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 competition started slowly as teams seemed to be still adjusting to the conditions and there were clearly some nerves. The first round of group stage matches produced only two games where three or more goals were scored (out of a possible sixteen games). The first round was so dull that two games ended 0-0; there were six 1-0 wins; and four 1-1 draws.

The first round of games did produce some special moments though. The opening goal of the World Cup was fittingly scored by a South African – Siphiwe Tshabalala. It was a fantastic goal that got the country dancing – their competition had finally started. Elsewhere both finalists from 2006 were held to draws, France by Uruguay and reigning champions Italy had to come from behind against Paraguay. There were shocks as New Zealand scored a last minute equaliser against Slovakia; and no one foresaw that Spain would lose to Switzerland.

My favourite game of the first round was Brazil vs. North Korea. The Brazilians played some brilliant football in patches but it was the North Koreans who intrigued me. They were incredibly disciplined and were not at all in awe or afraid of the five time winners. North Korea kept possession well, defended with passion and had the confidence to shoot from any distance. The North Koreans deserved Ji Yun-Nam’s fantastic late goal and very nearly snuck a draw.

The individual performance of the first round belonged to Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama. The goalkeeper pulled off save after save after save to thwart Argentina who could never add to Heinze’s early goal. If it wasn’t for Enyeama then Argentina may well have hit double figures!

The second round of group stage fixtures saw some normality return to the results. The higher ranked nations started to grind out wins but not everyone was having it their way. The French followed up a draw against Uruguay with a 2-0 loss to Mexico; whilst Germany lost against Serbia by a single goal after Klose was harshly sent off. Like France, Italy were still finding it tough and they once again had to come from behind to draw with New Zealand.

Argentina provided an attacking masterclass to beat South Korea 4-1, but the game that everyone will remember from the group stages was the 7-0 drubbing that Portugal handed to North Korea. It was the largest winning margin and the game that product the most goals in the tournament. North Korea held their own for an hour and looked like they may find an equaliser to Meireles’s first half strike. However, the wet conditions and slick pitch allowed Portugal to play quick attacking football and the North Koreans fell apart.

The last round of fixtures in the group stages became a knockout situation for some countries. South Africa bowed out of the tournament, becoming the first host nation failing to progress from the group stage. They did however give the country a reason to party as they beat France 2-1, extinguishing the World Cup campaign of the 1998 winners as well as their own.

Nigeria disappointed at the tournament but at least walked away with a point as they drew 2-2 with South Korea in a game that provided the miss of the tournament. Somehow Yakubu put the ball wide from no more than 4 yards out, in the centre of an open goal and under no pressure. Elsewhere, the USA left it till the last minute to get a winning goal against Slovenia that meant they topped their group. Serbia just needed to win to qualify but fell to a surprise defeat against Australia – both teams went home.

One of the most exciting games of the tournament could have been Portugal vs. Brazil. Portugal were confident after annihilating North Korea, and Brazil had been comfortable so far. What was witnessed was a dull 0-0 that meant both sides qualified. Spain were the last team to qualify. They beat the 10 men of Chile 2-1 but were arguably given a dose of their own medicine as Chile even reduced by one, passed the ball well and used space fantastically. Both teams qualified.

The biggest surprise of the last round was Italy’s 3-2 defeat against Slovakia. It meant the 2006 champions were sent back to Italy having been knocked out at the earliest possible opportunity with only two points from three games.

I haven’t mentioned the trials and tribulations of England until now. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the fortunes of my country over the past month and didn’t want to drag myself into the details of it all over again. So, if you didn’t already know…England qualified second in their group having played poorly in the group stages. They ended with a record of played three, won one and drawn two. It meant a date with Germany awaited in the last 16.

Off the pitch, both France and England ensured that drama ensued. The French sent Anelka home and so the players revolted and refused to train. As if that wasn’t enough, Ribery decided to interrupt a live interview with Domenech and he emotionally addressed the watching French nation himself. Meanwhile, in the England camp, John Terry lead a very English revolt – in which no players actually revolted. Terry told the media that some of the players were not convinced by Capello’s tactics and they would confront him in a team meeting. It became apparent that there was no player confrontation and Capello publicly said that Terry had made a “very big mistake”.

With the group stages over a look at the teams in the last 16 showed that Africa’s sole representation now lay with Ghana. In the meantime all the talk was of how impressive the South American teams had been, all five had made it through beyond the group stages.

The South American success at the tournament continued as the knockout stages began. Uruguay beat South Korea whilst Ghana kept the African dream alive as rising star of the World Cup, Asamoah Gyan scored in extra time to knock out the USA.

The games on the 27th June will be remembered for three things: German ruthlessness; English disappointment; and linesmen. England were outplayed, outclassed and emphatically beaten 4-1 by old foes Germany. Argentina removed the Mexican threat by beating them 3-1. Both games hinged upon incorrect decisions by a linesman. With Germany winning 2-1, Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line but the linesman did not see it. At 0-0 in the Argentina vs. Mexico game, Tevez was incorrectly considered onside (by some margin) and he put Argentina ahead. These two events lead to an apology from Sepp Blatter and Fifa admitted that technology may have to be seriously considered after the World Cup.

The World Cup managed to continue without Mexico and England. The Netherlands progressed by beating Slovakia 2-1. They had gone rather unnoticed through the early stages of the tournament and along with Argentina were the only other nation to have won three from three in the group stages. Brazil ended Chile’s run by beating them 3-0. Chile became the first South American nation to be knocked out.

Paraguay vs. Japan lasted for 120 minutes and not a goal was scored; so the competition had its first penalty shootout. Paraguay won 5-3 and ensured that half of the teams in the quarter finals would be from South America. Spain were the last team to secure a quarter final spot as they beat neighbours, Portugal, by a single goal.

Even before the last 16 games were completed, the inquest into English football had started. Whilst a lot of the focus had been on brilliant Brazil and awesome Argentina, Uruguay had confidently stridden through to the quarter finals and the prospect of a first semi final in 80 years was just one game away.

Whenever a World Cup comes around, Brazil are always considered a team who have a good chance of winning the competition. This year was no different. I was a little bemused by the confidence that the media had in them. This was a Brazilian side whose star player was underperforming and who had only produced patches of good football. Brazil in my mind were there for the taking, but I did not expect the Netherlands do be the team who troubled them. Brazil were excellent for 55 minutes and then a Sneijder goal for the Dutch signalled the end of the Brazilian challenge. The Netherlands controlled the remainder of the game and Sneijder whose influence on the tournament was growing, got his second. Brazil, unthinkably, were out of the tournament at the quarter final stage.

Uruguay and Ghana were paired in the least attractive of the four quarter finals. Ghana had the backing of the neutrals as Africa’s last nation. A poor game had one of the most dramatic of finishes. In the last added minute of extra time Ghana pressed for a final chance. Stephen Appiah had an effort blocked by Luis Suarez, following up was Dominic Adiyiah who thought he had scored until Suarez blocked his attempt, but illegally with his hands. Suarez was sent off and Asamoah Gyan had the chance to put Ghana into the semi finals. The image that will remain with me, is of Luis Suarez celebrating like a martyr as he walked down the tunnel having seen Gyan’s penalty thunder away off the crossbar. The game went to penalties and Uruguay triumphed 4-2.

Ghana come out of the World Cup as one of the success stories. Without their star player, Michael Essien, they found new heroes in Kevin Prince-Boateng and Asamoah Gyan (even after missing the penalty). This Ghana side will have inspired a new generation of African football fans as one of their teams made it to the last 8 in the world.

The quarter finals threw up a classic match, a game where two footballing giants would meet. Argentina vs. Germany is a game with a lot of history, pride and passion. This year it pitched the form side, Germany; against a team managed by a footballing icon and legend, containing the best player in the world, Argentina. Maradona’s men were quietly fancied by a lot of people as favourites to win the competition. They found themselves up against a young, hungry and typically disciplined Germany side though. I would imagine that watching this game made English fans feel a tiny bit better about losing 4-1 to Germany. Schweinsteiger dominated the midfield and in ruthless fashion, Germany won 4-0. For Argentina, history repeated itself and this loss will now add to growing list of defeats that Germany have inflicted upon Argentina in recent World Cups. Miroslav Klose bagged two goals to equal Gerd Muller’s record of 14 goals at World Cups for a German player.

Paraguay took on Spain in a closely fought and intense last semi final. Both sides missed penalties (although Spain did score their penalty it had to be retaken and was then missed) and it took a late goal from David Villa to seal a place in the semi finals for Spain.

Having had a South American dominance in the quarter finals, the semi finals saw a shift of power towards the European teams. There was now a real possibility that the final would be an all European affair, as it was in 2006. Only once before had two successive finals been all European, 1934 and 1938. Another final like this would break a curse that seems to hang on European countries – never before had a nation from Europe won the World Cup in another continent. Now there was a real chance of that.

The World Cup manages to go in stages where the public, often swayed by the media jump on the bandwagon of a certain country, believing they will get to final and surely won’t be beaten. In this tournament Brazil and Argentina were the two sides that couldn’t be beaten. Then, after beating Argentina it was Germany. Going into the semi finals there was a real belief that Germany could upset the European champions, Spain.

The first semi final saw the Netherlands take on the last non-European nation left, Uruguay. The progress of the Dutch had gone rather under the radar. In a way they were fortunate in the group stages, winning a game through an own goal and another through a goalkeeping howler. Their progression though had highlighted the importance of Robben and Sneijder to their team. Uruguay would be without the suspended Luis Suarez, but talismanic captain, Forlan, was in great form at the tournament and would try and lead his side unbelievably to the final.

This first semi final produced for me, the goal of the tournament. Dutch captain, Gio van Bronkhorst was high up the pitch from his left back area. There seemed to be nothing on for him, so with a little shift of the ball in front of him he decided to give it an almighty whack. From 35 yards out, on an angle, the ball flew into the top right corner. It was stunning. The much criticised, World Cup football didn’t even wobble about that much, no keeper was ever going to have stopped that shot.

Uruguay gave as good as they got and were level before half time. Forlan continued his form with another good goal. Holland controlled the game, but until the 70th minute, Uruguay were never troubled. However over the course of the next three minutes the game was over. Two quick Dutch goals from Sneijder and Robben meant the Oranje were all but in the final. A late second goal for Uruguay was not enough and the Netherlands were in their first World Cup final for 32 years.

Semi final number two saw form side Germany (minus suspended Thomas Muller) take on tournament favourites, Spain (minus Fernando Torres who was dropped for Pedro). Whilst Germany had found the perfect balance in their recent performances, Spain had not hit form yet. David Villa’s goals had got them this far and at times they had looked vulnerable. Fernando Torres had not scored at all and whilst still recovery from an injury he had none of his usual sharpness. This game was a repeat of the Euro 2008 final fixture.

The game turned out to be another close one. Spain, as they so often do, controlled large patches. Once again though, they failed to create good chances. The longer the game went on, the deeper Germany sat, allowing more Spanish pressure. Spanish persistence and possession eventually paid off, but from a set piece. A Xavi corner was met with a bullet header from Puyol and with 17 minutes to go, the game had its only goal. Germany may regret not pressuring Spain as hard in the second half, but the Spanish did produce a masterclass in how to keep the ball.

Spain have been the best side in the world over the past four years and their place in the final was richly deserved. It is a testament to the individual quality of their players that the team had not really performed that well in the tournament but still had made it to the final. A final of Spain vs. Netherlands awaited, and the tournament was guaranteed a first time winner.

Spain’s progress, playing their possession football has reignited the debate about whether it is the best type of football. Like, club side, Barcelona, Spain can keep possession for long periods of the match and when they need to, they can unlock a team with swift, deadly passing. This type of football has been labelled by some to be boring. Watching Spain in the tournament had at times been a nit painful – mainly due to the fact that the team hadn’t actually been playing well. There is something dull about watching a ball move between players in the middle area of a pitch for five minutes. At the same time it is incredibly admirable that Spain can do that. Few nations are able to keep a ball so easily. Is this the elite form of the game though? Germany are able to soak up pressure with a disciplined formation and then counter attack at great pace – arguably due to the patience, discipline and speed of attack, that type of football at its best is equally impressive, maybe not as easy on the eye though. I believe that because the way Spain play football is so rarely tried and achieved, it becomes slightly overhyped in that it is the best way to play. A nation should play the way that best suits the players available; in Spain’s case, this is the way to get the most from their players. It had got them to the final where they would hope to finally hit top gear and win in the fashion that many had expected before the tournament – with style and a sense of entertainment.

Before the final, there is the slightly meaningless playoff for third place. Germany changed their line up and withdrew Klose who wouldn’t have the chance to get a 15th World Cup goal and pull alongside Ronaldo as the tournaments greatest ever goalscorer. Uruguay and Forlan wanted to be able to say they are the world’s third best team and named a strong side. The game that followed was very watchable and entertaining. Germany took an early lead through Muller but went in level at half time due to a Cavani equaliser. In the second half Forlan volleyed Uruguay into the lead but Germany were level within five minutes as Jansen equalised following an error from goalkeeper, Muslera. Khedira got the winning goal for Germany, eight minutes from the end but there was still time for Forlan to hit the bar in injury time. Germany won the ‘bronze medal’ and ended finishing the tournament third.

The third place playoff is often considered a waste of a game but this year it turned out to be very entertaining with both sides wanting to win it. Uruguay exceeded all expectations in finishing fourth. Germany have a young, talented team that will be together for the next few years. The signs are that German football is in a good place at the moment and can only get better.

And so to the final…Netherlands vs. Spain

The big news ahead of the final was that Fernando Torres would once again be only on the substitutes bench. The game was tense and cagey. Howard Webb, the referee in charge had to stop play more often than anyone would have liked as the Netherlands gave away their tactics early on. Some would call it ‘anti-football’ but the Netherlands realised they would have to break up the Spanish possession however possible.

The first half was feisty. Five players had been booked after half an hour and no clear openings had materialised for either side. Sergio Ramos came close twice in the opening five minutes but otherwise long distant efforts were saved well by both goalkeepers. Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape being sent off after he planted a foot into the chest of Xabi Alonso.

The best chances in the second half fell to Arjen Robben. Twice he was played through clean on goal and twice he missed. Iker Casillas has come in for some criticism during the tournament but he was truly in form to deny the Netherlands on a couple of crucial occasions. The Netherlands learnt from Germany and made sure they pressed Spain high up the pitch. The problem with doing that however is that fouls and free kicks are inevitably given away.

As the game went into extra time, John Heitinga made on foul too many and he received his second yellow card of the match, followed by a dooming red card. With four minutes remaining, substitute Fabregas was able to slide a ball through to Iniesta who drilled the ball into the net to seize the winning goal for Spain. As the final whistle went, the jubilant Spanish players poured onto the pitch, some shedding a tear, some not knowing how to celebrate at all other than to hug the nearest person.

The final was not a classic. The football played was not exceptional. What is important is that the best team, the most consistent team over the past four years came out victorious. Spain may not have played some of the football that everyone is aware they are capable of, but there is no doubting their quality. It was fitting that Andres Iniesta got the winning goal. He has arguably been one of the best players in the world over the past few years and no one is as important to Spain as he.

The Netherlands in my opinion overachieved in this tournament. Their squad was strong but not as good as some. Apart from their match against Brazil, they had an agreeable route to the final. On the night they simply didn’t take their chances. Their tactics of fouling the Spanish worked until deep into injury time when one of their players was eventually sent off. Their squad is not old, and they will be able to bring through a few young players to solidify what they already have. This was sadly their third defeat in a World Cup final, but if they were to lose to anyone it would have had to have been this talented Spanish side.

As it all comes to a close, congratulations must go to Spain for winning the competition; Diego Forlan for winning the best player award, the Golden Ball (with nearly a quarter of the vote); and to Thomas Muller for winning the Golden Boot (5 goals and 3 assists). Spain won this tournament by only scoring 8 goals in 7 games, but that was enough. I am proud to say I predicted that Spain would win the competition (I’m less proud about some of my other predictions!). The competition ends with a first time winner and amazingly the only unbeaten side in the tournament was New Zealand!

Now the World Cup is finished until Brazil 2014. We have learnt that performances count for little; individuals put together don’t make a team; Africa can host a major tournament; European nations can win the tournament on another continent; the best team always wins the competition; Spain are the best team in the world…and of course, always believe an octopus called Paul!

Congratulations to worthy winners Spain, and see you in 2012 for the qualifiers!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

]]> http://www.world-cup-statistics.com/wc-news/2010/07/world-cup-review/feed/ 2 http://www.world-cup-statistics.com/wc-news/2010/06/the-premier-league-vs-the-world-cup-injuries/ http://www.world-cup-statistics.com/wc-news/2010/06/the-premier-league-vs-the-world-cup-injuries/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:18:06 +0000 Doron http://www.world-cup-statistics.com/wc-news/?p=1004

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.

Consider five groups international players can slot into: PL players who are fit and have been selected; PL players who are selected but have picked up big concerns; PL players whose injury status meant selection was impossible; PL players who have been selected unfit; and non-PL players who were selected but have picked up injuries. Straight up one can point out that any argument I make is flawed in that my focus is on quite clearly Premier League players. I’m sure it is possible to do a similar experiment with many of the world leagues. However, the Premier League is the world’s biggest league with the world’s best players – a very high proportion of players selected to play at the World Cup come from the Premier League.

Into those groups we can add names. The Premier League players who are fit and have been selected I will ignore as there are many. Into Premier League players who are selected but have picked up big concerns goes: Cahill (Everton, Australia), Altidore (Hull (loan), USA), Behrami (West Ham, Switzerland), Skrtel (Liverpool, Slovakia), Palacios (Tottenham, Honduras), Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast), Ferdinand (Man Utd, England), Bendtner (Arsenal, Denmark), Ballack (Chelsea, Germany), Heitinga (Everton, Holland), Gerrard (Liverpool, England), Nani (Man Utd, Portugal). Without going into individual cases all of those players are either out of the World Cup through injury having been selected or are very big doubts.

Into Premier League players whose injury status meant selection was impossible I will only give a few examples: Brown (Man Utd, England), Hargreaves (Man Utd, England), Zamora (Fulham, England), Anderson (Man Utd, Brazil), Bosingwa (Chelsea, Portugal), Woodgate (Tottenham, England).

Into Premier League players who have been selected unfit can go: Torres (Liverpool, Spain), Rooney (Man Utd, England), Barry (Man City, England), Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain), Essien (Chelsea, Ghana), Mikel Obi (Chelsea, Nigeria).

Finally, into non-Premier League players who were selected but have picked up injuries can go: Pirlo (AC Milan, Italy), Robben (FC Bayern, Holland), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan, Brazil), Forlan (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay), Karhan (Mainz, Slovakia), Streller (FC Basel, Switzerland), Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain) – Iniesta was selected unfit.

Too many Premier League based players are included in these lists. It begs thinking about whether Premier League players play too much.

The structure of football in England means that a player can play 38 league games, 14 domestic cup games (excluding replays), and between 15-19 European games – totalling a potential 67-71 games in a season. That is a very heavy schedule.

In a World Cup year, the number of games a player plays is even more crucial. To the clubs it is the same as usual, the season is no different. To the governing bodies, in England – the FA, their motives are split. They want a competitive domestic system but they also want the national side to progress.

What can be done about the amount of football played in a World Cup year to try and stop these injuries from occurring? The two most common suggestions are to start the season earlier and incorporate a winter break. This would not change the number of games played but would allow for the players to have time off either at the end of the season or mid-season to recuperate. La Liga has adopted a full-time winter break. Such an idea has been advocated by club managers here. Sir Alex Ferguson said in January of this year:

“My experience tells me that when you get to December, it is draining for players to continuously play matches every Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. It is difficult to play football through heavier grounds in cold weather. By December, everybody needs a break. With a break in January you can repair the small injuries the players pick up. Even the coaches need a mental break. Why don’t we use the whole of May to make up for the loss of matches that are held in January?”

Of course, Ferguson has the progress of Manchester United at heart when he made those comments but they become applicable to the national sides too.

One other suggestion I have heard is to cut the number of teams in the Premier League to 18 and have only one domestic cup. I don’t advocate this idea – other countries have leagues with 20 teams in, the Premier League should be no different.

When clubs do try and rest players in the Premier League, even if the motive is not for the sake of the national team, the idea is not supported by the FA. Wolves were fined £25,000 for fielding a changed line-up at Old Trafford which included all 10 outfield players being switched. Mick McCarthy believed Wolves would not win the game with his strongest team out so wanted to save them for the next, more important game against Burnley.

The Premier League clubs will be concerned by how many of their players will come back from the World Cup and find a season starting in the very near future. Many will not have a proper break from football and be thrust into pre-season training soon after returning. Such is the concern that Manchester United have admitted that all their players at the World Cup will be given a month off and the club have accepted that they will be forced to start the new season without some important players.

This all makes for nice reading – in hindsight we can make suggestions to counter all these injuries that are happening to players associated with the Premier League. However the reality is a little bit different.

Premier League based players are professionals. They are monitored, primed and shaped to play a lot of football at an intense level. Players in Europe’s other top leagues will be playing as much football as Premier League players. There are more Premier League based players at the World Cup than from other leagues therefore the proportion of players injured who play Premier League football is higher.

The biggest factor I believe is conditioning and the nature of the Premier League. English domestic football has become frantic, quick, strong and very competitive. Players who want to play in England at the top level must be at the top of their game. There is more chance of a player being injured in the Premier League than other leagues for this reason.

When a Premier League player now goes on international duty he will find the standard of football and the speed of the football fall from what he is used to. Premier League players are conditioned to play at a high tempo. At a World Cup, the training sessions are so controlled that the players are finding they are have to hold back. The matches are so different from what they play week in week out that the body has to make an adjustment. No longer are tackles flying around. The players find they have a tiny bit more time on the ball. These conditions lead to injuries.

I would argue that the Premier League has become too strong. No longer is international football the ultimate form of the game. Injuries will occur at international football – because of the strict conditioning a Premier League player is used to; their bodies are so in tune to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League that when it stops, the body can’t handle it.

I find it amazing that the FA do not try and support a more drastic type of break in the season, especially in a World Cup year. The Premier League may be the strongest league in the world but it may also be prohibiting some of its biggest stars from appearing on the biggest stage in football.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

A statement on the club’s website had this quote from Club Director General, Joan Oliver:

“Everybody knows that Cesc wants to sign for Barca and that we also want him to come here, but there is also a third party involved –Arsenal. Any agreement has to be with them. The official window for transfer negotiations opened on June 1st and although we’d had unofficial conversations with them before yesterday, we’ve now made a formal written offer, which we presented to Arsenal yesterday afternoon.”

A second quote from Club Vice-President, Rafael Yuste reads:

“I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to sign for Barca as soon as possible and it’s clear that everybody here will give him a warm welcome. We’ll do nothing that might make it more difficult for him to come here and we won’t rush things – but we won’t stop either!”

This deal may even be concluded before or during the World Cup as Txiki Beguiristain and Raül Sanllehí lead the negotiations for Barcelona. Spain, one of the favourites for the competition, will be hoping that it will not affect the performances of Fabregas during the competition. Barcelona are renowned for trying to conclude transfer dealings as quickly as possible once a target is identified and the first bid has been made – with that in mind, there may be more news to report soon.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

Fabio Capello has announced his England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The 23 players selected are:

Goalkeepers: Robert Green (West Ham), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth)

Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand, captain (Manchester United), Ledley King (Tottenham), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)

Forwards: Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

The unfortunate players to miss out are: Leighton Baines (Everton), Darren Bent (Sunderland), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

It would seem that Capello has gone with experience and trusted players in his squad. No player is uncapped and all have been involved in competitive matches bar Stephen Warnock and Joe Hart. The biggest surprise is the exclusion of Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Gareth Barry had to undergo a fitness test under 24 hours before the squad was named in order to make his inclusion certain.

Both Chelsea and Tottenham have the greatest number of players represented – 4 each. Arsenal are the biggest club in the Premier League to not have a single player named in the full squad. England’s first World Cup match is against the USA on the 12th June.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

Walcott never seemed ready for this World Cup. His performance against Mexico was not good enough and he struggled to have any impact against Japan. He was tested and he failed. I did actually advocate the inclusion of Walcott as an impact substitute but clearly Capello thinks otherwise. In my opinion Walcott has been living off his hat-trick against Croatia in September 2008 for too long, since then he has done very little that is memorable.

This news has come as a shock to a lot of people. I don’t think anyone really expected Walcott to be cut – most people considered it one from Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Joe Cole seemingly did enough in his cameo against Japan. The person who expected this least was Walcott himself, saying to TV interviewers only a couple of days ago after the Japan game, “I deserve my place this time!” – he was clearly confident.

Walcott will have other chances to go back to a World Cup. First he must return to Arsenal, have a good pre-season and rediscover some form there. An alternative suggestion that I have seen posted around is that in fact he should leave Arsenal now and try to cement a first team place at another team where the physical aspect of the game is valued more. No doubt this will be a real confidence blow to him. The challenge is now on for him to perform in games like he did against Croatia, but on a regular basis.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

Each half was only 30 minutes long and coach Joachim Loew used 20 players in total. Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose each scored 5 goals. Other players to score were: Piotr Trochowski – 3, Cacau – 2, Stefan Kiessling – 2, Andreas Beck – 2, Toni Kroos – 2, Arne Friedrich – 1, Sami Khedira – 1, and Lukas Podolski – 1.

Other than to boost the confidence of the German forward players, the point of this game appears to obscure. Germany are in Group D at the World Cup and will face tricky opponents in Ghana, Serbia and first Australia on the 13th June.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

Let me explain firstly why I wouldn’t have selected Theo. The World Cup squads must be built up of experienced players, core players, squad players and players in form. Youth is always a risk, however if a player has exceptional talent then there is an argument to select them on that basis. I don’t believe Walcott has exceptional talent. I don’t believe Walcott is in form. I don’t believe Walcott is an experienced player or a core player. At best, Walcott is a squad player.

Walcott joined Arsenal in January 2006. The transfer was high profile and received a lot of attention and media coverage. Never before had a 16 year old joined for such an amount of money – £5million up front, rising depending on clauses being met to between £11-14million, depending on whom you believe. Walcott’s status grew further when he was selected for the England World Cup provisional squad in 2006 despite not playing a single game for Arsenal. He played in one of the warm-up matches against Hungary and went on to be selected for the final 23 man squad. He didn’t feature at all in the competition and it was another two years before Walcott played for the England national side again.

In the meantime at Arsenal, Walcott was getting lots of chances in the first team, making over 30 appearances each season until the present day. He hit top form at the back end of the 2007/08 season and continued it into the new campaign, when under Fabio Capello he was brought back into the England set-up. Capello’s faith in the youngster was rewarded as Walcott scored a stunning hat-trick away at Croatia in September 2008.

Walcott’s progress has been stunted at various times by injuries. He is a confidence player; when things are going well for him he is blistering. However, he is easily lost in games when his tail is down. Walcott’s injury during the 2008/2009 season that kept him out from November to April was for me a big turning point in his fortunes. Prior to the injury he had noticeably bulked up, he was looking much more of a physical presence. However it seems that he has been unable to build up the muscle again in his upper body since this injury. As a result he seems to have little confidence taking players on and he is easily knocked off the ball.

He played on Monday evening for England. He lined up on the right of midfield up against Carlos Salcido. Walcott’s pace alone gave him in theory a real edge against the experienced Mexican. However, Walcott failed to deliver. Literally. In the 77 minutes Walcott was on the pitch I can only remember one good cross he put in, on the 51st minute. Walcott’s positional play is not too bad, he was found frequently in an area where he could take a man on or play an important pass. However, he was let down time and time again by his inability to make a decision. No moment was more frustrating than when after a good run he failed to release a ball to play Rooney in early enough, and instead played him in when he had made the run and was now in an offside position. This happened because he dallied about for too long on the ball trying to decide whether to take his man on and shoot or pass. Decision making comes with experience, but these small moments can make a huge difference in World Cup games.

The rest of Walcott’s performance was fairly forgetful. He won a few free kicks. He put in some poor crosses. He gave the ball away. He failed to link up well with Glen Johnson bar Johnson’s fantastic goal which Theo did very well for. Importantly, Walcott I felt, got bullied. If he beat his man he would then just be muscled off the ball by the next man. Mexico never allowed him to get too confident – the bullying tactic would be easily used by better teams than Mexico at the World Cup to counter Walcott.

One problem Walcott cannot address is Aaron Lennon. In his brief cameo appearance he seemed to have a real energy and purpose about his play. It’s true that he came on fresh against tired legs but he is a player with a real swagger about him at the moment after the season Tottenham have just had.

The other problem Walcott cannot address is the media and press. I understand why the media do not want to be too critical of Walcott – he is a young English player with the potential to be very good, the last thing the media want to do is destroy him at such a young age. However, it cannot be beneficial for the media to paint a story about Walcott that is not true. I couldn’t believe how many papers said he had a good game yesterday, or how he was a ‘positive’ from the friendly. In my opinion he was a pretty big ‘minus’ from the friendly – he failed to give Capello a reason to start him again.

To evaluate Theo then….

The positives first. I believe that Capello likes Walcott. He has been loyal to him by selecting him time again to start games when his form has not been good. Capello definitely has faith in Walcott and trusts him. I would imagine that Capello is a pretty decent judge of a footballer’s ability and therefore I accept that no doubt he sees something in Walcott that I don’t and for sure he knows better than most people on selection policy.

Walcott does have a bit of a knack of being a big game player. He has a habit of scoring in important games or having a positive impact. For country he did this away at Croatia and for club he’s done it a few times against Liverpool most memorably and once against Chelsea. It makes me wonder whether he could have a similar impact in the latter stages of the World Cup against better nations.

Walcott has the ability to be a fantastic impact player, off the substitute’s bench. He’s possibly the quickest footballer in the world, and against tired legs he would be a real threat. I believe that this is his best role in the squad. This would allow for the fact that he’s not in form and possibly doesn’t have the full set off attributes to be starting for England yet. He would also have a lot of joy against tiring defenders that would hopefully boost his confidence.

Walcott has already been to a World Cup. He didn’t feature, but he knows what the atmosphere is like. The other rivals for the right wing role are Shaun Wright-Phillips who seems not to be liked by Capello; Joe Cole who has hardly featured of late under Capello; and then both Gerrard and Milner can play wide but both look likely to be taken as central players. However, his main rival, Aaron Lennon, also has that experience from 2006 and unlike Walcott, he played in that tournament. Where Walcott has the edge over him is that when fit, Walcott has always been favoured over Lennon and is used to the style of football Capello has been trying to ingrain in the side due to his selection in more competitive matches of late.

Now for the negatives. I find it hard to justify selecting someone to start for their country when they aren’t even a guaranteed starter for their own football club. The season just finished, he came on as a substitute for Arsenal as much as he started for them. If a player is not good enough nor is his form considered good enough to start for his own club, then why should he start for his country?

Aaron Lennon is the form player. He has had an excellent year. He played 6 times fewer for Tottenham this year than Walcott did for Arsenal (due to injury) but still managed over five times the number of assists and only one fewer goal. He has finally become a threatening winger who is lightning quick, can dribble, can put a good cross in and generally makes good decisions. I believe he is more of a threat from the start of a match than Walcott is. However, he lacks international experience.

Whilst Lennon is a natural wide player, I don’t know if Walcott is. I don’t believe he is a winger in a 4-4-2 formation. The main reason for that is his decision making is poor, his positional play requires improvement and he can’t cross. He has a tendency to hold onto the ball for too long that allows a defender to put a challenge in. He is most effective as an inside forward type winger in a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1. He was expected to mature into a centre forward (dubbed by some the next Thierry Henry), but he hasn’t had a chance to play there enough for Arsenal and he doesn’t seem to have the same hunger that a young Michael Owen (a player who had a similar build and attributes at a young age to Walcott now) had to be a centre forward.

Walcott is young. He is young enough that he could make the England squad at five World Cups. Whilst I know this tournament has the potential to be the making of him, I wouldn’t want it to ruin him at the same time. There is the potential for him to become a scapegoat should he be first choice and should England not do well. I think it’s wrong he is being exposed to international football at the moment when quite clearly his form is poor and he has no confidence. One can argue that he should not be going to the World Cup at all and that it’s more important he has a very good pre-season and comes back stronger for Arsenal, and then England can be considered if his form warrants it.

So what would I do? Well for starters I really don’t believe there has been much improvement in his game in the four years he has been at Arsenal. I think considering he was so hyped up and Arsenal paid a lot of money for him as a 16 year old I feel I’ve not watched the development of a special player yet. He’s had one good spell of form where he was unstoppable but he’s got nowhere near to that peak since he’s been injured. However, time is on his side, there is a lot of development to come still and he will go on to be an important England player. For me he would be a good squad player for England to take to the World Cup, but no more than that at the present. He could be a fantastic weapon off the bench and that should be a big reason for him to go. Should Lennon get injured he’d be an adequate replacement.

I want Walcott to succeed, I really do. For all the ranting and negative slurring of him coming from my end on Twitter it truly would be great if he went to the World Cup and did amazingly. However I think you have to be realistic and wonder what has he done to warrant England inclusion at the moment? Not a lot. He’s there on reputation and potential ability. Walcott will go to the World Cup. Taking everything into account now he is in the provisional squad, I would select him for my final squad as someone who can be a squad player. I hope this summer is the making of him.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter

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.

Scholes who has been capped 66 times for England has previously appeared in two World Cups – 1998 and 2002, scoring one goal in the finals in 1998 against Tunisia. He has been retired from international football since August 2004, and talk of his return to the scene frequently pops up around competition times.

Fabio Capello admitted that he approached Paul Scholes and asked him to become part of his 30 man provisional World Cup squad. Scholes turned down the offer citing family as his main reason. Scholes has enjoyed a fantastic return to form this season just ended, in particular he seemed to have a real impact upon Manchester United in the last few months of the season, culminating in a goal-scoring masterclass away at rivals, Manchester City.

Rio Ferdinand is upset Scholes will not be in South Africa believing he would have added to England’s chances of success; even go so far as to say, “I would have paid him to come. That’s no detriment to any of the other players who are here, but I think he would have added to the squad that we’ve got”. Ferdinand did go on to say that while it is a shame, there is no point contemplating Scholes’s decision any longer and that the squad must focus on their upcoming game against Mexico tonight.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter by clicking this link

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.

The French Football Federation (FFF) released the following statement: “Following the intestinal problem he contracted on the glacier at Tignes, medical examinations discovered an unforeseeable illness that necessitates rest for an indeterminate period,” read a statement on the French Football Federation (FFF) website. “As a result, Lassana Diarra is out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. For the moment, the staff have not called up another player.”

France will kick off their World Cup campaign, Diarra-less, against two time winners Uruguay on June 11th. The match will be France’s 52nd World Cup match and third World Cup match against Uruguay. Arsenal’s Abou Diaby replaced Diarra in training, which could be an indication that Raymond Domenech plans to deploy the box to box midfielder alongside Jérémy Toulalan for the finals. This will be the last tournament that Domenech will take charge of the French national team, as Laurent Blanc will take over after the finals.

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.

The former chief of the FA released the following statement earlier today: Triesman’s statement read: “I have decided to resign as chairman of the FA and the 2018 bid board. A private conversation with someone whom I thought to be a friend was taped without my knowledge and passed to a national newspaper. That same friend has also chosen to greatly exaggerate the extent of our friendship. In that conversation I commentated on speculation circulating about conspiracies around the World. Those comments were never intended to be taken seriously as indeed is the case with many private conversations. The views expressed were not the views of the 2018 bid board or the FA. Nobody should be under any misapprehension that the FA or 2018 bid board are disrespectful of other nations or Fifa and I regret any such inference that may have been drawn from what has been reported. Entrapment especially by a friend is an unpleasant experience both for my family and me but it leaves me with no alternative but to resign. I have immediately informed the FA board of my decision.”

Triesman went onto add that he enjoyed his time at the FA and is confident at the progress made by the England 2018 World Cup bid so far: “I have enjoyed hugely my time at the FA and the bid and feel I accomplished a great deal in areas I love – qualification for the World Cup in South Africa, healthy growth in grass roots, women’s and disability football, and changes in the representation of fans who are the lifeblood of English football and the involvement of our diverse communities. The 2018 Fifa World Cup bid has made enormous progress both around the world and in the technical bid in England. I wish everyone associated with the FA all the very best for what is a very exciting future for the game we all love.”