World Cup 2010 Blog: “The Future Starts Now: U19 European Championship” plus 3 more |  |
- The Future Starts Now: U19 European Championship
- Everyone likes the “new” Germany…Except Michael Ballack
- The Capello Index Revealed…briefly
- Is Nationality Important with National Coaches
| The Future Starts Now: U19 European Championship Posted: 17 Jul 2010 12:51 PM PDT In one of his pre-World Cup posts, Chris provided the average ages of all the teams and listed them youngest to oldest. In hindsight- the list is even more fascinating to me. After revisiting this list, I think its fair to say some of the most exciting teams to watch at the World Cup were some of the youngest- Ghana (24.1), North Korea (24.8), Germany (25), Cameroon (25.2), Spain (25.9) and Chile (25.9) were the six youngest teams at this tournament. And not only were these teams exciting- but they were also some of the best success stories of the tournament. These facts- coupled with discovering a country’s next “[insert each country's international legacy here]” make the under-19 European Championship an even more exciting prospect. If you aren’t convinced then I suggest revisiting Chris’s post to check out the top six oldest teams who played (and largely failed) at the World Cup… For those already convinced, here is a primer on what you can expect from the tournament which kicks off tomorrow (Sunday, July 18th) in Northern France…
When and Where is this? The competition kicks off tomorrow (Sunday, July 18th) and is being held in Northern France. Competition Format: The competition has three stages- a qualification round, an “elite” round and then a final round. The qualification stage which kicked off in September was made of groups of four where teams played “round robin” style both home and away and the top two teams in each group advanced to the “elite level.” A number of 3rd placed teams also advance (depending on number of teams competing) based on their records versus the top two teams that automatically advanced. The elite level took place last Spring where seven teams won the opportunity to join France in the finals tournament. The final tournament consists of two groups of four teams where the top two teams in the group advanced to the semi finals and then the winners of those matches play in the finals. Which teams are in the finals? Honestly? Most of the countries you’d expect with only a few surprises- Austria, Croatia, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. It seems Germany used up all its youth at the World Cup finals… And what are the Groups and Match Schedules? Good question – Screen captures courtesy of UEFA.com…
So, no chance of an ESP-NED rematch unless both teams make it out of their groups? Is this likely and who are the favorites? Well, historically, Spain have qualified the most times since the U-19 championship replaced the U-18 tournament in 2001. Including this years tournament, they’ve qualified seven times beating England who have qualified six times and German and France who have made it to this point five times. Of the seven times Spain have qualified they’ve won it four times (2002, 2004, 2006, 2007). France, who historically dominated the U-18 competition, have only won this tournament once (2005) along with Italy (2003), Germany (2008) and Ukraine (2009). But, take all those historical indications of success with a grain of salt as Spain have failed to make it out of the group stage since their win 2007. And even their coach has recently admitted that the youth teams in Spain are under more pressure than ever to succeed since the success of their senior team both in 2008 and this summer. France are also considered favorites no only because they are hosts but also because most of the team was present at the U-17 finals two years ago where they lost to Spain. France have a tough first game against the Netherlands who beat France last October 4-2- but the coach is optimistic that the thrill of having their families watch them will help France overcome the Dutch who are suffering from player suspensions. The current titleholders, Ukraine, did not qualify. And you really think future stars of the game will be there? Yes- at least the future stars of European teams. When France won the U-18 edition (which later became the U-19 tournament), their team included William Gallas, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet- Henry and Trezeguet won the World Cup with the France senior team two years later. Other players who dominated this tournament that may seem familiar to you include Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Andrea Pirlo, Robbie Keane, Fernando Torres, David Silva and Sergio Ramos…and they are just the top top of a long list.
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| Everyone likes the “new” Germany…Except Michael Ballack Posted: 17 Jul 2010 11:11 AM PDT I think its safe to say that the German team that exited the World Cup managed to win not only a few games but also the hearts of a lot of fans-including mine. And, trust me, no one is more surprised about this than me. For a variety of reasons, I was definitely in the “anyone but Germany…and Italy” camp before the World Cup. But after watching them play, I was won over by their heart, selflessness and dedicated to each other. And though football fans are always sad when great players can’t participate in the World Cup- I felt that Germany (in the end) benefitted from Ballack’s absence. Michael Ballack is undoubtedly an incredible player who has led Germany to (almost) Glory- such as their ride to the semifinals in the 2006 World Cup or the finals of Euro 2008. But, it became obvious even to casual observers of the German team that while the rest of the team was moving forward to a “new approach” of football- Ballack remained faithful to the “old guard” and the “old ways.” (Yes, Michael, some people do like to see their loved ones during the tournament.) When Ballack was injured, Philipp Lahm was named captain of the German team- a task he accomplished admirably. Leading this team was a tricky task- and not because of anything to do with the actual players- but because of the press about the team. Before the tournament, the diverse make-up of the team led to questions being asked about their “German-ness” and how a team of players from such diverse backgrounds could work cohesively together. Needless, to say, I think the proof was on the field – as the German team were an exemplary example of how a team should work together. And instead of crumbling under pressure, Lahm embraced his role as a leader- focusing on creating an environment where the players could blossom instead of being stifled. And he clearly doesn’t want to give up this role- he made that clear both at the World Cup and in recent interviews with German press.
Its hard to say what could of been- but I’m not sure if this cohesiveness would have been able to exist if Ballack had led the team instead of Lahm… But, if recent interviews with Ballack are any indication, he does not agree. All signs indicate he believes he will be returning to the German National Team- and with the armband.
In my opinion, the fact that Ballack is trying to press himself back into the national team fold doesn’t bode well for his ability to promote a unifying team as a power struggle is undoubtedly a mood-killer as players are forced to take sides. Bastian Schweinsteiger recently put his iron in the fire by standing with Ballack – against his Bayern teammate, Lahm.
I’m not sure how this will eventually end. Its a tricky situation the German Federation will have to navigate with extreme sensitivity to ensure they honor Ballack’s commitment and past contributions to the team while also not disturbing the synergy the team created in South Africa. To keep tabs on all the developments in the German team, visit the Germany World Cup Blog!
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| The Capello Index Revealed…briefly Posted: 17 Jul 2010 08:38 AM PDT
It seems Fabio was marking the players anyway, as it surfaced this morning, Capello’s rankings of the England squad from best (Defoe), to worst (Rob Green). John Terry was ranked as England’s second best player, despite an awful performance against Germany. However – Capello has demanded this afternoon, hours after it had appeared online, that it was published, by the FA who wanted rid of it in the first place, without his permission and wanted it taken down. Talk about mixed messages. So quickly click below before Fabio cuffs us and forces it down himself. Robert Green 51.67 Some interesting stuff in there, mostly the general low rankings. If we assume that its like Football Manager and a 10 is a hat trick hero, and a 2 is a keeper who has conceded six goals (albeit with added 0’s), this England team was pretty average. Which is largely accurate. But just the nature of the Index, and the thing about it going up without Capello’s word and things is arguably more interesting. What the hell is going on? Communication clearly is not that great between the FA and the England manager.
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| Is Nationality Important with National Coaches Posted: 17 Jul 2010 06:49 AM PDT
England of course already have a non-English manager in the shape of Fabio Capello, but yesterday Sir Trevor Brooking added to the uneasy relationship with the manager, suggesting that the next coach would be English. Brazil are without a manager and there are calls from inside Brazil at the thought of a non-Brazilian coach, as there are a lack of Brazilian names that spring instantly to mind (Leonardo is favourite to land the job, despite a underwhelming stay in Milan). So how much does it matter? Brazil, obviously, have a big heritage to live up to. And while its one thing for say, the Ivory Coast to have a non-national as manager (Sven again), I’m sure if Brazil were to employ one, some eyebrows would be raised. But potentially there are alot of possibilities there, and the chance for someone to take an outsiders eye into the camp and try something a bit different. I think a manager does need a big understanding of the country he’s taking on and the history and so fourth, but naturally a coach born abroad can bring a different viewpoint which could be really good. So I say Brazil should give it a go, if there are no Brazilians who are quite up to the level they expect. They’ve got nothing to lose.
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You might remember just before the World Cup, 
The old adage, England invented the game and the Brazilians mastered it. You wouldn’t believe that if you watched the World Cup in South Africa, as both sides crashed out relatively early. Both are pondering the question of whether the nationality of a national coach is important, and if it is important, how much so?| 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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