England and Scotland Near Cup Berths

All that England and Scotland must do to clinch berths in soccer’s 24-team World Cup next year in Italy is tie in tonight’s qualifying games. But while their opponents are not having good years, both are playing at home and expecting to extend the suspense for the English and the Scots.

England meets Poland and its fanatical fans in the mining city of Katowice, while Scotland faces a wounded but determined French team in Paris. In another game tonight, the Netherlands can virtually ensure its berth in the Cup finals with a victory at Wrexham, Wales.

England Coach Bobby Robson has predicted a victory for his team, but he admitted that he is concerned after hearing scouting reports from English players who took part in a 2-0 loss to Poland at Katowice in 1973.

“I’ve told my players, ‘What you are going to meet in Poland, you’ll meet in every match in the finals,’ ” Robson said. “So if we can’t go there and measure up, we’ve got no chance in Italy next year.”

The Poles need to win their last three qualifying games to reach Italy.

After a depressing run of results, France, a 1986 World Cup semifinalist in Mexico, can qualify only if it beats Scotland and then Scotland loses in its final game at home against Norway. Adding to their problems, the French are without defender Manuel Amaros and top striker Jean-Pierre Papin because of injuries.

The Scots lost their previous game, 3-1, to Yugoslavia, which already has qualified for the World Cup. Another failure could erode Scottish morale and make the final qualifying game against Norway at Hampden, Scotland, in November an unexpectedly difficult task.

The Netherlands enters tonight’s game expecting Marco Van Basten, the most feared striker in Europe, to make his comeback. Van Basten, whose goals won the European championship for the Dutch last year, has been sidelined with a knee injury since helping AC Milan of the Italian League win the European Cup in May.

After playing in Milan’s defeat at Cremonese in league play Sunday, he has been added to the Dutch squad.