Football! Hockey! Soccer???

Oh my goodness, where have the FIFA 2014 World Cup soccer qualifications news gone? Lately, all i've been hearing and reading is football and hockey news, not that that's bad thing but for us soccer fans, we need to be aware of what's happening in the soccer world! Right? Well, luckily for you, I have gathered some new information regarding the qualifications, but brace yourselves because for some, it may be shocking! So far the qualification rankings are as follows: 1) Spain, 2) Netherlands, 3) Germany, 4) Uruguay, 5) Portugal, 6) Italy, 7) Brazil, 8) England, 9) Croatia, 10) Argentina.

So, the 2010 World Cup finalists are in the top spots with the champions holding their first place, following the finalists, later comes Germany which is not much of a surprise for most due to the fact that Germany is a strong team. What is surprising and may be shocking for some is Brazil! 7th place! Once known to be one of the top five is now in the top ten and for some it's not pretty. Is Brazil no longer a strong team? Is the coaching not that great? what's going on? For Brazil fans, this must come as a surprise but remember my dear fans, it's not permanent yet, there's still room for change. Anything could happen, and trust me it will, after all, what may seem impossible for some, could end up being possible. Just ask Spain, who knew that they would win Netherlands, a strong team as well. Many didn't believe Spain could, but look they did! So, in a game where anything is possible, you just have to ask, will Ecuador ever make top ten? hmmm, my guess is not yet but there's still time. So to all my soccer fans out there, don't despair despite all of these football and hockey news, there is still some exciting soccer news hidden underneath it all, just waiting to be exposed. Afterall, soccer fever will always be among us, and I bet I could surely say that the fans will insure that it never dies! because when you hear that Portugal is 5th and Brazil is in 7th, you have to dare ask, what in the world's going on?

South America ready for the big kick-off

The region's qualifiers are regarded by its players and fans as the toughest in the world, and look especially open on this occasion. With hosts Brazil not taking part and so little separating the other sides, it could be the most fiercely contested qualifying campaign to date. Just a few months after Uruguay won the Copa America; South America’s national teams are preparing to do battle once more – this time for places at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Uruguay added the continental title this year to their fourth-placed finish at South Africa 2010. La Celeste opens their campaign in Montevideo against a Bolivia side that finished second-last in the previous qualifiers. Having secured a play-off berth in the last three preliminary competitions, Uruguay start as firm favorites but will not be underestimating a Bolivia side that showed great composure in holding hosts Argentina to a 1-1 draw in the opening game of this year’s Copa America. Peru versus Paraguay will see Sergio Markarian and Francisco Arce renew acquaintances, but this time as opponents. Currently at the Peruvian helm, Markarian coached Arce while leading La Albirroja to the finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. The visitors will be hoping to improve on their disappointing record on Peruvian soil, where they have lost three and drawn two of their five qualifiers. Winner of the Best Player award at the recent Copa America, the Uruguayan goal-getter will be anxious to run out against Bolivia, the team he scored his first competitive international goal against in the corresponding fixture in 2007. Coach Oscar Tabarez will wait until the last minute before making a decision on whether to partner the Liverpool striker, who is recovering from a muscle strain, with Diogo Forlan.

South America begans qualification

Argentina vs Chile, Colombia vs Bolivia, Ecuador vs Paraguay on Friday October 7th 2011 South America begins to qualify for the 2014 World Cup that will be held in Brazil. As the host nation of the 2014 World Cup Brazil automatically qualifies leaving 9 South American teams that will began there journey to the 2014 World Cup this Friday. Out of the 9 only the top 4 teams will qualify directly to Brazil 2014 with the fifth place team having to face an intercontinental play- off with the fifth placed team from Asia. With the best team in South America, Brazil, not having to qualify it will give another country in South America a chance to qualify for Brazil 2014, for some teams it may even be the first time in their history to qualify to a World Cup ever. That distinction belongs to Venezuela who, after an impressive fourth-place finish at the recent Copa America, will be keen to put that right when qualifying gets underway this friday. The sequence, which represents a competition records, set between 1997and 2004and came to end on 6 June that yearwith the Albiceleste's scoreless drawn against Paraguay in Bueno Aires. With this being said now that there is another South American team (not including Brazil) that can qualify to the World Cup, does South America have a chance to bring the World Cup to South American soil? or will the World Cup remain on European soil.?