With World Cup Qualifiers coming up in the next couple of weeks, its time for another Top 5 here on The Buzz. These are the Top 5 things to watch for as teams compete to solidify their place for The Great Tournament in 2010 on The Motherland:
#1 – Maradona Starts To Feel Albiceleste Heat
El Pibe De Oro’s time as coach of the Argentine National Team really starts with upcoming South American World Cup qualifiers. Two friendly match victories over Scotland & France are well and good but he wasn’t hired to win friendlies. Maradona’s true abilities as a coach and personality manager will be put to the test when he leads Los Albicelestes versus Venezuela at home on March 28 and then on the road in the high altitude of La Paz against Bolivia on April
1st. If Maradona can break Argentina out of their disappointing form in qualifying then he will further elevate his place in world football lore.
#2 – What Will Africa Have In Store?
The Motherland will host The 2010 Great Tournament, in years past The World Cup has witnessed fresh faces in national team football most of them coming from Africa. The 2006 World Cup saw 8 teams qualify for the 1st time, 4 of them from Africa (Cote D’ Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Angola). This year, with teams like Gabon, Malawi, Guinea, and Burkina Faso surprisingly advancing to the final group stage and a Group of Death (Group 1) featuring Cameroon, Togo, Morocco, and Gabon.
It is likely that the 2010 World Cup will see another 1st timer from Africa.
#3 – What Will Become Of Portugal?
The Portuguese National Team has given their countrymen nothing to cheer about lately as they have been thoroughly disappointing so far in World Cup qualifying. They sit in 4th place in Group 1 of UEFA qualifying behind Denmark, Hungary, and Albania. An unacceptable position for a team boasting talents like Deco, Pepe, and FIFA Player Of The Year, Cristiano Ronaldo. They have not scored a goal in their last 2 qualifying matches including a 0-0 home draw versus Albania.
ALBANIA, that’s ridiculous, other than France’s Raymond Domenech is their a coach whose seat is hotter in Europe than Carlos Queiroz? Portugal face a struggling but always tough Sweden side in the upcoming qualifiers, while its not over for Portugal they need to win for their confidence and table positioning cause its obvious that getting points against group leaders Denmark & Hungary will be difficult.
#4 – Australia & Japan Could Begin To Pack
After this next round of qualifiers it is possible that Asia could have 2 of its automatic 4 spots filled for 2010. In Group 1, Australia and Japan are undefeated with Australia in 1st with 10 points and Japan in 2nd with 8 as Bahrain & Qatar follow with 4 points. Both Japan & Australia play at home this round with the Aussies taking on last place Uzbekistan and Japan facing Bahrain. There is an excellent chance that both teams will win making the gap between
themselves and the bottom 3 even wider. Considering talent, form, and table position, Australia & Japan can pack their bags for South Africa if they win.
#5 – Can Costa Rica Give Sven A Bigger Headache?
In 2002 World Cup qualifying, Costa Rica pulled off the impossible by beating Mexico at Estadio Azteca. It was the only time that Mexico lost a World Cup qualifier at the Azteca. This time in 2010 WC Qualifiers, Los Ticos could really put El Tri in a bad spot if they can duplicate that same performance. Mexico’s coach Sven Goran Eriksson has been under fire since his hiring and every result has been intensely scrutinized. Mexico has not been impressive in
reaching CONCACAF’s last six and many feel that if there is a year that Mexico could be knocked off their place as one of CONCACAF’s automatic representatives, it is this year. If Costa Rica can win once again at The Azteca, the pain Sven has been feeling in his head will transfer to his ass as the FMF kicks him off the bench.
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