Nigeria!

Day -250 WorldCup2018

Last month: France vs Luxembourg 0-0

Today: Sweden vs Luxembourg 8-0

So going by my old school-mates standards, Sweden should beat France 8-0. Right?

But what it really means is that there will be no Orange invasion of Russia next summer. Too bad. A World Cup with the Dutch is always more fun. Holland have to beat Sweden 7-0 on Tuesday to make the playoffs. Sweden could still end up snatching first place from France if they beat Holland and the ghost of David Ginola returns to haunt France when they play Belarus.

It wasn't quite the Portuguese pummeling Andorra while Hungary did Portugal a favour against Switzerland. The Swiss made it nine wins out of nine as they thumped Hungary 5-2, while Portugal beat Andorra 2-0. Portugal need to beat Switzerland on Tuesday to qualify without needing to go through the playoffs.

It's all over for Zambia. The fairy tale I hoped for is over after they lost to Nigeria who became the first African team to qualify. Tunisia and Senegal are pretty close. Morocco's win set up a winner takes all final round clash against second placed Ivory Coast. Egypt can qualify tomorrow with a win against Congo. Ghana are almost out after drawing 0-0 in Uganda. But the Ghanaian FA have lodged a protest with Fifa, asking for the match to be replayed after a last minute goal was ruled out for offside.

Tomorrow it's the last match in qualifying for some European teams. England will play Lithuania in what will probably be a real bore-fest. Turn your TV's off if you happen to come across it. At the same time Slovakia play Malta and Slovenia play Scotland. Both Slovenia and Scotland, and me, will be hoping the Maltese give their coach a good send off in his final match. Slovenia need to win and hope for a Malta win to make the playoffs. If Slovakia don't beat Malta then Scotland only need a draw.

This excitement never ends. More tomorrow night.

Great football all over the world

Day -251 WorldCup2018

What a fantastic few days of football. Last minute winners, teams going from seemingly comfortable qualification to "are we going to make it?" in a heartbeat, favourites on the brink of elimination. Have I not said already how I think the final round, or two rounds, of qualifiers are as exciting as the World Cup itself?

Today's result of the day has to be Iceland's 3-0 win in Turkey. Iceland were pretty good in not only qualifying for Euro 2016 but also for making it to the quarterfinals. So this may not seem like an extraordinary result for one of the top eight teams in Europe. But put your hand up if you thought Iceland would not be able to pull it off again. Exactly. They haven't been exactly brilliant and it looked like they would struggle to even make second place in their group and the playoffs. Today's result was even bigger when coupled with Croatia's draw with Finland. Iceland are now top, two points ahead of Croatia and Ukraine.

These are Monday's matches, the final day of qualifying:
Ukraine vs Croatia
Iceland vs Kosovo

Again, Iceland have 19 points, Ukraine and Croatia are on 17. Kosovo have 1 point. Who are the favourites to qualify now?

If you watch the highlights of Iceland's win I wonder if you'll agree with me about the comedic and shambolic Turkish defending. For the third goal it looks like the whole of the Turkish team decided to have a team meeting in their penalty area while Iceland took a corner. "Please, please..Don't disturb us. Yes, yes. Go ahead, Score a goal. Oh no. Try again. There you go. Have fun in Russia!"

Tomorrow is another big day. I need 10 TV screens. There are a whole bunch of permutation-challenging matches in Africa. In Europe, while Ronaldo and Portugal. are pummelling Andorra they will be hoping that Hungary do them a favour against leaders Switzerland. The incredible run of the Swiss has been largely ignored. Their record in qualifying: played 8, won 8. Portugal? Played 8. Won 7, lost 1. On Tuesday: Portugal vs Switzerland. Tasty.

Elsewhere tomorrow, Sweden are at home to Luxembourg, the Netherlands are in Belarus. If the Dutch don't match the Swedes' result they are out.

Right now the USA are 2-0 up against Panama in a crucial match for third place, the final qualifying spot in CONCACAF. The Americans, a point behind Panama before today, need the win. Fourth place means a playoff against Australia or Syria to qualify.

Finally, back to yesterday. Argentina are on the brink. After their 0-0 against Peru they will now probably need a win in Ecuador. If Colombia and Peru draw their final match and Argentina don't win they are out. It is a very real possibility that they won't be in Russia. However, I will still stick with my prediction from around a year ago that they will finish fifth and play New Zealand in the Intercontinental playoff.

England!

Day -252 WorldCup2018

You did it England. Well done! With a last minute, Harry Kane winner against Slovenia in a performance that the BBC described as "lifeless, uninspired and mediocre," England are Russia bound. Germany also made it after a 3-1 win in Northern Ireland. They are one of those teams who, as the BBC report mentioned, "will certainly have no fears should they be confronted by this England side," in Russia. I quote the BBC again because I could not watch England today: "And this was a dreadful, lifeless slog...."

The English fans were amusing themselves in the second half by throwing paper airplanes. Is that a step up or down in complete fan boredom from the Mexican wave?

Meanwhile the Maltese press were praising "gallant" Malta. A 1-1 draw against Lithuania secured Malta's first point in this campaign. Gallant, indeed. The Times of Malta reporter might have been at the earlier ceremony, attended by Prince Charles, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the awarding of the George Cross to the Maltese people. The word "gallant" must have stuck in his head. Well done boys. A result to be proud of, against the only team we had a hope of beating, and a great send off on Coach Ghedin's last home match. It would be very interesting if the Maltese journalist and the BBC reporter switched roles and wrote about each other team’s performance. Malta, gallant, really? And England, terrible, after they just comfortably qualified for the World Cup? Maltese sports reporters need a dose of that British honesty.

From the other side of the world, I wish Syria didn't have to be in the football news anymore as a distraction from the real problems in that country. Unfortunately, they drew 1-1 with Australia in the first leg of the playoff. Here's hoping that the Caltex Socceroos (can I stop laughing now?) can turn on the style in the second leg.

Argentina have just kicked off against Peru. It's huge. I'll be keeping a close eye on that one. Colombia can qualify with a win against Paraguay. Paraguay have to win. Uruguay drew 0-0 against Venezuela earlier. They are almost there, especially with a home match against Bolivia to come.
Chile just scored against Ecuador. In the "as it stands" table they are now in 4th place above Argentina and Peru. It's going to be a good night, with lots of back and forths.

Tomorrow, the match that stands out is Turkey vs Iceland. Iceland are level on points with Croatia, but second on goal difference. Turkey are two points behind and level with Ukriane who play Croatia. With a certain combination of results, Iceland could be in first place tomorrow, with Ukraine in the playoff spot and Croatia desperately clinging on in third place.

Allow me to go back to journalists and honesty. And as I do, please be aware that this comes with a bad joke warning. I just came across a story on Fifa's website about Holland's Davy Propper. I was watching his club team, Brighton, last weekend. The commentator mentioned a good cross that Propper had just hit into the Arsenal penalty area. And as I sat there on my lazy Sunday morning, in the need of some entertainment that neither Arsenal or Brighton were providing, I thought, "Mr Commentator, just say it. I'm sure you want to: that was a Propper cross." I would have laughed and I'm sure his co-commentator would have too.

Half-time in South America. Chile are still winning and Argentina are still currently out of the World Cup.

Syria, please not

Day -253 WorldCup2018

In a few hours one of the most unexpected, and divisive, football matches in World Cup history will be played. The romantics, the searchers for a good old fashioned story of the team making it against all the odds will be hoping for an unlikely win for Syria in their playoff against Australia. This time I do not fall into that group. I am hoping that Syria get no closer to the World Cup. This is not a team that represents all of Syria, the people who's lives have been completely destroyed. This is a team that is used a as propaganda tool by the person who has destroyed so many innocent Syrian lives: President Bashar al-Assad.

The sad irony is that they are playing for a spot in Russia next year, a country that has contributed to the death, torture and disappearance of so many Syrian footballers.

From the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
-38 top-flight footballers killed in the civil war
-478 cases of athletes arrested by the Syrian government

From the Sydney Morning Herald (October 1st 2017):

"The list of dead footballers includes Ahmad Hesham Swedan, a 26-year-old with Syrian Premier League teams al-Karama and al-Wahda who was killed by shelling in Homs in 2012 and Jihad Qassab, a former captain of the national team who died inside Saidnaya military prison in Damascus in late 2016. Qassab, aged 41 when he died, led his club al-Karama to the 2006 Asian Champions League final. He was accused by authorities of making car bombs, an allegation he denied.
"At least 13 footballers are missing after being arrested, including Jamal al-Refaie, a player for Premier League club Jableh, who was detained near the Syria-Lebanon border in 2015 and has not been heard from since."

In 2015 the Syrian coach turned up at press conference wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Assad on it.
Staff with the team have compared football wins with the military victories by the Syrian army.
Ayman Kasheet , a former member of Syria's Olympic football team: "How can we consider that this team carries the same flag as the one on planes that killed children and civilians?"

Fifa has acknowledged that there are claims by several sides of violence in the country but has not taken any action against the team because "these alleged actions go far beyond the domain of sporting matters in a situation where the whole country is mired in civil war" Meaning, it's not really any of our business to interfere because we cannot take a side, or we cannot take a side against Vladimir Putin.

Tomorrow morning, at 10.30 am, Toronto time, I hope the Syrian dream of a first World Cup appearance is all but over. As unfathomable as it is for me to even come close to imagining, I hope that all those people who have absolutely nothing will one day be able to dream again.

A TFC mention

Day -254 WorldCup2018

Just before the craziness of the World Cup qualifiers start, I thought this would be a good time for a Toronto FC mention. At this time last year I was updating their progress towards the MLS Cup final constantly. In case you, the non-MLS followers, thought that the silence meant that this year was a let down after the near miss of last season, well, how about this? Last Saturday, TFC beat New York Red Bulls and, with two games to go, clinched the Supporters' Shield. It's a North American thing, bear with me. What they have won is top overall spot in the league. At the end of the regular season they will be the best team amongst the Eastern and Western Conferences.

In European speak they would be League Champions. But this is a North American League and it means nothing until the playoffs are complete. The real season starts now. What it does mean is that if TFC make it all the way to the end they will play the Final at home on December 9th. It could very well be redemption for last year's heartbreak. And another cold, cold football night.

I'll stick to the football

Day -255 WorldCup2018

Catalonia seems like such an embarrassing thing to get emotional about after what happened today in Las Vegas. I said yesterday I don't fully understand, can't understand, the desire for independence for many people in Catalonia. There's a good argument for it, but it's not my business to offer my fully unqualified opinion. But guns? Why? Why have them? Why make them so readily available? To defend yourself? If the other person didn't have a gun, would you really need one?

So I'll defer to what I really do have an opinion about and what is a good escape. This Thursday, October 5th, is a great day in football. It's the start of the penultimate round of qualifiers for Russia 2018. Between Thursday and next Tuesday almost all the spots will be filled.

Australia play Syria in what is undoubtedly a very historic affair. The winners of the two-legged playoff will play the fourth placed team in the CONCACAF region for a place in Russia. Syria are that close. This needs a post of it's own.

There's so much else happening on Thursday. Every match in South America feels like a cup final. Argentina, on the brink of elimination, play the late surging Peru, on the brink of qualifying for the first time since 1982. Uruguay play in Venezuela, looking for a win to keep them ahead of the madness that might unfold beneath them. Likewise, Colombian fans will be expecting a win against Paraguay to avoid last day nerves. Paraguay will be looking for the upset and a win to really complicate matters, possibly, for Argentina and Chile. Chile haev to beat Ecuador to stay in serious contention and prevent Ecuador joining in the last day fun. Oh what a day and night all across South America.

England will expects a win against Slovenia to secure qualification. Scotland will be battling for a win of their own over Slovakia and an English vctory to give the Scots sole possession of second place and a potential playoff spot.

Northern Ireland, already punching way, way above their weight are probably anything is now possible as they entertain Germany. A win for the Irish would get them within 2 points of the group leaders with one match left. A place in the playoffs is already an incredible achievement for Northern Ireland.

Poland can be pretty much home ane dry with a win in Armenia. The two joint second placed teams in that group, Montenegro and Denmark play each other. They are three points behind Poland and will hope for an Armenian upset.

And, on the same day as all this excitement, Malta host Lithuania in what will be coach Pietro Ghedin's penultimate match in charge. The nice guy, the gentleman, they say; the coach of a team that has fallen further behind Luxembourg, Cyprus and Andorra. But still of course, amongst the bonanza in Buenos Aires, the urgency of the Uruguayans, the excitement of the English (not!) and the madness in Montenegro, I will be looking out for the result from Malta. Once a fan, forever a fan.

Catalonia

Day -256 WorldCup2018

Catalonia in the World Cup 2022 qualifiers? Today was the day I was planning to start looking forward to the final week of Russia 2018 qualifiers (bar the playoffs in November). But I had to mark the incredible events in Catalonia. As one online commentator pointed out, in response to a video of Spanish police kicking, throwing and dragging people out of polling stations: it is unbelievable that this can happen in the 21st century in a democratic country.

I have no opinion about whether Catlonia should become independent or not, or whether there should even have been a referendum. I will not jump on any emotional bandwagon without having sufficient political knowledge of the situation, beyond what I have read in books and online. But no matter what the best option for Spain and Catalonia might be, I can easily distinguish the difference between right and wrong, a correct approach or reaction and inappropriate one. And today was definitely a most inexcusably terrible reaction to the right that the people of Catalonia felt they had to exercise.

With apologies, on a less serious note, I am waiting for the first person to say how good Barcelona are and they would surely be favourites to win the 2022 World Cup.