So Tuesday night, date of 24th August 2010, I watched Batman Begins once again.
To summarise it in one word is nothing short of doing it a disservice, but if I had to, the word would be "terrific".
Nolan clearly had a vision in mind for his Batman and it really shows, as the film stays firmly grounded in realism whilst also catering to the rich history and detailed storylines one comes to expect from Batman. The campy days of the 60's are long gone, and by the end of this film one would be forgiven for asking, 'Adam who?'
Christian Bale provides a career-defining performance as Bruce Wayne, and eventually Batman, by showing a clear and necessary divide between the characters - one that doesn't exist at the beginning but develops into a full on seperation of the two by the end, prompting Katie Holmes' district attorney love interest character Rachel Dawes to proclaim Bruce Wayne to be the mask and Batman to be the true persona. Holmes' performance is as it needs to be - confident but not strenuous, and one never gets the feeling that she makes it out of first gear at any point. She declined to reprise her role in The Dark Knight, instead allowing Maggie Gyllenhaal to assume the part, and this is a change that is perhaps more notable for how un-notable the change between the two actors is.
Whilst Bale is obviously the focal point of the film and so is provided with the greatest opportunity to take the plaudits for his performance, it is worth pointing out the sheer weight of talent on show in this film and how well they take to their roles. Gary Oldman is touching and relatable as James Gordon, the future Commissioner and perhaps the only honest cop on the staff. Morgan Freeman's role as Lucius Fox, who almost acts as Batman's Q, is a relatively small one that still allows Freeman to work to his best. Liam Neeson plays the teacher-turned-enemy Ducard absolutely perfectly, with his history of being a mentor in previous films allowing a genuinely surprising payoff when he is revealed to be the villain Rah's Al-Ghul in the film's final act. The other primary villians, Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow/Dr. Jonathan Crane and Tom Wilkinson as Carmine Falcone, are not just effective but excellent in the parts they play, with Murphy especially portraying Crane as a deeply creepy character whom the audience immediately suspects and fears. There is even space for Rutger Hauer to play a small but important part as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Earle, whose sleazy Wall Street-esque nature comes across perfectly in order for him to evoke the necessary reaction from the audience come the ending of the film.
However, despite all this talent, there is one man I would single out for his simply spot-on performance, and that is the legendary British actor Michael Caine, who seems to have been born to play the part of Alfred the butler. Acting as a father to Bruce Wayne after the latter's parents are murdered, Alfred's dry sense of humour radiates through Caine's performance, but does not simply reduce the character to being mere comedy fodder. Whether it is a tense dramatic scene or a jovial exchange of banter with Bale, Caine shines through as the father and confidante of Wayne/Batman, with a particular reference to the scene in which he stands up for Bruce's parents and the reputation of the Wayne family that he feels so attached to.
Percentages, scores and numbers are irrelevant when one is looking in retrospect, but all I will say is that Batman Begins is worth a watch from not only comic book fans, but any fans of good cinema.
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
The Danger Men: A Retrospective
So we have reached the end of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Before the tournament, I picked 64 players to keep an eye on - 32 'star men' and 32 dark horses. Now that the groups are over, the knockout tournament finished and the champions crowned, I'll be taking a look back at how my picks worked out.
Algeria
Key man Karim Ziani played reasonably well but didn't score nor set up a goal, primarily because Algeria failed to get a goal in the tournament. Unsung hero Madjid Bougherra had a reasonable three games and kept Wayne Rooney quiet during the 0-0 draw with England
Argentina
Lionel Messi was always going to be their key man, but he has surprised everyone by not yet managing to score. Nonetheless, he has set up nearly every one of their goals, with the possible exception of those created by Carlos Tevez, who has managed to keep his place in their first team despite competition from Aguero and current top scorer Higuain. Germany will be a huge test.
Australia
When Tim Cahill was sent off against Germany, the Aussies lost all sense of control and were ravaged 4-0. Cahill returned to score in their final game against Serbia but was primarily denied of his opportunities to make his mark. It was therefore up to his team-mate Brett Holman, also on the scoresheet (four minutes later) in the defeat of Serbia, to take up the Aussies' attacking mantle and in scoring an early goal against Ghana did exactly the job that was asked of him by his country.
Brazil
So far, Kaka's main contribution to the tournament has been to expose bdelkader Keita of the Ivory Coast as a cheat. He has underperformed and no mistake, but team-mates Elano and Luis Fabiano have covered extremely well. Unsung choice Thiago Silva has been unable to even force his way into the team, as Maicon, Lucio, Juan and Bastos remain Dunga's first choice, and look more formidable than many Brazilian defences have been before.
Cameroon
A fairly dismal showing from Cameroon considering their nation's fairly good World Cup history yielded just two goals and no points from a group that they arguably had a chance in. Whilst both of those goals were scored by Samuel Eto'o, he showed nowhere near the quality he has done, primarily because manager Paul Le Guen (Rangers fans beware!) played him on the right wing. Spurs' Benoit Assou-Ekotto fired in a few crosses but didn't set up either goal and didn't really make much of an impact.
Chile
A bright showing from the South American nation, Chile were unfortunate not to top their group and played very attractive football throughout the tournament. Unfortunately they met the might of Brazil in the last sixteen, and not even the tough-as-nails midfielder Arturo Vidal could subdue the Brazilians. Whilst players like Sanchez and Beausjour received widespread praise, Vidal's greatest involvement was being struck by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami who received a red card in Game 2. Likewise, Humberto Suazo failed to make his mark on the tournament in the way he wanted, but he did have several good efforts fought off by Brazil in what was to be their final match in this World Cup.
Denmark
In many ways, 'keeper Thomas Sorensen was indeed Denmark's key player - when he was found wanting by Honda and Endo in their game against Japan, Sorenson's performance may very well have proved to be the Danes' undoing. Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner proclaimed himself as having the potential to be the best striker in the world within five years and his positioning suggests it, but his finishing again proved to be his undoing and despite having several chances, he scored just one goal and missed many more.
England
If you didn't know what he looked like and only went from the English media's description, you would never know that Wayne Rooney had played at South Africa 2010. The Manchester United striker looked uncomfortable throughout and had only one real goalscoring opportunity. Meanwhile, Ashley Cole was perhaps England's most consistent player throughout the tournament, but was called into question both defensively and on the attack without any real response.
France
If England were bad, France were much worse. A mere one point from three games left the French bottom of their group and in turmoil. Nicolas Anelka had been sent home by the time Les Bleus played their final game against South Africa, whilst Thierry Henry featured only intermittently and is widely rumoured to have been partly behind Les Revolution against coach Raymond Domenech. Poor.
Germany
In a strong showing for their young team, the Germans' only shaky spell was shortly after striker Miroslav Klose was sent off against Serbia. They have looked assured if not classic, and certainly did what they always do best - paced themselves well for the tournament. Bastian Schweinsteiger, the former winger, has been a revelation in central midfield, and Philipp Lahm - the youngest German World Cup captain in history - has done the job as if he's been doing it all his life. Germany are nothing if not organised and it took a lot for Spain to break them down; third place again for them, but could it be first in 2014?
Ghana
The only African team remaining in the quarters, Ghana impressed everyone with some assured performances on the way to the second round, and as they reared up for the quarter final showdown with Uruguay, they looked to the influence of Kevin Prince Boateng, now looking every inch the international player after his stunning early goal against the USA, to pull them through. By contrast, Sulley Muntari was fairly quiet in the group stages, with only three substitute appearances to his name; however, even despite his goal in the quarter-final against Uruguay, Asamoah Gyan would probably still be considered their main man of the tournament, having scored most of their goals and then being involved in THAT penalty incident at the end of the Uruguay game.
Greece
Boring, boring football. Greece's defensive approach in 2004 served them well as they learned to combine it with attack, but their only goals this time came from fortune and coincidence. Head coach Rehhagel has resigned after the tournament and one would have to assume the likes of Giorgios Karagounis (despite being captain, he was substituted at half-time in two of the three games Greece had) and Angelos Charisteas (a number 9 with no goals to his name) will be on their way out by 2014.
Honduras
Not the worst showing from a team of whom nothing was expected, and whilst they may be slightly disappointed not to make it out of the group stage, it is to be expected when you score no goals. Wilson Palacios was influential for their holding of Switzerland but was otherwise unable to bring his team-mates up to his level, and in truth his midfield compatriot Amado Guevara did very little to aid the Hondurans, with age perhaps being a large factor in his performance.
Italy
As with Denmark to an extent, their goalkeeper became a key player for all the wrong reasons. Gianluigi Buffon came into the World Cup clearly unfit to play, and was substituted in their first game. An exciting game against Slovakia failed to disguise the fact that Italy failed to even finish above New Zealand, and whilst exiting coach Marcello Lippi has asked for the blame to be placed on him, it was clear that many of the Italians either expected to walk it or simply weren't good enough. Giorgio Chellini may be the future for Italy, but his team-mates from Italy's past simply failed, pure and simple.
Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba's cast was a much-debated point prior to their opener against Portugal, but as it happened, coach Sven Goran Eriksson didn't even pick Drogba to start. Restored to the line-up against Brazil, he managed to get a goal, but this was not enough and even a 3-0 defeat of North Korea failed to lift the spirits of a team of whom much was expected prior to this World Cup. Didier Zokora, formerly of Spurs, did as much as he could but when their match with Portugal went to a boring 0-0, Ivory Coast had almost certainly placed themselves into trouble before their games against Brazil and North Korea were even contemplated.
Japan
If one thing is certain, it's that Keisuke Honda's name will not be forgotten after his performance at this World Cup. Clearly a free-kick specialist, Honda essentially won Japan's game against Denmark nearly all by himself, and also slotted away a penalty against Paraguay to keep his country in the shootout. CSKA Moscow are likely to be receiving some hefty offers for the Japanese star, and on the basis of his performance at these finals it is perfectly justified. Youngster Takayuki Morimoto, meanwhile, did not even make an appearance for the Japanese in the end, so he may be one to bear in mind should Honda lead his country in qualifying for the next World Cup.
Mexico
Unfortunate to lose out to the Argentinians in the last sixteen, Mexico remain a good team who seemingly lack that 'edge' to turn themselves into a great one. Barcelona's Rafael Marquez played in every one of their games despite rumours of fitness problems, and he scored in the team's opener against South Africa. Meanwhile, unsung hero Cuauhtemoc Blanco stepped up to convert the penalty that took Mexico 2-0 up against group favourites France, but perhaps both players were upstaged by the performances of Premiership players Giovanni dos Santos and Javier Hernandez, now of Man Utd.
Netherlands
Prior to the tournament, Arjen Robben allegedly had a torn hamstring and looked unlikely to play any part. As things have turned out, Robben returned to the Dutch team at the last sixteen stage and, naturally, stole the show - even scoring a goal. However, there's no question that Wesley Sneidjer was the Dutch's star man for this tournament, and Gregory van der Wiel, their fullback, was upstaged by his replacement Khalid Bouhlarouz when suspended for their semifinal win over Uruguay.
New Zealand
I think it's safe to say that Ryan Nelsen's lads did them proud this year. Didn't lose a single game, even against Italy; scored two goals, including a spectacular last-minute equaliser against Slovakia; finished the group with three points and nearly qualified for round two. Spectacular effort, and I hope to see them progress in future.
Nigeria
As fully expected, John Obi Mikel withdrew at an inopportune moment, leaving Nigeria somewhat in the lurch. Yakubu had arguably the miss of the tournament, but made up for it two minutes later by converting a penalty. More intriguingly however, Nigeria's president attempted to disband the football team and the Nigerian Football Federation, which could have lead to a lifelong ban by FIFA. Most likely, it will now lead to a restructuring of the NFF and their restructuring of international football in the next two years or so.
North Korea
Well, they didn't do that badly did they? Forget the 7-0 thrashing by Portugal, a team who were later found to be not nearly as good as they should've been; North Korea impressed many people at this World Cup with their dogged and determined play against Brazil. Ji Yun-Nam has to be their player of the tournament, if only for scoring against the multi-time World Champions (and a good goal, too). As far as we can tell, nobody has escaped.
Paraguay
Perhaps Roque Santa Cruz is not the footballer he is made out to be. Paraguay have reached the last eight with some reasonable displays, but it is in fact the Sunderland-bound Cristiano Riveros who has been their most impressive player. Santa Cruz, in fact, as a striker who does not score, is becoming increasingly similar to Emile Heskey... Nevertheless, Paraguay have done exceptionally well and Riveros has been instrumental.
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and spent the rest of the tournament playing his own game of football, so Portugal had to go defensive for this one. Danny, their somewhat exciting midfielder with a flair to his game, barely got a look in, and this may explain Portugal's somewhat negative exit from the World Cup - without that North Korea game included, Portugal would've scored no goals at this tournament. Hell, without the second half of 'that' game, they'd only have scored one.
Serbia
Whilst many may question what Nemanja Vidic has to do to be sent off - presumably, play against Liverpool - there is no doubt that Serbia's progress in this World Cup would've been spearheaded by his defence. His fellow defender Aleksander Kolarov, however, didn't have the tournament he was hoping for, and was in fact taken out of the starting 11 for the final group game against Australia. Somewhat disappointing.
Slovakia
Their 3-2 defeat of Italy was perhaps the most exciting game of the World Cup, but Marek Hamsik's Slovakia were caught by the Netherlands and dumped out uncerimoniously. Striker Robert Vittek scored plenty of goals, but Chelsea's Miroslav Stoch failed to impress on any serious level. Nevertheless, the Slovakians can be proud of reaching the last sixteen for the first time in their history.
Slovenia
Whilst Samir Handanovic made plenty of important saves, it is likely that more people are likely to remember his failure to stop Landon Donovan's full-blast effort across him in the Slovenians' 2-2 draw with the USA that should've gone down as a 3-2 win. Valter Birsa also scored in that game, a cracking effort which made the world sit up and take notice, if only for one day.
South Africa
Everyone was gutted to see Steven Pienaar and company go home early, but after Siphiwe Tshabalala's phenomenal goal to open the tournament's scoring, Bafana Bafana had secured their capture of the hearts and minds of those following the tournament. Tsepo Masilela came on against Mexico and started their 2-1 defeat of France, but had little time to make much impact and did not play at all in their loss to Uruguay.
South Korea
Park Ji-sung was always going to be South Korea's best player at this tournament, standing not only as their captain but as their most successful footballer in the country's history. Whilst his namesake Park Chu-yong had a great influence on their team as well, also scoring one goal, it was in fact Lee Chung-yong who scored the most goals for South Korea in their World Cup adventure. The team leave with their heads held high, succeeding as they did to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time outside of their home country, and perhaps they, along with their neighbours Japan, will emerge as a stronger team by 2014.
Spain
Even though David Villa did not score in the final, he essentially took it upon himself to single-handedly score the goals that took Spain there, and therefore he can certainly be identified as their key player - one Barcelona fans will be exceptionally keen to see in their club's shirt. Sergio Ramos had a quiet World Cup, but started every game for Spain, perhaps a sign that stability in a team plus quality equals success.
Switzerland
There's no question that defeating the now World Champions in their first group stage game was the closest that Switzerland came to having some kind of success in this tournament, but they were outclassed by the other group qualifiers Chile and never got going against Honduras. Star player and captain Alexander Frei never got going in the tournament, starting in the loss against Chile and only appearing as a sub against Honduras, whilst Blaise Nkufo may wish he had come out of international retirement several years ago, as he will surely now never return to the World Cup at his age.
United States of America
Three goals, four games - Landon Donovan was undoubtably the USA's star player at this World Cup, and questions may be asked as to why he does not captain the squad, especially if Carlos Bocanegra retires from international football after the tournament. Stuart Holden of Bolton only made it on the pitch on for four minutes, with my original pick for 'unsung hero' (one I changed because I feared I was being biased as a Rangers fan) Maurice Edu being preferred.
Uruguay
A welcome return to the international elite for the twice-World Cup winners Uruguay saw key player Diego Forlan crowned player of the tournament - something it would be difficult to argue when you consider not only the impact his four goals had. Luis Suarez was something of an unsung hero for them too, not only scoring three but saving one very memorable one in particular. Walter Gargano, meanwhile, played all of sixteen minutes at the tournament, thirteen of which were in their losing semi-final against the Netherlands.
Phew! That's it. So, of the sixty-four players I selected:
Algeria
Key man Karim Ziani played reasonably well but didn't score nor set up a goal, primarily because Algeria failed to get a goal in the tournament. Unsung hero Madjid Bougherra had a reasonable three games and kept Wayne Rooney quiet during the 0-0 draw with England
Argentina
Lionel Messi was always going to be their key man, but he has surprised everyone by not yet managing to score. Nonetheless, he has set up nearly every one of their goals, with the possible exception of those created by Carlos Tevez, who has managed to keep his place in their first team despite competition from Aguero and current top scorer Higuain. Germany will be a huge test.
Australia
When Tim Cahill was sent off against Germany, the Aussies lost all sense of control and were ravaged 4-0. Cahill returned to score in their final game against Serbia but was primarily denied of his opportunities to make his mark. It was therefore up to his team-mate Brett Holman, also on the scoresheet (four minutes later) in the defeat of Serbia, to take up the Aussies' attacking mantle and in scoring an early goal against Ghana did exactly the job that was asked of him by his country.
Brazil
So far, Kaka's main contribution to the tournament has been to expose bdelkader Keita of the Ivory Coast as a cheat. He has underperformed and no mistake, but team-mates Elano and Luis Fabiano have covered extremely well. Unsung choice Thiago Silva has been unable to even force his way into the team, as Maicon, Lucio, Juan and Bastos remain Dunga's first choice, and look more formidable than many Brazilian defences have been before.
Cameroon
A fairly dismal showing from Cameroon considering their nation's fairly good World Cup history yielded just two goals and no points from a group that they arguably had a chance in. Whilst both of those goals were scored by Samuel Eto'o, he showed nowhere near the quality he has done, primarily because manager Paul Le Guen (Rangers fans beware!) played him on the right wing. Spurs' Benoit Assou-Ekotto fired in a few crosses but didn't set up either goal and didn't really make much of an impact.
Chile
A bright showing from the South American nation, Chile were unfortunate not to top their group and played very attractive football throughout the tournament. Unfortunately they met the might of Brazil in the last sixteen, and not even the tough-as-nails midfielder Arturo Vidal could subdue the Brazilians. Whilst players like Sanchez and Beausjour received widespread praise, Vidal's greatest involvement was being struck by Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami who received a red card in Game 2. Likewise, Humberto Suazo failed to make his mark on the tournament in the way he wanted, but he did have several good efforts fought off by Brazil in what was to be their final match in this World Cup.
Denmark
In many ways, 'keeper Thomas Sorensen was indeed Denmark's key player - when he was found wanting by Honda and Endo in their game against Japan, Sorenson's performance may very well have proved to be the Danes' undoing. Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner proclaimed himself as having the potential to be the best striker in the world within five years and his positioning suggests it, but his finishing again proved to be his undoing and despite having several chances, he scored just one goal and missed many more.
England
If you didn't know what he looked like and only went from the English media's description, you would never know that Wayne Rooney had played at South Africa 2010. The Manchester United striker looked uncomfortable throughout and had only one real goalscoring opportunity. Meanwhile, Ashley Cole was perhaps England's most consistent player throughout the tournament, but was called into question both defensively and on the attack without any real response.
France
If England were bad, France were much worse. A mere one point from three games left the French bottom of their group and in turmoil. Nicolas Anelka had been sent home by the time Les Bleus played their final game against South Africa, whilst Thierry Henry featured only intermittently and is widely rumoured to have been partly behind Les Revolution against coach Raymond Domenech. Poor.
Germany
In a strong showing for their young team, the Germans' only shaky spell was shortly after striker Miroslav Klose was sent off against Serbia. They have looked assured if not classic, and certainly did what they always do best - paced themselves well for the tournament. Bastian Schweinsteiger, the former winger, has been a revelation in central midfield, and Philipp Lahm - the youngest German World Cup captain in history - has done the job as if he's been doing it all his life. Germany are nothing if not organised and it took a lot for Spain to break them down; third place again for them, but could it be first in 2014?
Ghana
The only African team remaining in the quarters, Ghana impressed everyone with some assured performances on the way to the second round, and as they reared up for the quarter final showdown with Uruguay, they looked to the influence of Kevin Prince Boateng, now looking every inch the international player after his stunning early goal against the USA, to pull them through. By contrast, Sulley Muntari was fairly quiet in the group stages, with only three substitute appearances to his name; however, even despite his goal in the quarter-final against Uruguay, Asamoah Gyan would probably still be considered their main man of the tournament, having scored most of their goals and then being involved in THAT penalty incident at the end of the Uruguay game.
Greece
Boring, boring football. Greece's defensive approach in 2004 served them well as they learned to combine it with attack, but their only goals this time came from fortune and coincidence. Head coach Rehhagel has resigned after the tournament and one would have to assume the likes of Giorgios Karagounis (despite being captain, he was substituted at half-time in two of the three games Greece had) and Angelos Charisteas (a number 9 with no goals to his name) will be on their way out by 2014.
Honduras
Not the worst showing from a team of whom nothing was expected, and whilst they may be slightly disappointed not to make it out of the group stage, it is to be expected when you score no goals. Wilson Palacios was influential for their holding of Switzerland but was otherwise unable to bring his team-mates up to his level, and in truth his midfield compatriot Amado Guevara did very little to aid the Hondurans, with age perhaps being a large factor in his performance.
Italy
As with Denmark to an extent, their goalkeeper became a key player for all the wrong reasons. Gianluigi Buffon came into the World Cup clearly unfit to play, and was substituted in their first game. An exciting game against Slovakia failed to disguise the fact that Italy failed to even finish above New Zealand, and whilst exiting coach Marcello Lippi has asked for the blame to be placed on him, it was clear that many of the Italians either expected to walk it or simply weren't good enough. Giorgio Chellini may be the future for Italy, but his team-mates from Italy's past simply failed, pure and simple.
Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba's cast was a much-debated point prior to their opener against Portugal, but as it happened, coach Sven Goran Eriksson didn't even pick Drogba to start. Restored to the line-up against Brazil, he managed to get a goal, but this was not enough and even a 3-0 defeat of North Korea failed to lift the spirits of a team of whom much was expected prior to this World Cup. Didier Zokora, formerly of Spurs, did as much as he could but when their match with Portugal went to a boring 0-0, Ivory Coast had almost certainly placed themselves into trouble before their games against Brazil and North Korea were even contemplated.
Japan
If one thing is certain, it's that Keisuke Honda's name will not be forgotten after his performance at this World Cup. Clearly a free-kick specialist, Honda essentially won Japan's game against Denmark nearly all by himself, and also slotted away a penalty against Paraguay to keep his country in the shootout. CSKA Moscow are likely to be receiving some hefty offers for the Japanese star, and on the basis of his performance at these finals it is perfectly justified. Youngster Takayuki Morimoto, meanwhile, did not even make an appearance for the Japanese in the end, so he may be one to bear in mind should Honda lead his country in qualifying for the next World Cup.
Mexico
Unfortunate to lose out to the Argentinians in the last sixteen, Mexico remain a good team who seemingly lack that 'edge' to turn themselves into a great one. Barcelona's Rafael Marquez played in every one of their games despite rumours of fitness problems, and he scored in the team's opener against South Africa. Meanwhile, unsung hero Cuauhtemoc Blanco stepped up to convert the penalty that took Mexico 2-0 up against group favourites France, but perhaps both players were upstaged by the performances of Premiership players Giovanni dos Santos and Javier Hernandez, now of Man Utd.
Netherlands
Prior to the tournament, Arjen Robben allegedly had a torn hamstring and looked unlikely to play any part. As things have turned out, Robben returned to the Dutch team at the last sixteen stage and, naturally, stole the show - even scoring a goal. However, there's no question that Wesley Sneidjer was the Dutch's star man for this tournament, and Gregory van der Wiel, their fullback, was upstaged by his replacement Khalid Bouhlarouz when suspended for their semifinal win over Uruguay.
New Zealand
I think it's safe to say that Ryan Nelsen's lads did them proud this year. Didn't lose a single game, even against Italy; scored two goals, including a spectacular last-minute equaliser against Slovakia; finished the group with three points and nearly qualified for round two. Spectacular effort, and I hope to see them progress in future.
Nigeria
As fully expected, John Obi Mikel withdrew at an inopportune moment, leaving Nigeria somewhat in the lurch. Yakubu had arguably the miss of the tournament, but made up for it two minutes later by converting a penalty. More intriguingly however, Nigeria's president attempted to disband the football team and the Nigerian Football Federation, which could have lead to a lifelong ban by FIFA. Most likely, it will now lead to a restructuring of the NFF and their restructuring of international football in the next two years or so.
North Korea
Well, they didn't do that badly did they? Forget the 7-0 thrashing by Portugal, a team who were later found to be not nearly as good as they should've been; North Korea impressed many people at this World Cup with their dogged and determined play against Brazil. Ji Yun-Nam has to be their player of the tournament, if only for scoring against the multi-time World Champions (and a good goal, too). As far as we can tell, nobody has escaped.
Paraguay
Perhaps Roque Santa Cruz is not the footballer he is made out to be. Paraguay have reached the last eight with some reasonable displays, but it is in fact the Sunderland-bound Cristiano Riveros who has been their most impressive player. Santa Cruz, in fact, as a striker who does not score, is becoming increasingly similar to Emile Heskey... Nevertheless, Paraguay have done exceptionally well and Riveros has been instrumental.
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and spent the rest of the tournament playing his own game of football, so Portugal had to go defensive for this one. Danny, their somewhat exciting midfielder with a flair to his game, barely got a look in, and this may explain Portugal's somewhat negative exit from the World Cup - without that North Korea game included, Portugal would've scored no goals at this tournament. Hell, without the second half of 'that' game, they'd only have scored one.
Serbia
Whilst many may question what Nemanja Vidic has to do to be sent off - presumably, play against Liverpool - there is no doubt that Serbia's progress in this World Cup would've been spearheaded by his defence. His fellow defender Aleksander Kolarov, however, didn't have the tournament he was hoping for, and was in fact taken out of the starting 11 for the final group game against Australia. Somewhat disappointing.
Slovakia
Their 3-2 defeat of Italy was perhaps the most exciting game of the World Cup, but Marek Hamsik's Slovakia were caught by the Netherlands and dumped out uncerimoniously. Striker Robert Vittek scored plenty of goals, but Chelsea's Miroslav Stoch failed to impress on any serious level. Nevertheless, the Slovakians can be proud of reaching the last sixteen for the first time in their history.
Slovenia
Whilst Samir Handanovic made plenty of important saves, it is likely that more people are likely to remember his failure to stop Landon Donovan's full-blast effort across him in the Slovenians' 2-2 draw with the USA that should've gone down as a 3-2 win. Valter Birsa also scored in that game, a cracking effort which made the world sit up and take notice, if only for one day.
South Africa
Everyone was gutted to see Steven Pienaar and company go home early, but after Siphiwe Tshabalala's phenomenal goal to open the tournament's scoring, Bafana Bafana had secured their capture of the hearts and minds of those following the tournament. Tsepo Masilela came on against Mexico and started their 2-1 defeat of France, but had little time to make much impact and did not play at all in their loss to Uruguay.
South Korea
Park Ji-sung was always going to be South Korea's best player at this tournament, standing not only as their captain but as their most successful footballer in the country's history. Whilst his namesake Park Chu-yong had a great influence on their team as well, also scoring one goal, it was in fact Lee Chung-yong who scored the most goals for South Korea in their World Cup adventure. The team leave with their heads held high, succeeding as they did to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time outside of their home country, and perhaps they, along with their neighbours Japan, will emerge as a stronger team by 2014.
Spain
Even though David Villa did not score in the final, he essentially took it upon himself to single-handedly score the goals that took Spain there, and therefore he can certainly be identified as their key player - one Barcelona fans will be exceptionally keen to see in their club's shirt. Sergio Ramos had a quiet World Cup, but started every game for Spain, perhaps a sign that stability in a team plus quality equals success.
Switzerland
There's no question that defeating the now World Champions in their first group stage game was the closest that Switzerland came to having some kind of success in this tournament, but they were outclassed by the other group qualifiers Chile and never got going against Honduras. Star player and captain Alexander Frei never got going in the tournament, starting in the loss against Chile and only appearing as a sub against Honduras, whilst Blaise Nkufo may wish he had come out of international retirement several years ago, as he will surely now never return to the World Cup at his age.
United States of America
Three goals, four games - Landon Donovan was undoubtably the USA's star player at this World Cup, and questions may be asked as to why he does not captain the squad, especially if Carlos Bocanegra retires from international football after the tournament. Stuart Holden of Bolton only made it on the pitch on for four minutes, with my original pick for 'unsung hero' (one I changed because I feared I was being biased as a Rangers fan) Maurice Edu being preferred.
Uruguay
A welcome return to the international elite for the twice-World Cup winners Uruguay saw key player Diego Forlan crowned player of the tournament - something it would be difficult to argue when you consider not only the impact his four goals had. Luis Suarez was something of an unsung hero for them too, not only scoring three but saving one very memorable one in particular. Walter Gargano, meanwhile, played all of sixteen minutes at the tournament, thirteen of which were in their losing semi-final against the Netherlands.
Phew! That's it. So, of the sixty-four players I selected:
- Twenty scored at any point in the tournament
- Eight scored more than one goal
- Nine did not start a single game
- One pulled out before the tournament began
- One was sent home before his team were
- One received the Golden Ball
- Two ended the tournament as joint top goalscorers
- Five were selected in the World Cup All-Star Team
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Auf Wiedersehen, Pets
My headline was better than The Sun or The Metro, anyway.
Anyway, England are out of the World Cup - again - and I wanted to come on here and say a few words about how impressed I am.
Seriously, I'm very impressed by the English. Not the football players, they were awful. Nor am I impressed by their management, when someone thought that the best thing to do when 3-1 down is to bring Emile Heskey on.
No, I'm impressed by the amount of honesty coming out of a World Cup in which England were simply awful. Now I'm not going to go into their performance for two reasons - first of all, I think it's fairly obvious to anyone how bad they are and they don't need me to point it out; but secondly, because it's already been pointed out by some pretty important people.
Lineker. Shearer. Graham Taylor. Chris Waddle. All vital in the England set up at one point or the other, and despite their varying degrees of success, I think it's pretty safe to say their opinions are held in fairly high regard by England fans and press alike.
So for someone like Alan Shearer, himself a former England captain and pretty high on the all-time goalscorers list, to say that England's performance was shocking and embarrassing is pretty heavy criticism on a team that, upon post-match interview, all seemed to think they'd done their very best.
If that was their very best, they're in trouble.
Interestingly, even the BBC's blog writers are concurring with Messrs. Shearer, Lineker and co. Phil McNulty, amongst others, have made the point that the team weren't good enough, and are even being sensible enough not to blame everything on the referee. Ludicrous as the goalline decision was (and I'm still a heavy advocate for goalline technology) the media and the pundits are all in agreement on one thing - it didn't provide nearly enough of an excuse for a slipshod and lacklustre England performance.
Where English football goes from here, I honestly do not know. I've felt in a similar position with Scotland many a time (obviously not past the group stage of any tournament, mind). The whole "where do we go from here?" debate is a miserable one. My feeling in this instance is that if Fabio doesn't want to go, don't get rid of him. He has a contract until Euro 2012 and England have been all to quick to sack their managers lately. Does anyone who saw that game really want £6m of The FA's money to be blown on an early contract release instead of being reinvested in the game? The manager is not the problem, really - of course he's made mistakes, but who's to say that Harry Redknapp or Roy Hodgson wouldn't make their own? The problem is in how football in this country is run, and that's where that money should be going - not being spent on ANOTHER England coach being turfed out because he couldn't get 11 millionaire idiots to play together.
Anyway, England are out of the World Cup - again - and I wanted to come on here and say a few words about how impressed I am.
Seriously, I'm very impressed by the English. Not the football players, they were awful. Nor am I impressed by their management, when someone thought that the best thing to do when 3-1 down is to bring Emile Heskey on.
No, I'm impressed by the amount of honesty coming out of a World Cup in which England were simply awful. Now I'm not going to go into their performance for two reasons - first of all, I think it's fairly obvious to anyone how bad they are and they don't need me to point it out; but secondly, because it's already been pointed out by some pretty important people.
Lineker. Shearer. Graham Taylor. Chris Waddle. All vital in the England set up at one point or the other, and despite their varying degrees of success, I think it's pretty safe to say their opinions are held in fairly high regard by England fans and press alike.
So for someone like Alan Shearer, himself a former England captain and pretty high on the all-time goalscorers list, to say that England's performance was shocking and embarrassing is pretty heavy criticism on a team that, upon post-match interview, all seemed to think they'd done their very best.
If that was their very best, they're in trouble.
Interestingly, even the BBC's blog writers are concurring with Messrs. Shearer, Lineker and co. Phil McNulty, amongst others, have made the point that the team weren't good enough, and are even being sensible enough not to blame everything on the referee. Ludicrous as the goalline decision was (and I'm still a heavy advocate for goalline technology) the media and the pundits are all in agreement on one thing - it didn't provide nearly enough of an excuse for a slipshod and lacklustre England performance.
Where English football goes from here, I honestly do not know. I've felt in a similar position with Scotland many a time (obviously not past the group stage of any tournament, mind). The whole "where do we go from here?" debate is a miserable one. My feeling in this instance is that if Fabio doesn't want to go, don't get rid of him. He has a contract until Euro 2012 and England have been all to quick to sack their managers lately. Does anyone who saw that game really want £6m of The FA's money to be blown on an early contract release instead of being reinvested in the game? The manager is not the problem, really - of course he's made mistakes, but who's to say that Harry Redknapp or Roy Hodgson wouldn't make their own? The problem is in how football in this country is run, and that's where that money should be going - not being spent on ANOTHER England coach being turfed out because he couldn't get 11 millionaire idiots to play together.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
D Is For...
Welcome to Part Two of my look at the danger men of the World Cup 2010 in South Africa! Let's crack on.
Mexico
Key player: Rafael Marquez. Difficult choice here between Marquez and Deportivo la Coruna's young midfield sensation Andrés Guardado, but Marquez is the captain and so gets the nod. First choice centre back at Barcelona along with Gerard Piqué, Marquez is 31 and still in terrific form when not hampered by injury, which probably explains why he signed a new contract last year.
Unsung hero: Cuauhtémoc Blanco. At 37 years old, if Blanco partners the 33 year old Franco in the front line for Mexico then they will have the oldest front two in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Blanco's return to the international team in April 2009 brought a new lease of life and sense of confidence for coach Javier Aguirre's side, and it is perhaps for this reason that he will play in the World Cup. Aside from that, Blanco's goals for his country also aided their qualification, having a pivotal part to play in their crucial qualifier against El Salvador in October, and he will be hoping to score some more in South Africa - if only so he can pull off his famous 'archer' celebration one more time.
Netherlands
Key player: Arjen Robben. It's hard to identify a key player in a Dutch squad with so much talent, but Robben gets the nod ahead of van Persie on account of the excellent season he has had. Reestablishing Bayern Munich as not only a force in German football but on the European stage as well, he was unlucky not to get a goal in this year's Champions League final and was instrumental in getting his team there. Still only 26, he is surely coming into his prime now and will be hungry for international success with a team that has so much potential.
Unsung hero: Gregory van der Wiel. The Ajax full-back can also play in the centre of defence and at only 22 years old, he already has the basics down - beat man, run fast, cross for goalscorer. van der Wiel is hotly tipped to leave Amsterdam after this tournament, and if he can show even half of the potential he has, there could be clubs clamouring for his signature come July 12th.
New Zealand
Key player: Ryan Nelsen. The captain of New Zealand perhaps because that there is simply nobody in the squad as good as him. Well, perhaps that's a little harsh to Nelsen as he has shown himself to be an excellent leader at Blackburn, but there would be few people to argue that
Unsung hero: Literally everyone else. Several players come from the A-League, with others mostly playing in Britain. Two of their players are unattached. If New Zealand score a goal, it will be an acheivement. If they draw a game, it will be a triumph. If they win a game, it'll be a miracle. Everyone loves an underdog and so will everyone love New Zealand this year.
Nigeria
Key player: John Obi Mikel. To be perfectly honest, I'm finding it difficult writing this entry because my honest belief is that Mikel is nothing but trouble. He screwed Manchester United (which takes a lot to do considering how expert they are at it), he screwed Lyn Oslo and he isn't even that good a player. If Nigeria are to look to him to succeed, they will be sorely disappointed - Mikel isn't even fit and will most likely withdraw at the least opportune moment. If he doesn't, he could be a key player, but I don't really see how. Mikel could do with maturing greatly at this World Cup if he is to live up to the potential he allegedly has. If he doesn't, Michael Essien will take his place at Chelsea next year with ease.
Unsung hero: Aiyegbeni Yakubu. Underrated as a striker, Yakubu has failed to make the mark at Everton that he had previously made at Portsmouth, but he remains a threat and could reannounce himself in South Africa. Nigeria may have their best chance yet in a climate and environment that suits them, and between Yakubu and his likely strike partners Obafemi Martins or Kanu, Nigeria's target of a semi-finals place isn't entirely dismissable. Yet.
North Korea
Key player: Who even knows? It's a shock that North Korea are even allowed to play international football. Of all the teams most likely to do *something*, North Korea sadly stand as the team most likely to be withdrawn. In fact, as I write this, it's emerged that they tried to bring an extra striker instead of a third goalkeeper and it's completely backfired - can anyone smell a 'team protest'?
Unsung hero: Anyone who escapes. Seriously guys, run for your lives, because here comes the ultimate silver spoon child Kim Jong-il and his army of nuclear weapons. (Joking aside, North Korea's best chance seems to lie with FC Rostov's Hong Yong-jo, their captain and lead forward. Of course, it could just be a trick to bring him back home)
Paraguay
Key player: Roque Santa Cruz. An anomaly amongst strikers in that he is a highly skillful player who does not score goals very often, Santa Cruz is nonetheless Paraguay's top scorer across the qualification stages and still remains a very potent threat up front. His Premiership experience could be the difference maker for his country.
Unsung hero: Cristiano Riveros. Having played in South America all his career, Riveros is about to try his luck in the Premier League having signed on a free for Sunderland in what could be the best bit of business Steve Bruce has done since the previously mentioned Wilson Palacios moved to Wigan. Riveros runs forward from midfield and could be just the man to link up with Santa Cruz to propel Paraguay into the second round for the fourth tournament running.
Portugal
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps the best footballer in the world not named Messi, Ronaldo may not have had much press in the UK since signing for Real Madrid, but he has almost certainly begun a long and prosperous career there, scoring 26 goals in 29 games. Ronaldo is now the Portuguese captain despite having a significant experience disadvantage from players like Ricardo Carvalho and Pedro Mendes, but this will probably not faze him as he looks to restore his honour on a global stage following controversy and disappointment at Portugal's exit in 2006, and his subsequent failure to score a single goal during Portugal's qualification process.
Unsung hero: Danny. Not to be confused with Dani, Danni or any other player by that name, Danny is in fact an attacking midfielder for Zenit St. Petersburg. Having struggled with a knee ligament injury, Danny is now fully fit and could potentially rip teams apart with his abilities - he did as much to Manchester United during the Super Cup in 2008.
Serbia
Key player: Nemanja Vidic. The clear successor to Serbia's captain Dejan Stankovic and a key player for Manchester United, Vidic's temperment always seems to be the only thing stopping him from being arguably the best defender in the world. Thankfully for him, Liverpool do not play on international level, so the likelihood of him being red-carded is reduced and could clear the way for Vidic and his team to bulldoze Group D rivals Australia, Germany and Ghana on their way to the latter stages.
Unsung hero: Aleksander Kolarov. Playing at left back, one expects a smaller but faster player, but Kolarov combines the best attributes of the world's top central defenders with the perhaps more valuable assets of attacking skill, composure and excellent passing ability. Lazio benefitted from his inclusion in Serie A last season, and his idolisation of fellow Serb Sinisa Mihajlovic led him to pursue a more attacking role - something which many opponents will be exceptionally wary of coming from such a strong defender.
Slovakia
Key player: Marek Hamsik. Playmaker, goalscorer, World Cup captain - it's no wonder Hamsik is one of the most sought-after players in Europe. Aged just 22 and playing for Napoli in Serie A, he could be one of the shock breakout stars of the tournament if his team can pull a few results off. Unfortunately, none of his team are really quite up to his standard.
Unsung hero: Miroslav Stoch. Officially a Chelsea player, Stoch played for FC Twente on loan last season and scored 10 goals in 32 appearances. He will return to Stamford Bridge as a Dutch League champion, which isn't bad when you consider he's only 20. Stoch is the most likely player to compliment Hamsik in the midfield and big things are expected.
Slovenia
Key player: Samir Handanovic. Rated as one of the best players in Italy by no less than Gianluigi Buffon, the 6ft4 Slovenian 'keeper will most likely be busy at this World Cup with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jozey Altidore. Playing for Udinese and facing the best of Serie A week in week out, that will most likely suit Handanovic down to the ground. Interestingly enough, his cousin Jasminn is his closest rival for the number one jersey.
Unsung hero: Valter Birsa. Whilst not a common goalscorer for his national side, Birsa burst into the first team at Auxerre whilst on loan and cemented his place - and a transfer. His role will most likely be to provide for Milivoje Novakovic, Slovenia's outstanding player in the shock playoff victory against Russia, but this should take nothing away from his ability. At 6ft tall, he is dangerous in the air, and his knock-downs should be something that England, USA and Algeria should watch for.
South Africa
Key player: Steven Pienaar. Arsenal found out about Pienaar's talent to their detriment earlier this year and there is no denying his talent. Everton's Player of the Season has the kind of quality that many South African teams would've killed to have in the past, and the home nation's hopes will be firmly pinned on Pienaar to deliver them into the second round for the first time in their World Cup history.
Unsung hero: Tsepo Masilela. A left-back for Maccabi Haifa, Masilela is unusual in that he made his international debut before having ever signed a professional contract. Former international coach Ted Dumitru discovered him and a year after his first year in top-flight football, he signed for Haifa. Masilela is a raw talent that, should he get his chance at this World Cup, may earn himself a move to a larger club elsewhere.
South Korea
Key player: Park Ji-Sung. The captain, the top player and the only Asian to ever play in a UEFA Champions League final, he will be looked to by South Korea as the greatest threat they have. Operating in many different roles for Manchester United, as the South Korea captain he will be playing in a slightly more reserved role in midfield, but Park will still be a danger to all of Korea's opponents.
Unsung hero: Park Chu-Young. No relation to the above (they have the same family name) the AS Monaco player is lightning quick and also a dead-ball specialist. He was named the Player of the Season in his debut year for the Ligue 1 club and remains a vital member of the team to this day. Fulham showed interest last year and perhaps more will follow should he and his namesake steer South Korea to further rounds, as the team has managed before.
Spain
Key player: David Villa. It took a lot of choosing but Villa's recent move to Barcelona has surely given him the ultimate potential to cement himself as the greatest Spanish striker of all time, which leads me to label him Spain's key player in this tournament. Top scorer at Euro 2008, second-top Spanish goalscorer of all time, and still relatively young at 28 years old, Villa is a true footballing superstar in the making.
Unsung hero: Sergio Ramos. Whether at right back or centreback, Ramos (along with Barcelona's Puyol) controls the defence in an attacking team, undoubtably a difficult job. He was, upon his debut, the youngest player to play for the Spanish national team and it is easy to see why. In a team where the likes of Torres, Xavi, Villa and Casillas often outshine the other members of the squad, Sergio Ramos could be the difference maker between a fantastic performance and a World Cup winning performance for Spain.
Switzerland
Key player: Alexander Frei. I'm a little on the fence on this one (ZING~!) but Frei remains a strong talent even despite age and an arm injury catching up with him. Playing in his home country of Switzerland for Basel, Frei has been around Europe and back again, but this is probably his last chance to really shine on the global stage as the star of the Swiss team. His captaincy, too, will be vital if the Swiss are to have any chance of making round two.
Unsung hero: Blaise Nkufo. Born in Zaire, Nkufo has spent the last seven years at FC Twente, with his hard work finally being rewarded last year with a league title. He also began a self-imposed exile several years ago following a fallout with then-coach Kobi Kuhn, and owing to an injury keeping him from competing at Euro 2008, this will be his first major tournament ever. Having scored seven goals in the 29 matches he did play for his country, he will be looking to add to that here in what is definitely also his last tournament at 35 years of age.
United States of America
Key player: Landon Donovan. Despite accusing David Beckham of not wanting to play for his club when Beckham stayed at AC Milan last season instead of returning to LA Galaxy, Donovan almost did the very same thing during his short stint at Everton earlier this year. Scoring two goals in thirteen games, he was named the club's Player of the Month for January and expressed a keen interest in remaining until the World Cup as Beckham had done. It's not hard to see why Everton were interested, but Donovan returned to LA on the orders of the Galaxy. Will be vital to the USA's ever-growing interest in the tournament, with the team hoping to build on their somewhat disappointing loss in the Confederations Cup last year.
Unsung hero: Stuart Holden. Not a 'holden' midfielder (HAH!) but still a very skillful player, Holden joined Bolton Wanderers with much potential in January and, for whatever reason, has yet to properly break into the team. Despite this, there is plenty of scope for him to push his way into manager Owen Coyle's plans for next season, and Stuart also has the added bonus of being the only Scottish-born player at the World Cup - a fact many Tartan Army members will be keen to point out should he make an impact against the USA's group rivals England.
Uruguay
Key player: Diego Forlan. Having scored the winning goal to break Fulham hearts in the inaugural Europa League final, Forlan will now lead his Uruguayan team into only his second World Cup with an impressive international record of 24 goals in 62 appearances. He may not be the Hector Scarone that the Uruguayan people would desperately love to return, but he is nonetheless the best goalscorer his country have and a quality forward to boot.
Unsung hero: Walter Gargano. Having played for Napoli for the last three years, Gargano has established himself in their midfield alongside Marek Hamsik and others, and must now take the initiative to boost his profile ahead of Napoli's Europa League run next season. Links with Forlan could lead to goals aplenty, but second place will be hotly contested in Group A.
And that's it - men to watch from all 32 teams! Hope you enjoyed it.
-dp
Mexico
Key player: Rafael Marquez. Difficult choice here between Marquez and Deportivo la Coruna's young midfield sensation Andrés Guardado, but Marquez is the captain and so gets the nod. First choice centre back at Barcelona along with Gerard Piqué, Marquez is 31 and still in terrific form when not hampered by injury, which probably explains why he signed a new contract last year.
Unsung hero: Cuauhtémoc Blanco. At 37 years old, if Blanco partners the 33 year old Franco in the front line for Mexico then they will have the oldest front two in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Blanco's return to the international team in April 2009 brought a new lease of life and sense of confidence for coach Javier Aguirre's side, and it is perhaps for this reason that he will play in the World Cup. Aside from that, Blanco's goals for his country also aided their qualification, having a pivotal part to play in their crucial qualifier against El Salvador in October, and he will be hoping to score some more in South Africa - if only so he can pull off his famous 'archer' celebration one more time.
Netherlands
Key player: Arjen Robben. It's hard to identify a key player in a Dutch squad with so much talent, but Robben gets the nod ahead of van Persie on account of the excellent season he has had. Reestablishing Bayern Munich as not only a force in German football but on the European stage as well, he was unlucky not to get a goal in this year's Champions League final and was instrumental in getting his team there. Still only 26, he is surely coming into his prime now and will be hungry for international success with a team that has so much potential.
Unsung hero: Gregory van der Wiel. The Ajax full-back can also play in the centre of defence and at only 22 years old, he already has the basics down - beat man, run fast, cross for goalscorer. van der Wiel is hotly tipped to leave Amsterdam after this tournament, and if he can show even half of the potential he has, there could be clubs clamouring for his signature come July 12th.
New Zealand
Key player: Ryan Nelsen. The captain of New Zealand perhaps because that there is simply nobody in the squad as good as him. Well, perhaps that's a little harsh to Nelsen as he has shown himself to be an excellent leader at Blackburn, but there would be few people to argue that
Unsung hero: Literally everyone else. Several players come from the A-League, with others mostly playing in Britain. Two of their players are unattached. If New Zealand score a goal, it will be an acheivement. If they draw a game, it will be a triumph. If they win a game, it'll be a miracle. Everyone loves an underdog and so will everyone love New Zealand this year.
Nigeria
Key player: John Obi Mikel. To be perfectly honest, I'm finding it difficult writing this entry because my honest belief is that Mikel is nothing but trouble. He screwed Manchester United (which takes a lot to do considering how expert they are at it), he screwed Lyn Oslo and he isn't even that good a player. If Nigeria are to look to him to succeed, they will be sorely disappointed - Mikel isn't even fit and will most likely withdraw at the least opportune moment. If he doesn't, he could be a key player, but I don't really see how. Mikel could do with maturing greatly at this World Cup if he is to live up to the potential he allegedly has. If he doesn't, Michael Essien will take his place at Chelsea next year with ease.
Unsung hero: Aiyegbeni Yakubu. Underrated as a striker, Yakubu has failed to make the mark at Everton that he had previously made at Portsmouth, but he remains a threat and could reannounce himself in South Africa. Nigeria may have their best chance yet in a climate and environment that suits them, and between Yakubu and his likely strike partners Obafemi Martins or Kanu, Nigeria's target of a semi-finals place isn't entirely dismissable. Yet.
North Korea
Key player: Who even knows? It's a shock that North Korea are even allowed to play international football. Of all the teams most likely to do *something*, North Korea sadly stand as the team most likely to be withdrawn. In fact, as I write this, it's emerged that they tried to bring an extra striker instead of a third goalkeeper and it's completely backfired - can anyone smell a 'team protest'?
Unsung hero: Anyone who escapes. Seriously guys, run for your lives, because here comes the ultimate silver spoon child Kim Jong-il and his army of nuclear weapons. (Joking aside, North Korea's best chance seems to lie with FC Rostov's Hong Yong-jo, their captain and lead forward. Of course, it could just be a trick to bring him back home)
Paraguay
Key player: Roque Santa Cruz. An anomaly amongst strikers in that he is a highly skillful player who does not score goals very often, Santa Cruz is nonetheless Paraguay's top scorer across the qualification stages and still remains a very potent threat up front. His Premiership experience could be the difference maker for his country.
Unsung hero: Cristiano Riveros. Having played in South America all his career, Riveros is about to try his luck in the Premier League having signed on a free for Sunderland in what could be the best bit of business Steve Bruce has done since the previously mentioned Wilson Palacios moved to Wigan. Riveros runs forward from midfield and could be just the man to link up with Santa Cruz to propel Paraguay into the second round for the fourth tournament running.
Portugal
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps the best footballer in the world not named Messi, Ronaldo may not have had much press in the UK since signing for Real Madrid, but he has almost certainly begun a long and prosperous career there, scoring 26 goals in 29 games. Ronaldo is now the Portuguese captain despite having a significant experience disadvantage from players like Ricardo Carvalho and Pedro Mendes, but this will probably not faze him as he looks to restore his honour on a global stage following controversy and disappointment at Portugal's exit in 2006, and his subsequent failure to score a single goal during Portugal's qualification process.
Unsung hero: Danny. Not to be confused with Dani, Danni or any other player by that name, Danny is in fact an attacking midfielder for Zenit St. Petersburg. Having struggled with a knee ligament injury, Danny is now fully fit and could potentially rip teams apart with his abilities - he did as much to Manchester United during the Super Cup in 2008.
Serbia
Key player: Nemanja Vidic. The clear successor to Serbia's captain Dejan Stankovic and a key player for Manchester United, Vidic's temperment always seems to be the only thing stopping him from being arguably the best defender in the world. Thankfully for him, Liverpool do not play on international level, so the likelihood of him being red-carded is reduced and could clear the way for Vidic and his team to bulldoze Group D rivals Australia, Germany and Ghana on their way to the latter stages.
Unsung hero: Aleksander Kolarov. Playing at left back, one expects a smaller but faster player, but Kolarov combines the best attributes of the world's top central defenders with the perhaps more valuable assets of attacking skill, composure and excellent passing ability. Lazio benefitted from his inclusion in Serie A last season, and his idolisation of fellow Serb Sinisa Mihajlovic led him to pursue a more attacking role - something which many opponents will be exceptionally wary of coming from such a strong defender.
Slovakia
Key player: Marek Hamsik. Playmaker, goalscorer, World Cup captain - it's no wonder Hamsik is one of the most sought-after players in Europe. Aged just 22 and playing for Napoli in Serie A, he could be one of the shock breakout stars of the tournament if his team can pull a few results off. Unfortunately, none of his team are really quite up to his standard.
Unsung hero: Miroslav Stoch. Officially a Chelsea player, Stoch played for FC Twente on loan last season and scored 10 goals in 32 appearances. He will return to Stamford Bridge as a Dutch League champion, which isn't bad when you consider he's only 20. Stoch is the most likely player to compliment Hamsik in the midfield and big things are expected.
Slovenia
Key player: Samir Handanovic. Rated as one of the best players in Italy by no less than Gianluigi Buffon, the 6ft4 Slovenian 'keeper will most likely be busy at this World Cup with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jozey Altidore. Playing for Udinese and facing the best of Serie A week in week out, that will most likely suit Handanovic down to the ground. Interestingly enough, his cousin Jasminn is his closest rival for the number one jersey.
Unsung hero: Valter Birsa. Whilst not a common goalscorer for his national side, Birsa burst into the first team at Auxerre whilst on loan and cemented his place - and a transfer. His role will most likely be to provide for Milivoje Novakovic, Slovenia's outstanding player in the shock playoff victory against Russia, but this should take nothing away from his ability. At 6ft tall, he is dangerous in the air, and his knock-downs should be something that England, USA and Algeria should watch for.
South Africa
Key player: Steven Pienaar. Arsenal found out about Pienaar's talent to their detriment earlier this year and there is no denying his talent. Everton's Player of the Season has the kind of quality that many South African teams would've killed to have in the past, and the home nation's hopes will be firmly pinned on Pienaar to deliver them into the second round for the first time in their World Cup history.
Unsung hero: Tsepo Masilela. A left-back for Maccabi Haifa, Masilela is unusual in that he made his international debut before having ever signed a professional contract. Former international coach Ted Dumitru discovered him and a year after his first year in top-flight football, he signed for Haifa. Masilela is a raw talent that, should he get his chance at this World Cup, may earn himself a move to a larger club elsewhere.
South Korea
Key player: Park Ji-Sung. The captain, the top player and the only Asian to ever play in a UEFA Champions League final, he will be looked to by South Korea as the greatest threat they have. Operating in many different roles for Manchester United, as the South Korea captain he will be playing in a slightly more reserved role in midfield, but Park will still be a danger to all of Korea's opponents.
Unsung hero: Park Chu-Young. No relation to the above (they have the same family name) the AS Monaco player is lightning quick and also a dead-ball specialist. He was named the Player of the Season in his debut year for the Ligue 1 club and remains a vital member of the team to this day. Fulham showed interest last year and perhaps more will follow should he and his namesake steer South Korea to further rounds, as the team has managed before.
Spain
Key player: David Villa. It took a lot of choosing but Villa's recent move to Barcelona has surely given him the ultimate potential to cement himself as the greatest Spanish striker of all time, which leads me to label him Spain's key player in this tournament. Top scorer at Euro 2008, second-top Spanish goalscorer of all time, and still relatively young at 28 years old, Villa is a true footballing superstar in the making.
Unsung hero: Sergio Ramos. Whether at right back or centreback, Ramos (along with Barcelona's Puyol) controls the defence in an attacking team, undoubtably a difficult job. He was, upon his debut, the youngest player to play for the Spanish national team and it is easy to see why. In a team where the likes of Torres, Xavi, Villa and Casillas often outshine the other members of the squad, Sergio Ramos could be the difference maker between a fantastic performance and a World Cup winning performance for Spain.
Switzerland
Key player: Alexander Frei. I'm a little on the fence on this one (ZING~!) but Frei remains a strong talent even despite age and an arm injury catching up with him. Playing in his home country of Switzerland for Basel, Frei has been around Europe and back again, but this is probably his last chance to really shine on the global stage as the star of the Swiss team. His captaincy, too, will be vital if the Swiss are to have any chance of making round two.
Unsung hero: Blaise Nkufo. Born in Zaire, Nkufo has spent the last seven years at FC Twente, with his hard work finally being rewarded last year with a league title. He also began a self-imposed exile several years ago following a fallout with then-coach Kobi Kuhn, and owing to an injury keeping him from competing at Euro 2008, this will be his first major tournament ever. Having scored seven goals in the 29 matches he did play for his country, he will be looking to add to that here in what is definitely also his last tournament at 35 years of age.
United States of America
Key player: Landon Donovan. Despite accusing David Beckham of not wanting to play for his club when Beckham stayed at AC Milan last season instead of returning to LA Galaxy, Donovan almost did the very same thing during his short stint at Everton earlier this year. Scoring two goals in thirteen games, he was named the club's Player of the Month for January and expressed a keen interest in remaining until the World Cup as Beckham had done. It's not hard to see why Everton were interested, but Donovan returned to LA on the orders of the Galaxy. Will be vital to the USA's ever-growing interest in the tournament, with the team hoping to build on their somewhat disappointing loss in the Confederations Cup last year.
Unsung hero: Stuart Holden. Not a 'holden' midfielder (HAH!) but still a very skillful player, Holden joined Bolton Wanderers with much potential in January and, for whatever reason, has yet to properly break into the team. Despite this, there is plenty of scope for him to push his way into manager Owen Coyle's plans for next season, and Stuart also has the added bonus of being the only Scottish-born player at the World Cup - a fact many Tartan Army members will be keen to point out should he make an impact against the USA's group rivals England.
Uruguay
Key player: Diego Forlan. Having scored the winning goal to break Fulham hearts in the inaugural Europa League final, Forlan will now lead his Uruguayan team into only his second World Cup with an impressive international record of 24 goals in 62 appearances. He may not be the Hector Scarone that the Uruguayan people would desperately love to return, but he is nonetheless the best goalscorer his country have and a quality forward to boot.
Unsung hero: Walter Gargano. Having played for Napoli for the last three years, Gargano has established himself in their midfield alongside Marek Hamsik and others, and must now take the initiative to boost his profile ahead of Napoli's Europa League run next season. Links with Forlan could lead to goals aplenty, but second place will be hotly contested in Group A.
And that's it - men to watch from all 32 teams! Hope you enjoyed it.
-dp
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
High Voltage!
So the World Cup 2010 squads are in. With that, a brief highlight of each of the 32 teams' danger men, and why they are so. Here is Part One...
Algeria
Key player: Karim Ziani. Wolfsburg paid £6m for Ziani for a reason and it shows, albeit mostly for his national team, owing to his mainly being excluded from the 2009 German champions' team thanks to his bust-up with star striker Edin Dzeko. Nevertheless, he always turns it on for Algeria and England (amongst others) will have to beware.
Unsung hero: Madjid Bougherra. The Rangers centreback knows all about most of his opposition, having played alongside the USA's Edu and Beasley and knowing of English football due to his previous spells at Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday. Bougherra's forward runs are uncommon for a defender, but when they work, they work a charm.
Argentina
Key player: Lionel Messi. The best player in the world, and the man on whom there will be a lot of pressure to perform. As we know well by now, Messi thrives on this. There is little else to be said.
Unsung hero: Carlos Tevez. It's incredible to think that one of the top players in the Premier League could be an 'unsung' hero, but with Argentina's line-up, Tevez is not a guaranteed starter. Nevertheless, he will always show up to surprise when he has a point to prove, as Manchester United found to their detriment, and Tevez certainly has plenty to prove to Diego Maradona.
Australia
Key player: Tim Cahill. He is the glue that holds Australia's attack together and without him they may well crumble. The Aussies have only two real recognised strikers in their squad and will rely on Cahill to back up their forwards.
Unsung hero: Brett Holman. AZ Alkmaar's Holman has received a new lease of life under Dick Advocaat and this has translated to his international play. Like Cahill, Holman will likely be called upon to support the Aussies' front line, and may get the nod ahead of the more experienced but injury-prone Harry Kewell.
Brazil
Key player: Kaká. He has had what could really be described as a pretty awful first season for Real Madrid - no title, very few games and many injuries, leading many to say that his passion ignited by Milan is dampened at the Bernebau. National coach Dunga favours a more conservative approach when compared to traditional Brazilian play, so Kaká must push on his efforts in order to prove he is still the same player he was.
Unsung hero: Thiago Silva. The Brazilians have always had strong defenders but Silva is a different breed to the likes of Carlos and Cafu. A tough centreback with a good record, Dunga's management seems to be tailor-made for someone like Thiago Silva to make a grand impression at this World Cup.
Cameroon
Key player: Samuel Eto'o. What a difference a year makes for one man who was involved in perhaps the most blockbuster multi-player transfer of the last five years. Whilst at Barcelona, Eto'o was strictly a forward-moving player with an eye on the goal and nothing more. Jose Mourinho's reign at Inter Milan has changed Eto'o into a far more complete article, pulling back to gain possession whenever needed. As the captain, Cameroon will be looking to him to inspire, and Eto'o stands in much better stead to do this now than ever before.
Unsung hero: Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Tottenham's now potentially Champions League-bound fullback has shown this season why he can be considered a threat on the global stage and, having missed the African Cup of Nations, will be looking to establish himself within Cameroon as well as establishing himself to the world.
Chile
Key player: Arturo Vidal. Whilst not necessarily Chile's best or strongest player, Vidal established himself at Bayer Leverkusen three years ago and has not looked back. His primary strength is and will be his versatility, being able to play across the defence as well as in midfield, and Chile will most likely look to exploit this. With limited experience at the top level within their squad, Vidal's European club experiences will be vital.
Unsung hero: Humberto Suazo. No stranger to Chilean fans, Suazo is the type of striker that is rarely seen nowadays - a strong goalscorer with an ill temper. Humberto arrived at Real Zaragoza in the transfer window on loan and proceeded to score six goals in seventeen appearances, as well as cementing himself in Chile's side by playing in all of their qualifiers. Suazo will be looking to build upon his La Liga appearances at his opponents' expense.
Denmark
Key player: Thomas Sorenson. Many questions have been raised about Sorenson's fitness and it may be this that makes or breaks Denmark's bid for success in South Africa. Their deputy, Jesper Christiansen, has roughly one eighth of the international experience Sorenson has, and if Stoke's goalkeeper does not pass fit then Denmark may find it difficult to progress
Unsung hero: Nicklas Bendtner. Arsene Wenger has shown faith in the young Dane during Robin van Persie's period of injury and it is time for Bendtner to prove himself internationally. Those who have doubted his quality or goalscoring acumen will be given a chance to eat their words, and Bendtner must now prove what kind of a footballer he is at the grandest stage of all.
England
Key player: Wayne Rooney. If there is a better striker in the world today, I have to say I don't know him. Rooney's skill in every aspect of his game improves almost weekly and he alone is essentially responsible for Manchester United's pursuit of the Premier League down to the last day of the season. Rooney is perhaps unparalleled not only within his squad, but within the tournament, and having matured since his disgraceful dismissal in 2006, he may feel this to be his first true opportunity on a global scale.
Unsung hero: Ashley Cole. The Chelsea left back is probably the most despised footballer since Gary Neville, and that includes his team-mate John Terry. Nevertheless, he is the dependable link in England's uncertain defence and has often shown talents this season that were previously unknown for him. Cole's time is now and whilst his greed is unquestioned, neither is his commitment to proving himself time and time again and there may be no better place for a man who has so much to gain - and lose.
France
Key player: Nicolas Anelka. With Thierry Henry no longer a first choice, his former Arsenal team-mate may be the one to pick up the pieces and carry French hopes in his hands. Despite having significantly less caps than his compatriot William Gallas, Anelka nonetheless also has experience of winning trophies at this level from his country's triumph at Euro 2000, and has shown himself to be mature beyond what was ever thought possible in his time at Chelsea. Anelka's deft touch and accuracy in front of goal could prove crucial in a group that, for once, France do not look the outright favourites to win.
Unsung hero: Thierry Henry. With rumours flying around about Henry's future and whether or not he will remain at Barcelona, he takes the plane to South Africa as France's most capped player by a clear margin of 40. He now stands as the only player to remain in the French squad from their triumph at home in 1998, and must again take on the responsibility of not only his position within the squad, but for his actions in getting France to the tournament - incidentally, if Henry plays this year, it will make him the first French player to play in four major tournaments in a row.
Germany
Key player: Bastian Schweinsteiger. Unlike Theo Walcott, Schweinsteiger was brought to the last World Cup with relative inexperience but forced his way into the team. Four years later there is no question that Schweinsteiger is vital now that Ballack is missing - whilst not a direct replacement, Germany needs all the quality they can get in their midfield and Schweinsteiger, who was initially not played by German coach Joachim Low during their last tournament in 2008, may be the inspiration Germany need to once again surpass people's expectations.
Unsung hero: Phillipp Lahm. Having been thrust into the role of captain due to Michael Ballack's injury and potential retirement from international football, it falls to 26 year old Lahm to steer the always-steady German ship to where they so often end up - the final. Lahm played every minute of their last World Cup - a feat Ballack could not acheive - and this experience will be invaluable if the Germans are to succeed.
Ghana
Key player: Sulley Muntari. A Champions League winner as of a few weeks ago, Muntari's international career is closely tied to that of his captain Stephen Appiah, but at 25 one would surely assume he has much longer to go in his team. Muntari brings some versatility and although his relationship with Ghana's FA has been strained at best, no thanks to a no-show at the African Cup of Nations, one would assume this is the kind of stage he will shine on.
Unsung hero: Kevin Prince Boateng. Slipshod is how many have described the performance of KPB on the field - Michael Ballack would most likely agree - and there is a good reason he plays for Ghana whilst his brother is in the German squad. It may be now or never for Boateng to step up and make himself a true international footballer.
Greece
Key player: Giorgos Karagounis. The Greek captain is often regarded as one of the most underrated players in the world and he, like fellow tournament revelation Angelos Charisteas, has never quite recovered what people saw from him at Euro 2004. Karagounis is 33 now and this will in all likelihood be his final World Cup, which may make him all the more determined to go out on this stage with a bang.
Unsung hero: Angelos Charisteas. After Greece's victory in Euro 2004, many predicted that Charisteas, who was out of favour at Werder Bremen, would leave the German club, and leave he did, transferring to Ajax the following year. However, despite scoring 12 in 31 games, Charisteas was chased out by the team's new manager and fled to their rivals Feyenoord, a team with whom he never fully settled. Returning to Germany in 2007, Charisteas has struggled to regain that form of 2004, but he nevertheless remains one to be watched.
Honduras
Key player: Wilson Palacios. There can be no doubt that Palacios is an exceptionally skilled player, and his move from Wigan to Tottenham has only strengthened this. Palacios is only 25 years old and yet has earned 68 caps for his country, which may say more about Honduras' strength in depth than about the player. Palacios though, along with his brother Johnny, will be looking to put his country on the international football map with a shock performance.
Unsung hero: Amado Guevara. Che's namesake is Honduras' most capped player (at least until the aforementioned Wilson Palacios has his way) and has travelled all around to ply his trade. He is perhaps best known as the MVP of the 2001 Copa América, made all the more notable by the fact that Honduras were not even scheduled to be in the competition. This will definitely be Guevara's last international tournament and the determination to succeed will not be lost on him.
Italy
Key player: Gianluigi Buffon. As with Messi and Rooney, Buffon is probably the best in the world at what he does, and whilst he doesn't have youth on his side as the previous two do, he definitely has skill and ability.
Unsung hero: Giorgio Chellini. Ask Arsenal how it feels to play against Giorgio Chellini and they probably won't be entirely sure what you mean. Ask Arsenal fans how it feels to lose Robin van Persie for five months and they'll know exactly what you mean. Chellini is a tough defender in the old style and Italy's new rock at the back. He was also named Defender of the Year in Serie A, perhaps the most defensive league in the world, so it's safe to say he could yet be a surprise hero for his country.
Ivory Coast
Key player: Didier Drogba. Despite the diversity and surprising strength in depth of the Ivorian squad, Chelsea's Drogba remains their star man - a strong striker with seemingly limitless skill. He was the Golden Boot winner in the Premier League this year and even at the age of 32, shows no signs of stopping.
Unsung hero: Didier Zokora. A favourite whilst at Tottenham, Zokora anchors the midfield in a way that many teams wish their players could. A fairly low-key season at Sevilla could in fact be a boost for Zokora, especially with his team facing the likes of Portugal and Brazil at the group stages, and whilst he is almost certain not to be a goalscorer, he may very well be the difference between a positive or negative result for his country.
Japan
Key player: Keisuke Honda. Not identified by myself but in fact identified by his manager, Honda has made a swift impact since arriving at CSKA Moscow late, late on last year, an impact which may have prompted Japanese coach Takeshi Okada to say "I have tremendously great expectations of Honda". No pressure then...
Unsung hero: Takayuki Morimoto. If anyone is likely to score goals for Japan, Morimoto seems the most logical choice. He is known as the Japanese Ronaldo, is only 22 years of age and stands at an impressive 6ft. Morimoto's goals may help prop up Japanese ambition, albeit perhaps not the unrealistic one set by their manager - another spectacular quote from Okada: "Our main target in South Africa is to reach the semi-finals" perhaps fails to take into account the fact that Japan have yet to win a World Cup match outside of home soil.
Well, that's that for now. Part Two to follow!
Algeria
Key player: Karim Ziani. Wolfsburg paid £6m for Ziani for a reason and it shows, albeit mostly for his national team, owing to his mainly being excluded from the 2009 German champions' team thanks to his bust-up with star striker Edin Dzeko. Nevertheless, he always turns it on for Algeria and England (amongst others) will have to beware.
Unsung hero: Madjid Bougherra. The Rangers centreback knows all about most of his opposition, having played alongside the USA's Edu and Beasley and knowing of English football due to his previous spells at Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday. Bougherra's forward runs are uncommon for a defender, but when they work, they work a charm.
Argentina
Key player: Lionel Messi. The best player in the world, and the man on whom there will be a lot of pressure to perform. As we know well by now, Messi thrives on this. There is little else to be said.
Unsung hero: Carlos Tevez. It's incredible to think that one of the top players in the Premier League could be an 'unsung' hero, but with Argentina's line-up, Tevez is not a guaranteed starter. Nevertheless, he will always show up to surprise when he has a point to prove, as Manchester United found to their detriment, and Tevez certainly has plenty to prove to Diego Maradona.
Australia
Key player: Tim Cahill. He is the glue that holds Australia's attack together and without him they may well crumble. The Aussies have only two real recognised strikers in their squad and will rely on Cahill to back up their forwards.
Unsung hero: Brett Holman. AZ Alkmaar's Holman has received a new lease of life under Dick Advocaat and this has translated to his international play. Like Cahill, Holman will likely be called upon to support the Aussies' front line, and may get the nod ahead of the more experienced but injury-prone Harry Kewell.
Brazil
Key player: Kaká. He has had what could really be described as a pretty awful first season for Real Madrid - no title, very few games and many injuries, leading many to say that his passion ignited by Milan is dampened at the Bernebau. National coach Dunga favours a more conservative approach when compared to traditional Brazilian play, so Kaká must push on his efforts in order to prove he is still the same player he was.
Unsung hero: Thiago Silva. The Brazilians have always had strong defenders but Silva is a different breed to the likes of Carlos and Cafu. A tough centreback with a good record, Dunga's management seems to be tailor-made for someone like Thiago Silva to make a grand impression at this World Cup.
Cameroon
Key player: Samuel Eto'o. What a difference a year makes for one man who was involved in perhaps the most blockbuster multi-player transfer of the last five years. Whilst at Barcelona, Eto'o was strictly a forward-moving player with an eye on the goal and nothing more. Jose Mourinho's reign at Inter Milan has changed Eto'o into a far more complete article, pulling back to gain possession whenever needed. As the captain, Cameroon will be looking to him to inspire, and Eto'o stands in much better stead to do this now than ever before.
Unsung hero: Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Tottenham's now potentially Champions League-bound fullback has shown this season why he can be considered a threat on the global stage and, having missed the African Cup of Nations, will be looking to establish himself within Cameroon as well as establishing himself to the world.
Chile
Key player: Arturo Vidal. Whilst not necessarily Chile's best or strongest player, Vidal established himself at Bayer Leverkusen three years ago and has not looked back. His primary strength is and will be his versatility, being able to play across the defence as well as in midfield, and Chile will most likely look to exploit this. With limited experience at the top level within their squad, Vidal's European club experiences will be vital.
Unsung hero: Humberto Suazo. No stranger to Chilean fans, Suazo is the type of striker that is rarely seen nowadays - a strong goalscorer with an ill temper. Humberto arrived at Real Zaragoza in the transfer window on loan and proceeded to score six goals in seventeen appearances, as well as cementing himself in Chile's side by playing in all of their qualifiers. Suazo will be looking to build upon his La Liga appearances at his opponents' expense.
Denmark
Key player: Thomas Sorenson. Many questions have been raised about Sorenson's fitness and it may be this that makes or breaks Denmark's bid for success in South Africa. Their deputy, Jesper Christiansen, has roughly one eighth of the international experience Sorenson has, and if Stoke's goalkeeper does not pass fit then Denmark may find it difficult to progress
Unsung hero: Nicklas Bendtner. Arsene Wenger has shown faith in the young Dane during Robin van Persie's period of injury and it is time for Bendtner to prove himself internationally. Those who have doubted his quality or goalscoring acumen will be given a chance to eat their words, and Bendtner must now prove what kind of a footballer he is at the grandest stage of all.
England
Key player: Wayne Rooney. If there is a better striker in the world today, I have to say I don't know him. Rooney's skill in every aspect of his game improves almost weekly and he alone is essentially responsible for Manchester United's pursuit of the Premier League down to the last day of the season. Rooney is perhaps unparalleled not only within his squad, but within the tournament, and having matured since his disgraceful dismissal in 2006, he may feel this to be his first true opportunity on a global scale.
Unsung hero: Ashley Cole. The Chelsea left back is probably the most despised footballer since Gary Neville, and that includes his team-mate John Terry. Nevertheless, he is the dependable link in England's uncertain defence and has often shown talents this season that were previously unknown for him. Cole's time is now and whilst his greed is unquestioned, neither is his commitment to proving himself time and time again and there may be no better place for a man who has so much to gain - and lose.
France
Key player: Nicolas Anelka. With Thierry Henry no longer a first choice, his former Arsenal team-mate may be the one to pick up the pieces and carry French hopes in his hands. Despite having significantly less caps than his compatriot William Gallas, Anelka nonetheless also has experience of winning trophies at this level from his country's triumph at Euro 2000, and has shown himself to be mature beyond what was ever thought possible in his time at Chelsea. Anelka's deft touch and accuracy in front of goal could prove crucial in a group that, for once, France do not look the outright favourites to win.
Unsung hero: Thierry Henry. With rumours flying around about Henry's future and whether or not he will remain at Barcelona, he takes the plane to South Africa as France's most capped player by a clear margin of 40. He now stands as the only player to remain in the French squad from their triumph at home in 1998, and must again take on the responsibility of not only his position within the squad, but for his actions in getting France to the tournament - incidentally, if Henry plays this year, it will make him the first French player to play in four major tournaments in a row.
Germany
Key player: Bastian Schweinsteiger. Unlike Theo Walcott, Schweinsteiger was brought to the last World Cup with relative inexperience but forced his way into the team. Four years later there is no question that Schweinsteiger is vital now that Ballack is missing - whilst not a direct replacement, Germany needs all the quality they can get in their midfield and Schweinsteiger, who was initially not played by German coach Joachim Low during their last tournament in 2008, may be the inspiration Germany need to once again surpass people's expectations.
Unsung hero: Phillipp Lahm. Having been thrust into the role of captain due to Michael Ballack's injury and potential retirement from international football, it falls to 26 year old Lahm to steer the always-steady German ship to where they so often end up - the final. Lahm played every minute of their last World Cup - a feat Ballack could not acheive - and this experience will be invaluable if the Germans are to succeed.
Ghana
Key player: Sulley Muntari. A Champions League winner as of a few weeks ago, Muntari's international career is closely tied to that of his captain Stephen Appiah, but at 25 one would surely assume he has much longer to go in his team. Muntari brings some versatility and although his relationship with Ghana's FA has been strained at best, no thanks to a no-show at the African Cup of Nations, one would assume this is the kind of stage he will shine on.
Unsung hero: Kevin Prince Boateng. Slipshod is how many have described the performance of KPB on the field - Michael Ballack would most likely agree - and there is a good reason he plays for Ghana whilst his brother is in the German squad. It may be now or never for Boateng to step up and make himself a true international footballer.
Greece
Key player: Giorgos Karagounis. The Greek captain is often regarded as one of the most underrated players in the world and he, like fellow tournament revelation Angelos Charisteas, has never quite recovered what people saw from him at Euro 2004. Karagounis is 33 now and this will in all likelihood be his final World Cup, which may make him all the more determined to go out on this stage with a bang.
Unsung hero: Angelos Charisteas. After Greece's victory in Euro 2004, many predicted that Charisteas, who was out of favour at Werder Bremen, would leave the German club, and leave he did, transferring to Ajax the following year. However, despite scoring 12 in 31 games, Charisteas was chased out by the team's new manager and fled to their rivals Feyenoord, a team with whom he never fully settled. Returning to Germany in 2007, Charisteas has struggled to regain that form of 2004, but he nevertheless remains one to be watched.
Honduras
Key player: Wilson Palacios. There can be no doubt that Palacios is an exceptionally skilled player, and his move from Wigan to Tottenham has only strengthened this. Palacios is only 25 years old and yet has earned 68 caps for his country, which may say more about Honduras' strength in depth than about the player. Palacios though, along with his brother Johnny, will be looking to put his country on the international football map with a shock performance.
Unsung hero: Amado Guevara. Che's namesake is Honduras' most capped player (at least until the aforementioned Wilson Palacios has his way) and has travelled all around to ply his trade. He is perhaps best known as the MVP of the 2001 Copa América, made all the more notable by the fact that Honduras were not even scheduled to be in the competition. This will definitely be Guevara's last international tournament and the determination to succeed will not be lost on him.
Italy
Key player: Gianluigi Buffon. As with Messi and Rooney, Buffon is probably the best in the world at what he does, and whilst he doesn't have youth on his side as the previous two do, he definitely has skill and ability.
Unsung hero: Giorgio Chellini. Ask Arsenal how it feels to play against Giorgio Chellini and they probably won't be entirely sure what you mean. Ask Arsenal fans how it feels to lose Robin van Persie for five months and they'll know exactly what you mean. Chellini is a tough defender in the old style and Italy's new rock at the back. He was also named Defender of the Year in Serie A, perhaps the most defensive league in the world, so it's safe to say he could yet be a surprise hero for his country.
Ivory Coast
Key player: Didier Drogba. Despite the diversity and surprising strength in depth of the Ivorian squad, Chelsea's Drogba remains their star man - a strong striker with seemingly limitless skill. He was the Golden Boot winner in the Premier League this year and even at the age of 32, shows no signs of stopping.
Unsung hero: Didier Zokora. A favourite whilst at Tottenham, Zokora anchors the midfield in a way that many teams wish their players could. A fairly low-key season at Sevilla could in fact be a boost for Zokora, especially with his team facing the likes of Portugal and Brazil at the group stages, and whilst he is almost certain not to be a goalscorer, he may very well be the difference between a positive or negative result for his country.
Japan
Key player: Keisuke Honda. Not identified by myself but in fact identified by his manager, Honda has made a swift impact since arriving at CSKA Moscow late, late on last year, an impact which may have prompted Japanese coach Takeshi Okada to say "I have tremendously great expectations of Honda". No pressure then...
Unsung hero: Takayuki Morimoto. If anyone is likely to score goals for Japan, Morimoto seems the most logical choice. He is known as the Japanese Ronaldo, is only 22 years of age and stands at an impressive 6ft. Morimoto's goals may help prop up Japanese ambition, albeit perhaps not the unrealistic one set by their manager - another spectacular quote from Okada: "Our main target in South Africa is to reach the semi-finals" perhaps fails to take into account the fact that Japan have yet to win a World Cup match outside of home soil.
Well, that's that for now. Part Two to follow!
Sunday, 23 May 2010
So Wave Your Flag
International football. It's called "international" football.
Every two to four years it comes around. England expects, apparently? This year, one would have to say they have a right to. Despite their 30-man squad springing a few surprises, the key players - Beckham aside - are in the squad, ready and raring to go. They all play in the best league in the world. Many are multiple-time league winners. Most, if not all, have European club football experience. Some have even been Champions of Europe.
So what is it? What stops England from fulfilling their potential every tournament? Why do they 'disappoint' and come home empty-handed? Setting aside my Scottish roots for a second, I have a theory - perhaps the most honest reason is that for all their relative worth, there really isn't that much variety in the England squad; and that's their downfall.
Now you might say 'What, not enough variety? What about the differences between the strikers, the midfielders, even the defenders? Even their goalkeepers are all completely different to each other! What are you on about?' My point isn't that the players themselves aren't different, but they have literally no difference in the environment they play in.
Allow me to explain: let's compare England's squad and the players involved with another top team - in fact, the best international team in the world, Brazil.
England's squad currently consists of 30 players, which will be cut down to 23. Of those twenty three players, every single one has been playing in the Premier League this season. Isn't that a bit limited when it comes to experience? If you discount the ones who have never played in the Champions League before, it becomes clear that they are simply bereft of any experiences outside of English football. Whether it's the 'best league in the world' or not, the fact remains that the English Premiership is still just one league out of many. So that makes England's squad experience as follows...
England: 100%
Now we'll take a look at Brazil's squad by comparison...
Italy [Serie A]: 8 players, roughly 33%
Spain [La Liga]: 4 players, 18%
Brazil [Serie A Brasil]: 3 players, 13%
Germany [Bundesliga], Portugal [Liga]: 2 players each, 18%
Other leagues [England, Greece, Turkey etc.]: four players, again 18%
The Brazilian team are probably the best in the world, yet their squad includes only three players from their own league and only one player from the English Premiership, Spurs 'keeper Heurelho Gomes (incidentally, since Dunga chose to name his 23-man squad immediately, players such as Fabio Aurelio, Anderson and Lucas were never given the chance in a 30 man squad)
Of course, Brazil are a special case, aren't they? Besides, their league isn't all that competitive, so why would they have any more than three from it? Okay, so now we come to Spain. Euro 2008 winners and probably contenders for the 'best league in the world' crown, so surely all their players are from La Liga - right?
Spain [La Liga]: 20 players, roughly 87%
England [Premier League]: Three players, about 13%
Even Spain, a proud nation who, it is said, prefer to have their players selected from their own league as England do, still have Reina, Fabregas and Torres playing abroad. Similarly, whilst the majority of the Italian side comes from Serie A, Giuseppi Rossi plies his trade at Villareal, and is almost certain to go to the World Cup with the Azzurri. Portugal have a similar pattern to Brazil, albeit mostly spread between La Liga and the Portugese Liga. All these teams have had success in recent years - could this shared footballing experience be why?
Remember Owen Hargreaves? Used to play for Bayern Munich a couple of years ago until he got injured. At previous tournaments,Hargreaves was an oddity in that he was an Englishman playing abroad, unlike the likes of Beckham, Owen and even Woodgate who went to play for Real Madrid in fairly high-profile transfers - Hargreaves became only the second player to have played for England before he played in England. Whilst this garnered a fair amount of criticism prior to his debut at White Hart Lane in 2001, he was widely considered to have been a revelation when playing for his country, even winning The FA's England Player of the Year and Player of the Tournament in 2006. Could this be attributed to Hargreaves' experience in German football, a very different game to that of the Premier League?
Similarly, even England star David Beckham has in recent years plied his early year trade at AC Milan, with excellent results for himself, Milan and for England. Beckham forced his way back into the England setup whilst playing for L.A. Galaxy and used Milan as a showcase for what he does best - putting the ball into the danger zone, and often into the net. Had he not been injured, Fabio Capello would definitely have taken Beckham as part of his 23-man squad - aside from the loss of the sheer inspiration of Beckham, would this 'out-of-England' experience perhaps have been the extra boost England needed to go on and triumph?
The bottom line is this; England are, no matter how much I may prefer not to admit it, an excellent footballing nation. Their league is fantastic and their players are quality. The question is, do they have what it takes to do it on a global scale? Whilst their players remain within their English footballing bubble, I question that.
Every two to four years it comes around. England expects, apparently? This year, one would have to say they have a right to. Despite their 30-man squad springing a few surprises, the key players - Beckham aside - are in the squad, ready and raring to go. They all play in the best league in the world. Many are multiple-time league winners. Most, if not all, have European club football experience. Some have even been Champions of Europe.
So what is it? What stops England from fulfilling their potential every tournament? Why do they 'disappoint' and come home empty-handed? Setting aside my Scottish roots for a second, I have a theory - perhaps the most honest reason is that for all their relative worth, there really isn't that much variety in the England squad; and that's their downfall.
Now you might say 'What, not enough variety? What about the differences between the strikers, the midfielders, even the defenders? Even their goalkeepers are all completely different to each other! What are you on about?' My point isn't that the players themselves aren't different, but they have literally no difference in the environment they play in.
Allow me to explain: let's compare England's squad and the players involved with another top team - in fact, the best international team in the world, Brazil.
England's squad currently consists of 30 players, which will be cut down to 23. Of those twenty three players, every single one has been playing in the Premier League this season. Isn't that a bit limited when it comes to experience? If you discount the ones who have never played in the Champions League before, it becomes clear that they are simply bereft of any experiences outside of English football. Whether it's the 'best league in the world' or not, the fact remains that the English Premiership is still just one league out of many. So that makes England's squad experience as follows...
England: 100%
Now we'll take a look at Brazil's squad by comparison...
Italy [Serie A]: 8 players, roughly 33%
Spain [La Liga]: 4 players, 18%
Brazil [Serie A Brasil]: 3 players, 13%
Germany [Bundesliga], Portugal [Liga]: 2 players each, 18%
Other leagues [England, Greece, Turkey etc.]: four players, again 18%
The Brazilian team are probably the best in the world, yet their squad includes only three players from their own league and only one player from the English Premiership, Spurs 'keeper Heurelho Gomes (incidentally, since Dunga chose to name his 23-man squad immediately, players such as Fabio Aurelio, Anderson and Lucas were never given the chance in a 30 man squad)
Of course, Brazil are a special case, aren't they? Besides, their league isn't all that competitive, so why would they have any more than three from it? Okay, so now we come to Spain. Euro 2008 winners and probably contenders for the 'best league in the world' crown, so surely all their players are from La Liga - right?
Spain [La Liga]: 20 players, roughly 87%
England [Premier League]: Three players, about 13%
Even Spain, a proud nation who, it is said, prefer to have their players selected from their own league as England do, still have Reina, Fabregas and Torres playing abroad. Similarly, whilst the majority of the Italian side comes from Serie A, Giuseppi Rossi plies his trade at Villareal, and is almost certain to go to the World Cup with the Azzurri. Portugal have a similar pattern to Brazil, albeit mostly spread between La Liga and the Portugese Liga. All these teams have had success in recent years - could this shared footballing experience be why?
Remember Owen Hargreaves? Used to play for Bayern Munich a couple of years ago until he got injured. At previous tournaments,Hargreaves was an oddity in that he was an Englishman playing abroad, unlike the likes of Beckham, Owen and even Woodgate who went to play for Real Madrid in fairly high-profile transfers - Hargreaves became only the second player to have played for England before he played in England. Whilst this garnered a fair amount of criticism prior to his debut at White Hart Lane in 2001, he was widely considered to have been a revelation when playing for his country, even winning The FA's England Player of the Year and Player of the Tournament in 2006. Could this be attributed to Hargreaves' experience in German football, a very different game to that of the Premier League?
Similarly, even England star David Beckham has in recent years plied his early year trade at AC Milan, with excellent results for himself, Milan and for England. Beckham forced his way back into the England setup whilst playing for L.A. Galaxy and used Milan as a showcase for what he does best - putting the ball into the danger zone, and often into the net. Had he not been injured, Fabio Capello would definitely have taken Beckham as part of his 23-man squad - aside from the loss of the sheer inspiration of Beckham, would this 'out-of-England' experience perhaps have been the extra boost England needed to go on and triumph?
The bottom line is this; England are, no matter how much I may prefer not to admit it, an excellent footballing nation. Their league is fantastic and their players are quality. The question is, do they have what it takes to do it on a global scale? Whilst their players remain within their English footballing bubble, I question that.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Wherever It Takes Us, Whatever It Takes
Scotland always has hope.
Forget the cynical media. Forget the ex-players who like nothing more than to criticise the current ones. Forget the guys in the pub who take the piss because you support a team with a very low success rate at anything, never mind something on such a huge scale as a World Cup making up the best international teams in the world. Scottish fans never give up hope.
We never expect, you see. Well, some do, but the most of us just love to support our team.
Scotland went out of the World Cup a fortnight ago, losing 1-0 to a team who finish their qualifying group with a 100% record, as well as remaining the third best team in the world - currently at least. Since then, other football matches have come and gone, other issues have been brought up in the sport and George Burley has managed to hang onto his job.
The other night I downloaded the Scottish Football podcast, which Off the Ball (an irreverent football related comedy show on BBC Scotland) promises me enjoyment and information from Scottish football. Instead, all it's served to do is make me miserable, with presenters arguing back and forth about why Scottish football is in the sh*t and whose fault it is. It helps nothing, absolutely nothing, and the media does nothing but propagate idiotic ideas on how things 'should' be done, suggesting such nonsensical things as putting several people out of a job in favour of having 'one governing body', despite no successful league being run that way. It's always the same with Scottish media, mind - jump on the bandwagon when we're up, kick the sh*t out of us when we're down.
So then, to Euro 2012. Let's hope George can pull out a miracle, 'cause his job sure ain't safe if we can't qualify.
Forget the cynical media. Forget the ex-players who like nothing more than to criticise the current ones. Forget the guys in the pub who take the piss because you support a team with a very low success rate at anything, never mind something on such a huge scale as a World Cup making up the best international teams in the world. Scottish fans never give up hope.
We never expect, you see. Well, some do, but the most of us just love to support our team.
Scotland went out of the World Cup a fortnight ago, losing 1-0 to a team who finish their qualifying group with a 100% record, as well as remaining the third best team in the world - currently at least. Since then, other football matches have come and gone, other issues have been brought up in the sport and George Burley has managed to hang onto his job.
The other night I downloaded the Scottish Football podcast, which Off the Ball (an irreverent football related comedy show on BBC Scotland) promises me enjoyment and information from Scottish football. Instead, all it's served to do is make me miserable, with presenters arguing back and forth about why Scottish football is in the sh*t and whose fault it is. It helps nothing, absolutely nothing, and the media does nothing but propagate idiotic ideas on how things 'should' be done, suggesting such nonsensical things as putting several people out of a job in favour of having 'one governing body', despite no successful league being run that way. It's always the same with Scottish media, mind - jump on the bandwagon when we're up, kick the sh*t out of us when we're down.
So then, to Euro 2012. Let's hope George can pull out a miracle, 'cause his job sure ain't safe if we can't qualify.
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