February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Portugal will be without influential midfielder Sergio Conceicao for Saturday’s crunch World Cup qualifier with Group 2 leaders Ireland in Dublin. But Portuguese coach Antonio Oliveira has included suspended Lazio defender Fernando Couto in his 22-man squad. Couto recently tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
"I feel very disappointed, as it [the Ireland match] was one of the most important games of my career, because victory would practically assure us a berth in the World Cup," Conceicao said at the weekend.
The Parma star broke two ribs playing in the first leg of the Italian Cup final against Fiorentina last week.
Portugal will be looking toward their other midfield star, Luis Figo, to provide the inspiration against the tough Irish.
Portugal (3-0-2, 11 points) are third in Group 2, three points behind the Republic, albeit with a game in hand. Anything short of a victory could see the Portuguese lose ground on both Ireland and the resurgent Dutch (11), who go into the weekend’s qualifiers holding second position on goal difference.
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From Dublin, Portugal return home to face Cyprus in Lisbon next Wednesday (June 6), while Ireland tackle Estonia in Tallinn.
Dutch comeback
Holland can continue their revival in Group 2 when they visit Estonia on Saturday. Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal has named his strongest possible side, including Barcelona defender Frank de Boer and Juventus’ midfield dynamo Edgar Davids, who like Portugal’s Couto, have both tested positive for nandrolone.
The Italian FA has since suspended Davids, while de Boer is still awaiting the results of his second sample.
Chelsea’s Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the top scorer in the English Premier League, and Manchester United’s latest acquisition, Ruud van Nistelrooy, are expected to lead the Dutch attack.
This will be Holland’s last qualifier before they visit Lansdowne Road in September.
Northern exposure
With nothing but pride at stake, Northern Ireland take on Group 3’s top two sides in the coming week. They host second place Bulgaria (3-1-1, 10) at Windsor Park in Belfast this Saturday before flying to Teplice for a road game with group leaders the Czech Republic (11).
Northern Ireland (1-1-3, 4) are second from the bottom in Group 3 and out of the running.
Other fixtures in the group are Iceland-Malta and Denmark-Czech Republic on Saturday; and Iceland-Bulgaria, Denmark-Malta next Wednesday.
Greek odyssey
England, riding a four-game winning streak under new Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson, hope to pick up three more points in Athens where they collide with Greece in a Group 9 tussle next Wednesday.
They travel to the Mediterranean buoyed by last Friday’s 4-0 demolition of Mexico in a friendly match.
Second in the Group with two wins, one draw and one loss, England are five points behind Germany, who play twice on the road in the coming week.
The three-time World Cup winners are away to Finland on Saturday and meet Albania in Tirana next Wednesday.
Before engaging England next week, Greece have a date with Albania in Crete.
Schedule
The rest of the week’s World Cup qualifiers in Europe are (Saturday matches first):
Group 1: Russia vs. Yugoslavia, Faroe Islands vs. Switzerland, and Slovenia vs. Luxemburg.
Group 4: Sweden vs. Slovakia, Macedonia vs. Moldova, Turkey vs. Azerbaijan.
Group 5: Wales vs. Poland, Ukraine vs. Norway, Armenia vs. Belarus.
Group 6: Belgium vs. Latvia, Croatia vs. San Marino.
Group 7: Liechtenstein vs. Isr’l, Spain vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Group 8: Romania vs. Hungary, Georgia vs. Italy.
Playing next Wednesday:
Group 1: Faroe Islands vs. Yugoslavia, Luxemburg vs. Russia, Switzerland vs. Slovenia.
Group 4: Azerbaijan vs. Slovakia, Sweden vs. Moldova, Turkey vs. Macedonia.
Group 5: Norway vs. Belarus, Ukraine vs. Wales, Armenia vs. Poland.
Group 6: Latvia vs. Croatia, San Marino vs. Belgium.
Group 7: Isr’l vs. Spain.
Group 8: Lithuania vs. Romania, Hungary vs. Georgia.