Quarter Final Netherlands vs. Russia Preview - Guus Hiddink is looking to continue his fantastic run at major tournaments. He took the Netherlands and South Korea to the last four at World Cups in 1998 and 2002 and Australia to the last sixteen two summers ago in Germany. If he can take his young Russian side to the last four at Euro 2008 it will be a match for any of his previous achievements.
To reach the semi final Russia has to beat the Netherlands and players that Hiddink has more than a passing knowledge of. The teams have reached this stage in very different ways but both could be regarded as surprises based on their preliminary qualifying performances.
Russia seemed to have lost their chance when they lost away to Israel after hitting the post late in the game and then conceding a devastating winner to Israel only seconds later. They were left having to beat Andorra in their last game and praying for a win by Croatia at Wembley.
Despite having already qualified Croatia did beat England and Russia stumbled to a 1-0 win against tiny Andorra. Eighteen goals in twelve games was not overly impressive considering that the group included the likes of Andorra and Estonia. First and third place Croatia and England scored considerably more goals.
The Netherlands qualified as runners up to Romania and only a point ahead of Bulgaria. However, the one point gap is not a fair reflection of the degree of difficulty as the Dutch wrapped up a qualifying spot with two games to go.
But a lacks of goals was a common connection between Russia and Netherlands. The Dutch only scored fifteen goals in 12 games and struggled to 1-0 wins over Luxembourg twice.
There was no hint of the type of football we have seen over the last two weeks from either of these sides. Goals have flowed from the Dutch through devastating counter attacks executed at speed combined with lethal finishing.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has led the attack magnificently while Sneijder and van der Vaart who have generally operated just behind him have both enjoyed spectacular tournaments.
The defense has confounded critics having only conceded one goal to date. Based on their three performances and pedigree the Dutch come into this game as strong favourites.
Few would have thought that Russia would be in this position after an opening game loss to Spain. But the 4-1 scoreline was not a fair reflection of the play. Russia was severely punished (particularly by David Villa) for some sloppy defensive play while they were unable to take advantage of some less than stellar defending by Spain. In truth the game could have finished 5-3 or 5-4.
Since then Hiddink has tinkered with his back four (or back two as the full backs push forward) but has remained commited to Russia playing an aggressive, attacking and entertaining form of football. The return of Arshavin for the third game against Swede and his performance garnered the headlines but there were a number of other fine performances that day that bode well for the fixture against Netherlands.
Denis Kolodin has settled down at the centre of the Russian defence after a disasterous start against Spain. Zhirkov playing has a left back (he can play anyplace on the left side) is a fantastic player to watch while the other full back Anyukov seems to spend more time in the opposition penalty area than his own. In midfield Semak, Zyryanov and Bilyaletdinov have all caught the eye.
However, Russia does seem to missing a reliable striker. Roman Pavlyuchenko came on to score twice against England in Moscow and has scored twice at Euro 2008 but he does not score enough given the chances that come his way.
Referee: Lubos Michel, assistants: Roman Slysko, Martin Balko (all Slovakia), fourth official: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
Netherland 1-3 Russia (After extra time) I know it’s not new or original but I’m going to say it anyway “the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming.” And in the process they are playing some fantastic football. We got to see an additional 30 minutes of it today but in truth Russia was so far ahead of the Netherlands that it should not have needed extra time.
The Dutch that had being so lethal in the group stage was blunted by a Russian midfield of Zyryanov, Semak and Semshov but this performance had nothing to do with negating Dutch strengths. It was about Russia playing to their own strengths.
And their strengths where a pleasure to behold. No frightened through football here. Composure on the ball, constantly working hard to provide an option to teammates in possession, beautifully timed runs and craftily struck passes. It was all on display and you were left wanting more. The only thing that was missing was a ruthless streak in front of goal during the first 90 minutes.
Russia took the initiative right from the kickoff and had the Netherlands on the back foot for most of the first half. It to the Dutch almost half an hour to mount any kind of sustained pressure and ironically it nearly cost them a goal. Russia was able to counter attack and the end result was a magnificent save by Edwin van der Sar from an Andrei Arshavin (does he remind anyone else of Michael Ladrup?) shot. The Dutch goalkeeper was called into action again shortly after and made another fine save this time after a long-range effort from center back Kolodin.
As half time drew near there was some encouragement for Dutch fans as Russia started togive away the ball more frequently. Nevertheless half time arrived without a goal. But within 10 minutes of the restart Russia was a goal up. Russia had been relentless in attacking down the left side and this time the ball was fed out to Semak alone on the left wing.
He swung in an inviting cross and Pavlyuchenko timed his run beautifully to beat the Dutch marker and Russia was a goal up. The Dutch were forced to push forward but Russia looked like the team more likely to score on the counter. But despite numerous chances and as the game appeared to to be entering the closing stages there was still only a one goal separating the teams.
The most consistent threat from the Netherlands had come from set pieces and from a free kick out on the left side they scored the goal that forced extra time. A deliciously inviting cross from Sneijder was swung in, Ignashevich was caught on the wrong side of Ruud van Nistelrooy and the Real Madrid striker stooped low to head home.
It was a goal that must’ve brought contradictory feelings to the neutrals watching. On one hand a Russian win that was truly deserved had been hauled from their grasp; conversely we had another 30 minutes of wonderful football to look forward to.
In the past Russian teams would have folded in the face of such adversity and injustice but not this one. They continued to dominate the extra 30 minutes and not surprisingly it was Arshavin who finally killed the Netherlands off.
He set up the winner for substitute Torbinski and then administered the coup de grace as he drilled the ball through the legs of Edwin van der Sar. A deserved win for Russia and the Netherlands again prove the early accolades to be premature.
Note: As the media jump on the Arshavin bandwagon regular readers of the blog will not be surprised at his impact. Back in the fall(?) I think it was craigy_f who first brought him to everyone’s attention when Zenit St. Petersburg played Everton in the UEFA Cup.
Comment of the Day “Much has been made of Van Basten's Holland rediscovering the joys of total football, but that is misleading. Yes, they are fluid and good to watch, but they are a more direct, counter-attacking side than their forebears of 30 years ago. Russia, arguably, given their commitment to attack, are rather closer in ethos to Michels' side, but the resemblance is largely superficial.
For one thing, neither side operates with a libero; for another, neither plays in the 4-3-3 (or, more accurately, 1-3-3-3) shape Johan Cruyff always insisted was essential for total football.
The context, equally, is very different. Part of the reason for the impact of Michels' and Lobaonvskyi's sides were that they were pressing and playing an aggressive offside trap in an era when nobody else was.
Everybody presses now. In their commitment to fluidity Russia and the Netherlands can probably claim to play a form of the game as close to total football as is possible in the modern age, but it should not be forgotten that for Russia that means pursuing their own tradition as much as adapting their approach to suit the heritage of their manager.” – Jonathan Wilson.
Prediction Update Not many picked Turkey while a good number of you had Croatia reaching the semi final. I have a feeling that the prediction league is going to be very close at the conclusion of the quarter finals.
Thanks to all the regular visitors and posters, your support and enthusiasm is remarkable. Also, thanks to other bloggers who linkthrough to this site.
Stuart James explains why teams may not be so keen to be in the group of top seeds alongside Austria at Euro 2008.
Gabriele Marcotti on Italy’s performance against Scotland. I found the Scottish press placing a bit to much emphasis on the awarding of the late free kick to the exclusion of some of the officials other decisions. I don't think the claims of victimization are credible when measured over the ninety minutes. It also masks the issue that although Scotland has made great progress there is still a roads to go.
Mark McGhee takes a look at former teammate Alex McLeish’s tactics and decisions.
It looks as if the Heskey and Owen partnership has reached the iconic stage. The statistic of 14 goals in 14 starts or 12 starts together (and that was before Russia and Israel) crops up in almost every article about them. It seemed to me that given that both of these players started their careers in the late nineties and that Owen has 85 caps and Heskey 45 that 12 or 14 starts together seemed very low. I might be missing something (and it certainly becomes difficult to track appearances because of substitutions) but this is what I have come up with in terms of starting together and goals.
Russia Sept 12/07 Owen 2, Heskey 0. Israel Sept 8/07 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Croatia Aug 20/03 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Serbia & Mont. June 3/03 Owen 0, Heskey 0. South Africa May 22/03 Owen 0, Heskey 1. Liechtenstein Mach 29/03 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Slovakia Oct 12/02 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Portugal Sept 7/02 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Brazil June 21/02 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Denmark June 15/02 Owen 1, Heskey 1. Nigeria June 12/07 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Argentina June 7/02 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Sweden June 2/02 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Cameroon May 26/02 Owen 0, Heskey 0. South Korea May 21/02 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Italy March 27/02 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Albania Sept 5/01 Owen 1, Heskey 0. Germany Sept 1/01 Owen 3, Heskey 1. Greece June 6/01 Owen 0, Heskey 0. Mexico May 25/01 Owen 0, Heskey 0.
I make that 20 starts together with Owen scoring 13 and Heskey 3. Still a decent strike rate but not what has been widely reported. In all it appears to me that they have played in 32 games together although they may not have been on the park at the same time when one has replaced the other. I used the FA archives as a source and I would be more than happy to admit an error if someone can come up with support for the 14 goals in 14 or 12 starts statistic. I did rattle this off quickly.
For those of you who followed the FA Cup blog last season you will recognize Jarrow Roofing Boldon Community Association FC. That was the side that the blog started to follow at the Extra Preliminary Round last season.
A look at the challenge Israel will pose for England in European qualifying.
Duncan Castles considers the battle for the Arsenal boardroom.
Congo beats Canada and so the four best third place finishers come from groups A, B, C and D. The draw for the last sixteen is now final and on side one its Austria vs. Gambia; USA vs. Uruguay; Spain vs. Brazil; Japan vs. Czech Republic.
On side two it is Chile vs. Portugal; Zambia vs. Nigeria; Argentina vs. Poland; Mexico vs. Congo.
In the quarter final round it will Austria or Gambia vs. USA or Uruguay and so on. The winner of that quadrant will play the winner of Spain or Brazil vs. Japan or the Czech Republic.
I'm heading to Toronto to cover the USA vs. Uruguay and Argentina vs. Poland games.
The remaining federation was Oceania represented by New Zealand who finished last in group C. Unlike the World Cup where you often have countries from the same federation drawn in the same group the under-20 tournament has no such duplication. It can make for some interesting comparisons.
Both South America (four for four) and Africa (four for four) lead the qualifiers based on home federation. UEFA has more countries in the last sixteen (5) with Scotland failing to move on from group F. CONCACAF have two countries out of a possible five qualify while only Japan out of the four Asian representatives have been successful.
Points gained by federation after the first group round:
FEDERATION P Pts % South America 12 21 58 Africa 12 21 58 Uefa 15 24 53 Concacaf 15 20 44 Asia 12 12 33 Oceania 3 0 0
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
Scotland fans are well use to failures at World Cups. But as of last night Scotland has now taken it to a different level. Scotland’s last second loss to Costa Rica meant that not only are they heading home across the Atlantic but they also reduced the host country Canada’s chances of moving into the last sixteen. You invite someone to your party and they “water” your living room carpet!!
Yesterday was not a good day for the host nation as the options for qualifying for the knock stages eroded as the day went on. Prior to group B action the best scenario for Canada was this.
What Canada needs to do to definitely move on. Must win (against Congo) and… Hope Scotland and Costa Rica draw or….. Zambia and Jordan don’t win.
But Zambia did win.
And so before Group F action it had been reduced to – Update - What Canada must do to move on. 1. Must beat Congo and… 2. Hope Scotland and Costa Rica draw or if Scotland or Costa Rica win….. 3. Canada must then win by enough goals to finish with a better record than the other countries that finish third with three points.
But Costa Rica did win and so we are down to essentially two games that will decide Canada’s fate.
First of all here is a recap of the process to decide the four best place finishers from FIFA.com. “The four best place finishers will be determined by; most points gained in group matches, goal difference in all group matches, most goals scored in all group matches, fair play system in which the number of yellow and red cards are evaluated, drawing of lots”.
So applying the tie breaker rule we know that after yesterday’s games that North Korea is definitely going home (only two points) while Brazil (3 points and a minus 1 goal differential but have scored 2 more goals than Costa Rica) is moving on. Zambia’s win pushed Uruguay into third place but with four points they make it to the last sixteen with at least a point to spare.
So that leaves two of four spots for the best third place finishers left to fill. The teams that are left to fight it out are Portugal, Gambia, New Zealand, Canada, Congo and Costa Rica.
As they say in golf, Costa Rica is in the club house and they have set the bar (or is it they are sitting at the bar?). Here is each of the team’s positions.
Although on paper New Zealand is still in with a chance they are at a severe disadvantage. They are the only country left that could win today (against Mexico) and still finish bottom of their group. Because Portugal plays Gambia and Congo plays Canada a win for any of these countries means that they are guaranteed to finish no lower than third. So we are going to discount the chance that the Kiwis and fate can conspire to produce an unprecedented set of results and focus on the other four.
Portugal is clearly in the best position to move on and can afford to lose 2-0 to Gambia and still qualify because of goals scored. If Gambia can score the first goal then Portugal might be more inclined to cruise rather than chasing a game and possibly being hit on the break and losing heavily.
That's an advantage to Gambia but conversely they sit in a rather precarious position because of their goal differential of -2. Canada and Costa Rica especially will be hoping that Portugal can win. That scenario would put Costa Rica through. Canada would also then move on if they beat Congo (by any score) and Gambia lost by two goals to Portugal. A two goal win for Portugal is clearly the best case scenario for Canada.
If Portugal only wins by one goal then Canada should be hoping that Gambia is shut out in the process. A high scoring one goal win for Portugal would require Canada to exceed Portugal’s high scoring one goal of a difference win or beat Congo by two clear goals. If Portugal scores first then Gambia will have nothing to lose by piling forward.
Unfortunately for Canada there is one more possibility which may actually be the most likely outcome of the Portugal and Gambia match-up. A draw would mean that the group positions would stay as they are and both Gambia and Portugal would move on. That would leave Canada needing a three goal win to move on at the expense of Costa Rica.
No matter the outcome of the late afternoon games we know that when Congo and Canada kick’s off tonight both countries will know what is required. In the case of Congo they know already. A win puts them through to the last sixteen – with the possibility that they could still finish second in the group. A draw does neither country any good and so if we get an early first goal then the other side is going to be forced forward which could mean a lot more opportunities at both ends. The first goal in any game is critical but even more so tonight.
Latest Betting on today's games
Canada 2/1, Draw 11/5, Congo 11/10.
New Zealand 10/1, Draw 9/2, Mexico 2/11.
Portugal 4/5, Draw 7/4, Gambia 4/1. (I like the odds on a win by Gambia)
FIFA Under-20 World Cup Champion
Argentina 3/1, Mexico 4/1, Spain 7/1, USA 8/1, Portugal 9/1, Nigeria 10/1, Uruguay 11/1, Brazil 11/1, Chile 12/1, Japan 14/1, Czech Republic 20/1, Poland 33/1, Zambia 50/1, Austria 50/1, Costa Rica 125/1, Congo 200/1, Gambia 200/1, Canada 300/1, New Zealand 500/1.
Has there ever been a time when you could get odds of 11/1 on Brazil in a men’s international tournament at the last sixteen stage?
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.You can also check out the National Post blog.
The evening started at supper time with Mexico vs. Chile in the Copa America. The scoreless draw guaranteed that Chile moves on. In turn, that means that Brazil needs only needs one point from their game against Ecuador to move into the last eight.
Ecuador needs to win 2-0 to stand any chance of qualifying for the last eight while the USA’s remote chance of making past the group stage is even more unlikely than it was before this evening. (Warning - if you are taping the Brazil – Ecuador game don’t read to the end of the blog!)
I switched games with around half an hour left in the Mexico game and moved to Japan against Costa Rica in the FIFA under-20 World Cup. With five games also going on in MLS tonight there is no shortage of games to keep up with.
The Japan – Costa Rica match was largely disappointing with Japan unable to show the same jump that was on show against Canada on Sunday. Japan still had the better of the first half but failed to create many clear cut chances. It was Costa Rica’s Steven Perez missed the best chance of the first half when he turned the Japanese defender but shot wide with only the keeper to beat.
The only game of the game came with around a quarter of the game left. Japan was able to work Umesaki clear on the left side of the penalty box and he delivered a perfect feed to Tanaka who had to only redirect the ball into the net from four yards out.
As fulltime beckoned the Ticos’ attacks grew more desperate and only a fine save from Japanese keeper Hayashi with a minute or so left ensured that his side moved into the last sixteen with two straight wins.
Just as he did in the game against Scotland full back Michihiro Yasuda caught the eye with his runs forward and raking cross field passes. We have yet to see how strong he is defensively because after two games he has not been tested.
Then it was over to Brazil vs. Ecuador. Put it this way – the half time highlights could have been dumped and nothing much missed. When a goal finally came early in the second half it was probably fitting that it came from a penalty kick which was awarded after Robinho went looking for an Ecuadorian leg to follow in the box.
The game played out with little else in terms of goal scoring chances and Brazil turned in another stuttering performance. The USA can no longer qualify for the last eight and has only pride to play for tomorrow against Colombia.
Scotland and Nigeria is next.
Tournament Notes
From FIFA.com, “Argentina's 4 goals in 7 minutes against Panama is a record in any FIFA U-20 competition. In previous matches Brazil have managed twice, in 1997, to score 4 goals in 9 minutes. Firstly in their 10-3 win against Korea Republic. Adailton took the score to 2:0 in the 30th minute and to 5:0 by the 39th. The second time, in the same tournament, was in their 10-0 win against Belgium. Roni scored in the 78th minute, Adailton in the 82nd, Alex in the 85th, and Junior in the 87th. Mexico also scored four goals in ten minutes in 1977 against Tunisia (6:0) as did Chile against Honduras in 2005 (7:0).”
“With three goals against Poland, USAs Freddy Adu is the only player to have scored a hattrick in both FIFA youth tournaments. Adu also scored 3 goals on 14 August 2003 in their 6-1 win against Korea Republic in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Coincidentally both matches ended with the same result”.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
Oh what a weird and wonderful game football is. While Poland made the headlines with the opening game win over Brazil in the FIFA under-20 World Cup, the USA was lucky to escape with a point from a match against South Korea. Three days on and Poland was on the wrong end of a 6-1 thrashing from a rampant American side.
What’s more it was the Poles that took the early lead from Dawid Janczyk. But rather than providing the foundation for a second win it was, apart from a shot in the second half that struck the USA post, the last thing of any consequence generated by Poland. Less than five minutes after the Poles took the lead Danny Szetela arrived in the Polish penalty box and finessed a header past Bialkowski of Southampton.
Ten minutes after that and Freddy Adu provided a glimpse of the talent that is so often hidden when he curled a beautiful left shot past the Polish keeper. Zizzo was the creator and just on the stroke of half time the same two teamed up for a killer goal.
While most players would be looking to run down the clock until half time Zizzo picked the ball up in is own half and drove past numerous Polish players and into the penalty box before laying the ball back to Adu. Adu curled another left footed shot past a helpless keeper.
If the Poles were to recover they needed to strike early in the second half. Instead it was Svetela taking advantage of terrible marking by the Polish central defenders to slip through and drill home the fourth goal for the USA. After good work down the left side Altidore scored his first of the tournament with twenty minutes to go. The scoring was completed when Adu was fed in by Rogers and despite an attempt to “Beasley” it the USA captain completed his hat trick and a famous route.
So why the turnaround? To start with Poland gave the USA much more room than they had given the Brazilians. The Americans were able to find space behind and in front of the Poles back four. The Poles never gave up that space to the Brazilians. The same was true of space on the wings. Against South Korea Rogers and Zizzo were forced inside to help out a central midfield that was under threat of being overrun was much of the game.
The Poles were never allowed to put Svetela and Bradley under the same pressure and the pair were able to play balls into Adu up front or wide to Zizzo and Rogers. With four points in the bag and a plus five goal difference it would need some exceptional circumstances for the USA not to move on to the last sixteen.
Freddy Adu will garner the headlines but there were a number of excellent performances throughout the USA team. The back four was caught square on the Poles goal but apart from that the defense was rarely troubled. Szetela made it three goals in two games and Zizzo put in a terrific shift on the right side of midfield.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
You can also use this blog to contribute your thoughts on the South Korea vs. Brazil game tonight. I have an Old-Timers game tonight so I will be taping the game and watching it later.
At half time in the Japan – Scotland broadcast CBC anchor Scot Russell said to analyst Bob Lenarduzzi, “Japan and Scotland, a contrast in styles.” Lenarduzzi then went on to say something about Japan employing a slow build up while Scotland was much more direct.
A less politically correct and honest assessment would have been that it had nothing to do with contrasting styles. What it really came down to was that Japan knew how to play the game while Scotland was clueless.
What a sad advertisement for what is supposed to be Scotland’s brightest and best footballing talent. A team better suited to running into brick walls rather than trying to propel a ball a few yards to a player in the same coloured jersey.
The play-by-play announcer said early in the game that the Scottish team typified all the qualities of their coach Archie Gemmill. Obviously, he must have been talking about a different Archie Gemmill. The one I remember played for St. Mirren and Preston North End before finding success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. The Gemmill I remember was a player that played with speed of thought, inventiveness and drive while understanding the value of maintaining possession.
A bit like this Japanese team in fact. Although Japan eventually won the match 3-1 they would have not been flattered by a five or six goal margin of victory. In every area of the field Japan showed poise and had a team cohesiveness that was never part of Scotland’s repertoire.
The back four looked very solid with Kashiwagi, Morishima and Umesaki also catching the eye. The one area where Japan needs to improve is their finishing. To often chances were passed up and if that habit continues better teams will make them pay a higher price.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
The USA came away from this game with what might be a vital point against a vibrant and exciting South Korean side. Despite having to endure extended spells of intense Korean pressure the Americans deserve credit for sticking to the task and pulling themselves back into the game particularly in the last thirty minutes.
The opening goal came from a fine cross from Zizzo that eventually found Danny Szetela at the pack post. A diving header gave us the first goal from open play of the tournament. The South Koreans stormed back and Shin Young Rok wasted two fantastic chances before he eventually made it third time lucky.
This under-20 squad is a carbon copy of the senior national team of World Cup 2002. Playing a 3-4-3 formation the Koreans were constantly trying to force the USA to play at a tempo that was not to their liking. US defenders and midfielders were repeatedly caught in possession and if it was not for some wasteful finishing (another trait of the 2002 WC side) South Korea could have had the game sown up by half time. As it was the Koreans again spurned second half chances although US keeper Chris Seitz pulled off a couple of excellent saves in the second half.
Dex McCarty’s arrival into the game in the second half was instrumental in helping the USA to hold on to ball and eventually create some chances of their own. If the USA was to nip a win it looked as if it was come courtesy of a Freddy Adu free kick delivered from the right side with his left foot. As it was both teams traded late chances but had to settle for a point each.
Lee Young Sung was outstanding for South Korea as was the back three. Chris Seitz looked good in the USA goal while Nathan Sturgis recovered from an early slip to help turn back the many Korean attacks. Zizzo and McCarty also played their part.
The next round of games is on Tuesday with USA vs. Poland and South Korea playing Brazil.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
Group F (Victoria, Vancouver) Japan, Scotland, Costa Rica and Nigeria.
Japan arrives at this tournament with a solid record of achievement. Five times in the last six tournaments Japan has made it to knock out stage. On three of those occasions they made it the last eight while in 1999 in Nigeria Japan lost 4-0 to Spain in the final. Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who went on to lead Japan at the 2002 World Cup, had players such as Junichi Inamoto, Shinji Ono and Naohiro Takehara available to him.
Coach Yasushi Yoshida arrives with a team that likely has as much promise as the 1999 edition. Tsukasa Umesaki (Oita Trinita) has already been capped by Japan at the senior level while centre half Yohei Fukumoto (Oita Trinita), Yosuke Kashiwagi (Sanfreece Hiroshima), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers), and Atomu Tanaka (Albirex Niigata) are all highly touted.
Japan finished second to North Korea in Asian group qualifying having been beaten on penalties in the final. However, it is worth noting that the countries did play each other twice before in 2007 qualifying and Japan won 1-0 and 2-0.
Scotland is one of the surprise qualifiers in this tournament. Scotland took one of the two available spots in the qualifying round of European qualifying before being drawn into a group with France in the elite round. Most pundits expected a Scots’ exit but instead France stumbled when they played to a scoreless tie with Belarus. This left Scotland only needing to avoid defeat against France in order to move on. This they did courtesy of a Steven Fletcher (Hibs) goal.
Fletcher was again prominent in the final round of qualifying although both he and fellow striker Robert Snodgrass missed the final game loss to Spain. Unlike previous editions of Scottish teams at World Cup’s this squad appears to carry a fair amount of striking power. Both Fletcher and Snodgrass are in the Scottish squad while Calum Elliot (Hearts) and Graham Dorrans (Livingstone) also scored important goals during the qualifying rounds.
Lee Wallace (Hearts), Mark Reynolds (Motherwell) and Garry Kenneth (Dundee United) have all played for their clubs in the SPL. The heat of eastern Europe was a problem for Scotland last summer so being based in Victoria with it’s more moderate climate is a major break for the Scots.
Tommy Wilson, one of Scotland’s coaches told the Scotsman newspaper - "We use a lot of role models in video presentations to the boys as part of our preparations. For example, we use a lot of footage of Muhammad Ali, his quotes, clips of him in the gym and the way he totally dominated opponents with both his physical and mental approach.” We will see!!
Costa Rica finished second to Mexico in a two-part CONCACAF qualification process. This is Costa Rica’s fifth appearance in the finals – which considering Costa Rica’s status in CONCACAF is surprisingly low – and two appearances in the second round is the best they have done.
The majority of Coach Geovanny Alfaro’s squad is domestically based with only highly-regarded goalkeeper Alfonso Quesada and defender Dave Myrie (both Cadiz) playing abroad.
Jean Carlos Solorzano carries most of the goal scoring threat while Celso Borges is the creative force in midfield.
Striker Cesar Elizondo (Saprissa) and defender Rudy Dawson (Alajuela) are two other players who are regularly mentioned as key players.
It seems a regular occurrence for Nigeria to arrive in disarray at a major tournament and Canada 2007 seems to be no different. Cancelled training camps, funding disputes and criticism from home are only a few of the obstacles facing this Nigerian team. But perhaps the strangest thing about this squad is the total lack of players from the side that finished as runners-up to Argentina in 2005.
Seven players were eligible to compete again but not one has been named to this squad. What is more only two players out of the pool of twenty-one meet the maximum cut off criteria of 1987. Fourteen players have birth years of 1988 while the remaining five have 1989 listed.
Only four players are currently registered with foreign-based players. If you didn’t know any better you might think Nigeria is more interested in putting players in the shop-window than fielding the best available team.
However, having twice finished as runners-up and once in third place, Nigeria has shown in the past that raw talent can overcome administrative ineptitude so they should not be underestimated.
Predicted finish – 1.Japan, 2.Nigeria, 3.Scotland and 4. Costa Rica.
You can send any information (fsr@mts.net) that you think might be of interest about the twenty-four countries and I will post a regular selection. If you have a FIFA Under-20 blog go ahead and post your link under comments.
Gunner44 - Since Owen seems to be set to leave Newcastle where do you see him going since the top 4 all seem to not be interested? And how much is he worth?
Bobby – I’m not convinced that Owen will leave mainly because I can’t come up with a reason why the big four would be interested in him now when they weren’t before he moved from Real Madrid to Newcastle and before his injury. I think big Sam will fight tooth and nail to hold on to him if there is a chance of him leaving. If he goes I think the release figure in his contract is 12 milion pounds.
Mr. Red Devil - I think that Group E is definitely one of the 2 or 3 most difficult groups in Euro 2008 qualifying. I know that England has some very big matches at Wembley coming up. Do you think their qualification is a lock? Does Israel have any chance at qualification? What do you think the final standings will be in that group (just the top 4 spots)?
Bobby – It is certainly one of the three toughest groups. I would have to award the toughest title to Group B with Italy, France and Ukraine (WC winners, runners-up, last eight). I am still confident that England will qualify. They have Russia, Israel, Estonia and Croatia at Wembley while the only away game is in Moscow. England also may have the added advantage that by the time Croatia visits Wembley for the last game on November 21, Croatia may have already sealed a place in the finals and will have nothing to play for.
If Israel is to qualify then they need to find a way to make up for the 4-3 home loss to Croatia. That was a big blow to Israel. If I assume – for sake of argument – that Israel wins their two home games against Russia and Macedonia then the September 8 meeting with England at Wembley becomes the pivotal match. If Israel wins that one then an upset could be on the books. But if they lose then they are likely to find themselves six points behind Croatia with three games left, a point behind Russia with a game more played and tied with England with a game more played. Croatia would only need a draw to kill off the Israeli challenge while Russia and/or England would have likely gained points in their games.
Whichever way it goes it will be exciting. My placing prediction is Croatia, England, Russia and Israel.
LosAngelesChelseaFan - Can Fox get together an invitation to Coach Stephen Hart to be on FSR tomorrow night – even by phone in? With one game (and one slip up) away from a much needed title, why would this guy (Ramon Calderon) risk disrupting Beckham and the team by running off at the mouth about getting Beckham to change his mind? The answer is presumably a massive ego that had him invent the nonsense about Arjen Robben over the weekend, when he obviously no contact was made and Robben isn’t going anywhere. Presumably he is still trying to patch over his election promises. It could really tick Beckham off and suddenly his injury “won’t recover in time.” Assuming you watched La Liga on Saturday, how did you rate what you saw? How will you view Messi in the future?
Bobby – A smashing idea but interim Coach Hart had a pre-arranged appointment with Haiti on Monday.
On the question of Calderon’s motive - ego or a complete imbecile, or both.
With the last minute dramatics over the last few rounds of La Liga and in particular last weekend it really puts another spin on the best league question. Given what we have seen who cares if La Liga is no longer “the best” – the last minute dramatics at the Nou Camp and Zaragoza were incredible. I really can’t see how Barcelona can recover from the two stakes in the heart – unbelievable stuff. As for Messi – I think it will be a cloud over him for a little while. I think it would have been worse if it had given Barcelona a lead going into the final weekend. I was listening to Sid Lowe on the Guardian Unlimited Podcast and he brought up an interesting point. He said in the Messi case and others like it the public blame the officials for not catching it but don’t take the player to task. It set of an interesting few comments about what different countries regard as cheating. One example was that in England nudging the centre half just as he is jumping is looked upon as part of the game while others might consider it just another form of cheating.
Jeffers77 - Any thoughts on Tyrone Marshall's tackle late in the game that broke Kenny Cooper's leg? Do you think he deserves any suspension over the 1-game for the red card?
Bobby – Late, high but I don’t think he meant to injure Kenny Cooper. I would be surprised if he was suspended beyond the standard punishment.
Henry14 - l was thinking that instead of MLS looking for star names why can't they look for quality players between 26 to 32 from the Prem, La Liga and top league not exactly the star players. You look at Angel he is probably the best player in MLS but he is a professional who does not go about marketing but ensures victory. The likes of Marlon King, Djemba Djemba will help in real quality on the pitch, you look at Andy Cole and probably a Fowler what is your take. What do you make on the restriction of funds by the Liverpool board, firstly l thought they would spend 70m pounds but l think the new contracts will expand their wage bill from 61m to around 90m pounds a season and if they were to bring Eto’o Tevez, Malouda and Milito they would have to break the 100m pound mark and they owe 470m pounds what do you think will be the transfer policy at Liverpool this season.
Bobby – When you are a star your name is recognized and therefore of greater value and is more likely to attract people to watch. I think you underestimate Angel’s standing as a star – given his career with River Plate and Colombia I would say he is qualified. As for Djemba Djemba – I don’t think he qualifies under star, or quality. The last I heard of him he was with Burnley on loan. On problem with the proposal is that it would in most cases involve paying significant transfer fees.
We are the stage in the summer break when the papers are struggling for stories. That’s why we are hearing so much about possible club takeovers and who has what to spend and who doesn’t. The vast majority of stuff that is being printed and reported just now is absolute rubbish. The Spanish season finishes this weekend and after a brief break the real moves with real money will start to happen. Then we will see who has what to spend and on who.
Neophyte - Do you think anything will come of Ronaldinho's comments about being tired? He was voted the best player in Europe last year, this year everyone says he's washed up. Why isn't the fatigue caused by the ridiculous schedule these guys are forced to keep by FIFA, UEFA, domestic leagues and their own national federations, discussed and changed? It seems to me that the demands on the players have increased. This will only diminish the product on the pitch as the best players are carried off due to injury.
Any thoughts on the USMNT? Bradley and Failhauber (sp?) seem like a tough combination in the middle and if Beasley, Dempsey, Ching, and Donovan can keep those defenders stretched with their speed it might make for a fun Copa America. I have also been impressed by Mapp and his attacking ability on the left. What do you think...anyone?
Bobby – I think everyone knows the solution (fewer games) but the powers that be can’t or won’t make the tough decisions. To some extent we are also the problem. The fans have an almost limitless appetite for the game and so as long as we are watching then I can’t see anything changing.
I’m not sure that all the players you mentioned will be at the Copa America. The last thing I heard was that you could expect a Copa America squad heavy with Euro-based players. Mapp has the ability to go past defenders although his final ball into the box is a bit inconsistent I think.
Digity - Sounds like Atletico might be ready to accept offers for Fernando Torres...where do you think he might end up? Any thoughts on whose system he might fit well into? I feel he's a very versatile player, but that he would fit in perfectly at Man United and flourish under SAF's guidance. thoughts?
Bobby – I know that there is a lot of talk of England but I don’t think you can discount an Italian move. You have to also factor in where David Villa might go and who goes first. Torres or Villa might turn into a very good “consolation” price for someone. I don’t think Torres will go to Old Trafford. Sixty million dollars is a lot of extra money to come up and then there is the wages.
Gongatore - Why do you think FR should be fired at Barca? And who should replace him? Have the new American owners delivered at their respective clubs in the EPL?
Bobby – It’s not the case that I think Rijkaard should be fired it is a case that I think he will be fired. At the end of 2006 things looked great for Barcelona – one season on and it looks like they will finish with no major trophies. To me that looks like a recipe for a dismissal. As for a replacement – perhaps Quique Flores or Juande Ramos. It is far too early to come to any conclusion as to the success or otherwise on ownership changes. The timeline on that one is probably a decade or so.
Gordon McQueen’s chalkboard is no more sympathetic to the embattled Steve.
James Lawton has had enough and calls time on second-choice Steve.
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been kicked off the Togo national team. The last time Adebayor went head-to-head with coach Stephen Keshi the coach was fired. Keshi has returned and this time Adebayor has gone.
Gabriele Marcotti on the long road that is Euro 2008 qualifying.
It looks as if Marseille will not be sold after all.
