(AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
The 1st ever World Cup on African soil was itself already a historic event. It seems as though the play of the teams on the pitch and the final 16 teams remaining in the tournament have made more history than anyone could have imagined.

The biggest story of the end of the group stage is that defending champions Italy will be going back to Lo Stivale, after their stunning elimination at the hands of Slovakia. The Italians were dull in attack and played uninspired defense. Slovakia's 3-2 win in Johannesburg at Ellis Park gave Slovakia its 1st ever Round of 16 birth in its first ever World Cup as an independent, sovereign nation.

Italy's elimination was due to poor play on the field but France's elimination was due to poor play and disgraceful team attitude. France scored only 1 goal and earned only one point. This is justice and pure bliss for Ireland fans. France and Italy, the two finalists from 2006 are out in the group stage. Another World Cup historical mark as the 2010 WC tournament is the 1st time that the previous tournament finalists didn't advance out of the group stage.

The first World Cup was played in 1930 and there are historical firsts that have happened in this tournament that have not occurred since the 1930 World Cup. The 2010 World Cup is first WC since 1930, where more teams from the Americas have advanced to the Round of 16 than teams from Europe. Americas = 7 v. Europe = 6. The US winning Group C in 2010 is the first time since 1930 that The Stars & Stripes have won a group. Thanks of course to Landon Donovan's game winner at the death against Algeria.

(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Bafana Bafana also made unfortunate history by becoming the only host nation not to advance to the knockout stage but they did score goals, they did win a match, and earned 4 points missing out on the Round of 16 on goal difference. South Africa's group stage exit was not what the nation, FIFA, or the world wanted but Bafana Bafana did much better than football experts thought and honored their nation with their brave play.

Watch out for Japan in 2010. The Samurai Blue won their 1st World Cup match outside of Nippon when they beat Cameroon 1-0 in Group E play. In the final group match, Japan defeated Denmark 3-1 in an elimination game to secure its first Round of 16 berth outside of Japanese soil. Japan forward Keisuke Honda has scored 2 of the teams' 4 goals and is looking like the breakout star of the tournament.
(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

The Round of 16 begins on Saturday, June 26 [Happy Birthday, Mom] when Uruguay, the winners of Group A, face Korea Republic, the runner-up of Group B. The match will take place at Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth in Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The FIFA continental confederation breakdown of the Round of 16 teams are:

UEFA (Europe): 6 - Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal

CONMEBOL (South America): 5 - Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay

CONCACAF (Central & North America, Caribbean): 2 - USA & Mexico

AFC (Asia): 2 - South Korea & Japan

CAF (Africa): 1 - Ghana

Take a look at the bracket for the knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

South Africa WC - Round of 16 Historical Firsts

Several kids ages 12 and younger from around the world will take part in their own World Cup.  The finals will take place on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu prior to Real Madrid's season finale at home against Athletic.


The Volkswagen World Masters has one simple mission- to find the champions of tomorrow, today.   This is the first step in truly obtaining a cultural and social experience for some of these kids.

This is a way for these kids that in many ways might not get to obtain exposure to other cultures and to be able to have a taste of what the world of football can offer them regardless of their potential as a football star or as a person within society.

Madrid hosts Volkswagen World Masters u-12 pt. 1

VS. ,,

In the modern world of football, Europe is the most powerful confederation in FIFA and its a shame that FIFA's most powerful confederation doesn't lead the way in how it runs its World Cup qualification.

When it comes to World Cup qualifying, Europe can look to other FIFA confederations on how it should be done. Let's be honest the qualification process for Europe is ridiculous and an absolute joke. CONCACAF has 35 FIFA member nations, Asia has 43, and Europe & Africa each have 53 FIFA nations, and yet UEFA lumps all its teams in 8 or 9 groups instead of following the rest of the world's example of multiple rounds to knockout the smaller teams.

Its ridiculous that teams like Italy, England, Spain, and Netherlands get a free 12 points in the final stage of qualifying against sides like Faroe Islands, San Marino, Malta, and Andorra. When a confederation has more than 30+ members there has to be multiple rounds of elimination to weed out the lesser teams and test the depth of the better teams.

The intensity of interest in European qualifying is dulled by the fact that Portugal can remain alive in qualifying with a win against Malta. MALTA! That's just ridiculous, that's the reason why European World Cup qualifying is the least interesting and one of the easiest. France was in serious trouble in qualifying but they pulled themselves into a playoff by beating the Faroe Islands and Lithuania, HA, 2 soccer giants for sure.

CONCACAF constructed its qualification so that its 6 best teams fight for its 3 automatic spots. Asia can shave its 43 members down to 10 in the final stage and Africa's format leading to 5 groups has led to high drama and new faces in The Great Tournament. Its a simple solution. Europe has 13 spots, create a final round with 6 groups of 4 teams each. Top 2 in each group advance to the World Cup along with the best 3rd place team.

UEFA needs to learn from Asia, Africa, and CONMEBOL and institute multiple qualifying rounds to eliminate the smaller nations. Narrowing the teams down to 6 groups of 4 teams each would generate more interesting matchups and thus more excitement in European qualifying. Because right now its a joke.

Europe Needs To Follow The World

VS.

The drama of World Cup qualifying reaches its apex in the next 7 days as the final spots for South Africa 2010 will be set. Nations will be paralyzed as their teams fight for footballing glory. The CONCACAF vs. CONMEBOL playoff features Los Ticos of Costa Rica vs. Charrúas of Uruguay.

Its the first time that the 4th place CONCACAF team faces the 5th place CONMEBOL team. The 1st leg will take place on Saturday, November 14th in San Jose in Costa Rica's Saprissa Stadium, the 2nd leg takes place on Wednesday, November 18th in Montevideo at the Estadio Centenario.

HOME FIELDS
The artificial turf of Saprissa Stadium has been a massive advantage for Costa Rica in qualifying. In 9 home matches, Costa Rica has 8 wins & 1 loss. They've allowed only 4 goals in those matches. Saprissa has become the best home field advantage in CONCACAF. However, Uruguay will not be intimidated by Saprissa considering that they played 9 road games in the toughest WC qualifying region. The Estadio Centenario in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo hasn't been the fortress for Las Charrúas. In qualifying, their opposition were able to take points in 5 of the 9 matches. A fact that Costa Rica can use if they need a road goal.

MATCHUPS
The Uruguayan central defensive tandem of Diego Lugano & Diego Godin will have to stop Costa Rica's attacking duo of Bryan Ruiz and Álvaro Saborío. The Ruiz-Saborio combo each have 6 goals in qualifying and will be energized at home but the fulcrum of the Costa Rican attack is Celso Borges. The 21-year old midfielder who plays pro ball in Norway for Fredrikstad FK is the man that must breakdown the Uruguayan defense and open up opportunities for Ruiz and Saborio.

Costa Rica's defense will have two world class goal scorers to worry about. Atlético Madrid's Diego Forlán is the reigning Pichichi in La Liga and Uruguay's leading scorer in World Cup qualifying. Ajax's captain, Luis Suárez has been an absolute nightmare for defenses in the Dutch Eredivisie. Suárez is the hottest striker coming into these WC playoff matches. Suárez has 16 goals in 13 Eredivisie matches at 22-years old, he is the present and future of Uruguay's attack. The anchor of the Costa Rican defense is Júnior Díaz, the Wisla Kraków defender will have to play well and help organize the Ticos' defense in order to keep Suárez and Forlán off the score sheet.

PREDICTION
Uruguay's attack will be too strong for an average at best Costa Rican defense. Saprissa's artificial turf and raucous atmosphere will not intimidate the South Americans. The explosive attack of Las Charrúas especially at Estadio Centenario will get CONMEBOL a 5th entrant into The Great Tournament.
Uruguay defeats Costa Rica, 3-1 aggregate.

Costa Rica vs. Uruguay - WCQ Playoff Preview

Rounds 7 and 8 of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers were the rounds that re-established the known order of CONCACAF national teams. The US & Mexico came into these rounds in need of 6 points to overtake Honduras & Costa Rica in the standings. The Stars & Stripes defeated El Salvador 2-1 at home in Utah with Jozy Altidore scoring the game winner in 1st half injury time. The US then traveled to Port of Spain and defeated Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 on a Ricardo Clark long distance GOLAZO. The victories moved the US to the top of the hexagonal.

Mexico was in the same position as the US, needing 6 points to affirm their position as a CONCACAF power. Beginning with an impressive 3-0 road win against Costa Rica at Saprissa Stadium. Giovani Dos Santos was the man of the match scoring a GOLAZO to open the scoring and set up the other two goals to give El Tri a massive 3 points. Mexico's next match was at home against a hot Honduras team that had won 4 of their last 5 matches. It was a hard fought match that was decided in the 74th minute when Dos Santos was fouled in the box and Cuauhtemoc Blanco buried the PK to give Mexico its 4th consecutive WCQ win and 2nd place in the standings.

Here are the results & standings from these rounds:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH

United States 2 - 1 El Salvador
USA: Clint Dempsey (41') & Jozy Altidore (45'+2')
SLV: Cristian Castillo (31')

Honduras 4 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
HON: Carlos Pavon (20', 28'), Amado Guevara (62'), David Suazo (83')
TNT: Kerry Baptiste (86')

Costa Rica 0 - 3 Mexico
MEX: Giovani Dos Santos (45'+1'), Guillermo Franco (62'), Andres Guardado (71')

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH

El Salvador 1 - 0 Costa Rica
SLV: Rudis Corrales (90'+1')

Trinidad & Tobago 0 - 1 United States
USA: Ricardo Clark (62')

Mexico 1 - 0 Honduras
MEX: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (pen 75')

STANDINGS

CONCACAF WCQ Wrap - Sept. 2009

US struggled but were able to overcome a late surge by El Salvador to beat them 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Meanwhile Honduras reach the top of the table and Mexico romp at the "feared" Saprissa.

CONCACAF Review- Week 8

Club Deportivo Marathon and Real Club Deportivo España are the two representatives for Honduras at the CONCACAF Champions League. After winning their first group matches at home last week, both teams look for another solid step in their race for next round in the competition.

Tonight, Marathon receives the visit of San Juan Jobloteh from Trinidad & Tobago in the same stadium where the Honduran national team will match up against Trinidad for the 2010 World Cup qualifier on September 5th, the Olympic Metropolitan Stadium of San Pedro Sula. Marathon must stand up to its impressive record in this competition, having won 7 of 11 games, tied 2 and lost only 2. At home, Marathon has only lost 1 game of 5 since last season (0-1 against PR Islanders).

On the other side of town, Real España prepares itself for the second match in this competition. Arguably one of the most consistent teams in the country since 2007, Real España must take advantage of its home condition against Mexico's Pumas de la UNAM, who have lost 5 games in a row in their local league. Curiously enough, both visiting teams are direct rivals of the Honduran National Team for the WC qualifier. More than likely, Real España will count with the presence of its striker and national team star Carlos Pavón for tomorrow's match.

Match: CD Marathon (HON) vs San Juan Jabloteh (T&T)
Date: August 26, 2009
Kick off time: 8.00 pm (10.00 pm ET)
Venue: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Stadium: Olympic Metropolitan Stadium

Match: RCD España (HON) vs Pumas (MEX)
Date: August 27, 2009
Kick off time: 8.00 pm (10.00 pm ET)
Venue: San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Stadium: Olympic Metropolitan Stadium

CONCACAF Champions League Focus: Honduras

The US claimed that they had dominance in their rivalry against Mexico. El Tri had another opinion as they proved to the northern borders why they never had won at the Coloso de Santa Ursula.

Mexico Dominate US On Their Turf

Bob Bradley announces his 23-man roster for the big game against Mexico at the Azteca.

USA Callups Up Big Guns Against Mexico

Javier Aguirre goes with his European players as well as Cuauhtémoc Blanco for the vital clash at the Estadio Azteca against the US on August 12th. In addition to the legionnaires, "El Vasco" also will count on some of his heroes from the Gold Cup like Miguel Sabah, Gerardo Torrado, Gio Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, and Guillermo Franco.

GOALKEEPERS
Guillermo Ochoa | América
José de Jesús Corona | Cruz Azul

DEFENDERS
Efraín Juárez | Pumas
José Antonio Castro | Tigres
Rafael Márquez | Barcelona (ESP)
Jonny Magallón | Guadalajara
Ricardo Osorio | Stuttgart (GER)
Aarón Galindo | Guadalajara
Carlos Salcido | PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Oscar Rojas | América

MIDFIELDERS
Gerardo Torrado | Cruz Azul
Israel Castro | Pumas
Andrés Guardado|Deportivo (ESP)
Cuauhtémoc Blanco | Chicago Fire (USA)

FORWARDS
Alberto Medina | Guadalajara
Giovani Dos Santos | Tottenham (ENG)
Nery Castillo | Shakhtar (UKR)
Carlos Vela | Arsenal (ENG)
Miguel Sabah | Monarcas Morelia
Guillermo Franco

Aguirre Calls Up Europeans For Azteca Clash

A well organized week of group stage matches have ended and now the real drama begins as 8 teams remain alive in their quest to be CONCACAF's best. The Gold Cup is down to the quarterfinals.

On Saturday, in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, Canada will face Honduras:
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Canada were unbeaten and won Group A with 7 points. Cameroon-born striker Ali Gerba's 2 goals were half of Canada's goals in the group stage as The Canucks advanced to the quarters for the 7th time in their Gold Cup history. Canada's opponents, Honduras advanced to the quarters by finishing 2nd in Group B led by veteran striker Carlos Costly whose 2 goals led Los Catrachos as the Central Americans will appear in their 3 consecutive Gold Cup quarterfinal.

Saturday's other quarterfinal in Philly features the United States versus Panama:
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The Americans pretty much breezed into the quarters in winning Group B, scoring 8 goals in the 3 group matches. Scottish born midfielder Stuart Holden has been the revelation for the US in this tournament and the playmaker in attack. Panama advanced out of Group C as the best of the 3rd place teams in all of the groups. Their high scoring duo of Blas Pérez & Luis Tejada will be entrusted with making the American defense unstable. La Marea Roja will be looking for some payback as the US eliminated them in the quarters in 2007.

Sunday's quarterfinals matches will take place in Arlington's Cowboys Stadium. The billion dollar stadium will first witness Costa Rica take on Guadeloupe:
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Costa Rica qualified by finishing 2nd in Group A and are led by their #10 Walter Centeno whose GOLAZO against Canada in the final group match solidified their place in the quarters. Los Ticos are looking for their 1st ever Gold Cup title. Guadeloupe finished 2nd in Group C proving that their run in 2007 was no fluke. Like in 2007, The Gwada Boyz have balanced scoring as 4 different players have found the back of the net. Guadeloupe is undoubtedly the Gold Cup's David.

Sunday's last quarterfinal match in Cowboys Stadium features Mexico versus Haiti:
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El Tri won Group C and have been the center of controversy after coach Javier Aguirre was suspended for his kick of Panama's Ricardo Phillips in their groups stage match. Mexico is in the quarters for the 10th consecutive time. Their opponents, Haiti advanced as the 2nd third place team. Les Grenadiers should feel confident after their 2-2 draw against the U.S. This is their 2nd ever Gold Cup quarterfinal appearance.

Its going to be an exciting round of matches as we get closer to crowning a new King of CONCACAF.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarters Finalized

Check out our gallery of action outside the stands during Group A of the Gold Cup over at Florida International University Stadium.

Gold Cup Action Gallery

The biggest national team tournament in the CONCACAF region is here. The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup will spread across the US with 13 cities hosting matches. It will all culminate with the final on July 26 in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Let's now preview Group C.

GROUP C TEAMS & HOW THEY QUALIFIED:
Guadeloupe - 3rd place in 2008 Caribbean Championship
Mexico - Automatic qualifier from North American zone
Nicaragua - 5th place in 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup
Panama - Champions of the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup

NICKNAMES:
Guadeloupe = Gwada Boyz
Mexico = El Tri
Nicaragua = Los Pinoleros or Albiazules
Panama = La Marea Roja or Los Canaleros

MATCH LOCATIONS:
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum - Oakland, California
Reliant Stadium - Houston, Texas
University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, Arizona

PLAYER TO WATCH:
Carlos Vela (MEX)

The Arsenal forward will be wearing the #9 for El Tri and could use this tournament to establish himself as Mexico's best player. With no Cuauhtemoc Blanco and no Rafael Marquez, Carlos Vela is set up to become the new face of Mexican football. He's has been quiet in World Cup qualifiers and the Gold Cup could be the stage for him to breakout.

OVERVIEW:
Mexico is the clear class of the group but their form in qualifying is worrying and they could be pushed for a quarterfinal spot. The other quarterfinal spot will come down to Panama & Guadeloupe. The Gwada Boyz will be without 2 main players from their surprise semifinal run in 2007. Jocelyn Angloma & David Sommeil are out so it will be much harder for Guadeloupe. Panama is an emerging power in Central America as they captured the 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup. The strike force of Blas Perez & Luis Tejada will present problems to defenses.

PREDICTION:
Mexico will win the group with Panama qualifying in 2nd place. Guadeloupe's experience will help them to one of the quarterfinal spots as a 3rd place finisher.

There it is the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup groups. Keep logging on to Mad About Futbol to get the info on the Gold Cup and tell us what you think.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview - Group C

The biggest national team tournament in the CONCACAF region is here. The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup will spread across the US with 13 cities hosting matches. It will all culminate with the final on July 26 in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Let's now focus our attention to Group B.

GROUP B TEAMS & HOW THEY QUALIFIED:
Grenada - Runner-up in 2008 Caribbean Championship
Haiti - Won a draw to participate after Cuba withdrew
Honduras - 3rd place in 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup
United States - Host Nation & Defending Champion

NICKNAMES:
Grenada = Spice Boyz
Haiti = Les Grenadiers
Honduras = Los Catrachos
United States = Stars & Stripes

MATCH LOCATIONS:
Qwest Field - Seattle, Washington
RFK Memorial Stadium - Washington D.C.
Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, Massachusetts

PLAYER TO WATCH:
Kenny Cooper (USA)

The big FC Dallas forward finally gets an opportunity to play for the United States in a big international tournament. His goal scoring exploits in the MLS are well-known but for whatever reason Cooper could not get a sniff of national team play. A product of the Manchester United youth system, Cooper has only 4 caps for the Stars & Stripes. A strong performance in the Gold Cup could see the 6'3" forward finally make the move to Europe.

OVERVIEW:
The United States will carry the momentum of a surprising Confederations Cup run into a tournament they have won 3 of the last 4 times. The US will make the next round easily. Same could be said for Honduras, Los Catrachos will be missing some of their top players but they have enough talent to get to the quarters. Grenada stunned the Caribbean when they reached the final of the Caribbean Championship and could do this tournament what Guadeloupe did in 2007. Haiti is lucky to be in the Gold Cup after Cuba withdrew.

PREDICTION:
The U.S. and Honduras will advance as the top two teams in the group. Look out for Grenada as a team to fight for a quarterfinal spot as a 3rd place qualifier.

We will finish our 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup preview with Group C.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview - Group B

The most important national team tournament in the CONCACAF region is here. The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup will spread across the US with 13 cities hosting matches. It will all culminate with the final on July 26 in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Let's begin our preview of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup with Group A.

GROUP A TEAMS & HOW THEY QUALIFIED:
Canada - Direct entry from North American zone
Costa Rica - Runner-up in 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup
El Salvador - 4th place in 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup
Jamaica - Champions of 2008 Caribbean Championship

NICKNAMES:
Canada = The Canucks
Costa Rica = Los Ticos
El Salvador = Cuscatlecos
Jamaica = The Reggae Boyz

MATCH LOCATIONS:
Home Depot Center - Carson, California
Columbus Crew Stadium - Columbus, Ohio
FIU Stadium - Miami, Florida

PLAYER TO WATCH:
Luton Shelton (JAM)

The striker for Norwegian club Vålerenga has quickly become the goal scoring beast for The Reggae Boyz. At 23-years old he is tied as Jamaica's all-time leading goal scorer and his two PKs against Grenada in the '08 Caribbean Championship Final sealed Jamaica's place in the Gold Cup. He has an excellent strike rate for Jamaica scoring 27 goals in 43 appearances. The Reggae Boyz will need him to be sharp if they want to advance out of the group.

OVERVIEW:
Costa Rica is the clear favorite to advance out of the group and should do so. Los Ticos are the best candidate to break the US-Mexico stranglehold on the trophy. If Costa Rica can display the same form in the Gold Cup that they have in World Cup qualifying than they will be in the final.

2nd place in the group is where the drama will come from as Jamaica, El Salvador, and Canada will battle for a quarterfinal spot. The Jamaican coaching situation is now settled with Theodore Whitmore at helm. Under Whitmore, Jamaica was stellar going unbeaten in 6 matches and not allowing a goal. El Salvador is the big surprise in CONCACAF and have shown big heart in the hexagonal stage of World Cup qualifying. Canada is hurt by the absence of Dwayne De Rosario & Adrian Serioux of Toronto FC but '07 Gold Cup MVP Julian de Guzman is coming off an encouraging season with Deportivo La Coruna and is the key to The Canucks attempt to win a 2nd Gold Cup title.

PREDICTION:
Costa Rica will win the group with El Salvador taking 2nd place and Jamaica advancing as one of the best 3rd place teams.

Tomorrow we will breakdown Group B of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

CONCACAF Gold Cup Preview - Group A

The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) confirmed today that the Cafeteros will be hosting their neighbors to the south in September at the Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and not in the Colombian capital of Bogota. The notion was being tossed around as soon as the final whistle was blown in the Peru match last week which the home side won 1-0 keeping Colombia´s fading World Cup hopes alive.

The FCF also made a petition to CONMEBOL in order to change the kickoff time to 4pm local time on September 5th due to pending travel plans that the Colombians have after the match en route to Montevideo as they will face the Uruguayans in a do or die clash at the mythical Estadio Centenario. Colombia are currently in seventh pace with 17 points and still have an outside shot of obtaining that fifth and final spot in that region´s qualifiers, thus earning them a playoff spot against the fourth place team from CONCACAF currently held by Mexico.

Colombia To Play Ecuador In Medellín

This edition of Mad About Fútbol's Top 5 will breakdown the Top 5 Things Observed From The June World Cup Qualifying Matches. Let's begin with CONCACAF's best team.

COSTA RICA IS THE BEST IN CONCACAF

Los Ticos have established themselves as the best team in CONCACAF after their impressive displays against the United States and Trinidad & Tobago. Costa Rica has lost only once in this cycle of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. In 13 WCQ matches, Los Ticos have lost once a 2-0 loss to Mexico at Estadio Azteca and drawn once a 2-2 result on the road in Grenada in a 2nd round 1st leg match. Rodrigo Kenton has done a masterful job steering Costa Rica to a highly likely spot in South Africa 2010. Los Ticos are a perfect 7-0-0 at the Estadio Saprissa in San Jose. Saprissa is now the most intimidating home field advantage in CONCACAF.

GABON IS FOR REAL

The West African nation through which the Equator runs through has become the big story in African World Cup Qualifying. The Azingo Nationale is coached by former French international Alain Giresse whose experience as part of "The Magic Square" of France's national teams in the 80s has been essential in Gabon's run to the top of Group A. In 8 matches of African WC Qualifying, Gabon has only lost twice and are currently riding a 5 game winning streak. Gabon have been riding the talents of all-time goal scorer Hull City striker Daniel Cousin, leading scorer in qualifying Ankaraspor striker Roguy Méyé and the Aubameyang brothers: Catilina, Pierre-Emerick, and Willy. All 3 were products of AC Milan's scouting system with Pierre-Emerick & Willy still property of Il Rossoneri.

CONMEBOL'S PLAYOFF SPOT DUEL
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After these past two rounds of CONMEBOL WC qualifying, it looks like the last playoff spot will come down to Ecuador versus Uruguay. Ecuador earned the max of 6 points over the past two rounds and it vaulted them into 5th place. Uruguay only got 1 point over the last two matches and fell 2 points behind Ecuador to 6th place. Colombia and Venezuela are tied for 7th place, 1 point behind Uruguay but Colombia does not score enough goals and Venezuela gives up too many goals to hold up. Ecuador seems to be regaining the form that has seen them qualify for the previous two World Cups and Uruguay has an explosive offense that can score goals quickly and in bunches. Ecuador hosts Uruguay in the next to last round of qualifying in a match that could determine who will face the CONCACAF 4th place team in a playoff.

SHOWDOWN IN ASIA
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3 of the 4 automatic spots for South Africa 2010 from Asia have already been finalized. Only 1 spot remains and thankfully the schedule makers have set up massive drama on the final day of matches. In Group 2, 3rd place Saudi Arabia hosts 2nd place Korea DPR with the winner of the match going to South Africa. Korea DPR aka North Korea looks to qualify for its 2nd ever World Cup while Saudi Arabia goes for its 5th straight appearance. The loser could even lose out on the playoff spot if Iran defeats already qualified South Korea in their final WC Qualifying match. WHEW! Asia offering up some MASSIVE drama.

TRADITIONAL POWERS IN TROUBLE

3 traditional powers of their continents have their fans and citizens praying for some intervention to secure a place in South Africa 2010. Mexico sits in 4th place in CONCACAF and their form has been spotty at best. El Tri is not the lock to qualify from CONCACAF like the footballing world is used to. The Mexicans will have to show a lot more heart than in previous qualifying runs in order to get to The Great Tournament.

Maradona's appointment as Argentina's head coach was supposed to minimize the stress in qualifying from CONMEBOL but his tactical shortcomings are being exposed. Los Albicelestes haven't been able to string wins together and have been embarrassed on the road allowing 10 goals in their last 4 road matches notching only 1 point in that stretch. They sit in the last automatic spot just 2 points ahead 5th place Ecuador.

Portugal's troubles in Group 1 of European qualifying were eased a bit when they barely scraped by Albania 2-1 on the road. Bruno Alves' 2nd half injury time goal kept Portugal breathing but the fact that they had to get a late goal to beat Albania shows that Portugal is overrated. They sit in 3rd place a full 4 points behind 2nd place Hungary with each having 4 matches remaining. Of the 3 mentioned continental powers, Portugal is in the greatest jeopardy of missing South Africa 2010.

Alright there it is Mad About Fútbol's Top 5 for the June World Cup qualifiers. Look out for the next installment of Mad About Fútbol's Top 5 as we breakdown the most controversial footballers in history. Post a comment and let us know what you think.

MAF Top 5: #8 - June WC Qualifiers

It is past the halfway point of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying and the region's best teams are locking up their places in South Africa 2010. However, there could be a surprise or two especially after the most recent matches.

Costa Rica moved to the top of the group with a dominant 3-1 home win over the U.S. 2 goals in the 1st 13 minutes in Estadio Saprissa and a clueless U.S. side helped Los Ticos to the win. Costa Rica followed up the big victory with a thrilling 3-2 win on the road versus Trinidad & Tobago. Celso Borges scored the game winner in the 68th minute to spoil Russell Latapy's debut as head man of The Soca Warriors.

Mexico, the long time dominant team in CONCACAF, is in a real fight to qualify after taking 3 points in 2 matches. El Tri lost 2-1 to El Salvador in San Salvador with Eliseo Quintanilla sinking the Mexicans by converting a PK in the 86th minute. However, Javier Aguirre's men bounced back at the Estadio Azteca with a tough 2-1 win over Trinidad & Tobago. Oscar Rojas' long distance Golazo in the 48th minute gave El Tri the win and kept them in contention for an automatic spot.

Here are the results & standings from the CONCACAF matches:


THURSDAY, JUNE 3rd

Costa Rica 3 - 1 USA
CRC: Alvaro Saborio (2'), Celso Borges (13'), Pablo Herrera (68')
USA: Landon Donovan (pen 90')

SATURDAY, JUNE 6th

USA 2 - 1 Honduras
USA: Landon Donovan (pen 43') & Carlos Bocanegra (68')
HON: Carlos Costly (5')

El Salvador 2 - 1 Mexico
SLV: Julio Martinez (11') & Eliseo Quintanilla (pen 86')
MEX: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (pen 71')

Trinidad & Tobago 2 - 3 Costa Rica
TNT: Carlos Edwards (29') & Collin Samuel (63')
CRC: Alvaro Saborio (40') & Celso Borges (52' & 68')

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10th

Honduras 1 - 0 El Salvador
HON: Carlos Pavon (13')

Mexico 2 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
MEX: Guillermo Franco (1') & Oscar Rojas (48')
TNT: Hayden Tinto (45'+1')

STANDINGS

CONCACAF WCQ Wrap: June 3 - 10

Ths US was brought back to reality after suffering yet another loss to Costa Rica at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José.

Hey I first have to give a shoutout to Beau Dure from the USA Today for setting up the chat during the match. And yes, Davies should have gotten sent off for that. LOL

The US made a case as to why the sport has finally made it here. The US media has gone from touting their national team as the fifth-best team in the world to trying to convince everyone that they sucked in a span of ten minutes in the 2006 World Cup. The same story is repeating itself once again. Prior to the match against Costa Rica, The US were looked at as the cream of the crop of CONCACAF. After their 3-1 loss at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José, there is talk about the national team starting to go down a slippery slope.

Relax. Chill. Drink a beer.

Yes, the US played bad against Costa Rica, there was no doubt. You also have to give credit to Costa Rica who remained compact and continued to be organized throughout the match. You knew that the US was rattled for the first time in the Bradley regime when you started to see Pablo Mastroeni shooting from 40 yards out and when you saw him and Donovan jawing at each other. When Donovan moved to the left, Andy Herron did a very good job of limiting his touches.

Costa Rica found a way to "neutralize" Landon Donovan- by isolating him from the rest of his team. There was no way you could blame Donovan for that as he was the only player on the US that was proactive on the attack.

They lost. They deserved to lose regardless if they played on turf, grass, concrete, dirt, or in a pigsty. Costa Rica's offensive temerity went hand in hand with the US' precaution. The North American side played like they were on ice, while Costa Rica glided past them and that was to be expected. What no one recalls is that half of Rodrigo Kenton's callup was based from the Costa Rican giants. They live and play on that pitch constantly. I am not making excuses, I am just letting you know what the US was up against.

Still that was not an excuse to play the way they did. Fernando Clavijo said best on the Galavisión telecast when he said that "this was not a match where you go to improvise." I know that there was a need to, but there were pieces in the puzzle that would have fit better. Why DaMarcus Beasley as a left back? Why wasn't Jay DeMerit or Ricardo Clark even used to start with? There was no way for Beasley to defend three attackers on the back post

Onyewu and Bocanegra were eaten up and spit out by the Costa Rican attack. Álvaro Saborío and Bryan Ruiz split them on various occasions, one of which was the very first attack of the match for Los Ticos The US backline. The had no answers for any of the changes of front that they made.

Costa Rica- US Thoughts

June signifies the end of the busiest part of the football season, we at Mad About Fútbol would like to salute & list some of the newly crowned champions from recently ended tournaments. Congratulations to you that support these great clubs.

DOMESTIC LEAGUES

FRENCH LIGUE 1
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux

ENGLAND PREMIERSHIP
Manchester United Football Club

ITALIAN SERIE A
Football Club Internazionale Milano

SPANISH LA LIGA
Futbol Club Barcelona

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH

DUTCH EREDIVISIE
Alkmaar Zaanstreek

SCOTLAND PREMIER LEAGUE
Rangers Football Club

PORTUGUESE LIGA
Futebol Clube do Porto

TURKISH SUPER LIG
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü

GREEK SUPER LEAGUE
Olympiacos F.C.

MEXICAN TORNEO CLAUSURA
Club Universidad Nacional Pumas

INTERNATIONAL CLUB TOURNAMENTS

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Futbol Club Barcelona (ESP)

UEFA CUP
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

UEFA SUPER CUP
Football Club Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS)

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Atlante Fútbol Club (MEX)

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Al-Ahly Sporting Club (EGY)

AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Gamba Osaka (JPN)

COPA LIBERTADORES
Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito (ECU)

COPA SUDAMERICANA
Sport Club Internacional (BRA)

RECOPA SUDAMERICANA
Club Atlético Boca Juniors (ARG)

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP
Manchester United Football Club (ENG)

While the summer isnt the busiest time of the footballing calendar its still loaded with action from MLS, Brazilian Championship, World Cup Qualifiers, Copa Libertadores, Confederations Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup and some exciting local tournaments from some of the lesser known footballing nations. Keep logging on to Mad About Fútbol to get latest info.

Roll Call Of Champions: 2008-09