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Whenever a great side comes along, people always react in the same manner.  The general consensus immediately becomes that they are unbeatable.  Yet, Uruguay have not won every World Cup and Preston North End have long since failed to hold onto their First Division title.  Even the current Barcelona dynasty suffered a hiccup in between their dismissals of Manchester United.

Spain are the current holders of both the European Championship and World Cup, with bookmakers, pundits and punters alike finding it difficult to conceive that they will not dissect the opposition in the same surgical fashion next summer in the Ukraine and Poland.  And, so they might.

On the other hand, they just might not.  Throughout the World Cup, La Furia dominated possession and looked good doing it.  Yet, to their own frustration, they continually failed to administer the killing stroke.  Consequently, Switzerland were able to win ugly in the opening match of the group stage and every match but one in their tournament ended by either a 1-0 or 2-1 score. Rather than grabbing the world by the throat to win their first World Cup, Vicente del Bosque’s side managed it by the skin of their teeth.

When you leave the door open so many times, sooner or later, someone is going to walk through it.  Heading into next summer’s tournament, the champions will be largely unchanged from the current version.  Barring injury, Iker Casillas will be between the sticks, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique will guard his doorstep, flanked by Joan Capdevilla and Sergio Ramos, the midfield will be led by Xavi and Andres Iniesta and anchored by Sergio Busquets, and David Villa will be up front.  The only changes might be Cesc Fabregas stepping into Xabi Alonso’s place or Pedro replacing Fernando Torres.  Essentially, they’ll be standing pat.  Meanwhile, many of their opponents will be featuring new, improved squads.

So, our cracked staff has gotten together one last time, this summer, to run the rule over the competition and offer their opinions on who will walk away as the next European champion.

Spain (Sean O’Brien) – After last year’s World Cup final, I predicted that Germany would win Euro 2012. I ‘m sticking with that prediction,for now, but the question for the moment is which team is most likely to win the tournament?  To me, ‘most likely’means favoured and Spain is obviously that.

Initially, my argument was going to be that this tournament would be this squad’s last hurrah, but, after doing some research, I was surprised by how young this Golden Generation is. At tournament kickoff next summer, only eight players will have reached thirty years of age. Of those, four are either goalies or sporadic starters. The others are Xabi Alonso , David Villa, Xavi and Carles Puyol.  Xavi, Villa and Alonso are all playing better than ever, with only Puyol showing the effects of his advancing years. It’s a medical fact that smaller people tend to age better and durability is just another advantage that this immensely talented squad enjoys.

Speaking of advantages, La Furia Roja has the best goalkeeping corps in the world, a backline with a fantastic mixture of experience and youth, a midfield deeper than the Pacific Ocean and scoring options more potent than ever, with Torres having had time to regain his form, Pedro developing further and Alvaro Negredo coming up. Imagine facing a team that could bring David Silva, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas off the bench? That’s just frightening.

Tactically, everyone knows that ball possession and midfield control give you a fantastic chance to win and they also know that no one on the planet maintains possession and wins it back better than the Spaniards.   Their players know each other so well that they are rarely, if ever, out of sync.

The only question mark hanging above this team is whether another season of Clasico matches will break the hard-earned trust in what has traditionally been a fractious team.  Regional politics had long been a detriment to the national team but, under del Bosque, Castilians, Catalans, Andalusians and Basques all came together.  Yet, smoldering embers between Real Madrid and Barcelona blazed out of control this season and, although the players claim that those emotions are set aside during international duty, another contentious season in La Liga will test that discipline, possibly exposing the ugly side of the beautiful game.

Germany (Gareth McKnight) – The Germans are starting to look ominous. Joachim Löw has been in charge of the side since taking over from Jurgen Klinsmann in July, 2006, stamping his style and authority over a talented group of players. Die Mannschaft alway seem to be there or thereabouts and the side has been on the verge of success in their last three major tournament outings, finishing third in the last two World Cups and runners-up to the superb Spaniards in Euro 2008.

The squad has a youthful exuberance and the old guard are finally comfortable in handing the reins over to the new generation; it was announced on Thursday that Michael ‘Kaiser’Ballack will no longer be considered for international duty. With Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller and Mario Gomez, the side has world-class players, all 25 or under, ready to take the country to the pinnacle of football once again.  Despite having only two thirty-something players in their current squad, Germany does not lack experience, with seasoned campaigners Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose all having over 80 caps apiece.  It’s a perfect blend of old and new.

With the Euros a year away, mercurial talents such as Marko Marin, Marco Reus and Mario Götze have another season of club football to mature and possibly add their considerable abilities to the combined German effort.

Germany is undefeated in an admittedly average qualification group but – platitude alert!  platitude alert! – you can only play what is put in front of you. Löw’s team have won seven games out of seven, scoring twenty-two goals and conceding only three. With the big game mentality and nerves of steel the German side always bring to international tournaments, don’t be surprised if they finally oust holders Spain and lift the European trophy in the Ukraine.

The French Foreign Legion (Tapesh Patel) – With Spain so dominant at international level, it’s a tough ask for any side to topple them. But there is, I would say, a ‘second tier’of countries waiting to pounce if they do slip up, of which France is a member.

In little less than a season, Laurent Blanc has transformed the bunch of misfits that emerged from the World Cup without suspension into a cohesive, and above all winning outfit. The latter should be emphasised – as triumphs over England and Brazil, albeit in friendlies, testify to this France team’s ability to duke it out with the heavyweights.

The qualifying campaign has been unremarkable but there is little doubt that France will go through. If and When they do, the side at Euro 2012 will be an impressive one. Rami and Mexes have formed an impressive little-and-large partnership in defence. Yann M’Vila has the potential to last a decade as midfield enforcer. Samir Nasri sparkles as the side’s attacking fulcrum, even more so than for Arsenal. And Karim Benzema, after a long spell in the wilderness, is back.

Add the formerly suspended Franck Ribery and Patrice Evra into this equation, and it becomes the sum of old and new, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The big-club experience the pair will bring could be exactly what a potential winner of the tournament will need.

Les Bleus (Andrew Gibney) – Now that the quota scandal is behind Laurent Blanc – touch wood – he can get back to the wonderful job he has been doing with the National team. There is so much talent in this side and with another domestic campaign successfully in the books for all, I can only see good things happening.

The partnership of Rami and Mexes is getting better every game and, with the man mountain Mamadou Sakho waiting eagerly in the wings, the defence looks promising for years to come. There is no question that Yann M’Vila is going to be a star and 2012, culminating in the Euros, could be his breakout year.

Upfront there are just too many threats to write about.  Just trust me; take all your money and throw it on France..Allez Les Bleus, Allez!  – Andrew Gibney

Paris in Spring (Jude Ellery) – La Francais. Mes oui!  Sorry Tapesh, I’ll be treading on your toes a bit here but you don’t have the market cornered on Gallic appreciation.

Laurent Blanc is a stylish manager but, more importantly, the FFF have found the new secret formula for winning international tournaments: a lush away kit. Sure, Spain have nice home shirts, but France’s secret weapon is a classically designed second strip, inspired by the marinière: the black and white stripey number that French sailors (and afterwards, burglars) used to wear.

I predict that this outfit will inspire Les Sacrebleus to raise their performance by at least 3%, and, seeing as a prerequisite for winning any international competition is beating Italy in extra time in the semi-final, this little slice of haute couture will be just what Karim Benzema and co. need to bring the trophy back to l’Hexagone.

The Rejects (Martin Palazzotto) – Well, the consensus seems to be with Les Bleus in our little corner of the cyber-verse.  Personally, I’m with Gareth – great minds and all that – in the belief that Germany is going to claim its fourth European crown.  

He’s touched on all the right points.  As well as possessing the requisite talent to get the job done, die Mannschaft are trending in the proper direction after losing to Spain in the last tournament and the World Cup semi-finals.  They’ve transitioned quickly from an old squad to a young, eager side with big game experience.  They’ve learned to lose to Spain; now its time that they beat them.

Still it’s been left to me, the responsible one, to let everyone else down easy and explain why your favourite didn’t rate with WFC.  I’m always stuck being the bad parent.  So, here’s the cold, hard truth:

The Dutch — Mohamed Moallim has been hampered by the poorest of excuses – a paying job – from defending the honour of his beloved l’Oranje in person.  Unfortunately, were he here, he’d find it difficult to rationalise precisely how Bert van Marwijk’s side could overcome what was already an aging defence in South Africa to hold off the potent attacks of France Germany and Spain.  Worse, two of their best young players, Ibrahim Afellay and Urby Emmanuelson may have hampered their own development by signing with clubs, Barcelona and AC Milan, which will likely not offer them consistent first team starts.

Then, there is the question of nerve.  Having given as good as they got in attack against Brazil, van Marwijk’s side crept into a defensive shell, one that an elephant wielding a sledgehammer would find impossible to crack, when they went up against the struggling offence of Spain.  In America, we have a saying:  you dance with the one who brought you.  If the Netherlands reach the final in Kiev, however, it wouldn’t surprise me if, one more time, the artistry of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie gives way to the brute force of Mark van Bommel and Nigel ‘The Legbreaker’de Jong.

Portugal –  Believe it or not, this is not a one-man team.  There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo, for better or worse, is the Seleccao leader but Eduardo, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Raul Mereiles, Nani and Hugo Almeida are hardly make-weight components.  They may not have the depth of the favourites but that doesn’t stop them from being a very real threat as long as they can avoid injury and suspensions.

 What’s the problem, then?  Well, when you have a coach, in Carlos Queiroz, who has unified a group of technically gifted, attack-minded players and sold them on playing as a defensive unit, sacrificing themselves for each other, you don’t sack him when he oversteps his bounds in protecting them.  When he leaves, the belief in a shared goal goes with him and you’re stuck with a ragged passel of disillusioned individuals.

The Azzurri – Under Cesare Prandelli, Generation Next in Italy is coming together.  His hardline on disciplinary matters has been accepted by all, after both Daniele de Rossi and Mario Balotelli were banned for incidents while on club duty.  Prandelli has also had a narrow focus in selection, with Serie A Golden Boot winner for two season’s running, Antonio di Natale frozen out and Villareal star Giuseppe Rossi on the fringe.  In the long term, that vision is likely to bear fruit and Italy should be a factor at the World Cup in Brazil.  It would truly be a shock if this young, untested side went the distance in 2012, however.

Greece —  The Greeks are unbeaten in their qualifying group, with four wins and two draws, holding off Croatia and Israel, and they did win it all in Portugal 2004, proving that anything can happen in a short tournament such as this.  Still, with key veterans such as Theofanis Gekas and Sotirios Kyrgiakos retiring after the departure of coach Otto Rehhagel, reportedly due to differences with new man Fernando Santos, they simply do not have the solidarity of that championship side.  Without chemistry or a prolific attack, all they can do is adopt a siege mentality and wait for the walls to come crumbling down.

Turkey –  The Turks combine the stalwart resistance of their long-time enemies, the Greeks, with a skill and flair that is just a step below that of more traditional artistes, Spain and the Netherlands.  Under the tutelage of Guus Hiddink, those qualities may have come together and resulted in a surprising run of victories on the neutral battlefield of Eastern Europe.  He’s done it before with Russia in the Euros and South Korea in the World Cup. but with the charismatic, if flighty, genius almost surely headed for Stamford Bridge, Turkey will be lucky just to qualify.

The Hosts —  Poland?  Umm, sorry but no.  The Ukrainians do have some strong players and will likely make it into the latter stages on pride alone but their success in club competition has largely been down to a healthy dose of Brazilian style.  That is an illegal supplement in this competition and the withdrawal pains will be fatal to their hopes.  At thirty-four, Andriy Shevchenko is going to give it one last shot for the ages but the days of Pele and Maradona, where one player could win an entire tournament on his own, are long gone.

England – Okay, let me get behind this industrial strength barricade before I lob my opinion into this minefield.  Alright then, here goes.  Basically, England is a mess.  The squad faces psychological, chronological and sociological impediments that only grow larger and more deadly to their chances as major tournaments approach.

Psychologically, it’s simple.  So much has happened to them over the years, that, deep down, in their heart of hearts, the players don’t believe they can overcome it.  Being an England player is similar to being a recovering heroin addict.  You may tell yourself that you can slay the beast, you may have every intention of following through and you may have the best treatment and support that’s available but when you step back out on the street, your resolve crumbles every time.

Chronologically, it just isn’t their moment.  The heart of the team, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are all in the custody of Old Man Time.  Another club season may see Jack Wilshere ready to step in for Lampard but Fabio Capello is not likely to dare the media’s wrath and trust the youngster to supplant the terminally slow Chelsea midfielder.  Instead, they’ll play alongside each other, with their contrasting styles not the best fit.   At the back, Phil Jones is also on the verge of stepping into a key role but Chris Smalling isn’t.  Until Andy Carroll settles at Liverpool and stops incurring niggling injuries, his potential will remain his most valuable asset.   Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, needs a strong partner and, thanks to the obsession with foreign talent in the Premier League, Darren Bent is his only reliable and experienced option.  Scott Parker’s leadership would ease the transition from veteran squad to young team but Capello is too reliant on the old guard, regardless of the lessons of South Africa.  Overall, England’s selection problem is similar to Italy’s - ironic when you consider their manager’s nationality – in that they have stuck with their veterans too long, thus failing to develop, again with the help of a more globally minded Premier League, an entire generation of players.

Sociologically, there’s one obstacle that they just can’t overcome.   Even if Rio, Terry, Lamps and Stevie G. were in the peak of health, even if Scott Parker anchored the midfield instead of Gareth ‘How Did He Get Past Me?’Barry, even if Jack Wilshere became the heart of the engine, even if Wayne Rooney and Andy Carroll formed a deadly partnership and even if Fabio Capello had the squad perfectly tuned and pulling in the same direction, the media would find a way to tear it all to bits.  They’ve done it every time the Three Lions have begun to look like being kings of the jungle and they will do it again.  Why?  Because they are the pusher and it’s the England fans, not the squad, who are the addicts.  The NOTW and the Sunday Mirror put their product out there and the masses buy it, even when they know it for the deadly poison it is.  Their eyes dilate, their heads loll and drool runs down their chin as they read about what moral miscreants their heroes allegedly are.

If England fans want their squad to win, they need to stop mainlining the tawdry gossip and judge their team by its play on the pitch, rather than by its all too human frailties.

…..

Yeah, I think I may need a bigger barricade. – Martin Palazzotto 

That’s it for our review of the 2010-11 UEFA season.  It’s been real and it’s been long but most of all, it’s been really long,  Still, if you’re a glutton for punishment and have missed any portion of the ten-part series, links to each article are below.  As well, look on our home page to find the personal blogs of the many writers who contributed to the series!

1. Most Memorable Moments
2. Most Forgettable Moments
3. Player Not Named Messi Or Ronaldo Most Likely To Win Ballon d’Or
4. Club Most Likely to Win the 2012 Champions League
5. Club Most Likely To Spend Big Over The Summer
6. Player Most Likely To Make A Big Splash In The Summer Window
7. Manager Most Likely To Accept A High Profile Position
8. Young Player Most Likely To Impress At A Big Club
9. High-Profile Manager Most Likely To Remain Unemployed

Enjoy, and we’ll see you in 2011-12!

It’s going to be a bit of bare bones over the next few weeks, as most of Europe is idle, Mexico is on their summer break, Argentina is winding down and Australia has yet to kick in their new campaign.  Still, there is the Russian Premier League, the Campeonato Brasileiro, Major League Soccer, the Women’s World Cup, Copa America and the Gold Cup to keep us occupied until full football service is restored in late August.  So, if you’re really jonesing for some footy, WFC will point you in the right direction.

England v Switzerland (Saturday) – According to Fabio Capello and John Terry, the awkward transition from Rio Ferdinand’s tenure as captain of the Three Lions has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.  The Italian describes his relationship with Rio as “perfect” and Terry has said that the center back pairing had been in contact and cleared the air from the get-go, just as was the case when the captaincy was taken from the Chelsea defender, prior to the World Cup.  Ferdinand hasn’t confirmed the claims of his colleague and manager but his professional approach to England duty has long been exemplary.

With a dearth of options in attack, the Three Lions will need the back line to function at optimum levels in order to stay in front of second-placed Montenegro in Group G of Euro 2012 qualifying.  In attack, Wayne Rooney is suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards and Jermaine Defoe has pulled out.  That leaves Darren Bent to partner with either Bobby Zamora, who, as the season progressed, gradually approached the level of play he enjoyed under Roy Hodgson, or Peter Crouch, who, as the season progressed, began to approach the level of play I enjoy on weekends at the local park.

Luckily for Terry and Ferdinand, the Swiss have even less experience in stock on their forward shelf than England.  Veterans Alex Frei and Marco Streller have retired, leaving coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, the man who ironically criticised Jose Mourinho’s negative tactics at Real Madrid earlier in the spring, with a handful of fresh-faced young forwards to baptise in the fire of Wembley.

With the resources at hand, Hitzfeld would dearly love to play for a typical Swiss scoreless draw but his side are already six points behind their hosts and Montenegro, forcing them to open up if they are to make up ground with only four matches remaining.  Capello, meanwhile has a full complement of wingers to choose from, with some pairing from Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Theo Walcott, James Milner and Adam Johnson surely looking to combine with the forwards, as well as Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole, to exploit the inexperienced but desperate Swiss attack.

Switzerland’s best hope might be a season-ending hangover from the English squad.

Brazil v Netherlands (Saturday) — You read the heading correctly.  This is a home game for Brazil; a true one, which will take place in Goiás, rather than Dubai, Qatar or Arsenal’s Emirate’s stadium, their home away from home in Europe.  Eschewing financial gain in favour of stoking home support ahead of the Copa America, the Selecao also have the added incentive of gaining a measure of revenge against the country which ended their South African World Cup dream, no matter how strongly keeper Julio Cesar may deny it.

“It’s not a rematch. The World Cup is a unique competition. I felt a lot that defeat – we all did [but] this is a valuable match for us. It’s good for the new coach to watch the team. We have the Copa America ahead and as we won’t have the qualifiers this time for the next World Cup, it’s more difficult for [him] to build the team.”

One area to which Mano Manezes may pay particular attention is the forward line.  Youthful sensation Neymar is expected to be rested, as he has exhausted himself leading Santos to the Copa Libertadores Final.  In his place, expect Robinho to be paired with another young gun, Internacional’s Leandro Damaio.

L’Oranje will not be so interested in the outcome of the match and, with Wesley Sneijder already ruled out, Bert van Marwijk may look to bleed some youngsters so far from home, giving tired, jet lagged veterans a rest.  Robin van Persie, however, is eager to do his bit, as he hopes to convince a reluctant van Marwijk to stay on with the national side beyond next summer’s Euros.

USA v Spain (Saturday) – I do not speak, let alone read, Spanish.  As it is Friday afternoon at the writing and I am unable to find any information in English, anywhere on-line, regarding the US team’s set-up for a game occurring in less than twenty-four hours, against the World Cup holders no less, I now feel far less guilty about neglecting my MLS column over the last few weeks.  [In fact, guess what the next one will be about!]

Every great champion has a nemesis it just can't seem to beat. The US would love to be the country which has Spain's number.

The Americans are tuning up for the Gold Cup, which kicks off this coming week, and while a defeat against the best side in the world might not reinforce their confidence, the workout that Xavi, Andres Iniesta and company will put them through, as they chase after whatever scraps of possession the Spaniards let drop by the wayside, should raise the level of their game heading into the CONCACAF championship.

Clint Dempsey may still be adjusting his body clock to US time but Landon Donovan has been in a nice run of form lately for MLS club LA Galaxy.  Tim Howard, who finished the Premier League season strongly, with a clean sheet against Chelsea, knows it’s going to be a long ninety minutes against La Furia.  Yet can the experienced trio truly relate what it will be like to face Spain to the newer members of Bob Bradley’s squad?

While Vicente del Bosque will likely limit his tired veterans to cameo appearances, Spain, like Brazil, may be looking to settle a score, this one dating back to the 2009 Confederations Cup where the Americans stunned the European champions.

The US will face my Canadians on Tuesday, opening their Gold Cup schedule and I’m afraid it will be the Canucks who will be experiencing a bit of wrathful vengeance in the wake of this friendly.

Colorado Rapids v Philadelphia Union (Saturday) — The sophomore Philadelphia Union are now holding down first place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the New York Red Bulls with a game in hand.  Their twenty point output in eleven games is all the more surprising given that, until last week’s 6-0 drubbing of Toronto FC – Stanley Cup Finals aside, it’s not a good week to be Canadian – they had scored just eight goals and conceded nine.  For New York, who have lost five players to Gold Cup squads for several weeks, drawing half their matches to date may prove costly.

The Union encounter the altitude of DSG Park at perhaps just the right time.  Colorado, the MLS Cup holders are in what can only be described as a holding pattern.  The Rapids have drawn their last five matches and six of their last seven.  The match in between was a victory over Houston Dynamo but the indecisive run follows a three-game losing streak.  Several players have contributed goals, with Jamie Smith and Jeff Larentowicz on three and Omar Cummings and Irish international Caleb Folan on two.  No one has truly stepped up to lead the line, though, and the lack of a creative mid-fielder is being felt, especially as Gary Smith’s side is yielding an unspectacular goal per game behind the indifferent attack.

Philly have been stalwart on defence but that will be tested during the final thirty minutes in the Mile High City.  Offensively, Carlos Ruiz and Danny Mwanga lead the line and last year’s goal source, Sebastian LeToux has turned provider, with three assists thus far.

The Union will look to put some distance between themselves and the Red Bulls before the New Yorkers’stars return and Gary Smith will be demanding that his side shake off the doldrums and start racking up some points.  They are champions, after all.

Flamengo v Corinthians (Sunday) —  After an embarrassing failure for Corinthians in the qualifying stage of the Copa Libertadores, followed by a nasty demonstration from so-called supporters, two club legends have departed.  Ronaldo is in retirement, free to be as fat as he pleases.  Roberto Carlos is in Russia, captaining Anzhi Makhachkala to third place in the Premier League, level on points with leaders CSKA Moscow, as well as Zenit St. Petersburg and Dinamo Moscow in an incredibly tight race, featuring eight clubs all within a result of the top spot.  That leaves Portuguese International Liedson to lead the line.  Not a bad third option.

Flamengo are being captained, if you can believe it, by none other than Ronaldhino.  The hip-hop/Soca impresario has apparently put aside his musical aspirations to focus on leading the Rio de Janeiro side back to the fore of the national tournament.  It’s been an adventurous ride in the opening two matches, with seven goals scored and three conceded in a win and a draw.

The Paulista club haven’t been quite so prolific, managing a pair of 2-1 victories over Coritiba and Gremio. If, however, everyone desired style from our club rather than results, we’d all be Arsenal fans, wouldn’t we?

River Plate v Colon de Santa Fé (Sunday) – River are six points off the pace and Colon are nestled near the bottom of the table.  Yet, the young Millionaros are fighting a desperate battle against the relegation average.  The key for a River back line, which has conceded only eleven goals in the Clausura, will be to corral Colon’s dangerous Esteban Fuertes, third in the league with eight tallies.  Three points at home against a struggling club are absolutely vital towards staving off what would be an historic fall from grace.

Velez Sarsfield v Godoy Cruz (Monday) – With three games remaining in the Argentine Clausura – and no playoff, as in its Mexican counterpart – Velez are clinging to the lead by a single point over Lanus and two over Godoy.  The league title represents their lone hope for silverware on the year, after finishing second to Estudiantes in the Apertura and then conceding a fatal away goal to Penarol this week, in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final.

Smarting from the defeat, you can bet that Velez’prolific midfield, consisting of David Ramirez (6 goals), Maxi Moralez (4) and Augusto Fernandez and Ricardo Alvarez (both with 3) will be supporting line leader Santiago Silva (6 goals, as well) with an unmatched intensity, lest their season suddenly slip from their grasp.

Godoy’s attack is led by the partnership of Alvaro Navarro (5 goals) and Ruben Ramirez (4).  Both the midfield and defence have seen a high rate of turnover throughout the campaign, which has resulted in a much higher concession of goals than their counterparts.  It will be difficult for Godoy to hold off Velez’wide array of attacking weapons, especially at the Jose Amalfitani.

Independiente v Lanus (Monday) – Second-place side, Lanus, are on the road against the Copa Sud America champions.  Independiente must win all three of its final matches and pray for all sorts of help to make up their five-point deficit and pass four clubs.  This match, though, would be an excellent start.

Lanus have fought an amazing fight all season, thanks to the league’s third stingiest defence (behind Argentinos Juniors & River), just to keep rampant Velez within reach.  They will rely on their back four to hold off Independiente, so that seven-goal man Diego Valeri can strike at the opposite end.  It’s that time of year in Argentina, where victory is imperative and dropped points can prove deadly.

See you next week!

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/06/04/wfcs-weekend-catch-choice-fixtures-for-4-5-june-2011/feed/ 0 Bent & Rooney resulteditor Bent & Rooney World ball breakers uefa_logo World ball breakers FIFA logo Bradley, Onweyu, Bocanegra, Donovan US Ball Breakers MLS Logo Brazil Ball Breakers Brasileiro logo Argentina Ball Breakers Argentine FA logo World ball breakers http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/03/30/euro-2012-summary-for-25-29-march-2011/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/03/30/euro-2012-summary-for-25-29-march-2011/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:48:50 +0000 The WFC Staff http://worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=15584 Continue reading »]]> The past week’s Euro qualifiers mark the halfway point in this stage of the competition.  As the tables are now laid out, 5 clubs have gone a great length towards ensuring that they will join hosts Ukraine and Poland in the tournament but 2 groups each feature no less than 4 countries which have positioned themselves well for automatic qualification.

Here’s a rundown on how this international week affected the group stages…

This week saw no change at the top of Group A, as Germany have all but sewn up 1st place. Only a minor miracle could see the chasing pack catch Joachim Low’s men. Although die Mannschaft did lose Tuesday’s friendly match with Australia, they first turned out a comfortable 4-0 win over Kazakhstan, when it mattered, with 2 goals each from World Cup heroes Thomas Müller and Miroslav Klose.

Neighbours Belgium will be the happiest team in the group after this set of International fixtures.  They move up to second with wins over Austria and Azerbaijan.  A commanding performance in Austria, with two goals from Alex Witsel, followed by a solid 4-1 victory at home against one of the group’s minnows was enough to leap-frog Turkey into second.

The Turks, meanwhile, compounded Austria’s woes with a 2-0 triumph.   Tallies from Arda Turan and Gonul set up a mouth-watering clash in Belgium this June, with the winner in that match possibly deciding who finishes second.

For Austria the campaign is all but over.  The two defeats this week all but erased their chances.  At first glance, it doesn’t look so bad, 3 points behind, with a game in hand but their next two fixtures are home and away against the German juggernaut.  Any points from those matches will have the Vatican investigating, as it would certainly qualify as a minor miracle to derail Joachim Löw’s runaway train. – Andrew Gibney

♦   ◊   ♦

B is the most hotly contested of the nine groups as everyone makes the turn for home in this phase of the competition.  Three nations share the top spot, with Slovakia’s better record to date against Russia and Ireland giving them temporary bragging rights.Meanwhile, Armenia has made their presence known, just 2 points off the pace.

Coming into this slate of fixtures, the Russians held the edge but weren’t able to find a way through the stalwart Armenian defence in Yerevan.  The nil-nil result opened the door for both the Slovakians and Irish to run them down.  Slovakia took an uninspiring but effective 1-o win home with them from Andorra and the Boys in Green scored twice in the early doors, through Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane, the latter capitalising on a fumbled save by Edin Nuredinovski.  Ivan Trickovski had a goal up his sleeve and pulled it out just before the break but Giovanni Trappatoni’s squad shut the door in the second half and have put themselves in another unusual position in a UEFA qualifying tournament.

As tight as it is at the top, the performances of Andorra and Macedonia in 1-goal losses serves notice that no Group B match can be taken for granted as 2012 creeps closer. – Martin Palazzotto

♦   ◊   ♦

Italy finally ended a 17-year winless streak on Slovenian soil to move five points clear at the top of Group C.  A solitary goal from Brazilian born Thiago Motta was enough to give the Azzurri all 3 points in Ljubljana on Friday night.  Slovenia stalled once more on Tuesday evening when they were stifled by plucky Northern Ireland in Belfast.

Serbia are now tied in the runners-up position, blowing their chance to go 2nd outright by only picking up 4 points from their 2 games.  It’s already been a costly campaign for Serbia, who infamously forfeited October’s game against Italy due to their traveling support inciting violence and throwing missiles and flares at their own players.  That episode led to Friday’s game with the Northern Irish being played behind closed doors.

After coming from behind to beat Nigel Worthington’s Green Army, the Serbs must have thought they had done all the hard work. However, Estonia are no longer considered minnows of international football and they followed up October’s win in Belgrade with a draw in Tuesday’s return fixture.  Consequently, they lie just a point behind the teams sharing 2nd and have a game in hand. Estonia and Slovenia both visit bottom feeding Faroe Islands in June, with the Baltic state also visiting Italy in the same week.

Northern Ireland are seven points off the pace, in 5th. With their hopes of automatic qualification nonexistent, home games against the Faroes in August and Serbia one month later are must-win if Worthington’s squad still harbour playoff hopes. — Shaun Best

♦   ◊   ♦

It was mixed fortunes for the teams chasing Les Bleus in Group D. Romania bounced back from defeat in Bosnia to see off Luxembourg 3-1 at home, which just about keeps them in touch for 2nd place. That gave Belarus the chance to increase their lead over the Romanians but they were stunned by Salihi’s 62nd minute goal which gave Albania the 1-0 win and possession of 3rd place level on points with the Belorussians.

Laurent Blanc’s French side started the weekend off with a 2 goal victory over lowly Luxembourg.  Phillippe Mexes and Yoan Gourcuff scored to keep France’s lead at the top at 4 points. A goalless draw with Croatia in Tuesday’s friendly was a much tougher test than the qualifier but it would take a brave man to bet against France winning the group.

The dark horse for Group D has to be Bosnia-Herzegovina, only five points behind France and they have a game in hand over the other teams in contention. After going a goal down to Romania it was Victor Ibisevic and Man City’s Edin Dzeko that fired the home side back in front, how crucial will Dzeko’s 83rd minute winner be in Bosnia’s campaign for a place at Euro 2012. With Romania away and Albania at home to come in June if they could pick up maximum points any slip up from France away at Belarus could see Bosnia put pressure on Blanc and his men.

First, however, the Bosnians must sort out their differences with UEFA and each other.  Their three-headed presidency, forged due to the lack of trust between the 3 ethnic factions, Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks (ethnic Muslims), runs afoul of UEFA’s requirement that federations be headed by one man, rather than a committee.  This week the three factions voted unanimously to maintain their current structure and now face possible suspension.  Should that occur, it remains to be seen whether all group results involving Bosnia Herzegovina will be stricken, perhaps altering the table significantly. – Andrew Gibney

♦   ◊   ♦

The Netherlands made it back to back wins over Hungary and in the process maintained their perfect start in Group E, which now reads 6 wins in a row.  While the win in Budapest was comfortable, victory in Amsterdam was far less so.  Despite knocking in 5 goals, to make it 9 over the course of the tie, the Magyars came roaring back to score 3 goals in Amsterdam after being blanked at home..

While Bert van Marwijk was sufficiently pleased in the first game to compare l’Oranje to FC Barcelona, their porous defence at home had them looking more like Arsenal. Yet, as with the Gunners, goals from multiple sources made up for the shortcomings in the back.  In the 4-0 away victory, Rafael van der Vaart, Ibrahim Afellay, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie all contributed.  In the 5-3 shootout at the Amsterdam ArenA, Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistlerooy joined the fun, with van Persie and Kuyt, who had a brace, making the score sheet again.

Unfortunately, Hungary will receive no credit for pushing the Dutch, first coming from behind to take a 2-1 lead and then leveling again at 3 before Kuyt finished off the game.  Worse for Total Football fans, the soft defending may see van Marwijk return to a more pragmatic style.

Hungary’s defeats meant Sweden could leapfrog them into second spot, if they overcame a Moldovan side that have caused one or two near upsets. For much of that match,it looked as though Moldova might scrape out the draw.  However,  late goals from Mikael Lustig and Sebastian Larsson made sure that Sweden would get the valuable three points, despite Alexandr Suvorov grabbing a consolation goal in the last minute.  With the Swedes holding two games in hand, the Magyars need a good deal of assistance before they can even begin to think of tiebreakers.

When you look at the bottom two squads, you wonder how Finland can be on just 3 points, being 4 goals to the good overall.  Then you see that lowly San Marino are on the verge of conceding 30 goals in the group and have yet to score themselves; more like plankton than minnows.   – Mohamed Moallim

♦   ◊   ♦

Before this week’s matches, Group F was shaping up as a two-horse race, with Greece trying to keep pace with Croatia and Georgia, Israel and Latvia all hoping for one of the pair to stumble.  Well, hope springs eternal and on Saturday Georgia managed to trip up Slaven Bilic’s Croatia at the Lokomotivi Stadium in Tbilisi.  The lone goal of the match, at the death, came from Levan Kobiashvili and plunged the group into chaos.

Somehow, Greece managed to come out of a poorly played game, in which Socrates Papaststhopolous was sent off in the 84th minute, smelling like roses.  Vasilis Torisidis’header, the game’s final action, gifted the Greeks a 1-0 victory, vaulting them into the top spot in the group.

It was the Israelis who made the biggest move up the table, however.  They followed their 2-1 win at home over Latvia on Saturday with a 1-0 triumph over a heady Georgia side.  The 6 points put them level with Croatia, if 4 goals behind.  Georgia is right there as well, just 2 points behind Greece.  Meanwhile, the Latvians’failure to eke out a result has seen them relegated to the spoiler’s role.

The June fixtures see Croatia get their chance for revenge against the Georgians, while the Israelis travel to Latvia and Greece hosts stubborn Malta.  The match at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piræus will be the very definition of a grinding out a result, no matter how it goes, but the hosts must see the importance of taking 3 points against the cellar dwellers to consolidate their newfound lead, while their pursuers tangle with each other. – Martin Palazzotto

♦   ◊   ♦

With every country midway through the campaign, the picture in Group G has become quite focused.  At the top, England and Montenegro are level but have a seemingly insurmountable lead on Switzerland and Bulgaria.  Meanwhile, with Gary Speed at the helm instead of John Toshack, fate continues to conspire against Wales.

The Three Lions went to Cardiff on Saturday, buffeted by gale force winds from an unceasing media storm.  John Terry’s reinstatement as captain had the tabloids in a furore.  When the NOTW and the Sun pull a celebrity down from their pedestal, they do not want him/her to get back up again, redemption being nothing but a threat to their power.  No matter, they would soon have another target, as Wayne Rooney’s caution will see him sit out the Switzerland tie, with Fabio Capello foolishly confiding that Rooney hadn’t known he was flirting with suspension.  The Italian’s birthday is in June.  Perhaps we can all chip in and get him an English/Italian Rosetta Stone so that he can communicate with his players.

Without Gareth Bale to threaten the visitors, the Welsh quickly found themselves on the back foot and down 2 goals in the opening minutes.  Meanwhile, the only other Group G encounter never really got going.  Bulgaria and Switzerland seemed content with each other’s company in the table and plodded through a scoreless draw.  Neither of these two countries has much hope of progressing but each of them faces one of their targets in June, a pair of potential 6-point matches that could drastically alter the landscape in the group. – Martin Palazzotto

♦   ◊   ♦

At the halfway point in Group H, 3 teams are still in the running.  With everyone on 4 games, Norway are the surprise top dogs, 3 points clear of Portugal and Denmark.  Portugal sat out this last round of qualifiers but will be happy that the results did not leave them ground to make up.

The Norwegians were held to a 1-1 draw by the Danes, thus ending their 100% record. Meanwhile, the other Scandinavian team in the group, Iceland were frozen out in a Cypriot stalemate.  Norway still have to go to Portugal and Denmark, so qualification is by no means sewn up.

There’s the potential for a three-way tie come June’s fixtures should Denmark beat rock-bottom Iceland and Portugal topple the group leaders.

Portugal’s rocky start, held to a 4-4 draw at home to Cyprus and then losing 1-0 in Norway hasn’t hurt them too badly, having since rebounded with a pair of 3-1 wins over Denmark and Iceland.  A final day meeting between Denmark and Portugal in Copenhagen could potentially decide this group. Cyprus and Iceland are now competing for pride  and their battle to avoid the cellar should be decided after September’s meeting in Reykjavik. – Shaun Best

♦   ◊   ♦

As Scotland took on the mighty Brazil this past week, the rest of Group I went on about their competitive business.

World Cup champions Spain joined the Dutch in the 100% club, with 5 wins out of 5, after triumphs over the Czech Republic & Lithuania. They had to come from behind to beat the Czechs 2-1 thanks to a David Villa brace. It was slightly easier in Lithuania as La Furia ran out 3-1 winners thanks to Xavi, Juan Mata and an own goal.  There’s nothing wrong with charity but if Lithuania were in a generous mood, it strikes me that San Marino have much more need of help than the Spaniards.

In the only other tie of the week, the Czech Republic comfortably beat minnows Liechtenstein 2-0. A Milan Baros strike after three minutes calmed the nerves of the home side.  Perhaps it was too strong a sedative, as they then waited until the seventieth minute to ensure all three points on a strike from Michal Kadlec .

So, Spain look certain to qualify, as we all expected. The Czechs are holding down 2nd place. Scotland will need to beat them at Hampden and also win their game in hand if they are to wrest away the playoff berth. Lithuania are in a similar position to the Scots, while Liechtenstein are rooted at the bottom of the table, providing a counterweight of futility to Spain’s perfection. – Scott Johnston

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See you in June for the next round of matches!

It’s an international weekend, which means Fergie and Wenger can complain about the referees to their heart’s content and Carlos Tevez, Arjen Robben and Antonio di Natale will enjoy a week off.  Most importantly, John Terry will be sporting the armband for England but Craig Bellamy hasn’t revealed whether he’ll be playing a wedge or a nine iron.  In any event, here’s the cream of the international crop, according to our cracked WFC writing staff.

Wales v England, Euro 2012 Group G (Saturday) – The Welsh haven’t had much to crow about in international competition beyond a lone World Cup appearance in 1958 and a final eight berth in the 1976 Euros.  Yet, a new generation of Dragons led by Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and veteran Craig Bellamy have the firepower to cause concerns for group favourites England.  Unfortunately for the Welsh, their most exciting player, Bale, has been ruled out of the contest with a wonky hamstring.  Thus, Gary Speed’s side will be hard-pressed to cope with a Three Lions squad which is eager to get back on track after a dismal World Cup and must also make up ground on Montenegro, who lead them by 3 points, having played one game extra.

The press has played up every angle of the rivalry between the neighbours, dredging up Bellamy’s damning assessment of reinstated England captain John Terry and criticising Capello’s call-up of Wolves’winger Matt Jarvis.  With the absence of Bale and the captaincy issue finally settled, England should take all 3 points but, as with any derby, form goes out the window and Wales will be confident when they take the pitch at the Millennium Stadium. – Martin Palazzotto

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Brazil v Scotland, Friendly (Sunday) – I’m really looking forward to this one as I will be in the Emirates Stadium to witness it first hand. I have always wanted to see the magical Yellow Brazilian tops up close.

For Brazil, Robinho and Ronaldinho have not been selected but they will bring hotshot youngsters Neymar from Santos and Lucas of rival Sao Paolo, with a view to next years London Olympics. They do have some of the old guard with Lucio, Elano & Julio Cesar in the squad.  I am  very interested to see if classy defenders David Luiz and Thiago Silva can play alongside each other.

For Scotland, the question is will they be able to cope?  Allan McGregor will have a busy time in goal and Charlie Adam has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to make the Scots tick, whilst the lack of striking options means Kenny Miller will play as a lone striker yet again.  Still, whatever the score, the Tartan Army will revel in taking over London for the weekend and trying their hand at a bit of Samba dancing. – Scott Johnston

There is only one acceptable outcome possible for this match, a Brazilian win. The Seleção have been in a rare run of poor form, with consecutive losses to Argentina and France. Although coach Mano Menezes seem to be fairly secure in his job, he is none too happy with recent results. To change that, he has recalled veterans like Julio Cesar, Maicon and Lucio, who have been out of the squad since their early exit in South Africa.

Real Madrid fullback Marcelo’s excellent form has earned him a spot among the starting eleven but the big surprise is at the forward position. With Nilmar and Pato sidelined due to injuries, Leandro Damião will start the match alongside Neymar. Damião has been an impressive force at Internacional, here in Brazil, leading the line in the Campeonato Gaucho (Porto Alegre State Championship) and the Copa Libertadores. Both the youngsters and returning veterans will wish to impress the coach – and the media – to prove that they deserve a spot in this year’s Copa América, the first official step on the road to 2014. – Fab Presilli

♦   ◊   ♦

Germany v Kazakstan, Euro 2012 Group (Saturday) – Top v bottom meet in Group A and surely no one can look past Germany for this game.  It would take a miracle for Bernd Storck to lead his side past one of the strongest teams in Europe. Joachim Low’s latest squad has a mixture of the World Cup side and some young faces pushing through. The Dortmund trio of Mat Hummels, Mario Götze and Sven Bender might get a chance to show their worth. – Bachelor-no-more Andrew Gibney

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Luxembourg v France, Euro 2012 Group D (Friday) – The big story in France is the call-up of two of the ringleaders in the World Cup training ground strike, Franck Ribery and Patrice Evra. While Laurent Blanc has claimed the door is open for the transgressors, their presence can be put down at least partially to injuries, with normal starters Eric Abidal and Mathieu Valbuena sidelined for both clashes this week. The French media’s obsession with this one story more than faintly echoes the crazed attention given by the British tabloids to John Terry taking back the armband.

Both Evra and Ribery may go straight into the starting line-up,the latter likely assigned the right wing, although the possibility remains he could start in place of Malouda on the left. Otherwise, Les Bleus should look familiar to their recent outings.  The one disputed territory for the Luxembourg match is midfield, where Blanc may deploy the more attacking Yoann Gourcuff instead of his former Bordeaux favourite Alou Diarra.  That means, then, that Karim Benzema – who stunned Brazil last time out – will lead the line.

Predicted line-up for Friday:  G – Hugo Lloris/ D – Bacary Sagna, Adil Rami, Phillippe Mexès, Patrice Evra/ MF - Yoann Gourcuff, Yann M’Vila, Franck Ribéry, Samir Nasri, Florent Malouda/ F – Karim Benzema

France v Croatia, Friendly (Tuesday) — This match will be a much better spectacle and could see some of the younger players, like Mamadou Sakho, Abou Diaby, Jeremy Menez, and Kevin Gameiro, given their chance. Rest assured, however, that Blanc will still take this game very seriously, looking to follow up impressive wins – in display, if not in scoreline – against Brazil and England with yet another at the Stade de France. – Tapesh Patel

♦   ◊   ♦

Hungary v Holland – (Friday) then Holland vs. Hungary (Tuesday) Euro 2012 Group E — Two countries with a proud and rich footballing traditions meet for the first time in a competitive game in over two decades on Friday.   Then, as if to make up for lost time, they do it all again on Tuesday.  The Dutch go into the first game in Budapest without a competitive defeat over 90 minutes, under the managerial reign of Bert van Marwijk, but have a couple of injuries to deal with.  Most notable will be the continuing absence of influential winger Arjen Robben.  The Bayern Munich man, since his initial return early this year, has been riding the crest of a wave and would have benefited the national team greatly.

Yet his misfortune will once again be Ibrahim Afellay’s gain.  The ex-PSV captain who moved to sunny Catalonia in the winter transfer window, has greatly benefited from a run out in the Oranje first team, giving a stellar performance against Sweden in the last qualifier game.  However, a lack of minutes at Barcelona may go against him, although I can’t see who else van Marwijk would opt for in that wide left berth.  There’s Urby Emanuelson but, like Afellay, he hasn’t featured much for AC Milan – hardly, in truth.

Another worry for van Marwijk is who will replace Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal?  The Ajax keeper has done very well to fill the void left by Edwin van der Sar’s international retirement. I’d expect FC Utrecht keeper Michel Vorm to deputise, being the best of what is a very average bunch in reserve.

On the other side there will be a familiar face, in PSV winger Balázs Dzsudzsák, who is confident that his side can get a result but is urging caution.  As the lack of recent meetings between the sides is largely down to the Hungarians’long absence from the top echelon of European powers, guarded optimism is certainly understandable.  Still, the Magyars would love to surprise the Dutch much as the Golden Team surprised the World at the 1954 World Cup. – Mohamed Moallim

♦   ◊   ♦

Lithuania v Spain, Euro 2012 Group I (Tuesday) — Defending Euro champions Spain visit Lithuania in midweek, bidding to cement their place in next year’s finals.  Currently sitting on top of Group I with a 100% record, two wins from their next two games should be enough to take the Spanish through.  While the hosts will have warmed up with a friendly against Poland, Spain have to negotiate a tricky game with Czech Republic.  Yet, neither match will be a siesta in the sunshine.  A Fernando Llorente double helped Spain to a 3-1 win over the Baltic state back in October.  The Athletic Bilbao hitman could be called upon to deliver once more, with first choice marksmen Fernando Torres and David Villa currently out of form.  Injured trio Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Puyol and Pedro miss out, so Javi Martinez and Juan Mata have been promoted from the Under-21 squad.

Lithuania have four points from their opening three games, with a credible 1-0 victory away against the Czechs being their highlight thus far.  That said, qualification was always going to be hard after being paired with Spain.  Defenders Marius Stankevicius (Valencia), Marius Zaliukas (Hearts), midfielder Arvydas Novikovas (St Johnstone), and striker Tomas Danilevicius (Livorno) are the notable inclusions in a 26 man squad. – Shaun Best

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Portugal v Chile, Friendly (Saturday) — Without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese side has to rely on some new names, like André Santos, and some old ones, like Nelson. Liédson could, or better, should be there with his compatriots, as he is in excellent form in Brazil, playing for Corinthians.

Mauricio Pinilla is usually the big name for Chile, however he is probably out due to an injury. Hector Mancilla has been playing well in Mexican side Tigres and will have his chance to appear in the national spotlight. This will be a big test for La Roja under new coach Claudio Borghi, who must keep the squad on track for the Copa America in the wake of Marcelo Bielsa’s protracted departure.

After facing Chile, Portugal will pick up where they left in the Euro qualifiers, playing Finland in Aveiro. – Fab Presilli

♦   ◊   ♦

Slovenia v Italy, Euro 2012 Group C (Friday) — “We’ll win easily on Friday, 2-0. More than that, I’ll say Slovenia will have 70 per cent possession. Am I exaggerating? No.” – Former Slovenian great Zlatko Zahovic, speaking to an Italian newspaper this week.

Cesare Prandelli hopes to do what no other Italian national manager has done before:  win in Slovenia.  Lucky to draw in 1994, ten years later, the Azzurri were narrowly beaten by a late strike, which saw Slovenia leapfrog them in their qualification group.  A defeat in Ljubljana will bring about the same result but perhaps third time’s a charm?

The last four meetings have been decided by a solitary goal, so defence will be key.  Two survivors from the 2004 defeat, Gianluigi Buffon and Alberto Gilardino, are in the squad but there is no place for the country’s top marksman, Antonio Di Natale. At age 33, Toto is being snubbed in favour of younger players for Prandelli’s next generation Italy.

Also out of the squad are Daniele De Rossi and Mario Balotelli after both fell afoul of Prandelli’s new code of ethics.  Prandelli has confirmed he will lineup with a 4-3-1-2 formation, with former Sampdoria teammates Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini reuniting upfront.  Italy tested the new team and formation in an hour-long game against the Under 18 side with the seniors winning 4-0.

Seven members of the Slovenian squad currently ply their trade in Serie A.  They have tasted defeat once so far in this campaign as the usually goal-shy Northern Ireland emerged with a 1-0 victory back in September.  Since then, the home side have drawn with Serbia, thrashed the Faroe Islands and narrowly beaten Estonia.  Top scorer Tim Matavz may start from the bench as the Groningen forward is carrying an injury. – Shaun Best

♦   ◊   ♦

USA v Argentina, Friendly (Saturday) — Carlos Tevez. That has been the main name coach Sergio Batista keeps leaving out of the Albiceleste squad.  While Batista claims it is not a punishment for the Man City player opting out of the Brazil friendly, claiming injury, only to play 90 minutes for his club just days later, the diminutive striker has been a dynamo for the Eastlands outfit.  To be fair, Tevez did miss the Chelsea match with a niggly groin but has been cleared for next weekend’s Sunderland game.

Lionel Messi is the big name on hand but the Americans are a real test for the Argentinians, ahead of a home tournament. Javier Pastore and Nicolas Gaitan will form the rest of the offensive trio in New Jersey. The goalie will be a last minute surprise, although Agustin Marchesin of Lanus is the most probable starter. Argentina plays against Costa Rica next Tuesday. I expect two wins but with less than impressive football leading more fans and reporters loudly calling for Tevez’return. – Fab Presilli

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See you next week, when we can all tap into our inner Craig Bellamy and get back to the club grind.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas, FIFA gave to me

Six Meals-a-Making,

Five Golden Gooooooooaaaaaallls!,

Four Failing Clubs,

Three French Men,

Two Keeper’s Gloves

and A Whistle Happy Referee

If you’re a big fan of Spanish football, on the national or La Liga level, this might be the one day, out of the twelve on offer, tailor-made for you.  Then again, it may be more like the Emperor’s New Clothes.

There is no question that the Spaniards are deserving of their World Cup triumph.  They play the most comprehensive game on the planet, at present.  I don’t mean just the amazing skill of their short passing game, wherein Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and their cohorts, on any given day, be it Jesus Navas and David Villa, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets or Cesc Fabregas, seem to always know just where everyone else are and is will be.  It goes beyond the finishing power of players like Villa, Fernando Torres, Pedro and Fernando Llorente.  Theirs is a strong defense, too, with Busquets and Alonso supporting the central pairing of Gerard Piquet and Carlos Puyol.  On the outside, Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila both thrill at the prospect of joining in the attack.  And Iker Casillas is omnipresent in any conversation of the world’s best keepers.

So, while the world talks about the amazing skill La Furia Roja have with the ball at their feet, many often overlook the fact that they are the best at winning it back, when they do lose it, attacking opponents in packs and inducing foolishly errant passes with regularity.  As well, as the Dutch learned, they are not above mixing it up physically, if the situation calls for it.

Unfortunately, the limits of their capabilities don’t end with a complete array of all that is good in the game.  They also are masters of the darker arts, those black sorceries which are learned at the club level in the country’s domestic leagues.

Like the national side, La Primera Liga offers some the most open, attacking and artistic football in Europe, with its closest global rival being the Brasilian Campeonato.  The problem is that, in order for that brand of play to thrive and survive, the referees must be far more protective of attacking players than anywhere else on the continent.  If they weren’t, we wouldn’t have Barcelona and Real Madrid.  Not, at least, as we now know them.  The rest of the league would soon tire of losing their most talented players to the big clubs and then being ripped apart by them four times a year.  Defensive tactics to stop them would be explored.  Physical play and strong tackling would transform the league into a much closer cousin to Calcio or the English game.

That truth was made evident by the performance of Spanish referee Alberto Undiano in the Germany/Serbia World Cup match in South Africa, where he systematically penalised every bit of contact initiated by two clubs who are known for exactly that brand of football.

Artistic football demands intelligent players but it doesn’t take a Cruyff or a Pele to see that the referee’s intolerance can be easily exploited.  Therefore, there are any number of players who have explored their thespian side, collapsing in dramatic heaps, writhing in pain and drawing unwarranted penalties and bookings from gullible arbiters.

Of course, Spain is not the only place to find such fakery.  It exists in every league but, as with skilled dribblers and goal scorers, La Liga has more than its fair share.  Following, we offer up six of the most accomplished practitioners of chicanery in the game.   Four of them practice their black magic in La Primera Liga, although to be fair, one developed his ‘skills’in England before testing his game against the masters.  A fifth is only a season and a half removed from a two-year apprenticeship in the Spanish capital.

The Peek-a-boo

The Barcelona holding midfielder, Sergio Busquets, is one of the best in his field.  He doesn’t employ the in-your-face, rough house tactics of Mark Van Bommel or Nigel De Jong.  He doesn’t need to as he has the skill, anticipation and reflexes to separate an attacker from the ball without first causing them bodily harm.  Busquets is not above constant clutching and grabbing, however, and has perfected it to the point where he can interfere sufficiently to slow down a dribbler or cause him to over-run the ball, but not so much that a referee will call him on it.   He is incessant at the practice, as well, often drawing the type of retaliation from an aggrieved opponent that does catch an official’s attention.

In the 2010 Champions League Semi-Final second leg, at the Nou Camp, Busquets pulled off his most famous performance to date.  Barça came into the match having lost at the Giuseppe Meazza, to Inter, 3-1.  They needed  a two goal victory with a clean sheet to advance to a defence of their title, in Madrid.

If any team were capable of reversing such a deficit against a Jose Mourinho led squad, it was the Catalans but Sergio was looking for an opportunity to help things along.  At the half-hour mark, he found it.   As a harried Thiago Motta ran down a loose ball rolling towards the touch-line, he sensed Busquets on his heels.  Raising his arm to ward off his pursuer, Motta inadvertently caught Busquets a glancing blow to the collar-bone.

Busquets, however, clutched his face and went down in a heap, causing  roars of indignation to sweep the Nou Camp, as he was obviously mortally wounded.  As he rolled about in exquisite pain, he flashed open his hands to see if the referee was on the hook (at .06 of the highlight).  Indeed he was, and with an hour to go in the match, Motta saw red and the Nerrazzurri were a man down.  Indignation was drowned out by approval and Motta, unable to get the official to listen to his appeal, grabbed Busquets in a headlock and delivered a furious but well deserved noogie, before exiting.

While Motta exacted personal revenge, karmic justice took care of the big picture.  Jose Mourinho is well-known for his defensive priorities and putting him down a man, for any amount of time, was probably not the best strategy to unclog the Milan box.  Gerard Pique would finally break through with 6 minutes remaining, but it only had the effect of redoubling the Inter efforts and the Blaugrana were not permitted another clear chance.

By the way, the referee who fell for the charade?  It was Belgian Franck De Bleeckere, whose subsequent misadventures at the World Cup were covered in A Whistle Happy Referee, the first article in this series.

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The Full Back Who Cried Wolf

We don’t have to go far to find our next culprit; he lines up alongside Sergio Busquets in the Barcelona starting XI.  Nor do we have to expend much effort to find a suitable example of the Brazilian’s hijinks.  All that’s needed is a  journey back, a week in time, and a quick puddle-jump across the Mediterranean, to Milan, for the first leg of the self-same Champions League Semi-Final.  Alves, who has been known to keel over if an antagonist should so much as fart, found that the winds weren’t in his favour on this day, as the Portuguese referee, Olegário Benquerença, was a much more discerning critic than his Flemish colleague.

With less than ten minutes to go and Barça down 3-1, Alves pulled a splendid inside-out move on Wesley Sneijder, who on his best day is no Marco Materazzi, and dashed into the box.  Sneijder recovered quickly enough to attempt a rash tackle from behind but also had the presence of mind to pull out of it just as quickly.  Still, he did manage to catch Alves on the calf but the official, fully aware of Alves repertoire of histrionics, was not convinced that the contact was sufficient to upend the full back so easily.  As he ignored the remonstrations of both sides and advanced upon Alves, Sneijder realised he was in the clear.  He and his mates quickly surrounded the still prone Brazilian international and exulted in his exposure.  All Alves could do was laugh and slap the turf in frustration.

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Adding Insult By Faking Injury

Of course, too often, the deceit pays off.  Against Portugal, Joan Capdevila proved that in spades, drawing a red card for Ricardo Costa of Portugal, in the World Cup round of 16.  As the Portuguese outmaneuvered Capdevila to go up for a high cross in the box, the Catalan did what comes naturally for too many products of La Liga.  He covered his face with both hands and tumbled over backwards.  Hector Baldassi, the Argentine official, was well across the field and obstructed from a clear view of the play.  Duped by Capdevila’s pantomime, he produced a very harsh red card.

The match was in the dying minutes and Carlos Queiroz’Iberians, down a goal, had not helped themselves by employing a largely holding action throughout the match, but minus a player, it was very unlikely they’d be able to muster one last attack in added time.  Capdevila had sealed their fate with an impeccable performance.

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The Wounded Cheeto

What is orange and red and crawls through the grass?  A wounded Cheeto is the punch line to an infantile and non-sensical joke, that for some reason, still makes me chuckle.  If  you don’t know what a Cheeto is, it’s the cheddar flavoured puffy treat that is a near relation to the crisp.   In football, however, you need only change orange to Oranje and the answer to the riddle becomes Arjen Robben.

Who do you think you are? Dani Alves?

Like Leo Messi, the Dutchman is famous for setting up on the right, cutting into the middle and unleashing laser targeted strikes on goal.  Unlike the diminutive Argentine, though, he does not bounce off physical defenders, get up immediately upon being bundled over and then go quietly about his business.  Instead, he stays down, grimacing and holding his ankles as though letting go would cause his feet to detach.

There’s no single video highlight that stands out for Robben’s theatrics.  Apparently, two years at the Santiago Bernabeu allowed him to perfect his technique but, rather than creative and varied, his style is annoyingly consistent. In lieu of video, enjoy the accompanying photo from L’Oranje’s stunning upset of Brazil in the World Cup Quarter-Finals.  Perhaps the only thing that causes you to shake your head more than seeing the Bayern man on the carpet yet again, is Robinho, of all people, displaying the temerity to lecture the fallen Dutchman on his behaviour.

As Andrew Gibney has reminded me, Brazil were, unusually, the victim of too many dives in this World Cup.  While Robben was incapable of staying on his feet for more than five minutes at a time, Kader Keita of the Ivory Coast famously had a nicked, bruised and frustrated Kaka sent off in their group stage match, by what else but covering his face and rolling about the grass after taking a short elbow to the sternum.

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New Kid On The Block

As I said at the beginning, diving is not an exclusive practice in Spain.  Certainly Kader Keita proves that; he has spent his playing career, since leaving his homeland, in France, Turkey and the Middle East.  Every league has their own group of players not above looking to deceive the officials to gain a competitive advantage.  In the Premier League, the new poster boy is Aston Villa’s Ashley Young, who made his big splash in a 2012 Euro qualifier, for England, against Montenegro.

Full marks for technique but a complete fail for artistic impression.

Young’s effort was so pathetically obvious that entire officiating crew must have been having a good chuckle in the changing room after the match.  Any of the veterans of the art, such as Alves, Capdevila and Busquets were surely shaking their heads at ‘kids these days.’

Ollie Irish over at Who Ate All The Pies had his fun, photoshopping Young’s high-flying antics into an excellent bit of meme comedy.

Why an England International would be flying over the Empire State building, I’m not sure.  He can’t be looking to exact revenge on Clint Dempsey for his World Cup goal against Robert Green, as the Texan can be found in Craven Cottage, not the Big Apple.  Kids these days.

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The Anti-Beckham

Both of them wore the number 7 shirt for Sir Alex Ferguson.  Both can perform miracles from a set piece.  Both have women mooning over them, especially when they tousle their hair or take off their shirt.  That’s where the comparison ends, however.  Admittedly, Cristiano Ronaldo has far more talent than David Beckham but it’s the latter who gets much more use out of far, far less.

Where Beckham is personable, Cristiano Ronaldo is arrogant.  Where Beckham will have a kind word to say about someone outside of his own circle, Cristiano Ronaldo is only interested in talking about Cristiano Ronaldo.  Where David Beckham will get in the face of anyone who takes liberty with his person on (or off) the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo will go to the turf at the slightest touch and seek out the referee immediately.

These qualities are the same faults which leave the Portuguese in sharp contrast with Leo Messi, as well.  In this instance, the pair are as close to level as can be, in terms of skill, but again, it’s what each does with his that makes all the difference.

Case in point, the 2-2 draw at the San Siro between AC Milan and Real Madrid in the Champions League.   As a battle for the ball with the Rossoneri’s Ignazio Abate spilled over the touch-line, the pair continued to tussle.  When the whistle called a halt to the struggle, Abate momentarily grabbed the Madrid star by the neck but ultimately resisted the telepathic commands of millions of fans of proper football around the world (guilty) and let go.  Ronaldo, startled for a second or two, recovered, recalled his exhaustive lessons inMeal-Making.101 and covered his face, dropped to the ground, rolled about in hyperbolic agony, looked to the official and then, from the advanced course, checked for blood.

As the drama unfolded, Howard Webb walked over and had a quiet word.  Something, I like to imagine, along the lines of, “Right Cris, I’m the best referee in the world and you’re only the second best player.  So, why don’t you get up and get on with it so that I don’t have to make you look any sillier than you already do, by booking you for this farce.  There’s a good lad.”

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Diving has become so embedded in the game that it seems impossible to root out.  There are endless calls for new rules or tougher enforcement of existing ones to get rid of the cheats.  Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely eradicate diving.  Players are, by nature, competitive and will always look for an edge.  Sometimes the cheating even catches the perpetrator by surprise. I’ll bet that Thierry Henry was just as surprised by his actions against Ireland as anyone else in the world.

Something can be done to make it less commonplace, however.  If instant replay is ever implemented by FIFA, complete with an official linked up to the referee by wireless radio, it’d be interesting to see it employed for this type of questionable activity, which happens far more often than misjudged goals.

Just imagine a referee coming over to a player laying on the ground, clutching his face, and asking the ‘injured’man where it hurts.  When the victim rubs his jaw or points to his nose, the official can pull out the red card and inform the recipient that his man upstairs had a perfect view of him being shoved in the chest.  A few dismissals of that sort and the word will get around.

I hope you enjoyed our look at the sneakiest players in the game.  Tomorrow, we take a look at the enforcers in WFC’s Seventh Day of Christmas:  Seven Studs-a-Stomping!  Don’t miss it.

I am quite sure it has not escaped your attention, unless of course you’re a deaf, blind and mute or Tom Hicks (but I repeat myself), that Anfield’s favourite son has returned from international duty crocked. Personally, I hate international friendlies. It is hard enough to watch England in competitions, let alone in a pointless game that nobody cares about, least of all the players.

In tandem with the luck Liverpool has had over the past 18 months, it always seems that our players drop like flies when these blasted exhibition matches come around. Dirk Kuyt has spent a large portion of this season unavailable due to injuries suffered on international duty, whilst Fernando Torres suffers a set-back at the mere mention of a Spain game.

With all the walking wounded under their care, you'd think Paul Small and Rob Price would be as famous as their charges.

With the news that Captain Fantastic will be missing from action for a month, or possibly longer, you will forgive me if I seem a little despondent this week. With Lucas serving a suspension, Joe Cole still nursing an injury and Gerrard now unavailable, it seems we are left to depend on the magnificent Christian Poulsen this weekend.

After a mini-revival a few weeks back, things are now looking stormy again. It’s ironic that Hodgson recently described the Stoke game as “a blip.”  In an opening sequence of five losses in thirteen, the majority of the northwest of England think that the performance against Chelsea might have been the blip.

The Stoke game really hammered home just how far our stock has fallen; not only were we physically dominated throughout the game, the Potters also muscled us out of the possession. I cannot remember the last time Liverpool had only 36% of the ball (please don’t tell me).  Of course, it is not every week that we will come up against players of the calibre of Ricardo Fuller, so there may well be rosier times ahead. Fingers crossed on that one!

This weekend sees us in action at Anfield, taking on the bottom-of-the-league Hammers. West Ham, as the league table depicts, have not had the best of times this season, either. Their squad is as weak as I can remember.  With vastly overpaid players who nobody in their right mind would buy swallowing up all of the disposable income, the troubles at Upton Park will surely continue. Like Liverpool a few months ago, their hands are clearly tied.

Avram Grant has been having the same type of season as Hodgson. Ring up Roberto Mancini and you've got the makings of a decent support group.

Ordinarily, I would be looking at the game this weekend as an easy three points. Sorry to all you Hammers out there, but I just don’t see anything in your squad that should unduly worry any side in the league. You may notice that I started the paragraph with the word “ordinarily”. That wasn’t an accident. I am actually a little worried.

Despite their predicament, West Ham have been looking like showing a little more fight of late and, against Blackpool, looked a lot more committed that Liverpool have been at times this season.

For too long this season I have seen my side fear others. Once upon a time, in a galaxy not so far away, clubs feared Anfield.  Shankly’s “This is Anfield” sign, in the tunnel leading to the pitch, chilled opposing players to the bone.  Now it’s a bit of a pick-me-up.

Chelsea aside, the current side has no fight, no desire and no passion. It is fundamentally flawed. The squad is dangerously small. There are no wingers. In the game against Napoli a few weeks back, we had six central midfielders on the pitch at one point!  If it takes facing Chelsea to motivate the squad, in our current predicament, we are in for a long season.

To be completely honest, I have already written this season off.  Reaching the top four seems more apt for a comedy sketch. Europa League qualification should be a minimum requirement but, unless something drastically changes, I wouldn’t say that was guaranteed.

Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City will definitely finish above us. Tottenham Hotspur will be feeling very confident about the prospect of outscoring us this season too. Last season’s nearly men, Aston Villa and Everton, both look capable of at least matching us. All told, that is seven teams that look in better shape than us, which is very alarming.

With a little luck, the boys will defy me this week, put in a good performance and pick up three points. Don’t be surprised, though, if this Red is not smiling broadly come Sunday morning. A lot of damage has been done to this once great club and it could well take a long time to put it right.

And the surprise winner for Countries Who Don't Have Anything To Spend Their Tax Dollars On But Shiny New Stadiums is...

..

It’s often said that variety is the spice of life.  Well, when it comes to UEFA qualifying, for any tournament, if you’re on a bland diet, then you’d best grab the antacid now.  Once again, Michel Platini and his boys have come up with a new set-up to decide the fourteen clubs that will join the hosts, Poland and the Ukraine, in June 2012.

You might need your calculator for this.  Are you ready?

Okay, this time around it’s nine groups, six consisting of a half dozen nations and the other three containing five apiece.  Of course, it’s the same home and home round robin within the groups, as in the past,  but this time the nine first place countries and the best overall runner-up will automatically advance to the finals.

Now, because some groups have six squads and others five, there is a special ranking system to determine the best runner-up.   Essentially, any matches played against a sixth place finisher will not count in deciding the automatic qualifier.  Which means that whoever is eventually crowned champion, one thing is certain:  as the final group qualifying matches approach, sales of headache medicine will rise sharply in several countries, as fans without mathematical doctorates attempt to calculate their side’s chances.  For instance, even if your team is certain of finishing second, the results from matches involving minnows in other groups, may affect your standing.  If the wrong team suddenly falls into sixth position or climbs out of it, the fortunes of  your boys may drastically change.   We’ll wait for those of you heading to the medicine cabinet now to return before continuing.

Right then, moving on…  Once the single runner-up and nine group winners have qualified, that leaves eight other second place countries to be seeded into two-legged ties, with the winners claiming the remaining four places in the final tournament.  Yes, we did say seeded, because that’s what UEFA have solemnly promised, mindful of the furor last autumn, when they exercised their prerogative to change their minds, at the last minute, and held a draw for the World Cup play offs.  Fingers crossed but it’s likely they’ll keep their word this time.

It's a little known fact that Einstein flunked out of Group Qualification Theory.

Still, even with their vow to remain consistent going forward, Platini’s crew have managed to fudge things just a little.  You would think that, having concocted this complicated system for deciding the best runner-up, UEFA would use it to rank the other eight.  Unfortunately, that would be too easy.  Instead, the sufficiently more intricate and confusing UEFA National Team Coefficient rankings will be used to decide the playoff matchups.

I’m sorry, but if you’ve raised your hand to ask us to explain the coefficient, please put it back down or we shall be forced to club you to death.  Thank you very much.

UEFA made two other decisions, before the draw, of which one came to the fore when the balls were drawn.

First, minnows, or should we say piranhas(?), Azerbaijan and Armenia were precluded from meeting each other in the group stages.  These two nations simply don’t like each other on any level, never mind football, and so common sense prevailed over bureaucracy, with provisions being made, just in case.  As it happened, ‘in case’reared its ugly head and the two were both drawn into Group A, whereupon UEFA moved Armenia over to Group B.  What would be done if the two nations both progressed and were fated to meet in the later rounds of the competition would really not be an important consideration.  There are plenty of other things which take precedence when the Apocalypse arrives.

Second, it was decided that should France be drawn with the Republic of Ireland nothing would be done.  According to Platini such an event “would be great.”  It would be even greater if Les Bleus would be required to not only recall, but start, Thierry Henry in both matches, were the sides to eventually meet again. Sadly, though, it was the luck of the Irish to be placed in a group with Slovakia and Russia.  Any plans of revenge will have to wait for another day.

It should also be noted that one match has already been played and Estonia, on the strength of a 2-1 home victory over the Faroe Islands, has actually been atop Group C since 11 August.  Technically then, we are a little late with this preview but are, nonetheless, happy to bring you a summary of the nine groups with our ratings for each of the nations involved.

Beginning with:

Group A…..(Geoff Edwards)

The group looks to be a straight fight between Belgium, Turkey and Austria for the honour of going through alongside Germany, who have to be favourites following their World Cup exploits.  The only dilemma for Joachim Low, at the moment, is the tug-of-war between Michael Ballack and Phillip Lahm, over the captain’s armband

Belgium, under the stewardship of Georges Leekens, certainly possess enough quality to emerge from this group. In Marouane Fellaini, Steven Defour, Axel Witsel, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, Belgian fans will hope there is the nucleus of a squad that could rival their 80s and early 90s vintage, when a side containing the likes of Enzo Scifo and Jan Ceulemans was prominent on the world scene.

Hiddink's merlinesque effect may bring Turkey back into prominence

Turkey will hope to ensure that Euro 2012 is a tournament too soon for Belgium’s youngsters. Guus Hiddink’s men have a nice blend of youth and experience and a few survivors from the squad that reached the semis in Euro 2008, including Arda Turan and the Altintop brothers. Most importantly, they have Hiddink. If anyone can get the Turks performing consistently it’s the Dutch alchemist, who will want to put his previous campaign with Russia behind him.

Austria look to be a little behind Turkey and Belgium in the race for 2nd but, with a forward line boasting Martin Harnik, Erwin Hoffer, Marko Arnautovic and Marc Janko, they certainly have the potential to derail rival campaigns.  Although they can both be classed as the minnows of the group, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are certainly far from no-hopers. They’ll each look to take maximum points off the other and nick a point or two from their more illustrious opponents.

Group B…..(Eliot Rothwell)

This looks to be a two horse race with the footballing thoroughbreds of Ireland and Russia battling it out for the top spot.

Russia, under Dick Advocaat, will look to continue the progress made by Guus Hiddink.  With such players as Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko, the Russians do have the horsepower . The one question is the defence and its inept talent for conceding silly goals when it matters most.

Giovanni Trappatoni relates the amount of times his stomach had to be pumped last month, after he ingested a bad batch of bangers and mash.

Ireland, under the stewardship of Il Trap, are looking to qualify for their first international tournament in some time.   The resolute defending of Richard Dunne, et al, will form the basis of their bid to claim top spot. With an attacking force of Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle up front, the Irish are capable of doing damaging but they lack depth and could lose their way should injuries to key players arise.

Any surprises might come from Vladimir Weiss’ Slovakia, who triumphed over Italy at the World Cup. The potent menace of striker Stanislav Sestak re-enforced by a tremendous team spirit could pose a serious danger to Russia and Ireland. The win over Italy was greeted with jubilation in Bratislava and combined with the progression of Zilina to the Champions League group stages, a good European campaign could round off a very satisfying year for Slovakian football.

Bringing up the rear are Macedonia, Andorra and Armenia, the whipping boys of the group. Macedonia present the biggest threat, as England fans will know.  Inter Milan’s Goran Pandev shoulders much of the attacking burden.  The fight for bottom of the group will be interesting as Andorra and Armenia slug it out to see who can accumulate a lesser amount of 5-0 defeats, with Andorra sweetening the pot by welcoming away teams to Barcelona for a spot of R and R pre-match.

Group C….. (Eliot Rothwell)

The Cesare Prandelli era begins for World Cup ’06 winners, Italy.  The Italians will be favourites to qualify , yet also intent on regaining their opponents’respect after their dismal showing in South Africa. Daniele De Rossi and Giorgio Chiellini will be looking to get their international careers back on track. If rumours are proven correct, there could be much re-shaping of this Italian side.  With former captain Fabio Cannavaro now playing in the Middle East and Luca Toni and Francesco Totti definitely on the outs, expect a new crop of Italians to come to fruition this season.

Where Vidic leads, his band of Serbs will follow.

Featuring a wealth of attacking players, Serbia will present the biggest threat to Italy’s chances. Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic will provide width and incisive wideplay for the Serbians, who benefit from the extremely strong defence of Nemaja Vidic and Branislav Jovanovic. Serbia could finish top of the group, providing they find their goalscoring boots with 6’5″ Nikola Zigic backing up the towering talent of Marko Pantelic.

Slovenia are the next team in line. They were unlucky not to progress from their World Cup group and Mateja Kez’s side will be looking to continue the second golden age of Slovenian football by claiming a place at the Euros. With a resolute defence and, in Valter Birsa, an ability to score spectacular goals, the Slovenians are capable of scraping out 1-0 wins away from home.

Northern Ireland, perennial nearly men, will be relying on the goalscoring talents of David Healy once more as they attempt to scrap their way through the qualifying stages. If they are to progress, expect a spate of 1-0 home wins.  In August, Estonia struggled to a 2-1 extra time win, at home,  against the Faroe Islands.  The result hardly inspires confidence that they’ll prove any impedance to the big boys.

The Faroe Irelands, themselves? Surely they have no chance. Well that may be true but with the uncompromising Faroese air, the wayward Danes may just be able to nick a result here and there.

Group D….. (Tapesh Patel)

France is the only team from this group which qualified for the World Cup and therefore must go down as favourites. Laurent Blanc’s rebuilding job has, to date,  been largely praised but it will come under closer scrutiny (though not from Ireland), with inexperienced faces joining the World Cup dropouts. Some may expect Les Bleus to struggle but their pool of talent is surely far too large for qualification to be a problem.  Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jeremy Menez and Pillippe Mexes will all return after being omitted from the South Africa squad by Raymond Domenech. However, it won’t be if, but how France qualify that will be most telling.

Dzeko wants to put a charge into Bosnia-Herzogovina

A talented side is Bosnia-Herzegovina but very top-heavy in attack.  The focal point of the team is the prolific Edin Dzeko, ably assisted by Zlatan Muslimovic, Vedad Ibisevic and raw midfielder Miralem Pjanic.  Unification of Christian and Muslim team members has instilled pride and patriotism in both the squad and the country itself, which will aid their qualification campaign.

Romania are solid but unspectacular. Captain Cristian Chivu has experienced colleagues in defence, such as Gabriel Tamas, Razvan Rat and Cosmin Contra. A lack of firepower up front, however, may create problems.   Belarus could be unlikely wildcards in what is a fairly weak group. Aliaksandr Hleb provides a touch of class, Vitaly Kutuzov some finesse, and Sergei Kornilenko the goals, having been prolific in the Belorussian League.

Meanwhile, Albania are strong in midfield, led by Lorik Cana and Altin Lala, but lack quality elsewhere.  Luxembourg are, of course, the very definition of minnows.

Group E …..(Avi Goldberg)

The nice moments of the World Cup in South Africa are over and it’s time for the Dutch to qualify for the Euro 2012 through Group E.  While I’m an unashamedly huge fan of the Oranje, there is no doubt that they’re the favourites in this group, with an impressive 25 games unbeaten, until the final, thanks to Bert van Marwijk’s decision to field a solid midfield.  A new challenge lies ahead, however, with two important players leaving, in captain Geovanni van Bronckhorst and veteran centre back Andres Ooijer.  As well,  seeing Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben falling off the team injured, they’ll need to prove again why they went so far in the World Cup.

Fans of the Blågult are hoping that Ibra is happier to return to them than he is to Milan.

Sweden, after missing the World Cup, will do their best to win all their games and try to settle an account with the Oranje, over their loss in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004. Now that the time for friendlies has past and the matches count, the Swedes can rely once more on the experienced striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Finns aren’t to be forgotten, fielding a decent team despite never qualifying for the Euros. They adapt to every game differently and are unafraid of going for the win. Hungary, with their new coach Sandor Egervari and experienced midfielders Balazs Dzsudzsak & Roland Juhasz, can hurt their opponent badly through the counter attack & are not a team to think of as the weaker side.

The lesser known teams in this group, Moldova, ranked 89th worldwide by FIFA and San Marino, 202nd, have never qualified for the World Cup or the Euros but are determined to make matters as difficult as possible and prove themselves to the serious contenders.

Group F…..(Tapesh Patel)

After the disappointment of not reaching the World Cup, Slaven Bilic will be out to make amends. He has the squad to do it, too. Croatia are a solid all-round side, boasting talented playmakers in Luca Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Nico Kranjcar, as well as a potent strikeforce consisting of Eduardo da Silva, Ivica Olic and Maladen Petric. Bilic has created good teams from his players in the past, and although the Croats will need to be on their game to win this group, any other result would be a big upset.

Samaras is just praying for a chance to play.

Good news for all purists: Otto “Anti-football” Rehhagel has officially resigned from his post as Greece manager. In his defence (pun intended), he has secured his place in Greek footballing folklore. It now falls to the Portuguese, Fernando Santos, to attempt qualification – if he is to succeed, younger players like Sotiris Ninis and Georgios Samaras must be given chances to impress.

Israel have an outside chance at a playoff spot. They’re a young squad led by the experienced hands of Yossi Benayoun and Tal Ben Haim. Dekel Keinan, Tamir Cohen, Ben Sahar and Biram Kayal are all talented players, known to followers of the British leagues, and teenage midfielder Eyal Golasa has drawn admiring glances from Lazio and Bayern Munich. Latvia still possess some of the players who helped them qualify for Euro 2004, such as Maris Verpakovskis, who famously bagged six goals during that campaign. Nor should it be forgotten that they came third in World Cup qualification.

Georgia features a strong defence, led by Kakha Kaladze and Zurab Khizanishvili, but otherwise won’t linger in anyone’s mind. Malta are very much the outsiders, in this or any group in which they’re drawn.

Group G….. (Matt Dalton)

With England‘s ridiculously poor performance in South Africa all but a distant memory, it’s now time to focus on the next international tournament and, indeed, the future of the England national team. Having been drawn alongside Bulgaria, Montenegro, Switzerland and Wales, England have been granted a route to qualification which is far from easy. The Three Lions will be desperate to get off to a good start at Wembley against the Bulgarians on the 3rd September, with the second match quickly following, away to Switzerland on the 7th.

Ottmar's first priority is always that the bus is properly parked.

For the other teams in Group G, there is optimism. Never before have England appeared to be quite so weak; morale is at an all time low, key players are regularly underperforming and the fans are on the squad’s back like never before. Of course, England still expect, and are expected, to secure qualification from the group.  Yet, if ever there was a chance for the likes of Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Switzerland, with its bunker mentality, to spring an upset, surely this is it.  Bulgaria, even without the retired Dimitar Berbatov, and Montenegro are not to be taken lightly, either.

There is also the presence of an up and coming Wales side. Their resources may not be equal to England but there is no doubt that they’ll be up for the games. The rivalry between the two countries is massive; you only have to look at the rugby.

Ordinarily, there would be at least four “easy” games in a qualification group. This time around, however, there will be no ‘working vacations’to ease the way.  With only five nations, instead of six, there are no minnows and it’s clear that there will be surprises before all is said and done. Every team in this group is hopeful of a place at the European Championships in 2012, and rightly so!

Group H …..(Tapesh Patel)

"Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'!" Ronaldo needs to get it together on the international stage. (w/apologies to the great Keith Jackson)

When it comes to Portugal, all eyes are on one man, which is just the way the twinkle-toed Cristiano Ronaldo likes it. After the major disappointment that was his World Cup, featuring a single unflattering goal, the Real Madrid man (his current injury aside) will hope to get back to what he does best: running rampant over inferior opposition. The Iberian midfield now has a young core of Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso, while left-back Fabio Coentrao also gives the side an added dimension going forward.

The Danish World Cup squad had an aging look to it, with players such as Jesper Gronkjaer, Dennis Rommedahl and Jon Dahl Tomasson all visibly past their prime. Denmark needs an infusion of new blood.  Luckily, manager Morten Olsen can call upon such rising stars as Daniel Agger and Christian Eriksen to replace those on the wane. Goals will be needed from Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner to bolster a side which lacked a consistent offensive threat in South Africa.

If the recent 2-1 friendly victory against France is anything to go by, Norway have blended their youth and experience  into a capable outfit.   With the likes of captain Brede Haageland, the brothers John Arne and Bjorn Helge Riise and Morten Gamst Pedersen, the Norwegians possess talent across the team.  They could well beat fellow Scandinavians Denmark (and Iceland) to second place.

Led by the likeable Eidur Gudjohnsen, Iceland may produce  some shock results.  Sadly there are no Stjarnan players in the squad, so don’t hope for any interesting goal celebrations.  Cyprus are unknown quantities with all of the squad currently playing their trade in the country’s domestic league. While not as isolated as the North Koreans, they are just as unlikely to stage an upset in this competition.

Group I….. (Steven Jones)

After completing a World/European double, there are no signs of the end of the ‘golden age’for Spain.   In fact, it looks like they might go from strength to strength and betting against them finishing top of the group would be borderline insane.  No, the group ultimately comes down to the battle for second place between the Czech Republic, Scotland and possibly Lithuania.

Whatever Darren Fletcher may think of McFadden's choice of anti-perspirant, he is happy to have him in the lineup.

Recent campaigns have done Scotland no justice, as they are again 3rd seeds in their group. Managing to avoid Sweden (who tore them apart a month ago) as well as Serbia and Turkey are major plusses but the Czech Republic will want to do considerably better than their World Cup efforts when they lagged behind Slovakia and Slovenia.

In Tomas Rosicky, the Czechs have a top player.  If he can string together a run of games for his club side, Arsenal, he may also prove pivotal in his country’s qualifying campaign.  James McFadden still remains Scotland’s standout player, with the side exhibiting a noticeable lack of creativity when he’s missing. Craig Levein’s tenure as the Scottish boss actually started with a home fixture against the Czech Republic, back in March, with a 1-0 win.

However, it will be the away fixtures that will pose the most problems for Scotland; recent matches in Norway and the Ukraine spring to mind as games where Scotland were outplayed with full strength sides.  Although, one can look to a certain night in Paris for some reaffirmation.

Lithuania can sometimes punch above their weight class but other than featherweights Liechtenstein, they are not likely to bully anyone about.

..

We hope that fills you in on the various groups, where your country fits in and how they may or may not be able to progress.  In conclusion, we’d like to thank Professor Stephen Hawking, Carol Vorderman and Marcus du Sautoy for their help in unraveling the UEFA Group Theory Formula.

Enjoy the action and see you in Kiev!

Unfortunately that happy story was quickly shouldered aside and no surprise when the News of the World and Sunday Mirror continue to disgrace our presence.  It really is none of our business what footballers or any other celebrities do in their spare time or with whom they do it.  Like as not, the fish wraps had just as much proof (see nada) in making these allegations as they did in the Bridge/Perroncel/Terry case.

Kudos to Milner for standing behind his mate.

Wayne Rooney hasn’t made a statement on the matter yet but the rest of the media has jumped on board, speculating on such ridiculous things as his World Cup form suffering because he was afraid this story was about to break.  If that’s the case, he must have confided in his teammates because their performances were every bit as abysmal as his.  At this point it won’t really matter what, if anything, the United star has to say.  The majority of the public is only too willing to give credibility to a young woman whose only prospects in life are her equally loose morals and tongue.

What we need is the Beeb, or some other reasonably ethical news source, to follow NOTW and Mirror employees around surreptitiously, dig up their pasts and expose all their peccadilloes.  Unfortunately, even their own houses were exposed as being constructed of glass, they’d probably continue throwing stones.  Anything for a few bob in the pocket.

Fortunately, my parakeets have just finished eating a pound or so of seed and I can shove these sorry excuses for newspapers where they belong, at the bottom of the cage, shit to catch shit, and get on to the weekend highlights.

Enjoy!

Geoff did say he was growing a beard ahead of this trip.

Geoff Edwards (Bueller?… Bueller?… Bueller?)

Geoff is still on holiday and he will be sorry to have missed:

Belgium 0 – 1 Germany

Once again, it was Klose but Germany pulled out a 1-0 victory over  Georges Leekens’Belgians.   The home side was very frisky early on but could not find a way past Manuel Neuer.  They would regret that, as the three headed World Cup monster of Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller and Miroslav Klose began to attack the Rote Teufel goal.  Six minutes into the restart, an inattentive Vincent Kompany was dispossessed on the edge of the box.  The loose ball caromed directly to Müller, who quickly found Klose, alone with the space, time and precision to find the corner of goal.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eum_lEcEZKM

Germany continued their half century mastery over Belgium but Leekens can take heart in the overall play of his squad.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

France 0-1 Belarus

A French pundit called this result “la douche froide” (a cold shower) and France certainly received a rude awakening from a very average Belarus side. There were many positives – Florent Malouda sparkled as captain, while Yann M’Vila again belied his tender years – but ultimately Belarus seized upon France’s profligacy in front of goal. Midfielder Sergey Kisliak horrified Les Bleus with an 86th minute winner, and France have now lost four in a row, their worst run since 1937.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxuMnOUJ8xA

Lithuania 0-0 Scotland

When previewing this match, I called it a tight six-pointer and that’s exactly how it panned out. Scotland undoubtedly had the better of the game, but did not have the tools to unlock their opponents, who frequently disrupted the Scottish rhythm with some tough tackling. This was a missed opportunity for Scotland, and only a win will now do against Liechtenstein on Tuesday.

Editor’s note:  So, we were thinking… Why post some drab highlights from a nil-nil snorefest(?) when there was a more entertaining international taking place nearby that we thought you might like to see!  The camera-man’s work isn’t the best and neither is his English but it’s good fun nonetheless.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBIZ_A8H7c8

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Avi Goldberg

Avi Goldberg

San Marino 0 – 5  The Netherlands

Bert Van Marwijk waited to release the names of the starting 11 until the game is about to start.   Opting for a consistent formation, he hasn’t changed much, even though he could have played a more aggressive shape against  a lightwieight side.  Johny Heitinga, suspended for his red card v Spain, was replaced in the heart of defence by Hedwiges Maduro.  First half difficulties made it obvious that the Oranje had used up a lot of emotional energy, being in a long and ultimately fruitless chase of the World Cup. A little time was needed to get back together on the pitch and start again.

Minutes after a goal was ruled offside, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was brought down in the box and Dirk Kuyt converted the penalty. On the 26th minute, however,  there came a scary moment for keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.  Andy Selva shot from afar and almost caught him off guard. That brought the focus back to the side, though, and a quickly taken free kick from Wesley Sneijder gave the opportunity for Kuyt to cross for Huntelaar to tap in 2-0.

Not a phenomenal first half but the second introduced more creativity in the field, when Rafael van der Vaart put Huntelaar to his second and third for the night. The moment of return then came, as Kuyt made way for Ruud Van Nistelrooy.  Van ‘The Man’couldn’t be happier, after scoring a nice volley in extra time, to make it a final 5-0.

Okay, it was against a much weaker team but the Oranje got their first 3 points and will look to continue with the same solid and successful formation against their next opponent, Finland.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEqb84OUG7M

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Major League Soccer

The swing match in the weekend spate took place at Rio Tinto Stadium, in Salt Lake.  The Red Bulls came to town without defender Rafa Marquez, who was captaining Mexico to a loss against Ecuador, and were completely disorganised in the first half.  Fabio Espindola’s strike, for Real, should have been one of many but the home side didn’t take their chances.  New York found their shape in the second 45 but not an equaliser.

With the LA Galaxy managing a draw in Chicago and the Columbus Crew taking care of business, with a 0-1 victory at cellar dwelling DC United, the Western Conference became much tighter, while the gap in the East widened.

Salt Lake, the MLS Cup holders, are now positioned to snatch the Supporter’s Shield, for best overall record.  The Galaxy have been bleeding points since their upset loss to Puerto Rico Islanders, in the CONCACAF Champions League qualifiers.  David Beckham’s rumoured return can’t come soon enough for manager Bruce Arena.

That Chicago managed only a draw against the fallen Angelinos doesn’t bode well for thir fading playoff hopes.  They do still have 2 games in hand on the field but will have to take maximum points from them to be a factor at season’s end.  meanwhile, watch out for FC Dallas coming out of the west.  Despite sitting 5th in the table they have gotten results out of more games than any other side, thus far, having lost just twice.

Real Salt Lake v NY Red Bulls

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te29oncHmZs

..

Chicago Fire v LA Galaxy

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fZIViCiHB8

Mexican Apertura

Chivas de Guadalajara 3 – 0  UAG Tecos

The Goats are definitely baa-a-aa-ack!  Before a packed Estadio OmniLife. in Guadalajara, Chivas put the horns to derby rivals Tecos.  Having spent the early part of the Apertura season more concerned with chasing the Copa Libertadores in South America, Jose Luis Real’s squad knew they had work to do, if they are to figure in the first half of the split season.  They quickly got down to business, showing the difference between themselves and last place Tecos.

On 37 minutes, midfielder Marco Fabian connected with a perfect long distance backdoor cross to Omar Bravo, who headed the Goats into the lead.  In the second half, the skies opened up and so did Chivas.  After seeing several chances denied by Tecos keeper, Mario Rodriguez, Ricardo Vasquez Gallien finally found a way past him to double the lead.  The skies would clear but Chivas continued to rain shots on Rodriguez.  At the death, Marco Fabian would cap off the scoring, after a mad scramble around the Tecos box.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMN5NsIuaA0

Argentine Apertura

Velez Sarsfield 2 – 1 River Plate

Faced with a herculean task, needing to defeat city rivals River Plate, to both leapfrog them and keep pace with cheeky Arsenal de Sarandi, Velez Sarsfield made full use of their home pitch advantage to earn a hard fought victory.  Juan Manuel Martinez opened the scoring for Velez, just after the half hour but Diego Buonanotte pegged the home side back just before time.  It was a rough match all around, with both sides earning 4 cautions.  Santiago Silva’s penalty conversion, in the 58th minute put El Fortin on top once more but they had to circle the wagons when Leandro Somoza was sent off with almost 20 minutes remaining.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3OL4do6e6E

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Montenegro 1 – 0 Wales

It’s fair to say Wales will be disappointed with this result. Montenegro ran out winners from a Mirko Vucinic goal that was celebrated emphatically by his countrymen.  John Toshack’s side never really looked threatening going forward and lacked a creative outlet in midfield, to assist the attacking players.

Wales will need to improve to have any hope of qualifying.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltf-MgJqny4

Editor’s note:  According to reports, John Toshack has decided to throw in the towel.  In two years, he’s been unable to make any progress with the squad and apparently alienated the most talented of his players.  As his decision caught the FAW by surprise, there is no successor in the frame and Toshack has agreed to stay on until one is found.

England 4 – 0 Bulgaria

A great win and a good performance. Not spectacular but good. This doesn’t makes England world beaters but certainly shows that the players were capable of achieving more at the World Cup.  Hopefully,as a result, certain facets of the press may now take a step back from their mindless Capello baiting.

Jermaine Defoe looked lively upfront and England reaped the rewards of some tidy finishing. There are still question marks to be solved for England, the largest of those being the bumbling Glen Johnson who, apart from having superb physical attributes, has an astounding lack of technique, tactical awareness and positioning. Onwards we go.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSwm_NginjA

Slovenia 0 – 1 Northern Ireland

A 1-0, backs against the wall, away win. It can only be Northern Ireland. Nigel Worthington’s men overcame the lacklustre Slovenian’s through a combination of smart tactics and fighting spirit. The younger of the Evans brothers, Corey, netted the winning goal in a game that saw Northern Ireland illustrate that they may be a force to be reckoned with.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCz7ZtTwuFw

Kris Dwyer

The Oz Files with Kris Dwyer

Socceroos 0 – 0 Switzerland

Well that was dour wasn’t it? A nil-all draw, but good signs, as Australia moved away from the dredge of a 1 man strike force, something we’ve been succumbing to for years, under Dutch management.

Scott Macdonald has a lot to answer for, having missed many gilt-edged chances.  However, Helger Osieck has defended the striker, claiming he admired his work rate.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFmCFU50deg

Perth Glory 2 – 1 Wellington Phoenix

This game was always gonna be big, and the crowd of the round showed up in force in Western Australia with 10,844 fans filing into nib Stadium.  The game got off with a masterpiece of brilliance, Robbie Fowler turning and placing a lobbed through-pass onto the boot of Todd Howarth, from the centre of the park.  Howarth then crossed it straight to Mile Sterjovski, for a tap-in in front of the adoring ‘shed,’after just six minutes  The Glory were then denied a second by the referee who incorrectly called Sterjovski offside, and both sides went into the break, with the Glory 1-0 up.

On the restart, the Glory again came out fired up.  This time, Mile Sterjovski proved to be provider for marquee man Robbie Fowler, who headed it graciously into the net for his second Perth Glory goal and first in front of a home crowd.  There was a late rush home by Wellington Phoenix, however.  In the 76th minute, Ben Sigmund rose above the Glory defence, to nod home past Velaphi, but the Glory ran out winners in an end to the game that left fans on the edge of their seat.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_MV0f81sxc

Interviewed during the break, former Glory player and fan favourite Eugene Dadi provided a moment of hilarity.  ”Well I’m waiting for a contract and it’s Fathers Day.  Dadi is here!” quipped the 37 year old Ivorian.   Comical Brilliance.

Melbourne Heart 1 – 0 North Queensland Fury

Not much to say about this one, other than the stock of Nick Kalmar continues to rise. His meteoric ascent from the second tier VPL has been one of the stories of the year, with the young player already off the mark, with two goals.  Kalmar’s well timed header, in the first half, was enough for the Heart to secure their first win of the season and they jump up into sixth place with 5 points.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnMXBh7HVqM

Once again, we’ve been happy to put the World in World Football Columns.  Just in case you haven’t had enough video, we’ll leave you with a clip from the Glory Shed in Perth, where the home supporters welcome their Kiwi visitors with a short verse.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnYkfCftNwc

It’s not very cultured but, last I checked, the Opera House was in Sydney, not Perth.

See you on Friday!

It’s nine a.m., I’m awake…it’s my last day in Chicago. At some point, I try to plan my day but can’t pin much down, as my flight leaves at five and all I’m thinking is how am I gonna be able to watch the final that I’ve waited four years to see?

The Bucktown L stops here.

For the last few days, I’ve been staying in Bucktown, a west side suburb, with friends of friends.  It’s a nice neighborhood but where am I gonna watch the game? I run around everywhere, with my friend Hen, who is also excited for the Final. At last, outside a Spanish restaurant, we see a big sign advertising “World Cup Action Here!”

Running into the restaurant, we hear the loud voices of Spanish commentators and look around for the screen.  I notice the patrons staring at my orange jersey.  We may not be among friends.  A waiter points to the wall behind us.  Sitting down, we order drinks.

My heart is beating faster and faster, watching all the Oranje dressed players.  I don’t understand the commentators but all I care for now is a goal for our boys.

Holland puts on pressure but not blindly.  They patiently wait for their moment, remaining concentrated and not allowing the centre backs, Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol, any space to build up the game.  Xavi is looking to pass & attack, so it’s difficult, but suddenly Arjen Robben, with his beautiful left foot, is shooting at the near post, almost scoring for the Dutch.  The minutes are ticking, our dream is still alive, yet half time is nearing and I realise that I’ll have to run to the airport in a few minutes.

The O'Hare concourse, decked out for the World Cup?

Quickly, I pay for our drinks and we rush back to the house, for our bags, and catch a cab to O’Hare.  It’s two-thirty and there’s traffic.  Thankfully, we’re not too far away.

At the airport, in the baggage check line, someone behind us notices my jersey.

“Did you guys watch Holland play?” he asks, so I tell him our story. He tells me the game is scoreless in extra time and I feel more at ease.  Hen is wearing a guilty smile.  Apparently, his girlfriend has been texting him the score on his cell but he’s been letting me sweat.

There’s a big line, getting through security, so we pass the time chatting with our new friend.  On the other side, there’s a cafe.  We can hear what sounds like the game, coming from a television.  Finally, we’re cleared to pass.  As we walk through, I hear excited shouts coming from the cafe.  Trembling, I hurry over to see what’s happened.

Dutch grief.

On the screen, the cameras shift to Spanish flags waving wildly in the crowd.  My heart drops.  I still don’t want to believe, even when I see Holland 0 – Spain 1.  My world breaks apart and I cross my hands on my head in disbelief.  I see that it is but in my mind, it can’t be happening. Not in the 116th minute.  We were so close!  Numb and in shock, I can’t stand watching that painful moment we had tried so hard to avoid.

Not paying attention on my way to the departure gate, I end up in a completely different part of the airport. I feel like a robot.  After searching, I find our gate and drop to the floor, putting my head between my legs.  When the boarding announcement rings out, I rise mechanically and without responding to the smiling attendant, who checks my ticket, just go to my seat.

Across the aisle, two young pricks begin singing, “Viva Espana y Campeone!”

Laughing, they know it’s their pleasure to stab the knife even deeper into my heart.  Looking them in the face, I keep calm.  Then I settle back into my seat and close my eyes.  I have eight hours, over the Atlantic, where I don’t have to know if I’m in reality or a dream.

This week, that means the first spate of qualifiers for Euro 2012, as well as plenty of fixtures in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and the US.  If you didn’t catch our big Euro preview midweek, it’s right here.  The upcoming matches aren’t all that has fans of the European game abuzz this week, though.  The transfer market has closed, although not without a flurry of last minute business.

Now that Alex has this transfer thingy down, maybe he can find a decent barber.

If you see a smiling Harry Redknapp walking about London, during the break, don’t ask him for an autograph.  His hands are still swollen from a last desperate grab, just as the transfer window slammed shut.  His grin is genuine,  though, because coming away with Real Madrid’s surplus midfield magician, Rafael van der Vaart, for Tottenham, was certainly worth the pain.

In Birmingham, Alex McLeish has no need of painkillers.  His timing was much better than Redknapp’s, as he landed Barca benchwarmer, Alex Hleb, Chilean World Cup winger Jean Beausejour and the towering Spartak Moscow centre back, Martin Jiranek, all earlier on deadline day,.  With the trio joining the likes of Matt Derbyshire and Ben Foster as newcomers to City, the Blues are looking good to improve on their ninth place finish, last term.  Now chairman, Peter Pannu is on the hook to sign the Scot to a new deal, after having made some unflattering remarks regarding his ability.

Most players only do this after scoring a goal; For Robinho, this is his reaction to everything.

While McLeish and Redknapp were adding to David Cameron’s headaches over immigration, Man City provided some relief for the Tory PM, shipping the red tagged Brazilian, Robinho, to AC Milan, at well over a 50% discount on his £32M purchase price of two years ago.  Although Silvio Berlusconi will need to find some spare change hidden under his mistress, sorry, mattress to exercise the option to purchase Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona, for €24M in one year’s time, the suddenly economically minded Italian president at least broke even on the Robinho deal, by sending Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Schalke 04 for €13M.  With the aging squad he has, if the lecherous Berlusconi can keep getting these kinds of players through the door without cracking open his wallet, maybe he does deserve to continue running the entire country for a while longer.

Back in England, all twenty Premier League clubs submitted their 2010 rosters on Wednesday.  Despite all the kerfluffle, no one seemed to have much trouble complying with the Homegrown Rule.  Many clubs simply named less than the maximum 25 non-homegrown players to their squad and supplemented those they did with a bevy of youngsters.  In fact, Arsene Wenger, who is known the world over as a despiser of the rule, got in one last dig, by naming just a 20 man roster, accompanied by a whopping 56 under-21′s.

Oh, and we almost forgot.  Mikel Arteta won’t be playing for England.  The FIFA archivists, working long into the night in their Zurich vaults, uncovered an obscure rule which prevents the Everton midfielder from featuring for the Three Lions.  Apparently, since he played for Spain as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager, without holding a UK passport at the time, it won’t matter if he obtains one now.  That’ll teach us to write a feature article on the subject.

Not a person to be reasoned with.

The  international matches, all scheduled on Friday, make for an early weekend in Europe,  but Monday is the Labour Day holiday in North America.  For MLS fans, that’s not a reason to celebrate.  To them, the holiday is like some horribly mutated version of Groundhogs Day.  The difference, in this case, is that instead of a cute little bucktoothed rodent popping out of a hole, hoping to avoid its own shadow, a pair of terrifyingly large and hideous monsters, known as the NFL and NCAA football emerge from their lairs and stomp on anyone not wearing a football jersey decorated with large numbers on both sides.

Outsized and outnumbered, MLS will soldier on with a full slate of fixtures this weekend.  Mexico, however, features just a single match on its calendar.  Experts believe this has direct relation to the fact that most US Border Patrol agents are massive grid-iron fans, who would never miss opening day.

In the southern half of the Americas, Corinthians legend Roberto Carlos can rest easier tonight.  After years of study, French physicists have confirmed that the incredible bend that the former galactico put on his infamous 1997 free kick against their home side, was indeed no fluke and that the Brazilian deserves every accolade for greatness he receives.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crSkWaJqx-Y

It’s one thing for a planet full of pubcrawlers to argue that you’re the most amazing left back of all time but it’s another when science is on your side.  Forget string theory and quantum mechanics, this is research grant money well spent.

Now to what’s on tap this weekend.  The WFC gang is back to serve it up but you’ll have to supply your own pretzels.

That mad Baggins is off again...

From the desk of the vacationing Geoff Edwards

Belgium v Germany, Euro ’12 Group A

Given that many of the day’s headline matches are of the killer whale versus minnow variety, this tilt stands out at first glance.  Unfortunately, Geoff notes that Die Mannschaft haven’t lost to the Belgians since 1954, which, and I don’t get to say this often enough anymore, is before I was born.  In that match, the Rote Teufel (think ManU or AC Milan) caught the Germans with a major hangover, it being the champions’first game after winning their initial World Cup.  Thomas Vermaelen wears the armband for the hosts, while Philip Lahm, now officially caretaking for Michael Ballack, leads out the visitors.  As well, Manuel Neuer’s stellar turn in South Africa has earned him the Nr. Ein for Germany.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Liechtenstein v Spain Euro ’12 Group I

Undoubtedly the biggest mismatch of the week, newly-crowned world champions Spain will travel to Liechtenstein (population 34,761) on Friday, where they will face a country ranked an incredible 140 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Vicente Del Bosque has named a full-strength team despite the lowly nature of Spain’s opposition and it would hardly be surprising if David Villa, Fernando Torres and friends racked up a double-figure margin of victory at the Rheinpark Stadion.

Estonia v Italy Euro ’12 Group C

The Cesare Prandelli era begins in earnest tomorrow evening, as the Azzurri take on Estonia at the Lillekula Stadium in Tallinn. If a new-look Italian side can gel from the off, led out by redemption minded Daniel De Rossi and Giorgio Chiellini, then Prandelli’s men shouldn’t have a problem with their Baltic opponents, but Estonia – ranked 94th in the world – should not be underestimated. Players such as Tarmo Kink and Andres Oper are more than capable of punishing the Italians should they lose concentration. It should be an straightforward victory for the Azzurri but, as we saw so clearly in South Africa, Italy can be prone to self-destruction.

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Slovenia v Northern Ireland Euro ’12 Group C

The Slovenians, under Matjez Kek, have made real progress, of late. A play-off victory over Russia cemented their rise to the top table of global football and rocketed them up 60 (yes, 60!) places in the FIFA rankings, all the way to 19th.  The rangy figure of striker Mile Novakovic may cause the likes of Jonny Evans problems, as the slippery Köln striker looks to evade the clutches of his markers.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland have a problem. They never seem able to get out of a group situation. Even in their last World Cup qualifying group, they were pipped by Slovakia and (you’ve guessed it) Slovenia. Manager Nigel Worthington will no doubt be scratching his silver mane trying to fathom how his side can conquer the likes of England and Spain, yet fail dismally against weaker teams. The Northern Irish cause should be aided by long-time saviour David Healy who, reminiscent of Lukas Podolski, remains out-of-form with his club side, while invariably turning up in spades for his country.

When not whipping Wales into shape, Toshack sings lead on PS Guitar Hero.

Montenegro v Wales Euro ’12 Group G

Recently established on the international stage themselves, Montenegro, host John Toshack’s Wales, in what could be a contender for match of the week.  The Welsh posses an in-form Gareth Bale, lightning quick and blessed with a traction engine in his left boot.  Montenegro, meanwhile are blessed with two goofy-footed technicians of their own. AS Roma’s Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic, of Anfield goalscoring fame, are more than a match for the weary defence of James Collins and Danny Gabbidon.

With both sides blessed with attacking menace and cursed with frail defences, the highlight reel should be lengthy.

England v Bulgaria Euro ’12 Group G

With the retirement of talisman Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgaria have adopted a 4-2-3-1 in recent matches, with the clear aim of controlling the ball for as long as possible. Martin and Stilian Petrov, in the midfield, should provide the Bulgarians with some creative spark against the too often lacklustre English.

With the English press heavily criticising Fabio Capello of late, the knives will be out should England not win this game and comfortably. Unfortunately for Capello, his side are suffering from any number of injury problems, most notably missing first choice centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, as well as rangy impact sub Peter Crouch. This leaves the Italian the tough choice of relying on his out of favour World Cup squad or blooding unproven youngsters in a game that actually matters.

England have often struggled against possession minded sides and whilst they may run out eventual winners, I predict it to be a frustrating one, with the Bulgarians combining technique and tactics to stifle Englands attackers.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

France v Belarus Euro ’12 Group D

While this match ushers in a new era for the French, Laurent Blanc probably still doesn’t know his best eleven.  We can therefore expect wholesale changes from the World Cup team.  Philippe Mexes will likely team up with Adil Rami in defence and Loic Rémy with Guillaume Hoarau in attack. The formation Blanc will play is also a complete mystery; the 4-4-2 diamond deployed against Norway will probably change to a straight 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, due to the lack of an attacking playmaker (with Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Yoann Gourcuff all ruled out). The diamond in the rough is undoubtedly Florent Malouda, who has arguably been the best player in the Premiership so far this season.

Belarus will look to spring a shock on France if the hosts start slowly, but it may prove a difficult task, as key winger Aliaksandr Hleb has hardly played since April.  To be honest, though, I wouldn’t like to predict how this will pan out.

Lithuania v Scotland Euro ’12 Group I

Lithuania are still seen as minnows but Scotland will undoubtedly know the threat of their opposition, with many of the home side being current or former practitioners in the Scottish Premier League. Aberdeen’s Andruis Velicka leads the line for the hosts, while former Hearts man Saulius Mykoliunas is sure to get a hot reception, after being banned for play-acting the last time both sides met.  Eight changes have been made by Craig Levein for the match. The most notable are the omission of James McFadden and the inclusion of 40-year-old David Weir, who will become the oldest player ever to have donned the Tartan Blue.

This match will undoubtedly be a tight one, with both sides seeing the match as a proverbial six-pointer.

Avi Goldberg

Avi Goldberg

San Marino v The Netherlands

For their first qualification game, Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk must like the thought of San Marino.  The Oranje can afford to play more attacking football but the question is will coach Van Marwijk change the formation and test the new boys, midfielders Hedwiges Maduro, Theo Janssen and the ‘old’come back of Ruud Van Nistelrooy? The coach has not given any hints whatsoever on the details of the line up but one thing is sure, the fans are expecting a lot of goals.  Playing with a 3 man defence will definitely increase their chances for a nice goal fest.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Major League Soccer

As the season hits the stretch run, with most clubs having played 22 of their 34 matches, the top clubs in both conferences are feeling some pressure.  In the east, Columbus are clinging to a four point lead over the hard charging NY Red Bulls.  The Crew are in the capital, hoping to take 3 points from lowly DC United, while Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez face a strong challenge out west, in Rio Tinto Stadium, versus holders Real Salt Lake.

Real are trying to reel in the west leading Galaxy, who have cooled of late, and would like to take more than a draw from a home match, no matter the opponent.  At the same time, they must look over their shoulders, as FC Dallas have risen out of the midden heap and are breathing down their necks.

LA are in Chicago to face a Fire side that, with the addition of Freddie Ljungberg, has rediscovered its spark.  Fully 13 points behind the 2nd place Red Bulls, with two clubs to climb over before they can even consider the New Yorkers, the Fire have a great deal of work to do.  The good news is that, through some scheduling quirks, they have 3 matches in hand on the rest of the field.  They need to make every one of those count, however.

The Mexican Apertura

If you absolutely, positively can’t do without some Mexican football this weekend, you’ll have to settle for the Guadalajara derby; it’s the only show in town. Chivas and Tecos are propping up the Group 1 table, so if it weren’t for the local rivalry, you might not think much of the prospects for entertainment.  On the other hand, Chivas haven’t really been taking the Apertura seriously, chasing, as they were, after the Copa Libertadores.  Having come up just short in that pursuit, the Goats can fully focus on butting heads with their neighbours and serving notice to the rest of the league that they are baa-a-a-ck.

Argentine Primera Division

On Sunday, Velez Sarsfield, battling it out for second place, with who else but Arsenal (de Sarandi), are confronted with a golden opportunity.  They go into Estadio Jose Amalfitani to face top of the table River Plate.  It’s a heavy-weight battle and the winner will rule the Primera Division roost.  On the other hand, if the aforementioned Argentine Gunners take an inviting 3 points at home against minnows Argentina Juniors, a draw in Buenos Aires could see both of the big boys looking up at a surprise leader.

Kris Dwyer

The Oz Files with Kris Dwyer

After last weekend, when the A-League took a ‘dive’it’s only fitting that theres some tasty matches coming up.  First though, it’s the Socceroos.

Australia v Switzerland in Qatar

It’s a big game for Holger Osieck, the new $2million man at the head of the Socceroos.  However the ‘Roos have been dealt a blow with injuries to Michael Beauchamp (ankle), Josh Kennedy (back) and Harry Kewell (groin) limiting the squad for the upcoming international friendly match against Switzerland.  After consultation with the  three players and their clubs, Osieck has decided that they would not be required in camp.  Instead, the German has added Jon McKain and Tommy Oar into the squad.

On to the A-League, then…

Apparently, Perth have this nice chap named Fowler in their squad. Supposed to be famous or something.

Grudge Match – Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix @ nib Stadium

Last season, the two play-off debutants faced each other in the first round, with the Phoenix taking out the match in a heart breaking penalty shootout.  The Kiwis ended up going all the way to the Preliminary Final only to be knocked out by eventual champions Sydney FC, whilst the Purple Army from the west seethed and dreamt of what might have been.

With the home side branding this as their chance for revenge, you can only expect fireworks, especially with former Glory players Jade North, Leo Bertos and new signing Nicky Ward, all making the trip west.  The Glory are at near full strength, with only Michael Baird (suspension) and Victor Sikora (long term hip injury) unavailable.

One to Watch – Melbourne Heart v North Queensland Fury @ AAMI Stadium

Melbourne Heart are desperate to get their first win ever in the Hyundai A-League and North Queensland Fury are a team desperate to get back to winning ways.  Both sides play fluid Euro-esque attacking football, and, without a doubt, have two of the most passionate, flamboyant managers in the league, making this match a real cracker for the neutral.

..

Well, that about wraps it up.  We’ll be back on Monday with more news, reaction to the matches and, if we can twist the right arms, even a few highlights.  Enjoy the footy and we’ll see you then!

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/catch-them-if-you-can-3-5-sept-2010/feed/ 0 wfctagteam McLeish, Alex - finger snack Robinho raider fan the friendly skies chris mann eliot Toshack, John - Wales Tapesh Avigdor Goldberg MyPicture Kris Dwyer Fowler, Robbie - Perth Glory http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/over-a-pint-mikel-arteta-making-sense-of-the-rules-of-eligibility/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/over-a-pint-mikel-arteta-making-sense-of-the-rules-of-eligibility/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:01:19 +0000 The WFC Staff http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=5315 Continue reading »]]> ..

Editor’s note:  Just as this article was being made ready for posting, Mikel Arteta’s ineligibility was announced.  However, WFC still believes the issues of player eligibility remain unresolved, even if Mikel Arteta’s case has been.  So, please read on and decide for yourself.

In South africa, England was lacking a creative spark...

Do you remember way back, in the springtime of England’s 2010 World Cup dreams, when anything seemed possible?  Brazil and Spain were within reach and the only real problem that Fabio Capello had was the lack of a proven goalkeeper.  Oh, to be young again.  Sadly, another generation of England fans have been forced to grow up too quickly, discovering that the footballing world is a cruel, hard place.

Now it’s autumn and the FA are trying to pick up the pieces of a crumbled dream.  Under pressure from fans and the media to not make the same mistakes and perform as is expected of an England team when the Euros arrive in 2012, new chairman Roger Burden, Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League overlord, and the rest of the board have had to consider suggestions from all quarters on how best to go about it.

The FA has made several decisions quite quickly, in laying plans for the reconstruction.  Should they let Capello go? (No, he stays)  What to do to resolve the poor pitch issues at Wembley? (Install a real and artificial hybrid blend)  What can be done to accelerate the development of young English players? (To begin, the implementation of the Homegrown Rule on 1 September)  The shape of the Euro squad has slowed them up, however.

In their first action since waking up from their pleasant dreams to the horrible realities of Rustenburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and, at the last, Blomfontein, the Three Lions took to the pitch against Hungary, receiving an ambivalent welcome from those faithful who did decide to come.  Much like their greeting, the squad was a mix of the fallen heroes and new faces eager to make their mark.  Unfortunately, Phil Jagielka’s own goal didn’t do much for the hopes of the youngbloods, although their blushes were spared by a brace from captain Steven Gerrard.  The England team, despite the win, seem trapped in a dark place, casting about for some light.

...but would Arteta bowing to the Queen, rather than a king, truly make him an Englishman?

Last week, however, there came either a ray of hope or an oncoming train, dependent upon your worldly outlook.  Everton’s wonderfully talented midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has had the misfortune of being only the ninth or tenth best player at his position in his home country of Spain, suggested that he might be very pleased to play for England, where he would likely be considered in the top three, alongside Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

Amongst the many who raised their half full glasses and drained it to the health of the Toffee’s playmaker (and took up a petition for his canonisation), there were a few old gaffers, frowning at the barmaid’s tardiness in topping off their empty looking mugs, whilst muttering thatsomething just wasn’t right about this.  Unfortunately, WFC editor Martin Palazzotto falls into the latter category , while new writer Tapesh Patel is firmly in the camp of the former.  In the interests of world peace and the general entertainment of others, the pair have agreed to sit down together, sample some Tucher’s on draught and see if they can come to an understanding.

Tapesh: When we talk about Mikel Arteta, I think we should talk about the player himself, before approaching the whole nationality issue. The key point is: if he obtained dual nationality and became eligible for England, would he get into the squad? In my opinion, he most definitely would. In fact, I personally would put him into the starting eleven.

There's no question the Three Lions would welcome him, as well.

One of England’s current problems is a perceived lack of creativity in midfield. This is strange, because the main pairing, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, are both fairly creative players. What we have seen over the years, though, is that both like to get forward when possible.

What England have lacked, then, is a foot-on-ball playmaker, with the ability to pass to a Gerrard or a Lampard.  Hence the outcry for the return of Paul Scholes (who, by the way, is too old). This lack of such a passer meant that Wayne Rooney tended to drop deep to make the play, which left the now departed Emile Heskey (yikes!) up front.

I believe Arteta is the solution. His ability to dictate play, combined with excellent technique and outstanding passing ability, cannot be matched at the moment by any English player. Tom Huddlestone or Jack Wilshere might become that player in the future, but they are not ready to be regulars yet.

Also, the guy takes a decent penalty!

...but are mercenaries what we want at the World Cup?

Martin: You’re not going to get any argument out of me on Arteta’s ability or where he would fit in with the England squad.  If he were from just about anywhere other than Spain (Brazil and Argentina spring to mind as exceptions), he might very well be a veteran of three World Cups by now.  But the plain, unvarnished truth is that he is a Spaniard.  As such, he should not be available to play for England.

Mikel Arteta is far from the first player to be considered for inclusion in a foreign squad.  There have been several before him and many more are likely to follow.  Some, like Kevin-Prince Boateng, Lukas Podolski and Giuseppe Rossi are doing it for the love of the nation they represent.  I applaud and welcome that.  On the other hand, there’s the onetime Chelsea midfielder Deco, a Brazilian, who just concluded his international career with Portugal and promptly returned home to play out the string with Fluminese.  As his tenure with the Iberians went on, it was rationalised that the two nations were, culturally speaking, close cousins.  That is true enough and if Deco had made his permanent home in Portugal, I would have been content with that line of reasoning.  Yet, the abruptness of his return to Brazil laid bare his true intent.  He was playing for himself, rather than for love of country.  We should never forget (Ashley Cole) that the latter is what the World Cup is about.

Tapesh: I definitely agree with you that this question is ultimately one of pride.  So, these questions really need to be taken on a player-by-player basis. We live in a world where many people have divided identities, especially in football. In fact, the case of Kevin-Prince Boateng is one of the best examples of this.  Infamously, he did not talk to his brother Jerome before facing him in the World Cup. That really goes to show that people from the same background can view their identities in completely different ways.

Unlike his countryman, Senna settled permanently in his adopted country.

A case very similar to that of Arteta, was Marcos Senna. The Brazilian began playing in his native country before moving abroad, to further his career. He went to La Liga, with Villareal, settling there, before gaining citizenship and playing for Spain.  One could not doubt Senna’s commitment to the cause; it was something integral to his role.  Starring in Euro 2008 as midfield enforcer, his displays led many to name him as one of the players of the tournament.

Coming back to Arteta, he seems a very loyal player, as well as a person of substance, having stated that he wouldn’t want to move to clubs like Arsenal or Manchester City in the hope of reaching the Spain team. He’s braved Scottish winters in Glasgow, having played for Rangers from 2002-04, and has learnt the intricacies of the Scouse accent. Given his background, I think he would be proud to step out for England, the country where his career has really blossomed.

Martin: I can appreciate that Arteta seems to be a more honourable candidate than Deco. It’s very loyal of him to publicly decline a possible move to another club, after Everton has treated him so well,  even though it might help him crack the Spanish lineup.  Still, by his own statement, his preferred choice would be Spain.  And there lies the rub.  Boateng’s first choice was Ghana, even though Germany, where he was both eligible and wanted, offered a better chance for glory.  That’s what I mean by love of country.

That he is a ‘person of substance,’as you put it, and a great player certainly garners Arteta my sympathy and while these cases do have to be judged on individual merit, the criteria used to decide the matter must ultimately be whether or not the candidate has cultural ties, of some kind, to the nation he would represent.

Georgie may be the best of but not the only great to have never been to the World Cup.

Take George Best as an example.  The Northern Irishman was perhaps the greatest British player ever.  Yet, with his country being minnows, he never played in a World Cup.  For most of his adult life, he lived (and partied) in England and was a stand out for United.  What if he had pulled a Stephen Ireland, early in his career, and declined to represent his homeland, instead repatriating to England.  Think how that would have lessened his legacy within the game.  Sometimes, your greatness is also measured by what you weren’t able to accomplish.

Andy Carroll, for all his supposed immaturity, has passed this test by declining the invitation of Craig Levein and the Scots.  No, for me, Mikel Arteta must make do with the cards life has dealt him.

Tapesh: I think cultural ties are usually fixed at a young age, but can also be gained or transformed later on in life. The fact is that naturalised citizens will always face the question of when their identity shifts to that of the nation in which they live.

Different people, understandably, have different views on the matter but I think government is designed to represent the views of a nation. As such, I think that Arteta should be considered an Englishman since he now qualifies for dual-nationality by law. The country has a long history of successful assimilation of immigrants, which I think is also demonstrated within the domain of sport. For this reason, I think that most English people would welcome him playing for our national team.

If managers are eligible, why not players?

It’s also fair to argue that the England team lost part of its identity in 2000, when Sven-Goran Eriksson became the first foreign manager of England. This then set the precedent for Fabio Capello to manage the team, and while many opposed the very idea of a foreign manager, at first, no-one was complaining when England flawlessly gained qualification for the World Cup this summer. If there is one person who symbolises the team, it has to be the England manager, who takes a post frequently described around the world as ‘the toughest job in football’.

I was one of those that felt English patriotism took a blow with Eriksson’s appointment. The fact is, though, that the game is different nowadays – even at international level. Therefore, if Arteta wished to become part of the national setup, I see no reason for denying him what is rightfully his.

Martin: I’ve got no truck with foreign managers being involved in a national program; it helps develop the game, especially in the far corners of the football world.  Let them have at it, I say.  They can coach, advise and play the figurehead all they like, because when you get right down to it, championships are won on the pitch, by the players.  That simple fact puts them into two different categories.

As for Arteta, I’m not sure what you mean by rightfully his.  He’s been in England long enough to apply for a passport, yes, but hasn’t actually gotten, or even asked for one yet.  There is a process to go through, after all.  It’s not like he’s trying to buy a Premier League club.  If that were the case, then, naturally, you’d just hand it to him with no questions asked.

I take your point, though.  If he had an English passport, he’d have the right to play for England, given that he’s good enough, and who am I to deny him?  That is the letter of the law.  What I’m trying to champion, however, is its spirit.  In order to do that, I don’t believe FIFA can be as trusting, even judging on an individual basis, as you would have them be.   I don’t like to be redundant but the ‘alright, you seem like a nice guy’policy hasn’t worked out too well for the likes of Liverpool and Pompey and won’t, if things continue as they are, for Manchester United.

...Greed is good.

In football, like any other big business...

That English fans would welcome him with open arms goes without saying, as well.  It’s human nature, after all, to take advantage in any way we can.  We got to the top of the food chain by adapting, being innovative and turning any opportunity to our advantage .  Winning at all costs in business and sport is just a product of evolution.  And that’s where you’re wrong about government.  It’s not there to give us what we want but to make sure we don’t kill each other trying to get it.  Allowing foreign players who can’t get a game in their own country to play for any country desperate enough to take them will eventually kill the World Cup.

Look at the America’s Cup of yachting.  It was going along nicely for the better part of a century until big money became involved.  Suddenly, rules began changing at an alarming pace, until you had the Swiss being crowned champions two times running.  The last time I checked an atlas, Switzerland was still a landlocked country.  If it had been bankers’sons, raised on Lake Geneva crewing the Alinghi and its successor, I’d have no complaint.  Unfortunately, it was the best Kiwi and Aussie sailors that the Swiss Franc could buy.  So much for the battle of nations.

Is that what you want for the World Cup?

..

Of course, while Tapesh and Martin were busy having at it, FIFA weighed in and ruled Arteta ineligible due to a little known rule:

Article 18.1.a within the Fifa statutes outlines that any player who has represented their country in an official competition, at whatever level, would at that time need to have held a passport for the country they later wish to play for in order to be permitted to make the switch. –BBC report on Arteta’s eligibility to play for England

Arteta did play in an Under 16 competition for Spain and, of course, didn’t have a British passport at the time.  So that’s that.  Unless, of course, FIFA were to decide to change their rules or make an exception to an existing one, as they’ve been known to do, on occasion.  After all, Sepp Blatter is quite happy to have the UK represented by the separate home nations but is unwilling to sanction the Basques or Catalonia to field teams separate from the rest of Spain.

Meanwhile, having been informed that all their arguing was moot, Martin and Tapesh have resolved to go back to the bar and get falling down drunk.  How do the rest of you feel?  Answer the poll below and, if you like, add a comment through the Intense Debate comment section.

[poll id="13"]

The UEFA boss has put his foot down...

With the the first kick of this year’s English Premier League, a new era dawns in English top flight football.  Under intense pressure from the mandate of UEFA president, Michel Platini, for clubs to be both financially sound and comprised mostly of the same national origin as the league in which they play, the Premier League and it’s head, Richard Scudamore, introduced what has become generally known as the Homegrown Rule.

Essentially, the rule states that on 1 September, every club in the Premier League must submit a roster of twenty-five eligible players, which cannot be changed until the January transfer window.  Further, eight of those players must be what the league considers homegrown.

“A home-grown player means one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).” –The Premier League’s official definition of the term.

... and the Premier League gives ground.

In addition to the 25 players, a club may also sign an unlimited number of players who are younger than or have turned twenty-one in the calendar year in which the season begins.

Those who are for it have proclaimed it as necessary to revitalise the national squad.  Opponents have branded it UEFA’s way of knocking the Premiership off its lofty perch as the number one European league.  As the season approaches, the argument has heated up like a kettle on the boil.

Now, the publisher of WFC, Steven Jones and our Championship and Ligue 1 correspondent, Tapesh Patel, shoulder their way into the melee.  Actually, they’re just trying to get a seat at the bar, where they can relax and, each sipping a frothy pint of Guinness, give their thoughts on the matter.  Let’s listen in.

One 'homegrown' player...

...and another, neither of which will ever play for the England National Team

Steve: On the whole, rules in football are put in place to even the playing field. Platini’s attempt to prevent large clubs from racking up massive debts, by requiring that no club may spend more than its incoming revenue, is an example. I’m all for making things fair, but I feel the 25 man squad with 8 homegrown players is going to cause problems at every level and it’s quite hard to see what they’re trying to achieve by introducing this rule.

It seems as though it has been set in place to tackle more than one problem.  Yes, you must have 8 players who have played in the English or Welsh leagues for 3 years before reaching 21 years of age, but they needn’t be English.  They could be Italian, Polish, Chinese or whatever.  How does that serve the development of the English game?  With such ambiguities, I wonder if the Homegrown Rule is going to accomplish anything at all.

Tapesh: To be honest, it shows that the FA has the national team’s best interests at heart. As well as attempting to solve the Three Lion’s problems on the home front, the FA has had to work around EU policy as best it can to implement a rule, which to be honest, England desperately needs. I mean, it’s only fair that an English league should contain some English players, right? With the current laws on immigration, it’s difficult to think of any better solution.

I think it might have been a bit easier to introduce the home-grown rule in increments, like the proposed introduction of the 6+5 rule, but I don’t think most clubs will have a huge problem in having 8 homegrown players in their squad. It’s definitely a good way of encouraging clubs to develop their academies, as well, something which will benefit all parties in the long term.

Do the big clubs, especially Wenger's Gunners, have an almost insurmountable head start in adopting to the new rule?

Steve: My main concern is with the medium and smaller sized clubs. So-called ‘homegrown players’are going to be hotly sought after.  Premier League clubs competing on lesser budgets, who have thrived on foreign talent, will be relegated to signing the dregs of the homegrown barrel.  The cream, which, as is said, rises to the top, will go to the richer clubs, with their more extensive scouting networks and cash on hand.

As well, other countries do not have these limitations.  Not burdened by such restrictions, European clubs are going to find it easier to fill their team with talented foreign players, leaving a clear gap in the level of talent between the Premiership and other top leagues.

There’s another issue here, in that  the Premiership has marketed itself very successfully abroad.  It is a truly international league.  Most Premiership fans are not English and do not support England.  Why should their weekly football suffer because the FA can’t get things right at a grassroots level?

...And Cole, who has played in red previously, inspired.

For Hodgson, Shelvey was a creative signing...

Tapesh: Most clubs have already met the homegrown quota without their squads getting worse, so I don’t think there will be an issue of England lagging behind other countries in terms of the Champions League. Spain has implemented a similar rule, and Barcelona and Real Madrid are arguably the two best teams in Europe at the moment.

It’s true that most Premiership fans are from abroad, but it’s still an English league, whatever its ambitions.  I don’t think that the inclusion of 8 homegrown players should deter any squad, if they invest in the right ones.  Liverpool is usually identified as the club which needs to do the most to comply with the new rule.  Roy Hodgson has gone out and, on a bare bones budget, shrewdly managed to sign Joe Cole, as well as a gifted English youngster in Jonjo Shelvey.

As I see it, the top clubs will probably end up taking the best young talent, both from England and elsewhere, then loan them out within the league to gain experience, if required. Training with the best should, in theory, improve them.

Steve: The point about Real and Barca is interesting. I believe those teams are more desirable destinations for foreign players, especially South Americans because of their cultural links, so the Premiership needs to gain the upper hand through other methods.

A decade ago the Spaniards started from scratch, emphasising youth. Can England embrace the same patient approach?

The EPL has flourished with the introduction of foreign players and whilst I admit I’m not happy about seeing certain teams not featuring any English players, in some games, it’s for a reason.  The foreign talent is generally of a higher standard than we have here. I personally feel that the Homegrown rule is a poor attempt at trying to solve the underlying issue, which is that English players are not taught how to play football correctly, at a young age.

That is going to take maybe 6-8 years to turn around and the manufacturing of a squad’s make-up is not essential to the solution.  What is needed is a big rethink, new strategies and patience. If clubs, even those outside the top 10 of the Premiership, require loan players to fill their rosters, I believe it will lessen the stability of their squads, which, especially in the current economic climate, is something those teams strive to maintain week in, week out.

It now falls to the aptly named Roger Burden to revive the England's youth program

Tapesh: It’s true that English football needs a complete overhaul at the grassroots level but I also think that, although the homegrown rule may not be the be-all-and-end-all solution, it’s a good start; a signal that the FA is going in the right direction. As a temporary measure, it will give young English players, who otherwise would miss out,  the chance to make Premiership appearances.

The FA has done the right thing, following recent disappointments.  I don’t think any England fan would want the team to miss qualification for another major tournament!  We need our young players to develop.

Whilst it’s a shame that many Premiership clubs are now having to bring players in on loan, that’s a reflection of the economics of football nowadays.   The game has definitely gone top-heavy since the introduction of the Champions League.  The richer clubs have become richer, and the poor poorer.

..

Well, there you have it.  Steve and Tapesh have had their say, and having drained their glasses are each on their way home to explain their tardiness to the missus.  Who do you think was right?  Is the rule good for the Premiership, will it drag English football down into mediocrity or is the whole thing a tempest in a teapot?  You tell us, in our reader’s poll, below.

[poll id="8"]

By following the local game, I had learned to lower my expectations and I expected the Sal island native to be an overrated trickster. The first time I saw him playing was on the last national league and by half-time I knew I was wrong. Santa Maria was winning 2-0 at Académica da Praia and Rody was involved in every meaningful attack. He was replaced at the beginning of the second half and the match ended 2-2.

He reminded me of Ronaldinho, on his first brilliant years in Barcelona. Rody had impeccable technique, superb acceleration and an uncanny skill to beat his marker. A few months later, Cape Verde U-21 played against the favourites and hosts, Portugal, on the opening first match of the Lusophony Games. Rody came from the bench and he had the last 30 minutes to shine.

And shine he did, creating two clear opportunities to score and then, out of nothing, winning the penalty that settled the 1-0 win. Cape Verde won the tournament, and afterwards, nobody was surprised when Rody was snapped up by Portuguese giants FC Porto. It reminded me of another rags-to-starlet story, a long time ago.

In 1994, when I just a kid, they were “The Next Big Thing”: three Cape-Verdeans scoring dozens of goals for the FC Porto U-19 team. There was even a rumour about how they spoke Creole among themselves, to further confuse the opponents. Zeferino was the speedy forward, Tinaia the strong midfielder and Rui César the playmaker.

When the summer came around, they were off to Real Madrid B, playing every week alongside Guti, Cambiasso and Etoo. Was it the start of a glittering career? In the space of three years, all three of them were released. Zeferino is now playing in Malta and Tinaia was last seen on the Spanish fourth division.

The last one, Rui César, returned to FC Porto’s Dragon Stadium just last month. The Portuguese champions were playing a cup match against third division Sertanense. The Cape-Verdean is now 31 years old and, besides two years playing for Marítimo, never left the lower leagues.

Rui César was unexpectedly honest to the Portuguese media: “Of course I’m not happy with my career”. But “I think anybody would do the same as I did. Nobody turns down an invitation from Real Madrid”. At the time Porto wasn’t know for giving youngsters a chance on the first team. Yet “of course now I always have that doubt, whether or not it would have been better to remain at FC Porto”.