Next Day's Games

Final

Germany 1-0 (ET) Argentina (Gotze 113')

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Pre-Tournament Update: May 31st

Plenty of games to pore over yesterday and in the upcoming week as team make their final preparations.

Yesterday's Results

Iran tied Angola 1-1 in Hartberg, Austria

I try to stress results in these games aren't critical, it's more about the direction your team is taking. Things are getting critical now for Iran, who have just 1 goal in pre-tournament games, picking up 3 draws against competition below what they'll be up against in Brazil. Further, captain Javad Nekounam went down in the game with an injury and did not continue. These games are about building momentum for a run in the tournament itself, Iran has to be on the brink of demoralization though at this point.

Switzerland defeated Jamaica 1-0 in Lucerne

A Swiss side missing half of its starters opened slowly against Jamaica, and despite close to 30 shots at goal, only found victory in the 84th minute when substitute Josip Drmic flicked the ball past the Jamaican goalkeeper in the box. The goal staked Drmic's claim to a starting spot for Brazil. While impressive in qualifying, the Swiss struggled at times to manufacture goals, and Drmic's was his 3rd in 2 games for Switzerland this year.

England defeated Peru 3-0 in London

England manager Roy Hodgson couldn't be bothered to rest players, sending out a 4-2-3-1 lineup that will look very much (if not exactly) like their opening lineup against Italy in 2 weeks. Looking to face a South American opponent with Uruguay and Costa Rica in their group, England found themselves up against 5 defenders and a holding midfielder and struggled early on to break down the Peruvian defence. A magnificent goal from Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring and a pair of second-half goals off corner kicks led England to victory. Biggest concern for England will be their back line, which was susceptible to lightning-quick runs when Peru did get forward.

Spain defeated Bolivia 2-0 in Sevilla

Also known as the quest for anyone to play striker for Spain. Expected to be the central forward for months, Diego Costa's struggle to return from injury continue as he sat out against Bolivia. With a number of options on the bench, it was Fernando Torres who was given the opportunity, and while converting a penalty kick, provided little in the way of other threatening chances.

Biggest surprise came after the game when coach Vicente del Bosque named his squad which included Diego Costa but did not include central forwards Alvaro Negredo or Fernando Llorente. Expected to be potential replacements for Costa, the move suggests Spain is proceeding in one of 2 ways. Either they feel Costa will fit or that Torres or David Villa can contribute, despite being considered past their best playing days. Or, Spain may decide to go with 6 midfielders as they have done in the past, and rely on their creative attacking midfielders to come up with goals without a centtral target man.

Uruguay defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 in Montevideo

In a game that saw Uruguay passing the ball around a tightly packed Northern Ireland defence, the only takeaway is Uruguay really needs Luis Suarez back from knee surgery in time for the tournament. The 2010 semifinalists are simply a different team with Suarez upfront. Playing as a lone striker, Edinson Cavani had opportunities to finish, but Suarez's flare and creativity make everyone on his team better, and that spark was missing in this game.

Bosnia/Herzegovina def. Ivory Coast 2-1 in St. Louis, MO, USA

The only match between 2 Cup teams on the day, Bosnia continued to roll and show why they are considered one of the dark horse teams to make a run in Brazil. Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko led Bosnia in goals through qualifying, and scored both the goals for the Balkan nation in this one. While Bosnia is known for their goal-scoring ability, they also showed they were able to keep up with the speedy Ivory Coast midfielders and forwards, one of the concerns about the team. For Ivory Coast, not much to take away from with several players being rested and up against an elite striker like Dzeko. Didier Drogba's injury time goal showed the 36-year old captain can still be a force in Brazil.

Chile defeated Egypt 3-2 in Santiago

Never a dull moment when Chile takes the field, as a pair of defensive lapses put them behind 2-0 in a matter of minutes. As the flow of the game opened up though, Chile showed they can score at will, and led by Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez's 3 assists, worked their way back to a victory, showcasing impressive resiliency in the process. Will be interested to see if Chile adjust their formation at all in group play. Sending out an attacking 3-4-3 as expected left them vulnerable on the iwings, something Spain and Netherlands will both be able to take advantage of.

Today's Games

May 31st

Viewing recommendations: Anything from 2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Ghana's showing against Netherlands will be the closest thing to a barometer for how they might handle their nightmare group. Italy open their pre-tournament games in England against a similar Irish squad. And Portugal gets a crack at the vaunted Greek defence, minus Cristiano Ronaldo who is recovering from injury. 

Croatia defeated Mali 2-1 in Osijek, Croatia
Russia tied Norway 1-1 in Oslo, Norway
Algeria defeated Armenia 3-1 in Sion, Switzerland
Netherlands defeated Ghana 1-0 in Rotterdam
Portugal tied Greece 0-0 in Lisbon
Italy tied Ireland 0-0 in London, England
Mexico defeats Ecuador 3-1 in Arlington, TX, USA
Colombia tied Senegal 2-2 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

June 1st

USA vs. Turkey at 2:00 p.m. in Harrison, NJ, USA
Germany vs. Cameroon at 2:30 p.m. in Monchengladbach
Belgium vs. Sweden at 2:30 p.m. in Solna, Sweden
France vs. Paraguay at 3:00 p.m. in Nice
Honduras vs. Israel at 8:00 p.m. in Houston, TX, USA

Friday, May 30, 2014

Pre-Tournament Game Update: May 30th

Probably the only post today as I compile data for the group previews. Those should start Monday, which is last day for squads to be cut to 23.

Yesterday's Results

Cameroon lost 2-1 to Paraguay in Kufstein, Austria

Like their first tune-up game, Cameroon rested several anticipated starters in Brazil on the way to a loss in this friendly. Not a squad representative of what will be seen in the tournament but a couple glaring issues stood out to me watching. Cameroon held Paraguay to just 30% possession and 6 shots, which is fortunate because the Cameroon back line was in shambles whenever Paraguay got around the penalty area. Too often the fullbacks were standing around watching the Paraguayan wingers blow past them on the outside, and when crosses came in to the box, no one seemed to have a clue where their man was, resulting in both Paraguay goals. Against Brazil in particular, they'll get shredded if that happens.

Offensively, Cameroon controlled the play in the midfield, but were out of control in the attacking third, firing shots wide, or carelessly turning the ball over. One scoring opportunity for Aboubakar resulted in a yellow card for diving. The dive looked necessary though, as he had turned a great run in to a lumbering truck towards goal with no idea how to finish the play off. Missing a pair of strikers in Eto'o and Webo but Cameroon looked like they had no idea how to create chances in the attacking third.

One thing Cameroon did very well was use their enormous size up front and in midfield to their advantage. It was clear on set pieces in particular that Paraguay had no answer for the height of the Cameroon team, one of the few advantages they'll have in their group.

Honduras lost 2-0 to Turkey in Washington, DC, USA

Missed chances punctuated this game for Honduras, who gave up a pair of late goals to give a final scoreline not indicative of their performance. Biggest concern may be fatigue for Honduras who clearly struggled to maintain the pace of the first half through the second half. Possibly a result of training camp and not a reason for concern, but fatigue in a night game in Washington isn't the best omen for a team that has to travel to what can be a stifling Brazilian heat in a couple weeks.

Today's Games

Iran vs. Angola at 2:00 p.m. in Hartberg, Austria
Switzerland vs. Jamaica at 2:30 p.m. in Lucerne
England vs. Peru at 3:00 p.m. in London
Spain vs. Bolivia at 4:00 p.m. in Sevilla
Uruguay vs. Northern Ireland at 7:30 p.m. in Montevideo
Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Ivory Coast at 8:30 p.m. in St. Louis, MO, USA
Chile vs. Egypt at 8:30 p.m. in Santiago

May 31st

Croatia vs. Mali at 10:00 a.m. in Osijek, Croatia
Algeria vs. Armenia at 12:00 p.m. in Sion, Switzerland
Russia vs. Norway at 1:30 p.m. in Oslo, Norway
Netherlands vs. Ghana at 2:30 p.m. in Rotterdam
Portugal vs. Greece at 2:30 p.m. in Lisbon
Italy vs. Ireland at 2:45 p.m. in London, England
Mexico vs. Ecuador at 4:00 p.m. in San Francisco, CA, USA
Colombia vs. Senegal at 5:00 p.m. in Buenos Aires, Argentina

June 1st

USA vs. Turkey at 2:00 p.m. in Harrison, NJ, USA
Germany vs. Cameroon at 2:30 p.m. in Monchengladbach
Belgium vs. Sweden at 2:30 p.m. in Solna, Sweden
France vs. Paraguay at 3:00 p.m. in Nice
Honduras vs. Israel at 8:00 p.m. in Houston, TX, USA

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Qualifying Recap: SOUTH AMERICA

RUNDOWN

Teams Entered in Qualfiying: 9 (Brazil qualified automatically as host)
Spots Allocated by FIFA: 4.5 + Host
Number of Rounds:1 + Intercontinental Playoff
Number of Matches Played: 74
Goals Scored: 206
Top Goal-Scorer: 11 Goals; Luis Suarez (URU)

South American Countries Previously in Cup Finals: 9
Most Appearances: Brazil (20; Only team to appear in every World Cup)
Best Finish: 9 World Titles amongst 3 nations: Brazil (5; 1958, '62, '70, '94 and '02), Argentina (2; 1978 and '86), Uruguay (2; 1930 and '50)

INTRODUCTION

The most straight-forward of all continents, the 9 teams entered in qualifying were placed in a single 9-team group. The group played a double round-robin, with the top 4 teams qualifying directly for the World Cup. The 5th-placed team advanced to an intercontinental playoff against the 5th-placed team in Asian qualifying.


ROUND 1 (October 2011-October 2013)


The format of South American qualifying makes my typical format completely impractical, unless people want me to summarize 72 games at once. The final standings are at the bottom of this section. I've broken this breakdown up though to make things easier to understand and to maintain my sanity. Intermediate standings have been made along the way.

October-November 2011 (16 of 72 games played)


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Uruguay
2
0
1
9
3
6
7
Argentina
2
1
1
7
4
3
7
Venezuela
2
1
1
3
3
0
7
Ecuador
2
1
0
5
2
3
6
Chile
2
2
0
7
10
-3
6
Colombia
1
1
1
4
4
0
4
Paraguay
1
2
1
3
6
-3
4
Peru
1
2
0
4
6
-2
3
Bolivia
0
3
1
4
8
-4
1

After 4 of 18 match days, the favourites on the continent found themselves tied on points at the top, joined by Venezuela, the lone team in South America to never qualify for a World Cup. Venezuela managed to find themselves in this position through a bizarre but ultimately successful squad selection process. Opening qualifying on the road in Ecuador, with a home tilt against Argentina looming days later, Venezuela essentially called up 2 squads of players. The first group played in Ecuador, but a second squad stayed at home preparing for Argentina, and were joined after by a core of players from the Ecuador game. The result was a fresh Venezuela squad, who rode a second-half goal by Fernando Amorebieta to a victory over the 2-time World champions.

While early in the competition, Bolivia's 1 point in 4 games showed very early that they were unlikely to be a factor in the group. The other big surprise was Paraguay with just 4 points in 4 games. Fresh off a quarterfinal berth in 2010 where they lost to a late David Villa goal for Spain, Paraguay was expected to challenge for the group lead, but found themselves trailing and having played more games then some of those they were chasing.

One other trend that was exhibited earlier and always factors in to CONMEBOL qualifying was road wins. Winning away from home is harder in South America then anywhere else in the world. Only 2 of the 16 games saw a victor away from home.

Results: Match Days 1-4

Uruguay 4-2 Bolivia
Ecuador 2-0 Venezuela
Argentina 4-1 Chile
Peru 2-0 Paraguay
Bolivia 1-2 Colombia
Chile 4-2 Peru
Paraguay 1-1 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-0 Argentina
Argentina 1-1 Bolivia
Uruguay 4-0 Chile
Colombia 1-1 Venezuela
Paraguay 2-1 Ecuador
Colombia 1-2 Argentina
Ecuador 2-0 Peru
Chile 2-0 Paraguay
Venezuela 1-0 Bolivia

June-September 2012 (32 of 72 games)

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Argentina
4
1
2
15
6
9
14
Colombia
4
2
1
12
6
6
13
Ecuador
4
2
1
8
7
1
13
Uruguay
3
1
3
15
11
4
12
Chile
4
3
0
12
13
-1
12
Venezuela
3
3
2
7
8
-1
11
Peru
2
4
1
9
13
-4
7
Bolivia
1
5
1
7
12
-5
4
           Paraguay
1
5
1
5
14
-9
4

Nearly halfway through qualifying, still bunched at the top but a clear separation between the top 6 and the bottom 3 teams. Unsurprising in the case of Peru and Bolivia but Paraguay still the huge surprise. Playing 3 games in this section, Paraguay lost every game by more than 1 goal, dropping them to last place in the group. A pair of losses harmed Venezuela's efforts in this section, but they remained in touch with the front-runners of the group, but with an extra game having been played at this point.

Colombia and Ecuador were the big climbers, leaping from 6th and 4th previously to 2nd and 3rd, with both teams picking up a pair of wins in these games, both of Colombia's victories coming on the road. These gains were mostly at Uruguay's expense, grabbing just 5 of 12 points in 4 games. Chile continued with their reputation of being one of the most exciting teams in the region. In 7 games, each of their games had at least 2 goals, four of them featuring at least 4 goals.

Results: Match Days 5-8

Uruguay 1-1 Venezuela
Bolivia 0-2 Chile
Argentina 4-0 Ecuador
Peru 0-1 Colombia
Bolivia 3-1 Paraguay
Venezuela 0-2 Chile
Uruguay 4-2 Peru
Ecuador 1-0 Colombia
Colombia 4-0 Uruguay
Ecuador 1-0 Bolivia
Argentina 3-1 Paraguay
Peru 2-1 Venezuela
Chile 1-3 Colombia
Uruguay 1-1 Ecuador
Paraguay 0-2 Venezuela
Peru 1-1 Argentina

October 2012-March 2013 (48 of 72 games)

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Argentina
7
1
3
24
8
16
24
Ecuador
6
2
2
16
10
6
20
Colombia
6
3
1
19
7
12
19
Chile
5
6
0
16
19
-3
15
Venezuela
4
4
3
9
12
-3
15
Uruguay
3
4
4
17
21
-4
13
Peru
3
5
2
11
15
-4
11
Bolivia
2
6
3
13
20
-7
9
Paraguay
2
7
2
8
21
-13
8

The third section of games saw the beginning of 3 teams pulling away at the top, and a 3 team pileup for only 1 qualifying spot and 1 playoff spot. Peru was still in contention for the optimists but their recent qualifying history said odds were not on their side to make it through.

Different subplots followed each of the teams in the middle pack. Chile, in the fashion that has become typical for them would play an extremely aggressive style, trying to outscore their opponents regardless of what chances they might give up. Not a bad tactic in wide-open South American style of play, but the one harming their results in the long run. Venezuela was holding serve so to speak, winning or drawing their games against even or weaker competition and staying in the pack.

Uruguay on the other had was in freefall. This session for them meant 3 road losses, with their only points coming at home in a draw with Paraguay. The end of this session meant a 6-game winless streak for Uruguay. More concerning was that they had only scored 3 goals in that 6-game span. For a team that boasts attacking options like Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, this was unheard of.

Results: Match Days 9-12

Bolivia 1-1 Peru
Colombia 2-0 Paraguay
Ecuador 3-1 Chile
Argentina 3-0 Uruguay
Bolivia 4-1 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-1 Ecuador
Paraguay 1-0 Peru
Chile 1-2 Argentina
Colombia 5-0 Bolivia
Uruguay 1-1 Paraguay
Argentina 3-0 Venezuela
Peru 1-0 Chile
Bolivia 1-1 Argentina
Ecuador 4-1 Paraguay
Chile 2-0 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-0 Colombia

June 2013-September 2013 (64 of 72 games)

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Argentina
8
1
5
30
11
19
29
Colombia
8
4
2
22
9
13
26
Chile
8
6
0
24
21
3
24
Ecuador
6
4
4
18
14
4
22
Uruguay
6
4
4
22
22
0
22
Venezuela
5
6
4
13
19
-6
19
Peru
4
8
2
15
22
-7
14
Bolivia
2
8
5
16
29
-13
11
Paraguay
3
9
2
15
28
-13
11

With 16 of 18 match days, the group picture became clear. Too far behind Uruguay to catch the playoff spot, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay found themselves eliminated from qualifying. 7 points clear of Uruguay, Argentina became the first team to qualify from the round, joining host and rival Brazil in the World Cup. A far cry from the struggles they experienced in 2010, led by Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina established themselves as a favourite for obtaining their 3rd world title in Brazil. Not far ahead of 5th place were Colombia and a resurgent Chile who had won 3 of 4 games this session. They had a bit of room to breathe though as Ecuador and Uruguay still had a head-to-head matchup remaining.

For Ecuador, it was not the finish to qualifying they were looking for. A pair of road losses coupled with 2 draws, left them scrambling to secure the final automatic qualification spot that looked to be a lock earlier in qualifying. Having won all 3 games played in this period, Uruguay had turned its campaign around and could now threaten both Ecuador and Chile on their road to avoid going to a playoff. Also to consider was Venezuela, who was still in striking distance of the playoff spot, albeit with 1 game left and 3 points behind, they would need help to get there.

Results: Match Days 13-16

Bolivia 1-1 Venezuela
Argentina 0-0 Colombia
Paraguay 1-2 Chile
Peru 1-0 Ecuador
Colombia 2-0 Peru
Ecuador 1-1 Argentina
Venezuela 0-1 Uruguay
Chile 3-1 Bolivia
Colombia 1-0 Ecuador
Paraguay 4-0 Bolivia
Chile 3-0 Venezuela
Peru 1-2 Uruguay
Bolivia 1-1 Ecuador
Uruguay 2-0 Colombia
Venezuela 3-2 Peru
Paraguay 2-5 Argentina

Final Standings

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Argentina
9
2
5
35
15
20
32
Colombia
9
4
3
27
13
14
30
Chile
9
6
1
29
25
4
28
Ecuador
7
5
4
20
16
4
25
Uruguay
7
5
4
25
25
0
25
Venezuela
5
6
5
14
20
-6
20
Peru
4
9
3
17
26
-9
15
Bolivia
2
8
6
17
30
-13
12
Paraguay
3
11
2
17
31
-14
12
 
Day 17 of competition put 3 games under the microscope with huge implications on the standings. The only team not sitting in a qualification/advancement position was Venezuela, who needed to win at home against Paraguay to have any chance at qualifying for the first time. Venezuela's surprising run ran out though. Paraguay, forced in to a spoiler role scored midway through the first half and despite giving up a late goal, held on to force a draw and eliminated Venezuela.

Chile's all-out attack paid dividends early against Colombia, as they raced out to a 3-0 lead at halftime. But Colombia kept working at the Chile defence, eventually causing it to crumble, scoring 3 goals themselves in the second half, including a pair of penalty kicks from Radamel Falcao. The 3-3 draw clinched qualification for Colombia, while Chile would be left to see what happened elsewhere. Ecuador/Uruguay was the feature game though, with the winner putting themselves in position to qualify directly. Playing at home in Quito, it was Ecuador who were able to withstand the dangerous Uruguayan front line and pull a 1-0 lead to take a 3-point lead on Uruguay, still in the playoff spot.

The final day, was ultimately uneventful. Uruguay fended off 2 comebacks from Argentina to pull out a 3-2 home victory and draw even on points with Chile and Ecuador. With a +0 goal differential though, Uruguay would need a blowout in their game to avoid the playoffs. A 2-0 halftime lead for Chile still had Uruguay 3 goals behind Ecuador and a Felipe Caicedo goal in the 66th minute ensured qualification for Ecuador, despite the 2-1 loss.

ASIA-SOUTH AMERICA PLAYOFF (November 2013)

5th-place finisher Uruguay advanced to the intercontinental playoff against Jordan, who finished 5th in Asian qualifying. The two teams played a 2-leg aggregate playoff, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.

Jordan 0-5 Uruguay (0-5, 0-0)

Forced in to a playoff, Uruguay found themselves in a similar spot as Mexico, matched with a vastly overmatched opponent to get through to the World Cup. The first leg was all Uruguay, as 5 different players found the back of the net in Jordan to give the South Americans an insurmountable lead. The return leg was academic, Uruguay not willing to surrender any comeback opportunities, and qualifying comfortably in the playoff after a roller-coaster group stage for the 2010 semifinalist.

Qualifiers


Argentina: 16th Finals Appearance (11th consecutive). Champions in 1978 and '86. Runners-up in 1930 and '90. 4 other quarterfinal appearances, including '06 and '10. World Ranking: 7th
Brazil: 20th Finals Appearance (20th consecutive). Champions in '58, '62, '70, '94 and '02. Runners-up in '50 and '98. 3 other semifinal appearances. World Ranking: 4th
Chile: 9th Finals Appearance (2nd consecutive). Third place finish in 1962. Round of 16 in '98 and '10. World Ranking: 13th
Colombia: 5th Finals Appearance (Last appearance in 1998). Round of 16 in 1990 the only time advanced from Group Stage. World Ranking: 5th
Ecuador: 3rd Finals Appearance (Last appearance in 2006). Round of 16 in 2006 and Group Stage in 2002. World Ranking: 28th
Uruguay: 12th Finals Appearance (2nd consecutive). Champions in 1930 and '50. 3 other semifinal appearances, last in 2010. World Ranking: 6th

Qualifying Recap: NORTH AMERICA

RUNDOWN

Teams Entered in Qualfiying: 35
Spots Allocated by FIFA: 3.5
Number of Rounds: 4 + Intercontinental Playoff
Number of Matches Played: 144*
Goals Scored: 441
Top Goal-Scorer: 11 Goals; Deon McCaulay (BLZ)

North American Countries Previously in Cup Finals: 10
Most Appearances: Mexico (15)
Best Finish: Third Place (USA, 1930)

*-Includes matches later forfeited

INTRODUCTION

 North American qualifying consisted of 35 teams competing in 4 rounds as well as an intercontinental playoff. The 35 teams were seeded prior to Round 1. Seeds 1-6 received byes directly to Round 3. Seeds 7-25 were placed in Round 2, while seeds 26-35 participated in Round 1. The 10 Round 1 participants were drawn against an opponent in a 2-leg aggregate playoff, with the winners advancing to Round 2. The 5 winners, joined the 19 teams placed in Round 2, and were drawn in to 6 groups of 4. Winners of each group would advance to Round 3.

The 12 remaining teams in Round 3 again played in groups of 4, with the top 2 teams in each group advancing to Round 4. Round 4 consisted of a single group of the remaining 6 teams. The top 3 finishers in this group would qualify for the World Cup, while the fourth place team would advance to an intercontinental playoff against Oceania.

ROUND 1 (June-July 2011)

The 10 teams in this round were drawn against an opponent based on seed assigned to them prior to the round (Seed 26 vs. 35, 27 vs. 34, etc.) Teams played a 2-leg playoff against their opponent, with aggregate score determining the winner.

Pairings

Belize 8-3 Montserrat (5-2, 3-1)

Far more complicated then a match between these 2 nations ever should have been. The playoff was always Belize's to win, but that this ever got completed is a small miracle. The first leg was to be played in Montserrat, however no stadium on the island met FIFA's minimum criteria for hosting a match, and was subsequently moved to Trinidad & Tobago. With a return leg schedule for 4 days later, FIFA promptly suspended Belize's football federation for governmental interference. A drawn-out battle ensued, and days before an imposed deadline by FIFA to have the issue resolved, Belize was reinstated on the condition the second leg be played outside of Belize. Leg 2 went off in Honduras, creating the bizarre scenario of a 2-leg competitive playoff played entirely outside either team's borders.

Dominican Republic 6-0 Anguilla (4-0, 2-0)

A recurring theme in this region, Anguilla has no stadium suitable to host World Cup qualifiers, and elected to play both legs in the Dominican Republic. One of the worst teams in the world, with just 2 career wins against FIFA members, Anguilla posed little threat to the Dominicans. This was the 3rd straight qualifying campaign where Anguilla failed to score a goal.

British Virgin Islands 1-4 U.S. Virgin Islands (0-2, 1-2)

A regional derby of sorts, these 2 teams know each other better then most in the Caribbean, having played several times in the years leading up to this playoff. U.S. Virgin Islands were somewhat of a surprise winner, as they had never beaten British Virgin Islands before. These 2 wins represented just their 2nd and 3rd career wins against FIFA opponents.

Saint Lucia 6-6 Aruba (2-4, 4-2; Saint Lucia won 5-4 on penalty kicks)

An entertaining back-and-forth matchup with 10 lead changes over the course of the 2 games leading to a 6-6 draw on aggregate. Extra time proved uneventful leading to the first of 2 penalty shootouts worldwide in qualifying (the other taking place in Asian Round 5). The first 9 shooters all found the back of the net, but Aruban forward Jelano Cruden was unable to convert his attempt, sending Saint Lucia thru to Round 2 at home.

Bahamas 10-0 Turks and Caicos Islands (4-0, 6-0)

A writeoff on the field, this pairing made more news when Bahamas pulled out of Round 2, mere weeks before it was to begin. I covered this in-depth here but it is still one of the most frustrating things about qualifying in my opinion. Bahamas exited qualifying believing the costs were too great relative to their chances of qualifying.

It's the Bahamas, of course you aren't going to qualify, but you aren't going to improve your program if your players don't see you as caring enough to give them an opportunity to play. Further, this was a decision that could have been made long before you blew out Turks and Caicos. It even could have been made immediately after. Because the decision was delayed so long though, FIFA had no option to insert a replacement for Bahamas, making one Round 2 group 3 teams instead of 4.

ROUND 2 (September-November 2011)

The 5 winners in Round 1 joined seeds 7-25 in this round. Teams were drawn in to six groups of 4 teams, with each group playing a double round-robin. Group winners would advance to Round 3.

Group 1

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
El Salvador
6
0
0
20
5
15
18
Dominican Republic
2
2
2
12
8
4
8
Suriname
2
3
1
5
11
-6
7
Cayman Islands
0
5
1
2
15
-13
1

A dip in performance after 2010 qualifying dropped El Salvador from the top seeds and forcing them to play in Round 2. This was unfortunate for everyone else in the group as El Salvador had reached the final qualifying group in 2010 and was one of the 2-3 strongest teams in Latin America at the time. Dominican Republic put up a fight, having lost both their games against El Salvador by just 1 goal, but no one else could get within 2 in any game with El Salvador and they comfortably moved on the Round 3.

Full Results

Suriname 1-0 Cayman Islands
El Salvador 3-2 Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic 1-1 Suriname
Cayman Islands 1-4 El Salvador
Dominican Republic 1-2 El Salvador
Cayman Islands 0-1 Suriname
Suriname 1-3 Dominican Republic
El Salvador 4-0 Cayman Islands
Dominican Republic 4-0 Cayman Islands
Suriname 1-3 El Salvador
Cayman Islands 1-1 Dominican Republic
El Salvador 4-0 Suriname

Group 2

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Guyana
4
1
1
9
6
3
13
Trinidad & Tobago
4
2
0
12
4
8
12
Bermuda
3
2
1
8
7
1
10
Barbados
0
6
0
2
14
-12
0

Trinidad entered as the top seed, and like El Salvador, were featuring in this round despite having reached the final round of qualifying in 2010. It was hardly the same story for them though. After an anticipated 2 wins to start qualifying, they lost a shocker to Bermuda, the lowest seed in the group. They entered their final 2 games, both against Guyana, trailing by a point an unable to afford a loss in either game though. Guyana though, a surprise group leader themselves opened the scoring early in the first leg, and doubled their lead with 10 minutes to play. English Premier League striker and captain Kenwyne Jones managed to get one back but it was not enough, and Guyana clinched the group with a game to spare.

Full Results

Trinidad/Tobago 1-0 Bermuda
Guyana 2-0 Barbados
Barbados 0-2 Trinidad/Tobago
Guyana 2-1 Bermuda
Barbados 0-2 Guyana
Bermuda 2-1 Trinidad/Tobago
Trinidad/Tobago 4-0 Barbados
Bermuda 1-1 Guyana
Bermuda 2-1 Barbados
Guyana 2-1 Trinidad/Tobago
Barbados 1-2 Bermuda
Trinidad/Tobago 3-0 Guyana (Originally ended 2-0, Trinidad was awarded a 3-0 victory as Guyana fielded an ineligible player. This had no meaningful impact on the group.)

Group 3


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Panama
4
0
0
15
2
13
12
Nicaragua
2
2
0
5
7
-2
6
Dominica
0
4
0
0
11
-11
0

Converted to a 3-team group when Bahamas exited, Panama's performance served notice to the rest of CONCACAF that they were a force to be reckoned with, a la Belgium's and Jordan's performances in other continents. Panama bulldozed through this group, averaging approx. 4 goals a game and never trailing in any game. Likely would have attained a perfect record even if Bahamas had remained in the competition.

Full Results

Dominica 0-2 Nicaragua
Nicaragua 1-2 Panama
Dominica 0-5 Panama
Panama 5-1 Nicaragua
Nicaragua 1-0 Dominica
Panama 3-0 Dominica

Group 4


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Canada
4
0
2
18
1
17
14
Puerto Rico
2
1
3
8
4
4
9
Saint Kitts and Nevis
1
1
4
6
8
-2
7
Saint Lucia
0
5
1
4
23
-19
1

A string of blowout wins, combined with some inexplicable scoreless draws made Canada's inevitable victory in the group a bizarre exposition of everything wrong with Canadian soccer. How a nation like Canada can go over 200 minutes without a goal at this stage of CONCACAF qualifying baffles and highlighted an issue that would come back to haunt Canada at later stages.

Full Results

Canada 4-1 Saint Lucia
Saint Kitts/Nevis 0-0 Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia 2-4 Saint Kitts/Nevis
Puerto Rico 0-3 Canada
Saint Lucia 0-7 Canada*
Puerto Rico 1-1 Saint Kitts/Nevis
Canada 0-0 Puerto Rico
Saint Kitts/Nevis 1-1 Saint Lucia
Saint Kitts/Nevis 0-0 Canada
Saint Lucia 0-4 Puerto Rico*
Puerto Rico 3-0 Saint Lucia
Canada 4-0 Saint Kitts/Nevis

*-FIFA 'awarded' both of these games as Saint Lucia had fielded an ineligible player. Awarded games are typically scored as 3-0. As both Canada and Puerto Rico had won by larger margins, FIFA kept the original scores intact.

Group 5


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Guatemala
6
0
0
19
3
16
18
Belize
2
3
1
9
10
-1
7
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
1
3
2
4
12
-8
5
Grenada
1
4
1
7
14
-7
4

A microcosm of the parity that exists in North America. Top-seeded Grenada at the bottom of the table and Belize in second, having gotten here through a Round 1 playoff. Over the last decade, the only truly consistent team in the group showed their class and experience and swept the group for a perfect record. A weak group of course helps. Until the last match, no team other then Guatemala had more then 1 win to their name.

Full Results

Grenada 0-3 Belize
Guatemala 4-0 Saint Vincent/Grenadines
Belize 1-2 Guatemala
Saint Vincent/Grenadines 2-1 Grenada
Saint Vincent/Grenadines 0-3 Guatemala
Belize 1-4 Grenada
Guatemala 3-1 Belize
Grenada 1-1 Saint Vincent/Grenadines
Belize 1-1 Saint Vincent/Grenadines
Guatemala 3-0 Grenada
Grenada 1-4 Guatemala
Saint Vincent/Grenadines 0-2 Belize

Group 6

Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Antigua & Barbuda
5
1
0
28
5
23
15
Haiti
4
1
1
21
6
15
13
Curacao
2
3
1
15
15
0
7
U.S. Virgin Islands
0
6
0
2
40
-38
0

Following more closely to the expected script, this group came down to 2 teams, seeded 12th and 13th going in to the round. Having walked through the first half of the group, Haiti and Antigua/Barbuda appeared destined for their own 2-leg playoff at the end to determine the winner. Haiti was the first to stumble though, giving up 2 goals in the first 15 minutes of a home match against Curacao. They were able to pull back on even footing but no further and the draw sent them in to their 2 games with Antigua down 2 points.

Expected to be an offensive showcase, with both teams having scored 45 goals in 8 games so far, the first leg was a letdown, with neither side able to gain momentum until the waning minutes. Kerry Skepple, just substituted got free and buried a strike of the hands of the Haitian goalkeeper and in to give Antigua a 1-0 win and the group. Haiti won the return leg but was too far behind in points to matter. The group win marked the furthest Antigua/Barbuda has ever progressed in World Cup qualifying.

Full Results

Haiti 6-0 US Virgin Islands
Antigua/Barbuda 5-2 Curacao
US Virgin Islands 1-8 Antigua/Barbuda
Curacao 2-4 Haiti
US Virgin Islands 0-7 Haiti
Curacao 0-3 Antigua/Barbuda (Originally a 1-0 Antigua win. FIFA awarded a 3-0 victory as Curacao fielded an ineligible player.)
Haiti 2-2 Curacao
Antigua/Barbuda 10-0 US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands 0-3 Curacao
Antigua/Barbuda 1-0 Haiti
Haiti 2-1 Antigua/Barbuda
Curacao 6-1 US Virgin Islands

ROUND 3 (June-October 2012)


The 6 group winners from Round 2, joined the top 6 seeds in North America and were divided in to 3 groups of 4 teams, playing a double round-robin. The top 2 teams in each group would advance to Round 4.

Group 1


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
USA
4
1
1
11
6
5
13
Jamaica
3
2
1
9
6
3
10
Guatemala
3
2
1
9
8
1
10
Antigua & Barbuda
0
5
1
4
13
-9
1

An adventure for US coach Jurgen Klinsmann in his first real competition as US coach. Things started well with a 3-1 home victory against Antigua, but a Guatemala tie and a loss in Jamaica had a lot of US fans asking questions of their team, tied for second at the time. Things turned around just in time though, as they won the return leg against Jamaica and pulled out wins in the last 2 games to top the group. Expected result but concerning the difficulty faced in getting there.

Despite the US struggles, it would be a huge shock if they did not advance, so the group became a battle of Guatemala and Jamaica for the other spot. The 2 teams traded a pair of 2-1 home victories in their head-to-head meetings and went in to the final day of games with Guatemala up 3 points. With the final games played at the same times, it was a matter of scoreboard watching. At halftime of their respective games, Guatemala trailed the US 3-1 and Jamaica held a 2-0 lead over Antigua. An Antigua goal in the 61st minute put the teams even on goal differential, but with Guatemala holding the next tiebreak in goals for if everything could remain as is. Jamaica's Dane Richards wouldn't have that though, as he tallied for Jamaica twice in the last 15 minutes, sending them through to Round 4 on the goal differential tiebreaker.

Full Results

USA 3-1 Antigua/Barbuda
Jamaica 2-1 Guatemala
Antigua/Barbuda 0-0 Jamaica
Guatemala 1-1 USA
Jamaica 2-1 USA
Guatemala 3-1 Antigua/Barbuda
Antigua/Barbuda 0-1 Guatemala
USA 1-0 Jamaica
Antigua/Barbuda 1-2 USA
Guatemala 2-1 Jamaica
Jamaica 4-1 Antigua/Barbuda
USA 3-1 Guatemala

Group 2


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Mexico
6
0
0
15
2
13
18
Costa Rica
3
2
1
14
5
9
10
El Salvador
1
3
2
8
11
-3
5
Guyana
0
5
1
5
24
-19
1

It was this stage in 2010 qualifying that gave Mexico fits and left them a mere 3 goals in differential away from failing to advance to the last round of qualifying. The rest of the group was hoping for a repeat of that performance, but instead got the Mexico the rest of CONCACAF fears playing. At no point in their 6 games did Mexico ever trail an opponent and while they left their goals late in a few matches, this was a clinic put on by the Mexican team who essentially walked in to Round 4.

Of the 3 groups in this round, this was the toughest on pair. Half of the Round 4 teams from 2010 were placed in this group, leaving 1 of Costa Rica and El Salvador on the outside looking in. The deciding match came on the second last match day, with El Salvador home to Costa Rica and holding a 1-point lead for second place. Seemingly in the driver's seat, El Salvador could not get the job done. Jose Miguel Cubero scored midway through the first half, and Costa Rica held on to get the victory and eventual second-place in the group. Frustrations were evident for El Salvador, who received a pair of straight red cards in the dying minutes.

Full Results

Mexico 3-1 Guyana
Costa Rica 2-2 El Salvador
Guyana 0-4 Costa Rica
El Salvador 1-2 Mexico
El Salvador 2-2 Guyana
Costa Rica 0-2 Mexico
Guyana 2-3 El Salvador
Mexico 1-0 Costa Rica
Guyana 0-5 Mexico
El Salvador 0-1 Costa Rica
Costa Rica 7-0 Guyana
Mexico 2-0 El Salvador

Group 3


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
Honduras
3
1
2
12
3
9
11
Panama
3
1
2
6
2
4
11
Canada
3
2
1
6
10
-4
10
Cuba
0
5
1
1
10
-9
1

The most intriguing group with 3 legitimate contenders for first place that wasn't decided until the last day of qualifying. Panama continued their run that started in Round 2 by opening with a road victory against a Honduras. A home draw with Panama and a split with Canada gave them 10 points and a +4 goal differential going in to the final day. Canada also found themselves on 10 points having knocked off Cuba twice and tied Honduras, leaving them with a +3 goal differential. Honduras, with 2 wins and 2 draws to their credit was behind on 8 points with a +2 goal differential.

Rare in groups like this with two advancing teams, none of the 3 had clinched a spot in Round 4. Panama would only be eliminated with a loss and a Honduras win, and even then, only if Canada had a better goal differential. For Canada, they entered knowing a draw would get them through, and with Panama facing last-ranked Cuba, they could not rely on losing and goal difference. For Honduras, it was win or you're out.

Panama struggled in Cuba. Pointless in 5 games, the Cubans came out firing and picked up their lone goal of the competition late in the first half. If the result held, Panama would need help to get through. Honduras were happy to oblige them. In a stunning blowout, Honduras overwhelmed the Canada defence from the start, on their way to an 8-1 victory and leading to the firing of long-time Canada coach Stephen Hart. Panama's place was secure, a fact they confirmed by tying Cuba late to get through on their own accord.

Full Results

Cuba 0-1 Canada
Honduras 0-2 Panama
Canada 0-0 Honduras
Panama 1-0 Cuba
Cuba 0-3 Honduras
Canada 1-0 Panama
Panama 2-0 Canada
Honduras 1-0 Cuba
Canada 3-0 Cuba
Panama 0-0 Honduras
Cuba 1-1 Panama
Honduras 8-1 Canada

ROUND 4 (February-October 2013)


The 6 teams that advanced from Round 3 were placed in a single group, known as the Hexagonal or "Hex". The group played a double round-robin, and the top 3 teams qualified directly for the World Cup. The 4th-place team would advance to an intercontinental playoff against the winner in Oceania qualifying.


Team
W
L
T
GF
GA
+/-
Points
USA
7
2
1
15
8
7
22
Costa Rica
5
2
3
13
7
6
18
Honduras
4
3
3
13
12
1
15
Mexico
2
3
5
7
9
-2
11
Panama
1
4
5
10
14
-4
8
Jamaica
0
5
5
5
13
-8
5

It was a reversal of fortune for the 2 North American powerhouses in Round 4. After dropping the opener against Honduras, the USA took 22 of 27 points from the remaining matches and qualified with 2 games left to play. Extra sweet for the US was qualifying on a 2-0 win over hated rival Mexico at home which spawned the Twitter hashtag #DosACero.

For Mexico, this round was a nightmare. Normally untouchable at home, the Mexicans managed just a 1-1-3 record at Estadio Azteca, and tied 5 of their first 6 matches in the group. The bad results also caused havoc in the Mexican football federation. No less then 4 different managers led the team in 2013 alone, as they tried desperately to find a winning formula.

By the time the final match day rolled around, USA and Costa Rica were qualified, and only Jamaica was not going to have a shot at Brazil. With only 1 game remaining, Honduras held a 3 point lead on fourth-place Mexico, in turn 3 points ahead of fifth-place Panama. What happened next was one of the most compelling sagas in the qualifying stages.

All 3 teams vying for qualification/playoff spots were playing at the same time, none of them against one of the other teams. Honduras, only needing a draw at Jamaica to clinch advancement saw first and second half leads disappear, but held on to a 2-2 draw, ensuring their qualification. Panama, needing a win against the U.S. and a Mexico loss, took an early lead through Gabriel Torres and led 1-0 at halftime. They were doing their part, but needed help from Costa Rica against Mexico, tied 1-1 at half.

A Costa Rica goal from Alvaro Saborio put them up 2-1, but the advantage gained for Panama was quickly wiped out by a Michael Orozco goal for the US. Then, with 10 minutes to go, Luis Tejada scored for Panama to give them a late 2-1 lead over the US. If both scorelines held, Panama would claim fourth place in the group and eliminate the favoured Mexicans. Mexico wouldn't score again, meaning Panama had control of their destiny. In a cruel twist of fate though, the US scored not once but twice in injury time, to win the game 3-2. Mexico's disastrous round of qualifying was saved only by last-second assistance from the hated Americans, who had soundly beaten them a month prior. No American fan will let Mexico forget this fact for a very long time.

Full Results

Costa Rica/Honduras (1-0, 0-1)
Costa Rica/Jamaica (2-0, 1-1)
Costa Rica/Mexico (0-0, 2-1)
Costa Rica/Panama (2-2, 2-0)
Costa Rica/USA (0-1, 3-1)
Honduras/Jamaica (2-0, 2-2)
Honduras/Mexico (2-2, 2-1)
Honduras/Panama (0-2, 2-2)
Honduras/USA (2-1, 0-1)
Jamaica/Mexico (0-0, 0-1)
Jamaica/Panama (1-1, 0-0)
Jamaica/USA (1-2, 0-2)
Mexico/Panama (0-0, 2-1)
Mexico/USA (0-0, 0-2)
Panama/USA (0-2, 2-3)

NORTH AMERICA-OCEANIA PLAYOFF (November 2013)

By finishing fourth in Round 4, Mexico advanced to an intercontinental playoff against New Zealand, who had won the Oceania qualifying tournament. The teams played a 2-leg aggregate playoff with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.

Mexico 9-3 New Zealand (5-1, 4-2)

Saved by the US a month prior, Mexico found themselves requiring a playoff in order to make an appearance in Brazil. Fortunately for Mexico, North America had been drawn against Oceania for the playoffs, and standing in their way was New Zealand, a team whose world ranking would only be good for 12th in North America. Now under the control of current manager Miguel Herrera, Mexico managed to erase some of the memories of the last round, jumping out to large early leads in both legs and knocking off the Oceanic champions with ease. Mexico qualified, just one round later then everyone might have expected.




Qualifiers

Costa Rica: 4th Finals Appearance (Last appearance in 2006). Only Round of 16 appearance in 1990. Group Stage in '02 and '06. World Ranking: 34th
Honduras: 3rd Finals Appearance (2nd consecutive). Group Stage in '82 and '10. World Ranking: 30th
Mexico: 15th Finals Appearance (6th consecutive). Quarterfinals in '70 and '86. Have advanced to Round of 16 in every tournament since 1994. World Ranking: 19th
USA: 10th Finals Appearance (7th consecutive). Third Place in 1930. Advanced to quarterfinals in '02 and Round of 16 in '10.