Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
John Terry – dedicated follower of fashion
Despite all the bling, the big watches and fast cars, the brand management and media training, there is still one thing that, without fail, can expose the true nature of soccer players.
Winning.
As Didier Drogba stroked home the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in Saturday’s Champions league final and the blue-clad parts of the stadium exploded, the studied cool of the young Chelsea millionaires went out the window.
Shirts came off. Spain’s Fernando Torres wrapped a scarf around his head, looking for all the world like a British tourist trying to avoid the worst effects of the sun on the Costa Del Sol.
David Luiz donned a T-shirt and a blue-and-white stovepipe hat; curls flowing from under it, the effect was that of a soccer-playing Slash, the former Guns ‘n Roses guitarist.
Others wrapped themselves in the flags of their nations thrown to them by the crowd.
Mumbling Capello never at home in England
Fabio Capello arrived in London four years ago with a sparkling CV but for all his club success he departed still barely able to speak English and with his adopted country frought with division and long shots for success at Euro 2012.
It is ironic that his tenure was effectively ended by an interview given in his native Italian, when he said he disagreed completely with the FA’s decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.
Capello, rich beyond dreams, with trophies and titles galore and looking forward to retirement as he turns 66 this year, felt undermined and betrayed. The FA seemingly felt the same way and England fans, unanimously if the phone-ins and social media are any indication, were left pleading for an English manager who they, and the players, can understand.
In these days of multinational Premier League players and managers it seems a petty point, and one that would no doubt have been conveniently overlooked if he had found success at the 2010 World Cup.
But Capello’s inability to master even the most basic vocabulary required for a manager’s post-match press conference eventually came to symbolise his failure to get to grips with the English game and mentality.
Vastly experienced in the political machinations of Serie A and La Liga, he nevertheless seemed out on a limb when forced to deal with the vast baggage that comes with the job of England manager and was regularly left completely bemused by questions from journalists with a multitude of agendas.
Should Terry go to Euro 2012 at all?
So now we know. John Terry has been stripped of the England captaincy (again) but is available for selection for Euro 2012, which ends days before the start of his trial for alleged racist abuse.
Of course, Terry is innocent until found guilty and most fans would agree he should not be dropped from the team because of a so far unproven allegation, which he denies.
Related issues must come into coach Fabio Capello’s thinking though when selecting his Euro squad.
Firstly, will worries over the court case affect Terry’s form? Let’s face it, the centre back is not the player he once was. The likes of Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka and Chelsea team mate Gary Cahill are champing at the bit to take his place assuming Rio Ferdinand will recover full fitness and be the other main centre back. Which leads me onto the second point.
How will Rio react to playing with Terry, a man accused of racially abusing his brother Anton?
How will other black players in the England squad react to Terry and could it upset the team’s hopes in Ukraine and Poland? Stripping him of the captaincy alleviates some of the issues but bigger ones may remain.
Capello has a massive decision to make.
Let’s take a look at what has happened: A. The hearing at the Crown Court was a fiasco. If the court had stop to think and not listened to Chelsea, The FA and JT’s Agent the case would haves gone on and this debockle would have been avoided. Why did the court listen to men with financial interests? If JT was injured for a long streach The robber Barons would have lost their investments just the same.
I say treat JT as any regular citisen have the trial and get it over with. Would the Crown Court give you or I this approch to delaying the case because we had an important engagement that we needed to prepare for, I don’t thing so.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Soccer Break Tuesday
The pain for Arsenal fans just rolls on it would seem, as a trip to my office's kitchen confirmed on Monday when I heard two voices grumbling about "Van Persie" and "not enough shots".
The North London club's woes of the last two weeks or so have been much publicised, but perhaps at last there is some news to cheer Gunners fans up in the return of former keeper Jens Lehmann? Who would you prefer in goal? Lehmann, or Arsenal's only currently available goalie Manuel Almunia, in good form in the last two matches against Barcelona and Manchester United?
Keep a close eye out as the signing could be confirmed on Tuesday after Arsenal moved to sign the German late on Monday.
Some very recent news on the earthquake repercussions is that Japan's J. League has been postponed indefinitely, while news on the international friendlies is due on Wednesday.
Now onto Tuesday's Champions League matches, including four former winners. Do you agree with these predictions?
Inter Milan must become only the second team in Champions League knockout phase history to overturn a first-leg home defeat with a second leg away win. Some task.
Worth a bet given Bayern's turbulent last week in which coach Louis van Gaal said he would leave at the end of the season? Bear in mind however that Van Gaal, while at Ajax Amsterdam in the 1995/96 season, was the only coach to achieve this feat according to UEFA statistics.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
England defence crumble in German masterclass
England coach Fabio Capello would do well to take a transcript copy of Germany coach Joachim Loew’s post-match press conference – because in it he would find all the simple reasons why his side were trounced 4-1 and sent packing from the World Cup on Sunday.
In it, Loew rather clinically explained to the international press sat before him that his side were instructed to target John Terry, pull him out of position and pretty much walk into the huge gaps created in England’s snail-paced central rearguard.
It worked. England will forever talk about the Frank Lampard ‘goal’ that, quite incredibly, was not given despite bouncing a full yard over the German goal line with the score balanced at 2-1, but even if they had equalised, the final result would not have waivered.
Germany were breathtaking at times, able to break at will with electrifying pace and switch the play seamlessly from left to right to leave the England defenders in a state of dizziness and goalkeeper David James no chance between the sticks.
Thomas Mueller, Man of the Match and a real find at Bayern Munich, was superb. Playing on the German right wing he decided to cleverly leave England left back Ashley Cole to his own devices and instead cut into the huge space between England’s midfield and defence time and again.
That, combined with Podolski providing width down the left and Klose running England defenders Terry and Matthew Upson ragged, proved all too much for the Three Lions side.
All the World Cup 2010 Games in South Africa will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 22:08
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Which soccer players would make good Star Trek characters?
With the new Star Trek film out, we thought we'd have a bit of fun and see which soccer players could play the famous characters.
They've changed all the actors anyway and brought in a youthful crop, so why not?
Over at Kottke.org, they've already done it with NBA players. Captain Kirk is Tony Parker they reckon.
Reuters resident Trekkies Kevin Fylan and Alison Wildey had a bash at a soccer version but please come up with your own ideas in the comments below.
1. David Beckham as Kirk (if not John Terry or Steven Gerrard)
2. Someone logical and Germanic as Spock, so maybe Arsene Wenger
