Much publicity has been given to Belgium and the genuinely breathtaking talent, young and old, that runs throughout their side as they impressively charge towards the 2014 World Cup. However, another side brimming with young talent has slipped under the radar somewhat.
It may seem like stating the obvious but Olivier Giroud’s dramatic late equaliser to give France a deserved point against an all-conquering Spain side may just be looked upon as one of Arsenal’s most important moments of the season.
Wales captain Ashley Williams was adamant post-match yesterday that though he perhaps should have simply cleared his lines, the pitch at the Gradski Stadium in Osijek was at least partially to blame for the under-hit back pass that resulted in Mario Mandzukic slipping in the crucial opening goal for Croatia
Remarkably at the age of just 27, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to reach 100 appearances for Portugal in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in Portugal. Such has been Ronaldo’s enduring brilliance at club level, it is easy to forget just how long the Real Madrid man has been on the international stage.
General consensus is that following the defeat to Wales that essentially ended Scotland’s hopes of reaching the 2014 World Cup bar a miraculous result in Belgium on Tuesday night, that Craig Levein’s reign as manager of the Tartan Army is all but over.
Wilfried Zaha has certainly been in the headlines of late. His quite wonderful recent performances for Crystal Palace have had both fans, managers and opposition purring at Selhurst Park and unsurprisingly, Premier League heavyweights Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all set to be circling for the Eagles forward.
With John Terry now consigned to international retirement, the debate rages on as to who should Roy Hodgson turn to at the heart of his side’s defence as he begins to plot England’s route to success at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, should they qualify.
In the end, even the return of legendary striker Samuel Eto’o from international exile was not enough to take Cameroon to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.