After the completion of the qualifying playoffs, UEFA are now sure of the final 4 teams that will make up their 13 representatives at Brazil 2014. The teams that were successful was so due to the fact that the shot their way to the World Cup during these play-offs. These teams are Greece, Croatia, France and Portugal. Statistics show that these teams had a better shooting rate or shot accuracy than their opponents.

Greece won their first leg encounter with Romania, 3-1. In this match they took 10 shots with 5 going on target compared to Romania's 7 with only 1 on goal. In leg two the onus was on Romania to come up blazing with Greece in a comfortable position. However, they finished with just 3 of 11 shots on target and the game finished with a 1-1 scoreline. Greece averaged a 57% shot accuracy in both games and it was quite sufficient to see them go through 4-2 on aggregate.

Croatia’s 42% shot accuracy was far superior to Iceland’s dismal showing. In game 1, Iceland had zero shots on target and four days later they were not much better. They played over 60 minutes of game 2 with a man advantage, after Croatia’s Mario Madzukic was sent off, and were only able to manage 1 out of 7 shots on target. While a handicapped Croatia ended the game with 8 out of 19 shots and were even able to add to the score which ended 2-0.

France made history as the first ever team to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg by beating Ukraine 3-0. Although France had a better shot accuracy than Ukraine in both games, Ukraine were more efficient, scoring 2 of their 4 shots that were on target. France, on the other hand, squandered their 6 chances on goal. Leg 2 saw France taking 24 total shots, 10 more than first game and 3 more chances on goal. In the second game France was the more efficient team and they had a better shot accuracy in the tie that they won 3-2 on aggregate.

The game between Portugal and Sweden was a very entertaining one. The tie was hyped around two superstars in Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s Portugal outshot Sweden in both games, racking up a grand total of 36 shots with only 8 of them going on target, while Ibra’s Sweden created far less attempts but had just 1 fewer shot on target. Portugal eventually triumphed thanks to Ronaldo, who scored all 4 goals for Portugal in the tie that ended with an aggregate score-line of 4-2. Ronaldo proved that he was at least twice as good as Zlatan, who score two goals for Sweden, by scoring a hat-trick to add to his 1 goal winner in the first game.

Elsewhere, all five CAF representatives are confirmed and they are Ivory Coast, Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana. The total amount of teams that have already qualified for World Cup Brazil is now 31. Mexico beat New Zealand 9-3 on aggregate in the playoff between CONCACAF and Oceania, while Uruguay defeated Jordan 5-0 on aggregate in the CONMEBOL/AFC playoff.