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| 2007 Subbuteo World Cup - First Round |
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Group
1
| Eire |
+4 |
6 |
| England |
+2 |
6 |
| South Korea |
- |
3 |
| DR Congo |
-6 |
2 |
Eire won Group 1 on goal difference despite losing their last game 4-2 to second place
England. Shay Cunningham has been their standout player and highest scorer in this round, holding court in
midfield and causing all sorts of problems for opposition midfielders and defenders. Other notable performances
have come from international newcomers Euan Henry and George Dunstable, respectively from Redpool and Grandon
Orient who have both been promoted to SFA Division 3. Eire are looking particularly confident going into Round 2.
England came in second place. They started with a terrific win against DR Congo, but experienced a serious
hiccup after putting in a miserable performance against South Korea and dropping to 3rd place. They came out
against Eire with a significantly changed team which won comfortably, but there are serious doubts about the
chopping and changing of the first team roster. On the bright side, Peter Drero is playing well and Peter
Gloucester has excelled in all three matches.
South Korea were narrowly beaten by Eire and beat England very comfortably indeed. They leave the competition
having acquitted themselves well and seriously threatened England for qualification to Round 2. Cho Koo Kim
showed tremendous flair at the front; Park Hyun Ahn will be remembered as a towering midfield presence,
literally the tallest player in the squad; while Kim Ah Yim has proved to be a solid and creative defender.
DR Congo took until the final game to find their footing, with a 2-1 victory against South Korea. Theirs was a
World Cup of disappointments, star players Cyril Lubanzadio and young Tresor Elenga failing to impress and
eventually being replaced in the first team. Surprise star of the team was defender Zachery Yamusangie, who
began the competition scoring an unlucky own goal against England and finished it netting the winner against
South Korea. |
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Group
2
| Wales |
+4 |
4 |
| Russia |
+1 |
4 |
| Scotland |
+1 |
4 |
| Iran |
-6 |
1 |
Wales topped the group after a terrific opening 5-0 victory against Iran, a tough and
exciting draw against Russia and a surprise loss against the plucky Scots. Through it all, they've played some
top class football: Gareth Randall scored the competition's first hat trick; Martin Hunt has excelled in goal
and Ron Rhys has more than proved himself at international level. With a stable first team and oozing
confidence, Wales enter Round 2 with a formidable reputation.
Russia ended up sneaking through ahead of Scotland on number of goals scored, but very nearly didn't make it.
While they've played very entertaining football, theirs has been a story of scrapes and lucky breaks. They
came back from 3-1 down to draw against Wales, then beat Iran in injury time to go through to Round 2. They
have plenty of players to watch, with winger Andrei Shpedt and midfielder Dmitri Ilyin particularly notable.
Scotland leave the competition without losing a match, and with confidence in Scottish international
football restored after a couple of seasons in the doldrums. Ian Weck has returned to the team and really
carved a place for himself with three stylish performances, while the defence has gelled well around Alex
Smith and Joe Anderson, and Ian Hamilton has impressed up front. Scotland will approach next season's Home
Internationals with renewed confidence.
It's been a poor World Cup for Iran, who at least redeemed themselves by regrouping after their drubbing
against Wales to cause Scotland problems and almost defeat Russia. Keeper Alireza Derakhshan has been a
revelation though, and kept them from conceding many more goals through their distressingly porous
defence. |
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Group
3
| Ireland |
+2 |
5 |
| France |
- |
4 |
| Holland |
-1 |
2 |
| USA |
-1 |
2 |
Ireland came away top after three steady performances, including wins against France
and USA. Theirs has been an unhurried, evenly paced game, and it remains to be seen how well they will fair
against teams that have shown great flair and look much more dangerous. They have excelled in midfield and
at the back, Kenny Condor continuing to play very well and youngster Archie O'Hare affirming his place in the
middle of the park alongside the much more experienced Mick MacInton. Star striker Johnny Coughlin has been
surprisingly quiet, but Grandon Town's Billy Holfield is looking good.
France go through after a terrific 3-2 win against the much fancied Dutch. They have been playing some very
exciting football, with notable performances from wingers Jean Jenson and Alain D'Aubigny, Christophe Nicolas
governing the midfield and Fausto Anquetil both steady at the back and keen to come forward. There are concerns
though about possible weakness up front, with both Leonard Cousteau and Tino Geraldi proving a little quiet
alongside the inventive Thierry Millau.
Holland have played very well throughout the First Round, with an open and attacking style that has proved
both powerful and attractive to watch. In the end, they were trumped by France, but not before showcasing some
magnificent players. Forward Rudi Rep and right winger Julius Pflug have been sensational; while left winger
Jaap Rensenbrink has also shone, and Dennis Brinkhoff migrated to the pivotal number 7 shirt with great success.
USA have been beset by misfortune. Paul Reinman was masterful in midfield against France, but ended up being
stretchered off, while his replacement Chaz Connor was sent off the following game, seriously weakening the team.
They will be remembered primarily though for one player, 19 year old Taylor Lofthouse. He came on as a
substitute against France and scored with virtually his first touch. He then went on to bag two against
Holland and one against Ireland. There is expected to be some serious interest from SFA clubs in the youngster's
talents. |
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Group
4
| Argentina |
+5 |
8 |
| Germany |
- |
3 |
| Peru |
-2 |
2 |
| New Zealand |
-3 |
2 |
Argentina tore through their group, winning every game and asserting themselves as one
of the most formidable teams in the competition. They have a solid defence, Mario Ortega playing particularly
well, and a fast, attacking midfield led by Eton City's Pop Killer. But it is up front where they really excel,
Angel Ayala providing pace on the right wing and both Victorio Torres and Leopoldo Zanetti bagging goals galore.
Germany have played some very exciting football, but have yet to achieve stability with a first team cast that's
constantly changed. However, their squad is strong and supporters argue that they're merely drawing from a
wide pool of terrific talent. Flemming Seel has been a revelation on the left wing, Karlheinz Bonhof has
excelled as expected and Helmut Reuter has defied critics by adding pace to his already strong game and
taking control of the midfield.
Peru have had an unfortunate World Cup. They played very well against Argentina and Germany, but went down
surprisingly to an on form New Zealand. While keeper Leao Zetterburg has been brilliant, up front they have
struggled to score goals despite Rene Chicsao repeating some of the magnificent form he showed last World Cup.
In the end, they found themselves in a very challenging group, and didn't really rise to the challenge until
their defeat of Germany in the closing minutes of their last game.
New Zealand opened their campaign with a disastrous defeat against Germany. After that, it was back to the
drawing board and their revamped team beat Peru and put in a commendable performance against Argentina. Right
winger Glen Wylie was their star, even putting them briefly ahead against the Argentines; Midfielder Noah
Hart played well; and ex-Clarktown Athletic and Derry City striker Guy Morly retired from playing after
scoring three of their four goals in the competition. |
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Group
5
| Italy |
+5 |
6 |
| Malta |
-1 |
4 |
| Poland |
-1 |
4 |
| Brazil |
-3 |
1 |
Italy displayed both excellent flair and disappointing gamesmanship on their way to
winning the group. Their playing has been superb, as witnessed by their spectacular 4-0 victory against title
holders Malta, but their dark side was on show against Brazil where Carl Penagga received a red card and striker
Mario Donetti his second yellow. So they go into the next round without two key players. Despite this, Carl
Spengler has slotted very well into the number 7 position, Giorgio Gicarlie leads a solid defence and they
remain strong up front.
Malta squeezed through on goals scored, despite their shock drubbing against Italy. Even then, they still looked
good and they remain a force to be reckoned with in the defence of their title. Although star player Danilo
Camilleri has scored two, he has been upstaged so far by terrific performances by midfielder Sandor Giglio and
left winger Etienne Azzopardi, while Linford's Thomas Magro is finding the form that led him to victory last
World Cup.
Poland were unlucky not to progress to the next round, and will be remembered for having played some very
exciting football. Their downfall was their inability to score goals, despite a highly acclaimed front line
that regularly threatened to score bagfulls. So Poland were really victims of misfortune, and a poor
performance against Malta that saw them trounced 3-0. The forwards who excelled, but somehow failed to find the
net were Krzystof Tomaszewski and Jacek Kowalczyk, while left winger Arkadiusz Kazimierski will also be
remembered well.
Brazil had a very disappointing World Cup indeed. Their team failed to gel, they lost players due to injury
and disciplinary action and their much-vaunted forward duo of Milton Tardelli and Mario Tostao rarely
threatened. Nevertheless, Tostao showed some great individual skill; Tele de Cezare excelled in defence and
Claudio Colmenares illustrated why, at only 20, he is already being plugged as one of the greatest keepers in the
game. |
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Group
6
| Uruguay |
+3 |
7 |
| China |
-1 |
4 |
| Greece |
+1 |
3 |
| Haiti |
-3 |
2 |
Uruguay fought their way to the top of the group in a campaign that culminated in a
furious clash against Greece, Uruguay winning 4-3. Winger Fabian Blanco and the big centre forward Hector di
Fiore have proved a formidable combination, while captain Vicente Pereyra has asserted himself ably in the
centre of the park. There are concerns though that close marking may cancel their offensive prowess, as Haiti
showed, but otherwise Uruguay have excelled in the wildcrad group whose final outcome nobody could predict.
China have been a revelation, with a fast, creative style that's caught their opponents out. Despite starting
out little fancied, their persistence has paid off with progress to Round 2. Brilliant striker Yang Kong-pak
has typified their spirit and desire to make a mark in the competition, constantly threatening opposition
goals. They have also been remarkably steady at the back, Du Guanghou in particular playing well. China have
become the wildcard team of the competition, from the wildcard group.
Greece looked like they would definitely progress to Round 2 after their initial 4-1 victory against Haiti, but
despite maintaining their form against China went down 3-2. It was the decisive game in the group, the
moment where China hinted they might make it rather than Greece. Greece continued to put up a fight against
Uruguay, but in the end couldn't defeat the on form South Americans. Midfielder Christos Tsartas will be
remembered for his perfect deliveries up the field, Nikos Polychroniou for his pace and other players like the
Leontiou brothers for the sheer excitement of their game.
Haiti started off badly, then steadied themselves in the next two games. But they found it difficult to score,
and star striker Emmanuel Cherry never really shone. Meanwhile, they chopped and changed their defence,
eventually finding a strong presence in Francisco Gregoire. Henri St-Vil played brilliantly in their last game,
and left winger Boniface Point du Sable was on great form. |
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With a few exceptions, all team images are taken from Santiago Table Soccer