February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Ireland, 1-0 victors over China in a friendly in Dublin on the day, remain strongly in contention for next year’s finals despite slipping to fourth position.
With qualifiers ahead against Israel at Lansdowne Road on June 4 and away to the Faroe Islands on June 8, the Republic could conceivably return to the top of Group 4 — as sole leaders this time — going into the summer break.
Should Brian Kerr’s men hold off the French and win the group come October, they may have David Trezeguet, Les Bleus’ other celebrated striker, to thank.
After heading the visitors in front in the 50th minute, the Juventus star was foolishly ejected five minutes later for head butting defender Tal Ben Haim, who plays his club football for Bolton Wanderers.
Israel then went on the offensive and bettered their stoppage time equalizer against Ireland four days earlier with a leveler by Walid Badier in the 83rd minute before 44,000 fans.
French coach Raymond Domenech, who may be the problem as his talented side continues to struggle mightily, was predictably disappointed.
“After the sending off, we really suffered when they pushed forward,” he said. “It’s a pity because there wasn’t much between the two sides.”
The result left Les Bleus and Israel atop the group on the 10-point mark, but with France claiming first place on goal difference.
Switzerland, who needed an 88th-minute winner from Alexander Frei to subdue Cyprus 1-0 in Zurich, moved into third place ahead of Ireland on goal differential, one point behind the two leaders.
More significantly, though, Ireland and Switzerland have a game in hand to France and Israel, with home fixtures against both sides coming up.
Group 4 appears to be headed for a climactic finish, with the Irish and Swiss holding all the chips.
NORTH CRUMBLE
Northern Ireland’s World Cup dream ended in Warsaw, where a goal three minutes from time consigned them to a 1-0 defeat against Poland in Group 6.
Kept in the game until that point by Maik Taylor’s brilliant goalkeeping, the North (0-3-3, 3) fell 12 points behind the second place Poles and 13 behind leaders England who blanked Azerbaijan 2-0 in Newcastle.
Manager Lawrie Sanchez rang the changes after the 4-0 drubbing by England at Old Trafford four days earlier. He brought in defender Mark Williams of Rushden & Diamonds and Aston Villa’s Steven Davis to replace the suspended Damien Johnson in midfield while James Quinn of Sheffield Wednesday was introduced to partner David Healy in attack.
Quinn nearly put the North ahead in the 13th minute, unleashing a tremendous volley that Liverpool goalie Jerzy Dudek parried away.
Four minutes later, Quinn just failed to get a toe to a Healy free kick that drifted agonizingly wide of the post.
However, it was the drama on the other end that kept most of the 32,000 fans, including some 800 traveling Irish supporters, on their feet at the Legia Warsaw Stadium.
Taylor was in top form as he pulled off a succession of saves from the Polish strikers, including Maciej Zurawski.
He kept out two of Zurawski’s best efforts, a fierce free kick (5th) that was tipped over for a corner and a powerful header (26th), before the forward rose to bury a Miroslaw Szymkowiak cross in the 87th minute.
Northern Ireland don’t play again until September 3 when they host Azerbaijan in Belfast.
In Newcastle, last place Azerbaijan, who were leaking goals four days earlier in a 8-0 drubbing by Poland, held out for 51 minutes against England before Steven Gerrard volleyed in the opener.
Skipper David Beckham (62nd) added a second in what was a respectable loss for the visitors.
WALES QUASHED
Austria completed back-to-back wins over Wales, thanks to Danny Coyne’s late howler that allowed the home side to prevail 1-0 in their Group 6 tussle in Vienna.
The goalie let Rene Aufhauser’s 25-yard effort slip under his body and through his legs with the match seemingly headed for a draw.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for new coach John Toshack, whose debut in Cardiff the previous Saturday was marred by two Austrian strikes in the last eight minutes.
Wales, out of contention in the group along with Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan, remain second from the bottom with two points from six matches.
CZECH MATE
Marek Jankulovski (30th penalty), Milan Baros (39th), Vratislav Lokvenc (52nd) and Tomas Rosicky (90th pen.) steered the Czech Republic (5-1, 15) past Andorra 4-0 in a Group 1 fixture in Andorra la Vella.
Holland dispatched Armenia 2-0 in Eindhoven on goals by Romeo Castelen (3rd) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (34th) to stay one point clear of the Czechs.
Romania bounced back from the 2-0 home defeat to the Dutch the previous weekend to edge Macedonia 2-1 in Skopje on Nicolae Mitea’s brace (18th, 58th). Goran Maznov (31st) was Macedonia’s scorer.
RESULTS
Other midweek qualifying results were (home teams listed first): Group 2 — Ukraine 1 (Andriy Voronin 67th), Denmark 0; Georgia 2 (Alexander Amisulashvili 15th, Alexander Iashvili 41st), Turkey 5 (Tolga Seyhan 10th, Fatih Tekke 21st, 37th, Koray Avci 74th, Tuncay Sanli 90th); Greece 2 (Angelos Haristeas 34th, Giorgos Karagounis 85th), Albania 0.
Group 3 — Estonia 1 (Sergei Terehhov 62nd), Russia 1 (Andrei Arshavin 17th); Latvia 4 (Imants Bleidelis 34th, Juris Laizan 38th pen., Maris
Verpakovskis 72nd, 90th), Luxembourg 0; Slovakia 1 (Miroslav Karhan 8th pen.), Portugal 1 (Helder Postiga 62nd).
Group 5 — Moldova 0 Norway 0; Slovenia 1 (Aleksandar Rodic 44th), Belarus 1 (Alexander Kulchiy 48th).
Group 7 — Bosnia 1 (Elvir Bolic 21st), Lithuania 1 (Marius Stankevicius 60th); San Marino 1 (Andy Selva 4th), Belgium 2 (Timmy Simons 19th pen., Daniel Van Buyten 64th); Serbia & Montenegro 0 Spain 0.
Group 8 — Croatia 3 (Dado Prso 24th, 36th, Igor Tudor 80th), Malta 0; Hungary 1 (Peter Rajczi 90th), Bulgaria 1 (Stilian Petrov 52nd).
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