International Notebook Heading into Latest European Qualifiers
On Friday, Scotland face the Republic of Ireland in one of the games that could have the biggest influence on the final outcome of Group D.
Reigning world champion Germany and Poland, who have already beaten Germany in surprising (some would say fluky) circumstances, have started the qualification process in ominous fashion. It therefore seems like only one of the two Home Nations can possibly finish in either second or third position in the group—the all-important spots if they want to make the final tournament in France in 2016.
Celtic Park, the home ground of a club with traditional links to the Irish, should in theory provide a relatively welcoming stadium for Martin O'Neill's travelling side to visit. O'Neill, his assistant Roy Keane and some of Ireland's key starters already have strong links to Celtic (O'Neill managed the Old Firm side, Keane played there).
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Aiden McGeady spent the early part of his years at Celtic, and O'Neill's most dangerous attacking player is one who could have feasibly ended up representing the Scots if things had gone a little differently. It is that sort of inter-connected relationship that could have some Scottish fans unsure quite how to approach a potentially pivotal game in their country's short-term future.
Perhaps that is why Scotland manager Gordon Strachan (you guessed it, another ex-Bhoys boss) seemed to be calling for a fiery atmosphere in his pre-match press conference, trying to fend off any temptation among fans to be even-handed in their support and backing.
Per the Guardian's Ewan Murray, Strachan said:
"[Friday] night, that is Scottish territory and you’ll know it’s Scottish territory. You’ll be in no doubt where you are—you’re in Scotland and Scotland are playing, against Ireland. It’s not a Celtic crowd [on Friday], it’s a Scottish crowd. There are a lot of things that are different. You can’t compare them, it’s two different entities. I believe the atmosphere will be terrific but in a different way.
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Victory, or at least avoiding defeat, is arguably more important for Strachan's men, who have already lost to Germany, drawn with Poland and narrowly beaten Georgia. The Irish have scraped a point off Germany, so taking three from their nearest rivals in the group (geographically speaking) would be a strong foundation for the rest of the campaign.
"When we finish [on Friday] night, we will have played three pretty difficult away games and will still be in the hunt regardless," O'Neill said, per Sky Sports, "So what we do in the Aviva Stadium in 2015 will probably determine everything.
"But of course, it's still a very, very, very significant match on Friday night."
Scotland have the additional distraction of a friendly against England, at the same venue, coming up on Tuesday. It's a game that promises to inspire nothing but strong feelings from the home supporters.
It will be interesting to see whether that looming game plays on the mind of the home players—Strachan cannot afford for that to be the case.
Selected International Qualifiers
See full qualifiers and current group standings at Uefa.com.
Friday
Romania vs. Northern Ireland
Scotland vs. Republic of Ireland
Portugal vs. Armenia
Germany vs. Gibraltar
Serbia vs. Denmark
Saturday
England vs. Slovenia
Austria vs. Russia
Montenegro vs. Sweden
Spain vs. Belarus
Sunday
Netherlands vs. Latvia
Belgium vs. Wales
Israel vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Italy vs. Croatia
1. What to watch out for this week
Rooney still has chance to rise above mediocrity
Wayne Rooney will become the latest member of international football's centenary club on Saturday, when he leads England out against Slovenia at Wembley for his 100th cap. It is an exclusive club, albeit one destined to become less exclusive as time goes on (the modern international calendar makes caps far easier to accumulate for players of the big nations).
The landmark has led to the predictable questions about Rooney's legacy and what his career means in a wider context. Ultimately, however, there does not need to be too much debate. Rooney's career has been above average but little more—when, not if, he overtakes Bobby Charlton's record for England goals, it won't necessarily reflect his true place among England strikers.
Rooney was at his best at his first tournament, Euro 2004, and then invariably injured (or out of form) at every major tournament since. He has rarely made the team around him better, although his goals have occasionally got the side out of tight spots.
There is good news for the 29-year-old, however: The book on his career is not closed just yet. He still has a few more tournaments to impose himself upon and, as captain, he is now in a position to really exert his influence and leadership on a young squad that may soon be encumbered with the same pressures and expectations that he has had to deal with almost his entire life.
It is in this phase of his career, then, that his true England legacy might be forged. His career to date has been good, not great—but he still has an opportunity to do a lot about it. Cap 100 might just indicate the start, not the approaching end many might think.
Spain searching far and wide for the answer
After seeing them enjoy almost unprecedented success over a sustained period, it is almost enjoyable to see Spain finally struggling for answers as they rebuild towards the 2016 Championships.
Coach Vicente del Bosque, who with every passing match must wish he had just resigned after the second European Championships victory, has looked farther and wider for new players to enhance his squad in recent months. He gave Munir El Haddadi a debut last month (a move that looked suspiciously like a cynical one designed to tie down his national representation long-term) and, for the latest squad, called up both Jose Callejon and Alvaro Morata.
In any list of the best uncapped players in world football, you could come up with 10 or more Spanish players, so it is perhaps no surprise that Del Bosque is looking at different options. But his core issues remain the same: getting Diego Costa assimilated into his preferred style of play (something that will have to wait at least a little while longer) and finding a way to return to the attractive yet resolute playing style that yielded amazing results between 2008 and 2012.
Some fresh blood might help slightly in those regards, but much of the hard work will have to be done on the training ground.
The collective against the individuals
Belgium host Wales on Sunday in a game that pits Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey against Belgium's far more extensive list of elite talents.
It is Chris Coleman's side who are currently top of Group B, although they have played one more game than their nearest rivals, Belgium and Israel (who face Bosnia and Herzegovina). A draw in Belgium would give Bale and Co. even greater reason to believe they can qualify for their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.
Whether they can get that positive result depends to an extent on Belgium, however, and whether they can find a greater rhythm than they have so far post-World Cup. Having beaten Iceland 3-1 in midweek, the signs are good, although the absence of captain Vincent Kompany might cause problems at the back.
One man already on his way
The consensus surrounding these European qualifiers was that the new competition format made it almost impossible for the bigger nations to miss out, and thus removed any pressure on the players or the coaches of the established nations.
That may not necessarily be true, however. With just a few games played, already Guus Hiddink has talked about resigning as Netherlands coach if his side lose to Latvia over the weekend.
“If we lose, it makes sense that I leave,” Hiddink said, per the Guardian, to the surprise of some.
The World Cup semi-finalists have lost two of their opening three qualifiers—it would be a shock few could possibly have predicted if that becomes three in four, and Hiddink walks away. Will Danny Blind—initially pencilled in to take over from Hiddink in 2016—step in right away, or will another solution be found?
2. Video of the week
3. Player to watch
Lukas Podolski
"I already plan on starting Lukas," Germany coach Jogi Low told reporters on Thursday, when asked about the Arsenal forward's chances of facing Gibraltar. "But I also can see that he hasn’t had much match practice this season. Podolski has a good foundation but I’m concerned as to whether he’ll be able to last the 90 minutes."
Podolski might be struggling to get a look-in at Arsenal at the moment, but his record for Germany remains impressive. The 29-year-old already has 120 caps for the national team, scoring 47 goals. He could well get to 50 against Gibraltar—a team hoping to keep the scoreline in single figures.
An impressive return of goals for Podolski might send a certain message to Arsene Wenger, but they might also be a timely reminder of his abilities as the January transfer window looms into view. Podolski's career, at club and international level, seems like it could hinge on the decisions he makes over the next six months.
"It’s important for him to play regularly," Low noted. "I still have confidence in him. But he needs a good physique because then he’s hard to stop."
4. Game of the weekend
Italy vs. Croatia
Turns out, Italy have not beaten Croatia in the post-war era. That might not change on Sunday, especially considering the Azzurri will be without both Andrea Pirlo and Marco Verratti, the two midfielders that give them a certain guile and composure on the ball—plus Mario Balotelli is also back in the ranks.
Croatia, in contrast, have three of the finest midfielders in the world—Luka Modric of Real Madrid, Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona and Mateo Kovacic of Inter Milan. Kovacic might be the youngest and least established of the group, but he is brimming with potential and will surely be keen to make a real impact against the country where he (currently) plies his trade.
The last time the two sides met, in a Palermo friendly in 2006, the Croatians ran out 2-0 winners.
"We'll put Italy in difficulty. But it should be a 50-50 game," ex-Croatia legend Zvonimir Boban said recently, via the Times of India. "Strange, as usually it was 80-20 [in Italy's favour]."
"A repeat of 2006 will be difficult. But then again, it seemed difficult back then," Boban added.
Both teams currently have a 100 percent record in Group H, with only Norway posing any sort of early resistance, so the result of this game might not be too decisive in the long run. But it should prove an even and tactically intriguing contest, with perhaps a result few casual observers expect.
