Spain edge closer to World Cup with win

World champions beat Finland 2-0 to lead Group I.

HELSINKI:

World champions Spain moved to within touching distance of a place at next year’s World Cup with a 2-0 win over Finland in Helsinki.

Spain are now three points clear of France in Group I after Didier Deschamps’ men could only manage a 0-0 draw away to Georgia. “We now have three points of an advantage so we are in a great position,” said Spain boss Vicente del Bosque.

Meanwhile, Luis Suarez scored twice to give Uruguay a vital victory over Peru as Colombia edged ever closer to next year’s finals in Brazil. Suarez struck a first-half penalty before curling home a long-range effort as Uruguay beat Peru 2-1 in Lima.

Ozil delighted as Germany ‘boss’ Austria

Mesut Ozil said Germany had shown who was ‘boss’ in their group after their convincing 3-0 win over Austria in Munich kept them five-points clear. “We showed who is boss out on the pitch,” said Ozil.

In Group B, Italy survived a nervy second half in an unconvincing 1-0 win over Bulgaria in Palermo to edge closer to qualification after extending their lead to seven points.

In other matches, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a superb hat-trick to lead Portugal to a dramatic 4-2 victory against Northern Ireland in Belfast.



Worries mount for Hodgson after Moldova romp

Roy Hodgson admitted he had a dilemma on his hands after the England manager’s attacking selection crisis deepened following the 4-0 win over Moldova.

England moved to the top of Group H on goal difference above Montenegro after sweeping past Ion Caras’s side at Wembley, but victory came at a price. Danny Welbeck was shown a yellow card that rules him out of the trip to Ukraine, who trail England by a point.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale was an unused substitute as Wales crashed to a 2-1 defeat in their match against Macedonia.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2013.

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