Left field
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from Reuters Soccer Blog:
World Cup squad news: Capello calls on Carragher, Ronaldinho left out
Fabio Capello has announced his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup and the big news is that Jamie Carragher is back, while there is no place for Bobby Zamora or Owen Hargreaves.
Meanwhile Brazil have omitted Ronaldinho as expected and Italy coach Marcello Lippi has decided to leave Francesco Totti at home. Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas are in Spain's squad despite injuries.
But it is England's squad which probably has the most surprises so here it is:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
10 good reasons to love Raymond Domenech
Overseeing qualification for the World Cup via a blatant handball is unlikely to do much for the popularity of French coach Raymond Domenech, either at home or abroad (his Wikipedia page is currently saying some very nasty things about him, but it will doubtless be put back to its less offensive version soon).
The 57-year-old former defender, whose name is booed at every match, has never made any effort to make himself popular, but here are 10 reasons (or nearly 10) why football fans may want to reconsider their view:
1. He has never won anything as a coach, a characteristic shared by most soccer fans, which makes him less intimidating than, say, Giovanni Trapattoni.
2. He was a workaholic defender with limited skills in his playing days, with makes a nice change in a country full of retired magicians.
3. He is more successful as a coach than the great Michel Platini, under the guidance of whom France failed to win a single match at Euro 92.
4. He convinced Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele to come out of retirement and guide France all the way to the 2006 World Cup final.
5. He made Yoann Gourcuff his playmaker when others doubted he even had a place in the starting line-up.
Raymond Domenech is a man who seems unpopular, yet gets the job done.
http://lucapersico.wordpress.com/
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
France break Irish hearts to seal World Cup slot
France ensured the likes of Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Thierry Henry will be at the World Cup in South Africa next year after winning through with a goal that has left Irish fans seething.
There was nothing wrong with the finish from William Gallas, but Thierry Henry admitted using his hand to keep the ball in play and commentators and Irish supporters are already talking of "The Hand of God II" and "The Hand of Henry" in reference to Diego Maradona in 1986.
"Yes, there is handball but I am not the referee," Henry told reporters. "I'm in the box, there are two defenders in front of me. The ball bounced off my hand, the referee did not see it and I played on."
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni called the goal a "great mistake" by Swedish referee Martin Hansson but he chose not to accuse Henry of cheating.
"I told the referee that it is possible to make great mistakes," Trapattoni told a new conference after the game at Stade de France. "It is a bitter evening."
Trapattoni said he felt the referee should have talked to his assistants and to Henry before awarding the goal.
Having said that, I can perfectly understand the feelings here. Every football fan has had to endure such injustices for their team at one stage or another but it hurts even more in a game with such high stakes.
We are now running the story that the Irish FA are asking FIFA for a replay. I think that’s very unlikely to happen but I guess even making the request makes a point to FIFA and France.
http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/ -/6494536/irish-fa-calls-france-playoff- replayed
Sportswrap: redemption special
Click on the video above for our latest look at the week’s sporting highlights, including an interview with Andre Agassi (in full Edith Piaf mode), the thoughts of Michael Phelps on his trial by textile and the almighty scrap for the last nine World Cup places.
As always, Sportswrap is presented by Owen Wyatt, written by Kevin Fylan and produced from our Canary Wharf HQ.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Beckham’s return to AC Milan confirmed
David Beckham will tread a familiar path once the MLS season is over, joining AC Milan on loan again for a five-month loan spell from January.
Milan have just announced the deal on their website (just in Italian for now), meaning any lingering hopes Premier League clubs had of changing the England midfielder's mind have finally been dashed.
Milan sound thrilled:
"We are very happy to David Beckham in the red and black shirt again after the splendid experience of last season," Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani told www.acmilan.com.
"We are sure that this period in Europe will help the player to take part in the next World Cup and then to continue his career at Los Angeles Galaxy, whom we thank for their help."
Beckham's main target is obviously the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, as the Milan chief hints. Wonder if he'll be on the plane...
PHOTO: Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham walks on the field during Game 1 of their MLS Cup western conference semifinal soccer playoff series against Chivas USA in Carson, California, November 1, 2009. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
You’re probably right. I was just thinking back to a recommendation I made on the blog recently, saying Liverpool should move heaven and earth to sign him (in the absence of Gary McAllister).
http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/2009/10/ 22/wheres-the-new-gary-mcallister-when-l iverpool-need-him/
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Decision day for Argentina: Live blogging the World Cup qualifiers
Unusually, the final night of European World Cup qualifying is a bit of a damp affair. Most of the groups have been decided, with by and large just the second-places, and play-off berths, up for grabs.
Undeterred, we shall keep you up to date with what's going on in Europe as a prelude to the really serious business of the night ... the decisive match in Montevideo, where Argentina are playing for their lives against Uruguay.
Here at Reuters Soccer Blog we particularly welcome comments, so please give us your views on how things are going as the actions progresses.
Come on Argentina! Messi has to get to the World Cup finals!
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Maradona untouchable despite latest defeat
Those waiting for Diego Maradona to resign or be sacked after yet another dismal Argentina performance in the World Cup qualifiers forget that he is untouchable.
Maradona will press on blindly, brushing off criticism with remarks about having always fought adversity and come out on top.
The team he led to victory in the 1986 World Cup forged their solidarity in the them-and-us syndrome: Them being influential people in Buenos Aires, like then government Sports secretary Rodolfo O'Reilly, trying to get coach Carlos Bilardo ousted weeks before the tournament in Mexico when they looked a poor team.
Victory served to increase Maradona's self-belief and aura of invincibility.
Maradona recalled on Wednesday night that Argentina were close to elimination in the qualifiers for the 1986 finals and that they had to play Australia in a playoff for the 1994 tournament.
He is the arch-survivor, from the time an uncle plucked him as a little boy out of a cesspit in the shantytown where he grew up to the several occasions when he cheated death by drugs or obesity after retiring as a player.
Whether or not he is a good coach, an astute leader of men, an inspiration to his players doesn't come into it: Faith is the issue and "The Hand of God" claims to have plenty.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
England sail through, but how are their World Cup chances?
So, once again, England qualify in style. The garages can start stocking up on plastic flags of St George, the breweries can breathe a sigh of relief and the tabloids can start their gradual shift from cautious support to the crescendo of expectation that will accompany Fabio Capello and his squad to South Africa next year.
But is there any evidence that "this time, more than any other time, they'll do it right"?
Do England really have a team capable of getting beyond the quarter-finals, let alone winning the thing?
Points in favour:
1. The rest of the world aren't so hot at the moment. Brazil, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands are going along pretty nicely but Argentina, France, Portugal and even Italy have got problems. None of them looks unbeatable.
2. Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. These are players truly deserving the "world class" tag and when fit and on form provide England with a deadly attacking triangle capable of undoing the very best of defences.
3. Capello. The Italian's calm authority has permeated a squad previously drowning in its own self-satisfaction. There shouldn't be any idiotic selections and once in South Africa this squad will be focused solely on the task in hand -- and that won't be accompanying their wives on shopping trips to Sandton.
the last two world cups were won by a team with either no proven striker (Italy) or a weak defence/keeper (Brazil)
If you’re entire midfield are functioning as a unit, and are able to score goals plus if you have lady luck smiling at you then you don’t have to have the best team to win the world cup!
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
World Cup will survive without Messi and Ronaldo
"Ronaldo and Messi could miss the World Cup!" screamed the headlines after Portugal drew 1-1 in Denmark and Argentina were humiliated 3-1 at home to Brazil.
It sounds awful, doesn't it? How will we ever manage without Cristiano and Leo, two of the poster boys for the elite, Masters of the Universe level of footballer we've come to know and love?
Leaving aside for a minute the fact that Argentina almost certainly will qualify, and Portugal are by no means out if it either, let's get one thing clear: the World Cup will get along fine without them or any other individual players, should their countries get left behind.
Comparatively minor tournaments, such as soccer at the Olympics and regional championships outside Europe and South America, need glamour players from the big leagues to attract worldwide interest from media and sponsors. Domestic leagues need them to do overseas rights deals, the Champions League needs them to keep the money flowing but the World Cup is in a different category altogether.
The World Cup has always been bigger than any one player, or indeed any combination of them. It has consistently been a tournament that has created new stars rather than one that has simply allowed established ones to shine.
It's striking, in fact, how many players have come into recent tournaments lavished with praise, and adorning the advertising posters of the boot manufacturers, only to find themselves upstaged.
Take France in 1998. I don't remember anyone going to that tournament with the express intention of seeing Zinedine Zidane. He was certainly much admired, but he was not in the same league as Ronaldo, the FIFA World Player of the Year for 1997, and we all remember how the tournament turned out.
Hi Rajesh. Yes, it will be a shame. But what an opportunity for the rest!
Inter Milan were crowned Italian champions for the fifth consecutive season on Sunday, but Jose Mourinho’s side had their nerves tested as Claudio Ranieri’s Roma pushed them all the way. WorldCupTV.org 10:26