The winners of the last two World Cups, Germany will begin their defence of the trophy on home soil against Canada next June. The draw (Group A alongside Canada, Nigeria & France) will buoy the hosts as they have absolutely destroyed both Canada and Nigeria in recent friendly matches. Showing exactly why they are the two-time holders, Germany crushed Nigeria 8-0 just 5 days prior to the draw and they managed an equally-impressive 5-0 win over Canada – who had finished fourth in the 2003 World Cup.

2009’s beaten (by Germany, of course) European Championship finalists, England will also be pleased with their draw. Placed in Group B along with Japan, New Zealand and Mexico, things could have been far worse for the lone British representatives. As well as Germany, they have avoided two-time champions, USA and a couple of tricky sides in Group D, which features former champions Norway and the ever-improving Brazilians. That is not to say Group B will be easy for England, however, as Mexico have already proven their strength by beating USA in qualifying.

As mentioned, Group B will provide some of the best entertainment. Norway traditionally do well in World Cups, having won the competition in 1995, finishing second in the first ever World Cup in 1991 and finished fourth in the 1999 and 2007 finals. Despite that impressive World Cup calibre, Brazil will probably still be favourites when the two nations clash next June. They looked extremely impressive in the 2007 finals, finishing runners up to Germany, and are currently ranked 3^rd in the world – behind USA and Germany, whilst Norway currently sit 7^th. Australia are even lower in the rankings – in 12^th – but they are well capable of providing anyone with a tough match. They battled to a respectable 2-1 loss to Germany last month, and managed an impressive 3-1 win over Mexico 3 days earlier. Spare a thought for Equatorial Guinea though. The central Africans are competing in their first ever World Cup and sit all the way down in 62^nd in the world rankings. Group B is not an ideal draw for them, to say the least.

The U.S. won’t necessarily be especially pleased with their draw. Their recent form hasn’t always been totally impressive, and Korea DPR and Sweden will present considerable challenges. Amazingly, USA have been placed in the same group as Korea DPR in each of the last three World Cups, and Sweden have often faced both sides too. This familiarity will only add to the tension, but ultimately, the U.S. are still perfectly capable of topping the group if they can hit the ground running. Colombia are the fourth team in Group C, and will be able to play in the knowledge that there is very little expectation on their shoulders.

The Draw in Full:

Group A – Germany, Canada, Nigeria, France

Group B – Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, England

Group C – United States, Korea DPR, Colombia, Sweden

Group D – Brazil, Australia, Norway, Equatorial Guinea

1. Croatia – Malta

Croatia beat Malta, no surprises there.  The only reason I start with this match is its status as a qualifier.  And to talk about Niko Kranjcar.  Harry Redknapp is unappreciative of the obviously gifted Croatian and the rumors are flying that he’s looking to leave.  I’d urge Mr. Redknapp to reconsider, especially after this performance.

While a brace against Malta is no brace against Spain, Kranjcar is the sort of player that Spurs should learn to manage in order to become more competitive.  He’s got the goods to play for a top team, and a sale to an EPL club would hurt their ambition.  With Lennon still not delivering, and over reliance  on Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart becoming problematic in the face of injuries, why not give Kranjcar a spot as a right sided attacking midfielder?

Next was Argentina against Brazil in Qatar…

2. Argentina – Brazil

Although Argentina won, I have more to say about Brazil, but first – Mr. Messi.  The real positive for Argentina is that Messi can have a so-so night and still decide to run half the length of the pitch before nutmegging his marker with a low shot that beats the keeper.  Sure it was only one goal and the defense didn’t seem to be moving at 100% pace, but a friendly of this nature is never a friendly.  Second, praise for Javier Pastore, who scored a hat trick this weekend but only partially showed why a big club will almost certainly splash out big money for him this summer.  If he gels with the Argentina front three Los Albiceleste will be a horrifying opponent for everyone.

That being said, Brazil to me looked better on the pitch.  If this were a league fixture I’d say a point a piece would be fair, but since only reputations (in a friendly) were at stake, I doubt many of the players, especially the veterans, will be beating themselves up too much about the loss.

A positive they can take from this is that Ronaldinho is not finished for them.  He was perhaps too much of a fantasia (an attempted back heel goal might have been buried by a swivel and hard shot) but it was his first performance for Brazil since Dunga had decided on the players he would take to the World Cup.

Lastly, Chelsea should take heart from Ramires’ wonderful performances at the center of the pitch.  He was a great marker but also wasn’t a bad when Brazil needed men forward.  If Carlo Ancelotti was watching, he might be considering how to tinker with the Chelsea lineup to get such efforts out of the Brazilian.

3. England – France

England lose and France win; an ancient rivalry marks another event; what else can we take from this?  It certainly seems that Laurent Blanc has go his players singing the national anthem; Fabio Capello doesn’t seem nearly as interested in making his England players display the same patriotic feelings.

As for football matters, the French deserved their victory.  They created more clear chances and looked the senior team, although they, like the Three Lions, had a fresher look about them than the teams of South Africa 2010.  While France’s new faces might be more a matter of long term plan than England’s (which may have been more injury related), the integration has been done more smoothly.

With players who have amassed plenty of club caps but fewer international caps (Adil Rami, Mathieu Valbuena), Les Blues played a more balanced game.  There were no Kieran Gibbs on the pitch for France, a player thrown into England with fewer than 35 Arsenal caps in all competitions, including those tough Carling Cup fixtures!  Instead, the youngsters for France (M’Vila and Sakho) has almost 50 caps in less than a season and a half for Rennes and over 100 for PSG, respectively. Both are considered integral parts of the set up; Gibbs is a fringe presence at Arsenal, especially this season.

Extras:

The Iberian Derby was a total rout.  Sergio Ramos apparently forgot what his teammate Ronaldo can do.  Mourinho seems to have held Ramos in check to great effect for Real Madrid.  Sure, he doesn’t bomb forward to terrorize the opponents as he used to, but Madrid is no longer left exposed to counter attacks.  Perhaps Spain should take a lesson.  Manchester United will be pleased to see Nani’s boast about being a top player wasn’t all talk, either.  As for Spain, the whole world knows how they play.  They seem unwilling to change the (very effective) philosophy.  Top teams with top coaches can exploit this.

With the Copa América draw recently out and international friendlies imminent, now might be a worthwhile time to look at what that tournament might have in store for football fans.  It’s not as well publicized or followed as its European counterpart because most people see it as the international La Liga: a competition basically geared to set up two super teams (Brazil and Argentina) in a final where the brightest talents of world football can tussle.

Recently, the accusation has been true, sort of.  While the past two tournaments has seen Brazil trump Argentina in the final, the whole tournament is a delight for the football fan.  For one, this year’s inclusion of Mexico promises to continue the tradition of El Tricolor surprising the big guns.

In 2007 Mexico deservedly beat Brazil 2-0 and won the group stage, and although Argentina handled them in the semifinals 3-0, the Mexicans still earned some respect from their South American counterparts by winning the third place match against Uruguay.  In 2004, Mexico beat Argentina 1-0 in the group stages, but  Brazil trashed them 4-0 in a pitiful exit.

Another reason to watch is the hopeful coronation of Messi on the world stage.  While the Argentine failed to dominate the 2010 World Cup, this can be largely blamed on the unbelievable tactics employed by Maradona (how many times in South Africa did we see Messi pick up the ball around the halfway line simply because the midfielders lacked the quality to bring the ball forward on their own?).  Hopefully in 2011 Messi can show those who still doubt him (and honestly I’m highly suspicious of the existence of these supposed Messi-doubters) that he is the finest footballer on the planet.

Taking a look at the draw, if all goes expected, another Brazil-Argentina final looks to be on the cards.

It’s difficult to see Argentina not winning their group (Bolivia, Colombia, Japan), especially as all of the matches will be played in front of a home crowd.  On top of that huge motivation, Los Albiceleste will be seeking to avenge themselves against a Japan team that recently beat them 1-0.  All the players will want to make a statement to say that they team that dismantled Spain 4-1 is the real version of Argentina, not the meek squad that was humbled in Japan.

Brazil have slightly harder group (Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela) considering Paraguay’s bold showing at the World Cup.  No matter how many superstars are injured, overweight, or out of form, Brazil always manages to field one of the most imposing teams in the world.  No Ronaldinho, Kaka, or Luis Fabiano?  Why not play Robinho, Pato, and Nilmar?  If Ramires isn’t playing well with Chelsea, why not select the reinvigorated Felipe Melo?  The point is, whatever team they field, like Argentina, Brazil will be favorites to win their group.

Group C is the most interesting because it includes Uruguay, giant-killers Mexico, the surprisingly decent Chile, and likely whipping boy Peru.  If Diego Forlán plays like he did in South Africa, Uruguay should win the group and make for a great challenge to anyone in the whole tournament.  If the results go as predicted in this hyper-early stage, Uruguay should meet Brazil in the semifinals.  This will probably be Forlán’s last hurrah in a major tournament, so he’ll surely want his countrymen to remember him fondly.  Brazil (presumably) be warned.

But of course, Mexico love to cause trouble and have come runner-up and third place a couple of times each, so don’t count them out of the running just because there are some big guns to contend with.  Lastly, Chile may yet surprise us, given their high FIFA and ELO ranking, but personally I feel the team won’t impress and we’ll see them back in the 20s or 30s in the world ranking by the close of 2011.

Argentina seem to have the easiest path to the final, although if there is an upset in Group C (or even a massive Group B upset, but I strongly doubt Brazil will place in 3rd in their group), Los Albiceleste may face a tough fight before playing the final in El Monumental in Buenos Aires.

A Brazil-Argentina final looks probable, but the inclusion of Mexico and Uruguay give me hope that an upset could happen.  All of the football matches are yet to be played, but international football fans should be salivating at the prospect of some of the matches, even (especially?) if the final is again, Brazil-Argentina.

World Cup fans, prepare to hear this song ad nauseum for the next seven months.  K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” is the Official Anthem of World Cup 2010.

We got another edition of World Cup Buzz Top 5. This time we’re going to breakdown the 5 best national team coaches right now. These 5 men have led their charges to surprise heights in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup or in some cases right on the door step of reserving their place in South Africa. So let’s get down to the WCB Top 5.

5: REINALDO RUEDA – HONDURAS COACH

The native of Cali, Colombia is the leader of possibly Honduras’ golden age of international football. Los Catrachos qualified for their 1st World Cup since Spain 1982. Rueda has had great success with Colombia’s youth teams, leading Los Cafeteros to a 3rd place finish in the ’03 FIFA World Youth Championship and 4th place in the ’03 U-17 World Cup. Its time to give Rueda his due a skillful tactician and excellent personnel manager.

4: MARCELO BIELSA – CHILE COACH

The Argentine coach eats, breathes, and sleeps football. A quirky coach known to take his own pitch measurements before putting out his starting formation. He has turned Chile into the 2nd biggest surprise in South American qualifying and has Chile in South Africa 2010. Considering what has happened to Argentina since Bielsa left, his coaching acumen cannot be underestimated.

3: FABIO CAPELLO – ENGLAND COACH

Fabio Capello has won trophies at some of the biggest club teams in the world: Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus. His first foray as a national team coach has started off well. He hasn’t won any trophies with England but he’s turned England into a serious contender. Before his arrival, England was struggling, looked sloppy, and were in disarray. Capello has organized the team and brought confidence to The Three Lions while leading them to a place in South Africa with a near perfect qualifying record.

2: DUNGA – BRAZIL COACH

His birth name is Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri but he’s better known as Dunga. The Brazil coach was much criticized early in his Seleção tenure for the team’s style of play but he’s turned that sentiment around with a Copa America & Confederations Cup trophy. He’s managed to check massive egos of star players for the cause of Brazil team glory and the result: Top spot in the toughest qualifying region in the world. Its one thing to have talent, its another to manage it and put it a position to win and Dunga has done that in arguably the most pressure packed national team job in the world.

1: GUUS HIDDINK – RUSSIA COACH

The Dutchman’s accomplishments are impressive at the club level but his magic as a national team coach is irresistible. The last 3 World Cups he’s taken his team into at least the 2nd round with 4th place finishes twice with Netherlands in 1998 and South Korea in 2002. Russia will qualify for 2010 and Hiddink has them looking primed for a deep run in South Africa. If a nation needs a man to lead the national team to the World Cup and make a deep & historic run than Guus Hiddink is that man.

There you have it, the best national team managers/coaches in the world. What do you think, did we leave anyone off? These men will be front & center in less than a year when The Great Tournament will capture the world’s attention. One of these men could be national heroes if their sides lift The World Cup.

Brazil is close to sealing qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, if they can beat Argentina on the road on the 5th and Chile at home on the 9th then Brazil will be on their way to South Africa.

The big news was the call up of Adriano of Flamengo to the national team. The big forward seems to have regained his scoring touch with Flamengo. He is tied atop the Campeonato Brasileiro goal scoring charts with 10 goals and is a known Argentine killer.

A new face to the Brazil squad is young defender Filipe of Deportivo La Coruna. The 24-year old adds depth to the left side of Brazil’s defense. Lucas of Liverpool also got a callup as his youth balances out a veteran midfield.

Here is the complete list of Brazil’s squad:

Goalkeepers:
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio)

Defenders:
Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), Filipe (Deportivo La Coruna), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Juan (AS Roma)

Midfielders:
Elano (Galatasaray), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (VfL Wolfsburg), Ramires (Benfica), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (Real Madrid), Lucas (Liverpool)

Forwards:
Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Villarreal), Robinho (Manchester City), Adriano (Flamengo)

The Brazilian Ronaldinho was at one time regarded as the best footballer in the world, but over the last two or three years his fortunes have changed and he now has a bit of work to do in restoring his reputation. The two-time world-footballer of the year was even left out of Brazil’s Confederations Cup squad and is no longer a regular choice for the national side.

It seems to be a problem with many Brazilian super-stars who enjoy a great start to their career and then fall by the wayside. However, unlike Ronaldo (the Brazilian one, of course) Ronaldinho does not enjoy the unadulterated adulation of the Brazilian fans and his place in the national side is somewhat precarious. With such a wealth of attacking talent at their disposal (Robinho, Kaka, Pato etc) it will be difficult for Ronaldinho to force his way back into Brazil boss Dunga’s plans. However, the sale of Kaka to Real Madrid may allow Ronaldinho more freedom and greater influence at Milan, which could help him back into the national side.

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi also holds this view and feels this year could be a very important one for the fallen Brazilian star.

Speaking to Mediaset Berlusconi said:  “He needs to be the extra man this season – that’s the responsibility of a sale we were forced into making. But this (sale of Kaka) will give Ronaldinho space. All the other players also want this to be Ronaldinho’s year. He’s 29 and in top shape physically.

“All he needs now is the desire to be decisive for this Milan team and I believe we can have faith in him.”

Rumours surfaced last year that Ronaldinho had fallen out with then Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti, which saw his appearances at the San Siro restricted. However, Leonardo, a fellow Brazilian, is now in charge at Milan and with the backing of the club’s owner and manager Ronaldinho’s fortunes may just change.

I see no reason why he cannot upset the Italian football odds and return to form. At 29-years-old he should still be in decent shape and his level of skill is rivalled by few. One problem that seems to have dogged Ronaldinho throughout his career is his reported love of the social scene – i.e. too much partying! The rumours surfaced in Paris when he was at Paris Saint Germaine, they followed him when he moved to Barcelona, and indeed after the last World Cup it is alleged he held a massive party at his Barcelona home despite his nation’s relatively poor showing (eliminated in the quarter finals) at the tournament.

Whether all these rumours are true or not, I don’t know, what I do know is Ronaldinho needs to make sure he doesn’t court such negative publicity in the run up to the competition in South Africa. He undoubtedly has the talent to get back into the national side and a good season at Milan may see him work his way back into contention. The World Cup in 2010 will be a great occassion, of that I’m sure, but it would be strange without Ronaldinho who has been such a big player for Brazil over the last decade or so.

After an extensive inspection from FIFA officials the venues for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil have been decided. The cities that were chosen to host matches of The Great Tournament were jubilant at the opportunity. Because of the massive size of Brazil, FIFA agreed to have 12 host cities instead of the usual 10. Here are the cities, the state they are located in and the match stadiums.

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto aka Mineirão (2014 Project)

Brasilia, Brazilian Federal District
Estádio Mané Garrincha (Proposed New Stadium)

Cuiaba, Mato Grosso
Estádio Governador José Fragelli aka Verdão (Proposed New Stadium)


Curitiba, Paraná,
Estádio Joaquim Américo Guimarães aka Kyocera Arena


Fortaleza, Ceará
Estádio Plácido Aderaldo Castelo aka Castelão


Manaus, Amazonas
Estádio Vivaldo Lima aka Vivaldão (Proposed New Stadium)


Natal, Rio Grande do Norte
Arena das Dunas (Proposed New Stadium)


Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
Estádio José Pinheiro Borba aka Beira-Rio


Recife, Pernambuco
Arena Recife-Olinda (Proposed New Stadium)

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho aka Maracanã


Salvador, Bahia
Estádio Octávio Mangabeira aka Fonte Nova


São Paulo, São Paulo
Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo aka Morumbi

Here’s a map of the host cities and their locations in Brazil.

With World Cup qualifiers about two weeks away and the FIFA Confederations Cup about 3 weeks away, Dunga has announced the Seleção roster for those tournaments. The World Cup’s all-time leading scorer Ronaldo was justifiably left off the roster despite a resurgence with Corinthians. O Fenômeno admitted that he was not ready for a call up to the highest honor in Brazil.

Instead Dunga called Internacional forward Nilmar to the squad for the first time. The ex-Lyon starlet has been a revelation for the Porto Alegre side that won the 2008 Copa Sudamericana and leads the 2009 Brasileirao.

Another first time call up is recent Benfica acquisition, Ramires. The Cruzeiro midfielder was just sold to the Portuguese club after his impressive performances in helping Cruzeiro to the quarters of the Libertadores and just after he was called to the national team.

Nilmar and Ramires were two of five players called up to the team playing ball in Brazil at the time. The other three: Nilmar’s teammate at Internacional, defender Kleber. Corinthians defender Andre Santos and Gremio keeper Victor. That’s the most domestic players Dunga has called up since he took the post in 2006.

Brazil’s itinerary for the next couple of months includes a WC Qualifier at Uruguay on Saturday, June 6, WC Qualifier at home against Paraguay on Wednesday, June 10th and then their opening match of the FIFA Confederations Cup on June 15 against African champions, Egypt.

Here is the entire of the Brazil squad:

Goalkeepers:
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur), Victor (Gremio)

Defenders:
Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Kleber (Internacional), Andre Santos (Corinthians), Alex (Chelsea), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Luisao (Benfica)

Midfielders:
Anderson (Manchester United), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Ramires (Cruzeiro), Elano (Manchester City), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kaka (AC Milan)

Forwards:
Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Internacional), Robinho (Manchester City)

Seleção coach Dunga has announced his roster for the upcoming CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Peru. The squad is almost the same as the one named for the friendly against Italy. The only changes were Miranda of Sao Paulo FC taking the place of injured Roma defender Juan and Kleber of SC Internacional of Porto Alegre replacing Sevilla’s Adriano Correa. Ronaldinho & Kaka were among Dunga’s choices despite each of them nursing leg injuries.

Once again, Amauri was ignored by Dunga and according to rumor the Juve hitman has decided on which national team he wants to play for. Surely, Dunga’s decision to ignore him again should push him away from The Seleção and towards The Azzurri.

Brazil is currently in 2nd place in the CONMEBOL WCQ Standings with 16 points, 7 points behind first place Paraguay. Brazil faces Ecuador on March 29th in Quito and then hosts Peru on the 1st of April in Porto Alegre.

Here is the full roster:

Goalkeepers:
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (AS Roma).

Defenders:
Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Kleber (Internacional), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Luisao (Benfica).

Midfielders:
Elano (Manchester City), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (AC Milan), Ronaldinho (AC Milan), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Anderson (Manchester United).

Forwards:
Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Robinho (Manchester City), Adriano (Inter Milan).