World Cup Qualification - Round 2 Preview

All of the Home Nations as well as the Republic of Ireland are in action over the incoming days in crucial qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup set to be staged in Russia. Wales and Republic Of Ireland are in action tonight, with the former travelling to Austria and the latter hosting Georgia. Northern Ireland and Scotland host San Marino and Lithuania respectively, while England welcome minnows, Malta to Wembley Arena on Saturday.

Austria v Wales

The Austrians were largely tipped as potential dark horses in Euro 2016, but failed to live up to the hype as they crashed out in the group stages, recording losses against Iceland and Hungary. Both sides have not met since 2013, when Wales recorded a 2-1 home win in a friendly match. The last five matches have been tight, Austria recording 3 victories to Wales' 2. With Wales defeating Georgia 4-0 in the previous match, Chris Coleman's men sit ahead of their opponents on goal difference, compared to Austria's 2-1 win over Georgia.

A difficult challenge lies in wait for the Red Dragons, particularly as Aaron Ramsey is still injured with Jonny Williams, Danny Ward and Simon Church joining the Arsenal midfielder on the injury list. Still feeding off the momentum of a superb Euros, Wales have the confidence to return home with a good result.

Prediction: Draw

Republic of Ireland v Georgia

Keeping with the Group D theme, Ireland face a side whom they defeated twice in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. An Aidan McGeady wonder strike stole the points for the Irish when the sides met in Tbilisi while Jonathon Walters netted at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. A 2-2 draw with Serbia in round 1 leaves Ireland behind Wales and Austria while Georgia's 2-1 loss against Austria leaves them pointless. The Georgians have never won a point against the home side, Ireland winning 7 from 7 games, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Despite a lengthy injury list for Martin O'Neill, the team will be given a boost after James McCarthy was declared fit to play. RoI are always a different side to face at home - just ask Germany - and it should be a mandatory 3 points for the home side.

Prediction: Republic of Ireland by 2 goals.

Northern Ireland v San Marino

Ahead of a tough game against Germany on Tuesday, Michael O'Neill will be looking to come through the clash with San Marino unscathed. The visitors have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games, against Lithuania shipping 22 in the process, including a 10-0 romp against Croatia. NI faced San Marino in the 2010 World Cup qualification, winning with an aggregate scoreline of 7-0. David Healy, Grant McCann, Kyle Lafferty and Steven Davis netted in the home leg, while Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt added to another McCann goal in the away leg.

Despite the withdrawals of Liam Boyce and Craig Cathcart, Northern Ireland will be expected to win this convincingly. With a crunch match against Germany coming into view, Northern Ireland cannot risk any more injuries.

Prediction: Northern Ireland by 3 goals.

Scotland v Lithuania

A disappointing Euro 2016 qualifying campaign left Scotland the only British side not at the tournament. With an easier group this year, Gordon Strachan will be hoping to finally end his wait  for an outing to a major competition. These sides have met on 4 previous occasions in Euro 2008 and 2012 qualifiers with Scotland winning 3 matches. Their opponents earned a respectable draw against Slovenia in the opening game week, despite a late Bostjan Cesar header denying them all three points. The Lithuanians have never qualified for a major tournament since they split from the Soviet Union.

The withdrawal of Alan Hutton is the only injury concern for Strachan, due to a calf injury picked up in training on Monday. Regardless, Scotland will be expected to add to their 3 points picked up in game week one with a win at home.

Prediction: Scotland by 2.

England v Malta.

After recovering from the embarrassment surrounding the case of Sam Allardyce, England have no greater opportunity to put in a confident performance against group minnows, Malta. Both sides have only met on three other occasions, but haven't met since a friendly in the build up to Euro 2000 and before that faced off in 1971. A 5-1 defeat against Scotland was not the way they wanted to open their campaign and the Maltese side are expected to be propping up the rear of the table come the end of the qualifying phase.

New boss Gareth Southgate has had to deal with the injuries to Glen Johnson and Raheem Sterling with Michael Keane and Andros Townsend being drafted in as replacements. No matter what team England put out they will be expected and should beat Malta with ease.

Prediction: England by 5.

Home Nations at Euro 2016

For the first time in European Championship history, three of the four teams defined as the Home Nations have made it to the Euros, with the addition of the Republic of Ireland. With many from the British Isles set to be glued to their TV over the next few weeks, how will we all get on?

Northern Ireland

Qualified as group winners, this will be Northern Ireland's first ever appearance at the Euros and first at a major competition since 1986. Their unbeaten result against Slovakia in the last warm up game sees Michael O'Neill's men come into the tournament on form, having not lost a match in 12, with no other side matching this feat. Placed in a group with Poland, Germany and Ukraine, the current holders of the now defunct British Home Championship, could have had an easier group but the quality will not phase the Ulstermen having beaten Russia and Greece as well as matching Portugal over the last few years, write off Northern Ireland at your peril.

Key Player

While Kyle Lafferty provided the main source of goals for Northern Ireland in qualifying, their talisman is without a doubt Southampton's Steven Davis. A Northern Irish stalwart over the years it was fitting that he was to score two of the goals to send his team to the competition. The captain featured in all qualifying games bar the 2-0 defeat to Romania in Bucharest. All of Northern Ireland's attacking threat comes through the County Antrim man and Davis will have to replicate the same form he has showed over the past year if Northern Ireland have any ambitions of getting out of the group.

Predicted Finish

With only 8 teams going out at the group stage, four points could be enough to send Northern Ireland through to the knock-out games. They will fancy themselves against Ukraine and will aim to soak up pressure from the Germans and Polish attacks before hitting them on the break. I fancy Northern Ireland to get out of the group. If they finish second, it gives them a tie against Romania, a perfect opportunity to carry out some revenge however this is unlikely. I predict Northern Ireland to scrape through in third spot and, depending on the draw, to exit at the first knock-out round.

England

The only side in the tournament to qualify with 10 wins, England have been placed in a group with Wales as well as Russia and Slovakia. England will be expected to top the group and in doing so, would open up many possibilities with having to face a third place side in the first knock-out round. As always with the English side there has been debates about the personnel chosen to represent England with Premier League winner, Danny Drinkwater being omitted from the 23-man squad in favour of Jack Wilshere. England massively underperformed at the last World Cup so will be hoping to make amends in Euro 2016.

Key Player

Unlike with the other nations, it was difficult to single out a key player in the English ranks. Record goal scorer, Wayne Rooney, topped the scoring charts in qualifying with 7, and has competition from Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy who netted 25 and 24 Premier League goals this season respectively. As captain it is unlikely that Rooney will be benched so it will be critical where he is played. Rumours have been circulating that Roy Hodgson will opt for a 4-4-2 diamond, incorporating Kane and Vardy up front with Rooney in behind, while dropping Rooney into midfield has also been discussed. Rooney has been criticised in the past for poor performances at major competitions so he will be aiming to prove the doubters wrong.

Predicted Finish
Expectations in the build-up to the tournament have been surprisingly low from English fans and can probably be attributed to the failings in 2014. England are likely to do better than Wales, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland, but a lot will hinge on the the decisions made by Roy Hodgson. For Hodgson, he will have to make bold decisions and will likely come under fierce criticism from the English media if they are unsuccessful. I do expect England to top their group and they will be confident of defeating their opponents in the first knockout round providing there are no shocks. While England are a good side, they are not suitable contenders yet and an exit at the quarter finals looks likely.

Wales

Having successfully qualified for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, Wales will be relishing the prospect of taking on their old foes in the shape of England. They had an excellent qualifying campaign in a tricky group which included a very good win over Belgium at home and a draw away. Their only blemish was a 2-0 defeat at Bosnia and Herzegovina in the penultimate game. Despite being the first manager since Jimmy Murphy to guide his country to a major tournament, Coleman holds the unwanted record of being the first Welsh manager to lose in his first five games. Like Northern Ireland, the Welsh faithful will be happy to be at competition however the players will harbour ambitions of leaving their mark on the tournament.

Key Player

Real Madrid Galactico Gareth Bale fired his country to the Euros with 7 goals in qualifying and undoubtedly holds the key to their success in the competition. With 19 international goals at the age of 26, it looks almost certain that Bale will surpass the Welsh record currently held by Ian Rush (28). Not only does Bale have excellent dribbling and lightning pace, he is also renowned as one of the best players in the world and this will also attract the attention of opposition managers, who will attempt to mark him out of the game therefore leaving space for some of his team mates. If Bale is on form, then Wales have every chance of getting out of the group.

Predicted Finish

Coleman does have some cause for concern after a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sweden in their last warm up match. While they will want to win all of their matches, the English tie will be the one that will attract the most attention. They kick off their campaign against Slovakia on Saturday, before the crunch match against England on June 16th and the final game against Russia on June 20th. If Wales can clinch that second spot, they will face a knock-out round tie against the runners up of Group F, consisting of Portugal, Iceland, Austria and Hungary, all who are very beatable. I predict an exit in the first knock-out round for Wales.

Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland had the toughest qualifying group out of all of the mentioned teams, but one they were able to navigate. The biggest highlight was undoubtedly the 1-0 win over Germany with Shane Long grabbing the only goal. Martin O'Neill and his men finished in the play off spot just ahead of Scotland and were able to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 on aggregate in the play off. They qualified for Euro 2012, but finished bottom of their group with 0 points and only one goal scored so an improvement this year will definitely be on the cards.

Key Player

Veteran Robbie Keane continues to thrill the Irish faithful at the ripe age of 35. Ireland's top scorer with 5 goals in qualifying, Keane leads the side from the front and continues to display all the characteristics which cemented him as an Irish legend. However it was his partner in crime who netted the pivotal goal to defeat Germany in qualifying. Currently at Southampton, Shane Long is coming to the Euros off the back of a decent season on the south coast of England, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions. Possessing good pace, his threat will be apparent on the counter attack and will test the defences of Belgium, Italy and Sweden.

Predicted Finish

A defence that is error prone could hinder the Irish side, however they possess a great work ethic in midfield and up front. The first match against Sweden is vital and a win next Monday will give the side a great confidence boost. Looking at their opposition, a lot has been expected of Belgium yet they have not hit top form over the past few matches, while Italy are currently in transition with coach Antonio Conte admitting that he is worried about preparations for the tournament. A win against Sweden and I tip the Republic of Ireland to qualify, anything else and they'll have their work cut out.

Euro 2016 - The Groups

The draw for the Euro 2016 group phase was made last Saturday with 4 home nations competing, the most ever in a single European Championship.

Group B - England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales

I don't see there being too many problems for England, with their stiffest arguably being neighbours Wales. England should almost definitely be topping the group with ease and have the potential to win all three games. As for Wales, they have nothing to fear either. Wales need Gareth Bale fit to progress in my opinion. With the way his life has been going at Real Madrid, jetting off to France with the national side will be something of a relief. Slovakia finished second in their qualifying group with 22 points, 5 behind holders, Spain. Slovakia did record a famous 2-1 victory over the holders in October 2014 when a winner three minutes to go from Bursaspor striker Miroslav Stoch secured the victory after Paco Alcacer equalised a Juraj Kucka goal on 82 minutes.

Final standings in this order are England, Wales, Slovakia, Russia.

Group C - Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine

After qualifying for their first Euro campaign, there will be a buzz in the Northern Ireland camp as they are named in a group with the World Champions. It is going to be very tough for Northern Ireland and I don't expect them to qualify. Northern Ireland will be just happy to be at the tournament and no doubt the fans will also. Northern Ireland will probably line up defensively and look to hit teams on the break. I see the Germans and Poland being too strong for the nation of 1.7m, while Ukraine would represent their best opportunity of picking up some points. While Northern Ireland may finish bottom of their group, I do think they will pick up a point against Ukraine.

Final standings in this order are: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Northern Ireland.

Group E - Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden

Like their neighbours, the Republic of Ireland having been handed a very tough group. Belgium are widely tipped by many to be one of the tournament favourites next summer, while Italy normally up their game for the tournaments despite not being a great Italian team compared to those over the years. Sweden heavily rely on captain and PSG striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If Ireland are able to mark him out of the game then I expect the side to record a victory.

Final standings in this order are: Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden.

 

Group A - Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland

Looking at the other groups, France have a great opportunity to claim a pole position after being handed a group with Albania, Romania and Switzerland. When Albania last met France in June a free kick form Ergys Kace gave the Eastern European side their first victory over the French in their history. I don't see any of the others offering any competition to prevent France from finishing first in their group.

Final standings in this order are France, Switzerland, Albania and Romania.

 

Group D - Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey

I think Group D is a very interesting affair. Czech Republic toppled Group A - and the Dutch - to secure their 9th outing in the competition. Looking at Croatia, they finished second in Group H behind Italy and possess some very good players. Ivan Rakitic is a very good box to box midfielder and will offer both an attacking threat and security for the defence. Similarly Mario Mandzukic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic are key individuals and all pose a threat going forwards. We all know the pedigree of Spain and they will be looking to correct a few wrongs after a poor performance in the World Cup. Finally, Turkey always have the potential to shake things up with Arda Turan, Hakan Calhanoglu and Burak Yilmaz.

Final standings in this order are: Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Czech Republic.

Group F - Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal

Many have tipped Austria to be this year's dark horse and I can understand why. David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic are probably their stand out players and will attract the most attention of their opposing sides. Alexander Dragovic is a decent young defender as is Martin Hinteregger and this is coupled with the experience of Leicester City defender, Christian Fuchs. Iceland have qualified for their first ever tournament and included home and away wins over the Netherlands in qualifying. Hungary scraped through finishing 3rd in qualifying group F and beating Norway 3-1 on aggregate in the playoffs. As for Portugal, they rely heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo and this could be their downfall later in the tournament but I see them qualifying from this group.

Final standings in this order: Austria, Portugal, Iceland, Hungary.

Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Home Nations' prospects or any other team for that matter.

Ireland Join Le RendezVous

The Republic of Ireland complete the qualifying for the home nations with 2 goals from Jon Walters to guide them to a 3-1 aggregate lead over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

You could tell that there was a lot on the line for both sides with neither looking to break the defensive line in search of a goal. Ireland were getting joy down the left hand side, with Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick regularly linking up to great affect. From set pieces and wide positions, the deliveries were often poor and many chances were squandered.

Ireland were awarded a penalty in the 24th minute when the Senad Lulic was penalised for a handball. Jon Walters stepped up and converted for his 9th goal in Irish colours. It looked as if the penalty was awarded in controversial circumstances particularly as Lulic's arm was tucked tight to his chest. But hey, it's not the first time Ireland have been embroiled in hand ball controversy.

Asmir Begovic was nearly punished for being slow on the ball with Wes Hoolahan charging the keeper down. The ball however, spun safely into Begovic's grasp and the ref blew up for handball shortly after. The game settled down after the goal and Bosnia began to get on the ball more. This was a risky game by Ireland to concede possession as easier as they are, particularly with Miralem Pjanic, Edin Dzeko and Senad Lulic up front for the visitors.

At the break, Bosnia never looked like scoring, but no doubt they would be given the hair dryer treatment at half time. For Bosnia, Pjanic looked solid and did pose some questions for the Irish defence. Ireland probably deserved the goal lead, but must not switch off, instead try and push on and get another goal. Concentration is key for the second half.

Ireland struggled to get out of their half in the first 5 minutes of the second half and when they did get the ball it was often hoofed long and easily dealt with by the Bosnian defence. 15 minutes in, Ireland were still defending stoutly. One of Bosnia's front three just needs one clear cut chance and then they are level, Ireland need to push up and retain the possession better than they have been doing.

Ireland doubled their lead on 70 minutes. Emir Spahic took his free kick tally into the tens with a high boot into Jon Walters and was probably lucky to not receive his marching orders. The delivery from the free kick was superb - the first decent one tonight and and volley from the Stoke man sent the Aviva crowd into a frenzy. 

Shane Long had another great opportunity to add a third, when he dispossessed the Bosnian defender, but the defender caught up with him and did enough to put the striker off. With a bit more match sharpness I would have backed the Irishman to find the back of the net.

Ireland now had the control of the game and with 10 minutes left, looked as if they were joining England, Wales and Northern Ireland in France next June. There were a few nervy moments, with a goal mouth scramble and Bosnia piling players forward. It was too little to late despite Vedad Ibisevic rattling the cross bar from point blank range. 2-0 to the hosts.

Ireland roll out 3-1 winners on aggregate to secure their third appearance at the European Championships and the first time both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have qualified for the same competition.

Euro Qualifying Round 5 Preview

You either love or hate the international break. It's like Marmite and I love it. No, not the spread, the football. We're back for Round 5 of the Euro 2016 Qualifying campaign and the home nations will be looking to be one step closer to the tournament come Monday.

England kick us off on Friday night with a tie against Lithuania. It should be a relatively straightforward tie in a relatively simple group for Roy Hodgson's men. With England at the top of the pile with four wins out of four, another three would be a step closer to booking their flights on the plane across the channel to France next summer. All the lights will be on Harry Kane who is set to win his first cap for his country. I don't think there could have been a more suited tie for his debut as the Three Lions are expected to coast past a side sitting fourth in the group. A call up for Kane has been well deserved considering his goal scoring form this year. Another Spurs player, Ryan Mason has also been included for the first time who has replaced the injured Adam Lallana. It will be a massive shock if England do not win at home, meaning that Hodgson can use the youth that he has at his disposal.

Wales face a difficult trip to Jerusalem to face Israel in a tricky group B game. Currently sitting behind Israel in the table, it will be a titanic battle to see who will come out on top. Neither side has met each other in a competitive fixture since since Wales beat them 4-0 to progress to the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden - their only appearance in the competition to date. Israeli International football is going through a rough time as of late, with many fans getting apprehensive over their sides recent failures to qualify for a major competition. Without someone of the calibre of Gareth Bale, I doubt whether Wales would be able to go their and get any sort of a result. However, with the recent tension between Madristas and Bale, he will probably see this as a welcome break to get away from all the pressures he faces in his everyday life as a Real Madrid footballer. I don't think Wales will be able to come away with all three points, but I do think that Bale can rescue a vital draw for the Dragons, and give them confidence going into the remaining qualifying matches.

Some may say that Scotland face a 'week off' when they take on Gibraltar at home on Saturday, but we all know that they can turn the easiest of games into a battle in recent years. However, Gordon Strachan and Scotland seem to be on an upward turn this campaign, with a respectable performance against Germany and a wins against the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Gibraltar will not offer any competition to Scotland and I would expect them to put at least 3 goals past them. This would give Strachan the opportunity to try other combinations to ensure that is side has strength in depth for the rest of the qualifying campaign. Level on points with Germany and the Republic of Ireland, they will be looking to distance themselves from their Irish neighbours. They don't have as good a goal difference as Ireland, and with them facing leaders Poland, they will be hoping to score goals, particularly if this group is decided on goal difference. A couple of early goals, could see Gibraltar fold, and a barrage of goals could follow. Scotland to win comfortably.

As mentioned previously, the other team in Group D, Republic of Ireland face a crunch match against Poland in the Aviva Stadium. Having beaten the World Champions already in the group phase, Poland will go into this match with confidence and will hope to pile the pressure onto Germany. It will be a tough ask on Sunday, particularly with the injuries to several key men. Darren Gibson has returned to Merseyside after suffering a groin injury. Concerns have been raised over the fitness of Burnley fullback, Stephen Ward, who is doubtful also with an ankle injury. After limping off a training session earlier this week, James McClean was confirmed that he will be '100% ready to play' come kick off on Sunday. With Scotland facing an easy task and Germany travelling to Georgia, there is no room for error for Martin O'Neill's men. A 'play for a draw' mentality could back fire and leave them on the back foot, playing catch up for the rest of campaign, if they harbour any ambitions to qualify for the finals. It's a must win game, and also a tricky affair. The crowd could play a massive part in an Irish victory and I am predicting a smash and grab job for O'Neill's men. 1-0 to the Republic of Ireland.

Last but not least, Northern Ireland hope to continue their impressive start to the qualifying campaign with a game against Finland on Sunday. A win would see them move onto 12 points level with Romania, who are likely to beat the Faroe Islands at the weekend. Lee Hodson has been called up to replace the injured Paul Paton who was set to make his debut appearance. Also on the injury front, Sammy Clingan and Shane Ferguson were ruled out and both will be blows to Michael O'Neill. Top scorer, Kyle Lafferty is set to play, while Jonny Evans is set to make his return to competitive international football after a 16 month lay off. Looking at Finland, they sit in fourth position, five points behind their opposition. Expect the crowd to get behind the Green and White Army, and I wouldn't be surprised if Finland were to become the latest victim of Michael O'Neill's Ulstermen. I think Northern Ireland can sneak it, 1-0.

It's the new year in the qualifying calendar, and every one of the Home Nation sides will be hoping to carry their form from 2014 into 2015. Round 5 marks the half way point, and teams will be on the home straight in order to confirm their place on the plane to France next summer. An intriguing weekend of international football awaits. 

Euro Qualifying Round 4 Preview

In this round of the European Qualifying, I'm only previewing four matches, but the quality will certainly make up for one less match.

There is not a better way to kick us off with a crunch tie where Scotland take on the Republic of Ireland. Even though Scotland defender Steven Whittaker has calmed the significance of winning on Friday night, a win would send them level on points with their opponents who lie behind Poland in the standings. BBC have reported that James McCarthy is doubtful which will be a big miss in the centre of the park for the Republic. While both teams will be after maximum points on Saturday, a draw is looking likely. We can expect a few rough challenges from each team who will want to leave their mark on each other as they push for qualification to France in 2016.  The Republic of Ireland will be looking to keep the pace with Poland at the top of the standings who face an away trip to Georgia and would be expected to record another 3 points.

My home country, Northern Ireland have enjoyed a splendid campaign to date, collecting a maximum of 9 points in our opening 3 matches, but the task facing us on Friday night will be bigger than any we have faced in the current campaign. The loss of captain, Steve Davis is a massive blow, particularly when it is coupled with the injury to Jamie Ward, who has been a breath of fresh air this time out. Manager, Michael O'Neill, has called up Manchester United youngster, Paddy McNair, and he could make a brief cameo, especially if the fitness of Aaron Hughes is lacking. Looking at the opposition, they seem to be going through a period of transition having removed their manager last month. The Romanians will be forced to play in front of an empty stadium with exception to the raucous created by the travelling Northern Irish support due to crowd trouble at their last match against Hungary. I'm sure the fans would settle for a draw, but knowing O'Neill, I'm convinced he will want to win this match and extend his lead at the top. 2-1 Norn Iron.

With Wayne Rooney playing down his talents earlier this week, it's unlikely that he will need to utilise his full capabilities against Slovenia in 2 days. Despite injuries to Andros Townsend and Michael Carrick, the English fans and media expect nothing short than a commanding victory against a team ranked 36th in the World. England U21 international, Saido Berahino has dazzled the Premier League this season and last with several sparkling performances and some have argued that he is long overdue a call-up to the senior squad. As for their opponents, Slovenia, they lie in second position behind England in Group F after shocking the Swiss at home and comfortably dispatching Lithuania in Vilnius. Striker, Milivoje Novaković has netted all 3 goals for the central European side, so no doubt Roy Hodgson has done his homework on the 35 year old. Slovenia possess Samir Handanovic who is a monster in nets and has saved 3 penalties this season already for Internazionale. It will be a victory for England, but somewhere someone will complain about something.

It's a massive night for Wales as they travel to take on a Belgium side who has been relatively disappointing in this campaign and find themselves 3 points of the Welsh pace-setters at the top of the group, albeit they have a game in hand. It's obvious that Wales would like to batten down the hatches and get out of Brussels with a point, but there may be a sense of optimism as if they get Gareth Bale running full tilt at a Belgian defence then they can cause all sorts of problems for a defence who has only conceded a goal in this campaign. Wales have been no means spectacular so far, narrowly edging out the Andorrans, drawing with the Bosnians before an unconvincing home victory over Cyprus. Belgium were disappointing by everyone's standards at the World Cup this year and will be hoping to capitalise on an excellent squad that they now possess in time for France 2016, providing they get there of course. As for the outcome, I’m going to say 2-1 Belgium.

Let's be hoping for positive score lines all round over the break. With teams only playing one match this time around, a victory each would set them up perfectly for over Christmas. The march to France continues.

Euro Qualifying Summary - Rounds 2&3

Another handful of matches have been played now and things are looking relatively rosy for the Home Nations. 

Starting with England, they picked up 2 wins from the the games they played over the international break, albeit against exceedingly weak opposition. Having defeated minnows San Marino last Wednesday by five goals, fans on Sports Yapper were still critical over the performance. Captain Wayne Rooney moved 6 goals behind Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 49 international goals, and with the group that England have, I reckon it will be beaten within the remaining matches. The matches against Estonia and San Marino have proved that England don't need to play at their best to succeed in this group. Having not conceded a goal with three games down, a clean sheet at the conclusion of the tournament will certainly be on the mind of Roy Hodgson.

The Republic of Ireland's matches both entailed two very different challenges - whether you can call the home match against Gibraltar a challenge is a different argument altogether. Robbie Keane netted an 18 minute hat trick in a compelling 7-0 victory over the minnows. What was most notable about the week's fixtures for the Republic was the last minute equaliser from a new centurian in John O'Shea. Having been a rock in the Irish defence for the last thirteen years, it was fitting that he should be the hero on his 100th cap. Toni Kroos opened the scoring in the second half with a shot that deflected of the post and into the net, before O'Shea tied the game with minutes left on the clock. The Republic of Ireland are sitting pretty in second position behind Poland. With Germany firing blanks, the momentum is currently with the Irish side.

Scotland got their qualifying campaign up and running last Saturday with a less than emphatic victory over Georgia at Ibrox. Throughout the game, the Scots dominated in every facet of the game. The home side had 63% possession and recorded 5/17 shots on target, but it took an own goal from Akaki Khubutia on 28 minutes to separate the sides. The 3 points would stand Gordon Strachan's side in good stead as they travelled to Warsaw on Tuesday to face a side who had beaten the World Champions last time out. Scotland came away from the Polish capital with a well earned point after Arkadiusz Milik levelled for the home side on 76 minutes. After going 1-0 down to a Krzysztof Maczynski finish on 11 minutes, Shaun Maloney equalised before an adroit finish from Steven Naismith put them in the lead. Strachan will be pleased with the points picked up and will look to catch the Ireland, whom they entertain next month.

 

Friday night saw Wales take on a useful Bosnian outfit and where able to come out with a draw which saw them stay at the top of the table, even if it was only for a short time. Each side began the first half with a tentative approach, while the second half was set alight with an onslaught of chances at each end, but neither were able to break the deadlock. Moving onto the game on Monday night where Wales hosted Cyprus, a win would cement them on top of the table ahead of Belgium, and Chris Coleman's boys delivered. This game should have been a lot more comfortable than suggested, particularly as Wales raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes. Cyprus were able to half the deficit 10 minutes before the break, which gave them optimism for the second period. Midfielder Andy King, received his marching orders after a reckless tackle minutes into the second half, but his side were able to hold onto the three points. 

 

Northern Irish fans have been living in paradise for the last week, with more than convincing victories over the Faroe Islands and Greece. What was particularly impressive about these performances, was the management skills of Michael O'Neill, particularly as he was able to change the tactics up to suit the challenges posed by each nation. Two heartening matches from Kyle Lafferty ensured that he took his goal tally to 3 goals this campaign and was a handful for each set of centre backs. Northern Ireland piled more misery on Greece, a side ranked 57 places higher than their opposition, and some may argue that 2-0 was flattering on the former European Champions. O'Neill has his side well drilled and playing nice football so confidence will not be lacking when they take the trip to Bucharest next month.

I don't know about you, but I'm quite looking forward to the next international break in November, and it throws up some mouth-watering encounters. Northern Ireland travel to Bucharest to take on second placed Romania, while Scotland and Ireland lock horns at Celtic Park. England welcome Slovenia to Wembley and Wales travel to meet Belgium.     

Euro Qualifying Round 2 Preview

We're back for another instalment of Euro Qualifying action, with England kicking us off against San Marino on Thursday night. Yet again, the international break is greeted with the same grumblings and rumblings that we have been accustomed to, so in order to lighten the blow, here's my prediction on the fortunes of the Home Nations this weekend.

 

There's no points awarded for guessing the outcome of the England v San Marino game, and I expect it to be as one sided as a FIFA match on amateur. BetVictor make the principality 80/1 to beat the hosts, and frankly, you have more chance seeing the Loch Ness Monster than seeing a San Marino victory. At Wembley, Roy Hodgson will treat anything less than 5 goals as a failure, and if they were to concede, well, it would be well documented in the media the following morning, regardless of the result. With Daniel Sturridge unavailable due to injury, Danny Welbeck will be hoping to add on his 2 goals scored against Switzerland, and will certainly be eyeing a hat trick - and I expect him to get it. In short, it will be nothing more than a training game for England, and I'm not expecting any dazzling activities from the away team. I'll go for a modest 7-0.

Next up we have the Republic of Ireland entertaining newly recognised, Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Having lost to Poland 7-0 in their first ever European Qualifying game, it'll probably be one-way traffic for the Irishmen. The Republic of Ireland will look to capitalise on their 2-1 defeat of Georgia last time out, at the same time as increasing their goal difference. Manager Martin O'Neill could see this as a perfect opportunity to experiment, particularly if they have an unassailable lead at the interval. Hull City fullback, Brian Lenihan was handed a surprise call-up and could make his international debut on Saturday against Gibraltar, particularly as Everton star, Seamus Coleman hasn't recovered from a concussion he received so will not feature. Similarly his club mate, James McCarthy will also not make an appearance against the Gibraltans. I expect Ireland to win this by a comfortable margin, 4-0.

Now our attention turns to the Scots as they entertain Georgia at 5pm on Saturday. An encouraging performance against the World Cup Winners, Gordon Strachan will be hoping that his team can carry the momentum through to this game. Although they lost against Germany, there were many positives to be taken and I'm sure that Scotland will be expecting nothing but a win from this encounter. Their opponents, Georgia, will be looking to bounce back after an Aiden McGeady strike sealed their fate in the dying embers of the game. The Georgians will be out to get points on the board and stop the Scots from getting their tournament up and running. I do think Strachan's men will be able to overcome the challenge offered by the Georgians, particularly as the Georgian legend, Shota Arveladze criticised the away side for having a lack of flair. 1-0 Scotland.

My wee country, Northern Ireland take on the Faroe Islands on Saturday at 7:45pm. After a tremendous comeback away to Hungary last time out, the onus will be on the home side to capitalise on their excellent start. With Jonny Evans injured, Michael O'Neill was set to call up Paddy McNair to his squad, but an ongoing ankle injury has prevented him from winning his first international cap, weeks after gaining his first senior appearance for Manchester United. Sitting poised in second position, Northern Ireland face a tricky trip to Athens after the game, so 3 points is imperative to keep the momentum running. For the Faroe Islands, they suffered an opening game week defeat at home to Finland. As with Northern Ireland over the years, they have always produced inspiring performances against the top dogs, but when it comes to the minnows, they struggle. Let's home that our fortunes have changed as they attempt to beat the Faroe Islands at the weekend. 1-0 Northern Ireland.

Last but not least, we have Wales. Last time out, it took a late Gareth Bale free kick to walk away from Andorra with 3 points. Now, they face Bosnia at home as they hope to produce a better performance this time around. Wales will be missing key midfielders such as Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey due to injury, however Galactico, Gareth Bale will play, fresh from his 90 minute drubbing of Athletic Bilbao at the weekend. No doubt Bale will decide the outcome of the tie, and, if he puts in a performance that we come to expect from him, he could win the maych for Wales. If Wales reproduce a performance similar to the one they delivered against Andorra, then expect another nervy game for the Welsh fans, resulting in a loss. With key names out for Wales, I am going for a 2-1 win for Bosnia. Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic will be able to take advantage of the notable absentees.

Another weekend of international football is ahead of us and we take one step closer to the finals in France 2016. Hopefully we can relive 1958, the last time all of the Home Nations qualified for a major tournament.

Euro 2016 Qualifying Summary - Round 1

I find it very hard to believe that it has been almost 2 months since Philip Lahm lifted the Jules-Rimet trophy for Germany and now, the Home Nations embark on another mission to reach the 2016 European Championships in France. With everyone playing away from home, the nations from the Emerald Isles kicked off the qualifiers and both delivered impressive performances:

Kyle Lafferty celebrating 88th minute winner 

Northern Ireland travelled to Budapest to take on Hungary in the newly opened FTC Groupama Arena. Things started positively but Northern Irish fans thought it was normal service resumed when former Watford man, Tamas Priskin headed the ball past Roy Carroll. The equaliser came 7 minutes later when Kyle Lafferty squared the ball after a dazzling run and substitute Niall McGinn was on hand to slot into an empty net. Lafferty turned scorer as he was able to bundle a cross into the back of the net and take the three points back to Belfast. The Green and White Army will be spurred on by this pleasing result and a terrific performance to go with it and could this be the year where they qualify for their first ever European Championship? I certainly hope so!  Windsor Park hosts the next qualifier against the Faroe Islands on the 11th October.



Aiden McGeady beats the Georgian keeper

Our Southern friends, and Aiden McGeady in particular were able to stage a fine performance in a 2-1 win over Georgia in Tbilisi. McGeady, assisted by James McCarthy, scored his first goal on 33 minutes through a left footed shot inside the box into the back of the net. Their lead didn't last too long as the Georgians equalised 4 minutes later through a shot from Tornike Okriashvili outside the box. After the break, the home side decided to up the ante and continued to press but were unable to get past a solid Irish defence and test 'keeper, David Forde. Similar to their Northern counterparts, it took a late strike from McGeady to seal the 3 points and an unbeaten start to the campaign. A home game against Gibraltar awaits O'Neill's men on 11th October.

 

Ikechi Anya in disbelief having equalised with Germany

Scotland certainly had the hardest task of the Home Nations as they travelled to the Signal Iduna Stadium to take on the World Champions. 5000 hardy Scotsman made the journey to Dortmund on Sunday evening and chorus' of  "Flower of Scotland" were heard throughout the night. As per usual, Thomas Muller was a nightmare to mark and it the Bayern man 18 minutes to open the Germans account after a looping header over stranded David Marshall. Scotland did have chances but Steven Naismith was unable to convert from on 48 minutes. Winger, Ikechi Anya had plenty of joy down the left flank and was able to capitalise when debutant, Sebastian Rudy was caught out of position to equalise. Thomas Muller netted his second minutes later after a classic Sunday league scramble in the box with a toe into the roof of the net. Scotland, spurred on by the Tartan Army, pushed for an equaliser but to no avail. They take on Georgia in their next match.



Danny Welbeck scores his second goal of the night.

After a rather shambolic turnout at the World Cup and a poor performance against Norway on Friday, England had to build bridges and prepare for 2016. Many, included myself, expected England to struggle against the Swiss, however a solid team performance guided England to a 2-0 victory in Basel. Both teams had chances in the opening exchanges but it wasn't until a counter-attack from England in the 58th minute that saw the deadlock being broken when Danny Welbeck was able to convert a swift English counter. Switzerland were knocking on the English door but a Joe Hart halted proceedings. Sub, Josip Drmic had a magnificient opportunity but Gary Cahill pulled off a terrific goal line block to keep England's goal intact. Welbeck put the game beyond doubt 2 minutes from time with a side foot shot into the bottom of the net.

 

 

Gareth Bale celebrating his winner over Andorra

The last of my featured games is Wales' trip to the principality in the Pyrenees, Andorra expecting a routine victory. However Andorra obviously had not read the script as they took the lead with a penalty in the opening exchanges, their first competitive goal in 4 years. Wales found the principality difficult to break down but a superb early cross from Ben Davies allowed Gareth Bale to leap like salmon and guide the ball into the opposite corner of the net. For much of the second half Andorra frustrated Wales with their time wasting and rough tackles and it was evident that this did have an affect on the professionals. Eventually, with 10 minutes left, Bale stepped up and lashed a venomous free kick into the back of the net. Much improvement will be needed as the Welshmen face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their next match.

 

Excellent displays from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland grants them a platform to build on while Scotland can take heart from a terrific performance against the World Champions. England seem to be heading in the right direction and Wales have plenty of work to be doing on the training field after being bailed out by their talisman. 

Euro 2016 Qualifying Draw

It seems like yesterday that we were congratulating Spain on their 2nd consecutive Euro Championship victory. Now that the World Cup is just around the corner, the qualifying groups for Euro 2016, could add more misery upon English fans or else deliver some over due luck to the rest of the Home Nations.

The Home Nations have not all qualified for major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, which is Wales' only appearance in a high profile competition to date. The new structure of the tournament will provide renewed hope for minnows such as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The tournament has been revamped, allowing 24 teams, instead of the usual 16 to compete in the finals. The top 2 nations from each pool will qualify automatically along with the best third placed team. The 8 remaining third placed sides enter a 2 legged affair in order to decide the last 4 spots in France 2016. Among the home nations, this will give Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland confidence that they can scrape through.

Here, I will assess the chances of each of the Home nations qualifying for France 2016:

Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, Israel, Wales, Cyprus, Andorra

We all predict the Belgians to run riot in this group and qualify with ease, however, second place is slightly more difficult. Bosnia or Israel are more likely, however, Wales and Gareth Bale must be fancying their chances here. Cyprus and Andorra are easy 6 pointers for the Welsh. On the other hand, a point against Belgium would feel like a moral victory. Israel could prove a stumbling block, but they would be looking for at least 3 points from that tie. Wales against Bosnia will see Gareth Bale face Edin Dzeko. Bosnia have a few players that could cause Wales several problems, including Dzeko, Asmir Begovic and Miralem Pjanic. In my opinion, this group presents Wales' best opportunity to qualify for a major international tournament for the first time since 1958.

Group D: Germany, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Georgia, Gibraltar

Group D, or Group of Death, as most Scots and Irish would refer to it as. Germany will be too strong for Ireland and Scotland while Poland will test them. Buoyed on by competing in 2012, Ireland will believe that they can upset Poland in order to pinch that 2nd place. Unfortunately, I do not see this happening. Poland are a classy outfit with quality players in Lewandowski and Obraniak and Piszczek and will be able to neutralise the challenge of the Irish. The games against Georgia and newly qualified Gibraltar, should be relatively straightforward for both the Scots and the Irish. As for Scotland, they should be aiming to pip the Republic to 3rd place. In spite of this, 4th is my prediction for Scotland, narrowly missing on that play-off position.

Group E: England, Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, San Marino

Yet again England receive a relatively easy group. Whether they can remove the complacency commonly associated with them is another thing. In my opinion, England should be aiming for an unbeaten campaign. The Swiss are the only likely team to trouble the English and Roy Hodgson can use this group as an excellent opportunity to blood some young players such as Wilfried Zaha, Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley. With the right coaching, the future of the English team is looking bright for the foreseeable future. As for the rest of the qualifying places, I expect Switzerland to claim the second spot with Slovenia just behind in third.

Group F: Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands

Born and bred in the greatest little country that the world has ever seen, I'm am a bit less pessimistic than I was last year. The lowest seeds of the home nations, Michael O'Neill's men will be looking to sneak a third spot in order to erase memories of a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign. While there are no 'giants' in Group F for Steven Davis and co to slay, a good tournament performance and the glory days of '82 and '86 may be revisited. 'Norn Iron' will be looking to end a dismal Euro performance in recent years and hope to qualify for their first ever Euro competition in 2016, yet it will be tough. Particularly the away games, most notably to Greece. The games against the Faroe Islands, will be targeted as 2 must win games. Belief in their national team is something that 'Our Wee Country' does not lack, however the form needs improving.

The draw has shifted the focus from the highly anticipated World Cup albeit for today, but the new format and the groups will give the smaller teams confidence in their ability to qualify for France 2016. Whether we can get all the home nations on the plane to France is unlikely, but not impossible.

Full draw:

Group A - Holland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Latvia, Iceland, Kazakhstan

Group B - Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium, Israel, Wales, Cyprus, Andorra

Group C - Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus, Macedonia, Luxembourg

Group D - Germany, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Georgia, Gibraltar

Group E - England, Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, San Marino

Group F - Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands

Group G - Russia, Sweden, Austria, Montenegro, Moldova, Liechtenstein

Group H - Italy, Croatia, Norway, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Malta

Group I - Portugal, Denmark, Serbia, Armenia, Albania, France*

*France qualify as hosts, but will play friendlies against teams in Group I. There will be no points awarded for games in which France figure, so these will have no affect on the Group I table.

Qualifiers to be played between September 7, 2014 and October 13, 2015. Play-off matches to be played in November 2015.

My Prediction:

England - 1st

Scotland - 4th

Wales - 3rd (defeat in play offs)

Northern Ireland - 3rd (qualify) (Because I'm an optimist!)

Republic of Ireland - 3rd (qualify)