World Cup 2010 Blog: “The Great World Cup Worrydown Commences” plus 4 more |  |
- The Great World Cup Worrydown Commences
- Slovenia World Cup 2010 Profile
- World Cup Moments: Zidane’s Other World Cup Final Headers
- England World Cup 2010 Team Profile
- France, Thierry Henry & The New Calciopoli
| The Great World Cup Worrydown Commences Posted: 23 Apr 2010 03:40 AM PDT
But really, good times are a-comin’ for many, and there’s little which can detract from the swell of excitement which is due as the world’s greatest tournament inches closer. Unfortunately for some, that “little” has come: injuries, and they’re rocking some national teams off their axis like a planetary vuvuzela. Today, sadly, Ivica Dragutinovic was removed from the World Cup by a torn Achilles in training with Sevilla. In fact it’s the same injury suffered by notable absentee David Beckham, which he’ll have operated on by the very same doctor. They’re also both 34, which means the law of three states another 34 year old on the outs of his international career will suffer a torn Achilles before the World Cup. Prayers and requests should be sent to your local shaman. Michael Essien has put his status up in the air with his Chelsea season – a title-chasing season – now over, and the race for fitness now beginning. Spain will be sweating over the fitness of both Cesc and Fernando Torres, though both are likely to show, and likely more sweat in the case of the latter. Del Bosque and Co. want not for midfield creativity and can afford to throw on, oh, I don’t know…Andres Iniesta. Who, speaking of, is also nursing a ‘niggling’ injury which keeps popping up and is worth watching for the tournament. There are plenty others now, too many to list, but we’ll just leave you, and football clubs all over the world, with this:
There will be lots of injuries, and every single one of them should, and likely will, put the World Cup ahead of their clubs. Lead the line, Fernando.
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| Slovenia World Cup 2010 Profile Posted: 23 Apr 2010 01:10 AM PDT
For seconds, and for bigger, they pulled off perhaps the upset of qualifying by beating Russia, or Guus Hiddink, or Guus Hiddink’s Russia, over two-legs in the second-placed playoffs. It was something incredible, really, because it was almost an “afterthought” goal in the 87th with Russia cruising 2-0 in the first leg. A 1-0 home win later, and the World Cup has no Russia, but Slovenia. This is a fairytale – their fairytale. FIFA World Ranking as of March 31st 2010: 29th Coach: Matjaž Kek Not likely to be well-known outside of Slovenia, he’s very much a man of two teams: Slovenia and Maribor. Incidentally, he’s from Maribor, Slovenia. In 2000, after playing for Maribor, Slovenia’s top team, over much of his career, he coached them for six years. He took over a couple of Slovenian youth sides, before being handed the senior side reigns and masterminding victory over one of football’s masterminds. Key Players: One name has continually crept up as possibly turning in World Cup 2010 as its continental arrival: keeper Samir Handanovic. Only 25, he’s been a pillar at Udinese for what seems like ages, and he deserves the ticket to a big club he’s likely to earn in South Africa. One of Europe’s next top keepers. Handanovic, much like this team, is young. Valter Birsa is their precocious and highly gifted winger with pace and skill, while Milivoje Novakovic, a slightly older 30, is the third-leading scorer in national team history with a very modest 14 and will play the point off Slovenia’s Energizer bunny, Zlatko Dedic. The rest of the midfield, with Birsa, is likely to be made up of captain Robert Koren, Andraz Kirm and the desperately in need of a nickname Aleksandar Radosavljevic. The kid to watch is Inter’s Rene Krkhin, 19 years old and 3 caps to his name. The defense isn’t exactly household, but Bostjan Cesar does tower above the rest – at least as his 6′5 frame goes. Player with best YouTube video: This won’t win any cinematography awards, but Samir Handanovic is incredible. Player with best name: Mirnes Šišić. Disregarding the actual surname itself, look at the structure of it – it’s artistic. Each character has a mark of some sort above. Genius, like little brush strokes. Player with best nickname: We’re going to need help with this one – there just aren’t any for the picking. Qualification: A healthy lead into second in the initial stage saw them finish just behind Slovakia, and then a 2-2 away goals win versus heavy favorites Russia won them a second trip to the World Cup. Interesting: There’s every chance Slovenia will have the tallest team at the World Cup – and by some margin. Only four players on their recent call-up list under 180cm. They must be giants. National Anthem: "Zdravljica" ("A Toast") Kit: The away strip, which slightly resembles Charlie Brown’s outfit, gets more pub, but the home strip is refreshingly crisp and clean.
World Cup History:
Expectations: Most of the English speaking world likely considers England and the US the favorites for passage, but Slovenia are very much capable, and very well might, pip that second spot. They have a solid squad, a solid coach and, above all, no weight of expectation. (Which is their expectation, really.) Squad: TBA Blog: Zala covers the Slovenia World Cup Blog. - More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.
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| World Cup Moments: Zidane’s Other World Cup Final Headers Posted: 22 Apr 2010 05:10 PM PDT
As we all know, France beat Brazil 3-0 in that game to win their first ever World Cup. Emannuel Petit got himself on the scoresheet (which seems slightly bizarre in hindsight) but the game was effectively over at that point thanks to two first half headers from a(n almost) fully follicled Zizou. Video below:
In some ways, those headers mark the moment that a just turned 26 years old Zinedine Zidane made the trasition from talented footballer to global superstar. Football fans were vaguely aware of Zizou in 1998. He was two years into his Juventus career, and had appeared at Euro ‘96 (though I’d completely forgotten that latter fact before researching this post). So he wasn’t a nobody, but he wasn’t world renowned. Those two headers might not be the quintessential Zizou. Neither features a 360° spin. But they were a fitting end to an impressive tournament and ensured that from that point on, everyone would know the name Zinedine Zidane.
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| England World Cup 2010 Team Profile Posted: 22 Apr 2010 12:10 PM PDT
You already know about the coach and the key players, but read on to see who has the best name, nickname and YouTube video.
FIFA World Ranking as of March 31st 2010: #7
In midfield Steven Gerrard isn’t having his best season for Liverpool, but is still capable of greatness. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard is much more in form. He provides a genuine goal threat from midfield, but is also more important than he gets credit for in terms of his passing and the way he keeps the ball moving through the middle. The fitness and form of central defender and captain Rio Ferdinand is crucial, while the mental well-being of scandal-tastic former captain John Terry will also be a big factor. Player with best YouTube video: Obviously Rooney and Gerrard have a multitide of highlight reels, but I’m going to go with Arsenal right winger Theo Walcott here. Because the kid looks quick, even in slo-motion. Player with best name: Has to be Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey. Just for the Ivanhoe part. I’m also partial to Peter Crouch, just because it’s so oddly appropriate. Player with best nickname: Ashley Cole is still known as Cashley after his big money move from Arsenal to Chelsea. And that’s the polite way of explaining it. Qualification: After the Euro 2008 qualification disaster, England were handed a chance at revenge when they were paired with Croatia again. They didn’t waste it, beating Slaven Bilic’s men 4-1 away and 5-1 at home. England qualified top of UEFA Group 6, six points clear of Ukraine, and didn’t drop a single point until after qualification was secured. Wayne Rooney was joint second top scorer in European qualifying with nine goals. Interesting: You probably already know this, but John Terry was stripped of the captaincy back in February, when an alleged (is it still alleged?) affair with the then girlfriend of England (and former Chelsea) teammate Wayne Bridge was revealed in the press. Bridge is refusing to play for England while John Terry is involved, even with first choice left back Ashley Cole possibly injured, but Capello is sticking with Terry. So Bridge will stay home this summer, while Terry goes to South Africa. Time will tell if that was the right choice. Also interesting (or at least worth noting) - Big names David Beckham and Michael Owen will miss the tournament through injury, but won’t be particularly missed. National Anthem: Not actually the English national anthem, but “God Save the Queen” is always played before England games: Kit: White shirt, white short, white socks. Very white. World Cup History: Expectations: Even before qualification, the FA set the target of Engalnd reaching the semi-finals of World Cup 2010, and Capello echoed that target in March 2010. Semis would be England’s best performance since 1990, so I’m thinking a spirited quarter-final appearance would be acceptable. Going out on penalties would be a bit too familiar. Squad: TBA. Blog: Matilda, Rob, SoccerLimey and my self run the England blog. - More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.
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| France, Thierry Henry & The New Calciopoli Posted: 22 Apr 2010 08:08 AM PDT
Four years later it feels like it’s just begun, probably because it has (at the request of Marcello Lippi), and the black eye it left on Italy still hasn’t gone away. But strangely enough, Calciopoli wasn’t all bad: it’s widely held as the scandal which won Italy the World Cup. A silver lining quickly turned into gold.
The others linked with the case – Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben-Arfa and Sidney Govou – don’t carry quite the same weight of Ribery, but all are a part of the French setup and thus associated. This, combined with Henry’s handball and the lasting image of Zidane in Germany, could, in some strange way, help Les Bleus. France, though they do have the benefit of timing and this could all be cleared up by June 11th, are going to be seen as a villain by many, much like Italy in 2006. The Azzurri were famously unified by Calciopoli in 2006, playing not only for themselves, but playing against the criticisms of Italian football. It, along with the suicide attempt by Gianluca Pessotto, made them a quintessential team, rather than a collection of eleven national team members, and in the process Canna & Co. rode the country’s great scandal to international glory. There is going to be an awful lot of criticism about France this summer, be it about the methods of their invitation or the current scandal which is only gaining steam as more leaks snake into the press. And in the midst of the smoke, it’d be an absolute stroke to embrace this “new Calciopoli” – in stark contrast to the actual new Calciopoli – as their once in a lifetime silver lining. It may sound strange, surely terribly, horribly wrong, and it’s highly advised you don’t use it out of context, but Thierry Henry and a 17 year old hooker might be France’s best chance to win the World Cup.
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As the World Cup comes closer, there’s a palpable excitement which can be felt across all the seas, all the world. It’s called the vuvuzela, and its palpability is that feeling in the ass of your chair as the buzz rocks the globe off its axis.
We might be able to toss Slovenia in the “happy to be here” category. For firsts, they have a very humble, and short, World Cup history which consists of three losses and nothing else. Of course making World Cup 2002 was a miracle in itself and brings their record of World Cup qualifying to 2 in 4, a damn fine record for country of their size (2m) and birth date (1992).
For better or worse (probably worse) the one thing most people know about Zinedine Zidane is that he 
England have been drawn into World Cup 2010 Group C, along with Algeria, Slovenia and USA. With Italian coach Fabio Capello at the helm, the blind and misguided arrogance of tournaments past seems to have morphed into a more appropriate and more likeable level of quiet confidence. Unless Wayne Rooney gets injured. Then it’s back to panic and patriotism.
Coach: The very English sounding Fabio Capello. After entrusting the Euro 2008 campaign to Steve McClaren, and that not going so well, the English FA wanted a serious big name coach with a track record of trophies. Capello has won the Champions League with Milan, as well as league titles in his native Italy with Milan, Roma and (sort of) Juventus,plus two La Liga wins in two different stints at Real Madrid. Not too shabby, and Capello’s reputation and serious demeanor seem to have persuaded the big name England players to treat wearing the white shirt as a privilege instead of a right. 
Key Players: It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of Wayne Rooney, but that won’t stop me giving it a damn good go. Playing “in the hole” behind the much derided but very functional Emile Heskey, Rooney is somehow England’s chief creator and main source of goals. If Rooney is fit and in form, then England could go far. Without him they lack invention. Simple as that.
All the way back in 2006, there was this thing they called “Calciopoli” whipping up into a furor on the peninsula. It was an enormous distraction, one fraught with harsh accusations against the very core of Italian football, and left the club futures of many in the Italian team hanging in the balance. The players had far more on their plates than merely the biggest football games of their lives. | You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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