World Cup Corner

Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland must play against statistics in the last three European play-off matches for the FIFA World Cup 2006. The statistics, based on the previous encounters between Norway v Czech Republic, Spain v Slovakia and Switzerland v Turkey is favoring Czechs, Spain and Turkey.

Norway v Czech Republic

• Czechoslovakia won 3:2 on November 4, 1988 in Bratislava (friendly)
• Czechoslovakia won 3-2 on September 25, 1991 in Oslo (friendly)
• Draw 1:1 on August 16, 1995 in Oslo (UEFA European Championship qualifying)
• Czech Republic won 2:0 on September 6, 1995 in Prague (European Championship qualifying)

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Pavel Nedved, Juventus midfielder and former European Footballer of the Year, will return to help Czech Republic in in this month’s FIFA World Cup play-off against Norway after a 16-month absence. Nedved hurt his knee and retired from international football after the Czechs lost 1-0 to eventual champions Greece in the Euro 2004 semi-finals.

Karel Brueckner has also called up Monaco midfielder Jaroslav Plasil, who is coming back from a foot injury. He told the reporters:

“We have a strong team and with Nedved we are even stronger. I welcome the fact that the team once again can show its quality and that it widens the potential lineup of our midfield.”

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On November 12 two international matches are due to be played on the same evening in the same country. In Bern Switzerland is playing against Turkey in their World Cup qualifying first-leg play-off the same night as Argentina is playing a friendly match against England in Geneva.

Because of two matches will be played on the same evening there are some concerns about security in Switzerland.

Related articles:
Crespo back in Argentina squad
Argentina fix date for friendly with England

Qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany is almost over.

There are just five more places for the finals in Germany which will start on June 9. Play-offs will be played on 12 and 16 November.

EUROPE
Read our previous post.

SOUTH AMERICA
Uruguay go into a two-legged play-off with Australia.

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Six European teams were confirmed to take part in the European qualifying play-offs for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey joined Norway – who had already secured second place. The European zone play-off draw will take place on October 14, with the two-legged ties played on 12 and 16 November.

Three seeded teams in the draw - Czech Republic, Spain and Turkey - will be paired with one of the unseeded trio of Norway, Switzerland and Slovakia. The seedings are based on the teams positions on the September’s FIFA world rankings.

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Czech Republic striker Jan Koller will miss the remainder of his country’s 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He will be absent when the Czechs complete their Group 1 campaign with matches against the Netherlands and Finland and would also be unavailable for the November play-offs if Karel Bruckner’s men finish in the second place.

Koller damaged his knee during club side Borussia Dortmund’s 1-1 draw with Mainz in the German Bundesliga and the 32 year old will have to rest for about six-months.

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David David Trezeguet (Juventus) will miss the next double header. After pulling a thing muscle during 2:0 win over Inter Milan this weekend, he will not be able to play agains Switzerland and Cyprus. His club’s doctors ordered him to rest for between 7 and 10 days.

Trezeguet’s absence will be a big handicap for Frances coach Raymond Domenech, who is already without Thierry Henry. He is struggling to shake off a groin injury.

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England face Austria at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday before playing Group 6 leader Poland following Wednesday.

England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson recalled back defender Campbell and Smith in a midfield role, although his usual position is as a striker.

Newcastle striker Michael Owen will join up with the England squad on Tuesday. The 25 year old missed his club’s 0-0 Premiership draw at Portsmouth on Saturday after suffering a dead leg in a training ground collision.

Because Rooney must sit out England’s next World Cup qualifying group tie, after picking up his second booking of the campaign in Northern Ireland, Liverpool forward Peter Crouch is in pole position to partner Michael Owen against Austria.

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England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson believes his squad are still fully behind him despite their World Cup qualifying upset in Northern Ireland.

He also strongly hinted in Wednesday’s London Evening Standard newspaper that he will drop the controversial tactics which led to the 1-0 defeat in Belfast and a scrappy 1-0 win over Wales in another qualifier earlier this month.

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Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar named an unchanged 21-man squad on Wednesday for the World Cup Group Eight qualifiers against Sweden in Zagreb on October 8 and Hungary in Budapest four days later.

The team:

Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges),
Joseph Didulica (Austria Vienna),
Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split);

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