Tuesday, March 28, 2017 4:32:23 AM
Good morning. Mexico go top as USA, T&T rebound
.. good to see we are both hangin' in .. and that you have two favorite teams still on the beams .. :)
(FIFA.com) 25 Mar 2017
Javier Hernandez of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring
© Getty Images
THE DAY REPLAYED – Mexico sprang to the top of CONCACAF’s final Hexagonal round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ with an impressive win over Costa Rica at the Estadio Azteca.
Trinidad and Tobago and USA joined El Tri in an upward trajectory with a pair of much-needed victories to earn their first points of the round. FIFA.com takes a closer look at all the action from a spicy Friday night in the CONCACAF zone.
Match of the day
Mexico 2-0 Costa Rica
Mexico moved to the top of the table with a comprehensive 2-0 win over a tough Costa Rica outfit that started the day in first place. Javier Chicharito Hernandez opened the scoring early with a brave chip over the onrushing Keylor Navas to send the crowd at the Azteca into hysterics.
Nestor Araujo then made it 2-0 just before the half with a powerful header that barely snuck over the line. With a host of influential players out through injury, including Jesus Tecatito Corona and Andres Guardado, Juan Carlos Osorio’s Mexicans never missed a beat and cruised through the second half to seal the win and a clean sheet.
Elsewhere
USA gave Bruce Arena the perfect start to his second term as coach with a demolition of Honduras in Northern California. Sebastian Lletget opened the scoring with a tap-in to an open goal early on. Captain Michael Bradley doubled the lead near the half-hour mark as the Americans were in an attacking mood.
By the time Clint Dempsey, back in action after a year out with an irregular heartbeat, slammed home the first of his three goals on the night, the game was well and truly beyond the Hondurans. It was no surprise that the contest finished 6-0 to the resurgent Stars and Stripes, who are still tied for last-place, but have reason for serious optimism.
Trinidad and Tobago earned their first points of the round with a 1-0 win over Panama at home in Port of Spain. Kevin Molino made the difference on the night, his 37th-minute right-footer from 25 yards squirreling past Jaime Penedo in the Panamanian net to see the lone remaining Caribbean side with reason for confidence of their own.
.. more .. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=3/news=mexico-go-top-as-usa-t-t-rebound-2877279.html
---
Socceroos’ World Cup dream hinges on beating United Arab Emirates
DAVID DAVUTOVIC, Herald Sun
March 27, 2017 8:11pm
THE Socceroos have not played a sudden-death World Cup qualifier since 2005, but Tuesday night’s game is precariously close.
Anything less than a win in Sydney against United Arab Emirates and hopes of automatic qualification as one of the top two teams in its group are virtually over.
Leaders Saudi Arabia and Japan (13 points) are expected to win at home tonight.
If UAE (9) wins, it would overtake the Socceroos (10) in third and leave coach Ange Postecoglou in need of miracles.
A draw would leave the Socceroos battling UAE for third spot, which leads to the playoffs, initially against the third-placed team in the other Asian group.
Uzbekistan occupies that place. The winner of the two-legged clash faces a decisive playoff with the fourth-placed CONCACAF team, which at the moment is the US.
Robbie Kruse in action in the World Cup qualifier against Iraq last week. Picture: AP
Postecoglou, whose team is undefeated in this qualifying stage but has won only two of six games, yesterday tried to deflect the pressure.
“It’s no bigger than last Thursday (away to Iraq) was,’’ he said.
“It’s a World Cup qualifier and we’ve set up an environment where we prepare for every game the same way.
“If we win, it doesn’t make the Saudi Arabia game (in June) any less important and if we don’t win, it doesn’t make it more important.
“Because a lot of our players play abroad, coming back home to play in front of supporters and family gives them an extra lift. We always seem to be up for the contest when we have a home crowd behind us. Hopefully that continues.’’
If a bumpy pitch Allianz Stadium pitch has not infuriated the Socceroos coaching staff enough, arguably the team is missing its two key players — Aaron Mooy, who is suspended, and Tom Rogic, who has an ankle injury.
The high stakes nature of this last qualifying phase has not stopped Postecoglou making a shock tactical switch. His three-man defence backfired against Iraq, but he will persist with it because it enables him to fit in more of his stronger players.
.. more .. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/socceroos/socceroos-world-cup-dream-hinges-on-beating-united-arab-emirates/news-story/53ba310937d5a3af5f2e3cde1f217d47
Game scheduled to start a half hour from now.
.. good to see we are both hangin' in .. and that you have two favorite teams still on the beams .. :)
(FIFA.com) 25 Mar 2017
Javier Hernandez of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring
© Getty Images
THE DAY REPLAYED – Mexico sprang to the top of CONCACAF’s final Hexagonal round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ with an impressive win over Costa Rica at the Estadio Azteca.
Trinidad and Tobago and USA joined El Tri in an upward trajectory with a pair of much-needed victories to earn their first points of the round. FIFA.com takes a closer look at all the action from a spicy Friday night in the CONCACAF zone.
Match of the day
Mexico 2-0 Costa Rica
Mexico moved to the top of the table with a comprehensive 2-0 win over a tough Costa Rica outfit that started the day in first place. Javier Chicharito Hernandez opened the scoring early with a brave chip over the onrushing Keylor Navas to send the crowd at the Azteca into hysterics.
Nestor Araujo then made it 2-0 just before the half with a powerful header that barely snuck over the line. With a host of influential players out through injury, including Jesus Tecatito Corona and Andres Guardado, Juan Carlos Osorio’s Mexicans never missed a beat and cruised through the second half to seal the win and a clean sheet.
Elsewhere
USA gave Bruce Arena the perfect start to his second term as coach with a demolition of Honduras in Northern California. Sebastian Lletget opened the scoring with a tap-in to an open goal early on. Captain Michael Bradley doubled the lead near the half-hour mark as the Americans were in an attacking mood.
By the time Clint Dempsey, back in action after a year out with an irregular heartbeat, slammed home the first of his three goals on the night, the game was well and truly beyond the Hondurans. It was no surprise that the contest finished 6-0 to the resurgent Stars and Stripes, who are still tied for last-place, but have reason for serious optimism.
Trinidad and Tobago earned their first points of the round with a 1-0 win over Panama at home in Port of Spain. Kevin Molino made the difference on the night, his 37th-minute right-footer from 25 yards squirreling past Jaime Penedo in the Panamanian net to see the lone remaining Caribbean side with reason for confidence of their own.
.. more .. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=3/news=mexico-go-top-as-usa-t-t-rebound-2877279.html
---
Socceroos’ World Cup dream hinges on beating United Arab Emirates
DAVID DAVUTOVIC, Herald Sun
March 27, 2017 8:11pm
THE Socceroos have not played a sudden-death World Cup qualifier since 2005, but Tuesday night’s game is precariously close.
Anything less than a win in Sydney against United Arab Emirates and hopes of automatic qualification as one of the top two teams in its group are virtually over.
Leaders Saudi Arabia and Japan (13 points) are expected to win at home tonight.
If UAE (9) wins, it would overtake the Socceroos (10) in third and leave coach Ange Postecoglou in need of miracles.
A draw would leave the Socceroos battling UAE for third spot, which leads to the playoffs, initially against the third-placed team in the other Asian group.
Uzbekistan occupies that place. The winner of the two-legged clash faces a decisive playoff with the fourth-placed CONCACAF team, which at the moment is the US.
Robbie Kruse in action in the World Cup qualifier against Iraq last week. Picture: AP
Postecoglou, whose team is undefeated in this qualifying stage but has won only two of six games, yesterday tried to deflect the pressure.
“It’s no bigger than last Thursday (away to Iraq) was,’’ he said.
“It’s a World Cup qualifier and we’ve set up an environment where we prepare for every game the same way.
“If we win, it doesn’t make the Saudi Arabia game (in June) any less important and if we don’t win, it doesn’t make it more important.
“Because a lot of our players play abroad, coming back home to play in front of supporters and family gives them an extra lift. We always seem to be up for the contest when we have a home crowd behind us. Hopefully that continues.’’
If a bumpy pitch Allianz Stadium pitch has not infuriated the Socceroos coaching staff enough, arguably the team is missing its two key players — Aaron Mooy, who is suspended, and Tom Rogic, who has an ankle injury.
The high stakes nature of this last qualifying phase has not stopped Postecoglou making a shock tactical switch. His three-man defence backfired against Iraq, but he will persist with it because it enables him to fit in more of his stronger players.
.. more .. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/socceroos/socceroos-world-cup-dream-hinges-on-beating-united-arab-emirates/news-story/53ba310937d5a3af5f2e3cde1f217d47
Game scheduled to start a half hour from now.
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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