This tournament has been historic. It will always be remembered as the first World Cup to go to Africa, in particular, to South Africa – a country that has suffered so much oppression, that has fought to show the world that it is safe and that has shown the world that white people and black people are co-existing in peace.
The build up to this World Cup has been as much about who may not be there as to who will be there. Players have been ruling themselves out of matches or getting serious injury scares. It seems that a high proportion of these players, often influential players, are based in England and play in the Premier League.
Arsenal captain and Spanish international, Cesc Fabregas has been the subject of a lot of transfer speculation linking him with a return to his home-club, Barcelona. Today, Barcelona have confirmed that despite the imminent World Cup, they have made a formal written offer to Arsenal for the transfer of Fabregas.
England manager Fabio Capello has named his 23 man squad, which includes once surprising omission – Theo Walcott. Although Walcott has continuous flatter to deceive at International level, despite notching up a hat trick against Croatia in qualifying, he was generally considered to be part of the 23 that would fly out to South Africa. The 1966 World Cup winners and hosts will generally pin their attacking responsibility on Wayne Rooney, who will no doubt be the main man for the three lions in just over a week.
Theo Walcott has been left out of the final England squad by Fabio Capello. I have previously hinted that this is something I would have considered from the very beginning. I would have never selected Walcott in my initial squad. I then suggested that actually Walcott’s selection against Mexico and Japan may not have been all it seems – see point four.
Three times World Cup winners Germany prepared for the World Cup by beating a selection local players aged under 20 from Eppan in South Tirol by 24 goals to nil. The Germans, who beat Hungary in the 1954 final, Holland in the 1974 final and Argentina in the 1990 final – have thumped a few sides in their time, however the biggest World Cup victory remains the 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2002.
I am inherently biased. I should point out that I wouldn’t have selected Theo Walcott for the England provisional squad in the first place. However, he was selected, so I will try to provide an argument for and against his selection in the final squad.
On the eve of England’s first warm-up match for the World Cup another member of the England set-up has expressed his disappointment at Paul Scholes’s decision to not make himself available for selection – England captain, Rio Ferdinand.
Real Madrid and France defensive midfield Lassana Diarra has been ruled out of the World Cup finals with an intestinal problem. The news will come as a massive blow for Les Blues as Diarra was penciled in as a major player in an uncertain French side. Diarra played in ten World Cup qualifying games and 23 games for Real Madrid this term.
Lord Triesman has stepped down has head of the FA and chairman of England’s 2010 World Cup big after he made comments to an undercover reporter regarding the conduct of Russia and Spain, with regards to bribing referees at this year’s World Cup finals. The Mail on Sunday reported that Lord Triesman that Spain would end its bid to host the 2018 World Cup if rival bidder Russia helped them to bribe referees in South Africa. Triesman has now embarrassingly stepped down from his post as the England bid team desperately try to patch things up.
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