Argentina kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Chile in Buenos Aires.

 

Juan Roman Riquelme was the hero for the home with two superb trademark free kicks in the first half.

 

Riquelme, who has not played for Villarreal this season, showed no sign of rustiness as he inspired Argentina to all three points.

 

The classy playmaker broke the deadlock on 27 minutes when he curled his free kick from the edge of the box into the top corner.

 

Riquelme repeated the act right on the stroke of half-time to double Argentina's lead with another clinical free kick from 30 yards out.

 

 

Any hopes Chile had of getting back into the game went up in smoke on 54 minutes when defender Cristian Alvarez was sent off for crashing into Javier Mascherano.

 

Elsewhere at the start of South America's World Cup qualifying campaign Venezuela stunned Ecuador with a 1-0 win in Quito.

 

Venezuela defender Jose Manuel Rey scored a memorable goal to give the visitors all three points.

 

From close to the halfway line, Rey scored with a powerful, dipping shot which flew over startled Daniel Viteri and into the goal in the 67th minute.

 

The defeat was Ecuador's first at home in six years and is a major blow to their hopes of qualifying.

 

Uruguay got their campaign off to a flying start with a 5-0 demolition of Bolivia in Montevideo.

 

Goals from Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan, Sebastian Abreu and substitutes Vicente Sanchez and Carlos Bueno were enough to give Uruguay a convincing win.

 

To compound Bolivia's misery they had Ronald Garcia sent off.

 

In the final game in qualifying Peru were held to a goalless draw by Paraguay.

 

Juan Vargas came closest to scoring for Peru when he saw his shot come back off the post, but Paraguay held on to earn a point.

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12098_2800045,00.html

Already???

 

When's the draw for the uefa groups?

we lost :bigcry:

Brazil vs Colombia game just finished.. 0 - 0 ... that's really good for Colombia I guess

Chile is a poor football nation

yeah I know.. but still I think that now they have at least a chance to qualify.. and well.. I'tll be hard since just 4 teams of here go to the world cup (and the 5th has to play against another country of concacaf) and Brazil and Argentina are the 2 best teams in the world

 

 

 

 

now Chile is playing against Perú.. 1-0 winning :dance: let's see what happens now

:disappointed:

We lost but I can't say i'm suprised haha

ohhhhhhhhh

 

 

I wasn't sure about the result first... but the chilean team played well.. most of the time :uhoh:

Brazil make easy meat of Ecuador

 

 

Brazil thumped Ecuador 5-0 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, celebrating their first home match for two years and first at the Maracana stadium since 2000 in style.

Vagner Love gave Brazil a 19th-minute lead just as the 70,000 crowd was getting impatient and the five-times world champions added four goals in a 12-minute spell late in the game.

Kaka struck twice, once with an exquisite curling shot and another with the help of a goalkeeping blunder by Daniel Viteri, and Ronaldinho and Elano also found the net.

The result was rough justice on Ecuador, who controlled the game for nearly one hour and threatened to snatch a point until Brazil's late flourish.

:disappointed:

We lost but I can't say i'm suprised haha

You mean Scotland and Georgia or Chile and Argentina match?

 

Lore: England and Scotland are the two best football nations

You mean Scotland and Georgia or Chile and Argentina match?

 

Lore: England and Scotland are the two best football nations

 

Quoted for when two of the best football nations fail to get into the european championship :laugh3:

So what?

It's like saying Liverpool are the greatest team in the premiership when they haven't won the league in over 15 years

 

Lore: England and Scotland are the two best football nations

 

 

and again...

 

 

I think you're wrong... I mean

 

look at Brazill.. they're awesome.. Argentina has a great team too... about european nations.. I don't know.. I don't use to watch europeam matches.. but I'd say germany or italy..

and again...

 

 

I think you're wrong... I mean

 

look at Brazill.. they're awesome.. Argentina has a great team too... about european nations.. I don't know.. I don't use to watch europeam matches.. but I'd say germany or italy..

Italy:laugh3:

world cup winners, you know

Only because they cheated :P

world cup is over,i actually care about current form

Yep, now that the champions have to qualify along with everybody apart from the hosts.

 

That will be the system until a reigning champion fails to get into the finals to defend their title and there is a big fuss kicked up about it.

I remember once when brazil was like at 3rd place in the qualifiers and everyone was worried because they said that a world cup without brazil is not really a world cup...

 

it's too hard to qualify here with argentina, brazil when just the first 4 teams go to the world cup...

See the new thread I have posted

Ah well then move to Brazilia

So the draw for the Uefa group stages is made next week.

World Cup qualifying draw (European section)

 

 

Location: Durban, South Africa.

Date and Time: Sunday, 25 November 2007, 3pm GMT (5pm local time)

Venue: Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre

Participating Countries: 169 countries chase 31 places.

The Draw: To feature teams competing in the European, Asian, North American, Central American and Caribbean zones and Africa. Oceania and South America have already been drawn.

 

 

England have been paired with Euro 2008 nemesis Croatia in the qualifying draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

 

The Three Lions are in Group 6 and will also tackle Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra.

 

England were beaten home and away by Slaven Bilic's men in their miserable Euro 2008 campaign with Steve McClaren having his contract as manager terminated less than 12 hours after the 3-2 reverse at Wembley.

 

Scotland are in Group 9 and will come up against Holland, Norway, Macedonia and Iceland on the road to South Africa.

 

Wales are again paired with Germany, who they drew 0-0 with in their final Euro 2008 qualifier, and also face Russia, Finland, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein in Group 4.

 

Northern Ireland, who came so close to qualifying for Euro 2008, are in Group 3 along with Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino.

 

Republic of Ireland face reigning champions Italy in Group 8 and must also meet Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro.

 

Group 1 has Portugal has the top seeds and they must overcome Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania and Malta.

 

The nine group winners will qualify automatically for the World Cup finals with the eight best runners-up going into a two-legged play-off for the remaining four spots.

 

 

Group 1

 

Portugal

Sweden

Denmark

Hungary

Albania

Malta

 

 

Group 2

 

Greece

Israel

Switzerland

Moldova

Latvia

Luxembourg

 

 

Group 3

 

Czech Republic

Poland

Northern Ireland

Slovakia

Slovenia

San Marino

 

 

Group 4

 

Germany

Russia

Finland

Wales

Azerbaijan

Liechtenstein

 

 

Group 5

 

Spain

Turkey

Belgium

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Armenia

Estonia

 

 

Group 6

 

Croatia

England

Ukraine

Belarus

Kazakhstan

Andorra

 

 

Group 7

 

France

Romania

Serbia

Lithuania

Austria

Faroe Islands

 

 

Group 8

 

Italy

Bulgaria

Republic of Ireland

Cyprus

Georgia

Montenegro

 

 

Group 9

 

Holland

Scotland

Norway

Macedonia

Iceland

most of the groups seems really easy.. I mean

 

 

Spain

Turkey

Belgium

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Armenia

Estonia

 

 

 

anyway

 

how many european countries finally qualify for the world cup? just the 1st one of each group or more?