Fear and hope in World Cup playoffs

Teams will approach last hurdle before Brazil 2014 with contrasting emotions, while Ghana look for reassurance in Egypt.

 

The World Cup playoffs bring a potent mix of emotions along with them when they kick off this week.

For some teams, this is the realisation of all their dreams. Two matches away from reaching a World Cup is huge for the likes of Jordan, Iceland, and Portugal.

Ok, well spotted. Not Portugal. The Iberians are among those for whom the playoffs look more like a crisis than an opportunity.

Consistently good at major tournaments, and boasting one of the two best players in the world in Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal is one of those countries who should be looking to win the competition outright, not scrape into it or – the unthinkable – not qualify.

And that could happen, because the team they have to face is Sweden, with their own talisman and possibly the third-best player in the world, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

There are going to be some sleep-deprived players taking the field in their national colours this week.

Mexico against New Zealand and Jordan v Uruguay on Wednesday are followed on Friday by Portugal hosting the Swedes, France in Ukraine, Greece at home to Romania and Iceland against Croatia.

Saturday sees Nigeria play Ethiopia and Senegal take on Ivory Coast in the second leg of the African playoffs, followed by Cameroon against Tunisia. They are rounded up by Ghana's almost certain victory over Egypt next week, when Algeria also play Burkina Faso.
Mexico need a lift

First up, Mexico City, as New Zealand visit the Azteca Stadium where the World Cup was lifted by Argentina in 1986.

The confidence that came with Mexico's 2011 Gold Cup win over the United States and their young players' Olympic triumph last year has evaporated since, with a poor qualifying campaign that has seen them risk being only the fourth Mexican team not to qualify for the finals (the others were in 1934, 1974 and 1982).

"We keep telling (the players) what we're playing for, the determination we need, the will to bring back the ticket so Mexico can go to the World Cup," Miguel Herrera, Mexico's fourth coach of this qualifying campaign, said at the weekend.

Herrera is trying to salvage Mexico's qualifying campaign after taking over from Victor Manuel Vucetich this year [AFP]

"On Wednesday we'll be going all-out to get a good advantage. It's important not to concede a goal but also to get a lead."

New Zealand have taken Australia's old position as Oceania's regular playoff contender since the Socceroos' dominance led them to join the Asian ranks, and while they will still be underdogs they have good World Cup pedigree from last time out, finishing unbeaten albeit winless against Slovakia, Paraguay and then-champions Italy.

The flight from Auckland might take it out of them, but the All Whites could be feeling more buoyant than El Tricolor by kickoff.

In the Middle East, Jordan carry the flag for Gulf teams but have a very difficult task against two-time world champions Uruguay, who finished fourth at South Africa 2010.

The Jordanians were thrashed 6-0 by Japan and 4-0 by Australia in Asian qualifying but then came back to beat both those teams in the return, before reaching this stage with a penalty-shootout win over Uzbekistan.

Their challenge against the strike duo of Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani and Liverpool's Luis Suarez is made even harder by a string of injuries – but these two matches still represent a chance of reaching Brazil for the team ranked 70th in the world.

"Nothing is impossible in football, and we have the right to dream," Jordan midfielder Baha Suleiman told FIFA.com.

The playoff picture in Europe – and particularly the questions of whether it will be Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic going to Rio, and whether France can shake off recent troubles to gain ascendency over Ukraine – will be clearer by the time Africa comes around.

For Ghana, the big question is not over whether they will qualify.

A 6-1 win over Egypt in the first leg is unlikely to be reversed, but there remain fears over security after Al Ahly fans fought police in Cairo on the night of their African Champions League win over Orlando Pirates, at the Arab Contractors Stadium on Sunday.

Ghana are concerned over possible protests against Egypt's military leadership, who own the 30 June Stadium where the match will take place.

FIFA said on Monday they had received governmental guarantees over security at the game, which will be the first international in Cairo since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarek in 2011.

Aboutrika inspires Al Ahly to African crown

Egypt veteran scores in last home game before retiring to beat Orlando Pirates and give Cairo team eighth African title.

 Al Ahly's Mohamed Aboutrika underlined his status as the most successful player in African club competition over the last decade by scoring in a 2-0 final win over Orlando Pirates that clinched another African Champions League crown.

His 54th minute strike set up the Egyptians for their second-leg victory over the South Africans in Cairo, and a 3-1 aggregate triumph, to put a successful seal on a stellar career.

Ahmed Abdelzaher added a second goal 12 minutes from time to ensure Ahly lifted the trophy for a record-extending eighth time, after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Soweto last weekend, and qualified for next month's Club World Cup in Morocco.

Egyptian Aboutrika, playing his last home game before retiring at the end of the year, has featured in five of Al Ahly's Champions League-winning sides in the last eight years, consistently delivering talismanic performances.

He swept home a loose ball from close range after a shot from Ahmed Fathi was blocked by the Pirates defence but fell fortuitously into his path, underlining Aboutrika's uncanny ability to pop up in the right place at the right time.

The goal came at a crucial time for Ahly, who had spent most of the game on the back foot before breaking the spirit of the South Africans and allowing the Cairo club to assume command.

The Egyptian side's success came against a backdrop of political upheaval in the north African country, which has had a major impact on Ahly who have not played outside the Champions League since the domestic league was cancelled in June.

It was only a special concession by the country's military authorities that allowed the final to be played in Cairo, where all major football had been stopped since the overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi's government in July.

Some 30,000 spectators were allowed into the Arab Contractors Stadium, with clashes reported outside between police and ticketless supporters seeking entry.

It was a rare opportunity for Ahly to play in front of a home crowd but they were kept mostly quiet in the first half as Tlou Segolela missed two good chances to give Pirates the lead.

Pirates striker Lennox Bacela went round the keeper soon after Aboutrika's goal but somehow missed the target before the unmarked Abdelzaher swept the ball home for Ahly's second goal.

Aboutrika, who has also won three African Nations Cup titles with Egypt, was substituted to an emotional send off in stoppage time, swamped by the collective embrace of his bench, policemen and photographers as he left the field in triumph.

United back in the game

Robin van Persie scores winner in 1-0 victory over former club Arsenal to put Man Utd within five points of top in EPL.

 

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie's first-half header secured a 1-0 win over his old club Arsenal on Sunday that  thrust the champions back into the Premier League title race.

The Old Trafford defeat checked Arsenal's breakaway and left them with 25 points from 11 matches, two clear of Liverpool who thrashed Fulham 4-0 on Saturday, with United moving up to fifth place on 20.

Manchester City suffered a stunning 1-0 setback at struggling Sunderland, who had taken just four points from their 10 previous games, and dropped to eighth on 19 points.

Ambitious Tottenham Hotspur also hit an unexpected roadblock in losing 1-0 to Newcastle United at White Hart Lane, with visiting goalkeeper Tim Krul making a stunning 14 saves to keep a clean sheet.

Arsenal's Old Trafford trip was a litmus test for both sides, with the North Londoners arriving as the form team eager to end years of hurt at United and charge 11 points clear of  old rivals under new management.

Alex Ferguson may have been watching from the directors' box rather than from the bench but David Moyes' side ensured the outcome remained depressingly familiar for the Gunners, who have now won only one of their last 10 league games against
United.

"This was a big result for us today. Arsenal have been in terrific form this season," said Moyes after his biggest success so far at United.
Shaky

It was Arsenal's first away defeat since March after a run of 15 games unbeaten in all competitions while United showed they were picking up pace after a shaky start to the new era under Moyes.

Former Arsenal favourite Van Persie bagged his seventh league goal of the season when the Dutchman rose to deftly head home a Wayne Rooney corner at the far post in the 27th minute.

He celebrated the goal with abandon, sparing the visiting fans no agonies by racing away in delight and pumping the air with a clenched fist.

Arsenal failed to live up to expectations, creating few chances on a strangely muted evening for their record signing, Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, and could even have found themselves 2-0 behind after an hour when Rooney shot just wide.

The visitors were without their defensive rock Per Mertesacker, sidelined before the start with a stomach virus that also affected three other Arsenal players.

United had to replace Nemanja Vidic at halftime when the central defender suffered a head injury.

"He's gone to hospital," said Moyes. "It's a terrible clash, it's an accident but hopefully he'll be OK."

On a day of surprises elsewhere, Swansea City fought back from 2-0 down at home to Stoke to go 3-2 ahead but drew 3-3 after Charlie Adam's stoppage time penalty for the visitors.

Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony scored twice in the second half for Swansea.

Gus Poyet's struggling Sunderland pulled off an electrifying 1-0 win over big-spending Manchester City at the Stadium of Light to give their supporters hope of better times ahead.

Second from bottom, Sunderland chalked up a fourth successive 1-0 home win over City thanks to a 21st-minute goal slotted in by Phil Bardsley from the left side of the box.
Pacing

With Uruguayan manager Poyet pacing around on the touchline as Sunderland faced a late City barrage, the Black Cats held on for their first clean sheet in 15 matches and a stunning win over a side who hammered Norwich City 7-0 last weekend.

"They were outstanding," beamed Poyet, who had defender Wes Brown making his first Premier League start in nearly two years, after his third win in as many home games since replacing sacked Italian Paulo Di Canio.

"We tried to plan the game in three days and tried to convince them it was possible, especially to keep a clean sheet against a top, top team."

Krul was the hero at White Hart Lane in what he said was the game of his life.

"I'm delighted, I'm over the moon... this is a highlight of my career," grinned the Dutchman who was man of the match after making more saves than any Premier League goalkeeper in a match this season.

"These kind of games don't happen very often. Three points away at Tottenham is a fantastic result."

The focus was on both goalkeepers from the start, with Hugo Lloris left out of the Tottenham squad on medical advice after the French international had been knocked unconscious at Everton last week.

His 42-year-old replacement Brad Friedel had to make a couple of saves early on but was powerless to prevent the livewire Loic Remy firing Newcastle in front after 13 minutes.

The France striker picked up a beautifully-measured pass from Yoan Gouffran to dart around the American keeper and stab his seventh league goal of the season.