The rest of the qualifiers

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Albania hold on for the no score draw.

And Albania playing with ten men for the last 50 minutes.

Let me say it again-- PoROFLMGDMFCSSOBAOtugaLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Once more, with feeling: group tables

[RG30]

Very dissapointing result for Poland. From what I saw (55mins +) Poland were comfortable at 1-0, Ebi's goal was onside before Boruc made an absolute howler. Long throw in, he's misjudged the bounce and has spilled it for the Slovak striker to tap in. Seconds later we're 2-1 down. I suspect we won't have heard the last of this game with major crowd disturbances between the Poles and the Police, given it's the Slovakian's nothing surprises me. Dissapointing result, 7 points from 4 games.

[LUX]

Lux got a point (at home to Moldova, nil-nil ) The local press seem happy.

That's four points in a fairly open group.

[bobbybottler]

Anyone know if Makan Hislop (who came on as a sub for T&T in their victory against USA last night) is any relation to Shaka?

[papereyes]

Anyone know if Makan Hislop (who came on as a sub for T&T in their victory against USA last night) is any relation to Shaka?

Related but not father-son.

Tobago-born defender Makan Hislop wants to live up to his father’s expectations of being the “next Hislop” to be on the National Team and subsequently go on to play in a World Cup.
The former 2001 National Under 17 player and captain of the National Under 21 team was recently invited to attend a training camp in South Carolina but had to withdraw at the last moment after his father William Hislop passed away due to kidney failure. However, the T&T coaching staff kept faith in young Hislop and subsequently invited him for training among 41 other players last month and the towering defender proved his worth to head coach Wim Rijsbergen to seal a spot in the 22-man squad named to contest the Digicel Caribbean Cup starting on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“When I got the invitation for the camp in South Carolina, I had to sit it out because my dad passed away and I had to rush back home for funeral. That was not easy for me but these things happen and I have had to gain strength and move on. Coming to this recent camp comes as a second chance for me not just as a footballer but generally as a person,” Hislop told TTFF Media on Tuesday.
“Now I want to do it for him (father) because he was the driving force for me as a youngster coming up. He would wake me up early for training and he would be the one to say that I had to be the next Hislop playing for Trinidad and Tobago. He;s not here to see me play for the team but I know he’s proud that I got selected so I’m happy in that regard. Now I want to go on…” added the ex-Signal Hill Senior Comprehensive player who is a relative of the T&T goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.

[papereyes]

Anyone interested in South America?

Chile beat Argentina - goal at mightyfootball.com
Brazil drew to Colombia

Qualifying positions taken by Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile (Uruguay).

[RG30]

Nasty clash of heads in the Chile Argentina match, play held up for 7 minutes. Robinho stretchered off in the Brazil game, doubt for next Monday's tie at Newcastle.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Torres and Babel injury doubts for Liverpuddle this weekend after Spain's win away to Belgium.

CONMEBOL --10 matches played, 8 to go
Paraguay 23
Brazil 17
Argentina 16
Chile 16
Uruguay 13
Ecuador 12
Colombia 11
Venezuela 10
Bolivia 9
Peru 7

Top 4 to South Africa; #5 to play off over two legs w/CONCACAF #4 of the its final group of six. Speaking of which...

CONCACAF semifinal round --5 of 6 matches played; top 2 in each group to final hexagonaLOL
Group One: Cuba 2-1 Guatemala; T&T 2-1 United States
Status: States already advanced and experimenting; devastating loss for Guate to no-hopers Cuba, who were eliminated by T&T's win
T&T on 8 pts/-1 GD, Guate 5 pts/0; T&T have to like the final day's matchups, with even a skeleton USA side tough to beat at home
Final day matchups: T&T v. Cuba, States v. Guate

Group Two: Jamaica 1-0 Honduras; Canada 2-2 Mexico
Status: Jamaica another massive win to stay alive on 7 pts/-3; Mexico on 10/+4 and all but safely moved on; Honduras on 9pts/+3; Canada already out
Ignoring wild scenarios, Jamaica must win and Honduras must lose in order for Jamaica to advance
Final day matchups: Honduras v. Mexico, Jamaica v. Canada

Group Three: Costa Rica 2-0 Haiti; El Salvador 3-0 Suriname
Status: El Salvador into the final hex with their win; CR already in and have a perfect record; Haiti and Suriname eliminated
Final day matchups: Suriname v. Haiti, El Salvador v. Costa Rica

So in sum: States, Costa Rica, El Slavador safely into the final hex; T&T sitting pretty; Mexico all but there; Honduras or Jamaica will round it out
Matchday #6 on Wednesday 19th November
Top 3 finishers in final hex to South Africa; #4 to play off over two legs w/CONMEBOL #5

[earleyroyal]

Anyone interested in South America?

Chile beat Argentina - goal at mightyfootball.com
Brazil drew to Colombia

Qualifying positions taken by Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile (Uruguay).

Got those two games recorded. Expecting some filthy tackles and passing moves that put the Premiership to shame.

Why are Argentina so shit at the moment? Only won 1 in 7 qualifiers if memory serves me well. Messi, Aguero, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Burdisso...even though the group is competitive surely they should be winning most games in it.

[papereyes]

4 wins out of 10 and that was their second loss.

I have a feeling that Chile are over-achieving and have a solid home record.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Both of the preceding are correct --won their first three, then 1-4-2 over their last seven.

I'm sure there are some sound explanations for what's up with Argentina, but y'all know how it is in qualifying --ain't as easy as it looks on paper. Remember Windsor Park, laboring to beat Azerbaijan at home, nil draw w/Macedonia at OT, etc. States barely made the final hexagonaLOL last time after getting a bad draw for the semifinal round and only survived thanks to nicking late, late 1-all draws on the road in countries whose entire populations could fit comfortably into NYC's housing stock with room to spare.

[soggy biscuit]

Alfio Basile has resigned.