BALTIMORE, Maryland October 30, 2014 - With teams having played up to three games each, several unlikely names have emerged as leaders in UEFA's Euro 2016 Championship - Qualifying Phase. Wales, for instance, leads Group B with 7 points, 1 better than second place Israel and 3 better than third place Belgium, although Israel and Belgium have played but two matches, one fewer than Wales. Iceland and the Czech Republic are tied atop Group A with 9 points apiece and perfect 3-0-0 records. Notherlands, a final four nation in the recently concluded World Cup, are a distant third place with only 3 points.
In Group C, Slovakia leads with 9 points nnd a perfect 3-0-0 record, while Spain and the Ukraine are tied for second place with 6 points each and records of 2 wins, 1 loss and 0 draws. Poland and Ireland sit atop Group D with 7 points each. Both nations have two wins and one draw. World Cup Champion Germany is in a third place tie with Scotland, each with 1-1-1 records. The shocker in this group was Poland's 2-0 win over Germany in Warsaw on October 12. England has a firm grip on Group E, as it sits atop the standings with 9 points and a perfect 3-0-0 record. Slovenia and Lithuania are tied for second with 6 points and identical 2 win, 1 loss records. Powerful Switzerland sits alone in fourth place with a dismal 1 win, 2 loss record. Northern Ireland is in the lead in Group F with a perfect 3-0-0 mark and 9 points, but Romania is solid in second place with 7 points and a mark of 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses. Finland and Hungary are tied for third with 4 points and records of 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. Powerful Greece is in 5th place, ahead of only the Faroe Islands. The Greeks have a mark of 0 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. Austria leads the hotly contested Group G with 7 points and a mark of 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses. Russia and Finland, with equal marks of one win and two draws, are in a second place tie with 5 points. Montenegro, with one win, one draw and one loss, is right behind Russia and Finland with 4 points. Even the teams tied for last, Moldova and Liechtenstein, each have a point and are but two wins behind the division leader. Group H is also a dogfight, with two teams undefeated after three games and one team with two wins and one loss. Italy and Croatia are tied for first with perfect 3-0-0 records and 9 points. Norway is third with 2 wins and 6 points. In Group I, the only division with only 5 teams, Denmark and Albania are tied with four points each, although Albania has played but two games. Portugal is but one point behind the leaders with 3 points and a record of one win and one loss. Serbia and Armenia have one point each and are tied for fourth.
The next round of qualifying games are November 12-14. They are the last for this year. The qualifying continues in March, 2015. France, as the host team for the Championship Round, is an automatic qualifier for the finals.
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