The teams who are heading for the 2018 World Cup finals have all been in action over the past week and while Germany and Brazil lead the way there are plenty of other sides who will fancy their chances in RussiaJoachim Löw is attempting to become the first manager to win successive World Cups since Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo in 1934 and 1938, and his masterplan is nearing completion. The experiment to blood some of Germany’s best young prospects at the Confederations Cup last summer is paying dividends, with Timo Werner emerging as a top-class option to lead the line having scored seven times in 10 international appearances. The draw against France on Tuesday thanks to Lars Stindl’s last-minute equaliser maintained...
We assess the performances of the 10 players who had most to prove in the games against Germany and Brazil and ask whether they should be in next summer’s squadNo goals scored and only three shots on target – it is fair to say England’s displays in their two end-of-year, prestige friendlies against Germany and Brazil were less than sparkling. However, the occasions did allow Gareth Southgate to fully test his increasingly favoured 3-5-2 formation and allow a host of players, some new, some old, to stake their claim for a place in his squad for next summer’s World Cup. The Guardian looks at how the 10 with the most to play for fared. Related: England 0-0 Brazil: five talking...
Bruce Arena’s team will not be at Russia 2018. It doesn’t take long to discover why they failed so badly in their bid to qualify for the tournamentThe shock is just now beginning to subside after the US men’s national team was eliminated from contention for the next summer’s World Cup in Russia. Every result that could have doomed them on Tuesday night came about, with Honduras and Panama’s respective wins combining with the US’s own 2-1 loss at already eliminated Trinidad & Tobago to knock Bruce Arena’s men out.The list of what didn’t doom the United States’ qualifying campaign is lengthy – vastly greater resources and spending power relative to the rest of the Concacaf region, first and foremost...
Twenty-three nations have booked their places for the World Cup in Russia, with the holders and Brazil looking in good shape but we rank England in 13th place, below IcelandIf the world champions were frustrated by their failure to win continental honours at Euro 2016 they have certainly taken it out on everyone else since. Germany won 10 qualifying games out of 10 and, even if San Marino’s presence in Group C needs taking into account, a record 43 goals scored suggests things are back in their old working order. So too did their Confederations Cup title in July, achieved with an experimental squad; Joachim Löw can select from an unrivalled depth of talent and, while winning back-to-back World Cups...
Republic of Ireland’s fans were outnumbered by 10 to one, but injury to Joe Allen and a goal from James McClean ensured the volume was turned down on WalesIt was billed as the biggest game in this country since 1993 and for Wales the sense of deja vu come the end was suffocating. Once again the World Cup finals will pass them by, just as they did 24 years ago, when Paul Bodin’s penalty kick thudded against the crossbar in their critical qualifier against Romania. This time it was the Republic of Ireland’s turn to spoil the party as Martin O’Neill’s side kept alive their own hopes of travelling to Russia next summer with the sort of victory that has...