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WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Mexico qualified for the World Cup after beating New Zealand 4-2 in the second leg of an inter-continental playoff Wednesday, bringing an end to one of its most troubled and divisive qualifying campaigns. Robbie Gould Bears Authentic Jersey . Striker Oribe Peralta followed his double in the opening leg with a hat trick at Wellington to send his team to Brazil with an emphatic performance that left memories of recent difficulties at least partly erased. Mexico advanced with an aggregate score of 9-3 over the two legs. Mexico shed three coaches during a 10-match campaign in the CONCACAF confederation, during which it won only two games and scored just seven goals to finish fourth and to face the trial of a playoff with Oceania champions New Zealand for a World Cup spot. Under Miguel Herrera, loaned to the national team by the Mexican Leagues Club America, El Tri convincingly beat New Zealand both home and away to keep up its record as one of the most consistent of World Cup qualifiers. "We were expecting to be in the World Cup a long time ago but it wasnt like that," Mexican keeper Moise Munoz said. "So we had to play a couple of games more to be there. It was really tough and we expected it to be tough here in New Zealand. "They fought like warriors to the last minute and they deserve the credit also." Herrera chose not to select players based in Europe or elsewhere for his playoff against New Zealand, naming a starting lineup of locally-based players which included seven players from his own club. His team justified that policy and Herrera, having ended a period of instability in Mexico soccer, now hopes to be rewarded with a longer-term contract. Peralta had a hat trick before halftime as Mexico cut to pieces New Zealands defence which, after being too deep in Mexico, pushed too far forward Wednesday and was consistently exposed. Mexico opened up New Zealand on the flanks and, when it centred possession, found Peralta unopposed. Peralta scored in the 14th minute after taking a pass from Juan-Carlos Medina and chipping over oncoming goalkeeper Glen Moss. He scored again in the 28th minute when New Zealand was exposed on the left flank and for a third time in the 33rd minute. New Zealand pulled a goal back when Chris James scored from the penalty spot in the 79th minute. Striker Rory Fallon, whose goal against Bahrain on the same ground almost exactly a year ago sent New Zealand to the 2010 World Cup, scored four minutes later when he side-footed a close-range shot wide of Munoz. Carlos Pena then sealed the win for Mexico with a goal five minutes from fulltime. "Were just a bit disappointed we couldnt get that equalizer," New Zealand captain Tommy Smith said. "Obviously we strung a few more passes together tonight and hopefully that bodes well for the future." New Zealand had one scoring chance in the first half from a penalty in the 38th minute when striker Jeremy Brockie hurled himself to the ground at the feet of Munoz. The goalkeeper calmly picked himself up and saved Brockies shot, leaving the New Zealand striker without a goal in 41 international appearances. Throwback Walter Payton Youth Blue Elite Jersey . With the final four being arguably the four best – and most complete – teams from the regular season, picking a winner is not as easy as it sounds. Jon Bostic Jersey . Now shes ready to make waves in the U.S. Pace shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday to grab a share of the third-round lead with Laura Diaz in the Marathon Classic. She can barely express what a breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour might bring.If I ever needed a brain transplant, Id choose a sportswriter because Id want a brain that had never been used.- Norm Van Brocklin When I was 13, I transferred to a new school for the first time. I had spent ten years from junior kindergarten through Grade 8 at the northwest corner of Bathurst Street and Viewmount Avenue in midtown Toronto. It was my home court advantage. I knew the roll of the rims and the carom of the walls and which teachers were lax at taking attendance. It couldnt last forever. At some point a promotion was coming, and my record setting minor league career wouldnt matter once new maths and makeup-laden girls challenged all that I had honed. I was heading to St. Andrews Junior High. Grade 9. The Show. Embarking on my first day in the wilds of the public school system, I knew I had to make my mark early. Mr. Pelech, my clever English teacher, noticed my t-shirt just minutes into the first class. It was a tattered, ink-drenched Grateful Dead concert tee. He remarked that "Grateful Dead" was an example of a contradiction. Contra what now? Coach tapped my shoulder and I hopped the boards. I proceeded to argue with a shellshocked Mr. Pelech for several minutes. My arguments were lithe, varied and completely illogical, but I had been trained to stand my ground no matter how ridiculous my position. Eventually, a hapless Mr. Pelech scanned the class and sputtered, "Just who is this guy?" Each one of my classmates shook their heads sheepishly as if to say uh, dont look at me. Mark made. Within two weeks I owned that school. They didnt realize the repressed explosiveness that ten years of private school Yiddish lessons would unleash. It is in this brazen spirit I introduce myself to you now, Dear Reader, as your new weekly columnist for Bardown. Why was I chosen as The One to guide you through the international sports landscape, particularly with so many scribes vying for your sports-saturated eyeballs? Commence the elucidation (AKA bring da noize): Basketball. This is my wheelhouse. I know all the lyrics to Kurtis Blows Basketball and I have for decades. I own a Sweet Georgia Brown-humming Harlem Globetrotters pinball machine from 1979. I still play pickup every week at a local high school against stiff competition in their very extremely late twenties. Also, I was an associate producer for the Toronto Towers of the NBA for nearly 500 games, post-games, pre-games and exactly five playoff games. Ooh, another thing, I call the Toronto Raptors the Toronto Towers because I have some self-respect. Baseball. I spent five teenage summers selling peanuts outside the Dome under the alias Mike Simmons. Despite a promising career as a sidearm Eephus pitch-throwing specialist, the leagues advanced scouts were never able to unravel the mysteries of my potential, because apparently throwing over the plate was a "prerequisite for success". Racists. I submit that using the All Star Game to decide home field advantage in the World Series is akin to the winner of the submission portion of Americas Funniest Home Videos determining the nominees for The Oscars Best Picture award. Also, you can thank me for getting the old Blue Jays logo back, as days after writing this piiece, the marketing director for the Jays was following me on Twitter, and months later a new logo was born. Brandon Marshall Jersey. Also, my therapist says I have something called a narcissistic personality disorder. Football. In 1998, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue the dream of being rich and famous which is why you know me so well today. That same year I became a fan of an upstart outfit known as the Baltimore Ravens because I thought Ray Lewis was almost definitely innocent of murder and I am obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe. Fifteen glorious seasons later I have two championship rings (made of foil and buttons) as my testament. I have correctly predicted, in pre-season, the Super Bowl participants for 13 consecutive years and I defy you to prove otherwise. (Note: Please dont reference my Twitter feed. Just be cool. This claim is all I have.) Hockey. I worked camera on the 2003 documentary A Day in the Life of the Maple Leafs so I know a thing or two about hockey. Well, exactly two things. One, when I was eight years old, my teenage neighbour convinced me his Mats Naslund rookie card could be mine for the extremely low price of my 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gurtski rookie card. (Note: I have forgotten how to spell that particular Edmonton Oilers name. At least my night terrors have subsided.) Two, I have developed an algorithm demonstrating the NHL to be the worst run league in the history of Industry. It involves a complicated geometric measurement involving my eyes and common sense. (A fact I will gladly prove over and over again until they, oh I dont know, realign the conferences to have an equal amount of teams. Lets start there.) Fantasy Sports. I Am Legend. In its heyday of 2001, my sprawling website, mikegallay.com, was a sports fantasy powerhouse boasting 16 writers covering all sports, catering to an audience of nearly 16 unique daily readers (and fans of ravines who misspelled mygulley.com). Chances are, if you were a Canadian sports fan in the early 2000s, you were reading articles about topics we also covered on mikegallay.com. The Professor And Mary Ann. I will happily cover all the secondary sports every time a participant either murders someone, is attacked by a spouse using the tools of their own sport, has sex on camera on TMZ, or breaks an important racial, cultural or gender barrier while also keeping our interest for more than eight minutes. Thats my pledge. Am I the precisely correct author to bring you whimsical, satirical, deadly accurate analysis of the sports that matter to you? Absolutely. And can I say that with total sincerity because part of my contract stipulates I have no editor? Two for two. Have I earned your attention to read my column next week? Lets put it this way. My topic will be 23 Ways to Make Over 7K a Week Working Part Time From Your Couch. My third column will be Bardown Seeks New Columnist, No Experience Required. Gallays Poll #1 What would you like to see Gallay write about in his next column? a) A 20,000-word essay conclusively proving Mike is the third Williams sister. b) Doug Gilmours Secret Recipes for 3am Snacks. c) My Weekend In The Hamptons With Barry Bonds. d) No column, just use this space to expand Badminton coverage. cheap nfl jerseys ' ' ' |
