World Cup blog for soccer fans of all levels... Update: France sans Zidane

[liljrdn]

Man...I really was hoping to see Ronaldo (Brazil 9) make one last stride =/

 

[smokey1212]

Dunga is gonna have regrets very soon. He's gettin fired.

No RVN makes me sad. But this will be Huntelaar and PVP's tourney

 

[bkmac]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Worth a read if you're wondering why some of these players well left behind.

Example (if I'm not mistaken): Mario Balotelli of Italy ......

.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

The only questionable decision Dunga made is not to have Pato. Ronaldinho doesn't deserve to be there. He's had some very inconsistent performances lately where he lacked effort. He can't really take a risk with a guy like that and wonder whether he will give it his all in an important game or not.

 

[Trey Bantz]

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Dunga is gonna have regrets very soon. He's gettin fired.

Why? Because he didn't call has-beens, drunks, and overweight players? You all do realize that it's not 2005 anymore and Ronaldinho isn't half the player he used to be, I don't think he'll be missed much. The only omission I don't agree with is Pato, but it's not like he was going to see much playing time anyways. Dunga may not have Brazil playing with their trademark Joga Bonito style of play, but under him Brazil has been terribly efficient and it's not like Joga Bonito got them very far in 2006. Brazil is a serious threat this World Cup under Dunga, they play the way they need to play and they get things done.

 

[ronaldo nazario]

perfectly stated trey ohh five, Dunga has driven me crazy with his decisions since he took over after the last world cup, but he hasn't failed me yet. They won the copa america with this so called 'B' squad and the confederations cup

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by bkmac

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Worth a read if you're wondering why some of these players well left behind.

Example (if I'm not mistaken): Mario Balotelli of Italy ......

.

I think Balotelli basically ended any chances he had when he stormed off at the San Siro against Barca. Even before then, Lippi had stated that he wasn't interested in bringing him on until he matured. It would've been much more shocking if Balotelli actually got a spot.
As far as Brazil, I agree with trey, but I'd also add Diego to the list of surprise omissions. He'd been getting call ups, and was playing well for Juve. 

 

[persiafly]

BTW, another name that hasn't been mentioned is Nasri. He had some sick displays for Arsenal in the past few months. Thoughts?

 

[smokey1212]

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Dunga is gonna have regrets very soon. He's gettin fired.

Why? Because he didn't call has-beens, drunks, and overweight players? You all do realize that it's not 2005 anymore and Ronaldinho isn't half the player he used to be, I don't think he'll be missed much. The only omission I don't agree with is Pato, but it's not like he was going to see much playing time anyways. Dunga may not have Brazil playing with their trademark Joga Bonito style of play, but under him Brazil has been terribly efficient and it's not like Joga Bonito got them very far in 2006. Brazil is a serious threat this World Cup under Dunga, they play the way they need to play and they get things done.

I think they are a threat as well, they always are.  I think however what will get them in trouble will be the lack of production from the front.  Luis Fabiano is consistent with Sevilla, but how he plays with the Brazil squad at the WC you never know.  Robinho has never played up to his potential, especially with the Brazil squad.  Plus, he can turn into a ball hog.  I can't really see Fabiano and Robinho playing well with one another.  And the rest of the strikers Dunga's bringing are anomalies.  I think to have given himself the best chance Dunga should have brought Pato and Adriano along with Fabiano and Robinho).  Just for the sake that Pato obviously can score, but mostly because he's also a very good complimentary forward with great vision.  I think he would be the best guy to pair with Fabiano.  Adriano gives you an aggressive presence in the box that's been to the world cup before (experience) and can match up against the physical defenses.

I dunno, Brazil always proves me wrong anyway.  We'll see.  First round they better be able to rack up some goals against weaker D's like Korea and IC.  Otherwise they could be goin home early.

 

[ronaldo nazario]

on another note, Dunga won't get fired simply because he's already announced he's retiring after the tournament

 

[Trey Bantz]

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Dunga is gonna have regrets very soon. He's gettin fired.

Why? Because he didn't call has-beens, drunks, and overweight players? You all do realize that it's not 2005 anymore and Ronaldinho isn't half the player he used to be, I don't think he'll be missed much. The only omission I don't agree with is Pato, but it's not like he was going to see much playing time anyways. Dunga may not have Brazil playing with their trademark Joga Bonito style of play, but under him Brazil has been terribly efficient and it's not like Joga Bonito got them very far in 2006. Brazil is a serious threat this World Cup under Dunga, they play the way they need to play and they get things done.

I think they are a threat as well, they always are.  I think however what will get them in trouble will be the lack of production from the front.  Luis Fabiano is consistent with Sevilla, but how he plays with the Brazil squad at the WC you never know.  Robinho has never played up to his potential, especially with the Brazil squad.  Plus, he can turn into a ball hog.  I can't really see Fabiano and Robinho playing well with one another.  And the rest of the strikers Dunga's bringing are anomalies.  I think to have given himself the best chance Dunga should have brought Pato and Adriano along with Fabiano and Robinho).  Just for the sake that Pato obviously can score, but mostly because he's also a very good complimentary forward with great vision.  I think he would be the best guy to pair with Fabiano.  Adriano gives you an aggressive presence in the box that's been to the world cup before (experience) and can match up against the physical defenses.

I dunno, Brazil always proves me wrong anyway.  We'll see.  First round they better be able to rack up some goals against weaker D's like Korea and IC.  Otherwise they could be goin home early.

As much as I hate Brazil and would love to see them get eliminated in the group stage I'm almost 100% sure that it won't happen, no matter how strong the group is.

 

[smokey1212]

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Dunga is gonna have regrets very soon. He's gettin fired.

Why? Because he didn't call has-beens, drunks, and overweight players? You all do realize that it's not 2005 anymore and Ronaldinho isn't half the player he used to be, I don't think he'll be missed much. The only omission I don't agree with is Pato, but it's not like he was going to see much playing time anyways. Dunga may not have Brazil playing with their trademark Joga Bonito style of play, but under him Brazil has been terribly efficient and it's not like Joga Bonito got them very far in 2006. Brazil is a serious threat this World Cup under Dunga, they play the way they need to play and they get things done.

I think they are a threat as well, they always are.  I think however what will get them in trouble will be the lack of production from the front.  Luis Fabiano is consistent with Sevilla, but how he plays with the Brazil squad at the WC you never know.  Robinho has never played up to his potential, especially with the Brazil squad.  Plus, he can turn into a ball hog.  I can't really see Fabiano and Robinho playing well with one another.  And the rest of the strikers Dunga's bringing are anomalies.  I think to have given himself the best chance Dunga should have brought Pato and Adriano along with Fabiano and Robinho).  Just for the sake that Pato obviously can score, but mostly because he's also a very good complimentary forward with great vision.  I think he would be the best guy to pair with Fabiano.  Adriano gives you an aggressive presence in the box that's been to the world cup before (experience) and can match up against the physical defenses.

I dunno, Brazil always proves me wrong anyway.  We'll see.  First round they better be able to rack up some goals against weaker D's like Korea and IC.  Otherwise they could be goin home early.

As much as I hate Brazil and would love to see them get eliminated in the group stage I'm almost 100% sure that it won't happen, no matter how strong the group is.

Oh, no chance

.

By early I meant like Round of 16, or the quarters when they play some more established/deeper teams.  That's what I consider early for Brazil.

 

[hugo]

Originally Posted by DownyBoy

Originally Posted by TheGift23

Tough break for Honduras (No pun intended)...Carlos Costly (The best young forward in that group in his prime) is out of the World Cup after fracturing his ankle. Honduras now has to rely heavily on a Brittle, unreliable David Suazo, very old Carlos Pavon and very inexperienced Georgie Welcome...must suck for Costly that he's missing out...who knows if Honduras will make it back in 2014/beyond...

karma is a b****. Kiss that WC goodbye Costly...

thats caballero not costly, buddy.

 

[kidoopz]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Originally Posted by bkmac

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Worth a read if you're wondering why some of these players well left behind.

Example (if I'm not mistaken): Mario Balotelli of Italy ......

.

I think Balotelli basically ended any chances he had when he stormed off at the San Siro against Barca. Even before then, Lippi had stated that he wasn't interested in bringing him on until he matured. It would've been much more shocking if Balotelli actually got a spot.
As far as Brazil, I agree with trey, but I'd also add Diego to the list of surprise omissions. He'd been getting call ups, and was playing well for Juve. 

Yeah Balotelli has emotional issues he needs to channel in before being included on a WC squad... He's a head case.. I can't understand Pato being left off at all though.. I mean I don't want to relate the two, but I can recall Messi getting an invite at 18 years..  Is Grafite really going to see the field.. I mean really??
Nasri and Benzema need to just hop on the Algeria squad

 

[persiafly]

If Brazil doesn't win its group, it might have to play Spain in the second round, so going out at the Round of 16 isn't totally out of the question. They could slip up against Portugal or Ivory Coast, although I doubt they will.

Updated the omitted players list to include Nasri, Balotelli and Neymar.

 

[carlos tevez]

Its not surprising at all that Zanetti and Cambiasso were omitted from Argentina's WC squad. Zanetti has not been called up since last Fall while Cambiasso has never been called up by Maradona. It's strange that Maradona publicly declared he wanted some experience and leadership on the team but he decided to exclude 2 of Argentina's most experienced players. I dont think Cambiasso's exclusion is a huge loss for Argentina as he likely would not have played much with Mascherano being Argentina's first choice CDM and Veron playing as the team's creative midfielder. Zanetti's exclusion could prove costly as Heinze is a huge defensive liability and Zanetti is infinitely better than Heinze.

There are few surprises in Dunga's squad. Ronaldinho should've been on the squad but Dunga has not called him up in a long time. I dont understand why Dunga is so highly criticized. All he's done is won the two tournaments he's coached in and led his country to a 1st place finish in WCQ. Yes, Brazil are lacking 'big names' and arent as entertaining as they've been in the past but this team has won at will since Dunga took over. That being said, there are some question marks surrounding this Brazil side. Fabiano, Robinho and Kaka have not had the best seasons but they'll be expected to carry the offensive load for the team in 1 months time. We may see a very boring Brazil team that struggle to score goals or a team that gets goals from all over (they'll probably rely on set pieces for some goals). This team should at the very least make the semis.

Balotelli doesnt belong in the WC due to his immaturity, stupidity and inconsistency. He's still very young and Italy dont need him right now.

Nasri is surplus to France's requirements and they dont really need him. He'd probably be glued to the bench even if he was selected to the team.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Its not surprising at all that Zanetti and Cambiasso were omitted from Argentina's WC squad. Zanetti has not been called up since last Fall while Cambiasso has never been called up by Maradona. It's strange that Maradona publicly declared he wanted some experience and leadership on the team but he decided to exclude 2 of Argentina's most experienced players. I dont think Cambiasso's exclusion is a huge loss for Argentina as he likely would not have played much with Mascherano being Argentina's first choice CDM and Veron playing as the team's creative midfielder. Zanetti's exclusion could prove costly as Heinze is a huge defensive liability and Zanetti is infinitely better than Heinze.

There are few surprises in Dunga's squad. Ronaldinho should've been on the squad but Dunga has not called him up in a long time. I dont understand why Dunga is so highly criticized. All he's done is won the two tournaments he's coached in and led his country to a 1st place finish in WCQ. Yes, Brazil are lacking 'big names' and arent as entertaining as they've been in the past but this team has won at will since Dunga took over. That being said, there are some question marks surrounding this Brazil side. Fabiano, Robinho and Kaka have not had the best seasons but they'll be expected to carry the offensive load for the team in 1 months time. We may see a very boring Brazil team that struggle to score goals or a team that gets goals from all over (they'll probably rely on set pieces for some goals). This team should at the very least make the semis.

Balotelli doesnt belong in the WC due to his immaturity, stupidity and inconsistency. He's still very young and Italy dont need him right now.

Nasri is surplus to France's requirements and they dont really need him. He'd probably be glued to the bench even if he was selected to the team.

Cambiasso should've been taken, even if only as a backup. Mascherano isn't made of steel, just like any other soccer player, and there were certainly players Maradona could have cut to be able to take a world-class backup to the tournament. It's not like all 23 players are gonna play anyway. Cambiasso deserved it. 
I agree about Dunga, he seems to know exactly what he's doing. I think he might also be leaving some valuable backups at home, but I get the feeling that he wants to make his starting XI decisions in South Africa as straight-forward as possible. He might regret shunning Pato and Adriano if Fabiano goes down. 

 

[persiafly]

Update: back to the team profiles with Uruguay. Read if you're wondering how they went from champion of the tournament to barely qualifying.

 

[o fenomeno]

Originally Posted by LilJRDN

Man...I really was hoping to see Ronaldo (Brazil 9) make one last stride =/

I know right 

But the thing about Dunga...he's did the same thing Scolari did before 02. Scolari had so much pressure from the public to include Romario in the final squad but he stuck to his guns because he knew the World Cup was no place for heartfelt goodbyes. Dunga has a very specific way he wants this team to play, and he has selected the players which will most benefit his offense (midfield possession, counter attacks, set pieces)

Pato has not shown well at all for virtually all of his Brazil call ups, and he hasn't played for Milan in a couple weeks with his injury. Its surprising, but not really that surprising. 

As far as Ronaldinho, I think Dunga simply does not want him/his attitude on the squad. I think it is a load of bull +%@#, and Ronaldinho could not have done more to deserve himself a spot on the team, but I think Dunga will have the last laugh. He is a tactics and result oriented coach who does not seem to bat an eye at the massive pressure that comes with the Brazilian coaching job.

Dunga is not Maradona. He did not snub European stars for no name domestic league players. Grafite is still a very dangerous and capable scorer who bloomed late and has poured the goals in. Josue, Felipe Melo, even with his poor season at Juve, they will contribute to Brazil's run, and I think they will win it all.

Some of the question marks for me came in the form of Gilberto Silva and Nilmar. I just hate Nilmar though.  

 

[Coupé It]

Europe>South America...nuff said

 

[o fenomeno]

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Europe>South America...nuff said

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

Originally Posted by LilJRDN

Man...I really was hoping to see Ronaldo (Brazil 9) make one last stride =/

I know right 

But the thing about Dunga...he's did the same thing Scolari did before 02. Scolari had so much pressure from the public to include Romario in the final squad but he stuck to his guns because he knew the World Cup was no place for heartfelt goodbyes. Dunga has a very specific way he wants this team to play, and he has selected the players which will most benefit his offense (midfield possession, counter attacks, set pieces)

Pato has not shown well at all for virtually all of his Brazil call ups, and he hasn't played for Milan in a couple weeks with his injury. Its surprising, but not really that surprising. 

As far as Ronaldinho, I think Dunga simply does not want him/his attitude on the squad. I think it is a load of bull +%@#, and Ronaldinho could not have done more to deserve himself a spot on the team, but I think Dunga will have the last laugh. He is a tactics and result oriented coach who does not seem to bat an eye at the massive pressure that comes with the Brazilian coaching job.

Dunga is not Maradona. He did not snub European stars for no name domestic league players. Grafite is still a very dangerous and capable scorer who bloomed late and has poured the goals in. Josue, Felipe Melo, even with his poor season at Juve, they will contribute to Brazil's run, and I think they will win it all.

Some of the question marks for me came in the form of Gilberto Silva and Nilmar. I just hate Nilmar though.  

I would almost compare it to what Team USA (bball) did a couple of years ago when they tried to take a "team" to the competition instead of just a bunch of stars. Dunga probably feels that any good Brazilian team can win if they play together, so he left behind a lot of talent that may have either been superfluous, or may have caused chemistry issues. He basically chose the most cohesive XI, in his eyes, over the most talented XI, and tried to make sure there weren't players that would complain about being benched. 
I actually like his strategy. Whether or not he wins, I think he's taking the right approach towards the selections. In 2006 they went into the tournament with such a surplus of talent that some people were wondering whether they were the most offensively powerful team ever, and nothing came of it because they couldn't play as a team. Kudos to Dunga for not going down the same path. 

 

[Coupé It]

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Europe>South America...nuff said

Yup! For a country with nearly 170 million people playing football every single day and football being a religion, Brazil should win it every year, but they won't. I'm sorry but South America has taken a step back in quality this decade...meu amigo

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Europe>South America...nuff said

Yup! For a country with nearly 170 million people playing football every single day and football being a religion, Brazil should win it every year, but they won't. I'm sorry but South America has taken a step back in quality this decade...meu amigo

 

[Trey Bantz]

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

Europe>South America...nuff said

Yup! For a country with nearly 170 million people playing football every single day and football being a religion, Brazil should win it every year, but they won't. I'm sorry but South America has taken a step back in quality this decade...meu amigo

So every single living, breathing person living in Brazil, including handicapped/disabled people and senior citizens, plays football? That's a huge generalization you're making there, your argument is completely invalid. Last time I checked Brazil won a World Cup this decade and so has Italy so both continents are even this decade, overall they are also even with South America winning 9 World Cups and Europe winning the same amount. It is simply a comparison that can't be made, European leagues may have economically advanced and vastly widened the gap with South American leagues but all it has led to is an inflated transfer market, huge debts, and more spending on young Argentine and Brazilian stars for huge European clubs, not an increase in development of European domestic players.