifiers. Belarus is a tougher opponent, but if England can take 4 or more points of them, it'll still be fine. Ukraine and Croatia are much tougher group opponents. England will want revenge on Croatia, so another four or more points off the Croatians would be good, and they need another four or more points off Ukraine, to be in a comfortable, and maybe group winners position.
Portugal's only really challenging opponents is Sweden and Denmark, even then the Danes aren't that good anymore. Greece, Israel and Switzerland all stand a chance of going through, and Israel might even pipe the Swiss for a second place should Greece be in fine form. The Czech Republic, Poland and Northern Ireland all also have a chance of making it, whilst Slovenia and Slovakia stand an outside chance of getting second. Germany and Russia should make the top two, it will be seen whether Wales or Finland can pipe either two for either slot. Spain should make it, but Belgium and Turkey have to battle it out for the second spot. France should make it comfortably, Romania and Serbia would have to battle it out for second. Italy should have a comfortable ride in the qualifiers, whilst Republic of Ireland need to take at least 4 points of Bulgaria to get into second place. Holland should make it, but Scotland, Norway and even Iceland have a chance, although the Scots should see it through, this group is special, it only has 5 teams.
The South American World Cup qualifiers has already begun. Paraguay currently lead the way, as only the top four teams will go through automatically whilst the fifth placed team will meet one of the North American team to fight it out to figure who will make it to the finals.
The North American World Cup qualifiers have yet to begun. However, to make it simple, the top 3 teams of the last, and final, qualifying group will make it to the finals, whilst the fourth placed team will playoff with that fifth placed team from South America.
The Asian World Cup third qualifying group, which consisted of Singapore, was drawn, and the top 2 teams of each group qualifies for the final qualifying round. The final qualifying round will divide the ten teams into two groups, in which the top 2 teams of each group qualify directly, whilst the third placed group of each group playoff with each other, and the winner of that playoff will play with the winner of the Oceania region.
So that's the major regions' qualifying groups. Will be having an eye on Singapore's progress, hope they can reach as far as possible, maybe fourth round?
Haha...
Bye~!
my thoughts at 12:00 pm