Football Fanats 2010 - the year of World Cup

[CTG]

Anti-football is crowned in Europe... Mourinho showed how to kill the gameplay of great opponents, nothing else. If we check only the result, it was an incredible success.

At least no "english" teams in the final four.

[BonzaiJoe]

CTGammon: you are stupid and have small penises.

Sounds like something from CTG... So, what about AGF?

It looks like AGF is going to have three players playing in the World Championships: Jakob Poulsen and Martin Jørgensen for Denmark and Benny Feilhaber for USA. 

[CTG]

Europe League, we are coming!  

(what a defense!)

In the last two rounds:

Debrecen - ETO 0-0
ETO - Videoton 1-0

[Duplode]

Anti-football is crowned in Europe... Mourinho showed how to kill the gameplay of great opponents, nothing else. If we check only the result, it was an incredible success.

I was also cheering for Bayern, but I think they played a bit too passively during the second half instead of using the power to react they displayed in the other games. As for Barcelona, IMO they just sucked, in both legs.

[Chulk]

Milito was great, he alone won that match. Hope he starts in Argentina's 11 during WC

[CTG]

Milito was great, he alone won that match. Hope he starts in Argentina's 11 during WC

The weakest point of a super-strong Argentina is the coach...

[BonzaiJoe]

Maybe the players will just organize themselves. I don't understand why Maradona should be a good coach either.

[Mark L. Rivers]

Well, good playing or not, let me exult for my favourite football team I support since I born...

Nation Cup, First place in the national Major League and Champions League in the same year is not a usual result...  

[Chulk]

The weakest point of a super-strong Argentina is the coach...

Actually, I think Sidebacks are the main problem (although it would all end up being coaches fault anyway). These are the official 23 members of Argentina's NT (In Bold those who are likely to start at WC)

GK
Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, Hol) 23YO. He replaced Ustari in Beijing and won the Gold Medal
Mariano Andujar (Catania, Ita) 26YO. He was starter GK during knockout but lost his place to Romero after Brazil kicked our ass. (I know Dup will be smiling after reading this)
Diego Pozo (Colon Sta Fe, Arg) 32YO. A low profile GK, just to avoid having a problematic GK as the 3rd)

Defenders
Walter Samuel (Inter, Ita) 32YO. CB, Lefty. 1WC before, one of the most experienced of the defense.
Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille, Fra) 32YO. Left CB or SB with no offensive projection. 1WC played.
Martín Demichelis (Bayern Munich, Ger) 29YO. Solid CB, good all round and really strong in aerial plays.
Ariel Garce (Colon Sta Fe, Arg) 30YO. He's there because God knows why. Can play as a CB or as a SB. He's not NT material so everybody is surprised for him being at SA 2010.
Nicolás Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield, Arg) 22YO. Normally CB but can be a purely defensive SB.
Nicolás Burdisso (Roma, Ita) 29YO. Can play any position in the defense, which makes him 1st sub for defensive purposes.
Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes, Arg) 28YO. The only real SB. Can play both sides of the field, really fast. Better attacking than in defensive tasks.

Mid-fielders
Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes, Arg) 35YO. Well known OMF. The most experienced of Argentina's player and Coach inside the field
Javier Mascherano[/i] (Liverpool, Eng) 25YO. One of the best DMF. Probably Argentina's Captain
Jonás Gutierrez (Newcastle, Eng) 27YO. Really fast SMF. Can also play as a SB but it's not his best role.
Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool, Eng) 29YO. SMF can play both sides. Good technic, not as fast as Di Maria or Gutierrez but more experienced. He scored a great goal against Mexico in Germany 2006.
Angel Di María (Benfica, Por) 22YO, Lefty. Great season, championship included. Very talented, fast SMF. Won Olympic gold at Beijing (I think someone would remember a goal he scored over the Keeper)
Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina, Ita) 25YO. Not playing that much in Fiore now, was the leader of last year's runner up in Argentina and scored the goal that qualyfied Argentina for WC against Uruguay in Uruguay.
Javier Pastore (Palermo, Ita) 20YO. OMF or drawn back FW. Only played for Argentina against Catalunya.

Forwards
Lionel Messi Who is this guy?!  
Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, Eng) 26YO. Really fighty player, always gives everything he has and fights for every ball around him. Great season with Manchester City.
Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Spa) 21YO. A hell of a player, can driver any defender nuts with his skills. Maradona's son in law.
Diego Milito (Inter, Ita) 30YO. Another great forward, Inter's top scorer. Gets to the WC in top form after winning 'Triple Crown' with Inter and scoring both goals in Champions League finals
Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid, Spa) 22YO. Great FW, shoots with both legs and has a great technic. Real Madrid top scorer last season (Eat that, Cristiano!)
Martín Palermo (Boca Jrs, Arg) 36YO. He has an outstanding 0.5 goals per game in his hole carrer (585 Matches, 292 Goals). He's Boca Jrs historical top scorer. Named best Header by FIFA in 2008.


So far it looks Argentina will play 4-3-1-2 or 3-4-1-2 with Gutierrez as Right MF and Veron playing as a CMF between Messi and Mascherano, to help both offensively and defensively at the center of the field.

                     Romero

Gutierrez - Demichelis - Samuel - Heinze
 
     Veron - Mascherano - Di Maria

                      Messi

               Higuain - Tevez

Well, good playing or not, let me exult for my favourite football team I support since I born...

Nation Cup, First place in the national Major League and Champions League in the same year is not a usual result...  

I heard somewhere they are the first Italian team to get the 'Triple Crown', is that right? CONGRATS!

[BonzaiJoe]

The Danish squad for the World Cup has finally been published, and it contains very many players who have not played a big international tournament before. It's hard to predict how they will fare in the World Cup because there is definitely a "generation change" here.

GOALKEEPERS:
Thomas Sørensen (Stoke)
Stephan Andersen (Brøndby)
Jesper Christiansen (FC København)

DEFENDERS:
William Kvist (FC København)
Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn)
Simon Kjær (Palermo)
Per Krøldrup (Fiorentina)
Daniel Agger (Liverpool)  - very important player and one of the biggest stars on the team
Patrick Mtiliga (Malaga)  -  definitely the potential "weak link" of the starting 11. Plays in Primera Division, but is completely new on the national team.
Simon Poulsen (AZ Alkmaar)

MIDFIELD:
Martin Jørgensen (AGF) - he will get playing time, but he's too old to be among the starters.
Christian Poulsen (Juventus)
Daniel Jensen (Werder Bremen)
Jakob Poulsen (AGF)
Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax) - coach's pet. Nobody likes him except Morten Olsen. He runs really fast but that's just about the only thing he does.
Jesper Grønkjær (FC København)  - also a big name. We have many strong wings.
Thomas Kahlenberg (Wolfsburg)
Thomas Enevoldsen (Groningen)
Christian Eriksen (Ajax) - big comet, 18 yrs old, predicted to be the new Michael Laudrup
Mikkel Beckmann (Randers) - surprise

FORWARDS:
Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord)
Søren Larsen (Duisburg)
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal) - has to score our goals, and he is definitely really good, but not really a "striker".


Likely starting-11 (4-1-4-1)

                 Bendtner

Kahlenberg Jensen J. Poulsen Rommedahl

               C. Poulsen

  Mtiliga   Kjær   Agger   Jacobsen

                Sørensen


We're really missing a serious striker and a good left back.

[Gutix]

I like Denmark. I hope they reach as far as you can go.

[BonzaiJoe]

Thank you   I forget - what is your relation to Denmark, considering your Danish last name? I think you explained 6 years ago.

By the way I also like Argentina and I hope you win, except if Denmark reaches the final

Sorry Duplode  By the way I also like Brazil, but I hope Argentina wins.

[Gutix]

Thank you   I forget - what is your relation to Denmark, considering your Danish last name? I think you explained 6 years ago.

One reason: My grandfather was danish. I inherited the lastname

Another reason: When I saw the movie "Heroes" (World Cup of Mexico 86), I always remember the Denmark victory over  Uruguay by 6 to 1. The film showed Denmark as a great team. I was younger and how it was compiled the movie and the music caught me a lot

[BonzaiJoe]

I see! Yes that was an interesting World Cup in 1986. And our first one. This is only our fourth.

By the way, do Messi and Higuain get along well? It's strange to imagine the stars of Barcelona and Real Madrid playing together.

[Gutix]

By the way, do Messi and Higuain get along well? It's strange to imagine the stars of Barcelona and Real Madrid playing together.

I admit that Messi has great ability, but what showed in the selection so far I do not like. Do not know much about Higuain, but it seems more energic and less dribbling