Oranje kick off World Cup campaign in typical fashion.

The Oranje kicked off their 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Senegal courtesy of second half goals from Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen. It was a performance that could be construed as underwhelming, but that’s usually what we have come to expect from the Flying Dutchmen.

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
• Follow Ibrahim on Twitter

The Oranje are part of the World Cup again after failing to qualify back in 2018. They kicked off their 2022 World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Senegal in what could be considered an underwhelming performance. However, that’s how the Oranje, usually kick off their World Cup campaigns.

The first group match for some World Cup teams are usually a cagey affair for multiple reasons such as nerves or caution. Not all teams come flying out of the gate at the World Cup, and the Dutch are no exception. Sure, many remember the Oranje kicking off World Cup 2014 with a great 5-1 victory over Spain. Yet, those types of results are not typical for the Oranje dating back to World Cup 1990.

For longtime fans such as myself, watching the Oranje in their first World Cup group matches has not been exactly enjoyable, with some being underwhelming, disappointing, and excruciating. Who could have thought the 1990 squad consisting of the legends Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard ad Ronaldo Koeman, who had just won Euro 88 two years prior, would play to a 1-1 draw with Egypt? Wim Kieft scored around the hour mark, but Egypt equalized from the spot in the final minutes of the match. Four years later, the Oranje managed a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Saudi Arabia thanks to goals from Wim Jonk and Gaston Taument. The 1998 clash against Belgium ended in a dire scoreless draw that I prefer to never relive again.

In 2006, Holland defeated Serbia and Montenegro 1-0 with an early first-half goal from Arjen Robben. In 2010, they defeated Denmark 2-0 with two second-half goals courtesy of a Daniel Agger own goal, and Dirk Kuyt scoring the insurance goal in the final five minutes. The most memorable opening match victory was the 5-1 demolition of World Cup champions, Spain in World Cup 2018. After Xabi Alonso converted from the spot, the Oranje scored five unanswered goals from Stefan de Vrij and Robben and Robin van Persie both scoring a brace.

As you can see, the opening match for the Oranje is not an indicator of things to come. They have qualified for the knockout stages every time they have been in the World Cup since 1990 and have failed to advance from the Round of 16 only twice. It was important for the Oranje to win their opening match; just ask Argentina and Germany if they wouldn’t like to swap places with Holland right now. One can only hope that this team will follow in the footsteps of prior teams who improved with each game and ended up going far in the World Cup.

Bring on number two! ⚔️🇪🇨#NothingLikeOranje #WorldCup #NEDECU pic.twitter.com/RA7z39u7eD

— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 25, 2022

The Other Mexican World Cup Curse.

Much has been made about Mexico’s Round of 16 Curse following their loss to Brazil in their Round of 16 clash during this World Cup.  However, many are not aware of another Mexico World Cup curse which has already claimed its victim.

Mexico has failed to advance to the “Octavos”, the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup in consecutive World Cups dating to 1994. Mexico has only reached the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup twice, in 1970 and in 1986 which was when Mexico were the hosts. This curse has spanned over three decades now. However, it appears many are not aware of another curse attached to Mexico and the World Cup. Every single team that has knocked out Mexico in the Round of 16 since World Cup 1994 has never gone on to lift the World Cup trophy.  

In 1994, Bulgaria eliminated Mexico in the Round of 16 stage and fell to Italy in the Semi-Finals. In 1998, Germany scored two unanswered goals to defeat Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 clash, only to fall to Croatia in the next round. In 2002, USA defeated Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 and then fell to Germany in the next round.  In 2006, Argentina defeated Mexico 2-1 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter and then Argentina fell to Germany in the next round. In 2010, Argentina once again defeated Mexico 3-1 in their Round of 16 clash and then also fell to Germany in the next round. In 2014, Holland defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 stage in dubious fashion before the Dutch fell to Argentina in the Semi-Finals.

Well, Brazil defeated Mexico 2-0 in this year’s Round of 16 clash and then bid farewell after their 2-1 defeat to Belgium yesterday in the Quarter-Finals. The curse of eliminating Mexico at this stage continues and this curse also applies to those who have eliminated Mexico in the Quarter-Finals too. In 1970, Mexico were defeated by Italy 4-1 and then lost to the great Brazil by the same score in the Final. In 1986, Mexico played West Germany to a scoreless draw before succumbing to their opponents in the a penalty shootout, and the West Germans fell to Argentina in the Final.

Perhaps countries may want to practice some black magic to avoid meeting Mexico in future World Cup knockout stages. The same holds true for teams grouped with Mexico at the group stage. Mexico have qualified for the World Cup sixteen times. Only two nations have won the World Cup after facing Mexico at the Group Stage; Brazil in 1962 and England in 1966. Sweden's elimination today just confirms the consequences of facing Mexico during the World Cup. Ultimately, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t when it comes to facing Mexico in the World Cup.

The World Cup Curse of Mexico:

1970: Mexico eliminated by Italy in Quarterfinals – Italy lost to Brazil in the Final.

1986: Mexico eliminated by West Germany in Quarterfinals – West Germany lost to Argentina in the Final.

1994: Mexico eliminated by Bulgaria in Round of 16 – Bulgaria lost to Italy in the Semi-Finals.

1998: Mexico eliminated by Germany in Round of 16 – Germany lost to Croatia in the Quarter-Finals.

2002: Mexico eliminated by USA in Round of 16 – USA lost to Germany in the Quarter-Finals.

2006: Mexico eliminated by Argentina in Round of 16 – Argentina lost to Germany in the Quarter-Finals.

2010: Mexico eliminated by Argentina in Round of 16 – Argentina lost to Germany in the Quarter-Finals.

2014: Mexico eliminated by Holland in Round of 16 – Holland lost to Argentina in Semi-Finals

2018: Mexico eliminated by Brazil in Round of 16 – Brazil lost to Belgium in Quarter-Finals.

Mexico’s World Cup Groups

1930: Mexico  Argentina Chile France.

1950: Mexico Brazil Yugoslavia Switzerland.

1954: Mexico Brazil Yugoslavia Switzerland.

1958: Mexico Sweden Wales Hungary.

1962: Mexico, Brazil* Spain Czechoslovakia.

1966: Mexico England* Uruguay France.

1970: Mexico USSR Belgium El Salvador.

1978: Mexico West Germany Poland Tunisia.

1986: Mexico Belgium Iraq Paraguay.

1994: Mexico Italy Ireland Norway.

1998: Mexico Holland Belgium South Korea.

2002: Mexico Italy Croatia Ecuador.

2006: Mexico Portugal Iran Angola.

2010: Mexico Uruguay France South Africa.

2014: Mexico Brazil Croatia Cameroon.

2018: Mexico German Sweden South Korea.

Spaniards Abroad: David Villa.

Spaniards Abroad: David Villa. The Night David Villa came to Saint Petersburg, Florida.

David Villa is a Spanish football legend. His accomplishments for club and country are exceptional. A winner with four different clubs along with a European and World Cup medal with Spain, David Villa has had a marvelous career. He is now in the twilight of his legendary playing career here in the United States with New York MLS side, NYCFC.

When I learned that David Villa would be playing with his club at a friendly in my hometown in Florida, I did not have to think twice about going. On February 17, 2016, NYCFC faced Montreal Impact in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The venue was Al Lang stadium, home of the NASL side, Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The grounds of Al Lang stadium used to host baseball games since 1923 and underwent many renovations and changes throughout the years. However, it became the home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies a few years ago and underwent a major facelift in late 2014 to become a soccer only stadium. It is a quaint stadium that seats over 7,000 fans and on this night, would be hosting David Villa.

It was a pleasant evening with a nice cool breeze blowing from the marina located next to the stadium. The fans were diverse in their allegiance with some there to see David Villa, some to see Andrea Pirlo while others were there for Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. For this Cule, David Villa was the main attraction.

David Villa hails from the Asturias region located at the northern tip of Spain. He joins the small list of players from that region who would go on to play for Barça; Quini and Luis Enrique. Just like those two Barça legends, David would feature for Sporting Gijon. He made his debut in 2001, when Sporting were in the second division, and after two impressive seasons, he was sold for €2.7m to Real Zaragoza. His debut with Zaragoza was around the same time FC Barcelona had just elected Joan Laporta as club president and helped usher in the new era for the Blaugrana. That same season, David Villa won his first major club trophy when Zaragoza defeated Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Final. He had scored from the spot to give his side the lead before halftime. The Final was held in Barcelona, at Espanyol’s old stadium, the Montjuïc so Cules took notice of this young scorer. He later earned his first cap for Spain in 2005 under Luis Aragones.

After two seasons with Zaragoza, he was sold to Valencia for €12 m. He managed to score 28 goals in all competitions, 25 of them coming in the league, in his debut season. That strong performance earned him a spot in Spain’s 2006 World Cup roster where he would go on to score three goals. He won his second Copa del Rey trophy in 2008 when Valencia defeated Getafe in the Final, while scoring against FC Barcelona in the Semi-Finals at the Camp Nou.

That summer of 2008 would be special as Luis Aragones did not include Raul in his Euro 2008 roster, thus allowing David Villa to become the new Spanish number 7. It was a controversial decision that was soon forgotten when Spain finally ended their long wait of winning a major international trophy by defeating Germany in Euro 2008 Final. He scored four memorable goals in the tournament but missed the Final after suffering an injury in the Semi-Finals against Russia. Two years later, he would help steer Spain to World Cup glory over Holland in World Cup 2010 by scoring five of Spain’s eight goals in the tournament.

Barça had attempted to pry him away from Valencia in 2009 with Real Madrid hot on his heels. Ultimately, the transfer never went through but Barça managed to sign him a year later, just before president Laporta’s tenure concluded. David, Messi and Pedro formed the “MVP” trident scored 98 goals, with David scoring 23 goals in all competitions, including a memorable brace in the 5-0 win over Real Madrid, which helped the club win the league title and their fourth Champions League title with David scoring a spectacular goal in the final against Manchester United at Wembley. It was during his first season with Barça that Villa also surpassed Raul to become Spain’s all-time goal scoring leader.

His second season with the club saw him suffer a broken tibia during the FIFA Club World Cup and cause him to miss the second half of the 2011-2012 season and Euro 2012 with Spain. His third and final season at the club would see him score 16 goals in all competitions as he had to fight Alexis, Tello and Pedro for minutes. He would then be sold to Atlético Madrid for €5.1 m where he would go on to score 15 goals in all competitions and help Atlético win the league title, at the Camp Nou against Barça, and play in the Champions League Final where his side fell to their derby rivals Real Madrid.

He would represent Spain one final time during in their dreadful 2014 World Cup campaign. David indicated that this was going to be his final appearance for La Roja. He would score his 59th and final goal for Spain in their final group match against Australia. It was not the fitting end that many had wished for one of the greatest Spanish players ever.

Many, including myself were surprised to see Villa leave La Liga for the MLS after his lone season with Atlético. He was going to cross the Atlantic and play for the new MLS club in New York, NYCFC. Prior to joining his new club, he had to travel all the way to Australia for a short loan spell with Melbourne City and then headed back to New York. His was the club’s first ever captain during NYCFC’s inaugural season in MLS that saw him score 18 goals. Although that was an impressive tally, his club though failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.

So here he was, David Villa, in my hometown in Florida. NYCFC were part of the teams taking part in the Rowdies’s Suncoast Invitational along other MLS teams as they prepare for their upcoming season. While I watched him warm up with Pirlo and the rest of the team, I managed to chat with an older gentleman from the Asturias region who happened to live in the area. Just like me, he came to see Villa. Villa hasn’t changed much in appearance from when he signed with Barça. He rocks has the same haircut and soul patch that we have accustomed to seeing over the years. What was I noticed was different was that, for once, Villa looked fit during warm-ups and did not resemble the player we had seen these past few seasons in Spain who appeared in pain and sluggish while recovering from injuries.

I took my seat near the field without knowing what to expect from David Villa. Was I going to see a David Villa treating this friendly without interest as he nears retirement? Any doubts towards his professionalism were quickly put to rest when, early into the match, he showed that he still had his powerful shot after he tested the Montreal keeper from distance. In the 20th minute, Villa showed that he still had his pace when he managed to chest the ball down before bursting towards the goal with the ball at his feet. His attempt was wide, but flashbacks came flowing back to his Valencia and Blaugrana playing days. Nevertheless, he showed scent for the goal like a shark that smelt blood. He came close to scoring in the 31st minute when Pirlo delivered a free kick from just outside the box to him but Villa’s effort struck the crossbar.

Villa would start the second half and in the 54th minute, Pirlo whipped a pass into the box, and Villda headed the ball to down to his teammate Diskerud, but his effort was stopped by the Montreal keeper. A few minutes later, Villa had a chance to score from close range but mishit the ball and the keeper had an easy save to make. In the 63rd minute, after a short corner kick, Villa had another attempt from outside the box but was off target.

David Villa’s night came to an end in the 68th minute. He gave Pirlo the captain’s armband and headed for the bench while receiving a warm embrace from his manager, Patrick Vieira and a nice round of applause from the fans in attendance. I was in a state of disbelief that David Villa actually played in my hometown and he did not disappoint.

I have to admit that I was impressed by both, David and Pirlo’s attitude on the pitch. Many might assume that these world class players came to the U.S. to cash it in and take it easy. You cannot make that assumption about these two. Both were leading the charge and demanding the ball from their teammates and urging them on. Their competitive fire still burns and they expect the same from their teammates.

After the game ended, the fans started to leave the small but lovely stadium of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He made his way to some fans and signed some autographs before heading off to the locker room. I waited outside the stadium to get one final glimpse of David Villa as he was the first player to board the team bus. The legendary Spanish player was leaving my hometown and he still looked like he still had something to offer to the football world. The fans in New York are sure lucky to have him.

Is it time to end the Diego Costa Experiment?

With only a handful of matches with the Spanish national team, is it time for Vicente Del Bosque to end the Diego Costa experiment? There clearly is a clash of styles and one has to wonder if Costa’ presence is a hindrance on the team as they plan on getting over their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward that many teams would be lucky to have. He commands the attention of opposing team defenders and is the type of player you would rather have on your team than face. In other words, you’d hate him if he was on any other team except your own. Nevertheless, it seems that Spain and Diego Costa are not hitting on all cylinders which is perhaps a sign that this experiment was not meant to be.

Diego Costa’s inclusion to the Spanish national team prior to the 2014 World Cup seemed like a masterstroke by Del Bosque. He managed to obtain the services of one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and at the time same, deprive a contender of his services. One has to wonder what might have happened if that was Diego Costa out there, and not Fred, playing for Brazil this past summer. However, one team’s loss was not another team’s gain.

Diego Costa, along with many other players representing Spain, suffered a grueling a domestic campaign that saw Atlético Madrid capture the league title and make it to the Champions League final. However, Diego Costa was forced to leave the pitch in two pivotal matches at the end of the season, very early into the game, because of injuries. It was no surprise that he was a non-factor for Spain at the World Cup afterwards. Yet, watching Costa play for Spain is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

As I indicated before, he has played a handful of matches for Spain. However, in the five matches he has played he has failed to score and quite frankly offer anything. To be fair, Diego Costa did indicate that he needs to adapt to the team’s style.  Del Bosque also indicated that the team must connect with him.  However, that train of thought is hurting Spain’s progress from their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward as evidenced by his four goals already with Chelsea in just three matches. He has shined under Diego Simeone and is likely to do well for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. However, those two managers are known for relying on a style of football that is quite the contrast that Spain has relied on over the years. The two styles cannot mesh together and deliver a beautiful product.

Thus, it’s time for Del Bosque to admit defeat and pull the plug on this experiment.  He does not have to drop Costa off the team but perhaps he can bring him on as a plan B substitute much like he used Llorente against Portugal in World Cup 2010. Speaking of Llorente, what happened to him and why does Del Bosque not even call him anymore is another mystery in itself.  One mystery at a time, but the solution to what’s ailing Spain was shown in their victory over Macedonia.

Spain just needs to go back to basics and rely on players who can move around the pitch in a way that gets teams dizzy. False number nine or not, their style is only suited for those who can adapt to it. Diego Costa’s style is more suitable for the direct approach which clashes with this style and hence it cannot work. Even though Metallica managed to make heavy metal and symphony orchestra work, you cannot expect it to work all the time. That is why Del Bosque needs to do away with the Diego Costa experiment and stick with what made this team successful in the first without experimenting.

Dream Still Alive - Lebanon One Step Closer to World Cup 2014.

Well, finally. Finally! Lebanon’s national football team has done it. They finally did something that many thought could never happen. No, Lebanon did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup but they did earn the chance to finally qualify for the World Cup. After the final whistle blew in Abu Dhabi, Lebanon celebrated an unprecedented achievement by qualifying to the fourth and final round of Asian World Cup 2014 qualifiers. Their achievement came after a defeat but the players and the fans were not going to let it hamper their spirits. They finally made it to the final hurdle.

Last week‘s 4-2 defeat to the UAE did sting a bit in terms of celebrating a great day. It felt a bit sheepish to really celebrate after a disappointing defeat. However, I will gladly take it. They earned their way to the final round thanks to a great and memorable home win against one of the giants of Asian football, South Korea. South Korea ensured Lebanon’s passage to the final round by defeating Kuwait 2-0. It was a must win for South Korea or else they could have been the ones missing out if both Kuwait and Lebanon won. Oddly enough, it was South Korea that was part of Lebanon’s and my first ever Asian World Cup qualifiers.

1994 was the first time I ever got to enjoy World Cup qualifiers. I was a small kid back in Saudi Arabia to know what the World Cup was back in 1986 and my family moved to Lebanon after Maradona hoisted the World Cup trophy that same summer. I did get to catch Holland win Euro 88 which left a lasting impression and many years of heart ache and disappointments. Unfortunately, an ugly civil war made the qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup irrelevant and I missed out on the World Cup when I moved to the US temporarily. I don’t even recall who was televising the games back then but I believe I saw a video rip of the Brazil Argentina match that was televised by TNT. However, the 1994 World Cup and its qualifiers were different and forever special for me.

My family decided to move back to Lebanon after the civil war had finally ended in the early 90’s. So it was inevitable that I was going to witness the craze called World Cup football. What I didn’t know that it would also be the country’s first ever World Cup qualifying event too. Lebanon was only 50 years old when the qualifiers took place back in 1993. I was only a young teen back then and FIFA decided to have a group of five countries, Lebanon, South Korea, Bahrain, India and Hong Kong, play their qualifiers in only two of those countries; Lebanon and South Korea. Lebanon got to host the first round of qualifiers in Beirut.

I wish I could tell you that I was there or that I remember those games. I wish! Sadly, I missed three of the four games that were played from May 7 to May 15 because they occurred during the school days. Unlike last week’s game, our country did not shut down the schools back then. It was an afternoon game and the venue was in Beirut’s Berj Hammoud stadium which was not set up for night games. Quite frankly, I can’t recall any Lebanese league matches held in the evening back then either. What II do recall was waiting forever to get off the school bus to know what happened in the opener between Lebanon and India.  I was gutted when I heard that Lebanon were up 1-0 at the half and then were leading 2-0 in the second half before squandering that two goal lead for a 2-2 draw. Their next game against Hong Kong fell on a weekend and I don’t remember much except that it ended in another 2-2 draw. Sadly, the other two games fell on school days so I missed Lebanon losing 1-0 to South Korea and the scoreless draw against Bahrain their final home game.

Sadly, the World Cup fever that gripped the country fizzled after those first two games. Although it was a historic event, we all knew that this team was not going to be advancing and low and behold, their performances the next month saw Lebanon finish third in their group and get eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers. However, those second round of games were remarkable since it was Lebanon’s first ever World Cup qualifiers victories. Of course, the games were in South Korea and we missed most of those games because of the time zone difference. What I do remember is that South Korea ended up making it to the World Cup the following summer. That left a lasting impression on me. A country that played in Lebanon ended up making it all the way to USA for the 1994 World Cup. Deep down, I thought to myself that that could have been Lebanon.

I was an Ansar fan back then and they were basically the Manchester United of the Lebanese league back then and were managed by Adnan Al-Sharkey who had players like Fadi Aloush, Jamal Taha, Abdel-Fattah Chehab, Mohammad Messelmani, Ali Fakih and others that their names escape me at the moment, were selected for the national team. The other players I remember playing for Lebanon back then were captain Hassan Ayoub, Wael Nazha, Nazih Nahle and I am sure there had to be a few Lebanese Armenians on the team.

Lebanon's team in the 90's that had talent but lacked experience

Unfortunately, I would miss the next round of qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup because my family decided to move back to the US for good. We didn’t have satellite dish coverage of the Arab world back then so I missed out on Lebanon being grouped with Kuwait and Singapore. That was it. 3 teams in a group and Lebanon finished second with Kuwait advancing as group winners. Lebanon drew 1-1 with Singapore before losing both games against Kuwait. Lebanon would win their final encounter against Singapore 2-1 but would again crash out of the qualifiers without gaining a single victory on home soil. I was disappointed by how soon Lebanon’s exit was. Four matches and they were done.

Afterwards though, I would be able to follow Lebanon as we entered the new millennium.  By then, my folks had a dish that allowed me to follow Lebanon on LBCI and I got to see them host the 2000 Asian Cup. Sadly, that tournament did not see Lebanon win a game under then manager Josip Skoblar. However, the team showed flashes of potential after they came back from being two goals down to tie Iraq with Moussa Hojeij scoring a great free kick. The days of Aloush and Taha were gone but the new generation of Hojeij, Haytham Zein and a young Roda Antar set the stage for an impressive and heart breaking 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

Skoblar was out as the manager and a German manager whom I had never heard of before, Theo Bücker, took over. The 2002 qualifiers group saw Lebanon grouped with Pakistan, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Again, there was optimism that this could be the year that Lebanon would advance to the final round of qualifiers. All they had to do was finish ahead of these three countries. Just like the 1994 qualifiers, Lebanon hosted the first round of games while Thailand hosted the second round. Under Bücker, Lebanon did not just win, they destroyed! Lebanon kicked off their qualifiers with their first ever win on home soil by thrashing Pakistan 6-0. That was a strange result that the people were not familiar with. We then realized that this was no fluke when they followed it up with a 4-0 win against Sri Lanka. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. 10 goals in 2 games? The final home game was the pivotal clash against Thailand. Both teams were unbeaten but Lebanon had the upper hand because of their better goal differential.

Lebanon had the dream start when they were ahead after nine minutes courtesy of an own goal. Unfortunately, Lebanon’s dream start ended in nightmarish fashion as Thailand scored two goals in the first half in what turned out to be the only goals of the game. Thailand won and now had a three point gap atop of the standings. Lebanon was down but not out as they destroyed Pakistan 8-1 and Sri Lanka 5-0 to set up the do or die match against Thailand. Thailand still maintained their three point lead but Lebanon’s huge goal differential meant that Thailand would get eliminated if Lebanon defeated them which would mean both teams would finish atop of the group standings. Once again, Lebanon had the dream start when they took the lead in the first half after 35 minutes and managed to hold on to it till the 73rd minute. Unfortunately, their night would come crashing down after Thailand scored two goals in a four minute span. Lebanon pulled one back three minutes from time but they could not find the go ahead goal. 2-2 was the final score and Lebanon’s loss to Thailand in Lebanon was the difference. I never got over that draw that felt like a defeat. They were so close and yet, the final round was so far away.

Four years later, Lebanon would finish second yet again, to South Korea in a group with Vietnam and Maldives. Bücker was gone by then and the team fell short again thanks to a loss and draw in their encounters against South Korea. Unfortunately, I was in law school back then and didn’t have access to the dish to watch my countrymen try to qualify and the internet streaming back then was not as available as it is now.  Fortunately, the 2010 World Cup qualifiers would usher in a new change that would allow teams that finish second to finally advance to the final round along with the group leaders. Where was this rule before? Finally, Lebanon has a chance, right? Wrong!

Lebanon first had to get by India in the first round of qualification under another new manager and did so after winning 4-1 in Lebanon before drawing away 2-2. Lebanon were then grouped with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Singapore. Odds looked good that they could finish second, right? Much to everyone’s dismay, not only did they not finish second; they finished dead last by losing all of their group matches. That heart breaking draw against Thailand was nothing more than a distant memory as their chances of ever advancing looked bleak. Fortunately, I did not get to watch the games for the same reasons as 2006. I didn’t have dish and although live internet streams had come a long way, Lebanese games were not even a possibility back then.

The 2014 World Cup qualifiers presented Lebanon with another chance at either accomplishing the near impossible or giving us another case of disappointment. The World Cup qualifiers kicked off back in July with Lebanon managed by another manager and were up against Bangladesh in the second round of qualifiers. They won their home leg 4-0 before suffering a shocking 2-0 loss away but the damage in the first leg was enough to send them on their way to another group stage. The group would see them grouped with two teams that finished ahead of them in the 1994 and 1998 group stage; South Korea and Kuwait. UAE were the other team in Lebanon’s group. Lebanon somehow had played friendlies against Kuwait and UAE prior to these qualifiers and they were disasters. UAE destroyed Lebanon 6-2 which was memorable for the silly penalty scored by an UAE player who was somehow booked for it, and a mass brawl broke out between the Lebanese and Kuwaiti teams that required soldiers firing shots in the air to bring it to an end to a 6-0 defeat. Hardly the way to get your hopes up!

 Lebanese celebrating their countries' greatest ever victory

However, the good news was that Bücker was back. The bad news was that he had a lot of work to do after South Korea destroyed Lebanon 6-0 in the first qualifier match of the group stages. Bücker though got the best of his team with the return of veteran Antar along with the sensational Hassan Maatouk. Lebanon won its first home qualifier by defeating UAE 3-1 in Lebanon and then battled Kuwait to a 2-2 draw at home with Kuwait getting an own goal near the end. Fortunately, Lebanon won the return leg 1-0 and had a crucial game against South Korea coming up on home soil. In what was one of the biggest upsets and victories in Lebanese football history, Lebanon defeated South Korea 2-1. It was a great result which allowed them to climb to second place in the group with Kuwait behind them and South Korea ahead of them. Lebanon now controlled their destiny. They benefitted from the fact that South Korea and Kuwait were playing each other in South Korea. All Lebanon had to do was win or draw away against UAE and they would qualify.

Lebanon pulls off an amazing upset by defeating South Korea

Well, Lebanon had to go ahead and do it the Lebanese way and lose 4-2 to UAE side that had lost its previous five qualifiers. Bücker made what I considered a grave mistake when he benched starting keeper Ziad El Samad who started the previous five qualifiers for Abbas Hassan who had an overall awful performance. Supposedly, Hassan, who is Swedish Lebanese, was picked because he plays in the Swedish league. If true, then that was a pretty stupid reason to bench El Samad. Fortunately, South Korea defeated Kuwait 2-0 to clinch first place and Lebanon ended up finishing in second place to finally qualify to the fourth and final round of the World Cup qualifiers.

Celebration time even in UAE 

So what’s next for Lebanon? The draw for the two groups of the fourth round of qualifiers will be held tomorrow or later on today for those across the Atlantic. Lebanon’s opponents will be Australia, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, and Oman. According to FIFA, the ten teams will be drawn into two round-robin, home-and-away groups of five teams each. The matches will likely take place between 3 June 2012 and 18 June 2013. The two group winners and two group runners-up qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The third-place teams from each group advance to Round 5 where the teams will play one home-and-away play-off. The matches will likely be played between 6 and 10 September 2013. The Round 5 winner advances to the intercontinental play-off that will be played between the Round 5 Winner of Asia and the fifth placed team of South America.

Will Lebanon manage to qualify automatically to the World Cup as either group winners or runners-up? Will they have to go through a home and away playoff against a team from South America? Or is this the end of the road for Lebanon? Anything is possible and here’s to another memorable step from Lebanon.