Monday, June 14, 2010
Sports World |
- Caragher defends Capello's World Cup selection policy
- Germans make their World Cup mark
- England player ratings v USA
| Caragher defends Capello's World Cup selection policy Posted: 14 Jun 2010 08:36 AM PDT Prior to the start of the Football World Cup England manager Fabio Capello seemed to lead a charmed life - almost nothing went wrong for him and he had the backing of both the fans and the media. However, Saturday's 1-1 draw with the USA completed a souring in relations between supporters and pundits and the Italian coach. Questions about his decision making were first raised in the weeks leading up to the competition and, after Ledley King limped off and Robert Green palmed the ball into his own net, the discontent has reached its highest level yet. Now Jamie Carragher, whose recall to the international scene raised more than a few eyebrows, has stepped in to defend the manager. One of the issues which has caused mutterings in the press has been Capello's habit of not telling the squad who's playing until two hours before the match. According to the manager's critics this doesn't give players the chance to deal with their nerves and, with uncertainty surrounding the number one jersey, would serve to unsettle the three keepers in the squad most of all. However, Carragher has revealed that Capello's actions are nothing unusual in the world of football. He pointed out that his club side, Liverpool, have always told the team who's playing two hours before the match, so it was something he'd come to regard as normal. Carragher also believes the technique can get something extra out of the players in the run up to the match, so anyone who has placed a World Cup bet shouldn't worry too much. He said: "It keeps everyone on their toes and if you give the team out earlier how do you know it's not going to affect training? "Do the people who are playing take it easy? Do the people who are not playing get the hump and not train properly? Blaming England's failing on the way the team has picked seems very short sighted and although Capello may have made mistakes, the media are barking up the wrong tree with this one.  |
| Germans make their World Cup mark Posted: 14 Jun 2010 06:38 AM PDT There are few better ways of making your mark on a World Cup than by smashing in four goals without reply during your opening group game. That's exactly what the Germans did against Australia last night and the result already seems to have proved the trite old adage which says you can never write off Die Mannschaft. World cup last 16 betting certainly expects them to cruise through their group. Of course, their cause was helped when Australia's Tim Cahill received a red card for an innocuous challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger, but by that time Germany were already two goals up and well in control of the game. After the Socceroos were dispatched with very little effort, much of the post match debate focused on the relative merits of the two sides. Are the Germans are as good as they looked, or did a poor Australia make them seem more impressive than they actually are? After just one game it's difficult to say - although Australia's patchy form in the run up to the tournament suggests they are not the force they were when they escaped Group F during World Cup 2006. However, it does appear that Germany are the best team in the group and, although their games against Ghana and Serbia are likely to be much tougher, they look certain to qualify in first place. After England's slip against the USA on Saturday this means Fabio Capello's men will need to buck up their ideas or risk finding out just how good this German side are at first hand. The winners of Group D will face the Group C runners up in the last 16 and the Three Lions will be keen to avoid what could be an extremely tricky tie against a side who seem to have a psychological edge over them. World cup quarter-finals betting pundits would expect it to be a very tight game, after all. Surely a potential tie against the Germans is all the motivation England need to win their last two games convincingly and top their group?  |
| Posted: 14 Jun 2010 02:01 AM PDT Robert Green 3/10 A terrible error was not redeemed by a decent second-half save. The Football World cup 2010 Capello axe might fall on him. Glen Johnson 7 England's most dangerous attacking threat, a reflection of his team-mates. Mazy dribbles only partially disguise defensive frailties. Ledley King 6 An injury should not reflect on him but somehow does. He might struggle to regain his place, as absence from Algeria match puts question mark against his reliability, which was in fact in evidence during his 45 minutes on the pitch. John Terry 7 Reliable and unaffected by nerves, the former captain needs to come to the fore even more now. Ashley Cole 6 Defensively sound, he was largely anonymous in the opposing half. Aaron Lennon 6 Produced the best pass of the night to release Heskey in the second half, but final-ball decision-making again otherwise suspect. Frank Lampard 5 Struggled to impose himself on unadventurous opponents. Tidy but uninspired. Steven Gerrard 7 Took his goal well and generally played his part as captain. James Milner 4 Off-the-pace after illness, his early substitution will be demoralising. Wayne Rooney 6 One good long-range effort was the only flash of brilliance. World cup top goal scorer betting still has him as one of the favourites though. Emile Heskey 7 A good all-round display will be remembered more for a tame effort when clean through, meaning he will have to wait to shake off his reputation as a non-scoring striker. Substitutes Jamie Carragher 4 Comprehensively beaten for pace by Jozy Altidore and booked for a badly timed lunge. A poor return to the England fold. Shaun Wright-Phillips 5 Created little and wasted an excellent chance with a weak shot from close range. Peter Crouch 5 Made little impact but did enough to suggest he can play a role at some stage.  |
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