World Cup stuff

[Besnik]

Hi guys,

I've created this thread to talk ANYTHING about World Cup..

Here's this interesting article posted in goal.crap:

World Cup 2010: The 23-Man Rejects Squad

Goal.com has put together the best 23 players in the world not to play in the summer's biggest single-sports event.

The national teams featuring in the World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa this summer have announced their provisional squads. Most sides have named 30 players in their national teams, while Brazil coach Dunga has declared his final squad for the mega event set to start in June.

However, there have been some glaring omissions in the big sides. Brazilian legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, as well as up and coming star Alexandre Pato, have been not been selected for their national side, while Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti have been overlooked by Argentina coach Diego Armando Maradona.

France national team coach Raymond Domenech has controversially left out Karim Benzema, Patrick Vieira and Samir Nasri, while Ruud van Nistelrooy will have to stay at home and watch the Dutch national team fight for the most prestigious trophy in world football after being left out of the squad by coach Bert van Marwijk.

Goal.com experts from around the world have put together a 23-man squad that is comprised solely of the World Cup rejects. Staying with the spirit, we have decided to 'announce' a total of 28 players in our squad.

Please note that the below players are omissions, and not injuries or those who have explicitly rejected call-ups such as Alessandro Nesta.

Goalkeepers (3)
Sebastien Frey (France)
Diego Alves (Brazil)
Marco Storari (Italy)

Defenders (6)
Javier Zanetti (Argentina)
Philippe Mexes (France)
Alex (Brazil)
Ezequiel Garay (Argentina)
Sol Campbell (England)
Marcelo (Brazil)

Midfielders (8)
Jeremy Menez (France)
Samir Nasri (France)
Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina)
Juan Riquelme (Argentina)
Ever Banega (Argentina)
Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Diego (Brazil)
Guti (Spain)

Forwards (6)
Karim Benzema (France)
Kevin Kuranyi (Germany)
Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
Francesco Totti (Italy)
Antonio Cassano (Italy)
Pato (Brazil)

Stand-By (5)
Fabrizio Miccoli (Italy)
Pedro Leon (Spain)
Patrick Vieira (France)
Aly Cissokho (France)
Owen Hargreaves (England)

Kind Regards,
Besnik

 

[FCBarca]

My list of snubs would include the following:


Argentina

Ansaldi...How on earth can Heinze be chosen over anyone let alone him?
Riquelme...There's little good in that midfield for Maradona, he would've really helped
Perotti...A winger I like better than Di Maria, tbh
Lisandro...One of the more lethal & big game strikers for Albicelestes...Travesty
Zanetti...Older but key obviously
Gaby Milito...Is there a more reliable CB for Argentina at present?

Cambiasso & Banega got a lot of pub for being omitted but I'm on the fence about Cambiasso...Banega is too much of a nutcase (Not Mario level, of course) so I get that


Brasil

Pato...Best striker for Brasil, at present, IMHO...Perhaps it's about something else...Baptista? lol
Diego...Apart from Kaka, there is zero creativity in the midfield

Kaka has had a poor season and Dunga's Brasil is among the uglier playing incarnations of the NT I can recall


France

Nasri...Dom Dom is a dumb dumb so not a big surprise Samir isn't in there, he never played him anyway.

Dom Dom loaded up on strikers, including an out of form Thierry Henry but seemed to ignore shoring up the defense and midfield...Benzema's exclusion tells you two things...One, he is rumoured to be a poor teammate, even for the NT and, two, he is simply not producing enough to be included (Which I agree with).


Italy

Mascara...I'd take him over Iaquinta every day of the week
Del Piero...I know he's old but I'd take him over Camoranesi as well
Miccoli...Instead, Balotelli??...Come on
Cassano...I know he's become persona non grata for a multitude of reasons but he may be the most dangerous Italian player outside of Rossi, IMHO

It's a particularly dull & boring squadlist although I can't imagine why anyone is entirely surprised by Lippi's callups...Painful to watch is all I can imagine with the Azzurri this WC...Surprising with Balotelli's inclusion too because at least Lippi's sides always have a great work rate and that's not something you mention with Mario


Just one thing with El Tri, shocking to me that Aguirre only called up 5 midfielders for his side, tbh...Included is seldom played youth player for Barca, Jonathan Dos Santos (Great future, btw)...Very strange squadlist but anything will be an improvement over what Eriksson did to that side

 

[blackmore]

your sitting on the fence about cuchu but you insist gabby is their best CB atm...interesting

 

[FCBarca]

your sitting on the fence about cuchu but you insist gabby is their best CB atm...interesting

Mascherano is a shoe in at the DM role, just the reality of Argentina...CB & defense is a fluid concept for Maradona, atm, so yeah, Gaby is important, IMHO

 

[blackmore]

Mascherano is a shoe in at the DM role, just the reality of Argentina...CB & defense is a fluid concept for Maradona, atm, so yeah, Gaby is important, IMHO

if the defense was a priority to crack head he would have taken capitano and dude i see liverpool play week in week out and mascherano just dont cut it for me IMHO. but then again how u gonna argue with a crack head- go figure??

 

[vitomins]

My list of snubs would include the following:


Argentina

Ansaldi...How on earth can Heinze be chosen over anyone let alone him?
Riquelme...There's little good in that midfield for Maradona, he would've really helped
Perotti...A winger I like better than Di Maria, tbh
Lisandro...One of the more lethal & big game strikers for Albicelestes...Travesty
Zanetti...Older but key obviously
Gaby Milito...Is there a more reliable CB for Argentina at present?

Cambiasso & Banega got a lot of pub for being omitted but I'm on the fence about Cambiasso...Banega is too much of a nutcase (Not Mario level, of course) so I get that


Brasil

Pato...Best striker for Brasil, at present, IMHO...Perhaps it's about something else...Baptista? lol
Diego...Apart from Kaka, there is zero creativity in the midfield

Kaka has had a poor season and Dunga's Brasil is among the uglier playing incarnations of the NT I can recall


France

Nasri...Dom Dom is a dumb dumb so not a big surprise Samir isn't in there, he never played him anyway.

Dom Dom loaded up on strikers, including an out of form Thierry Henry but seemed to ignore shoring up the defense and midfield...Benzema's exclusion tells you two things...One, he is rumoured to be a poor teammate, even for the NT and, two, he is simply not producing enough to be included (Which I agree with).


Italy

Mascara...I'd take him over Iaquinta every day of the week
Del Piero...I know he's old but I'd take him over Camoranesi as well
Miccoli...Instead, Balotelli??...Come on
Cassano...I know he's become persona non grata for a multitude of reasons but he may be the most dangerous Italian player outside of Rossi, IMHO

It's a particularly dull & boring squadlist although I can't imagine why anyone is entirely surprised by Lippi's callups...Painful to watch is all I can imagine with the Azzurri this WC...Surprising with Balotelli's inclusion too because at least Lippi's sides always have a great work rate and that's not something you mention with Mario


Just one thing with El Tri, shocking to me that Aguirre only called up 5 midfielders for his side, tbh...Included is seldom played youth player for Barca, Jonathan Dos Santos (Great future, btw)...Very strange squadlist but anything will be an improvement over what Eriksson did to that side

I agree with most of your choices...but Diego, Mascara and Del Piero??? :wth:

 

[FCBarca]

if the defense was a priority to crack head he would have taken capitano and dude i see liverpool play week in week out and mascherano just dont cut it for me IMHO. but then again how u gonna argue with a crack head- go figure??

Mascherano is a tough one to figure out and, tbh, I don't follow the EPL much anymore...I had long valued Mascherano as one of the best DMs in the world but he has looked a shadow of his old self of late whenever I saw him play for Argentina....Has Maradona even called Cambiasso up before?

Zanetti should've been a shoe in obviously but at 37 I guess Maradona thought youth was an issue...No one is going to win an argument that Maradona is doing a good job for Albicelestes...He's terrible, no doubt...Without question, the worst squadlist for the WC has to be Argentina

Shame too since Leo will likely get the bulk of poor reviews should they be inevitably bounced out of the WC

 

[FCBarca]

I agree with most of your choices...but Diego, Mascara and Del Piero??? :wth:

Creativity...There's zero creativity in that squadlist for Lippi...Del Piero & Mascara are match changers...Who has a better leg on goal than Del Piero apart from say Rossi?...And the combination of workrate and effectiveness, I'd take Mascara over Iaquinta or any other attacking mid or striker Lippi called up

As for Diego, Dunga has left too much pressure for an out of form Kaka, IMHO...Who else can pull the midfield strings for Brasil?...No one which is why there's some hysteria over Ronnie's exclusion (The right call though, IMHO, and I love the player).

 

[blackmore]

Mascherano is a tough one to figure out and, tbh, I don't follow the EPL much anymore...I had long valued Mascherano as one of the best DMs in the world but he has looked a shadow of his old self of late whenever I saw him play for Argentina....Has Maradona even called Cambiasso up before?

Zanetti should've been a shoe in obviously but at 37 I guess Maradona thought youth was an issue...No one is going to win an argument that Maradona is doing a good job for Albicelestes...He's terrible, no doubt...Without question, the worst squadlist for the WC has to be Argentina

Shame too since Leo will likely get the bulk of poor reviews should they be inevitably bounced out of the WC

no he hasnt called him up b4 and ur right about leo, unless he pulls something from his ass the media are going to have a field day with him

 

[FCBarca]

no he hasnt called him up b4 and ur right about leo, unless he pulls something from his ass the media are going to have a field day with him

Is it me or has Maradona managed to milk a helluva legacy out of his once great form despite evidence demonstrating he's a terrible manager and judge of talent?...Can't think of another legend who has managed to still stay relevant despite doing & producing less

 

[blackmore]

Is it me or has Maradona managed to milk a helluva legacy out of his once great form despite evidence demonstrating he's a terrible manager and judge of talent?...Can't think of another legend who has managed to still stay relevant despite doing & producing less

dude its freakin maradonna......

someone could ask pele who the next european cup winner would be and he could answer brazil and they would still agree with him and say it was a good choice.

 

[vitomins]

Creativity...There's zero creativity in that squadlist for Lippi...Del Piero & Mascara are match changers...Who has a better leg on goal than Del Piero apart from say Rossi?...And the combination of workrate and effectiveness, I'd take Mascara over Iaquinta or any other attacking mid or striker Lippi called up

As for Diego, Dunga has left too much pressure for an out of form Kaka, IMHO...Who else can pull the midfield strings for Brasil?...No one which is why there's some hysteria over Ronnie's exclusion (The right call though, IMHO, and I love the player).

Mascara has 8 goals in 33 league matches. Iaquinta has 6 in 14 lol Even considering Mascara is a complete joke. Also, I could name 10 forwards that would be better than having Del Piero there.

Montolivo, Cossu, Pirlo, Quagliarella, Di Natale and even Marchisio are creative players.

As for Diego, if you say Kaka is out of form, what is Diego?? There is a reason why Juve are considering getting rid of their biggest transfer after only 1 year...

 

[FCBarca]

I've watched both Iaquinta and Mascara and between the two, I'd choose Mascara everytime

As for Diego, I didn't see much of Juve but Diego's abilities are not a fluke...Which Brasilian midfielder can pull strings in the midfield better or more consistently than him?

 

[Gaetan]

I've watched both Iaquinta and Mascara and between the two, I'd choose Mascara everytime

Mascara > Iaquinta, definitely. I don't give a crap about statistics when it comes to comparing these two players.

As for Diego, I didn't see much of Juve but Diego's abilities are not a fluke...Which Brasilian midfielder can pull strings in the midfield better or more consistently than him?

Diego and consistency just do not match. He is as sloppy a star footballer there is today, despite his limitless talent.

 

[Alex de Large]

Frey
Zanetti-Alex-Mexes-Marcelo
Banega-Cambiasso
Nasri
Pato-Cassano-Miccoli

What a lineup.

 

[FCBarca]

I think Marcelo is an alternate for Maradona and has probably earned a callup

 

[vitomins]

I've watched both Iaquinta and Mascara and between the two, I'd choose Mascara everytime

Thank God you are not the NT coach...

There is a reason he is 31 years old and only has 1 cap for Italy. Many coaches, besides Lippi, have had the opportunity to call him over the years and none have...

 

[FCBarca]

Thank God you are not the NT coach...

There is a reason he is 31 years old and only has 1 cap for Italy. Many coaches, besides Lippi, have had the opportunity to call him over the years and none have...

Well, I'm sure I'd never be considered...Lippi and others have insisted on a boring brand of football, tbh...And never taking advantage of some great talents in Italy

It's not that there are no more Baggios, Zolas, Del Pieros etc., just that they aren't played...There's a real insistence to stick to a very old style of play that doesn't always make the best use of the talent, IMHO

 

[blackmore]

Well, I'm sure I'd never be considered...Lippi and others have insisted on a boring brand of football, tbh...And never taking advantage of some great talents in Italy

It's not that there are no more Baggios, Zolas, Del Pieros etc., just that they aren't played...There's a real insistence to stick to a very old style of play that doesn't always make the best use of the talent, IMHO

who won the WC last time round again??? you should have learnt by now that "old fashion" and "boring" really can do wonders...

 

[FCBarca]

who won the WC last time round again??? you should have learnt by now that "old fashion" and "boring" really can do wonders...

Wonders for whom?...The trophy cabinet or someone's insomnia?

And let's not forget that the better side in that final was not the Azzurri...They were merely a headbutt from being the 'deserved' winners...But, alas, I digress