World Cup qualifying kicks off around the world today as the pressure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup grows and teams start securing their places in the 32-team field.
There are always surprises in qualifying, which makes the matches that much more exciting and unpredictable. Consider that Argentina sits in fourth place in CONMEBOL qualifying while Portugal and Sweden stand in danger of not even qualifying for the tournament. Then you have the positive surprises, such as Hungary and Chile, who are both enjoying strong qualifying campaigns.
What matches are the headliners today? Brazil-Paraguay and Finland-Russia are two of the better tilts, while U.S. national team fans will have a close eye on tonight's CONCACAF qualifiers.
Here is a closer look at today's World CUp qualifying action in Europe, South America and the CONCACAF region:
EUROPE
GROUP 1 (Sweden vs. Malta)
Call this the group of death. Denmark leads the way with 16 points, while surprising Hungary sits in second with 13 points. Portugal is in trouble, sitting four points out of second-place, while Sweden can pull even with the Portuguese with a win against the group's weakest team. So yes, Portugal and Sweden basically have to win all four of their remaining qualifiers to try and surpass Hungary for the second qualifying spot.
GROUP 4 (Finland vs. Russia)
Russia needs a win today to close within a point of group leader Germany, while Finland can leapfrog Russia into second place in the group with a win. Wales is just a point behind Finland, but has played two more matches.
GROUP 6 (Ukraine vs. Kazakhstan, England vs. Andorra)
England can't clinch the group with its expected win vs. Andorra, but can come pretty close. Ukraine can pull even with Croatia for second place in the group with a win.
GROUP 7 (Serbia vs. Faroe Islands)
The Serbs should crush the minnows today but France is still within striking distance, holding a game in hand while sitting five points back heading into today's action. The teams meet in Serbia on Sept. 9 in a match that could decide the group. Lithuania has faded after its strong start.
GROUP 9 (Macedonia vs. Iceland, Netherlands vs. Norway)
The Macedonia-Iceland winner keeps alive its hopes of catching Scotland for second. The Dutch have already won the group while Norway is already toast.
SOUTH AMERICA
Ecuador vs. Argentina, Chile vs. Bolivia, Colombia vs. Peru, Venezuela vs. Uruguay, Brazil vs. Paraguay.
The group leaders square off in Brazil, with Paraguay (24 pts) suddenly struggling and the Selecao (24 pts) starting to look strong. The race for the precious fifth-place spot (and potential World Cup play-in series vs. the fourth-place team in CONCACAF) is a tight one and Venezuela (17 pts) can move past Uruguay (16 pts) with a victory. Ecuador (17 pts) has a tougher test against a fourth-place Argentina (22 points) that will be looking to create some distance between fourth and fifth. Colombia (14 pts) has dropped to eighth place, but has a manageable stretch of games that could put them back in the mix, starting with tonight's match against last-place Peru.
CONCACAF
Honduras vs. El Salvador, Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago
While group leaders Costa Rica and the USA take the night off, two crucial match-ups take center stage. Honduras (4 pts) will be favored against an El Salvador (5 pts) team that has benefited from a favorable early schedule while Mexico (3 pts) is in must-win mode tonight, facing a last-place but dangerous Trinidad & Tobago (2 pts) team.
ASIA
South Korea, Australia and Japan have locked up three of the four automatic berths. North Korea (11 pts), Saudi Arabia (10pts) and Iran (7 pts) are battling for the remaining automatic berth. Saudi Arabia tied South Korea today (0-0) while Iran faces the United Arab Emirates.
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What World Cup qualifers will you be looking forward to watching today? What nation's have surprised you the most so far in qualifying? Which teams have been the biggest disappointments?
Share your thoughts below (and check back here for a TV schedule closer to noon).
Wow! just saw the Ecuador highights vs. Argentina on FSC. GOLAZO. concacaf definitely has too many spots, i’m sorry to say.
I love upsets and I love it when England drops the ball, but of course they’ll beat Andora!
But the prospect of one of the beautiful football playing nations – Portugal – not being in South Africa, unthinkable. I’ll be rooting on them to win their four remaining matches and leapfrog Hungry!
Rojas goal was one of SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays… deservedly so.
true, except T&T is not honduras and playing in chicago can’t compare to playing in altitude azteca.. Im sure deep inside every mexican there is a fear of whats ahead and this victory has not changed there views just yet
That was like deja vu from the USA game on Saturday – very nervous performance by the Mexicans against a team they should beat easily at home. A deserved 2-1 win (just like us), but TNT had enough chances that with some luck could have come away with a point.
Like us on Saturday, 3 points is 3 points, so the Mexicans have to be feeling OK about their team again.
Also, Honduras holds on for the 1-0 win.
Table halfway through qualifying:
Costa Rica: 12
USA: 10
Honduras: 7
Mexico: 6
El Salvador: 5
T&T: 2
I’m hoping Mexico and Argentina will face off for a spot in the World Cup. I’d say there’s a very good chance Mexico finishes 4th CONCACAF and a slight chance Argentina will finish 5th in South America.
Well, a win’s a win for Mexico, but jeez, their finishing was awful, they had a bajillion good chances. They never should have had to sweat this one out like that.
It’s all over and Mexico wins 2-1.
“El sueno intacto” for Mexico according to Andres Cantor.
Well it was not pretty because they need finishing school badly but they got the 3 pts… just too hard to fun in the altitude and smog there..
Anyone else watching on Telemundo? I love how crazy they get lol.
Mexico should have scored about 5 goals in the second half. Unbelievable.
They defense is really gassed… They need to hang on and hope for a late corner of free kick here..
That was probably T&T’s last best chance. Total scramble in the box, couldn’t get a good head or foot on it.
TNT look so gassed. They will be so lucky not to get scored on again.
5 minutes
How much time left?
Soooo sloooooow
Hahaha…Blanco is slow…
T&T has had some real chances here. Mexico has had plenty of chances, I can’t imagine the fans will have any nails left if Mexico can’t put another one in the net soon.
I think they blow the horns to move the air and keep the smog from settling in the Aztec
You said it Yinka – Wow,I just turned on the game and thought there was something wrong with the stream. That noise is insane.
Man, that humming noise from the horns makes it sound like there’s a gigantic swarm of bees hovering above the stadium.
That was one of the better strikes I have seen in open play in quite some time. That was “way down town…bang”
Did Mexico really score in the first minute of the game?
And they didn’t waste a lot of time taking the lead back.
This is like deja vu.