Ethiopia given the boot by FIFA

Ethiopia will not complete its final two qualifying matches in Africa's first round. This was announced on September 12, 2008. The results from their first two encounters have been stripped from the Group H table, and that group now consists of only Rwanda, Morocco, and Mauritania.

The group leader is Rwanda with nine points through four matches. With the withdrawal of Ethiopia comes great news for Rwanda: they have qualified for CAF's Round Two! Because the points they earned against Mauritania now count toward the second-place tiebreakers, they are guaranteed to advance regardless of the outcome of the group's lone remaining encounter.

Morocco host Mauritania in the group finale. Morocco have six points whereas Mauritania have zero. A Morocco win would guarantee them a place in Africa's final twenty alongside Rwanda.

Chile 4 - Colombia 0; Ecuador 0 - Uruguay 0; Brazil, Argentina draw

Ecuador at Uruguay (4-1)
Colombia at Chile

COLOMBIA: "We must put the Uruguay game behind," Colombia forward Hugo Rodallega said. "We cannot do anything. We have to focus on Chile and try to surprise them on the attack, take more risks."

Bolivia at Brazil (2-4, Ignacio García 53/)

"When we play abroad, we are jeered and insulted and when we get here, we are booed as well. That makes it complicated." -Defender Luisao, Brazil

Argentina at Perú (4-5)

Goal scorers:
Chile: Jara 26; Suazo 38; Fuentes 48; Fernández 70

Argentina: Cambiasso 82

Perú: Fano 90+3

México 2 - Canada 1; Honduras, United States of America win

El Salvador at Suriname
Costa Rica at Haiti
Trinidad and Tobago at United States of America
Jamaica at Honduras
Cuba at Guatemala
Canada at México (rain)

JAMAICA: "We can't afford to lose against Honduras. They're on home turf so they're the favourites, but we're only thinking about winning. I think it will be a great game and I'm very confident we can come away with a good result." Jamaica coach Rene Simoes.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: The Trinidadians, led by head coach Francisco ‘Pacho' Maturana, will be without Dwight Yorke, who is returning to Sunderland. They will also have to overcome the disappointment of seeing three points become one at the death against Guatemala in Port of Spain. Keon Daniel opened the scoring late in the 84th minute, but the hosts switched off in stoppage time to concede an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game.
"We will play our game and hope to get the three points. No game is easy and circumstances change, but you have to be ready and we will do our best to be ready for Wednesday," said Maturana, who will also be missing suspended USA-based defender Avery John. "Nothing is a guarantee in football, but I believe that we can achieve anything. We will need to rebound after a disappointing end to the game against Guatemala."Dwight Yorke's absence is a huge blow for the Warriors who were already without suspended midfielder Khaleem Hyland and left back Avery John, and injured regular captain and playmaker Aurtis Whitley.

Goal scorers:
El Salvador: Martin 2; Felter 12 OG (Suriname)

Costa Rica: Ruiz 12, 75; Alpizar 86

Haiti: Vubert 40

United States of America: Bradley 10; Dempsey 18; Ching 57

Honduras: Núñez 60; Guevara 73 PK

Guatemala: Ruiz 38, 55; M. Rodríguez 85; Contreraas 90+1

Cuba: Linares 25

México: Bravo 59; Márquez 73

Canada: Gerba 78

Saudi Arabia 2 - United Arab Emirates 1; Bahrain 1 - Qatar 1; Sudan win

Saudi Arabia at United Arab Emirates (4-2)

"This is a wonderful result for us, especially after the draw against Iran. It was a superb performance from the team to come back from one goal behind. United Arab Emirates were playing really well and putting us under a lot of pressure." -Yasser Al Kahtani, captain of Saudi Arabia

Bahrain at Qatar (5-2, Abdulla Marzooq 8, 35/Sebastien Soria Quintana missed penalty in 1st half)

"We were down to ten men in the first half with Marzooq receiving his second yellow card, and considering the fact that we equalised and got a draw is quite creditable." -Milan Macala, coach of Bahrain

Sudan at Chad (3-3,/Marcus Mbaiama 90)

Goal scorers:
Saudi Arabia: Autef 68; Al Fraidi 73

United Arab Emirates: Khater 29

Qatar: Quintana 5

Bahrain: Fatadi 66

Sudan: Adel 4; Agab 48 PK; Ali 75

Chad: Djime 34

England 4 - Croatia 1; Denmark 3 - Portugal 2; France over Serbia; Slovenia over Slovakia

Czech Republic at Northern Ireland
Malta at Albania
Slovakia at Slovenia (2-3)

"We conceded one goal through silliness but I think we can all be pleased. I have been predicting this for a while now and I'm sure we have even more to show." -Matjaz Kek, coach of Slovenia

Georgia at Italy

"We wanted to win in a way that would please us but Georgia made it difficult for us." -Daniele de Rossi, Italy midfielder

Denmark at Portugal

"It's bad to lose this way, we had the game under control, but in football a team that doesn't score sometimes gets punished unfairly." -Carlos Queiroz, coach of Portugal

England at Croatia (/Robert Kovač 62)

"We just start. It is the second game. It is a good performance, a good result, but it is nothing. Only one victory, not more." -Fabio Capello, coach of England

Serbia at France
Armenia at Spain

"It wasn't an easy game, we had to work very hard. We are delighted with the results of the last two games as it was important to win these first two matches at home." -Joan Capdevila, Spain

Goal scorers:
Albania: Dallku 45+1, 90; Duro 84

Slovenia: Nokarovič 22, 82

Slovakia: Jakubko 83

Italy: de Rossi 17, 89

Denmark: Bendtner 84; Poulsen 90; Jensen 90+2

Portugal: Nani 42; Deco 86 PK

England: Walcott 26, 59, 82; Rooney 63

Croatia: Mandžukić 78

France: Henry 53; Anelka 63

Serbia: Ivanović 75

Spain: Capdevila 7; Villa 16, 79; Senna 83

Luxembourg 2 - Switzerland 1; Sweden, Scotland, Lithuania win

Estonia at Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungary at Sweden
Greece at Latvia
Luxembourg at Switzerland (first win in 36 for LUX, 6-3)
Poland at San Marino (0-4)

"Our initial performance was not up to par but we needed this win, regardless of style." -Mariusz Jop, Poland defender

Netherlands at Macedonia (3-2)

"I'm satisfied with the three points as I expected it would not be easy to win here." -Bert van Marwijk, coach of Netherlands

Austria at Lithuania (4-1)
Scotland at Iceland (Stephen McManus 75/)

Goal scorers:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Misimović 25, 30, 56 PK; Muslimović 50; Džeko 60, 73; Ibričić 88

Sweden: Källström 55; Holmén 64

Hungary: Rudolf 90+3

Greece: Gekas 10, 49

Luxembourg: Strasser 27; Leweck 87

Switzerland: Nkufo 43

Poland: Smolarek 36; Lewandowski 66

Netherlands: Heitinga 445; Van der Vaart 59

Macedonia: Pandev 77 PK

Lithuania: Danilevičius 52, 58

Scotland: Broadfoot 18; Robson 59

Iceland: Guðjohnsen 77 PK

Germany 3 - Finland 3; Turkey 1 - Belgium 1; Russia win

Wales at Russia (4-0, rain)
Ukraine at Kazakhstan (1-3)
Liechtenstein at Azerbaijan
Romania at Faroe Islands (Sorin Ghionea sub in 18, red 50/)
Belarus at Andorra (2-3)
Ireland at Montenegro

"I think the result is fair. I knew before the game that the opponent was very, very hard." Giovanni Trapattoni, coach of Ireland

Liechtenstein at Azerbaijan
Belgium at Turkey (4-2)
Germany at Finland
Israel at Moldova (/Victor Golovatenco 64)

Goal scorers:
Russia: Pavlyuchenko 22 PK; Progebnyak 81

Wales: Ledley 67

Ukraine: Nazarenko 45, 80; Shevchenko 54

Kazakhstan: Ostapenko 68

Romania: Cociş 59

Belarus: Verkhovtsov 36; Rodionov 78; Hleb 89

Andorra: Pujol 66

Belgium: Sonck 31

Turkey: Belözoğlu 74 PK

Finland: J. Johansson 33; Vayrynen 43; Sjolund 53

Germany: Klose 38, 45, 83

Israel: Golan 39; Sabah 45

Moldova: Picusciac 1

Zambia 1 - Togo 0; Australia win; Koreas draw

Fiji at Vanuatu (/Geoffrey Gete 30 52)
New Caledonia at New Zealand
South Korea at North Korea

Australia at Uzbekistan
Australia's coach Pim Verbeek spoke after the win.

"It was tough match for both teams. All of my boys did their jobs very well. Uzbekistan held no surprises for me, I knew this team was very good."

Togo at Zambia (no Emmanuel Adebayor for Togo)

Goal scorers:
Vanuatu: Sakama 59; Malas 90+2

Fiji: Dunadamu 90+3

New Zealand: Smeltz 49, 76; Christie 69

North Korea: Hong Y-J 64 PK

South Korea: Ki 69

Australia: Chipperfield 26

Zambia: Katongo 32

Paraguay 2 - Venezuela 0

"Venezuela are a very difficult team to beat and we need to be focused on our goal. We'll pressure them as we did against Colombia here." –Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay forward

"We are playing a high-risk match against a team that will have a lot of people cheering for them at the stadium. We'll try to remain stable, something we didn't achieve against Perú." -César Farias, coach of Venezuela

Paraguay hosted Venezuela in Asunción with the chance to stretch their lead in CONMEBOL from two points to five before the other eight teams play their Match Day Eight qualifiers. After having numerous chances early, including a possible penalty kick that they were not awarded, the Paraguayans notched their first lead with a goal just before thirty minutes had elapsed. Continued pressure on the Venezuelan goal inevitably netted a second for Paraguay during stoppage time after Venezuela's Gervón Chacón went out with an injury. The second half saw little in the form of Venezuela mounting a serious challenge, and they were fortunate not to suffer any more goals. The 2-0 victory gives Paraguay at total of seventeen points, whereas Venezuela remain stuck on seven points for the third consecutive game.

Goal scorers:
Paraguay: Riveros 28; Valdez 45+1

Brazil 3 - Chile 0

"In Brazil, we have a lot of obligations: first of all to win, secondly to score a lot of goals and thirdly to put on a show. It's not always possible." -Dunga, coach of Brazil

Brazil took a trip to Santiago with a spot in South America's top three on the line. They were able to accomplish of three of their obligations in this encounter. Brilliant play on the offensive end ensured that Brazil would have a multitude of chances, and stiff defense allowed their defenders to spring counterattacks at will. Brazil scored its first goal on a beautiful header off a free kick. Later in the half, Diego was taken down in the box, but Claudio Bravo saved a Ronaldinho attempt to keep the game at 1-0. Brazil still managed to score a second goal in the half thanks to a tally at the end of regular time.

The game was strictly officiated, and both teams lost men to cards. Brazil took six yellows, including two from Kleber, who was given the boot at minute forty-seven. Chile were unable to capitalize with the advantage, and they soon lost it along with Jorge Valdívia to a red card in minute sixty-two. Paraguay added four yellows to that straight red. Brazil ended all hope of a Chilean resurgence with a third goal in the final ten minutes. The three points from the 3-0 put Brazil into a second-place tie in CONMEBOL with twelve points.

Goal scorers:

Brazil: Luis Fabiano 21, 83; Robinho 45

Benin 3 - Angola 2; Egypt 1 - Democratic Republic of the Congo 0; Côte d'Ivoire draw

Botswana faced off with Madagascar in Antananarivo. A Madagascar goal midway through the first half surely caught the attention of the Botswanans. The score, however, failed to change for the duration of the match and surprising Madagascar moved into second place in Group G with six points. Botswana ended the day stuck on five points.

"This game is like a cup final." -Valinhos, coach of Zimbabwe

Guinea visited Zimbabwe in a crucial qualifier in Group B qualifier, although Valinhos may have slightly overstated the importance of the matchup. Neither team could get going offensively, and the match ended in an unsatisfactory scoreless tie. Guinea missed its opportunity to tie Kenya for the group lead, and the red card given to their substitute Amara Bangoura in the seventy-second minute did not help their chances of scoring a late winner. Guinea have eight points, behing Kenya's ten but ahead of Zimbabwe's six. Guinea host Kenya in their final Round One qualifier in October.

Gabon went to South Africa to face already-vanquished Lesotho. Gabon got the win they desperately needed by a score of 3-0, and after Libya's victory over Ghana the day before, Group E has become a crapshoot. Libya visit Gabon in the final day of first-round qualifying, and Ghana host Lesotho. Libya have twelve points, Gabon have nine and the goal-differential tiebreaker over Ghana, who also have nine points.

Côte d'Ivoire went to Maputo with aspirations of clinching the Group G title, but resilient Mozambique was not about to be knocked out of the World Cup this early. A scoreless first half lead to high drama in the early minutes of the second half. The Ivoirians scored three minutes after the restart, but Mozambique kept its hopes alive with an answer four minutes later and a final score of 1-1. Côte d'Ivoire lead the group with ten points, whereas Mozambique have five points. This result eliminated Botswana from World Cup contention because they have no opportunity of finishing as a top eight second-place team despite still having the opportunity to finish second in Group G.

Mali faced off with Congo in Brazzaville for a huge match in Group J. A road win for Mali would have sealed their progression, but the Congolese had different plans. The game was scoreless until there remained but three minutes. Congo scored the decisive goal at that point to send the crowd into rapture. The 1-0 means that both teams now have three points and are tied at the top of the group tables heading into Match Day Six. A Chad win over Sudan on Wednesday would mean a three-way tie at nine points.

Egypt went to Kinshasha in the hopes of finishing off their Group L crown. Democratic Republic of the Congo expected a physical encounter from the two-time defending African Cup of Nations champions. At the half hour point, the Egyptians went atop the score with a goal. The next hour proved to be a stalemate, and the 1-0 win guarantees that the Egyptians will live to see Round Two. Democratic Republic of the Congo play in Malawi in October to determine who will finish second in the group. Both have nine points, but Democratic of the Congo have a better goal differential, so a tie would clinch second place for them.

"We will throw away caution, we are going for victory. It is going to be a hard game and Benin are difficult adversaries, but our objective is to win." -Oliveira Gonçalves, coach of Angola

Angola faced Benin in Cotonou in another highly important encounter, this time in the competitive Group C. The Beninese got out quickly with a goal two minutes in, but the Angolans answered within ten minutes time. The score was stable until the second half, when Benin jumped out to 3-1 with two strikes in a fifteen-minute span. Angola had twenty-five minutes to answer, but they were unsuccessful, pulling closer to Benin at 3-2 but not finishing the deal. The win seals Benin's surprising progression as group victors. Angola visit Niger in their final qualifier stuck at seven points. Angola appear unlikely to progress as one of the best eight second-place finishers and will need many results to swing their way come Match Day Six.

Uganda visited group doormats Niger in a match that was supposed to propel the Ugandans to ten points and a high position in Group C. Their 1-0 lead at the half suggested that they would achieve just that. The Nigeriens finally pulled themselves together and played the soccer they had been searching for all campaign long in the second half, pouring on three goals after having scored only one in their first four matches. Niger grab the miraculous 3-1 victory and shattered the hopes of Uganda, who sit in third place in Group C at seven points, although if they can win at home against Benin and move past Angola in the group table, they are very likely to advance as one of the best eight second-place teams. Such is the nature of African qualifying, where being second can be worse than being third.

Goal scorers:
Madagascar: Rabemanajara 23

Gabon: Ebuele ; Meye ; Mbanagoye

Côte d'Ivoire: B. Koné 48

Mozambique: Miro 52

Congo: Endzanga 87

Egypt: Aboutrika 30

Benin: Adenon 2; Omotoyossi 52, 66

Angola: Flavio 12; Loco 78

Niger: Issoufou 68, 85; Kamilou 87

Uganda: Obua 33

Honduras 2 - Canada 1; México, United States of America win

Guatemala went to Trinidad and Tobago looking to turn their third round in the right direction after an opening home loss. The match was a defensive struggle with neither team about to score until the climactic final ten minutes. Trinidad and Tobago struck first with a goal six minutes from time and the home crowd figured the Trinidadians were home free. A Guatemalan goal in the final minute, however, meant that the teams would share the glory. Trinidad and Tobago have four points in Group A, whereas Guatemala have one.

México picked up a surprise home game against Jamaica after Hurricane Gustav forced FIFA to swap the home dates between the two countries. Jamaica may have been safer back home considering the storm the Mexicans unleashed upon them in México City. Jamaica played physically, drawing three of the five cautions, but the Mexicans dominated the scoreboard from the second minute onwards. The incredibly early strike served notice that México would be on their game the entire way, unlike their previous match against Honduras. Additional goals midway through each half gave México the 3-0 victory and the lead in Group B with six points.

"This game is crucial to us as we hunt a place in the final group stage. With the win over Guatemala we are in good shape and need to keep going." -Bob Bradley, coach of United States of America

The Americans were visiting Cuba for the first time in over sixty-one years, but the significance of the game at hand was not lost on the visitors. With few fans daring enough to go against the travel embargo of the American government, the Cubans had the full support of the crowd in Havana. It appeared for a while that there would be an embargo on goals, but an opportunistic strike five minutes from the halftime whistle sent United States of America to the locker room with a 1-0. The sensational goalkeeping of Tim Howard provided all the Americans needed to eke out the 1-0 victory and the lead in Group A with six points.

"Two wins on the road for us, it doesn't get any better than that." -Carlos Bocanegra United States of America captain and defender

"I think Honduras will be one of our toughest opponents, maybe tougher than México. They are peaking at the right time, coming on really strong in the last year. They have some really quick players." -Paul Stalteri, captain of Canada

Honduras went into Canada looking to finish what they had started against México: a road victory. Canada quickly erased the painful memory of the botched home draw to Jamaica with a goal in the opening five minutes. The Canadians held that same lead at the half, but the Hondurans proved that lightning can strike twice by knocking home two quick blows within the first quarter hour after the break. Patrice Bernier was ejected for the Canadians after grabbing yellow cards in consecutive minutes, ending with the seventy-third minute. Canada failed to grab more than one point in its opening two matches in Canada, so they appear to have little chance to advance to Round Four. Honduras now have three points and second place in the Group B hunt.

Haiti visited El Salvador and quickly realized that their opening clash with Suriname was the matchup of the two weak teams in Group C. Piere Bruny did not help the Haitian cause with his fourteenth-minute red card. El Salvador took advantage for two goals in the first half and three in the second for a dominating 5-0 victory.

Suriname visited Costa Rica and quickly learned the same lesson as Haiti. Costa Rica pushed two goals across the line in the first half, but the stoppage-time ejection of Suriname's Rinaldo Lupson allowed the Costa Ricans to destroy their visitors in the ensuing forty-five minutes. Five more goals came and the Surinamese were washed away 7-0. Costa Rica and their six points own the lead in Group C.

Goal scorers:
Trinidad and Tobago: Daniel 84

Guatemala: Santizo 90

México: Guardado 2; Arce 32; Magallón 63

United States of America: Dempsey 40

Honduras: Nuñez 47, 56

Canada: Serioux 4

El Salvador: Zelaya 7, 24, 53; Larios 58; W. Torres 79

Costa Rica: Ledezma 9, 41; Alpizar 47; Alonso 78; Borges 79; Solis 86; Ruiz 88

Uruguay 1 - Colombia 0; Paraguay 1 - Argentina 1; Ecuador win

"We are not thinking about losing and we need to go out and play the way we always do. That means not defending deep, taking the game to our opponents and attacking whenever we can. The only good result for us is a win." -Paulo Da Silva, Paraguay defender

In the day's marquee CONMEBOL qualifier, the top two teams in the standings faced off in rainy Buenos Aires. Paraguay grabbed an early advantage on a very silly own goal (the theme of the day) by the Argentines, scored when the Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri ran into his own defender. To add insult to injury, Abbondanzieri had to be replaced because he could not continue. To add to the uphill climb, Carlos Tévez was ejected for his second yellow card in just the thirty-first minute. (Paraguay had four yellows to Argentina's three) Miraculously, the Paraguayans did not put Argentina away when the had the chance. A beautiful two-on-three fastbreak was converted by Argentina in the second half to salvage a 1-1 draw. Keep in mind that the Paraguayans accomplished this tie without Roque Santa Cruz or Salvador Cabañas. Paraguay remain in first with fourteen points, and Argentina stay in second with twelve.

Bolivia traveled to Quito after scoring their first win of qualifying against Paraguay during Match Day Six. Ecuador were not about to let themselves be upset at home, however, and they received a lot of help from the stupidity of Bolivia's Jesus Gómez, who took two yellows and was gone by the eighteenth minute. Ecuador quickly scored their first, but conceded a goal at the end of the half and dejectedly walked off the field tied at one. In the second half, the Ecuadorians took advantage of a fatigued Bolivian ten and scored two goals for a 3-1 victory.

Uruguay went to Bogotá with the hopes of winning and overtaking Colombia in the standings in spite of being on the road. With goal scored at the quarter-hour mark, the Uruguayans held a 1-0 advantage as they went into the locker room. Colombia were unable to score, a woe that has plagued them throughout the qualification process, and Uruguay won the match 1-0 to move into third place in the standings a day before Chile face Brazil.

Venezuela visited Perú and were hoping to take at least one point from Lima against a team that had yet to win a single match in the 2010 qualification cycle. Venezuela failed miserably in that respect, generating absolutely nothing offensively and making their decision to fire Richard Paez more questionable by the day. Perú savored their first victory after putting away the game's only score toward the end of the first half. They did so despite the abscence of both Jefferson Farfán and Claudio Pizarro.

Goal scorers:
Paraguay: Heinze 13 OG (Argentina)

Argentina: Agüero 61

Ecuador: Caicedo 21; E. Méndez 51 PK; Benitez 72

Bolivia: Botero 40

Uruguay: Eguren 15

Perú: Alva Niezen 39

Austria 3 - France 1; Italy 2 - Cyprus 1; Spain win

Estonia showed up in Liege to face a Belgium side that had seen its U-23 team make the recent Olympic semifinals. What ensued was a very entertaining match. The Belgians took the first score five minutes before the half ended, but it was the second half that was a goal frenzy. Estonia equalized before the hour. With fifteen minutes to go, the Belgians turned their level of play in an upward direction and knocked home two more goals for a 3-1 lead. Estonia pulled a second back in stoppage time, but that did not prevent them from a loss. Belgium won 3-2.

Germany visited low-ranking Liechtenstein, but they took nothing for granted, especially after only scoring once in the opening forty-five minutes. Five more goals rained in Vaduz for the Germans, and they took the encounter 6-0.

"Liechtenstein started strongly, but it was good for our confidence to know we can play well against defence-minded opposition." -Joachim Löw, coach of Germany

France paid Austria a visit in Vienna. Both teams were looking to improve upon rather disappointing Euro2008 campaigns. The Austrians capitalized on an own goal by France within ten minutes, and they put up a second goal toward the end of the first half. The French attempted to regroup and indeed, they scored a goal in the middle of the second half. Their silly play, however, again came back to bite them as they conceded a penalty when they tripped Austria's Marc Janko. Austria struck from the spot and won the match in upset fashion, 3-1. In a group also featuring Serbia, Romania, and Lithuania, the French have dug themselves an unseemingly hole to begin their campaign.

Italy visited Larnaca to take on Cyprus. Antonio di Natale was the savior on this night for the Italians, who needed a great deal of luck to hold off the constant attacks of the Cypriots. di Natale struck before ten minutes had elapsed, but Cyprus tied the match at the half hour, leaving both teams pondering their situation at the half. Nobody could score again until di Natale saved the defending World Cup champions with a stoppage-time killer. The 2-1 did not come without a hefty price for the Italians; they lost Gennaro Gattuso, Fabio Grosso, and Alessandro Gamberini to injury.

Bosnia at Herzegovina visited the world's top-ranked side in Spain, and they gave the Spaniards all that they cared to handle on this night. Spain drew a penalty opportunity in the first half, but star striker David Villa missed on his try, so the sides were still knotted at zero after the first period. Villa made amends for the miss in the second half, scoring during the run of play and forcing the Bosnians to play offensively. Spain were able to hold off the attacks and looked as though they would score a second, but they had to settle for a 1-0 victory at home.

Chad faced off with Sudan in Cairo, Egypt, the first of two encounters the teams will have over the next four days in that city. Sudan took three yellow cards, but that was not enough for them to stave off Chad on this night. Chad took the lead midway through the first period, but Sudan finally drew level with under one quarter of an hour remaining in the match. The neighbors and bitter rivals looked ready to share the points, but Chad quickly answered the equalizer with a second goal five minutes later, and they held off Sudan for the 2-1 victory. Anything less than a win for Sudan in the second match will eliminate them officially, but Chad too need the victory or they are almost certain to succumb to elimination fever as well.

Goal scorers:

Germany: Podolski 21, 48; Rolfes 65; Schweinsteiger 66; Hitzlsperger 76; Westermann 87

Belgium: Sonck 40, 80; Defour 75

Estonia: Zenjov 57; Oper 90+3

Austria: Mexès 8 OG (France); Aufhauser 41; Ivanschitz 72 PK

France: Govou 61

Italy: di Natale 8, 90+2

Cyprus: Aloneftis 29

Spain: Villa 57

Chad: Mbaiam 28; S. Hassan 82

Sudan: Kamal 77

Japan, Bahrain, North Korea win; Iran 1 - Saudi Arabia 1

North Korea were the underdogs as they headed to Abu Dhabi to take on United Arab Emirates. Keeping with what we become a theme of the day, the eastern Asians were the team that stepped up to the challenge. The teams held at zero goals for the first five-sixths of the game, but in the final fifteen minutes and change, that story changed. First, the Emiratis had the misfortune of blocking a cross into their own net. Then, the North Koreans scored seven minutes later, only to see the Emiratis regain traction with a goal of their own five minutes after that. The score did not change after that, however, and the 2-1 home less is a monstruous blow to the hopes of the United Arab Emirates' qualification campaign. North Korea take three points into their upcoming meeting with South Korea.

"It will be a tough match, but if we come out of this one with a win, we know we can go all the way." -Takeshi Okada, coach of Japan, regarding the upcoming match in Bahrain

Japan visited Bahrain. The two would be playing for the third time this qualification cycle, and the sides had previously split two 1-0 decisions. Japan dominated throughout in this affair, despite the final score reading 3-2 in their favor. Japan took a 1-0 lead on a free kick, and they later converted on a penalty drawn when the Bahrainis committed a handball in the box. A third tally five minutes from time ended Bahrain's hopes for a tie, but they scored once three minutes from time. The Japanese goalkeeper let in the second after misreading a pass back from his defender, but Japan still earn the full three points.

Uzbekistan came to Doha with wins in every meaningful qualifier that they had played so far. Qatar barely advanced out of Round Three with a thrilling final-day victory over Iraq. The Uzbeks had it handed to them in this one. Qatar scored once in the first half, twice in the second half, and played a great defensive match against the usually high-scorin Uzbeks. The Qataris, who play three out of their first four at home in Round Four, gathered three very useful points and hope to continue their luck against Bahrain.

"Everything clicked as we had planned. The goals came at the right time and the substitutions were made at the right time," he said. "I'm happy with the result." -Jorge Fossati, coach of Qatar

Iran went in after a rather lackluster showing in the previous phase in spite of their winning their group. Saudi Arabia were all too pleased to take advantage of a supposedly weaker Iran than in the past, and they scored first to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. Iran kept plugging along, and their efforts were rewarded with a goal less than ten minutes from the end of regulation. The 1-1 draw is a great starting point for Iran, but the Saudis will not be pleased with the result.

Goal scorers:
North Korea: Saeed 74 OG (United Arab Emirates); An C-H 81

United Arab Emirates: Saeed 86

Japan: S. Nakamura 18; Endo 44 PK; K. Nakamura 85

Bahrain: Isa 87; Tanaka 88 OG (Japan)

Qatar: Siddiq 37; M. Hassan 73; Albloushi 86

Saudi Arabia: Al Harthi 29

Iran: Nekounam 82

Lithuania 3 - Romania 0; Switzerland 2 - Israel 2; Denmark tie

Denmark visited Hungary in a match that was essential for both teams considering they are both in a group containing Portugal and Sweden. Crossbars were hit, but no goals were tallied either way, and the only evidence that the teams played were the seven yellows awarded, four of them to Hungary.

Switzerland went to Ramat Gan to take on dangerous Israel without the aid of their two stars Philippe Senderos and Alexander Frei. They nonetheless were the better team, taking a lead at the stroke of halftime on a superb free kick. The made it 2-0 with an opportunistic goal in the next half. The game appeared to be over with twenty minutes to go, but the Israelis had other thoughts. Two goals, including a stoppage time equalizer, sent the game to a shocking 2-2 conclusion. The two coaches spoke after the match.

"One of the great things about this team is that there is a new spirit, ambition, not giving up even when they were 2-0 down. They showed great cohesion and we showed a lot of character."-Dror Kashtan, coach of Israel

"I am sorry that we were not able to maintain our lead. We dominated much of the match but still we gave balls away in the midfield and our opponents managed to take the advantage." -Ottmar Kitzfeld, coach of Switzerland

Portugal were expected to make quick work of Malta. Malta, however, scored the first goal of the match, but unfortunately it was into their own net. The 1-0 lead stuck until the second half began, when the powerful Portuguese added three more for a 4-0 victory and three points.

England went to Barcelona, Spain, with little worries about their Andorran opponents. Perhaps they should have proceeded with more intensity. The scoreless first half had their fans stunned silent, but luckily for them Joe Cole came to play, and he produced two quick second-half scores to give England a fairly unconvincing 2-0 victory. Nevertheless, three points are three points.

"People think that this should be an easy game, but they got 10 men behind the ball and made it difficult on a very sticky pitch. I was told by the coach to make something happen because the game needed a little spark and we got the job done." -Joe Cole

Lithuania traveled to Cluj to take on a depleted Romania squad, a squad lacking Christian Chivu, Adrian Mutu, Razvan Rat, Florentine Petre, and George Ogararu. Their absences clearly drained the Romanian side, but the Lithuanians were not about to show mercy. Lithuania brought physicality, drawing four yellows to Romania's two. More importantly, they brought the goals, one in first and two in the second, garnering all three points in a massive 3-0 road victory.

Bulgaria were the unlucky crew who drew Montenegro in Montenegro's first ever home qualifying match. The Bulgarians shut the home crowd down after scoring first in the historic match, and the early goal gave them a 1-0 lead at the break. The Montenegrins were not about to go quietly; in fact, they struck once midway through the final period and then again on a converted free kick. Bulgaria had their prayers answered with a stoppage time goal, so they salvaged one point from the 2-2 road draw.

Greece went to Luxembourg in the hopes that a quick three points could help erase their Euro2008 embarassment. The Luxembourgish put themselves in the book six times through yellow cards, but the Greeks put themselves on the scoreboard three times for a 3-0 victory. Their first two goals came in the opening period.

Kazakhstan took their first-place status into Croatia, but any illusions the Kazakhs had about their chances were quickly erased by two first-half goals from the Croats. Croatia coasted in the second period but found yet another goal for a final tally of 3-0. Croatia host England on Wednesday in that day's most anticipated qualifier.

Faroe Islands looked to their match against Serbia as an opportunity for an upset. Serbia looked at the match as a three-point opportunity. Serbia had little going offensively, but an own goal gave the Serbs a 1-0 lead around the half-hour mark that would hold until the final three minutes of the match. The Faroe Islands lost Jonas Tórnaes to a red card in the eighty-fourth minute, and the Serbs finally scored a goal soon afterwards to make the final scoreline read 2-0. The Serbs must be breathing sighs of relief following the victory.

Goal scorers:
Switzerland: Yakin 45; Kufo 56

Israel: Benahoun 73; Sahar 90

Portugal: Said 25 OG (Malta); Almeida 6; Simão 71; Nani 78

England: J. Cole 49, 55

Lithuania: Stankevičius 33; Mikoliūnas 70; Kalonas 86

Bulgaria: Petrov 11; Georgiev 90+2

Montenegro: Vučinić 62; Jovetić 81 PK

Greece: Torosidis 36; Gekas 45; Charisteas 77 PK

Croatia: Kovač 13; Modrić 36; Petrić 79

Serbia: Jacobsen 31 OG (Faroe Islands); Žigić 88

Sweden, Norway draw; Cameroon, Tunisia, Burkina Faso advance; Ukraine win

Equatorial Guinea looked for a win in Freetown, but Sierra Leone were not about to let their opportunity to pass South Africa in the group go by the wayside. The grabbed the first goal at the half-hour mark, and a goal with ten minutes to go in the second half gave them an insurmountable 2-0 lead. A stoppage time goal by Equatorial Guinea was not enough, and Sierra Leone have themselves a 2-1 lead, seven points, and a great chance to move onto Round Two.

Liberia went to Banjul to keep their faint hopes of qualification from dying, but Gambia sent Liberia packing for good. Two goals within the first half hour ended Liberian hopes, and a third goal sent the visitors home soundly defeated. The 3-0 win gives Gambia eight points and a tie for second place with an edge in goal differential over Sénégal. Gambia need a result in their upcoming match in Sénégal to have a chance to advance. More than likely, a tie will see them through to Round Two.

Cameroon went to Praia in hopes of snatching the Group A title from Cape Verde. Things did not appear too auspicious for the Cameroonians after surrendering a goal near the end of the first period and entering the break down one goal. Cameroon continued to fight, however, and two goals before the midpoint of the second period brought the Cameroonians to the promised land by virtue of a 2-1 victory and the Group A title. Cape Verde now face a must-win fixture in Tanzania to retain hope of qualifying for Round Two.

Rwanda visited Mauritania holding nine points through four matches. They had a date with winless and pointless Mauritania, but it appeared to be destined for a scoreless tie until the Rwandans clinched the away victory with a goal with nine minutes left in regulation. Rwanda's twelve points appear to be enough to advance, but Morocco and Ethiopia's match was postponed, so Rwanda have not yet advanced completely out of Group H. Alexandre Song was red-carded for picking up two yellows in the final minutes of the game, including his second in stoppage time, but he will only miss Cameroon's unimportant qualifier against Mauritius in October.

"There's no point in lying, we're in danger. Even though we've won our last three games, the defeat at home to Burkina Faso hurt us badly. Our qualification depends entirely on the match over there." - Karim Haggui, Tunisia

Tunisia went to Ouagadougou to face their nemesis Burkina Faso. Alas, the game did not deliver the interest that it had been tabbed to generate, but the scoreless draw suits both teams rather nicely. Burkina Faso and Tunisia have both advanced to Round Two out of Group I with the result. Burkina Faso have thirteen points and the group victory, whereas the seven points garnered by Tunisia against first-place Burkina Faso and third-place Burundi guarantees them a spot as one of the best eight second-place sides.

Sweden went to Tirana to snatch three points from their hosts. Albania had other ideas, and although the Albanians could not generate any offense, they did generate one point in the standings by shutting out the heavily-favored Swedes. The result was undoubtedly highly frustrating for Sweden.

Belarus faced a Ukraine side looking to redeem itself after falling off in the two years after its 2006 World Cup appearance. Neither side could pull anything together in the offensive ends of the pitch, and the game was scoreless after ninety minutes. Ukraine drew a penalty kick opportunity deep into second-half stoppage time, much to the chagrin of the Belarussian fans, and the conversion gave Ukraine a 1-0 victory over their neighbors and their first three points of qualifying.

Iceland faced fellow Scandinavians Norway in Oslo, but it was the Norwegians who were supposed to be making all of the noise. Iceland were forced to take three yellows to slow down Norway's attackers, but the Norwegians struck first after drawing and converting a penalty kick in the first half. Iceland quickly answered with a goal of their own, and the sides went to the break tied at one. A goal five minutes into the second half put the hosts atop the score once again, but the Icelanders knocked home another goal and walked away with a tough 1-1 road draw.

Goal scorers:
Sierra Leone: Conteh 30; Suma 80

Equatorial Guinea: Edjogo 90+1

Gambia: Demba 10, 80; Jallow 26

Cameroon: Emana 51; Nkong 65

Cape Verde: Lito 39

Rwanda: Mulenda 81

Ukraine: Shevchenko 90+4 PK

Norway: Iversen 36 PK, 50

Iceland: Helguson 39; Guðjohnsen 69

Macedonia 1- Scotland 0; Slovenia 1 - Poland 1

Scotland visited Macedonia without midfielder James Morrison, but they never expected the debacle that was about to ensue. The home side sent the crowd in Skopje to a frenzy with a very early goal, and the Scottish had no answer for the remainder of the match. The 1-0 shock win gave Macedonia a very well-earned three points. Still, the coach of Scotland, George Burley believed his side deserved at least a tie.

"We were disappointed to lose but for the whole of the second-half I thought we dominated the game. In the second-half I thought we were outstanding. We played good football, we passed it well and their keeper has made a few saves."

Azerbaijan played Wales in an extremely physical affair. While the Welsh drew two yellows, the visitors amassed six, including a fateful two yellows for Fabio Luis Ramim, who was removed in the sixty-eighth minute. The game had been scoreless up until that juncture, but the Welsh kept pushing with a man advantage and broke through with a goal for a substitute with under ten minutes to go. The 1-0 win saved the team from an earlier missed penalty kick by Jason Koumas. John Toshack, the coach of Wales, spoke after the win.

"I am satisfied with the result and the performance. Azerbaijan have improved considerably over the past two years and they provided a very serious test for us."

Slovenia visited Poland in Wrocław, and the Poles were not pleased with the result. Poland were attempting to get out to a fast start in their campaign to reach the World Cup once again. Things looked marvelous after a penalty kick conversion in the middle of the first half provided the first score. Slovenia equalized less than twenty minutes later, and the game was tied at one going into the break. The game remained physical throughout, with the Poles taking two yellows to the Slovenians four. The absence of goalkeeper Artur Boruc and midfielders Dariusz Dudka and Radoslaw Majewski proved too much for Poland in the end, however, and Slovenia escaped with a 1-1 road draw in their first qualifier.

"We are disappointed at the result and with the standard of our game especially in the second half," said Leo Beenhakker, coach of Poland. "For us this is a total defeat," lamented midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Northern Ireland went to Bratislava to take on Slovakia. Slovakia scored all three of the goals in this match, but the final score was not 3-0. Slovakia dominated the game early, and it seemed that the Northern Irish were not fully awake. The Slovaks took advantage by slipping home the first goal at the start of the second half and they stretched the lead to two with twenty minutes to play. An own goal with just under ten minutes left gave Northern Ireland hope, but Slovakia's defense shut the door for a 2-1 victory and three points.

It is a very important victory, the first game is always very tough." -Vladimir Weiss, coach of Slovakia

Latvia faced off in Moldova in a matchup of two teams not expected to do much in qualifying. Latvia jumped on Moldova early, scoring twice in the first half hour and taking the 2-0 scoreline to the locker room. Moldova pulled one back with a quarter half remaining, but the Latvians held out for a 2-1 road victory.

Turkey visited Armenia in a match with many historical implications, considering the troubled past between the two nations. The cardiac kids from Euro2008 did nothing to change this perception, allowing the Armenians to go to the locker with a scoreless tie intact. The cardiac Turks awoke in the second half, as they are known to do, and they scored two unanswered goals for a 2-0 win. Turkey are looking to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and finishing third in 2002 and failing to qualify for Germany 2006. Three points will help them on their way.

Ireland played its road qualifier against Georgia in Mainz, Germany. Ireland treated the affair as a home game, snatching a goal within a quarter hour and holding steady defensively. The 1-0 halftime lead grew to 2-0 with a second half goal. Georgia salvaged a goal in stoppage time, but they could not salvage a point. The Irish won 2-1 to take all three points available from the encounter. It was not the Irish's best game, but it is the result that counts in qualifying.

Goal scorers:
Macedonia: Naumoski 5

Wales: Vokes 83

Poland: Żewłakow 17 PK

Slovenia: Dedič 35

Slovakia: Škrtel 46; Hamšík 70

Northern Ireland: Ďurica 81 OG (Slovakia)

Latvia: Karlsons 8; Astafjevs 22

Moldova: Alexeev 76

Turkey: Şanlı 60; Şentürk 78

Ireland: Doyle 13; Whelan 70

Georgia: Kenia 90+2

New Zealand clinch OFC; Kenya win; South Africa eliminated from 2010 qualifiers

“Vanuatu will definitely have more experience than us. However, playing at home, we know our side will do well.” -Juan Carlos Buzzetti, coach of Fiji

Vanuatu took a trip to tropical Fiji to play their penultimate qualifier of the 2010 cycle. Both teams had already reduced to playing for pride, but the Fijians had to play well today to appease their fans. An early goal for the home side was the only score for eighty minutes, but Fiji were able to knock home another just shy of time being called, and they won their first qualifier of Oceania's second round in shutout style, 2-0. Fiji next travel to Vanuatu for the return fixture.

"We all believe it's still possible, because there is still a chance, however small. But we're realistic, and we know that a huge feat will be needed if we are to continue the adventure. Man for man, technically, we can match New Zealand, but how we measure that collectively over the two matches is harder to assess." -Didier Chambaron, coach of New Caledonia

New Zealand went to Nouméa to settle the matter of who would represent Oceania in the 2009 Oceania/Asia inter-continental playoff. Their hosts New Caledonia realized that a single loss in their home-and-away series would give the New Zealanders the glory of being Oceania Nations Cup champions. New Zealand, in spite of the abscence of Chris Killen, were the team that grabbed the quick lead by scoring after one quarter hour. In the second half, the Caledonians equalized, but the 1-1 tie was quickly answered by two rapid New Zealand goals, and New Zealand won 3-1. New Zealand clinch the OFC Nations Cup and a spot in the inter-continental playoff, meaning that their two remaining qualifiers are just tune-ups for the all-important home-and-away tie they will be facing to qualify for South Africa 2010.

Tanzania visited Mauritius in a match between two teams playing simply for pride. All five goals were scored in the first half. The teams traded the first two goals one minute apart from each other, but Tanzania would score the next three for a 4-1 victory in Curepipe.

Burundi needed a win in Seychelles to keep hope alive for their progression. A 1-0 halftime lead ballooned to 2-0 in the second period, but a Seychelles goal midway through the second half put a scare into Burundi. Burundi were able to escape any further damage, however, and left with a 2-1 victory.

Namibia visited Group B leaders Kenya. Namibia looked to be going into the break with a tie in hand, but a strike right before the whistle gave the Kenyans a 1-0 lead, which they would onto for a 1-0 win and points eight, nine, and ten in their quest for the second round. Kenya are assured of at worst second place in the group, and a tie in Guinea in October will give them the group title. Namibia are eliminated from World Cup contention, but still have to face Zimbabwe at home.

"This was the best performance by South Africa since I took charge and we could have scored six or seven goals." -Joel Santana, coach of South Africa

Nigeria, the first team to qualify for Round Two, visited South Africa, who were without Aaron Makoena in Port Elizabeth. Still, the Nigerians were missing Joseph Yobo, Nwankwo Kanu, John Obi Mikel, and Obafemi Martins. With quotes like that, one would have though South Africa would have won the match. Nevertheless, the South Africans appear to be addicted to losing in spite of facing a depleted, likely complacent squad. Constant failures to convert opportunities burned South Africa, and Nigeria are now five for five in terms of victories after a goal in the middle of the second half gave them a 1-0 win. South Africa suffer the ignominy of failing to qualify for their own World Cup. It's actually unfortunate that they still have to participate in the tournament after this astonishing embarassment.

Goal scorers:
Fiji: Kumar 7; Dunadamu 87

New Zealand: Nelson 15; Smeltz 66, 76

New Caledonia: Hmae 57

Tanzania: Nsajigwa 12; Khalfan 19; Tegete 30, 34

Mauritius: Marquette 13

Burundi: Mbazumutima 27; Nahimana 58

Seychelles: Zialor 63

Kenya: Jamas 43

Nigeria: Uche 71

Libya 1 – Ghana 0; Algeria 3 – Sénégal 2; Malawi win

Africa's Round One resumed today with three World Cup qualifiers.

The first matchup saw no surprises as Malawi paid a visit to already-eliminated Djibouti. Malawi went easy on their hapless hosts, pushing one goal across before halftime. Two more in the second half finished off the 3-0 win for Malawi, who now sit in a tie for first position in Group L, although leaders Egypt and Democratic Republic of the Congo will play tomorrow in their fifth match of qualifying.

The other two matches provided much more interest and excitement. Libya hosted 2006 World Cup participants Ghana in Tripoli. Libya and Ghana entered the fifth CAF matchday with nine points each in Group E. The game featured no scores in the first half, but that was no reason to believe that the two would not break through in the final half. With under ten minutes to go, the Libyans pulled out a clutch goal and held on defensively for the victory. The 1-0 defeat leaves Ghana struggling to reach Round Two, but it almost ensures Libya's progression to the next phase. Ghana have won its two home qualifiers against Libya and Gabon, but they suffered road defeats to both of those rivals as well. Gabon play winless and pointless Lesotho tomorrow and with a win would join Ghana at nine points. In the sixth and final qualifying matches for the Group E participants, Ghana host Lesotho and Gabon host leaders Libya.

"The quality of our play and our behavior on the field must be at the highest level." - Rabah, Saadane, coach of Algeria, speaking of what his team must do to defeat Sénégal.

In the day's final qualifier, Sénégal visited Algeria in a pivotal match to determine the outcome of Group F. Sénégal began the day with eight points, but Algeria were close behind with six and Gambia had five. The crowd was treated to a tense, scoreless first half, but the second half was a massive display of goal-scoring fireworks. The Senegalese struck first, scoring less than ten minutes into the second period, and thereby setting themselves up for instant qualification. It was not to be. The Algerians countered with three goals in a fourteen-minute span and had the game out of reach by the time Sénégal scored in the final minute of regulation. The epic 3-2 victory has Algeria on the cusp of the second and final round. Sénégal host Gambia, whereas Algeria visited Liberia in their respective Round One finales. Gambia and Liberia will play tomorrow.

Goal scorers:
Malawi: Msowoya 45; Chavula 60; Nyondo 70

Libya: Osman 84

Algeria: Bezzaz 60; Saifi 67; Yahia 73

Sénégal: Diao 54; Gueye 90