World Cup qualifying reaches dramatic conclusion

What a big night of World Cup football we have ahead of us. There are still many issues to be settled and many qualifying places for South Africa 2010 up for grabs. It is the last set of games and only a few are meaningless.

Europe

In Europe, Denmark, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy and Holland have already qualified and Russia, Bosnia, France, Republic of Ireland and Norway are guaranteed a spot in the play-offs.

Remarkably there are still twelve teams in with a chance of taking the two remaining automatic places and the three remaining play-off spots. Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Switzerland, Greece, Israel, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Ukraine and Croatia still have something to play for today.

South America

In South America, three teams, Brazil, Paraguay and Chile, have already qualified but the fourth automatic qualifying spot is up for grabs in one of the biggest games you can imagine. Argentina are currently one point ahead of the country across the River Plate, Uruguay. Guess where Argentina are travelling to today? Yep, Uruguay. Games don’t get bigger than that.

One of those two teams or Ecuador will finish in fifth place and be involved in a play-off with the team who finish fourth in the North, central America and Caribbean group. That will be either Costa Rica or Honduras as USA and Mexico have already qualified.

Africa

In Africa, the Ivory Coast and Ghana are already on the plane south whilst Cameroon, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt will battle it out for the other three places.

The Asian group qualifiers are Australia, Korea Republic, Korea DPR and Japan whilst Bahrain will take on Oceania winners New Zealand in a play off for the final place.

Mouth watering

So let’s have a look at the teams who are already there. Denmark, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy, Holland, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, USA, Mexico, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Australia, Korea Republic, Korea DPR and Japan. It is a mouth watering list but the names not yet there are equally exciting.

It is still possible that some of Portugal, Czech Republic, Argentina andUruguay won’t be there.

Winner takes all

For Uruguay and Argentina it is a ‘winner takes all game’ with Argentina winning out if it is a draw thanks to their last gasp winner against bottom club Peru on Saturday. Should Ecuador win in already qualified Chile tonight then the loser of the big one won’t even make it to the play-offs. That is surely unthinkable for Argentina.

Portugal have what appears to be a straight-forward task of beating Malta at home in order to claim a play-off spot, although so far under Carlos Queiroz, nothing has been straight-forward.

Foregone

The Czech Republic know that a win over Northern Ireland may not even be enough for them to reach the play-offs. If Slovenia win in San Marino, and that is surely almost a foregone conclusion, then the Czechs are out.

It really is an exciting situation around the world but most eyes will be on that fantastic game in Uruguay. If Argentina can win or draw then the problems of Diego Maradona will be forgotten and they will be installed as one of the bookies favourites for the tournament. If they lose, well, it doesn’t bear thinking about.