Journalism of Courage
France need to play without fear in their World Cup playoff against Ukraine to avoid the fate that befell the team 20 years ago when a last-gasp home defeat by Bulgaria cost them a place at the 1994 finals.
That year was the last time France failed to qualify for the premier tournament. We need a good away result so we can deal with the return leg, said Franck Ribery,who has scored six and set up nine of France’s last 24 goals.
Ukraine will also be looking to forget the past as they participate in a fourth WC playoff tie having failed in their three previous attempts in 1998,2002 and 2010.
Ibra vs ronaldo
The 2014 World Cup will inevitably be written without one of the best players in Europe after Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden do battle for a playoff berth.
Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic are both in scintillating form ahead of the two-legged qualifying playoff but only one of their teams will end up in Brazil next year.
Both men scored hat-tricks at the weekend. We are talking about two world-class stars,living an excellent moment, said Portugal winger Silvestre Varela ahead of Friday’s first leg at Lisbon’s Luz stadium.
Ronaldo,28,and Ibrahimovic,32,are under pressure to deliver again on Friday,and in next Tuesday’s return fixture in Stockholm.
OLD GUARD
Greece will rely on the experience of seasoned campaigners in their playoff against Romania as they aim for a place in the World Cup finals for only the third time.
Fanis Gekas,33,has scored 24 goals in his 68 appearances for Greece while Giorgos Karagounis,36,has played 129 times and Kostas Katsouranis,34,has 107 caps. We have a lot of experienced players who will know how to win the first match without conceding a goal, Santos said.
Romania head into what forward Razvan Cocis characterised as the biggest challenge of our careers,without injured captain Vlad Chiriches and with doubts hanging over goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu,who is struggling with a back problem. Defender Dragos Grigore has replaced Chiriches while goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has also been drafted back into the squad. Romania are aiming to end a 16-year absence from the finals. This is without doubt the most important and challenging tie of our careers, said Cocis.
OLD MASTER
A coaching novice takes on a wily veteran when Iceland meet Croatia in the first leg of their World Cup playoff in Reykjavik on Friday with the Nordic country in touching distance of a first appearance at a major finals.
Iceland’s Swedish coach Lars Lagerback brings a wealth of major tournament experience to the home side while,in contrast,Croatia coach Niko Kovac has been thrown in at the deep end after the sacking of Igor Stimac last month.
