National Teams

There was every reason for Dutch stress on Tuesday evening: The ghost of the failed 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign; Saturday’s calamitous draw with 73rd-ranked Montenegro despite leading 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play; Louis van Gaal’s bike accident on Sunday and fractured hip, forcing him to watch this key clash against Norway from a wheelchair in a box seat; an empty De Kuip in Rotterdam after the country entered a three-week lockdown period with Covid-19 cases soaring.   

BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Italy missed out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar four months on from their Euro 2020 triumph after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Northern Ireland on Monday.

The Azzurri went into their final Group C qualification clash knowing they needed to win by enough goals to stay ahead of Switzerland to claim a place at next year's finals in Qatar.

On Sunday in front of 65,000 faithful at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal — needing only a draw to qualify for the World Cup — threw it all away in the 90th minute by allowing Aleksandar Mitrović to convert a back post header that sent Serbia to Qatar instead.

CAPE TOWN — South Africa will make a formal complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and global soccer governing body FIFA over the officiating in its 1-0 away defeat by Ghana in the African World Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

The result meant Ghana leapfrogged their opponents to take top spot in Group G and advance to the final qualifying stage in March, where they will hope to be one of five teams from the continent to book their place at Qatar 2022.

AMSTERDAM — Veteran Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal suffered a hip injury when he fell off his bicycle on Sunday but will be able to coach his team in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Norway in Rotterdam.

Van Gaal, who was cycling near the team hotel when he fell and was taken to hospital for tests, used a golf cart to conduct Monday's training before the Group G decider, where the Dutch need a draw to seal a place at next year's finals in Qatar.

LISBON - Serbia clinched an automatic berth in the 2022 World Cup finals after a 90th-minute header by halftime substitute Aleksandar Mitrović gave them a comeback 2-1 win over Portugal in their Group A qualifier on Sunday.

The result lifted Serbia into top spot on 20 points, three more than second-placed Portugal who only needed a draw to finish top on goal difference and qualify but will now head into the March playoffs.

SPLIT, Croatia - Croatia clinched an automatic berth in next year's World Cup finals in dramatic fashion as a late Fyodor Kudryashov own goal gave them a 1-0 home win over Russia in their crunch Group D qualifier on Sunday.

Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runners-up, jumped above Russia to top the standings on 23 points from 10 games, one more than the second-placed Russians who will head into the March playoffs.