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The Rep. of Ireland put their dismal 6-1 defeat to Germany on Friday night behind them as they beat Group C minnows Faroe Islands 4-1 tonight, giving under-fire boss Giovanni Trapattoni some much needed breathing space.

Complete focus on one player for today

One round of international completed and we're safe. Safe in the sense that there are no reports of any of our players look to have suffered any injuries. In fact, it was a successful night of football for some of our players. Getting on the scoresheet and so on.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Lionel Messi missed a penalty kick and was denied by the post on another chance, but that still do not stop him and Argentina from going into Germany and cruising to victory.

The Albiceleste extended their current winning streak to five games after picking up a 3-1 win over Germany in  one of the marquee matches of Wednesday's busy international FIFA date.

Germany vs Faroe Islands 3-0 Highlights 2012 Group C WC Qualifying Goetze Ozil Goals Video is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

photo by ISIphotos.com

World Cup qualifying is set to get back into full swing on Friday and there should be plenty of quality and drama as 66 teams will be in action in an attempt to further solidify their place in Brazil 2014.

Europe will be the site for most of those matches, as UEFA's World Cup qualifying will begin with 22 matches.

After yet another disappointing campaign under Nigel Worthington, and a continuation of the unenviable streak that will now see Northern Ireland fail to make a major tournament for at least 32 years, the IFA will seek out a new manager to try and reverse the fortunes of the small nation who have struggled in recent years for both talent and results on the international playing field.

As the Euro 2012 qualifying round winds down, the cream is rising to the top.

Defending champion Spain and Italy joined Germany as powerhouses to qualify for next summer's tournament finals after victories over Lichtenstein and Slovenia, respectively, on Tuesday.

David Villa and Alvaro Negredo each netted braces in Spain's 6-0 victory that cemented the nation's place atop Group I, while Giampaolo Pazzini's late goal gave Italy a 1-0 win and guaranteed first place atop Group C.

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The international fixtures for the month of September got underway all across the globe on Friday, but no game came close to the Netherlands' match versus San Marino in terms of lopsidedness.

Playing in a Group E European Championship qualifier, the Netherlands scored nearly a dozen goals as it defeated San Marino 11-0.

Patrick James "Paddy" McCourt is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a left winger for Celtic and Northern Ireland. McCourt is known for his exceptional ball control and dribbling ability, as well as his ability to score spectacular solo goals. This has led to him being nicknamed "the Derry Pelé" by players, fans and pundits.

Listening to the Guardian's Football Weekly's EPL preview podcast at the gym last night, I figured to hear a sentence or two about our season outlook. Instead, we got the last word.

As in, only the final few words spoken in the entire 45 minute podcast.

I don't have the transcript but the last 30 seconds or so go something like this:

James Richardson: Well that should wrap things up
Barry Glendenning: I bet we missed a team
Gregg Roughley: Haven't mentioned Fulham
Sean Ingle: Or Wolves
Barry Glendenning: Fulham and Wolves!

Manchester City and England number one goalkeeper Joe Hart, once of Shrewsbury Town, shows off his outfield skills with spectacular, acrobatic goal-scoring overhead kick at Man City's Carrington training ground scoring past Faroe Islands international goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen watched by Italian coach Massimo Battara.

Slovenia is another round of teams better than the United States that Jurgen Klinsmann will test his system and talent evaluation against on a Tuesday morning at 9 AM Pacific on ESPN2. Similar to the USA the Slovenes faded since the World Cup. They weren't as high in the rankings, nor have they fallen as far.

The last time a team from Allsvenskan played in Europe was the 2007 season where Helsingborg managed to make it into the group stage. Once there, they took second place and were knocked out by PSV Eindhoven in the first knockout stage. I watched the last game in Helsingborg live, and though PSV were certainly the better team, Helsingborg had proved that teams from Allsvenskan could play and even do well at this level.

Our boys are traveling to the islands this weekend for a Euro 2012 Qualifier. Which islands, you might ask? The Faroe Islands, of course. Still don't know where they're going? Maybe a quick little quiz will help you... (Don't worry, it's multiple choice) [read more]

Footballer's Lives: I'm a Ghanaian in the Faroes is a post from: Just Football

We all know about the glitz and the glamour of life at the apex of the football world. But what about life in the lower echelons of the game, the globetrotters, the people just trying to make it in this jungle of a sport?

Faroe Islands v. Italy
2/9/2011 • 20:45 CET • Tórsvøllur, Torshavn (FRO)
Referee: Tamás Bognar (HUN)

Never underestimate that Viking spirit, but never forget the four stars you wear, either.

Starting Lineups:

Italy:

4-3-1-2: Buffon; Maggio, Ranocchia, Chiellini, Criscito; Thiago Motta, Pirlo, De Rossi, Montolivo; Cassano, Rossi.