The US will be in South Africa in two years' time, given FIFA's generous allocation of three and a half spots to CONCACAF (but let's not get into that debate again), but the embarrassing 2-1 loss to T&T brought back uncomfortable memories of the 2002 qualifiers, when Bruce Arena's team lost to Honduras, Mexico and twice to Costa Rica, finishing third and last qualifier...before ending up in the quarter-finals in Korea.
Spare a thought for Senegal, who in 2002 began their first appearance in the Finals by defeating the holders and ended up reaching the last eight, equalling
Cameroon's fairy tale in 1990.
The Lions of Teranga were beaten by Togo to Germany 2006 and have just been eliminated from the qualifiers for 2010 after tying Gambia 1-1. While this might not be that scientific, I have played soccer in the Gambia, where I taught a few years ago, and the locals were surprisingly useless, which makes their much-larger neighbor look Senegal doubly bad.
Elimination is a huge blow to the Senegalese squad, which features Colorado goalie Bouna Coundoul, and an even bigger one to the fans expecting great things after 2002.
Senegal soccer has been run by the wonderfully-named 'Committee for the Normalisation of Football' since earlier this year, but there was anything but normality on Wednesday as police fired tear gas to disperse rioting fans smashing up the association's buildings. Better luck next time boys.
Incidentally, South Africa, who are playing in the WC qualifiers as qualification for the next African Nations Cup, would not have made it to 2010 as they failed to make the next round. We'll have to wait until Brazil in 2018 for a host nation capable of winning the World Cup.
The seemingly-interminable South American qualifiers are more interesting than usual, as Paraguay are the unlikely leaders, a cool six points ahead of second-place Brazil with just over half the 18 games played. Argentina, whose coach Alfio Basile quit this week, and Chile occupy the remaining automatic qualification spots, with Uruguay once more heading for a playoff, this time not with Australia, but with CONCACAF's fourth-best finisher.
England, whose perfect start under Fabio Capello continued this week, have commendably refused to play at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 2009, given the racist abuse suffered by Ashley Cole and others the last time Spain hosted England there.
True, this is a bit rich given England fans have routinely booed national
anthems for years (the US' was respected however at Wembley in May) but what planet does Arsenal's Spanish schemer Cesc Fabregas live on when he played down the monkey noises from the Bernabeu heard by millions on TV in 2004? "I don't know if racism is the word," Fabregas said. "It's a bit extreme." And this in the same week Real's local rivals Atletico were ordered to play two games at least 200 miles away from Madrid because of racist abuse aimed at Marseille in the Champions League. Is Spain in denial about the racism in its soccer? Creo que si.
Speaking of booing, France had its Marseillaise jeered by Tunisian fans, most of whom were French passport-holders or residents, in Paris this week, prompting President Nicolas Sarkozy, who famously labelled his nation's ethnic rioters in 2005 as racaille (rabble, scum) to order any future international where the national anthem is booed to be abandoned, wow. I have heard England's anthem drowned elsewhere in Britain by Celtic boos, and hate it when England fans show disrespect to others', so have a lot of time for Sarko here. But UEFA Michel Platini has pointed out how impractical it is to empty a stadium just after it has been filled. Some fans might boo deliberately to get a match called off too.
France defeated Tunisia 3-1, and the next day coach Raymond Domenech saw his contract confirmed until 2010. But it hard to feel he is the best man for the job given Les Bleus are fourth in their qualifying group having lost 3-1 to lowly Austria last month, and were dismal at Euro 2008, a failure Domenech marked by cringingly proposing to his girlfriend on air after his side had been knocked out.
Fans of world champions Italy continue to tarnish their team's crown after riots, fascist salutes and flag burning in Bulgaria last weekend. Azzurri fans have now been banned from travelling overseas by their association, a rubicon which not even England's FA
crossed during the dark days of Anglo hooliganism in the '70s and '80s.
And finally, shed no tears for Werder Bremen utility player Torsten Frings, who threatened to quit playing for Germany for good this week after 78 caps, if he has to sit out another game on the bench. It was Frings you might recall who stopped a certain US equalizer with his hand during the 2002 World Cup quarter-final in Ulsan, Korea, a blatant red card offence which daft Scottish referee Hugh Dallas punished with...a free kick to Germany.
(c) Sean O'Conor
Spare a thought for Senegal, who in 2002 began their first appearance in the Finals by defeating the holders and ended up reaching the last eight, equalling
Cameroon's fairy tale in 1990.The Lions of Teranga were beaten by Togo to Germany 2006 and have just been eliminated from the qualifiers for 2010 after tying Gambia 1-1. While this might not be that scientific, I have played soccer in the Gambia, where I taught a few years ago, and the locals were surprisingly useless, which makes their much-larger neighbor look Senegal doubly bad.
Elimination is a huge blow to the Senegalese squad, which features Colorado goalie Bouna Coundoul, and an even bigger one to the fans expecting great things after 2002.
Senegal soccer has been run by the wonderfully-named 'Committee for the Normalisation of Football' since earlier this year, but there was anything but normality on Wednesday as police fired tear gas to disperse rioting fans smashing up the association's buildings. Better luck next time boys.
Incidentally, South Africa, who are playing in the WC qualifiers as qualification for the next African Nations Cup, would not have made it to 2010 as they failed to make the next round. We'll have to wait until Brazil in 2018 for a host nation capable of winning the World Cup.
The seemingly-interminable South American qualifiers are more interesting than usual, as Paraguay are the unlikely leaders, a cool six points ahead of second-place Brazil with just over half the 18 games played. Argentina, whose coach Alfio Basile quit this week, and Chile occupy the remaining automatic qualification spots, with Uruguay once more heading for a playoff, this time not with Australia, but with CONCACAF's fourth-best finisher.
England, whose perfect start under Fabio Capello continued this week, have commendably refused to play at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium in 2009, given the racist abuse suffered by Ashley Cole and others the last time Spain hosted England there.
True, this is a bit rich given England fans have routinely booed national
anthems for years (the US' was respected however at Wembley in May) but what planet does Arsenal's Spanish schemer Cesc Fabregas live on when he played down the monkey noises from the Bernabeu heard by millions on TV in 2004? "I don't know if racism is the word," Fabregas said. "It's a bit extreme." And this in the same week Real's local rivals Atletico were ordered to play two games at least 200 miles away from Madrid because of racist abuse aimed at Marseille in the Champions League. Is Spain in denial about the racism in its soccer? Creo que si.Speaking of booing, France had its Marseillaise jeered by Tunisian fans, most of whom were French passport-holders or residents, in Paris this week, prompting President Nicolas Sarkozy, who famously labelled his nation's ethnic rioters in 2005 as racaille (rabble, scum) to order any future international where the national anthem is booed to be abandoned, wow. I have heard England's anthem drowned elsewhere in Britain by Celtic boos, and hate it when England fans show disrespect to others', so have a lot of time for Sarko here. But UEFA Michel Platini has pointed out how impractical it is to empty a stadium just after it has been filled. Some fans might boo deliberately to get a match called off too.
France defeated Tunisia 3-1, and the next day coach Raymond Domenech saw his contract confirmed until 2010. But it hard to feel he is the best man for the job given Les Bleus are fourth in their qualifying group having lost 3-1 to lowly Austria last month, and were dismal at Euro 2008, a failure Domenech marked by cringingly proposing to his girlfriend on air after his side had been knocked out.
Fans of world champions Italy continue to tarnish their team's crown after riots, fascist salutes and flag burning in Bulgaria last weekend. Azzurri fans have now been banned from travelling overseas by their association, a rubicon which not even England's FA
crossed during the dark days of Anglo hooliganism in the '70s and '80s.And finally, shed no tears for Werder Bremen utility player Torsten Frings, who threatened to quit playing for Germany for good this week after 78 caps, if he has to sit out another game on the bench. It was Frings you might recall who stopped a certain US equalizer with his hand during the 2002 World Cup quarter-final in Ulsan, Korea, a blatant red card offence which daft Scottish referee Hugh Dallas punished with...a free kick to Germany.
(c) Sean O'Conor
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