It’s official. Besides host South Africa who automatically qualify, Brazil, England, Netherlands, Spain, Paraguay, Ghana, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Korea DPR have also secured a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. While, Peru and Bolivia have no chance of qualifying. Let’s take a look at the South American Zone...
Brazil is ahead of Paraguay by three points, with both teams securing a place in the World Cup by defeating Argentina. Paraguay’s 1-0 win marks Argentina’s fourth defeat in the last five qualifying games, putting it in the fifth position with only two matches remaining to get one of the two remaining automatic qualifying places.
Legendary soccer shirt number 10, Diego Maradona, now the Argentinean coach, was gracious in his praise of the winning team even though he’s now in the line of fire, "Paraguay played well, particularly Cabanas and Haedo Valdes. They held the ball and midfielders attacked us from the sides. We should have marked them better. It is down to poor form and failures as a team. I didn't think we were going to be like we are. I wanted to be higher in the table. This is the reality we must live and I will face it like always in my life. We still have a chance and we are holding it." Used to facing criticism, Maradona made it clear that it doesn’t faze him, and was quick to defend Lionel Messi. "Do not throw stones at Messi yet again," said Maradona. "The Paraguayan players and Martino knew that he was dangerous. "They were three or four around him. They neutralized him well and he was not able to shine like he normally does."
Meanwhile, having won the Confederations Cup in June, Brazil qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time by beating Argentina 3-1. Though coach Dunga was quick to say that despite the qualification, his team is still under pressure to perform, "To say a national team is ready one year before the World Cup would be too soon. We have a combative spirit and a team who do their best each match. They can say we don't play well, but they cannot say we do not do our best." Brazilian midfielder, Felipe Melo, who wears the number 5 soccer uniforms, feels Chile is one of the best teams in South America, "I see Chile as one of the qualified teams. They are second in the table and it is not by chance. They are dangerous."
It’s confirmed that former Jamaican coach, Brazilian Rene Simoes, is taking over as new national coach of Costa Rica. He’ll be taking over from Rodrigo Kenton, who was recently fired after his team failed to score a single goal in their last three World Cup qualifiers. Aged 56, Simoes is remembered for leading Jamaica to their one and only World Cup debut back in 1998. He also even coached the Brazilian women’s team, that won a silver medal during the Athens Olympics in 2004.
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