February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Iranian coach Miroslav Blazevic took his side’s 2-0 World Cup playoff defeat in Dublin last Saturday like a man. He backed away from his earlier vow to hang himself if Ireland beat Iran and promised a different game in Thursday’s second leg.
“It will be a completely different game,” the wily Croat said of the return match at the 120,000-seat Azadi national stadium. “We will try everything and give it our best. We can still qualify.”
Blazevic, who guided Croatia to third place in the 1998 World Cup finals, took nothing away from the Republic, saying: “Ireland absolutely deserved to win. But our players showed how well they can play in the second half and that gives me hope.”
And Iran’s hopes may have been buoyed, if just a wee bit, by news that Irish skipper Roy Keane will likely miss Thursday’s decisive match because of his troublesome knee, which flared up again after Saturday’s game.
Said Irish boss Mick McCarthy last Sunday: “His knee has stiffened up overnight and it would be unfair to ask him to play two matches in five days.”
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Fears are that Keane, who’s 30 and has had a history of knee trouble, may have to undergo an operation for what is suspected to be a damaged kneecap.
But even with Keane missing, unless the Iranians can pull an early goal back in Tehran, they are unlikely to worry an Irish squad that is yet to taste defeat in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.
Turkish delight
Turkey go into their playoff second leg against Austria in Istanbul 90 minutes away from their first World Cup appearance in nearly 50 years after a 1-0 victory in Vienna last Saturday.
Okan Buruk (60th) clinched the winner for the Turks, who last reached the finals in 1954.
Romania pipped
Milan Osterc connected with twenty minutes left in Ljubljana to give Slovenia a 2-1 edge over Romania ahead of today’s return leg in Bucharest.
The visitors took the lead through Marius Nicul’ (26th) in front of 9,000 fans, but Milenko Acimovic (42nd) put Slovenia on par before Osterc iced it.
Advantage Germany
Germany returned home holding the advantage over Ukraine in today’s decisive second leg following a 1-1 tie in frigid Kiev last weekend.
Midfielder Michael Ballack poked in a close range effort in the 32nd minute to cancel out Gennady Zubov’s ice-breaker (19th) for Ukraine.
The result put Germany in the driver’s seat, leaving Ukraine with the monumental task of winning in Dortmund to qualify.
German coach Rudi Voller was pleased with the outcome and his team’s chances.
“We are still expecting to have a 90-minute game, but the present result is pretty good for us,” he said. “One of the most challenging tasks has been to inspire the players they are able to cope with the Ukrainian team. My players must enter (the stadium) with the same bellicose mood, as we have to exclude the possibility of a 0-0 end.”
Czechs checked
Belgium’s attempt to defend a 1-0 first leg, established by Gert Verheyen (30th) at the weekend, against the Czech Republic in Prague today.
The Czechs suffered a double blow in Brussels, losing West Ham United defender Thomas Repke on a red card for elbowing Bart Goor in the first half. He is suspended for today’s match.
“It is a good result, though I had the feeling there was more in it after Repka’s red card,” remarked Belgian coach Robert Waseige. “You talk about an excellent result when you win 3-0. But psychologically, 1-0 is already important.”
All square
England’s Swedish manager Sven Goran Eriksson probably had no qualms about the 1-1 tie between his adopted charges and his native country in a pre-World Cup friendly at Old Trafford on Saturday.
David Beckham shot England ahead from a dubious penalty in the 28th penalty but Hakan Mild (44th) tied it up for Sweden before the interval. Both sides rested several of their top players.
Danes draw
Holland, who can blame Ireland for missing out on Japan/Korea ’02, were denied a morale-boosting win over Denmark in Copenhagen by Martin Jorgensen’s 83rd minute penalty in a 1-1 draw.
Chelsea hitman Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink had also connected for the Dutch from the penalty spot (45th).
Another former Irish qualifying foe, Estonia, was in action last weekend, going down 4-2 away to Greece in another friendly.
Demis Nikolaidis (6th, 60th), Vasilas Tsartas (25th), and Nikos Machlas (40th) scored for Greece in a match that attracted only 1,200 fans.
Estonia replied through Igor Viikm’ (44th), Indrek Zelinski (80th pen).