French Blues

France

Les Bleus and their many troubles; World Cup winners on home soil in 1998 and losing finalists in the last edition four years back. Unceremoniously dumped out of the 2002 World Cup without as much as a goal scored, and sneaked into South Africa 2010 with a massive slice of luck courtesy the ‘hand of Henry.’ Controversy has trailed the French team qualification for this year’s Mundial and will not just go away. The travails of Les Bleus are plenty and their fans have almost lost faith in the team. Under-fire coach, Raymond Domenech, is not a favourite with the French public and media alike.

1998 World Cup win on home soil was by default as the French were absent from the previous two editions (Italia ’90 and USA ‘94). An ageing French team got a rude awakening when they fell at the group stages in Korea/Japan 2002 (that 0-1 loss to Senegal in the opening match of that tournament is still rated as one of the biggest upset in football history). Les Bleus could not score a goal in the Far East (player fatigue and burn-out were given as excuses afterwards), with wholesome changes to the team and change of personnel at the helm, 2006 in Germany was a success although muted. France will go on to lose the in the final to Italy on penalty shoot-outs after talismanic Zinedine Zidane was sent off for that ‘infamous’ head butt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi.

There is growing discontent among the French public about the team in general and Domenech in particular. France had the luxury of the play-offs to qualify for South Africa after a roller-coaster qualifiers saw them finish behind Serbia. The French redeemed themselves in 2006 but 2010 may prove to be a bridge too far for Les Bleus with scandals flying here and there, discontent amongst the fans; that is no way to prepare for the biggest tournament in World Football. The likes of Thierry Henry and possibly Nicolas Anelka, it will be a final World Cup appearance paving the way for exciting talents like Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa to take centre stage.

France look set to slip back in the pre-1998 football wilderness if care is not taken. The French are bereft of excuses this time around and I don’t expect Mr. Domenech to manage Les Bleus in the nearest future.

Three Lions and much ado about Rooney

England

Don’t we all love England, the home of football? Yes, the English do make a lot of noise but never match it with performance in the field of play. 1966 World Cup triumph is a distant memory but the English brag about winning the Jules Rimet trophy (not World Cup yet).

England has suffered two consecutive quarter-finals exits in the 2002 and 2006 editions. A second round exit in USA ’94 in the hands of Argentina after a penalty shoot-out; the game many will remember for all the wrong reasons when David Beckham was sent off after a moment of indiscretion. In 2002 in the Far East Brazil continued where Argentina left off; dumping Sven Goran Ericsson’s England out of the Mundial in the quarter finals. The Brazilians did go on to win the trophy in Korea/Japan; the English consoled themselves losing to the eventual Cup winners wasn't bad after all. There was also a Latin flavour to England’s penalty shoot-out exit in Germany four years ago. Portugal administered the knock-out punch this time around. Once again, the game was mired in controversy as ‘Boy-Wonder’ Wayne Rooney was sent-off for petulance. The role played by Cristiano Ronaldo (then Rooney's Manchester United colleague) was truly despicable. Ronaldo was the villain in England for many seasons after that World Cup incident. After all said and done, England were out of the World Cup on penalties, classic English exit!

If Cristiano Ronlado was to blame for England’s exit in Germany 2006, Beckham/Simeone in 1998, what about 2002? Shall we say sheer Brazilian brilliance? I will let you be the judge of that! The English can boast of some of the best players in the world, true! Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry are all world class. Not long ago, England were beaten 2-0 by Spain in an international friendly and the English looked ordinary, not world-class stuff I must admit. England's hopes rest on the young shoulders of Wayne Rooney but can Wazza strut his stuff at the World Cup without losing it?

“England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yankees (EASY)”, so read an English daily describing Group C after the World Cup draws were made last year. Isn’t that sheer arrogance or is it over-confidence? England may rue their overconfidence when the World Cup starts. Undisputed, Fabio Capello is a great coach, but on the club level. His foray into the international scene is proving to be a success so far. In South Africa his credentials will come under scrutiny, it will be no surprise should England falter in Group C.

The dearth of home-grown talents is a recurring decimal in English Football circles but I beg to ask where young players like Joe Hart, Adam Johnson, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young, Micah Richards and Gabriel Agbonlahor come from? England fails when it matters most because the English believe having the best league in the world (English Premier League) translates to having the best football team in the world. All can see that it is a wrong assumption; the English should take a cue from the Brazilians.

Capello has talked about a possible player ‘burn-out’ of English players due to the long, hard season in England. Not right Mr. Capello, mind you not only English players going to the World Cup feature in the EPL. Say the Ivory Coast perform below par in South Africa; they can as well lay the blame on the long, hard season in England (citing Didier Drogba’s performance for Chelsea). Such flimsy excuses should be far from Capello’s itinerary. Player ‘burn-out’ is the sole preserve of the next team on our list of ‘underachievers.’

The Spanish Armada

Spain

Long-suffering Spain’s quest for World Cup glory is almost legendary. When the ‘football underachievers’ are mentioned, one’s first thought is Spain. The Spaniards did themselves a massive favour shedding most of the ‘underachievers’ tag when they conquered Europe in 2008. With the FIFA World Cup, it is another ball game entirely. Vicente De Bosque’s will be slightly relieved that they are not branded as number one favourites to win the World Cup, that alone will not suffice if La Furia Roja fail to make their mark in South Africa.

Four years ago in Germany, the Spaniards were unceremoniously dumped out in the second round by France much to the chagrin to their teeming fans. In the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan, a combination of poor officiating and vociferous home fans put paid to Jose Camacho’s tutored side as they lost to South Korea in the quarter-finals. To be sincere, the Spaniards were living on borrowed time in that tournament. The Fernando Hierro captained side were lucky to advance to the quarter-finals after an epic game against Ireland in the second round. If 2002 was a failure for Spain, then France 1998 was nothing short of a disaster. The great Adoni Zubizaretta featuring in his last World Cup could not save his team from being dumped out in the group phase. A 2-3 loss to Nigeria was followed by a drab draw with Paraguay, even a 6-1 demolishing of Bulgaria was too little too late as the top side in that group faltered.

Javier Clemente, then coach of the Spanish national side, and the Spanish FA were quick to blame their shock exit from the ’98 Mundial on the influx of foreign players into the Spanish La Liga. They claimed the large number of foreign player in the league was hampering the discovery and development of young Spanish talents. Fair enough, but the same undiscovered and underdeveloped Spanish talents were World Cup winners a year later in Nigeria (in the U20 category ) with the likes of Iker Casillas, Carlos Marchena and Xavi (yes, the very Xavi Hernandez of Barcelona). That put to rest the excuse of ‘foreign players killing local talents’ in Spain. Should you take a look at the Spanish La Liga at the moment (home to the best football club in the world), most of the names reverberating in the stadiums and streets of Spain are foreign. Diego Forlan, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguerro, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano but to mention a few are not Spaniards yet Spain can boast of young-talented players in the form of Gerrard Pique, Bojan Krkic, Andreas Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Alvaro Negredo amongst others.

 Honestly, I believe the Spaniards are out of excuses and should put up a great show for the world in South Africa, perhaps the tag of ‘great underachievers’ will be taken off their necks. Should Chile, Switzerland and Honduras somehow thwart Spain’s quest for glory, I wonder what excuse La Furia Roja will come up with. Poor officiating? Perhaps they will clamour for goal-line technology. Spain, the world is watching!

South Africa 2010.....The Unofficial World Cup Blog

Yes, it is almost on us this much anticipated World Cup on African soil. While the qualified teams are making last minute preparations for the 'greatest sport' spectacle on earth (I stand to be corrected), I have decided to give a little spice to the occasion. My views may be  unpopular in some quarters but I've got to air them anyway. Here it is for you football crazy fans. 

After all said and done, the FIFA World Cup will be staged on African soil for the first time. South Africa 2010 will be a remarkable World Cup for Africa in particular and the globe in general. Despite detractors from some parts of the football world, South Africa 2010 is a reality and it will show case the best of African culture and good football artistry. Now to matters on the field of play.

It has been a tradition for Europe to undermine and write-off the challenge of other football teams. I think this time the table has turned; roles reversed in this uncharted African terrain.

I will start my blog with one of the most controversial of subjects; The Perennial Underachievers.

The Perennial Underachievers

Every FIFA World Cup has its fair share of teams that never live up to expectations, the tag of favourites seem to weigh these teams  down as their performance in the tournament is nothing but dismal. The World Cup is never complete without a team or teams who carry the hopes of their nation(s) only to fall short of glory when it matters. Most football pundits label these teams going into the tournament as ‘favourites’ but the ‘underachievers’ tag is quick to stick when the ‘favourites’ falter. My first port of call will be Europe, Spain to be precise.