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

Posted by betensured02 on March 17th, 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.

The South American’s might be the team that the likes of France and Germany are hoping to get but last night was just there time to celebrate and boy did they look like they enjoyed it

Gianluigi Buffon retires as Italy lose to Sweden in World Cup play-off

A tearful Gianluigi Buffon said he was “sorry for all of Italian football” as he led a wave of international retirements after a World Cup play-off defeat by Sweden.

Italy were held to a 0-0 draw in Milan and failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958.

Buffon, 39, said: “It’s a shame my last official game coincided with the failure to qualify for the World Cup.

“Blame is shared equally between everyone. There can’t be scapegoats.”

Buffon’s Juventus team-mate Andrea Barzagli and Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi also ended their Italy careers, while Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini is expected to join them. The quartet have won 461 caps between them.

Goalkeeper Buffon made 175 appearances for his country in a 20-year career – lifting the World Cup in 2006 – and believes the future could still be bright for the four-time world champions.

“There is certainly a future for Italian football because we have pride, ability, determination and after bad tumbles, we always find a way to get back on our feet,” he said.

Italy manager Giampiero Ventura – under contract until 2020 – did not speak to national television after the defeat but arrived at a news conference 90 minutes after full-time.

‘I haven’t resigned – yet’

“I have not resigned because I haven’t spoken to the president yet,” Ventura, 69, said.

“I’m sorry for being late, but every player I had the privilege of working with, I wanted to salute individually.

“Resignation? I have to evaluate an infinity of issues. We will meet with the federation and discuss it.”

Barzagli, 36, said it was “painful” to “leave this group of lads”.

He added: “I don’t know what we missed. All I know is we’re out of the World Cup. It’s a unique disappointment.

“The era of four or five veterans comes to a close, the one of the hungry young players coming through begins and that’s how it should be.”