Teams that are not enough to win a direct ticket to the final tournament of the World Cup, get the last chance to realize their dream - the play-off matches. Sometimes these fights turn into an empty formality, and sometimes become full of dramatic battles in which the place of valor and meanness.
France - Ireland, the playoffs World Cup 2010 On November 14, 2009 the French team seemed to confirm their status as the favorite pair, having minutely defeated the national team of Ireland on the road thanks to the goal of Nicolas Anelka. However, at the Stade de France guests quickly equalized the efforts of Robbie Keane and moved the confrontation in overtime. And then the French demonstrated that in the war and in the playoffs, all means are good.
At the 13th minute of extra time, at the front line Thierry Henry showed seemingly miraculous control of the ball, not allowing him to leave the field, and then otpasoval on William Gallas, who sent the ball into the net. Violent protests of the Irish, who proved to the arbitrator that Henry played along with his hand, had no success, and the French went to South Africa.
On all repetitions of the rightness of wards Giovanni Trapattoni was visible to the naked eye - a clean hand play. However, FIFA left the result in force. The Irish Football Association demanded to replay the match or to allow Erin's team to the final tournament as the 33rd participant - to no avail. Later, Henry himself admitted that he played with his hand, and even asked forgiveness from his rivals, but who needed his repentance when it was already done?.
Portugal - Sweden, playoffs World Cup 2014 Confrontation of these two teams was considered primarily from the point of view of confrontation between their leaders - Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And the expectations of the fans of both were not deceived - in both matches scored only KrieRo and Zlatan.
November 15, 2013 in Lisbon Ronaldo scored the only goal, which made the Swedish team a favorite before the return fight. Alas, but right after the break of the match in Solna Cristiano scored again, putting the hosts on the brink of failure. Ibra's answer did not take long: the main star of the Swedish national team issued a double for four minutes, and it was necessary to score again to get a ticket to Brazil. But instead, Ronaldo scored two more times.
France - Ukraine, playoffs World Cup 2014 It seemed that the team of Mikhail Fomenko no chance in the confrontation with the French, but in the first fight in Kiev the Ukrainian team issued, perhaps, one of its best matches for the history. The goals of Roman Zozuli and Andrei Yarmolenko gave someone some hope and somebody the confidence in the final success, but alas ... Too much energy was given in the first match, and if Didier Deschamps had the opportunity to make a substantial rotation without sacrificing the quality of the game, then our team, besides playing the entire second half after the removal of Evgeni Khacheridi in the minority, a decent reserve for this just was not.
Ironically, the "gravedigger" of the Ukrainian team was Mamadu Saho, who received a place in the composition only due to the removal in the compensated time of the first match Laurent Koselni. The defender of Liverpool made a double, and one more goal was recorded by Karim Benzema.
Argentina - Australia, the playoffs World Cup 1994 Previously, representatives of Oceania had to solve an incredibly difficult task: the only chance to get into the final tournament of the World Cup was to win over the "worst of the best" representative of South America. In the qualifying tournament of the 1994 World Cup, Argentina became one, on the path of which was the strongest team of Oceania - Australia (namely, Oceania was represented in those days by Australia, now moved to the Asian Confederation).
Despite the status of an unconditional outsider, the Australians were able to get pretty nervous of the world champions in 1986, playing at home in a draw - 1: 1. In response, Australia was also hurt by the whole of England, who dreamed that the British Commonwealth team would take revenge on Diego Maradona, who shortly before returned to football after a 15-month suspension for adherence to cocaine, for the "hand of God", leaving the English behind the tournament in Mexico-1986.
Sensation did not happen, but Argentina failed to "crush" the opponent, as the fans of Maradona and company wanted. All questions about the winner of the playoffs were taken off by an own goal of Alex Tobey after the lumbago of Gabriel Batistuta.
Australia - Uruguay, the playoffs World Cup 2006 And yet, after 12 years, Australia managed to prove that the representatives of South America are not guaranteed success in the confrontation with the teams from the football backyard of the planet.
After the home victory of Uruguay with a score of 1: 0 the Australians answered the same. Extra time new goals scored did not bring, and the ticket to Germany-2006 was played in the post-match lottery. A brilliant game in the "frame" of Mark Schwarzer and the decisive penalty in the performance of John Aloysi delighted 82 thousand fans who gathered at the stadium.
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