PARIS: Germany, England and Poland all took another step towards qualification for the 2018 World Cup on Sunday while Danny Blind was sacked as Netherlands coach after his misfiring team faced missing a second straight major finals.

The Dutch football association fired Blind one day after his team’s humiliating 2-0 defeat to Bulgaria in Sofia a result that leaves the 2014 World Cup semi-finalists in danger of missing out on a second successive major tournament after watching Euro 2016 at home.

Blind, 55, had been in charge since July 2015, but Saturday’s loss left the Netherlands fourth in Group ‘A’ behind France, Sweden and Bulgaria. Only the top team in each group qualifies automatically for next year’s tournament in Russia.

“It’s a pity that it ends like this,” said Blind.

On the field, defending champions Germany remained on course with their fifth win from five games despite conceding their first goal in Group ‘C’. They beat Azerbaijan 4-1.

England, now the only team not to have conceded so far in European qualifying, beat Lithuania 2-0 in Group ‘F’. On an emotional day, Jermain Defoe led England out onto the pitch with a terminally ill five-year-old mascot by his side and then scored in front of him.

In Group ‘E’, Poland captain Robert Lewandowski scored again as his first-placed team beat second-placed Montenegro 2-1.

Netherlands sack Blind

Germany maintained their 100 percent record as they moved to 15 points in Group ‘C’ after a brace from little-used forward Andre Schuerrle and goals from Thomas Mueller and Mario Gomez in Baku.

“It does me good to score goals, but it’s up to me to take my performances back to Germany and repeat them for Dortmund,” said Schuerrle.

Azerbaijan midfielder Dimitrij Nazarov, who plays in Germany, had netted an early equaliser to the delight of the home crowd before Joachim Loew’s team stepped on the accelerator.

Germany have scored 20 goals so far in their group and took their unbeaten away run in World Cup qualifying to 44 games.

“We absolutely fulfilled our duty,” Loew said. “It was like a cup game against a team from a lower division. If you don’t go in at the top of your game, you make them stronger than they are.”

Northern Ireland stayed second the group, five points behind Germany, after a Jamie Ward goal in just the second minute and a Conor Washington strike on the half hour gave their team a 2-0 win over Norway in Belfast.

The Czech Republic, who racked up a 6-0 win in San Marino, are two points further back, one ahead of Azerbaijan.

Two each from Antonin Barak and Vladimir Darida, and goals from Theodor Gebre Selassie and Michal Krmencik, gave the Czechs their biggest ever away win.

At Wembley, Defoe made an emotional return from exile.

Though Joe Hart wore the captain’s armband, Defoe led the side out onto the pitch with a terminally ill five-year-old mascot, cancer-stricken Bradley Lowery, with whom the Sunderland striker has formed a bond.

With Lowery watching on, the 34-year-old Defoe then scored his first England goal for four years, striking 21 minutes into his 56th appearance. Raheem Sterling glided through the defence and provided a sweet cross for Defoe to net his 20th international goal.

“I had to keep my emotions in the beginning with little Brad with me,” Defoe said after his first England appearance since November 2013. “It was special just to be back.”

Defoe played almost an hour before being replaced by Jamie Vardy, who scored with his first touch to wrap up the win for England.

Gareth Southgate’s side have 13 points, extending their Group ‘F’ lead to four points over Slovakia.

“We’d have liked a bit more, but I think really only one team came to win the game and it’s always difficult to break down a packed defence,” said Southgate.

Slovakia went second in the group with a 3-1 win at Malta while Scotland are six points off the pace after substitute Chris Martin scored an 88th-minute winner against Slovenia in Glasgow.

Lewandowski scored for the 10th straight European qualifier as Poland extended their lead in Group ‘E’ to six points over Montenegro.

The home side equalised through Stefan Mugosa’s first international goal but Lukasz Piszczek claimed Poland’s winner late to leave Montenegro in a four-way scrap with Denmark, Romania and Armenia for second place.

Montenegro are level with Denmark on seven points after the Danes’ goalless draw in Romania, who are level with Armenia a point further back.

Despite starting with three straight losses, Armenia revived their hopes of a playoff spot by defeating Kazakhstan 2-0 at home for a second consecutive victory under new coach Artur Petrosyan.

Bottom side Kazakhstan had Sergey Malyy sent off with his second yellow card with less than half an hour remaining, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan struck nine minutes later before Aras Ozbiliz sealed the win.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2017