Pitfalls ahead as Van Gaal,Deschamps make bows

With the dust having settled on a memorable Euro 2012, the old continent’s attention now turns towards the qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which begins in earnest this evening.

The major nations, led by reigning world and European champions Spain and a Germany side supposedly about to hit their peak, are all expected to be at the finals two years from now, but none can take their place for granted.

At least one major name always fails to qualify – Russia missed out on South Africa 2010 while, four years earlier, Greece were the European champions but still finished fourth in their qualifying group.

And the Netherlands failed to make it in 2002. The man who presided over that failure, Louis van Gaal, has just returned as coach of the Oranje after Bert van Marwijk stood down in the wake of a disastrous showing at Euro 2012.

Van Gaal’s return to the helm began with a 4-2 friendly defeat to Belgium last month, and the Dutch kick off their Group D campaign with a tricky home clash against Turkey.

With only one automatic qualification slot available in each group, and the eight best runners-up advancing to the play-offs, Van Gaal knows the margins between success and failure can be fine, but he is relishing the task.

“This is the challenge which I have been waiting for,” he proclaimed after his appointment in July.

New France coach Didier Deschamps will be well aware of the pitfalls that await him in Group I, a five-team section also containing Spain.

Les Bleus’ first competitive fixture under Deschamps is against Finland in Helsinki.

“The mission is a difficult one but the objective exciting,” Deschamps said.

“In a five-team group, it is vital that you take as many points as possible and I know full well that we cannot afford to drop many before we play Spain, the big favourites to win the group.”

The two, who met in the quarter-finals at Euro 2012, with La Roja winning 2-0, clash in Spain in October, before the return at the Stade de France in March.

Villa’s return

Far from lacking in motivation after three consecutive major tournament triumphs, Spain, who start their campaign in Georgia on September 11, could be even stronger thanks to the return after a broken leg of David Villa.

Germany are looking to bounce back from the heartache of their Euro 2012 semi-final defeat to Italy, but anything less than first place in Group C for them would be a major surprise, even if they must come up against Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, Ireland and Austria.

You can usually be guaranteed to see Germany qualify for major tournaments, though – they have only ever lost twice in 74 World Cup qualifiers, and that formidable record is unlikely to be threatened when they host the Faroe Islands today.

Meanwhile, Italy are out to build on a run to the final of Euro 2012 that restored a nation’s pride in the Azzurri.

However, Cesare Prandelli’s side will come up against Euro quarter-finalists the Czech Republic in Group B, as well as Denmark, and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is wary of their threat.

“On paper, we should be the favourites to win our group, but behind us there are three or four teams who are capable outsiders and we will need more than just commitment to make sure we beat them,” he said.

The notoriously hard-to-please English media will closely scrutinise Roy Hodgson’s performance in charge of the national team after he commendably took them to the last eight at Euro 2012 just weeks after being appointed.

Hodgson must successfully integrate young talent into his squad and make sure England negotiate Group H, which also contains Euro co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, as well as Montenegro, who gave them a scare in European Championship qualifying.

Today’s qualifiers...

Group A

Croatia vs Macedonia 20.15
Wales vs Belgium 20.45

Playing tomorrow:
Scotland vs Serbia 16.00

Group B

Malta vs Armenia 20.00
Bulgaria vs Italy 20.45

Playing tomorrow:
Denmark vs Czech Rep. 20.15

Group C

Kazakhstan vs Ireland 18.00
Germany vs Faroe Islands 20.45

Group D

Estonia vs Romania 20.00
Andorra vs Hungary 20.30
Netherlands vs Turkey 20.30

Group E
Slovenia vs Switzerland 20.30
Albania vs Cyprus 20.30
Iceland vs Norway 20.45

Group F

Russia vs N. Ireland 17.00
Azerbaijan vs Israel 18.00
Luxembourg vs Portugal 20.45

Group G

Liechtenstein vs Bosnia 19.00
Lithuania vs Slovakia 20.15
Latvia vs Greece 20.30

Group H

Montenegro vs Poland 20.30
Moldova vs England 20.45

Group I

Georgia vs Belarus 19.00
Finland vs France 20.30