Lee Vilenski

Jun 12 2010, 05:44 PM

Well, looks like Heskey is playing. No Carrick, instead Lennon. Interesting...

TC Admin

Jun 11 2010, 08:33 PM

Exactly, just what I was about to post. If I was French, or Alle, I'd be so frustrated with Domenech. Why did he take Anelka off? Why was Gignac not played up front with Henry but instead on the wing? Malouda didn't even start and was put in midfield when he came on instead of on the wing where he's been sensational for Chelsea. Very disappointing from Domenech. They have great players but aren't played in the right positions. Alle must be going mad in Amiens right now.

Disappointing game although it did liven up when Uruguay had a man sent off. Unfortunately Domenech's tactics stopped France from doing well after the red card.

NZ

Jun 13 2010, 06:37 AM

I'd like to see Algeria smash the living crap out of slovenia tonight

BBC Sport

 

Algeria head coach Rabah Saadane has dropped out-of-form captain Yazid Mansouri, with Portsmouth's Hassan Yebda partnering Medhi Lacen in midfield. Defender Anther Yahia will lead the team.

Goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi and attacking left-back Nadir Belhadj are serving suspensions following their red cards in January's Africa Cup of Nations

Slovenia head coach Matjaz Kek stuck with a settled starting line-up in the last five World Cup qualifiers, captained by former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren.

Star striker Milivoje Novakovic proved his fitness following an abdominal injury with two goals in a friendly win against New Zealand. Fellow forward Zlatan Ljubijankic has overcome a slight ankle problem.

MATCH PREVIEW

Having defied the odds to reach the World Cup finals, both sides accept that a winning start is vital if they are to continue to exceed expectation. Neither Algeria nor Slovenia has ever progressed to the knockout stages, and few observers give them much chance of finishing ahead of England and the USA for the two qualifying places.

Nonetheless, reputation counts for nothing with these two teams. They both qualified for the tournament by winning play-off matches they were expected to lose: Algeria upset African champions Egypt, while tiny Slovenia overcame the might of Russia.

Slovenia's build-up has been low key but a well-drilled and unified team will not succumb to the chaos of their last World Cup appearance eight years ago, when record goalscorer Zlatko Zahovic verbally abused the head coach and was sent home in disgrace. The rest of the team soon followed, having lost all three matches.

The Algeria side has been extensively remodelled since qualification, with nine members of the squad uncapped prior to this year. They are very much a work in progress, and the team's supporters took their frustration out on captain Yazid Mansouri by jeering him in recent matches. Nonetheless, Algeria's victory over the Ivory Coast at this year's Africa Cup of Nations highlighted their potential.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

- This is the first meeting of these national sides.

Algeria

- Rabah Sadaane, who led Algeria at the 1986 World Cup, is the first African head coach to take part in two World Cup finals.

- Algeria's only win in the last 15 attempts against European opposition was against Romania in December 2000 (W1, D6, L8).

- Algeria have conceded at least one goal in each of their six previous matches at a World Cup finals.

- They beat the United Arab Emirates earlier this month to end a run of four consecutive defeats without scoring. However, the goal in Algeria's 1-0 win was a penalty.

Slovenia

- With a population of only two million, Slovenia is one of the five smallest nations ever to play in a World Cup finals.

- Slovenia have won six of their last seven matches since losing to England in September.

- This is Slovenia's sixth match against an African side. They have lost the last two.

- Striker Milivoje Novakovic needs one goal to move clear in second place on Slovenia's all-time goalscorers list. He is currently alongside the retired Saso Udovic on 16 goals.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Carlos Alberto Batres (Guatemala)

Assistants: Leonel Leal (Costa Rica) & Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)

Fourth official: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)

BBC Sport

 

Serbia's Nemanja Vidic is expected to be fit after missing the friendlies against Poland and Cameroon with an upset stomach and a high temperature.

Coach Radomir Antic's squad is free from any other injuries and he will pick his first choice XI.

Ghana's Sulley Muntari has recovered from a thigh strain which ruled him out of their final warm-up match with Latvia. Stephen Appiah, who has played just two club matches in two and a half years, will captain the side.

MATCH PREVIEW

The popular prediction that Serbia might be this World Cup's dark horses was made to look a little premature after they stuttered through their warm-up matches. An awful 1-0 defeat to New Zealand was the nadir, but they hardly impressed in a draw with Poland and a 4-3 win over Cameroon.

This is their first World Cup competing as an single nation after nine World Cups as Yugoslavia and one in 2006 as Serbia and Montenegro. Their experience in Germany four years ago is one they would like to forget as they lost all three matches and were humbled 6-0 by Argentina. It's almost impossible to imagine that happening again with Nemanja Vidic and Branislav Ivanovic in their back four.

Ghana reached the second round on their World Cup debut in 2006 and, given how tough Group D looks on paper, they would probably settle for a repeat of that right now. In many ways this World Cup may be coming four years too early for the Black Stars. Their squad is packed with some phenomenally-talented youngsters plucked from the side that won the Under-20 World Cup in October. Given more time to develop at their clubs in Europe's elite leagues, and they could make Ghana a serious force in Brazil in 2014.

That's not to say they shouldn't be feared here. Michael Essien is missing, but with the experienced trio of Stephen Appiah, John Mensah and Sulley Muntari free from injury woe, Milovan Rajevac's side may yet prove to be a shrewder tip as dark horses than Serbia.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

- This is only the second time the sides have met. Their only previous encounter was in 1997 when the former Yugoslavia beat Ghana 3-1 in the Korea Cup.

Serbia

- Serbia have lost their last four matches at the World Cup. They lost all three of their matches at the 2006 World Cup (as Serbia and Montenegro) and lost to the Netherlands (as Yugoslavia) in 1998, Their last victory at a World Cup came when they beat USA 1-0 in '98.

- Serbia scored seven goals from corners during qualifying, at least two more than any other side in European qualifying.

Ghana

- Ghana have never drawn a World Cup match having won two and lost two of their four games at the their only previous World Cup appearance in 2006.

- Milovan Rajevic is the second Serbian coach to lead a team against his home nation. Blagoje Vidinic was in charge of Zaire when they were thrashed 9-0 by Yugoslavia in 1974.

- Only Burkina Faso (who failed to score), had a lower shots-to-goals ratio than Ghana at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, even though they reached the final.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Hector Baldassi (Argentina)

Assistants: Ricardo Casas (Argentina) and Hernan Maidana (Argentina)

Fourth official: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)

BBC Sport

 

Germany coach Joachim Loew is likely to stick with out-of-form Mirolsav Klose ahead of Cacau in the lone striker's role. New Manchester City signing Jerome Boateng is expected to play alongside Per Metersacker at the heart of the Germany defence and Sami Khedira will step into Michael Ballack's place in central midfield.

Australia are boosted by the return of Tim Cahill after a neck injury that forced him to train alone this week. Despite recovering from his groin problems, Harry Kewell could be on the bench as coach Pim Verbeek may make changes to his expected starting XI. Jason Culina is set to win his 50th cap.

MATCH PREVIEW

At their World Cup debut in 1974, a callow Australia side were outclassed 2-0 by East Germany and then 3-0 against West Germany. Thirty-six years on and the Socceroos are a much different proposition. The Berlin Wall has long since come down, but Germany could find themselves trying to break through another immovable object in their clash on Sunday.

Pim Verbeek's side will create a Green and Gold wall in Durban made up of a first-choice back four, plus goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who have amassed 288 caps between them. Their style of defensive football is not pretty, and has certainly not impressed Germany coach Joachim Loew: "Australia can be expected to offer anything but a great spectacle," he said somewhat acidly this week.

Loew must have concerns over how he is going to break the Aussies down, given the slump in form of star striker Miroslav Klose. The Bayern Munich forward has 10 World Cup goals to his name, but his powers appear to be on the wane.

This is the youngest squad the Germans have sent to a World Cup for 76 years. Only three players are over the age of 30 and there are five members of the side who won the 2009 Under-21 European Championship in the squad. Most expect the German young legs to beat the Aussie old heads, but don't be surprised if it's not pretty to watch.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

- Germany and Australia have met on two previous occasions. Their first meeting came at the 1974 World Cup and West Germany enjoyed a 3-0 victory. They met again in Germany at the 2005 Confederations Cup and the home side again won 4-3.

Germany

- The Germans have won their last five opening matches at a World Cup.

- Germany are quick to get into their stride in their opening game at a World Cup having thrashed Belgium 5-2 in 1934, Turkey 4-1 in 1954, Switzerland 5-0 in 1966, Yugoslavia 4-1 in 1990, Saudi Arabia 8-0 in 2002 and Costa Rica 4-2 in 2006.

- Only once in their 17 World Cup games against sides from outside Europe or South America, have either Germany or West Germany lost (2-1 v Algeria in 1982).

- Since USA '94, Germany are unbeaten in their 12 group stage matches.

Australia

- In both of their previous two World Cup appearances they have lost to the eventual champions (Germany in 1974 and Italy in 2006).

- The Socceroos' defeat to USA on 5 June was only their second defeat in their last 14 matches.

- The three goals they conceded against the States was the most they have let in since Pim Verbeek took over in February 2008.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Marco Rodriguez (Mexico)

Assistants: Jose Luis Camargo (Mexico) and Alberto Morin (Mexico)

Fourth official: Martin Hansson (Sweden)

NZ

Jun 13 2010, 06:37 AM

I'd like to see Algeria smash the living crap out of slovenia tonight