The Three Lions are landing back on their home turf today and before they even deplane, the English media will be on them like hounds. Their defeated faces will be splashed across the tabloids with horribly corny puns similar to the one shown in Nike’s ‘Write the Future Ad’.

And the whole country is going to be grilling Capello, the players, FIFA, the location, and even the way the EPL is run. Right now, as I type this, England’s (least) favourite Italian is being questioned with more intensity than the Spanish Inquisition.  No surprise. England is going to look for a single scapegoat to bear their string of poor performances and German slaughter. We saw hints of this when Capello swiftly shut down John Terry’s all-team meeting and the English media immediately pounced on Terry in attempts of making him a backup scapegoat—just in case the English lost.

England, I ask you, why can there only be one reason why you failed to revive 1966? Because, really, aren’t a combination of all of the above named factors a reason why you lost?

Capello’s not perfect, that’s a fact. But no one is. Not even Maradona. Sure, he spent too much time trying to find the right starting XI, made some tactical errors, refused to pull out underperforming superstars like Rooney and barely acknowledged the team’s request for Joe Cole to play. But that’s his style. Capello does things his way and while critics may say that he should’ve adopted the less-harsh English method, it probably would have lead to a quicker downfall and probably not a qualifier.

The players are always the hardest and the easiest to blame. The so-called Golden Generation of footballers were supposed to pave the way to a victory that only dreams could concoct. But everybody underperformed. Nobody seemed to have the heart to play. Nobody seemed to want it after Robert Green’s howler. The whole team scored a total of 3 goals. Lampard had arguably the best game of any of the players, but even then, his semi-lackluster performance didn’t debut until the threat of elimination was made very real. Speaking of…

USA fans will forever lament the two discounted goals, but they won’t moan about it nearly as much as England will Lampard’s. The call to FIFA for the inclusion of instant replay and better refereeing will be louder from the British Isles than anywhere else. (Except maybe a jilted Mexico). And with FIFA staying mum on their ref’s performances, it’s not going to make matters any better. To be fair, this is probably England’s best argument for their loss, as an equaliser would have drastically altered the momentum of the second half and prevented such a blitzkrieg.

The environment is always one of the first to be blamed for poor performances: altitude change, a wintertime World Cup, poor pitch conditions, vuvuzelas, etc. I’m surprised the team hasn’t lashed out at the Jabulani ball yet…oh, wait.

The most outrageous argument that has come up thus far has been against the number of foreign players that are allowed to play in the EPL. English players are apparently not getting enough playing time and feel suffocated by the number of foreigners in the clubs. Okay.

When it comes down to it, England have only themselves to blame. Maybe Capello’s no WAGs rule had something to do with it…

After watching the Italian national team’s disastrous exit from the World Cup, I could not help but think that such a flaccid performance was required not just once, but twice.  Why?  The myth of the 2006 champions has punished la Nazionale for far too long, and such a powerful story like being ‘i campioni del mondo’ needed to be really shaken out of everyone’s minds.  

What is this myth?  It is the continued idea that the 2006 team was perfect and the same formula would produce similar, if not victorious results.

I am not saying the great players of the winning campaign four years ago were not great.  They were, and their lifting of the trophy was deserved.  However, the players of Germany 2006, and more importantly, the near identical tactics to go with them, were so apocalyptically bad in the following tournaments that they needed to be unequivocally humiliated.

But to shatter the  continued reliance on essentially the same team, this ridiculous humbling had to happen twice.  What are the twin catastrophes?

The first requisite effort was the 2008 European championship where gli Azzurri whimpered out of the penalty shoot out with Spain and scarcely made an impact on anybody’s mind, and the second was the three winless games of South Africa 2010.

Why suffer the pain of two defeats?  Why not learn from 2008 and rebuild to be competitive in two years time?  They probably should and would have, but for one reason: In 2008, the exit was a tragic.  

Italy had a team of then world class players: Luca Toni couldn’t stop scoring for Bayern, Pirlo could still dictate a game from the midfield like nobody else (except for Xavi), Buffon was superman, the creative attacker Cassano had been recalled, De Rossi could run and tackle his way through a small army, etc.

Italy had an excuse, and it wasn’t their average players (as it was most recently).  It was a penalty shoot out that had them eliminated after all, a bit of luck — tragedy.  Not that Spain didn’t fully and overwhelmingly deserve their victory, but Italy weren’t consistently outplayed by mediocre teams as in 2010.  

1 win, 2 draws and a loss against France, Spain, Romania and Holland in 2008 is surely better than 2 draws and a loss against Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia in 2010.

But in 2010 the exit was tragicomic.  Why?  The same core that failed in 2008 was given the green light to fail again.  The starting XI of Thursday’s match contained 5 non-2006 players, and had Buffon and Pirlo been healthy, that number would have been only 3.  

The result of the reliance on them was summed up midway through the first half when Lippi was seen giving instructions to a panting Gattuso.  This is the same player who ran away Cristiano Ronaldo’s threat in the 2007 champions league, now huffing for breath a third of the way through a game — tragicomic.

Pirlo was the only 2006 player who looked like he could still make a game his own, as Italy only came alive for the thirty minutes (in three games) he ran the show from the midfield.  

But let’s not take Pirlo’s inspiring play and lament, “Oh, if only Pirlo had been healthy, surely Italy would have reached the semis at least.”  Absolutely not.  This is the exact same interpretation of 2008, and here one cannot view Italy’s loss as a tragedy.

But far more importantly, the tactics of 2006 were used massively inappropriately, and hopeful the disastrous performances will prevent this from happening again with immediate effect.  While Grosso, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Zambrotta and Buffon in 2006 will go down as one of the best defense units in World Cup history, attempting to use the same “defense first” idea with a outrageously weaker back line leads to 5 goals in three games against average sides.

It is as if Lippi took the stereotype of Italy being defense-minded seriously, even when it clearly hurt their chances. Similarly, the continued traditional reliance on Juventus players, even in a year where they cannot even qualify for the Champions League, was similarly appalling.

While I do not wish to join the chorus of “Balotelli + Cassano in Nazionale” voices, I will say there were numerous teams with Italian players on them that produced better results all season than the Juve group, and they at least merited a chance with gli Azzurri.

This is not to say the entire 2006 class minus Pirlo must leave before Euro 2012.  De Rossi and Buffon especially will still be crucial players.

But this is a moment of catharsis for Italy.  The ridiculous tactical and defensive choices, the anti-creative attacking selection, the reliance on 2006 veterans, the belief that Juventus = Italy — all of this can now end without dissent from the media, fans or the team itself.  

This is why the catastrophe had to happen twice.  Once was not enough to arouse the recognition of the problems in near everything from players to coaching.  Two times surely will awaken everyone to how the myths of 2006 preemptively ruined the two successive chances for major honors for La Nazionale.

The group stages have concluded and now we can all look forward to good old fashioned knockout Football. What this World Cup has provided us so far has been, well, a bit baffling really, it has provided little in the way of genuine thrills and excitement but a huge amount of intrigue. It has been engrossing and most importantly it has provided some genuine surprises.

Group A was the setting for the demise of the French, no heart, no passion, no cohesion, spats, rows and fallouts equalled one point for Les Bleus and a shameful early flight home. Henry should’vedone the world a favour and kept his hand by his side. Uruguay and Mexico qualified from the group with relative ease, both sides have shown through some assured displays that they are more than capable of having a successful run in this World Cup. It was such a disappointment not to see the South Africans get through, maybe naivety, nerves and a little bit of expectation got the better of them, particularly against the Uruguayans, yet their performances either side of that game were impressive and it was a shame not to see the host nation progress. The South African squad, unlike the French, can hold their heads high.

Argentina somewhat strolled through Group B, winning all three games, as impressive as that looks on paper there do appear to be a few cracks in the Argentinean side, particularly at the back. As yet you couldn’t really put them down as nailed on finalists. South Korea qualified as runners up, they are a well organised outfit and create plenty of openings going forward, they make for a tricky opposition. Elsewhere in Group B Greece were Greece and Nigeria were bitterly disappointing, their campaign will only be remembered for Yakubu’s astonishing miss against the Koreans.

The USA claimed top spot in Group C with virtually the last kick of the group, securing a berth in arguably the easier side of the draw. It was no less than the Americans deserved, particularly after clawing their way back from two nil down in their previous match to claim a vital point. England finished runners up, after being vilified for their part in two drab draws they secured qualification with a One nil victory over Slovenia, England may live to regret not converting more of their chances, they now face a tricky route through the knockouts. Far from being spectacular Algeria and Slovenia ensured that qualification for the US and England was not as comfortable as many imagined it would be.

The ever efficient Germans got their World Cup off to a flying start, breezing past an awful Australian side in a four nil rout. That German efficiency went missing in game two when they fell to a one nil defeat at the hands of Serbia. Group D   like most groups was wide open going into the final round of matches. A one goal victory against the Ghanaians clinched top spot for Joachim Low’s men. Ghana finished second, salvaging some pride for what has been a poor World Cup for the African nations. To be fair there wasn’t much between the three sides that finished below the Germans, the Australians were vastly improved after their first display and the Serbs looked well organised and difficult to beat. It was Ghana’s win in their first game which proved how crucial it is to get points on the board as early as possible.

The Dutch waltzed to 9 points in Group E without even having to get out of second gear. Japan finished a thoroughly deserving second. Denmark and Cameroon were quite frankly awful in what was possibly the dullest group of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions, for me, have been the let down of 2010 so far.

Group F was home to the shock of the Tournament, Italy not only failed to qualify but finished bottom of their group. On the back of two lacklustre draws no one expected the Italians to fall short again in their last match. You have to credit the Slovakians for playing with such belief, it has to be the game of the tournament so far, and in contrast to the French, despite their shocking start the Italians fought all the way in their final game and very nearly pulled off a great escape in the dying seconds. Special mention must go to New Zealand, to finish undefeated in a group containing the Azzurri, Paraguay and Slovakia is some achievement for the All Whites and it is a shame three sides could not progress from Group F because no one would begrudge them 90 more minutes of World Cup Football.

Brazil finished top of the pile in Group G with Portugal qualifying as runners up. The Ivory Coast were another African disappointment and the North Koreans went from terrific to terrible in three games. Brazil look strong, their two defensive midfielders play a priceless role and have so far been fantastic, if their more creative colleagues hit form then the boys from Brazil will be the team to beat.

In the final group Chile continued to wave the South American flag proudly. They played with the freedom and expression expected from Group favourites Spain. The Spanish did not buck the trend of struggling European sides, leaving qualification to the last game after a less than convincing start, but they did manage to turn things around and claim top spot. Switzerland were their normal no nonsense selves, set up not to lose and not to be pleasing on the eye. I would like to say the Hondurans did more than just make up the numbers, sadly I can’t.

As the World Cup heads into stage two a lot of teams will try to forget their struggles in the group stages. This is the business end of the tournament and it’s game one as far as they are concerned, if you slip up now you don’t get another chance to set things right. There is still no real favourite, results wise it has been one of the most unpredictable World Cups so far, one thing we know is that every side is beatable. The form book was thrown out of the window during the group stages, and there’s no indication that will change in the knockouts.

Today signals the start of the final games in the World Cup finals group stage and we’re bound to start see jubilation and early heartbreak in the coming week. The first group to complete their three game schedule is one of the most talked about set of sides in this World Cup and an interesting tie occurs today as the hosts South Africa, who are on the brink of making history as the only host nation never to qualify from the group stage, take on a French side with a lot of unrest within. The final games (as you may know) take place simultaneous, after a past incident between Germany and Austria in the World Cup, where both sides needed a draw to qualify, so turned their game into what could be described as a light training session. Mexico and Uruguay are in the same situation despite FIFA’s simultaneous ruling, but I’m sure both sides will want to avoid taking on Argentina in the next round so a win would benefit both and could leave the door open for the hosts or France to sneak in. I’m also pretty sure FIFA have sent a polite message to both nations asking them to play within the spirit of the game, or something along those lines. As ever, comments are welcome and you can follow me on twitter @Clusks. I will be watching from England on ITV.

- France have caused quite a stir this World Cup and if you take the ball complaints and those monotone horns, they’re probably the biggest talking point so far. Anelka has gone home and the finalists from four years ago are in a world of trouble. Evra has been stripped of the captain’s armband and is dropped for this game, there is no Malouda and still no Henry. Actually I’m wondering why I chose this game over the other one, although the Mexico V Uruguay tie could turn boring, with France’s lack of ambition and South Africa’s terrible ability to string passes together, this game could also be awful.

- In England we’ve been bombarded by a load of Irish people gloating and saying ‘what goes around comes around’ and it appears that this puts a smile on their face. Although I think when Blanc takes charge of the side, normal service may be resumed and they’ll become another super power in football. Let’s face it, they have amazing players and with the right manager they’re one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

- ITV never cease to annoy me, Adrian Chiles is becoming so annoying on their coverage, they seem to be trying to make a joke out of anything they can with him at the helm, 2good2bad on Match Of the Day 2 was good, but ITV are trying too hard and picking at the little things to make Chiles like that. They have shown us about one million times the South African player signing on their way to where ever they’re going, and they point it out every time as if it is still novel. Yes Chiles, it’s brilliant that they like to sing and dance, but it’s not as brilliant they 50th time it’s shown.

- Key Man Watch: Pffffff? France? I’m going to choose Raymond Domenech as their key man, I want to see his reactions on the bench and how dejected he may look. Actually, if France score, it will be interesting to see how everybody reacts, particularly Domenech. As for South Africa, I’m really not sure, they’ve looked really poor this tournament and Pienaar who is set up as their big player has been anonymous, but I suppose I’d like to see Tshabalala blast one in the top corner.

- Let’s hope that ITV give goal updates from the other group A game, otherwise I’ll need to do some serious channel hopping.

Kick Off!

1 Mins: Although it’s probably not a significantly accurate representation (knowing them), Sky Sports spoke to a French fan in Paris yesterday and he said he hoped that South Africa beat his own country, because France don’t deserve to win. Wouldn’t it be funny if France won the World Cup now?

3 Mins: France break down the left hand side with Gourcuff and he slides it into Gignac who has a bit of room, but takes a poor shot that Josephs can easily gather. Co-commentator Craig Burley says he’s been “fed up with watching cautious games”. Well these last few games have all been for you Craig!

7 Mins: Both teams are going for this, and the Lord of Cheshire Djibril Cisse plays a decent ball across the box, but there is no one to pick up on it. South Africa don’t look afraid though, they probably know there is no better time to play France than now.

10 Mins: I wonder if any of these disgraced players will play for their country again, they’ve managed to overtake Domenech as the most hated people in France probably, Domenech made a fair point to say what they did was stupid. Calling them imbeciles was quite funny though.

13 Mins: Freekick from Gourcuff is headed clear, it’s hard to tell how motivated each French player is, for players like Clichy, Cisse and Gignac who are battling for their places, I’d be really determined just to make your way into the team. Just had a quick flick over to the other channel, it’s still 0-0 in that game, does anybody know if they’ve just been stroking the ball about for 13 minutes?

17 Mins: Just seen Pienaar get brushed off the ball with ease by Ribery, Craig Burley has blamed his poor tournament on the players around him. I wonder if Pienaar still reckons he can get more money out of Everton after this, or even move to a bigger club.

20 Mins: Decent break from South Africa there, as Pienaar manages to find a bit of space to run into, but Diarra is able to muscle him off the ball for a corner.

20 Mins: GOAL! KHUMALO! That’ll bring the noise up in the stadium (which in turn means more vuvuzela blowing for all you lucky people). From the corner, Khumalo manages to rise really well as France struggle to stop him and he is able to head the ball past a helpless Lloris who misses his punch that left the goal open. 1-0 to South Africa

21 Mins: France try to reply instantly as Ribery manages to play a low ball into Gignac who attempts to turn and shoot but blasts it high and wide.

23 Mins: Another corner for South Africa and they attempt the same ball to Khumalo, and it almost works, Lloris looks completely clueless from these corners and needs his defence to help him make a tricky clearance away. South Africa know they need goals, they’ll want to kick France while they’re down.

25 Mins: France are shaken, the defence just keeps backing off Mphela, who decides to shoot rather than take on his man, but his low shot goes wide.

26 Mins: SENT OFF! GOURCUFF! He looks a bit surprised but there is a South Africa player on the deck, I need another look at this….I need another look at this…and another. Well…Gourcuff has elbowed a player, but it has to tell if it was intentional. Let me mop up this confusion. At first it appeared that Cisse had been sent off and the ITV commentators claimed that Cisse was the player red carded. I initially thought it was Goucuff, but then they were saying it was Cisse and the big Panathanikos striker put his hands on his head as if he had been. Fifa are trying to encourage us all to jump for balls without using our arms for leverage. I’d like to see how you do that.

30 Mins: Domenech looked drained by that decision, he gave the old double face palm and the players on the French bench look dejected. There was no point in sending Anelka home early really, they could have saved a bit of money and let him come home with the rest of the squad a few days later.

32 Mins: Quick flick over – yes no surprise to see Uruguay and Mexico are battling to a 0-0 draw.

34 Mins: Tshabalala has a free kick with a bit of curl on it, but it’s always rising and goes over the bar. South Africa need to play this as if they’re 2-0 down.

36 Mins: Ngcongca whips a ball in from the right hand side with some venom, and Tshabalala just let himself get belted by the ball as his header goes over.

37 Mins: GOAL! MPHELA! Oh dear Abou Diaby, a cross comes in from the left and it is his poor clearence that allows Sibaya to cross the ball and after a tiny scramble, Mphela is able to just tap it in. A terrible day for French football.

38 Mins: For a second there it looked like Bernard Parker had made it three, but he was offside. Was a nice finish though!

40 Mins: Ribery has a free kick, which is almost touched in by Gallas, but the 2nd choice goal keeper Josephs keeps his eye on the ball well and makes a great save to flick the ball over the bar. A chance for France to raise their spirits a bit, but it wasn’t to be.

43 Mins: France don’t care and Mphela is having a field day out there, as Pienaar plays a simple pass into him and he drives a low shot from outside the box which is tipped wide by Lloris in the goal.

44 Mins: Uh oh! Uruguay have a goal in their game and it’s Suarez on the scorers sheet. We’ll know when the South African fans have heard the news, as the volume of vuvuzelas is bound to go up. There are two goals between South Africa and Mexico now for qualification.

45 Mins: Right. Say South Africa make it through. They’re likely to play Argentina. I can’t imagine how many goals Argentina will manage past them. I always love the hosts, but they could be destroyed off Argentina knowing how poor they played against Mexico and Uruguay.

Half Time!

- 3 minutes of stoppage time, but South Africa looked content to go in 2-0. I wonder what will be said at half time for the French. I wonder if the French will come out for the second half! They’re suggesting that they have to go for it, but even then what do they do. Can South Africa actually make it through here? I personally have enjoyed watching the Mexico side at this World Cup, I’d like to see them have a crack at Argentina, but you can’t count out the spirit of the hosts. An interesting second half here in both games!

- If they don’t go through South Africa can be proud. The French may be depleted and in a world of despair, but South Africa are still beating a team that got to the final four years ago! It’s looking likely there will be more goals in this one.

Second Half Kick Off!

46 Mins: Gignac is off for France, to be replaced byMalouda. Good, or should France just not go all out attack anyway?

50 Mins: Neither side really throwing caution to the wind yet, Bernard Parker had a shot which he hit on the turn, but it was deflected and softly fell into the hands of Lloris. I wonder if another Uruguay goal would liven things up.

51 Mins: Scratch that, Mphela has just hit the post! For the first time in this tournament, Tshabalala has passed the ball rather than attempt to smash it, and Mphela makes a lovely connection that gives Lloris no hope, but it strikes the outside of the post and goes wide! Looks like Thierry Henry may be coming on, if this is his last French performance, it will echo Zidane’s final performance. Two great players with sad endings to their international careers (and in Zidane’s case, his whole career – but I still love him!).

53 Mins: Ngcongca needs the stretcher to help him off the pitch and he may well be replaced by Gaxa.

54 Mins: Cisse has one of France’s best shots, as he hits the ball first time and although dipping, it is over the bar. Despite that decent attempt, Cisse is coming off, here is Henry who must be at his lowest ebb right now.

56 Mins: South Africa are managing to sustain pressure because France are so nervous at the back, the offside trap isn’t working and there is no communication. They’re also making some poor clearances that are allowing South Africa to build up waves of attacks. It may be 3-0 soon.

58 Mins: Mphela is enjoying himself today, another long shot from outside of the box is on target and it needs Lloris to be called into action and tip the ball out for a corner. From the corner, the ball drops to Pineaar and it is the sort of ball you dream of having on the volley, but his shot hits his own player that is on the floor.

59 Mins: Ribery tricks his way past the South Africa defence, and has a few opportunities to shoot before the ball to Henry opens up for him, but instead he attempts to blast a shot which goes over the bar. All that effort from Henry for nothing.

61 Mins: Not sure if that corner was something from the training ground that didn’t work out or if that players got confused, as Tshabalala’s corner meets no one as every South African in the box runs to the near post as the ball goes far.

62 Mins: If you didn’t know anything about football, you’d think that Mphela was the world class player in the pitch, just breezes past Clichy with ease, and is unfortunate as his shot deflects back off him after Lloris saves at his feet.

- I agree with The Gaffer, terrible by France and although Ribery is trying to make something happen, there are players in this side that simply don’t care. It’s a bit of a shame when it’s your country involved. I passively heard something on the news that there are now questions of racism involved in this argument – if that were the case then French football would be in an even bigger crisis.

68 Mins: Bernard Parker is coming off here, he’s done a decent job but it’s good to freshen things up. On comes Nomvethe, to a massive roar from the crowd. He’s clearly a fan favourite and will be even more so if he smashes in two goals. Ooo, there is a shot of the French Bench and the players are talking to each other – about how much they hate Domenech?! About what Zidane has asked them to do?! About the plane journey home?! Who knows!

70 Mins: GOAL! MALOUDA! Well that’s a cog in the works. More good work from Ribery who has been the only player with any passion in attack, he’s able to square the ball for a simple tap in for Malouda. The vuvuzelas went silent, but only for a mere three seconds or so, that could end the dream. Still 2-1 to South Africa, but that dents any hope of them getting into the last 16.

71 Mins: Freekick for South Africa and manages to find its way into Lloris despite a South African player flinging himself at the ball. Ribery attempts to break, but Henry plays a lazy pass and gives away possession.

74 Mins: Good play from Pineaar as he manages to get away from Clichy who has been terrible today, he attempts to slide the ball into Nomvethe but the French manage to get it away. I’m sure Ribery can somewhat hold his head up high after this tournament, he has tried but just not been accompanied by those around him. Domenech does make a good point as I said, it is stupid and playing for your country should come before any feelings you have.

76 Mins: Nomvethe has managed to run through three French defenders with hardly a decent attempt at a challenge on him. The French defence has been woeful today, they don’t deserve to represent a country that has so much potential about them.

78 Mins: Final sub for South Africa, attacking midfielder Modiese is coming on for Khuboni. Time to throw the kitchen sink at it, a win against France is nice but a chance in the last 16 is what this contest is all about at this stage.

80 Mins: Whats this? Tshabalala has a shot at goal from outside of the box? Take a wild guess at how it ended…

- A small off the topic point while I’m doing this, Wolves have made six signings so far this summer, despite Mick McCarthy being in South Africa for the BBC. How has he managed to do this? Must have a massive phone bill.

82 Mins: Diarra off and Govou on for France. Commentators say they “wouldn’t like to be Laurent Blanc taking on this job”. I would, I reckon with some of the players France have I could win the World Cup. Give me the job. I have done wonderful things with the likes of Southend, PSG and FC Koln on Football Manager.

86 Mins: Well it looks like France are playing for a 2-1 defeat here, how admirable. ITV viewers have voted Tshabalala as man of the match, personally I’d go with Mphela considering he’s destroyed the French defence and looked lively.

87 Mins: And on that note, Mphela fails to control the ball and it’s out for a throw in.

89 Mins: The commentators are surprised and shocked that Domenech will go down as the longest serving post-war French manager. He did get them to the World Cup. It’s almost as if that didn’t happen when people talk about Domenech’s French reign (of terror).

91 Mins: Modiese has a crack at goal, and it is decent, but it hits the side netting. So Uruguay and Mexico into the next round, Latin America is having a great time at this World Cup.

92 Mins: Take that ITV viewers! Tshabala has plenty of time to shoot after the ball is played over to him in space, but he hits it straight at Lloris and France can clear.

93 Mins: A freekick for South Africa and the commentator claims “one more chance for South Africa at this World Cup”. Unless this free kick counts for about three goals, then no. Just no.

Full Time!

- There goes the French and South Africa, the first hosts ever to not qualify from the group stage. But they can be proud that they beat the French, even if this is one of the worst French teams in the history of football. The football may be over for France, but the stories will continue. At the full time whistle, there is an argument between the two managers and (in terms of UFC) the South Africa coach has some wrist control over Domenech who may want to retire to a remote island after this as I doubt there are too many clubs who will want them as their coach. South Africa can build from this tournament, and we’ve often seen the benefits of having a World Cup in your country in how it helps national sides to grow in ability.

- The adverts have stopped and in actual fact, Domenech refused to shake Parreira’s hand which is why the argument started. What a disgrace, that man is an idiot. Whatever happened in the match, you show respect. Thanks for reading, I’m off to be sick.

I know many websites (in England atleast) give live commentary updates, which leads people to almost break the refresh button on their computer, but I thought that considering I have been massively excited for this moment for the past year at least, i’d give it a go and let you know updates from the game and what i’m thinking as I’m watching the opening of the World Cup in South Africa. I’ll be watching from England on ITV1, so bear with me as their coverage is ususally terrible anyway. As ever, you can follow me on twitter @Clusks and i’d love to hear your comments below, which I will try to incorporate into this write up:

-The opening ceremony saw a dung beetle getting a good first touch on the ball, and then people recoiling from R Kelly hoping they don’t get any stray fluids in their face (may be over elaborating). There was also an Algerian singer who’s name I didn’t catch, but all the lyrics to his song involved either a ‘de’ or a ‘do’.

- ITV have Lucas Radabe and Francois Pienaar to interview before the game. No surprise to see they’ve got onto the subject of how football/soccer can unite the nation. Oh, and they’ve got onto the subject of the 1995 rugby World Cup which i’m sure Pienaar never gets asked about any more.

- Well almost thirty minutes to kick off and ITV have informed us that they’ll finally be doing some analysis of the football that’s actually being played today, which is a treat. Also on another note, for some reason in England we are being spammed with adverts about BBQs, one advert was promoting a CD entitled ’101 BBQ songs’. I never get an urge to eat  flame grilled burger when listening to particular songs.

- Just seen South Africa dance their way onto the pitch for their warm up, they look really fired up, but Booth looks some what out of place. I’ve got a 15 game accumulator on and I put Mexico to win this game, but I watched Invicitus last night and now i’m concerned

- Key men: Everyone expects a lot of Pienaar in this team, but Modise is a pretty big player for Bafana Bafana and could really make a big statement to world football at this tournament. As for Mexico, I expect there to be a lot of buzz around Salcido once this tournament is over, reminds me a lot of Zhirkov and Anyukov when they stormed Euro 2008 from Russia’s full back positions. Also, if Vela can find his finishing touch he could be a force to be reckoned with and wouldn’t just know him as “that guy who becomes the world’s greatest footballer on the football manager game”.

- Sepp Blatter comes out and gets a big cheer when he name drops Mandela. The World Cup is in full force here, and vuvuzelas are echoing everywhere. Here come the national anthems – Mexico have a great one!

- They’re both doing their huddles in the same half of the pitch as Mexico moved over there, and South Africa’s involved everybody patting Pienaar on the head. Here’s the kick off, you’ll never be more excited over a South Africa V Mexico fixture!

Kick Off!

2 Mins: South Africa barely have a touch of the ball and the South Africa goal keeper Khune is forced to parry a shot which falls to Gio dos Santos, but his shot at an open net is deflected. The resulting corner also looks dangerous and Mexico show no nerves at all.

6 Mins: Gio Dos Santos is looking great here, lively and vibrant, the South African players are reacting after he’s already made his move! I think any other country would be bored of blowing those vuvuzelas by now – but the locals haven’t stopped.

12 Mins: It’s gone to becoming quite cagey as many expected, although South Africa are struggling to put two passes together while Mexico still look very confident, even if their goalkeeper Perez is a bit of a live wire. No surprise to see the ITV commentators have mentioned Sven due to his relationship with Mexico.

15 Mins: Thwala makes a good tackle to give away a corner, but from the resulting corner Franco has a header that is off target, his reaction suggesting that he could have done better. A free kick a few seconds’ later means South Africa finally have a bit of possession – only took them fifteen minutes! A good passing movement results in a free kick for Bafana Bafana, even though it was blatantly a dive. If they score we can get the rumour mill regarding host nation favouritism going again. But Pienaar get’s nowhere near troubling the keeper – goal kick.

19 Mins: A harsh yellow card for a handball against Juarez and South Africa have a good position from the free kick. At first goalkeeper Perez was standing a mile off his line to which I was screaming at him to get back on for the sake of my accumulator, but luckily South Africa didn’t take it quickly. It’s a poor free kick and Mexico break with two men on the counter attack, and Gio Dos Santos again has an attempt at goal that threatens but ultimately goes wide!

23 Mins: He may have a name that sounds like you’re speaking in tongues, but Tshabalala isn’t afraid to run and get a few crosses in. A passing move across the park see’s Mphela on the edge of the 16-yard box on South Africa’s right hand side, and he attempts to drill a cross in, which Oscar Perez initially spills but then recovers. He looks like good entertainment for the neutral Perez, I love the sort of goalkeeper that loves to punch stuff instead of catching it.

28 Mins: Gio Dos Santos again runs through about three yellow shirts and all they can do is hack him down. A yellow card for Dikgacoi and Marquez (?) lines up the free kick. No surprise to see the CENTRE BACK’S free kick go over the bar.

33 Mins: Mexico pass the ball about once again, and Carlos Vela dinks the ball into Franco who has got away from his marker. He tries to ease the ball past Khune, but the goalkeeper has made himself big enough to stop it. Best chance so far.

34 Mins: South Africa have gone to sleep. Mexico find themselves in a great position which looks like it surprises them, as Vela has the ball on the right and attempts to either cross or shoot (I can’t decide which) but in the end it’s gone wide. They’ll be disappointed they haven’t scored in this first half to be honest.

38 Mins: Controversy here but it’s a brilliant call from the linesman. Mexico have a corner and South Africa just let about three players free. the ball is flicked on to vela who puts the ball into the back of the net, but he is just ahead of the goalkeeper Khune who has come out to punch the ball and got absolutely nowhere near. Disallowed goal, but good officiating.

41 Mins: Another freekick for Mexico, another act of terrible set-piece marking from Bafana Bafana. Franco has another header that misses the target. If Mexico had a finisher they’d be 4-0 up here.

42 Mins: South Africa come alive for the first time in an age. A great passing movement results in a corner after Gaxa’s cross is blocked. From the corner, Perez makes a hilarious leap for the ball and it deflects off Franco for another corner. The second corner is terrible however; it appears to be flashes of brilliance from South Africa here.

44 Mins: A cross from South Africa almost reaches the head of Mphela who managed to lose his marker. South Africa get a corner, which Perez punches away, and then proceeds to dive across the floor, probably realising that the cameras are on him. I love this guy.

Half Time!

- That’s half time in the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. Adverts in England are trying to entice people to put a bet on a 2-1 victory to Mexico at 12/1. With Mexico’s poor finishing and South Africa’s rare abillity to excite, i’d steer clear of that one. This one is looking like a likely draw as things stand, or a 1-0, but i’m sure South Africa will be encouraged by their finish to the first half, whereas Mexico will know that they have the pace and passing movement to run rings around the hosts.

- ITV show South African fan’s reaction to Khune’s save from Franco, they’re in some bar in South Africa and everyone is celebrating except one man that looks mortified in the front row. Maybe he bet against his own country?

Second Half Kick Off!

45 Mins: ITV commentators say that although it looks like a lovely day it is actually quite cold in South Africa. South Africa have made a change, no surprise that it’s in the full back areas, as Masilela comes into the game to play at left back, replacing thwala. There is also a problem of quite a few empty seats before the second half starts, is there only one toilet in this stadium or something?

55 Mins: GOAL! TSHABALALA: It’s been a good start to the second half, and the ball is played through to Tshabalala who is burst forward after beating the offside trap from the left wing and smashed the ball into the top corner of the net for the first goal of this World Cup. A great first goal and a good celebration from the South African’s as a massive roar is let out from the crowd. I don’t know who got the assist as a dog was barking – obviously a big South Africa fan.

56 Mins: Quite strange really, Mexico are set to make a substitute here only minutes after the second half has commenced, and this was a decision made before the goal was scored, suggesting the Mexican manager is one of the most impatient managers at the World Cup. Guardado who plays for Deportivo in Spain is on for Aguilar. Also my brother has pointed out if anyone has noticed, a lot of the Mexican players are wearing the same boots in this game. Cha-ching!

60 Mins: Mexico have a free kick which is caught by the keeper. They get the ball back and get it to Gio Dos Santos on the right wing who manages to beat his marker and get a shot on goal which Khune meets with a fantastic save. He must have springs in his step, that was a great jump to stop that.

66 Mins: South Africa get another passing move together and Mphela lines up a shot that is weak and deflected, but it drops to Modiese who seems to hit it a bit too casually in front of goal and puts it wide, luckily for him though it was offside, so his blushes are saved.

69 Mins: Heres the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Cuauhtemoc Blanco takes to the field, obviously this can only result in a hattrick for the main man. What a hero!

70 Mins: Gaxa plays the ball into Modiese and it looks too heavy, but Modiese makes a great first touch and claims he is being held back as he has a shot which is saved by Perez in goal and cleared to safety. Was that a penalty? Opinion seems quite divided. ITV have just claimed that Blanco is the danger now. I love you Blanco. Also it’s not just the Mexican’s with those boots on, many of the South African’s have them on too. Interesting…not.

74 Mins: Mysterious Man Utd signing Javi Hernandez comes onto the field to replace a disappointing Franco, who hasn’t found his finishing touch today. Seems Mexico are trying to throw the kitchen sink at this one now and are looking to go a bit gung ho. I reckon there could be another goal in this one.

76 Mins: Blanco threatens as his first touch sets up South Africa perfectly into an attack, in which Modiese looks for Tshabalala at the far post, but his cross is too heavy.

79 Mins: GOAL! MARQUEZ: The changes have worked for Mexico, it’s a short corner that doesn’t work out very well, but the cross comes in and Mokoena is playing everyone onside while the rest of the South African team have pushed forward. It is missed by the front two, but Marquez takes it down and has all the time in the world. Mexico will be favourites to go on and get the winner now. Blanco winner!

80 Mins: Gaxa has a hopeful shot which Perez doesn’t want to hold onto, so punches out in front of him. Great stuff from the Mexican goal keeper once again, like I said, everybody loves a keeper that punches!

83 Mins: Surprise here as Pienaar comes off, but Bernard Parker, a striker, comes onto the field showing that South Africa believe that they can win this one and won’t settle for a draw. Although it appears that Parker is going to play more of a supporting role to Mphela up front.

85 Mins: Good little chip from Blanco that for a second looked like it had put Javi Hernandez in at goal, but a good block from South Africa and it’s a goal kick as it comes back off Hernandez.

89 Mins: ITV viewers have voted Tshabalala man of the match for this game. He’s been good, but not Gio Dos Santos? No goal but he’s been amazing in his game!

90 Mins: Oh my lord! A nothing ball thumped forward see’s Mexico’s defence slow to react and all of a sudden Mphela gets a hold of the ball and his first touch sets him up beautifully, and despite beating Perez, the ball hits the near post. Agonising for the rainbow nation.

Full Time!

- Nothing much happens in added time, although Perez once again came running off his line to be Mexico’s sweeper keeper. The full time whistle goes and South Africa goal keeper Khune drops to the floor looking like he’s in despair and if their World Cup is already over! Both teams have a right to feel a bit uneasy about not picking up the victory, but an exciting start to the 2010 World Cup! Oh, and my accumulator is over in the first game. Brilliant – thanks lads.

Drogba Out - Big Blow to Africa

The 2010 World Cup created quite a lot of excitement, mainly due to the fact it was the first World Cup to be hosted in the continent of Africa, and the most suitable venue was South Africa, due to it having a rather strong economy. There are always hiccups in the process, and the odd scare thrown out by the media in order to sell a few papers, but in terms of building the stadiums, promoting the tournament and creating an exciting atmosphere, South Africa has done itself proud and with one week to go, we are ready for the World Cup. This cup is unofficially billed as Africa 2010, as many people see this as a chance for the whole of Africa to get involved and show how much they love football. Yet a number of stories are starting to appear that are taking the shine off an African World Cup, and many problems are coming out that appear to be diminishing the excitement from the African nations themselves:

Essien and Drogba – out:

News has just broken that Didier Drogba has become a real doubt for the World Cup after fracturing his arm in a warm up match with Japan. This is a terrible shame for many fans of football, as truth be told, if you had to chose another nation to win the World Cup rather than your own this summer, you’d like to see an African nation lift the trophy, and Ivory Coast probably stood the best chance of any of this years African competitors. Drogba is a World Class player and not only the Star of Ivory Coast, but one of Africa’s best players in general. Add this to Michael Essien’s unfortunate absence and this really takes a shine off how great African football has become in the past several decades. Essien is a huge star in Africa and many saw him as the player to lead the way for the African countries at South Africa, but without him at the tournament it takes a lot of the excitement surrounding African Nation’s chances at this World Cup. There is one major hitter still going with the African Nations…

Samuel Eto’o Spits His Dummy Out:

…If he wants to. Samuel Eto’o has bizarrely claimed, days before the final squad announcements, that he “doesn’t need to go to the World Cup” and made a threat to withdraw himself from consideration after Roger Milla was critical of his performances for his country. Truth be told, there is no way Eto’o would really withdraw from this World Cup in particular, no matter how big his ego is, he has a chance to shine in the continent of Africa and represent his country at one of the greatest sporting tournaments in the world. I don’t care if the Prime Minister and the Queen were critical of my performances, I’d still put on a shirt for England at a World Cup if they asked me to go. Eto’o has just reacted in the worst manner possible, and now there is probably a divide in Cameroon over whether they side with their long time hero Milla, or Eto’o who will spearhead their attack at this World Cup. Thank god he is going though, without Drogba and Essien, this World Cup needs Eto’o. I’m not saying there aren’t amazing players in Africa, just that they’re the big three really for this summer.

Neutrals and Contest Winners Set To Support The Africans:

This is absolutely ludicrous and one of those situations where money should be no issue. South Africa will have a vibrant and lively support no doubt, as Fifa was keen for even the poorest to get a chance to see their country player this summer by offering a number of schemes in which money accumulated so they could afford the ticket. Fifa did not however decide to consider that this situation might be the same beyond the borders of South Africa, as at this point, the other five African Nations have, in total, 40,000 supporters going to this World Cup. That’s less than 10,000 supporters per nation, and that doesn’t mean to say that this will be balanced out evenly. I love the African supporters, they love to dance and don’t stop cheering for the whole 90 minutes. I remember at the Confederations Cup, one South African supporter had a pair of big glasses and an Oxford’s English dictionary in his hand! What’s all that about? I don’t know but I love it! So what should be the most accessible World Cup to some of the poorest nations in the world will instead see fewer people travelling to South Africa from some of the nations that truly matter this summer. I only hope there is a big surprise when we actually get to the African games that are not South Africa, and we have a sea of fantastic supporters singing their hearts out.

Is It Going To Be Trouble?

Many people are quite worried about a number of issues this summer regarding this particular World Cup. The USA doesn’t just bring a large contingent of travelling support, but also a wariness of terrorist threats, particularly in the game against England. It’s true that South Africa is hugely different from Germany, Japan, South Korea and France who have hosted the most recent World Cup’s and the divide between economic classes has lead to a number of social and criminal problems in the nation. There is a chance of trouble at any major football event, and South Africa have spent a lot of money on preparing their police efforts for this tournament, and I would say that we’re unlikely to experience anything major at this tournament. South Africa has tried to promote the feel good and party attitude of the South African people, and I think that many of the visiting nations will fall into this and have a good time. But the problem still remains – yes – there will be crime at this tournament as there is at many major events, but it depends largely on how under control the South African police can keep it under control. I really hope that after this tournament we’re not all talking about major crime at the tournament as the World Cup brings a lot of positive social and economic benefits with it that African Nations could really benefit from. I know football will be the focus, but that lingering thought in the back of my mind that says something will go wrong would be a disaster for African football.

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 countdown to South Africa 2010 may have started but there is still plenty of time for surprises to take place in terms of team selections and final squad lists. Coaches may spring a surprise or two and call upon unfamiliar names or perhaps the likes of the erratic Raymond Domenech will pick some unknown players.

Setting aside unforeseen events, injuries, suspensions or lack of form, a considerable number of players are all but guaranteed a spot o their national team’s roster heading to South Africa. It is perhaps early to confirm who has already scored his ticket to the World Cup but a few names will always surface when considering the most likely top scorer of the tournament. The top scorer does not have to be a striker so a number of attacking midfielders and wingers will be included on this potential list as shown below:

- Wayne Rooney: The English forward is still a young 24-year-old star player who will be the focus of Fabio Capello’s attacking schemes come next summer. Rooney scored 12 goals in 30 league appearances last season for Manchester United but he has already managed seven strikers in 11 games this season in the Premiership. The young forward has scored 25 times in the 55 matches he has played for his country. His last goal came in the World Cup qualifying destruction of Croatia (5-1 home triumph) back on 9 September 2009.

- David Villa: The striker has an impressive record with both Valencia and Spain. He has found the net on 35 occasions in just 54 appearances. This implies the talented player has a better strike ratio than a goal every two games. Villa has scored a remarkable nine goals in 10 la Liga games this season. He forms a frightening partnership with fellow attacker Fernando Torres.

- Fernando Torres:The Liverpool striker does not have Villa’s impressive scoring record but he is still a very dangerous man inside the box. He has netted 23 goals in 71 international appearances for Spain. His scoring tally with Liverpool is impressive as he notched 24 goals in 33 league appearances in his first season at Anfield and followed that with 14 strikes in 24 matches in the Premier League. This season Torres is amazingly on 10 goals in just 10 games.

- Didier Drogba: The Ivory Coast striker is one of the most lethal players at the international level having notched 41 goals in only 60 caps for his country. Drogba has been in great form this season for Carlo Ancelotti as he has found the back of the net nine times in 12 league appearances. Drogba is a nightmare for defenders when on form due to his strength, pace and scoring abilities.

- Luis Fabiano: His goal tally stands at 25 in the 36 times he has represented Brazil. He scored twice in the important 3-1 victory over Argentina in Rosario on September 5, 2009. Luis Fabiano was top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with five goals, including a double against the Unite States in the final. He has five goals to his credit this season in just seven la liga appearances.

- Lionel Messi: The talented player is considered by many as the best player in the world at the moment. He has only managed 13 strikes in 41 appearances for Argentina but he has been in stunning form for Barcelona. He led the club to a treble last season after scoring 38 goals in 51 total appearances for the club while also providing assists on 18 other goals. He had 23 goals in 31 league appearances last season and he is on course to match or even beat the impressive figure having already scored seven times in just 10 la Liga matches. Messi is a delight to watch as he takes on defenders while making it look easy.

- Kaka: The former Milan icon has scored 26 times for Brazil in 73 appearances. He was instrumental in Milan’s success in Europe during the 2006-07 season as the club won the Champions League on the back of his incredible performances. He would finish top scorer in the European competition that season with 10 goals. He is now part of Real Madrid’s second Los Galacticos era since the turn of the century. The talented Brazilian has only managed three goals in 10 matches in la Liga as he tries to adjust to life after Milan.

- Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese missed Portugal’s play-off triumph over Bosnia but he should be back for South Africa 2010 barring any injury. The current Real Madrid star has managed to find the net 22 times in 68 matches for Portugal. He has scored five goals in just five appearances for Los Blancos as he is out injured. His scoring record with Manchester United was remarkable having scored 17 goals in 34 matches in the league during the 2006-7 season and then followed it with a stunning 2007-08 season capped by his 31 goals in 34 appearances in the Premiership. In his final season with United, he scored 18 times in 33 matches in the league. He won the European Golden Shoe during the remarkable 2007-08 season as the leading scorer across all the top divisions in Europe.

- Thierry Henry: Currently the man behind the most controversial use of his hand to contribute to a goal! His handball assist to William Gallas eliminated the Irish and sent France to South Africa 2010. The striker was extremely lethal during his spell with Arsenal but his scoring tally with Barcelona is quite respectable as he managed 19 goals in 29 matches last season. He has played 117 times for France and scored 51 goals.

Below is a list of teams with some quality players which will unfortunately miss the World Cup next summer:

Ireland- The Irish team may not be the most talented to miss out on qualification but certainly was unjustly eliminated by France. The Ireland squad is not as deep as other but has talented players such as Aiden McGeady who plays as a winger and/or forward for Celtic. The Irish can also count on the goals of experienced scorer Robbie Keane and the consistency of goalkeeper Shay Given. The team is coached by the shrewd Italian Giovanni Trapattoni who has won league titles in a number of countries.

Mali- the African nation boasts Frederic Kanoute who scores regularly for Sevilla, Mohamed Sissoko who is the Juventus midfield general and Barcelona’s Seydou Keita who has already scored six goals in 10 league games. Mali may not have the football pedigree of the likes of Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria when it comes to Africa football but with the aforementioned players and Real Madrid’s Mahamadou Diarra can certainly form a well acclaimed side.

Russia- The team includes Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin and Chelsea’s Yuri Zhirkov but failed in the play-off stage against Slovenia after losing on the away goal rule. The Russians won 2-1 at home only to lose 1-0 in Slovenia. Arshavin is one of the most entertaining players when he is at his best.

Bosnia- The Portuguese were missing Cristiano Ronaldo and yet were able to overcome the Bosnians after two identical 1-0 wins. The Bosnia- & Herzegovina team has quite the the talent with names such as Edin Dzeko, Vedad Ibisevic, Zlatan Muslimovic and Zvjezdan Misimovic. The Bosnians were beaten by a more experienced team with the likes of Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Deco, Nani and Simao. The Bosnians formed an entertaining and high-scoring team which ironically failed to find the net against Portugal. (Please refer to a previous article dated November 5, 2009 and titled Will Portugal Overcome Bosnia Without Ronaldo for more coverage on this topic)

Sweden- The World Cup next summer will not feature one of the most gifted big man in the shape of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Barcelona forward has audacious talent considering his size and has so far notched seven goals in just nine la Liga games for the Catalan club. Ibrahimovic was one of the main reasons behind Inter’s domestic domination in Italy prior to his summer move to Barca.

Egypt- Egypt receives a mention because of two hotly contested matches with Algeria which occurred in a space of four days. The two countries are the only ones to play each other three times during the World Cup qualifiers to determine which side makes it to South Africa. The team from the land of the Pharaohs was able to beat Algeria 2-0 in Cairo to force a play-off match in Sudan which was ultimately won by Algeria 1-0. The team is led by Al-Ahly’s star player Mohamed Aboutrika and counts on the goals of striker Amr Zaki who played for one season with Wigan Athletic (On loan last season). Other notable names include Mohamed Zidan who plays for German side Borussia Dortmund and Ahmed Hossam Mido (who played in England and has not featured in the recent matches for Egypt).

The other national teams which will be missing on South Africa 2010 do not contain the same star-name appeal though the likes of Togo (which boasts Manchester City’s Adebayor), Morocco and Tunisia failed to qualify from Africa while in Europe all the big guns have qualified after the France-Ireland fiasco. The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, England and Spain have all booked their place in next summer’s World Cup.

Following the controversial decision to allow France’s goal to stand as Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball prior to assisting William Gallas, it is only normal to have increased complaints and ever growing displeasure at the level of refereeing. Some may attribute this to a conspiracy which necessitates the presence of France in South Africa 2010 at the expense of the Irish.

Others will point to the hotly contested Egypt versus Algeria play-off match which took place in Sudan (Egypt’s preferred location) and not Tunisia (location chosen by the Algerians) after controversial pre-match incidents when the two sides met in Cairo over the weekend. Algeria’s bus was subjected to rough treatment to say the least and under other circumstances the match would have been postponed or Egypt would have been forced to forfeit the match if proof of injury was given. In either case, the match went on and the Egyptians, with some claiming they were favoured by FIFA, succeeded in getting the necessary 2-0 win to force a play-off match. Obviously, the match in Sudan ended in Algeria’s favour to dispel any claims that FIFA was going to have the Egyptians in next summer’s World Cup.

Going back to the important point about key refereeing decisions, the error made yesterday was obvious since Henry blatantly handled the ball and it is hard to believe the linesman could not spot that infringement. However, if one is to look at this Youtube.com clip featuring some unacceptable and appalling behaviour from a female athlete during a college soccer game in the United States, it is unbelievable how she managed not to get sent-off on at least five of those violent occasions. It is inconceivable to think that a referee, at any level, cannot notice such abuse inflicted by this supposed sportswoman on the opponent’s players.

In addition, how far has football and sports in general deteriorated and taken a step back at the expense of achieving success on the pitch, satisfying hungry sponsors or feeding the deeper pockets? Even at the amateur level where sportsmanship should be engraved and highlighted, this case, despite being quite unique with this particular female player endangering the career and well-being of her opponents, shows that some would go quite far to achieve success and/or their objective at any expense.

No one is comparing Henry to this female because he does not have the reputation of a dirty player but what happened against Ireland may have earned him the reputation of a cheat. Earlier this season there were different incidents involving two Premier League players though the circumstances were quite different. In one case, Emmanuel Adebayor was involved in two ugly and controversial incidents in the clash against his former team Arsenal. Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring for Manchester City and he also stamped on Robin van Persie’s head. Indeed, football has become a highly charged profession but what excuses Adebayor’s unacceptable behaviour as a professional who gets paid ridiculous sums to perform for the public?

In the second situation, Arsenal’s Croatian player Eduardo da Silva was accused of simulation in the Champions League when he won a penalty against Celtic. Since that incident, doubts have surfaced whenever Eduardo fell in the penalty area. There is no guarantee that players from opposing sides will begin to feel suspicious whenever Henry takes a dive or does something they deem inappropriate. Henry may have helped France qualify but he did damage his reputation along the way.

Have a look at the clip and decide for yourself! Sometimes decisions are really down to mistakes done by referees in a split-second but this goes beyond any comprehension of the basic rules of officiating.