Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: england, qatar, roman abramo, russia, sepp blatter, soccer, United States, world cup, world cups
After what was weeks of “sure-things” and “lock” talk for the World Cup 2018 and 2022 bids, England and the United States
stand in shock. Granted, the Brits were more odds on favorites for the honor of hosting the World Cup, but, due to corruption and intense media intervention, the Russians got 2018. One has to wonder exactly how much money Roman Abramovich poured into their bid and the answer has got to be somewhere the realm of “a ton”.
Going further on that notion, Qatar, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, is planning on constructing stadiums of unbelievable proportions. However, it begs the question just how they got the World Cup. They are the smallest nation to ever submit a bid, let alone win; they have little to no foundation of football within their country and no legitimate facilities to speak of. Granted, they have 12 years to do it, but the decision seems mostly like Sepp Blatter wanting to leave his oversized footprint in the history of football.
Two polar opposites for the two World Cups. Russia is huge. Qatar is tiny. Enjoy freezing in Russia, FIFA. Also, you know when they have to propose air conditioned stadiums, it’s going to be hot as hell in a country slightly smaller than Connecticut.
The decision for Russia makes some sense, but Blatter’s desire to spread the global influence of the game has overtaken his ability to think straight.
Consider the Qatar bid. Average temperature in July is 115 degrees. No infrastructure. One airport. One. 120th ranked team in the world. And the ONLY bid rated “high risk” by FIFA. Not to mention the “No Alcohol” policy. This decision literally makes 0 sense.
Hopefully some do-good journalist goes Watergate and uncovers some misdeeds in the lead up to the voting process…
A guy can dream right?
Fun Quote – “I have an idea..we play Qatar in a friendly(they can even host it), and the winner gets to host the 2022 WC..wait, do they even have a team?” – Landon Donovan
Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: arjen robben, carlos puyol, david villa, dutch, fernando torres, final, gerard pique, giovanni van bronckhorst, holland, iker casillas, iniesta, joan capdevila, Joris Mathijsen, mark van bommel, martin stekelenberg, netherlands, oranje, pedro, preview, robin van persie, sergio busquets, spain, wesley sneijder, world cup, xabi alonso, xavi
NETHERLANDS – SPAIN
“Fresh Meat”
Final – Preview
July 11th, 2010
There’s a first time for everything, and for Spain, it’s a World Cup Final. For the Netherlands, it could potentially be their first ever World Cup trophy after featuring in the final in 1974 and 1978. Those appearances coupled with their Euro 1988 win give the Dutch the historical edge, but recently, Spain is the more accomplished of the two sides after winning Euro 2008.
Neither side is a sure bet for the win, as they are both more than capable of winning the tournament. The pitch will be packed with talent as the likes of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt will take on the Spanish Armada consisting of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa. Ironically, both teams have been notorious for choking in the past, yet both find themselves thrust onto literally the greatest stage in world football.
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Netherlands –
The Oranje are a well oiled machine. Any questions that were asked of them before the tournament have promptly been answered as the Dutch are now 6/6 in South Africa. They’re not as flashy as some of their supporters would like, but you can’t argue with the results they’re cranking out. Beating Slovakia, Brazil and Uruguay is no small order but the Oranje have done it well.
Stengths
The Dutch have world class talent littered across the pitch. Wesley Sneijder is almost without question, the best attacking midfielder in the world and he’s flanked by Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt – two very different players but both extremely effective in their play. Against Uruguay, their back line looked a lot better than it did in the first half against Brazil, and all four starters should be fit and ready to go against Spain.
Weaknesses
Their defensive unit. Van Bronckhorst, their captain is 35, Joris Mathijsen is 30 and Andre Ooijer (should he be used) is 35. Now Van Bronckhorst showed that he still has quite a bit of power in his screamer against Uruguay, but he still can be exposed by speed and trickery. Notably, he will face quite a bit more of that against the Spaniards, who are brimming with confidence and skill. If David Villa has a bad game (you never know), then it could really open the match up as Netherlands will be able to fortify the back line while using van Bommel to help defense flow seamlessly into attack. Also, the Dutch will really have to hope that Robin Van Persie finds some kind of form, because their striking department has lacked bite.
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Spain
If there’s any time to buckle, this is not it. However, you can’t help but feel that having never been to the finals, that this might be their most likely time to do so. With so much expectation and playing such hot-and-cold football, who really knows what Spain team will show up against the Netherlands.
Strengths
What isn’t a strength for Spain? The boast one of the best keepers on the planet, Pique and Puyol anchor the back line, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta and Pedro/Busquets make up the midfield and they have one of the most in-form strikers in the world in David Villa. They play classy and attractive football, and should they score the first goal, the Netherlands will find it incredibly tough to bounce back. They’re the strongest squad on paper going into the final, but, as we all know well, that doesn’t mean much.
Weaknesses
The Spanish aren’t flawless, as many would like to believe. They have tendencies and soft spots that can be exposed if rubbed the right way. Playing with a lone striker allows teams to crowd them out and frustrate their attack. Netherlands isn’t known as a counter attacking team, which isn’t good news for Spain as their style is tailormade for stiffling counter attacking play. I’ve always said that Joan Capdevila is their weakest player, and while that says a lot about their starting line up (because Capdevila is a solid player), he will be facing Arjen Robben and likely Dirk Kuyt. As the Germans tried to exploit (albeit unsuccessfully) were the soft spots behind the holding midfielder and in front of the defense. And with Ramos pushing so far up the pitch, Sneijder will make a killing off those pockets in which he can work with Kuyt or Robben.
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Prediction – Both teams are formidable sides, but it’s hard to look past Spain now. Germany was probably their sternest test, and with that out of the way, they look like they could well go on to win it.
Netherlands 0 – 2 Spain
Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: bastian schweinsteiger, david villa, fernando torres, germany, iniesta, lucas podolski, mesut ozil, sami kheidra, sergio busquets, spain, xabi alonso, xavi
A late addition to Football Station, I know, but today is a vital match up between familiar foes who have met on the international stage before in Euro 2008. In that instance, Fernando Torres scored the only goal of the game as the Iberian squad marched to victory over the Germans.
This time, it’s different. Much different. Germany are steamrolling teams and looking like an downright powerhouse going into this tie, and despite the fact that Spain has one of the most talented rosters in the world, they haven’t hit top gear in South Africa just yet. After losing to Switzerland, the Spanish have won every game, but they have yet to play a team such as Germany, and their shortcomings could become evident while playing such a team.
Do the Germans have any flaws? You bet. They aren’t as deep a squad as they would like, luckily for the Germans, it doesn’t look like they need one. However, with Thomas Mueller suspended from the freak “handball” call in their game against Argentina, the youngster will have to sit this one out. Piotr Trochowski the 26 year old Hamburg man, takes his spot and will be looking to take the Spanish apart with his skillful dribbling.
The Spanish don’t exactly have many flaws. If the form of Fernando Torres was present in one of their full backs, then there might be a real problem. Maybe that’s why he isn’t starting. But the nice thing for the Spanish is that you can afford to have a
forward not on top form. That said, Spain’s biggest problem, historically, is their inability to finish teams off. This could be entirely possible if Torres doesn’t hit top gear. Villa has been carrying the goal load almost single handedly in South Africa and could really use some help from his striking compatriot. Germany play rough and tough defense, something Torres will be familiar from being a Liverpool player. Will it pay dividends? Eh, we’ll see.
The Spanish have a loaded midfield full of talent, pinpoint passing and plenty of guile. Well isn’t that convenient…because so do the Germans. Germany have Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Ozil and Podolski. Spain have Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets. It’s close but the edge may go to Spain. Spain are vulnerable to the counter attack, though, as their striking department contain the most pace on the pitch. Xabi Alonso isn’t known for pace, nor is Busquets. Puyol can be vulnerable to a pacy player and Capdevila (probably the weakest link for the Spaniards, which is saying a lot) has been exposed in the past as well.
Germany’s biggest fear should be extra time. Should they have to draw from the bench late on in the game, the Spanish can take it. Also, the Germans haven’t had to really chase a game this World Cup, and when they did, they lost to Serbia. If the Spaniards score first, that could be curtains as well.
Prediction
If the match doesn’t go to extra time…
Germany 2 – 1 Spain
If it does…
Could go anywhere…but we fancy Spain.
Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: argentina, bastian schweinsteiger, bayern munich, carlos tevez, diego maradona, diego milito, england, germany, gonzalo higuain, lionel messi, liverpool, manchester city, mesut ozil, mexico, philip lahm, sergio aguero, world cup
GERMANY – ARGENTINA
“BAD BLOOD”
Preview
July 3rd, 2010
When the ball drops Saturday in Cape Town and it will have nearly been a week since Germany and Argentina had secured their places in a mouthwatering quarterfinal fixture that has nothing less than a finals atmosphere. Arguably the most anticipated quarterfinal matchup was created from two very similar second round matches as Germany sent home fellow European “rivals” England with their tails between their legs upon capitalizing on a Lampard goal-that-never-was that seemed to deflate any English momentum as the Germans went on to dismantle the absent English defense on second-half counter attacks.
Argentina’s “Hand of God” sequel compliments of Italian referee Roberto Rosetti’s un raised arm seemed to take El Tri’s mind off of their game plan and more on exacting revenge by way of a half-time tunnel scuffle. An early Tevez bullet after the break sent El Tri on a one-way ticket back to the beaches of Acapulco. It’s fair to say that both teams arrived in the Quarterfinal on questionable circumstances.
Historical bad blood has sparked Germany’s captain-in-waiting Bastian Schweinsteiger to take the opening shot of what has developed into a war of words between the two heavily decorated sides. Schweinsteiger has recently accused the Argentineans of displaying a “lack of respect” during their second round tilt against Mexico. The German midfielder went on to cite that Diego Maradona’s squad are anything but reluctant to influence the referees in any way possible for their benefit. “It starts before the match. You see how they gesticulate, how they try to influence the referee. That is not part of the game. That is a lack of respect. They are like that. We should not be provoked by them.” Schweinsteiger continued to legitimize his claims by pointing out that this has been commonplace of the Argentinean mentality and character on the pitch.
It is clear that the Bayern workhorse has still not forgotten the post-game clash that erupted after Germany’s victory in penalties over Argentina that produce a clash between the players and coaching staff from both sides during the 2006 World Cup Quarterfinals. Schweinsteiger has come out and said that he has made it a point to remind his team-mates of their history and to not react to any Argentinean provocation come the start of Saturday’s showdown, which doesn’t seem to be quite a bad idea with the immense presence of the seemingly card-happy officiating thus far in the World Cup. (i.e. Kaka)
On the other hand, who was surprised to see the constantly outspoken Carlos Tevez presenting his rebuttal to the off-field German offensive? Not me. Tevez combated Germany’s critiques of his side’s character by insisting that Mexico are a far more formable
and fearsome squad than the one anchored by Schweinsteiger. “The Mexicans play better football. They took the ball from us in the first minutes of the first half and at the start of the second. We should have suffered more if we hadn’t struck at the right moments.” Shortly after the Schweinsteiger comments, Tevez told Clarin that he was more afraid of Mexico than Germany despite an absolute showcase of pass and move counterattacking against the star-studded Three Lions.
It is clear that Tevez’s confidence may arise from the two sides’ last meeting during a Friendly match in Munich where Diego Maradona’s squad defeated the Germans 1-0 in a less than strenuous effort. When brought to his attention, Schweinsteiger seemed unmoved by this fact saying, “One, it was a friendly. Two, they did not create many chances either. Three, we have gained a lot of confidence by beating England and the good tactics we used in that game.” Those good tactics will undoubtedly need an encore against the South Americans who seem to be unstoppable at the moment, having not lost a single match yet during this year’s World Cup campaign.
The two sides look to be extremely well matched, which seems to be the reason for the sudden outburst of words from either camp as each team seems to be desperately looking for added ammunition to use as motivation in a quarterfinal match that looks to be as unpredictable as the Argentinean master and commander, Diego Maradona.
I have no doubts that either team will come out at their strongest to live up to either country’s immense expectations. Argentina has more than an adequate supply of attacking power with a laundry list of world class finishers (Higuain, Messi, Tevez, Milito, Aguero) but their defensive play has long been suspect. As if the England game doesn’t provide enough evidence, the Germans have a reputation of capitalizing on such weaknesses by utilizing the speed and width play of their youth movement. Look to Germany to continue their balanced and control-based passing game with calculated and organized counterattacks, which will test the nerve of Argentina’s back line. Even more so than any other game, the capitalization of chances will be crucial for either side in a match where the sheer presence of world-class talent will be on full display. I see Germany putting away at least one or two of these chances against a possibly more vulnerable back line than previously presented to them by England, where Argentina’s strike happy hit men will see fewer opportunities against a veteran German back line. Ozil may play less a part in this game as he sizes up against Captain Javier Mascherano. The latter is certainly capable of neutralizing any offensive threat in the world, and the German youngster is no different. Still…
Prediction:
Germany 3 – 2 Argentina
– Eric Fortin
Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: argentina, arjen robben, Brazil, dirk kuyt, dutch, eljero elia, holland, johnny heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, julio cesar, klaas jan huntelaar, lucio, maicon, mark van bommel, martin stekelenberg, netherlands, paraguay, robin van persie, ryan babel, spain, uruguay, wesley sneijder, world cup
NETHERLANDS – BRAZIL
“WING IT”
Preview
July 2nd, 2010
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
With no games today and no games tomorrow, the footballing world is left twiddling its thumbs and (if their side is still in the competition) throwing up a Hail Mary or two. The competition was been slashed from 32 teams to 8, sending 24 squads packing home. Saturday brings two world heavy weights and two relative underdogs toe to toe in the competition. South America is represented in every one of the Quarterfinals (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, & Uruguay) , while Europe has three in Germany, Netherlands and Spain. With the world’s finest footballers sharing the same field this weekend, there are bound to be fireworks.
NETHERLANDS – BRAZIL
Football purists are drooling over this tie and for good reason. Bayern Munich team mates Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben take the field against the Inter Milan defensive trio of Lucio, Maicon and Julio Cesar – whom they faced in the Champions League Final.
There isn’t much between the two sides, and it will be down to the wire on Saturday as Wesley Sneijder leads the Dutch against Kaká and the South Americans. Brazil’s back line is deceptively versatile as it can turn all out defense to attack in seconds through the speedy outside backs who love to get in on the action. Brazil have conceded only 2 goals in the tournament while scoring 8. Both of the goals allowed came late against Brazil after they had seemingly won the game, which could be a warning sign that they could be more vulnerable towards the 90 minute mark. Still, their squad’s overall solidity is nearly absurd, as they are all bonafide stars. The spine of the team is Julio Cesar, Lucio, Kaká and Luis Fabiano. Don’t tell me that doesn’t just bring a tear to your eye.
Netherlands are a similar story, as they have also conceded only 2 goals but have scored 7 times, one less than the Brazilians. They possess some of the trickiest wingers in the world with not only Arjen Robben, but Eljero Elia and Ryan Babel, as well. Their strike force is almost second to none with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and their wingers frequently getting in on the action. The Dutch flex their attacking menace insanely well and like to have Sneijder pulling the strings behind the strikers and spraying the ball wide for Robben and Dirk Kuyt to play with. The former loves to cut in on his left foot and let fly from outside the box, and past experiences against Fiorentina in the Champions League and Slovakia just a few days ago will tell us he is more capable than anyone at making that cut pay dividends.
Key matchups are all over the field, as it happens when world class opponents face each other. Take your pick.
Robben vs. Bastos.
Van Persie vs. Lucio.
Fabiano vs. Heitinga.
Felipe Melo vs. Sneijder.
Kaká vs. De Jong.
If you had to pick a weak spot in the tie, it might be the Dutch back line. Captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst is 35 and can be exposed by pace, as he will surely meet against Robinho and Luis Fabiano. Joris Mathijsen is a sturdy central defender but, like his captain, is susceptible to trickery and the more fleet footed. Also, Stekelenberg is a great keeper, but he will be up against one
of the top attacking lines in the world and might fall victim to a slew of Brazilian shots. Also, the Dutch are perennial chokers. They are known to cruise through qualifying, breeze past formidable opponents, only to fall to lesser ones. Here’s hoping history doesn’t repeat it self and we are in for a real game.
If anybody on the Dutch squad can expose inexperience, it’s Arjen Robben. Luckily for the Europeans, he will be matched up against one of the least experienced Brazilians in Michel Bastos. While the Lyon full back is a very capable defensive player, he hasn’t face as much attacking power thus far in South Africa (and that’s saying something after coming out of Group G).
Also, the atmosphere for this game should be off the charts. The famous Oranje supporters meet the world renowned Brazilian maniacs who live and die by their national team’s results. Hopefully we can hear some songs now (considering that there isn’t an African team playing) other than the dull drone of the vuvuzelas.
Hopefully, Dunga and Bert van Marwijk will be looking to win the game, rather than trying not to lose.
This game will be made in the wings. Robinho and Robben hold the keys to a game that will be poised on a knife edge.
Prediction
Brazil 2 – 1 Netherlands (after extra time)
Filed under: International, United States | Tags: anthony annan, asamoah gyan, bob bradley, carlos bocanegra, clint dempsey, ghana, jozy altidore, kevin prince-boateng, landon donovan, maurice edu, michael essien, oguchi onyewu, ricardo clark, richard kingson, robbie findley, tim howard, United States, world cup
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Filed under: International, World Cup | Tags: alexis sanchez, borussia mochengladbach, cameroon, david villa, denmark, gonzalo higuain, keisuke honda, mark gonzalez, mesut ozil, michael ballack, michael bradley, paraguay, robert vittek, thomas sorenson, udinese
As the knockout stages get under way, let’s examine who some of the most influential and surprising players of the tournament have been in South Africa.
5. Robert Vittek – The 28 year old Slovakian striker made a name for himself with two goals in the 3-2 victory over defending
champion Italy on Thursday. Vittek and the Slovaks caught the Italian defense sleeping several times in their match yesterday, and were able to capitalize on three of those chances. Turns out, that was enough. The spritely hitman who plies his trade at…uh…Ankaragücü (Turkish side) seemingly ran for the entire 92 minutes he was on the pitch. He is tied for top scorer in South Africa alongside big names like Gonzalo Higuain and David Villa. Despite the fact that Vittek, along with the entire Slovakian side, have impressed so far in South Africa, they face an undefeated Dutch side in the knockout rounds. But if history has told us anything, the Dutch will choke against some opponent, and the Slovak’s will be wondering: why not us?
4. Michael Bradley – For the coach’s son, South Africa has been his playground. The calm and collected center midfielder is only 22 years old, but to the passing onlooker could be confused for a player 8 years older. Bradley has turned in key performances in every game the Yanks have played in the World Cup, regardless of who his midfield partner is. He scored the equalizer in one of the games of the tournament against Slovakia, and has been a rock in stopping attacks and a spark plug in starting them. Without him, the United States would be standing on sea legs in the ocean that is South Africa. The Borussia Mochengladbach lynchpin could have put himself in the shop window for bigger European clubs this summer, and with his displays against talented opposition, there’s no reason he shouldn’t get a look.
3. Alexis Sanchez – Quick and dynamic, Sanchez has played a hand in most every attacking move for the Chilean side, who
have been impressive going forward the in all their matches. The winger/striker plays for a very respectable Udinese side in Serie A. Interestingly, the young gun has no goals this tournament, but has still been a key player for his South American side’s progression into the knockout stages. They now face a Brazilian side coming off of a disappointing draw against Portugal and may be prime for some surprise attacking football…something that the Chileans almost guarantee. Chile were unlucky to be reduced to 10 men against Spain. It would have been a very different game if they were at full strength, as Sanchez & Co were running at the Spanish backline with speed and technically aplomb.
2. Mesut Ozil – Controversial pick here, because Ozil of Werder Bremen was known as a great player before his time in South Africa. However, many did not give him the credit they are giving him now after his performances in group play. In Germany’s first game against Australia, the 21 year old checked in with two assists, not to mention countless passes over and through the Australian back line. Ozil has single handedly ensured that the presence of Michael Ballack has not been missed. Ozil’s creativity has been the high point of Germany’s World Cup campaign and he capped off group play with a stunning strike against Ghana. He is just about as young as anybody at the tournament, but is playing at a level that the highest performers are on. Looking for a bet? Put it on Ozil moving to a bigger name European club for big bucks.
1. Keisuke Honda – CSKA Moscow’s paying £6 millon for Honda now looks like a steal, as the Japanese wizard has lit up Group E. He opened his first ever World Cup with the winning goal over Cameroon, and has continued to work his magic on the back lines in South Africa, most recently against Denmark as first he smashed a freekick into Thomas Sorenson’s net from 30 yards out but, towards the end of the game, he gave a craftily turned inside the box, and, rather than being selfish, played the ball across to substitute Shinji Okazaki for a goal. He has been a revelation for the Japanese, and will be their biggest asset going into their clash with Paraguay, which is entirely winnable. The manager’s claim that they could make their way into the quarterfinals. With Keisuke Honda’s help, it’s a real possibility.
Filed under: International, United States, World Cup | Tags: algeria, landon donovan, United States, world cup
If you haven’t seen it already, check it out. Very, very cool video.