Internationaled » Owen Watson http://www.internationaled.org International Sports Association Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:52:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 2010 FIFA World Cup: Five England Stars Who Should Be Dumped http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-england-stars-who-should-be-dumped/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-england-stars-who-should-be-dumped/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:08:25 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/413149-2010-fifa-world-cup-five-england-stars-who-should-be-dumped Begin Slideshow

]]> Begin Slideshow

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-england-stars-who-should-be-dumped/feed/ 0 2010 FIFA World Cup: England Out, Time To Introduce Video Replays http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-england-out-time-to-introduce-video-replays/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-england-out-time-to-introduce-video-replays/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:42:37 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/412180-2010-fifa-world-cup-england-out-time-to-introduce-video-replays If you don’t know by now, England was eliminated from the World Cup by Germany this afternoon thanks to, in part, a shocking decision by the match officials.

The game ended 4-1, so in some ways the goal that never was is academic, but it came at a critical time in the contest. England would have drawn level with the Germans had Frank Lampard’s strike gone in.

England were in the ascendancy. It would have changed the game. Now we will never know how it would have shifted.

In truth, Germany were a lot more incisive going forward and always looked the more likely to score. England was poor at the back and were vulnerable. They couldn’t cope with Germany’s movement.

Besides, it’s not like England hasn’t profited from a shocking goal-line decision in the past. What goes around comes around I suppose.

The point is, England enjoyed a huge slice of fortune in 1966. This is 2010, football is a global commodity and cameras are trained at every blade of grass on the pitch with several angles.

Within seconds the replays clearly showed it was a goal. Why aren’t we using this technology?

FIFA President Sepp Blatter argues that technology undermines the authority of the officials and therefore has no place in football. Indeed, FIFA held a meeting in March to determine whether technology should be used in South Africa.

FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, said at the time, “The door is closed. The decision was not to go ahead with technology at all.”

That has proved to be a shambolic decision.

I don’t understand how this would undermine the referee’s authority any more than admitting assistants are needed to determine whether players are offside, or to use stopwatches to ensure time wasting isn’t rewarded, or to use headsets to ensure communication with other officials is seamless.

Video replays would be another tool to strengthen the decisions the referees make, not to determine him to be a buffoon. Every human is fallible; clearly, referees cannot see everything, so why shouldn’t video replays be used to assist the decision-making process?

FIFA has argued that this technology couldn’t be introduced at all levels of football so it isn’t in the spirit of the game.

That’s rubbish. That’s like saying you shouldn’t have under soil heating for the pitch or a professional physiotherapist on the sideline. These things improve the quality of the game we love at the highest level, they don’t impinge our enjoyment.

Blatter says these objections are folly, merely the ruminations of fans who love to debate such things. He’s wrong. How many more ridiculous mistakes have to happen before things change?

It makes football look like a shamble; it’s time to sort it out.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> If you don’t know by now, England was eliminated from the World Cup by Germany this afternoon thanks to, in part, a shocking decision by the match officials.

The game ended 4-1, so in some ways the goal that never was is academic, but it came at a critical time in the contest. England would have drawn level with the Germans had Frank Lampard’s strike gone in.

England were in the ascendancy. It would have changed the game. Now we will never know how it would have shifted.

In truth, Germany were a lot more incisive going forward and always looked the more likely to score. England was poor at the back and were vulnerable. They couldn’t cope with Germany’s movement.

Besides, it’s not like England hasn’t profited from a shocking goal-line decision in the past. What goes around comes around I suppose.

The point is, England enjoyed a huge slice of fortune in 1966. This is 2010, football is a global commodity and cameras are trained at every blade of grass on the pitch with several angles.

Within seconds the replays clearly showed it was a goal. Why aren’t we using this technology?

FIFA President Sepp Blatter argues that technology undermines the authority of the officials and therefore has no place in football. Indeed, FIFA held a meeting in March to determine whether technology should be used in South Africa.

FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, said at the time, “The door is closed. The decision was not to go ahead with technology at all.”

That has proved to be a shambolic decision.

I don’t understand how this would undermine the referee’s authority any more than admitting assistants are needed to determine whether players are offside, or to use stopwatches to ensure time wasting isn’t rewarded, or to use headsets to ensure communication with other officials is seamless.

Video replays would be another tool to strengthen the decisions the referees make, not to determine him to be a buffoon. Every human is fallible; clearly, referees cannot see everything, so why shouldn’t video replays be used to assist the decision-making process?

FIFA has argued that this technology couldn’t be introduced at all levels of football so it isn’t in the spirit of the game.

That’s rubbish. That’s like saying you shouldn’t have under soil heating for the pitch or a professional physiotherapist on the sideline. These things improve the quality of the game we love at the highest level, they don’t impinge our enjoyment.

Blatter says these objections are folly, merely the ruminations of fans who love to debate such things. He’s wrong. How many more ridiculous mistakes have to happen before things change?

It makes football look like a shamble; it’s time to sort it out.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-england-out-time-to-introduce-video-replays/feed/ 0 2010 FIFA World Cup: Five Rematches We’d Love To See in the Knockout Stage http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-rematches-wed-love-to-see-in-the-knockout-stage/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-rematches-wed-love-to-see-in-the-knockout-stage/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:18:59 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/411475-2010-fifa-world-cup-5-rematches-wed-love-to-see-in-the-knockout-stage Begin Slideshow

]]> Begin Slideshow

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-five-rematches-wed-love-to-see-in-the-knockout-stage/feed/ 0 Greece Vs. Argentina Live Blog: World Cup Analysis and Results http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/greece-vs-argentina-live-blog-world-cup-analysis-and-results/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/greece-vs-argentina-live-blog-world-cup-analysis-and-results/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:03:09 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409815-greece-vs-argentina-live-blog-world-cup-analysis-and-results Hi everyone and welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of Greece vs. Argentina in the final game of Group B.

Both teams still have something to play for. Argentina need a point to confirm a Round of 16 game against Group B runners up Mexico.

Greece, for their part, need to better South Korea's result to force their way into the next round.

_________________________________________________________________________

21:22: Once again, I hope you enjoyed my blog a lot more than you enjoyed the football...it warmed up a bit in the last 10 minutes, but overall...it was far from a classic. South Korea join Argentina in the last 16, drawing 2-2 with Nigeria.

21:20: It's all over here, Argentina win the group and Greece are eliminated. Both teams ended with what they deserved, Argentina with a maximum nine points and Greece fail to qualify.

'92: In other news, Greece have their third shot on target...all straight at the 'keeper.

'91: Argentina are constantly feeding Messi the ball, he was instrumental in Argentina's second...he skipped past a raft of players and rifled a shot at the 'keeper. Palermo picked up the scraps to bang the goal.

'90: Would you believe it, Greece have registered their first shot on target in the game...the second followed shortly afterwards. What a joke.

'88: It's just a question of whether or not Argentina can add to their tally now...and they have!!! What a story...Palermo has scored for Maradona after the manager brought him in from the wilderness in qualifying. He hadn't played for Argentina in 10 years before Maradona called upon the forward. Incredible.

'87: Samaras is completely isolated up front, ball came up to him and there were five Argentina shirts within 10 yards of him with no support to be seen. What are they playing at?

'85: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...Messi burst to life there, absolutely awesome...weaved through the Greek defence like they weren't there before hammering the Jabulani against the left-hand post. Magical, deserved a goal.

'83: The other game has got a lot more interesting now, if Nigeria can grab a winner against South Korea they'd progress into the last 16...still can't believe this Greece team beat Nigeria.

'81: Keep ball by Argentina now, and Greece don't seem to care. They still seem to want to contain the South Americans. Crazy.

'78: Just before the goal went in Pastore came off the bench for Aguero...and Maradona is preparing to make his final substitution, Milito's coming off for Martin Palermo. The 36-year-old scored against Peru to send Argentina to the World Cup finals, lovely gesture by Maradona.

'77: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL...thank buddah for that!! Demichelis bangs it home from a corner, it was a bit scrappy, but who cares? It's all over for Greece...they've got exactly what they deserve.

'76: Maybe a bit of a lesson for other teams here, Messi has been closely followed all night with a man-marker and hasn't been able to influence the game. Argentina haven't looked incisive, but they do have a whole heap of reserves playing.

'74: Calamitous from Greece...first they try to spring on the counter and they stumble over the ball, then the 'keeper tries to hit a clearance and thumps it straight into his own player and it goes out for a corner.

If they do somehow manage to scrape through this group, they'll really not deserve it. Both Nigeria and South Korea are more deserving for my money.

'73: The other game might want to share the love on the goal front, four goals in that one and still 0-0 here. Are you still will me?

'71: Just as I write off the chances of Nigeria, they go and pull back an equaliser!! They'll need another one to put Greece through, but maybe Greece are better playing for a draw here?

'70: Snapshot from Bolatti drilled straight at the 'keeper who goes down in a heap...bit of time wasting there. It's their own time they're wasting, as they're going out. Don't they know the score in the other game? Or are they hoping Nigeria do them a favour?

Not exactly the most astute strategy.

'68: Greece going down here without a fight...absolutely no adventure going forward. It's like one of those "The Mummy" films, you know it should have some drama, you hope it'll have some half-decent action, but really, it just doesn't deliver.

'65: PENALTY!!! Come on ref, clear shirt pull there on Milito...any reason for some excitement. Referee doesn't give it though, free-kick the other way...apparently having your shirt pulled in the box is now an offence. He should be careful not to have it pulled again, he might pick up a booking.

'63: Maxi Rodriguez off, Angel Di Maria on. Hopefully the Benfica star can improve on his previous performances and add some divine intervention from the bench. See what I did there?

'62: Then again, maybe they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for their defensive play...so maybe that's a bit harsh. Think North Korea will win a lot more admirers for their desire to "go for it," despite being hammered 7-0 the other night. What are Greece playing for?

'60: Got to say, playing so defensively is hard to justify when you crash out of the group...can hardly say it's a necessary evil when you go out in the first round. Greece are ranked 13th in the world, they should be at least making the knock-out stages. Dire stuff in all honesty.

'58: The highlights aren't going to be very long for this game, that's for sure.

'57: As it stands, Greece need to win by a couple of goals...don't see it happening somehow. Prove me wrong!

'53: Double change for Greece, last throw of the dice here...Katsouranis can't continue and Torosidis has limped off as well. Is this a sign that things are about to go very wrong for the Greeks? Ninis and Patsatzoglou are on...will they now become unstuck? (Admit it, that was good)

'52: Worse news for Greece, South Korea have taken the lead against Nigeria...Greece need a goal. This might get interesting.

'51: Greece have a problem here, one of their players looked to have picked up a muscle injury and they're down to 10 men for the time being...can Argentina make this count?

'49: Let's hope Argentina can get a goal as soon as possible...Greece have started to press forward a little bit more this half, a goal for Argentina would force the Europeans to really go for it.

'47: Great chance for Samaras!! The forward managed to get in behind the Argentina defence there for a second but his shot flashed wide of the right-hand post, you get the feeling Greece may live to regret that.

'45: We're back! Greece have made a change, Karagounis off and Spyropoulos on in his place.

20:30: Wonder what Maradona is saying right now...what I would give to be in that dressing room! Or to understand the language!

20:27: To reiterate, South Korea will go through as it stands...so any Greek fans out there should be rooting for Nigeria in the other group B game. But not too much, if Nigeria hammer Korea then they could go through! Confused? Marvelous.

20:25: Just watching the highlights from the first half in the Nigeria game, I'm jealous, very jealous.

20:22: Messi has been shackled so far, time to take a look at him making more of an impact I think.

20:17: Not all is lost, after all, Portugal only went in 1-0 up at halftime against North Korea! Even though they were playing a less experienced, perhaps more naive side, Portugal looked like they could score. But apart from that, the game is an exact parallel! Keep the faith.

'45: Couple of decent efforts by Argentina to close the half, but really, unless the 'keeper had been Jabulani'd, they were never going to be goals. Halftime here.

'44: I'm starting to think I might be cursed. Came home from work to watch the first half of the North Korea/Portugal game the other day, only to be sitting in the office as Portugal turn on the style. Oh, and I also covered England's bore draw with Algeria the other day. Great.

'41: Just as I say Greece's game plan is working, South Korea equalise in Durban. South Korea move back into second in the group.

'40: Brilliant remark by Mick McCarthy there, someone rolling around on the floor play-acting after a Veron challenge: "One of those fatal pushes in the back."

'39: Got to say, you can't fault Greece's game plan. Not only are they sitting second in the group (good enough for qualification), they're containing Argentina fairly well. They've also looked lively on the counter-attack, some good direct passing that hasn't quite come off for them.

'35: Papadopoulos has a mouth full of tissue to stop some bleeding in his mouth. He looks like an absolute idiot...I'd say something about having problems communicating, but the vuvezula's probably take care of that anyway.

'33: Samaras working hard up front on his own here, Demichelis comes across and kicks the ball away from the Grecian. Cameras give the old close up on Samaras, he could get some kind of shampoo endorsement with that hair.

'30: Messi fouled (again), and the culprit happily accepts the yellow card. Katsouranis gives the referee the thumbs up for the decision, don't see that very often!

'29: Lovely ball through by Karagounis there, just overhit for Samaras. Nearly...nearly.

'27: Samaras just wiped out the corner flag, that's about as eventful as it's got for a the past few minutes. Think Argentina may have clocked that a draw sees them through here.

'25: Vuvezulas sounding good, bit of rhythm to them now...can't say I miss the drone wars of earlier fixtures.

'22: You can follow the action in the other Group B game here, not sure there is as much attacking talent on display, but hey, at least they have a goal!

'20: Goal in Group B, and it's a good one for Greece as it stands, Nigeria have taken the lead against South Korea! Would be nice to see at least some African nations make the next round in the African World Cup!!

'19: Argentina starting to warm up here...sensational strike from range by Veron. Beautiful hit, but was straight at the 'keeper.

'18: Great play by Aguero there, lovely turn of pace to break open the Greek defence. Shot was well struck but an easy save.

'16: Sorry about the image by the way, Getty images seems to be playing up...the infamous Jabulani has been behaving itself so far, honesty.

'14: Greece have a corner and it's headed out at the first time of asking.  The ball finds it way over to the left-hand touchline and Maradona is getting animated, he's living every moment of this game. He was trying to take the throw-in there!!

'12: Got to say, I'm not jealous at all of the commentators on this one—some ludicrous tongue twisters in the Greek side.

'10: Nothing much to report in all honesty, Argentina are knocking it around tidily enough, but Greece are working hard to contain the South Americans. They are running around after them, at least.

'7: One of the Greek players got a bit of a kick from Veron there and had a huge tantrum...get on with it son, this is a man's game.

'6: Argentina dominating possession here, no surprise there.

'4: Greece are ranked 13th and Uruguay are 16th, in case you were wondering!

'2: Even if Greece do manage to pull one out of the bag tonight, you wouldn't back them to progress much further in the tournament. The runner-up in this group will play an impressive Uruguay in the next round. Greece have a higher FIFA world ranking than Uruguay, but that's about all they have over their potential competition.

'1: Disappointed Burdisso has come in at right-back, whatever happened to Maradona's policy of playing a left-winger there? Statement of intent right there!!

19:30: Here we go!

19:28: Apparently Greece are lining up 4-5-1, that answers that question then!

19:26: Awesome scenes as the Argentina anthem playing...camera pans down the players faces and the crowd are going crazy in the background. This is what the World Cup is all about.

19:24: Greek national anthem playing now, seems to be a fair chunk of blue and white in the crowd. They're making quite a racket, but they seem to be outnumbered by Argentinians.

19:23: Messi is leading out his nation, Javier Mascherano has been left on the bench to ensure he doesn't pick up a second yellow card (which would lead to suspension)...sounds fair enough to me!

19:22: Maradona clearly not rating Greece's chances of overcoming the South Americans, lots of changes to his lineup!

19:20: Here are the starting lineups in full:

Greece: Tzorvas, Kyrgiakos, Vyntra, Papadopoulos, Torosidis, Tziolis, Papastathopoulos, Moras, Karagounis, Katsouranis, Samaras.
Subs: Chalkias, Seitaridis, Patsatzoglou, Spyropoulos, Charisteas, Salpingidis, Gekas, Ninis, Kapetanos, Malezas, Sifakis.

Argentina: Romero, Burdisso, Demichelis, Otamendi, Rodriguez, Veron, Bolatti, Maxi, Aguero, Messi, Milito.
Subs: Pozo, Heinze, Di Maria, Higuain, Tevez, Garce, Samuel, Mascherano, Palermo, Pastore, Andujar.

19:18: Maradona has opted to leave Carlos Tevez on the bench for this game. Interesting one, Sergio Aguero looked impressive in his cameo against South Korea—will this be a permanent change for the tournament or is Carlito just getting a rest?

19:16: Lio Messi one of the biggest stars who have failed to shine thus far in the World Cup? (Just kidding)

19:14: Just seeing footage of the France game, why didn't Raymond Domenech shake his opposite number's hand? Odd one...

19:13: In case you're wondering who the players to watch in this game are, this slideshow might help. Should be able to review it before kickoff!

19:09: Will be interesting to see how Greece set out in this one, they aren't a naturally attacking team, but equally, getting a draw doesn't do them any good. They're currently third in the group, a Nigeria win would be very helpful, but the Super Eagles can also sneak into second place in the group if results fall their way.

19:07: Many of my English countrymen might take exception, but I think Maradona is an absolute legend. Enigmatic personality, he seems to have really united the team. Expecting Argentina to go a long way in this competition, despite their suspect qualifying campaign.

19:05: Hoping Lionel Messi will find his first goals of World Cup 2010, he's in my fantasy league dream team...pretty football counts for nothing and £10m isn't cheap!

19:00: Been looking forward to this one. Despite Greece's win over Nigeria a few days ago, Argentina should sweep aside the Europeans. Especially since Greece will be looking for a win, this one could get embarrassing.

 

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Hi everyone and welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of Greece vs. Argentina in the final game of Group B.

Both teams still have something to play for. Argentina need a point to confirm a Round of 16 game against Group B runners up Mexico.

Greece, for their part, need to better South Korea's result to force their way into the next round.

_________________________________________________________________________

21:22: Once again, I hope you enjoyed my blog a lot more than you enjoyed the football...it warmed up a bit in the last 10 minutes, but overall...it was far from a classic. South Korea join Argentina in the last 16, drawing 2-2 with Nigeria.

21:20: It's all over here, Argentina win the group and Greece are eliminated. Both teams ended with what they deserved, Argentina with a maximum nine points and Greece fail to qualify.

'92: In other news, Greece have their third shot on target...all straight at the 'keeper.

'91: Argentina are constantly feeding Messi the ball, he was instrumental in Argentina's second...he skipped past a raft of players and rifled a shot at the 'keeper. Palermo picked up the scraps to bang the goal.

'90: Would you believe it, Greece have registered their first shot on target in the game...the second followed shortly afterwards. What a joke.

'88: It's just a question of whether or not Argentina can add to their tally now...and they have!!! What a story...Palermo has scored for Maradona after the manager brought him in from the wilderness in qualifying. He hadn't played for Argentina in 10 years before Maradona called upon the forward. Incredible.

'87: Samaras is completely isolated up front, ball came up to him and there were five Argentina shirts within 10 yards of him with no support to be seen. What are they playing at?

'85: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...Messi burst to life there, absolutely awesome...weaved through the Greek defence like they weren't there before hammering the Jabulani against the left-hand post. Magical, deserved a goal.

'83: The other game has got a lot more interesting now, if Nigeria can grab a winner against South Korea they'd progress into the last 16...still can't believe this Greece team beat Nigeria.

'81: Keep ball by Argentina now, and Greece don't seem to care. They still seem to want to contain the South Americans. Crazy.

'78: Just before the goal went in Pastore came off the bench for Aguero...and Maradona is preparing to make his final substitution, Milito's coming off for Martin Palermo. The 36-year-old scored against Peru to send Argentina to the World Cup finals, lovely gesture by Maradona.

'77: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL...thank buddah for that!! Demichelis bangs it home from a corner, it was a bit scrappy, but who cares? It's all over for Greece...they've got exactly what they deserve.

'76: Maybe a bit of a lesson for other teams here, Messi has been closely followed all night with a man-marker and hasn't been able to influence the game. Argentina haven't looked incisive, but they do have a whole heap of reserves playing.

'74: Calamitous from Greece...first they try to spring on the counter and they stumble over the ball, then the 'keeper tries to hit a clearance and thumps it straight into his own player and it goes out for a corner.

If they do somehow manage to scrape through this group, they'll really not deserve it. Both Nigeria and South Korea are more deserving for my money.

'73: The other game might want to share the love on the goal front, four goals in that one and still 0-0 here. Are you still will me?

'71: Just as I write off the chances of Nigeria, they go and pull back an equaliser!! They'll need another one to put Greece through, but maybe Greece are better playing for a draw here?

'70: Snapshot from Bolatti drilled straight at the 'keeper who goes down in a heap...bit of time wasting there. It's their own time they're wasting, as they're going out. Don't they know the score in the other game? Or are they hoping Nigeria do them a favour?

Not exactly the most astute strategy.

'68: Greece going down here without a fight...absolutely no adventure going forward. It's like one of those "The Mummy" films, you know it should have some drama, you hope it'll have some half-decent action, but really, it just doesn't deliver.

'65: PENALTY!!! Come on ref, clear shirt pull there on Milito...any reason for some excitement. Referee doesn't give it though, free-kick the other way...apparently having your shirt pulled in the box is now an offence. He should be careful not to have it pulled again, he might pick up a booking.

'63: Maxi Rodriguez off, Angel Di Maria on. Hopefully the Benfica star can improve on his previous performances and add some divine intervention from the bench. See what I did there?

'62: Then again, maybe they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for their defensive play...so maybe that's a bit harsh. Think North Korea will win a lot more admirers for their desire to "go for it," despite being hammered 7-0 the other night. What are Greece playing for?

'60: Got to say, playing so defensively is hard to justify when you crash out of the group...can hardly say it's a necessary evil when you go out in the first round. Greece are ranked 13th in the world, they should be at least making the knock-out stages. Dire stuff in all honesty.

'58: The highlights aren't going to be very long for this game, that's for sure.

'57: As it stands, Greece need to win by a couple of goals...don't see it happening somehow. Prove me wrong!

'53: Double change for Greece, last throw of the dice here...Katsouranis can't continue and Torosidis has limped off as well. Is this a sign that things are about to go very wrong for the Greeks? Ninis and Patsatzoglou are on...will they now become unstuck? (Admit it, that was good)

'52: Worse news for Greece, South Korea have taken the lead against Nigeria...Greece need a goal. This might get interesting.

'51: Greece have a problem here, one of their players looked to have picked up a muscle injury and they're down to 10 men for the time being...can Argentina make this count?

'49: Let's hope Argentina can get a goal as soon as possible...Greece have started to press forward a little bit more this half, a goal for Argentina would force the Europeans to really go for it.

'47: Great chance for Samaras!! The forward managed to get in behind the Argentina defence there for a second but his shot flashed wide of the right-hand post, you get the feeling Greece may live to regret that.

'45: We're back! Greece have made a change, Karagounis off and Spyropoulos on in his place.

20:30: Wonder what Maradona is saying right now...what I would give to be in that dressing room! Or to understand the language!

20:27: To reiterate, South Korea will go through as it stands...so any Greek fans out there should be rooting for Nigeria in the other group B game. But not too much, if Nigeria hammer Korea then they could go through! Confused? Marvelous.

20:25: Just watching the highlights from the first half in the Nigeria game, I'm jealous, very jealous.

20:22: Messi has been shackled so far, time to take a look at him making more of an impact I think.

20:17: Not all is lost, after all, Portugal only went in 1-0 up at halftime against North Korea! Even though they were playing a less experienced, perhaps more naive side, Portugal looked like they could score. But apart from that, the game is an exact parallel! Keep the faith.

'45: Couple of decent efforts by Argentina to close the half, but really, unless the 'keeper had been Jabulani'd, they were never going to be goals. Halftime here.

'44: I'm starting to think I might be cursed. Came home from work to watch the first half of the North Korea/Portugal game the other day, only to be sitting in the office as Portugal turn on the style. Oh, and I also covered England's bore draw with Algeria the other day. Great.

'41: Just as I say Greece's game plan is working, South Korea equalise in Durban. South Korea move back into second in the group.

'40: Brilliant remark by Mick McCarthy there, someone rolling around on the floor play-acting after a Veron challenge: "One of those fatal pushes in the back."

'39: Got to say, you can't fault Greece's game plan. Not only are they sitting second in the group (good enough for qualification), they're containing Argentina fairly well. They've also looked lively on the counter-attack, some good direct passing that hasn't quite come off for them.

'35: Papadopoulos has a mouth full of tissue to stop some bleeding in his mouth. He looks like an absolute idiot...I'd say something about having problems communicating, but the vuvezula's probably take care of that anyway.

'33: Samaras working hard up front on his own here, Demichelis comes across and kicks the ball away from the Grecian. Cameras give the old close up on Samaras, he could get some kind of shampoo endorsement with that hair.

'30: Messi fouled (again), and the culprit happily accepts the yellow card. Katsouranis gives the referee the thumbs up for the decision, don't see that very often!

'29: Lovely ball through by Karagounis there, just overhit for Samaras. Nearly...nearly.

'27: Samaras just wiped out the corner flag, that's about as eventful as it's got for a the past few minutes. Think Argentina may have clocked that a draw sees them through here.

'25: Vuvezulas sounding good, bit of rhythm to them now...can't say I miss the drone wars of earlier fixtures.

'22: You can follow the action in the other Group B game here, not sure there is as much attacking talent on display, but hey, at least they have a goal!

'20: Goal in Group B, and it's a good one for Greece as it stands, Nigeria have taken the lead against South Korea! Would be nice to see at least some African nations make the next round in the African World Cup!!

'19: Argentina starting to warm up here...sensational strike from range by Veron. Beautiful hit, but was straight at the 'keeper.

'18: Great play by Aguero there, lovely turn of pace to break open the Greek defence. Shot was well struck but an easy save.

'16: Sorry about the image by the way, Getty images seems to be playing up...the infamous Jabulani has been behaving itself so far, honesty.

'14: Greece have a corner and it's headed out at the first time of asking.  The ball finds it way over to the left-hand touchline and Maradona is getting animated, he's living every moment of this game. He was trying to take the throw-in there!!

'12: Got to say, I'm not jealous at all of the commentators on this one—some ludicrous tongue twisters in the Greek side.

'10: Nothing much to report in all honesty, Argentina are knocking it around tidily enough, but Greece are working hard to contain the South Americans. They are running around after them, at least.

'7: One of the Greek players got a bit of a kick from Veron there and had a huge tantrum...get on with it son, this is a man's game.

'6: Argentina dominating possession here, no surprise there.

'4: Greece are ranked 13th and Uruguay are 16th, in case you were wondering!

'2: Even if Greece do manage to pull one out of the bag tonight, you wouldn't back them to progress much further in the tournament. The runner-up in this group will play an impressive Uruguay in the next round. Greece have a higher FIFA world ranking than Uruguay, but that's about all they have over their potential competition.

'1: Disappointed Burdisso has come in at right-back, whatever happened to Maradona's policy of playing a left-winger there? Statement of intent right there!!

19:30: Here we go!

19:28: Apparently Greece are lining up 4-5-1, that answers that question then!

19:26: Awesome scenes as the Argentina anthem playing...camera pans down the players faces and the crowd are going crazy in the background. This is what the World Cup is all about.

19:24: Greek national anthem playing now, seems to be a fair chunk of blue and white in the crowd. They're making quite a racket, but they seem to be outnumbered by Argentinians.

19:23: Messi is leading out his nation, Javier Mascherano has been left on the bench to ensure he doesn't pick up a second yellow card (which would lead to suspension)...sounds fair enough to me!

19:22: Maradona clearly not rating Greece's chances of overcoming the South Americans, lots of changes to his lineup!

19:20: Here are the starting lineups in full:

Greece: Tzorvas, Kyrgiakos, Vyntra, Papadopoulos, Torosidis, Tziolis, Papastathopoulos, Moras, Karagounis, Katsouranis, Samaras.
Subs: Chalkias, Seitaridis, Patsatzoglou, Spyropoulos, Charisteas, Salpingidis, Gekas, Ninis, Kapetanos, Malezas, Sifakis.

Argentina: Romero, Burdisso, Demichelis, Otamendi, Rodriguez, Veron, Bolatti, Maxi, Aguero, Messi, Milito.
Subs: Pozo, Heinze, Di Maria, Higuain, Tevez, Garce, Samuel, Mascherano, Palermo, Pastore, Andujar.

19:18: Maradona has opted to leave Carlos Tevez on the bench for this game. Interesting one, Sergio Aguero looked impressive in his cameo against South Korea—will this be a permanent change for the tournament or is Carlito just getting a rest?

19:16: Lio Messi one of the biggest stars who have failed to shine thus far in the World Cup? (Just kidding)

19:14: Just seeing footage of the France game, why didn't Raymond Domenech shake his opposite number's hand? Odd one...

19:13: In case you're wondering who the players to watch in this game are, this slideshow might help. Should be able to review it before kickoff!

19:09: Will be interesting to see how Greece set out in this one, they aren't a naturally attacking team, but equally, getting a draw doesn't do them any good. They're currently third in the group, a Nigeria win would be very helpful, but the Super Eagles can also sneak into second place in the group if results fall their way.

19:07: Many of my English countrymen might take exception, but I think Maradona is an absolute legend. Enigmatic personality, he seems to have really united the team. Expecting Argentina to go a long way in this competition, despite their suspect qualifying campaign.

19:05: Hoping Lionel Messi will find his first goals of World Cup 2010, he's in my fantasy league dream team...pretty football counts for nothing and £10m isn't cheap!

19:00: Been looking forward to this one. Despite Greece's win over Nigeria a few days ago, Argentina should sweep aside the Europeans. Especially since Greece will be looking for a win, this one could get embarrassing.

 

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/greece-vs-argentina-live-blog-world-cup-analysis-and-results/feed/ 0 2010 FIFA World Cup Breaking News: France Imploding, Refuse To Train http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-france-imploding-refuse-to-train/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-france-imploding-refuse-to-train/#comments Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:59:45 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/408839-2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-france-imploding-refuse-to-train France's World Cup saga has taken another incredible turn as the squad refused to train today after an argument between captain Patrice Evra and Robert Duverne, a fitness coach.

To make matters worse the France team director, Jean-Louis Valetin has resigned from his post, saying he was "ashamed" of the team.

"I am disgusted, I am quitting my post," added Valentin.

The news follows Evra's outburst at a press conference claiming their was a "traitor" in the France camp after Nicolas Anelka was sent home.

"The problem of France is not Anelka, but the traitor among us," said Evra. "We must eliminate the traitor from the group, because he wants to hurt the team."

"There is no little mouse in the locker room, this comes from someone who is on the team and wants to hurt the team. We are not going to lie, the reporter [from L'Equipe] did not make this up."

"I do not know anything [about this person], I am not a magician."

SkySportsreports that coach Raymond Domenech had to physically separate Evra and Duverne, and the players left the pitch and boarded the team bus shortly after the altercation.

France are struggling to qualify from group A after their 2-0 defeat against Mexico. They face tournament hosts South Africa in their next game and need a win to salvage any hopes of qualifying.

It remains to be seen whether the team can focus on their football, and could very well exit the World Cup in disgrace.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> France's World Cup saga has taken another incredible turn as the squad refused to train today after an argument between captain Patrice Evra and Robert Duverne, a fitness coach.

To make matters worse the France team director, Jean-Louis Valetin has resigned from his post, saying he was "ashamed" of the team.

"I am disgusted, I am quitting my post," added Valentin.

The news follows Evra's outburst at a press conference claiming their was a "traitor" in the France camp after Nicolas Anelka was sent home.

"The problem of France is not Anelka, but the traitor among us," said Evra. "We must eliminate the traitor from the group, because he wants to hurt the team."

"There is no little mouse in the locker room, this comes from someone who is on the team and wants to hurt the team. We are not going to lie, the reporter [from L'Equipe] did not make this up."

"I do not know anything [about this person], I am not a magician."

SkySportsreports that coach Raymond Domenech had to physically separate Evra and Duverne, and the players left the pitch and boarded the team bus shortly after the altercation.

France are struggling to qualify from group A after their 2-0 defeat against Mexico. They face tournament hosts South Africa in their next game and need a win to salvage any hopes of qualifying.

It remains to be seen whether the team can focus on their football, and could very well exit the World Cup in disgrace.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-france-imploding-refuse-to-train/feed/ 0 2010 FIFA World Cup Breaking News: France’s Nicolas Anelka Sent Home http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-frances-nicolas-anelka-sent-home/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-frances-nicolas-anelka-sent-home/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:57:10 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/408513-2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-frances-nicolas-anelka-sent-home Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home after a bust up with France coach Raymond Domenech.

A statement from the French Football Federation branded Anelka's behaviour as "totally acceptable." The statement continued:

"Faced by the refusal of the player to publicly apologise, he (Escalettes) took the decision in total agreement with the coach and the official members of the delegation present to exclude Nicolas Anelka from the squad."

SkySports is reporting that Anelka has consequently decided to retire from international football.

Anelka was substituted at half-time as France lost 2-0 to Mexico in their second group game, leaving them facing a tough task to qualify from group A. According French newspaper L’Equipe the Chelsea forward unleashed a verbal barrage at Domenech.

France play South Africa in their last group game needing a win to stand any hope of progressing. These chances have taken another blow as Anelka, who started both games as France’s lone striker, has been sent home by the FFF.

Rumours began emerging from South Africa after the Frenchman failed to appear for training on Saturday.

What impact will Anelka’s absence have on the team? It’s hard to say, his scoring record is poor for his national side but he is a respected senior player within the France camp. Despite his ineffectual display against Mexico, his side were drawing 0-0 when he was taken off.

His replacement, Andre-Pierre Gignac didn’t fare any better against the Mexican defence.

The France coach sounded like a man without any ideas after the defeat:

"If we had the answers then we could have done something about it," he said. "We had good intentions and desire. I feel just like all of the fans, all the French people. It's more than just a disappointment.

"At the moment, I don't know what I will say to the players," he continued. "We have to be strong and at least play for our honour. At least we must show something in the last match."

Whatever happens, it’s a sign that everything is falling apart within the French camp. The sooner the tournament is over, the better. Domenech has been a disaster for France.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home after a bust up with France coach Raymond Domenech.

A statement from the French Football Federation branded Anelka's behaviour as "totally acceptable." The statement continued:

"Faced by the refusal of the player to publicly apologise, he (Escalettes) took the decision in total agreement with the coach and the official members of the delegation present to exclude Nicolas Anelka from the squad."

SkySports is reporting that Anelka has consequently decided to retire from international football.

Anelka was substituted at half-time as France lost 2-0 to Mexico in their second group game, leaving them facing a tough task to qualify from group A. According French newspaper L’Equipe the Chelsea forward unleashed a verbal barrage at Domenech.

France play South Africa in their last group game needing a win to stand any hope of progressing. These chances have taken another blow as Anelka, who started both games as France’s lone striker, has been sent home by the FFF.

Rumours began emerging from South Africa after the Frenchman failed to appear for training on Saturday.

What impact will Anelka’s absence have on the team? It’s hard to say, his scoring record is poor for his national side but he is a respected senior player within the France camp. Despite his ineffectual display against Mexico, his side were drawing 0-0 when he was taken off.

His replacement, Andre-Pierre Gignac didn’t fare any better against the Mexican defence.

The France coach sounded like a man without any ideas after the defeat:

"If we had the answers then we could have done something about it," he said. "We had good intentions and desire. I feel just like all of the fans, all the French people. It's more than just a disappointment.

"At the moment, I don't know what I will say to the players," he continued. "We have to be strong and at least play for our honour. At least we must show something in the last match."

Whatever happens, it’s a sign that everything is falling apart within the French camp. The sooner the tournament is over, the better. Domenech has been a disaster for France.

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-breaking-news-frances-nicolas-anelka-sent-home/feed/ 0 2010 FIFA World Cup: 25 Burning Questions for Second Set of Games http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-25-burning-questions-for-second-set-of-games/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-25-burning-questions-for-second-set-of-games/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:52:26 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/407270-fifa-world-cup-2010-25-burning-questions-for-second-set-of-games Begin Slideshow

]]> Begin Slideshow

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/2010-fifa-world-cup-25-burning-questions-for-second-set-of-games/feed/ 0 Emmanuel Adebayor’s Togo Team Ambushed on Way to African Cup of Nations http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/emmanuel-adebayors-togo-team-ambushed-on-way-to-african-cup-of-nations/ http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/emmanuel-adebayors-togo-team-ambushed-on-way-to-african-cup-of-nations/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:45:40 +0000 Owen Watson http://bleacherreport.com/articles/322368-emmanuel-adebayors-togo-team-attacked-on-way-to-african-cup-of-nations Reports are emerging from Angola that the Togolese national team has been attacked by rebels in the border region of Cabinda. Manchester City have confirmed that Premier League star Emmanuel Adebayor wasn’t wounded.
Others weren't so lucky; Romanian side Vaslui confirmed Serge Akakpo suffered serious injuries, but is recovering from emergency surgery. Kodjovi Obilal, the side’s goal keeping coach, and the team doctor were all shot. The bus driver was killed.
Vaslui’s statement read: “Badly injured in an ambush in Angola, Serge Akakpo is now out of danger. Akakpo was struck by two bullets in the attack and has lost much blood. His condition was stabilised by doctors. FC Vaslui have been in touch with relatives of the player, who confirmed he has undergone surgery, which went very well.''
Details of the incident are still emerging, but it appears that the bus was passing some kind of check point after entering the region of Cabinda—one of the host regions of the tournament. At this time it remains unclear why the gunmen opened fire at the bus, the oil-producing region has been targeted by FLEC separatist rebels in the past.
The Angolan minister in charge of the Cabinda region, Antonio Bento Bembe (formerly of separatist group FLEC-Rennovada), denied the attack was orchestrated by FLEC, denouncing the attack as an act of terrorism.
"FLEC no long exists, the attack comes from certain individuals who want to cause problems for us," he said.
However, a statement released via Radio France International seemed to contradict this. A group called FLEC-FAC (Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda—Armed Forces of Cabinda) claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The CAF (Confederation of African Football) was warned repeatedly that this was a country at war. They had documents explaining this, but they wouldn't heed the warnings. They must take responsibility," said the statement.
"We are not rebels, but a military and political movement originating in Cabinda. We're not rebels, but resistance fighters. Cabinda is a territory illegally occupied by Angola, and we are fighting for its liberation.
"This operation was just the beginning of a series of targeted actions that will continue constantly throughout Cabinda's territory."
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made a statement after crisis talks with the Organisation Committee of the Nations Cup (COCAN). There were supposed to be seven games in Cabinda, and although the tournament will go ahead those fixtures may now be moved. Especially in light of FLEC-FAC's stated intention to continue their attacks.
"Our great concern is for the players, but the championship goes ahead," said CAF communications director Souleymane Habuba to AFP.
"We need to know all the facts, we haven't got them all yet," he added. "We can't give a full reaction from reports in the media."
Thomas Dossevi, who represents Togo and FC Nantes, told French sport radio RMC that those present were fired upon with automatic weapons.
"We were machine-gunned like dogs. At the border with Angola—machine-gunned! I don't know why," Dossevi told French sport radio RMC.
"We were under the seats of the bus for 20 minutes trying to get away from the bullets."
He described the gunmen as hooded and "armed to the teeth."
"We were surrounded by the police and everything was in order. Then there was heavy firing and police fired back," he told French news agency AFP.
"You would have thought we were in a war. We were shocked. When we got out of the bus we asked ourselves, why us?"
The immediate reaction of the players was that they did not wish to participate in the tournament, though there has been no official word of whether the team plans to withdraw.
"We don't really want to play in the Africa Cup of Nations," said Dossevi. "We are thinking of our friends, the injured players."
Midfielder Alaixys Romao echoed this sentiment, reflecting on the horrific events.
"We're not thinking yet of what could happen," said the Grenoble player. "But it's true that no-one wants to play. We're not capable of it.
"We are thinking first of all about the health of our injured because there was a lot of blood on the ground,” he continued. “For the moment there is not much news because they have been taken to different hospitals.
"In cases like these we are thinking of those near us, of those we Love because that really could have been the end of us," he added.
Midfielder Richmond Forson revealed the number of injuries could have been much worse had the gunmen not originally fired on the wrong bus.
''It was the bus carrying our baggage which was in front of us which they fired on the most,'' he told Canal Plus. ''They thought we were in the bus in front.
''Fortunately for us. That's what saved us. Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front. The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets. It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match.''
As time goes on a clearer picture of the events are sure to emerge, but questions arise. Why didn’t the Togolese team fly into Angola? If they did have to drive a bus, why did the team drive through a region where rebels are presumably known to operate?
Why wasn't security tighter? Last March gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka cricket team on their way to a game in Pakistan—lessons should have been learned.
If the country has an armed resistance, why is the tournament being held there? What role do FIFA play in organising security? And finally, what are the chances of this kind of incident occurring in this summer’s World Cup?

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> Reports are emerging from Angola that the Togolese national team has been attacked by rebels in the border region of Cabinda. Manchester City have confirmed that Premier League star Emmanuel Adebayor wasn’t wounded.
Others weren't so lucky; Romanian side Vaslui confirmed Serge Akakpo suffered serious injuries, but is recovering from emergency surgery. Kodjovi Obilal, the side’s goal keeping coach, and the team doctor were all shot. The bus driver was killed.
Vaslui’s statement read: “Badly injured in an ambush in Angola, Serge Akakpo is now out of danger. Akakpo was struck by two bullets in the attack and has lost much blood. His condition was stabilised by doctors. FC Vaslui have been in touch with relatives of the player, who confirmed he has undergone surgery, which went very well.''
Details of the incident are still emerging, but it appears that the bus was passing some kind of check point after entering the region of Cabinda—one of the host regions of the tournament. At this time it remains unclear why the gunmen opened fire at the bus, the oil-producing region has been targeted by FLEC separatist rebels in the past.
The Angolan minister in charge of the Cabinda region, Antonio Bento Bembe (formerly of separatist group FLEC-Rennovada), denied the attack was orchestrated by FLEC, denouncing the attack as an act of terrorism.
"FLEC no long exists, the attack comes from certain individuals who want to cause problems for us," he said.
However, a statement released via Radio France International seemed to contradict this. A group called FLEC-FAC (Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda—Armed Forces of Cabinda) claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The CAF (Confederation of African Football) was warned repeatedly that this was a country at war. They had documents explaining this, but they wouldn't heed the warnings. They must take responsibility," said the statement.
"We are not rebels, but a military and political movement originating in Cabinda. We're not rebels, but resistance fighters. Cabinda is a territory illegally occupied by Angola, and we are fighting for its liberation.
"This operation was just the beginning of a series of targeted actions that will continue constantly throughout Cabinda's territory."
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) made a statement after crisis talks with the Organisation Committee of the Nations Cup (COCAN). There were supposed to be seven games in Cabinda, and although the tournament will go ahead those fixtures may now be moved. Especially in light of FLEC-FAC's stated intention to continue their attacks.
"Our great concern is for the players, but the championship goes ahead," said CAF communications director Souleymane Habuba to AFP.
"We need to know all the facts, we haven't got them all yet," he added. "We can't give a full reaction from reports in the media."
Thomas Dossevi, who represents Togo and FC Nantes, told French sport radio RMC that those present were fired upon with automatic weapons.
"We were machine-gunned like dogs. At the border with Angola—machine-gunned! I don't know why," Dossevi told French sport radio RMC.
"We were under the seats of the bus for 20 minutes trying to get away from the bullets."
He described the gunmen as hooded and "armed to the teeth."
"We were surrounded by the police and everything was in order. Then there was heavy firing and police fired back," he told French news agency AFP.
"You would have thought we were in a war. We were shocked. When we got out of the bus we asked ourselves, why us?"
The immediate reaction of the players was that they did not wish to participate in the tournament, though there has been no official word of whether the team plans to withdraw.
"We don't really want to play in the Africa Cup of Nations," said Dossevi. "We are thinking of our friends, the injured players."
Midfielder Alaixys Romao echoed this sentiment, reflecting on the horrific events.
"We're not thinking yet of what could happen," said the Grenoble player. "But it's true that no-one wants to play. We're not capable of it.
"We are thinking first of all about the health of our injured because there was a lot of blood on the ground,” he continued. “For the moment there is not much news because they have been taken to different hospitals.
"In cases like these we are thinking of those near us, of those we Love because that really could have been the end of us," he added.
Midfielder Richmond Forson revealed the number of injuries could have been much worse had the gunmen not originally fired on the wrong bus.
''It was the bus carrying our baggage which was in front of us which they fired on the most,'' he told Canal Plus. ''They thought we were in the bus in front.
''Fortunately for us. That's what saved us. Then they fired on our driver and those who were in front. The windscreen was shattered by the first bullets. It's disgusting to take bullets for a football match.''
As time goes on a clearer picture of the events are sure to emerge, but questions arise. Why didn’t the Togolese team fly into Angola? If they did have to drive a bus, why did the team drive through a region where rebels are presumably known to operate?
Why wasn't security tighter? Last March gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka cricket team on their way to a game in Pakistan—lessons should have been learned.
If the country has an armed resistance, why is the tournament being held there? What role do FIFA play in organising security? And finally, what are the chances of this kind of incident occurring in this summer’s World Cup?

Read more International Football news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/international-football/emmanuel-adebayors-togo-team-ambushed-on-way-to-african-cup-of-nations/feed/ 0