World Cup kicks off...and already controversy

Brazil opens up their tournament with a deceiving 3-1 win over Croatia. Croatia didn't even score a goal, since their tally was from a Marcelo OG. Here are some observations:

• Brazil will go as far as Neymar and Oscar carry them offensively. Granted that is not a bad combination to lean on. But I am not ready to equate this team to the 1970 Brazilian squad. Fred is not a world class striker anymore...was he ever? Hulk just doesn't seem to be the player he was when he played in Portugal. The fullbacks bring some offense but at what cost? More on that later. What I was a bit surprised was that Croatia did not muscle up the two Brazilian creative players more. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico and Cameron did not try to dispense a few hard tackles on these two. 
• Speaking of fullbacks...the Brazilian fullbacks are questionable defensively. Especially Alves. The Barca left back looked totally out of sorts as Olic had some dangerous runs during the first half. It was interesting to watch as Silva had to constantly cover that spot. On the Croatian goal look who had to shift over to close down the space. I do not think this will be an issue in the group stage, but keep an eye

  

  He dove...err was fouled right there

  on this once it gets to the knock outs. I also question Cesar. He made some okay saves but some that looked very shaky.
• Diving diving diving. Okay I will admit this wasn't that bad in this game...except for the penalty kick. What an absolutely awful call by the referee. If this game were played anywhere else but Brazil and the referee doesn't whistle anything. Yes the Croatian defender Lovren had a hand on Fred, but the Brazilian striker was leaning back trying to box out Lovren. All the defender did was shift to get position and Fred's weigh took him backward and he decided to flop. The official got duped or wanted to give the home side a call...terrible call. Check that official's bank account...make sure he has received some cash from the Brazilian federation recently.

Overall a typical opening game. Some good action, lots of caution but at least there were 4 goals. Nothing has changed with this group - Brazil will emerge in the first spot, and the battle will be for the second slot.

Now the fun really begins where we will be getting multiple games every day.

World Cup....finally here. Final predictions from the Frog

In 24 hours the World Cup will be officially underway in Brazil. Wow. For whatever reason it has snuck up on me this year, maybe it is because of such low expectations for Les Bleus for most of the build up. I still remember when the qualifier group for the World Cup was draw, I was mowing the lawn and my cousin came out with the list on a piece of paper. Once I saw "Spain" was written on the paper, my World Cup expectations got considerably lower. But that was a long time ago, now we are on the verge of what many expect to be a very competitive and fun tournament. I agree. So here are the Frog's predictions...


Favorites to lift the trophy:

• Brazil - The home nation is a strong favorite. That's an understatement. Will the pressure get to Brazil? It might. I have serious doubts about their goalkeeping situation. Julio Cesar was loaned out to Toronto FC from QPR...wow...really??  Also not sure Fred is world class up front and the pressure on Neymar might be too much for him to handle. The strength, somewhat of a surprise for Brazil, will be the defensive players. Silva in particular, who will anchor the back line with Gustavo providing cover and linking up with the attack. Brazil has a relatively easy group, but the difficulty comes in the knock out stages. They could very well face the following in successive matches in the knock outs - Holland, Italy, Germany and then either Argentina or Spain in the finals. Yikes. Best case scenario - champions by defeating Uruguay. Worst case scenario - reaching the finals but losing at home. Reminding everyone about 1950 (where Brazil lost to Uruguay at home).
• Argentina - After Brazil, this other South American power is under the microscope during this World Cup. And much of this focus will be on Messi. The Barcelona superstar has long been compared to Maradona and each time the fact Messi has not elevated his game during the World Cup as did Diego - winning a World Cup and getting to another final for Argentina. Messi will not be alone, his side is loaded on the offensive end. So much so that the likes of Tevez was left at home. With Di Maria, Aguero, Higuain, Lavezzi et al to complement Messi, Argentina will be very dangerous to hold down. And unlike 4 years ago where Argentina played center backs as the wide defenders, this version has the likes of Zabaleta who poses a real threat from his right back position. Mascherano will act as the defensive anchor either as a deep lying midfielder or center back. They also have an easy group and, unlike Brazil, could have a relatively easy run until the semis - where they could face Spain. Best case scenario - champions beating Brazil. Worst case scenario - lose in the finals to....Brazil.
• Spain - If Spain wins this tournament they will solidify their place as the greatest national team...ever. Ugh. Cannot let that happen otherwise my friend Jose will become insufferable. Some have argued that this is the best Spain team ... uh not sure about that. Yes they have found themselves a striker, stole him from the host nation, Diego Costa. Who knows if he is even 100% healthy. Spain still has bags of talent in the midfield: Iniesta, Cesc, Cazorla, Xavi, Alonso, Silva etc etc. Their defense has become weaker without their fearless leader - Pujol. Please don't get me started on Ramos...one of the most overrated players on the planet. I am also scratching my head with regards to Casillas, yes he won the Champions League for Real Madrid...but the goal he gave up in that game should have won it for Atletico Madrid...I also think teams have started to figure out the Spanish. If they do not have a real striker on the pitch, teams do not fear someone getting behind them so they can just give the Spanish the ball and hit back on the break. Look at the second half of the France v Spain game in Madrid. They have a difficult group but should get out top of the group. Best case scenario - champions by beating Brazil to avenge the spanking they took last year. Worst case scenario - stumble to Holland and Chile, have to win big against Australia...end up second in group and face Brazil in first game of knock out and get spanked again like the Confed Cup finals last year.
• Germany - Die Mannschaft is always in the conversation when it comes to title challenges. However there are some chinks in the armor - Klose, isn't he 76 years old? No Reus is going to be a big hole in the offensive line up. What about Khedira? If Low expects his Real Madrid midfielder to carry much of the defensive responsibility in the midfield, he might be disappointed. Khedira just came back from a serious knee injury...will he hold up for the entire tournament? And what about Ozil? He never seemed to gain his world class form for Arsenal this season. Will this carry over to the German side? Germany also has the "group of death" and kick off that group against Portugal. It is hard to ever pick against Germany, as was once said - football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win. Best case scenario - champions by beating Spain. Worst case scenario - losing in 1/4 finals to France on penalty kicks

 Contenders to crash the party of the final four:

• Uruguay - The two time winner of the World Cup, one of which came the last time the World Cup was held in Brazil, are fancied by many to make another deep run. They were semi finalists 4 years ago. Can they repeat this success? Yes. But much depends on Suarez and his knee. The racist cannibal from Liverpool does have bags of talent and can carry his nation, especially when Cavani and Forlan are there in support. The problem is their group is going to be difficult. And if they get out of the group they will most likely end up playing either Spain or Brazil in the 1/4 finals. Tough. Best case scenario - reach the 1/2 finals, claim Spanish scalp along the way. Worse scenario - Suarez does not recover 100% and Uruguay crash out of group stage. 
• Italy - Difficult to not have Italy as a favorite. But I think without Montolivo or Rossi, Italy are short of some creative talent. They are leaning heavily on the grandpa - Pirlo. Who knows what to expect from the likes of Balotelli as well. It is hard leaving the Italians off a list of favorites. But their age, group and potentially facing Brazil early on means I find it difficult seeing Italy adding another star. Best case scenario - get out of group in first place and lose to Spain in 1/4 finals. Worst case scenario - somehow lose to England and Uruguay and finish third in group.
• Portugal - Which team will we see? The one that can crash out after three games or the one that took Spain to penalty kicks at the last Euros and if Ronaldo hadn't wanted to take the last kick, might have gone on to the finals. Question is who will support Ronaldo with goals etc? We have seen this haunt the Portuguese - ever since Pauleta retired from the national team, Portugal have not seemed to find a world class striker. If Ronaldo isn't 100% this will drag down the Portugal side. The group of death awaits as well. Best case scenario - a run back to the semi finals, where they could face Brazil or Spain. Worst case scenario - drop opener against Germany, then succumb to the pressure and relive the South Korea/Japan world cup nightmare and lose to the US. Play Ghana for third place. 
• France - For once I have not been stupid enough to think my beloved France would reach the finals...I somehow had them in the finals of the last World Cup and the semis of the last Euro. That was my heart picking for both. But this time I think I am more realistic. They have a fairly easy group. More importantly they start off with the weakest team, one they should defeat and give themselves 3 points. Without the likes of Nasri has hurt them from a pure talent, but seems to have helped with regards to the team concept. The lose of Ribery will be hard to overcome, but I do not see them not having enough talent to get through the group. Assuming, and I shouldn't, they finish first, they should have an easier time of it going against the second team from group F...most likely Bosnia or Nigeria. Both sides France should defeat. After that the fun would begin...most likely Germany! Anyways. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Best case scenario - finish first in group, and find a way to beat Germany in 1/4 finals. Lose to Brazil in 1/2 finals. Worst case scenario - have a complete melt down: draw against Honduras, lose to the Swiss and lose to Equador. Less worse - drop too many points and finish second to the Swiss and face Argentina in knock out.

Pretenders who will not live up to their hype:

• Belgium - I love the fact that some pundits have picked the Red Devils to win the title! I realize they have players like Hazard, Lukaku, Courtois and Januzaj. But they are still suspect on the back line, have no experience at this level and have a mountain of expectations on their shoulders. They also have to face a team from the Group of Death, Group G, in the first round of the knock out stages. Not easy. I just cannot see how the Red Devils go very far in this tournament. Best case scenario - reach 1/4 finals but fall to Argentina. Worst case scenario - pressure gets to them and they somehow fail to qualify from what is one of the weakest groups.
• Chile - A serious dark horse. Their main hurdle is a very difficult group. But with one of the world's best midfielders - Vidal and a striker many seem to forget - Sanchez and playing on their home continent, they could sneak into the picture. The main reason I do not see Chile going anywhere - I doubt they win their group, and if they finish second they face...Brazil. Best case scenario - finish second and lose to Brazil in first knock out. Worst case scenario - battle Australia for third place. 
• England - For once there is very little hype surrounding the three lions. But they are always seen as a "favorite." This will be an interesting tournament for the English. They still have some old guard such as Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney but have also brought along some talented youth Sterling, Wilshere, Sturridge etc. How will these two worlds mesh? Best case scenario - get to 1/4 finals and give Brazil a run for their money. Worst case scenario - finish third in their group after dropping games to Italy and Uruguay.

I think this is a down year for the African nations. Cameroon's time has long past. Nigeria seems to be trick or treat, they should get out of their group but I cannot see them going very far. Ivory Coast seems to have aged quickly, and their best player - Yaya Toure - is not close to 100%. Algeria has a weak group so might fancy an outside shot at getting out to the knock out stages. If they do, look for them to face Germany....oh 1982 revisited! Finally Ghana is in the group of death. The United States have been told by their manager they can't contend..and I agree. But they could pull off a surprise or two. Not sure what to make of the Asian sides. Based on their groups I think South Korea has the best chance to get out to the knock out stages, but I don't see that happening.

It all starts in a few hours!

Crazy 8s - flattering score line before the real games start

I was finally able to watch the lop sided victory for France against the Reggae Boys of Jamaica. It is not often you see a 8-0 score line in an international match. Even when the likes of France play minnows Luxembourg or Faroe Islands in Europe you tend to see much tighter score lines. I remember the reigning World Cup champion France barely beating in a European qualifier: 1-0. So such a score line is an anomaly, so what can we make of it?

Lots of smiles in Lille and France

Andorra

The Good:

• The win. Easy to overlook the victory after such a ridiculous score line. But it cannot be under valued the fact Les Bleus head to Brazil on such a high note. All one has to do is think back 4 years when France headed to South Africa after losing to China. We all know what happened to France in that World Cup. By no means do I believe that playing well in the warm ups is a guarantee of success next week, but it certainly beats heading into the World Cup the way we did 4 years ago.
• Speaking of no guarantees, the 8 goals scored by Les Bleus is good, but means nothing starting next Sunday. France ended their 3 game warm up tour with 13 goals for 1 against. Again beats the alternative of struggling to score and having to answer those questions in Brazil. The other positive is where the goals are coming from. Over the 3 games Giroud and Griezmann both have 3, Matuidi and Benzema with 2, and Cabaye, Pogba and Remy one a piece. That is a good distribution across your strikers, wingers and midfielders. It would have been nice if one of our fullbacks or center backs could have chipped in with one...okay now I am being greedy. But that should give all these players some confidence heading to Brazil.
• Benzema on the left and the 4-3-3. Before we get too excited about the 2 goal and 2 assist night for the Real Madrid player, let us remember he was facing Jamaica not Germany. I do think that there is some merit to playing him out on the left. Granted when I watched the game on TV5, I found it surprising how much the commentators critiqued Benzema for not linking up with Giroud enough and at times "forcing" his way into the central striker role and forcing Giroud out wide. Really? First, Benzema and Giroud had some good interplay. Giroud's goal came from a caviar of a pass from Benzema. I also do not think Giroud is looking to play give and go or go at defenders with the ball at his feet, that is not his job. As I have stated before, his purpose and strength is to hold the line off the last defender's shoulder. Look for crosses and knock them down either to players filling the channels or putting them on goal. Look at the first goal by Cabaye...Giroud played that role perfectly. Knocking down a high ball into the box onto the on rushing Cabaye who was playing off Giroud pulling defenders to him. With Benzema wide left, he is playing a similar role he did at Lyon when he had the Brazilian striker Fred up front acting in a similar role as Giroud. What I do like about Benzema on the left is that the top 3 of the 4-3-3 formation are really a triangle, with Giroud at the top of the formation. Think of a triangle with Giroud at the top and Benzema on the left and Valbuena on the right of that triangle. The formation can swing in either direction off of the anchor that is Giroud. At times the formation creates a 4-3-2-1, with Benzema and Valbuena playing deeper and having more freedom to run at defenses or at times it is a 4-3-1-2, with Benzema and Giroud playing the striker pairing high with Valbuena able to run in the space behind the two strikers (this is where it probably appears Benzema is "forcing his way" back to the center of the park). Something that has haunted France in the past when they ran a 4-2-3-1 with Benzema as the lone striker is that his tendencies to drop deep, placing him in the clogged up space occupied by the 3 offensive midfielders. In the formation seen against Jamaica, there is space that both Benzema and Valbuena can drop into. The key is a striker like Giroud that stays on the last defender opening up this space, the central defenders have to stay deep to watch Giroud. Karim on the left has some potential. Very interested to see if that is what DD roles out next Sunday.
• Quietly, Sissoko has had himself some very solid games. I don't think he will be a starter, barring injury, but he clearly can offer something if he has to play or come in for any of the midfielders. This goes back to the qualifying campaign - look at what he did in the game away to Spain. He will play a key role for Les Bleus off the bench.
• Speaking of growing in confidence - just like Sissoko quietly showing well, so has Griezmann. Scoring three goals over the 3 matches played. A small detail, but if you haven't seen it, look at the 8th goal and second goal of the game for Griezmann. It was something you see on the training ground - the aforementioned Sissoko made a good run to the end line, hit a low cross to the front post where the Real Sociedad winger tried and succeed with a very cheeky back heel. Something you only try when you are in form...or have a 7 goal lead...but nonetheless a sign of a confident player.

The Bad:

• I realize I just wrote many words praising the formation and the inclusion of Benzema on the left. The bad is on defense on the left side of the formation. One aspect of Benzema's game is that he is a striker. What I mean by that is he runs in one direction, towards the opponents goal. That is fine. That is his job. But when you have two strikers on the pitch, play a 4-3-3, you expose yourself on whatever side your second striker is playing. With a Griezmann or Ribery on the left, they know they need to track back and stop the opposing fullback from making offensive runs. Benzema doesn't do that. The right back that is covering Karim has potentially more space to attack. During the game it was apparent that Matuidi was sliding over to that side to make up for the gap of defensive assistance. Normally this would not be a huge concern. However compound this with Debuchy being more offensive minded from this right fullback role and you might have some defensive liabilities that DD has to cover for with his 3 holding midfielders. Of course if they are being pulled to opposite wings...that is going to stretch them thin and potentially open up the middle. Something to watch for as the tournament starts and whether or not DD opts for a more defensive fullback in Sagna on the right side. 

The Ugly:

• Where or where is the right side? Maybe it is just my eye sight, and I do realize that the first goal was from the right side. But I am still concerned about how left heavy Les Bleus are, even without Ribery! At times Valbuena popped up on the left...with Benzema and Evra pushing up. Benzema seems comfortable on the left or shifting to the middle while Valbuena, who is suppose to be the right winger, is at his best when he is allowed to roam. The problem with that is he seems to roam a lot to the center and the left! Meaning...once again the right flank starts looking very naked. Even with an offensive fullback like Debuchy making runs down that right side, it is still something that is getting a little ugly. This will become an issue if Les Bleus have any hopes of going deeper into the tournament.

Overall hard to not be happy with not only this result but all three from the pre-World Cup friendlies. But none of this counts come the start of the World Cup. France will face a stern test next Sunday against a team that held England to a goalless draw in their last match. France will not have the freedom they had today, I realize that is obvious. The question is can the 4-3-3 with Benzema on the left succeed against a team like Honduras that will most likely park the bus in front of goal? I think Giroud will be the key to unlocking that. But that is for another post as we get closer the start of the World Cup for France.

Let's also hope France have not wasted all their goals in the past three games!

Allez les Bleus.

Well that was unexpected - France to go with both Benzema and Giroud

The headlines have been dominated this week with Ribery's injury that has cause him to pull out of the squad heading to Brazil. With the absence of Ribery, the question became - who would replace the Kaiser on the left side. I surmised that it was down to either Griezmann or Remy. But it appears that Deschamps will throw out another option - Benzema on the left.

Interesting. As I had written in my last post, Benzema is more of a dribbler, ball at feet striker. Giroud is more of the in the box, distributing or putting shots on goal via his aerial game striker. Maybe Deschamps does not have to decide which striker he will start...he can start both. The formation is interesting with Valbuena out on the right. On the surface it appears to be the usual 4-3-3 formation. But I would put forth that the formation might morph into a 4-3-1-2, with Valbuena being allowed to roam behind the Benzema and Giroud. This will place a lot of pressure on these three players to create the offensive triangle up front to put pressure on the opponent's goal. An interesting formation to say the least.

Other changes - Kos will be on the bench in his place will be Varane. Debuchy back at right back and Sissoko will replace Pogba, to give the Juventus man some down time.

Things to watch for:

• Will Varane play his way back to the starting line up?
• How much time will the last two call ups get? Scheiderlin and Cabella?
• Speaking of the call ups, where will we see Cabella? Left wing or right or in the middle?
• Scheiderlin - expect him to get his first cap for Les Bleus. I bet he comes in for Matuidi at the half.
• How will Benzema fare out on the left wing?

 After tomorrow it will be for real. France have much to work on, and only have 90 minutes to do so. Lots to watch for.

Allez les bleus

No Ribery ... No Problem

So our fears have come to fruition. De Kaiser will not be heading to Brazil with Les Bleus. The Bayern Munich and France left winger did not recover fast enough to be fit to head to the World Cup for France. I said "no problem" tongue in cheek...first let me make a clear point: France is NOT better off without their left winger. Les Bleus have suffered a serious set back without having their true #7 patrolling the left flank. Is all lost for France? No. Even without Kaiser Franck, I think Les Bleus have a good chance to reach the 1/4 finals. But without Ribery, they have little if not zero chances of getting beyond the 1/4 finals. And their journey to the 1/4 finals will be more of a challenge than previously.

Now that we know there will be no Ribery, how does this impact Les Bleus?

• Who plays on the left side of the formation? Remy or Griezmann? The Real Sociedad winger is the most natural fit. He is a natural left footed player. Plays a more "traditional" left wing role - meaning he is more likely to hug the touch line, make runs to the end line and look to hit crosses. As opposed to Ribery who was more of a 1v1 attacking player who liked to come from the wing and cut back to the inside. I know that Remy was tried out in that role against Paraguay, but I think the Newcastle man will more likely be leveraged as a player off the bench that can play as a second striker, right or left winger. There will also be more importance placed on Evra and his ability to bring some offensive punch from his left back position.
• Speaking of crosses, does this impact whether it will be Benzema or Giroud up front? Without Ribery, I do think DD needs to consider starting Giroud. The Arsenal striker's playing style is to sit on the last defender's shoulder and to use his aerial game to either put crosses on goal or knock them down for teammates making runs off his distribution. Benzema tends to like to drift more, play deeper at times and plays more with the ball at his feet. DD might want this style more now that he does not have his pacey left winger. There could be the need for another player that is willing to drop deep to collect the ball and attack the opposing team. But there needs to be some consideration with regards to the different style of striker DD has available. 
• The offensive fulcrum is now squarely on Valbuena's shoulders. Le Petit Velo has

  

  The keys to the offense are yours Petit Velo

  become one of DD's main offensive catalysts, even when Ribery was on the field. Without the Bayern winger, even more of the offensive emphasis will fall on the Marseille midifielder's shoulders. I think he can and will be successful with the added offensive responsibility. He is also not entire alone - more will be expected from the likes of Cabaye, Pogba and Matuidi to be more offense in their play.

There is no way to spin this as anything but devastating for Les Bleus. The silver lining is that this injury is one that DD has been aware of since day one of camp, so I am sure, or maybe I hope, he has been preparing for this possible situation behind closed doors. Clearly he has had to make due without Ribery during France's friendly matches. The only worse situation would have been to keep Ribery on the roster and constantly wondered if and when he would return.

Now Les Bleus know the situation and what they have to work with. The cupboard is far from being bare, and I think France still have a good opportunity to make a run to the 1/4 finals. That would be a success.

Allez les Bleus.

French attacking midfielder out of World Cup...not the one you think

Ribery and Grenier for one Cabella?

With all the smoke swirling around the healthy of Ribery, another attacking player had to bow out of the French squad. The OL midfielder, Grenier, had to pull out of the squad. In my opinion not the biggest loss. I have never been enamored with the Lyon play-maker. He has some talents and is good at set pieces, but I am not convinced he is a game changer coming off the bench. Which would have been his role. In his place DD, called up Cabella to replace him. Not a surprise. A like for like attacking midfielder. To me, Cabella is a player that can bring something off the bench - pace, attacking minded dribbling, a player that can
single handily break down a defense 1 v 1.

Of course the Ribery story will not go away, with some reports stating that DD has also called up Schneiderlin. In anticipation of a Ribery announcement? I hope not. However I would rather DD make a decision of leaving Ribery at home if there are too many questions of his fitness than drag him to Brazil and then play the "what if game" every day...something to continue keeping an eye on. Of course Schneiderlin is not a like for like swap. If Both Ribery and Gernier are bowing out, DD has replaced them with another attacking minded player and with a more defensive minded player. This could have some ramifications on the line ups and tactics for DD. More on this if the time comes.

Insight in to Klinsmann thinking - reinforces theory into why Landycakes not going to Brazil

A great article on Klinsmann in today's New York Times - click here. Some very interesting looks into the mindset of the German. Lots of which reinforces many of the theories behind why the likes of Landycakes is not on the roster.

The main undertone of the story is that Klinsmann realizes that there is not enough pure home grown talent and that Europe is where his gaze is to attract talent. To me it feels very much like national teams from Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco who focus on French players with linkages to North Africa. A source for Klinsmann's admiration for the European based players is they face better competition year round, and he makes no secret his looking down on both the NCAA and the MLS.

" Put simply, Klinsmann would like to see his players carry themselves like their European counterparts — the way he used to."

This adds to the fuel to the "Landycakes stay home" fire. Dononvan has never been

No fan of the German running USMNT

accused of carrying himself like a European player. His failures in Europe are well documented. And clearly Klinsmann does not look kindly on that aspect of Donovan's game or mental make up. Sabbatical, unheard of for European counterparts. Klinsmann further pushes this thinking:

If Klinsmann had his way, the United States roster would be made up of Americans playing their club soccer in Europe, facing the best competition in the world on a daily basis instead of only a few games every few years.

“The more players we can get playing at the top levels over there, the better it will be,” he told me. “That is one sign of progress.”

Interesting. Makes you wonder why the likes of Bradley and Dempsey came back the MLS, I am sure that both those moves put a real burr in Klinsmann's saddle.  

The other point I took out of the article is the power which Klinsmann holds over US Soccer. It is interesting that the article makes a point that the German did not tell anyone prior that he was not going to take Donovan. And that had some serious commercial implications as US Soccer was already lining up marketing efforts around the US star leading up to the World Cup. Ooops. From that stand point I agree with Klinsmann. This is not about some marketing campaign or how many tshirts US Soccer and Nike can sell.

Finally, even though Klinsmann announced that the US was not going to win the World Cup (I realize most would agree with that statement, but for the head coach to come out and be so blunt...) and that he has a contract until the Russian World Cup in 2018, there are no shortage of those ready to pounce if he fails in Brazil. I was surprised at how blunt Bruce Arena was with the approach Klinsmann was taking. The former US Soccer national team manager does not seem to favor looking outside for soccer talent. I would caution Klinsmann that if the US crashes out of the World Cup and looks bad doing so - see what happened in the 1998 World Cup - there might become a situation where enough influential voices force a buy out and change at the head of the team. 

In international soccer one thing is sure, no coach, no matter what their stature or contract are only as good as the last tournament they participate in....well unless you are Domenech.

Well worth reading the article, how do you take the piece?

Platoch, say it ain't so - Rumors continue to swirl with Qatar 2022 World Cup

The whole Qatar World Cup 2022 debacle continues. And this blog has always contended that it was a catastrophic mistake to allow a tiny nation, with little footballing pedigree, in one of the most inhospitable weather locations to host one of the most important global sporting event. The controversy only gets worse with reports that the president of the UEFA - Michel Platini - is suspected of being illegally swayed by Bin Hammam to vote for Qatar.

My admiration for Platini is also no secret. He was my childhood footy hero. I remember him dominating the 1984 European Cup, scoring a ridiculous amount of goals - 9. Putting away two hat tricks, against Belgium and Yugoslavia. As well as hitting the winning goal versus Portugal in Marseilles in the dying minutes of extra time to go to the finals.



He also has done some wonderful things post playing career - a short lived stint as manager of Les Bleus. Undefeated in qualification for the 1992 Euros, but playing poorly in the tournament. Platini was instrumental in getting France to host the World Cup in 1998 and influential in getting the Euros there in 2016. His efforts with financial fair play have not been perfect but a move in the right direction as have his emphasis on getting greater participation from more nations in the Champions League.

Of course I do not agree with everything he has lobbied for. I do not believe he is right with his ideas around expansion of the Euros, big mistake. Nor his idea of having multiple cities host the Euro championships or even the crazy idea of inviting a non-European nation to the tournament...huh???

The main accuser is the Daily Telegraph - click here for article. Based on the article there is a trail of meetings prior to the final vote for the World Cup where Platini met with Bin Hammam, at a private breakfast. As well as meetings with the then French President - Sarkozy. Does this mean that Platini took a bribe to vote for Qatar? That is a very dangerous leap to make. And one has to judge the source. It is no secret that there is no love lost between the british press and Platini. Yes there seems some sketchiness that Platini's son Laurent was given a job as head of a Burrda a Qatar sports company. But getting someone a job is far from the accusations of large sums of money being given to influence votes. I am sure that every nation that is bidding for the tournament sends representatives to lobby influential voters. So let us not act as if these types of meetings are not happening all the time - just look at any Olympic bid...Socchi anyone?

If there emerges some more nefarious information that comes out about these meetings, then shame on Platini. And if there is more damaging information that comes out, I would be the first to say Platoch would need to step down. However, let's not allow a witch hunt by the British press be accepted as fact.

Regardless of how you look at it, the Qatar World Cup bid remains embroiled in controversy. Something that is never too far away from anything Sepp Blatter is associated with.  I am hoping that somehow the bidding process will become so tainted that Blatter has no choice but to reopen the bidding process. The Qatar World Cup has been a disaster...8 years before the games are even scheduled to be played! There are no shortage of people, myself included, that is looking for any loop hole to find a way to take the tournament out of Qatar and give it to a more legitimate host.

And the drama continues.