Red Eye: Europe's Upset Kids

Good friend and fellow writer Chris Soler (of inboundpass) makes his Bleachers' Brew debut with what's going on the in the current 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. We're calling his Brew column, Red Eye since this guy stays up longer than I do to watch football matches.

Wait 'til you see who else we have lined up. Thanks to these folks who contribute!)

Europe’s upset kids
By Christian Soler

SURPRISES, anyone?

If the UEFA qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa were a chic restaurant, the main course would be upsets topped with hopes of taking the global stage by storm in about 400 days time.

While European heavyweights England, the Netherlands and Spain have more or less booked their tickets to the greatest single-sport spectacle on the planet thanks to 100 percent records halfway through qualifying, fellow giants Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden and Turkey are in grave danger of getting shoved out of the way.

Will we see a World Cup without the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Petr Cech and Zlatan Ibrahimovic? It’s more than a possibility. So, who’s responsible for all this carnage?

Portugal and Sweden, two teams that saw action in Euro 2004, 2008 and the 2006 World Cup, were heavily favored in Group 1 but have since groped for form. With five matches to play, undefeated Denmark looks to be in cruise control of the group, winning four and drawing only once.

The Danes aren’t the most obscure novelties in world football, having captured the 1992 European Championships in Sweden as last minute replacements for the former Yugoslavia. But nobody could have predicted their last-minute, 3-2 victory in Lisbon, which firmly established their foothold on the group. In-form Arsenal FC striker Nicklas Bendtner has scored eight goals in 25 appearances for Denmark, while Liverpool defender Daniel Agger anchors a backline that’s conceded only two goals in World Cup qualifying. Equally as important is its underappreciated midfield, led by Daniel Jensen and Christian Poulsen.

Making matters worse for the big boys in Group 1 is second-running Hungary (10 points from six matches). If this were the 1950s, seeing the Magyars atop the leaderboard wouldn’t be a shocker. But the nation that legendary Ferenc Puskas put on the footballing map hasn’t made a World Cup since 1986. What makes Hungary version 21st century all the more impressive is its lack of household names. Premier League diehards will be familiar with West Bromwich Albion playmaker Zoltan Gera, one of the world’s most underrated yet prolific attacking midfielders.

The mother of all surprises in the last round of qualifying matches, though, was Slovakia’s 2-1 victory over archrivals and former communist “partners” Czech Republic in Prague. Just a few days before the match, Martin Skrtel and company were outclassed by England, 4-0 in a not-so-friendly at the New Wembley. The joke on April Fool’s, however, was on the more prominent Czechs as Erik Jendrisek sent home the winner with seven minutes remaining.

Should the Slovaks advance from Group 3, South Africa will mark their first-ever appearance in a major tournament. It will also be the coming out party of Jendrisek and 19-year-old Miroslav Stoch, a flashy midfielder who’s spent much of the season with the Chelsea FC reserves and is arguably the most promising player to come out of Eastern Europe since Pavel Nedved. For now, it’s a must for fans to appreciate the likes of Liverpool centerback Skrtel and captain Miroslav Karhan.

There was more to Turkey’s 2-1 home defeat to Spain than a bitter pill to swallow in Istanbul. A little less than 990 kilometers away from the crossroads of Asia and Europe, in a city that sounds more like a pharmaceutical than a historic enclave (Zenica), an overachieving Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated a bruised Belgian squad for the second time in a span of four days to go second in Group 5 qualifying.

Just like Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina has never qualified for a major tournament in its history. This may about to change thanks to the exploits of 23-year-old striker Edin Dzeko. Dzeko is having the week of his life, scoring thrice in two matches against Belgium before netting two goals to lift his club, Wolfsburg, to a 5-1 humiliation of reigning champs Bayern Munich and the top of the German Bundesliga.

What makes this Bosnian team scary is its attack. Dzeko, Wolfsburg teammate Zvjezdan Misimovic and TSG Hoffenheim forward Vedad Ibisevic form a prolific attacking trio that has caught both the fancy and sweat glands of the entire continent. In domestic play, the three players share 39 goals between them. Save for having tongue-twisters for names, these booters make up Bosnia’s golden generation.

The smaller squads are clearly making a meal out of European qualifying. With the way they’re playing, don’t expect the traditional powerhouses to ease these kids’ hunger just yet.