Upstart Exam

The confrontation between the participants of the final stage of the 2006 World Cup is an indisputable hit of the game day. Moreover, the point here is not so much in the sonority of the names as in the ambiguity of the tournament position of both. With identical points, these teams modestly settled behind the Finns and Poles, who, with a high degree of probability, will win their fights.

Defeat any team will remove it from the top to a very unpleasant distance. So far, the gap has not exceeded three points. The misfire of the Serbs, and even in the eyes of the Belgrade public, may well turn out to be a rejection of Javier Clemente's services: the speed of organizational withdrawal, as well as hat-making (Saturday shame in Kazakhstan is another example), the Slav brothers will willingly give us a head start. The Portuguese after an easy victory over Belgium will come out for the match much more liberated.

From the game you can expect not only high voltage and beautiful goals, but also provocations, controversial episodes. Both teams in Europe are notorious for unsurpassed lyceum.

Other matches. Azerbaijan - Finland. Poland - Armenia.

The world champion and part-time group B middle peasant will test one of its leaders in Bari. Last year, Walter Smith's wards confidently took “their” points, simultaneously defeating the titled French.

In January, Smith went to the Rangers, and his business was continued by Alex McLeish, who left the club last summer.

Two years ago, he snatched the championship title from the hands of Celtic in the last round, and last season brought the Rangers to the Champions League playoffs on the falling flag, something the Scottish clubs have not sought since 1993. A difficult victory on the Georgians only strengthened McLeish's reputation: not the most powerful tactician, he will even force the dead to fight to the last. And if the sons of Scotland take at least a point in Italy, it makes sense to talk about the full opening of the qualifying cycle.

In truth, there’s little chance of it. “Squadra azzurra”, apparently, has departed from both the corruption scandal and champion euphoria. Neither the absence of the injured Fabio Grosso, nor the decision of Francesco Totti will focus on the affairs of Roma, nor the experimental line of attack with Rocky, Cuagliarella and Di Natale should become an obstacle to the third victory of the Italians in this cycle.

Other matches. Ukraine - Lithuania. Georgia - Faroe Islands.

Here, the choice of a central match can be justified simply: the sum of the rivals in the FIFA ranking is the smallest of all pairs in the group.

With regard to the Scandinavians, it makes sense to talk about a certain crisis of all Norwegian football. Rosenborg is no longer a regular in the Champions League. The national championship stopped the conveyor supply of solid players in the Premier League and was mothballed. The national team showed amazing lack of will in the butt games for the 2006 World Cup and continues in the same vein.

The Turks, who “feathered” in Athens, cannot be stopped: the defeated Greeks are only three points behind and are sent to restore mental health to the hospitable Malta. Excessive complacency and a nominal distance from home can prevent the Janissaries: the match will be held in Frankfurt.

Other matches. Hungary - Moldova. Malta - Greece.

Slovaks, whose strength is known firsthand in Russia, are just one point away from second place. A meeting with the Irish is an indicator of the prospects for the Dushan Galis team: a loss to the third rating team of three will mean self-elimination from Euro 2008.

For the fun team of former defender Aston Villa and Liverpool Steve Staunton, every victory is a way to quickly wash away the shame for a humiliating 2: 5 in Cyprus. So far it’s not bad: victories over San Marino and Wales plus a hopeful draw with the Czechs.

Summarizing, we can say that rivals argue for the right to violate subordination. After winning this match, it will be possible to swing in the selection and more.

Other matches. Czech Republic - Cyprus. Wales - San Marino.

There are only two matches in our native group, and, frankly, not one draws to the title of central: strong middle peasants versus hopelessly lagging ones. It remains with interest to look at the England team.

The British, suffering from scoring impotence and atrophy of the will, prescribed Ozverin and Viagra in one bottle in the person of Andorra. Whether clerks and postmen will help McLaren and companies cope with numerous ailments, we will find out only in the summer.

Another match. Israel - Estonia.

For the British inspired by the autumn victory over Spain, this match, as well as for the Scottish brothers, will be a moment of truth. The team of Lori Sanchez for the first time since 1995 claims to high places, and her performance should already be recognized as a success. The Northern Irish scored more points than for the entire previous qualifying cycle, and won more victories than in the last two. David Healy, who was predicted to succeed George Best during the United Youth League, did not justify the advances, but he already scored 6 goals, two of which were Spaniards.

“Tre krunur”, as if the leader of the Swedish car industry, which conduct the cycle powerfully and reliably, saving uncertainty for the final bullets. However, before the current trip to Belfast, Lars Lagerbak should have consulted with compatriot Sven-Goran Ericsson, who had recently left Windsor Park with the England team for a while.

Other matches. Liechtenstein - Latvia. Spain - Iceland.

The outcome of the match of the East European squads with all the strength of the Bulgarians and the happily resolved conflict of Hristo Stoichkov and Stilyan Petrov does not seem obvious. Fans of the Russian national team will probably understand why, if they mentally go four years ago to the Albanian Shkoder. The foundations laid by Hans-Peter Brigel are unbreakable to this day. Fighting character plus tactical, the training of players scattered in solid European clubs makes any team reckon with the Albanians. Moreover, their steering Otto Baric was corrected. In the match with the Slovenes of the Albanian national team, the Croatian assistant Matyaz Kek was in charge.

The difference between Group G and the rest is in the absolute equality of the three favorites - both in terms of the number of goals and lost points, and in the game. It is tempting for the Bulgarians to delay the clarification of relations for meetings with the Dutch and Romanians.

Other matches. Romania - Luxembourg. Slovenia - Holland.