No major casualties: World Cup round-up

With the sword of Damocles hanging over the hopes of a few of our teams, this was a big week in the European section of the World Cup qualifying competition. So who's going where? Let's do this group-by-group.

Group 1

Portugal 3-0 Hungary
Portugal 4-0 Malta

Canny work from the Portuguese in arranging their final two fixtures were both at home and they won both comfortably. On Saturday, Simão was the hero with two goals as the fast fading Hungary were put away with something to spare. Just after the quarter hour, Cristiano Ronaldo put the ball into the box and the keeper parried it straight to the feet of the little winger who stuck it past the prone Gabor Babos. Ronaldo went off injured ten minutes later which didn't help Portugal and it wasn't until late in the second half that two quickfire goals finished off the Magyars. Bruno Alves put in a deep cross for Liédson - unmarked on the back post - to head home and moments later Simão volleyed in at the back post as Hungary were caught in defence. While that was going on, Denmark were beating Sweden and Portugal were suddenly up to second.
Malta hadn't won in the competition - indeed had only one point to their name - so surely Portugal were going to clinch that play-off spot. Well, yes they were and duly stuck four past the hapless Maltese. Nani got it rolling with a superb shot on the turn from 18 yards and Simão doubled the advantage from similar range in the stroke of half-time, gifted possession on the edge of the box by some clumsy defending. Miguel Veloso added a third eight minutes after the restart, tapping in after Liédson's air shot 6 yards out fell kindly to him, and Edinho wrapped up the game and second place in the group, springing what passed for an offside trap to race onto a clever through ball.
They now await the draw for the play-offs.

Group 3

Czech Republic 2-0 Poland
Poland 0-1 Slovakia

A pisspoor end to a pisspoor qualification effort from Poland. Just 1900 turned up to witness the defeat to Slovakia and, while the appalling weather was doubtless a contributory factor, a boycott from the hardcore support was to blame. The momentum for a boycott built up after the dismal display in Prague. Tomas Necid broke the deadlock five minutes after the break, given the freedom of the field by the statuesque defence before rolling the ball in off the near post. Keeper Wojciech Kowalewski was again beaten at his near post twenty minutes later, a nice header from Jaroslav Plasil, although one that should have been stopped.
On Wednesday in the snow, the game became a victory party for Slovakia who ended top of the group and the ever-generous Poles handed them the only goal of the game, Seweryn Gancarczyk shinning a routine clearance past Jerzy Dudek.

Group 4

Russia 0-1 Germany
Germany 1-1 Finland

The win in Russia ensured Germany would finish top of the group and qualify for yet another finals and the draw with Finland in Munich saw them go unbeaten through the campaign. Russia seemed to get a bit of stagefright on Saturday although they did start well and tested Rene Adler. Half an hour in, rising star Mesut Ozil squared for Miroslav Klose and he couldn't miss from five yards (though he gave it a good try). 22 minutes from time, Kevin-Prince Boateng went lunging in once too often on a slippery surface and picked up a second yellow card, but Germany hung on to clinch top spot.
That made Wednesday's home game against Finland a formality, which seemed a good thing when Jonatan Johansson bundled in a tenth minute opener. The unbeaten record was preserved when, in the last minute, Lukas Podolski stabbed home from a few feet after the mother of all goalmouth scrambles.

Group 5

Armenia 1-2 Spain
Bosnia 2-5 Spain

Ten out of ten for the reigning European champions after two straightforward wins in Eastern Europe. Cesc Fabregas put Spain in front in Yerevan just after the half hour. A lovely lofted pass - think a 9-iron approach to the green - from Xavi fell right into the Arsenal man's path and he flicked it over the keeper with the outside of the right boot. Nice. The Armenians were level quarter of an hour after the break, Robert Arzumanyan heading in a deep free-kick at the back post, but Juan Mata quickly restored the lead from the penalty spot.
Two late, late goals from Bosnia took the edge off the scoreline a little, but Spain belted them out of it, running into a 5-0 lead before Wolfsburg pair Edin Dzeko - work the angles and fire it in off a defender and the back post - and Zvjezdan Misimovic - daisy-cutting 20-yard volley - reduced the deficit. The damage had already been done. Two in a minute around the quarter hour broke the backs of the Bosnians, Gérard Piqué heading in a free-kick for the opener with David Silva slotting one through the keeper's legs shortly after. Early in the second half, Alvaro Negredo got two in five minutes, the first a shot on the turn from 12 yards, the second a tap-in at the back post. Juan Mata made it five, latching on to a superb diagonal through ball to slide it home.

Group 7

France 5-0 Faroe Islands
France 3-1 Austria

France rounded off one of their worst qualifying campaigns of the last twenty years with two wins that paper over a lot of cracks and ensure a play-off place. The defeat of the Faroes was expected with André-Pierre Gignac's double opening the scoring. His first was a shot on the turn from just about right on the penalty spot, the second slightly more spectacular. Taking the ball down on his chest just inside the Faroes half, he surged past four defenders and fired low across goal and inside the far post. And that was game over effectively, though further goals followed after the break. William Gallas headed in a deep, deflected cross, Karim Benzema waltzed through some lacklustre defending for the fourth and Nicolas Anelka tapped in from about a foot as the defence failed to clear.
That win ensured second place meaning their defeat of Austria was just for fun. Austria failed to deal with a corner allowing Benzema to fling himself full length to open the scoring with a diving header and Thierry Henry fired in a penalty before Austria got one back through Marc Janko who profited from a rare Hugo Lloris mistake. But there wasn't to be an upset as Gignac scored another toaster, checking inside off the left wing and cracking a shot from the corner of the box into the top corner of the net.
They're not out of the woods yet and have that play-off next month to negotiate.

Group 8

Ireland 2-2 Italy
Italy 3-2 Cyprus

The Azzurri has Alberto Gilardino to thank for seeing them to an unbeaten campaign and a first-placed finish. One late goal in Ireland rescued a point and three more spared a fair number of blushes against Cyrpus. Ireland led twice at Croke Park, Glenn Whelan giving them a great start firing in from a nicely worked free-kick routine and Sean St Ledger restoring the lead four minutes from time after Mauro Camoranesi headed in a first half equaliser. In stoppage time, Vincenzo Iaquinta squared it across the box for Gilardino to wrong-foot Shay Given and ensure Italy finished top with Ireland's point enough for second.
Cyprus went two up in Italy in the final game and held that lead until twelve minutes from the end before more Gilardino blush-saving. Giannis Okkas had given the Italians some warning, firing inches over before he slotted one past Federico Marchetti just eleven minutes in. Chrysis Michael doubled the lead just after the break, volleying a slack back header and so it looked like it would stay until Gilardino finally got into the game. Twelve minutes from the end, he flicked Camoranesi's cross across goal and inside the far post and, two minutes later, equalised when poor defending allowed him to ghost in at the near post and shin it in. Into stoppages and he popped up in the right place again to bundle the ball over the line as the Cypriot defence fell about like Keystone Kops.

The Dutch were through already, of course, and Italy, Spain and Germany join them. Portugal and France face play-offs next month while Poland are out.