The match of the week: Iceland - Netherlands

On Saturday, the Netherlands can secure a spot at next year’s World Cup in South Africa if they beat Iceland in Reykjavík. Holland’s eighth away win would also break the record for most consecutive away wins in European World Cup qualification.

Holland’s last WC qualification away match in which they did not win was on 9 October 2004 against FYR Macedonia (2-2).

The Netherlands have conceded only one goal in their last seven WC qualification away matches.

Longest away winning streaks – World Cup qualification UEFA

# Nation Start date Match that ended streak

7 Netherlands 17 Nov 2004 Still running

7 West Germany 28 Mar 1954 Scotland - West Germany (16 Apr 1969) 1-1

7 West Germany 03 Dec 1980 Sweden - West Germany (25 Sep 1985) 2-2

7 Sweden 28 Mar 2001 Croatia - Sweden (08 Oct 2005) 1-0

6 Romania 08 Sep 1993 Republic of Ireland - Romania (11 Oct 1997) 1-1

5 England 15 Oct 1949 Republic of Ireland - England (19 May 1957) 1-1

5 Poland 16 Oct 1976 Belgium - Poland (01 May 1985) 2-0

5 Turkey 11 Oct 2000 Greece - Turkey (08 Sep 2004) 0-0

World Cup qualification away match winning streak Netherlands

Nr. Date Match Result

7 15 Oct 2008 Norway - Netherlands 0-1

6 10 Sep 2008 FYR Macedonia - Netherlands 1-2

5 08 Oct 2005 Czech Republic - Netherlands 0-2

4 03 Sep 2005 Armenia - Netherlands 0-1

3 08 Jun 2005 Finland - Netherlands 0-4

2 26 Mar 2005 Romania - Netherlands 0-2

1 17 Nov 2004 Andorra - Netherlands 0-3

On Tuesday, Germany’s Mario Gomez scored four goals in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates (7-2).

According to Infostrada, Gomez is the third German player to score at least four goals in an international match since 2004. Michael Ballack (2004) and Lukas Podolski (2006) also achieved this feat recently.

Gottfried Fuchs holds the record with 10 goals. That record was set at the 1912 Olympic Games against Russia (16-0).

Gomez is the 12th German player to score at least four goals in a single match.

Most goals in single match for German national team
# Player Match
10 Gottfried Fuchs Germany - Russia (01 Jul 1912) 16-0
6 Wilhelm Hahnemann Germany - Finland (01 Sep 1940) 13-0
4 Julius Hirsch Netherlands - Germany (24 Mar 1912) 5-5
4 Fritz Förderer Germany - Russia (01 Jul 1912) 16-0
4 Georg Frank Germany - Switzerland (10 Feb 1929) 7-1
4 Josef Rasselnberg Luxembourg - Germany (11 Mar 1934) 1-9
4 Edmund Conen Germany - Finland (01 Sep 1940) 13-0
4 Edmund Conen Germany - Bulgaria (20 Oct 1940) 7-3
4 Ernst Willimowski Switzerland - Germany (18 Oct 1942) 3-5
4 Gerd Müller West Germany - Albania (08 Apr 1967) 6-0
4 Gerd Müller West Germany - Cyprus (21 May 1969) 12-0
4 Gerd Müller West Germany - Soviet Union (26 May 1972) 4-1
4 Gerd Müller West Germany - Switzerland (15 Nov 1972) 5-1
4 Michael Ballack Germany - Malta (27 May 2004) 7-0
4 Lukas Podolski San Marino - Germany (06 Sep 2006) 0-13
4 Mario Gomez United Arab Emirates - Germany (02 Jun 2009) 2-7

Spain reaches 31 and goes for Brasil

On Wednesday, Spain secured a 2-1 win at Turkey, extending their unbeaten run to 31 consecutive matches. Spain’s current run has equalled a European record for staying undefeated in successive official international matches.

Hungary had set the European record of 31 in 1954 and this record was equalled by Spain between 1994 and 1998.

Spain’s last international defeat was at home to Romania on 15 November 2006 (0-1).
The world record is 36 and was set by Brazil between 1993 and 1996.

Do you think that the Spanish National Team is one of the best of the history?

Longest streaks of international matches without defeat
# Nation Start date Won Drawn Match which ended streak

36 Brazil 16 Dec 1993 29 7 Mexico - Brazil (21 Jan 1996) 2-0
31 Spain 07 Feb 2007 28 3 Still running
31 Hungary 04 Jun 1950 27 4 West Germany - Hungary (04 Jul 1954) 3-2
31 Argentina 19 Feb 1991 18 13 Colombia - Argentina (15 Aug 1993) 2-1
31 Spain 07 Sep 1994 20 11 France - Spain (28 Jan 1998) 1-0
30 Italy 24 Nov 1935 24 6 Switzerland - Italy (12 Nov 1939) 3-1
30 France 16 Feb 1994 20 10 Denmark - France (09 Nov 1996) 1-0
29 Brazil 08 Mar 1970 21 8 Italy - Brazil (09 Jun 1973) 2-0
28 Korea Republic 03 Sep 1977 23 5 Japan - South Korea (04 Mar 1979) 2-1
27 Ghana 30 Mar 1980 15 12 Ghana - New Zealand (07 Jun 1983) 0-2
27 Colombia 31 Jul 1992 13 14 Colombia - Bolivia (07 Apr 1994) 0-1

Note: Streaks are based on matches which the country in question regards as official.

Spain vs Turkey: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium receives the match of the weekend

The most difficult match of Spain Road to WC 2010, arrives when La Furia Roja is living the best moment in the history. The Euro 2008 champions, seems to have the best players as a National Team and they don’t need many changes in their line-ups as it happens with any Team that experience crisis.

As a result, it is time for records. First David Villa scored one goal per game at EURO 2008, then Xabi Alonso reached 50th cap...

According to our friendly site Spanish Football Sports, Spain vs Turkey achieves special moments for Iker Casillas and David Villa again.

Spain, enjoy it!

Romania vs Serbia: victory is crucial

Star striker Adrian Mutu claimed Romania must beat Serbia in their 2010 World Cup qualifier on Saturday if they are to remain in contention for a place at next year's finals.

The 30-year-old, Romania's third all-time scorer with 29, said that a draw would not be good enough against a side that presently tops Group 7 with nine points, though, the Romanians on four points have a game in hand.

"We cannot just come away with a draw against Serbia," said Mutu.

"This match is vital because if we don't win, we won't have a chance of qualifying," added Mutu, who also said that they must take three points off Austria on April 1.

The Fiorentina marksman claimed Serbia had an advantage because their players played in tougher championships than most of the Romanian squad and called on his compatriots to motivate themselves so that they would not allow this to be replayed out on the pitch.

"We have shown before that we can play as well as stronger teams than us such as against France (a 2-2 draw in their World Cup qualifier last October) and Holland (a 1-0 victory in a Euro 2008 qualifier)," said Mutu, who is just six goals short of Romania's leading all-time scorer Gheorghe Hagi.

Dutch legend Cruyff warns Scotland: Don't start a war

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff identified a chink in Holland's Oranje armour and told Scotland that controlled aggression represents their best chance of causing a shock at the Amsterdam Arena tomorrow.

The all-time great believes the current Netherlands side is no match for George Burley's battlers when it comes to winning 50-50 tackles and individual scraps.

But he warned that, with a potentially more important game against Iceland at Hampden on Wednesday night, the Scots must be wary of turning the World Cup qualifier into a war.

More info: Daily Mail

South America World Cup qualifying: free live TV stream

Diego Maradona and Juan Pablo Carrizo.

Round 11

Saturday
Uruguay - Paraguay
Argentina - Venezuela
Colombia - Bolivia

Sunday
Ecuador - Brazil
Peru - Chile

Feel free to add links

England vs Ukraine: for a new record

On Wednesday 1st April, England host Ukraine in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at Wembley. England can set a new record by clinching their seventh consecutive home win in a World Cup qualifying match.

Most successive World Cup qualification home wins - England
# Start date Last match before streak First match after streak

6 09 Oct 2004 England - Greece (06 Oct 2001) 2-2 Still running

6 16 Nov 1949 England - Wales (24 Jan 1973) 1-1

5 13 Oct 1976 England - Poland (17 Oct 1973) 1-1
England - Romania (29 Apr 1981) 0-0

2 18 Nov 1981 England - Romania (29 Apr 1981) 0-0
England - Romania (11 Sep 1985) 1-1

2 26 Apr 1989 England - Sweden (19 Oct 1988) 0-0
England - Norway (14 Oct 1992) 1-1

2 18 Nov 1992 England - Norway (14 Oct 1992) 1-1
England - Netherlands (28 Apr 1993) 2-2

2 08 Sep 1993 England - Netherlands (28 Apr 1993) 2-2
England - Italy (12 Feb 1997) 0-1

2 30 Apr 1997 England - Italy (12 Feb 1997) 0-1
England - Germany (07 Oct 2000) 0-1

2 24 Mar 2001 England - Germany (07 Oct 2000) 0-1
England - Greece (06 Oct 2001) 2-2

Germany vs Liechtenstein: Teutons go for 200th

On Saturday, Germany need to score one goal to celebrate their 200th goal in World Cup qualification matches when they face Liechtenstein in Leipzig.

Josef Rasselnberg became the first German goalscorer in a World Cup qualification match when he netted against Luxembourg (1-9 win) on 11 March 1934.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is Germany’s top scorer in World Cup qualification matches with 13 goals.

Most goals scored in World Cup Qualification UEFA
# Nation P W D L GA

229 Netherlands 100 62 22 16 75
218 Serbia 102 61 25 16 88
210 Belgium 107 59 22 26 116
208 Spain 93 60 21 12 66
208 Sweden 100 63 16 21 90
206 England 86 57 19 10 57
199 (West) Germany 68 50 16 2 55
193 Portugal 109 53 28 28 122
192 Russia 96 60 21 15 65
181 Romania 99 56 18 25 95
Note: matches include intercontinental play-off matches

Top scorers in World Cup Qualification – (West) Germany
# Player

13 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
9 Gerd Müller
7 Michael Ballack
7 Klaus Fischer
7 Pierre Littbarski
6 Oliver Bierhoff
6 Rudi Völler
6 Max Morlock
5 Manfred Kaltz
5 Ulf Kirsten
5 Miroslav Klose
5 Wolfgang Overath

Germany: Löw calls upon Jansen and Podolski, Friedrich injured

Marcell Jansen

Joachim Löw has nominated 21 players for the upcoming games against Liechtenstein in Leipzig on March 28 (8 P.M, live on ZDF) and in Cardiff on April 1 against Wales (8.45 P.M., live on ARD), both qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The German coach has refilled some open slots with Arne Friedrich, Marcell Jansen and Lukas Podolski – all three players sat out the year’s opening game against Norway due to injury. On Sunday Friedrich cancelled his participation due to an injury, suffered in Berlins 0-2 defeat at Stuttgart on Saturday.

Hannover's Robert Enke, recently sidelined due to a fractured left hand, returns as one of three goalkeepers on the roster. "I felt that he has had a rather successful convalescence, he’s found his old form quickly", said Löw about Enke. Löw also commented on Lukas Podolski’s reappearance in the ranks: "The fact that he battled back into Bayern's starting line-up did not have an effect on our nomination. We’d have called upon him either way, as we rate him highly. Lukas is an excellent forward."

Marcell Jansen from Hamburger SV is yet another returnee following a prolonged injury phase. "As Piotr Trochowski reports injured, we needed a midfield alternative. We will check back with the HSV to get another read on his ability to perform. But disregarding Trochowski's injury status, Marcell Jansen has performed well in the Bundesliga following the winter break. He is certainly a valid option."