Resurgent Mexico upends Honduras

September 10, 2009

MEXICO CITY – Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored the game’s only goal on a 75th minute penalty as Mexico defeated Honduras 1-0 in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier Wednesday at the Estadio Azteca.

The win was the fourth consecutive for El Tri, as it now holds sole possession of second place with 15 points. The United States (16 points) assumed the top spot thanks to a 1-0 victory over host Trinidad & Tobago earlier in the evening, while Honduras (13 points) dropped from first place to third. Costa Rica (12 points) remains in fourth despite a 1-0 loss at El Salvador.

The top three teams automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa, while the fourth-place team faces a playoff against the fifth-place team from South America.

Mexico controlled large portions of the first half, creating many valid scoring opportunities.

In the 7th minute, Efrain Juarez had a good chance, but his attempt from a corner-kick sailed over the crossbar.
Jonny Magallon and Blanco each had shots go wide of the post in the 15th and 21st minutes, respectively, while a rocket from Andres Guardado glanced the crossbar in the 25th minute.

Miguel Sabah, the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup’s leading scorer, had a 32nd minute shot from inside the area saved by Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares goalkeeper.

Seven minutes later, the Morelia forward went wide, when he should have done better with a shot that had Valladares beat.

Honduras gave the impression that it was content to absorb the Mexican pressure in the second half, perhaps hoping to take the first visiting point from Mexico City in 2010 World Cup qualifying.

Despite that tactic, Emilio Izaguirre forced Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa into two outstanding saves in the 52nd and 53rd minutes.

The 2009 Gold Cup champion kept advancing, though, as a willing, but somewhat static, Honduran defense became increasingly vulnerable.

With 20 minutes remaining, the Catrachos paid the price for their conservative approach. Maynor Figueroa knocked over Mexico’s Giovani Dos Santos in the penalty area, leaving referee Courtney Campbell no choice but to point toward the spot.

Blanco, who plays for the Chicago Fire of the USA’s Major League Soccer, converted the penalty for his 37th goal for Mexico.

An injury-time caution issued to Amado Guevara means that the Honduran captain will miss his team’s next game against the USA on October 10. Mexico, which is 8-0-0 at home in qualifying, will host El Salvador the same day.

Source

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Brazil leads qualifying, Argentina defeated

June 11, 2009

RECIFE, Brazil (AFP) – Robinho scored in the 40th minute and Nilmar netted the winner in the 49th as Brazil seized sole possession of first place in South American 2010 World Cup qualifying by beating Paraguay 2-1.

Paraguay shared the qualifying table lead with Brazil entering Wednesday’s showdown and grabbed a 1-0 in the 25th minute on an own goal by Brazil’s Elano before the five-time World Cup champions battled back for the victory.

Other matches saw host Ecuador upset Argentina 2-0, Chile rise to second in the table with a 4-0 romp over visiting Bolivia, Venezuela and Uruguay play to a 2-2 draw and host Colombia blank qualifying doormat Peru 1-0.

The results left Brazil (7-1 with six drawn) atop the table on 27 points, one more than Chile (8-4 with two drawn) and three ahead of Paraguay (7-4 with three drawn) after the 14th of 18 rounds of matches.

Despite the defeat, Argentina (6-4-4) held onto the fourth and final guaranteed World Cup qualifying spot on 22 points, two points ahead of Ecuador (5-4 with five drawn) and four atop Uruguay (4-4 with six drawn).

The four top teams advance to next year’s global football showdown in South Africa. The fifth-place finisher faces a playoff against the fourth-place team from North American qualifying to decide a World Cup 2010 berth.

Colombia and Venezuela were level on 17 points, one back of Uruguay, with Bolivia on 12 and one-win Peru eliminated from any chance at qualifying for the World Cup.

In Quito, Ecuador pulled nearer Diego Maradona’s squad thanks to goals from Walter Ayovi in the 72nd minute and Pablo Palacios in the 84th.

Manchester United standout Carlos Tevez of Argentina was denied by Argentine-born Ecuador goalkeeper Marcelo Elizaga on a penalty kick in the 29th minute, summing up a night of high-altitude frustrations for Argentina.

At Santiago, Chile stayed within one point of the lead by routing Bolivia. Jean Beausejour found the net in the 43rd minute while Marco Estrada followed in the 73rd and Alexis Sanchez added insurance markets in the 77th and 88th minutes.

Uruguay could have moved ahead of Ecuador on goal difference for the fifth spot with a victory at Venezuela but settled for a draw that kept them tight on the heels of qualifying.

Giancarlo Maldonado’s goal in the ninth minute gave the hosts a half-time lead but Luis Suarez leveled in the 60th minute and Diego Forlan but Uruguay on top in the 73rd.

Just three minutes later, Jose Manuel Rey found the net with the equalizer and neither club could break the deadlock.

Colombia’s Radamel Falcao Garcia scored in the 25th minute to seal Peru’s fate.

South American qualifying resumes September 5 with Brazil at Argentina the headline clash. Chile will entertain Venezuela while the Uruguayans visit Peru, Ecuador travels to Colombia and Paraguay will play host to Bolivia.

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Neville aims for England milestone

May 25, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Gary Neville is on the verge of becoming England’s most-capped full-back after being handed a surprise call-up by Fabio Capello for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Manchester United star Neville will compete with Portsmouth’s Glen Johnson for the right-back slot in Capello’s team despite spending most of the season on the sidelines at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to play Neville in Sunday’s win at Hull, where the United boss fielded a mostly reserve team, showed the veteran is no longer regarded as a first choice.

And the 34-year-old, who made his last appearance for England against Spain in 2007, must have feared his international career was over after an injury-ravaged last two years.

But, just like his long-time friend David Beckham, Neville has been deemed worthy of a recall.

And, if he is picked for either match in next month’s World Cup double-header against Kazakhstan and Andorra, he will equal Kenny Sansom’s record for a full-back of 86 caps and would take sole possession of the record with appearances in both matches.

Indeed, as Capello would not have picked Neville if he did not believe he could make a meaningful contribution beyond two matches England should win to take maximum points from their first seven matches in Group Six, the 34-year-old could well end up getting somewhere close to the century mark before he does eventually call a halt to his international career.

That Capello chose to draft in someone with so much experience suggests the time for untested rookies to be utilised before the World Cup finals themselves in South Africa next summer is drawing to a close.

Manchester City are represented in the form of Wayne Bridge and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was supposed to have been ruled out with a knee injury, only for Blues boss Mark Hughes to discover the problem was not so bad after all.

Jermain Defoe returns after a three-match absence, while Theo Walcott is fit for international duty after dislocating his shoulder in training prior to the friendly win over Germany in Berlin last November.

It is the goalkeeping department where Capello has most to worry about, although even here he has gone for the tried and tested as first and second choices David James and Ben Foster have been ruled out with shoulder and thumb injuries respectively.

West Ham’s Robert Green has emerged as first-choice despite winning just two caps, both as a second-half substitute in friendly matches.

And with Joe Hart ruled out on form grounds after losing his place at Manchester City to Shay Given, Paul Robinson, who won the last of his 41 caps in the catastrophic European Championship defeat in Russia in October 2005, is recalled along with Scott Carson, who has just been relegated with West Brom.