World Cup 2010 Blog: “Euro 2012 Qualifying Standings” plus 2 more

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• Euro 2012 Qualifying Standings
• Italy v Serbia Delayed Due To Rocks, Fire Hoses & Good Old Fashioned Hooliganism
• Qatar’s Proposed Lusail Iconic Stadium

Euro 2012 Qualifying Standings Posted: 12 Oct 2010 03:09 PM PDT The final day of Euro 2012 qualifying was loaded with drama, from canceled games to 4-4 injury time thrillers to upsets to the near upsets. The results are below, with group standings which will largely stay unchanged between now and late March – lots of time with which to bemoan lost chances. Results Belgium 4 – Austria 4 Kazakhstan 0 – Germany 3 Azerbaijan 1 – Turkey 0 Armenia 4 – Andorra 0 Slovakia 1 – Ireland 1 Macedonia 0 – Russia 1 Italy v Serbia Canceled Estonia 0 – Slovenia 1 Faroe Islands 1 – Northern Ireland 1 Belarus 2 – Albania 0 France 2 – Luxembourg 0 Finland 1 – Hungary 2 San Marino 0 – Moldova 2 Netherlands 4 – Sweden 1 Latvia 1 – Georgia 1 Greece 2 – Israel 1 England 0 – Montenegro 0 Switzerland 4 – Wales 1 Iceland 1 – Portugal 3 Denmark 2 – Cyprus 0 Liechtenstein 0 – Czech Republic 2 Scotland 2 – Spain 3 Group A: One of the more exciting games that actually took place was Belgium versus Austria – and controversial, too. To be honest, it’s happening this very moment and I may need some time to come down to earth. Arguably one of the best Euro qualifiers in years. (So best of the last six weeks, in other words.) Not to be outdone by a 4-4 thriller, Azerbaijan pulled off what may be the upset of the day by beating Turkey 1-0 and ratcheting Guus Hiddink’s aura down a further few notches. Germany, meanwhile, thumped Kazakhstan. (You saw that coming.) Group B: A 1-0 over Macedonia probably isn’t the scoreline for which they hoped, but with two straight wins Russia appears to be back on track – and very thankful for Ireland and Slovakia sister-kissing their way to a draw. But the surprise is Armenia, who were probably expected to beat Andorra, but did so convincingly after the win over Slovakia. Group C: Group A & C need to be played weekly as far as I’m concerned. Earlier in the day the Faroes nabbed a shocking draw (any points are termed “shocking” for the tiny island nation) against Northern Island, fresh off a draw with Italy. Never one to allow others the drama spotlight drift to others, Italy v Serbia was called due to general Serbian hooliganism with a decision from UEFA to come later. Should Italy be awarded the victory, Serbia’s in deep shit. Slovenia’s 1-0 against Estonia was left in the dust, obviously. Group D: Is France back? Victories over Luxembourg aren’t exactly definitive evidence on anything, but they’ll certainly take top spot after every single thing that’s happened since Euro 2008. Group E: If getting to the World Cup final wasn’t enough for your lofty standards, this win over Sweden is just further reminder: this Dutch team is really a cut above their recent predecessors. Hungary is also enjoying a mini renaissance of its own. Group F: Greece and Croatia are going to finish 1 & 2 – not necessarily in that order – come the end of qualifying. But you knew that already. Group G: Tiny, plucky little Montenegro continue their astonishing run, even without the scratched Mirko Vucinic, with a nil-nil at Wembley, easily the most difficult fixture of their qualifying run. Anyone who bet on this table after the fall qualifiers is a mighty rich person. Group H: The post-Queiroz era appears off to a flying, not quite nostalgic start. Group I: Scotland had fleeting dreams for roughly ten minutes after Gerard Pique put an own goal into the Spanish net, making it 2-2. However, they charitably returned the favor by missing a header in the box, leaving Fernando Llorente for the easy tap. Being good hosts will get you brownie points, not three points. Doubly bad news, since the Czech Republic is now in the midst what most like to call a “winning streak”. Two in a row. [Tables via Soccerway]

Italy v Serbia Delayed Due To Rocks, Fire Hoses & Good Old Fashioned Hooliganism Posted: 12 Oct 2010 12:11 PM PDT Things are not completely kosher inside the Serbian camp. A number of issues, starting at the top with the coaching position, have contributed to a less-than-ideal start to Euro 2012 qualifying. Serbian fans would probably use stronger words to describe the 3-1 loss to Estonia in Belgrade on Friday, and it’s tough to disagree. So they’ve resorted to taking it out on the team themselves. At the moment Italy v Serbia is delayed, the riot police is four deep in front of the Serbian section of the stadium, a fire hose has been hauled out to the pitch (no, not Makelele) and Serbia are looking at the backup keeper because Vladimir Stojkovic was injured by his own fans on the way to the stadium. (Other reports say he asked not to play out of fear of the ultras.) It is reported the fans threw rocks and fireworks at the team bus, hitting goalkeeper Stojkovic. He was injured and therefore not even on the bench for the game. Inside the stadium the problems deteriorated, as hooligans in ski masks climbed on top of the plexiglass walls and clinically cut the protective net with pliers. They also threw flares and objects across to the Italian area of the stadium and on to the pitch. It took a good 20 minutes before the referee, who had come out to begin the match, walked back into the tunnel with the teams. Riot police were called, but the Serbian fans had no intention of pulling back and set fire to flags. I can’t imagine any of that is going to help matters. This is very much live at the time, so here’s a link if you’d like to eschew football for some good old fashioned hooliganism. Never much doubt this was going to be one of the most exciting dates on the Euro 2012 qualifying calendar. Update: The game has begun, nearly 45 minutes later. Update: After all of 7 minutes, the game is delayed again due to a multitude of flairs on the pitch. Holding this at an “English-style” stadium wasn’t brilliant. Update: Game canceled. “Highlights”:

Qatar’s Proposed Lusail Iconic Stadium Posted: 12 Oct 2010 08:29 AM PDT The 2022 World Cup bid process is turning into an arms race between two parties with deep pockets and deeper ambitions, so clearly the winner of that World Cup will be anyone who attends. Anything done on the pitch is just a bonus. Japan wants holograms, Qatar has now countered with the rather stunning Lusail Iconic Stadium complex. One which can’t really be fully appreciated without the help of a helicopter. Or 3D modeling and the slight detail that it’s not real yet. Just adding to Qatar’s astonishing array of proposed stadiums which will look fantabulous in a museum when the World Cup is awarded elsewhere. (Sad but true.) [Model jpg's]

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