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The 2010 World Cup

theITGuy said:
England and the US need some help in the back for sure...even if it was only the backups what were playing...Mexico should've had 3-4 against the 3 Lions...

-J.-
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Well having been there I think perhaps TV may have flattered the Mexicans. Having said that I don't think anyone from either side was trying that hard, with the possible exception of Gerrard. Too much to risk from injury now to go and do something silly on a Monday evening on a problem pitch.
These results mean nowt - USA, Mexico, England or whoever. Only 11 June onwards matters.
I do have some concerns about England. The defence, which 4 years ago was one of the best in the World (statistically), seems to have lost it's way. Ferdinand has been fragile and far from faultless, Terry's and Cole's personal shenanigans have unsettled them. Perhaps isolation in S.A. will help them focus. Other concern is strikers. Have we really, honestly got the class to break down a top-drawer defence such as Italy's or Spain's? Our best club sides couldn't quite manage it in Europe this year. We'll see.
 
covisio said:
Other concern is strikers. Have we really, honestly got the class to break down a top-drawer defence such as Italy's or Spain's? Our best club sides couldn't quite manage it in Europe this year. We'll see.
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Will I also share the concern over our strikers (we're relying on Rooney again) out of our best club sides in the CL only ManU have an English striker as their main front man
 
Rooney has learnt to play as a lone striker, but Capello wants to play with two. I prefer a partnership, but it's good to have options and England should be able to play 451 if need be.

Cheers,
OW
 
oscillatewildly said:
Rooney has learnt to play as a lone striker, but Capello wants to play with two. I prefer a partnership, but it's good to have options and England should be able to play 451 if need be. Cheers,
OW
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That's going to be interesting...I guess it will depend on the rival...Crouch has an insane goals per game average for the national team...but not much chemistry with the Roon kid...

-J.-
 
theITGuy said:
That's going to be interesting...I guess it will depend on the rival...Crouch has an insane goals per game average for the national team...but not much chemistry with the Roon kid...

-J.-
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Given what Capello has said, I don't think he will play one up front. It's just with Rooney's improvement, 451 doesn't seem as bad as it did last year. Is it worth a try if there is a problem with the other forwards? Being able to switch during a game? Tailor by opposition?

Cheers,
OW
 
Final US Squad:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico).
 
theITGuy said:
I thought Ching played well against the Czechs...and he has plenty of experience...that's a shocker...

Still think the US has its weakest back 4 in a long time...

-J.-
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Yeah, Ching not making the team was a bit of a surprise to me.
 
oscillatewildly said:
Good run by 'Little Pea' for Mexico's goal.
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Agreed...Mexico needs him to score 4-5 goals to get past the 2nd round...I hope he gets playing time with Rooney at Old Trafford...will be interesting...

"Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Low is expected to announce Philipp Lahm as his new captain - in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack, although former Germany No.1 Oliver Kahn, who played alongside Lahm both for club and country, is not convinced that the 26-year-old would be the right choice."

-J.-
 
theITGuy said:
...

"Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Low is expected to announce Philipp Lahm as his new captain - in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack, although former Germany No.1 Oliver Kahn, who played alongside Lahm both for club and country, is not convinced that the 26-year-old would be the right choice."

-J.-
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Oliver Kahn will only be convinced if Oliver Kahn is captain!

Cheers,
OW
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Fixed that for you, the lad's loan is over so he's a Tiger no more. :eek:

Richard Garcia, you are our only hope. He's made Australia's final 23 and – if he makes an appearance – he'll be our first ever representative at a World Cup. Blimey.
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You made me wonder if Wigan has had a player play in the World Cup. I checked 2006, and 2 Wigan players made world cup squads. Josep Skoko for Australia and Pascal Chimbonda for France. However neither made an appearance in the world cup.

This year Wigan has 6 players listed in World Cup squads: (* denotes that this is a preliminary squad and some players will be dropped)

Vladimir Stojkovic (Goalkeeper) - Serbia*
Richard Kingston (Goalkeeper) - Ghana*
Antolin Alcaraz (Defender) - Paraguay*
Steve Gohouri (Defender) - Ivory Coast*
Maynor Figueroa (Defender) - Honduras
Hendry Thomas (Midfielder) - Honduras

I think the two goalkeepers and the two Hondurans will definitely play.


Interesting, during my research I came across the 2002 England World Cup Squad. It contained several players that are/were in contention for places in the 2010 squad: Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham, Emile Heskey, Wes Brown, Owen Hardgreaves, Joe Cole, David James.
 
oscillatewildly said:
Jaffa,

Hope it went well.

Congratulations,
OW
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Ta muchly. ;)

All went swimmingly, although on the last night of the honeymoon we've just had a panic about our connection to the airport tomorrow, and the fact that we wouldn't be able to check in on time. But all resolved, we're off on a TGV instead of the hotel provided coach. Weeeeeee! :D

On a more football-related note, our waiter at breakfast this morning spotted my City shirt and got rather excited (well, who wouldn't)...

<Gael the Waiter peers at the crest on my shirt>

"Ah... Oll! A French player plays for ze Oll, of course. You know Chimbonda?"

"Er... he played for Wigan, he's at Blackburn now though".

"Ah, but you 'ave ze same colours, no?"

"Er, no."

With apologies to our French MacRumourmongers.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Ta muchly. ;)

All went swimmingly, although on the last night of the honeymoon we've just had a panic about our connection to the airport tomorrow, and the fact that we wouldn't be able to check in on time. But all resolved, we're off on a TGV instead of the hotel provided coach. Weeeeeee! :D

On a more football-related note, our waiter at breakfast this morning spotted my City shirt and got rather excited (well, who wouldn't)...

<Gael the Waiter peers at the crest on my shirt>

"Ah... Oll! A French player plays for ze Oll, of course. You know Chimbonda?"

"Er... he played for Wigan, he's at Blackburn now though".

"Ah, but you 'ave ze same colours, no?"

"Er, no."

With apologies to our French MacRumourmongers.
Click to expand...

Anyone could make that mistake!
 
Capello plays Bent but doesn't use someone who can cross the ball, Adam Johnson?:confused: Why did he play Walcott? Does he still need convincing that Walcott is not good enough as a winger?

Cheers,
OW
 
Congrats again Jaffa! And pass my best wishes along to Mrs Cake.

Just back from the wilderness, with just enough time for a shower and to read the latest match reports....

As for USA: Shaky at the back, and OK but not spectacular everywhere else. This may be he result of bias, but I'm slightly surprised that Chad Marshall was cut from the final 23. Our defense needs strengthening, and Marshall would have been a good backup for Gooch or DeMerit. I'm glad Torres made the squad, and Gomez looks like he might make a real impact, but I'm not sure about Findley. I know it was only a friendly, but I was not happy to learn that we let 4 in. The Czechs have a good team, but I expected more from USA.

thITguy said:
I thought Ching played well against the Czechs...and he has plenty of experience...that's a shocker...

Still think the US has its weakest back 4 in a long time...
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Ching is very similar to Altidore, and I think Bradley decided that Altidore's superior physical prowess outweighed Ching's experience. It is a bit of a surprise, but Ching has never really quite lived up to expectations. Still, if Altidore underperforms people will be sure to bring up the absence of Ching as a mistake by Bradley.

As for us having the weakest back four in a long time, I disagree - but also kinda agree: I think our back line is good on paper, but at the moment three important players (Bornstein, Onyewu, Spector) are off form.

Columbus suffered their first loss of the season away to the league's favored son, LA Galaxy. :(

England were not very impressive, but it was a friendly to be fair. I think to a certain extent the form book goes out the window once the tournament starts....a team can get in a hot streak at the right time and make a shock run. England, Mexico and USA are all looking weak at the back right now.
 
looks like the german team gonna be the "crippeld" team of the tournament .. after the friendly against hungary Westermann is now number 5 on the injuried list (together with ballack, adler, träsch and rolfes).. since he very likely was a starter in the central defense this is a huge blow

and they went the extra mile subsitituting out khedira (played a great first half) because he had "a felt a small muscular problem coming in his left leg"

about the game: unspectacular because hungary turned out to be absolutly incompetent in the offense
Özil and Khedira played great in the first half and in the second half saw a great Marinand hard workign Cacau
Trochowski seems likely as one who get's the cut ... if they still need any cutting with all those injuries

apart of that nothing new .. with still Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Müller getting an extra brake
 
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