All the world cup bound sides have released their 23-man lists. . . . have your say; lets hear what you think about the choices of the managers. Who should / should not have been included & why!!?

Why on earth Cameroon still have Rigobert Song otheir list beats the hell outta me. . . .

Capello's decision to exclude Scott Parker galls me terribly. . . . & i just cannot understand why the italians turned back Borriello

from the instant D. Bent made a hash of 3 p.ks in that game against spurs, i knew he was never gonna make that WC list even if he'd wound up being the highest goalscorer in the EPL.

The German coach Joachim Loew had spats with Torsten Frings and Kevin Kuranyi and did not even invite them

Injuries decided the rest of the squad.

Michael Ballack, Simon Rolfes, Rene Adler, Christian Traesch all got injured, Robert Enke died so the squad was basically the U21 team.

Among the sure starters only Lahm-26, Schweinsteiger-25 and Mertersacker are over 25yrs,

Klose is off form and not sure of starting. In the squad 3 players are over 30 i.e Klose, Friedrich and the 3rd keeper Butt

I personally would miss Frings. . . . he's one of the few German players I really like to have on my team. Ballack thank God for sparing us the horror of watchin that ruffian at the mundial.

Trochowski is one i'm particularly keen on looking out for. . . . me thinks he's a very useful player. Muller - y'all berra go grow im a pair of balls he should be playing with Arsene's young, gay guns!
Tony Kroos. . . . now that is absolute talent there - the boy is just wonderful!

Mario Gomez
Miroslav Klose

Frings wanted a guaranteed shirt in Loews team and Loew told him NO. He got pissed.

Ballack is the leader and Captain of this young German team and this woulda been his last Mundial but for one ruffian with Ghanaian blood. KPB

Trochowshi might not even start. You should look out for Mesut Ozil, The best player at the last Euro U21, Also Marko Marin if Leow allows him to play.
I hope Toni Kroos also play because of his mastery of the game and dead ball delivery.

I am fearful of Lippi starting Canna at the back. That dude had an awful season with Juve and tbh he is past his best. One thing I can say though is that he never lets the azzuris down whenever he plays.

My prefered back five would be Buffon,Zambrotta/maggio,Cannavaro,Chiellini and Criscito. However news coming from the italian camp indicates Lippi might play Chiellini at leftback and bring in Bonucci to partner Cannavaro.

Also i'll play Pirlo as a fantastita behind the front two of Gilardino and Di Natalie not in midfield. We don't want him worrying about carrying out his defensive duties cuz with Camo injured, the azzuris will be relying on Pirlo to create some spark.

Some interesting facts.

Germany's average age is 24.95. One of the youngest in the tournament along with countries like Cameroon, North Korea and Chile.

Germany, Italy and England are the only three squads whose players all play in their respective domestic leagues.

On the other hand, Nigeria is the only team which has no player playing in its domestic league.

dayokanu:

The German coach Joachim Loew had spats with Torsten Frings and Kevin Kuranyi and did not even invite them

Injuries decided the rest of the squad.

Michael Ballack, Simon Rolfes, Rene Adler, Christian Traesch all got injured, Robert Enke died so the squad was basically the U21 team.

Among the sure starters only Lahm-26, Schweinsteiger-25 and Mertersacker are over 25yrs,

Klose is off form and not sure of starting. In the squad 3 players are over 30 i.e Klose, Friedrich and the 3rd keeper Butt

what happened to Metzelder

^^ Injured

Di Natalie & Quagliarella - useful fellas.

But isn't Gilardino & Iaquinta more of hoping to re-live case of past glory And they look the favored starters!?

Chickenshrimp,

How many goals have those Italian strikers scored for their national team

Spain are clearly the best team on paper. . . Being unable to play Torres, Villa, Silva, Iniesta, Cesc, Xavi, & Alonso all at once is a headache worth having. Not to mention the likes of Pedro, Busquets & Navas.
Is Del Bosque adventurous enough to pair Xavi with Cesc in CM or will he opt for the more defensive Alonso?

Well as always, i will be supporting the Oranje and hope they finally dispel their underachievers tag like Spain did at the Euros.

My players to watch:

Robin Van Persie
David Silva
Luis Nani
Mesut Ozil

Van Persie can never amount to any good.

Watch out for Arjen Robben

Altidore. . . . Pirlo injured. . . . Drogba injured. . . . hmmm things are shaping up rather nicely - we'll see how much depth some of these teams have really got!

@ richboi,

which Nani - ManU & portugal I've long given up on that fella jare. . . .

Spain have every including a good head on the sidelines. . . . Argentina should be up there, but with that coke snorting pu'to at the helm, who knows what will happen.

I hope van Rapist wont contact HIV while in SA

Take out Arjen Robben and Sneijder & the dutch hardly look menacing. . . . A better Cameroonian side and that could easily be another group of death!

North Korea went and named a striker as 3^rd goalie with the hope that, at some point he could be used as an outfield player

World Cup rank outsiders North Korea suffered a blow when world body FIFA insisted Kim Myong-Won must feature as one of a mandatory three goalkeepers although he is usually a striker.

Coach Kim-Jong Hun named two keepers in his squad with Kim of the Amrokgang club as a reserve numerical option between the sticks with strike power at a premium as the Asians prepare to take on five-time champions Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal in Group G.

FIFA ruled there must be three goalkeepers - none of whom may double as an outfield player.

[url]http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world-cup-2010/world-cup-news/striker-forced-to-play-in-goal-as-north-korea-try-to-bend-the-rules-20100604-xi0g.html
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/03/north-korea-world-cup-goalkeeper-gamble

Poor 'em - but are three goalies really necessary? Personally i feel one of such goalies should be able or at least be allowed to play outfield if the need be.

dayokanu:

Some interesting facts.

Germany's average age is 24.95. One of the youngest in the tournament along with countries like Cameroon, North Korea and Chile.

Germany, Italy and England are the only three squads whose players all play in their respective domestic leagues.

On the other hand, Nigeria is the only team which has no player playing in its domestic league.

Don't mind those useless Azurris. . . . .They are trying to belong to that elite crew.
They dropped Guiseppe Rossi because they wanted to name a squad of STRICTLY Serie A players.
Rossi is miles better than Quagliarella!!!

RuuDie:

Di Natalie & Quagliarella - useful fellas.

But isn't Gilardino & Iaquinta more of hoping to re-live case of past glory And they look the favored starters!?

Lippi should start Gila and di natalie up front with pirlo just behind as the fantatista. Pirlo body can no longer cope with demands of a midfield player. Besides as virtually our only create spark left(camo is injured), we don't want him worrying about defensive duties.

dayokanu:

Chickenshrimp,

How many goals have those Italian strikers scored for their national team

It doesn't really matter how many goals ours strikers have scored. Our Goalie, defence and midfield will make it irrelevant.

~Sauron~:

Don't mind those useless Azurris. . . . .They are trying to belong to that elite crew.
They dropped Guiseppe Rossi because they wanted to name a squad whose players all play in the Serie A.
Rossi is miles better than Quagliarella!!!

Well having all players ply their trade in serie A worked for us last time.
Though I agree with you in that Rossi shoulda gone in place of Quagliarella.

Fabio Quagrelia is one huge dissappointment.

And what is happening to the career of Giovinco

dayokanu:

Fabio Quagrelia is one huge dissappointment.

And what is happening to the career of Giovinco

I wish Fergie can pinch this guy from Juventus. . . . .
Giovinco is a prodigious talent - the best in his generation by a mile and yet that useless club in Turin is fecking up his career.

dayokanu:

Fabio Quagrelia is one huge dissappointment.

And what is happening to the career of Giovinco

Blame the Juve Board. The Likes of Secco and co.
If he was in Milan, he would not only be in the Azzuri squad but also in the starting 11. He would be fufilling the exact same role Ozil is for the Germans.

Giovinco, Santon, balotelli, Acquafresca, Santacroce.

These are the youths being ignored by the Azzuri while Zambrotta, Gattuso and Canavaro at old age are still in the team

dayokanu:

Giovinco, Santon, balotelli, Acquafresca, Santacroce.

These are the youths being ignored by the Azzuri while Zambrotta, Gattuso and Canavaro at old age are still in the team

Tbh, although Santacorce was fantastic the season before, he was average this season.
Santon shoulda been selected and he probably would have had he played regularly. Lippi does not seem to like Balo likewise Cassano who had a brilliant season(both are headcases).

France are paying for having a crappy coach and dropping Nasri. China?!! Hope they are not saving their goals 4 world cup, mukina where u at

Robben becomes the latest player to miss the wc due to harmstring injury. list of injured players keeps piling up, na wao

RuuDie:

World Cup rank outsiders North Korea suffered a blow when world body FIFA insisted Kim Myong-Won must feature as one of a mandatory three goalkeepers although he is usually a striker.

Coach Kim-Jong Hun named two keepers in his squad with Kim of the Amrokgang club as a reserve numerical option between the sticks with strike power at a premium as the Asians prepare to take on five-time champions Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal in Group G.

FIFA ruled there must be three goalkeepers - none of whom may double as an outfield player.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world-cup-2010/world-cup-news/striker-forced-to-play-in-goal-as-north-korea-try-to-bend-the-rules-20100604-xi0g.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/03/north-korea-world-cup-goalkeeper-gamble

FIFA is being unnecessarily draconian. . . . throughout the history of football, we have goalkeepers who double up as strikers. . . . Pele was reserve goalkeeper for both Brazil and Santos. . . . Jorge Campos used to play both as a goalkeeper and as a striker. . . . I dont know why FIFA are being so pedantic.

Ruudie
The WC is only 3-7 games. Nani's problem has always been consistency over the course of a season. . . His skill is unquestionable!
I think he'd do well as long as he gets sufficient playing time.

Fear the Dutch! Forget Sneijder/Robben, RVP is the key.
VDW, heard of him? His market value is about to quadruple!

Balotelli

Abegi the Azurri do not need that kind of disturbance in their camp. One thing the Italians always have going good for them, is the unity and relative serenity of their camps/squad - rarely do you ever hear of ugly incidences rearing head around the azurris.

Nasri

Lets face it - they might have the crappiest manager of all 32 teams, but who is Nasri gonna unseat from the French team-list

Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)

IMHO one of these fellas possibly, but they all had a pretty good season plus they've got much more fight in 'em than Nas!

The fact that he plays for a crappy team like Assanal sealed his fate