Premier League Round-up 13/09/2010

This weekend showed once again why the Premier League is so popular, with one of the most thrilling encounters of recent years being played out at Goodison Park.

Manchester United were without Wayne Rooney for the trip to Everton, but – whatever Henry Winter tells you – his absence did not lessen their capacity to win the game. Dimitar Berbatov led the line well and scored the third goal which seemingly clinched victory for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but Leighton Baines’ crosses caused havoc in the United box, allowing the hosts to score two injury-time goals and salvage a remarkable 3-3 draw.

Ferguson – who later saw his son’s team Preston throw away a similar lead to lose 4-3 at Burnley – must be concerned at his side’s failure to close out games, and he might begin to question the concentration of stand-in defenders Gary Neville and Jonny Evans. While the two are at opposite ends of their respective careers, they are perhaps equidistant from the pinnacle of their abilities.

Michael Essien

United’s late collapse allowed Chelsea to move four points clear at the top of the table with a comfortable 3-1 win against West Ham. Early goals from Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou meant the champions barely had to break sweat, as they sat back and allowed their hosts plenty of possession.

It is difficult to judge Chelsea’s start to the season based on the opposition they have faced so far, but you can only beat what is placed in front of you – something Manchester United have failed to do twice now.

While their rivals continue to hog the headlines, Arsenal are going about their business quietly yet effectively. The odd defensive hiccup remained in their 4-1 victory over Bolton, but Arsene Wenger’s side adjusted well to the loss of Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie.

The scoreline was harsh on a Bolton side very much in the game until the laughable dismissal of Gary Cahill, but Owen Coyle’s side needed to capitalise more on their concerted spells of possession and take the chances presented to them. If you don’t do that, Arsenal will punish you.

The ‘big three’ were joined in the top four by Blackpool, who continued their fairytale start to the season with a surprisingly-comfortable 2-0 win at Newcastle’s St James Park.

Ian Holloway’s men were reliant on goalkeeper Matt Gilks to preserve the lead given to them by Charlie Adam’s first-half penalty, before DJ Campbell sealed the win in stoppage time. Toon Army manager Chris Hughton may be regretting his decision to leave new signing Hatem ben Arfa on the bench, with the midfield trio of Nolan, Smith and Barton failing to provide the necessary creative spark.

Elsewhere Fulham saw off a spirited but indisciplined Wolves outfit at Craven Cottage, in a game which will be remembered for a distressing injury suffered by Bobby Zamora. The England man’s leg snapped under a challenge from Karl Henry, bringing back memories of former Arsenal striker Eduardo’s horrific break in January 2008.

Moussa Dembele

But unlike Arsenal on that fateful day, Fulham were spurred on to record a hard-fought win, Moussa Dembele’s double placating Mark Hughes’ misery somewhat. His opposite number Mick McCarthy, meanwhile, will be concerned that Christophe Berra’s late red card is one of three which could have realistically been awarded against his side.

Another player to see red on Saturday was Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole, who did not even last half an hour against former club Wigan. Two yellow cards in the space of five minutes brought an early end to the combative midfielder’s afternoon for the second time this season.

£13m man Asamoah Gyan still came close to securing an unlikely three points for the 10 men of Sunderland, but his well-taken volley was cancelled out by an instinctive finish from Antolin Alcaraz, who turned in Tom Cleverley’s wayward shot for his first goal in Wigan colours.

1-1 seemed to be the scoreline of the weekend, with Manchester City’s tie against Blackburn and Tottenham’s trip to West Brom both ending in the same scoreline.

City will rue defensive errors and attacking complacency, as they made a meal of coming back into the game after Joe Hart gifted the opener to Nikola Kalinic. Roberto Mancini’s men had 20 shots on goal to Blackburn’s 4, but could not find a way past a determined Rovers back-line.

Chris Brunt

And Spurs were similarly guilty of gifting a goal to their opponents, with a static defence failing to respond when Marc-Antoine Fortune’s shot looped up and spun towards the back post, allowing Chris Brunt to equalise with a rare headed goal from all of a yard out.

Sunday’s televised game was not one for the purists, with Birmingham and Liverpool playing out a dull goalless draw. The hosts had the better chances, but Pepe Reina was equal to everything thrown at him by the Blues, while at the other end an uncharacteristically-negative selection from Roy Hodgson left Fernando Torres feeding off scraps for the most part.

Team of the week (4-2-3-1)*:

Reina (Liverpool); Kaboul (Tottenham), Jones (Blackburn), Dann (Birmingham), Cole (Chelsea); Song (Arsenal), Scharner (West Brom); Arteta (Everton), Fabregas (Arsenal), Adam (Blackpool); Berbatov (Man Utd)

*Team selected ahead of Monday night game between Aston Villa and Stoke

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September 13, 2010
Categories: Premier League . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: Leave a Comment

Premier League round-up 30/08/2010

This weekend marked the last round of Premier League fixtures before the close of the transfer window, and understandably the 10 games played were – on the whole – cagier affairs. Players were keen to avoid mistakes for fear of being replaced by trigger-happy managers before tomorrow evening, and thus took fewer risks.

Such an attitude led to more tentative displays from the likes of Tottenham, who failed to pierce Wigan’s sieve of a defence as they fell to a 1-0 defeat. Perhaps distracted by Thursday’s Champions League draw - which paired them with holders Internazionale – Harry Redknapp’s side lost focus and lacked the attacking vigour of last week’s win over Stoke.

After beginning the game looking to avoid defeat, Roberto Martinez’s Latics soon realised they had a chance to get all three points from the visit to White Hart Lane. Spurs failed to heed a very visible warning shot in the form of Antonio Alcaraz’s embarrassing miss, and minutes later Hugo Rodallega (below) notched his first goal of the season.

The Colombian’s winner will give Redknapp cause for concern, and he will be keen to avoid similar slip-ups after the Champions League ties in Milan, Bremen and Enschede. With margins of error smaller than ever this season, just one European hangover could be the difference between Champions League qualification and a season in the Europa League.

One team looking more comfortable at the moment is Arsenal. Spurs’ North London neighbours saw off a stubborn Blackburn outfit and could have easily added to the two goals scored by Andrey Arshavin and the resurgent Theo Walcott.

This is exactly the kind of game Arsene Wenger’s side have dropped points in in recent years, but even when their forwards were squandering chances at one end, the Gunners’ back-line limited Rovers to few clear-cut chances at the other. Despite picking up a red card on his competitive debut for the club, Laurent Koscielny looks like a smart acquisition by Wenger.

That 2-1 victory leaves Arsenal on seven points, the same tally as Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men brushed past basement side West Ham with Dimitar Berbatov starring in a 3-0 win. The watching Fabio Capello will be relieved the Bulgarian has retired from international football, with Berbatov’s fellow countrymen taking on a weakened England back-line in Friday’s European Championships qualifier.

Nemanja Vidic

As important as Berbatov’s flair was the performance of Nemanja Vidic at the back. After a poor World Cup the Serbian is quickly getting back to his best at Old Trafford, and West Ham’s forwards barely got a touch on the ball, let alone a clear sight of goal.

But Arsenal and United are still chasing champions Chelsea, who kept up their 100 per cent record with a stroll in the park against Stoke. The Potters’ negativity left them playing a game of damage limitation even before Florent Malouda netted the opener, but Tony Pulis’ side know these are not the games from which they should be looking for victories. Still, with Stoke still yet to record a point this season, their home game against winless West Ham in September is already looking like a relegation six-pointer.

The top four is rounded off by Aston Villa, who bounced back from last week’s humbling at St James Park with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Everton. A well-taken goal from Luke Young may see Fabio Capello start to regret the full-back’s retirement from international football, while another impressive performance from Marc Albrighton made the £26m sale of James Milner look smarter by the day.

Milner’s new employers Manchester City slipped to a shock defeat at Sunderland, who are quickly turning the Stadium of Light into a fortress. Micah Richards, so impressive last week against Liverpool, was the villain of the piece this time round as he brought down Darren Bent for the decisive penalty kick.

Not so long ago, the thought of Birmingham against Blackburn on Sky would have encouraged the casual supporter to turn off the TV and get a headstart on their work for the week ahead, but not any more. Blues boss Alex McLeish has recognised the 1-0 wins of last season will not be so easy to come by without Joe Hart on the club’s books, while Bolton manager Owen Coyle has brought a fluid passing system with him from Burnley.

Roger Johnson

He has also brought Robbie Blake with him, and the veteran striker was the Trotters saviour, firing a late free-kick into the top corner of Ben Foster’s net to complete a comeback after goals from Roger Johnson and Craig Gardner had given Birmingham a 2-0 lead. Foster’s opposite number Jussi Jaaskelainen, meanwhile, had a game to forget – a needless slap on Johnson saw the Finn dismissed before half-time.

Another ground which witnessed a 2-2 scoreline was Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road. Luke Varney’s profligacy in front of goal contributed to Sheffield Wednesday’s relegation from the Championship last season, but the former Crewe man enjoyed a more fruitful debut with Ian Holloway’s team. Opponents Fulham will have impressed manager Mark Hughes to some degree after coming from behind for the second week running, but there remain question marks over their defensive solidity.

Aside from Blackpool’s fairytale start to the season, perhaps the biggest surprise this term has been the form of Mick McCarthy’s Wolves. They kept up their unbeaten record with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle, in a game which turned into a physical battle between the two midfields. A series of crunching tackles from Wolves captain Karl Henry silenced Newcastle hard-man Joey Barton but the Toon Army picked up their game in the second half to earn a deserved point.

On the subject of combative midfielders, Christian Poulsen enjoyed an impressive debut as Liverpool saw off the challenger of West Brom. Fernando Torres may have grabbed the headlines with the only goal of the game, but Poulsen showed a good understanding with Steven Gerrard, giving the Anfield faithful reason to be optimistic despite the departure of Javier Mascherano. The visitors can also be relatively happy with the performance, suggesting defensive collapses like that suffered against Chelsea are a thing of the past.

Team of the week (4-4-2):

Mignolet (Sunderland); Luke Young (Aston Villa) Vidic (Man Utd), Vermaelen (Arsenal), Baines (Everton); Al-Muhammadi (Sunderland), Poulsen (Liverpool), Mikel (Chelsea), Nani (Man Utd); Berbatov (Man Utd), Varney (Blackpool)

August 30, 2010
Categories: Premier League . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: 3 Comments

A world cup to forget?

I hope you haven’t forgotten about the World Cup just yet – I know I haven’t. Last week I presented my team of the tournament, and now I will bring you a team of players who disappointed during the tournament.

While my team of the tournament used the much-lauded 4-2-3-1 formation, the nature of this team leads me to use the 4-4-2 which many(perhaps prematurely) now feel has had its day.

Goalkeeper – Robert Green (England)

Club: West Ham United. 11 caps (0 goals)

It may seem unduly harsh to select a goalkeeper who only made one mistake, but Green’s error is thought by many to have set the tone for England’s poor World Cup performance.

In a tournament where many ‘keepers were remembered for their impressive stops, individual mistakes stand out more than ever. This is especially true when – as was the case with Green – the individual in question is not given time to atone for his mistake.

With David James moving ever closer to retirement, both England and West Ham will hope the former Norwich shot-stopper recovers from the media scapegoating to reassert himself as first choice for club and country.

Right-back – Jonas Gutierrez (Argentina)

Club: Newcastle United. 19 caps (1 goal)

Just as fans of West Ham United gasped in shock when their right-back Lionel Scaloni kept former Argentina captain Javier Zanetti out of his country’s World Cup squad in 2006, Newcastle fans will have been surprised to see Gutierrez take Zanetti’s place this time around.

This is not merely because Newcastle had played the previous season in English football’s second tier – Gutierrez was signed with the club in the Premier League and was clearly too good for the division below. Rather the surprised glances came because the player known as ‘Spiderman’ had made his name as a winger, not a right-back.

The supposedly versatile 27-year-old was found out in the opener against Nigeria, and by the time his country’s final group game came around he had been replaced by the lumbering and one-dimensional Nicolas Otamendi. Given the way in which Otamendi himself was destroyed by a fluid German attack, Diego Maradona will surely be ruing the decision not to include a natural right-back in his squad.

Left-back – Patrice Evra (France)

Club: Manchester United. 32 caps (0 goals)

While France may have made hard work of qualifying for the tournament, they were still expected to cruise through a relatively easy group.

It is common knowledge that a lack of leadership – rather than a paucity of talent – is often responsible for Les Bleus struggles, but the quiet and understated Evra was supposed to provide a calming influence as captain.

Few could have predicted what would follow. Two games and one much-publicised clash with a fitness coach later, and Evra was stripped of both the captaincy and his place in the team. There have since been suggestions that the defeat against Mexico will prove to be Evra’s last game for his country, with former stars including 1998 World Cup Winner Lilian Thuram calling for him to be dropped indefinitely.

Centre-back – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

Club: Al-Ahli. 136 caps (2 goals)

Yes, the clues were there before the tournament began. Cannavaro’s decision to move to the United Arab Emirates suggested – at the age of 36 – the former Juventus captain felt he was no longer up to playing in Europe’s top leagues.

But few could have predicted the ignominy of his, and Italy’s campaign. Despite being more than matched in the opener against Paraguay, fans still expected the Azzurri to bounce back, as they have done many times before.

An embarrassing draw with New Zealand, during which Cannavaro was hopelessly exposed for Shane Smeltz’s goal, was the antipasti. What followed put to shame the defensive solidity on which the country’s success has been founded. The 3-2 defeat against an uninspiring Slovakian outfit may well go down as the moment at which Cannavaro – and the class of ’06 in general – were forced to give way to a younger and hungrier breed.

Centre-back – Simon Kjær (Denmark)

Club: Wolfsburg. 11 caps (0 goals)

How do you go from being one of the hottest defensive properties in world football to making an uninspiring move to a Europa League side? Well, why don’t you ask Simon Kjær – he should have the answer.

Just months after being sweet-talked by Sir Alex Ferguson in advance of a potential move to Manchester, the Danish defender is packing his bags for Wolfsburg.

The former Palermo man was hardly helped by an error-prone Danish defence, but he did nothing to suggest he had the solidity or leadership qualities required to succeed at the highest level, although – as you and I well know – one tournament rarely tells the whole story.

Right-midfield – Franck Ribéry (France)

Club: Bayern Munich. 48 caps (7 goals)

At this World Cup, the stage was set for Franck Ribéry to finish a disappointing season on the highest of high notes. Not disappointing on the pitch, although Bayern’s domestic double was achieved largely in spite of the French winger, but disappointing in a personal sense.

His achievements at club and international level were first blighted by a knee injury, and then by a prostitution scandal which rocked the French football scene.

International team-mate Karim Benzema had a similarly frustrating 12 months, but while the Real Madrid striker was left out of the World Cup squad – allowing him to take time out to confront his troubles – Ribéry had no escape. His abject performances in South Africa suggested one or more of these issues were still playing on his mind, and questions still remain as to whether he will ever be able to recapture his previous form on the pitch.

Left-midfield – Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Club: Barcelona. 49 caps (13 goals)

All things considered, Messi didn’t play that badly in the World Cup. He lit up proceedings against South Korea as Diego Maradona’s side destroyed their Asian opponents, and showed some good touches against Mexico in the last 16.

But fans and pundits have come to expect more of the enigmatic Argentine. He netted 47 goals in 53 games for Barcelona this season, including splendid hat-tricks against Arsenal and Valencia.

Yet when the world was watching, he failed to reproduce the same goalscoring form, culminating in his nation’s 4-0 loss at the hands of Germany – a loss which he could do nothing about.

Central midfield – Frank Lampard (England)

Club: Chelsea. 82 caps (20 goals)

Frank Lampard should count himself lucky referee Jorge Larrionda failed to notice his shot crossing the line in England’s loss to Germany. Why? Because now fans will remember his campaign in a more positive light.

Now when asked about Lampard’s performance in years to come, people will mention his disallowed ‘goal’ and not his complete absence in his country’s first three games.

This is not the first time the midfielder – almost untouchable at club level – has failed to perform on the world stage. It seems he is so used to being the focal point of the side at Chelsea that he has forgotten how to work for his team-mates.

No doubt he will become a world-beater again when he returns to Chelsea for the new season, free from the shackles of significant responsibility.

Central midfield – Steven Pienaar (South Africa)

Club: Everton. 51 caps (2 goals)

If the host nation South Africa had any hope of reaching the last 16, they would need their most famous footballing expert to pull the strings right from the get-go.

Sadly for them, Pienaar never really got out of first gear, and as a result South Africa lacked the creative spark needed to separate them from the other teams in group A.

While the opening draw with Mexico and the narrow victory against a French side in total disarray gave fans of the Bafana Bafana something to shout about, hard graft and enthusiasm will only get you so far. With Pienaar unable to impose his nous and footballing intelligence on the game, Carlos Alberto Parreira’s side got about as far as they could.

Striker – Wayne Rooney (England)

Club: Manchester United. 64 caps (25 goals)

Those making excuses for England’s poor performance at the World Cup have blamed the arduous Premier League season. However that is only part of the story as far as Wayne Rooney is concerned.

Rooney’s injury problems have been well documented, and many England supporters were relieved when he picked up a knock a few months before the start of the tournament.

Unfortunately, far from getting the much-needed rest enjoyed by the likes of Arjen Robben, Rooney was forced back into action far sooner than Fabio Capello would have liked. Still, with his team-mates offering little in the way of service, there is no guarantee that a fully-fit Rooney could have done any better.

Striker – Fernando Torres (Spain)

Club: Liverpool. 80 caps (24 goals)

Never before can I remember a striker featuring in every game for a World Cup winning country and having less of an impact.

Torres looked out of his depth, failing to score and failing to complete a full 90 minutes at any stage of the tournament. While his team-mates brushed aside their opposition en route to winning the World Cup, the Liverpool man was barely an afterthought in discussions of their success.

And just to cap it all, he picked up an injury in the closing stages of the final which will put a dent in his preparations for the new campaign.

Substitutes:

Fawzi Chaouchi (Algeria, goalkeeper) – Gaffe in opener against Slovenia effectively sealed his country’s fate

Glen Johnson (England, right-back) – Horribly exposed in defeat against Germany, ordinary going forward and absent at the back

Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, centre-back) – Far from his normal imposing self, gifted Germany a penalty in Serbia’s only win

Jean Makoun (Cameroon, central midfield) – Failed to impose himself after an impressive season for Lyon

Kaka (Brazil, attacking midfield) – Allowed himself to be bullied by opponents too easily, although his red card against Cote d’Ivoire was harsh

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, winger) – Victim of an overly-defensive set-up from manager Carlos Queiroz

Vincenzo Iaquinta (Italy, striker) – Static and lumbering, should have been replaced by Fabio Quagliarella far sooner.

July 17, 2010
Categories: World Cup . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: 7 Comments

World Cup 2010 – Team of the Tournament

It has been a tough task picking a team of the tournament for this World Cup. For all the talk of defensive tactics ruling the day, I was strangely spoilt for choice when it came to attacking players.

In keeping with the spirit of the tournament, I have decided to go with the 4-2-3-1 formation which has served many countries so well. I am sure you will disagree with some of my choices, so please let me know who would make your XI.

Goalkeeper – Diego Benaglio (Switzerland)

Club: Wolfsburg. 30 caps (0 goals)

Yes, before you point it out to me, I know Switzerland didn’t make it past the group stage. That was not for want of trying though, and Benaglio did everything in his power to see his side escape a tricky group.

He was the only goalkeeper to stop champions Spain from scoring, while he was comfortable against Honduras and gave his country every chance of pulling off an impressive draw with 10 men against a Chile side who recorded 19 shots on goal.

While he only played three games, Benaglio undoubtedly made his mark on this year’s World Cup.

Right-back – Sergio Ramos (Spain)

Club: Real Madrid. 67 caps (5 goals)

In a tournament where many right-backs have flourished, Ramos still managed to stand out.

While Philipp Lahm caught the eye with his leadership and defensive strength, and Maicon thrilled fans with his attacking exploits, the Real Madrid man showed he has the complete package.

Getting forward well without neglecting his defensive duties, Ramos was an integral part of a side which cruised to four successive one-nil victories in the knockout stages. He has certainly come a long way from the naive teenager who starred intermittently for Sevilla in the early 2000s.

Left-back – Fabio Coentrão (Portugal)

Club: Benfica. 8 caps (0 goals)

In a Portuguese team full of stars like Ronaldo, Carvalho and Simão, little was expected of the young Benfica left-back.

A converted winger, Coentrão emerged as one of the stars of the tournament in a strangely defensive Selecção side.

He never once looked overawed, even in the face of some of the best right-sided players in world football. Maicon, Gervinho and Iniesta all pitted their wits against the 22-year-old, but their efforts reaped little reward.

Centre-back – Antolin Alcaraz (Paraguay)

Club: Wigan Athletic. 10 caps (1 goal)

Managers Europe-wide may feel they have missed a trick in allowing Alcaraz to join Wigan on the cheap just before the World Cup.

A late-bloomer, the former Club Brugge man only made his international debut at the age of 26. Nevertheless, he looked imperious alongside captain Paulo da Silva as Paraguay cruised through a potentially-tricky group.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez must be looking forward to seeing how Alcaraz adapts to the Premier League. If this tournament is anything to go by, he should go some way to shoring up a defence which shipped 79 goals last season.

Centre-back – Diego Lugano (Uruguay)

Club: Fenerbahçe. 47 caps (4 goals)

Known in Turkey for his uncompromising style, the Uruguayan captain showed in this tournament that there is a lot more to his game than merely kicking opponents.

Dealing excellently with dangerous strikers Nicolas Anelka and Guille Franco, in the group stage, the Fenerbahçe man was sorely missed after suffering a knee injury against Ghana.

The stats speak for themselves: Before Lugano’s injury, Uruguay conceded only one goal in nearly 400 minutes of football. In his absence, they let in four in less than two games.

Central midfield – Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)

Club: Bayern München. 81 caps (21 goals)

When Michael Ballack pulled out of the Germany squad on the eve of the tournament, few would have predicted them to make the semi-finals. Even less would have expected them to do so in the style they did.

Much of this is down to the new midfield combination in Jogi Löw’s youthful side. In Ballack’s absence some felt the burden would be too much for ‘Schweini’ to handle, but he has stepped up to the plate…and then some.

Anchoring the midfield to perfection, the Bayern man showed wonderful patience and restraint, affording team-mates Mesut Özil and Sami Khedira the opportunity to play higher up the field. Commentators have often said attack is the best form of defence, but – in Schweinsteiger’s case – defence proved to be the best form of attack.

Central midfield – Xavi (Spain)

Club: Barcelona. 94 caps (8 goals)

While Villa and Iniesta gained the plaudits, Spain would not have been able to win the World Cup without the contribution of the Barça maestro.

Barely putting a foot wrong over the course of the champions’ seven games (no mean feat considering the demanding season he had faced in La Liga), Xavi quietly went about his business, stretching the opposition so his team-mates had space to work their magic.

While Iniesta may have been earmarked as the creative influence in the team, it might be noted that Xavi completed nearly twice as many passes as his club and international team-mate.

Attacking midfield – Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)

Club: Internazionale. 67 caps (19 goals)

The creative spark in an at-times rustic Dutch side, Sneijder can consider himself unfortunate to have missed out on the Ballon d’Or award.

Picking up where he left off with Inter, the playmaker went into the final with the chance of becoming the first player to win domestic league and cup trophies, the Champions League, World Cup, Ballon d’Or and Golden Boot all within the space of one season.

While team-mates Mark van Bommel, Nigel de Jong (and Demy de Zeeuw, when he was called upon) acted as destroyers, Sneijder was the man who Bert van Marwijk’s side turned to when a breakthrough was needed.

If his first goal against Brazil was fortunate, the same cannot be said of his marvellous through-ball for Arjen Robben’s opener against Slovakia in the second round, and for numerous other passes throughout the tournament. After a poor domestic season for Kaká, Real Madrid must be regretting their decision to let Sneijder leave last summer.

Right-wing – Thomas Müller (Germany)

Club: Bayern München. 8 caps (5 goals)

Of all the coming-of-age stories to emerge at this World Cup, Müller’s is perhaps both the most impressive and the most surprising.

Little over a year ago he was plying his trade in Bayern’s reserve team, and his displays in last season’s Champions League – though full of honesty and hard graft – were largely unremarkable.

Yet now he will return home with the World Cup Golden Boot, after netting his first five goals for Germany in the space of a month, as well as the award for best young player of the tournament.

The secret to his success has been a change in position. At club level he has often ploughed a lone furrow up front, frozen out of the wide positions by star names such as Ribery and Robben. But Germany coach Jogi Löw has sensibly – whether by choice or necessity – deployed the 20-year-old on the right wing.

Müller’s striking instinct and great movement have allowed him to get into goalscoring positions, time after time finding an extra yard of space, and his performance at this World Cup was matched by team-mates Mesut Özil and Miroslav Klose as Löw’s team narrowly missed out on a place in the final.

Left wing – Diego Forlán (Uruguay)

Club: Atlético Madrid. 69 caps (29 goals)

It was a difficult task fitting Forlán into this team, given the free role he has been granted by Uruguay boss Óscar Tabárez. But there was no way I could leave him out.

Another player to have enjoyed a fruitful season before the World Cup, Forlán starred in a Uruguayan side which exceeded all expectations in reaching the semi-finals.

As is often the case with a country’s most high-profile player, the Atlético frontman acted as a real talisman for his country. Doing almost everything, Forlán drifted between the right and left wings, sometimes joining team-mate Luis Suárez in the middle, replicating the role played by Diego Maradona in 1986.

Had his team-mates matched his skill and incisiveness, rather than merely (on the whole) providing effort and commitment, semi-final defeat need not have been the extent of Uruguay’s achievement.

Striker – David Villa (Spain)

Club: Barcelona. 65 caps (43 goals)

In a tournament where many world-class strikers struggled to reach the heights expected of them, Villa showed once again why he is one of the hottest properties in world football.

The striker signed for Barcelona shortly before the tournament started, and on the evidence of this tournament he should have no trouble fitting in with new team-mates Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pedro, Pique and Busquets.

In stark contrast to strike-partner Fernando Torres, Villa got into his stride almost as soon as the tournament began, netting five of his country’s eight goals. In a low-scoring tournament, Villa’s consistency saw Spain through a number of challenging ties on the way to their final triumph.

Substitutes:

Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria, goalkeeper) – pulled off a number of stunning saves, although tournament may be remembered for error against Greece

Philipp Lahm (Germany, right-back) – great leader in the absence of Ballack, gave an inexperienced team the confidence to perform

Gerard Pique (Spain, centre-back) – calm and assured throughout, outshone club team-mate Puyol

Diego Pérez (Uruguay, midfield) – performed the ‘Makelele role’ admirably, seemed never to run out of energy

Mesut Özil (Germany, attacking midfield) – a real bright spark in an underwhelming group stage, goal against Ghana was a real highlight

Arjen Robben (Netherlands, left wing) – appearances were limited by injury, but worried defences whenever he received the ball

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, striker) – perhaps a surprising choice, but carried an abysmal Cameroon side. Surely frustrated by team-mates’ lack of industry.

Coentrão

July 12, 2010
Categories: World Cup . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: Leave a Comment

That’s what I’m talking about

I know it is risky to write an article on World Cup talking points ahead of the final, particularly considering Zinedine Zidane’s moment of madness four years ago.

However, in a vain hope that the final will be remembered for footballing reasons alone, I feel now is the time to run through three of the key issues to have arisen over the last month in South Africa.

I just want to add one rider to this article – I shall not be mentioning Vuvuzelas. The debate has been done to death, and I have no reason to bore you any further on the matter. So, without further ado, here are three talking points which have been doing the rounds during the 2010 World Cup.

1. The Jabulani

Don’t get me wrong, I realise in advance of every World Cup we get the inevitable debate about the ball.

Normally we see goalkeepers from all countries getting their excuses in, joined by the occasional manager being disproportionately critical, using hyperbole to express mild dissatisfaction.

But this year I think people may have been within their rights to complain.

I’m not talking about the swerve on the ball, which has become part and parcel of the modern game, particularly now with the regular exploits of players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Keisuke Honda.

Few have tamed the Jabulani as well as Honda

A bigger issue this year has been the overhit passes which have plagued the tournament. It seems as though the shape of the Jabulani is causing it to skid across the turf much quicker than players are accustomed to, taking the sliderule through-ball – often an important weapon – out of many sides’ arsenals.

This has contributed to altogether scrappier play, and has allowed well-organised defenced (such as Algeria’s against England and Switzerland’s against Spain) to flourish.

At the same time, pacy strikers, whose game revolves around such through balls, have struggled to carve out chances. You need look no further than the disappointing campaigns from Torres, Anelka and co for evidence of this.

2. The French débâcle

One of the more embarrassing stories of this World Cup surrounds the very public falling-out between players and staff in the France squad.

Perhaps the whole spectacle was used as a tool to draw attention away from a dismal campaign, beginning with a draw against 10-man Uruguay in arguably the worst game of the tournament (and it had a decent amount of competition) and going downhill from there.

We all know what came next – Nicolas Anelka left the squad in a Keane-esque display of dissatisfaction, while captain Patrice Evra betrayed his calm image by getting into a fight with fitness coach Robert Duverne.

While there is obviously no excusing the behaviour of senior French players, particularly given the example they were expected to set to the millions of fans watching at home, there is a feeling all of this might have been avoided had the French FA parted company with Raymond Domenech sooner.

Many French fans will be happy to see the back of manager Raymond Domenech

Just as Rafa Benitez dined on his 2005 Champions League victory while at Liverpool, Domenech has remained in a job longer than many feel he deserved to, simply on the basis of his country’s performance in the 2006 World Cup.

Even then he was living something of a charmed life, with a strong French side struggling to escape a weak group, before Zidane essentially carried the team through the knockout phases.

Now, I won’t get into the debate over whether Domenech – whose only previous top-flight managerial experience ended in 1993 – is qualified for the job.

Rather I will raise the point that the man once in charge of the France under-21 squad (from which many of his current charges graduated) has been unable to gain the support of his players for the most part. If a team containing Ribery, Evra, Anelka, Malouda and others can go two major competitions without winning a game, it doesn’t take a psychic octopus to work out that something is wrong.

French fans will now hope the appointment of Laurent Blanc as Domenech’s successor marks the beginning of a new, less controversial era. If Blanc can get the best out of the likes of Yoann Gourcuff – as he did when manager at Bordeaux – a French footballing renaissance should not be far away.

3. The new ‘Hand of God’

In the 120th minute of Ghana’s quarter-final against Uruguay, Luis Suarez stuck out a hand to block Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound effort.

As I’m sure you know, Suarez was sent off, Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty, and Uruguay went through to the semi-finals after a penalty shootout (incidentally, Adiyiah missed the decisive kick).

The furore surrounding Suarez’s actions was immense and well-publicised, yet when Harry Kewell was guilty of the same offence in Ghana’s group game against Australia, not a single word of ill-will was uttered. Could it be that the only reason for the differing reactions is that Gyan scored one of the penalties and missed the other?

The short answer is no.

The long answer? While some will argue Suarez’s actions were no less instinctive than those of Kewell, it is the response of the Ajax striker to which many have taken exception.

Suarez's name will surely go down forever in World Cup folklore

Not only did he irk Ghanaian supporters (not to mention those in other countries) with talk of the hand of God, but he then had the temerity to hound referee Benito Archundia in the third/fourth-place play-off after his free-kick was blocked by a German hand.

It is at least partly a matter of grace, although don’t try telling that to Adiyiah. Had Suarez the humility to admit his act was borne out of instinct, and then show remorse, he would surely have been looked upon with a little more respect. After all, he was punished for the offence, and it is not his fault that Gyan missed from the spot (or that Uruguay won the shootout).

However by revelling in the handball – essentially admitting to cheating to gain an advantage – Suarez has ensured his World Cup will be remembered not for his three goals, but for his one less-than-honourable decision.

Hopefully all gamesmanship will be put to one side tonight, when Holland and Spain run out at the Soccer City stadium. With the world watching, everyone will be hoping the two teams let their football do the talking.

July 11, 2010
Categories: Uncategorized . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: 3 Comments

The best players NOT going to the World Cup: Part 2 – Midfield and attack

After yesterday’s round-up of goalkeepers and defenders, I now present you with the cream of midfield and striking talent missing out on this summer’s World Cup.

Right-midfield – Samir Nasri (France)

France coach Raymond Domenech has been known for his unpredictable, often baffling decisions. Among those this summer has to be the omission of Arsenal wide-man Nasri. Admittedly the former Marseille midfielder has been in erratic form this season, but when he has been good he has been fantastic. This goal in the Champions League second round shows just the kind of creativity the French squad will be missing.

Right-midfield – Antonio Valencia (Ecuador)

Named in the Premier League team of the year and nominated for young player of the tournament at the last World Cup, Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia will be one of the names missing from South Africa. His country Ecuador put in a dismal showing in the South American qualifying section as hey finished sixth, one point behind Uruguay.

Left-midfield – Ronaldinho (Brazil)

There are some players with undoubtable talent, but whose off-the-field antics make it impossible for a coach to pick them. Brazil coach Dunga has based his selection on a desire to ensure team morale stays high, and for him this means excluding the Milan star. Unfortunately for Ronaldinho, his party animal reputation has overshadowed his unique talent, and only the results will show whether his exclusion is a mistake.

Left-midfield – Albert Riera (Spain)

12 months ago Albert Riera was in the form of his life. The former Espanyol winger had taken to his new club Liverpool like a duck to water, and was an integral part of their title challenge. But now, following a public spat with manager Rafa Benitez, Riera has been frozen out at Anfield. With a January move to Russia falling through, Riera lost his last chance of forcing his way back into the international reckoning.

Central midfield – Owen Hargreaves (England)

When Owen Hargreaves returned to the Manchester United team after over a year on the sidelines, some observers expected him to waltz straight into the England squad. He was at least expected to make the provisional 30-man selection. But Fabio Capello decided he could not rely on the fitness of someone who has only played four games for his club in two seasons.

Central midfield – Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina)

Surely the most mystifying decision of the World Cup so far is Diego Maradona’s decision to leave Cambiasso out of his Argentina squad. The Inter midfielder has starred for his club in their run to the Champions League final, and was responsible for one of the goals of the tournament four years ago. He may not catch the eye in the same way as the likes of Messi and Veron, but he will be sorely missed.

Central midfield – Diego (Brazil)

A midfield genius and the mastermind behind Werder Bremen‘s run to last season’s UEFA Cup final, Diego has performed admirably since his multi-million pound move to Juventus. Yet he has missed out on a place in the national side while lesser names like Kleberson and Julio Baptista are included. The mind boggles.

Central midfield – Torsten Frings (Germany)

Torsten Frings was one of the unsung heroes of Germany’s surprise run to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago, scoring a cracking goal against Costa Rica along the way. But he didn’t take kindly to new manager Joachim Low’s decision to bring younger players into the international set-up at the expense of old hands like the Werder Bremen midfielder.

Forward – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

There is no doubting the talent of Ibrahimovic – Barcelona don’t hand out £35 million and Samuel Eto’o for just anyone. But the talented striker has often failed to perform to the best of his abilities at the highest stage. In a tough qualifying group, his goals were not quite enough to see Sweden overcome Denmark and Portugal, and he will be sat at home, thinking about what might have been.

Forward – Alexandre Pato (Brazil)

As one of the top talents in world football, Pato looked a shoo-in for the Brazil squad. He has netted 14 goals in 25 appearances for Milan this season, yet misses out to the out-of-form Wolfsburg frontman Grafite in the final reckoning. Perhaps Dunga felt he could not include the young striker and justify omitting his good friend and club team-mate Ronaldinho.

Forward – Karim Benzema (France)

This time last year Karim Benzema was one of the most sought-after prospects on the world stage. When he moved from Lyon to Real Madrid for a fee of over £30 million, he had established himself as a regular in the French squad. 12 months later, after a dismal season on and off the field, Raymond Domenech shocked the French public by leaving Benzema out of the French squad.

Forward – Bojan (Spain)

When he watches his Barcelona team-mates in action in South Africa, Bojan Krkic may well feel he made the wrong choice in betraying his home nation of Serbia to play for Spain. Despite a disappointing end to the season at club level, the baby-faced striker would surely still have walked into any other World Cup squad, but even Fernando Torres’ injury concerns haven’t helped Bojan sneak into the squad.

May 15, 2010
Categories: World Cup . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: tomvictor . Comments: 3 Comments

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