Canada, United States head into semis as favorites
January 29, 2010
It looks like another North American grudge match could decide the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s title.
Both the United States and Canada advanced to the semifinals unbeaten and untied through the group stage, dominating their opponents and only allowing one goal each in three games.
However, both have to get through the knockout semis on Thursday, which will be a repeat of two years ago in Mexico, when the United States beat Costa Rica 4-0, and Canada edged Mexico 2-1.
The United States will face Costa Rica in the first semifinal at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern) with Canada against Mexico following at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern).
“Costa Rica is an excellent team and I think it will be very challenging game for us,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “We know they have some wonderfully skilled players and they play an attractive style so we are definitely going to have to be prepared. Hopefully, we’ll get our legs back with a couple of days of rest and then we’ll be ready to go.”
The United States has won two World Cups, but has lost to Canada two of the three times they faced off in the CONCACAF final.
The United States doesn’t want to appear like it’s looking past Costa Rica, realizing that a win Thursday qualifies it for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany in July.
“We’re excited to be in the semifinals,” said striker and co-captain Sydney Leroux, who leads all scorers with five goals. “We are definitely going to be ready and bring our ‘A’ game. That’s all I can ask of my teammates.”
With three teams qualifying for the World Cup, a semifinal loss won’t preclude a trip to Germany, but will require a victory in Saturday’s third-place game.
The United States has been, so far, the most impressive team, outscoring Jamaica, Trinidad and Mexico 12-1, allowing its only goal in second-half injury time of its finale against its southern neighbor.
“It’s fairly obvious that they are physically stronger than us,” Costa Rica coach Randal Chacon said. “They are strong and tall, but we have to take advantage of our strengths. We will work to maintain our shape when we don’t have the ball.”
Mexico and Costa Rica have split their two meetings in the third-place game, and Mexico may feel it’s time to avoid the uncertainty of World Cup qualification in a consolation match.
It benched forward Charlyn Corral, instrumental in El Tri’s victories over Trinidad and Jamaica, when Mexico played the United States. It apparently was looking to prevent her from picking up a second yellow card and having her miss the semifinals. Accumulated yellow cards are not waived after the first round.
“This is the most important game…we can’t keep anything in,” Corral said. “We have to give more than our 100 percent and we have to plat intelligently because we know that in the physical aspect, the height, and in the air battle we may have a disadvantage.”
Canada coach Carolina Morace feels her side has improved each game, but forward Adriana Leon noted she thinks the side needs to improve its finishing.
While the four semifinalists were not unexpected, the Caribbean’s three representatives teams went home disappointed – mostly notably Jamaica.
The “Reggae Girlz” – which reached the semifinals four years ago, returned to their country without a goal and having been outscored 9-0. Along with Cuba and Trinidad. the three Caribbean sides did not win any of the eight games against non-Caribbean opponents and finished with an aggregate goal difference of minus-18.
Conversely, Guatemala, which was playing in its first Under-20 Women’s Championship, managed a victory (over Cuba 2-1) and was the only team to score a goal against the defending and two-time champion Canadians.
GUATEMALA CITY
Concacaf
Tags: adriana, Canada, Caribbean, Carolina Morace, chacon, co captain, concacaf, Costa Rica, Cuba, Germany, group stage, grudge match, Guatemala, guatemala city, impressive team, injury time, Jamaica, Jill Ellis, knockout, Leon, leroux, Mexico, North American, place game, qualifying for the world cup, randal, semifinal loss, semis, skilled players, southern neighbor, three games, Tri, Trinidad, U.S, United States, world cup in germany, world cupsRelated posts
Canada, United States head into semis as favorites
January 28, 2010
It looks like another North American grudge match could decide the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s title.
Both the United States and Canada advanced to the semifinals unbeaten and untied through the group stage, dominating their opponents and only allowing one goal each in three games.
However, both have to get through the knockout semis on Thursday, which will be a repeat of two years ago in Mexico, when the United States beat Costa Rica 4-0, and Canada edged Mexico 2-1.
The United States will face Costa Rica in the first semifinal at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern) with Canada against Mexico following at 4:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. U.S. Eastern).
“Costa Rica is an excellent team and I think it will be very challenging game for us,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “We know they have some wonderfully skilled players and they play an attractive style so we are definitely going to have to be prepared. Hopefully, we’ll get our legs back with a couple of days of rest and then we’ll be ready to go.”
The United States has won two World Cups, but has lost to Canada two of the three times they faced off in the CONCACAF final.
The United States doesn’t want to appear like it’s looking past Costa Rica, realizing that a win Thursday qualifies it for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany in July.
“We’re excited to be in the semifinals,” said striker and co-captain Sydney Leroux, who leads all scorers with five goals. “We are definitely going to be ready and bring our ‘A’ game. That’s all I can ask of my teammates.”
With three teams qualifying for the World Cup, a semifinal loss won’t preclude a trip to Germany, but will require a victory in Saturday’s third-place game.
The United States has been, so far, the most impressive team, outscoring Jamaica, Trinidad and Mexico 12-1, allowing its only goal in second-half injury time of its finale against its southern neighbor.
“It’s fairly obvious that they are physically stronger than us,” Costa Rica coach Randal Chacon said. “They are strong and tall, but we have to take advantage of our strengths. We will work to maintain our shape when we don’t have the ball.”
Mexico and Costa Rica have split their two meetings in the third-place game, and Mexico may feel it’s time to avoid the uncertainty of World Cup qualification in a consolation match.
It benched forward Charlyn Corral, instrumental in El Tri’s victories over Trinidad and Jamaica, when Mexico played the United States. It apparently was looking to prevent her from picking up a second yellow card and having her miss the semifinals. Accumulated yellow cards are not waived after the first round.
“This is the most important game…we can’t keep anything in,” Corral said. “We have to give more than our 100 percent and we have to plat intelligently because we know that in the physical aspect, the height, and in the air battle we may have a disadvantage.”
Canada coach Carolina Morace feels her side has improved each game, but forward Adriana Leon noted she thinks the side needs to improve its finishing.
While the four semifinalists were not unexpected, the Caribbean’s three representatives teams went home disappointed – mostly notably Jamaica.
The “Reggae Girlz” – which reached the semifinals four years ago, returned to their country without a goal and having been outscored 9-0. Along with Cuba and Trinidad. the three Caribbean sides did not win any of the eight games against non-Caribbean opponents and finished with an aggregate goal difference of minus-18.
Conversely, Guatemala, which was playing in its first Under-20 Women’s Championship, managed a victory (over Cuba 2-1) and was the only team to score a goal against the defending and two-time champion Canadians.
GUATEMALA CITY
Concacaf
Tags: attractive style, co captain, concacaf, group stage, grudge match, impressive team, injury time, knockout, leroux, place game, qualifying for the world cup, semifinal loss, skilled players, southern neighbor, three games, world cup in germany, world cupsRelated posts
Canada beats Costa Rica 1-0 to open Women’s U-20s
January 21, 2010
Adriana Leon converted one of her several chances in the first half and defending champion Canada opened the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship with a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Leon, the third-youngest player on the Canadian roster, turned unmarked in the middle of the area in the 28th minute and easily beat goalkeeper Priscilla Tapia for the only goal the Canadians needed.
The match kicked off the 16-game, 11-day event that will crown the confederation champion and chose the region’s three teams for the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in July in Germany.
Costa Rica, which has finished fourth twice before and just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, had an equal share of possession early but was limited to shots from distance that were blocked by Canada’s picket fence of defenders.
Canada created the more quality chances early, including one by Leon in the eighth minute where her second touch got away from her and enabled Tapia to smother the ball.
Taylor Patterson put a header off a cross from Larua Chenard just wide from six meters in the 22nd minute, but six minutes later the Canadians finally prevailed.
Rachel Lamarre broke free down the right side of the penalty area, drawing three defenders before she laid the ball back to the top of the area. Gina Pacheco one-timed the ball into Leon, who with nobody close and standing 10 meters from goal, turned and blasted a right-footed shot as Costa Rican captain Katherine Alvarado arrived late in an attempt to close her down.
Costa Rica had its chances, including its best when Raquel Rodriguez Cedeno worked her way in from the right side, dribbled just inside the area before unleashing a left-footed effort that Canadian keeper Cynthia LeBlanc had to dive to push wide onto her left post.
LeBlanc also had to push wide a free kick by Alvarado from 30 meters in the 38th minute.
Canada, a two-time champion eventually took control in the second half, maintaining more possession and limiting Costa Rica’s opportunities.
Las Ticas managed a late push in the final 15 minutes, nearly scoring an equalizer in the 85th minute when Fabiola Sanchez looped a header off Marianne Ugalde’s free kick that ticked the outside of the right post.
GUATEMALA CITY
Concacaf
Tags: 17 year old, adriana, canadians, cedeno, champion canada, chenard, concacaf, defending champion, eighth minute, equal share, free kick, lamarre, leblanc, pacheco, picket fence, qualifying for the world cup, six minutes, tapia, time championRelated posts
Trapattoni names Ireland squad for France play-off
October 31, 2009
Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has left out Steven Reid, Andy Reid, Steve Finnan and Clinton Morrison for November’s World Cup qualifying play-off against France.
Trapattoni drew a furious response from Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce recently when he said midfielder Steven Reid would struggle to play at the highest level again after a serious knee injury.
Reid made a goal-scoring return to action for Blackburn in a midweek League Cup tie against Peterborough but Trapattoni, who named his 25-man squad for the France clash on Friday, believes it is much to soon to consider picking him for Ireland.
The Italian has also decided to leave out Sunderland’s Andy Reid, Portsmouth defender Finnan and Coventry striker Morrison for the two-legged play-off at Croke Park on November 14 and the Stade de France on November 18.
Trapattoni believes Ireland’s unbeaten record in the qualifying campaign, including two matches against world champions Italy, is proof that they can shock France to reach next year’s finals in South Africa.
“We performed strongly throughout the qualifying group stages,” Trapattoni said. “We were undefeated in all 10 games and this is a reflection of how we have played and also the mental strength of this team.
“France have a strong squad but we go into this play-off knowing that we are only 180 minutes away from qualifying for the World Cup.”
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Man City), Kieren Westwood (Coventry), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe)
Defenders: John O’Shea (Man Utd), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Kevin Kilbane (Hull), Eddie Nolan (Preston), Sean St Ledger (Preston, on loan at Middlesbrough) Paul McShane (Hull), Darren O’Dea (Celtic, on loan at Reading)
Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Damien Duff (Fulham), Darron Gibson (Man Utd), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (Blackburn), Liam Miller (Hibernian), Stephen Hunt (Hull), Andy Keogh (Wolverhampton), Liam Lawrence (Stoke)
Strikers: Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Shane Long (Reading), Leon Best (Coventry), Anthony Stokes (Hibernian)
DUBLIN (AFP)
Tags: aiden mcgeady, andy keogh, andy reid, aston villa, france clash, giovanni trapattoni, Italy, Kevin Kilbane, Leon Best, Liam Lawrence, liam miller, Morrison, paul mcshane, qualifying for the world cup, republic of ireland, richard dunne, Robbie Keane, sam allardyce, Shane Long, South Africa, st ledger, stade de france, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Kelly, steve finnan, Sunderland, world cup squadRelated posts
More work needed for US to taste South Africa success
October 14, 2009
Landon Donovan likes what he sees from the US football squad after qualifying for the World Cup, but knows much more work is needed to make the most of their chances next June in South Africa.
Donovan, the all-time US scoring leader and a Los Angeles Galaxy teammate of English star David Beckham, said Tuesday it was difficult to compare US levels at this stage to the 2002 Cup quarter-finalists or the 2006 first-round flops.
“We’re pretty satisfied with where we are now and the hard work we’ve put in but I think we realize if we want to be ultimately successful in South Africa we still have some work to do,” Donovan said.
“OK, we’re there. Now how do we do everything we can to have success once we get there?”
Donovan will spark the Americans in Wednesday’s final North American hexagonal World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica in the US capital. He feels he has made improvements on and off the field in the past three years.
“I’ve done a lot of that work already,” Donovan said. “I’m comfortable knowing I’m a different player and person than I was the last two hexagonals.”
The Major League Soccer standout said the North American league has already shown it can develop competitive talent.
“Our league can produce players that can play in the biggest tournaments in the world and I think we’ve shown that in the past two World Cups and this one,” Donovan said. “There’s not a vast difference.”
The next step is to win such a showdown. US coach Bob Bradley sees finishing first ahead of Mexico in the CONCACAF regional qualifying as a potential key to boosting the US seeding position for December’s World Cup draw.
“We don’t know for sure it will affect seeding but we believe that it could so in that regard it is important,” Bradley said. “We take a great deal of pride of being the best team in CONCACAF.”
So much so that Bradley is willing to risk top players even with a chance of injury or a red card that would bring a World Cup opener suspension.
“There are risks in the final game but this game is important,” Bradley said. “Of late, we’re very pleased with the way we’ve handled ourselves.”
Costa Rica qualifies for the World Cup with a victory but a draw or loss opens the door for Honduras, which must win at El Salvador to have a chance for the last automatic berth on offer from North America.
The same Hondurans who lost to the US team last weekend will cheer for the Americans against Costa Rica.
“We’ve got a job to do to put our best team out there,” US captain Carlos Bocanegra said. “It’s not fair for us not to go out there and give our best effort. If the situation was reversed we would be pretty angry.”
Costa Rica comes off a 4-0 blanking of Trinidad and Tobago in the first match under new coach Rene Simoes, a Brazilian who once guided Jamaica’s World Cup squad.
“Costa Rica is a talented team that hit a tough stretch in qualifying,” said Bradley. “Costa Rica’s big win has given life to their effort. We expect another big effort and we will prepare accordingly.”
WASHINGTON (AFP)
Tags: bob bradley, captain Carlos Bocanegra, coach bob, concacaf, Costa Rica, David Beckham, Donovan, El Salvador, final game, football squad, Honduras, improvements, Jamaica, landon donovan, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, Major League Soccer, match, Mexico, North America, North American, pride, qualifying for the world cup, quarter finalists, Rene Simoes, soccer standout, South Africa, star david, teammate, trinidad and tobago, U.S., Washington, world cup opener, world cupsRelated posts
US forward Davies stable after crash
October 14, 2009
Three days after experiencing the joy of qualifying for the World Cup, the US football squad was stunned and saddened Tuesday after starting forward Charlie Davies was hurt in a fatal crash.
Davies, a 23-year-old striker who plays for the French club Sochaux, was in stable condition after undergoing extensive surgery Tuesday for injuries suffered in a one-vehicle accident, US Soccer Federation officials said.
The injuries were described as not life-threatening by team officials but it was not certain exactly what injuries Davies had suffered or whether or not they might jeopardize his career.
Police were investigating the circumstances around the 3:15 a.m. crash, in which there was a fatality, US Soccer officials said.
US Park Police identified the person killed as Ashley Roberta, 22, of Phoenix, Maryland, a Washington suburb. An officer who arrived on the scene of the crash said the vehicle had been ripped in half.
Officials said Davies was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the accident on a major highway in suburban Virginia.
Davies started and played the first 78 minutes in the American team’s 3-2 victory last Saturday at Costa Rica, assisting on the first US goal in a win that secured the US squad a berth in next year’s World Cup at South Africa.
The US squad will face Costa Rica on Wednesday at RFK Stadium in the US capital in the final North American regional World Cup qualifying match, with Costa Rica seeking a victory to secure a World Cup berth.
Davies was not missed immediately because a morning team breakfast was optional but US coach Bob Bradley gathered playrs in a small meeting room at their hotel to deliver the shocking news early Tuesday afternoon.
“Obviously as a team we’re saddened to learn this news,” Bradley said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and Charlie’s family and the other person in the car and the others involved.
“The team has asked that any other thoughts we have, to keep them with the guys. As a team, we are relying on each other in a moment that has for sure hit us all hard.”
Players were told in a team-only meeting but their reaction was the shock and sadness that might be expected, US Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe said.
“Obviously the players are very saddened by the situation and hope the Charlie has a quick recovery,” he said.
US teen forward Jozy Altidore, who replaced Davies in Saturday’s match, typed a series of frowning faces on his twitter page Tuesday afternoon and said, ‘I’m not tweeting anymore y’all. Just not feeling well.”
The US team’s resiliency faces a major off-field test after a qualifying year in which American fortitude has been impressive in the wake of challenges on the field.
Americans have three triumphs and a draw in the final-round qualifying matches where they have surrendered the first goal.
Speaking purely of on-field events, US all-time scoring leader Landon Donovan praised the attitude players have shown in handling setbacks from bad passes and missed tackles to surrendered goals and stinging defeats.
“You can’t always control what happens in the game but you can control how you react and that has been one of the big situations for us,” Donovan said. “That has been a big plus for us this qualifying cycle.”
Davies, a 2008 Olympian, has scored four goals in 17 matches for the US squad. He was first called up to the team in June of 2007 for a friendly against China after a solid showing with the Swedish club Hammarby.
WASHINGTON (AFP)
Tags: bob bradley, Charlie, China, coach bob, Costa Rica, early tuesday, fatal crash, federation officials, french club, landon donovan, Maryland, Neil Buethe, North American, park police, Phoenix, qualifying for the world cup, rfk stadium, Roberta, shocking news, small meeting room, soccer officials, South Africa, stable condition, suburban virginia, team officials, thoughts and prayers, U.S., us soccer federation, Virginia, Washington, washington suburb, world cup berthRelated posts
James faces up to World Cup battle
October 8, 2009
As David James watched his England team-mates celebrate qualifying for the World Cup finals on his television, an unpleasant thought crossed the Portsmouth goalkeeper’s mind.
What if he was still be watching from the sidelines by the time England kick off their campaign to win the World Cup in South Africa next year?
In the five games James had missed as a result of a series of injuries, West Ham’s Robert Green had performed well enough and, more importantly for England coach Fabio Capello, the team had kept on winning.
James only had to look at the treatment handed out to Michael Owen – banished from the squad entirely – and David Beckham – reduced to a bit-part substitutes role – to know that experience and reputation are no guarantee of selection under the Italian.
Now James is fit Capello faces a tough choice between him and Green and the former Liverpool star acknowledges that he may not regain his place for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.
“I don’t even know if I’m going to start on Saturday. Mr Capello, from here until the World Cup, will be making the right decisions,” James said.
“If I’m not the one who starts the game and it’s for the benefit of England, that’s fine.
“The process, my whole existence here, is for England to be successful. That doesn’t necessarily include playing because, at the end of the day, it’s the squad that will be victorious, not just the eleven players on the field.”
The 39-year-old, once dubbed “Calamity James” for a series of mistakes made during his time at Liverpool, is never mentioned as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, yet he has rarely let his country down.
Manchester United’s Ben Foster, who will miss the Ukraine game through injury, was regarded as James’s main rival going into this season, but the youngster has produced enough nervous displays for his club to suggest he may not be ready for the pressure of the World Cup just yet.
James believes the scrutiny of being England’s number one can prove too much for younger goalkeepers and he said: “It’s a difficult job playing for England, period, whether you’re a goalkeeper or a centre-forward.
“You have to go through these experiences. If you have criticism it’s a cliche to say you’ll come out right in the end. You don’t always.
“Most people won’t. But it’s a part of the process. I’m sure that, come the World Cup finals, we’ve got enough months ahead of us to ensure that the three goalkeepers in the squad will be well tuned and prepared.”
However, James expects Foster to emerge intact from his current malaise.
“I’m sure he’s in the right place to get the right advice at Manchester United,” James added. “The longevity of any career is going to have ups and downs.
“Depending on who you play when you’re having a down will depend upon how much scrutiny you’ll be under. You don’t get any higher scrutiny when you’re playing for Manchester United and England.
“There are things you can improve on and work on, rather than just analysing that you lost the game. Sometimes you lose good games. You play well but come up against a better side and they beat you. You can’t win every game.
“For every game that I’ve played, I’ve been under scrutiny anyway. The way the manager is, there’s no guarantee – even though I’d started every match – that that would continue, as far as I was concerned.”
WATFORD, England (AFP)
Tags: ben foster, best goalkeepers, bit part, calamity james, coach fabio capello, David Beckham, David James, england coach, fabio capello, Goalkeeper, Liverpool, Manchester, manchester united, michael owen, Mr Capello, Portsmouth, qualifying for the world cup, robert green, South Africa, time england, west ham, world cup finals, world cup qualifier, youngsterRelated posts
Simoes installed as new manager of Ticos
September 18, 2009
Rene Simoes, who was dismissed as Jamaica’s manager a year ago, has been selected as coach of Costa Rica, looking to resurrect the Ticos chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
The Costa Rican federation announced the appointment Wednesday night, installing the 56-year-old Brazilian two days after dismissing Rodrigo Kenton following a third straight loss in World Cup qualifying. The latest loss, 1-0 to El Salvador on September 9, dropped Costa Rico to fourth in the final round of World Cup qualifying.
Three teams are guaranteed a berth in the World Cup finals in June in South Africa, while the fourth-placed team earns a two-game playoff against the fifth-placed South American team, currently Argentina, for the last spot in the 32-team field. Costa Rica has 12 points, four behind “hexagonal” leader the United States, one behind third-placed Honduras and four ahead of fifth-placed El Salvador.
“We will, with a lot of courage, do what we can so that Costa Rica has a strong group that can qualify to the World Cup,” Simoes said in a statement released on the Costa Rican federation Web site.
(“Con mucho coraje, haremos lo posible para que Costa Rica tenga un grupo fuerte que pueda clasificar al mundial”, dijo Simoes.)
Simoes was fired as Jamaica’s manager after the Reggae Boyz were virtually eliminated from the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying in September 2008 following two losses in five days.
He coached Jamaica from 1994 to 2000, including to the 1998 World Cup in France, coached Brazil’s women to the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics and also Trinidad & Tobago from 2001 to 2002. He resigned from Brazilian second-division club Portugesa on August 26 after only two weeks on the job, saying armed men threatened his players in the locker room after a loss.
Costa Rica next plays Trinidad & Tobago at home on October 10 before finishing against the United States in Washington four days later.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica
Tags: 2004 olympics, armed men, berth, brazil, Con, Costa Rica, costa rico, courage, El Salvador, federation web, France, game playoff, Honduras, Jamaica, jose costa rica, locker room, Olympics, qualifying for the world cup, reggae boyz, Rene Simoes, Rico, rodrigo, Rodrigo Kenton, San Jose, san jose costa rica, september 9, silver medal, South Africa, South American, straight loss, Tobago, Trinidad, United States, Washington, wednesday night, world cup finalsRelated posts
Scotland boss Burley safe for the moment
August 13, 2009
Scotland coach George Burley has been told he won’t be sacked in the aftermath of a 4-0 thrashing by Norway that severely damaged his side’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
Burley’s team were humiliated in Oslo on Wednesday and must now win their final two qualifiers at home to Macedonia and Holland to have a chance of earning a play-off place.
Scotland’s perilous position has increased the pressure on former Ipswich boss Burley, who has won just two of his 10 games in charge of his country.
But Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith, who was jeered by fans in Oslo, told BBC Scotland: “It’s too early to say ‘is there going to be any change?’.
“We have two games and we are still in a position where we can qualify.
“It’s not going to take a miracle, you wouldn’t even say it was improbable. It’s difficult but it’s still there to be done and we have to be positive.”
Scotland are now third in Group Nine behind Macedonia and Holland, who have already qualified in first place.
Smith added: “We always knew we needed six points from three games and now we have just two games remaining and we have Holland to play in our last game.
“The games are at home which is ideal to try and get that play-off position but Holland are such a strong side, they are in good form and their manager has motivated them to win every game.
“But if we want to be in the play-offs, it’s down to ourselves in terms of what we do. We’ve got to beat Macedonia first and then look forward to the big game with Holland.”
Smith admits Burley’s position will come under closer scrutiny from the SFA if Scotland do miss out but until then he wants the coach to focus on the job at hand.
“George was brought in for us to qualify for the 2010 World Cup,” Smith said. “That was his remit, he was given a contract on that basis and therefore we will review his position when we see where we are.
“If we don’t qualify, we’ll have to look at the situation and that would be a board decision.”
GLASGOW (AFP)
Tags: bbc scotland, big game, board decision, coach george, George, george burley, Glasgow, gordon smith, Holland, holland smith, last game, Macedonia, Norway, oslo, perilous position, play offs, qualifying for the world cup, remit, scotland, scotland coach, scrutiny, sfa, strong side, three games, two gamesRelated posts
England just like Brazil, says Lampard
August 8, 2009
England midfielder Frank Lampard believes his international teammates, who have moved confidently to the brink of qualifying for the World Cup finals, would not look out of place playing for Brazil.
The Chelsea man insists that Fabio Capello’s team are serving up football with a flair and style which would not look out of place in Brazil or even European champions Spain.
He added that Brazil would be tempted to buy England players if international rules allowed.
“I think they would,” Lampard said. “I’m certain they would look at some of the players because we’ve got top, top players who perform in Champions League and are some of the best in the world.
“You’re talking about Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand. Those guys could be compared to any player in the world and I’m sure teams like Brazil would want them in their teams.”
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: brazil, brink, champions league, CHELSEA, chelsea man, England, england players, european champions, fabio capello, flair, frank lampard, john terry, london, midfielder, qualifying for the world cup, Rio, rio ferdinand, Spain, Steven Gerrard, teammates, those guys, wayne rooney, world cup finalsRelated posts
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