Welcome back if your following the rabbit hole and if your new here a strong salute from me to you. Let me just get down to business. This article is the follow up to the piece I did on some good or promising nations that did not make it to the big bonfire that is Brazil in 2014. So far I have labelled the likes of Senegal, New Zealand and Paraguay as "nearly men." Each one of them could have been at World Cup this year but fell short for one reason of another. Those are just three examples I blacklisted out of whole bunch of nations just check it out. I think it's a good read but that's me just being bias but right now my duty is to round of this list. I have purposely left off European nations in the prior installment. Why? Well let's face it UEFA, the European qualifying zone is extremely difficult and the calibre of teams dotting the landscape of the continent is unrivaled. In short, Europe when it comes to this sport is a very special place. If one were to put a solid European team like Republic of Ireland and drop her into to CONCACAF, the North American and Caribbean qualifying zone there would be little doubt in my mind that the Irish would qualify easily. Unfortunately for the Irish this isn't Minecraft. We just can't change her geography so she will have to continue to slug it out in UEFA. Anyway I have ran out of things to say so let's hit up that list.
Czech Republic- An ever present at both of the Euros and World Cup, the Czech Republic will not be checking into to Rio in the summer of 2014. Bad joke a side the Czechs when it is all said and done will be cursing themselves over the luck of draw or simply not having another gear to switch into. Placed in UEFA's Group B with an all conquering Italy and a strong Denmark one could make the argument that they were in for a tough task but when the rest of the table contains Bulgaria, Malta and Armenia you would have to think the Czechs had a chance to sneak in for a playoff birth. When the dust settled Italy finished clear winners everyone predicted that so it was left for the Danes and the Czechs to slug it out for second spot a fight that the Danes narrowly won.
Denmark- If you read the above paragraph you would know the Danes finished above the Czechs in Group B of UEFA qualifying to position themselves for a playoff birth. I also mentioned that they finished behind Italy for automatic qualification. If your just skimming through and weren't paying attention that's ok because I forgot to mention in the above stanza that Denmark although in a playoff position didn't actually make the playoffs. In European World Cup qualifying the best eight second place finishers in group play go into a two leg playoff, the winner of each tie goes to the World Cup. Of the nine groups Denmark's was the one to miss out. Denmark only tallied 16 points the lowest points accrued by a second placed team. That being said I think the Danes are too good to be watching from at home this World Cup. The verdict on them this time around is a combination of bad luck and chances not capitalized on.
Sweden- Yet another team who frequent world tournaments that won't be Brazil, Sweden like her Nordic neighbor Denmark finished second best in group play. Unlike the Danes the Swedes did get their playoff games but they faced Portugal. After a narrow 1-0 defeat in Lisbon in the first leg the Swedes were over powered by Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal and slumped to a 3-2 defeat in Stockholm. Casted into Group C, Sweden did well to even get out of the group. Germany bossed the table that was a given but pushes from a surging Austria and stubborn Republic Ireland really made it hard for Sweden. Kazakhstan may not be a marquee name but no ones ever likes going to central Europe and hang the Faroe Islands in the group, who despite being amateurs really play aggressive offer an unique challenge. My issue is that Sweden pretty much has the best forward in the game at that moment. Zlatan Ibrahimovich simply is a monster. He is unstoppable and he powered them to second in the group but why couldn't take it a step further and peg Germany back so they could qualify automatically? Especially in his current form. One can say that the Germans are too complete of an unit to do so and I would agree but the Portuguese are not. Cristiano Ronaldo aside Portugal can be had and I feel the Swedes and Ibrahimovich missed out.
Norway- Continuing what seems to be a state of funk for the Scandinavian region, Norway too has not made it to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Finishing fourth in to me an easy Group E is unacceptable. Norway has been on the slide for a while now. In a group that had Iceland, Switzerland, Cyprus, Albania and Slovenia, Norway floundered. Many pundits looking at the group would have to favor Norway's chances of automatic qualification or at least a playoff birth. The Norwegians did not even come close. The Swiss wrapped the group easily with the Icelanders in tow. Norway has a second tier European league. The Norwegian Tippeligaen is not a Sunday league. The likes of Molde, Brann, Viking, Valerenga and Rosenborg are very respectable European teams and produce some quality players and if we are talking quality Norway's squad certainly has that. Brede Hangeland, Per Skjellbred, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Havard Nordtveit are only a few I even bothered to mention because the country is stacked. Better play is needed in the future if the men from Oslo are to contest upcoming FIFA tournaments.
Iceland- I 'm going to make this short because I already did an article on Iceland a little while ago. I'm a huge fan of Iceland's football and I think their accomplishment of making it to a playoff spot this time around in World Cup qualification was amazing. In Group E Iceland finished behind Group winners Switzerland but held of the likes of Norway, Slovenia, Cyprus and Albania. Not the strongest opposition but tough enough. The Icelanders in playoff action fell to a savvy Croatia over the two legs 2-0 on aggregate. As I said in a previous illustration Iceland have some wonderful pieces right now but can they keep producing players like Glyfi Sigurdsson and Alfred Finnbogason? I don't know we will find out in time.
Serbia- I definitely could have seen the Serbs in Brazil but for whatever reason they aren't there. The tale of the tape reads like this. Placed in Group A with Belgium, Wales, Scotland, Croatia and Macedonia. Played ten, won four, drew two and loss four, scoring 18 and conceding 11. A record that ultimately landed them outside automatic promotion and playoff contention, Belgium and Croatia filling those holes. What went wrong? Well for one that is a difficult group. Group A might not have a Spain or Netherlands but their was danger at every turn for the Serbs. A resurrected Belgium, Gareth Bale and Wales, a tough tackling Scotland and Balkan derbies against both Croatia and Macedonia is what Serbia had to deal with. Another problem is the defense which is extremely surprising. On any day Serbia can roll out Aleksandr Kolarov, Branislav Ivanovic, Matija Nastasic, Nemanja Vidic, Neven Subotic and Slobodan Rajkovic so I don't know how these guys basically conceded a goal a game through qualifying. To show up my point even more the Belgians scored just as much goals as the Serbs, 18 but only allowed four goals and that is where the difference lies.
Montenegro- I did fire off a post about Montenegro some time ago now in fact it was the first installment of my fabled "This Nation." series and I had nothing but shiny things to say about them. I raved about how exciting they were. I got excited about Stefan Jovetic and marveled at the ease in which Mirko Vucinic can put the ball into the back of the net. I hate when I talk up a team and they subsequently let me down and that's what has happened here with Montenegro. Placed in Group H with an unsure England, Robert Lewandowski's Poland, Ukraine and flunkers San Marino and Moldova, in my mind I thought Montenegro would do well. I was wrong…the Montenegrins started well but the English took control of the group and a late rally from the Ukraine saw Montenegro's World Cup dream ended. Finishing third in the group behind Ukraine was not what I had envisioned for the Balkan state.
Republic of Ireland- The Republic as long as I can remember has been in the World Cup or a part of the Euros but within the last decade the Irish haven't been making it to the big dance. Who could forget that Thierry Henry goal in the UEFA playoffs when he basically slammed dunk the ball into the back of the net sending France to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at the Irish expense. It was wrong and Ireland got jibbed. Four years on and drama removed the Irish still haven't qualified for another World Cup. This time around the Irish were pitted against Germany, Austria, Sweden, Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan in Group C. Ireland finished fourth 14 points behind Brazil bound Germany and trailed Sweden by six points for a play off birth. Austria who hasn't made much noise in terms of major FIFA tournaments finished in front of the Irish who simply looked plain and boring in qualifying. Time, for me has passed the likes of Robbie Keane and then Irish coach Giovanni Trapattoni by. I know Ireland's strength isn't in the forward position right now that's fine. Many nations struggle to find the twine in this moment in time but the Italian didn't even try to get the best of Ireland''s more creative players. That being said he could have at least utilized Ireland's hard nose defenders better and made the side harder to beat. Eire needs to hit the reset button pronto.
Turkey- I don't know if the match fixing scandals and probes from the government have played a role in Turkey's poor showing in World Cup qualify but it would make a good excuse for recent performances. Group D was way too easy for the Turks to mess up but somehow they did. The Turks had to face the Netherlands, Estonia, Romania, Hungary and Andorra not exactly the mightiest of the mighty barring Holland. Turkey finished fourth in the group behind the Dutch, Romania and Hungary which is kind of embarrassing considering how well the country normally does at FIFA tourneys. My advice is to clean up the Turkish domestic leagues maybe then the national team will get back to business.
Austria- I don't know how things will shape up for Austria in the future but as I said in a prior post I think if they can produce the same volume of talented players as neighbors Switzerland they will do very well. Since they aren't at this time, we have a scenario with the Austrians where they are getting good but there is a ways to go. David Alaba is a dream player for them but they will need a few more like him if they are to keep pace in Europe. Austria was given a rough deal when they were dropped in Group C with Germany, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan. The men from Vienna finished third behind the Germans and the Swedes pushing the latter closely. As I said before if the Austrians could breed some more top players they will have what it takes as for right now FIFA tournaments maybe out of reach.
Ukraine- I am always hard on nations who have hosted a major FIFA tournament recently and immediately after come up trumps because it renders FIFA's silly argument that countries holding these events become more developed in the game null and void. Ukraine co-hosted Euro 2012 along with Poland and though it maybe a two year span from Euro 2012 to Brazil 2014 I still think the Ukraine should still be buoyed by having such a prestigious tournament within it's borders. On top of that I think Ukraine's recent crop of players have a lot going for it. Youngsters like Andriy Yarmolenko and Yaroslav Rakytski made them look more sleek while old man Anatoliy Tymoshchuk marshaled them around from the epicenter of midfield. Ukraine looked right and landing second in Group H behind England made them look even more legit. Two legs against France looked ominous for them but in the first encounter in Kiev saw the Ukrainians slide pass the French with a 2-0 win. The scenario was clear hold France in Paris go to Brazil in June…of course that didn't happen. The eastern Europeans let France right by them falling to a 3-0 defeat. All they needed was a little composure and they could have gotten their visas ready.
Poland- Poland were seated like the Ukraine in Group H with the English, Moldova, Montenegro and the Sammarinese. The Poles hosted Euro 2012 along with Ukraine so I am pretty damning when it comes to them too. We all know how I feel about host nations of major tournaments not doing well after the show leaves their doorsteps. Poland and Ukraine are running a lot of similarities right now. They were in Group H, said that. Had a major tournament in their backyard, said that and both failed to make to Brazil, was about to say that. Unlike Ukraine, Poland has a true superstar, Robert Lewandowski is easily one of the best forwards on the planet right now but despite this compliment the Pole has failed to guide his nation to another World Cup. If Ebi Smolarek another Polish striker who never climbed the heights Lewandowski has reached and will reach guided Poland to World Cup why can't he? Poland in group play finished fourth behind Montenegro, a team now starting to gets it's act together. That is a shame.
Wales- It would have been a long stretch if Wales qualified for a major FIFA tournament a few years but the emergence of one Gareth Bale has chanced that. In fact that is a bit disrespectful to his Welsh teammates because Mr. Bale has some adequate back up. The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams, Jack Collison, Joe Allen, Joe Ledley, Ben Davies and James Collison are there to support Bale. So when I saw Wales finishing second to last in Group A just above Macedonia I was a little bit annoyed. It was a tough group that had the aforementioned Macedonia along with Belgium, Croatia, Serbia and Scotland but for that Welsh group to finish so lowly is unacceptable. Gareth Bale is a player that individually can brings teams to heel and if Wales are to ever get to a FIFA event he will have to go into god mode every time he plays.
Slovenia- A lot of people don't know about Slovenia as a football side but they are quietly going about their business. Let me drop some facts for you. As I write this Slovenia is currently ranks 29th according to FIFA. That means Slovenia is better than right now; Costa Rica, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea, Cameroon and Australia who are all going to the World Cup. They are also superior to Serbia, Wales, Scotland, Turkey, Hungary, Iceland, Montenegro, Republic of Ireland and Senegal this according to FIFA. If I didn't know any better I would call this laughable but Slovenia is surprisingly good. They have a ton of players based in Italy's Serie A as well as some guys sprinkled in Austria, Germany and Spain. They have been to two World Cups now and they have popped up in the Euros as well. They are good, but this time around the Slovenians could not pull it off. Placed in a very easy Group E with Switzerland, Iceland, Cyprus, Albania and Norway I thought the Slovenians would at least come second to grasp a play off birth. Finishing third behind a gritty Iceland saw the Slovenians bow out.
Scotland- The "Tartan Army," have found it tough in recent years and I am going to be really blunt here and it may come off a little tasteless but it's the truth. I feel like the Scottish Football Association doesn't know what it is doing. With the Scottish Premier League attendances dropping from Rangers getting flung into the lower leagues and let's not forget teams like Hearts basically in the back pocket of the taxman it is safe to say Scottish football is a circus right now. No wonder Scotland can't field a competitive team when they step out onto the pitch. Scotland's best players are Steven Fletcher, Robert Snodgrass and James Morrison. All three of them at the moment play for mid to lower tier English Premier League clubs and for a country to peg it's hopes on them is very worrying. In World Cup qualification the Scots were placed in Group A alongside Wales, Macedonia, Belgium, Croatia and Serbia a challenging bunch, all in all but I feel Scotland could have given more. Finishing fourth behind World Cup bound Belgium and Croatia and a third place Serbia, Scotland hardly offered a challenge with their 11 points from ten games. Scottish football is sick and it is a real shame. At one point in history Scotland was better than England by a distance. As one of the oldest football playing nations in the world I think they should be further than where they are.
Romania- A country with a stinking rich football history, Romania left me a little sad when I saw that they didn't qualify for Brazil. I grew up watching Romania in the Euros and World Cups and marveling at the great Gheorghe Hagi. I admired them for stoic their defending, their fluidity upfront throughout the years and oddly their uniforms. The bright yellow and red with the blue touch even now as a man I can still see images of their games years ago in my head. So my reasoning for why I added them to the list is part performance and part nostalgia. Romania for me is a country that deserves World Cup play action constantly but this time I have to say they do not warrant a place. Romania were casted in Group D with Hungary, Turkey, Netherlands, Estonia and Andorra. It was a given that the Dutch would win the group and they did so, that meant second place and a possible playoff birth was for the taking. Romania did well to outlast Hungary and Turkey for that playoff birth and after group play they met Greece. In the first leg of the playoff the Greeks took down the Romanians winning 3-1 in Athens, a scoreline in the end that was damning for the "Tricolor." The Romanians could not overturn the deficit in their capital in the second leg and both sides grind it out to the tune of 1-1 thus ending Romania's World Cup dream. Hopefully they will be back the inner kid in me would really like that.
One of my more lengthier post but worth it I think.
