World Cup qualifiers: The Dutch have returned to the World Cup; Turkish elimination, Ukraine
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The Netherlands will return to the World Cup after an eight-year hiatus, and Norwegian star Erling Haaland has had to wait at least until 2026 to make his debut on the biggest stage.
The Dutch did enough on Tuesday to win 2-0 at Rotterdam as the missing Norwegian Haaland, injured by their 21-year-old striker, knocked them out with a 2-0 victory.
Turkey beat Norway in second place in Group G, and Montenegro won 2-1 in March to advance to the European qualifiers.
Ukraine also won away, 2-0 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to join Turkey without a team that will be on the street again in the semi-finals.
The undefeated Ukrainians, who drew six of their last eight Group D matches, rose to second place above Finland and lost 2-0 at home to France.
Kylian Mbapp set up Karim Benzema to score in the 66th minute, before scoring the second 10 minutes later after a quick solo run from the left wing.
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Wales and the Czech Republic started their Group E matches on Tuesday knowing that both were in the play-offs, and the Belgian leader has already secured a straight qualification for the finals in Qatar.
Wales made sure they qualified for the play-offs by drawing 1-1 with the Belgians, who are in first place in Cardiff, to finish runners-up in the group stage.
The Czech, who beat Estonia 2-0, finished third in the group and take on one of the two knockout rounds of the teams that won a set in the League of Nations last year.
RETURN TO THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands were unable to qualify for the 2018 World Cup despite being a finalist in 2010 and reaching the finals four years later, at the hands of then-coach Louis van Gaal.
Now in charge again at the age of 70, and caring for a hip he had just injured, Van Gaal won on Tuesday from a seat in the stands of the empty stadium in Rotterdam.
Entering the final 10 minutes, a Norwegian goal could have knocked the Dutchman out. The tension was dashed by Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn in the 84th minute with a hard climb.
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Barcelona striker Memphis Depay sealed the victory in stoppage time by revealing a Norwegian defense ending in a breakaway.
Van Gaalen’s team took a two-point lead over Turkey in the top 10 of the European qualifying teams after the tightest match of the three.
“Now we have a long preparation ahead of us, which I am sure will make us an even better team,” said captain Virgil van Dijk.
PLAYOFFEN HAMAIKA
Turkey, Ukraine, Wales and the Czech Republic formed the squad of 12 nations that will compete for three tickets to Qatar in March.
They will enter three play-off stages for each of the four teams when FIFA draws on November 26 in Zurich.
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Wales are the only ones to play on Tuesday, March 24-25, to be among the six teams in the finals of the one-match play-offs at home. The first qualifiers are Italy, Portugal, Russia, Scotland and Sweden.
The first qualifiers to play away from home are the Czechs, Northern Macedonia, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and Austria, and the other team has claimed its place through the League of Nations.
Northern Macedonia is the only European team left to compete in a World Cup final. There has been no Wales since 1958, that was his only appearance.
The three playoff finals will be played on March 28 or 29. FIFA will also be raffling off home advantages for these one-match finals at each level this month.
FIFA will hold a draw for the final on April 1 in Doha. So far the 10 European qualifiers in 32 teams are Belgium, France, England, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia and Serbia.
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