Posted By:Unknown | At:Monday, March 18, 2013
Although the World Cup qualifiers are at different stages of
advancement, there are a number of big sides already in danger of
missing out in Europe, South America and Asia.
Despite it still
being early days, the qualification groups have already started to take
shape, and a number of World Cup regulars are in perilous positions.
Europe
perhaps offers the largest number of potential surprise absences, but
South America too is currently witnessing a close race to secure a place
in Brazil.
Here are some of the biggest sides currently at risk.
Turkey
Turan and Turkey are already facing up to the prospect of missing out
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Having only ever made two
appearances at the World Cup, in 1954 and in 2002 when they famously
finished third, they don't have outstanding pedigree at this level.
However, a team boasting talents such as Emre
Belozoglu
, Arda Turan
, Nuri
Sahin
and Hamit
Altintop
should be doing better than Abdullah
Avci
’s side are currently.
In
a group with Holland, Hungary and Romania, it is going to be an uphill
task for the Turks. They are already six points off the pace in fourth
with three points from four matches.
A
costly home defeat to Romania and an away one to Hungary saw them lose
three and win one (a given against Estonia), shipping six goals in the
process.
With that sort of
talent, though, they should not be totally discounted from making a
recovery and a challenge for second place in Group D.
Denmark
Denmark are experiencing a difficult period in international football
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
In a difficult Group B with
Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Armenia are all threats. But Denmark
will not have expected to sit second-bottom of Group B after taking
only two points from three matches.
That
said, the Danes have only made four World Cup appearances, so the 1992
European champions won’t have been expecting it to be easy.
Their
most recent qualification was in 2010, but Morten Olsen’s side are not
profiting from their fine collection of talent (including Christian
Eriksen) and look destined to miss out unless they can overhaul Bulgaria
for second place.
Paraguay
Paraguay are World Cup regulars but face missing out this time around
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Regulars as part of the
competition’s large South American contingent, Paraguay have competed in
the last four consecutive tournaments. Eight appearances in total
indicate a team with vast experience of this stage.
They also have plenty of talent in the likes of Oscar Cardozo, Nelson Valdez and Roque Santa Cruz.
However, they sit bottom of the South American standings currently, with seven points from nine games.
That
is a big deficit to make up and likely almost impossible. Although
Uruguay are only five points ahead in fifth, which would land them a
playoff spot against the odds if they can lift themselves.
Australia
Osieck is struggling to help
Australia emerge from the shadows of a talented but ultimately
disappointing previous generation of talent
Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Currently in second place in
Asia’s Group B, that position will claim them a World Cup berth if they
stay there. However, Holger Osieck’s side have not pulled clear of
Zico's Iraq yet, so it is by no means guaranteed.
They
do have a game in hand so you'd expect them to still qualify, but
further complacency will drop them into the Asian zone playoff.
That
playoff is to decide who will dispute the intercontinental playoff
between Asia's third-best team and South America's fifth. It is a tie
that the Socceroos know only too well as it regularly saw them beaten by
the likes of Uruguay.
Australia
won’t want that to happen this time as they struggle to rebuild after
the loss of a golden generation of the likes of Harry Kewell, Tim
Cahill, Brett Emerton and Vince Grella that failed to deliver.
They have made three appearances to date, most recently in 2010. Expect them to make it four, but it won’t be convincing.
Other Possibilities
Suarez is another talent in danger of not making it to Brazil
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Uruguay
La
Celeste are fifth in the South American table and are underperforming.
The inaugural winners of the event have been represented 12 times, and
there is so much talent that it would be criminal not to be there once
more this time.
Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan and
Cristian Rodriguez are some of their bigger names. The 2011 Copa America
champions, who finished the 2010 in fourth place, have the potential to
do as well, if not better if they can make Brazil.
Chile
Arturo
Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, Humberto Suazo, Mauricio Isla, Jorge Valdivia
and Gary Medel are some of Chile’s top footballing talents right now.
Eight-time
qualifiers, they are struggling along with Uruguay on 12 points in
sixth. But unless they can overhaul Venezuela, in which case one of the
pair would go into the playoff with Oceania, they risk losing out.
A
managerial change mid-campaign, with Jorge Sampaoli now in and Claudio
Borghi sacked in November 2012 for poor performances, is a risky
manoeuvre. Chile continue to struggle to adequately replace Marcelo
Bielsa who led the side to the last 16 in South Africa in 2010.
USA
Played
one, lost one so far in CONCACAF, so hardly a reason to push the panic
button just yet. It is early days but still a warning for Jurgen
Klinsmann. A surprise 2-1 defeat in Honduras is hardly likely to prove
fatal, but it leaves no room for further complacency.
Despite a
shaky start, the U.S. have reached the World Cup nine times in their
history—the last six consecutively. Don’t expect them to miss out this
time.
Serbia
Perhaps not the
biggest of names, but individually they are a highly talented side.
Currently third in Group A, six points behind Croatia with four games
gone, Belgium are romping away at the top. It was a tough draw, but
there is enough quality in the side for Sinisa Mihajlovic's men to
expect to do better.
Morten Olsen is not the only coach whose side are underperforming on the road to Brazil