World Cup Draw Today!

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DjembaDjemba

DjembaDjemba

Pelican
Mabina said:
rudebwoy said:
Isn't this Colombia's first appearance since USA 94, the infamous shooting of the defender after the own goal.

Germany are usually fit for every tournament, I wouldn't put money on Portugal advancing out of the group. Ghana will thrive under those conditions.

Speaking of Aftican teams, surprised to see Nigeria back at the dance after there last WC showing.
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they got rid of all those old washed up guys and have some young studs now, they actually won the African championship earlier this year.

I still think Ghana has the best African side at the moment
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The biggest problem with Africa's teams is that their best potential players, are wearing the flags of European nations on their chests.

Between France, England, and Italy, Africa would have a world cup winning team. It's the football version of the brain drain.

In many ways, the World Cup is now becoming more and more like club football.

If you look at France, Brazil, England, Italy, and the USA's national team squad photos, you'd be forgiven of thinking it was just 1 big domestic football league with domestic players.

USA
usa.jpg


England
england-football-team-2012.jpg


France
france_euro_2012_national_team_wallpaper.jpg


Brazil
netherlands-national-football-team-brazil-soccer-126549.jpg


Italy
Italy_Team.jpg


You could more or less just mix and match so many players from different clubs. International football is essentially club football with citizenships instead of contracts. The players are more or less interchangeable.
 
Excelsior

Excelsior

Eagle
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DjembaDjemba said:
The biggest problem with Africa's teams is that their best potential players, are wearing the flags of European nations on their chests.

Between France, England, and Italy, Africa would have a world cup winning team. It's the football version of the brain drain.
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Yes, and I'd add that African nations are not the only sides missing out due to a footballing "brain drain". To this end, I'd like to note that there are 4 players in the photo below who are of Caribbean heritage, and 3 would qualify to represent Jamaica on the international level.

England
england-football-team-2012.jpg
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There are about 6 additional players eligible for Jamaica who are not in that photo but are/have recently been in the English senior squad. There are at least 3 more in the U-21 side.

Just under 40 players in the English Championship (including those on loan from Premiership sides at the moment) are eligible to represent Jamaica.

A total of about 30 English-Jamaican players are on the books of Premier League sides. Only one of these players is officially in the Jamaican National Team's player pool.
 
DjembaDjemba

DjembaDjemba

Pelican
Jamaica spends much of its sporting capital on track & field and cricket. The players have little incentive to play for their father's countries. Most Afro-Caribs in the UK feel more British and identify with their British nationality strongly.

If it weren't for Jamaican immigrants to England, we could halve the number of gold medals the UK has received in the past 2 decades in the Olympics.
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
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Speaking of 'what if's' - Great Britain would have had (over the years) an incredible football team if we could have combined England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland into a team.

And imagine if we could convince the Republic of Ireland to join in as well! :)
 
Teedub

Teedub

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You basically could have fielded Keane, Giggs, Irwin in the late 90s alongside the usual. Bale now obviously. It would have definitely been a better side in the past than it would be now.
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
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Shay Given would have been a good keeper for the team. And I was always a fan of Keith Gillespie.

Not many Scottish players stick out for me over the past 15-20 years. Even though I am English - I get no joy from saying that. I love seeing Scotland (along with England) at the major tournaments. To me it makes the tournament twice as interesting.

Maybe Duncan Ferguson from Scotland could have got in a Great Britain side - but England had better strikers than him. So probably not.
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
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I like Roy Keane - but I sometimes wonder if he was over-rated.

For me football is about beating people, putting in good crosses and scoring goals.

Yet - Roy Keane didn't offer any of that. I think 'passion' is an overused word and I am not sure how well it translates into other teams.

Roy Keane was a great player for Man U (if we accpet what everyone says). But - I am curious is he was a great player for Ireland as well?
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
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Roy Keane leaves out Giggs, Scholes and Nevilles from all-time best Man U team.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-greatest-manchester-united-team-8994001.html

I think it is a fair shout. I am a huge fan of Paul Scholes. But he isn't the type of player who struck me as being irreplaceable. His effect on games was quite subtle and clever. A bit like Teddy Sherringham (my all time favourite player - as it happens).

Look at his early retirement from international football. I was really upset because I rated him much higher than Lampard or Gerrard. But at the time the media wasn't bothered since they were on a Lampard/Gerrard 'Golden Generation' hype march.

History is being rewritten now - since the 'Golden Generation' let down England. And because Scholes' reputation has continued to grow and grow. But the sad reality is that at the time 99% of people were not that bothered about Scholes leaving England.

I am not saying Keane is right to leave out Scholes. But I can understand his reasoning. And I think people should remember that alot of the people who praise Scholes to the heavens now - weren't doing so when they implicitly chose Lampard and Gerrard ahead of him for England back in 2004.
 
DjembaDjemba

DjembaDjemba

Pelican
If the UK had a combined team it would be deadly.

Can you imagine if the Catalans left Spain? Spain would lose the Barcelona side of its national team. They would not have won the world cup.
 
R

rudebwoy

Peacock
Gold Member
I respect Scholes, he didn't overstay his welcome like Giggs.

He resigned from the England team along time ago and stuck by it.
 
DjembaDjemba

DjembaDjemba

Pelican
rudebwoy said:
I respect Scholes, he didn't overstay his welcome like Giggs.

He resigned from the England team along time ago and stuck by it.
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Giggs is a legend. He's still good at 40. Not 90 minutes good, but as a bit part player he's solid.

And I'm sure he does wonders with the youngsters in the training field. It's good to have experience like that.
 
Excelsior

Excelsior

Eagle
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DjembaDjemba said:
Jamaica spends much of its sporting capital on track & field and cricket. The players have little incentive to play for their father's countries. Most Afro-Caribs in the UK feel more British and identify with their British nationality strongly.
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Yes, they by and large just don't care all that much about Jamaica, especially not enough to deal with regular flights across the Atlantic for matches. There are a handful who are very committed early to getting back to their roots and repping the island at any cost, while others don't rep the island but help out in other ways if they can.

The bulk, however, just don't really care. It is what it is.
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
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Speaking of Giggs - it is a myth that he could have ever played for England.

Even though he was captain of the England schoolboys team.

Since the rules governing international schoolboy football are different from those surrounding adult international football.

At schoolboy level - you can play for the country of whichever school you are being taught at.

Whereas at (adult) international level it comes down to citizenship.

Just something I read somewhere - for those interested.
 
Teedub

Teedub

Crow
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cardguy said:
I like Roy Keane - but I sometimes wonder if he was over-rated.

For me football is about beating people, putting in good crosses and scoring goals.
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Roy Keane was a very good player for United, he wasn't as technically talented as Vieira for Arsenal, but he was just as important, if not more, which speaks volumes. He got excellence out of every other player on the pitch and bossed the dressing room. He was 'Fergie' on the pitch essentially, and dealt with dressing room squabbles for him. Speaking to a friend who has, like you, read the recent Fergie book - He said you won't hear all that good stuff about him, for that you need to read his first autobio!

cardguy said:
Roy Keane leaves out Giggs, Scholes and Nevilles from all-time best Man U team.
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Ridiculous choices. He replaced Scholes with Ince (??!?) and Neville with Paul Parker... Why? Not because they were better players but because they "stood up to the manager". He's very petty, so is Ferguson actually, when it comes to his modern reflections on their relationship. Neville is a better right back than Parker and Scholes is the best midfielder of his generation. I'm not saying that, Zidane is! A few others too. You're right though, English fans (probably managers and players too) didn't really value him because he wasn't a 'Roy of the Rovers' type player, but man, do the Continental Europeans/South Americans love him.

There a programme on right now where Keane picked that team. Its on ITV4 and it's called Keane and Vieira - Best of Enemies, I'm recording it. I'm sure it'll be on ITV player tomorrow.
 
cardguy

cardguy

 
Banned
I played alot of serious football when I was younger. And I always ranked those who let their 'feet do talking' over the big mouths.

I can see why the managers like the strong personalities. Since it is like they get to have a 'Mini Me' on the pitch. But to my mind - that means they get overrated by the managers - since most managers overrate how important their motivation and instructions are are to the team.

But for me - it is about skills and nothing else. And the thing about players like Keane is they love criticising a player when they fuck up. But they can never take it from others when they fuck up. Complete double standard. The number of times I have seen Keane shout at a player for shooting over the bar from distance is immense compared to the number of times a player dared even glance at Keane when he did the same thing.

I guess it all comes down to how you perceive the game of football!
 
DjembaDjemba

DjembaDjemba

Pelican
cardguy said:
Speaking of Giggs - it is a myth that he could have ever played for England.

Even though he was captain of the England schoolboys team.

Since the rules governing international schoolboy football are different from those surrounding adult international football.

At schoolboy level - you can play for the country of whichever school you are being taught at.

Whereas at (adult) international level it comes down to citizenship.

Just something I read somewhere - for those interested.
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He could play for Wales and Sierra Leone. Unfortunately both countries are continental minnows.
 
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