Qualifiers

Rooney leads England to a thumping win over San Marino

London: Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck scored twice as England laboured to a 5-0 win over whipping-boys San Marino to go top of World Cup Group H qualifying on Friday after a game marred by an injury to Theo Walcott. Rooney, captain in the absence of the suspended Steven Gerrard and the injured Frank Lampard, marked the occasion by becoming his country's fifth highest scorer of all time on 31...  

Germany hammer Ireland in WC qualifiers

Dublin: Germany hammered Ireland 6-1 away to notch a third straight World Cup Group C qualifying win on Friday with a result that equalled the hosts' worst defeat in front of their own fans. Doubles by winger Marco Reus and substitute Toni Kroos together with a Mesut Ozil penalty and a Miroslav Klose strike saw the irrepressible Germans inflict Ireland's heaviest home defeat since they lost 5-0 to Spain in...  

Spain reign in Minsk thanks to Pedro hat-trick

Minsk: Pedro set up Jordi Alba for the opening goal before grabbing a hat-trick as Spain extended their winning run in major championship qualifiers to 24 matches with a 4-0 World Cup Group I victory in Belarus on Friday. The world and European champions produced a typically efficient performance in chilly Minsk, dominating possession and quickly snuffing out any forward forays by the outclassed eastern Europeans. It was a useful...  

Alexender Kerzhakov's goal gives Russia 1-0 win over Portugal

Moscow: Alexander Kerzhakov scored early as Russia edged out Portugal 1-0 to earn their third consecutive win at the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign under Fabio Capello on Friday. Kerzhakov struck in the sixth minute after breaking clear on goal following some quick one-touch passing featuring his Zenit St Petersburg team mates Viktor Faizulin and Roman Shirokov. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was a constant threat at the other...  

CLT20: T&T face Yorkshire in qualifier

Trinidad and Tobago will play Yorkshire on Wednesday in their opening qualifying match. ...  

Messi poses headache for South American rivals

Buenos Aires: Stopping Lionel Messi is the primary concern of South American teams facing Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers. This week it is Uruguay's turn. Argentina defend their lead in the South American group at home to Uruguay in Mendoza on Friday (0100 GMT Saturday). After seven matches they have 14 points, one more than Colombia and Ecuador and two ahead of Uruguay and Chile. They will be looking...  

Germany deserve more respect, says Schweinsteiger

Munich: Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has demanded more respect for the national team's performances after reaching the Euro 2012 semi-finals in June, their fourth successive last- four spot or better in major tournaments. Schweinsteiger, criticised for playing in the European Championship despite nursing an injury picked up in Bayern Munich's Champions League final defeat by Chelsea, said Germany's overall record was very successful. "(Semi-final finishes) should not be taken for...  

Ronaldo to join Portugal for World Cup qualifiers

Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo's shoulder injury is not serious and he will join up with the Portugal squad later on Monday, his club Real Madrid said. Ronaldo hurt his left shoulder attempting an overhead kick in the second half of Sunday's 2-2 La Liga draw at Barcelona and although he appeared in some discomfort he played on until the end of match. "The Real Madrid forward was examined by club medical...  

Coach del Bosque recalls Martinez for Spain

Madrid: Spain coach Vicente del Bosque recalled Bayern Munich center back or defensive midfielder Javi Martinez on Friday to patch up his weakened defense for the World Cup qualifiers against Belarus and France. Del Bosque said the two matches, which come a week after an always intense meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid, were "vitally important" to the world champion's bid to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive major title. "These...  

Van der Vaart back in Netherlands squad

Amsterdam: Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal recalled Rafael van der Vaart on Friday for World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Romania. Van der Vaart was dropped for the first two qualifiers as he returned to full fitness following his move from Tottenham to Hamburg. Also back in the squad were midfielders Ibrahim Afellay and Nigel de Jong, who also have proved their match fitness after summer transfers. Afellay moved from...  

Bastian Schweinsteiger returns to Germany squad

Frankfurt: Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is back in the Germany squad for World Cup qualifying matches against Ireland and Sweden. Schweinsteiger was dropped for the first two games against the Faeroe Islands and Austria after losing form following a series of injuries last season, but he has come back strongly for Bayern since the start of the season. "He is important for our team, he gives the impulse, he...  

Italy labour to Malta win in WC qualifiers

Italy laboured to a scrappy 2-0 win over Malta in a World Cup Group B qualifier in Modena on Tuesday as an early strike from Mattia Destro and a late Andrew Cohen own goal earned them the three points. AS Roma striker Destro capitalised on Italy's fast start when he latched on to a smart Claudio Marchisio through-ball to score after five minutes, but Cesare Prandelli's side struggled to create...  

Oezil, Reus shine in Germany win over Austria

Vienna: Marco Reus scored his third international goal and Mesut Oezil added a penalty Tuesday to help Germany beat Austria 2-1 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. Germany looked vulnerable in defense and narrowly avoided a second Austrian goal several times. "We have got six points from two matches, the start is good," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. "But we can't be satisfied with our game, especially early in the...  

Lens brace gives Holland easy win vs Hungary

Budapest: Jeremain Lens scored twice to lead Netherlands to a 4-1 win over Hungary in a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup on Tuesday. Lens scored his first in the third minute, heading in a pass from the right side by Luciano Narsingh, only for Hungary to equalize four minutes later through a penalty by Balazs Dzsudzsak after Jordy Clasie fouled Zoltan Gera. The Dutch regained the lead for good...  

Japan beat Iraq 1-0 after Kagawa scare

Saitama: Japan survived severe early pressure from Zico's Iraq to beat them 1-0 at home on Tuesday, taking a significant step towards qualifying for the 2014 soccer World Cup in Brazil. Ryoichi Maeda steered in a point-blank header in the 25th minute for the Asian champions, who lost playmaker Shinji Kagawa to a back strain an hour before kick-off. "It's three points, we'll take it," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told...  

Strange that WC winners need to qualify: Casillas

Tbilisi: Spain captain Iker Casillas says that as defending World Cup champions, it felt strange to battle in out in the qualifiers for the 2014 edition. Spain play away to Georgia on Tuesday in a match coach Vicente del Bosque describes as the first game of the defence of the title they won in South Africa in 2010, but as defending champions, Casillas thinks that Spain should qualify for 2014...  

Lack of depth worries England football coach

London: England football team head coach Roy Hodgson feels that the shrinking pool of talent he can pick from will continue to get smaller - and expects no sympathy from club managers in terms of their selection policy. Following the withdrawals of Chelsea duo Ashley Cole and John Terry over the weekend, then Theo Walcott with a virus, Hodgson needed to reinforce his squad ahead of their World Cup qualifier...  

Villa boost for Spain as favourites begin defence

Madrid: Favourites Spain start the defence of their world title away to Georgia on Tuesday when coach Vicente del Bosque will have another chance to test the form of record marksman David Villa, recently returned from eight months out with a broken leg. The 30-year-old Barcelona striker, who sat out Spain's triumphant Euro 2012 campaign, came off the bench to score in his first game back for both club and...  

WC qualifiers: Ivory Coast win, Zambia lose

Cape Town: Didier Drogba was again among the goals as the Ivory Coast led a list of former finalists in a winning start to World Cup qualification but new African champions Zambia lost their opening game on the road to Brazil. There was also a setback for Morocco, whose coach Eric Gerets' job is now under severe threat after a 1-1 draw away at lowly-ranked Gambia. Drogba and his Chelsea...  

Qualifying first is not important: Messi

Rio de Janeiro: Argentina striker Lionel Messi says finishing first in the World Cup qualifying phase is not the team's priority. Argentina went to the top of the South American confederation's Conmebol standings on Friday with a 3-1 victory over Paraguay in Cordoba, reports Xinhua. Messi twice hit the woodwork before curling in a trademark free-kick in the 63rd minute at the Mario Kempes stadium. Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain and...