The right team won the World Cup !
Spain WAS football this summer in South Africa.
The Netherlands, with an "anti football" approach to the final was justly relegated to the team that has now been in three finals and has never won the World Cup. Only Germany has lost in more finals, but has also won three times.
Spain becomes only the eighth country to lift the World Cup. Interestingly this year's final was the first final not to involve any of the big four....Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Argentina. It was also the first time a European team has won the World Cup outside of Europe.
The 2014 World Cup will be in Brazil. We'll be there !!!
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Nothing has changed in 110 years !!
Pundits and commentators can talk forever about what went wrong with the England World Cup effort, or lack of effort. But whether people point to manager, players, the FA, goalmouth technology, team format, golden generations, or whatever else, the fact is that for 110 years nothing much has changed and is not likely to change for another 110 years.
England's World Cup win in 1966 was a blip. England should just hope for another blip. The fact is that when it comes to international football, there is quite a great deal of talking done in England, but nothing ever happens by way of real action.
This goes right back to the early 1900's. The English FA had the chance to organise a world football tournament and to lead the international game. But the FA did not even enter a team in the World Cup until 1950, twenty years after Uruguay became the first World Champions. The FA even refused to send a team to Uruguay in 1980 to compete in Mudialito. This was a tournament organised to celebrate fifty years of the World Cup and was for past World Cup winners. Holland who had not won the World Cup had to substitute for England.
In recent years, England has failed to prepare properly for penalty shoot out competitions, losing all three World Cup penalty shoot out competions it has been involved in. The Germans on the other hand have won all four of theirs. And just as England thought it was catching up with the Germans, it has been revealed that while everyone was complaining about the new World Cup ball, the Germans had been practising with it for six months. But of course, it wasn't really the Germans who knocked England out of the World Cup, it was England's poor performance in the group stage. Or was it the lack of goalmouth technology?
Why do we, or anyone else including Chris Waddle, spend so much time talking and writing about this. Things will not change, and in 2050 it will still be Germany reaching the semi-finals and possibly the final. And England will still be sloping off early.
England's World Cup win in 1966 was a blip. England should just hope for another blip. The fact is that when it comes to international football, there is quite a great deal of talking done in England, but nothing ever happens by way of real action.
This goes right back to the early 1900's. The English FA had the chance to organise a world football tournament and to lead the international game. But the FA did not even enter a team in the World Cup until 1950, twenty years after Uruguay became the first World Champions. The FA even refused to send a team to Uruguay in 1980 to compete in Mudialito. This was a tournament organised to celebrate fifty years of the World Cup and was for past World Cup winners. Holland who had not won the World Cup had to substitute for England.
In recent years, England has failed to prepare properly for penalty shoot out competitions, losing all three World Cup penalty shoot out competions it has been involved in. The Germans on the other hand have won all four of theirs. And just as England thought it was catching up with the Germans, it has been revealed that while everyone was complaining about the new World Cup ball, the Germans had been practising with it for six months. But of course, it wasn't really the Germans who knocked England out of the World Cup, it was England's poor performance in the group stage. Or was it the lack of goalmouth technology?
Why do we, or anyone else including Chris Waddle, spend so much time talking and writing about this. Things will not change, and in 2050 it will still be Germany reaching the semi-finals and possibly the final. And England will still be sloping off early.
Friday, 25 June 2010
That Rooney Shot Should Have Gone In !
By not scoring another goal against Slovenia, England now face Germany in the second round, and if England progresses will likely face Argentina in the quarter-finals. The task for the United States, which won Group C, will be far easier against Ghana and then either Uruguay or South Korea, but with all respect to those teams, only Uruguay have an outside chance of reaching the World Cup final.
Of course, in 1982 Italy finished second in its group and had to play Brazil and Argentina to reach the semi-finals, and then went on to lift the World Cup. But England 2010 might not be as powerful or as brave as Italy 1982!
Nevertheless, Germany is not as good a team as it once was. (But the country does have a knack of getting to World Cup Finals, even with poor teams.) We think that this year will be different and that England should and will beat Germany, and then beat either an Argentina team that has peaked too soon, or Mexico.
Both Brazil and Spain could end up today in the top half of the draw, which could lead to a semi-final meeting for England with Portugal. Of course, when England won the World Cup in 1966, it beat Argentina, Portugal, and West Germany in the knock-out stages, just as it is likely to have to do this year. Interestingly, Italy failed to get out of the initial group stage in 1966, just as it failed to do so yesterday !!
At World Cup Companion, we predict that Brazil will get the better of Spain, (if Spain only finishes second in its group,) and while one would normally go for Brazil to beat the Netherlands, we think that the latter will beat Brazil this time. The two semi-finals will be Uruguay versus the Netherlands, and England versus Portugal. The final will see Fabio's dream realised with the Netherlands meeting England in the final on 11 July.
Of course, in 1982 Italy finished second in its group and had to play Brazil and Argentina to reach the semi-finals, and then went on to lift the World Cup. But England 2010 might not be as powerful or as brave as Italy 1982!
Nevertheless, Germany is not as good a team as it once was. (But the country does have a knack of getting to World Cup Finals, even with poor teams.) We think that this year will be different and that England should and will beat Germany, and then beat either an Argentina team that has peaked too soon, or Mexico.
Both Brazil and Spain could end up today in the top half of the draw, which could lead to a semi-final meeting for England with Portugal. Of course, when England won the World Cup in 1966, it beat Argentina, Portugal, and West Germany in the knock-out stages, just as it is likely to have to do this year. Interestingly, Italy failed to get out of the initial group stage in 1966, just as it failed to do so yesterday !!
At World Cup Companion, we predict that Brazil will get the better of Spain, (if Spain only finishes second in its group,) and while one would normally go for Brazil to beat the Netherlands, we think that the latter will beat Brazil this time. The two semi-finals will be Uruguay versus the Netherlands, and England versus Portugal. The final will see Fabio's dream realised with the Netherlands meeting England in the final on 11 July.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Don´t Worry, England Will Make It. Here´s Why.
Everyone I meet seems to have given up on England, and one can understand the sentiment after the poor Friday evening performance. But everything is still to play for. Let me explain.
In the 1986 World Cup Finals, England had only one point after two matches. England turned it around with a win, a convincing win, against Poland. England went through to the second round and beyond. In Italia 90, England drew the first two matches and then won the third to top its group and went on to reach the semi-finals. Other teams have done similar things. Argentina went all the way to the Final in 1990 after winning only two matches in open play.
Italy went one better in 1982. It had won the World Cup in 1938 and then 44 years later drew all three of its group matches in the 1982 tournament and finished only second in its group. Rossi, who had a poor start to the tournament that year, became Italy´s hero against Brazil before Italy went on to beat West Germany in the World Cup Final. Interestingly, It is also 44 years since England last won the World Cup. Perhaps England will come to life now, (just as Italy did in 1982,) led by its hero, the so-far ineffective Rooney.
Put simply, if England win on Wednesday, and they should do, England will qualify for the last 16. A high scoring draw might be enough, but England must go for the win. If the USA win against Algeria, it too will qualify. Then the question is, is it better to finish top of the group or second?
In 1954, many believed that the Germans deliberately forfeited top place in its group so that it would go through to an easier side of the draw. West Germany reached the summit of world football that year by going on to win the World Cup. At the start of the South African tournament, everyone agreed that England´s best route to the Final would be in winning its group. But now, finishing second might not be a bad thing. Germany, Italy and Spain might not win their groups and if England came second it could avoid all three, as well as Brazil, before the Final. Of course, Argentina looks like winning its group and England could meet those old rivals in the quarter-finals.
Very often, teams that have started poorly have gone on to win the World Cup. It is very difficult to win 7 World Cup matches on the trot. But England need now only win 5 matches to go on to glory. The first is on Wednesday afternoon.
Steve Woods
(World Cup Companion)
In the 1986 World Cup Finals, England had only one point after two matches. England turned it around with a win, a convincing win, against Poland. England went through to the second round and beyond. In Italia 90, England drew the first two matches and then won the third to top its group and went on to reach the semi-finals. Other teams have done similar things. Argentina went all the way to the Final in 1990 after winning only two matches in open play.
Italy went one better in 1982. It had won the World Cup in 1938 and then 44 years later drew all three of its group matches in the 1982 tournament and finished only second in its group. Rossi, who had a poor start to the tournament that year, became Italy´s hero against Brazil before Italy went on to beat West Germany in the World Cup Final. Interestingly, It is also 44 years since England last won the World Cup. Perhaps England will come to life now, (just as Italy did in 1982,) led by its hero, the so-far ineffective Rooney.
Put simply, if England win on Wednesday, and they should do, England will qualify for the last 16. A high scoring draw might be enough, but England must go for the win. If the USA win against Algeria, it too will qualify. Then the question is, is it better to finish top of the group or second?
In 1954, many believed that the Germans deliberately forfeited top place in its group so that it would go through to an easier side of the draw. West Germany reached the summit of world football that year by going on to win the World Cup. At the start of the South African tournament, everyone agreed that England´s best route to the Final would be in winning its group. But now, finishing second might not be a bad thing. Germany, Italy and Spain might not win their groups and if England came second it could avoid all three, as well as Brazil, before the Final. Of course, Argentina looks like winning its group and England could meet those old rivals in the quarter-finals.
Very often, teams that have started poorly have gone on to win the World Cup. It is very difficult to win 7 World Cup matches on the trot. But England need now only win 5 matches to go on to glory. The first is on Wednesday afternoon.
Steve Woods
(World Cup Companion)
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