We were wondering which teams would make it to the tape in the World Cup play-offs to qualify for a space among the final 32 teams.

The absolute surprise and disappointment to many is the failure of Italy to qualify.

There were tears and rage all over the country on the night of Monday, November 13, when the team crashed into a 0-0 tie vs Sweden. The newspapers blazoned headlines, ‘A National Shame’, said one; ‘Apocalypse’, said another; ‘A historic gaffe’, chastised a daily, and so on.

It is said that many tragedies have befallen Italy over the years, but the failure of the nation’s team to qualify for the first time since 1958 is regarded as national disaster, a national crisis.

Well, that’s the story of soccer-crazed nations, where time stands still and even turns back when teams fail to live up to the hopes and expectations of their fans.

So the field is now set for World Cup 2018 in Russia. The draw for the eight four-team groups and schedules will take place in the State Kremlin Palace on December 1. This event will be a drawing card for millions, and Russia is going to be milking all the favourable publicity and attention grabbing it can get out of the show.

The top seeds are set, with the host country and the top seven qualifiers from FIFA’s October rankings: Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland and France.

The tournament will run from June 14 to July 15, beginning and ending in Moscow.

In an earlier column I had suggested that it would be difficult to pick a winner at this early stage. I was rubbished by more knowledgeable friends, including Lindy Forbes and Robert Wint, who sit on my regular Thursday evening analysts panel. Of course, Germany must be the favourite.

Germany raised the Jules Rimet Trophy in the Maracanã Stadium in Brazil last time around. Since then they have marched steadily into the series, winning the FIFA Confederations Cup, reaching the semi-finals of last year’s European Championship, and swept all before them in the Group C in Europe’s World Cup qualifiers.

In-between the rush, Brazil and many of the other elites got through with only trivial disruption, but guess who nearly never made it— Argentina! They escaped relegation, thanks to Lionel Messi’s magical performance on the last day of the South American eliminations.

Another South American team, Peru, just barely scraped through from the play-offs with a 2-0 win over New Zealand on Thursday, November 9. Peru became the final team to secure a World Cup spot, and perhaps the team to spark off the loudest celebrations. It is a matter of record that the magnitude of the celebrations in Lima set off an earthquake detector in the city at the exact moment when Jefferson Farfan put Peru 1-0 up.

And speaking of noise, I understand that we are in for some strange new sounds at World Cup next year. Iceland is coming, and they are bringing with them “The Viking Clap”. Nothing to do with STIs. The Viking Clap is a hypnotic, thunderous crescendo of claps performed by the team along with thousands of their fans shouting ‘ho-ho’. It starts with a slow rhythm, then it builds up speed, and I assure you will capture the imagination as well as the indignation of the crowds in the stadiums, and indeed those listening or watching over the airwaves.

They say it’s a post-match celebration that Iceland’s players have performed traditionally with their fans at the Euros and one that has stunned people the world over.

It will remind us of the noise made by the vuvuzelas at the South African finals in 2010 and which has now been popularised all over the world, even at political meetings here in Jamaica.

Anyway you look at it, newcomer tiny Iceland will be the little darling of the tournament and nothing is going to stop their ‘ho-ho’. If you want a preview of how it sounds, you can listen to it online. I have done so, and it is fascinating, almost frightening, but much fun.

Then there is that Mexican Wave which will also be on show in Russia, as it is now standard fare for crowd enjoyment at football matches.

The Wave, it is said, was first spotted at a World Cup when it swept across the stadiums in Mexico at World Cup 1986.

The wave is described by Wikipedia as a rhythm achieved in a packed stadium when successive groups of spectators briefly stand, yell, and raise their arms. Immediately upon stretching to full height, the spectator returns to the usual seated position.

The result is a wave of standing and sitting spectators that travels through the crowd, even though individual spectators never move away from their seats.

I experienced it for the first time at a football match in Norway (here we go again, you must have heard of this trip a thousand times) in 2008. I remember seeing the wave approaching and the young 14-year-old members of my team laughing and yelling, “Missa Neita, stan’ up! Mexican wave a come!” When it reached me I jumped up with the spectators in my section and waved hands in the air and yelled some strange sounds. I felt pleased and satisfied that I had played some part in this unnatural phenomenon; in fact, during the match I started a few waves of my own, and it was fun to watch it moving around the ring.

Now this is a kind of football thing that does not work well with other sports. I am amused to hear that they tried it at Lord’s, but when the wave reached the Members Pavilion, the stodgy old members refused to play, and were thoroughly booed by the crowd.

So World Cup next year will have new features and highlights and personalities. Sepp Blatter will be there as a personal guest of President Vladimir Putin. There is some talk that the President had a hand or two in convincing Blatter to push for Russia to host the Cup in 2018. There will be much to talk about when he appears in the VIP Box.

And incidentally, the December 1 final draw will take place at the official residence of President Putin in the heart of Moscow. Take that for the significance attached to this international showpiece by the Russian Government. And eat your hearts out, USA and Jamaica. Unfortunately, neither one of us will be there.

Lance Neita is a public relations consultant and author. Send comments to the Observor or lanceneita@hotmail.com.