Rajat Mahendru

A little something i wrote at espn for the website..

 

World football - The year that was

The dramatic qualifiers once again proved there is no bigger tournament on earth than a FIFA World Cup scheduled in South Africa in 2010.

‘Ke nako!' said South African president Jacob Zuma, as he inaugurated the 2009 Confederations Cup. ‘The time is now.' The time, in fact, will be next year when they become the first African country ever to host the FIFA World Cup

As the nations entered the final stretch of qualification in 2009, all eyes were on which 32 teams would finally make it to the 19th edition of the World Cup. Top favourites Spain and Brazil qualified easily, along with other big names like Germany, Italy, Holland and England. Czech Republic and Russia were the biggest names to miss out. Regular participants Sweden also did not qualify.

There was a brief period in the middle of the year when football fans the world over worried that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would not feature in next year's tournament. Their countries' stuttering form in the qualifiers had many fearing that the biggest competition in football would be devoid of two of the best players in the world. However, in the end, both Argentina and Portugal managed to make the cut.

The South Americans, led by Diego Maradona, made a real mess of their qualification campaign, especially in the final phase, leaving matters until the very last day. Maradona's eccentric formations and team selections faced criticism from all sides.

Maradona may be regarded as the best footballer ever to have won a World Cup, but his managerial ineptitude looked certain to rob next summer's edition of today's finest player, Messi. However, the team secured qualification in their final match in a dramatic fashion, although the coach's explicit rant in the post-match conference saw FIFA hand him a 1-month ban.

Portugal, meanwhile, endured a shocking qualifying campaign, but got the results when it mattered most. Though missing Cristiano Ronaldo in their final few matches, the team managed to scrape through via the play-offs.

France also afforded under-fire coach Raymond Domenech some respite as they booked their place through a controversial play-off tie. Their qualification was marred by Thierry Henry's hand-ball assist which took them to the World Cup finals at the expense of Ireland. The incident had the Irish crying foul and requesting for a rematch, something the FIFA blatantly refused. Reports of an impending ban for Henry also came to nothing.

Based on form in the qualifiers this year, Spain and Brazil look to be the firm favourites for the 2010 World Cup. European champions Spain maintained a 100 per cent record in qualification and did not concede a single goal at home.

Meanwhile, five-time world champions Brazil struggled slightly but still topped their group. Dunga's men have been criticised for their style, but they are effective on the counter and have plenty of experience.

England, managed by the shrewd Fabio Capello, exorcised the demons of missing out on Euro 2008 and won 9 out 10 matches in an impressive qualification run. Their form has raised hopes, and they are touted to have their best shot at the title since their famous 1966 triumph.

Defending champions Italy are weaker than four years ago. They were not very convincing during the year and did not fare well away from home. However, they still managed to top their group. Germany were virtually unbeatable at home and put up a gritty performance to overcome Russia twice.

With experienced players in their sides, both teams can be expected to be among the mix once the tournament gets underway. Germany, though, will have to deal with the shock death of goalkeeper Robert Enke, who had been tipped to seal a place in the national team for the World Cup before a depression-caused suicide brought a promising career to a sad end.

There are many teams that may not go all the way in South Africa next year but, going by their qualifiers, look capable of causing upsets. One of the first teams to wrap up qualification, Holland also finished with a 100 per cent record and conceded only two goals on their way to the finals. Serbia held France and trounced Romania 5-0 as they went on to top their group, while Denmark only lost one qualifier and defeated Sweden. Paraguay beat both Argentina and Brazil in the South American qualifiers.

Among African countries, Ghana and Ivory Coast impressed, topping their respective groups, with the latter remaining unbeaten in the process.

Australia were the dominant force from Asia in 2009. They hammered all their opponents at home and conceded only a couple of goals. Japan, who finished second in qualification, will prove to be formidable rivals as they were impressive away from home as well. South Korea scored 22 goals on the way to topping their group.

For some other countries, it proved to be a memorable year for different reasons. North Korea made the finals for the first time since 1966. New Zealand are back after a gap of 28 years, though their qualification was largely thanks to Australia's move to Asia. Honduras are among the 32 finalists after a gap of 28 years while Algeria are in the World Cup having last featured in Mexico 1986.

Across the Atlantic, the US cruised through qualifiers with an impressive home record. There will be a lot of expectations from them after their impressive show in the Confederations Cup. Their side's fairytale run to the final was the story of that tournament.

In fact, the eight-nation event in South Africa, that also featured Spain, Italy and Brazil, gave a small insight into how things might pan out at the World Cup next year. Having outdone Spain in the semi-final, USA led defending champions Brazil 2-0 at half-time in the final.

However, the fact that Brazil came back to win 3-2 hinted at what could be in store in 2010. Add to that upsets like Egypt's 1-0 win over Italy, and rest assured next year will not be devoid of surprises either.

All in all, 2009 was more of a prelude to the mega-event next year and it has set the tone for a cracking contest in South Africa come July. Ke nako, indeed.