Here are a few observations from Friday’s slate of European World Cup qualifying games.
1) Portugal still in trouble: Wins don’t get much bigger than Portugal’s 1-0 decision over Russia in Lisbon. Helder Postiga’s goal in the ninth minute revitalize Portugal’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup after a series of poor outings. This was a game the Portuguese had to win, but they’re still not out of the woods. The win lifted Portugal to the top of Group F with a two-point lead over Russia, but Fabio Capello’s side has two games in hand. Also, the 1-0 win flattered Portugal. Russia had a hatful of quality scoring chances, especially in the second half, but failed to convert and was very wasteful in front of goal. Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese cohorts are going to have to do much better than this laboured performance if they’re going to beat out Russia for first place in the group.
2) Balotelli loses it: Ten-man Italy was able to scratch out a valuable 0-0 draw against the Czech Republic in Prague, as the Azzurri pulled four points clear of second-place Bulgaria in their group. But Italy was made to earn the single point after Mario Balotelli earned two yellow cards in the space of three minutes, forcing his team to play a man short for the final 18 minutes. Super Mario did not go quietly into that good night, punching and kicking the wall in the tunnel as he made his way back to the locker-room. Balotelli had nobody but himself to blame for his ejection, especially after picking up a needless foul on the second yellow card. But the AC Milan striker was clearly having an off day and looked frustrated as the match wore on, and you could sense he was about to lose it at any moment. Italian manager Cesare Prandelli should have recognized that and taken off the youngster after he earned his first caution.
3) Belgium is for real: Maybe all the hype around Belgium is warranted. The Belgians continued their blazing pace towards clinching a World Cup berth with a 2-1 win over Serbia in Brussels. Kevin De Bruyne was the hero, scoring one goal and setting up another. The win, combined with Scotland’s upset triumph over Croatia, allowed Belgium to move into first place in Group A with a three-point lead over the Croats, and move one step closer to qualifying for its first World Cup since 2002. Belgium’s ascent in recent years has been well documented, as it has benefited from a collection of talented stars playing regular first-team soccer in the English Premiership, most notably Everton’s Marouane Fellaini and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. A lot of times this isn’t always a recipe for success – see the Netherlands at last year’s Euro 2012, who crashed out in the group stage even though it boasted a star-studded roster. But there is a working-class work ethic to this Belgian side that has served them well thus far in the qualifiers. It’s not all flash with Belgium.
4) Ukraine is not weak!: Pardon the Seinfeld reference, but Ukraine put in one of the most dominating and powerful performances on the day, cruising to a 4-0 away win over Montenegro in Podgorica. The victory allowed Ukraine to put itself back into contention for a World Cup berth and throw Group H wide open. Montenegro still leads the group, but it only has a two-point advantage on second-place England (who has a game in hand) and a three-point lead on Ukraine. Dynamo Kiev attacker Andriy Yarmolenko was the star of the game, having a hand in the first goal (teammate Denys Garmash scored on a rebound off his shot) and then delivered a perfect pass for Yevgen Konoplianka to convert and give Ukraine a 2-0 lead with 13 minutes left in regulation.
5) Maltese miracle: The feel good story of the day belonged to Malta, who earned a 1-0 win away to Armenia in Yerevan. It was the Malta’s first World Cup qualifying win since they defeated Estonia in an away match in Tallinn in May 1993. And if beating Armenia doesn’t sound like much of an achievement think again. The Armenians are one of the most improved national teams in Europe the past few years, nearly qualifying for Euro 2012 and currently sit 89th in the FIFA world rankings – Malta is 156th. Even though Malta won’t qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, Friday’s rare win still meant the world to the tiny nation, its players holding hands and celebrating wildly on the pitch after the final whistle.