Peru Become Last Country To Qualify For The World Cup Part - I

Posted by betensured02 on February 16th, 2018

Getting to the World Cup is important stuff, especially for sides that don’t always get to play in the biggest tournament in football and last night Peru booked the final spot in next summer’s party in Russia.

World Cup qualification started quite some time back, in March 2015 with Timor-Leste v Mongolia in case you were wondering exactly when, and over two years later all 32 teams have been decided.

The final spots came down to the play-offs. As well as European sides facing each other for their final four spots there was also games between Asian representative Australia and North American side Honduras whilst Oceana’s New Zealand faced South American side Peru.

Yesterday the Australian’s booked their place with a 3-1 win over Honduras, thanks to a hat-trick from Aston Villa midfielder Mile Jedinak, after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.

Overnight Peru and New Zealand also started off at 0-0 after a first leg draw and Peru won 2-0 thanks to goals from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos to make it to a World Cup for the first time since 1982.

Of course the tournament next summer, just 209 days away to be precise, will be missing some usual stalwarts like Netherlands, Italy and Costa Rica. The British Isles only be represented by England so Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be backing them, right?

The way the pots are it looks unlikely we’ll be getting a ‘Group of Death’ when the draw rolls around on December 1st. Even in pot one teams will feel that both the hosts and Poland are beatable.

Seeds will be hoping to get Peru in their group, or England of course.

Manchester City Equalled An Impressive Premier League Record, Yesterday

They may not have been as emphatic with some of their recent victories as they were being earlier in the season, but Manchester City are still finding a way to earn three points every Premier League matchday and once again relied on a late winner, yesterday to keep their phenomenal win streak going.

And Sunday’s 2-1 home victory over West Ham saw Guardiola’s men equal a Premier League record that they could now smash against Manchester United, this Sunday at Old Trafford.

David Silva’s late winner ensured that City won their 13th consecutive Premier League game on the bounce, yesterday, a record also held by Arsenal and Chelsea.

The Gunners first set the record during their double winning season of 01/02 while Antonio Conte’s Blues’ equalled that feat last season with a 13 match win streak of their own en route to the Premier League title.

Equalling the record obviously bodes well for Guardiola’s team, as both teams who have previously achieved the feat have then gone onto be crowned Premier League champions.

With City currently sitting atop the league table, clear of Sunday’s opponents United by eight points, it already looks like they might have the title sewn up before Christmas.

Should the two time Premier League champions break the record at Old Trafford on Sunday, it would all but confirm a third title for them.

But after a few difficult games recently where smaller clubs such as Huddersfield Town, Southampton and West Ham have stifled them for long periods, are City due a loss after relying on so many late winners or will Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva and co find a way to win once again?