Trinidad and Tobago's national football team pose before their game against Bahrain for the play-off qualifying match in Port-of-Spain last Saturday. Back row (left to right Marvin Andrews, Avery John, Kelvin Jack, Christopher Birchall, Dwight Yorke and Dennis Lawrence. Front row (left to right) Carlos Edwards, Silvio Spann, Aurtis Whintley, Russell Lapaty and Stern John. The game ended 1-1. - REUTERS
london (ap)
SPAIN, THE CZECH Republic and Switzerland are in good shape heading into tomorrow's second-leg playoffs for World Cup berths.
Spain go to Bratislava with a 5-1 lead over Slovakia. The Czechs are up 1-0 going to Norway, and Switzerland lead 2-0 going to Turkey.
GAMES UP FOR GRABS
However, two other play-off games are up for grabs. Australia are back in Sydney trailing Uruguay 1-0, and Bahrain are in the Middle East after a 1-1 draw in Trinidad and Tobago.
The survivors tomorrow will fill the final five places in the 32-team tournament next summer in Germany.
Australia haven't been in the World Cup since 1974, and this may be the Soccer's' best chance in a decade.
Both teams arrived in Sydney yesterday. Uruguay arrived without injured striker Diego Forlan, who is expected to miss the game with a leg injury.
Looking for every advantage, Australia flew home on a charter equipped with massage and video facilities, two doctors, and a physiotherapist. Uruguay flew a charter to Chile, and then took commercial flights to Sydney.
"I think it worked perfectly, the whole trip went unbelievably smoothly," said John O'Neill, Football Federation Australia chief executive.
"The players were well rested and they'll be very prepared for Wednesday night. The charter flight could really be the difference between Australia getting there and not getting there."
The Australians also have a successful coach on their side. Dutchman Gus Hidink steered the Netherlands and South Korea to the last two World Cup semi-finals.
With a population of 3.4 million compared to 20 million for Australia .Uruguay has won the World Cup twice and has qualified 10 times for the World Cup finals.
"We're a big country with a big past and we've got a right to play," said striker Alvaro Recoba. "Uruguay has a divine right to play. Uruguay is Uruguay."
LEAST POPULATED COUNTRY
Either Trinidad and Tobago or Bahrain will wind up as the least populated country in the World Cup. Bahrain has a population of 700,000 and Trinidad and Tobago has just over one million.
Neither country has appeared in the finals.
"To the people of the Caribbean, this game is far from over," said Trinidad striker Dwight Yorke, who came out of international retirement to play. "We know we need to score one away goal and our players are capable of doing that."
Spain has almost reached its eighth straight World Cup finals, nursing the 5-1 edge over Slovakia.
WET, COLD WEATHER
The Spaniards arrived in Bratislava, greeted by wet, cold weather.
"We'll have the problem of the cold and the state of the field, but I'm convinced we can win," said Spain's Luis Aragones, who is unbeaten in 17 matches as coach. "Slovakia is a good team. But when Spain does things right it's a powerful team."
Slovakia coach Dusan Galls will have to watch the game from the stands after receiving a red card in Madrid. Defender Marian Had, who was also sent off on Saturday, and midfielder Miroslav Karen are suspended.
The Czech Republic, semi-finalists in the 2004 European Championship, take a 1-0 advantage home from Norway.
Pavel Nedved, who helped set up the winning header by Vladimir Smicer, counted Saturday's victory as one of his biggest with the national team.
"I think for me it was the most important match with the national team," he said. "I have never played such an important game on such a bad field. It was like playing beach volleyball and it was difficult to change direction."
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