Fuente : FIFA World Cup 2006
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/

WORLD CUP 2006: Czech climb catches the eye

/noticias.info/ The Czech Republic are the team to catch the eye in this month’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as they climb to second place behind Brazil, swapping positions with a France side who have slipped two places to fourth.

The Czechs' climb is reward for their two victories in March’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers – an exciting 4-3 home success against Finland followed by a more comfortable 4-0 win away against Andorra. it is the highest position in six years for the Czechs, who have now won six games in succession.

Meanwhile, France’s fall to fourth is the result of their struggles in qualifying for Germany 2006 as although they sit top of their group they have drawn four of their six matches played – including the qualifiers against Switzerland and Israel last month.

There is no change for the two top-ranked South American teams in the rankings with Brazil still on top and Argentina remaining third, although Argentina enjoyed greater success on the field in March, collecting six qualifying points to Brazil’s four.

Seventy-seven FIFA World Cup qualifiers and over a dozen friendly matches were played over the course of the past four weeks and the team to have made the biggest leap in the standings in that time are Belgium who move up ten places to 41st.

European champions Greece, meanwhile, have climbed two places to their highest-ever position of 12th, and also breaking new ground are Belarus (up three places to 63rd) and the Cape Verde Islands (up eight places to 121st). March was also a good month for Austria and Togo who both climbed eight places to 72nd and 79th respectively.

Other climbers in the top 50 are Croatia (21st, up three), Egypt (28th, up three), South Africa (37th, up three), Ukraine (42nd, up four), Switzerland (45th, up four) and Slovakia (48th, up six).

For the full list, go to FIFA.com. The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on May 18. notas_de_prensa_archivo