World Cup Weblog

For you, the World Cup is over.

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 16:03:00 +0000

And so, once again it was penalties that did us in.

A series of below par performances were only overturned when we went down to 10 men and really had to fight, but it was too little, too late.

Brazil went out too, leaving 4 teams left, all European, to fight it out in the semi finals.

The smart money has to be on Germany to lift the cup - efficient football with a home advantage seemingly the magic formula for World Cup success.

Right, i'm off to drown my sorrow at Will Hill's football betting site for a quick punt on tonight's matches...

The knockout stages - Quarter finals

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:10:00 +0000

And then there were eight.

And to be honest, not many surprises in the last eight either. Spain failed to perform when it mattered, losing to a rejuvinated France. Brazil continued their run of playing fairly mediocre football but still winning, and England did the same.

The next round sees some juicy pairing - Germany play Argentina, Italy face Ukraine, Brazil will be up against rivals France, and England will hope to finally beat Scolari's Portugal.

Full fixtures:

Friday, 30 June 2006

Germany v Argentina, 16:00Italy v Ukraine, 20:00

Saturday, 01 July 2006

Brazil v France, 20:00England v Portugal, 16:00

The World Cup so far...

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:59:00 +0000

A few technical problems have meant no updates for a while, so here's a bumper post of World Cup goodness, group by group.

Group A, and Germany and Ecuador went through with few problems, the hosts winning all three games, despite a few stutters early on.

Group B, and England qualified top, desptie a few unconvincing performances and losing Michael Owen to injury. They failed to beat fellow qualifiers Sweden however having now not done so for 123,000,034 years.

In Group C, Argentina and Holland qualified as expected. Argentina scored the best goal in the world, ever against a Serbian team who apparently had taken a vow not to tackle. Or run. The much hyped but meaningless Argentina - Holland match failed to impress, ending 0-0.

Group D saw Portugal and Mexico qualify at the expense of Angola and Iran My tip for the golden boot, Pauletta scored a grand total of 1 solitary goal in the process.

Two games are being played as I type in Group E with any team able to qualify. At the moment it's Italy and Ghana who will go through, but anything can, and probably will happen in the second halves.

Groups F, G and H are yet to be decided and only Togo can't reach the last 16...

Right, i'm off to watch the rest of the Italy - Czech Republic and Ghana - USA matches. I suggest you do the same.

Go on, be off with you.

World Cup News Roundup - June 13th

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 09:35:00 +0000

Yesterday saw the appearance of two of the tournament's big guns, but all in all they were largely disappointing outings for both teams.

France extended their barron spell in front of goal, drawing 0-0 with Switzerland with a performance that fell on the wrong side of dire. Henry was isolated up front, Zidane was bickering with his own team and it was only the inability of the Swiss to take their numerous chances in front of goal which saved France from defeat. Incidentally, it was the first time the Swiss have ever kept a clean sheet in the World Cup. That's how bad the French were.

Meanwhile in Berlin, Brazil scraped a 1-0 win over Croatia thanks to a sublime curling shot from Kaka but they were far from convincing.

Ronaldo was largely anonymous throughout and was finally put out of his misery in the 69th minute when he was substituted for Robinho, 10 minutes after his first shot.

If Croatia had been more convincig in front of goal, it could have been a different story entirely...

In Frankfurt South Korea came from behind to beat 10 man Togo 2-1. Despite not knowing who their manager would be when they started the match and being in the midst of a wage dispute Togo posed a threat, even after Jean-Paul Yaovi Abalo Dosseh was sent off after bringing down Park Ji-Sung.

Today sees Germany face Poland in what promises to be a tense match, and the first games of Group H played.

Wednesday, 14 June 2006

Germany v Poland, 20:00

Spain v Ukraine, 14:00

Tunisia v Saudi Arabia, 17:00

World Cup roundup - Yesterday's Games

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 10:59:00 +0000

Some great football was on display in all three matches yesterday, and were lucky enough to see 9 games in 3 matches. Quite a contrast to all the 1-0 scorelines over the weekend.

Evertone's Tim Cahill came on as sub in Australia's match against Japan and scored the Socceroos' first ever World Cup finals goal.

Japan had taken the lead in the first half when Australian keeper Mark Shwarzer appeared to be fouled by a Japanese defender, letting Shunsuke Nakamura's sail over his head and into the net. However Cahill equilised in the 84th minute with a lovely 20 yard strike when Japan's keeper went AWOL - cue much jubilation from the Aussie crowd.

The action didn't stop there though. Five minutes later an Cahill did it again - scoring off the inside of the post, only for John Aloisi to tear through the Japanese defence and slot home a third a few minutes later, confirming Australia's remarkable win.

The Czech Republic put on a great display against the USA, the highlight being Rosicky's 30 yard strike nine minutes before half time, and the lowlight being the injury to Jan Koller (although the injury wasn't as serious as it looked )

Finally, Italy took their first 3 points after a deserved win over Ghana in Hanover. The Italians dominated throughout, running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Pirlo and Iaquinta.

Monday's Results

Australia 3-1 Japan

Italy 2-0 Ghana

USA 0-3 Czech Republic

World Cup day 4. The story so far...

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:27:00 +0000

So we're now on day 4 of the World Cup, and so far there haven't been too many surprises.

Portugal, Mexico, Holland, Argentina, England and Germany all won as expected, some not as well as expected.

There were shocks for Sweden who were held to a draw again Trinidad in an epic match and Poland who were stunned by Ecuador , losing 2-0 despite doing most of the pressing early on.

England's performance was 'far from convincing' or 'a good three points' depending on who you ask, but at the end of the day the team finished the match top of the group with no injuries from the game, all of this in spite of some dodgy substitutions by Sven.

So, next up for England is Trinidad, and the rumours are that Rooney could play a part in the game - he rather cleverly managed to knobble Walcott in training and could come on as a substitute against the Soca Warriors.

The results so far then:

Sunday 11th June

Angola 0 - 1 Portugal
Mexico 3 - 1 Iran
Serbia & Montenegro 0 - 1 Holland

Saturday 10th June

Argentina 2 - 1 Ivory Coast
England 1 - 0 Paraguay
Trinidad and Tobago 0 - 0 Sweden

Friday 9th June

Germany 4 - 2 Costa Rica
Poland 0 - 2 Ecuador

Today's matches:

2:00pm - Australia vs. Japan5:00pm - United States vs. Czech Republic
8:00pm - Italy vs. Ghana

world+cup , rooney , england , football

Germany vs Costa Rica

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 15:20:00 +0000

Less than an hour until kick off and the big news is Ballack won't be playing for Germany and has been replaced by Tim Borowski

Full line ups:

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Frings, Borowski, Schneider, Podolski, Klose.Subs: Asamoah, Ballack, Hildebrand, Hitzlsperger, Huth, Jansen, Kahn, Kehl, Neuville, Nowotny, Odonkor.

Costa Rica: Porras, Marin, Umana, Gonzalez, Martinez, Fonseca, Solis, Centeno, Sequeira, Gomez, Wanchope.Subs: Alfaro, Azofeifa, Badilla, Bernard, Bolanos, Drummond, Hernandez, Mesen, Nunez, Rodriguez, Saborio, Wallace.

And incidentally, if anyone's watching the opening ceremony, were there just a load of teenage boys humping cowbells or have I just had too much sun?

Kick off

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:44:00 +0000

D-Day is upon us, and in less than 7 hours half of the World will be positioned in front of TV sets to watch the first game of the 2006 World Cup.

'So, what's the latest goings on in Germany this morning then?' I hear you cry.

Well, Ballack has decided he is fit after all , Gerrard is 50/50 to start against Paraguay tomorrow, and Kewel should be ok to play against Japan .In other news, a very honest German found 800 World Cup tickets and handed them in to lost property, and the BBC has a great team-by-team analysis of the mood each country's camp, including the great quote from Germany: "We're worried about everything to do with the team and our World Cup!".

Nice.

world+cup , england , football , injury

1 day, 7 hours and 45 minutes to go!!!

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:31:00 +0000

Well, the bar room is booked, the fridges have been stocked, and the tension is rising - there are less then 36 hours to go until the greatest sporting competition in the world! Ever!

So how are the teams shaping up?

Well, Germany are without Ballack for the opener after he failed to recover from a thigh strain.

Rooney looks likely to be fit for the knockout stages after the scan on his metatarsal looked good.

And Cisse is definitely out of the Cup after breaking a leg during France's friendly against China.

world+cup , rooney , england , football , injury

GiveMeFootball.com - The Professional Footballers' Association

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 08:41:00 +0000

Martin O'Neill has confirmed he would have accepted the position of England manager had he been offered it. But it wasn't.

" If Brian Clough, who had the ego the size of 15 houses, had the humility to go for an interview for the England job then the rest of us mortals should be able to subject ourselves to that. "

So, O'Neill or McClaren? What do you think?

Sod the Samba Boys, hail Northern Ireland

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:49:00 +0000

On the Guardian's World Cup Blog, Paul Doyle makes a case for Northern Ireland being top of every nuetral's list, over Brazil.

Just one problem with that then...

England World Cup News

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 12:47:00 +0000

What a difference a week makes.

7 days ago we were despairing at the possibility that Rooney would play no part in the tournament in Germany, unimpressed by performance of the 'B' team against Belarus, and worried at the choice of Peter 'Good Touch For A Big Man' Crouch as first choice striker.

A week later, and England have scored 9 goals in two games with Crouch bagging 4 and conceded just one. Everything seems rosey again.

Obviously there is more to the past week than this (Crouch's penalty, the dubious goal that made up his hattrick, it was only Belarus and Jamaica, Rooney is still far from fully fit.. etc), but you'd have a hard time finding better results to send the team off to Germany with.

Away from England the Netherlands and Australia ground out a 1-1 draw which left the Dutch doctors fairly busy , Brazil comfortably beat an uninspiring New Zealand with only a few blisters on Ronaldo's foot their only injury worry, and Viduka may quit after the World Cup , which is hardly groundbreaking news, I know but some might care...

Finally, you can catch each of the BBC's World Cup games online as well as on TV (if you're in the UK), and The Guardian has a nice piece on the World Cup's " 33rd Team ", the referees (only 2 of which are full time refs).Only 4 days to go people!

Technorati Tags: world+cup , football , england , crouch

England vs Hungary news

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Tue, 30 May 2006 16:33:00 +0000

England face Hungary tonight in a friendly at Old Trafford which we all hope will answer a few questions about the state of the Team just less than 2 weeks before the World Cup.

According to the BBC, Owen will start for England and The Guardian say that Carragher will play a holding role with Gerrard acting as makeshift striker in place of Peter 'Good Touch For A Big Man' Crouch.

Away from tonight's game, Rooney will travel to Germany despite the date for his scan being somewhat ominously brought forward to the 7th.

World+Cup, Football, England,

Rooney could be fit for last group game?

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Fri, 26 May 2006 11:45:00 +0000

Just as your friendly World Cup blogger had given up all hope, the pesky BBC change their story completely, and The Guardian actualyl sound quite positive about the whole thing.

Turns out, Rooney will fly back from Germany on the 14th for another scan, and if that's all ok he could resume full training the same day.

W00t.

guardian story

Rooney won't resume training for 6 weeks...

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Fri, 26 May 2006 10:23:00 +0000

News just in: The scan on Rooney's foot has revealed he won't be fit to resume training for another 6 weeks at least - 2 days before the World Cup Final.He's due to have another scan on the 14th which will show how much involvement, if any, he will have in the tournament.Not looking good folks. That Walcott better be bloody good.

England 'B' 1 - 2 Belarus

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Fri, 26 May 2006 08:44:00 +0000

Surprise surprise, things didn't quite go to plan last night as England B lost to The Mighty Belarus thanks in no small part to a rather unsportsmanlike goal in the 50th minute.

Norwich keeper Robert Green suffered a ruptured groin as he took a goal kick, collapsing in agony and gifting the ball to Vitali Kutuzov who tucked the ball away for a goal leading to much jeering from the crowd. Sadly for England's 3rd choice keeper the injury almost certainly means an end to his dream of travelling to the World Cup.

Despite the poor scoreline, Aaron Lennon seems to have won over many with his performance, as did Carrick and Walcott .

The Times has rated each player's performance .

Technorati Tags: england , england+b , football , friendly , belarus

England B versus Belarus

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 25 May 2006 11:05:00 +0000

At 20:05 this evening the most anticipated England B game for years will kick off at the Madejski Stadium.

The starting lineup inludes Michael Owen, David James, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Peter Crouch who are all looking for match fitness ahead of the World Cup.

A certain Theo Walcott starts on the bench...

England B: James (Man City) Hargreaves (Bayern Munich) A Cole (Arsenal)Carrick (Tottenham)Carragher (Liverpool)Campbell (Arsenal)Lennon (Tottenham)Jenas (Tottenham)Crouch (Liverpool)Owen (Newcastle)Downing (Middlesbrough)

Substitutes: Bridge (Chelsea), Green (Norwich), P Neville (Everton), Dawson (Tottenham), J Cole (Chelsea), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace), Walcott (Arsenal), Carson (Liverpool).

D-day for WunderkidTM probably

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 25 May 2006 08:31:00 +0000

So, today is the day that we probably/possibly/maybe find out, depending on who you believe, if Rooney will play a part in the World Cup.

England's star forward will be undergoing an MRI scan this morning to see how well that pesky metatarsal has healed. However, according to the Guardian , Rooney is at least 1 month away from playing, regardless of today's decision, which would rule him out of England's group games.

It's also clear that Man United (or is that Sir Alex?) aren't keen for him to travel . Which may have something to do with Mike Stone's departure from the club.

Meanwhile at least his possible replacement Theo Walcott, is the fastest player at Arsenal .

Maybe FIFA could replace penalties with a 100 metre sprint?

Technorati Tags: rooney , metatarsal , world+cup , football , man+united ,

News roundup

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Mon, 22 May 2006 19:44:00 +0000

In between wondering when the hell it's going to stop raining your friendly World Cup blogger has been unearthing these newsworthy titbits...

Ex-Forest defender Michael Dawson has been called up in place of Luke Young.

Some parts of Germany are still not very nice if you're black.

Eriksson has jumped off the fence long enough to say 'England will win it'.

The US still couldn't care less if they do.

But 640 blind people will get to hear what happens.

Technorati Tags: world+cup, football, england

File under 'tempting fate'

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Mon, 22 May 2006 08:37:00 +0000

According to England doctor Leif Sward, Rooney is on his way to a 'perfect recovery' in time for the World Cup.

"I have the highest hopes for Rooney and the World Cup and I hope I can give the perfect answer about Rooney after the next MRI examination on Thursday."

D-day is still Thursday this week, and the nation has it's collective fingers crossed...

world+cup , rooney , england , football , injury

World Cup news roundup

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 18 May 2006 10:01:00 +0000

England fans shouldn't get married on June 3rd.

Sven has his fingers crossed for May 25th (as should you) - it's D-day for Rooney and Owen.

If Rooney's not there, then Gerrard could take his place, says Sven. (I wonder where he got that idea from?)

Some parts of Berlin are no-go areas for black visitors according to a German government official (who, i'm guessing doesn't work for the tourist board).

People confused by half naked World Cup mascott - toy firm goes bust.

Technorati Tags: world+cup, football, england, gerrard,

Full 2006 World Cup squads

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 18 May 2006 09:44:00 +0000

Most of the squads have now been confirmed, so here's the (nearly) full list. Saudi Arabia and Iran to come...

Angola:
Joao Ricardo (unattached), Lama (Petro Atletico), Mario (Interclube);
Delgado (Petro Atletico), Jamba (AS Aviacao), Kali (Barreirense), Lebo
Lebo (Petro Atletico), Loco (Primo Agosto), Marco Abreu (Portimonense),
Marco Airosa (Barreirense), Rui Marques (Leeds United); Andre (Kuwait
SC), Edson (Pacos Ferreira), Paulo Figueiredo, Antonio Mendonca (both
Varzim), Dione Miloy (InterClube), Ze Kalanga (Petro Atletico); Fabrice
Akwa (unattached), Andre Titi Buengo (Clermont Foot), Flavio (Al Ahly),
Love Kabungula (Aviacao), Pedro Mantorras (Benfica), Mateus (Gil
Vicente).

Argentina:
Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico
Madrid), Oscar Ustari (Independiente); Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La
Coruna), Leandro Cufre (Roma), Roberto Ayala (Valencia), Nicolas
Burdisso (Internazionale), Gabriel Milito (Real Zaragoza), Gabriel
Heinze (Manchester United), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal); Juan Roman
Riquelme (Villarreal), Luis Gonzalez (Porto), Javier Mascherano
(Corinthians), Esteban Cambiasso (Internazionale), Maximiliano
Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Pablo Aimar (Valencia), Lionel Scaloni
(West Ham United); Hernan Crespo (Chelsea), Lionel Messi (Barcelona),
Carlos Tevez (Corinthians), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors), Javier
Saviola (Sevilla), Julio Cruz (Internazionale)

Australia:
Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan), Ante Covic
(Hammarby), Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast), Craig Moore (Newcastle),
Lucas Neill (Blackburn), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan
(Sydney FC), Marco Bresciano (Parma), Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott
Chipperfield (Basel), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven), Brett Emerton
(Blackburn), Vince Grella (Parma), Stan Lazaridis (free agent), Josip
Skoko (Stoke, on loan from Wigan), Mile Sterjovski (Basel), Luke
Wilkshire (Bristol City), John Aloisi (Alaves), Harry Kewell
(Liverpool), Archie Thompson (PSV Eindhoven), Mark Viduka
(Middlesbrough), Josh Kennedy (Dinamo Dresden).

Brazil:
Dida (AC Milan), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo),
Cafu (AC Milan), Cicinho (Real Madrid), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Juan
(Bayer Leverkusen), Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid), Gilberto (Hertha
Berlin), Cris (Olympique Lyon), Luisao (Benfica), Edmilson (Barcelona),
Juninho Pernambucano (Olympique Lyon), Emerson (Juventus), Ze Roberto
(Bayern Munich), Gilberto Silva (Arsenal), Kaka (AC Milan), Ricardinho
(Corinthians), Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Robinho (Real Madrid), Ronaldinho
(Barcelona), Adriano (Inter Milan), Fred (Olympique Lyon).

Costa Rica:
Jose Francisco Porras (Saprissa), Alvaro Mesen (Herediano), Wardy
Alfaro (Alajuelense); Harold Wallace (Alajuelense), Jervis Drummond
(Saprissa), Michael Umana (Brujas), Michael Rodriguez (Alajuelense),
Luis Marin (Alajuelense), Gilberto Martinez (Brescia, Italy), Leonardo
Gonzalez (Herediano) Gabriel Badilla (Saprissa); Randall Azofeifa
(Saprissa), Carlos Hernandez (Alajuelense), Mauricio Solis
(Comunicaciones, Guatemala), Douglas Sequeira (Real Salt Lake, USA),
Danny Fonseca (Cartagines), Cristian Bolanos (Saprissa), Walter Centeno
(Saprissa); Victor Nunez (Cartagines), Ronald Gomez (Saprissa), Kurt
Bernard (Puntarenas), Alvaro Saborio (Saprissa), Paulo Wanchope (no
club).

Croatia: Tomislav
Butina (Club Brugge), Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split), Joe Didulica
(Austria Vienna); Robert Kovac (Juventus), Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray),
Dario Simic (AC Milan), Mario Tokic (Austria Vienna), Josip Simunic
(Hertha Berlin), Igor Tudor (Siena), Marijan Buljat (Dinamo Zagreb);
Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split), Niko Kovac
(Hertha Berlin), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar
Donetsk), Ivan Leko (Club Brugge), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Jurica
Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Anthony Seric (Panathinaikos); Dado Prso
(Rangers), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Bosko Balaban (Club Brugge),
Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Bosnjak (Dinamo Zagreb).

Czech Republic:
Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), Petr Cech (Chelsea), Antonin Kinsky
(Saturn Ramenskoye), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax Amsterdam), Marek Jankulovski
(AC Milan), Martin Jiranek (Spartak Moscow), Radoslav Kovac (Spartak
Moscow), Pavel Mares (Zenit St Petersburg), David Rozehnal (Paris St
Germain), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina), Tomas Galasek (Ajax Amsterdam),
David Jarolim (Hamburg SV), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Jaroslav Plasil
(Monaco), Karel Poborsky (Ceske Budejovice), Jan Polak (Nuremberg),
Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund), Vladimir Smicer (Girondins
Bordeaux), Milan Baros (Aston Villa), Marek Heinz (Galatasaray), Jan
Koller (Borussia Dortmund), Vratislav Lokvenc (Red Bull Salzburg), Jiri
Stajner (Hanover 96). Standby: Libor Sionko (Austria Vienna), Rudi
Skacel (Hearts).

Ecuador:
Edwin Villafuerte (Deportivo Quito), Cristian Mora (LDU), Damian Lanza
(Aucas), Ivan Hurtado (Al Arabi), Giovanny Espinoza (LDU), Ulises de la
Cruz (Aston Villa), Paul Ambrossi (LDU), Neicer Reasco (LDU), Jorge
Guagua (El Nacional), Jose Luis Perlaza (Olmedo), Marlon Ayovi
(Deportivo Quito), Edwin Tenorio (Barcelona, SC), Edison Mendez (LDU),
Patricio Urrutia (LDU), Cristian Lara (El Nacional), Segundo Castillo
(El Nacional), Luis Antonio Valencia (Recreativo Huelva, Spain), Luis
Fernando Saritama (Deportivo Quito), Cristian Benitez (El Nacional),
Felix Borja (El Nacional), Carlos Tenorio (Al Sadd), Agustin Delgado
(LDU), Ivan Kaviedes (Argentinos Juniors).

England:
Robert Green (Norwich), David James (Manchester City), Paul Robinson
(Tottenham); Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Sol
Campbell, Ashley Cole (both Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester
United), Gary Neville (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea); David
Beckham (Real Madrid), Michael Carrick (Tottenham), Joe Cole (Chelsea),
Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Owen
Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham), Frank Lampard
(Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham); Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Michael
Owen (Newcastle), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Theo Walcott
(Arsenal).

France:
Fabien Barthez (Olympique Marseille), Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon),
Mickael Landreau (Nantes); Eric Abidal (Olympique Lyon), Jean-Alain
Boumsong (Newcastle United), Pascal Chimbonda (Wigan Athletic), William
Gallas (Chelsea), Gael Givet (Monaco) Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich),
Mikael Silvestre (Manchester United), Lilian Thuram (Juventus); Vikash
Dhorasoo (Paris St Germain), Alou Diarra (Racing Lens), Claude Makelele
(Chelsea), Florent Malouda (Olympique Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Juventus),
Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid); Djibril Cisse (Liverpool), Thierry Henry
(Arsenal), Franck Ribery (Olympique Marseille), Louis Saha (Manchester
United), David Trezeguet (Juventus), Sylvain Wiltord (Olympique Lyon).

Germany:
Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Timo Hildebrand
(VfB Stuttgart), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea),
Marcell Jansen (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Philipp Lahm (Bayern
Munich), Per Mertesacker (Hanover 96), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia
Dortmund), Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen), Michael Ballack (Chelsea),
Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian
Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian
Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart),
Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04), Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Oliver
Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Mike
Hanke (Werder Bremen), David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund).

Ghana:
Sammy Adjei (Moadan Sport Ashdod, Israel), Richard Kingston
(Ankaraspor, Turkey), George Owu (Ashanti Gold); Eric Addo (PSV
Eindhoven), Issah Ahmed (Randers, Denmark), Shilla Alhassan Illiasu
(Asante Kotoko), Samuel Kuffour (Roma), John Mensah (Rennes), Habib
Mohammed (King Faisal Babes), John Painstil (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel),
Emmanuel Pappoe (Hapoel Kfar Saba, Israel), Daniel Quaye (Hearts of
Oak), Hans Sarpei (Wolfsburg); Otto Addo (Mainz), Stephen Appiah
(Fenerbahce), Derek Boateng (AIK Stockholm, Sweden), Haminu Dramani
(Red Star Belgrade), Michael Essien (Chelsea), Sulley Ali Muntari
(Udinese); Matthew Amoah (Borussia Dortmund), Asamoah Gyan (Modena),
Razak Pimpong (FC Copenhagen), Alex Tachie-Mensah (St Gallen,
Switzerland).

Holland:
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax),
Henk Timmer (AZ Alkmaar); Khalid Boulahrouz (Hamburg), Giovanni van
Bronckhorst (Barcelona), Tim de Cler (AZ Alkmaar), Johnny Heitinga
(Ajax), Kew Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar), Jan Kromkamp (Liverpool), Joris
Mathijsen (AZ Alkmaar), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven); Mark van Bommel
(Barcelona), Phillip Cocu (PSV Eindhoven), Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar),
Hedwiges Maduro, Wesley Sneijder (both Ajax), Rafael van der Vaart
(Hamburg); Ryan Babel (Ajax), Dirk Kuyt (Feyenoord), Ruud van
Nistelrooy (Manchester United), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen
Robben (Chelsea), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (PSV Eindhoven).

Italy:
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio), Marco Amelia
(Livorno); Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan),
Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Palermo), Cristian Zaccardo
(Palermo), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Marco Materazzi (Internazionale),
Massimo Oddo (Lazio); Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Andrea Pirlo (AC
Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Simone
Perrotta (Roma), Simone Barone (Palermo); Francesco Totti (Roma), Luca
Toni (Fiorentina), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Alessandro Del Piero
(Juventus), Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese).

Ivory Coast: Jean-Jacques
Tizie (Esperance Tunis), Boubacar Barry Copa (Beveren), Gerard
Gnanhouan (Montpellier); Cyrille Domoraud (Creteil), Blaise Kouassi
(Troyes), Abdoulaye Meite (Marseille), Etienne Arthur Boka
(Strasbourg), Abib Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Marc
Zoro (Messina); Didier Zokora (St Etienne), Emerse Fae (Nantes), Kanga
Gauthier Akale (Auxerre), Romaric Ndri Koffi (Le Mans), Gnegneri Yaya
Toure (Olympiakos), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys), Guy Roland Demel
(Hambourg); Bakari Kone (Nice), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Arouna Kone
(PSV Eindhoven), Bonaventure Kalou (Paris St-Germain), Abdoul Kader
Keita (Lille), Aruna Dindane (Lens).

Japan: Yoshikatsu
Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Yoichi Doi (FC Tokyo), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya
Grampus Eight), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Alex (Urawa Reds),
Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F-Marinos), Makoto Tanaka (Jubilo Iwata), Akira
Kaji (Gamba Osaka), Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa Reds), Yuichi Komano
(Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Koji Nakata (FC Basel), Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton
Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Shinji Ono (Urawa Reds),
Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion), Takashi Fukunishi (Jubilo
Iwata), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba
Osaka), Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima Antlers), Naohiro Takahara
(Hamburg), Masashi Oguro (Grenoble), Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus
Eight) Seiichiro Maki (JEF United Chiba).

Mexico: Guillermo
Ochoa (America), Oswaldo Sanchez (Guadalajara), Jose de Jesus Corona
(Tecos); Jose Antonio Castro (America), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona),
Claudio Suarez (Chivas USA), Ricardo Osorio (Cruz Azul), Francisco
Javier Rodriguez, Carlos Salcido, Gonzalo Pineda (all Guadalajara),
Mario Mendez (Monterrey); Pavel Pardo (America), Andres Guardado,
Rafael Garcia (both Atlas), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Ramon Morales
(Guadalajara), Luis Ernesto Perez, Jesus Arellano (both Monterrey),
Zinha (Toluca); Jared Borgetti (Bolton), Francisco Fonseca (Cruz Azul),
Omar Bravo (Guadalajara), Guillermo Franco (Villarreal, Spain).

Paraguay: Justo
Villar (Newell's Old Boys), Aldo Bobadilla (Libertad), Derlis Gomez
(Sportivo Luqueno); Denis Caniza (unattached), Carlos Gamarra
(Palmeiras), Julio Cesar Caceres (River Plate), Delio Toledo (Real
Zaragoza), Paulo Da Silva (Toluca), Julio Cesar Mansur (Guarani), Jorge
Nunez (Estudiantes); Edgar Barreto (NEC Nijmegen), Roberto Acuna
(Deportivo La Coruna), Carlos Humberto Paredes (Reggina), Julio Dos
Santos (Bayern Munich), Cristian Riveros, Carlos Bonet (both Libertad),
Jose Montiel (Olimpia), Diego Gavilan (Newell's Old Boys); Roque Santa
Cruz (Bayern Munich), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Werder Bremen), Jose
Saturnino Cardozo (unattached), Salvador Cabanas (Jaguares), Nelson
Cuevas (Pachuca).

Poland: Artur
Boruc (Celtic), Lukasz Fabianski (Legia Warsaw), Tomasz Kuszczak (West
Brom); Marcin Baszczynski (Wisla Krakow), Jacek Bak (Al-Rayyan),
Dariusz Dudka (Wisla Krakow), Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow), Seweryn
Gancarczyk (Metalist Kharkiv), Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk),
Michal Zewlakow (Anderlecht); Piotr Giza (Krakow), Damian Gorawski (FC
Moscow), Kamil Kosowski (Southampton), Jacek Krzynowek (Bayer
Leverkusen), Sebastian Mila (Austria Vienna), Arkadiusz Radomski
(Austria Vienna), Radoslaw Sobolewski (Wisla Krakow); Ebi Smolarek
(Borussia Dortmund), Miroslaw Szymkowiak (Trabzonspor), Pawel Brozek
(Wisla Krakow), Ireneusz Jelen (Wisla Plock), Grzegorz Rasiak
(Southampton), Maciej Zurawski (Celtic)

Portugal:
Bruno Vale (Estrela Amadora), Quim (Benfica), Ricardo (Sporting
Lisbon); Fernando Meira (Stuttgart), Miguel (Valencia), Marco Caneira
(Sporting Lisbon), Nuno Valente (Everton), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea),
Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Ricardo Costa (Porto); Deco (Barcelona),
Petit (Benfica), Costinha (Dinamo Moscow), Cristiano Ronaldo
(Manchester United), Hugo Viana (Valencia), Maniche (Chelsea), Tiago
(Lyon), Simao Sabrosa (Benfica); Helder Postiga (St Etienne), Luis Boa
Morte (Fulham), Luis Figo (Internazionale), Nuno Gomes (Benfica), Pedro
Pauleta (Paris St Germain)

Serbia Montenegro:
Dragoslav Jevric (Anakaraspor), Oliver Kovacevic (CSKA Sofia), Vladimir
Stojkovic (Nantes), Goran Gavrancic (Dynamo Kiev), Ivica Dragutinovic
(Sevilla), Mladen Krstajic (Schalke), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester
United), Milan Dudic (Red Star Belgrade), Nenad Djordjevic (Partizan
Belgrade), Dusan Basta (Red Star Belgrade), Dejan Stankovic, (Inter
Milan), Igor Duljaj (Shakhtar Donetsk), Predrag Djordjevic (Olympiakos
Piraeus), Ognjen Koroman (Portsmouth), Albert Nadj (Partizan Belgrade),
Sasa Ilic (Galatasaray), Zvonimir Vukic (Partizan Belgrade), Ivan Ergic
(Basel), Savo Milosevic (Osasuna), Mateja Kezman (Atletico Madrid),
Nikola Zigic (Red Star Belgrade), Danijel Ljuboja (VFB Stuttgart),
Mirko Vucinic (Lecce).

Spain:
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Santiago Canizares
(Valencia), Antonio Lopez (Atletico Madrid), Pablo Ibanez (Atletico
Madrid), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Juanito (Real Betis), Asier del
Horno (Chelsea), Michel Salgado (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real
Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Jose
Antonio Reyes (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xavi (Barcelona),
Joaquin (Real Betis), Luis Garcia (Liverpool), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool),
David Albelda (Valencia), Marcos Senna (Villarreal), Fernando Torres
(Atletico Madrid), Raul (Real Madrid), David Villa (Valencia).

South Korea:
Lee Woon-Jae (Suwon Bluewings), Kim Yong-Dae (Seongnam Ilwha), Kim
Young-Kwang (Chunnam Dragons); Lee Young-Pyo (Tottenham Hotspur), Kim
Dong-Jin (FC Seoul), Cho Won-Hee (Suwon Bluewings), Song Chong-Gug
(Suwon Bluewings), Choi Jin-Cheul (Chonbuk Motors), Kim Jin-Kyu (Jubilo
Iwata), Kim Young-Chul (Seongnam Ilwha); Park Ji-Sung (Manchester
United), Kim Do-Heon (Seongnam Ilwha), Kim Sang-Shik (Seongnam Ilwha),
Kim Nam-Il (Suwon Bluewings), Lee Eul-Yong (Trabzonspor), Lee Ho (Ulsan
Tigers), Baek Ji-Hoon (FC Seoul); Ahn Jung-Hwan (MSV Duisburg), Cho
Jae-Jin (Shimizu S-Pulse), Park Chu-Young (FC Seoul), Seol Ki-Hyeon
(Wolverhampton Wanderers), Lee Chun-Soo (Ulsan Tigers), Chung Kyung-Ho
(Gwangju Sangmu).

Sweden: Andreas
Isaksson (Stade Rennes), John Alvbage (Viborg), Rami Shaaban
(Fredrikstad), Erik Edman (Stade Rennes), Petter Hansson (Heerenveen),
Teddy Lucic (BK Hacken), Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa), Karl Svensson
(IFK Gothenburg), Mikael Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Fredrik Stenman
(Bayer Leverkusen), Daniel Andersson (Malmo), Niclas Alexandersson (IFK
Gothenburg), Kim Kallstrom (Stade Rennes), Tobias Linderoth (FC
Copenhagen), Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht), Anders Svensson
(Elfsborg), Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal), Marcus Allback (FC
Copenhagen), Johan Elmander (Brondby), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus),
Mattias Jonson (Djurgarden), Henrik Larsson (Barcelona), Markus
Rosenberg (Ajax Amsterdam).

Switzerland:
Pascal Zuberbuehler (FC Basel), Fabio Coltorti (Grasshoppers Zurich),
Diego Benaglio (CD Nacional), Johan Djourou (Arsenal), Ludovic Magnin
(VfB Stuttgart), Philippe Senderos (Arsenal), Stephane Grichting
(Auxerre), Christoph Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt), Valon Behrami
(Lazio), Patrick Mueller (Olympique Lyon), Philipp Degen (Borussia
Dortmund), Xavier Margairaz (FC Zurich), Johann Vogel (AC Milan),
Ricardo Cabanas (Cologne), Raphael Wicky (Hamburg SV), Daniel Gygax
(Lille), David Degen (FC Basel), Blerim Dzemaili (FC Zurich),
Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen), Alex Frei (Rennnes), Marco
Streller (Cologne), Mauro Lustrinelli (Sparta Prague), Johan Vonlanthen
(NAC Breda).

Togo: Kossi
Agassa (Metz), Nimini Tchagnirou (Djoliba), Kodjovi Dodji Obilale;
Yaovi Dosseh Abalo (APOEL Nicosia), Dare Nibombe (Mons), Ludovic
Assemoassa (Clermont Foot), Karim Guede (Hamburg), Toure Assimiou
(Bayer Leverkusen), Richmond Forson (JA Poire), Kuami Agboh (Beveren),
Eric Akoto (Admira Wacker), Afo Erassa (Clermont Foot); Kaka Aziawonou
(Young Boys), Cherif Toure Mamam (Metz), Thomas Dossevi (Valenciennes),
Alexis Romao (Louhans Cuiseaux), Adekambi Olufade (Al Siliyah), Yao
Junior Senaya (YF Juventus); Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Robert Malm
(Brest), Abdel-Kader Cougbadja (Guingamp), Massamesso Tchangai
(Benevento), Moustapha Salifou (Brest)

Trinidad and Tobago:
Kelvin Jack (Dundee), Shaka Hislop (West Ham), Clayton Ince (Coventry);
Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Cyd Gray (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh),
Marvin Andrews (Rangers), Brent Sancho, Ian Cox (both Gillingham),
Atiba Charles (W Connection), Avery John (New England Revolution);
Silvio Spann (unattached), Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Aurtis Whitley
(CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh), Anthony Wolfe (Jabloteh), Densill
Theobald (Falkirk), Carlos Edwards (Luton), Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC);
Russell Latapy (Falkirk), Stern John (Coventry), Kenwyne Jones
(Southampton), Collin Samuel (Dundee United), Jason Scotland (St
Johnstone), Cornell Glen (Los Angeles Galaxy).

Tunisia: Ali
Boumnijel (Club Africain), Hamdi Kasraoui (Esperance Tunis), Adel Nefzi
(US Monastir), David Jemmali (Bordeaux), Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax), Mehdi
Meriah (Etoile du Sahel), Anis Ayari (Samsunspor), Alaeddine Yahya
(Saint-Etienne), Radhi Jaidi (Bolton), Karim Hagui (Strasbourg), Karim
Saidi (Lecce), Jawhar Menari (Nuremberg), Adel Chedli (Nuremberg),
Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham), Sofiene Melliti (Gaziantespor), Hamed
Namouchi (Rangers), Karim Zdiri (Rosenborg), Yassine Chikhaoui (Etoile
du Sahel), Riadh Boazizi (Kayserispor), Issam Jomaa (Lens), Kais
Ghodhbane (Diyarbakirspor), Francileudo Santos (Toulouse), Ziad Jaziri
(Troyes).

Ukraine:
Oleksander Shovkovsky (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Pyatov (Vorskla Poltava),
Bogdan Shust (Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Nesmachny (Dynamo Kiev),
Vladyslav Vashchyuk (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Fyodorov (Dynamo Kiev),
Volodymyr Yesersky (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Andriy Rusol (Dnipro
Dnipropetrovsk), Dmytro Chigrinsky (Shakhtar Donetsk), Vyacheslav
Svidersky (Arsenal Kiev), Anatoly Tymoshchyuk (Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleg
Gusiev (Dynamo Kiev), Ruslan Rotan (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Nazarenko
(Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Oleg Shelayev (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Andriy
Husin (Krylya Sovietov Samara), Maxim Kalinichenko (Spartak Moscow),
Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan), Andriy Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen), Serhiy
Rebrov (Dynamo Kiev), Artyom Milevsky (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Vorobei
(Shakhtar Donetsk), Olexiy Belik (Shakhtar Donetsk).

USA: Kasey
Keller (Borussia Monchengladbach), Tim Howard (Manchester United),
Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Steve Cherundolo
(Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Cory Gibbs (ADO Den
Haag), Chris Albright (LA Galaxy), Eddie Lewis (Leeds), Oguchi Onyewu
(Standard Liege), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake), Landon Donovan (LA
Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Claudio Reyna
(Manchester City), John O'Brien (Chivas USA), Ben Olsen (DC United),
DaMarcus Beasley (PSV Eindhoven), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids),
Bobby Convey (Reading), Brian McBride (Fulham), Eddie Johnson (Kansas
City Wizards), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards), Brian Ching (Houston
Dynamo).

Technorati Tags: world+cup+squads, football, world+cup

World Cup injury roundup

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Mon, 15 May 2006 19:40:00 +0000

England are far from the only World Cup nation with injury worries - it seems a lot of big (and not so big) name players are dropping like flies.

I thought then, that I'd try to compile the most up to date list I could of the World Cup injury doubts...

Player	Country	Injury	Likelyhood to play?
Gabriel Heinze	Argentina	Knee injury	Should be fit after seven months out
Lionel Messi	Argentina	Thigh injury	Looking likely to be fully fit
Carlos Tevez	Argentina	Possible knee injury	Unknown - could be a smokescreen for Chelsea signing
Gonzalo Rodriguez	Argentina	Torn ankle ligament	Doubtful - not due to resume training until start of June
Harry Kewell	Australia	Torn groin muscle	Possible for later games - should be playing in 2-3 weeks
Tim Cahill	Australia	Knee ligament injury	On course to recover in time for first match
Tony Vidmar	Australia	Heart problems	Withdrawn from the tournament
Ronaldo	Brazil	Thigh injury	Definite - Injury should have healed before tournament
Vladimir Smicer	Czech Republic	Knee injury	Told by doctors he will be fit
Jan Koller	Czech Republic	Knee ligament injury	Probable - already gaining match practice
Zdenek Grygera	Czech Republic		Probable - inluded in initial squad
Vratislav Lokvenc	Czech Republic		Probable - inluded in initial squad
Michael Owen	England	Fractured metatarsal	Probable - Has played briefly for Newcastle
Wayne Rooney	England	B0rked metatarsal	Possible - recovery going well, may be ready for group games
Christoph Metzelder	Germany	Torn calf muscle	Probable - only out for 2 weeks
Sebastian Kehl	Germany	Strained ankle ligament	Probable - should be healed by June
Mojtaba Jabari	Iran	Knee injury	Definitely out - injured for the whole competition
Vahid Hashemian	Iran	Knee injury	Probable - has resumed training
Aimo Diana	Italy	Groin injury	Ruled out by manager
Christian Vieri	Italy	Knee injury	Definitely out - requires surgery
Antonio Naelson	Mexico	Knee injury	Definite - has played first team football since injury
Simão Sabrosa	Portugal	Sprained ankle	Possible, but will miss last two matches of season
Lee Dong-gook	South Korea	Torn knee ligaments	Definitely out - requires surgery
Cornell Glen	Trinidad and Tobago	Hamstring Injury	Unknown - manager waiting for player feedback
Andriy Shevchenko	Ukraine	Knee injury	Possible - should return to fitness by start of June
Frankie Hejduk	USA	Torn knee ligaments	Definitely out - replaced in squad
Park Ji-sung	South Korea	Sore Ankle	Not serious - should play in tournament

Any more to add?

Technorati Tags: world+cup, football, injuries

That boy again...

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Thu, 11 May 2006 17:57:00 +0000

I feel for England's new boy Walcott, I really do - if he does badly at the World Cup he'll feel the wrath of the tabloids and if he does well he'll end up the subject of much media intrusion.

He seems like a sensible lad, but I hope there are some people in the background looking out for him.

Having said all that, the boy can't half play - check out this video (via Popbitch no less) of him in action:

theo+walcott, football, youtube

Walcott for England - the debate rages on...

chris@chrisdalrymple.com (Chris Dalrymple) — Tue, 09 May 2006 09:24:00 +0000

The Guardian ponders why a player who was marked out of his last competitive match by a Championship centre-back has got an England call up.

The BBC reveals Sven's yet to see him play .

'Arry Redknapp thinks his inclusion is a tactical masterstroke .

And Darren Bent, the Premiership's top English goal scorer, is looking a bit pissed off about the whole thing, actually thankyouverymuch (As am I, but that's probably just because I had a tenner on Bent being included in the squad).

Technorati Tags: england , football , sven , world+cup , theowalcott , walcott