Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Super Coupe de France (Trophée des Champions) : Olympique de Marseille (OM) - Paris Saint Germain (PSG) à Tunis : Mise en vente des billets

En prévision de la rencontre de Super Coupe de France ou Trophée des Champions qui opposera l’Olympique de Marseille (OM) au Paris Saint Germain (PSG) au Stade olympique de Radès à Tunis (Tunisie)(60 000 places) le 28 Juillet 2010, la vente des billets a démarré le 17 Juin 2010 sur Internet.

Les Prix ont été ainsi fixés à 7D, 10D et 30D, quant aux loges, elles seront aux prix de 4000 D, 5000 D et 6000D.


A noter que l'année précédente , la Super Coupe de France s'est déroulée au Canada entre l'équipe de Guingamp et Girondins de Bordeaux


Event : Super Coupe de France : Olympique de Marseille (OM) Vs Paris Saint Germain (PSG)

Date : 28 Juillet 2010
Lieu : Stade olympique de Radès, Tunis, Tunisie

Foot, france, Marseille, OM, PSG, super coupe de france, ticket, trophée des champions, tunis, tunisie, réservation d'hôtel, séjour en tunisie, Hôtel tunisie, Tunis ,charter, coupe, prix, billet, ticket, billet de match, match ticket,

David Villa raises the roof as Spain push past Portugal

World Cup Second Round
Spain 1
  • Villa 63
Portugal 0


  • guardian.co.uk,
  • david villa





















David Villa celebrates after scoring the only goal against Portugal. Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA

Spain's record in the World Cup has been a source of embarrassment for longer than they will care to remember but, for this esteemed old football nation, there is now the chance to venture into new territory. They won this match with another demonstration of David Villa's qualities inside the penalty area and if they can beat Paraguay on Saturday they will have reached the semi-finals for the first time.

Villa's fourth goal of this World Cup came 63 minutes into an evening in which their football was not at their most sublime but sophisticated enough to reveal themselves as a side of class and achievement and expose the gulf with their opponents. Portugal did not show enough wit and adventure to make it the classic that had been hoped for and Carlos Queiroz's team did not go out of the competition with great dignity.

In the final moments Ricardo Costa earned a red card for a flailing arm into the face of Joan Capdevila and, as Cristiano Ronaldo sloped off the pitch after the final whistle, he registered his disapproval about being followed by a cameraman by spitting near enough for it to be seen as deliberate. Later, when asked for his thoughts on why Portugal had gone out of the competition, he replied pointedly: "Ask Queiroz."

The worst indictment for Ronaldo is that it was the only memorable moment that could be attributed to him. For long spells he was only on the edges of this match and, when he comes to looking back over his World Cup, it will mostly be with regret at a poor tournament for him individually, regardless of the man-of-the-match awards that generously came his way in the group stages. Before the kick-off there was a moment when he held out his arms, tilted back his head and looked up to the skies as if it to request divine intervention. A great camera shot, but none came.

Instead it was a night when Spain demonstrated that even when they are not at their penetrative best they can pierce the most obdurate of defences. Portugal had kept a clean sheet in 20 of their previous 25 matches under Queiroz and were one of only two sides not to concede a goal – Uruguay being the other – in the group stages. Ricardo Carvalho has had a splendid tournament whereas Fabio Coentrão has probably been the most impressive left-back on view in South Africa.

The Spanish tactic was a familiar one: maintaining possession, using the ball quickly and accurately, trying to find the killer pass for Villa or Fernando Torres. Yet, two years to the night since his goal vanquished Germany in the Euro 2008 final, this was to be another chastening experience for Torres, culminating in his withdrawal after 59 minutes and the Liverpool player making his way to the touchline with a facial expression of near-revulsion. The decision was greeted with whistles from the Spanish fans but Torres had faded after an encouraging start and his form has generally been shabby. Villa's brilliance inside the penalty area brings more focus on his team-mate's current inadequacies.

In terms of a spectacle, the match was a disappointment – not a huge one, but a disappointment all the same given the number of implausibly gifted footballers on show, certainly when compared with that game in Euro 2004 when the two sides conjured up one of the more exhilarating 90 minutes to be witnessed in modern-day tournament football.

Spain had begun well, Torres and Villa both testing the Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo with diagonal shots, but it was not until the second half when Vicente del Bosque's men took command properly and it was in their first spell of concerted pressure that they scored their goal.

Torres had been off the pitch only a couple of minutes when his replacement, Fernando Llorente, aimed a header too close to Eduardo from six yards out, but the pressure on Eduardo's goal was growing. Within two minutes Andrés Iniesta flicked a wonderfully measured reverse pass into Xavi's path and this conjuror of a footballer applied the deftest of touches to back-heel the ball into Villa's path. It was the most incisive move of the match and, in an instant, Villa was through on goal for the first time. His first effort was saved but the rebound came back to him and was struck more forcibly, going over Eduardo and into the roof of the net.

The response from Portugal was surprising. It was now that they had to play with a greater sense of ambition and that Ronaldo ought to have become a more telling influence. Instead, their challenge faded out without any prolonged assault on the Spain goal.

Ronaldo had a couple of free-kicks straight at Iker Casillas in the first half and Tiago had also extended the goalkeeper with a 20-yard shot but there were only sporadic moments in the second half when they threatened to get back into the match. Spain eased themselves to the final whistle. They have got that improbable defeat to Switzerland out of their system and, with the exception of Torres, everything is beginning to click.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Torres (Spain) : We've still to hit our stride

(FIFA.com) Monday 28 June 2010
Torres: We've still to hit our stride
Getty Images

Fans of Spain and followers of the beautiful game everywhere could be found biting their nails when Fernando Torres went under the knife just one month before his national side’s pre-South Africa 2010 training camp. However, El Niño and his medical team have worked wonders to ensure the Liverpool returned from the operation on his knee to full fitness in time.

“I couldn’t make up my mind for a whole week,” said Torres, who has appeared in all three of La Selección’s games so far on his second trip to the finals. "I would have preferred not to have the operation, but in the end I had no option. It was sad to miss the end of the season with my club, but what kept up my hopes was the chance to come to the World Cup."

FIFA spoke exclusively to the 26-year-old, scorer of Spain’s winner in the final of UEFA EURO 2008 against Germany, ahead of the Round of 16 encounter with Portugal on 29 June in Cape Town.

FIFA: Fernando, would you say that you are beginning to improve game by game?
Fernando Torres: Playing again after an operation is always hard, especially as it was only two months ago. It’s hard to get your fitness back. But I’m feeling better bit by bit and everything’s coming more naturally. We worked hard to make sure I made it here, but now I’m just focusing on helping the team as much as I can.

Though you’re yet to open your account at the finals, David Villa is in red-hot form. What can you tell us about him?
David’s one of those players who only thinks about scoring. He can shoot and score with either foot and from inside or outside the box. He’s always a threat to opposing teams but they can’t tell which is his stronger foot or how to close him down. That’s why he’s so important to us. Plus he only needs four more goals to overtake Raul as Spain’s highest-ever goalscorer.

We managed to top our group and now it’s up to us to play the football we enjoy playing. We’re certain that the team’s going to get stronger.
Fernando Torres

You know a good few of the Portugal players very well. What’s your verdict on Portuguese football and how fierce is the rivalry between Spain and Portugal?
I think that Portugal have a very balanced team with a good blend of young and experienced players. They won’t be easy opponents. They had trouble qualifying but they’ve improved a lot at this World Cup and had a good group phase. The rivalry comes from the fact we’re neighbours and because there are so many players who have crossed the border to play in the other country. It’ll be a very intense game.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque always asks you all to improve a little each game. What areas could you work on?
The boss wants us to rediscover our usual form. Spain still haven’t shown their best form or hit the heights we were hoping for. I think it has to do with the defeat against Switzerland. The fact we needed to win our subsequent games, along with the anxiety that brings, stopped us playing the way we would have liked. But now we’re at the stage we’d aimed to reach before we came here. We managed to top our group and now it’s up to us to play the football we enjoy playing. We’re certain that the team’s going to get stronger.

What has the coach asked of you ahead of the Portugal match?
I think that we didn’t press aggressively enough in our previous games. We didn’t play close enough to each other. We need to play more as a unit, especially against teams like Portugal who are very strong defensively and will wait for us to bring the game to them. They’ve not conceded a goal yet in South Africa, so a team like that will be very tough to break down. What’s more, they’ve got very dangerous forwards like [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Simao. That means a counter-attacking game would suit them, so that’s something we’ve got to avoid.

What’s your opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s biggest star?
His energy is incredible. He’s a player with quality to spare but he’s also willing to help out his team-mates. When his team is struggling and on the back foot, he’s always ready to receive the ball. He always wants to play and make an impact. Some of my Spain colleagues play alongside him at Real Madrid and say that he’s completely different to the public’s perception of him. He’s a great professional, is one of the first to arrive at training and then he stays afterwards to work out in the gym. Most of the time the image people have is different from the reality. I think that’s the case with all footballers. You have a different persona on and off the pitch.

Do you think Spain will finally hit their best form in time for the Portugal game?
It’ll be tough but I’m hoping Spain can produce their best football and, thanks to the support we've got, qualify for the next round. We’re in the knockout stages now and we’re in with a chance of becoming world champions, but we need to do our talking out on the pitch.

Martino: We're in with a great chance

(FIFA.com) Tuesday 29 June 2010
Martino: We're in with a great chance
Getty Images

As Paraguay attempt to reach the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals for the first time in their history, their Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino has been speaking to FIFA about his team’s exploits in South Africa. The 47-year-old has led the South Americans since 2007 and in the eyes of many, his clear thinking and positive attitude have been two of the major factors in guiding Los Guaraníes to the brink of history.

Such is the high esteem in which he is held by his players, Martino has successfully managed to change La Albirroja’s style of play from his early days, and the squad has been quick to acknowledge the coach’s foresight in helping them become a potent force in South American football. Now more aggressive and adventurous in attack, but with the same miserly defence, the Paraguayans are dangerous opponents for any team in South Africa.

Attacking adventure and defensive discipline helped Martino’s men cut a swathe through South American qualifying and they have not stopped there. In the first stage they topped Group F, leaving reigning champions Italy in their wake, and they have now set their sights on glory in the knockout stages. But Paraguay's opponents in Tuesday’s last 16 game, Japan, have FIFA World Cup ambitions of their own.

In an exclusive interview with FIFA, Martino spoke openly of his respect for Japan and the satisfaction he gets from working with such a talented crop of Paraguayan players. The feeling of respect between coach and players is, it seems, mutual.

FIFA: This is a historic opportunity for Paraguay. How do you see the game going?
Gerardo Martino:
Yes, it’s a great opportunity. Personally I think we can make history in one of two ways. Either we play well, really well, even if we lose, or we just win regardless of the performance.

Japan present a very distinct challenge, and play in a markedly different way to the teams you faced in the group stage. What are you expecting from them?
Every team plays in a different way. The thing is, this is the first game where we know that the winner takes all. That changes things completely because as well as dealing with the opposition, we will have to keep our nerve.

They are unselfish, they don’t play for themselves, they are dedicated, not only in games but also in training.
Gerardo Martino pays tribute to his players

And what are you expecting from your own team?
I want us to be aggressive and to win back possession quickly. I want us to be positive in possession as well because sometimes when we play we have problems in that regard. We need to improve that side of our game. But putting pressure on them to win the ball back is key. We need to get at them, and fortunately that positive aggression is something we have in our team.

Speaking to the players, they all say that you give them a lot of confidence in themselves, and the belief that they can beat anybody on their day. Is confidence an important part of your approach?
I am always honest with my players from the outset. I speak from the heart when I analyse their strengths and weaknesses and that means that I can speak to them easily. It’s true that there are teams with better players than us but I also think that we have tremendous team spirit something which, in my opinion, can balance out better technical ability on the part of other teams.

After a long time in Paraguayan football, you know the players very well. How would you describe the typical Paraguayan player?
Someone who brings a lot to the team and works hard. They are unselfish, they don’t play for themselves, they are dedicated, not only in games but also in training. I’ve always said that the typical Paraguayan footballer gives a coach self-belief, because they play with such intensity that you can’t help but feel that you really have prepared them very well. In truth, that doesn’t have anything to do with the Paraguayan FA, but simply to do with the attitude of the players. And you see that out on the pitch. Every single one of them puts his ego to one side to fight for the team as a whole.

That work ethic can only come from unity within the squad, and that seems to be the hallmark of your team. How have you managed to achieve that in only one month, and in a different country?
It’s something that we emphasise to the players. The FA gives the players the very best. We don’t want to think that any of us, from the medical staff to the admin staff, have got anything wrong. We know that we have the country’s best players here with us and so we have to treat them accordingly. When we first got together we spoke to them a lot about unity and the fact that we would be together for 60 days. We knew that a few things would crop up, and that we would have to sort everything out amongst the squad. The conversation we had with the players was very positive although we had to see them put our plans into practice. And they have done that to a degree that has gone way beyond my expectations.

Sepp Blatter says sorry to England for disallowed goal

Blfatter apologises for World Cup refeering blunder
Fifa to consider case for goalline technology
Press Association
guardian.co.uk,
Article history
Sepp Blatter

Fifa's president Sepp Blatter has apologised to the FA over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany. Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PA

The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, today said he had apologised to the Football Association over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal and revealed the governing body would look again at goal-line technology.

Lampard's effort during England's 4-1 defeat to Germany was ruled out even though the ball clearly crossed the line.

Blatter told a media briefing in Johannesburg today: "It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be a nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July.

"Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.

"The only thing I can do is yesterday I have spoken to the two federations [England and Mexico] directly concerned by referees's mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.

"We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have first opportunity in July at the business meeting."

Sunday night's match between Argentina and Mexico had also thrown up a controversial incident, with Carlos Tevez scoring the opening goal from an offside position.

Fifa had blocked any further experiments with technology at a meeting of the International FA Board, the game's rule-making body, in March.

Blatter added that Fifa would launch a new drive to improve refereeing standards at the top level later this year.

"We will come out with a new model in November on how to improve high level referees," he added. "We will start with a new concept of how to improve match control. I cannot disclose more of what we are doing but something has to be changed."

England's World Cup players 'get away with murder', says Roy Keane

Keane says England players should 'have a look at themselves'

'To criticise Capello is crazy. He's absolutely brilliant'

James Callow

guardian.co.uk,

Fabio Capello
Criticism of the England coach, Fabio Capello, has been unjustified, says Roy Keane. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Roy Keane has launched a passionate defence of Fabio Capello and believes the blame for England's World Cup exit lies solely at the door of the players.

The Ipswich Town manager said England's players "get away with murder" for a series of poor performances.

"To keep criticising and questioning the manager is crazy. He didn't do anything wrong in the qualifying campaign and now, all of a sudden, he's not the top man any more," Keane said.

"The goals they conceded against Germany, particularly the first couple, had nothing to do with Capello's choice of system or tactics. It wasn't a case of getting overrun in midfield. It was just very bad defending."

"They should just leave him to get on with the job. He is absolutely brilliant and England are lucky to have him."

Keane, who walked out of the Republic of Ireland's 2002 World Cup camp after a spat with his manager, Mick McCarthy, believes the majority of England's players are overhyped.

"They have to take a long hard look at themselves. They get away with murder," he said. "I wasn't really surprised by the Germany defeat. I keep saying it – good players don't necessarily make good teams. People keep talking about world class players but who are they?" he added.

"There's probably only Wayne Rooney, who had a brilliant season. But look at the goalkeepers. David James was relegated with Portsmouth and Robert Green just about stayed up with West Ham. Glen Johnson did okay at Liverpool but they had a poor enough season.

"John Terry? He had his issues and I don't think he had a great season. Chelsea may have won the Premiership and FA Cup double but that was more down to some world class attacking players.

"Matthew Upson didn't have a great season at West Ham and Ashley Cole, to be fair to the boy, has just come back from injury.

"James Milner had a good season but Gareth Barry was very average for Manchester City. Emile Heskey started the World Cup up front but he only scored three Premiership goals for Aston Villa."

Paraguay-Japan !

Keisuke Honda of Japan waits in the tunnel

History will be made whatever the outcome when Paraguay meet Japan in the Round of 16 – for whoever prevails in Pretoria will advance to the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals for the first time. Having gone beyond the group stage on three of their past seven finals appearances, Gerardo Martino's Paraguay will be determined to build on their success in finishing top of Group F against a Japan side through to the knockout phase for the first time on foreign soil.

The match
Paraguay-Japan, Tshwane/Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium), 29 June, 16.00

Previously famed for their tenacious rearguard, Paraguay are not just about defence, their 4-3-3 formation including the vastly-experienced Roque Santa Cruz in attack alongside Borussia Dortmund duo Lucas Barrios and Nelson Valdez. Yet they also carry a scoring threat from midfield as Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros showed when each scored in their 2-0 win over Slovakia. Opponents Japan have shaken off the lacklustre form they showed in the build-up to this tournament to defeat Cameroon and Denmark en route to the last 16.

Coach Takeshi Okada's tactical gamble has paid off in style, with Keisuke Honda thriving in a new attacking role. Behind him, Yasuhito Endo and Kakoto Hasebe have bossed the midfield and Japan showed against Denmark that their armoury includes a distinct set-piece threat – two of their three goals coming direct from free-kicks. Of course their tireless approach also gives them a seeming edge in fitness over some of their rivals. While there is likely to be no change in the Japan lineup, Paraguay have to make do without defensive midfielder Victor Caceres through suspension although centre-back Antolin Alcaraz could return after sitting out the last game through an ankle injury. It is the two sides' first match-up at the FIFA World Cup but they are by no means strangers having met six times previously. The South Americans have recorded two wins to Japan’s one, though the Asians prevailed in the most recent friendly in 2003.

Players to watch
Justo Villar v Keisuke Honda

Injured in the opening minutes of Paraguay's Germany 2006 campaign, Villar has been seeking to make amends this time and conceded just one goal during the group campaign. The 32-year-old Paraguay captain, however, will have to be wary of Japan's danger man Honda, the midfielder-turned striker who has scored twice so far. The 25-year-old CSKA Moscow man has quickly become Japan's new talisman over the past months, scoring six goals which led to six wins.

The stat
4
–South Africa 2010 marks the fourth FIFA World Cup for the 35-year-old Denis Caniza, who made his tenth finals appearance for Paraguay in the 0-0 draw with New Zealand. Hot on his heels are Roque Santa Cruz and Julio Cesar Caceres, who each made seven appearances during the past two FIFA World Cups.

What they said
"With their pace and agility, Japan are a team hard to play against. They have players who can change the direction of a game so we have to come out very focused and keep running throughout the game," Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay forward.

'Paraguay's defence is compactly organised. They have physical strength but are also good on the ball. I think they will be difficult opponents," Yuki Abe, Japan midfielder.

fifa.com

Monday, June 28, 2010

Brazil 3 Chile 0: match report

Read a full match report of the World Cup 2010 second-round game between Brazil and Chile at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, on Monday June 28 2010.

    telegraph.co.uk
    Published: 9:00PM BST 28 Jun 2010
    Robinho - Brazil 3 Chile 0 match report
    It's a wrap: Robinho celebrates after scoring Brazil's third and final goal at Ellis Park StadiumPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

    Goals by centre-back Juan and strikers Luis Fabiano and Robinho propelled Brazil to a 3-0 win over Chile on Monday and into a World Cup quarter-final with Holland.

    After a tepid opening Juan headed in powerfully on 34 minutes to settle Brazilian nerves.

    Four minutes later Fabiano's neat finish for his third goal of the tournament all but settled the contest before Robinho fired in nonchalantly on the hour.

    Chile had pushed Brazil all the way in qualifying but offered only sporadic threats in attack at Johannesburg's Ellis Park as they succumbed to their sixth straight loss to the five-time champions.

    It could have been worse for the Chileans as Brazil had a loud appeal for a penalty on 27 minutes when defender Pablo Contreras took away Lucio's legs in the penalty area, but referee Howard Webb waved play on.

    Spain-Portugal For the Iberian supremacy

    Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal in action against North Korea

    Set to take centre stage in Cape Town on 29 June is a glittering Round of 16 clash between two neighbours and contenders for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ crown: Spain and Portugal. Standing second and third respectively in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, the eagerly anticipated encounter between the Iberian duo at the Green Point Stadium is the sides’ first meeting at world football’s top table.

    The match
    Spain-Portugal, Round of 16, Cape Town, Tuesday 29 June 2010, 20.30 (local time)

    Expectations are extremely high ahead of the last-16 meeting between two teams considered among the pre-tournament contenders for the coveted Trophy. And with La Roja and A Selecção das Quinasboth having had to come through a gruelling group phase, one of the fancied pair will be heading home much earlier than expected.

    European champions Spain arrived at South Africa 2010 as firm favourites for the world title along with Brazil, though Vicente del Bosque’s team were given a harsh wake-up call in an opening 1-0 defeat against Switzerland. Showing their mettle, La Selección gritted their teeth and won their next two Group H games against Honduras and Chile to qualify in top spot in their section and avoid a last-16 meeting with Dunga’s charges.

    Portugal, for their part, safely negotiated a fiercely competitive Group G also containing Côte d’Ivoire, Korea DPR and Brazil. Carlos Queiroz’s solid side played out a goalless opening draw with Didier Drogba and Co before cutting loose in a 7-0 success over the North Koreans. Following that goalfest, another scoreless draw in their final game against the five-time world champions was enough to secure second spot and a place in the knockout stages.

    Both coaches have near-to-full-strength squads from which to choose, though former Real Madrid boss Del Bosque will be without key midfielder Xabi Alonso and defender Raul Albiol. Opposite number Queiroz, who also once held the reins at Los Merengues, welcomes back midfield schemer Deco though cannot call upon the versatile Ruben Amorim.

    Players to watch

    David Villa v Cristiano Ronaldo
    The Spanish striker’s three-goal haul so far at South Africa 2010 has taken his tally at FIFA World Cups to six in total, making Barcelona’s new signing his country’s highest ever scorer in the competition. The flying Portuguese winger, for his part, has struck just once to date in South Africa despite claiming the Budweiser Man of the Match award in each of his side’s three matches. The Real Madrid forward needed a total of 17 shots to score his solitary goal, which came in the demolition of Korea DPR, though Ronaldo can count himself unfortunate to have been denied by the woodwork on two occasions already.

    The stat
    33 – The Cape Town clash will be the two teams’ first meeting at a FIFA World Cup, but the pair share a lengthy footballing history featuring no fewer than 32 previous matches. Spain have the edge with 15 wins to just five victories for Portugal, though the latter are unbeaten in the duo’s matches at continental finals: drawing 1-1 at the 1984 UEFA European Championship and winning 1-0 at the 2004 edition of the same competition.

    What they said
    "Portugal are a great team and they’re about more than just Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes it’s true that Cristiano is one of their best players, but we mustn’t forget that the Portuguese are the only team that still haven’t conceded a goal at this World Cup. That proves that they’re a solid unit and not just a collection of individuals. Their game is based around defensive solidity, pace and counter-attacking, as well as having very skilful players. I foresee a very difficult game, like they all will be for the rest of the competition. Only the best teams are left in it now," Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach.

    "We’re ready to take on anybody. We’ve already played in critical games during qualifying and now we have another all-or-nothing match at a World Cup. That’s why we’re ready to give everything we’ve got on the pitch with only one aim in mind: staying in the World Cup. Portugal’s best is still to come,"Carlos Queiroz, Portugal coach.

    23 v'là les Oranjes (2:1)

    DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 28: Team mates celebrate with Arjen  Robben of the Netherlands as he scor

    Le débutant slovaque n'a pas refait le coup de l'Italie lundi 28 juin à Durban. Les Pays-Bas ont conforté leur série d'invincibilité en dominant la Repre grâce à Robben et Sneijder. Les Oranjes sont en quart de finale.

    Bert van Marwijk avait prévenu : "Les joueurs ont compris l’importance de ce match. Il n’y aura plus de flottement comme lors des trois premiers matches". Reçu 5/5 Coach ! Ces Oranjes ne sont toujours pas spectaculaires, comme le regrette leur sorcier, mais que la batisse est solide. Et cette fois sans passage à vide. La Slovaquie joueuse et rieuse de l’Ellis Park face à l’Italie a buté contre le bloc néerlandais, où la différence individuelle de ses artistes a permis de concrétiser une domination complète mais trop stérile.

    Car finalement, à la pause, les Pays-Bas ne peuvent se targuer que de deux occasions franches. On laissera les frappes non cadrées de Robin van Persie au rayon des opportunités de soldes estivales (41’, 44’). Première poussée oranje : Wesley Sneijder gâche un caviar estampillé Gunner. Servi royalement par van Persie après une feinte de frappe de brisquard, l’Intériste est seul devant Ján Mucha. Sa frappe enveloppée n’inquiète pas le portier du Legia Varsovie (11’). La seconde sera l’élue.

    Le meneur de jeu lauréat de la Ligue des Champions de l'UEFA est plus heureux dans son costume taillé sur mesure : celui de passeur décisif. Descendu aux 60 mètres pour jouer les ratisseurs, Sneijder adresse un bijou de passe longue brossée à Arjen Robben, dans l’intervalle. Là, la classe du Munichois fait le reste : crochet extérieur du gauche, je repique au centre et je place une frappe à ras de terre aussi peu impressionnante que scientifiquement dosée (1:0, 18’). La "spéciale Robben" reste un tube à la mélodie efficace, les supporters du Bayern peuvent déjà se (re)frotter les mains.

    Une passe de quatre historique
    En face, la Repre cale pour trouver le code du coffre-fort néerlandais. La Slovaquie ne rafle aucun butin, à part celui de quelques modiques corners. La seconde période redémarre d’ailleurs sur des bases identiques. En deux minutes, les Pays-Bas frôlent le K.O., d’abord par Robben (50’) dont la "spéciale" est cette fois déviée du bout des doigts par Mucha ; par Joris Mathijsen ensuite (51’), là encore Mucha est à la parade.

    Instinct de survie ou non, ces deux alertes sonnent le réveil des Slovaques. Et c’est à Maarten Stekelenburg de prendre le relais de son homologue. Coup sur coup, le portier de l’Ajax Amsterdam sort le grand jeu : claquette spectaculaire sur une frappe de Miroslav Stoch puis duel remporté face à Róbert Vittek, coupable d’une frappe trop axiale (67’). Des deux côtés, l’offensif reprend ses plus beaux apparâts en seconde mi-temps. Pas illogique alors que le duel de gardiens persiste. Mucha ressort sa cape de Zorro sur un tir à ras de terre de Dirk Kuyt (73’).

    Le duel suivant tourne en revanche à l’avantage du Red, qui la joue fine. L’ailier gauche batave profite d’une sortie approximative de Mucha pour le lober d’une tête astucieuse. Il contrôle, temporise et sert Sneijder dans un fauteuil au point de penalty (2:0, 84’). La messe est dite. Le penalty transformé par Vittek à la dernière seconde est vain (2:1, 90'+4).

    Pour la première fois de leur histoire, les Pays-Bas remportent leurs quatre premiers matches en Coupe du Monde de la FIFA. Ils poursuivent surtout leur série d’invicibilité, désormais arrêtée sur le chiffre 23.

    fifa.com

    Fabio Capello's England future to be decided by FA in two weeks

    Paolo Bandini
    guardian.co.uk,
    England manager Fabio Capello at the press conference in  Rustenburg
    England manager Fabio Capello answers questions at the press conference in Rustenburg. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images

    Fabio Capello has told the FA that he would like to stay on as England manager but says he will have to wait two weeks to find out if the ruling body would like him to carry on.

    "I spoke this morning with [the Club England chairman] Sir David Richards," Capello said. "He told me that he needs two weeks to decide. I said I can be for next season the manager of England, but they have to decide."

    Adrian Bevington, the newly appointed managing director of Club England and sat beside Capello at the press conference, interjected quickly to insist that this refusal to make an immediate decision should not be interpreted as a lack of faith in the manager.

    "Sir Dave Richards met with Fabio this morning and we are all very clear that Fabio is under contract with the FA until the 2012 European Championship and nothing has changed in that respect," said Bevington. "But it makes sense to go back to London and take stock of the situation and take a common sense decision rather than a knee-jerk reaction after what is a disappointing result.

    "I don't think there is anything sinister in it other than we just want to make sure that we show a common-sense approach rather than making any other snap knee-jerk reactions within 24 hours of a very disappointing result."

    Asked how he felt about this, Capello responded: "I think it's an intelligent answer. I refused important opportunities to become manager of important clubs because I like being England manager."

    Capello added that he thought England's players had been hampered by tiredness in South Africa, suggesting – as the former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson had after Germany 2006 – that a winter break for the Premier League could have improved the situation.

    "I think not [only] Wayne Rooney but all our players were really tired at this competition," he said. "All the coaches told me [the] physical situation of players was not like the players we know. Rooney played well some games, but all the players were not the players we know.

    "We are really tired. Every time we have to play a competition in June," he added, before signalling his agreement when asked if he thought a winter break could help. "But its not my job to decide about the calendar."

    Capello also cited the referee Jorge Larrionda's failure to award a goal when Frank Lampard's shot crossed the line against Germany at 2–1 down as the major reason for England's failure to do better. "The Lampard goal was OK," he said. "The motivation at 2‑2 would be completely different. We played well until they scored the third goal but after 3-1 Germany played better."

    Looking ahead, Capello said he has already spoken with Richards about bringing new players into the squad, if he does stay on as manager. "I spoke with Sir David about younger players that we can play for the next qualification and I know what I have to do," he added.

    Endo (Japan) "We are mentally strong"

    (FIFA.com) Monday 28 June 2010
    Endo: We are mentally strong
    Getty Images

    One of the most consistent performers in Takeshi Okada’s Japan team, midfielder Yasuhito Endo played a key role in their 1-0 victory over Cameroon. After featuring prominently again in a narrow defeat against the Netherlands, Endo went on to justify his status as the reigning AFC Player of the Year in the 3-1 dismantling of Denmark, driving the midfield and scoring their second goal with a sublime free-kick.

    Ahead of the Samaurai Blues' historic last-16 clash with Paraguay, the quietly spoken 30-year-old took time out to talk to FIFA about his scoring secrets, Japan’s strengths and their prospects for the remaining competition.

    FIFA: You left your opponents in awe with your free-kick against Denmark. Do you have a special method or technique when taking set-pieces?
    Yasuhito Endo:
    I took the free-kick as I always do, there was nothing special. But each time I have to take a different angle, if needed, when kicking.

    Your next opponents are Paraguay, a team also known for their sublime passing techniques. What are your thoughts ahead of that match?
    We have watched their games. They are really hard-working players and the team is quite creative. That said, we have a great deal in common so we must strive hard to defeat them.

    We are mentally strong and we are now playing with a really positive attitude.
    Yasuhito Endo, Japan midfielder

    "Running football" and free-kicks are the things people mention when they talk of Japan's strengths, qualities which have helped you overcome Cameroon and Denmark to qualify for the second round. What is your view?
    I think this is correct. We have put in a great deal of effort in training so we are able to move forward very strongly when the ball is passed. Set-pieces are also an important weapon for us. We are also strong when playing as a group. When you perform on the international stage you have to show your best otherwise you have no way of winning, and we must keep on doing that if we are to continue our good run.

    When Japan qualified for South Africa 2010 a year ago, coach Takeshi Okada stated the team’s goal was to reach the semi-finals. Having made the Round of 16, are you confident that you will achieve that goal?
    Yes, I am confident. I hope the forthcoming matches will turn out in our favour.

    Japan used to be vulnerable when they played against physically stronger European teams, but having played so well against the Netherlands and Denmark, do you think you have learned how to cope with them?
    First of all, we are mentally strong and we are now playing with a really positive attitude. In terms of tactics, we have changed a bit too, so the team are going in the right direction. Needless to say, our goal is to keep going like this and win games.

    English press lament familiar failings

    (FIFA.com) Monday 28 June 2010
    English press lament familiar failings
    Getty Images

    This may be Africa's first FIFA World Cup™ but for the press in England it was the same old story as they picked over the bones of their national team's crushing 4-1 defeat by Germany in Bloemfontein. "Old failings put England back on road to nowhere," declared the headline in the Independent as the Round of 16 elimination of Fabio Capello's side led to reflections on England's serial failures, tactical shortcomings and the demise of a so-called 'golden generation'.

    The Times
    England have been a sad case at this World Cup: unimpressive in drawing with the United States, awful against Algeria, mediocre in victory against Slovenia and, when the time came to raise their game yesterday, they were outclassed, out-thought and even outfought by Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and the rest of Joachim Low's dynamic young Germany team. Their victory yesterday serves as another unwanted milestone in the history of the England football team, a reminder of how far behind the rest of the world we have fallen while congratulating ourselves on the undisputed global appeal of the Premier League.

    The Guardian
    Only the details and the venues change in the story of how England impersonate a serious international power. In the last ten years alone that conceit has been exposed in Charleroi, Shizuoka, Lisbon, Gelsenkirchen and now Bloemfontein. England have still not beaten a top-flight nation in World Cup combat since the Bobby Moore-Geoff Hurst generation exploited home advantage in the country's one and only appearance in the final of an international tournament. A brutal pattern reasserted itself in the Free State as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence. Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller – flag-bearers for a more thrilling German style of play – pushed a whole crop of English household names into permanent shadow.

    The Independent
    Against Germany's younger, fresher legs England too often looked sluggish, pedestrian even. Even when the age gap was irrelevant – Miroslav Klose, 32, being older than John Terry and Matthew Upson – Germany were still quicker. England are chronically short of pace for a top-level international team. Of the starting line-up, only Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe could be described as quick, while the heart of the team – the central defenders and central midfield – could either be described as slow by international standards or, in Lampard's case, showing the effects of several years of non-stop football. All four goals were a consequence of poor defending, but Germany's greater speed and mobility was a significant factor in each.

    The Daily Telegraph
    If Gerrard had played in his Liverpool position and Rooney in his Manchester United role up top, England would have had their two potential match winners in tandem. Such good friends as Gerrard and Rooney love working together. At 30, Gerrard will never play in a World Cup again. His one shot at international glory has been taken away. If England had played 4-2-3-1, they may still have lost to the vibrant Germans but it would have been worth utilising a system that coaxed the best from Gerrard and Rooney. The flaws inherent in 4-4-2 were brutally exposed here as the Germans flooded through.

    The Sun
    Some things never change. Another World Cup and England again depart the stage early, heads bowed, reputations skewered and playing football from the Dark Ages. And, this time, on the back of their biggest World Cup hammering ever, totally outclassed by a young German team with eight players under 26. Since 1966 we have never beaten any team of any quality at the knockout stage of a World Cup. Our only successes have been against the might of Paraguay, Belgium, Cameroon, Denmark and Ecuador. So no more excuses, please.

    Dunga predicts championship match

    (PA) Monday 28 June 2010
    Dunga predicts championship match
    AFP

    Brazil coach Dunga is expecting a real "championship match" when his side tussle with Chile in their South American derby at the FIFA World Cup tonight. The Selecao have enjoyed plenty of success against their opponents over the years with their 65 meetings yielding 46 wins for the five-time world champions, while their rivals have come out on top just seven times.

    With the latest winning sequence dating back nearly 10 years, Dunga believes there is plenty of motivation for their opponents to try to change the record. "I think that the motivation of any sportsman is to actually try to breach a pattern," he said. "We cannot spend our time comparing ourselves with our opponents. We have to try and improve as much as possible and that is exactly what Chile will do."

    The Brazil boss is not expecting any motivation issues for his players. He continued: "My players always know that it's the next game that is the most important one. For now our next game is going to be against Chile, so we will prepare as we do against any other team. In the knockout stages it's all or nothing. Every game can be counted as a championship game.

    In the knockout stages it's all or nothing. Every game can be counted as a championship game.
    Dunga, Brazil coach

    "Chile has been improving a lot with coach (Marcelo) Bielsa. Since he's taken over, it's a competitive team. It's a team that really fights until the very end and is able to get the best out of its players. So they are a difficult opponent and what's happened in the past is finished."

    Dunga also felt that five teams from South America in the last 16 showed that football on the continent was in a healthy state. He added: "There are five South American teams playing in the round of 16. Uruguay are already in the quarter-finals which leads us to believe that South American football is extremely competitive and has great players."

    Opposite number Bielsa felt there was no point for his side to sit back at Ellis Park, saying they would rather go out attacking against a team they have recently struggled against. "Our match tomorrow is an all or nothing match and we will do our very best to ensure the game is played in a manner that is convenient for us," he said. "We hope we can win. I think the psychological aspect is always very important in a competition. It's more of a factor of motivation for us in my point of view. We have the chance to reverse a historical negative trend for Chile."

    Asked whether he was worried about the threat posed by Kaka, he added: "Of course, we have to be extremely careful with him. All the players in Brazil are very good and Kaka is an emblem for them. So no team playing against Brazil can ignore him, but I stress, Kaka has extremely talented team-mates playing with him."

    England re-enact a drama of failure !

    A brutal pattern reasserted itself here as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence

    Paul Hayward at Free State Stadium

    The Guardian,

    Miroslav Klose, David James

    The beginning of the end arrives as Miroslav Klose, centre, scores Germany's opening goal. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/Reuters

    Only the details and the venues change in the story of how England impersonate a serious international power. In the last 10 years alone that conceit has been exposed in Charleroi, Shizuoka, Lisbon, Gelsenkirchen and now Bloemfontein. The men of 1966 can pack their diaries with yet more heroes' dinners and brand-ambassador spin-offs because 44 years of waiting could be just the start.

    England have still not beaten a top‑flight nation in World Cup combat since the Bobby Moore-Geoff Hurst generation exploited home advantage in the country's one and only appearance in the final of an international tournament. A brutal pattern reasserted itself in the Free State as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence. Mesut Ozil and Thomas Müller – flag-bearers for a more thrilling German style of play – pushed a whole crop of English household names into permanent shadow.

    The Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard generation have had failure's nail banged into them and it shows. Deep in their minds a voice must cry out that success at World Cup and European Championship level is simply beyond imagining. The temptation across the English game must be to retreat to the sanctuary of the Premier League, with its Super Sunday clashes between empires of debt. These expeditions in the Three Lions livery are only a trail of tears.

    Five of England's starting XI in this second-round match had played in Champions League finals. Pressure and expectation are written into their daily lives. With England, though, their talent evaporates, their sense of self collapses. They look tight and ponderous and tactically illiterate.

    Germany played dazzling football in bursts and adjusted their pace and pattern of play to suit the circumstances. They worked out how to win the game and reach a quarter-final. Two counter-attacking goals in four minutes showed up England's defensive naivety and wooden pursuit of an equaliser after the goal-that-never-was: the best indictment yet of Fifa's neanderthal prejudice against goal-line technology.

    In the Wimbledon fortnight a simple machine can say whether a tennis ball has crossed a white line. Here in football's biggest competition Fifa tells men their lives will be defined by what happens on the World Cup stage and then denies them the equipment that would make those definitions fair. For the outcomes of World Cup games to be shaped by this prejudice brings the sport into disrepute, if that isn't an oxymoron. But this legitimate gripe will not conceal England's ineptitude in allowing Germany to counterattack their way to a crushing victory and so extend the hurt inflicted in 1970 and 1990.

    Germany have advanced further than England in every World Cup the two nations have contested since 1966. Capello's team didn't lose to a history book, however, they folded in the here and now against a side with an average age four years lower. On a shallow, Premier League-warped reading of the team-sheets they would have feared the gifted Ozil, 21, and Müller, 20, and known all about Lukas Podolski's fierce shot and Miroslav Klose's exceptional international goalscoring pedigree (50, now, which is one more than Sir Bobby Charlton's England record).

    Yet English players who have faced Barcelona and Real Madrid in Champions League combat cannot have felt that Germany were an unstoppable historical force. They will have played the names in front of them, which makes their demise all the more frightening. Germany brought zest and zip and cunning to their attacking play. England advanced in lumpen 4-4-2 formation without any of Germany's geometrical cleverness.

    A recurring truth is that the way football is played in England (or by English players) is not conducive to international success. In Africa's first World Cup, specifically, they won one of their four fixtures – 1-0, against Slovenia – scored three and conceded five. Insiders say the campaign hit psychological turbulence when Robert Green committed a pub keeper's error in fumbling Clint Dempsey's shot in the USA game. There was, by all accounts, a collapse of faith that the win over Slovenia only partially restored.

    In the 21st century alone England have seen the bail sail over David Seaman's head in Japan (2002), successive penalty shoot-out defeats to Portugal (2004 and 2006) the non-qualification debacle of Euro 2008 and a promising qualifying campaign unravel here in South Africa. Regression is the tale of Capello's first World Cup as a manager. Quarter-finalists in 2002 and 2006, England stumbled out of Group C in second place and lost to the first big-name team they came across To think they had recovered some of their poise in Port Elizabeth with the escapology routine against Slovenia was no idle hope. For the first time since they arrived in their purpose-built compound near Sun City the players relaxed and seemed to see beyond Capello's patriarchal strictness to a more fulfilling experience. Finally they joined the World Cup. The benefits of experience were starting to become apparent and the team had assumed a more promising shape, with Gareth Barry screening the back-four, James Milner excelling on the right and Jermain Defoe seeming sharp and eager alongside Wayne Rooney, who, at 24, leaves here still without a World Cup goal.

    Rooney's sole imprint on this great competition remains the stud marks he left on the groin of Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho four years ago. Given his precocity, Brazil in 2014 will be his last chance to impress the judges in an England shirt. Rooney improved against Germany: his first touch and link play were sharper, more aware. But over the four games he was a phantom of his real self. The English culture managed to deliver its best player to a tournament hollow and semi-detached.

    In the calamity catalogue we file Rio Ferdinand's knee injury in the first training session, Ledley King's breakdown inside 45 minutes of the USA game, the Green goalkeeping howler and John Terry's failed insurrection. It was fashionable to say at least England were not like France. In retrospect it would have been more fun to go out like the French, with eruptions everywhere, than concede two goals on the counter-attack when the score was still 2-1. Can England not press for an equaliser more intelligently?

    Over the three weeks Ashley Cole, John Terry and Glen Johnson performed creditably (though Johnson left his rear-view mirror back at base again yesterday); Lampard was mostly innocuous, Gerrard was again wasted on the left and Joe Cole under-used. Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips were passengers. Michael Dawson, Stephen Warnock, Joe Hart and Michael Carrick were all denied a kick. All will flee the Royal Bafokeng complex glad to have escaped this eternal wheel of fire.

    Capello toured the shires in search of fresh talent and found none. Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and even Theo Walcott were discarded. The manager was surely right to conclude that English football's nursery is not producing fruit. National coaching programmes and strategic planning are not the English way. Feeding the Premier League monster is the only show in town. The Football Association, where a vast power void now prevails, throw money at 44 years of frustration by importing first Swedish then Italian expertise and locking themselves into expensive long contracts.

    Feel better now? Each time the mantra is that we need to be honest about the true state and standing of the England football team and we never are.

    England re-enact a drama of failure !

    A brutal pattern reasserted itself here as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence

    Paul Hayward at Free State Stadium

    The Guardian,

    Miroslav Klose, David James

    The beginning of the end arrives as Miroslav Klose, centre, scores Germany's opening goal. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/Reuters

    Only the details and the venues change in the story of how England impersonate a serious international power. In the last 10 years alone that conceit has been exposed in Charleroi, Shizuoka, Lisbon, Gelsenkirchen and now Bloemfontein. The men of 1966 can pack their diaries with yet more heroes' dinners and brand-ambassador spin-offs because 44 years of waiting could be just the start.

    England have still not beaten a top‑flight nation in World Cup combat since the Bobby Moore-Geoff Hurst generation exploited home advantage in the country's one and only appearance in the final of an international tournament. A brutal pattern reasserted itself in the Free State as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence. Mesut Ozil and Thomas Müller – flag-bearers for a more thrilling German style of play – pushed a whole crop of English household names into permanent shadow.

    The Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard generation have had failure's nail banged into them and it shows. Deep in their minds a voice must cry out that success at World Cup and European Championship level is simply beyond imagining. The temptation across the English game must be to retreat to the sanctuary of the Premier League, with its Super Sunday clashes between empires of debt. These expeditions in the Three Lions livery are only a trail of tears.

    Five of England's starting XI in this second-round match had played in Champions League finals. Pressure and expectation are written into their daily lives. With England, though, their talent evaporates, their sense of self collapses. They look tight and ponderous and tactically illiterate.

    Germany played dazzling football in bursts and adjusted their pace and pattern of play to suit the circumstances. They worked out how to win the game and reach a quarter-final. Two counter-attacking goals in four minutes showed up England's defensive naivety and wooden pursuit of an equaliser after the goal-that-never-was: the best indictment yet of Fifa's neanderthal prejudice against goal-line technology.

    In the Wimbledon fortnight a simple machine can say whether a tennis ball has crossed a white line. Here in football's biggest competition Fifa tells men their lives will be defined by what happens on the World Cup stage and then denies them the equipment that would make those definitions fair. For the outcomes of World Cup games to be shaped by this prejudice brings the sport into disrepute, if that isn't an oxymoron. But this legitimate gripe will not conceal England's ineptitude in allowing Germany to counterattack their way to a crushing victory and so extend the hurt inflicted in 1970 and 1990.

    Germany have advanced further than England in every World Cup the two nations have contested since 1966. Capello's team didn't lose to a history book, however, they folded in the here and now against a side with an average age four years lower. On a shallow, Premier League-warped reading of the team-sheets they would have feared the gifted Ozil, 21, and Müller, 20, and known all about Lukas Podolski's fierce shot and Miroslav Klose's exceptional international goalscoring pedigree (50, now, which is one more than Sir Bobby Charlton's England record).

    Yet English players who have faced Barcelona and Real Madrid in Champions League combat cannot have felt that Germany were an unstoppable historical force. They will have played the names in front of them, which makes their demise all the more frightening. Germany brought zest and zip and cunning to their attacking play. England advanced in lumpen 4-4-2 formation without any of Germany's geometrical cleverness.

    A recurring truth is that the way football is played in England (or by English players) is not conducive to international success. In Africa's first World Cup, specifically, they won one of their four fixtures – 1-0, against Slovenia – scored three and conceded five. Insiders say the campaign hit psychological turbulence when Robert Green committed a pub keeper's error in fumbling Clint Dempsey's shot in the USA game. There was, by all accounts, a collapse of faith that the win over Slovenia only partially restored.

    In the 21st century alone England have seen the bail sail over David Seaman's head in Japan (2002), successive penalty shoot-out defeats to Portugal (2004 and 2006) the non-qualification debacle of Euro 2008 and a promising qualifying campaign unravel here in South Africa. Regression is the tale of Capello's first World Cup as a manager. Quarter-finalists in 2002 and 2006, England stumbled out of Group C in second place and lost to the first big-name team they came across To think they had recovered some of their poise in Port Elizabeth with the escapology routine against Slovenia was no idle hope. For the first time since they arrived in their purpose-built compound near Sun City the players relaxed and seemed to see beyond Capello's patriarchal strictness to a more fulfilling experience. Finally they joined the World Cup. The benefits of experience were starting to become apparent and the team had assumed a more promising shape, with Gareth Barry screening the back-four, James Milner excelling on the right and Jermain Defoe seeming sharp and eager alongside Wayne Rooney, who, at 24, leaves here still without a World Cup goal.

    Rooney's sole imprint on this great competition remains the stud marks he left on the groin of Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho four years ago. Given his precocity, Brazil in 2014 will be his last chance to impress the judges in an England shirt. Rooney improved against Germany: his first touch and link play were sharper, more aware. But over the four games he was a phantom of his real self. The English culture managed to deliver its best player to a tournament hollow and semi-detached.

    In the calamity catalogue we file Rio Ferdinand's knee injury in the first training session, Ledley King's breakdown inside 45 minutes of the USA game, the Green goalkeeping howler and John Terry's failed insurrection. It was fashionable to say at least England were not like France. In retrospect it would have been more fun to go out like the French, with eruptions everywhere, than concede two goals on the counter-attack when the score was still 2-1. Can England not press for an equaliser more intelligently?

    Over the three weeks Ashley Cole, John Terry and Glen Johnson performed creditably (though Johnson left his rear-view mirror back at base again yesterday); Lampard was mostly innocuous, Gerrard was again wasted on the left and Joe Cole under-used. Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips were passengers. Michael Dawson, Stephen Warnock, Joe Hart and Michael Carrick were all denied a kick. All will flee the Royal Bafokeng complex glad to have escaped this eternal wheel of fire.

    Capello toured the shires in search of fresh talent and found none. Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and even Theo Walcott were discarded. The manager was surely right to conclude that English football's nursery is not producing fruit. National coaching programmes and strategic planning are not the English way. Feeding the Premier League monster is the only show in town. The Football Association, where a vast power void now prevails, throw money at 44 years of frustration by importing first Swedish then Italian expertise and locking themselves into expensive long contracts.

    Feel better now? Each time the mantra is that we need to be honest about the true state and standing of the England football team and we never are.


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