-Argentina
-Australia
-Brazil
-Costa Rica
-Iran
-Italy
-Japan
-Netherlands
-South Korea
-United States of America
10 out of 32 spots filled
And the nations still fighting for the remaining 22 spots:
-Albania
-Algeria
-Armenia
-Austria
-Belgium
-Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Bulgaria
-Burkina Faso
-Cameroon
-Chile
-Colombia
-Cote D'Ivoire
-Croatia
-Czech Republic
-Denmark
-Ecuador
-England
-Egypt
-Ethiopia
-France
-Ghana
-Germany
-Greece
-Honduras
-Hungary
-Iceland
-Ireland
-Israel
-Jamaica
-Jordan
-Mexico
-Montenegro
-New Zealand
-Nigeria
-Norway
-Panama
-Poland
-Portugal
-Romania
-Russia
-Senegal
-Slovenia
-Spain
-Sweden
-Switzerland
-Tunisia
-Turkey
-Ukraine
-Uruguay
-Venezuela
Yeah that's a lot. 50 nations by my count. It's interesting to see such a variety of teams still in this category. From teams you'd expect to be at the World Cup no matter what (England, Spain, etc.) to teams that you thought would be written off long ago (Jordan, Ethiopia, etc.). It's a wonderful process but also an emotional one. Everyone dreams of representing their nation at the world's biggest stage. And that stage will seem even bigger when it takes place at arguable the biggest soccer/football nation next summer: Brazil. The stakes are quite high so let's see what matches will determine a lot of these nations' fates.
CAF
The first legs of the final round of African qualifying starts this month. Five pairs of two competing in a home and away series where the winner goes to the World Cup and the loser is out of contention. Here are the matchups
October 12: Senegal at Ivory Coast, Algeria at Burkina Faso
October 13: Nigeria at Ethiopia, Cameroon at Tunisia
October 15: Egypt at Ghana
The matchup to watch is Ghana vs. Egypt. Under Bob Bradley Egypt looks like a stronger team than they did in the last World Cup cycle, and Ghana will hope to make another memorable run at what would be their 3rd World Cup in a row and total. It'll be heartbreaking for whoever doesn't make it.
Nigeria are favorites against Ethiopia but they need to take care of business because Ethiopia has already surprised a few opponents on their path to get to this stage. Senegal and Ivory Coast looking like a good matchup. Cote D'Ivoire sporting a greater amount of famous players but Senegal are tricky. Algeria and Burkina Faso is a matchup I think defies prediction. It depends on which team we see more, the 2010 Algerian squad that made England struggle, or the 2013 Burkina Faso team that upset a few opponents and finished as runners up. I'd say Cameroon are favorites against Tunisia but they haven't been themselves lately. They'll need their stars such as Samuel Eto'o to be in top form. Eto'o has recently been added to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea squad but hasn't scored for Cameroon in over 6 months, despite having an impressive total of 55 goals for his team, making him the all time top scorer for Les Lions Indomptables.
CONMEBOL
The last two matchdays for the South Americans are here and here's how they look like
October 11: Chile at Colombia, Uruguay at Ecuador, Paraguay at Venezuela, Peru at Argentina (bye Bolivia)
October 15: Colombia at Paraguay, Ecuador at Chile, Argentina at Uruguay, Bolivia at Peru (bye Venezuela)
Venezuela are near the end of their rope. They have to beat Paraguay and hope EITHER Ecuador or Uruguay lose their remaining two matches and have a worse goal difference than Venezuela and that's just to qualify for the playoff against Jordan.
Colombia and Chile's missions are almost accomplished. One more point for Los Cafeteros and three more for La Roja means they're going to Brazil. And with one of Colombia's remaining opponents being Paraguay, they'll definitely get at least 1 of the remaining 6 points up for grabs. Uruguay and Ecuador have a bit more pressure. Their face off in Quito could determine which one of them goes directly to Brazil and which one has to deal with Jordan first. In the reverse fixture in September 2011 (quite a while back), the match ended in a 1-1 draw in Montevideo after Edison Cavani's goal helped Uruguay recover from an early spot kick by Felipe Caicedo. Since then Uruguay had an impressive showing at the Confederations Cup and are coming off a 2-0 win over Colombia, so even though Ecuador are at home, this match will definitely not be easy. And after their encounter with each other, Ecuador has to face Chile and Uruguay will host Argentina, so a lot remains to be said and done.
After Argentina face already eliminated Peru, Argentina and Uruguay will play in an important game. Argentina don't need to win this game to qualify but these two bordering nations have a bit of a rivalry and neither wants to lose.
CONCACAF
Jurgen Klinsmann, whose team is already in the world cup, still wants the Stars and Stripes to have a competitive and hungry attitude in hopes of getting 6 more points to add to their collection as they sit on top of the Hexagonal. Costa Rica are also good to go for the World Cup but wouldn't mind gaining some more points either. Honduras is pretty close while it looks like Mexico and Panama will struggle for the 4th spot for the playoff against New Zealand. Here are the matches
October 11: Honduras vs. Costa Rica, United States vs. Jamaica, Mexico vs. Panama
October 15: Costa Rica vs. Mexico, Jamaica vs. Honduras, Panama vs. United States
Jamaica could still finish in 4th in this group but it'll require Jamaica to win both games and for Mexico AND Panama to collapse which I don't see happening. Sorry Reggae Boyz. USA faces Jamaica for the 4th time in this WCQ cycle along with an encounter for a 2013 Gold Cup rematch with Panama. USA are favorites to win both games but in the last two years, both Panama and Jamaica got a surprise 2-1 win over the USA. However since then USA has redeemed themselves but they want their days of redemption to be over and they want to look like a team that deserves their FIFA Ranking (13).
What was once a prestigious fortress has figuratively been egged and TP'd. Mexico has not won a game in the Estadio Azteca in the Hexagonal. And following a new "Aztecazo" when losing to Honduras and a new edition of "Dos a Cero" at Columbus against the USA, Mexico have one last shot to scrap that statistic. Victor Manuel Vucetich, long time Mexican league coach of 11 different clubs, will hope to salvage Mexico's Brazil 2014 hopes.
A Central American derby between Costa Rica and Honduras looms and if Honduras wins that match along with if Panama and Mexico draw, they automatically qualify for the World Cup. With Panama having to face CONCACAF's traditional power couple in their final two matches, it'll take a great group performance from their entire team to pull this one off, but it's not impossible.
UEFA
In Group A, it's all a matter of which order Belgium and Croatia stack up in after 10 matches. Croatia have no choice but to beat Belgium on Friday if they want direct qualification. And even if they did pull that off, Belgium still have to lose to Wales and Croatia has to beat Scotland. Croatia's a good team and all with players like Mario Mandzukic but I don't see them getting out of this jam and they'll likely be settling for a playoff.
In a tight race for 2nd place, Czech Republic and Bulgaria are fortunate to no longer have to deal with confirmed winner of Group A, Italy. Denmark and Armenia however will have that big blue 11-man hurdle to overcome in an effort to keep pace in this race. Bulgaria's matches away at Armenia and at home to Czech Republic can also determine what happens. Currently Bulgaria leads with 13 points, Denmark following with 12, and Czech Republic and Armenia each have 9.
Sweden beating Austria on Friday at Solna would mean game over for both Austria and Ireland. Ireland are way down but not out yet, but unless every result in the group goes their way, it looks bleak. Germany beating Ireland means Joachim Low sends his German side to another World Cup.
Hungary have 14 pts and Romania and Turkey have 13 each as they fight for 2nd place in Group D, a group Netherlands is already confirmed to win. However with Romania facing Andorra and Estonia in their last two matches while Hungary and Turkey still have to face Netherlands means the situation might favor the Romanians.
Switzerland wins Group E, a.k.a. the "crazy group" (not necessarily as epic as a Group of Death, which would be Group C or Group H, but still) if they beat Albania. Switzerland finish their campaign at home to Slovenia. Iceland need to beat both Cyprus at home and Norway away to lock their position in the top 2 of this group. If Iceland won their last two matches and Switzerland lost, Iceland would end up winning the group. Norway and Albania cannot qualify directly. Slovenia will have to survive tricky tests against Norway and Switzerland but even then they might be out of the running depending on how other results end up.
2 matches left. Here's how Group F's better half looks. Russia 18, Portugal 17, and Israel 12 points. The next match is Portugal vs. Israel. Israel have a big mountain to climb to keep their World Cup hopes alive. If somehow Portugal lose and Russia beat Luxembourg, Russia will have automatically qualified for the World Cup by Friday. But Russia just need to get 6 of 6 remaining points (their final match is vs. Azerbaijan) and they're good to go to Brazil.
Neither Bosnia nor Greece can afford to drop a single point. More pressure is on Greece because if Greece isn't ahead by points, they sure as hell won't be ahead by goal difference. I see Greece dealing with a playoff in their near future. I don't see Bosnia-Herzegovina screwing up again. But this is soccer/football. You never know.
In Group H, England have yet to prove themselves against serious competition. Beating San Marino and Moldova is great and all, but if you can't beat Montenegro, Poland, or Ukraine, how can England expect to beat a Netherlands or an Italy in the World Cup? England face Montenegro and then Poland, both at home. If England win and Ukraine lose on Friday, England win the group and qualify. It's still a tight race though and every point will matter to these four teams. And it's really a tough one to call.
Mathematically this group isn't all locked up but Spain has a match in hand. They host Belarus and Georgia, then they're done. France just has one match left: at home to Finland. Assuming Spain and France meet their expectations and beat those teams, Spain will win this group. Yeah, that would be a shocker.
Limbo
Right now Jordan and New Zealand are standing by for their Intercontinental Playoff matches in November. Jordan will have the 5th place South American team and New Zealand will have the 4th place North America team. And both Jordan and New Zealand will likely look like underdogs.
Let the fun begin!
I've talked about all the Qualifying action of October. I'll keep you guys updated from time to time as the matches go down. Post your comments about your thoughts involving these World Cup Qualifiers and support your team(s)!
-Ivan Ornelas, soccer fan and blogger
Updated October 11th, 2013 11:30 AM Pacific Standard Time
The first few matches in Europe have already wrapped up. Armenia beat Bulgaria 2-1 which puts Armenia level on points with Denmark. This slip up could let Denmark catch up or over taken them but they have to get some kind of a result against Italy. Lithuania beat Latvia 2-0. A big result for Belgium beating Croatia 2-1 away from home which means Belgium wins Group A and will be going to their first World Cup in just over a decade. Belgium is the third European team to confirm their place in next summer's tournament following Italy and Netherlands. Azerbaijan beat Northern Ireland 2-0, Moldova beat San Marino 3-0, and these are the matches going on right now
Faroe Islands 1-1 Kazakhstan 80th minute
Malta 0-2 Czech Republic 47th minute
Ukraine 0-0 Poland 35th minute
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Liechtenstein 34th minute
Denmark 0-0 Italy 21st minute
Albania 0-0 Switzerland 4th minute
Luxembourg 0-0 Russia 3rd minute
Netherlands 0-0 Hungary 4th minute
Estonia 0-0 Turkey 6th minute
Andorra 0-0 Romania 5th minute
Updated October 11th, 2013 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
There's only 1 match left to conclude for the day at the time of writing so let's see what happened.
It took nine matches but the Faroe Islands finally earned their first point in qualifying in a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan. I'm sure they will be happy with that result. Sometimes you have to take what you can get.
Czech Republic kept their chances alive with a 4-1 win over Malta. However it's over for Poland as Ukraine beat them 1-0, turning this 4-way rivalry into a 3-man race.
Not for long though. England's astonishing 4-1 victory over Montenegro kept England in 1st place and kept Montenegro at 15 pts. With Ukraine at 18 pts and a huge gap in goal difference, Ukraine would have to lose badly in their last match for Montenegro to have a chance. But guess who Ukraine play in their final match? SAN MARINO! So yeah saying Montenegro need a miracle at this point is an understatement. Goals from Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, and Andros Townsend, along with an own goal by Branko Boskovic gave England their 4 goals while Dejan Damjanovic denied Joe Hart a clean sheet.
With Bosnia-Herzegovina beating Liechtenstein 4-1 and Greece beating Slovakia 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Liverpool's Martin Skrtel, they remain even in points but the goal difference gap increases in favor of the Bosnians. Greece will likely have to settle for 2nd place in the group unless Lithuania causes Bosnia-Herzegovina to screw up in their final match.
Denmark's 2-2 draw against Italy ties them with Bulgaria in points but Denmark stays in third due to goal difference. Two goals from Nicklas Bendtner allowed Denmark to take a 2-1 lead after falling behind to a Pablo Osvaldo goal in the 28th minute. A stoppage time goal from Fiorentina's Alberto Aquilani tied it up in Copenhagen. While Bulgaria remain in front, Denmark have an easier opponent in their final match day in Malta, while Bulgaria's final test is against Czech Republic. Goals from Xherdan Shaqiri and Michael Lang provided Switzerland a 2-1 win over Albania which confirms that Switzerland qualified for the World Cup. The only other members of this group who still have a chance to qualify for the World Cup are Iceland and Slovenia, who each won their games today (Iceland beat Cyprus 2-0 while Slovenia beat Norway 3-0). Iceland is ahead by one point and their final match is away against Scandinavian rivals Norway. Switzerland host Slovenia that same day.
Russia eased past Luxembourg 4-0. Netherlands had an even easier time with a 8-1 victory against Hungary in the Amsterdam Arena. Lens, Van der Vaart, Robben, and Strootman all were on the scoresheet for the Dutch along with hat trick hero and Manchester United ace Robin Van Persie. Hungary received even more pressure as Turkey beat Estonia 2-0 and Romania beat Andorra 4-0. With Turkey hosting Netherlands next while Romania host Estonia, one can't help but think Romania will have the least laugh in this battle for 2nd place. But if they and Turkey lose and Hungary beat Andorra, Hungary could still finish in 2nd.
Simon Church helped an injury plagued Welsh side beat Macedonia 1-0 at Cardiff City Stadium, with Gareth Bale just one of the players that couldn't compete due to injury. The Group C picture looks crystal clear after Germany beating Ireland 3-0 (goals from Sami Khedira, Andre Schurrle, and Mesut Ozil) and Sweden recovering from a 21st minute Martin Harnik goal to win 2-1 thanks to Martin Olsson and Paris Saint Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Germany are confirmed to appear at the World Cup next summer while Sweden is confirmed to be in the playoffs next round. Austria and Ireland's World Cup dreams end here. Portugal had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against Israel. The good news is that Israel is now out of the qualification race so Portugal will at least finish in 2nd, but being 3 points behind Russia with 1 game left means they will likely be going to the playoff round. And wrapping up the UEFA action for today, Spain beat Belarus 2-1. Xavi and Alvaro Negredo scored for Spain while Sergei Kornilenko's goal for Belarus cost Victor Valdes a clean sheet. Both Spain and France are guaranteed playoff round spots as France can still mathematically win the group but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were them.
On to the Americas. Chile blew a huge half time lead. A penalty from Juventus's Arturo Vidal and a couple of goals from Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez put Chile up 3-0 by halftime. Everything changed in the 66th minute after Carlos Carmona picked up his 2nd yellow card of the match leaving Chile down with 10 men. Teofilo Gutierrez's goal and two penalties from Monaco's Falcao earned Colombia a crucial 3-3 draw. 10 yellow cards (6 of them toward Colombian players) were issued but it was all worth it for Colombia as they got the point they needed to ensure qualification to their first World Cup since 1998. Ecuador's big 1-0 win at home to Uruguay allowed them to catch up to Chile. Both Ecuador and Chile have 25 points with Ecuador having the superior goal difference. Venezuela's 1-1 tie against Paraguay wasn't good enough and their slim chances of making it to the World Cup faded away. Uruguay sits in 5th place with 22 points and it looks like they'll be heading for another intercontinental playoff. Despite falling behind early on due to a Claudio Pizzaro goal, goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi(2) and Rodrigo Palacio of Internazionale gave Argentina a 3-1 win.
In CONCACAF, Honduras bested their Central American rivals yet again with a 1-0 win at home thanks to a Jerry Bengtson goal in the 65th minute. This win ensures Honduras will at least finish in 4th place. And if neither Mexico or Panama win their match tonight, Honduras qualify for the World Cup. In the next update, I'll review the Mexico-Panama result and recap who's in, who's out, and who's still fighting for their spot in the World Cup in Brazil.
Updated 1:00 AM October 12, 2013 PST
40 minutes into this match, Oribe Peralta scored to give Mexico a valuable goal. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez had a great chance to get another goal for Mexico but his penalty was saved by LA Galaxy and Panamanian goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Luis Tejada came on for Panama in the 2nd half and tied it up 1-1. This result would've meant Honduras secured automatic qualification. Well, thanks to Raul Jimenez's bicycle kick made the ball hit the post and bounce in which sealed a 2-1 victory for Mexico, their first and only win at home at the Hexagonal. CONCACAF standings
1st USA 19 pts (won the Hexagonal)
2nd Costa Rica 15 pts
3rd Honduras 14 pts (close but not qualified just yet)
4th Mexico 11 pts
5th Panama 8 pts
6th Jamaica 4 pts (Jamaica are out of the qualification race)
Honduras will hope to obtain an important away win against Jamaica to erase any doubts of qualification at this point, not that there are many. In the small chance Honduras do end up in 4th, they face New Zealand in the intercontinental playoffs, which Honduras would probably be favorites in that situation. Panama have a tough test ahead of them. They host the USA and they need to get a win. Mexico need a draw away against Costa Rica to secure 4th place but if Mexico and Jamaica both win their final matches (keep in mind Jamaica have drawn 4 times and lost 5 times in the hexagonal), Mexico could possibly finish in 3rd. This El Tri looks a bit closer to the one we saw in South Africa, the one that won the Gold Cup in 2011, and the one that went 6 wins in 6 games in the 3rd round of qualifying. But there's still much work to be done.
So 4 more spots in Brazil have been filled. 3 more European and 1 more South American team are confirmed to be at the next World Cup. 1 more direct spot left in North America. 2 more direct spots left in South America. The 5 in Africa and now 8 in Europe. And then the 2 Inter Continental playoff winners. Here's updated lists of teams already qualified and still in the hunt. Bold in the first list means they just qualified on October 11, 2013. Bold in the second list means the nation is no longer able to qualify
Qualified teams
-Argentina
-Australia
-Belgium
-Brazil
-Colombia
-Costa Rica
-Germany
-Iran
-Italy
-Japan
-Netherlands
-South Korea
-Switzerland
-United States of America
14 out of 32 spots filled
Nations still fighting for the remaining 18 spots:
-Albania
-Algeria
-Armenia
-Austria
-Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Bulgaria
-Burkina Faso
-Cameroon
-Chile
-Cote D'Ivoire
-Croatia
-Czech Republic
-Denmark
-Ecuador
-England
-Egypt
-Ethiopia
-France
-Ghana
-Greece
-Honduras
-Hungary
-Iceland
-Ireland
-Israel
-Jamaica
-Jordan
-Mexico
-Montenegro
-New Zealand
-Nigeria
-Norway
-Panama
-Poland
-Portugal
-Romania
-Russia
-Senegal
-Slovenia
-Spain
-Sweden
-Tunisia
-Turkey
-Ukraine
-Uruguay
-Venezuela
Tomorrow will be a much slower day for the football world (definitely not a slow day for Pokemon world if you know what I mean) with only two matches being played: Ivory Coast vs. Senegal and Burkina Faso vs. Algeria. The first two of ten matches of the final round of African qualification. There will be one more update tomorrow concerning those two games. Until then, see you later. Post your thoughts on the comments below.
Update Sunday October 13th, 2013 12:40 AM
Cote D'Ivoire beat Senegal 3-1 and Burkina Faso beat Algeria 3-2. Interestingly both African Cup of Nations teams that made it at least to the quarter finals got their victories. So here are the scenarios heading into their 2nd leg.
-In order for Cote D'Ivoire to advance, any win or draw will do. They can afford to lose to Senegal only by a one goal margin.
-If Senegal wins by any two goal margin or a margin of three goals or greater, they advance.
-In order for Burkina Faso to advance, any win or draw will do.
-In order for Algeria to advance, they need to beat Burkina Faso. A win by 2 goals or more gives them the higher score and a win by a 1 goal margin that's either 2-1 or 1-0 will be enough. A 3-2 win forces extra time. a 4-3 win or greater means Burkina Faso advances by away goals.
The matches today are Ethiopia vs. Nigeria and Tunisia vs. Cameroon. I'll update this blog when both of those matches have concluded.
Update October 13th 10:30 PM
Nigeria scrapped a 2-1 win over the hosts Ethiopia while Cameroon played to a 0-0 draw in Tunisia. I'm not really shocked by either of these results. I knew Nigeria were a superior team to Ethiopia but I'm impressed Ethiopia kept it close. However they were at home. And I knew Cameroon and Tunisia would be one of the closer matchups in African qualification.
-In order for Ethiopia to advance, they must win by a 2-goal margin or by a 1 goal margin score of at least 3-2
-In order for Nigeria to advance, they must draw, win, or lose 1-0 (the last scenario would see Nigeria advance by away goals)
-In order for Cameroon to advance, they need a win or any draw 1-1 or greater.
-In order for Tunisia to advance, they need a win. A 0-0 draw would force extra time and any higher scoring draw would see Cameroon advance by away goals
So one more African 1st leg match to go and that will be on October 15th along with the conclusion of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL qualifying and the first round of UEFA qualifying
Updated October 15th, 12:15 AM PST
Ok so I'm going to list all the qualifiers and tell you my thoughts. The home side will be to the left of the "vs" and I won't say anything if the result of that match has no effect on qualification.
Ghana vs. Egypt
Arguably the most anticipated matchup in the final round of African qualification. A lot of football fans hoped they didn't have to meet each other so they could likely both make it to the World Cup, but now they stand in each other's way. Ghana has made it to the knockout stages of both World Cups they've appeared in and they're a legitimate force. Egypt has often between in the highest tier of the African soccer foodchain but after missing out on the World Cup in South Africa and a lot of political unrest, Egypt have made their way back to appearing like a strong team. This could really go either way but if I had to pick a team to have the edge, even just a slight edge, I'd say advantage Ghana.
Belgium vs. Wales
Scotland vs. Croatia
Serbia vs. Macedonia
Italy vs. Armenia
Armenia have improved a lot during this qualification but they're still definitely not on the same level as Italy. I think this is where their World Cup dreams are put to rest as the already qualified Azurri get a routine victory.
Denmark vs. Malta
If Denmark win and Bulgaria fail to win, they get 2nd place. Not sure if they have a good shot at making it to the playoffs though.
Bulgaria vs. Czech Republic
A key match to determine whose hopes of qualifying for the World Cup are still alive. However regardless of this result, both are unlikely to make the playoffs.
Sweden vs. Germany
Even though their positions are locked, this can be an exciting game. Who can forget when Sweden came back from 4-0 to finish the game 4-4 when these two sides faced off with the Scandinavians hosting?
Ireland vs. Kazakhstan
Faroe Islands vs. Austria
Hungary vs. Andorra
Hungary are expected to win against Andorra but their World Cup hopes will be shattered if at least one of Turkey or Romania win in the final match day.
Romania vs. Estonia
Romania appears to have Turkey and Hungary right where they want them. A Romanian win and a Dutch tie/victory sees them take 2nd place in the group.
Turkey vs. Netherlands
It's do our die for Turkey. Beating Netherlands is a big task but it's one they'll have to accomplish in order to make it to the World Cup. If Turkey do win, they advance unless Romania beats Estonia REALLY bad. If Turkey draws and Romania draws or loses, Turkey advance to the playoffs
Cyprus vs. Albania
Norway vs. Iceland
This Scandinavian derby will be an interesting matchup but an important one for Iceland, who need to win to ensure they finish in 2nd in this group.
Switzerland vs. Slovenia
Slovenia have a big task to accomplish if they are going to keep their World Cup 2014 dreams alive. Not only must they beat Switzerland but Iceland can't beat their Scandinavian foes, Norway. Switzerland have nothing to play for having already confirmed their #1 position in this group.
Israel vs. Northern Ireland
Azerbaijan vs. Russia
Fabio Capello and the Russian team have to love the position they're in. Knowing that a draw will be enough to send them to Brazil next summer, they will hope to have the best possible send off. That being a victory in Baku
Portugal vs. Luxembourg
Portugal will do what they can to get the victory against a team they should have no trouble beating, but they look like they'll be going to the playoffs since Russia just needs a draw against Azerbaijan.
Latvia vs. Slovakia
Lithuania vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
Lithuania appear to be an easy opponent but Bosnia-Herzegovina just need to handle these final 90 minutes of qualification. A win means they're going to Brazil regardless of the result the Greeks end up with in their final match.
Greece vs. Liechtenstein
Greece will most certainly win this matchup but unless Lithuania avoid defeat, Greece will likely have to take the playoff route to qualification
England vs. Poland
England can win the group with a victory over Poland in Wembley Stadium. Can they keep their composure and do what they have to do against an opponent fans expect to be beaten?
Montenegro vs. Moldova
Montenegro's hopes are slim but they must beat Moldova to have any chance of qualification.
San Marino vs. Ukraine
This couldn't have worked out any better for Ukraine. Victory in Stadio Olimpico means Ukraine are in the top 2 of the group. And if Poland wins against England and Ukraine wins, Ukraine wins the group.
France vs. Finland
France will likely end up in 2nd place despite the result of this match. Hopefully they're ready for another playoff adventure and they don't cause too much drama (Thierry Henry's handball against Ireland last qualification cycle, for example)
Spain vs. Georgia
Very little doubt that Spain will beat Georgia and such a victory would finally mathematically and officially confirm Spain as winners of Group I and competitors in the global showpieces next summer.
Paraguay vs. Colombia
Uruguay vs. Argentina
Uruguay's chances of automatic qualification are slim to none but these two rivals always make for a good game. Neither team will want to lose. Uruguay can't afford to lose. And Argentina don't want to let their rivals rub it in their faces.
Chile vs. Ecuador
A draw would see both these teams automatically qualify so we'll see if this turns out to be a good match or a cagey match.
Peru vs. Bolivia
Costa Rica vs. Mexico
Mexico made life hard on themselves during the Hexagonal but there's just enough time to redeem themselves. A draw against Costa Rica locks up 4th place but a win and a Honduran loss could be enough for Mexico to even finish in 3rd place.
Jamaica vs. Honduras
Jamaica are definitely not the hardest opponents so if Honduras plays the way they have played all Hexagonal, they should be able to come up with the decisive win that secures automatic qualification.
Panama vs. United States
The last time USA came to Panama, the Stars and Stripes won 1-0 thanks to Graham Zusi's first ever goal for the United States. But that was a friendly. Much more is on the line, at least for Panama. Anything less than victory over the USA means Panama will not qualify for the World Cup. It would be a heartbreak for the Central American team who were completely disregarded 2 years ago that became a force in the region after a good showing at the 2011 Gold Cup. USA have already won the hexagonal but with the competition for spots in Brazil beginning to heat up, every member of that team will be hungry for victory.
I'll update throughout the day when results have been confirmed. A lot is going on so be sure to keep checking back :)
Updated 3 pm 10/15/13 PST
The European matches and African match have concluded so let's see where things stand.
In the heaviest blow of this current round of African qualification so far, Egypt got demolished 6-1 by Ghana. It started with Asamoah Gyan's goal in the 5th minute and an own goal by Egypt's Wael Gomaa made it 2-0 to the Black Stars by the 22nd minute. Mohamed Aboutrika score Egypt's only goal on a 41st minute penalty, but then Majeed Waris, Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari(Penalty), and Christian Atsu scored the next 4 goals to give Ghana a big victory. Egypt need a 5-0 victory, or a victory of a 6 goal margin or higher to advance to the World Cup. It looks very likely that Ghana will advance though. With the performance they put on in this match, Ghana definitely deserve a spot.
In Group A, Serbia beat Macedonia 5-1, while Belgium tied Wales 1-1. Kevin De Bruyne gave Belgium the lead but a late goal from Aaron Ramsey made it a draw. This is only the 2nd of 10 matches that Belgium failed to win in this qualification cycle. Croatia still is going on to the playoffs but a lot more questions will be asked of them after losing to Scotland 2-0, with the goalscorers for the Scottish side being Robert Snodgrass and Steven Naismith. Final standings 1st Belgium 2nd Croatia 3rd Serbia 4th Scotland 5th Wales 6th Macedonia
An Italian side that was definitely not at full strength needed a Mario Balotelli 76th minute goal to salvage a 2-2 win against Armenia at home. I'm sure Italian fans will be disappointed about the result regardless of what players they used. But Italy already qualified so it didn't matter. Czech Republic beat Bulgaria 1-0 and Denmark beat Malta 6-0 but the only team in this group going to Brazil is Italy. No one else got enough points. Final standings 1st Italy 2nd Denmark 3rd Czech Republic 4th Bulgaria 5th Armenia 6th Malta. However this was an interesting group to watch. It was far from a predictable one.
Ireland and Austria ended a heartbreaking World Cup Qualification cycle on a high note with a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan for the Irish and a 3-0 victory over Faroe Islands for the Austrians. Sweden and Germany had another thrilling 8-goal encounter. Tobias Hysen 6th minute 1-0 Sweden, Alexander Kacaniklic 42nd minute 2-0 Sweden, Mesut Ozil 45th minute 2-1 Sweden, Mario Gotze 53rd minute 2-2, followed by another goal from Tobias Hysen and a hat trick from Chelsea's Andre Schurrle ended it 5-3 in favor of Joachim Low's side. Sweden should be proud that on two occasions they've been able to hang in there with a talented team like Germany. If Sweden make it to the World Cup, they could be a team to watch. Final standings 1st Germany 2nd Sweden 3rd Austria 4th Ireland 5th Kazakhstan 6th Faroe Islands
In Group D, Hungary expectedly handled Andorra with a 2-0 win and Turkey fought hard but just couldn't do enough against the Netherlands who beat them 2-0. Cipiran Marica, who plays for Spanish side Getafe, is the hero for the Romanians whose 2 goals in Romania's 2-0 victory over Estonia were what confirmed Romania's second place finish in the group. Final standings 1st Netherlands 2nd Romania 3rd Hungary 4th Turkey 5th Estonia 6th Andorra
In a tight match, Granit Xhaka's goal in the later stages of the game was the difference in Switzerland's 1-0 victory over Slovenia. Iceland had to settle for a draw against Norway in Oslo, but Iceland were able to hang on to finish in 2nd and make it to the playoffs. Cyprus vs. Albania ended 0-0. Final standings 1st Switzerland 2nd Iceland 3rd Slovenia 4th Norway 5th Albania 6th Cyprus
Russia looked sure to beat Azerbaijan until Vagif Javadov scored a 90th minute goal that ended the match 1-1. The draw gave Russia the point they needed to finish 1 point ahead of Portugal and book their place in Brazil 2014. Portugal beat Luxembourg 3-0 and Israel tied with Northern Ireland 1-1. Final Standings 1st Russia 2nd Portugal 3rd Israel 4th Azerbjaijan 5th Northern Ireland 6th Luxembourg.
Greece expectedly got their win in a 2-0 fashion over Liechtenstein while Latvia drew at home to Slovakia 2-2. Bosnia and Herzegovina had to work extra hard to get a crucial goal that game in the 68th minute from Vedad Ibisevic to beat Lithuania 1-0, which means Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify automatically while Greece go to the playoffs. Final standings 1st Bosnia and Herzegovina 2nd Greece 3rd Slovakia 4th Lithuania 5th Latvia 6th Liechtenstein
Ukraine got a big win against San Marino 8-0 while Montenegro ended their qualification campaign in humiliating fashion in a loss against Moldova 5-2. England, who've been in good more as of late, managed to defeat Poland 2-0 with goals from some of their more well known players, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. So England are off to another World Cup while Ukraine will head off to the playoffs. Final standings 1st England 2nd Ukraine 3rd Montenegro 4th Poland 5th Moldova 6th San Marino
France beat Finland 3-0 with goals from Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, and an own goal from Finland's Joona Toivio. Alvaro Negredo and Juan Mata gave Spain the 2-0 victory over Georgia needed to book their place in the World Cup. Final Standings 1st Spain 2nd France 3rd Finland 4th Georgia 5th Belarus
So along with Australia, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Costa Rica, United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, we have 9 of the 13 European countries participating in the next World Cup confirmed: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, England, and Spain. Also, the following countries will compete in the European playoffs for the 4 remaining UEFA spots: Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, and France. Greece, Ukraine, France, and Portugal all competed in the playoffs for the 2010 World Cup Qualification Cycle with all of them but Ukraine being successful (Ukraine lost to Greece 1-0). The Draw will be held on October 21st and the October rankings will be used to determine seeding. According to the September 2013 rankings, here's how the seeding currently looks
Top Seeds: Croatia(10), Portugal(11), Greece(12), Sweden(22)
Bottom Seeds: France(25), Ukraine(26), Romania(31), Iceland(54)
Each mathcup will consist of 1 top seed and 1 bottom seed. Alright so that will definitely be interesting when those teams meet in November. Now we await the matches from the Western Hemisphere.
Updated 5:40 PM PST
Alright so both North and South America wrapped up qualifying with these results
Uruguay 3-2 Argentina
Paraguay 1-2 Colombia
Chile 2-1 Ecuador
Peru 1-1 Bolivia
Jamaica 2-2 Honduras
Panama 2-3 United States
Costa Rica 2-1 Mexico
Argentina were missing a lot of key players but a loss against your rivals always sting, and Uruguay and the fans of La Celeste will be happy with their 3-2 win. However this didn't change the fact that Uruguay would have to settle for 5th place and a playoff against Jordan in November.
Chile ended their qualification campaign in a high note defeating Ecuador 2-1. However the result in combination with other results meant both of these teams automatically qualified for the World Cup.
Colombia already qualified, Paraguay already were done, but in a much tighter match that was anticipated, Colombia edged out a narrow win.
Peru and Bolivia ended what has been a long and ultimately disappointing campaign with a 1-1 draw in Lima.
1st Argentina (32 pts) 2nd Colombia (30 pts) 3rd Chile (28 pts) 4th Ecuador (25 pts) 5th Uruguay (25 pts) 6th Venezuela (20 pts) 7th Peru (15 pts) 8th Bolivia (12 pts) 9th Paraguay (12 pts)
So Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador are confirmed to be at Brazil 2014. Uruguay have to get past Jordan in order to join them. No World Cup for Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, or Paraguay.
In the Hexagonal finale, Jamaica and Honduras both fought hard in what turned into a 2-2 draw in Kingston. That result was good enough to lock Honduras in the 3rd and final automatic qualification spot for the region. Costa Rica rubbed more salt in the bounds for Mexico in a 2-1 victory, meaning Mexico have lost 3 of their last 4 World Cup Qualifying matches. Bryan Ruiz and Alvaro Saborio scored for Costa Rica while Oribe Peralta gave Mexico a bit of hope. But thanks to two late goals from Graham Zusi and Aron Johansson which contributed to USA's wild win over Panama in Panama City, Mexico were saved by their "Rivales Eternos" (Eternal Rivals). Panama are eliminated from World Cup Qualification after playing so well and getting so close. Likely one of the most heartbreaking exits in this entire WCQ cycle so far. It's been a roller coaster for Mexico but they hang on to face New Zealand in playoffs in November to potential nab a place at the World Cup next summer.
1st USA (22 pts) 2nd Costa Rica (18 pts) 3rd Honduras (15 pts) 4th Mexico (11 pts) 5th Panama (8 pts) 6th Jamaica (5 pts)
So here's an alphabetical list of every team that has qualified so far
Update Sunday October 13th, 2013 12:40 AM
Cote D'Ivoire beat Senegal 3-1 and Burkina Faso beat Algeria 3-2. Interestingly both African Cup of Nations teams that made it at least to the quarter finals got their victories. So here are the scenarios heading into their 2nd leg.
-In order for Cote D'Ivoire to advance, any win or draw will do. They can afford to lose to Senegal only by a one goal margin.
-If Senegal wins by any two goal margin or a margin of three goals or greater, they advance.
-In order for Burkina Faso to advance, any win or draw will do.
-In order for Algeria to advance, they need to beat Burkina Faso. A win by 2 goals or more gives them the higher score and a win by a 1 goal margin that's either 2-1 or 1-0 will be enough. A 3-2 win forces extra time. a 4-3 win or greater means Burkina Faso advances by away goals.
The matches today are Ethiopia vs. Nigeria and Tunisia vs. Cameroon. I'll update this blog when both of those matches have concluded.
Update October 13th 10:30 PM
Nigeria scrapped a 2-1 win over the hosts Ethiopia while Cameroon played to a 0-0 draw in Tunisia. I'm not really shocked by either of these results. I knew Nigeria were a superior team to Ethiopia but I'm impressed Ethiopia kept it close. However they were at home. And I knew Cameroon and Tunisia would be one of the closer matchups in African qualification.
-In order for Ethiopia to advance, they must win by a 2-goal margin or by a 1 goal margin score of at least 3-2
-In order for Nigeria to advance, they must draw, win, or lose 1-0 (the last scenario would see Nigeria advance by away goals)
-In order for Cameroon to advance, they need a win or any draw 1-1 or greater.
-In order for Tunisia to advance, they need a win. A 0-0 draw would force extra time and any higher scoring draw would see Cameroon advance by away goals
So one more African 1st leg match to go and that will be on October 15th along with the conclusion of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL qualifying and the first round of UEFA qualifying
Updated October 15th, 12:15 AM PST
Ok so I'm going to list all the qualifiers and tell you my thoughts. The home side will be to the left of the "vs" and I won't say anything if the result of that match has no effect on qualification.
Ghana vs. Egypt
Arguably the most anticipated matchup in the final round of African qualification. A lot of football fans hoped they didn't have to meet each other so they could likely both make it to the World Cup, but now they stand in each other's way. Ghana has made it to the knockout stages of both World Cups they've appeared in and they're a legitimate force. Egypt has often between in the highest tier of the African soccer foodchain but after missing out on the World Cup in South Africa and a lot of political unrest, Egypt have made their way back to appearing like a strong team. This could really go either way but if I had to pick a team to have the edge, even just a slight edge, I'd say advantage Ghana.
Belgium vs. Wales
Scotland vs. Croatia
Serbia vs. Macedonia
Italy vs. Armenia
Armenia have improved a lot during this qualification but they're still definitely not on the same level as Italy. I think this is where their World Cup dreams are put to rest as the already qualified Azurri get a routine victory.
Denmark vs. Malta
If Denmark win and Bulgaria fail to win, they get 2nd place. Not sure if they have a good shot at making it to the playoffs though.
Bulgaria vs. Czech Republic
A key match to determine whose hopes of qualifying for the World Cup are still alive. However regardless of this result, both are unlikely to make the playoffs.
Sweden vs. Germany
Even though their positions are locked, this can be an exciting game. Who can forget when Sweden came back from 4-0 to finish the game 4-4 when these two sides faced off with the Scandinavians hosting?
Ireland vs. Kazakhstan
Faroe Islands vs. Austria
Hungary vs. Andorra
Hungary are expected to win against Andorra but their World Cup hopes will be shattered if at least one of Turkey or Romania win in the final match day.
Romania vs. Estonia
Romania appears to have Turkey and Hungary right where they want them. A Romanian win and a Dutch tie/victory sees them take 2nd place in the group.
Turkey vs. Netherlands
It's do our die for Turkey. Beating Netherlands is a big task but it's one they'll have to accomplish in order to make it to the World Cup. If Turkey do win, they advance unless Romania beats Estonia REALLY bad. If Turkey draws and Romania draws or loses, Turkey advance to the playoffs
Cyprus vs. Albania
Norway vs. Iceland
This Scandinavian derby will be an interesting matchup but an important one for Iceland, who need to win to ensure they finish in 2nd in this group.
Switzerland vs. Slovenia
Slovenia have a big task to accomplish if they are going to keep their World Cup 2014 dreams alive. Not only must they beat Switzerland but Iceland can't beat their Scandinavian foes, Norway. Switzerland have nothing to play for having already confirmed their #1 position in this group.
Israel vs. Northern Ireland
Azerbaijan vs. Russia
Fabio Capello and the Russian team have to love the position they're in. Knowing that a draw will be enough to send them to Brazil next summer, they will hope to have the best possible send off. That being a victory in Baku
Portugal vs. Luxembourg
Portugal will do what they can to get the victory against a team they should have no trouble beating, but they look like they'll be going to the playoffs since Russia just needs a draw against Azerbaijan.
Latvia vs. Slovakia
Lithuania vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
Lithuania appear to be an easy opponent but Bosnia-Herzegovina just need to handle these final 90 minutes of qualification. A win means they're going to Brazil regardless of the result the Greeks end up with in their final match.
Greece vs. Liechtenstein
Greece will most certainly win this matchup but unless Lithuania avoid defeat, Greece will likely have to take the playoff route to qualification
England vs. Poland
England can win the group with a victory over Poland in Wembley Stadium. Can they keep their composure and do what they have to do against an opponent fans expect to be beaten?
Montenegro vs. Moldova
Montenegro's hopes are slim but they must beat Moldova to have any chance of qualification.
San Marino vs. Ukraine
This couldn't have worked out any better for Ukraine. Victory in Stadio Olimpico means Ukraine are in the top 2 of the group. And if Poland wins against England and Ukraine wins, Ukraine wins the group.
France vs. Finland
France will likely end up in 2nd place despite the result of this match. Hopefully they're ready for another playoff adventure and they don't cause too much drama (Thierry Henry's handball against Ireland last qualification cycle, for example)
Spain vs. Georgia
Very little doubt that Spain will beat Georgia and such a victory would finally mathematically and officially confirm Spain as winners of Group I and competitors in the global showpieces next summer.
Paraguay vs. Colombia
Uruguay vs. Argentina
Uruguay's chances of automatic qualification are slim to none but these two rivals always make for a good game. Neither team will want to lose. Uruguay can't afford to lose. And Argentina don't want to let their rivals rub it in their faces.
Chile vs. Ecuador
A draw would see both these teams automatically qualify so we'll see if this turns out to be a good match or a cagey match.
Peru vs. Bolivia
Costa Rica vs. Mexico
Mexico made life hard on themselves during the Hexagonal but there's just enough time to redeem themselves. A draw against Costa Rica locks up 4th place but a win and a Honduran loss could be enough for Mexico to even finish in 3rd place.
Jamaica vs. Honduras
Jamaica are definitely not the hardest opponents so if Honduras plays the way they have played all Hexagonal, they should be able to come up with the decisive win that secures automatic qualification.
Panama vs. United States
The last time USA came to Panama, the Stars and Stripes won 1-0 thanks to Graham Zusi's first ever goal for the United States. But that was a friendly. Much more is on the line, at least for Panama. Anything less than victory over the USA means Panama will not qualify for the World Cup. It would be a heartbreak for the Central American team who were completely disregarded 2 years ago that became a force in the region after a good showing at the 2011 Gold Cup. USA have already won the hexagonal but with the competition for spots in Brazil beginning to heat up, every member of that team will be hungry for victory.
I'll update throughout the day when results have been confirmed. A lot is going on so be sure to keep checking back :)
Updated 3 pm 10/15/13 PST
The European matches and African match have concluded so let's see where things stand.
In the heaviest blow of this current round of African qualification so far, Egypt got demolished 6-1 by Ghana. It started with Asamoah Gyan's goal in the 5th minute and an own goal by Egypt's Wael Gomaa made it 2-0 to the Black Stars by the 22nd minute. Mohamed Aboutrika score Egypt's only goal on a 41st minute penalty, but then Majeed Waris, Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari(Penalty), and Christian Atsu scored the next 4 goals to give Ghana a big victory. Egypt need a 5-0 victory, or a victory of a 6 goal margin or higher to advance to the World Cup. It looks very likely that Ghana will advance though. With the performance they put on in this match, Ghana definitely deserve a spot.
In Group A, Serbia beat Macedonia 5-1, while Belgium tied Wales 1-1. Kevin De Bruyne gave Belgium the lead but a late goal from Aaron Ramsey made it a draw. This is only the 2nd of 10 matches that Belgium failed to win in this qualification cycle. Croatia still is going on to the playoffs but a lot more questions will be asked of them after losing to Scotland 2-0, with the goalscorers for the Scottish side being Robert Snodgrass and Steven Naismith. Final standings 1st Belgium 2nd Croatia 3rd Serbia 4th Scotland 5th Wales 6th Macedonia
An Italian side that was definitely not at full strength needed a Mario Balotelli 76th minute goal to salvage a 2-2 win against Armenia at home. I'm sure Italian fans will be disappointed about the result regardless of what players they used. But Italy already qualified so it didn't matter. Czech Republic beat Bulgaria 1-0 and Denmark beat Malta 6-0 but the only team in this group going to Brazil is Italy. No one else got enough points. Final standings 1st Italy 2nd Denmark 3rd Czech Republic 4th Bulgaria 5th Armenia 6th Malta. However this was an interesting group to watch. It was far from a predictable one.
Ireland and Austria ended a heartbreaking World Cup Qualification cycle on a high note with a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan for the Irish and a 3-0 victory over Faroe Islands for the Austrians. Sweden and Germany had another thrilling 8-goal encounter. Tobias Hysen 6th minute 1-0 Sweden, Alexander Kacaniklic 42nd minute 2-0 Sweden, Mesut Ozil 45th minute 2-1 Sweden, Mario Gotze 53rd minute 2-2, followed by another goal from Tobias Hysen and a hat trick from Chelsea's Andre Schurrle ended it 5-3 in favor of Joachim Low's side. Sweden should be proud that on two occasions they've been able to hang in there with a talented team like Germany. If Sweden make it to the World Cup, they could be a team to watch. Final standings 1st Germany 2nd Sweden 3rd Austria 4th Ireland 5th Kazakhstan 6th Faroe Islands
In Group D, Hungary expectedly handled Andorra with a 2-0 win and Turkey fought hard but just couldn't do enough against the Netherlands who beat them 2-0. Cipiran Marica, who plays for Spanish side Getafe, is the hero for the Romanians whose 2 goals in Romania's 2-0 victory over Estonia were what confirmed Romania's second place finish in the group. Final standings 1st Netherlands 2nd Romania 3rd Hungary 4th Turkey 5th Estonia 6th Andorra
In a tight match, Granit Xhaka's goal in the later stages of the game was the difference in Switzerland's 1-0 victory over Slovenia. Iceland had to settle for a draw against Norway in Oslo, but Iceland were able to hang on to finish in 2nd and make it to the playoffs. Cyprus vs. Albania ended 0-0. Final standings 1st Switzerland 2nd Iceland 3rd Slovenia 4th Norway 5th Albania 6th Cyprus
Russia looked sure to beat Azerbaijan until Vagif Javadov scored a 90th minute goal that ended the match 1-1. The draw gave Russia the point they needed to finish 1 point ahead of Portugal and book their place in Brazil 2014. Portugal beat Luxembourg 3-0 and Israel tied with Northern Ireland 1-1. Final Standings 1st Russia 2nd Portugal 3rd Israel 4th Azerbjaijan 5th Northern Ireland 6th Luxembourg.
Greece expectedly got their win in a 2-0 fashion over Liechtenstein while Latvia drew at home to Slovakia 2-2. Bosnia and Herzegovina had to work extra hard to get a crucial goal that game in the 68th minute from Vedad Ibisevic to beat Lithuania 1-0, which means Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify automatically while Greece go to the playoffs. Final standings 1st Bosnia and Herzegovina 2nd Greece 3rd Slovakia 4th Lithuania 5th Latvia 6th Liechtenstein
Ukraine got a big win against San Marino 8-0 while Montenegro ended their qualification campaign in humiliating fashion in a loss against Moldova 5-2. England, who've been in good more as of late, managed to defeat Poland 2-0 with goals from some of their more well known players, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. So England are off to another World Cup while Ukraine will head off to the playoffs. Final standings 1st England 2nd Ukraine 3rd Montenegro 4th Poland 5th Moldova 6th San Marino
France beat Finland 3-0 with goals from Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, and an own goal from Finland's Joona Toivio. Alvaro Negredo and Juan Mata gave Spain the 2-0 victory over Georgia needed to book their place in the World Cup. Final Standings 1st Spain 2nd France 3rd Finland 4th Georgia 5th Belarus
So along with Australia, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Costa Rica, United States, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, we have 9 of the 13 European countries participating in the next World Cup confirmed: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, England, and Spain. Also, the following countries will compete in the European playoffs for the 4 remaining UEFA spots: Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, and France. Greece, Ukraine, France, and Portugal all competed in the playoffs for the 2010 World Cup Qualification Cycle with all of them but Ukraine being successful (Ukraine lost to Greece 1-0). The Draw will be held on October 21st and the October rankings will be used to determine seeding. According to the September 2013 rankings, here's how the seeding currently looks
Top Seeds: Croatia(10), Portugal(11), Greece(12), Sweden(22)
Bottom Seeds: France(25), Ukraine(26), Romania(31), Iceland(54)
Each mathcup will consist of 1 top seed and 1 bottom seed. Alright so that will definitely be interesting when those teams meet in November. Now we await the matches from the Western Hemisphere.
Updated 5:40 PM PST
Alright so both North and South America wrapped up qualifying with these results
Uruguay 3-2 Argentina
Paraguay 1-2 Colombia
Chile 2-1 Ecuador
Peru 1-1 Bolivia
Jamaica 2-2 Honduras
Panama 2-3 United States
Costa Rica 2-1 Mexico
Argentina were missing a lot of key players but a loss against your rivals always sting, and Uruguay and the fans of La Celeste will be happy with their 3-2 win. However this didn't change the fact that Uruguay would have to settle for 5th place and a playoff against Jordan in November.
Chile ended their qualification campaign in a high note defeating Ecuador 2-1. However the result in combination with other results meant both of these teams automatically qualified for the World Cup.
Colombia already qualified, Paraguay already were done, but in a much tighter match that was anticipated, Colombia edged out a narrow win.
Peru and Bolivia ended what has been a long and ultimately disappointing campaign with a 1-1 draw in Lima.
1st Argentina (32 pts) 2nd Colombia (30 pts) 3rd Chile (28 pts) 4th Ecuador (25 pts) 5th Uruguay (25 pts) 6th Venezuela (20 pts) 7th Peru (15 pts) 8th Bolivia (12 pts) 9th Paraguay (12 pts)
So Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador are confirmed to be at Brazil 2014. Uruguay have to get past Jordan in order to join them. No World Cup for Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, or Paraguay.
In the Hexagonal finale, Jamaica and Honduras both fought hard in what turned into a 2-2 draw in Kingston. That result was good enough to lock Honduras in the 3rd and final automatic qualification spot for the region. Costa Rica rubbed more salt in the bounds for Mexico in a 2-1 victory, meaning Mexico have lost 3 of their last 4 World Cup Qualifying matches. Bryan Ruiz and Alvaro Saborio scored for Costa Rica while Oribe Peralta gave Mexico a bit of hope. But thanks to two late goals from Graham Zusi and Aron Johansson which contributed to USA's wild win over Panama in Panama City, Mexico were saved by their "Rivales Eternos" (Eternal Rivals). Panama are eliminated from World Cup Qualification after playing so well and getting so close. Likely one of the most heartbreaking exits in this entire WCQ cycle so far. It's been a roller coaster for Mexico but they hang on to face New Zealand in playoffs in November to potential nab a place at the World Cup next summer.
1st USA (22 pts) 2nd Costa Rica (18 pts) 3rd Honduras (15 pts) 4th Mexico (11 pts) 5th Panama (8 pts) 6th Jamaica (5 pts)
So here's an alphabetical list of every team that has qualified so far
- Argentina (CONMEBOL)
- Australia (AFC)
- Belgium (UEFA)
- Bosnia-Herzegovina (UEFA)
- Brazil (CONMEBOL)
- Chile (CONMEBOL)
- Colombia (CONMEBOL)
- Costa Rica (CONCACAF)
- Ecuador (CONMEBOL)
- England (UEFA)
- Germany (UEFA)
- Honduras (CONCACAF)
- Iran (AFC)
- Italy (UEFA)
- Japan (AFC)
- Netherlands (UEFA)
- Russia (UEFA)
- South Korea (AFC)
- Spain (UEFA)
- Switzerland (UEFA)
- United States (CONCACAF)
22 spots for the World Cup remain and they'll go to 1 team out of each of these matchups. Each of these teams play two matches home and away to decide who goes to the World Cup
AFC: Egypt vs. Ghana (Ghana lead 6-1)
AFC: Ethiopia vs. Nigeria (Nigeria lead 2-1)
AFC: Algeria vs. Burkina Faso (Burkina Faso lead 3-2)
AFC: Cote D'Ivoire vs. Senegal (Cote D'Ivoire lead 3-1)
AFC: Cameroon vs. Tunisia (tied 0-0)
CONCACAF vs. OFC: Mexico vs. New Zealand
AFC vs. CONMEBOL: Jordan vs. Uruguay
The UEFA matchups are yet to be announced but these 8 teams will be in the draw
Croatia, France, Greece, Iceland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine
So far only one team has qualified for what would be their first world cup (Bosnia-Herzegovina). If Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Iceland, and/or Jordan qualify, it would be their first world cup as well.
Thank you for reading this and I'll see you guys once again in November where we know all 32 teams going to Brazil for the next World Cup.
-Ivan Ornelas
