Capello makes his decision

The past few days has seen a number of provisional and even final squads announced for the World Cup, but today two of the most anticipated provisional squads were revealed. England has delivered their 30 provisional players amidst controversy regarding manager Fabio Capello’s involvement in a bizarre form rating website which sports his name. Italy’s squad was well anticipated as many were wondering whether Lippi would go with the old guard or bring in some fresh faces.

England Provisional Squad:

GK: David James, Joe Hart & Rob Green

No surprise in the goal keeper department, although a number of people will be delighted to see Joe Hart in the England squad. Which goalkeeper will take the number one shirt will probably be determined from the warm-up games, although all three of these keepers are now guaranteed to go to South Africa as long as injury does not set in.

DEF: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock

Jamie Carragher’s odd’s on making the squad dropped to 1/25 last night and he is a somewhat surprising call-up considering his determination to stay in international retirement. Although I don’t doubt Carragher’s credentials, this season has been the first time he is starting to show his age a bit, particularly in the FA cup 3rd round replay against Reading where he struggled big time. Dawson will definitely be starting in the warm-up games and will be hopeful his good league form will transfer to the international side. For Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines, there is a direct battle to be on the plane and become England’s second choice left back (what an opportunity!)

MID: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips

Gareth Barry is in the squad, but news is awaited as to whether or not he will actually go to the tournament, and if he doesn’t then Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone have an ideal opportunity to get themselves on the plane. There’s a lot of competition for the wide places, and Adam Johnson, who started the season out in the Championship with Middlesbrough, now finds himself with a chance to represent his country on the biggest stage of them all. Joe Cole will also be glad to see his name on the team sheet after the season he has had, but he will be closely watched by Capello to see whether he is capable of showing his old form. Owen Hargreaves misses out and it seems like a sensible option with all fairness, mostly due to the fact that he’s only played 30 seconds of football! Paul Scholes is also not included, and it is most likely that he has once again declined the chance to represent.

FWD: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

Sunderland fans have their calls answered, as in form striker Darren Bent is taken into consideration, but his work is far from over, and you’d feel he would have to produce goals in the warm-up games to stand a chance of getting on the plane. Also, surprise surprise! Wayne Rooney is on the team sheet! Who would have seen that coming? The other four strikers are the ones that were expected to go, but if Bent does get the goals, will Capello drop Defoe or take the five strikers in place of a midfielder or defender? Also, Bobby Zamora appears to have mised out, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in Wednesday’s Europa league final. If he smashes in a few goals, what are we to think then?

Italy Provisional Squad (at the time of writing this, it is a strongly rumoured team sheet that has apparently fallen in the hands of Sky Sports Italia):

Lippi suprises some

GK: Gianluigi Buffon, Federico Marchetti, Morgan De Sanctis, Salvatore Sirigu

Gianluigi Bufffon will guard the goal of his country once again, but the two goalkeepers that will join him appears to be up for grabs, and the young Salvatore Sirigu who Buffon has tipped to be his replacement could get a chance to not only represent his country in the World Cup, but also make his debut should Buffon succumb to injury.

DEF: Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Cannavaro, Mattia Cassani, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito, Fabio Grosso, Christian Maggio, Gianluca Zambrotta.

First thoughts – Wow! Look at how many youngsters will be involved in Italy’s defence this year. Quite surprising to see so many players with less than five caps being considered for the World Cup squad, and although the likes of Zambrotta, Grosso and of course Cannavaro remain, there are a number of youngsters who will be able to get invaluable experience. Whether this tactic will back-fire on Lippi remains to be seen, but it is quite brave to call up so many youngsters, what is even more suprising is the fact that most of them don’t play for Italy’s big guns. Watch out for Giorgio Chiellini if you haven’t seen him play before, a solid defender that could make a huge name for himself this summer.

MID: Mauro Camoranesi, Antonio Candreva, Andrea Cossu, Daniele De Rossi, Gennaro Gattuso, Claudio Marchisio, Ricardo Montolivo, Angelo Palombo, Simone Pepe, Andrea Pirlo.

Another mix of new and old, and this could be the last World Cup for Camoranesi, Pirlo and Gattuso. A number of players have missed out such as Ambrosini, Aquilani, Perrotta and Barone and there a more players who have less than five caps in the side. The battle here would appear to be for central midfield places, and although De Rossi and Pirlo are probably certain to be on the plane, the others seem less certain and Lippi will be keen to see how certain players work together in the middle of the park before making a final decision.

FWD: Marco Borriello, Antonio Di Natale, Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Giampaolo Pazzini, Giuseppe Rossi, Fabio Quagliarella.

Di Natale was in much of the same situation that Darren Bent found himself in, and after missing out on the Confederations cup squad, his good goal scoring form has fired the 32 year old back into the Italian fold. Giuseppe Rossi also has been given the nod  after an impressive season in Spain, but the forward berths in the Italian side were certainly the most competitive, and there are a number of players that have missed out. Francesco Totti will not be coming out of international retirement to represent his country, Del Piero’s international time appears to be over, Antonio Cassano remains in exile and Luca Toni’s move to Roma doesn’t appear to have done him many favours in terms of his international hopes. Mario Balotelli also misses out, a decision that was no doubt based on the player’s current problems and drop to the bench.

A Lot To Mull Over For Marcelo

Italians are commonly referred to as feisty and passionate people, and if the past two decades of Serie A is anything to go by, where footballing matters are regularly debated in the Italian Parliament, then it’s clear that these labels are justified. Italy are a strange entity though and they’re never short of controversy – if you’re an England fan and you think there’s drama in your side try being an Italian. Let us not forget, the reigning champions were at the centre of one of the most controversial World Cup moments in history, as in 2006 as Marco Materazzi forced Zinedine Zidane, arguably the greatest player of his generation, into a bizarre head butt to the chest in what was supposed to be Zizu’s swansong. A team that often just ‘gets the job done’ so many have said, this particular World Cup is one that is somewhat unpredictable for the team and the nation.

Italy are after all looking for the next generation of players to come through and Lippi, who will soon be relinquished of his duties after serving his nation well, has attempted to address this situation but it appears a difficult one to instantly solve instantly, as the prestige of the country demands a constant stream of success. Fabio Cannavaro, considered by many to be the greatest defender that ever played the game, has been brought into question as to whether he can still play at a top level and the likes of Francesco Totti are being urged to come out of international retirement to give Italy the best possible chance, showing the Azzurri are struggling to let go of their golden generation. Then there’s a brilliant, but seemingly unmanageable Antonio Cassano, whose outspoken nature has spoke him out of a place in the side. A player that could have been a world beater and a proven magician on the pitch, he has been wasted talent as Lippi appears rightly too stubborn to put up with his disruptive behaviour. Could you imagine how frustrating that must be if it happened to your nation?

This twilight period for the National team is showing, as the current champions currently sit 5th in the FIFA rankings, something that doesn’t seem all too impressive for a team who is supposed to be, in theory, the champions of the world. But the players are there, it’s just how to implement them in a correct manner and get the right team together. Mario Balotelli is a prime example of this, a player who has all the abilities, but is suffering his own personal problems currently, a situation that isn’t helping the potential of another great Italian side being formed to take on the world. But when you do consider a potential side for Italy, you have to admit they have unbelievable depth as they always have, they just lack the experience. Roma’s Daniele De Rossi could have a massive tournament for his country and in my opinion, if Italy can pull the performances together, will be a contender for player of the tournament as he just keeps on getting better. I will be writing a future article about De Rossi and the impact he can have on this World Cup.

Injuries will be a problem for the side as well. Whereas it’s OK to take a few knocks, a number of Italian players have suffered bad injuries this season, meaning a lack of match practice leading up to the tournament and the potential for these injuries to reoccur in the middle of the tournament. Players like Chiellini, Giovonco, Zambrotta, Buffon and Santon have all had injuries that have kept them out for months this season and these are all players that could arguably be in the starting line up of the side. Put on top of that Liverpool’s Alberto Aquilani lack of game time this season and their squad is somewhat depleted before the tournament has even begun. But despite all this, they will still take a strong and capable squad, and anyone that doubts this team shouldn’t be considered a football fan.

I’ve always had a bit of love for the Italian national team, as Sky’s dominance in England made it somewhat difficult to watch English football if you didn’t have one of their dish’s on your house, so the first football I ever watched was Italian and I always will love the league and their team. I hope Lippi uses this tournament to rebuild the side and give the new generation the chance to shine as the face of Italian football. I have a feeling the old brigade will still get the call up, as Lippi has a lot of faith in them, but it would be nice for the likes of Grosso, Camoranesi and Cannavaro to step aside and for Italy to move on. A new side may not be favoured to win it, but they can learn from the experience and become a better squad. I’d never count out Italy though, they seem to be in the shadow of the likes of Spain, England, Germany, Brazil and Argentina as favourites, but when you put their squad on paper, it is mightily impressive. Hopefully Lippi will take advantage of the depth at his disposal and take the responsibility away from the older generation and let the likes of Daniele De Rossi, Giuseppe Rossi and Giorgio Chiellini lead the line and have their chance to pose around in their underwear (if you’re not aware of this, get on Google images).

What is on paper a strong team could end up being a weak one when tested by a tricky opponent. How the players gel and work together, how effective the coach is in bringing the best out of players, the strength of the defensive line and often the rise of  a relative unknown to help carry the team can all influence who ends up winning. Other factors which must be considered include the lack of key injuries and having some luck in order for a team to advance far in this highly anticipated tournament.

Luck does not necessarily imply winning the whole tournament due to fortunate circumstances but as often the case some tough teams get eliminated on a particular nation’s side of the draw which can pave the way for that specific country to advance further in the tournament. Other lucky incidents can come in the shape of referee calls such as penalties given,  a red-card missed or overlooked, the woodwork coming to the rescue on more than one occasion or even scoring against the run of play.

In 2006 Italy was not expected to win but with a strong defensive unit, a great goalkeeper, a clever coach, some luck and the team working together as one cohesive unit the Azzurri were able to triumph in Berlin. If the World Cup started today, then Brazil would be one of the main picks because of the talented players who can change the course of a match in a single move or a split-second. The Brazilians have talent all over the pitch.

Other contenders would include Argentina largely due to the presence of one of the most gifted players of his generation who happens to be Lionel Messi. He is simply a genius and while he does not perform as well with the national team, Messi can still turnaround matches with one creative move. The main reason the Argentines have not been performing up to their potential is a result of having Diego  Maradona as the national team coach. Maradona was a great player but he is simply out of depth in terms of managing a talented country and his  inexperience shows whenever his players step on the pitch. He is an incapable coach who must rely on Messi to change games by himself if Argentina has any chance of advancing through the tournament. Maradona ought to surround Messi with the right players because it is a shame to see such a  talent go to waste on the international stage.

It could be argued Messi is even a better player at this stage of his career than Maradona was. Again the stress is on comparing the two talented players at the same age and period of their career. At 22-years-old Messi has accomplished more than Maradona and if he can lead Argentina to a World Cup triumph then few can doubt Messi has the better record as a player and whether he is the more talented of the two legends.

Another dangerous team would be England because of Manager Fabio Capello and what he brings to the table.  Capello is a great and highly skilled Manager when it comes to motivating players, creating harmony, suppressing egos, building team spirit and exploiting weaknesses in other teams. The main issue at this point is the injury crisis which has affected the national team in recent weeks. Ashley Cole and David Beckham will miss out unless left-back Cole makes a late comeback while others such as Rio Ferdinand have spent most of the season injured or recovering from an injury.

One other factor which could cause distraction is the behaviour of certain players with John Terry on top of the list of players being carefully followed due to his much-publicised affair. The media is now trying to keep an eye on his actions and any simple mistake made by Terry will be aggressively covered by the British Press.  To their advantage the English have Wayne Rooney to rely on and at this stage of the season the striker can do no wrong as he continues to score at a torrid pace.

The Spanairds cannot be underestimated because by winning Euro 2008 they showed they deserve to be respected. The Spaniards have Fernando Torres and David Villa as well as Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas and David Silva. Those are all talented and experienced players. In addition, who can forget the midfield duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta who often pull the strings for the might Barcelona? Barca does depend on Messi but he is surrounded by great players and some of them hail from Spain as evidened by a few of the names mentioned above.

The Azzurri have the smallest chance from amongst the favourites because of the struggles faced by Juventus this season, the aging of the team and the fact three key players are no longer as effective: Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso is actually spending considerable time on the Milan bench while Cannavaro has been one of the weak links in Juve’s defensive line this season. Only Giorgio Chiellini is to be given credit in the Juve and Azzurri back-line.

Anything can happen though and World Champions usually do not give up easily. The onus will be on having a healthy Gianluigi Buffon who is as good as anyone in goal when healthy enough but once again Cannavaro is too old and slow to compete over a month even if Marcello Lippi says it is only four weeks and not a season. This is a shocking excuse from a coach of Lippi’s stature who is now resorting to various forms of alibis to justify his choices. This shows the extent of the pressure on his shoulders and this could easily backfire as Lippi was one of the main architects of the Azzurri triumph in Germany 2006.

Finally, France cannot and will not win when one considers the national team is coached by someone like Raymond Domenech who is still clinging to the job despite his obvious ineptitude. As for the Germans, they are rarely the type of team which is flashy but they tend to play solid football during the World Cup as shown in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their strength is in the group and the effort, hard-work and commitment displayed by the players who often rely on their physical prowess and methodical approach to win matches. Perhaps waiting till end of May will give a better idea as to the teams which can be considered as the clear favourites but at this stage it would be a surprise if any other team can be regarded as a serious contender.

The World Cup is almost set in terms of the teams that will qualify and once the play-offs are completed it will be clear whether the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery will be present or missing. In the meantime, Sweden’s talented forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic will certainly not be going to the World Cup after his country failed to qualify from the same group which saw eventual winners Denmark earn automatic qualification and runners-up Portugal reach the play-offs.

Perhaps the African continent will see many of its star players missing in comparison with other regions since countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Togo will likely miss out unless they win and results fall in their favor. Still, with the likes of Didier Drogba and Michael Essien making it to South Africa, the missing players such as Egypt’s Amr Zaki (previously on loan with Wigan Athletic) and Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins (previously with Newcastle United) do not share the same prestige and talent. Thus, the most important missing players will likely come from Europe and Barcelona’s Ibrahimovic must be one of the most talented players on the list of absentees. If both France and Portugal fail to qualify then the list will extend to include a number of other notable names.

Other players who will likely miss out due to various reasons include Italy’s Antonio Cassano who continues to be overlooked by Azzurri coach Marcello Lippi despite his influential role in Sampdoria’s strong start to the domestic league. Cassano has yet to feature in any of the matches since Lippi took over again following coach Roberto Donadoni’s unconvincing tenure. Spain’s Raul will probably be another familiar name missing once the World Cup begins next summer. The Real Madrid icon has witnessed a steady decline the past couple of years as age kicks in yet he remains Spain’s all-time leading scorer.

Two other names that could be missing on South Africa despite their country’s qualification include Brazilians Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Ronaldo is a few goals behind legend Pele on the Brazilian all-time scoring list yet he might not play again for his country due to injuries which have decimated his career. The former Barcelona, Internazionale and Milan striker is also the World Cup’s top scorer after netting a total of 15 times.

His compatriot Ronaldinho, who ironically also played for Barcelona and now wears the Rossoneri shirt, was instrumental in many of Barcelona’s victories in Spain and Europe as well as Brazil’s World Cup 2002 triumph when he scored the infamous free-kick against England in the quarter-final stage. Ronaldinho is desperately trying to revive his career after a stuttering start to the season with Milan. Unless Ronaldinho rediscovers his old form then he is unlikely to earn a recall from coach Dunga.

The Brazilian coach may spring a surprise if his roster does not include Milan’s young striker Alexandre Pato. The Rossoneri’s attacker played a fundamental role in Milan’s famous away victory against Los Galacticos and is currently beginning to fire on all cylinders. Pato was not included in Dunga’s latest squad which will play England and Oman in friendly matches.

Finally, Italy’s Lippi may also not call up Alessandro Del Piero as the veteran forward begins his journey to regain full fitness after a series of niggling injuries at the start of this season. Del Piero has often delivered for his club Juventus yet the same cannot be said of his international career with his two main contributions to the Azzurri including the ending of Germany’s hopes in the semi-final in Germany 2006 when he scored the second goal in over-time and clinching a draw against Mexico in South Korea 2002. Del Piero scored to bring the Azzurri on level with the Mexicans and helping his country qualify to the second round in the process.

Italy will perhaps miss two other World Cup winners in the shape of the returning defensive maestro Alessandro Nesta and Roma’s talisman Francesco Totti. Nesta has had a solid start to the season yet he has quit the international game despite calls for his return based on his recent performances while Totti continues to struggle with various injuries and it seems unlikely he will feature for the Italians in South Africa.

With much of the qualification process almost complete and South Africa 2010 looming large, it would make sense to assess some of the world’s best custodians who will be present during the World Cup. Goalkeepers such as Petr Cech will be excluded from the discussion since their nation failed to qualify for next summer’s big event.

During World Cup 2006 in Germany, Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon was in outstanding form and played a significant role in the Azzurri’s triumph. The Juventus goalie performed a miracle save to keep out French star Zinedine Zidane’s header from securing in all likelihood France’s victory in 2006. Buffon was beaten only twice during the tournament, once courtesy of a freak own-goal by Cristian Zaccardo and the second time from the penalty spot through the legendary Zidane. The goalkeeper is closing in on Italy’s goalkeeping icon Dino Zoff’s 112 caps for la Nazionale. Buffon will once again be very critical for Italy’s chances in South Africa 2010 just as he was in Germany 2006 and his current form bodes well for Marcello Lippi’s side. He seems to have regained his outstanding form following a solid start to the season with Juventus and Italy.

Another name to keep in mind is that of Brazil’s number one Julio Cesar who like Buffon also features in the Italian league. The Brazilian goalkeeper has become an impenetrable wall during Internazionale’s domination on the domestic front and has received praise from both Brazil’s coach Dunga and his rival Buffon. Julio Cesar has often performed miraculous saves and has been a great contributor to the Brazilian cause with his country conceding a mere 11 goals in 18 appearances in the qualifying stage. His form will play a significant role in Brazil’s progress during next summer’s World Cup.

Both Buffon and Julio Cesar will face stiff competition from Spain’s Iker Casillas during South Africa 2010 in the quest to claim the title of the event’s best goalkeeper. The Real Madrid custodian was instrumental in his country’s triumph in Euro 2008 and has often performed admirably for Los Blancos. However, in recent times, his performances have been inconsistent as evident by his blunder against Milan in the Champions League which allowed Alexandre Pato to sneak in a goal for the Rossoneri. On most days, Casillas exudes confidence and puts in some impeccable displays though there is a slight downward trend in his current performances . The fact that Real Madrid’s defense has leaked goals the past two seasons does not do the Spaniard justice yet he also has been at fault on a number of occasions. It is true that even the best goalkeepers make the occasional mistake or commit a rare blunder but both Buffon and Cesare have proven to be more consistent in recent times.

Those three goalkeepers were actually named along with Petr Cech as part of the best five goalies by none other than fellow professional and custodian Sebastien Frey who represents Fiorentina in the Italian league. The Frenchman was not included because he is unlikely to be in South Africa 2010 even if the French national team makes it due to the fact that Raymond Domenech does not rate him highly. It is a shame because Frey can be quite outstanding when in form as witnessed in la Viola’s games during this season. Another noteworthy mention goes to the Republic of Ireland’s shot-stopper Shay Given who is a solid and consistent player but probably ranks a step below the likes of Buffon, Cesar and Casillas.