Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt S

England To Be Seeded in Euro 2012 Qualifying Draw

Matt S — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:20:29 -0500

England will be among the first group of seeds for the Qualifying draw for the 2012 European Championship to be co-hosted in Poland and Ukraine.

UEFA introduced a new coefficients system last year which takes into account matches played in the last World Cup and European Championships including the qualifiers.

Also placed in Pot One for the draw are reigning champions Spain and three-time winners Germany.

Croatia are also amongst the top nine, meaning that England cannot be drawn against Slaven Bilic’s side for the third consecutive qualifying campaign.

This will be the 14th European Championships, and the last one to have 16 teams in the final tournament after UEFA voted last year to expand it to 24 for the 2016 competition.

Poland and Ukraine will co-host the tournament, making it the third out of the last four to be co-hosted.

The qualifying draw will be held on 7 February 2010 in Warsaw.

The 51 teams will be drawn into nine groups. There will be six groups of six teams with the remaining three groups consisting of five teams.

Due to Poland and Ukraine co-hosting the final tournament, there are only 14 places up for grabs in qualification.

The nine group winners will qualify automatically, along with the best runner-up

The remaining eight runner-ups will then face a two-legged play-off for the final four places.

The qualification period will run from September 2010 until November 2011 with the first qualifying matches being played on 4 September 2010.

England will be keen to avoid Sweden from Pot Two, having not beaten since them since 1968, the winless streak currently standing at 12 matches—the worst run against any opponent in England’s history.

There is a one-in-three chance of England playing a local rival with the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland all in Pot Three.

Slovenia look the most dangerous team by far in Pot Four having just qualified for their second World Cup by beating Russia on away goals in a playoff.

Ranking Pots for the Euro 2012 Qualifying Draw

Pot One: Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France, Russia

Pot Two: Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia, Romania

Pot Three: Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Pot Four: Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Belgium, Wales, Macedonia, Cyprus

Pot Five: Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein

Pot Six: Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra, San Marino

FIFA World Rankings, November 2009: Spain Topple Brazil

Matt S — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:38:16 -0500

Spain have returned to the top of the FIFA World Rankings, as published yesterday, replacing Brazil, who had held the No. 1 position for the previous four months.

The Confederations Cup champions now occupy second place after friendly wins over England and Oman last week. Spain beat Argentina 2-1 in Madrid before crushing Austria 5-1 in Vienna on Wednesday night.

Portugal are the big movers in the top 10, rising five places to fifth position after safely securing their passage to South Africa via a playoff with Bosnia Herzegovina.

France also climbed a couple of places on the back of their controversial playoff victory over the Republic of Ireland.

The two countries feel the benefit this month of having played competitive World Cup Qualifying matches, which are extremely valuable in terms of ranking points.

It is for this reason that FIFA have announced that the October rankings will be used to determine the seedings for the World Cup draw on Dec. 4 due to the November rankings giving an unfair advantage to the European nations who played competitive games while every team who had already qualified played friendlies.

Also feeling the benefit from winning play-off matches were Greece and Uruguay, who rose four and six places respectively.

Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire also made good progress, climbing three places each, after successfully rounding off their World Cup Qualifying campaigns.

Outside of the top 20, Nigeria have moved up 10 places to 22nd after booking their place in South Africa next summer against all odds.

Slovenia were rewarded for their surprise playoff win over Russia on away-goals with a rise of 16 places to 33rd position, their highest ranking since January 2004.

FIFA World Rankings, Top 20, November 2009

(movements from October rankings in parenthesis)

1. Spain (+1)

2. Brazil (-1)

3. Netherlands (-)

4. Italy (-)

5. Portugal (+5)

6. Germany (-1)

7. France (+2)

8. Argentina (-2)

9. England (-2)

10. Croatia (-2)

11. Cameroon (+3)

12. Greece (+4)

13. Russia (-1)

14. USA (-3)

15. Mexico (+3)

16. Cote d’Ivoire (+3)

17. Chile (-)

18. Switzerland (-5)

19. Uruguay (+6)

20. Serbia (-)

World Cup Draw 2010: England Set for Seeding Boost

Matt S — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:16:28 -0500

With Uruguay becoming the 32nd and final team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup last night, thoughts are immediately starting to turn towards the Finals themselves, with the draw set to take place in just over two weeks time on 4 December in Cape Town.

Questions about the possible draw immediately spring to which teams will be seeded and who can and cannot be drawn in the same group, as well as whether there will, inevitably, be a Group of Death .

FIFA have yet to announce the method by which they will decide the seedings and subsequent lay-out for the draw, but we are able to speculate based on the processes used for the past few tournaments.

Since 1998 FIFA have employed constraints for the draw which ensure that no more than two European teams are placed in the same group, and equally that no group contains more than one team from any other confederation.

The seedings have been calculated using a formula based on performances at previous World Cups as well as taking into account the FIFA World Rankings.

The seedings for the 2006 World Cup were decided based on each nation’s performance at the past two World Cups, as well as their FIFA World Rankings over the previous three years.

The following information is all based on this very seeding formula which FIFA used for the 2006 World Cup.

FIFA will incorporate the FIFA World Rankings for November, which are released tomorrow, in their calculations but the October rankings have been used here—there will be minor changes in the new rankings tomorrow but nothing significant enough to affect the below as long as the 2006 method is still used.

South Africa are automatically seeded and placed in Group A, to ensure that they play the opening game, as hosts of the tournament.

The other seeds are the seven highest placed teams based on the criteria outlaid above.

These seven teams are Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, and Argentina. All seven were also top seeds at the 2006 World Cup where they were joined by Mexico, whereas South Africa join them this time.

Portugal and the Netherlands just miss out, the former in particular coming close to edging out Raymond Domenech’s France.

The second pot consists of the remaining eight European nations who have qualified. They make up their own pot so that no group will contain will contain more than two teams from Europe.

Portugal and the Netherlands are joined in this pot by Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, and Slovakia. Any of these teams can be drawn into any group.

The third and fourth pots will divide the remaining qualifiers from the CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, African, Asia, and Oceania regions.

Africa has five qualifiers and is paired with the three qualifiers from the CONMEBOL region to make a group of eight. Asia (four teams), CONCACAF (three remaining teams), and Oceania (one team) make up the final group of eight.

*Note the three CONEMBOL or CONCACAF teams could be in either pot, depending on how FIFA decide to organise the draw.

All of this leaves the pots for the World Cup draw looking as below:

(*Note: Pot 1 contains the seeded teams, thereafter Pots 2-4 are in no order of relative strength, i.e. Pot 2 is not a higher seed than Pot 4.)

Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Argentina

Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia

Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria

Pot 4: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand

Below, by way of speculation and to make things more interesting is a *random * draw of how the groups could come out using these seedings and pots:

Random Draw

Group A: South Africa, Switzerland, Chile, USA

Group B: England, Portugal, Cameroon, Honduras

Group C: Spain, Slovakia, Cote d’Ivoire, South Korea

Group D: Brazil, Slovenia, Ghana, Mexico

Group E: Argentina, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea

Group F: France, Greece, Uruguay, Australia

Group G: Germany, Serbia, Algeria, New Zealand

Group H: Italy, Denmark, Paraguay, Japan

Five Things Fabio Capello Learnt About England After Playing Brazil

Matt S — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:53:54 -0500

Now that the dust has settled on England’s 1-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday it’s time to examine exactly what Fabio Capello will have learnt from the Three Lions’ trip to Doha.

The match was only Capello’s fourth defeat as England manager and the Italian will have learnt the following from the match, the latest in a series of high-profile friendlies against the top sides in world football.

1. England’s best players must stay injury-free

To be fair Capello was probably aware of this already but never quite to this extent where he was only able to call upon two of his first-choice XI on Saturday. Despite John Terry’s claims after the game, England would struggle to beat Brazil even with all of their best players available and stood little or no chance when the injuries started to pile up. The 1-0 scoreline flattered England and, as unlikely as it may be, Capello will need all of his top players in prime condition if the Three Lions are to make significant progress in South Africa.

2. Possession is key

Brazil under Dunga are very quick to drop off the opposition once their attack breaks down in order to protect themselves from being hit on the counter attack, something which they are expert at themselves. This gave England’s back four, particularly the centre-backs, a lot of time on the ball, time that they were not ever able to use effectively as too many balls ended up being hit long and aimlessly towards the forwards.

Capello desires greater movement both on and off the ball from his midfield and they were caught too square too frequently on Saturday and as a result found it extremely difficult to penetrate the Brazilian backline through a passing game. Something which would equally be helped by…

3. Greater creativity

Contrary to popular belief Capello is not the typical defensive-minded Italian coach. England were free-scoring in the qualifiers and put nine past Slaven Bilic’s Croatia over the two games. In his first choice XI Capello places a lot of attacking emphasis on the ability of Gerrard and Rooney to combine and interchange in their positions on the left and just behind the frontman.

James Milner offered a more stable presence on the left, covering Maicon’s forward bursts diligently, but failed to strike up any constructive inter-play with Rooney. Whilst the Aston Villa man is looking increasingly like a good bet for the World Cup squad one can’t help but think that Capello must find room for a fit again Joe Cole, who is sadly one of his kind in English football.

4. Some players can book their summer holidays

The plethora of injuries gave the England coach a good opportunity to try out some players that are on the fringe of his squad. In a way the poor performance will have helped the decision making process as most did little to stake their claim.

Darren Bent will have needed to have been very impressive in training last week as he had little opportunity to do so during the actual match. Opportunities to make an impact are few and far between in international football and it’s a long wait until March for England’s next match.

Jermaine Jenas hadn’t played for England for over a year and assuming that Lampard, Gerrard, Carrick and possibly even Hargreaves, return to fitness then he might have to wait longer than that until his next cap.

5. England need someone else to knock Brazil out

England’s historical record against Brazil is extremely poor with only three wins out of 23 games after Saturday’s match, none of which have come in competitive games.

Brazil have beaten England in three World Cups in the past and, again contrary to John Terry’s remarks after the game, the Three Lions look unlikely to reverse their fortunes next summer against Brazil’s current generation.

Fabio Capello must cross his fingers for the upcoming World Cup draw next month and hope that England are drawn on the opposite side of the draw to the five-times champions, and that someone has done them a favour if they’re fortunate enough to progress as far as the semi-finals.

England's World Cup Squad: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

Matt S — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:23:19 -0500

Saturday’s defeat to Brazil was only the fourth in Fabio Capello’s 21 games in charge of the England team, but the Italian will have been far from impressed by the performances from a number of England players in a game in which they were flattered by the 1-0 scoreline to their opponents.

A host of injuries lead to Capello being able to call on only two of his first-choice XI for the match in Doha, but it did at least afford the Italian the opportunity to try out a number of fringe players hoping to force their way into the final few spots up for grabs in the 23-man selection next summer.

Whilst it was tempting to put the entire England side under the second label, below I examine which players made a strong case for inclusion in South Africa, and who should look to find alternative plans around June and July next year.

Who’s HOT

Matt Upson

Capello’s third-choice centre-back has filled in for Rio Ferdinand with increasing regularity and was one of the few players to emerge with any credit from Saturday’s defeat. Switched to the right-hand side of the central defensive pairing after Lescott was drafted in for John Terry and made one exceptional tackle on the edge of his own box when Kaka threatened to burst through the England backline.

Almost caught out in the first half by Nilmar when trying to shepherd the ball out of play on the right-hand touchline, but generally performed well. The West Ham man looks assured of his place in the squad next year, leaving one spot up for grabs in central defence after Ferdinand and Terry.

Ben Foster

Should have seen red when he brought down Nilmar to concede the penalty after being sold short by club teammate Wes Brown’s back-pass, but that aside was comfortable in his handling, and stood little chance with the goal.

Needed a decent performance after his recent wobbles at club level, and with David James’ injury problems coming more to the fore it seems that only a severe lack of first team football at Old Trafford would deny him a place as at least a back-up ‘keeper next summer. A worry that Foster himself expressed in his post-match interviews when he spoke of not currently making the bench at United.

Needs to stop aiming his clearances towards the diminutive Wright-Phillips, however.

Anyone that missed this game through injury

David James, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Carrick, Carlton Cole, and Emile Heskey all enhanced their reputations by not being involved in this sub-standard performance.

Carrick and Carlton Cole are probably sweating on their places in South Africa the most, but even their chances were boosted as those given the opportunity in their places failed to shine.

Who’s NOT

Shaun Wright-Phillips

The Manchester City winger put in a couple of decent crosses which lead to England’s best chances of the game, but by and large looked devoid of ideas when facing up to Michel Bastos at left-back. Bastos beat himself on most occasions, his own errors letting Wright-Phillips get past him a couple of times.

Capello seems to prefer raw pace on the right-hand side in the form of either Lennon or Walcott, both of whom outstrip Wright-Phillips in terms of out-and-out speed. Beckham still appears to be the back-up option due to offering a different approach and Wright-Phillips looks likely to miss the cut unless injuries strike.

Darren Bent

Never really got the chance to show what he can do in front of goal due to the nature of the team’s performance and his isolation in attack. Seldom linked up with Rooney, and showed most why Capello favours partnering Heskey up front with the Manchester United man. Bent won little in the air, and couldn’t hold the ball up long enough for support to arrive, areas in which Heskey excels, as well the art of winning free-kicks whilst shielding the ball in dangerous wide areas.

Bent is unfortunate that such is the beast of international football there is only one more game left to force his way into the squad. Must ensure he is still banging them in for Sunderland when England’s next fixture rolls around in March.

Was a long way behind Defoe in the pecking order even before the match, and you feel he would have needed a couple of goals on Saturday for Capello to even start thinking about changing his mind.

Jermaine Jenas

Drafted into the starting XI for the first time in over a year when Carrick withdrew with an ankle injury, the Spurs’ midfielder made little impression up against Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo in the middle of the park.

In fairness, Gareth Barry also toiled alongside him for the majority of the match but the Manchester City man has already done enough to guarantee his place in the final squad, and probably first XI, whereas Jenas will need to get some to push Carrick out of the picture come next summer, although you get the impression that Capello would much rather make room for a fit and returning Owen Hargreaves in his squad.

Wes Brown

Had to be included here after being caught out for the only goal of the game when he allowed Nilmar to drift in between him and Upson, and was also at fault when England conceded a penalty soon after, an incident which would have seen Foster walk if the match wasn’t a friendly.

Made a goal-saving block with his head later in the game and made a lot of tackles throughout the match, but will be remembered for the errors at the end of the day.

Still looks a good bet for the squad, however, due to England’s dearth of right-backs. Luke Young was third-choice at right-back but has retired from international football, and Gary Neville, and Micah Richards still appear to be someway behind.

James Milner’s versatility could be the biggest threat to his inclusion next summer, although Brown can point to his ability at centre-back as something equally in his favour.

Luke Young Turns Down England Call, Retires From International Football

Matt S — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:20:32 -0500

It has emerged that Fabio Capello attempted to call up Luke Young to replace the injured Glen Johnson in the England squad to take on Brazil on Saturday, but it has come to light that the defender has in fact retired from international football.

According to the Aston Villa player’s agent, Young informed the Football Association last season that he would no longer be available for selection.

Young was named in Capello’s squad to play Spain in February but pulled out at the time due to a toe injury. It has now become known that he informed the FA of his retirement at this time, although it has only become public knowledge now.

It is reported that Capello made an inquiry as to the availability of Young for Saturday’s upcoming game, but that the defender declined the opportunity.

The former Tottenham, Charlton, and Middlesbrough fullback has only just returned to first team action for Aston Villa after being granted compassionate leave by manager Martin O’Neill after the death of his younger brother this summer.

The 30 year-old made won seven caps in total for the Three Lions, all in 2005 under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

He made his debut on the summer tour at the end of the 2004-2005 season, appearing as a substitute in wins against USA and Colombia.

His first start came at the start of the very next season when he lined up against Wales in a World Cup Qualifier at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Young kept his place in the side for the next three qualifiers before lining up against Argentina in a famous 3-2 friendly win in Geneva in November 2005. This would turn out to be his final appearance for the Three Lions.

Glen Johnson's Exit from England Squad Exposes Capello's Problem Position

Matt S — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:37:40 -0500

Glen Johnson was forced to withdraw from the England squad yesterday as Fabio Capello’s side prepare to take on Brazil in Doha on Saturday.

Johnson played the full 90 minutes against Birmingham City on Monday night after missing three of the previous four matches through injuries and linked up with the England camp on Tuesday.

However, Johnson has since returned to Liverpool after having been assessed by the England medical staff.

The Liverpool player’s withdrawal leaves Fabio Capello with only one recognised right-back in the shape of Wes Brown, who in fact performed impressively at centre-back for Manchester United in their defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Brown has not featured for England since October 2008 having endured an injury-ravaged past year but has been injury-free for the past few months and has returned to the Manchester United first team, making nine appearances so far this season.

It has been reported that Capello has opted not to call-up an additional player to replace Johnson at this stage, leaving England with a 22-man squad, two men down on his original selection with David Beckham also having been forced out due to club commitments in MLS.

Competition for the right-back position appears thin on the ground and Capello looks certain to go to South Africa with Johnson and Brown as his options on the right-hand side of defence, having opted to not even have a look at any of the alternatives.

Gary Neville, England’s most capped right-back, was recalled for the World Cup Qualifiers in June but did not feature on the pitch, meaning that it is now almost three years since his last cap.

Micah Richards, meanwhile, has been left in England Under-21 squad for their two matches next week. Having recently lost his place in the Manchester City side to Pablo Zabaleta, Richards is still yet to win a cap under Capello having won eleven under the Italian’s predecessor Steve McClaren.

Luke Young is the only other right-back selected by Capello, but is no longer an option after retiring from international play

For Saturday’s match against Brazil it looks likely that Capello will rely on either James Milner or Shaun Wright-Phillips to cover the right-back position in case of injury to Brown, who is now certain to start.

Wright-Phillips appeared at right-back for quarter of an hour against Kazakhstan in Almaty in June whilst Milner filled in at left-back as a substitute in England’s most recent match against Belarus last month.

Ironically, Milner looks set to start on the left of midfield against Brazil in place of the injured Steven Gerrard, his workrate perhaps being key to tracking the opposition right-back, the ever-dangerous Maicon, on that side of the pitch.

The Aston Villa winger’s hardwork and versatility have greatly impressed the England manager and at present he looks like a good bet to be on the plane to South Africa due to his ability to perform effectively in a number of positions.

A good performance against Brazil on Saturday night could just about guarantee his presence at the World Cup next summer.

Brazil Vs. England: The History

Matt S — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:22:32 -0500

England travel to Doha, Qatar on Saturday night for their final fixture of 2009 against Brazil.

Fabio Capello has overseen a successful calendar year which has seen England win seven of their ten matches so far, ensuring qualification for the World Cup in the process.

However, the Three Lions might want to look back into the history books before they get too excited about ending their season on a high against the five-time World Cup winners.

England have faced Brazil on twenty-two occasions but have won only three of these meetings, whereas a seleção ’s have won ten.

The sides met for the first time in 1956 at Wembley, and the home side, managed by Walter Winterbottom, triumphed 4-2 with Tommy Taylor scoring twice.

Fast-forward two years to the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and Winterbottom’s side faced Brazil again, this time in the group stage of the competition.

England were still counting the cost of the Munich air disaster earlier that year and the match ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

It would prove to be the only match Brazil didn’t score in or win as they went on to win their first ever World Cup, demolishing the hosts in the final. It was also the first ever goalless match in World Cup history.

The two sides met again in the very next World Cup in Chile, this time at the quarter-final stage. Brazil triumphed 3-1 with two goals from Garrincha and would go on to successfully retain their title in the final against Czechoslovakia.

Two years later and England visited the Maracana for the first time to compete in the Taça das Nações , celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

The Three Lions were left humiliated by a 5-1 scoreline, with Pele amongst the goals for the home side. Argentina went on to win the tournament, beating Brazil 3-0 whereas England finished joint-bottom of the group with Portugal.

England were happier two years later in 1966 when they lifted the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil but suffered what was becoming a familiar fate four years later when they again lined up against Brazil in the group stages of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.

Brazil triumphed 1-0 in Guadalajara, Jairzinho scoring the only goal. However, the game has largely been remembered for Gordon Banks making that save from Pele, and the iconic image of the latter swapping shirts with England captain Bobby Moore.

Both sides progressed from the group but it was Brazil that went on to win the tournament for the third time, keeping the Jules Rimet trophy permanently in the process.

England’s only ever success on Brazilian soil was twenty-five years ago in 1984 when an inexperienced Bobby Robson side managed a fine 2-0 win in the Maracana, including a sensational individual effort from John Barnes .

Between 1956 and 1984 Brazil were undefeated in eleven matches against England, a record ended by this result. Only Sweden can boast a more impressive unbeaten streak against England, an ongoing total currently standing at twelve.

England’s last win over Brazil was back in 1990 when Gary Lineker scored the only goal in a 1-0 win in a friendly at Wembley.

The most recent competitive meeting between the two nations was at the 2002 World Cup, when they clashed in the quarter-finals in Shizoka.

Michael Owen capitalised on a defensive mistake to give Sven Goran Eriksson’s side the lead but Rivaldo equalised on the stroke of half-time. Four minutes into the second-half and Ronaldinho looped this free-kick over David Seaman before seeing red for a challenge on Danny Mills eight minutes later.

However, despite playing against ten men, England wilted in the heat and crashed out whilst Brazil went on to win their fifth title by beating Germany in the final.

The most recent meeting was in 2007 which saw England return to a newly rebuilt Wembley for the first time in six years. The friendly match finished 1-1 .

Captain John Terry gave Steve McClaren’s side the lead, heading home from a David Beckham free-kick, but England were denied a rare win over Brazil when Diego netted an equaliser in injury time.

England’s overall record vs. Brazil

P22 W3 D9 L10 F19 A30

England ’s record vs. Brazil on neutral ground

P7 W0 D2 L5 F3 A9

Injuries Force Fabio Capello Into Squad Reshuffle for Brazil Match

Matt S — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:40:58 -0500

Fabio Capello named his England squad last night for the upcoming friendly against Brazil with the big names missing through injury grabbing the most attention.

First XI regulars David James, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, and Steven Gerrard have all been omitted from the squad.

James and Cole both played the full ninety minutes for their clubs this weekend and Gerrard is believed to be in line to feature at some point for Liverpool tonight as they prepare to take on Birmingham, nonetheless none have been selected for the trip to Qatar to take on the world’s top ranked side.

Also missing through injury are Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott, Carlton Cole, and Emile Heskey, and Capello has made nine changes in all from his squad for the final World Cup qualifiers just last month.

Ben Foster and Joe Hart, who were both involved as replacements last month, make the initial selection this time around alongside Rob Green.

David James is currently unable to train for up to two days after a match and misses out through injury and Paul Robinson has been left out.

Stephen Warnock is called up in place of Ashley Cole for the first time since last year when he won his only cap in the summer of 2008 and will compete with Wayne Bridge for the left-back spot.

Uncapped Gary Cahill is selected from the start this time having replaced Rio Ferdinand in the past few squads after the Manchester United man’s withdrawal but makes the cut first time around with Ferdinand ruled out for up to six weeks with calf and back injuries.

Tom Huddlestone, also uncapped, is named in the squad for the first time since May 2008 and there is also a recall for club teammate Jermaine Jenas, who scored the first goal of Capello’s reign but has not featured for the Three Lions for 14 months now.

Ashley Young has profited from the injuries to Lennon and Walcott to earn a recall although there is still no place in the squad for Joe Cole who is still working his way back to full fitness after a lengthy lay-off.

David Beckham was named in the initial 24-man squad but has subsequently been withdrawn after he helped L.A Galaxy through to the next round of the MLS Playoffs last night. The Galaxy now face Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Final the day before England are due to play Brazil which has lead to Beckham’s withdrawal.

Jermain Defoe is recalled in attack after missing last month’s squad with a hand injury. Sunderland’s Darren Bent’s fine early season is also rewarded as he is selected after Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole were forced out due to injury.

Gabriel Agbonlahor started England’s last outing against Belarus at Wembley but has not been selected this time despite continuing his hot run of form with another goal against Bolton on Saturday.

Once again there is no room in the squad for Michael Owen, who managed just seven minutes at Stamford Bridge as a substitute yesterday despite the absence of Dimitar Berbatov through injury.

Owen’s chances of appearing at a fourth World Cup now appear minimal and reliant on at least a couple of players ahead of him getting injured.

23-man England squad for friendly against Brazil

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Manchester United), Rob Green (Joe Hart), Joe Hart (Manchester City, on loan at Birmingham City)

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Matt Upson (West Ham United), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hostpur), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

*David Beckham was named in the initial selection but has since been withdrawn from the squad due to club commitments

England Squad Preview: Capello Faces Injury Crisis Ahead of Brazil Test

Matt S — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:56:00 -0500

Fabio Capello will name his latest England squad on Sunday night as England prepare for their final match of 2009.

Following Capello’s desire to face the toughest possible opposition in friendlies the Three Lions will face Brazil, the side currently ranked number one in the world, in Qatar next Saturday.

The friendly represents the penultimate match for Capello to fine-tune his team and test out any new selections with only one more friendly date in March remaining before he names his final 23-man squad for the World Cup at the end of May.

It remains to be seen to what extent the Italian will want to experiment from this first XI against such tough opposition but it looks almost certain that several key players will be ruled out of the clash which will perhaps force his hand.

Manchester United have today confirmed that Rio Ferdinand is facing a spell on the sidelines, reported to be up to six weeks, as he seeks to finally put his various back and calf injuries behind him.

Matt Upson would once again stand in for Ferdinand alongside John Terry with Joleon Lescott and Gary Cahill most likely to provide back-up.

Steven Gerrard hasn’t featured for Liverpool since limping out early on of their defeat to Lyon two weeks ago and looks unlikely to join up with England even if he does feature for Liverpool against Birmingham on Monday night.

Other absentees include widemen Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, with James Milner also doubtful with a calf injury after he missed Aston Villa’s defeat to West Ham on Wednesday.

Carlton Cole limped out of that game after just half an hour and Emile Heskey also had to be replaced at half-time providing Capello with a potential headache up front if neither features this weekend.

Walcott and Lennon’s absence would normally free up the right-wing position for David Beckham but his participation in the game is not yet assured as his club side L.A Galaxy face a possible Conference semi-final on the very same weekend as the Brazil fixture meaning that he may not be released by his club.

Therefore, Capello will be particularly anxious that nothing befalls Shaun Wright-Phillips when Manchester City take on Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Ashley Young will also profit from the spate of injuries as he looks likely to earn a recall to the squad. Stewart Downing is yet to return from his ankle injury but there might be recall for Joe Cole who hasn’t featured for England for over fourteen months.

Whilst a big fan of the mercurial Chelsea man, Capello is believed to be reluctant to select Cole as he has only just returned from a long injury lay-off but may find his hands tied with several wide players unavailable.

Up front Jermain Defoe is likely to be recalled after missing last month’s games through injury, although he hasn’t featured much for his club since, due mostly to a three-match suspension he incurred for a red card against former club Portsmouth.

Peter Crouch scored twice against Belarus last time out and could find himself starting alongside Wayne Rooney if Carlton Cole and Emile Heskey do not return from injury in time.

Those injuries could open the door for a certain Michael Owen, who has scored two goals in his last two starts for Manchester United, but the in-form Darren Bent might seem a more likely option with Gabriel Agbonlahor also likely to retain his place.

The injury worries don’t stop there as first choice full-backs Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole have also been out of action for their clubs in the last few weeks. Both may possibly return this weekend, with Cole the more likely.

Wes Brown hasn’t featured for the Three Lions in over a year but his return to the Manchester United side could be well-timed if Johnson is indeed absent.

Many managers, in particular Sir Alex Ferguson, have already been publicly critical of this friendly taking place in Qatar, five-hour flight away from the UK, so Capello may well find that more of his players than usual are withdrawn.

Nonetheless the Italian will be keeping his fingers crossed that no more of his key players fall foul of injuries this weekend otherwise they may well be more than one or two surprise names included in the squad come Sunday evening.

France Squad for Irish Playoff Test Has No Room for Vieira

Matt S — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:57:58 -0500

France coach Raymond Domenech yesterday named his squad for the decisive play-off matches against Republic of Ireland in just over one week’s time.

Aside from Franck Ribéry’s absence through injury, the biggest talking point was Domenech's decision not to select Patrick Vieira, who despite his return to first team action at Inter Milan has still yet to be called up by France this season.

Elsewhere, Lyon left-back Aly Cissokho receives his first call-up in place of the injured Gael Clichy. The Arsenal full-back has been ruled out for around a month with a back injury so Cissokho will provide back-up for Patrice Evra at left-back.

The national call-up represents quite an achievement for the ex-Porto man who transferred to Lyon in the summer and was playing in the French second division for Gueugnon just two years ago. Cissokho remains eligible for Senegal as well until he makes his official debut for France.

Yoann Gourcuff returns to the squad after injury kept him out last time but there is no room for Lyon forward Bafétimbi Gomis.

Domenech has named a larger than usual 24-man squad, justifying this stance by stating that there are always last minute worries over players’ fitness; none more so than over Karim Benzema and Lassana Diarra.

The Real Madrid pair will join up late with the squad only three days before the first leg as they are needed for the second leg of Real’s Copa del Rey clash on Tuesday as they seek to overturn the embarrassing four goal deficit from the first leg.

Patrick Vieira responded to Domenech’s decision to leave him out of the squad for the crucial play-offs in L’Equipe this morning stating, “I know that in my position there isn’t anyone better than me in France at the moment. This might sound pretentious but I’m sure of it.”

The Inter Milan midfielder, however, refuses to call time on his International career: “I’m focused on the objective of playing at the next World Cup. What’s certain is that I will do everything to be there.”

France will wear a new shirt for the first time in the first leg in Dublin. The shirt features red and white bands across the body echoing the historic shirts of 1984 and 1998.

The previous shirt only lasted 13 months after being introduced after Euro 2008, far from the usual two year cycle which might not sit too well with the already far from happy French fans.

24-man France Squad for World Cup Qualifying Play-offs versus Republic of Ireland

Goalkeepers: Carrasso (Bordeaux), Lloris (Lyon), Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Abidal (Barcelona), Cissokho (Lyon), Escudé (Seville), Evra (Manchester United), Fanni (Rennes), Gallas (Arsenal), Sagna (Arsenal), Squillaci (Seville)

Midfielders: Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Malouda (Chelsea), Sissoko (Toulouse), Toulalan (Lyon)

Forwards: Anelka (Chelsea), Benzema (Real Madrid), Gignac (Toulouse), Govou (Lyon), Henry (Barcelona), Rémy (Nice)

Republic of Ireland Matched Up with France in World Cup Playoff Draw

Matt S — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:07:57 -0400

The Republic of Ireland will face France for a place at the World Cup in South Africa next year after Giovanni Trapattoni’s team were paired with the 2006 runners-up in the playoff draw in Zurich this afternoon.

The two nations have faced each other on ten occasions previously in World Cup Qualifying with France winning five to the Republic of Ireland’s three, with two matches being drawn.

The most recent meeting was in 2005 when Thierry Henry scored the only goal at Landsdowne Road.

The Republic of Ireland’s last win over France came in 1981 when they triumphed 3-2 over a French side which included Michel Platini.

Elsewhere Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will face Bosnia-Herzegovina, a surprise second-place finisher above Turkey and Belgium and the only team in the draw never to have before qualified for the World Cup.

Euro 2004 Champions Greece were paired with Ukraine, runners-up in England’s qualifying group, whilst Russia were drawn against Slovenia.

France, Portugal, Greece and Russia were all seeded due to their superior FIFA World Ranking in a controversial late decision from FIFA and consequently could not be drawn against one another.

The teams will play each other home and away other two legs, with away goals counting double if the scores are level on aggregate.

The four winners will progress to the final tournament in South Africa, for which the draw is made on 4 December.

Play-offs, First Leg – Saturday 14 November 2009

Republic of Ireland vs. France

Portugal vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina

Greece vs. Ukraine

Russia vs. Slovenia

Play-offs, Second Leg – Wednesday 19 November 2009

France vs. Republic of Ireland

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal

Ukraine vs. Greece

Slovenia vs. Russia

FIFA World Rankings, October '09: Argentina Rise Again

Matt S — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:13:50 -0400

The recent rounds of World Cup Qualifying, consisting of almost 150 games around the globe, have been inputted into the FIFA mainframe and the latest update for their world rankings has been spat back out. Or they just make them up as they go along…

Either way Brazil remains on top, for the fourth consecutive month, but their lead has been trimmed again by Spain.

A Seleção drew one and lost one of their final two qualifiers as Dunga tinkered with his lineup with qualification already assured. European Champions Spain kept the pressure on after setting a European record in World Cup Qualifying by becoming the first side to win 10 games out of 10 in a campaign.

Elsewhere, Germany slip down one place to fifth after a disappointing home draw with Finland, again achieved with their place in South Africa already booked.

Diego Maradona’s Argentina turned their form around to win their final two qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay and have risen two places to sixth, leapfrogging Fabio Capello’s England in seventh.

Portugal return to the Top 10, climbing seven positions, after finally getting their campaign back on track with back-to-back wins to secure a playoff place.

Russia fall six places to twelfth after an unfortunate home defeat to Germany and a poor away draw against lowly Azerbaijan.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon storm back into the Top 20, and are not the highest ranked African team. Ivory Coast are also present in the Top 20.

Thirteen of the Top 20 have already booked their places at the World Cup next summer, while five others face playoffs next month. Only Croatia and Czech Republic have failed to qualify.

Outside of the Top 20 the big movers of note are Algeria (up 15 to 29) and Colombia (up 18 to 30).

Slovakia have risen twelve places to 33rd place after successfully qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in their history.

New Zealand have also made good progress, improving by seventeen places to now occupy 83rd position.

The big fallers are Denmark (down 11 to 27) who rounded off an otherwise highly successful campaign with a home defeat against Hungary. Australia and Bulgaria also drop out of the top twenty.

Poland fall an incredible 20 places to 56th after a miserable campaign saw them finish with back-to-back defeats.

Scotland (down 16 to 46) and Wales (down 11 to 78) also tumble, but the news is better for the other home nations with Northern Ireland (up one to 30) and Republic of Ireland (up four to 34) both rising.

FIFA World Rankings, Top 20, October 2009

(movements from September rankings in parenthesis)

1. Brazil (-)

2. Spain (-)

3. Netherlands (-)

4. Italy (-)

5. Germany (-1)

6. Argentina (+2)

7. England (-)

8. Croatia (+1)

9. France (+1)

10. Portugal (+7)

11. USA (-)

12. Russia (-6)

13. Switzerland (+2)

14. Cameroon (+15)

15. Czech Republic (+3)

16. Greece (-4)

17. Chile (+4)

18. Mexico (+6)

19. Côte d'Ivoire (+1)

20. Serbia (-7)

FIFA World Rankings: What It Means for the European Play-Offs

Matt S — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:54:33 -0400

Controversy reigned in Europe last week when FIFA announced that the draw for the play-offs in the European section of World Cup Qualifying would be seeded.

World football’s governing body confirmed that the eight best second-placed teams from Europe’s nine qualifying groups would be seeded into two pots of four according to their FIFA World Rankings.

The latest rankings were released this morning, taking into account all results from the recent qualifiers, and leaves the two groups of seeds and non-seeds looking as follows:

Seeded teams (including FIFA World Ranking)

9. France

10. Portugal

12. Russia

16. Greece

Non-seeded teams

22. Ukraine

34. Republic of Ireland

42. Bosnia-Herzegovina

49. Slovenia

The decision was met by outrage from various members of the Republic of Ireland camp in the British press when the story broke, as it soon became apparent that they would not be amongst the seeded teams.

Overall, FIFA’s decision has been widely criticised for creating an unlevel playing field in order to give the likes of France, Russia and Portugal a better chance of qualification by ensuring that they couldn’t be drawn against each other.

The draw for the play-offs will be made on Monday 19^th October at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

The draw will pair the teams into four ties and then a separate draw will decide which team will host the first leg. Therefore, the seeded team will not necessarily enjoy home advantage in the crucial second leg.

The first legs will be played on Saturday 14^th November with the second legs four days later on Wednesday 18^th November. The four winners will progress to the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer.

England's World Cup Squad: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

Matt S — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:34:19 -0400

Fresh from securing qualification a month early England endured mixed results this week as they rounded off their qualifying campaign.

Defeated by Ukraine on Saturday, and under-strength England hit back to beat Belarus on Wednesday at Wembley as plenty of fringe players were given the opportunity to impress.

Now only a handful of friendlies remain before Capello names his 23-man World Cup squad.

Find out below who’s looking good for a place on the plane, and who has it all to do if they’re to be visiting South Africa for footballing reasons next summer.

Who’s HOT

Peter Crouch

His brace against Belarus means he finished the qualifying campaign with four goals from four appearances as he maintains his impressive international strike rate. Has missed a handful of England squads under Capello but you get the impression that the Italian will be reluctant to leave such a prolific marksman at home come the summer.

Lack of playing time at club level could harm his chances, but Emile Heskey also finds himself in the same position.

James Milner

Still yet to start a match at full international but the Aston Villa man has appeared as a substitute in each of England’s last five games and was unlucky not to score last night when he hit the post late on.

Plays on the right-wing for this club but has appeared primarily on the left-hand side so far for England, including a 15 minute stint at left-back against Belarus. Appears to also be covering the right-back position as well as Wes Brown was not named on the bench for either game this week. His versatility could prove the key to his inclusion in the final World Cup squad.

David Beckham

Bizarrely awarded the sponsor’s Man of the Match for his half hour cameo against Belarus which was laughed off by Capello. However, at the same time the Italian manager praised his enduring impact as a substitute, stating that he always performs whenever he’s introduced to the game whilst others struggle to impose themselves.

Capello seems to rate him in this role, demonstrated by substitute appearances in all but one of the ten qualifying games. His appetite for the killer ball and long pass has not diminished as shown last night. Even if his radar was perhaps off the mark more often than not his vision on the pitch still mark him out as a viable option for a fourth World Cup appearance.

Who’s NOT

Rio Ferdinand

A poor error of judgement cost England a man, and eventually the game against Ukraine on Saturday. Not his first mistake for England this season either, after gifting Holland the first goal in Amsterdam in August. Untested against Belarus on Wednesday night after Capello kept faith with his man, Ferdinand will need a much better performance in the real test against Brazil next month.

Ashley Young

PFA Young Player of the Year but has struggled to maintain his exceptional form since the turn of the year. Young arguably missed his chance when he failed to shine when handed a starting role on the left against Holland in August in Gerrard’s absence.

He was not even selected by Capello for the 24-man squad this time around and his fight to get back into the squad will only get more difficult with Joe Cole returning to fitness, and Stewart Downing due back before the end of the year.

Wes Brown

Named in the last two squads after missing most of last season through injury. However, the Manchester United defender has now not featured for England for over a year. Appears to be back-up for Johnson at right-back but could be usurped by the versatile James Milner who Capello believes can also cover that position. Must force himself back into contention at Old Trafford if he is to provide any sort of competition for Johnson.

Michael Carrick

Perhaps unlucky that his only appearance in World Cup Qualifying had to be played largely with 10 men but even still the midfielder failed to really impose himself on the game. A squad regular under Capello but only six appearances (of which only half were starts) is a poor return from the Italian’s 20 matches in charge.

However, other English central midfielders aren’t exactly knocking down Capello’s door for a call-up so the only real threat to his place at the World Cup appears to be a successful return for club teammate Owen Hargreaves, who has just started training after 13 months out with a knee injury.

Wayne Rooney's Absence Leaves Capello Searching for Plan B

Matt S — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:20:23 -0400

Thirteen minutes into England’s game with Ukraine on Saturday night, West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green was sent off and his team were forced to play with 10 men. Not that Wayne Rooney’s performance would have had you believe it.

The Manchester United forward was universally absolved of all blame by the English media, a rare occurrence indeed, and widely acknowledged as being the only player wearing the three lions to leave with his reputation enhanced from the first defeat of the campaign.

However, despite playing the full 90 minutes in Dnepropetrovsk, Rooney has withdrawn from the national squad with a calf injury and will not feature in England’s final World Cup Qualifier.

Therefore, Capello will be forced to shuffle his front line for the visit of Belarus to Wembley on Wednesday night, no longer able to rely on the joint top-scorer in the UEFA Qualifying section.

Rooney has been a mainstay of the Capello regime, as the Italian has insisted on playing the forward in more central positions. The player has rewarded his manager’s faith by scoring 11 times in 16 games.

Wednesday night will be only the fourth game he has missed under Capello. On the last two of these occasions, the Italian has turned to Gabriel Agbonlahor. The Aston Villa frontman may appreciate being handed another chance against less stellar opposition, having won his previous two caps against Germany and Spain.

Jermain Defoe, hitherto Capello’s go-to man up front, is missing from the squad as he recovers from a hand injury, leaving the Villa striker with the opportunity to impress.

Agbonlahor is definitely in-form, having scored five goals in his past six games but could find himself in the surprisingly unfamiliar situation of partnering club team-mate Emile Heskey in attack.

The pair started on the first day of the season against Wigan but have yet to do lineup again since Heskey has first found himself limited to a substitute’s role and has now overtaken by John Carew in the pecking order, as Martin O’Neill has switched back to a 4-4-2 system with a partner for Agbonlahor.

Heskey himself has continued to start for England this season despite his lack of action at club level and has featured heavily in England’s successful qualifying campaign, missing only the two home games against Ukraine and Andorra.

Peter Crouch replaced him on those two occasions, but Carlton Cole appears to be in favour at the moment having appeared in three of England’s four games so far this season, whilst Crouch is yet to figure.

In any case, it appears that Agbonlahor is most likely to benefit from the absence of Rooney and Defoe as it looks doubtful that Capello will approach the game with two ‘big men’ from the options of Heskey, Cole and Crouch.

Steven Gerrard limped out of England training this morning, just as he did the Ukraine match on Saturday when he was forced off at half-time with a groin injury.

James Milner replaced him then and looks set for his first start at full international level tomorrow evening as Capello adopts a more traditional 4-4-2 system with two out-and-out wingers.

Aaron Lennon will retain his place on the right and hope for better luck, his early substitution at the weekend having been necessitated by Green’s red card.

Gerrard and Rooney have dovetailed promisingly for England of late, the two offering an enviable ability to interchange roles and both operate astutely either in behind Heskey or in an attacking position coming from the left.

Capello doesn’t have the luxury of like-for-like players with which to replace the pair (arguably only Joe Cole would be able to fill either position effectively and even he is not fully fit after nine months out with a knee injury) so will be forced to find an alternative system with which to find success.

Fortunately, with England already qualified the game allows such experimentation but whilst there is effectively nothing at stake in terms of points to be won, the opportunity for the likes of Agbonlahor, Carlton Cole and James Milner to impress is one not to be missed as the race to be part of the final 23-man squad for South Africa hots up.

Fabio Capello Recalls Agbonlahor and James for Final World Cup Qualifiers

Matt S — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:41:09 -0400

Fabio Capello handed recalls to David James and Gabriel Agbonlahor as he named a 24-man squad for England’s upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Ukraine and Belarus.

James comes back into the squad after missing the past five matches through injury in place of Ben Foster. The Manchester United keeper, who was at fault for Sunderland’s second goal on Saturday, has been left out due to injury, although none was apparent during the weekend’s game and the exact details have yet to be confirmed.

Gabriel Agbonlahor profits from Jermain Defoe’s hand injury which has ruled out the Tottenham striker and will look to win his first cap since February.

Theo Walcott was not selected, despite scoring on this comeback against Blackburn yesterday, and Ashley Young finds himself dropped from the squad having now been overtaken in the pecking order by club teammate James Milner.

Rio Ferdinand also returns to the squad despite only being on the bench in Manchester United’s draw with Sunderland at the weekend. His injuries have meant he has played in only two of England’s past nine games.

Capello, who was present at Old Trafford on Saturday night would have seen Darren Bent open the scoring with his seventh goal in eight games but found no room in his squad for the in-form forward.

Bent famously missed out on the 2006 World Cup despite finishing the season as the highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League and has only made one substitute appearance under Capello to date, as his chances of going to South Africa appear to be linked more with injuries to those ahead of him rather than how many goals he scores.

Wes Brown is again picked as back-up at right-back to Glen Johnson, despite not featuring in any of Manchester United’s league games since August.

By the same token, Emile Heskey is also retained despite only featuring twice as a substitute in Aston Villa’s last three games.

David Beckham is also kept in squad, despite still playing in MLS, although rumours abound that he is edging closer to agreeing a deal to return to AC Milan come January—a move that Capello insists on the player making, should he want to be considered for the final World Cup squad.

24-man England squad to face Ukraine and Belarus

Goalkeepers: Rob Green (West Ham United), David James (Portsmouth), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Matt Upson (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)

Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

England Squad Preview: Final World Cup Qualifiers

Matt S — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:23:22 -0400

Fabio Capello names his squad this weekend, as England prepare to round off a successful World Cup Qualifying campaign in their final two fixtures.

The Three Lions will first travel to Dnipropetrovsk to take on Ukraine next Saturday before finishing their campaign at Wembley against Belarus on the following Wednesday.

The Italian has so far led England to eight wins out of eight in the group and will seek to maintain the one hundred per cent record as the fight for places on the plane to South Africa heats up.

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James will be hopeful of a recall having missed out on the past three squads through injury.

James has played in all of Portsmouth’s games since missing out on last month’s games against Slovenia and Croatia. He looks set to return to the squad in place of Blackburn’s Paul Robinson.

In James' absence Rob Green has done little wrong, starting the last five games for England. He will be anxious to see whether Capello re-installs James as first-choice or whether he keeps faith with the West Ham stopper.

Ben Foster should retain his place in the squad despite his recent errors for Manchester United.

Rio Ferdinand, who has also returned from injury will be recalled, as he looks to improve on his recent international record. This has seen him play in only two of England’s past nine games.

Matt Upson has deputised for Ferdinand in most of these games but the West Ham centre-back is doubtful after limping out of his team’s defeat to Liverpool. He lasted 25 minutes in that game and then missed the loss to Manchester City on Monday night.

Capello will most likely wait and see whether Upson features this weekend before naming him in his squad. If he fails to make it, Bolton’s Gary Cahill is favourite to receive the call-up, having been watched by Capello during Bolton’s win at Birmingham last weekend.

Cahill was a late call-up to the squad as an injury replacement for two of the past three squads and looks set for his first selection proper if Upson is indeed ruled out.

Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge will be the chosen at left-back but it remains to be seen who Capello will select as back-up to Glen Johnson on the right-hand side.

Wes Brown was chosen last month but since then has only featured in Manchester United’s Carling Cup game. He does, however, remain the favourite to be named especially given that Micah Richards was dropped for Manchester City’s last two games after his performance in the Manchester derby.

In midfield Theo Walcott is set to return for Arsenal against Blackburn this weekend and will be pushing for a recall to the squad. Competition for wide roles is fierce with Lennon, Beckham, Milner, Wright-Phillips and Ashley Young all named last time out, even though Steven Gerrard currently occupies the position on the left.

If Walcott is recalled then one of the above will make way, with Ashley Young’s place most under threat.

Joe Cole has finally returned from a long lay-off and will provide further competition for future squads but not for this one as he seeks to rebuild his fitness.

Michael Carrick might find his place in doubt as he has struggled to nail down a regular place in the Manchester United midfield this season. He did however score the winner in front of the watching Capello on Wednesday night.

It should be enough to keep his place in the squad, given that there is not exactly an abundance of competition in this area of the team.

Up front Jermain Defoe has been ruled out of Spurs’ trip to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday but his hand injury shouldn’t keep him out of the international picture.

Capello is expected to keep faith in Emile Heskey who has found himself marginalised at Aston Villa, being limited to substitute appearances in the last two league games.

Carlton Cole will push Heskey hard for a starting role with Peter Crouch looking to hang onto his place in the squad. Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor are pushing hard for call-ups after both scored in each of their past three league games since the last international break.

England Confirms Friendly with Brazil in Doha

Matt S — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:01:17 -0400

The F.A. has confirmed this afternoon that the Three Lions will take on Brazil in a friendly match on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The match has long-been rumored and has finally been officially announced after both nations confirmed their qualification for next year’s World Cup earlier this month.

Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar will host the friendly as the FIFA Confederations Cup Champions take on England for the first time since Wembley’s re-opening in May 2007.

Under the arrangements of that friendly, which finished in a 1-1 draw, England was obliged to play the return match within three years. The November date has been confirmed now that neither team will have to play in the World Cup Playoffs due to take place the same time.

Facing the team ranked No. 1 in the FIFA World Rankings fits perfectly with Fabio Capello’s vision for England friendlies.

The Italian has looked to take on the best opposition available away from home as he tries to prepare his team for the World Cup next year.

Capello’s side has already played France, Germany, Spain, and Holland. Facing the five-time World Champions in Doha will be the toughest test yet.

England plays Ukraine and Belarus in October to round out its World Cup Qualifying. Brazil faces Bolivia and Venezuela.

The November meeting should be both nations’ final fixture of 2009. The match will kick off at 5PM GMT.

The Three Lions are also believed to be close to agreeing to a friendly with Japan for next summer just prior to the World Cup in June. The match looks likely to take place in Austria, where England will prepare for its South African campaign.

Source: www.thefa.com

England's World Cup Squad Preview: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

Matt S — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:29:27 -0400

Now that England have secured their ticket to next year’s World Cup speculation is already starting about which players might or might not make the plane to South Africa.

Fabio Capello will use the next nine months to fine-tune his selection before he eventually reveals the 23 players he will choose to represent England at the World Cup.

Below I begin to examine the players who have impressed over the past week of International Football, and those who either need to up their game or start looking outside of South Africa for next year’s summer holidays.

Who’s HOT?

Jermain Defoe

The in-form Spurs striker was surprisingly quiet in this half an hour cameo against Croatia having staked his claim for a starting place with another goal against Slovenia four days before.

Defoe has struck eight goals in 11 games under Capello and should get his chance to start with Rooney if he continues his current hot streak if Capello decides to experiment in the remaining World Cup Qualifiers and upcoming friendlies.

Robert Green

The West Ham ‘keeper has well and truly taken advantage of David James’ absence through injury, starting the last five matches. Missed out on the last World Cup when he injured his groin in a "B" International just weeks before the tournament after being named in the initial squad, Green now looks set to go to South Africa as at least second-choice in goal.

Emile Heskey

Much of the build-up to the Croatia game centred on whether it should be Defoe or Heskey to partner Rooney up front but the Aston Villa man got the nod.

Despite not putting away either of his one-on-one chances his overall performance and contribution to the team was magnificent and he played every part in putting his team 3-0 up before he was withdrawn just before the hour mark.

England’s results when Heskey is in the first XI justify Capello’s faith in the big forward but Heskey must now win his place back in the Villa first team having played only eleven minutes in the past two league games.

Aaron Lennon

He may not have scored a hat-trick as Walcott did in Zagreb but he set up the first two goals in a man-of-the-match performance against Croatia to ensure that the Arsenal man was not missed.

If and when Walcott regains fitness it’ll be interesting to see where they both stand in Capello’s eyes now but Lennon did his chances of making his second World Cup the world of good on Wednesday night.

James Milner

Seeming destined to stay with the under-21 side forever, Milner has now featured off the bench in the last three England games. The Villa man made his first competitive appearance against Croatia on Wednesday after he was picked on the bench ahead of club teammate Ashley Young who he has now surpassed in the England pecking order.

His chances of making the squad next summer will rely as much on his form this season as on how well Stewart Downing and Joe Cole fare in their return from injuries later this season.

Who’s NOT?

Michael Owen/Gabriel Agbonlahor/Darren Bent

If you’re a quick English striker at the moment and you’re name’s not Jermain Defoe then your chances of making it in Capello’s World Cup squad don’t look bright right now. Barring an extraordinary run of form from any of the above, and even then it looks likely that only an injury to Defoe would give anyone else an opportunity to make it.

Shaun Wright-Phillips

Largely unimpressive in his 45mins in the friendly win over Slovenia, the Manchester City winger didn’t make the bench against Croatia and saw Lennon steal the limelight on the right wing.

With Walcott to come back and Capello seemingly keen on the continued value of involving David Beckham, Shaun Wright-Phillips’ hopes of making it to South Africa appear slim for the time being as the wide positions have arguably the highest amount of competition for places.

Ashley Young

Things were looking up when Young was handed his first international start last month against Holland but he was unable to make much of an impact before he was subbed midway through the second-half.

Villa teammate James Milner came on in his place and impressed by setting up Defoe’s equaliser and featured twice off the bench again this week whilst Young didn’t see any playing time. Must regain his impressive club form of last season if he is to compete for the wide roles in the squad.

France Set for Second Place But Show Their Spirit in Serbia

Matt S — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:55:47 -0400

France’s hopes of topping their qualifying group appear to have passed after they were held to a 1-1 by Serbia in Belgrade last night.

Raymond Domenech’s side played the vast majority of the match with ten men, with most of the French press praising the side for their spirit; sports daily L’Equipe leading with the headline “Admirable but in vain”.

The result means that Serbia continue to lead the group by four points from France with two games left to play. The French then have the same gap between themselves and Austria in the race for second place.

A win last night would have taken Les Bleus to within a point of Serbia but their hopes were dealt a crushing blow when goalkeeper Hugo Lloris conceded a penalty and was dismissed after just nine minutes.

A defensive mix-up between centre-backs William Gallas and Eric Abidal allowed Nikola Zigic a clean run on goal until he was brought down by Lloris, who saw red for being the last man.

The Lyon ‘keeper didn’t dispute the decision on the pitch but was later quoted as being “very surprised as there wasn’t really any contact. Unfortunately it’s a mistake by the referee, which punishes both me and my team at the same time. He is the referee; we must respect his decision even if it was a mistake.”

Mistake or not, Nenad Milijas buried the penalty past substitute stopped Steve Mandanda for whom Andre-Pierre Gignac was sacrificed by the away side.

However, France were level after half an hour when Serbian ‘keeper Stojkovic couldn’t hold Anelka’s drive from outside the box allowing Thierry Henry to poke in an equaliser, his 50th goal for his country.

Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic hit the bar early in the second half but France held on as Serbia also finished the game with ten men as substitute Danko Lazovic saw red in stoppage time.

Yoann Gourcuff admitted after the game that “In the context of the game, it’s a good point.”

The Bordeaux play-maker was shuffled to the right-hand side of midfield after the early red card and admitted to feeling that “at the moment, everything is going against us” after a Julien Escudé own-goal had gifted Romania a point four days earlier at the Stade de France.

Captain Thierry Henry was realistic about France’s chances of now achieving automatic qualification for the World Cup; “Bar a catastrophe from Serbia, we’re going to finish second.”

Henry, however, did also sound a note of optimism in pointing out that Germany reached the World Cup Final in 2002 after qualifying through the play-offs.

Responding to questions about his alleged falling out with head-coach Domenech the Barcelona star responded in dismissive fashion; “Personally, it’s very annoying, because what’s come out isn’t the truth. It’s a shame because it was a constructive discussion. If the rumours were true, I don’t think I would have been made captain.”

Serbia: V. Stojkovic – B. Ivanovic, N. Vidic, I. Obradovic, A. Lukovic – N. Milijas (Z. Kuzmanovic, 71) , D. Stankovic (c), G. Kacar (M. Ninkovic, 46) – M. Krasic, N. Zigic, M. Jovanovic (D. Lazovic, 74)

France: H. Lloris – B. Sagna, W. Gallas, E. Abidal, P. Evra – J. Toulalan, L. Diarra – N. Anelka, Y. Gourcuff (A. Diarra, 86), T. Henry (c) (F. Ribéry, 77) – A.P. Gignac (S. Mandanda, 12)

All quotes taken from L’Equipe

England vs. Croatia: The History

Matt S — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:21:38 -0400

England will look to secure their place at the World Cup when they take on Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday night. Fabio Capello’s side currently have a perfect record in World Cup Qualification with seven wins from seven and another victory over Croatia would guarantee the Three Lions’ presence in South Africa next summer. However, Croatia are currently ranked ninth in the FIFA World Rankings (England are seventh) and England fans will be right to be wary after Croatia denied them a place at Euro 2008 when they won at Wembley two years ago. This is the second consecutive qualifying section the two countries have been drawn in and the match at Wembley will be the seventh meeting overall. England currently hold the historical edge with three wins to Croatia’s two, but the Croats have won two of the last three, including home and away wins over Steve McClaren’s England in Euro 2008 qualifying. England’s overall record vs. Croatia P6 W3 D1 L2 F13 A9 England’s record vs. Croatia at home P3 W1 D1 L1 F5 A4

Begin Slideshow

England v. Slovenia: Match Preview

Matt S — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:42:22 -0400

England face Slovenia for the first time in their history at Wembley Stadium on Saturday in a friendly international.

The match will serve as a warm-up for Fabio Capello’s side before they take on Croatia on Wednesday night in a World Cup Qualifier, where a win would guarantee their place at the World Cup in South Africa next year.

The Three Lions have won five of the nine friendlies played under Capello and the Italian will no doubt have the players on their toes with the Croatia game only four days away.

Slovenia played their first match as an independent nation in 1992 after the split of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia the previous year.

They qualified for Euro 2000 by overturning Ukraine in a play-off, and two years later competed at their first ever World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea after defeating Romania, once more in a play-off. On both occasions they failed to make it past the initial group stage.

Slovenia currently sit third in their tightly contested World Cup Qualifying group, behind Slovakia and Northern Ireland, but ahead of Poland and Czech Republic.

They face a crucial home qualifier against Poland on Wednesday night in Maribor, a game which will go a long way to determining whether they can sustain their challenge for a play-off, or even automatic qualification place.

In terms of team news Fabio Capello faces a dilemma as to whether to select John Terry or not. The England captain did participate in training yesterday but is still believed to be struggling with a groin injury and with the more important Croatia game only four days away Capello might deem Terry’s participation in a friendly match an unnecessary risk.

If Terry does not play then Joleon Lescott is expected to come in to partner Matt Upson in central defence, with Gary Cahill now more likely to make his international debut as a substitute at some point during the match.

Steven Gerrard will captain the side in place of John Terry if the Chelsea man is ruled out. Vice-captain Rio Ferdinand is already missing from the squad with a back injury.

In goal, West Ham’s Robert Green is expected to start his fourth consecutive game for his country, but Ben Foster will most likely feature in the second half.

Jermain Defoe is pushing hard for a place in the starting line-up after scoring twice as a substitute to rescue a draw for England in Amsterdam last month. Capello may well feel Defoe deserves his chance to partner Rooney from the start, especially in a friendly.

Defoe and Rooney have started five previous games together for England, the first back in October 2004 against Azerbaijan when Rooney started in an advanced midfield role behind both Defoe and Michael Owen.

Each of the last three times have been under Fabio Capello but on each occasion Defoe has been substituted, twice at half-time.

Overall they have played in 12 games together for England, but only once for more than an hour (against USA in May 2008 under Capello). Defoe’s first goal against Holland last month is the only goal scored by either of them in any of those 12 matches.

Possible England line-up v. Slovenia

Green; Johnson, Terry/Lescott, Upson, A. Cole; Lennon, Lampard, Barry, Gerrard; Rooney, Defoe.

FIFA World Rankings, September '09: Brazil Still No. 1

Matt S — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:55:04 -0400

The summer lull for football was reflected in the latest World Rankings as published today by FIFA with there being no great movement of note.

With little more than a flurry of friendly internationals played in the last month all movements are due to the devaluation of points awarded for games played more than one year ago.

Brazil remains on top for the third consecutive month, still fresh from their Confederations Cup win this summer. Spain, however, has narrowed the gap between first and second in terms of points and could regain the top spot if Brazil were to slip up when they take on arch rivals Argentina in World Cup Qualifying in the coming week.

Argentina remains in eighth place despite beating Russia (sixth) in a friendly in Moscow last month.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Italy move up a place to share fourth spot with Germany. Paraguay and Ukraine drop out of the top 20, replaced by Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Chile has climbed five places and now occupys 21st place.

Australia continue their rise, going up two places this month to 14th, a new record high for the Socceroos who this time last year were ranked 39th.

England remains seventh, with next week’s opponents Croatia two places behind in ninth.

The other home nations have seen little or no movement; Scotland is worst off, down six places to 31st now only one ahead of Northern Ireland (32nd, up one). Republic of Ireland have fallen one place to 38th whilst Wales are non-movers in 67th.

FIFA World Rankings, Top 20, September 2009

(movements from August rankings in parenthesis)

1. Brazil (-)

2. Spain (-)

3. Holland (-)

4= Italy (+1)

4= Germany (-)

6. Russia (-)

7. England (-)

8. Argentina (-)

9. Croatia (+1)

10. France (-1)

11. USA (+1)

12. Greece (-1)

13. Serbia (+1)

14. Australia (+2)

15. Switzerland (-2)

16. Denmark (-1)

17. Portugal (-)

18. Czech Republic (+4)

19. Bulgaria (+4)

20. Cote d’Ivoire (-2)

Fabio Capello Recalls Peter Crouch and Aaron Lennon for Wembley Double

Matt S — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:34:37 -0400

Fabio Capello named a 24-man England squad on Sunday night as England prepare to welcome Slovenia and Croatia to Wembley, the latter for a World Cup Qualifier.

Tottenham teammates Peter Crouch and Aaron Lennon have both been recalled to the squad after missing out against Holland. Both scored in their club’s win against Birmingham City on Saturday.

David James is again missing through injury after missing Portsmouth’s defeat to Manchester City at the weekend, whilst Wes Brown is recalled in place of injured club teammate Rio Ferdinand.

Brown has not featured for the Three Lions in almost a year after enduring an injury-plagued 2008-09 season, his last appearance being in October 2008 in England’s 3-1 win in Belarus.

The Manchester United defender will provide back-up for Glen Johnson at right-back as well as being able to cover at centre-back in the absence of Ferdinand, although Matthew Upson is favourite to partner John Terry against Croatia.

Glen Johnson has established himself as England’s first choice right-back in Brown’s absence but was widely criticized following a poor defensive showing in last month’s friendly against Holland.

However, the full-back has been in impressive form for his new club, contributing two goals and two assists in his first four games for the Anfield side.

Aaron Lennon is recalled in place of the injured Theo Walcott, who Croatia will surely be glad not to face again after his hat-trick in Zagreb last September. Lennon will compete with David Beckham and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who each played a half in the recent friendly against Holland, for a place on the right of midfield.

Peter Crouch is also recalled but is likely to find himself on the bench with Jermain Defoe expected to get the nod to partner Wayne Rooney up front at least in the friendly with Slovenia after this second-half brace in Amsterdam.

David James missed out at the weekend through injury so Paul Robinson keeps his place in the squad. Ben Foster was forced to withdraw through injury last month but is expected to push Rob Green, who has started the last three England games, hard for a starting place against Croatia.

24-man England squad to face Slovenia and Croatia

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Manchester United), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Matt Upson (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

England Squad Preview: Slovenia and Croatia Up Next at Wembley

Matt S — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:58:24 -0400

Fabio Capello will name his England squad on Sunday evening for the two upcoming fixtures in September. The Three Lions play Slovenia at Wembley next Saturday in a friendly match before entertaining Croatia at the same venue on the following Wednesday in a World Cup qualifier.

The encounter with Slovenia will be the first ever between the two sides, in stark contrast to Croatia who England players and fans alike have become more than familiar with over the past three years having now been drawn together in the past two qualifying groups.

Croatia famously beat England 3-2 at Wembley back in November 2007 to deny Steve McClaren’s team a place at Euro 2008 but this time a win for England would see them qualifying for next year’s World Cup in South Africa with two games to spare.

Fabio Capello will hope to be able to recall David James to his squad but will wait to see how the goalkeeper comes through Portsmouth’s game with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon first.

James started all of Capello’s first thirteen games in charge as he quickly established himself as the Italian’s first choice in goal, but injuries at the end of last and the beginning of this season have seen the 39-year-old miss out on the last three games.

Rob Green has benefited and performed well in his three games but will come under increased pressure this time around, not only from the expected return of James but also Ben Foster as well.

The Manchester United ‘keeper has also missed the last three internationals through injury and will surely give Capello food for thought after getting a decent run of games at Old Trafford, thanks to Edwin van der Saar’s finger injury, for the first time in his career.

James was substituted towards the end of Portsmouth’s game at Arsenal last weekend and should he not prove his fitness his place will go to Joe Hart who has impressed in conceding just one goal in his first three games on loan at Birmingham.

Rio Ferdinand has already been ruled out of these two games and his place will most likely go to Gary Cahill who earned his first call-up to the national squad as a replacement for Ferdinand for last June’s World Cup qualifiers.

With Phil Jagielka still recovering from his cruciate ligament injury there has also been rumours of Capello again turning to Tottenham’s injury-plagued centre-back Ledley King in place of Ferdinand.

King was selected by Capello last March for the games against Slovakia and Ukraine but left the England camp the very next day as he is unable to train due to his long-term knee problems.

Capello is a known admirer of the Tottenham defender but it remains unclear exactly what the player has to offer at international level when he cannot train or play in more than one game a week. King’s club manager Harry Redknapp would no doubt be outspoken on the subject once more if King were to be selected again.

Ferdinand’s absence will leave Matt Upson and Joleon Lescott battling to partner John Terry at the heart of the defence.

Capello didn’t select a back-up right-back to Glen Johnson last month but this time might turn to one of returning Manchester United pair Gary Neville or Wes Brown, with city rival Micah Richards another option albeit perhaps a more unlikely one given the Italian’s preference for him to stay with the under-21 squad.

In midfield, Theo Walcott looks set to miss out having yet to feature for Arsenal this season. Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon looks set to take his place in the squad.

If Capello limits himself to his usual 23-man selection then club team-mates James Milner and Ashley Young might find themselves competing for a wide space in the squad.

Stewart Downing and Joe Cole are still out with long term injuries whilst David Beckham is expected to keep his place in the squad despite Capello’s preference for him to play his club football in Europe.

Up front Capello is likely to stick with the same four strikers he called upon for the Holland game earlier this month—Carlton Cole, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, and Wayne Rooney.

Peter Crouch has so far been limited to substitute and Carling Cup appearances since his move back to Tottenham and will most likely miss out.

Despite netting his first goal for Manchester United last weekend there is unlikely to be a recall for Michael Owen.

Jermain Defoe Double Earns England Draw After Defensive Sins in Amsterdam

Matt S — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:43:47 -0400

Jermain Defoe stepped off the bench to score twice to secure England's draw against Holland in its first match of the new season.

First-half errors from Rio Ferdinand and Gareth Barry gifted the Dutch a two-goal lead in Amsterdam as Dirk Kuyt and Rafael van der Vaart punished poor defensive mistakes from the visitors.

However, England improved after the break and Defoe, on as a half-time substitute, struck just four minutes into the second half to drag his team back into the game before scoring the equaliser with just over ten minutes to play.

Fabio Capello’s starting eleven was as expected with Rob Green retaining his place in goal and David Beckham and Ashley Young occupying the wide-midfield roles.

Yet it was the hosts who started brightest, enjoying the majority of the possession before they were gifted a goal on ten minutes.

Rio Ferdinand played a well under-hit back pass from the right-back position which Dirk Kuyt easily intercepted. The Liverpool forward rounded Rob Green and quickly cut back inside after being forced wide, his shot eventually finding the roof of the net via the outstretched boot of John Terry, who could do little to prevent the goal on the line.

England’s response was strong though as Frank Lampard fired straight at Maarten Stekelenburg from a narrow angle after being played in by Glen Johnson.

Quick thinking from Beckham and Lampard then created another chance for England as the former whipped in a quick free-kick for the latter whose shot was well-blocked.

Barry had a reasonable shout for a penalty soon after as his intended back-heel to Emile Heskey in the box was stopped by the arm of new club teammate Nigel de Jong. Barry’s strong appeal, however, fell on deaf ears as the referee waved play on.

Holland continued to create chances of its own as Green was forced into action to first block Kuyt’s back-post header with his legs before pushing an Arjen Robben effort over the bar after the Real Madrid winger had outpaced the English defence.

Yet just as England handed the Dutch their first goal so again would they be guilty on 38 minutes—this time Barry played a blind pass for John Terry which Robben intercepted to go clean through on goal.

Green did well to block Robben’s initial effort but the ball rebounded kindly for Rafael van der Vaart to slot the rebound into the unguarded net and double the Dutch lead.

Wayne Rooney was inches away from halving the Dutch lead a minute before the break but his half-volley on the edge of the box from an Emile Heskey knock-down flew just wide.

Capello made three changes at half-time, introducing Shaun Wright-Phillips, Michael Carrick, and Defoe and it was the Tottenham man who quickly made an impression.

Just four minutes of the second half had elapsed when Defoe exposed a high Dutch line to run onto a lofted through ball from Frank Lampard before firing in off the near post with his left foot.

Defoe came close again midway through the second period, flicking a near post header just over from an instant cross from James Milner, making his full international debut as a replacement for Ashley Young.

Moments later and Carlton Cole, also on as a substitute, fired just wide on his left-foot from the edge of the box as England began to push hard for an equaliser.

It eventually came on 78 minutes when James Milner beat Heitinga to a ball wide on the left before cutting into the box and pulling the ball back from the by-line for Defoe to tap home his second of the game.

It was Defoe’s tenth goal for his country, seven of which have come in his nine appearances under Capello as he made the recall of Michael Owen look like an even more distant prospect.

England finished strongly as they pushed for an unlikely victory but were fortunate when a Dutch free-kick in injury time was deflected narrowly wide. The past four meetings between the nations have now ended in draws.

Overall, Capello will surely have been pleased with a spirited comeback away from home, with several fringe players in particular impressing. Yet, he will be keen to ensure that such basic defensive errors are eliminated with World Cup qualifiers just around the corner.

Holland: Stekelenburg – Heitinga, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Braafheid – De Jong, Schaars (Mendes da Silva, 82) – Van der Vaart (Sneijder, 46), van Persie (Babel, 46), Robben (Afellay, 55) – Kuyt (Huntelaar, 78)

England: Green – Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry (c), A. Cole (Bridge, 84) – Beckham (Wright-Phillips, 46), Barry (Carrick, 46), Lampard, Young (Milner, 68) – Rooney (C. Cole, 59) Heskey (Defoe, 46)

Capello Calls Almunia Too Spanish, But Finds Young Perfecto For Friendly Start

Matt S — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:44:38 -0400

England manager Fabio Capello yesterday confirmed that Ashley Young would replace the injured Steven Gerrard in his starting lineup for tonight’s friendly against Holland.

The Liverpool captain withdrew from the squad yesterday morning as a precaution after reporting for international duty with a tight groin and has returned to his club.

Aston Villa winger Young will take Gerrard’s place on the left-hand side of midfield and will operate as more of an orthodox winger than his Liverpool counterpart.

Young has been in and out of Capello’s squads but has won four of his five caps under the Italian, but has been limited to a substitute’s role on each occasion.

This will be Young’s first chance to start a game for his country and he will be eager to mark his mark as the No. 1 alternative on the left-hand side behind Gerrard and ahead of new club teammate Stewart Downing.

Downing has been a regular in Capello’s squad, starting on four occasions with a further three substitute appearances, but is currently sidelined with an ankle injury and not expected to return until December.

Theo Walcott is believed to be a doubtful starter for England this evening and if ruled out his place on the right-hand side of midfield will most likely go to either David Beckham or Shaun Wright-Phillips, with James Milner an outsider to win his first full cap from the outset.

Beckham is generally expected to get the nod with Capello keen to see whether the former England captain will still be an effective option for next year’s World Cup when the former captain will be 35.

Emile Heskey is expected to partner Wayne Rooney up front, but West Ham’s Carlton Cole looks set to feature at some point as his replacement with Capello eager to cast his eye over the striker at the top level.

Robert Green will retain his place in goal for the third consecutive game in the continued absence of David James and Manchester United’s Ben Foster, who withdrew from the squad on Monday and was replaced by Joe Hart.

Meanwhile, Capello effectively ruled out the possibility of selecting Arsenal’s Manuel Almunia for the national side, simply stating “Almunia, for me, is Spanish.”

The Spanish-born ‘keeper qualifies for British citizenship having spent five years residence in the UK and had expressed his eagerness to pursue an international career with England.

However, as reported in The Guardian today, Almunia would have to surrender his passport in order to process his citizenship application which would leave him unavailable to travel abroad for up to three months, ruling him out of any Champions League away games should Arsenal qualify.

Elsewhere England’s Under-21s held their Dutch counterparts to a goalless draw in Groningen last night. Seventeen-year-old Jack Wilshere made his debut at this level in Stuart Pearce’s side’s first outing since the final of the UEFA Under-21 Championships this summer.

Probable England XI to face Holland tonight

Green – Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry (c), A. Cole – Beckham, Barry, Lampard, Young – Rooney, Heskey

Holland v. England: The History

Matt S — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:57:06 -0400

England will kick-off their new season on Wednesday night when they travel to Amsterdam to take on Holland in a friendly.

The match will give Fabio Capello his first chance to get back to work with his players before they round off their World Cup Qualifying campaign in the next two months.

Both teams have identical records in qualifying so far—both boasting maximum points from their seven games played. This has been enough for Holland to secure their ticket to South Africa already and the Three Lions will most likely join them should they secure the three points in their next match against Croatia in September.

The match will be England’s fifth friendly against Holland since 2001 and will be the 18th meeting between the two nations overall.

The Three Lions currently hold the historical edge with five wins to Holland’s four. The last three matches have all ended in draws of which there have been eight altogether.

England have lost only one of the six matches they have previously played in Holland. The most recent meeting was in 2006 and ended 1-1 when Rafael van der Vaart struck a late goal five minutes from time to cancel out Wayne Rooney’s opener and secure a draw for Marco van Basten’s side.

The last victory by either side came in a friendly in 2001 at White Hart Lane when the Dutch prevailed by two goals to nil, aided by a magnificent strike by Mark van Bommel and a goal from Ruud van Nistelrooy.

England’s last victory over Holland came at Euro ’96, which was also the most recent of five competitive meetings between the two nations.

The group stage match will live long in the memories of many England fans and saw the Three Lions thump the Dutch 4-1 on a famous evening at Wembley, Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham bagging two goals each as Terry Venables enjoyed his finest night as England manager.

However, this win stands as England’s sole success over the Dutch in their last ten meetings. In fact, you have to go back as far as 1982 for the previous English victory.

Further games of note between the two sides came during 1994 World Cup Qualifying. England threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Wembley and then lost their penultimate qualifier 2-0 in Rotterdam to goals from Ronald Koeman and Denis Bergkamp as their campaign ended in failure.

England fans will most likely recall the referee’s decision not to send Koeman off in that match after he brought David Platt down when clean through on goal. Koeman received only a yellow card and five minutes later clipped in the opening goal from a direct freekick.

Holland’s most famous win against England came in 1988 at the European Championships when Marco van Basten scored a hat-trick (the first against England for almost 30 years) to knock Bobby Robson’s side out of the competition in the group stage. Holland would go on to win the tournament and van Basten finished as top scorer.

England’s biggest win over Holland was back in 1946 when they triumphed 8-2 in Huddersfield with Tommy Lawton netting four goals. This remains the only time Holland have conceded eight goals in a full international.

The Three Lions’ last victory on Dutch soil came forty years ago in 1969 when Colin Bell struck the only goal of the game for the then World Cup holders against a Dutch side containing Johann Cruyff at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.

England’s overall record v. Netherlands

P17 W5 D8 L4 F24 A19

England’s overall record in Netherlands

P6 W2 D3 L1 F5 A5

Capello's Squad for Holland Has No Room for Peter Crouch or David James

Matt S — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:30:11 -0400

Fabio Capello has named his first squad of the new season this weekend for the upcoming friendly against Holland in Amsterdam and there were a few surprises with David James and Peter Crouch missing the cut.

Ben Foster is recalled to the squad after missing the June qualifiers with a thumb injury and he will most likely share goalkeeping duties with Rob Green, who kept two clean sheets in the absence of James and Foster at the end of last season.

David James has not been selected as it is believed that Capello does not consider him to be fully recovered from a knee injury, although club manager Paul Hart expects James to line up for Portsmouth’s first game of the season on Saturday.

James had started each of Capello’s first 13 games in charge but will now have missed the last three matches.

There are no surprises in the selection of defenders, although Capello has opted for only seven with an extra midfielder in his squad meaning that Glen Johnson is the only right-back in the squad.

Johnson would be replaced by an additional call-up if injured before Wednesday but otherwise Shaun Wright-Phillips would be most likely to fill in at right-back if the new Liverpool fullback was forced off during the actual game.

The Manchester City winger played the final 15 minutes there against Kazakhstan in June and filled in at right-back in training during June when Gary Neville was unable to take part in training.

David Beckham retains his place in the squad despite the end of his loan spell at AC Milan and will rack up the air miles for his journey from Los Angeles.

James Milner also keeps his place in the 23-man selection. The Aston Villa wide-man was called into the squad last June as a replacement for the injured Michael Carrick but is selected from the start this time. Milner holds the record for appearances for the England Under-21 side but is yet to win his first cap at senior level.

Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere was tipped for a call-up but has been named in the England Under-20 squad and Capello is keen for him to compete at this level in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup which starts next month.

Up front new Tottenham signing Peter Crouch surprisingly misses out on the squad altogether despite starting and scoring in England’s last game against Andorra. Emile Heskey is expected to resume his fruitful partnership with Wayne Rooney while Jermain Defoe and Carlton Cole will provide back-up.

Michael Owen is again overlooked but Capello has again insisted that the door is definitely not shut on the new Manchester United man, maintaining that should Owen consistently play well and score for this new side then he will be considered to add to his 89 caps and 40 goals for his country.

23-man England Squad to face Holland

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Manchester United), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Everton), John Terry (Chelsea), Matt Upson (West Ham United)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)