Real madrid and AC Milan former Manager Fabio Capello has ensured that The Three Lions already has booked its place at World Cup 2010 South Africa, and this weekend, England are sunning themselves ahead of a showpiece money-spinner against Brazil in Qatar. But while England Squad enjoy a kick-around in the warmth of the Middle East, many Premier League players are involved in win-or-bust matches to fight for potentially career-defining qualification for South Africa 2010. And thus, international soccer's main focus this weekend is undoubtedly the first legs of the European playoffs.
It's surprising that the French, winners in 1998 and runners-up in '06, missed out on automatic qualification, and most of the blame falls on beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech. The match with by far the most EPL players is Saturday's qualification match in Dublin, where the Republic of Ireland plays host to France.
The Frenchman expanded his league of enemies by describing Ireland as "an England B team." The Ireland captain, Aston Villa's Richard Dunne, threw the broadside straight back across the Celtic Sea, mischievously surmising, "Every time a tournament comes round, they have all these world-class players and then a man who seems intent on messing them up."
Dunne has a point. The French national-team rotation is full of genuine stars from the EPL: Arsenal's William Gallas, Samir Nasri, Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna and Gaël Clichy; Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda; and Manchester United's Patrice Evra. Combined with world superstars Thierry Henry, Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema, they should match any international team. But failing to guide a side of such undoubted talent to automatic qualification has led Domenech to be seen as the French version of England's underachieving former coach Steve McClaren. He is public enemy No. 1 at moment in France, with the fans, press and even some of his players vocal in their resentment towards him.
Team Limey wonders how a man with such an awesome look in his playing days could face such resentment, but also doubts that an Ireland squad whose EPL contingent is dominated by players from Hull City, Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers (with apologies to Robbie Keane, John O'Shea and Shay Given) can beat such an abundantly talented French team. Or could it?
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal side faces Bosnia and Herzegovina without its injured star player. Coach Carlos Queiroz finds himself on similarly rocky ground as Domenech, only making the playoffs by the narrowest of margins. However, Portugal should win against a team that has never qualified for a major tournament since its formation in 1993 following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
Out of Russia and Slovenia, we hope the Russians make it to the World Cup to see captain Andrei Arshavin, a player who has quickly proven to be an EPL hit, grace the world's biggest footballing stage. Chelsea winger Yuri Zhirkov, Everton's Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Tottenham's (although possibly for not much longer) Roman Pavlyuchenko also line up for Guus Hiddink's side.
There's minimal EPL presence in the remaining playoff game, with only Liverpool's fourth-choice, mistake-ridden Greek defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos, featuring. The fact that his club teammate, Andriy Voronin, currently starts for Liverpool but doesn't even make the Ukraine squad, is indicative of the Anfield club's current plight.
