Mexico’s players celebrate a goal against New Zealand during their World Cup qualifying match in Wellington, yesterday. Mexico won 4-2 and qualified for the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. RIGHT: Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the second goal for his team during the World Cup play-off match against Sweden at the Friends Arena in Solna near Stockholm on Tuesday night. Portugal won 3-2 with Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick.
PARIS: An electric performance by France and a hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal lifted the two European football heavyweights across the line in the race to qualify for next year’s World Cup on Tuesday night.
A gripping conclusion to European qualifying also saw Croatia and Greece secure their passages to the 2014 finals in Brazil.
In Wellginton, an Oribe Peralta hat-trick fired Mexico into their sixth successive World Cup yeserday, as El Tri downed New Zealand 4-2 to end a roller-coaster qualification campaign on a high.
Peralta, who also scored two when Mexico trounced the All Whites 5-1 at home in last week’s first leg, effectively killed off the return leg before the break, with Carlos Pena making the aggregate score 9-3 at the death.
Victory in the intercontinental play-off means Mexico have now reached 15 of the last 20 World Cups, making them one of the most consistent teams in international football.
France took on Ukraine at a tense Stade de France, the scene of the hosts’ 1998 World Cup win, with their backs to the wall after last week’s 2-0 first leg defeat in Kiev.
But Les Bleus banished the blues that had descended on their supporters with a remarkable show of resolve.
Didier Deschamps’ men took the lead on the night midway through the first half through Mamadou Sakho and levelled the tie on aggregate when Karim Benzema netted from an offside position on 34 minutes.
That strike came shortly after the Real Madrid man had seen a perfectly good goal disallowed, and the controversy continued as Ukraine defender Yevhen Kacheridi was sent off early in the second period.
France made their one-man advantage count as an Oleg Gusev own-goal put them ahead in the tie for the first time in the 72nd minute and they saw out the rest of the game to win 3-2 on aggregate.
Over in Solna it was a case of Ronaldo taking on Sweden’s star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ronaldo had given Portugal the edge with the only goal in last week’s first leg, and he put them into the lead five minutes after the restart.
Ibrahimovic rattled off a quick fire double to set the tie alight only for Ronaldo to hit back with two more goals to steal the show.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento praised Ronaldo who became his country’s all-time leading scorer with a tally of 50 goals.
In Zagreb, Croatia ended Iceland’s hopes of becoming the smallest ever nation to dine at the World Cup table with goals from Mario Mandzukic and Darijo Srna. Croatia made it hard for themselves when Mandzukic got sent off for a dangerous tackle not long after his goal.
Croatia, prevailing 2-0 on aggregate, are appearing at their fourth World Cup finals after the editions of 1998, 2002 and 2006.
In Tuesday’s fourth play-off Greece faced Romania in Bucharest with one foot in the World Cup door after last week’s 3-1 first leg win.
And the 2004 European champions duly finished off the job, with a 1-1 draw for a 4-2 aggregate win to seal their ticket to a third World Cup after 1994 and 2010.
Meanwhile, Algeria sealed the fifth and final African zone World Cup qualifying berth on Tuesday night , edging their play-off with Burkina Faso on away goals.
Last month, Algeria lost the first leg play-off 3-2 in Ougadougou and therefore needed just a goal to qualify for their fourth World Cup finals having featured at the 1982, 1986 and 2010 competitions. AFP
