The road to FIFA World Cup 2010

[Galactus]

Oceanian Zone

10 teams, 0.5 places
The OFC will get the global qualification race underway with a preliminary tournament at the Pacific Games in Samoa. American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu will face off at Faleata's J.S. Blatter Playing Fields Complex between 25 August and 7 September 2007.



The first of the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ produced 33 goals on the opening day of the South Pacific Games in Samoa, with hard-fought wins for New Caledonia and Vanuatu while Fiji and the Solomon Islands went on veritable goal sprees.

Eight of the 10 teams competing in the games' football tournament, which serving as the first stage of Oceania's qualifying competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, made their bow on the first day of a competition which runs through to 7 September. New Caledonia, playing in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time, had the distinction of winning the first match on the long road to South Africa, just edging Tahiti 1-0 in a Francophone derby at the Toleafoa JS Blatter Complex on the outskirts of the Samoan capital Apia.

The match started just five before the meeting between American Samoa and favourites the Solomon Islands and on the second of the two fields at the well-kept complex, built by FIFA as part of the GOAL project. Later, Fiji clobbered Tuvalu 16-0 with a double hat-trick for Osea Vakatalesau while hosts Samoa were beaten 3-0 by Vanuatu.

New Caledonia captain Pierre Wajoka netted the first goal of the qualifiers, this after just nine minutes, slotting home a penalty after Tahiti defence had been caught out by the pace of the speedy Iamel Kabeu, who was brought down inside the area. After 40 minutes, New Caledonian midfielder Jose Hmae was handed his marching orders by New Zealand referee Michael Hester for pushing an opponent in the face, but his side were able to hold on to their slender lead.

"There is a great satisfaction for us with this result," was the verdict of New Caledonian coach Didier Chambaron afterwards. We were very serious and we put in a lot of hard work before, which really paid off."

Solomons cruise, Ott makes history
The Solomon Islands ran in 12 goals against American Samoa, but the vanquished side were delighted with their first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. Commins Menapi scored four, claiming the first hat-trick on the road to South Africa 2010, as the Solomon Islanders enjoyed a routine start to their campaign.

Benjamin Totori and Stanley Waita each scored two more in the rout, which saw the Solomon Islanders lead 5-0 at half-time before going on to register a 12-1 win. "We have a team that can win the goal and that is what we are aiming for," said Airon Andrioli, the Brazilian coach of the Solomon Islands, afterwards.

American Samoa's first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifying goal, meanwhile, came from a second half penalty from Ramin Ott. "I am thrilled with our first ever goal but as a coach to lose so heavily is hard," lamented David Brand, the Englishman in charge of the unfancied outsiders.

American Samoa lost 31-0 in FIFA World Cup record defeat in the 2002 qualifiers to Australia but feel they have made a great deal of improvement, even if their 17-year-old goalkeeper Jordan Penitusi was playing his first-ever game in senior football.

Cahill Snr on target for Samoa
Tuvalu, who are only associate members of FIFA, must have realised that they would be up against it when their own keeper was forced to make his first save after just 12 seconds against Fiji, gold medalists at the last South Pacific Games, which they hosted four years ago. Sure enough, it did not long before the goals came raining in, almost on cue with a brief shower on an otherwise perfect, steamy day in the tropics.

Fiji's highly rated-striker Roy Krishna got the first after six minutes and 18 minutes later had already completed his hat trick. Before half-time, his team-mate Pita Rabo had gone one better and scored four, leaving Fiji 10 goals to the good by half-time, threatening the possibility of bettering Australia's record. Vakatalesau scored five after the break to add the goal he sneaked in just before the half-time whistle but Fiji faded as the game progressed, and missed a myriad of other chances to the relief of Jay Timo, Tuvalu's beleaguered goalkeeper.

Vanuatu, meanwhile, had a tough assignment against the hosts but scored at key junctures of a game in which the 4-0 scoreline flattered them a little. Richard Iwai, Jean Nako Naprapol, Moise Poida and Seule Soromon were their goalscorers.

As for Samoa, they were captained by Chris Cahill, elder brother of the Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, who starred for Australia at last year's FIFA World Cup finals in Germany. The tournament's other participants, the Cook Islands and Tonga, play their first games on Monday.

African Zone

53 teams, 5 places
A two-leg preliminary round comprising five ties will be held in October 2007 to reduce the field to 48 entrants. These matches will be played by the ten African teams ranked lowest in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of July 2007, with the first leg matches taking place on the weekend of 13 October 2007 and the return legs on the weekend of 17 November 2007. The teams will then be drawn into qualifying groups at a ceremony to be held in Durban on 25 November.

Asian Zone

43 teams, 4.5 places
A first preliminary round encompassing all AFC nations save for Australia, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran will start in October 2007. On 6 August 2007, AFC held the draw for the first preliminary round's 19 matches as well as for the matches of the subsequent round, taking into account the teams' respective rankings. As Guam have withdrawn from the competition, Indonesia have received a bye.

The draw for the opening two rounds of Asian Zone qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ took place on Monday at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur. Despite being without the continent's top five teams, who are waiting at the third round stage with a bye, the line-up for the preliminary stages, running from 8 October to 18 November 2007, promise excitement and enthralling football for the 38 teams and fans across Asia.

The draw for the opening two rounds threw up some intriguing pairings. While the newly crowned Asian champions Iraq have been pitted against Pakistan, central Asian power Uzbekistan will cross swords with Chinese Taipei, a team that are 100 places lower in FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking.

Bahrain, who went within a whisker of qualifying for Germany 2006 will open their qualifying campaign against Malaysia. China, determined to make up for their failure to reach the previous FIFA World Cup, square up with neighbours Myanmar in the opening round.

The most enticing pairing is Vietnam against the United Arab Emirates. The UAE, hoping to emulate their feat of 17 years ago when they qualified for world football's showpiece event in Italy, will field a formidable side spearheaded by Ismail Marta. However, Vietnam have recently defeated the west Asians 2-0 at the AFC Asian Cup.

A different format
This preliminary campaign sees Asia employ a different format from the previous editions with its teams battling it out for the 4.5 berths in a four-round qualifying process which takes place between 8 November 2007 and 9 September 2009.

The seeding for all the 43 countries in the Asian Zone is based on the results from the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ and earlier qualifying rounds. As a result, Australia lead a top five that also features Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran.

While the top five teams have a bye until the third round, the remaining 38 teams ranked from 6th to 43rd have to go through a tough knockout opening round, with teams ranked from 6-24 doing battles against those ranked from 25-43.

From the 19 teams that emerge as winners from the opening round, the lowest eight based on the ranking have to lock horns against each other in the second round while the other eleven join the five highest ranked nations in the third round.

The third round sees 20 teams, including the four winners from the previous round, divided into five groups of four with the top two finishers advancing.

Then comes the decisive final round, which sees the last ten split into two groups of five. The top two teams of each group will automatically qualify for South Africa 2010.

The two third placed finishers from each group play in a two-legged home and away play-off. The winners will play the OFC winners in a two legged playoff for a FIFA World Cup berth.

Asian Zone Qualifying
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
First Round
1. Pakistan - Iraq
2. Uzbekistan - Chinese Taipei
3. Thailand - Macau
4. Sri Lanka - Qatar
5. China - Myanmar
6. Bhutan - Kuwait
7. Kyrgyzstan - Jordan
8. Vietnam - UAE
9. Bahrain - Malaysia
10. Timor Leste - Hong Kong
11. Syria - Afghanistan
12. Yemen - Maldives
13. Bangladesh - Tajikistan
14. Mongolia - DPR Korea
15. Oman - Nepal
16. Palestine - Singapore
17. Lebanon - India
18. Cambodia - Turkmenistan
19. Guam - Indonesia

Matches will be played on 8 October 2007 and 28 October 2007.

Second Round
1. Seed 17 - Seed 14
2. Seed 16 - Seed 12
3. Seed 19 - Seed 15
4. Seed 18 - Seed 13

Matches will be played on 9 and 18 November 2007.

Third Round
Matches will be played between 6 February 2008 and 10 September 2008.

Fourth Round
Matches will be played between 15 October 2008 and 9 September 2009.

Seeding
1. Australia, 2. Korea Republic, 3. Saudi Arabia, 4. Japan, 5. Iran, 6. Bahrain, 7. Uzbekistan, 8. Kuwait, 9. DPR Korea, 10. China, 11. Jordan, 12. Iraq, 13. Lebanon, 14. Oman, 15. UAE, 16. Qatar, 17. Syria, 18. Palestine, 19. Thailand, 20. Turkmenistan, 21. Tajikistan, 22. Indonesia, 23. Hong Kong, 24. Yemen , 25. Vietnam, 26. Kyrgyzstan, 27. Maldives, 28. India, 29. Singapore, 30. Sri Lanka, 31. Malaysia, 32. Chinese Taipei, 33. Bangladesh, 34. Macau, 35. Pakistan, 36. Afghanistan, 37. Mongolia, 38. Guam, 39. Nepal, 40. Cambodia, 41. Bhutan, 42. Myanmar, 43. Timor Leste

European Zone

53 teams, 13 places
The European qualifiers get underway in August 2008, after UEFA EURO 2008, with teams playing each other home and away in groups to be drawn at the November ceremony in Durban.

North, Central American and Caribbean Zone

35 teams, 3.5 places
All CONCACAF's member associations have entered the qualifying competition, which starts in February 2008. Three sides will qualify by right for South Africa 2010, with a fourth team going into a play-off with the fifth-place finisher in the CONMEBOL zone.

South American Zone

10 teams, 4.5 places
The qualification format involves a league system with teams playing each other home and away, which will kick off in October 2007. The top four go through by right, with the side finishing fifth going into a play-off with the fourth-placed side from the CONCACAF zone.

 

[Galactus]

Oceanian Zone

Hosts' derby joy on day two(FIFA.com) Tuesday 28 August 2007
Goals were not in such plentiful supply on a more competitive day two of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers in Apia, but there was still plenty for the small crowd in Samoa to enthuse about.

After the net bulged 34 times on the opening day of the South Pacific Games, the eight teams competing in four matches on the second day of competition managed just under half that tally on Monday. Nevertheless, Fiji, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands all won a second game to keep up their hopes of finishing in one of the three medal places at the games, which are being used by the Oceania Football Confederation as the first stage of their South Africa 2010 preliminary competition.

For the locals, however, the best was saved for last as Samoa bounced back from an opening day 4-0 defeat to Vanuatu to secure their first points of the tournament, hammering American Samoa in their derby match-up in the final game of the day. The Samoans won 7-0 against their neighbours, who have now conceded 19 goals in their opening two matches. Among the goalscorers was their captain, Chris Cahill, brother of the Australian international Tim Cahill, who played for the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany last year.

Australia-born Cahill, who chose to play for the country of his mother's birth, scored twice in what was just his second full international. "It's an honour for me and my family to be able to captain the national team," he said. "We showed a great improvement from Saturday, when we were outplayed. We need to have more games like this to gain experience at international level."

Chambaron furious
New Caledonia had a scare in their game against Tuvalu, who put their 16-0 opening day drubbing by Fiji firmly behind them to deliver a feisty showing against the French territory. In the end, it was only a silly mistake from goalkeeper Jay Timo that cost the tiny island nation, whose population is just 7,000-strong.

In an attempt to clear upfield, Timo kicked the ball against the chest of Iamel Kabeu, who watched in delight as it rebounded into the net. Nevertheless, New Caledonia's coach Didier Chambaron was furious with the performance afterwards, describing it as "lamentable".

Though key players had been rested for what was presumed to be a routine clash, Chambaron said: "That should be no excuse. We played with a new team but it was bad. We did not have any respect for our opponents."

Despite their slack showing, New Caledonia moved joint-top of the standings with Fiji, who beat youthful side from the Cook Islands 4-0. Some poor errors cost the Cook Islands as they gave away an early penalty and then saw defender Daniel Shepherd sent off for two bookable offences inside the first 40 minutes.

That allowed Fiji to dictate the game, although they were restricted to just four goals by a physically strong Cook Island side who showed admirable commitment. "They put up a disciplined and spirited performance and that made me very, very pleased," said Cook Islands coach Tim Jerks. Osea Vakatalesau scored Fiji's first goal to take his tournament tally to seven after a double hat-trick on Saturday.

Tournament favourites the Solomon Islands also chalked up a less convincing win than their 12-1 opening day victory over American Samoa, but did enough to cruise past Tonga 4-0. The Solomons' goals came from George Suri, Commins Menapi, Henry Fa'arodo and Alick Maemae. "We had a lot of chances to finish them off but 4-0 was not really satisfactory," captain Menapi told FIFA.com afterwards. "But in the end, it is a win. We have the players to win the gold and if we continue to play the way we want to, we can do it."

Group A
Fiji 2 2 0 0 20 0 6
New Caledonia 2 2 0 0 2 0 6
Tahiti 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Cook Islands 1 0 0 1 0 4 0
Tuvalu 2 0 0 2 0 17 0



Group B
Solomon Islands 2 2 0 0 16 1 6
Vanuatu 1 1 0 0 4 0 3
Samoa 2 1 0 1 7 4 3
Tonga 1 0 0 1 0 4 0
American Samoa 2 0 0 2 1 19 0

 

[Mee]

USA! USA! USA!



If we have another meltdown like last time...

 

[Galactus]

Oceanian Zone

Semi-final line-up takes shape(FIFA.com) Thursday 30 August 2007
New Caledonia became the first side to book their place in the last four as the third round of matches at the South Pacific Games in Samoa ended with five teams left vying for the three available spots alongside New Zealand at the OFC Nations Cup.

The situation appears particularly clear-cut in Group A, where Fiji's grip on second place behind New Caledonia was strengthened further today when Tahiti fell victim to the tournament's biggest shock thus far. Few, certainly, had expected the Tahitians, edged out 1-0 by New Caledonia in their group opener, to encounter any significant problems in inflicting defeat on a Tuvalu side thumped 16-0 by Fiji in the first round of matches.

Yet despite dominating the day's opening encounter, Gerard Kautai's side saw their bid to reach the semi-finals falter thanks to a dramatic late equaliser from Viliamu Sekifu as Tuvalu snatched a 1-1 draw. The result represented a remarkable achievement for the tiny island nation, who showed the same resilience they had displayed in restricting New Caledonia to a 1-0 win just a couple of days after that Fijian humiliation.

Tahiti were virtually encamped in Tuvalu's half for much of the match, but some resolute defending and agile goalkeeping kept the favourites at bay until the stroke of half-time. Even then, it was widely expected that Axel Williams' powerful headed opener in first half injury time would signal the opening of the floodgates after the break, but Tuvalu continued to hold out and, with just two minutes remaining, received their reward when substitute Viliamu Sekifu fired home to spark wild scenes of celebration.

A share of the spoils left both sides five points behind Fiji and eight adrift of New Caledonia, who continued their unspectacular progress with another routine victory over the Cook Islands. The Fijians could yet snatch pole position in Group A, however, as they hold a game in hand over the leaders and also boast a vastly superior goal difference to a side who have made the net bulge on just five occasions compared to their closest rivals' 20.

Nevertheless, New Caledonia, who are competing in FIFA World Cup ™ qualifiers for the first time, comfortably followed up their single-goal wins over Tahiti and Tuvalu by cruising to a 3-0 win over Tim Jerks' Cook Islands, clinching a place in the last four with a game to spare. There was again much for Jerks to be encouraged by in his side's spirited performance, but a double from the impressive Iamel Kabeu and a 50th-minute penalty from Pierre Wajoka quickly put paid to their hopes of pulling off an upset.

Jerks' New Caledonian counterpart, Didier Chamberon, meanwhile, was pleased to see an improvement in his side's attitude. "There was a lot of satisfaction tonight because we played a good match," he said. "This was a very important result because our last match against Tuvalu was very disappointing."

Hosts stay in the running
While Fiji look odds-on to join New Caledonia in advancing from Group A, the battle for semi-final places in Group B is still too close to call with three sides locked on the six-point mark.

Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands remain the favourites, but despite having played a game more than their two rivals, Samoa will simply be delighted to have stayed in the hunt after eking out a tense 2-1 win over Tonga. The picture had appeared bleak for the host nation after a 4-0 opening day defeat to Vanuatu, but after bouncing back in the second round of matches with a 7-0 win over neighbouring American Samoa, they did just enough to see off a tough Tongan outfit today.

The visitors, who performed an impressive 'haka' ahead of the match, certainly gave as good as they got in a keenly-contested first half that remained goalless until the first minute of added time, when Desmond Faaiuaso pounced to spark cheers from the noisy home support.

However, it took just seven minutes of the second period for those same fans to be silenced when Unaloto Feao capitalised on some slack Samoan defending to restore parity. The hosts' woes deepened 10 minutes later when influential captain Chris Cahill picked up a booking that rules him out of their crucial match against the Solomon Islands, leaving coach Falevi Umutaua to wonder if this wasn't to be his side's day.

With seven minutes left, however, and the game ticking down to what would have been a costly draw, Lionel Taylor popped up with a superb turn and shot to win the match for Samoa and send the supporters home happy. "I felt great," said the goal hero. "It was a tough match but I gave the best I could like all the team for Samoa. Tonight, it was very important that the home crowd helped us."

The hosts must be congratulated on keeping the race alive, but there can be no doubt that they remain outsiders to split the Solomon Islands and a Vanuatu side who, in the group's earlier match, dished out an emphatic 15-0 defeat to American Samoa. The basement boys actually succeeded in holding their opponents for the opening 19 minutes, but with half-time approaching and the score at 3-0, a needless red card for captain Terence Sinapati prompted a spectacular collapse.

The main beneficiaries were Francois Sakama, who bagged a hat-trick, Etienne Mermer, who bettered that with four, and half-time substitute Seule Soromon, four of whose five goals came in a frantic final nine minutes. Captain Moise Poida, Anrew Chicirua and Tom Philip Tomake also found the target.

Vanuatu's top-of-the-table duel with the Solomon Islands is now sure to be the highlight of Saturday's fourth round of matches that also sees Tonga face American Samoa, Tuvalu tangle with the Cook Islands, and Fiji attempt to secure a semi-final place against Tahiti.

Group A
New Caledonia 3 3 0 0 5 0 9
Fiji 2 2 0 0 20 0 6
Tahiti 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
Tuvalu * 3 0 1 2 1 18 1
Cook Islands 2 0 0 2 0 7 0



Group B
Vanuatu 2 2 0 0 19 0 6
Solomon Islands 2 2 0 0 16 1 6
Samoa 3 2 0 1 9 5 6
Tonga 2 0 0 2 1 6 0
American Samoa 3 0 0 3 1 34 0

 

[04nbod]

USA! USA! USA!



If we have another meltdown like last time...

yes,the USA has less of a chance than england and we have no chancet:

 

[Kaleb]

Im hoping to make some sweet cash off this, as Im going to be renting out my beach house here in South Africa during the world cup,plus my mom is concidering buying a couple of apartments and renting them out as well for Tourists during the 2010 world cup.

 

[Galactus]

Oceanian Zone

Day four of the South Pacific Games in Samoa brought opening wins for Tonga and the Cook Islands, but the biggest winners were Fiji and the Solomon Islands, both of whom advanced to the semi-finals.

For the former, a 4-0 win over Tahiti was enough to see them join group rivals New Caledonia in the draw for the last four, while a 2-0 win over Vanuatu tournament favourites the Solomons leapfrog their opponents, who will now battle it out with hosts Samoa for the one remaining spot.

The erstwhile impressive Ni-Vanuatu had scored 19 goals without reply in their opening two matches, and the confidence gleaned from those performances was evident during an opening half which saw them comfortably contain their rivals with some neat, composed football at the back.

However, the Solomons remained patient and, within a deadly four-minute period just after the hour-mark, effectively put the outcome beyond doubt. First, Godwin Bebeu popped up to break the deadlock in outrageous style, extravagantly back-heeling the ball beyond Maki Haitong, then Henry Fa'arodo was afforded time and space to clinically seal the win.

Any hopes of a comeback were dashed by a couple of excellent saves from the formidable Fred Hale, although Vanuatu will be consoled by the fact that victory over Tonga in their final match will assure them of advancing ahead of a Samoan side beaten 4-0 in the sides' opening fixture.

The Tongans will certainly hope to put up a better show than they managed yesterday in a drab 4-0 win over American Samoa that represented the basement boys' best result at this year's competition. Despite monopolising possession, Tonga all too often proved toothless in front of goal and it took until the 37th minute for the deadlock to be broken. Even then, it was from the penalty spot that Lafaele Moala fired his side into a lead that was later increased by a Pio Palu brace and a stunning late strike from Kaisani Utatahi.

Cooks' delight as Fiji finish the job
In Group A, Fiji made sure of matching New Caledonia's achievement of qualifying for the semi-finals with a game to spare. Tahiti made a game of it, but they were always likely to be up against it when Taniela Waqa's superb 17th-minute opener was followed 18 minutes later by the dismissal of Stephane Gelima for preventing a Fijian goalscoring opportunity.

Within three minutes of being reduced to 10 men, Tahiti's fate was sealed when Pita Baleitoga side-footed home Fiji's second, and a 4-0 win was later completed by a well-taken double from Osea Vakatalesau.

There was joy, meanwhile, for Tim Jerks' Cook Islands, who won their first points of the 2007 South Pacific Games with a comprehensive 4-1 win over fellow minnows Tuvalu. Jerks, himself a former coach of Tuvalu, had predicted an open and entertaining match, and the fans certainly did not go home disappointed.

In a keenly-contested encounter, the Cook Islands just had the edge over their determined opponents, and moved in front after 28 minutes through a looping header from Teariki Mateariki. The outcome appeared to have been all but settled with 21 minutes remaining when Mateariki double his and his team's tally, but an 83rd-minute own goal from Steve Willis reduced arrears and prompted a frantic finish.

Fortunately for Jerks, his side proved that they had both the fitness and mental strength to flourish, and after Thomas Le Mouton had restored their two-goal advantage with two minutes remaining, Kunda Tom served up arguably the goal of the tournament so far with a wonderful volleyed strike.

Tuvalu and American Samoa now head for home with heads held high, while tomorrow's final round of group matches will see New Caledonia and Fiji face off in Group A, the Cook Islands face Tahiti, and both Samoa and Vanuatu scrap for that final semi-final place against the Solomons and Tonga respectively.

Group A
Fiji 3 3 0 0 24 0 9
New Caledonia 3 3 0 0 5 0 9
Cook Islands 3 1 0 2 4 8 3
Tahiti 3 0 1 2 1 6 1
Tuvalu 4 0 1 3 2 22 1



Group B
Solomon Islands 3 3 0 0 18 1 9
Vanuatu 3 2 0 1 19 2 6
Samoa 3 2 0 1 9 5 6
Tonga 3 1 0 2 5 6 3
American Samoa 4 0 0 4 1 38 0

 

[Galactus]

There was a lot riding on three of the day's four games on matchday of the South Pacific Games in Samoa. In Group A, Fiji and New Caledonia were battling for top spot, while in Group B, there was all to play for as both Samoa and Vanuatu harboured hopes of a place in the semi-finals.

The first games to get underway at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Football Fields in Apia were the Group B matches between Tonga and Vanuatu and Samoa's against the Solomon Islands. Although Vanuatu were favourites to qualify for the final four, Samoa were hoping that they could upset the odds and pull off a famous victory.

Their bid got off to the worst possible start at the Group B winners scored inside the opening 60 seconds. Benjamin Totori created space for himself and unleashed a shot which rippled the back of the net. His second came 36 minutes later, when he was left with the easiest of tap-ins following good work down the left hand side. Despite pushing forward for an equaliser in the second half, it was the Solomons who extended their advantage when substitute Alick Maemae's shot was deflected past Pasi Schwalger.

On the neighbouring pitch, meanwhile, Vanuatu were making light work of Tonga. A first-half hat trick from Seule Soromon, scored within 17 minutes of each other, took his tally to nine in the tournament so far and helped his side to a 4-1 victory. Tonga gave their opponents a brief scare four minutes after the restart when Malakai Savieti pulled one back, but Victor Maleb scored within a minute of his introduction into the game in the 75th minute to make sure there were no last-minute nerves. Samoa, who had enjoyed wins over Tonga and American Samoa, now exit the competition.

Nailbiting draw enough for Fiji
If Tonga's match with Vanuatu produced the most goals today, it was New Caledonia's fixture with Fiji which caused the most interest. With both teams enjoying 100 per cent records going into the match, something had to give. The opening exchanges were played at a fairly sedate pace and although it was Fiji who created the better chances, it was New Caledonia who went into the interval ahead. Pierre Wajoka's tame free-kick 43rd minute was allowed to trickle past a posse of Fiji defenders and found its way into the corner of the net.

After some harsh words from coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti at the break, the Fijians attacked with all guns blazing at the start of the second half, with Malakai Kainihewe's 57th minute header earning them a deserved equaliser. Chances were at a premium for the remainder of the match and with the game ending 1-1, it is Fiji who will meet Vanuatu with the Solomon Islands facing New Caledonia in the semi-finals.

Two teams who had no chance of progressing, namely Cook Islands and Tahiti met in the day's other game. Although only pride and third place was up for grabs, the match was played with a real passion which boiled over on several occasions. Referee Fiti Aimaasu was forced to show three red cards in 13 second half minutes. Amid the sendings off, Temarii Tinorua netted the only goal to grab victory for Tahiti.

Group A
Fiji 4 3 1 0 25 1 10
New Caledonia 4 3 1 0 6 1 10
Tahiti 4 1 1 2 2 6 4
Cook Islands 4 1 0 3 4 9 3
Tuvalu 4 0 1 3 2 22 1



Group B
Solomon Islands 4 4 0 0 21 1 12
Vanuatu 4 3 0 1 23 3 9
Samoa 4 2 0 2 9 8 6
Tonga 4 1 0 3 6 10 3
American Samoa 4 0 0 4 1 38 0

 

[Galactus]

Oceanian Zone

It was a tale of contrasting fortunes at the South Pacific Games Samoa 2007 on Wednesday. Fiji and New Caledonia earned a place at the Gold Medal match and in doing so secured a place at the next stage of Oceanian Zone qualification for South Africa 2010. For Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, however, a winner-takes-all match on Friday will determine whether they win bronze and the right to face New Zealand and the gold and silver winners in the 2008 OFC Nations Cup.

The first game of the day brought a bigger goals tally and more drama than the second. Favourites to go through were the Solomon Islands, who had won all of their four matches in the tournament so far, but they were up against New Caledonia, who shocked the Fijians on Monday by holding them to a 1-1 draw. In a see-saw encounter at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex in Apia, it was the underdogs who eventually had their day, much to the chagrin of the Solomons.

New Caledonia enjoyed the better of the opening stages, with Poulidor Toto rattling the crossbar and forcing a spectacular save from Fred Hale inside the opening ten minutes. It was no surprise, therefore, to see the No18 play a significant role in the game's opening goal, he squared the ball to Iamel Kabeu who thundered a shot into the back of the net.

Six minutes later, the Solomon Islands drew level. Judd Molea's free-kick was met by Henry Fa'arodo whose downward header bounced over Ounemoa. One all was how it stayed until the interval, but the game's third goal - and the Solomons' second - was not long in coming. Two minutes after the restart another Molea free-kick brought another headed goal, this time from Commins Menapi.

New Caledonia grabbed an equaliser in the 54th minute. In a reversal of the first goal, Kabeu fed Toto who fires the ball past Hale's outstretched right arm.

Referee Job Ponis Minan was a busy man in the final stages as he sent off two Solomon Island players for two bookable offences. Alick Maemae was the first to be given his marching orders in the 68th minute, while ten minutes later Gideon Omokirio joined him for an early bath, giving Didier Chambaron's side a significant advantage.

They made it count with the last kick of the game when Yohann Mercier put his side 3-2 ahead, giving them a chance to grab the gold on Friday.

Fiji ease through
It took Fiji 44 minutes to open their account against Vanuatu in the day's other game, but once they had their noses in front, they recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory.

However, with Vanuatu looking the more likely to score in the first half, there was a definite touch of fortune about the Fijians opening goal. It came when Pita Baleitoga's strike from 40-yards deflected off Fedy Vava and spun into the net.

Fiji's advantage was doubled in the 66th minute when Osea Vakatalesau scored his tenth of the tournament from the penalty spot. Three minutes later Roy Krishna took his tally to four when his left-foot finish rocketed past Chikau Mansale.

On Friday, Fiji and New Caledonia will meet in a reprise of the match from two days ago when nothing could separate the sides. Both teams have now made it through to the next stage of FIFA World Cup ™ qualification, but there is still a nervous game ahead of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in order to claim progression and a coveted bronze medal.

African Zone

São Tomé e Príncipe and the Central African Republic will not be taking part in the African qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, after their respective national associations announced on 31 August 2007 that they would not be entering the preliminary competition.

The first round of qualifying was scheduled to feature two-legged ties between the ten African member associations currently lowest in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, a number which includes São Tomé e Príncipe and the Central African Republic. In an effort to maintain the same format for the second round of African Zone qualifiers, and after discussions with the African Football Confederation, FIFA decided to award a first-round bye to the two highest-placed countries in the July 2007 edition of the rankings. Swaziland and Seychelles, who share 147 th spot, are the two beneficiaries.

As a consequence of this reshuffle, the opponents of the two teams to be given a bye will face now each other for a second-round berth. Somalia and Djibouti, who were set to play Swaziland and Seychelles over two legs, will instead play a one-off qualifying match on 17 November.

After the withdrawals of São Tomé e Príncipe and the Central African Republic, there will now be only three first-round ties rather than the five initially scheduled.

First round of African Zone qualification matches
Madagascar - Comoros (first leg - 13 October 2007, Second leg - 17 November 2007)
Sierra Leone - Guinea Bissau (first leg - 14 October 2007, second leg - 17 November 2007)
Djibouti - Somalia (single match play-off in Djibouti, 17 November 2007)

 

[Galactus]

To Vanuatu the valuable prize of a place in the next round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, to New Caledonia the glory of being crowned champions at the South Pacific Games. But for the Solomon Islands, favourites to emerge winners when eight teams started out at the Samoa event 12 days ago, only a deep depression today after their defeat in the third place play-off denied them the chance to take part along with the gold, silver and bronze medal winners in the next round of the Oceanian Zone qualifying campaign.

New Caledonia were already assured of their participation in the October event, in which New Zealand will also take part, having reached today's final. These are exciting times for the country who have only been FIFA members for three years and who were making their FIFA World Cup debut. Now, following a dramatic victory over the Solomon Islands in Wednesday's semi-final, it reached a new high with the 1-0 defeat of a Fijian side who had finished ahead of them in Group A by virtue of scoring far more goals (25 compared to six).

The encounter at the Toleafoa J.S. Blatter Complex in Apia, hinged on the 61st minute when Fiji failed to clear a free-kick allowing Jose Hmae, one of only two overseas-based players in New Caledonia's squad, to fire home to the delight of his team-mates and coach Didier Chambaron.

In teeming rain, Chambaron's team had started well and Adolphe Boaoutho forced Simione Tamanisau to make a stretching save to his right early on from 30 yards, the goalkeeper trapping the ball against the upright. When Tamanisau failed to hold a cross from Yohann Mercier, the player who gave his team that thrilling 3-2 victory over Solomon Islands with the last touch of the semi-final, Iamel Kabeu, was handed his first opportunity to score but lashed wide.

Osea Vakatalesau was allowed to run through as Fiji hit back but Marc Ounemoa saved well to his right. New Caledonia always looked the most likely team, however, with Adolphe Boaoutho beating four players and shooting just too high while Pierre Wajoka also came close.

Fiji gave it their all having gone behind and only an acrobatic clearance off the line by George Wadenges kept the lead intact. In added time New Caledonia's goal was put under sustained pressure, but they held on to celebrate a fifth gold medal at the South Pacific Games and take revenge for their 2-0 defeat against hosts Fiji in the last tournament four years ago.

Chambaron said: "This is a great feeling, we were very strong in defence and played the game in the right way, I am very pleased."

Bronze medal, coveted passage
In the earlier game it was a goal in first-half injury time from Seule Soromon that put Vanuatu on their way to the valuable bronze medal. It became 2-0 early in the second half when Francois Sakama scored with a superb volley.

A clear route back into the contest then opened up for the Islanders when Benjamin Totori blasted a drive into the defensive ranks and won a penalty for hand-ball. However, Chikau Mansale guessed correctly and denied Commins Menapi a reply.

It nearly got worse for Solomon Islands as David Taro was forced to clear off the line. They were then denied in the same fashion as Godwin Bebeu headed sharply following a Judd Molea corner, only for Derek Malas to come up with the rescue on the line.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

America needs to take Soccer more seriously,they were brushed asside like nothing in the last Cup.

 

[Argyle of Sock]

The US Women's team is quite good, though. Look at this record:

World Cup
1991 - Champions
1995 - 3rd place
1999 - Champions
2003 - 3rd place

Olympics
1996 - Gold
2000 - Silver
2004 - Gold

Actually I'm inclined to believe that if there were a match between the US Men's and US Women's teams, the women would wail all over the men. t:

 

[Galactus]

Asian Zone

Bhutan have decided to withdraw from the Asian qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, as they cannot fulfill their fixture with Kuwait in October.

Their decision comes just less than two weeks after São Tomé e Príncipe and the Central African Republic pulled out of the African Zone preliminaries.

Bhutan, who were seeded 41st in the Asian Zone, were due to their opponents in a two legged clash, but now Kuwait will receive a bye for the next round.

Guam are the other team who have withdrawn from continent's qualification series, with Indonesia progressing to Round 2 by default.

 

[Addendum]

Go Deutschland!! t:

 

[Mr. Thing]

Here's hoping Scotland can qualify, we have the ability, after all, we beat France last night and we're top of our table for Euro.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

Will the United States enter?Some of that information made me reconsider,but they still have plenty against them.

 

[Addendum]

If the U.S. does qualify, they won't go past the second round in the world cup

 

[DBella]

Here's hoping Scotland can qualify, we have the ability, after all, we beat France last night and we're top of our table for Euro.

Congrats to Scotland for defeating France! I was hoping that'd happen.

Btw, shouldn't this be in the other football thread since it's not World Cup related?

Also... Forza Azzurri!!! (Just had to do it. )

 

[DBella]

The US Women's team is quite good, though. Look at this record:

World Cup
1991 - Champions
1995 - 3rd place
1999 - Champions
2003 - 3rd place

Olympics
1996 - Gold
2000 - Silver
2004 - Gold

Actually I'm inclined to believe that if there were a match between the US Men's and US Women's teams, the women would wail all over the men. t:

That's what I've been saying for the longest time. I'd totally pay to see that match.

 

[Mr. Thing]

Congrats to Scotland for defeating France! I was hoping that'd happen.

Btw, shouldn't this be in the other football thread since it's not World Cup related?

Also... Forza Azzurri!!! (Just had to do it. )

Yeah it probably should be...we should ressurect it! It must be miles back.

I just had to put it somewhere. I'm so happy...this could potentially be the greatest Scotland win of all time.

And oh yeah, last game, Scotland v. Italy...we'll give you a good run for your money at home. We're pretty much the best team in the world when we're at home.

 

[Galactus]

Upcoming games in October and November:

08/10/07 Vietnam United Arab Emirates
08/10/07 Yemen Maldives
08/10/07 Timor-Leste Hong Kong
08/10/07 Bangladesh Tajikistan
08/10/07 Thailand Macau
08/10/07 Syria Afghanistan
08/10/07 Palestine Singapore
08/10/07 Lebanon India
08/10/07 Oman Nepal
11/10/07 Cambodia Turkmenistan
13/10/07 Uzbekistan Chinese Taipei
13/10/07 16:00 Colombia Brazil
13/10/07 16:30 Uruguay Bolivia
13/10/07 17:40 Argentina Chile
13/10/07 17:50 Ecuador Venezuela
13/10/07 20:00 Peru Paraguay
14/10/07 14:30 Madagascar Comoros
14/10/07 16:30 Sierra Leone Guinea-Bissau
15/10/07 Macau Thailand
16/10/07 20:40 Venezuela Argentina
17/10/07 16:00 Bolivia Colombia
17/10/07 18:10 Paraguay Uruguay
17/10/07 19:10 Chile Peru
17/10/07 21:45 Brazil Ecuador
18/10/07 Kyrgyzstan Jordan
21/10/07 China PR Myanmar
21/10/07 Mongolia Korea DPR
21/10/07 Bahrain Malaysia
21/10/07 Sri Lanka Qatar
22/10/07 Pakistan Iraq
26/10/07 Afghanistan Syria
28/10/07 Iraq Pakistan
28/10/07 Maldives Yemen
28/10/07 Jordan Kyrgyzstan
28/10/07 Hong Kong Timor-Leste
28/10/07 Turkmenistan Cambodia
28/10/07 Chinese Taipei Uzbekistan
28/10/07 Korea DPR Mongolia
28/10/07 Myanmar China PR
28/10/07 India Lebanon
28/10/07 Malaysia Bahrain
28/10/07 United Arab Emirates Vietnam
28/10/07 Singapore Palestine
28/10/07 Tajikistan Bangladesh
28/10/07 Qatar Sri Lanka
28/10/07 Nepal Oman
16/11/07 16:00 Djibouti Somalia
17/11/07 Paraguay Ecuador
17/11/07 Argentina Bolivia
17/11/07 Peru Brazil
17/11/07 Colombia Venezuela
17/11/07 Uruguay Chile
17/11/07 15:00 Comoros Madagascar
17/11/07 16:30 Guinea-Bissau Sierra Leone
20/11/07 Chile Paraguay
20/11/07 Ecuador Peru
20/11/07 Venezuela Bolivia
20/11/07 Brazil Uruguay
20/11/07 Colombia Argentina

 

[Iceman]

Actually I'm inclined to believe that if there were a match between the US Men's and US Women's teams, the women would wail all over the men. t:

Haha

 

[Mee]

The men would win, easy.

 

[kane9321]

the american women's team would crush the mens team..uncle sam's army baby

 

[Galactus]

Goals galore in Asian qualifiers(FIFA.com)
Tuesday 9 October 2007
Traditionally, Asia's FIFA World Cup preliminaries could always be relied upon to serve up some big victories and so it was in the first round of qualifying for South Africa 2010, with five of Monday's eight first leg ties ending in emphatic wins.

Thailand were the biggest victors, beating Macau 6-1, however it was their regional neighbours Singapore who stole the show with a surprisingly convincing 4-0 victory away to Palestine. Having lost to the same side by a solitary goal in a 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifying match last year, Singapore were by no means favourites at Doha's Al Rayyan Sports Club Stadium, but the Lions moved in front a minute before the break through Shi Jiayi, who went on to double the lead only eight minutes into the second half. John Wilkinson then made it 3-0 on 73 minutes before Noh Alam Shah scored four minutes from time to seal the shock win.

The resounding win puts Singapore in a strong position to progress to the second round, while the qualifying task for Palestine, despite being known for their resilience and never-say-die spirit, now looks to be mission improbable. The west Asians will, after all, need to better Singapore's margin of victory when they are entertained in the return leg on 28 October.

Aside from the result, Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic was happy that his side were able to avoid serious injury during the match, although the experienced Serbian warned his players to "take good care of themselves" when they returned to their clubs ahead of the return meeting.

Vietnam tumble as west Asians celebrate
While Thailand and Singapore cruised to big wins, the team widely considered to be Asia's emerging force, Vietnam, suffered a 1-0 home defeat to United Arab Emirates. This came as a massive disappointment to the Vietnamese, particularly coming with the memory still fresh of their memorable 2-0 win over UAE en route the Asian Cup quarter-finals as co-hosts.

Playing in front of their adoring fans, the home side attacked from the off but their visitors, under Frenchman Bruno Metsu, soaked up the first pressure and hit back in the second half, their efforts paying off with 12 minutes remaining when Basheer Saeed silenced the 33,000-strong home crowd with the game's only goal.

Joining UAE in celebrating opening victories were fellow west Asian nations Syria and Yemen, who registered identical 3-0 wins over Maldives and Afghanistan respectively.

There was also a three-goal winning margin for Lebanon as their eagerly-anticipated match against India turned into a surprisingly lop-sided affair. Having lifted the Nehru Cup with an historic 1-0 final win over Syria in August, India's English coach Bob Houghton had expressed confidence that his team would not return from Beirut empty-handed as they faced up to a Lebanon team he believed to be no better than Syria.

Initially, Houghton's bullish attitude appeared justified when Sunil Chetri put India in front on the half-hour mark, but the visiting side's joy lasted for only five minutes, with Lebanon's German-based Roda Antar quick to level matters. Cheered on by their passionate home support, Lebanon subsequently gained a stranglehold on the match after the break, sealing victory with a three-goal burst inside the space of 14 minutes.

Elsewhere, Oman secured a 2-0 home win against Nepal in which Fauzi Basheer opened the scoring after only five minutes and victory was assured by a Hassan Mudaffar penalty 17 minutes later. The only draw came in Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium, where Bangladesh held Tajikistan 1-1.

The remainder of the first leg matches will now be played from 11 to 22 October, with the decisive second legs scheduled for 28 October.

2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers, Asian Zone, first round first leg
October 8
Syria 3 - 0 Afghanistan
Bangladesh 1 - 1 Tajikistan
Lebanon 4 - 1 India
Oman 2 - 0 Nepal
Palestine 0 - 4 Singapore
Thailand 6 - 1 Macau
Vietnam 0 - 1 United Arab Emirates
Yemen 3 - 0 Maldives Republic

Forthcoming first leg fixtures:
11 October
Cambodia-Turkmenistan

13 October
Uzbekistan-Chinese Taipei

18 October
Kyrgyzstan-Jordan

21 October
Bahrain-Malaysia
China PR-Myanmar
Mongolia-Korea DPR
Sri Lanka-Qatar
Timor Leste-Hong Kong

22 October
Pakistan-Iraq