FOX SPORTS, Australia
France faces World Cup test
>From Luke Phillips in Paris
March 29, 2005
THE pressure mounts in the European qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup this
week, with faltering France facing a tricky away tie in Israel and Spain
playing Serbia-Montenegro in Belgrade on Wednesday.
In the knowledge they have little room for error with just one automatic
group qualifying spot up for grabs, the top three in a strong Group 1 will
all look for wins.
The Netherlands, topping the group with 13 points from five games, host
Armenia, while second-placed Czech Republic travel to basement dwellers
Andorra and Romania play in Macedonia.
The Dutch however will be without Chelsea striker Arjen Robben after he
picked up an ankle injury in Saturday’s 2-0 win in Romania.
“It is difficult to say how many weeks I will be out, but it is clear that
it (the injury) is not good,” Robben said, also ruling himself out of his
club’s Champions League quarter-final game against Bayern Munich on April 6.
In Group 2, leaders Ukraine host third-placed Denmark while European
champions Greece, who notched up a crucial 3-1 win in Georgia on Saturday,
are visited by neighbouring Albania.
Turkey, the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists who failed to qualify for Euro
2004, travel to Georgia looking to push themselves into contention for at
least a play-off spot.
Group 3 could get a shake-down when Portugal and Slovakia, both level on 13
points with four wins and a draw from five games, meet in Bratislava.
Third-placed Russia, after recording an unimpressive 2-1 win over
Liechtenstein on the weekend, play in Estonia, and Latvia host winless
Luxembourg.
In Group 4, Ireland, France and Israel are all locked in top place on nine
points.
Former champions France, who have only beaten the Faroe Islands and Cyprus
so far and notched up only four goals in five games, face a tricky trip to
Israel, who held Ireland to a last-gasp 1-1 draw on the weekend.
“We must do all we can to win” in Israel, said France striker David
Trezeguet.
“The situation is delicate but there is quality in the France side … I’m
not worried. Motivated more like.”
Switzerland, who battled to hold a misfiring France to a 0-0 draw on
Saturday, host Cyprus, with only a draw to their credit in their five games
so far, and a win would up the pressure on the top three.
“I feel it is likely to go to the last weekend to decide first and second
places in the group and we need to be in there when that comes about,” said
Ireland manager Brian Kerr. Ireland play China in a friendly on Tuesday.
Group 5 frontrunners Italy, with 12 points from five games, sit out
Wednesday’s round of matches.
But Norway and Slovenia, joint second-placed on seven points, play Belarus
and Moldova respectively with an eye of gaining ground on the pace-setting
Azzurri.
England remain in pole position in Group 6 on 13 points after handing out a
4-0 weekend thrashing to Northern Ireland, without a competitive win since
October 2001.
England play Azerbaijan in Newcastle on Wednesday, and Chelsea midfielder
Frank Lampard said he believed the side are now developing a potent
combination of self-confidence and a killer edge that could help them make a
major impact on next year’s finals in Germany.
Second-placed Poland, just a point behind England, hammered Azerbaijan 8-0
on Saturday and now host Northern Ireland.
Austria, in third place, are looking for a second win over Wales in five
days in their push to the top of the group.
After notching up their first win of the campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina
in Group 7, Belgium will be looking to record a second victory against
winless San Marino.
But the game of the group will be between table-toppers Serbia and
Montenegro and second-placed Spain.
Ilija Petkovic, coach of Serbia and Montenegro, who have had a dream start
with three victories and a draw from four games without conceding a goal,
expressed his concern that his side might be a little rusty.
Spain will hope record goalscorer Raul has his shooting boots with him when
they head for the lions’ den of Belgrade.
The Real Madrid marksman missed Saturday’s 3-0 friendly waltz over China
with a foot injury, but will return for a crucial tie that Spain dare not
lose if they are to harbour hopes of wresting top spot from their hosts.
Goal-happy Group 8 leaders Sweden have the night off while second-placed
Croatia, with a game in hand over the Scandinavians, host winless Malta.
In the other match, Hungary play Bulgaria in a tussle for third spot.
Agence France-Presse