Best goal ever
Karel Poborský's famous lob at EURO '96 has been voted the best individual goal in the latest Carlsberg Goal of the Day poll on euro2008.com.The next competition can be found here..
May 8, 2008
May 7, 2008
Slaven Bilic's song for Euro 2008
Croatia football coach Slaven Bilic's fan song for the Euro 2008 championship with his rock band.The song is called "Fiery madness"
May 3, 2008
Choose your Eurobus
That's the bus that will be carrying the team from Greece.
Fans were invited to choose from three inspiring messages to be painted on each of the 16 brightly-coloured coaches carrying the teams to and from games at the final tournament in Austria and Switzerland. The selected slogans are the ones below.You can get a look at what the other 15 buses will look like if you click here...
You can also read the slogan in the original language at the same site and check if anything has been lost in translation.
Austria -We can only win together
Croatia - Together with the fans to the top of Europe
Czech Republic- Let's go, let's win, let's fulfil our nation's dream
France - Live together, celebrate together
Germany - Germany – one team – one purpose
Greece - One team, one dream
Netherlands - One team, one spirit, together we are Orange
Italy - The sky is always bluer
Poland - because only sport and good fun matter
Portugal - This coach is powered by the will to win
Romania - Romania, we are proud of you and we love you
Russia - Russian hands are all for one, Russia is proud of her sons
Spain - Whatever happens, SPAIN FOREVER
Sweden - Sweden team = top marks
Switzerland - Final destination: Vienna
Turkey - Can this bus contain the passion of Turkey ?
April 22, 2008
Countdown to Euro 2008:Best Volleyed goal ever ..etc
There's a competition of sorts called the Carlsberg Goal of the Day poll, euro2008.com going on over here....The last round involved voting for the best volleyed goal from the following three.
1. Marco van Basten's spectacular effort for the Netherlands against the USSR in the final of Euro 1988 .See video
2. Marc Overmars' volley for the Netherlands against Yugoslavia at EURO 2000. See video
3. Ronnie Whelan's goal for the Republic of Ireland against the Soviet Union in Euro 1988.See video
And the winner - Marco Van Basten.
The next leg of the competition will involve choosing between these three brilliant goals.
1. Johan Cruyff's solo effort for the Netherlands against Belgium in the 1976 UEFA European Championship quarter-finals.
2.Karel Poborský against Portugal at EURO '96 and
3. Kim Vilfort in the EURO '92 final defeat of Germany. The goals can be viewed here..
April 16, 2008
Euroschools 2008
The EUROSCHOOLS 2008 involves schools across Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein learning about all 53 UEFA member associations. Each school participating must adopt a nation, find out about it during the academic year and then represent it in a series of special football tournaments, played with an accent on Fair Play and culminating in a final in Innsbruck in June. Ganz, whose school is in Bern, wrote: "Football is not only a game, an art and a battle on the grass. The EUROSCHOOLS 2008 project gives our school a platform to get to know football better in all its different facets. EURO cannot and will not just go by without leaving a mark on us."
April 12, 2008
Swiss army sends team to Euro 2008
The Swiss Army are sending a team for EURO 2008.The team is made up of about 15,000 troops who will provide assistance to police and security services in the host cities.
Military personnel at the finals will help out with tasks such as logistics, constructing and dismantling structures, security work and aerial surveillance.
Other preparations include fan friendly road signs for those who can't read the local language,a new snazzy red Euro Tram to get you from point A to point B and a lift on restrictions on night flying.
April 8, 2008
Euro Balloon wins race
Remember the Euro balloon?Well it won the race - the 4th International Balloon race in Geneva that is.Now that that's over we can get back to other important things - like who is going to get into the Champion's league semis.Barcelona and Man U should get there but the other side of the equation is anybodys guess.Arsenal - third time lucky?Why Liverpool will win.Chelsea without Petr Cech gives Fenerbahce an edge.
December 3, 2007
Part 2: From Dubrovnik to Bucharest: This is the year of Eastern European soccer
Romania.
There is a Hindi word called Romanchak that means entertaining and the Romanian squad has been playing that sort of soccer in their 2008 Euro qualifiers. Not since Gheorghe Haji, Florin Raducioiu, Marius Lacatus, Ilie Dumitrescu, Dan Petrescu, and Adrian Ilie in the 90's, have the Romanians looked so good. Of course, they have their established stars in Adrian Mutu, Paul Codrea, and Christian Chivu but they also have a group of rising talent in VfB Stuttagrt's Ciprian Marica and AJ Auxerre's Daniel Niculae who have scored a number of goals in the 2008 Euro qualifiers.
Their midfield is anchored by two Steaua Bucuresti standouts Nicolae Dica and Banel Nicolita. Dica has been impressive with his dead ball skills and has already scored four. Veteran midfielders CSKA Sofia's Florentin Petre and Siena's Paul Codrea's impeccable service has provided Mutu and Marica with many opportunities for goals and the Fiorentina man and his Vfb Stuttgart strike partner have been on target with 11 goals. Mutu has been prolific with 22 goal attempts. Dorian Goian, the 6' 5" central defender has been a force with his defending and his propensity for scoring goals in the box with his aerial ability. His opportunistic goal against Netherlands gave them a vital three points He is now the target of Man Utd transfer rumours.
In fact, the Romanian defence has contributed six goals in the campaign with AJ Auxerre's Gabriel Tamas and veteran Getafe defender Cosmin Contra amongst the goals. Christian Chivu continues to be a threat with his swerving free kicks. Razvan Rats anchors the left back position. Victor Piturca has at times employed five backs in a modified defensive formation with Goian and Tamas going up front.
Romania is in Group C, the group of death along with France, Italy, and Netherlands. You could not have asked for tougher opposition. But the Romanians have already had the measure of Netherlands in the qualifying rounds and the way they are playing they should really be able to push the Italians and the French, and with a little bit of luck thrown in, look capable of getting past them.
Romania's march into Euro 2008 >>
A closer look at the Romania squad celebrating their victory with some terrible singing >>
November 25, 2007
Steve McLaren: When instinct and introspection get switched around
David James latest article in the Guardian: "Don't blame Carson - the real gaffe was exposing him to such pressure" has an introductory blurb which reads:
The weight of qualification for Euro 2008 should never have been on Scott Carson's shoulders.
Its a bit bombastic to say that this was a singular responsibility and not a collective one. But James makes a very good point by saying that the goalkeepers on the bench never seriously challenged the number one goalie causing less pressure on turning in a better performance. This continued even after Robinson was ridiculed for his performance against Croatia. McLaren started him in every match even after that. With a series of wins it seems that his faith in Robinson was vindicated.
So it seemed odd that McLaren would give an inexperienced lad like Carson the nod. But lets scratch the surface. I think the problem with McLaren was that he decided to become a last minute shrink. With Robinson's gaffe prone goalkeeping against Croatia in the last encounter weighing heavily on his mind and David James reputation for momentary lapses of reason, he chose Scott Carson. It is not unreasonable and had this gamble worked, he would have been hailed as a thinking man's coach and Carson as a hero. Except that he should have played shrink right after the Croatia game and benched Robinson and brought in Scott Carson, Robert Green, or Ben Foster to put pressure on Paul Robinson and to give the goalies some much needed experience. But for the big game he should have brought back Paul Robinson.
Leo Beenhakker benched Jerzy Dudek after his lapses cost Poland their opening match against Finland. The instinctive thing would have been to bring experienced Celtic and World Cup standout Artur Boruc. Or even Arsenal's Lukas Fabianksi and Man Utd's Tomas Kuszczak. Instead, he chose to show that reputation would not be enough and called on 30 year old Wojciech Kowalewski of Spartak Moscow with very little international experience. Kowaleswski who has been outstanding at Spartak and has a reputation as an excellent penalty saver came through for them in the next three matches including Poland's crucial win against Portugal's. Only when Kowalewski was sidelined with injuries was Artur Boruc called up to start. It would be safe to say that Kowalewski would have continued if not for his injuries and it is safe to say that Kowalewski's start put Boruc on notice. Of course, when you have the depth in goalkeeping talent that Poland has, such problems become easier to tackle. But Beenhakker's tactic of benching Dudek and bringing in a lesser known goalie paid off.
But erring goalies are nothing new. The England story should be more about the players who took the field and did very little on it in the biggest game that counted. IMO, Joe Cole was the only player who with his creativity and industry sought to lift the game from the tedium of the one dimensional Wayne Bridge to Peter Crouch long ball.
Ex Gunner voice lifts Croatia, sinks England
No, it wasn't the Scott Carson mistake, Steve McLaren's insipid coaching, the incessant Wayne Bridge long balls to Crouch's noggin, or even the torn up Wembley pitch that undid England, it was Tory Henry's rendition of the Croatian national team that got them all fired up.
He should have sung 'Mila kuda si planina' (which roughly means 'You know my dear how we love your mountains').
But he instead sang 'Mila kura si planina' which can be interpreted as 'My dear, my penis is a mountain'.
Now which soccer player would not love that, you tell me. Anyways, it appears the correct word for penis in Croatian is kurac (kooratz) but Tory Henry's effort was much appreciated by the Croatian fans in attendance.
His agent Douglas Gillespie had this to say:
"He did sing it very well and made a very, very small mistake for someone doing his best and singing in a language that is alien to him. If you've ever tried to speak Croatian, it's very difficult.
"The Croatians think it's great, and they've invited him to come over and sing at Euro 2008, and asked if he will be their mascot."
Here is the You tube clip >>
November 22, 2007
Part I: From Dubrovnik to Bucharest: This is the year of Eastern European soccer
The best soccer is being played east of the Danube. Romania, Croatia, Poland, Czech Republic have all qualified for Euro 2008 and they have done so in style topping their groups.
POLAND
A group of veterans put Poland through. Jerzy Dudek, Wojciech Kowalewski, Jacek Bak, Jacek Kryznowek, Michal Zewlakow, Grzegorz Rasiak, and Maciej Zurawski got the call by Leo Beenhakker and were instrumental in getting the job done.
Poland found goalscorers at opportune moments whether it was Radoslaw Matusiak in the early stages, or Jacek Krzynowek scoring a huge equalizer in the Portugal return match, before Ebi Smolarek capped their campaign by reeling off the last five goals which put Poland into the Euro finals. Poland was helped immensely by the injury free Krzynowek who put behind his poor performance in World Cup 2006.
Ebi Smolarek was the toast of the Polish squad with his nine goals. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder recently transfered to Racing Santander, scored a brace against Belgium leading them to their first Euro final in their tenth attempt. Smolarek also send Portugal to their first defeat in the qualifiers by scoring another brace. They topped Group A which saw tough Serbian and Finnish opposition comprising players plying their trade in the bigger European leagues. Serbia had a slim chance of securing the second spot needing a win against Poland yesterday but they managed a draw after Maciej Zurawski and Radoslaw Matusiak put their team ahead ending their hopes.
It was less than an ideal start as Poland lost to Finland and drew with Serbia. It was only when manager Leo Beenhakker started Ebi Smolarek and Grzegorz Rasiak that Poland's attack got off to a winning start. They won against Kazakhstan with Smolarek scoring the winning goal. Beenhakker also rotated his goalie corp as he had the luxury of having Artur Boruc, Lukacz Fabianski, Tomas Kuszczak, and Jerzy Dudek who are or have played in the top English and Scottish clubs.
Poland under Leo Beenhakker look like they have shaken off their World Cup hangover and will be a tough team to beat when the group stages begin in June 2008.
Poland's march to the Euro 2008 video >>
Classic moment: Radoslaw Matusiak hustling past Daniel Van Buyten of Belgium to score a goal.
English soccer: Six books, no titles
So the brief but disastrous Steve McLaren fling is over. And now the soul searching for what ails English soccer begins.
But first things first, if England wants to get back on track to soccer respectability then it needs a manager that commands respect from the English Premier cartel of managers, coaches, administrators, and players who call the shots on everything from player development to player availability. I have rarely seen the national game so cravenly beholden to a league. Every other country seems to have arrived at a balance quite nicely be it through serendipity or design.
It says very poorly of a national team that churns out autobiographies more than it does titles. Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and David Beckham have made million dollar book deals documenting their shopping habits, drunken orgies, and pet peeves against club and country managers. Most of them are sloppily written but they feed the need for a tabloid press more impressed with their lifestyle than their accomplishments on the field. We know so much about them through these voyeuristic excursions yet when they take the field they look like a group of lost individuals thrown together for the first time. Each and every time we know less and less of them. And we think less and less of them.
I really believe that no English coach can stand up to these pressures. He must come from outside but have an intimate knowledge of how the English system works having worked in it himself. He should be opinionated and egotistical enough to stand up to Sir Alex and tell him to sod off if he opens his mouth about the damage done by too many foreign players or whines about national commitments. He should be a micro-manager who demands player loyalty and adherence to a tactical vision. He should be someone familiar with the media bottom feeders in England, being a target of their unflattering eye in the past. And of course, he should be wildly successful with every undertaking in the past.
I am talking of Jose Mourinho. Woo him. Promise him a knighthood. But if there is anyone who can whip these preening English players beyond their obsession with yachts, hair gel, and their bacchanalian pursuits and actually get them to perform, it would have to be the Special One.
England's difficult hour: A house of cards built on fallacies
If Vedran Corluka had scored an own goal and put England into the Euro finals then the shifting narrative taking shape in coaching circles which singles out foreign players as doing untold damage to English soccer would have most likely ended.
But even if Corluka by happenstance scored that goal what would have prevented England from chucking it all away if today's match was any indication? Or for that matter any amount of own goals because England would have found yet another way of defeating itself. It would have been best if Russia had ended England's Euro debacle in Ramat Gan a few days ago because we would not have had to hear another story of how England controlled its fate.
England's problems are the result of a number of fallacies:
English Premier league quality and the performance of the national squad are correlated
The problem is that too often players and the English public equate the quality of the Premier League with the English national team. These distinctions almost always get blurred. Yes, you get the best talent and unbelievable match play. The marketing and the saturation TV coverage make it the most watched league. And the pay off is tremendous enough to keep clubs affording those world class players. It leads to a simple minded belief that somehow all of this translates into a superior national squad. How many times do we hear whether this foreign player will be able to keep up with the pace and the intensity of the English league. We always belittle the Bundesliga and its relatively low level intensity but the pace at which the new look German team performs shocks us. As it is a jet lagged English squad barely rose above itself to defeat Ecuador and labored to beat T&T in the 2006 World Cup. Only to see it fall to Portugal. But that enervated performance was not an exception, it seems to have become a rule.
A crowded midfield gives better options
The Steve McLaren thinking is to bottle up the midfield with players who are perceived to bring something to the table. What remains unclear is what exactly do they bring? There are distinctions of course but Barry, Gerrard, and Lampard to a large extent are iterations. Barry might have a more withdrawn role but they all clog up the middle.
At this point England lacks a true number 10. I have seen pundits touting Lampard as a playmaker but it really does not say much for his abilities when his own club manager and the owner are thinking of bringing Luka Modric on a winter transfer. Gerrard has been a shadow of himself since the CL final against AC Milan and has done no favours with his captaincy either. And if Beckham is an option then this does not augur well for the future of the English game.
In a level playing field the only player who would merit a place in the starting squads of Italy, France, and Germany would be Joe Cole. This talented player with his quick feet and great passing ability in the hands of a coach like Marcelo Lippi would have been transformed into a quality holding player. The other way to do this is to develop a midfield that is parallel and consensual and does not depend on just one player as witnessed in Arsenal's game. There is no hierarchy. Unfortunately in England player development becomes subservient to club interests.
Steve McLaren is all to blame
Steve McLaren is complicit as any in making muddled and poor choices and playing players not suited to a team fit. But he is not the only one who is responsible for England's mess.
The FA seems to have become this special interest organization whose primary responsibility seems to be acting as the chief apologist of some special coaches. Or giving credence to yet another fallacy that foreign players are responsible for the decline of the English game on the recommendation of those special coaches. But Brian Barwick has proven to be quite the clown. The FA screwed up with Big Phil and Guus Hiddink last year and in the end bowed to the pressure of pundits who wanted an 'English manager', by making a disastrous choice in Steve McLaren, a middling manager, who never took Boro out of the doldrums.
In the end unreal expectations, mediocrity in the national squad (with a few exceptions), the FA's shortsightedness, and McLaren's blunders cost England dear.
November 18, 2007
England manager's job: What a difference a year makes
Remember this:
Alan Curbishley:
14 March 2006 - "I want the England job. I have no idea what will happen next or even where I now stand"
And now:
18 November 2007 -" I'm ruling myself out entirely. This is where I want to be and this is where I want to be successful, so I've got no intention of leaving the club."
Looks like Curbs has seen the light.
Tartan fans and their sportsmanship: Donadoni provides the context
Roberto Donadoni had this to say about the Scottish fans whose exemplary behavior belied the heartbreak they must have felt at losing to Italy on a stoppage time goal by Christian Panucci, the result of an Andrea Pirlo free kick awarded for a dubious foul on Girgio Chellini.
"Scotland's fans showed how to behave and get behind a team. Their correctness gives us all something we can learn from."
The world watched at the horrific turn of events taking place in the Serie last week. Donadoni spoke from the heart when he appealed to the Italian soccer fraternity to control the situation.
"Totally crazy what happened in Bergamo and then in Rome. Something that makes you nauseous and you just want to get it all out."
Indeed. You can show you support and pride for your team whether it is club or country by means other than violence. By praising the Scottish fans, Donadoni was drawing a distinction between how they handled frustration and the recent violence in the Italian league. But before this becomes a tract in EO Wilson's innateness, it is fair to say that Scottish fans have themselves seen quite a bit of violence associated with the legendary Old Firm rivalry with its popular distinction between the Rangers and its Protestant base against the Celtics and their predominantly Catholic hue. Much of the rivalry is reflected in the sectarian nature of their songs but in the past has occasionally spilled into bloodshed. Of course, these distinctions are more nuanced. But if a US president does not do nuance well while sober then large masses of chanting fans fueled by alcohol and bawdy songs should be cut some slack.
However since 2001 there has been no such major outbreaks of violence because of initiatives taken up organizations like Nil by Mouth following Mark Scott's murder in 1995, legislative amendments recognizing sectarianism as a crime, the recording of sectarian offenses, and effective law and order measures to deal with them. In Italy, the security aspect is handled by stewards who are unable to handle large crowds when they riot. The police by default resorts to heavy handed punitive methods that are reactionary which only exacerbates the violence. Whatever the reason whether it is sectarianism or the Ultras that drive soccer violence, preventive law and order measures should be effective in stopping them. The first step in rehabilitating soccer in Italy is to recognize you have a problem which is what Scotland seems to have acknowledged and is now developing secondary and tertiary methods of dealing with it.
As Donadoni put it, "I think that we are hostages of this violence, but we cannot be slaves like this."
Video: David Healy scores his record 13th goal
"An absolutely magnificent finish. It gets better and better. The magic continues.The gloom is about to be lifted from Winter Park." It was truly a delectable bit of soccer skill shown by David Healy. And yes, the commentators themselves were very entertaining with their comments and their gusts of hysterical laughter.
The aftermath of the Israel win: How huge was it?
Steve McLaren praises the Israeli team:
"I would like to pay tribute to Israel for the professional way they went about their job. They showed what a proud nation they are and they deserve a lot of praise for their efforts."
And to dispel the notion that Gordon Brown and company were not paying attention to just any sporting event, this was what David Miliband had to say.
"I want to say thank you very very much to the Israeli football team," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said at a meeting with Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak. "Now every Englishman is cheering the Israeli nation for their great service to help us."
And an old fashioned bribe.... errr... incentive seems to have worked. Omer Golan who scored the match winner is set to receive English millionaire Fred Done's £50,000 Mercedes as a reward for his goal. On Friday, Done, founder of BetFred.com, offered his prized possession to any Israel player who scored the winner in the game.
Meanwhile Yossi Melman half jokingly conjectures that the win would dampen Israel Russia relations.
"The game against Israel has become a national craze," Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Anna Azari said this weekend. "In the media and on the street the game is the only topic."
Senior officials hinted jokingly to her that if Israel wanted to improve relations with Russia, especially concerning the delicate subject of Iran's nuclear program, it would have done well to see that the game ended with the appropriate score.
It seems everyone and anyone concerned with Russian politics and business was at Ramat Gan to watch the match.
Kommersant befitting its image as the newspaper of the oligarchs was crowing about the GDP of the fans watching the Russia vs Israel match. Their total worth over $150m Amidst them were such moneybags as Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Prokhorov, Leonid Fedun, Lev Levaev, Arkady Gaidamak. The names of other rich and famed are the top secret yet.
But in the end Israel did itself no favours. And Shlomi Barzel gives Dror Kashtan and Israel a reality check.
"If Kashtan continues for another term as national team coach, don't expect any positive answers."
David Healy's record keeps Northern Ireland alive
David Healy's 80th minute goal won Northern Ireland its match against Denmark keeping their hopes alive against group leaders Spain and Sweden. He also scored his 13th goal which set an Euro record breaking Davor Suker's 12 goals established in the 1996 Euro qualifying campaign.
NI's win keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for the Euro. Sweden can get through with a draw against Latvia while NI faces the unenviable task of meeting Spain in its last encounter although their record against the league leaders has been very good with a 3-2 win against Spain and a 2-1 win against Sweden.
If there is one seminal moment that NI will look back with regret in their campaign if they fail in their Euro campaign it will have to be the Keith Gillespie own goal with a minute left in the return match against Iceland that they lost 1-2. A draw would have put them in a great position to challenge Sweden for the second spot. Iceland also proved to be their Achilles heel as Eidur Gudjohnsen put on the performance of his lifetime to beat NI 3-0 at Belfast in their opening encounter.
November 17, 2007
Azzurri put one over the Tartans amidst the soccer crisis
Christian Panucci celebrates his match winner
Scotland's dreams are dashed as Italy advance to Euro 2008.
If you are the Azzurri the best thing for your team's fortune is to have a crisis in your country involving match fixing or riots which leads to giving of their best. It sounds morbid but with Calcipoli contributing to the Machiavellian nature of the domestic league leading to the tragic attempted suicide of Juventus manager of Gianluca Pessotto and their future livelihood in disarray, the Italian team found itself fielding more questions for its off field activities than for their performances but they soldiered on and under Marcelo Lippi won their fifth Wordl Cup.
In beating the Tartans today, the Azurri were coping with another crisis that brewed in the aftermath of Gabriele Sandri's death. One which has many foreign stars like Kaka and Clarence Seedorf questioning whether the Serie would recover its standing in the world.
Whatever it maybe the Azurri put together an exciting display of attacking soccer with Luca Toni scoring early. Scotland equalized through a Barry Ferguson goal but just as Omer Golan's last gasp goal dashed Russian hopes as a Christian Panucci header in the 91st minute brought Scotland's Euro campaign to a crashing halt.
Russia vs Israel: Colautti's return gives a lift to Kashtan's team
Roberto Colautti, Argentine born Israeli striker is his team's top scorer
Get ready for a nail biter today as Russia meet Israel in Ramat Gan which can decide not oly Russia's fate but that of England too. Steve McLaren and the English squad will be following this match very closely.
Israeli captain Yossi Benayoun is going to miss this most crucial Group E encounter due to a adductor injury. On this match rests England's sputtering hopes to qualify for Euro 2008. Croatia has already qualified and Russia with its win against England is favoured to win the second spot. England have an outside chance if Russia loses today.
Benayoun's absence means that Israel is missing their talismanic playmaker. At Liverpool, Rafa quickly found out that Benayoun gives the immobile Liverpool midfield a spark of creativity as seen in the match against Wigan, Besiktas, and Fulham recently. In a team that has seen Torres injured and out for protracted spells it has been Benayoun that kept them scoring as exemplified in his splendid solo effort against Wigan.
Benayoun's cohesive play has kept the Israel team going forward even though his statistics might be less than impressive. Idan Tal has stepped up with his match play. Coach Dror Kashtan's team will be boosted by the return of Roberto Colautti back from injury. The Ligal Ha'al's top scorer two seasons ago has been in great nick having scored 6 goals in the last 7 Euro matches. But Kashtan's problems are not the midfield or the attack as he has Ben Sahar and Amit Ben Sushan who have all scored goals. The young striker duo along with Toto Tamuz are part of a strong Israeli nucleus. Kashtan has also called on the services of Bnai Sakhnin's midfielder, Maor Buzaglo. Israel has scored more goals than Russia, 17 to 16.
Israel's bane has been the mistake prone defence that cost them both the matches against Croatia and the embarrassing blow out against England. The defense has given up 11 goals which is more than twice as many as Russia. Shimon Gershon, the experienced central defender is out with an injury and so Kashtan will start Dekel Keinan with Tal Ben Haim in central defense.
Dudu Awat in goal had a phenomenal match against Russia in their previous encounter keeping Andrei Arshavin and Pavel Pogrebnyak at bay. But Sevilla's Aleksandr Kerzakhov has been having a very good run with five goals and Hiddink can also call on super sub Roman Pavlyuchenko who broke English hearts by scoring both goals that gave Russia a come from behind victory. With regular goalie Igor Akinfeev back to bolster the back four of Ignasevich, Anyukov, and the Berezutskiy twins, the Israeli attack will need to be at its most potent to score goals against a rock solid defense that has given up just five goals.
October 20, 2007
The Martyrdom of Steve McClaren
Is Steve McClaren ready for a "John the Baptist" moment? The crowds are calling for his head... especially if Hiddink's Russia beat Israel.
In my mind, McClaren has gotten in over his head (no pun intended) but I blame the incompetent bureacracy of the FA.
So who will replace the unlucky man?
Here are our "out of the box" suggestions:
- "Big Phil" Scolari
- Jurgen Klinsmann
- Fabio Capello
- Jose Mourinho
- Guus Hiddink
- Arsene Wenger
I'll admit I'm going overboard; but the FA is going to appoint another ham-and-egger unless we make some noise.
Any suggestions?
October 18, 2007
Euro 2008 - Henry breaks Platini's record
Thierry Henry scored twice against Lithuania to break Michel Platini's record of 41 international goals.France now lead in Group B ahead of Italy and Scotland.
Elsewhere Greece, Czech Republic and Romania will join Germany in the Euro finals next year after qualifying on Wednesday.Greece beat Turkey 1-0 and Romania beat Luxemborg by 2 goals.It was the Czech Republic that came up with the biggest win - handing out a 3 - 0 drubbing to the Germans.Goals here..
October 13, 2007
Euro 2008 : Scotland beat Ukraine 3 - 1 and Rooney scores
The Scots scored these two goals .....
...before Shevchenko pulled one back.(video) .McFadden scored the third for Scotland.The strange thing is that Scotland may not qualify for the Euro even if they go on to beat Italy as well.
Elsewhere Rooney scored his first competitive goal for England in more than three years in England's 3 - 0 cakewalk victory over Estonia.Those goals can be seen here..
September 12, 2007
Les Bleus play Charles De Gaulle diplomacy
France was beaten, 1-0 at Hampden Park the last time these two teams met and it was only the second time in 46 games that Les Bleus were beaten in qualifying matches. Today, they meet Scotland for the pole position in Group B.
So the Gaullists are puffing up the Scots with their fanciful pronouncements.
"Scotland - more difficult than Italy", proclaims the official website of the French Football Federation, a sentiment, it turns out, which emanates from one Nicolas Anelka of Bolton, but which is tame beside the declaration of the France coach, Raymond Domenech, that the Scots are now favourites to win Group B.
Of course, that was promptly slapped down by the Scots, noted stoics and purveyors of hard nosed reality.
Darren Fletcher, who captained the side's 3-1 win over Lithuania at Hampden Park on Saturday, encapsulated Scotland's reaction. "I've heard a lot of quotes coming from the French camp and that Scotland are favourites, which is just ludicrous," Fletcher said. "These are mind games.
The key match up will be the Scottish attack which has managed to find scoring from unexpected sources against the French defence which is probably the best in the world today and has not conceded a single goal in the Euro campaign, till the Gary Caldwell goal in Hampden Park on October 7, 2006.
September 8, 2007
David vs. Goliath at Wembley?
The way the English team is acting, you'd think they're desperate for a win.
The truth is, they are.
Stevie "Dweebie" McClaren thinks Michael Owen can save the day. More and more, we are seeing the English manager display the same lack of imagination which has plagued the team for a decade now.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but my gut tells me this English team could in fact fail to qualify for Euro2008. Maybe England needs some psychological help - similar to what Klinsmann did to the German team to get them to stop sucking their thumbs during the last World Cup.
Israel on Saturday, Russia on Wednesday. C'mon lads! Time to kick some _ _ _.
August 3, 2007
Earth to Mo Johnston: The MLS is not that hectic
In early October the Galaxy will also play friendlies against the Minnesota Thunder and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL First Division. Even though the setup does maximize Beckham's star power, the schedule's hectic enough to evoke sympathy even from Toronto head coach Mo Johnston.
"You're asking too much for a person to come into a new country, a new climate, and come in and play all those games," Johnston said.
I have no idea what Mo Johnston is talking about. This is Beckham who has played in the most rigorous league in the world, the Premiership with 38 matches in the season, a number of pre-season friendlies, the FA Cup, the CL matches, and during the time of the Euro or the World Cup, the qualifiers and finals, all added up could mean 75 matches for a player. In one week, depending on the FA, Premiership, CL and UEFA schedules, a club like Man Utd can end up playing three matches a week.
I don't think Florentino Perez was especially concerned when Beckham came to Real in 2003, whether he liked the schedule, the weather, or paella. At 35m euros you were expected to play.
You can expect sympathy for his ankle on which the US soccer has vested its future but don't try and build up the MLS in its intensity, a langorous schedule that allows Beckham to attend all the parties and mixers that Posh wants.
June 17, 2007
Motivational payments for Mallorca players?
In a short while we will find out if Beckham bows out with a title in hand. Real is in pole position to win the La Liga as they have a head to head advantage over Barca. A win is the only way that Barca can retain the title with a Real loss or a draw. However Sevilla could take it all with a win on the last day and if Real and Barca lose. They are two points behind the leaders.
Real meets Mallorca and there are reports that the Mallorca team has been offered €600 000 by Barca if they manage to avoid defeat in their crucial match away to Real Madrid this Sunday. These illegal payments are nothing new in the Liga and are called "suitcase payments". Barca alleges that Real also paid Espanyol players to draw their match.
June 10, 2007
Angel's MLS form should pique Jorge Luis Pinto's interest
There is a lot of speculation in the English media about how David Beckham's selection to the English squad will be hampered by his playing in the MLS, an inferior league. In short, if he scores 7 goals and provides 12 assists for the LA Galaxy will it be considered equivalent to 3 goals and 7 assists at Real. Beckham's MLS performances will be under intense scrutiny and go through a credentialing process with McLaren. Many believe that his time spent in the MLS will damage his chances of playing for England.
An indicator would be if Juan Pablo Angel's hot hand for the NY Red Bulls (A brief 5 matches, 6 goals and 2 assists) is making Colombian selectors sit up and take notice. Is manager Jorge Luis Pinto going to spend his time equating Angel's somewhat indifferent Villa career with his new found success in the MLS? Angel has drifted in and out of the national team since 1996 but he does have an not too unsubstantial 33 caps for Colombia with 9 goals scored with his last appearance nationally in August 2006. Jorge Luis Pinto emphasis seems to be on youth and Miguel Calero at 36 and Mario Yepes at 31 years of age are the only graybeards called up for the Copa America squad.
There are differences of course. There has been no clamor for Angel's selection unlike that of Beckham. And Beckham leaves La Liga with an upsurge in his performance whereas Angel's career at Villa was sidelined by the arrival of John Carew and Ashley Young, inconsistency, and injuries. These are factors that will weigh with selectors even as these two players make their careers in a new and overlooked league.
June 9, 2007
Beckham revisited
There is no doubt that the uptick in English fortunes in the recent Brazil friendly and the Estonia win is because of the re-selection of Beckham into the squad. However, the impression I get is that when Beckham is playing then the squad adopts this 'awaiting goals' mode. A degree of passivity is introduced into the English game as players await a goal from one of Becks free kicks or from one of his well timed crosses finding a noggin. The emphasis changes from seeking or creating goals.
Unfortunately, England has been pathetic in that department. Italy's success in the World Cup had a lot to do with Andrea Pirlo's dead ball prowess but Marcelo Lippi was also instrumental in getting the Azzurri to seek goals from other sources and open play.
In the short term England remains fragile because all it would take is for Beckham to have an off day. Beckham's introduction does not do any thing substantial to improve the English game in the long term too. It is not healthy when a player like Steven Gerrard is reduced to a byline. And English defenders have far too circumscribed a role. Matthew Taylor and Nicky Shorey are attack minded and like Fabio Grosso or a Marco Materazzi have shown that they can score goals. Time for McLaren to introduce them into the equation.
June 7, 2007
The Russians are hiddink their stride
Guus Hiddink is doing it again. Russia's improvement with Hiddink at the helm is taking a gradual but familiar turn. As with South Korea and Australia, the defense has upgraded with the ability to play 90+ minutes and minimize defensive lapses. This without the services of Igor Akinfeev, the most talented goalie since Lev Yashin, out with a season ending knee surgery.
The Russian squad dodged a bullet by holding Croatia to a draw, 0-0 by neutralizing the dangerous Eduardo Da Silva, Croatia's Brazilian born phenom who had been perfect so far with 6 goals in 6 matches. The Russian defense was once again stout and with some luck and the woodwork managed to keep out close calls from Josip Simunic, Luka Modric, Mladen Petric, Vedran Corluka, and Eduardo Silva.
The Russians have never been known for their defensive discipline and their lapses have always been punished in previous editions of the World Cup and Euro. Most Russians still remember the 2002 World Cup fiasco which saw them crashing out of a weak group that consisted of Japan, Tunisia, and Belgium. It led to riots in Moscow.
Under Hiddink's guidance, the Russian defense is gradually becoming the best in this Euro with the Berezutski twins, Vasili and Aleksei. Vasili plays on the left and is known for his speed, forays up front, and crossing ability. Aleksei Berezutski plays on the right and is the point man for set pieces with his considerable aerial prowess. They bookend Sergei Ignashevich, a talented central defender while the highly rated Aleksandr Anyukov sits back in a five player midfield formation with players of caliber like Valdimir Bystrov who is establishing a fearsome reputation as a player of tremendous pace and skill, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, a rising star, and long time Torpedo Moscow's favourite Igor Shemshov. Up front is FC Sevilla's striker Aleksandr Kherzakov, who scored a hattrick against Andorra and forms a dangerous tandem with Russia's Michael Owen, Dmitri Sychev.
Yes, Hiddink's men after a slow start are looking self assured. And England will meet them on 12 September and again on 17 October. By then the two spots for the Euro finals could well have been decided in this tough group that sees Croatia, Israel, Russia, and England all tightly clustered together in Group E.
June 6, 2007
England vs Estonia: Damocles sword hangs over McLaren
"I have seen the crystal ball. And it looks awful."
Steve McLaren is hoping that the English fans will express their displeasure to their shrinks and not on the field when England takes on Estonia. He has implored patience. At stake England's Euro campaign. At stake too, McLaren's job.
England unveils its new weapon which is its old but now best weapon. David Beckham will be asked to deliver the goods as England take on Estonia in a must win Euro qualifier. In doing so, Steve McLaren is hoping fans hold their tongues in asking the obvious question. Why is England's attack being entrusted to two forwards coming back from season ending injuries, at best 60% operational, with England's Euro campaign on the line. Michael Owen and Alan Smith are as rust encrusted as Spanish galleons sunk in the Saragossa. So the good news is that Peter Crouch is back, replacing Alan Smith.
Will Mart Poom, Estonia's goalie (Gunners will recognize him), and now on transfer to Watford and the defense be able to keep England at bay? Estonia is without one of their best players, central defender Raio Piiroja, through suspension. Their best striker Anders Oper who plays for the Eredivisie is out through injury. Estonia's game plan is clear. Their coach Jelle Goes hopes they "play like Macedonia - who are a pain in the arse for big football countries". Well, if you can't qualify, and Estonia with no points so far is well past that stage, then you can play spoiler. I am sure Russia and Croatia would approve.
Crouch's injection means that Beckham has an obvious aerial target to hoof the ball to. Wayne Bridge returns in the starting line up as left back. McLaren might also start Kieron Dyer on the right. Both Bridge and Dyer should shorten the distance to the Estonian goal with their speed and inclination to attack. However, the Jamie Carragher swap for Wes Brown does not make too much sense. Carragher has played well even out of his natural position. Estonia's Ragnar Klavan who likes latching onto the end of a free kick can cause all kinds of problems. He came close to scoring against Croatia. Tarmo Kink is Estonia's main threat at open play down the left flank. Carragher is a better man marker neutralizing them.
It is not just Steve McLaren feeling the pressure but for almost a year after the World Cup, pudgy Frank Lampard has supplanted Owen Hargreaves as most reviled player. For Lamps, another substandard outing would have him pining for the olive gardens of Spain and the awaiting arms of his paramour, Ellen Rivas. The choice is clear. Lamps needs to perform or the boo birds will have another field day.
June 4, 2007
Video: Herbert Fandel attacked by a hoodlum
Pretty disturbing and Fandel was right in calling off the match.
May 26, 2007
Becks back in the England squad
This says more about the dire straits of the English squad under Steve McLaren than any substantial change in tactics or vision. Remember how McLaren was going to set England down a different path from the Svennie days. It's Sven all over again except he looks a lot beefier and red faced.
David Bentley should get first squad action over Beckham. He has speed, runs wide, stretches out the defense, and is getting more judicious with his crosses down the right. Plus, he has a future. He was in impressive form providing two assists in England's B squad recent win over Albania.
Becks recall is a return to the piecemeal approach that has killed English football in recent years.
May 4, 2007
Joey Barton on the lam
Ousmane Dabo
Wear a visor if you are anywhere near Joey Barton, friends and foes alike. The man likes going after your eyes!
This is beyond wow! Jermaine Pennant is small potatoes compared to what City's Joey Barton has gone and done. After assaulting a team mate, Ousmane Dabo on the training grounds, Barton has fled England and is holed up at a golfing resort at the Algarve.
Barton is out of the City squad as he should be and Dabo is considering legal action against him. Barton's assault left Dabo unconscious and while lying on the ground, Barton reportedly used his fingers to try and gouge Dabo's eyes out, leaving him with two black eyes and a detached retina. Barton has a thing for gouging out eyes having tried the same thing with City player Jamie Tandy with a cigar at a Xmas party last year.
Barton's talent makes him a much sought after player and both Everton and Sunderland are keen on bagging him but this sort of stuff really makes you wonder. Do you really need a player with such a short fuse?
The Telegraph has more on the incident >>
April 1, 2007
A real headscratcher this one .............
Peter Crouch scores the perfect hat trick as Liverpool runs rampant over Arsenal. England celebrates the best league in the world. A group of English players from these top clubs then assemble and play the Euro Cup, turning into a miserable bunch of plodders and buffoons. Not even Jekyll and Hyde could have scripted this better.