Tuesday, June 15, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: The 10 Best Teams to Never Qualify

With the World Cup less than three days away from kick-off, all the focus is rightly being centered on the qualified teams.

But what about the teams that didn't qualify? How about the teams that have never qualified for soccer's grandest stage.

I will be giving attention to those teams that haven't ever qualified for the tournament in the following slides and stating why you may or may not see their debut in the next three World Cups.

No.10: FYR Macedonia
Continent: Europe
FIFA World Ranking: 61
Continental Ranking: 34

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2022 at the earliest

FYR Macedonia finished fourth in Group IX of Europe's World Cup qualifying. After being paired with the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, and Iceland.

Macedonia managed to gain seven points with wins against Scotland and Iceland (and a draw against Norway).

In May 1994, Macedonia was ranked No. 147 in the world and reached No. 46 in October 2008.

Likely, due to Europe's overall strength, many of these European teams that I'm going to mention will have to wait for their debut and I feel that Macedonia will likely have to wait the longest of them all.

This is due to them only being able to manage seven points and losing to Iceland who only managed five points in qualifying.

2022 may be a bit of a reach, but if they miss out then 2026 or 2030 is way more in reach.

No. 9: Benin
Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 60
Continental Ranking: 11

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2018

Benin won Group Three with 12 points in Africa's second stage of qualifying. They were paired with Angola, Uganda, and Niger with their only losses coming to Angola and Uganda.

In Stage III of qualifying, Benin was drawn with Ghana, Mali, and Sudan.

With only the top team from each group qualifying, Benin was not a likely favorite to qualify from this group—but they did manage to land second place with 10 points.

They swept Sudan, beat Ghana once, and drew with Mali.

In August 1993, Benin was ranked No. 124 in the world and were ranked as low as No. 165 in July 1996 and as high as No. 59 in both November 2009 and April 2010.

A debut in the World Cup in 2018 makes sense to me because they honestly had an extremely strong appearance in qualifying and were in some close games in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

They ended up drawing with Mozambique, lost 1-0 to Nigeria, and 2-0 to Egypt.

On paper those aren't impressive but considering that both Nigeria and Egypt are top teams in Africa, being able to move on from this group would be a tough task for any team considered to be better than them, but they must improve to qualify.

No. 8: Mali
Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 54
Continental Ranking: 9

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2018

Mali like Benin won their group in the second stage of qualifying with 12 points. They were drawn with Sudan, Congo, and Chad.

Their only losses were 3-2 against Sudan and 1-0 versus Congo.

In Stage III, Mali finished one point behind Benin in third place.

They might have lost to Benin in terms of points but head-to-head they drew and won 3-1 against the team ranked six spots lower than them.

Mali also beat and drew with Sudan and with Ghana.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Mali beat Malawi, drew with Angola, and lost 1-0 to Algeria.

Mali debuted in the world rankings in August 1993 when they were ranked No. 73, their highest ranking was No. 35 in February 2007 while their lowest was No. 117 in October 2001.

Pretty impressive if you ask me. Drawing with a 2006 World Cup qualifier and only a 1-0 loss to a top African team in a first round exit is enough for me to say that Mali will qualify for the World Cup sometime soon.

But, in what year do I think it will most likely happen?

The answer to that question is the same as with Benin: 2018.

Simply put, Mali is better than Benin as they've shown head-to-head, but giving Sudan their only point in the 3rd stage of qualifying is a sign that they're not yet ready for world competition.

No. 7: Finland
Continent: Europe
FIFA World Ranking: 52
Continental Ranking: 29

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2018

Finland is easily the most shocking name on here, simply because they're surrounded by soccer.

But the country I'd compare them most to is Canada because both of clubs focus more on hockey than they do anything else and it's the sport they're known for.

However, soccer in Finland is not terrible as they finished four points behind Russia for 2nd place in Group IV of Europe's qualifying.

They beat Wales and Azerbaijan twice, beat Liechtenstein, and drew with them once while they also drew with world power Germany both times they played them.

Russia beat Finland twice by a combined score of 6-0, which ended up excluding them from the 2nd place play-off round.

Finland debuted in the world rankings in August 1993 when they were ranked No. 47 and were ranked as high as No. 33 in March 2007 and as low as No. 79 in December 1996.

A debut appearance for Finland in the World Cup in 2018 makes sense for two reasons: A) they recently came close and B) 13 teams qualify from Europe so it makes sense that a "fringe" team such as Finland qualifies in the place of some above average teams like Greece and Slovenia.

No. 6: Lithuania
Continent: Europe
FIFA World Ranking: Tied for 49
Continental Ranking: 27

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2018

Lithuania had an underwhelming but not terrible qualifying performance where they finished in 4th place of Group Seven with 12 points.

They beat Romania twice and Austria and the Faroe Islands once while they were beaten twice by Serbia and France.

For Euro 2012 qualifying they've been drawn into Group I with Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, and Liechtenstein.

Undoubtedly, Lithuania won't win this group but with the Czech Republic struggling and Scotland being beatable at the moment, they could come extremely close to qualifying for Euro 2012.

Lithuania was ranked No. 83 in August 1993 and dropped to No. 118 in September 2004 (but quickly rose up to No. 37 in September 2008).

With the next team closer to qualifying than Lithuania I can't realistically see them making it by 2014—but 2018 seems likely due to their steady climb up world football since September 2004.

No. 5: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Continent: Europe
FIFA World Ranking: 51
Continental Ranking: 28

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

Bosnia and Herzegovina had an extremely strong performance in Group V of Europe's qualifying, finishing with 19 points.

After losing twice to world No. 1 Spain (who got the maximum 30 points) they beat Estonia twice by a combined score of 9-0, Armenia and Belgium twice, and they also drew once with Turkey.

Finishing second in their group they advanced to the second place play-off round where they faced Portugal and only lost on a 2-0 aggregate with 1-0 losses in both games.

Currently No. 51 in the world, they were originally No. 171 in May 1996, and then No. 173 four months later (and were ranked outside the top 100 for last time in June 1998 when they were No. 102).

Their highest ranking is No. 25 in August 2007.

All signs from the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team point to a 2014 debut but right now I'd feel a lot more confident saying it if they manage to qualify for Euro 2012.

They have France, Romania, Belarus, Albania, and Luxembourg in their qualifying group.

No. 4: Venezuela
Continent: South America
FIFA World Ranking: Tied for 49
Continental Ranking: 34

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

With South America being the smallest qualifying region containing only 10 teams, they have to be considered a top potential team to qualify soon.

Brazil and Argentina seemingly have the continent all sewn up while the other two guaranteed qualifying spots are up for grabs.

The fifth spot, which plays a play-in game with North America, is even more up for grabs.

Venezuela finished 8th in qualifying but 22 points which have 7 points over 9th place Bolivia and only one point behind 6th and 7th place Ecuador and Colombia. Uruguay, who finished 5th, only had 24 points as well.

In their games, Venezuela played extremely strong with two wins against Ecuador and Bolivia and one win against Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay. They also drew twice with Uruguay and once with both Chile and Brazil—all 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Venezuela was No. 94 in August 1993 and in November 1998, and they were No. 129 in the world before reaching their highest ranking of No. 47 in February 2010.

If they can turn some losses and draws into wins, they'll qualify for 2014 easily.

No. 3: Burkina-Faso
Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 48
Continental Ranking: 8

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

Burkina-Faso, like the other African teams on the list, ended up winning their group in Africa's second stage of qualifying with the only match they didn't win being a 0-0 draw with Tunisia.

In the third stage played strongly against Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast side with only a 3-2 loss to them the first time—and a 5-0 loss to them the second time.

Burkina-Faso beat both Guinea and Malawi twice as they finished in second place, four points behind the Ivory Coast in Group E.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina-Faso only played two games as they were in the group of the withdrawn Togo.

They ended up with a 0-0 draw in their first game against the Ivory Coast and then a 1-0 loss to Ghana in their second game.

In August 1993 debuted in the World Rankings at No. 113 and eventually fell to No. 127 in December 1993. The team fell from No. 77 in August 2007 to No. 113 in September of that year.

However, they quickly jumped from No. 111 in June 2008 to No. 64 only a month later. Their current ranking of No. 48 is the highest in their club's history.

Not only did Burkina-Faso finish just out of the qualifying zone for 2010, but they're also a team on the rise and having a 23-year old striker in Aristide Bance (who'll be 25 when they start their campaign for 2014) isn't a bad thing either.

Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 48
Continental Ranking: 8

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

Burkina-Faso, like the other African teams on the list, ended up winning their group in Africa's second stage of qualifying with the only match they didn't win being a 0-0 draw with Tunisia.

In the third stage played strongly against Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast side with only a 3-2 loss to them the first time—and a 5-0 loss to them the second time.

Burkina-Faso beat both Guinea and Malawi twice as they finished in second place, four points behind the Ivory Coast in Group E.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina-Faso only played two games as they were in the group of the withdrawn Togo.

They ended up with a 0-0 draw in their first game against the Ivory Coast and then a 1-0 loss to Ghana in their second game.

In August 1993 debuted in the World Rankings at No. 113 and eventually fell to No. 127 in December 1993. The team fell from No. 77 in August 2007 to No. 113 in September of that year.

However, they quickly jumped from No. 111 in June 2008 to No. 64 only a month later. Their current ranking of No. 48 is the highest in their club's history.

Not only did Burkina-Faso finish just out of the qualifying zone for 2010, but they're also a team on the rise and having a 23-year old striker in Aristide Bance (who'll be 25 when they start their campaign for 2014) isn't a bad thing either.

No. 3: Burkina-Faso
Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 48
Continental Ranking: 8

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

Burkina-Faso, like the other African teams on the list, ended up winning their group in Africa's second stage of qualifying with the only match they didn't win being a 0-0 draw with Tunisia.

In the third stage played strongly against Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast side with only a 3-2 loss to them the first time—and a 5-0 loss to them the second time.

Burkina-Faso beat both Guinea and Malawi twice as they finished in second place, four points behind the Ivory Coast in Group E.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina-Faso only played two games as they were in the group of the withdrawn Togo.

They ended up with a 0-0 draw in their first game against the Ivory Coast and then a 1-0 loss to Ghana in their second game.

In August 1993 debuted in the World Rankings at No. 113 and eventually fell to No. 127 in December 1993. The team fell from No. 77 in August 2007 to No. 113 in September of that year.

However, they quickly jumped from No. 111 in June 2008 to No. 64 only a month later. Their current ranking of No. 48 is the highest in their club's history.

Not only did Burkina-Faso finish just out of the qualifying zone for 2010, but they're also a team on the rise and having a 23-year old striker in Aristide Bance (who'll be 25 when they start their campaign for 2014) isn't a bad thing either.

No. 2: Latvia
Continent: Europe
FIFA World Ranking: 46
Continental Ranking: 26

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2018

Latvia was drawn into Group II for qualifying along with Switzerland, Moldova, Greece, Luxembourg, and Israel.

After finishing with 17 points, they finished only three points behind Greece for 2nd and one point above Israel.

After drawing with World Cup qualifier Switzerland, and with wins over all the teams below them, they showed some ability to be on the brink of qualifying.

However, despite being second on this list, Europe, once again, is simply one of the toughest qualifying zones in the world—making 2018 the earliest I think we'll see Latvia make their world debut.

No. 1: Gabon
Continent: Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 42
Continental Ranking:

First Reasonable World Cup Appearance: 2014

Simply put, Gabon should be in the 2010 edition of the Cup but they relinquished their lead in Stage III, despite leading the group.

However, let's take things from the beginning of their qualifying campaign.

Drawn into Group V of Africa's second stage they finished in a three-way tie with Ghana and Libya with 12 points.

Ghana and Gabon moved on as both had the superior goal difference and goals for over Libya.

Now onto Stage III.

Through three games, Gabon had six points, Togo had four, Cameroon had four, and Morocco had two.

Togo and Morocco drew their next match giving Togo five and Morocco three, while Cameroon defeated Gabon for the second time to take over the group lead from them by one point.

This is how the group stayed with Cameroon winning their final two matches and Gabon beating Morocco and losing to Togo.

However after two losses to group winner Cameroon, Gabon clearly lost control of this group after taking the early lead and winning half of their games, one less than Cameroon.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations they were paired with Zambia, Cameroon, and Tunisia.

They ended up tying in points with Zambia and Cameroon but both of those teams scored five goals and gave up five while Gabon only scored two while giving up only two.

Gabon started off at No. 64 in the World Rankings in August 1993 and fell to No. 125 in April 2003 before making it up to No.30 in April 2009.

This to me is obvious since Gabon, with at least a draw with Togo (they lost to them 1-0) and Cameroon, they would've advanced to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Yaya Toure Interested in Arsenal: Does it bring Cesc Fabregas to Spain?

There are reports that current Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, who is interested in joining an English club, is interested in Arsenal.

His interest in Arsenal is not only due to Arsene Wenger, but because the Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona deal, "a lot of interest in the deal for Toure," according to his agent Dimitri Seluk.

Seluk added, "Arsene Wenger likes him and Arsenal are interested. If the conditions are good, everything can be finished soon. He could come into the Cesc deal and Barca and Arsenal are struggling to come to an agreement."

The two clubs have been reported to be about £30m of one another in terms of a transfer fee with Barcelona willing to pay £30m while Arsenal is hoping for closer to £60m in return for their captain.

If Toure is truly interested in going to Emirates Stadium and signing with Arsenal, then a lower bid from Barcelona plus Toure could be enough for Arsenal to pull the trigger on it and let Fabregas leave.

However, Toure could still be left out of the deal if Arsenal receives £60m from Barcelona since the Daily Mail is reporting that the Gunners would let him leave with just that amount.

For Barcelona, sending £30m+ and Toure to Arsenal must seem a lot more attractive option than sending £60m alone to the club. However, spending £60m on a 23-year-old star and then selling Toure elsewhere and re-couping some of that money is more beneficial to me.

Now, Barcelona is hardly in need of cash but being able to get Fabregas in addition to cash is simply too good of a thought and offer to pass up.

That option, which to me is the best option, could hit a snag as Toure's agent also had the most surprising comment about Manchester City, another suitor for Toure, "Everything has changed with City, because they talk a lot but then afterwards they don't appear to be a rich club but rather a bankrupt one."

In other news, Manchester City is looking to send Robinho to Barcelona for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a separate deal.

Note: All quotes credited to the BBC.