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.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho is renowned for making controversial remarks,  for using the media to hammer his point  and for manipulating the press to engage in psychological games against his toughest opponents. The focus here will be on Mourinho’s latest statement which is actually inaccurate if one is to consider the many factors associated with the World Cup and involved in the buildup to the biggest sports tournament in the world. The outspoken Portuguese claimed the Champions League final is the most important game in the world and even more important than the World Cup.

There is no doubt Mourinho is a capable coach and is probably one of the best at motivating his players, preparing for games and disrupting the plans of opponents through various means including psychological ploys. However, in this case the Portuguese has erred andone only needs to look at Brazilian legend Pele to understand being a great player does not make you an expert on football (whether predictions or various assessment of players & teams) and in Mourinho’scase a number of his outrageous remarks have really little ground to stand on. Below is a brief summary of small scale comparison between the Champions League and the World Cup to make it easier for the public to make their own judgment:

- Most-Watched & TV Audience: Unfortunately we have to go back to 2006 since this was the last time the World Cup and the Champions League were contested in the same year. The World Cup Final in Germany 2006 which featured Italy taking on France was the most watched event in 2006 ahead of the Super Bowl while the Champions League Final (Barcelona vs Arsenal) was actually in fourth place.

- Duration: The qualification process for World Cup 2010 actually begun in August 2007 and ended in November 2009. As for the Champions League the qualifying phase began in June 2009 and the tournament ends this Saturday, May 22nd in Madrid. This might be an unfair comparison but this is part of the process which gives a better assessment of the scale of the respective tournaments and which is bigger.

- Number of Teams: Less than 100 total in the Champions League compared to 204 national teams participating in the World Cup qualifying rounds.

- Matches Played: The World Cup qualifiers alone witnessed 848 matches while the Champions League as a whole features 124 games.

- Prestige: Winning the World Cup is by far the most coveted achievement of a football player’s career. Some of the best players over the decades became legends and cemented themselves in the history books by winning the World Cup. Winning the Champions League is the greatest achievement on the club level but to triumph in the World Cup is to reach the peak of football at all levels.

- Talent on Display: The Champions League and the World Cup are an elitist competition with the best clubs andteams qualifying to main draw (the group stages in both competitions) however the World Cup is even more selective since teams in Italy, Spain andEngland can still make the Champions League despite finishing 3rd or even 4th (after the qualifying stage). This means the Champions League leaves room for some of the less competitive teams. In the World Cup this is balanced by having the different Confederations yet these limit the number of qualifiers to the best teams from most of these Confederations. This allows for a great diversity of talent to be on show. The Champions League does not have the same number of surprise players emerging as stars since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldinho and Kaka before them) have shown time and again they’re the best. In the World Cup, there have been a number of unexpected surprises such as Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci in World Cup 1990.

- Emerging  Talent: Again the World Cup often serves as the perfect stage for the supporters to watch emerging players (such as Roberto Baggio in World Cup 1990) or even hear about future stars (Brazil’s Ronaldo did not play in USA 1994 but was in the squad). Stars are made in the World Cup and careers are often ended as well with many players retiring after participating in the World Cup (Note: Zinedine Zidane of France retiring after Germany 2006).

- Major Controversies: The controversies in the World Cup continue to be discussed for generations and the most notable examples in recent decades are Zidane’s headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the Germany 2006 Final in Berlin and Argentina star Diego Maradona’s “Handof God” against England in World Cup 1986. These events continue to be discussed by fans.

- The Money Factor: Mourinho says the Champions League gains the edge over the World Cup because the rich clubs can afford to buy the best talent while national teams pick from the best players available from their country. The logic here might be counterproductive as Barcelona’s Messi will be in the World Cup representing Argentina yet teammate Xavi Hernandez will play for Spain. While the talent might be further dispersed, it does ensure a more competitive tournament while in the Champions League the top teams such as Barca, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter and Real Madrid continue to have a monopoly over the best players.

- National Pride: While at the club the salary of the player is a decisive factor, the same players seek and try their best to play for their country at the World Cup. While there are financial rewards offered by a country’s Federation to the players who achieve certain objectives, the competing players in the World Cup are after the prestige and the experience of playing in the World Cup. Players who excel at the World Cup often become national heroes and lift the spirits of their fellow compatriots.

- Social Role: While football in general unites fans whether poor or rich, and of any race or background, to watch the games, the World Cup gets the nod here because of the global presence and coverage it generates.

- World Cup vs Champions League: Simply put winning the World Cup is Marcello Lippi’s greatest achievement and not winning the Champions League with Juventus in 1996. Zidane’s greatest honour was leading France to triumph in World Cup 1998 and then comes other honours such as Euro 2000 with Les Bleus and the Champions League triumph with Real Madrid (Zidane might pick winning the Champions League with R. Madrid over Euro 2000 but he certainly considers France 1998 as his greatest achievement).

- Mourinho Factor: The Portuguese is simply the type who does not rate anything high unless he is the main benefactor or the driving force behind it. Some might argue that when Chelsea won the domestic double (Premiership and FA Cup) in Carlo Ancelotti’s first season in charge one of those who were not really impressed was Mourinho because he used to try and instigate the Italian into a verbal war when Ancelotti was still in charge of rivals Milan. Mourinho considered beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge one of his greatest moments only to retract his statement after eliminating Barca in the Champions League semi-final not because the Catalans are the most talented team in the world (which they probably are with Messi & Xavi leading the line among others) but because he assisted Bobby Robson when he was in charge at the Camp Nou before leaving the club (he was bitter at not being offered the chance to coach the team in the years after). This is one additional motivational factor behind his strong desire to take charge of Real Madrid in order to make Barca suffer on the domestic front.

- Main Focus: The Champions League is on Saturday yet many supporters are preoccupied with the provisional teams and the cuts made by the national team coaches while Mourinho is desperately trying to engage in mind games with BayernMunich. Admittedly the Bavarians did start this round of psychological warfare when they accused Inter of being a defensive team and not entertaining which prompted Mourinho to sarcastically taunt Bayern for the decisive refereeing errors which helped the German club overcome Fiorentina in Munich as well as the sending off of Rafael of Manchester United at Old Trafford which helped turn the tide in Bayern’s favour.

There are a number of other factors which can be considered but once again nothing really surpasses the feeling of winning what is recognised as the world’s greatest honour in sports and the most watched event in the world. In addition, the Champions League is played on a yearly basis while the World Cup is a major event played every four years which gives it even more emphasis and makes it more exclusive. Only seven countries have won the World Cup   at one of the 18 total events played so far while the Champions League is in its 55th season (and ironically in its 18th under the current format) and has been won by 21 different clubs.

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.

Dunga, fairly or not, is feeling the heat for the Selecao’s performances the last couple of matches.  He decided to make some changes for the next two qualifiers.  The most obvious move was replacing Ronaldinho for Kaka.  The two AC Milan playmakers seem to be meshing well after their performance in the Rossoneri’s 1-0 win over Inter on Sunday’s Derby Della Madollina but when wearing Brazil’s famous yellow shirt it has not worked.  The move to include Inter’s Amantino Mancini was long overdue and the excitement of his 1st appearance for Brazil could energize the team.   

Brazil faces Venezuela in San Cristobal on October 12 then hosts Colombia in Rio three days later.

Goalkeepers:
Julio César (Inter Milán, ITA), Doni (Roma, ITA).

Defenders:
Daniel Alves (Barcelona, ESP), Maicon (Inter Milán, ITA), Kléber (Santos, BRA), Juan (Flamengo, BRA), Alex (Chelsea, ENG), Juan (Roma, ITA), Lucio (Bayern Múnich, GER), Thiago Silva (Fluminense, BRA).

Midfielders:
Anderson (Manchester United, ENG), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, GRE), Josué (Wolfsburg, GER), Lucas (Liverpool, ENG), Elano (Manchester City, ENG), Julio Baptista (Roma, ITA), Kaká (Milán, ITA), Mancini (Inter Milán, ITA).

Forwards:
Alexandre Pato (AC Milán, ITA), Robinho (Manchester City, ENG), Luís Fabiano (Sevilla, ESP), Jô (Manchester City, ENG)