Near Misses (in WC qualification)

[midknight]

I was going to post this in the 'Trinidad team of destiny thread' but since it ended up being hijacked by some thread terrorists and closed by an overzealous mod, I've decided to start a new topic. :rolleyes:

How many countries that have never qualified for the World Cup (or haven't qualified since the modern era (Spain 82?)) have stories about their near misses akin to Trinidad's 1989 debacle (losing at home on the last day needing just a draw) or their 1973 tragedy(being robbed blind in the decisive match of the qualification tournament)?

I can think of two just off the bat, Liberia in 2001 and Zambia after the plane crash...(1993 I think?)

To qualify as a near miss, the non qualification has to hinge on the result of 1 game, preferably the last of the campaign...

[scaryice]

Maybe not what you're looking for, but Cameroon this year was amazing. Israel went undefeated and missed out this year as well.

[Caesar]

Australia vs Iran in '97 - drew 1-1 in Tehran, and were 2-0 up with 20 mins to go, and were totally outplaying Iran. They scored 2 goals in 10 mins to scrape through to France '98 on away goals.

[midknight]

Australia vs Iran in '97 - drew 1-1 in Tehran, and were 2-0 up with 20 mins to go, and were totally outplaying Iran. They scored 2 goals in 10 mins to scrape through to France '98 on away goals.

yeah I was aware of this but I didn't count it seeing how they qualified this year. I guess they're in the same situation as Trinidad though in that respect

[Excape Goat]

Uzbekistan - no need to explain.


Since China qualified for 2002, they do not count. They nearly qualified twice, but lost out in the last game. In 1982, China actually did their job. On another match, New Zealand needed to beat Saudi Arabia 6-0 in Saudi Arabia for them to catch up with the Chinese. They did just that. China was forced to play a single match playoff against New Zealand. China did well through the qualifying rounds, except against the New Zealanders. So everyone expected them to lose and they did.

In 1990, China needed a draw on the last match. They were leading 1-nil with 5 minutes left. Okay,they lost 2-1.... UAE qualified for Italia 1990.

[leonidas]

Maybe not what you're looking for, but Cameroon this year was amazing. Israel went undefeated and missed out this year as well.

I think the Israel group was very interesting. The top 4 teams all tied each other...and the only one that resulted in a victory, France over Ireland, proved to be the difference maker. If France had tied that game, I believe Switzerland would have finished in first followed by Israel.

[rabble-rabble]

They've been to the WC recently and won in 1998, but I seem to remember that in both 1990 and 1994 qualifying, France gave up home goals in the last minute or so which kept them from qualifying. (One was Bulgaria I believe)

[midknight]

Uzbekistan - no need to explain.

I wouldn't call it a near miss...they'd still have had to play home and away against Trinidad, which imho wasn't a sure win. In that case one could argue that Guatemala had a near miss in 2005, giving away those 2 late goals in Trinidad that effectively turned the series in Trinidad's favour, or worse yet that Canada had a near miss in the 94 qualifying series when they lost out to Australia before australia lost out to Argentina :rolleyes:

And please, I'm really looking for countries that have never qualified or haven't in ages. These stories are more or less all well known, as soon as a country qualifies they become a part of the mythical history of World Cup perseverance

[glennaldo_sf]

Talking about TnT, I remember that the Honduras had both the USA & Mexico on the ropes four years ago. With Costa Rica already qualified, the US took second place by beating Jamaica with a game in hand, while Mexico beat Honduras 3-0 in their final match to book a place in Japan/Korea. However, it would have all been so different had Honduras not lost 1-0 at home to Trinidad & Tobago in their 2nd to last match. Had they won that, I believe all they would have needed was a draw with Mexico in their last match, or for the US to slip in TnT on their last match to qualify in place of one of the big two. Not an unlikely outcome considering the form those two teams were in at the time.

Kudos to the guy who mentioned the Qatar-China match which qualified the UAE in 1989 :) . I was watching that game and couldn't believe it. China needed only a draw to qualify if the UAE did not beat already qualified South Korea. Anyway, the UAE were getting pounded by S.Korea but had unbelievably been able to keep the score at 1-1 while China were a goal up against Qatar with only about 3 minutes remaining. Suddenly, Qatar scored TWICE in the space of seconds and China were out and the UAE in.

Didn't Finland almost make the playoffs in 1998 but lose out to Hungary due to a last minute goal as well? Wouldn't have mattered as Hungary went on to face Yugoslavia who pounded them something like 12-1.

[Guatefc]

I wouldn't call it a near miss...they'd still have had to play home and away against Trinidad, which imho wasn't a sure win. In that case one could argue that Guatemala had a near miss in 2005, giving away those 2 late goals in Trinidad that effectively turned the series in Trinidad's favour, or worse yet that Canada had a near miss in the 94 qualifying series when they lost out to Australia before australia lost out to Argentina :rolleyes:

And please, I'm really looking for countries that have never qualified or haven't in ages. These stories are more or less all well known, as soon as a country qualifies they become a part of the mythical history of World Cup perseverance

my father always talks about

82'spain wcq for guatemala

all we needed was a tie against honduras at home and we were locked for spain

and in the dying seconds honduras scores and takes one in mateo flores 1 to 0

and the big scandal was that honduras played a suspended player who scored the game winner and guate didnt play their star player
Selvyn Pennat who played in chile due to suspension
i guess back then they didnt keep track of suspensions like now

and 06' germany and we all know that story.........

2010 will be our Year were getting closer every year after the decline in 87-98

[Elninho]

Talking about TnT, I remember that the Honduras had both the USA & Mexico on the ropes four years ago. With Costa Rica already qualified, the US took second place by beating Jamaica with a game in hand, while Mexico beat Honduras 3-0 in their final match to book a place in Japan/Korea. However, it would have all been so different had Honduras not lost 1-0 at home to Trinidad & Tobago in their 2nd to last match. Had they won that, I believe all they would have needed was a draw with Mexico in their last match, or for the US to slip in TnT on their last match to qualify in place of one of the big two. Not an unlikely outcome considering the form those two teams were in at the time.


IIRC, the US would have had to lose at T&T for Honduras to qualify, even if you changed the Honduras-T&T result to Honduras winning 1-0. Unless, of course, Honduras managed the draw with Mexico, which would have taken them into the World Cup at Mexico's expense. They might have had a better chance if not for the T&T result, though - supposedly they went into the final match vs. Mexico quite demoralized, and pretty much rolled over for the Mexicans.

[ZeekLTK]

In 2002 Belarus needed to beat Wales in their final match to take 2nd in the group and reach the play-offs. Instead, they lost 1-0 and finished 3rd, 2 points behind Ukraine.

Wales, despite their victory over Belarus, finished 5th in the 6 team group, beating out only Armenia.

[ScoringChance]

In 2002 Belarus needed to beat Wales in their final match to take 2nd in the group and reach the play-offs. Instead, they lost 1-0 and finished 3rd, 2 points behind Ukraine.

Wales, despite their victory over Belarus, finished 5th in the 6 team group, beating out only Armenia.

Speaking of the Welsh, in 1994 QR, they played their last three qualifiers at home, against Czechoslovakia, Cyprus and Romania, needing two wins. They beat Cyprus, were held by Czechoslovakia after leading at half-time, and lost to Romania. Had they won that last game against Romania, they were in. They also went to Moscow needing a draw in 1982 QR (with the Soviets already in), and lost 3-0.

Still, they DID play in one WC, but it was in 1958 and because no one wanted to play Israel during the qualifiers (they played them and beat them to qualify).

Two teams that have never qualified almost made it to the playoffs in 1998. Finland was leading 1-0 with seconds to go against Hungary but took a goal on a corner that qualified Hungary for the playoffs (where they were thrashed by Yugoslavia 7-1, 5-0... :rolleyes: ), and Lituania only needed a tie at home against Ireland to go to the playoffs (lost 2-1, and Ireland lost the playoffs to Belgium).

[red & wite army]

The Cameroon debacle was amazingly close!

Hitting the bar!...with a penalty in injury time! Wow! :o

[glennaldo_sf]

Speaking of the Welsh, in 1994 QR, they played their last three qualifiers at home, against Czechoslovakia, Cyprus and Romania, needing two wins. They beat Cyprus, were held by Czechoslovakia after leading at half-time, and lost to Romania. Had they won that last game against Romania, they were in0.

That was an amazing run that. I remember that match. If I remember correctly, I think that Wales lost something like their first two matches. I think they even lost to Romania, something like 5-1 but they went on a good run and clawed their way back. In the final matchup vs. Romania - they had to win the game to go through. I think that the scores were 1-1 and Wales got a penalty which would have put them through but the guy skied it, Romania scored a second, and went on to the quarterfinals of the world cup. If I recall correctly, tragically, a Welsh fan got hit by a rocket and was killed in this match. This was the match that got those missiles fans used to throw banned from football.

[nutbar]

That was an amazing run that. I remember that match. If I remember correctly, I think that Wales lost something like their first two matches. I think they even lost to Romania, something like 5-1 but they went on a good run and clawed their way back. In the final matchup vs. Romania - they had to win the game to go through. I think that the scores were 1-1 and Wales got a penalty which would have put them through but the guy skied it, Romania scored a second, and went on to the quarterfinals of the world cup. If I recall correctly, tragically, a Welsh fan got hit by a rocket and was killed in this match. This was the match that got those missiles fans used to throw banned from football.

Actually, the Welsh player, Paul Bodin, hit the crossbar with the PK.

Here's one that's not often recalled:

The Republic of the Congo (the smaller Congo) was one win away from France 98. They had already beaten South Africa at home, and if they had managed another win in Johannesburg, they would have qualified. But they lost 1-0.

Qatar were close to France 98 as well, they had beaten Iran 2-0 at home and played the Saudis in their last group match needing a win. In Qatar, Saudi Arabia won it 1-0.

[Triphat]

Romania.. finished with 25 points. Other nations even won that group with those points.

[ChaChaFut]

How many countries that have never qualified for the World Cup (or haven't qualified since the modern era (Spain 82?)) have stories about their near misses akin to Trinidad's 1989 debacle (losing at home on the last day needing just a draw) or their 1973 tragedy (being robbed blind in the decisive match of the qualification tournament)?

I can think of two just off the bat, Liberia in 2001 and Zambia after the plane crash in 1993So sad to remember... such a great team.

Those 2 and Wales in 1993 are very good examples. I can't think of many other ones, except for Bahrain, this year.

Guatefc, I thought Guatemala needed to win against HON in the 1982 qual. (or two draws, with them and El Salvador in the last match). Anyways, they could have qualified by beating El Salvador, I think.