Qualifiers Make It Nervous Time
It’s too early to call them decisive or crucial, but the World Cup qualifying games that will be played this week certainly are interesting.
That’s the word U.S. Coach Bruce Arena used when talking about Wednesday’s matches between Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico at Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Jamaica and Honduras at Kingston, Jamaica.
“These two games are going to be very interesting and are going to have a great impact on the standings,” Arena said Thursday.
The U.S., which leads the six-nation group after victories over Mexico and Honduras, plays Costa Rica at Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday night knowing that another victory will put qualification within reach.
Similarly, a Costa Rican victory at Arrowhead Stadium would boost its chances of going to Japan/South Korea 2002.
For the other four teams, however, the nerves are beginning to tighten.
“Honduras [is] very desperate to get some points,” Arena said. “I think they are a very talented team. I favor Honduras, but Jamaica is tough to beat at home. Honduras knows a tie gives them [only] two points from three games, so they have to win.”
So does Trinidad and Tobago, which has lost its two games.
“Trinidad doesn’t have a point,” Arena said, “so they won’t be happy with one point [for a tie] coming out of the game. They need to go out and try to get three points. For Mexico, if they come out with three or four points from three games [by losing or tying Trinidad], that wouldn’t be too acceptable.
“I can’t tell you what is going to happen, but there is lots of pressure for sure.”
FRENCH AMBITION
World and European champion France has the luxury of qualifying automatically for Japan/South Korea, but that has not stopped Coach Roger Lemerre from expecting the utmost from his players.
France plays Portugal in a friendly Wednesday and Lemerre is demanding a victory.
“Since 1994, France has played 88 times and has lost only six games,” he said. “We suffered a reverse in our last match [a 2-1 loss to Spain at Seville, Spain] and it is important that we bounce right back.
“The defeat against Spain is something that we need to put right. We are champions and we need to have that mentality at all times.”
In other noteworthy friendly matches this week, Iran plays World Cup 2002 co-host South Korea in Cairo, Italy hosts South Africa at Perugia and Spain plays World Cup co-host Japan at Cordoba, Spain.
BRAZILIAN SHAKE-UP
Beaten by Ecuador in its most recent World Cup qualifier, Brazil has responded by dropping several veterans, including Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos, and bringing seven newcomers into its squad for Wednesday’s game against Peru at Sao Paulo.
“Sometimes you can help a player by dropping him temporarily, provisionally or permanently,” said Coach Emerson Leao. “There has been a change in philosophy brought out of necessity.”
The loss to Ecuador at Quito was Brazil’s third in 11 qualifying games and Leao’s team is third behind Argentina and Paraguay in the 10-nation group. Only the top four finishers are guaranteed a place in the World Cup.
In other South American qualifiers this week, Argentina travels to La Paz to play Bolivia; two-time world champion Uruguay will face Chile at Santiago, Chile; Ecuador hosts Paraguay and Venezuela is home to Colombia.
NIGERIAN ANGER
Nigeria Coach Jo Bonfrere lashed out at the country’s soccer federation (NFA) for failing to support the team as it prepared for a key qualifying game against Sierra Leone.
“Just look at us,” the Dutch coach said in Lagos. “Is this how to prepare for a major international match?
“No training bus, no training pitch, no kits. We went to training today in bush-taxis we hired on our own.
“I can’t say when players will arrive at the camp because hotel officials said the NFA instructed them to bar me from making phone calls to check with the players.
“I don’t even know when we’ll be flying out to Freetown [for the game]. The players and myself are just kept in the dark.”
Bonfrere said he had been told by the NFA to stop talking to the media or “face the music.”
Bonfrere also had said before the match that he would resign if Nigeria lost to Sierra Leone, which it did Saturday, 1-0.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying
*--*
Team Won Lost Tied GF GA Points United States 2 0 0 4 1 6 Costa Rica 1 1 0 5 2 4 Mexico 1 0 1 4 2 3 Jamaica 1 0 1 1 4 3 Honduras 0 1 1 3 4 1 Trinidad/Tobago 0 0 2 0 4 0
*--*
Note: Top three teams qualify for Japan/South Korea 2002
Wednesday’s games
Costa Rica vs. United States at Kansas City, Mo.
Honduras vs. Jamaica at Kingston
Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago at Port of Spain
