France v England draw...like kissing your sister

Well I guess I have some predictive abilities...I smelled the draw. What I didn't smell was England playing like Greece circa 2004, parking the bus, a trailer and a few scooters in front of their goal!

The Good:

Served well as lone defensive MF

• France didn't lose...I realize that isn't something that is great to hang your hat on, but I could see the Three Lions getting a late goal on the break after Les Bleus were pushing for the win. France has gotten a point from their biggest rival in this group. Now they have a chance to get points against the co-host Ukraine. Get a point and move on. England looked dangerous through out with regards to beating Les Bleus on a counter, the fact the French defended against this is positive.
• Diarra was huge. Granted his defending was questionable for the England goal - he allowed Lescott to run almost free to head in the goal. Otherwise Diarra was huge. He defended extremely well, he was very active on set pieces - forcing a huge save from Hart - the way he played would make me question whether M'Vila will slot back into the starting line up for the next game!
• Ribery and Nasri both looked very lively and gave the English defense some real problems. The Manchester City man gave Les Bleus the point with a long range effort that beat his teammate to the near post. They both has some nifty touches where they almost sprung Benzema. The one problem - too often they found each other bunched up and without space.
• Taking shots from distance, I realize that the great Alexi Lalas made some dismissive comments about France taking shots from distance. However I think that France forced Hart to make some decent saves. When a team defends with 8 field players in the box and gives you space you need to take what is available. Shooting from distance, when you put the ball on goal, will lead to good things. I am sure Lalas believes that someone like Landycakes would just dribble through the entire defense...France should continue taking these chances, but just need someone to crash the net. In addition, France was putting shots on goal...rather than ballooning the shots into row Z...oh and yes....France's goal came from a shot from distance by Nasri.
• England's right back Glen Johnson played a wonderful game. He defended well against the attacks from Ribery and also contributed to the English attack. His play and defending forced Ribery to float more into the middle of the park at times actually getting to close to the likes of Nasri allowing the British defense to defend in mass.

The Bad:

Never got to take off the warm ups...

• France didn't win...Les Bleus dominated this game offensively. France had 8 shots on goal...England 1 (the goal). France had 10 corners to Englands 3. At one point France had 60% possession...that is what you see when a team like France or England play the likes of Barbados! Les Bleus allowed England to sit back and clog the goal box.
• Blanc's usage of substitutes leaves something to be desired as well. He did bring on Martin and Ben Arfa late in the game, showing his desire to try and get the full three points. But those moves were very late ... less than 10 minutes. I question why he left Giroud on the touch line. Why? England was packing the penalty area - parking a bus in front of Joe Hart. It did not help that Benzema kept dropping deeper to get involved in the game. Why not put in a Giroud who can play on the last defender, who can receive crosses, hold the ball up or be used to distribute high passes? that might have put the English further on their heels maybe getting the second goal. I think Blanc should have been more aggressive with the timing of his substitutions.

The Ugly:

• Defending of set pieces by France. Once again Les Bleus show a deficiency in this department. England did exactly what they needed to do - defend and look to get a goal on a set piece. The Gerrard kick was well placed, but it was a ball that Lloris MUST come out and play! In addition, what is Diarra doing letting Lescott just run to the spot? Once again this is something to watch for with Les Bleus. I fear that something they have not been able to solve in years will get figured out in a few days! 
• Lack of speed. What do I mean by this? France has shown something the last few games because they played with speed and urgency. They constantly ran at teams. Granted not the same level as England. But...France was too content to slow down the game, allow England to regroup, rather than taking chances and pushing the ball at the English defense. 
• Parking the bus...okay I realize that the strategy got England the point they sought. And as the Gooner said, "England is terrible," so I guess it is a good strategy. But it is ugly. I was sent the following from facebook that captures the ugly England tactic - "England make Greece look like '73 holland" I think they mean '74 Holland but the point is very well made!

So both England and France leave this match with one point. England has to feel a bit better as they clearly were playing not to concede. France will be frustrated at their inability to break down the English back 4. The one advantage France have is they face the weaker of the remaining opponents in the next match - Ukraine. And based on what I have seen from the Ukraine v Sweden match, the former member of the Soviet Union is not looking to do any valeting. As for England, it seems more and more that they might be looking to play it safe until their last game when they get Rooney back.

Allez les Bleus!

Blanc goes with the 4-3-3

No surprise, but Le President will start his Euro campaign with the 4-3-3 that we are accustomed to seeing the past few matches. His starting line up will also mirror what was rolled out in a 4-0 victory over Estonia.

The formation is interesting to me, as I have written in the past, since it can evolve as my favorite "Christmas Tree" with the two wingers - Nasri and Ribery dropping deeper and Benzema pushing higher on the pitch. The question is can Debuchy and Cabaye slow down the "Ox" who gets the start on the left side of the English formation. The Arsenal winger is one to watch, I think he brings a threat that I am concerned about. Nasri will have to be disciplined to try and slow him down higher up the pitch, allow Cabaye, Diarra and Debuchy to reposition themselves prevent fast counters. Rami and Mexes will have their hands full with Welbeck's  pace so will not be able to slide over to cover if Oxlade-Chamberlain overruns the right side of the French defense.

Much will be on the shoulders of Diarra as the true defensive midfielder, as opposed to other French formations that have seen two defensive players, or even when Blanc used a 4-3-3 in Bosnia when he had a very "muscular" 3 of Diaby - Diarra - M'Vila. This version of the 4-3-3 is leaning on the offense.

I still smell a draw in this game...

Allez les bleus.

France v England...need I say more?

After three great days of footy, we will have the last group kick off their matches starting tomorrow. With the much anticipated matched between Les Bleus and the Three Lions. Sweden will also play Ukraine, and this match also has some intriguing plot lines.

Both sides will run out line ups without too much surprise:

England (probable) : Hart, Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Cole, Milner, Gerrard, Parker, Downing, Welbeck, Young.

France (probable) : Lloris, Debuchy, Mexes, Rami, Evra, Cabaye, Diarra, Malouda, Nasri, Ribery, Benzema.

The only question was whether or not Andy Carroll would be featured at top of the English formation. I would keep an eye on him as a late game change, a player who could give real problems to Les Bleus and set pieces. The three keys to the game to watch for:

1. Ribery on the left side. How will Johnson fare against the in form Kaiser? Johnson himself is eager to push up the pitch and at times forgets his defensive responsibilities. I am not sure that the England midfield will be able to cover for the gaps if that happens as well. If Ribery is allowed space and can get behind the English defense then it could be a long day for Hart and co. If Johnson does his best impression of the British squares repelling the Napoleonic cavalry charges at Waterloo than England will have countered on of France's major threats.



Preview of what to expect from England?

2. England's strikers and wingers. How will Welbeck and Young fair against the French back line? I have a real concern over Mexes. I think that Rami will be fine, but the AC Milan man has shown some rust and some shaky defending as of late. While I am not ready to anoint Welbeck as the next Shearer, he has the pace and skill to potentially exploit Mexes' gaffs. I would look to Diarra and potentially Cabaye to try to cut down the source of passes from the midfield and try to avoid Welbeck spring loose behind the French defense. Mexes will most likely defend high, which could be a risky proposition against the England strikers. Evra might be the wild card for France, knowing very well the English strikers' tendencies. Also look for The Ox to be a wild card, he could come on late and use his pace against a tired French defense to create some real problems.
3. Who holds their nerve. This might not seem important when you have two squads comprised of players that play club football at the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, AC Milan...but both squads go into this match with high pressure. England has not won...well you know the rest...since 1966. Granted the Three Lions go into a tournament WITHOUT the burden of outrageous expectations from their home fans. For once the pundits in England are not predicting a title. But that pressure is always lurking...For the French until they win a game in a major tournament they will always be under the dark cloud of South Africa and the Domenech era. It seems like another life time ago when Les Bleus were in the same shoes as Spain - having won two major consecutive titles - World and European Cups. After an improbable run to the World Cup finals in 2006, France has been a shell of itself on the world stage. 2 points in 6 matches spanning the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup. France had goalless draws against Romania and Uruguay, and lost to Holland, Italy, Mexico and South Africa in that same span. Oh yeah and the little "strike" the players went on in South Africa! There is a tremendous amount of pressure on Les Bleus to do something...just win a game! Which ever team does not allow the pressure to impact their game will find a way to the points.

How England wins - Welbeck's pace is enough to slip behind a shaky back four for Les Bleus. Gerard plays inspired football and controls the game from midfield, not having to co-exist with Lampard allows the Liverpool man to put his stamp on the midfield. Terry rises up to the challenge and shows steely nerve in controlling and marshaling the back 4 of England.

How France wins - Ribery overwhelms the right side of the English defense and he combines with Benzema to run circles around the English back 4. Nasri keeps Cole occupied enough that the Chelsea left back becomes a non-factor. The French midfield trio of Malouda, Diarra and Cabaye are better organized and have more pace that their English counter parts suffocating the midfield and not allowing regular service to be restored.

What will happen - I think this will be a very cautious match between two old foes. I think that the nerves will catch up with Les Bleus - especially on defense. England will beat France on a counter springing one of their pacey players to snatch a goal late in the first half. France will settle down and lay siege to Hart's goal. A late substitution of Giroud will prove the difference as he and Benzema link up for the equalizer - France 1 England 1

Allez les Bleus!

FIFA World Rankings...what a load of...

The new rankings are out!!! Yahhhh. Okay I realize I should write about the Champions League, but a)I had work so was not able to watch b)had I been able to watch I would have turned off the massacre in Milan...disgraceful...

But anyways, once again the FIFA world rankings are out...and Spain remains tops. But what always amuses me is how some nations seem to find themselves ranked. Uh England fifth? Really? Above Brazil and Italy? Really? Does anyone in their right mind really think England is the fifth best national side in the world? The other interesting fact, only two nations outside Europe in the top 10: Uruguay at #4 and Brazil at #7, Argentina is #11. The United States is down to #31, guess the Klinsmann experiment isn't going as expected...yet. Then again I heard rumors that Klinsmann might be called back to Europe to take over Tottenham if Redknapp heads off to manage England.

Once again the FIFA world ranks shows that they are about as important as the paper it would be printed on were we back in a paper news world!

Bye Bye Capello...a year too late?

Shocking news - Capello resigned from the Three Lions. Not shocking that Capello is leaving his role as head of England. Let's face it, he has had a rocky relationship with England and its fans since the FA hired the Italian. Capello has not really shown much since he took over the nation. Between constantly calling up Beckham so he could chase the England record for caps or the debacle at the 2010 World Cup where once again England had no clue how to leverage Lampard and Gerrard, or how to create width with some wingers, or what to do for Rooney...

So Capello exits after leading England to Euro qualification, so what now for the Three Lions? As the statement from the FA points out - most of the managers are currently tied up with their clubs. I am sure Redknapp would jump at the chance, especially were Tottenham mid-table. Shocking, however, the Spurs have a half chance of winning the Premiership, but are clearly in a good position to qualify for the Champions League. How about Wenger? Not sure the Arsenal manager wants to manage at the national level...and would he chose England over a chance at France (rumors are that Blanc might be out next summer, regardless of how Les Bleus do). Regardless, the Professor still is fighting to get the Gunners back in Champions League.

The best answer might already be walking the halls of the FA offices - Stuart Pearce who is managing the U-21s. As former player and one understands the meaning of wearing the white shirt of England (watch the video below of , he might be just want the senior squad needs to motivate them heading into the Euros.




Or how about this - The Special One resigns, takes the helm of England for the Euros, wins the title and then anoints himself the greatest of all time, tells the FA to fire SAF from Manchester United and then gives himself a life time contract....

France end 2010 on the upswing...the rebirth of a team

Les Bleus ended their 2010 international season with a convincing 2-1 victory over hated rivals England. The score ended up being more flattering that it should have been with a late goal from Crouch on a corner...once again France gives up a goal during a set piece.



Unfortunately I was not able to watch the match...work sometimes gets in the way of Les Bleus. I was able to "watch" it via the feed on the web, unfortunately ESPN3 did not carry the game nor FoxSoccer.tv!! Ugh. So I cannot comment too much on the match in Wembley, although I have pieced together an image of what happened from what has been written, video highlights and my imagination. Rather than give some thoughts on the match...which would not be complete, I want to turn to the whole body of work for 2010 and specifically the Herculean job Blanc has done in 5 games to right the ship that was fast sinking after the South Africa debacle.

First the statistics for Les Blues in 2010:

• 13 games played
• 5 victories (4 of which were under Blanc...nice job Domenech)
• 2 draws
• 6 defeats
• 13 goals scored and 13 conceded

6 defeats is unheard of for Les Bleus, this has not happened since the 1930s! Just another indicator of how terrible this year had been for France. Domenech's record: 1 win, 2 draws, 4 defeats...including 2 at the World Cup. Blanc: 4 wins, 2 defeats.

Recap of the games:

3 mars (Saint-Denis, A) : France-Espagne 0-2
26 mai (Lens, A) : France-Costa-Rica 2-1 (Sequeira csc, Valbuena)
30 mai (Rades, A) : Tunisie-France 1-1 (Gallas)
4 juin (Saint-Pierre de la Réunion, A) : France-Chine 0-1
11 juin (Le Cap, CM) : Uruguay-France 0-0
17 juin (Polokwane, CM) : Mexique-France 2-0
22 juin (Bloemfontein, CM) : Afrique du Sud-France 2-1 (Malouda)
11 août (Oslo, A) : Norvège-France 2-1 (Ben Arfa)
3 septembre (Saint-Denis, CE) : France-Biélorussie 0-1
7 septembre (Sarajevo, CE) : Bosnie-France 0-2 (Benzema, Malouda)
9 octobre (Saint-Denis, CE) : France-Roumanie 2-0 (Rémy, Gourcuff)
12 octobre (Metz, CE) : France-Luxembourg 2-0 (Benzema, Gourcuff)
17 novembre (Wembley, A) : Angleterre-France 1-2 (Benzema, Valbuena)

Clearly Les Bleus have ended the season better than they started, much of this is the responsibility of Laurent Blanc and his staff. They have taken over a sinking ship a team in complete turmoil and in a few months put it back on track to where it once was. Granted there remains much work to be done, and the next match in February against Brazil will go a long way to demonstrate how far Blanc has come and how much further he needs to go. So let us look back at the past year, which is much easier to do after that game at Wembley!

The Good:

• Laurent Blanc - his arrival at the head of the team could not have come at a better time, actually if he had been put in place after the other Domenech debacle - Euro 2008 - France might have done something in South Africa, then again the 2 years Blanc spent at the head of Bordeaux cannot be underestimated. Le President has brought with him a degree of professionalism, pride and an intellectual capability long missing from the national team. His first moves were the signs of a true boss - not selecting any of the World Cup players, clearly sending a signal that he was in charge but also a symbolic sign to those on the squad in South Africa. He clearly has a plan and appears to be following through with his strategy - building from the back forward, developing his core

  

  Blanc's greatest goal for Les Bleus

  and being flexible in his tactics. He, unlike Domenech, clearly understands the need to develop and allow to develop a central defensive pairing. Coupled with the keeper this is the base from which a team can build out - with Lloris, Blanc already had his pillar in goal. Blanc has also not been shy to experiment with his formations: 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.  Look at what he did against England, aligning what really amounted to a 4-1-4-1, similar to what Spain did during their successful Euro campaign. Relying on the 20 year old M'Vila to act as the lone holding midfielder and relying on 4 offensive minded players to hold the ball and play defense by not losing the ball...this demonstrated a tactical sense not seen with France in a long time. Blanc has ensured that communications with club managers remains open and two way, just look at how he has been speaking with Mourinho about Benzema. Could you ever envisage Domenech having these discussions with club managers? Domenech was always the exact opposite when it came to dealing with club managers! Blanc's maturity as a manager, gained from his days at Bordeaux, coupled with his gravitas earned from being one of France's all time great central defender, a player who has both a World Cup and European Champions medal have given him the stature required to tackle this daunting task. So far he has demonstrated everything that we have hoped for when he was announced as the next France manager. I hope and have faith that this upward trend for Les Bleus will only continue and grow with Blanc at the helm.
• The win against England aside, the most important results currently is France sitting atop their group for the European Championship. After a poor start to the campaign - a 1:0 loss in Paris to Belarus - Les Bleus have run off a string of 3 straight victories, including a tough 3 points gained away to Bosnia. Friendlies are nice, except to some like the Gooner, but they do not mean you are getting closer to participating to the real tournaments.  While there remains much work to do for France, getting the full 3 points away to Bosnia as well as maximizing the results at home versus Luxembourg and Romania, the will have a string of winnable matches to restart the qualifiers - Luxembourg, Belarus and Albania being the first 3 matches. Not a walk in the park since all the games will be on the road, however the fact they will not face Bosnia until the last day is an advantage since they still pose the greatest threat to Les Bleus.
• The emergence of non World Cup players has given Les Bleus a new breadth of fresh air and been a catalyst to the success. Benzema, Nasri, Mexes, Rami, M'Vila and Remy have all played important roles in France's run of success. Blanc's willingness and ability to integrate these players and to use them in specific roles and functions is world's apart from the lack of direction and strategy that was the norm under Domenech. With a crop of young players at the U20 level who are apparently ready to make a jump it will be interesting to see how Blanc will start integrating these players into his plans.
• The integration between the above players and important elements that were in South Africa - with the likes of Gourcuff, ADiarra, Lloris, Sagna, Clichy, Malouda, Diaby and Valbuena, Blanc has been able to integrate the South African players with the new crop of French players. Blanc has always maintained from day 1 that he would take the best players for the team, regardless of their involvement in the South Africa mutiny - see his comments on Anelka. What will be interesting is what happens with Evra and Ribery, the last two from the South African mutiny that will be eligible for a call up in 2011, more on these two later.

The Bad:

• The wasted tournament that was the World Cup - I have ranted and raved enough about the ineptitude that Domenech and Escalettes both exhibited over the past few seasons culminating in an embarrassing and disastrous showing at the World Cup, while I do not want to harp on these bad times they definitely fall into that category (you can read all my rantings from the World Cup in the archive - like this posting after France's last match). I can only imagine what might have been had France been managed by a real manager during the past 2 years. No nation with the stature of France should "waste" a tournament, too bad the FFF allowed France to waste away for 2 years under Domenech - he should have been sacked after that putrid showing at the 2008 European Championships...inexcusable.

The Ugly:

• The image that the French national team has developed during the first half of this year has been awful. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, France had established itself as one of the elite international sides in the world. It did not hurt that they had one of footballs all time greatest players in their ranks - Zidane as well as players such as Vieira, Henry, Trezeguet, Blanc, Desailly and Deschamps to name a few. Oh and wining a World Cup and European Cup was helpful...but since then France has been treading water, yes they have qualified for both the World Cups and European Cups, yes they did make an improbably run in 2006 to the World Cup finals. However they never were able to rebuild a team, rather continue to rely on individuals - Zidane the primary individual.  I realize it is easier said than done to rebuild a squad and not lean on such a player as Zizou, however this reliance and subsequent inability to develop and execute a Plan B became apparent after the 2006 finals and came to a head in 2010. That was very ugly. Unfortunately the cupboard was never bare, it was just that the head chef was completely inept and unqualified to make a grilled cheese sandwich let alone mix these ingredients for something more gourmet. Les Bleus' image has taken a major hit under the Domenech era to the point it became ugly...nothing was more representative of this than the outrage that descended on Les Bleus after the "Hand of Gaul." I have a feeling had France been a more "likable" side the outrage would have remained but not to the degree it was heaped upon the team - especially from its own such as Dugarry and Lizarazu. I have never been shy about who was guilty of allowing this to happen - Domenech and by extension Escalettes for not firing Domenech when he should have - 2008. Sometimes teams need to hit the bottom before they can make their way back to the promise land, I hope that this is the case, because I certainly do not want to think about it being any worse than it was under Domenech!
• The players comportment during the World Cup - the strike was absolutely ugly and inexcusable. Evra, Gallas, Abidal, Ribery and Anelka all showed themselves as ugly, over paid prima donnas...granted I understand where the frustration came from....see bullet above, but their behavior remains inexcusable and very ugly.

So Les Bleus head into 2011 on a high note and on the upswing. Their manager seems to have at least stopped the bleeding and has brought stability and ability otherwise lacking from the side. There are many positives to look to build upon as Les Bleus will head into 2011 looking to secure passage to the Euros and continue to build that core that Blanc seeks. What is emerging is that France will be led by the likes of Lloris in goal, Mexes - Rami as central defense, M'Vila - ADiarra as the defensive midfielders, Diaby as a potential box to box player, Malouda on the left, Gourcuff - Nasri as the creative tandem and Benzema leading from the front.

There remains questions around who will secure the spots at left and right fullback. On the right it appears to be Sagna's role for now. On the left there is some clear competition between Clichy and Abidal - wonder if Evra will be relegated to 3rd or 4th on the depth chart: Tremoulinas would appear to be the 3rd option at left back. There is also the question of Ribery. As the Kaiser looks to regain his health and form, will he have a role on Blanc's team? Malouda is the clear cut option on the left. And there remain other left sided options - Menez, N'Zogbia and even Kakuta. Would Ribery "allow" himself to slot on the right? Then again Valbuena continues to score points to hold up the right side, Nasri could feature there as could Remy. What about a central role? That would place the Bayern man behind Gourcuff and Nasri...how ironic. While I have no doubt that if the Bayern winger regains his form there is and will be a place for him on the French national team, but his role and stature are no longer what they were 10 months ago when he was seen as the only creative player available for France. Now he is just another piece that could be used for the puzzle.

Amazing what a few wins and time will do for a psyche, this time in July we had seen what we hoped was the bottom of the barrel, in hindsight that is what it was. Today, while there remains much work, it feel as if Les Bleus are back on the upswing. See you in February when we face Brazil in Paris in what should be another stern test for Blanc and Les Bleus.

Final note, this was the last game where France wore the Adidas kit, a kit they have worn since 1972...a great year! When Les Bleus come out of the tunnel to face Brazil on February 9th in the Stade de France they will be kitted out with a new strip from Nike. I am eagerly awaiting what the American sports giant will unveil. I will miss Adidas, but I also recognize the marketing and branding power that is Nike. Let the new adventure start with Nike!

Allez Les Bleus!

What formation and who walks out onto the Wembley pitch for France?

Both France and England head into tomorrow's friendly dealing with injuries to their defensive core - Terry and Cole for England and Mexes for France. This might be unfortunate for Blanc and Les Bleus since it would have been a good test for Rami-Mexes to go up against the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard et al. Instead Blanc will have to decide which of his center backs he wants to give some time to against England - Sakho would appear to have the club house lead to start tomorrow. The young PSG defender has all the signs of being a great central defender for club and country for many years to come....maybe that club will be Arsenal soon...

Kaboul has been called up for cover but not sure the Tottenham man will get his chance to earn his first French cap in the town he plays his club football. Or could Abidal find himself back at central defense? That would be the irony of ironies. However I think we will see Sakho - Rami pairing in central defense. Other intrigue - who will start on the right and left of the defense? Reveillere scored some points last match when Sagna had to withdraw and Clichy has not cemented his spot on the left side of the defense. Could we see Reveillere on the right and Abidal on the left? Too be determined.

The midfield will also be interesting - diamond formation or 2 holding players with 3 offensive players? If Blanc goes with the former I could see M'Vila or ADiarra as the holding player with Nasri/Valbuena out on the right, Malouda on the left with Gourcuff/Nasri at the top of the diamond. Blanc goes with the former and M'Vila-ADiarra as the holding tandem with a offensive 3 of Malouda - Gourcuff - Nasri.

As for the striker(s) - Benzema will most likely feature and if he has a strike partner look for Hourau to get another chance to start based on his recent club form. Although I could also see Blanc look to Remy to add another element of pace to the French front line, especially with ACole injured.

I think Blanc will go with the 4-2-3-1

Lloris
Clichy - Sakho - Rami - Sagna
M'Vila - ADiarra
Malouda - Gourcuff - Nasri
Benzema

Blanc will then insert Reveillere and Abidal as his wide defenders for the second half giving the Arsenal tandem just one half of action. Blanc will look to M'Vila/ADiarra tandem to snuff out any offense and attacks that might come from the likes of Gerrard - Lampard. The question will be can the offensive midfield create the space and offense necessary for Benzema to get his goal chances?

I hope we have a good match, but with this "break" being short I fear that both sides will be cautious - although the English might role out a young and inexperienced side, so they may want to make an impression on Capello so that could give the game a spark.

Prediction -  France 0 England 0

Allez les Bleus

Blanc provides his list for England match...with another "striking" player from South Africa

For the last France international of the year, next week in Wembley versus England, Laurent Blanc called many of the same players he has leaned on in his rebuilding project....with some exceptions. The return of Eric Abidal is an interesting inclusion. The list:

Gardiens : Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cédric Carrasso (Bordeaux)

Défenseurs : Eric Abidal (Barcelone), Gaël Clichy (Arsenal), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal), Philippe Mexès (AS Rome), Adil Rami (Lille), Mamadou Sakho (PSG), Anthony Réveillère (Lyon)

Milieux de terrain : Yohan Cabaye (Lille), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Yann M’Vila (Rennes), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Yoann Gourcuff (Lyon)

Attaquants : Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Dimitri Payet (Saint-Etienne), Kévin Gameiro (Lorient), Guillaume Hoarau (PSG), Loïc Rémy (Marseille)

No major surprises in the list. Still no Evra - last game of his FFF suspension - he will be eligible to return for the first match of 2011 against Brazil. Also no Ribery, because he is still recovering from injury. Alou Diarra gets the call even though he has been suspended by Ligue 1 due to his actions towards an official - he had a physical altercation after receiving a red card.  Clearly signals that he has the potential to be one of Blanc's core players. It will be interesting to see if he also retains the captain's arm band.

The biggest surprise is the return of Eric Abidal. While the Barcelona defender avoided disciplinary action based on what transpired in South Africa, he found himself in international football Siberia for the first matches of Blanc's tenure. However there has never been any denying in his talents, the main issue was the way Domenech utilized the defender. Rather than playing him at his natural left back, he was always slotted in central defense by Domenech, a role Abidal was clearly not comfortable with. Blanc has made it clear that he selected the left back...to play left back. Clichy has been the left back of choice recently for France and has done an admirable job, however his performances have not cemented him in that position. With Abidal back in the fold, there will be some competition to take over that role. Evra has not had great performances for Manchester United, however assuming he returns closer to form, he will be back in the mix as well for left back. Add to this Tremoulinas and you have a wealth of options for left back, sometimes having too many choices means you have none! But I trust that Blanc and the play on the field will make clear who will take over the left back role for Les Bleus.

Much will be determined during the practices at Clairfontaine see how Blanc will align his team for next week's match. My guess is the following line up will be rolled out onto the pitch, formation will be a 4-2-3-1:

Lloris
Clichy - Mexes - Rami - Sagna
M'Vila - ADiarra
Malouda - Nasri - Valbuena
Benzema

Blanc might go back to the 4-4-2 diamond, take out M'Vila and slot in Gourcuff at the top of the diamond, move Nasri out to the right (similar to his role at Arsenal) and shoulder Benzema with Hourau/Remy and place Valbuena on the substitute bench. Abidal might also be slotted at left back over Clichy, but I think Blanc will lean on many of his Premier League players in his starting line up - Clichy, Sagna, Malouda and Nasri...

It will be an interesting test for Les Bleus. The problem with these friendlies, other than the fact my fellow podcaster Gooner does not like them, is the timing - is that it comes at the end of the international season (a World Cup one at that) and the middle of many tough domestic seasons. Not sure how much the players will have left in their legs as well as in their compete level. The fact it is France v England provides a natural incentive in terms of rivalries.

I hope it is a good game, I hope no one picks up an injury....but I have a feeling we might see a drab 0-0 draw.

Allez les Bleus!

Technology to improve the game! Welcome to the 21st Century Sepp...

Shocking but true, the head of the FIFA finally admitted errors in officiating and the fact that...gasp....technology could be leveraged to assist the officials!!!! Wow...shocking to say the least. Of course, short of saying he would, Sepp agreed to reopen the research into using technology to help with such situations as the one we saw in the England v Germany game where a Lampard shot was seen by everyone in the stadium, on television and in the international space station that the shot had crossed the line yet the goal was not given. By no fault of the assistant referee who was standing where they are suppose to - watching for the offside. The on the field official was where he should be, behind Lampard and the play so could have a clear sight line to how the ball ricocheted off the cross bar. Of course if the 4th official had, like 4 years ago in the finals and the Zidane head butt, looked at the monitor and seen the ball fall clearly behind the line could have easily indicated to the on the field official - Goal. But of course because the FIFA remains stuck in the 1800s the goal was not granted and England went on to get corrected 4-1. Those who say, well Germany won by 3 goals so that one would not have mattered are not correct. Had the game been tied 2-2 at half, as it should have been, I think the second half would have been much different. Not sure the three lions would have been pushing so far up the pitch and exposing themselves to the German counters.



So now Blatter has to at least allow the debate continue with regards to video. Should it be used for everything, no. But goal line technology is a no brainer - the situation does not arise every game, but when it does it clearly has a huge impact on the game. Also whether or not a ball has crossed the goal line is black and white, there is no judgment something technology and video could render close to fool proof. FIFA already allows it for youth tournaments so now allow the biggest tournament of them all come into the 21st century. It is a first step in making the beautiful game that much better.

World Cup round of 16 - first half is set

A great weekend of football - good goals, heartbreaking games and controversy - what else would one want? So we are set for the first half of the 1/4 finals

Uruguay v Ghana
Argentina v Germany

How did these teams get there:

Uruguay: In the first game of the round of 16, the South Americans played the surprise Asian side South Korea. What was one of the least hyped game turned out to be a good match between two well disciplined and well organized sides. The combo between Suarez and Forlan looks like it is starting to click, which is dangerous for the other nations. Both sides had chances, an early South Korean free kick, from Chu Young Park, smashed into the post having successfully found its way around the wall. But poor defense and inexplicable goalkeeping from South Korea allowed a cross from Forlan bypass at least 3 defenders and the keeper (who mush have thought the ball was destined to go wide) only to see Suarez come in and smash home the shot.



The South Koreans fought back to level but were done in by a wonder strike from Suarez. The Uruguay defense (only 1 goal conceded all tournament) and combination of Suarez - Forlan - Cavani is proving lethal.

Ghana: For the second time in 4 years the Black Stars knock out the Stars and Stripes...yes I stole that from some TV talking head. After the World Cup is over and when the US players get a chance to reflect I think they will rue this missed opportunity. While I think the talk of a semi final run were a but premature, there is no doubt that the way the opponents were being set up, there was a legitimate chance for the Americans. Let us face it, had they finished second in the group does anyone really believe they could have taken out the German team we saw today? Or an Argentina team in the 1/4 finals? However Ghana took their chances and deserve to go through. The first 20 -30 minutes it appeared that Ghana could score another goal or 2 after opening up the score through Boateng after a terrible turn over in the midfield by Clark. However at the half the US brought in Feilhaber and changed the complexion of the match. The US controlled the midfield and put some real pressure on the Ghana back 4 earning a deserved PK that Landycakes banked in.



But the problem that haunted the United States bit again in extra time when a harmless and blind clearance from their own half feel to Gyan who cut between Demerit and Bocanegra and lashed on to a pile driver of a left foot sending Ghana to a 2-1 victory. This encapsulated the problems with the United States team - shoddy central defense. Demerit, Onyewu and Bocanegra all struggled at different stages of this World Cup, the wide players did not cover themselves in glory either. This lack of strong defending forced the United States to chase 3 out 4 games this World Cup, not a formula for success. A second big issue were the strikers. Altidore's touch let him down all tournament. He had some good situations when he was holding up the ball or knocking it on as he did on the second goal against Slovenia. However he had a chance in the second half against Ghana but his heavy touch allowed the keeper to cut him down. He did almost score a spectacular goal with 10 minutes to go, but too often lost possession trying to do his best Messi impersonation. Add to this Findley's first half attempt from 18 yards out when he could have taken another touch or tried to dribble the keeper - not a shot an international level striker needs to settle on. If the US had a striker like Gyan they might still be playing...

Germany: In a much anticipated match up against hated rival England the game turned into a rout exposing England for what it has become - old, slow and without creativity. Of course we had another controversial refereeing decision when a Lampard shot clearly rebounded behind the goal line, at the time it would have made the game 2-2. Instead the Germans headed into the half time with a 2-1 lead. As England pushed in the second half to equalize they were badly caught out gifting Mueller a brace. In the end the better team did win, Germany demonstrated as usual, a great organization and discipline. With World Cup veterans like Klose, Podolozki and Schweinsteiger supported by the youth of Ozil and Mueller it became academic after Germany maintained their 2-1 lead to start the second half.

What was disappointing were the Three Lions. Entering the competition, as it happens every World Cup, the calls for winning the ultimate crown for the first time since 1966 was thought withing reach. With an "EASY" group, many in the notoriously overzealous British press had the English making a serious run, granted I think Sports Illustrated had the English in a semi final as well. Even thought the English had a very positive qualifying campaign and apparently the right man in Capello, they never convinced during their 4 games. They clearly had problems in central defense - Terry looked like a beaten man and they could never figure out who to replace Ferdinand. The Klose goal resembled the Gyan goal a big boot down the park, striker splits the central defenders and slots home... Rooney was completely lost. Even the French scored more goals than Rooney - 1 vs 0! Not sure if the Manchester United striker was still battling the effects of his ankle injury, but he clearly had a tournament to forget. Of course the necessity to have Lampard and Gerrard on the pitch together still does not work...sad part is the world has known this for years yet manager after manager feels the need to shoe horn both into the starting XI. It seems that this side could have used a Theo Walcott at some point during their 4 games. Otherwise there was no apparent width or pace, Joe Cole having been used sparingly...Finally still not sure how a football nation such as England cannot develop any quality holding midfielders. It is shocking. Germany had their way through the midfield, no on wearing a red shirt could even feign being able to check the German attack. England will have to rebuild, the nice thing for the Three Lions is this should mark the end of Terry, Lampard and Gerrard as internationals. All strong players individually, but especially in the case of the two midfielders - cannot coexist on the same pitch.

Argentina: The Albiceleste looked very strong once again. Granted the first goal should have been ruled off side, but it was not...however the Tevez - Messi - Higuain front line is deadly. The fact that Di Maria has not really done much and Messi has not scored a goal should give Germany and any other team that might face Argentina food for thought. Mexico fought hard all match but were over-matched.The goal from Hernandez was a piece of beauty...what I thought was comic was the comment on ABC from John Harkes who criticized Romero, the Argentine keeper, for not "protecting his near post." Um hey John, the shot from Hernandez was unstoppable, even had the keeper anticipated that spot he could never have reached it....just because you could not hit that shot in your best days, give the striker credit for a fantastic first touch and finish. Speaking of goals, the 3rd Argentine goal was also a thing of beauty an absolute pile driver from distance.

The one area of concern for Argentina is the back 4...Maradona keeps playing central defenders as all back 4. And the goalkeeping is very wobbly right now. The key for Argentina moving forward will be how Mascherano holds up the defensive responsibilities in the midfield. However their is no doubting the offensive fire power and creative flair from this team, do not forget that Aguero and Milito are available off the bench. Frightening. Finally, it is clear this team wants to play for the sky blue and white kit as well as for their manager (unlike Les Bleus). This is a very good combination heading into the 1/4 finals.

 Finally this weekend was also mired by some terrible refereeing decisions or lack thereof. The least egregious was the Tevez non offside call on the first goal.  However the one that will really created debate for years...at least until FIFA wakes up and does something to improve officiating.



I am sure Blatter is breathing somewhat after Germany won 4-1...but had the goal be allowed, which it should have, it could have and most likely would have changed the game. Why? Not sure England is pushing up the pitch so get the equalizer.They probably do not get caught on a break if the game is 2-2. Of course FIFA released some nonsensical statement about video not being usable to determine goals because it would open up the call to use video for other aspects of the game and that there would need to be training for how to use video which is really complicated and television is still to new....blah blah blah. Here is an idea Sepp, you ignorant moron, you already have all the referees wired with headsets. The 4th official is already sitting by a monitor - how else did the Zizou head butt get caught! For plays dealing with a goal, allow the 4th official to give the referee on the field a hand. In this situation it would have taken all of 3 seconds for the 4th official to get on his little telemarketer headset and say "ball crossed line, goal." But instead we have the bureaucratic, useless, profiteer, Sepp Blatter, making some idiotic statement about technology and the beauty if human error and why "technology" cannot be used to call goal or no goal. Grow a brain Sepp wake up to the 21st century!

Of course Sepp has a Twitter account...so I would encourage EVERYONE to tweet @SeppBlatter for as long as it takes to get him to wake up to this need.

Anyways, 4 more games to come. Brazil v Chile will be very interesting, I think Chile can give the Samba Boyz a scare and of course we have the Iberian derby - Portugal v Spain. Hopefully we do not also have more refereeing issues.

Capello - someone needs a hug

Wonder what he was like after Green's blunder! Wow...funny stuff. Too bad Domenech could not demonstrate 1/5th of this energy.

Let's blame the ball the altitude...the earth's rotation....but not the keepers

Another day and another TERRIBLE goal given up be a keeper, this time it was Algeria’s Faouzi Chaouchi who conceded a soft goal to Slovenia -



I know, let us blame the ball. Um how about an international keeper trying to save that shot like a volley ball player? What is with the palms, fingers facing down? What about diving to your left and getting your body behind the ball with your hands in front of you to either parry the ball properly or catch it, at worst it hits your body? This coming on the heels of another terrible goalkeeping gaff, this one coming in the England vs USA match -




What happened with getting your body behind the ball and getting your hands in a catching position aka not your palms at a right angle to the shot but in a position to catch the ball? For a reference look at the section on the scoop catch. Green had enough time to see the shot and position himself to make a proper save. What about a forward dive to smother the ball? The shot skipped TWICE on the pitch...you need to attack that ball! Dive forward to attack the ball, do not let it play you!

Of course the word on the street is that it is the fault of the ball, that it "skips" funny. What I do not understand is the ball has been used by teams since DECEMBER! Funny how there was little complaint for the past 6 months, but all of a sudden...it has all these strange properties, dipping, diving, moving like no other. Well maybe this should give Les Bleus some hope, if they could only muster a few shots...

Final pre-World Cup thoughts

I realize that I made my World Cup predictions in an earlier post, but I wanted to put out some thoughts on the most overrated teams, teams most likely to disappoint and the teams most likely to surprise. Some of this I have already discussed in prior blogs:

Most Overrated Teams:

• Ivory Coast: Um the Elephants have been picked by many a pundits, some that know football some that do not, to surprise the world and head to the semi finals or even the finals. Um okay. Can you name their starting keeper? How about their manager...that one is easier...Sven Goran Eriksson. Does anyone realize they are in the group of Death? Having to face Brazil and Portugal?? Oh one more thing what is the Ivory Coast historical World Cup record...anyone....1 win and 2 losses. That is correct this World Cup will be their SECOND ever. Oh and finally did anyone watch the Elephants during the African Cup of Nations? Defense was terrible, criminal really. I think Nigeria and even Ghana have a better chance to go further than the Elephants.
• England. Ok this happens every time the Three Lions qualify for a major tournament. Let us face it, the English press gets over heated and over hyped with the English team. Can you tell me how many times England have made it to the semi finals of a World Cup? We all know they only major title they have is the 1966 World Cup crown at home...no European titles to their credit. They have been to 2 semi finals! 1966 and 1990 (I will argue that the 1990 semi finals was highway robbery when they defeated Cameroon on 2 dubious PKs) Some perspective - France have a World Cup title 1998, 2 European Cups 1984 and 2000, 2 Confederation Cups 2001 and 2003, an Olympic Gold medal 1984 and add to this another 4 World Cup semi finals. England head into this tournament as many's favorites. Why? Capello is the main reason, fine. But there remains the issues of who is the holding midfielder? How will Gerrard and Lampard coexist? Who will partner with Rooney? Oh and Ferdinand is out...finally Calamity James remains the #1 choice in goal. They were better 4 years ago, even with Sven at the head. But I guess when you  "invented" the game you are always the favorite.
• Serbia. This one was a surprise for me. Some have them winning their group over Germany! Hmmm. Did anyone watch their qualifying campaign? They were outplayed at home against a 10 man France team. Their goalie is shaky AT BEST. They might have a decent defense with some interesting players up front like the giant Zigic. Maybe pundits have mistaken Serbia for Croatia circa 2008.

Most likely to disappoint:

• Italy: The defending champions have a very good chance of crashing out early. I would actually pick them for potentially pulling a France 2002 and not even getting out of their group, were their group not so weak. I think that Lippi's team will find a way to squeak through but might very well fall against a Dane team in the first knock out round. The real reason is that Lippi seems to have decided his team from 4 years ago was good enough to have another go....um ok.
• France. Hey any team with Domenech has a great chance to lay an egg. I have always said that Les Bleus could finish anywhere from 1st to last in the group. I will try to keep my optimist hat on, but deep down inside I can see Dumbenech train wreck this team once again, similar to Euro 2008.
• Spain. By no means do I think Espana could crash out at the group stages, but there is no other nation that is facing so much pressure. After winning the Euros and with the absolute absurd level of depth this nation has they deserve to be planted as one of the heavy favorites. However, short of a final appearance, I think that Spain and all their fans will be heavily disappointed. Can Espana get this last monkey off their backs?

Most likely to surprise:

• Nigeria. As much as many tout the Ivory Coast as carrying the flag for the African continent, I think the Super Eagles might be the nation that goes the furthest. They have had much success at the youth level and have a decent World Cup pedigree. This is also the first World Cup they are not entering with all the eyes of Africa on them to do well.
• United States. Granted living in the US I am starting to buy into the hype, but I think that the group set up is favorable to the Yanks. I think they could spring the surprise against the Three Lions this Saturday and could even hope to find themselves as top of their group. Unlike 2002, I do not think they will catch anyone by complete surprise. While I am not ready to say that the US will win a World Cup soon, they are no longer the door mat of world football. But they could surprise and gasp could make another 1/4 final run if all falls into place.

The games begin in less than 24 hours. Enjoy the matches. Try to watch as many as you can, because it will be over before you know it. The beauty and uniqueness of this event is that players you see over the next month you may never see on this stage again, so enjoy them while you can.

Allez les Bleus!

More World Cup injury fears - Rooney out?

Anyone watching the weekend's match between Tottenham and Manchester United noticed that Rooney was watching the match from a luxury box and not on the pitch due to a lingering groin injury. Couple this with his lingering ankle injury and questions are beginning to creep that his place on the English plane to South Africa might be in jeopardy. With the tournament starting on June 12th for England which is 6 weeks away I think that there is plenty of time for the English striker to recover his health. Rooney has had a fantastic season and clearly is the key to England's ability to go far in South Africa this summer. This is not like a few years ago when he broke a bone in his foot, something that takes much longer to recover from.

I doubt Rooney will be left off Capello's list regardless of whether or not he is 100% healthy. However it should be a concern if Rooney is not 100% healthy for the tournament. Fortunately for England they have a group that should be easily won and could see Rooney being rested by the last group match. I think that England know they are playing their place in the first match versus the United States. If they get 3 points from that they should be clear leaders for first place in the group. This means Capello could look to have Rooney give it his all in the first match and then use him strategically for the following two matches assuming the proper result comes from the US game.

The injuries continue to mount for players...success might shine on the nation with the fewest injured stars!

Golden Balls out of World Cup

After a non contact injury, where David Beckham tore his Achilles tendon, his chances of heading to South Africa with the English national team are slim to none.  While I have never made it a secret that I think the golden child of football is one of the most overrated players, I also have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his heart.

Beckham can never be accused of not loving the sport and not giving everything he can for his teams. Unlike other international players - such as Paul Scholes - he clearly loves pulling on the Three Lion's kit. Whether or not his chase to be the most capped English player is seem as a gimmick of the Beckham marketing machine or an athlete overstaying his welcome, I do not think one can question the will and desire that Becks has to carry on for his nation.

So what does this mean for the player, England and the Galaxy? First, if Beckham can come back I am sure he will do whatever it takes to return to the pitch as soon as he can. I do not think that Becks will want his career to end on such a note. I think the loss will be more hard felt for the English national team. Why? With all the controversy surrounding John Terry the loss of their former captain and iconic leader will potentially create a void in the dressing room. In addition, Capello's ability to use Becks as a late game veteran substitute made England that much more dangerous. Beckham remains dangerous on dead balls and crosses, something that could have been very useful late in a game. Finally, England's other wingers are not lighting the world on fire currently. As for the Galaxy, I do not think they will feel as much of the impact - their season is only starting to get into the preseason swing of things. Beckham could be back over the summer or early fall and therefore could have an impact on the MLS season.

I feel for Beckham, as the Sports Illustrated article points out, he has worked hard to make himself available and ready to head to South Africa and that has now been placed in serious jeopardy. Let us hope that golden balls makes a swift recovery and can leave the game his way, not on crutches.

US v England World Cup 2010 match up....the headlines begin

Oh my...the press on the other side of the pond are already starting to hype up the first round World Cup match between England and the US. The game is 6 months away!! This will only get worse. There is no doubt this group match will command plenty of interest from the footballing world. There are many story lines - LA Galaxy team mates Donovan v Beckham which will be even more interesting since there were some unsavory things said about Golden Balls by his Galaxy teammate, the 1950 World Cup match will be brought up, the American Revolutionary war and all the American players that ply their trade in the Premiership. America will be bolstered from their performance at the Confed Cup while England will be riding a high of being rated as the 3rd favorite to win the title in July.

So get ready for lots and lots of hyperbole for the next 6 months. However as with many of these hyped up group games - remember England v Argentina in 2002 - I fear that the set up can never live up to the actual match. Regardless of the outcome, both nations will fancy their chances to move to the knock out stages. Maybe Nike should have the US wear 1950 style kits....

World Cup 2010 - groups and predictions - Groups B and C.

So I have given my thoughts on Group A...obviously that is where France finds themselves. But there are 7 other groups!!! Okay Okay, here are my thoughts and predictions for the rest of the groups.

First here are all the groups:

Group A

• South Africa
• Mexico
• Uruguay
• France

Group B

• Argentina
• Nigeria
• South Korea
• Greece

Group C

• England
• United States
• Algeria
• Slovenia

Group D

• Germany
• Australia
• Serbia
• Ghana

Group E

• Netherlands
• Denmark
• Japan
• Cameroon

Group F

• Italy
• Paraguay
• New Zealand
• Slovakia

Group G

• Brazil
• North Korea
• Ivory Coast
• Portugal

Group H

• Spain
• Switzerland
• Honduras
• Chile

I have already discussed Group A in a prior post. So let us look at the other groups. We will tackle Group B & C in this post:

Group B - Clearly the favorites are Argentina to emerge from this group. Even with the Ablicelestes struggling to qualify out of South America they have too much talent, depth and Messi not to get out of the groups. Maradona has 6 months to figure out how he wants to approach the tournament, while he is under tremendous pressure from his home nation, much like Domenech, unlike his French counterpart I think he has the support of his players. He is also stubborn like Domenech in who he calls up...Higuain? Zanetti? If Maradona finds his senses I think he will look to put Heinze and Zanetti as his defensive cornerstones in the back with Gago and Mascherano as the midfield holders and figure out how to get the most out of Messi, maybe go with a three pronged attack of Messi, Aguero and Higuain. That would be frightening. Again too much raw talent and depth for this squad not get through.



The battle will be for second place in the group. Greece had to play the Ukraine to get through. They will once again look to their manager "King Otto" to manage this club through to the knock out stages. While they are still seen as a strong defensive side, well organized and also boring...they did have the top scorer in the European qualifiers - Theofanis Gekas - with 10 goals to his count. They will be pushed by Nigeria who is getting the least amount of press of the African nations in the tournament. The Super Eagles are usually the team seen as Africa's best chance to see a team reach the semi finals or further, this title has passed to the likes of Ivory Coast and Ghana...but no one should overlook this talented side. With the likes of Martins and Mikel they have some talented players that grace the pitches in Europe on weekends. While many would argue they have underachieved during qualifiers, I would see them as a sleeper in this tournament. Finally South Korea finds themselves in this challenging group. Not playing the Cup on home soil has brought this nation back to where they belong, a nice team that has some good players but 3rd tier power at best. Without the genius of Hiddink, which coupled with home cooking carried the South Korean's to an improbable 4 place in the 2002 World Cup, I am not sure that they have enough to cause too many problems to the other 3 nations in this group. Park Ji-Sung will be asked to shoulder the load, unfortunately he does not have the Rooneys, Giggs, Vidics, Van de Saars he can rely on with his club!
Prediction - Argentina, Nigeria, Greece, South Korea finish
Player to watch - Higuain the Argentine striker is overshadowed by Messi, but the Real Madrid man scores goals and I think he will demonstrate this goal scoring in South Africa.

Group C - This group will get a lot of hype between now and the tournament...especially due to the first match between the US and England. The book makers have already placed England as the second favorite behind Spain...wow...talk about irrational exuberance! Speaking of England they should go through to the knock out stage. However I think the hype that will surround the Three Lions will grow exponetially before the tournament...yet I am not sure that they have solved the problems that plagued them in the last World Cup - a shaky defense. Do you really have faith in Calamity James in goal? Cashley Cole is a good left back, but not as good as he is hyped up to be. Terry and Ferdinand, a strong pairing but have been injury prone as of late. The real issue - who is the holding midfielder? Barry? Gerrard? We all know Lampard will not track back unless it is to celebrate his own goal. Much will be expected of Rooney, especially considering how he exited the last tournament...



and what about the wingers? Will Walcott be healthy? Will the "greatest footballer ever" Beckham showcase on the wing? I think this team remains too similar to the one that failed to get to the Euros, while the presence of Capello is encouraging, the weight of irrational expectations will be too much for the 3 Lions, they will go far but not far enough. Much the same will saddle their former colony, The United States. I am already seeing the press and the statements of an easy draw and "we are through to the next round." When the talking heads like Alexi Lalas start saying this is an easy group and the US will go through, you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. I think the US will go as far as Altidore can shoulder offensively and without Charlie Davies this will become more difficult the young American striker. Much will also be asked of Deuce - Clint Dempsey. I think his time spent at Fulham has helped him grow as a player and leader. And of course we have Landycakes, the question will be - will he finally show up in a major tournament? Or will he revert back to Landycakes and disappear. What the US do have is a strong and experienced keeper in Howard and have some confidence from the last Confederation Cup, but that tournament is very different from the World Cup! I think the neither nation should overlook Slovenia. They came out of a tough group with Slovakia, Czech Rep and Poland - then they had to defeat the Russians to get through. Least we forget this team from a land of 2million residences is not afraid to punch well above its weight class. Surprising many at the Euro 2000 and qualifying for 2 World Cups. They play a counterattacking style which may frustrate the favorites in the group. Finally everyone is writing off the Algerians something I am not sure is wise. The North Africans are making only their third appearance in the biggest sporting event on the planet, they did more than hold their own the first time! With players such as Ziani and having gone through a difficult qualifying campaign Les Fennecs will be looking to play spoiler in this group. I do not think they have enough to go through, but cannot nor should not be overlooked.
Prediction: England, USA, Slovenia, Algeria
Player to Watch: Rooney will have a lot of expectations on his shoulders, he will need to have his goal scoring boots on and he must keep his cool on the global stage. The other player to watch is Altidore for the US, he too will be expected to be the offensive threat for the US.

Stay tuned for Groups D&E...