Some WC Qualifier Highlights

Here are some of the fun bits from today’s WC Qualifier games.

A couple of things:

1) If you can’t see these in Internet Explorer, try it in Firefox. (Free download from Mozilla.) The footy Nazis really limit the hosting sites for any kind of highlights, so we have to take what we can get.

2) For full results, check out the FIFA site.

3) My favorite minnow team, Faroe Islands, got a 1-1 draw with Austria — their first point in three years — but I can’t find highlights anywhere. Anybody who provides a link will become my newest, bestest best friend.

Konstantinos Katsouranis for Greece vs. Moldova

I’ll leave the discussion of the science behind this trajectory to the physicists and just say, “Pretty goal.” Greece beat Moldova 3-0.

And now, for a little comedy. England’s Ashley Cole delivers a perfect pass to Zhambyl Kukeyev. Unfortunately Kukeyev plays for Kazakhstan. This brought the Kazakhs to within one — 2-1, and from what I hear, the English fans didn’t forgive them until England had scored three more. (In the right net this time.)

And for a little poetry in motion, how about the Germans? Yes, the Germans, against Russia. It was Lukas Podolski who actually put it in the net, but this is one of those perfect team goals, where every player is exactlly where he needs to be to send it to the next player.

The sweet little backheel is from Schweinsteiger, to Klose, who sends it to Podolski, who somehow manages to escape several defenders.)

Germany won, 2-1.

And finally, the goal that may have save France coach Raymond Domenech’s job, at least for the moment. France went down to Romania 2-0 in the first twenty minutes, but they battled back to 2-1 on a first half Franck Ribery goal. Then Yoann Gourcuff (the most recent New Zidane, dontchaknow) sent this out of nowhere. Seriously, I didn’t even know he’d taken a shot until Romania goalkeeper Lobont was picking it out of the net.

(You can’t tell from this angle, but the shot was from more than 30 metres out.)

Final score, 2-2. This may not keep Domenech working after this week, but it’s bought him a reprieve at least through Wednesday’s Tunisia friendly.

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