Round of 16. Match 3: Germany 4-1 England

This was an eagerly anticipated clash between two bitter enemies, or should I say football rivals. It has been pointed out to me that the rivalry is one-sided and that Germany don't consider it much of a rivalry. Whilst the Netherlands are their biggest rivals the Germans do also have a thing for the English - you only have to see how often Franz Beckenbauer is making disparaging comments about the England team to see that. It is a rivalry that, like any good rivalry, has developed through big, dramatic, controversial games throughout history. Some would suggest it's a match-up designed for later in the tournament - but thanks to England failing to win their group it was to be a second round match in 2010.

England never really got going in the early stages of the match despite the fact they had the odd chance to open the scoring. Germany were causing a few more problems but they weren't at their vintage best either - Oezil had a good chance in the opening minutes that James did well to turn away. The opening goal came after about 20 minutes and it was a very poor one for England to concede. Goalkeeper Neuer punted the ball long down the field. Both Terry and Upson failed to deal with it and as it eluded them it fell nicely for Klose to slide the ball home.

Germany very nearly got a second goal straight after. Fantastic interplay in the middle of the field led to Klose being denied by James. But the second goal wasn't long in coming. Germany again tore England apart and Mueller fed Podolski on the left who finished from a narrow angle. The defence was again very poor (especially the marking) and James should arguably have done better from such a tight angle.

England, against the run of play, pulled a goal back - a cross from Gerrard was headed in by Upson. Neuer came out and flailed towards the ball but Upson scored with a simple header. Then moments before half-time England looked like they had equalised. The ball sat up nicely for Lampard just outside the box and he chipped the keeper with an exquisite shot. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar, hit the ground over the line, and bounced out. Lampard was celebrating, as was Capello, as indeed was I. Remarkably the goal wasn't given. Replays show conclusively that the ball was significantly over the line and it was unbelievable that the referee's assistant missed it.

It was a crucial decision, it was a blatantly wrong decision, and it will again ignite calls for technology in football. Personally I think it would be a good idea to microchip the ball. It's an area of the game that can be proved definitively and it is something that can be introduced without interrupting the flow of the game. It should definitely be looked into. Instead of England going into half-time level and with their tails up, they were behind.

Early in the second half Lampard was again unlucky as he hit the crossbar from a free-kick. England were awarded another free-kick in a similar position not long after but this time Lampard hit the wall. Lampard put his arms in the air to appeal for handball, Barry lost possession on the edge of the German box and Germany broke at pace. A sweeping move ended in Mueller smashing in a goal. Barry was partially at fault for giving away possession but England had barely any players back in defence. Too busy searching for an equaliser they had committed too many men forward. Terry was conspicuous by his absence and James could possibly have done better - the ball was hit very hard but it was in an area in which James could have been expected to do better.

Moments later Germany killed the game off with a sucker punch. Germany cleared their lines and Oezil and Barry chased after it on the German left wing. Barry was left for dead, Oezil dribbled into the England penalty area and set up Mueller in acres of space for a simple finish. Again there were very few defenders back for England, and those that were might as well not have been.

Fact 1) Germany were by far the better side and deserved to win. Fact 2) England played poorly, particularly their defence. Fact 3) Lampard's goal that wasn't changed the complexion of the game. I'm not arguing that had he scored England would have won but I am arguing that they would have had a lot better chance. An equaliser at that point would have changed the course of the game. England would not have needed to attack attack attack if they were back on level terms. And it was the attacking, and thus leaving themselves exposed at the back, that led to the concession of the third and fourth goals.

It must be said that a team should also be judged on how it reacts to adversity. Did England use the disallowed goal as extra motivation or did they lose the plot? It was the latter. With over half an hour to go they were stupid enough to throw too many players forward in search of the equaliser. They must surely have known how devastating Germany can be on the counter-attack but instead of employing tactics to reflect this they pushed forward like headless chickens. Was an extra couple of defenders in attack going to make the difference in scoring? Probably not. Were they likely to get punished on the break? Probably yes. So what the hell were the defence thinking? They should have stuck to their job, they should have tracked back better and they should in essence have got the fundamentals right. They still had time to get an equaliser - they just had to be smarter about trying to achieve it. But they weren't. When leaders were needed on the pitch to be intelligent in what they were trying to achieve they were found wanting.

Now I wish to make some minor criticisms of Capello. Let me make it clear that again this is not an excuse for the England players. Neither Capello or the goal that wasn't are excuses. England were dire. Only Lampard and Gerrard can come out with any credit from that game. No matter what other factors were at play there is no escaping that the English team were shocking.

The England team that was picked was 4-4-2. Why did Capello continue with this when it seemed obvious to most that 4-5-1 was in order. Against such a potent German attack packing the midfield with 5 players was a necessity. In this scenario Cole should have come in on the left wing with Defoe dropping to the bench. Upson was picked ahead of Carragher who was available again after suspension. There are questions to be asked if that was the right decision too. And when chasing the game is it not ridiculous that Heskey was brought on for Defoe? Heskey who is simply not a goalscorer. Peter Crouch anyone? Also Hart should have been starting in goal at the World Cup. I have been saying this for months.

A bad argument that I've heard as well is that Terry was apparently playing on the side of central defence he was not used to. I'm not sure how this would make him lose all the fundamentals of his game in an instant however.

The long and the short of is it that Germany marched on and that England had to catch an early flight home.

Preview of Round of 16. Match 3: England v Germany

It's the big one! It's one time World Cup winner England versus three time champs Germany. It's one of world football's biggest rivalries and even though they are a very long time ago, for some people the rivalry takes on even bigger significance because of the world wars. This is reflected in the song that some people like to sing: "two world wars and one world cup".

England versus Germany is always one of the most anticipated clashes any time, let alone in the knock-out stage at a World Cup. They have a celebrated history of contests that stem in particular from the 1966 World Cup final.

Historic World Cup matches between the sides:

1966 World Cup final. England 4-2 Germany after extra-time. England were leading 2-1 and conceded an equaliser in the last minute of regulation time - Weber poked it over the line despite English protestations of a handball. In extra-time England scored one of the most controversial goals of all time and arguments rage to this day about it. Hurst hit the crossbar and the ball bounced down either onto or just over the goal-line. But the goal was given. Hurst went on to score another goal for England's fourth and his hat-trick and even that is contested. Fans had already started running onto the pitch so perhaps technically it should not have been given. England won their one and only world cup and this really kick-started a massive football rivalry.

1970 World Cup quarter-final. England were leading 2-0, then Germany pulled one back through Beckenbauer and manager Alf Ramsey did the unthinkable. He substituted the tiring Bobby Charlton and it was probably one of the worst decisions he ever made. England lost any potency going forward and Seeler equalised for the Germans. Gerd Muller scored the winner in extra-time (it was one of his 14 world cup finals goals for which he held the record until Ronaldo overtook him with 15 in 2006) to send the German fans into delirium. Many commentators think England would have won if their brilliant goalkeeper Gordon Banks hadn't been missing through illness.

1990 World Cup semi-final. This is one of my worst memories as an England fan. Lineker equalised in the 80th minute to make the match 1-1 and send it to extra-time. No-one broke through in extra-time and England had their first taste of spot-kick misery. Something they would experience a lot more of through the years. Pearce and Waddle missed their penalties. The game was also iconic for Gazza's tears - he had received a yellow card which would cause him to be suspended for the final should England make it through.

A couple more iconic matches (non World Cup) have also been the 1996 European Championships semi-final which England also lost on penalties - Southgate the villain this time - and a World Cup qualifying match in 2001 when England famously won a surprising 5-1!

Both teams are coming into this match off a mixed bag in the group stage. England were average against the USA, abysmal against Algeria, and finally got themselves together against Slovenia. Germany were mesmerising against Australia before succumbing to Serbia and then beating Ghana.

Key players

England

Rooney - yet to set the World Cup alight he is considered part of the trio of world's best footballers: Messi, Ronaldo and Rooney. When he fires he is almost unstoppable.

Gerrard and Lampard (and particularly Gerrard) - two supremely talented players who step up for their clubs when it matter but don't do it often enough for England.

John Terry - Prone to the odd mistake Terry will have to put a few things behind him, (affair, captaincy stripping, harsh words on Capello) stay focused and be a true leader on the pitch.

Germany

Oezil and Mueller - Two young players that can wrip apart any defence when they are at the top of their game. Oezil is coming off a game in which he scored an absolute belter and Mueller has the potential to become the best player in the world, and is not far behind right now. Both could create a lot of opportunities for the devastating front men Podolski and Klose.

Lahm - Captain and a fantastic full-back he must be alert to the dangers coming from England's midfield and attack.

Schweinsteiger - A key man in central midfield, Schweinsteiger is battling an injury and hoping to be fit.

Expectations - could be a cagey tight affair with neither side wanting to give an inch. But it will have the potential to explode at any time with the attacking talent on show tonight. Both sides have shown the odd weakness in defence so there could be some goals in the game. Germany have more talent throughout their squad and they are younger which could make them more exciting and play with less fear. Although it could also lead to more mistakes or naive play without all the wise old heads around.

And if it comes to penalties, you have to back the Germans.
An absolute classic encounter is in the offing, and it's a shame one of these teams won't be strutting their stuff in the quarter-finals.

Group C final group games

England 1-0 Slovenia

The game began with England knowing they pretty much had to win, and Slovenia knowing that a point would be enough. England came into the game with two draws after a poor showing against the USA and an abysmal showing against Algeria. Slovenia came in off an average game against Algeria they had managed to win, and a good performance in a pulsating 2 all draw against the USA. The biggest question was: which England would turn up?

It had been widely expected that Capello would finally change the tactics and play Gerrard off Rooney but it didn't quite happen like that. Instead he played Defoe ahead of Heskey and brought Milner into the right wing slot. Carragher of course was suspended so Upson got a start at centre-back. It was a 4-4-2 formation although I was sure Gerrard would drift infield quite a bit (and this would also allow Ashley Cole the freedom to attack down the left flank).

England ultimately put in an excellent performance in what was a commanding 1-0 victory. England constantly hassled and harried the Slovenian players throughout and created a number of opportunities. Milner was my man of the match - he had a fantastic game at right-wing and provided many Beckham-esque crosses. One of which produced the winning goal as Defoe stabbed home from close range.

Slovenia were disappointing. They had thrilled against the USA but they offered only a few off-key whimpers against England. Admittedly, even 1-0 down they were going to qualify while the other game was locked up at 0-0 but the USA's very late winner prevented that.

Rooney still hasn't stamped his mark on a game, England will be hoping for more from him in the second round.

USA 1-0 Algeria

Going into the match the USA knew only a win could guarantee progression. Algeria needed a win even more as this was the only way they could progress and even then they were dependent on the other result.

This game was an engaging affair as both teams looked to attack and to play attractive football. For Algeria Djebbour, Matmour, Ziani and Belhadj were creative, passed intelligently, had plenty of decent shots and played with a spark. Had I never watched this game and relied only on their first two performances at the World Cup I would have described them as a poor or limited side. But having seen this I would now say they are a very capable team who didn't show this until their final game.

The USA were also enterprising and creative which allowed for a free-flowing good game of football. Both sides hit the woodwork with Dempsey hitting the post and Djebbour hitting the bar but it was fitting that Donovan hit the winner as he had been the best player for the USA and possibly for the match. In injury time the ball broke loose in Algeria's penalty area and Donovan was there to slam it into the net, producing a massive moment of high drama and pure ecstasy for the Americans who all threw themselves onto the ground in a mass of bodies. The win had put them through to the second round, and in first place in their group no less.

Group C permutations

My initial prediction for Group C was England and Slovenia to progress (in 1st and 2nd) although I acknowledged that I was picking an upset having Slovenia over the USA. The last round of games will be intriguing as all are in with a shot at qualifying. Slovenia top the group but all can change in the blink of an eye. What do they all need to do when Slovenia play England and the USA play Algeria? [In simplistic terms without all the minor nuances].

England: A win and they are through - in first providing they win by a better margin than the USA. A draw could see them through but only if the USA score 3 less goals than them, 2 less and it would go down to a coin toss.

Slovenia: A win and they will finish first, a draw and they will qualify in first or second (depending on the USA result, a USA win might prevent them from taking 1st spot. A 1-1 draw between Slovenia and England and a 1-0 win to the USA would result in a coin toss between Slovenia and the USA to decide first place)

USA: A win and they are through in either first or second - depending on the other result. A draw and they will likely go through if England also draw (particularly if it is a score draw) or if England lose.

Algeria: Must beat USA. If they do and England draw they will be through in 2nd. If they do and England win they will be fighting with Slovenia for second place on goal difference. They basically need to win by 2 and England by 1 or vice versa. If they win and Slovenia win they will be through in 2nd. Algeria cannot finish first.

Group C's second round of games

Slovenia 2-2 USA

One of the games of the round! Slovenia were clearly the best team in the first half. They passed the ball around confidently, slickly and attacked with purpose. They also looked comfortable in defence. Birsa opening the scoring with a spectacular 25 yard effort past the static Tim Howard. The USA were playing decently and perhaps creating more opportunities at times, but Slovenia were unruffled. Just before half-time they doubled the lead through a Ljubijankic header after a swift counter-attack.

In the second half with the USA chasing the game they were bound to create more opportunities - their first goal came sooner rather than later. Donovan stunned the worldwide audience with a cracking finish from a very tight angle, albeit from close-range. This spurred the USA and they may have had an equaliser sooner if they had a better striker than Altidore whom I consider an average journeyman lacking in firepower. The equaliser eventually came when Bradley powered home a half volley. It was rough on the Slovenians who had defended (and played) so well but by the same token it was also just reward for concerted pressure. The USA thought they had won it when Edu finished off a Donavan free kick, however the referee spotted what appeared to be a non-existent foul.

In general the ref had had a good game but he had made two mistakes: the aforementioned disallowed goal and booking Findley for a handball when it clearly came off his head (this is significant because it means he is suspended for their final group game against Algeria).

England 0-0 Algeria

England were incredibly incredibly poor. The whole team lacked any spark and just appeared to be going through the motions. None of the players came out with any credit - if I had to choose a player who had the best game, who maybe scraped a 6/10 it would be Ashley Cole. Algeria on the other hand were engaging, played some decent football but ultimately lacked quality and thrust in the final third. Particularly poor performers for England were Glen Johnson (who lost possession so many times towards the end of the game), Rooney (who appeared off-pace all game and who was frustrated enough to try and do everything by himself...badly) and Heskey (who's inept attempt to cross the ball towards the end of the game - slipping and sliding like the donkey he is - epitomised the whole of England's performance). Capello will surely have to look at different tactics for the last game. And James, whilst keeping a clean sheet, did not look comfortable...why Hart has not played beats me, it really does. Carragher is suspended for the final game meaning a likely start for Upson, I would choose Dawson myself.

Interesting asides:

1) The fan who accidentally stumbled upon the England dressing room and gave them a piece of his mind.
2) There is real turmoil in the England camp right now (but not as bad as France!). (See also this).

Group C opening games

England 1-1 USA

Capello decided on the following lne-up:

                 Green
Johnson King Terry Cole
Lennon Gerrard Lampard Milner
        Heskey Rooney

England had a brilliant start with a goal for Gerrard after less than ten minutes. Kudos goes to Heskey for a perfectly weighted pass and to Gerrard for a clinical finish.

Milner played poorly down the left hand side, fouling Cherundolo on a number of occasions which eventually resulted in a booking. He didn't get a chance to show his attacking wares and Capello replaced him with Wright Phillips after only half an hour. Milner had apparently been suffering with a stomach bug/virus all week so it is no wonder he was far from his best. Wright Phillips was very poor himself for the rest of the match, I think Joe Cole would have been far the better replacement, particularly as Wright Phillips is actually a right winger by trade.

The equalising goal came 5 minutes before half-time and what a terrible, shocking blunder from Green it was. Dempsey hit a tame shot straight at the keeper and Green somehow contrived to spill the ball into his own net After so much debate over who the goalkeeper should be and Capello's final choice managed to do this. 'Calamity James' hadn't been picked but 'Calamity Green' (could that catch on?) had turned up. It is odd that Capello considers Hart as too inexperienced when Green has only had ten caps himself. Hart is an excellent and confident goalkeeper, he should be in the team. Should Capello replace Green for the next game (and subsequently), and I think he might, he will probably opt for veteran James.

The England tabloids as expected have had a field day. The News of the World: "Rob still too Green for England". The Sunday Times: "One disastrous spill the Yanks won't complain about". Sunday Mirror: "God save the Green". One thing I can't believe is that some people have blamed it mostly on the Jabulani ball. This is preposterous, one only has to watch the incident to realise this...surely?

The second half produced no goals although there was plenty of industry from both sides. Green partly redeemed himself after a good save from Donovan (who had used his pace to easily get past Carragher - a player who had equipped himself OK as replacement centre-back but who in my opinion was the wrong choice as replacement). Lampard tried a number of hopeful long-range shots and Rooney was strangely quiet. Lennon had a decent game except for the fact he failed to beat the first man with the vast majority of his crosses. Heskey played well but he not surprisingly fluffed both a one-on-one and a header. Heskey hasn't scored since February and is hardly a goalscorer despite being a striker. He is there because he forms a good partnership with Rooney. Gerrard was probably England's man of the match.

The USA worked hard throughout. Onyewu was superb in the centre of defence. He composedly dealt with everything England threw at them. The rest of the team were also decent but fashioned very few real chances for their weak forward line to have a go at. Dempsey and Donavon are the best attacking players for the USA but they operate from midfield. How Altidore who scored 1 goal for Hull City all season can be expected to provide the goals is beyond me. The USA did in general prevent too many chances for England.

Slovenia 1-0 Algeria

This was a match whose main features were a red card and a soft goal as it generally lived up to its billing as one of the least exciting contests of the World Cup. Having said that both sides played some engaging football at times.

Overall Algeria probably had the better chances. They had a great headed chance when Halliche headed just wide. Both teams had dipping long distance strikes expertly tipped over by the respective goalkeepers. Yet both teams gave away possession too easily and were generally sloppy. Passes went astray fairly often and touches were often too heavy. Handanovic almost handed Algeria a goal on a plate before managing to recover, thanks to one of those heavy touches to which I refer.

Algeria imploded with just under 20 minutes to go when substitute Ghezzal was sent off for a second yellow card. The first was deserved as was the second - a blatant handball. Not long after, Koren received the ball 20 yards from goal and had a reasonable effort to the left of Chaouchi's goal...the ball sneaked into the back of the net as Chaouchi flapped ungainly at it. He seemed to approach the save in an odd way - instead of diving horizontally to tap it round the corner he approached it head (and arm on) which perhaps contributed to the mistake.

Slovenia held on for their first ever victory at a World Cup as they moved to the top of Group C.

[I'd just like to also point out that Algeria's manager Rabah Sadaane has stated he will quit after the World Cup because of the attitude of some of the players. He left their captain Mansouri on the bench for the game, which on the surface seems an odd decision, but could be something to do with this. This nonsense is likely to have a negative effect on Algeria's World Cup].

The England Eleven

OK so it's less than 2 hours until kickoff in England's first game which is against the USA. What team would I like to see England pick and what team do I think they will pick?

Let's start with the goalkeeper.

Reports a few days ago suggested that James had a minor knee problem and may miss the first game. Then there have been reports in recent hours that England players want James to play because of his experience and because he is so vocal. The goalkeeper debate is one that almost everyone seems to want to have their say - because the choice is not clear-cut.

James is 39, has had a nickname of  'Calamity James' due to some shockers he has had throughout his career. However he is very athletic and experienced and has the inside running. Green and Hart are both quality stoppers but lack the experience that James offers. I would pick Hart. From the games I have watched Hart is simply the best keeper of the three, he has the confidence and pulls off amazing saves quite regularly. I am not worried by his inexperience, he would play with no fear and he would I am sure play very well throughout the tournament. I believe James will get the nod though.

In defence I would pick Johnson, King, Terry and Cole. Cole is obvious as first choice left-back as is Terry for centre-back. Debate centres over Terry's partner. Most (and I am in this camp) think it has to be King. Johnson is a true right-back who attacks down the flank, his weakness is in his defending. I think almost everyone would pick him but Carragher remains an option. Perhaps against the best opposition choosing Carragher is not the silliest idea as he should provide greater stability at the back. I think Capello would agree with my choice of Johnson, King, Terry, Cole.

In midfield I would pick Lennon on the right as he offers so much quality. I would have Lampard and Barry in the middle as Barry is very good in the holding position. (Lampard picks himself). Barry may not quite be ready for the first game however. If Barry is not fit I would have Milner in the middle and Joe Cole on the left. If Barry is fit I would have Milner on the left. Up front I would have Rooney and Gerrard (in the slightly deeper attacking position). I think Milner has to be in the team because he offers so much but I think Capello will leave him on the bench. I think Gerrard should play the attacking role or the central midfield role but I do not think he should play on the left as he is wasted there and Milner/Cole are better options than him in that position  I would not mind Gerrard and Lampard in the middle with Rooney playing in a front two alongside any of Crouch, Defoe or Heskey, especially if Barry is not fit.

My ideal team, with all fit, is

                   Hart

Johnson, King, Terry, Cole

Lennon, Lampard, Barry, Milner

          Gerrard Rooney

I think Capello's is either the same (although swapping Milner for Cole) or having Gerrard on the left with Heskey to partner Rooney.

Whatever happens it's gonna be interesting.

Group C Preview

Algeria

Strengths: Algeria, so some degree, are an unknown quantity at World Cup 2010. Many commentators suggest that they know less about them than most other teams. Most of their players do however ply their trade in Europe - generally lower ranked teams in the top tier or higher ranked teams in the second tier. Their undoubted star is Ziani. At age 27 he has amassed 55 caps for Algeria and has played for many French clubs, although he is now at Wolfsburg in Germany. A creative midfielder, his role is essential if Algeria are to create enough goalscoring opportunities.

Weaknesses: Since 2003 Algeria have only won two away games. Whilst the World Cup is a neutral venue this may affect them psychologically. Algeria have a weak strikeforce. None of them will strike fear into the hearts of their opposition. The best is Saifi, but at 35 is certainly past his prime. Their squad is not blessed with talent - they will work hard and defend doggedly but are not expected to shine.

Formation: likely to be 4-4-2

Manager: Rabah Saadane, an Algerian stalwart, is in his 5th spell in charge of the national side over almost 30 years.

Qualification: Algeria finished level on everything with Egypt in their final qualifying group. They both had 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, scored 9 goals, conceded 4. This resulted in an unprecedented playoff between Algeria and Egypt to be played in a neutral venue: Sudan. Yahia scored the only goal of the game as Algeria conjured up a 1-0 victory that plunged their country into ecstasy.

World Cup pedigree: Algeria have only reached the World Cup finals on two occasions: 1982 and 1986. Both times they failed to progress from the first round. In 1982 they had a famous 2-1 victory over West Germany and almost qualified for the second round. They reason they didn't was farcical. In the last game between Germany and Austria, a 1-0 or 2-0 win to Germany would be enough for both teams to progress, any other scoreline would see Algeria through. Germany took the lead on 10 minutes and for the remaining 80 minutes both teams simply went through the motions. Algeria would love to progress from Group C and face Germany in the 2nd round - to try exact some revenge!

Chance of progression from Group C: 30%, will probably finish last.

England

Strengths: England's biggest strength is Wayne Rooney. If you didn't know that you've probably been hiding under a rock these past few years. A truism it may be but there is absolutely no denying that he is England's key player at World Cup 2010. England have quality all over the park. The likes of Gerrard and Lampard are excellent creative goalscoring midfielders, they have high quality wingers with the likes of Lennon and Wright-Phillips and versatility from players like Milner (who can play anywhere in midfield) and Carragher who has come out of retirement to help the cause. Cole is a top drawer left back and there is genuine strength in depth in a number of areas of the park.

Weaknesses: England do not have a settled first eleven. There is debate over the goalkeeper (James, Green or Hart?), over whether Heskey should continue partnering Rooney up front as he did in the qualifiers or if Gerrard should play behind Rooney. There is debate over the wingers and there is debate over the central defence, particularly now Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the World Cup. There are injuries as well: Barry has been battling back from his injury and probably won't be ready for the first game and Ledley King has hardly played a game all season. Right-back is the weakest spot because although Johnson is good at marauding down his flank his defence can be quite suspect. They are also in average form - scrambling to a 2-1 victory over Japan (courtesy of two own goals) being a striking example.

Formation: 4-4-2 if Heskey plays, closer to a 4-4-1-1 if Gerrard supports Rooney.

Manager: Fabio Capello. After a quality playing career in Italy that spanned around 18 years Fabio got into high-level management 11 years later. He has been with top clubs over his 19 years or so as a manager and England is his first international assignment.

Qualification: England comfortably topped their European qualifying group ahead of the likes of Ukraine and Croatia.with 9 wins and 1 draw from 10 games.

World Cup pedigree: This is England's 13th World Cup. They were Champions in 1966 and finished 4th in 1990. They have also been knocked out at the quarters on six occasions.

Chance of progression from Group C: 80%, probably in 1st. There is a reason David Beckham had a massive grin on his face when this group was drawn!

Slovenia

Strengths: Slovenia play a game of collective football which is effective. They have one of the best defences in Europe having only conceded four goals in their ten group matches in qualification. Their best attacking threat is Novakovic who scores goals and is a lethal dead ball specialist. Their captain and lynchpin Robert Koren is their creative playmaker who should provide opportunities for goals. Handanovic is also a talented goalkeeper.

Weaknesses: If we disregard Slovenia's result against the weakest European nation, San Marino, Slovenia barely managed a goal per game. They do not have any real household names - they have a number of solid if unspectacular performers throughout the european leagues.

Formation: Likely to be 4-4-2.

Manager: Matjaz Kez managed his local side Maribor for around six years (2000-2006), followed by the Slovenian U15 and U16 side for about a year. He has been manager of the Slovenian international side since 2007

Qualification: For a country of only 2 million people (and a national football stadium with only 12,435 seats!) Slovenia did exceedingly well to qualify ahead of the much fancied Czech Republic and Poland. They finished 2nd in their qualifying group (behind Slovakia) and had to overcome the mighty Russian side (managed by the brilliant Guus Hiddink) in a playoff. Two goals behind in the first leg this looked unlikely until they pulled a crucial away goal back towards the end of the match. This meant a 1-0 win would suffice in the 2nd leg, and a 1-0 win they achieved. With Dedic scoring at the end of the first half they defended famously to ensure progression.

World Cup pedigree: Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. It is Yugoslavia from whom they derive their footballing tradition. Slovenia first entered qualification for the 1998 tournament but have only made the 2002 World Cup finals. They lost all 3 games scoring 2 goals and conceding 7. They will hope to do much better this time around!

Chance of progression from Group C: 50%, I'm picking an upset though and reckon Slovenia will make the 2nd round (in 2nd place).

USA

Strengths: In Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan the USA have two attacking midfielders who are highly experienced, highly skilled, very creative and at just about the perfect age to be in their prime. Whilst I have been heard to say that Donovan is over-rated (he has been) that has been due to a lack of consistency on his part. At the World Cup we're talking of just a few games and it would be just like Donovan to be really up for those occasions. They have an athletic and very useful goalkeeper in Tim Howard and a tall, imposing and dominant centre-back in Oguchi Onyewu. They have shown recently that they have what it takes to progress to the depths of a tournament having lost 3-2 to Brazil in the final of the Confederations Cup (after being 2-0 up at half-time). Admittedly the Confederations Cup is a tournament barely worth being interested in but they did defeat Spain in the semi-finals, ending their 35 match unbeaten run.

Weaknesses: The USA lack true goalscorers up front. Altidore is the most highly rated but is fairly average from what I've seen of him. Watch him prove me wrong, he did top score with six in qualifying. Edson Buddle appears to have potential but at 29 still has less than a handful of international caps to show for it. Dempsey and Onyewu have been out with injury for long periods of time this season and some of their other European based players have found it hard to get game-time. Beyond their star names the USA have a fairly middling team who I don't think will quite handle the slick, pacy passing of the Slovenians.

Formation: Likely to be a traditional 4-4-2.

Manager: Bob Bradley. He has previously managed MLS sides and has been national manager since after the 2006 World Cup.

Qualification: The USA topped their final qualification group by 1 point ahead of Mexico. It was a relatively easy progression in what is a weak CONCACAF section.

World Cup pedigree: This is the USA's 9th World Cup and their 6th in succession. Their best finish was 3rd in 1930 and their second best effort was being knocked out in the quarters of the 2002 World Cup. In this game they lost to Germany 1-0 in a game which the USA dominated. Kahn made a number of great saves and Ballack scored the crucial goal. Frings also handled the ball on his own line which should have resulted in a penalty, but the Germans held on.

Chance of progression from Group C: 60%, but I reckon they'll miss out to Slovenia.

Player Profile Number 3 Aaron Lennon

Aaron Lennon of England is my Group C Player Profile.

Aaron Lennon is a player I have followed very closely since he was 16 years old and broke into Leeds Utd's first team squad, in the Premier League. He moved to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2005 due to Leeds financial difficulties (for a shockingly low 1 million pounds) and because they were playing in the Championship and not the Premier League. For 3 seasons in a row Lennon was nominated as the PFA young player of the year but on each occasion was beaten to the title - by Wayne Rooney, Christiano Ronaldo and Ashley Young respectively.

Right from the age of 16 it was apparent to me that he was something special and would one day in the not so distant future play for England. He has blistering pace, close ball control and the ability to beat players. He can pass quickly, move into dangerous positions at pace, whip in a good cross and finish adeptly. Lennon has been injured for much of this season but is coming back to full fitness. He is probably vying with Walcott for a starting role on the right wing, and I for one would pick him. Lennon is of higher quality and is more consistent than Walcott but it's a nice selection dilemma for England to have.

I am hoping for big things from this young man at the 2010 World Cup

The England Selection Debate - who will stay behind?

As an avid follower of English club and international football since my earliest days as a football fan this is probably the team on which I can speak with most authority. Obviously my authority has nothing on Capello’s but it doesn’t stop me from airing my views. That, after all, is the purpose of a blog.

England are one of the few countries not to have named their final 23. They have named a 30 man preliminary squad that needs to cut 7. I will explore who these might or should be.

First of all: a reminder of the 30 man squad – 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 12 midfielders and 5 strikers

Goalkeepers
James - Portsmouth
Hart – Man City (on loan at Birmingham)
Green – West Ham
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Defenders
(Ashley) Cole – Chelsea
Carragher – Liverpool
Ferdinand – Man Utd
Terry – Chelsea
Dawson – Spurs
(Glen) Johnson – Liverpool
Upson – West Ham
King – Spurs
Warnock – Villa
Baines – Everton

Midfielders
(Adam) Johnson – Man City
Milner – Villa
Gerrard – Liverpool
Carrick – Man Utd
Huddlestone – Spurs
(Joe) Cole – Chelsea
Lennon – Spurs
Parker – West Ham
Barry – Villa
Lampard – Chelsea
Wright-Phillips – Man City
Walcott-Arsenal

Strikers

Defoe – Spurs

Rooney- Man Utd

Heskey – Villa

Crouch – Spurs

Bent – Sunderland

The 3 goalkeepers are certain.

Out of the 10 defenders Capello is likely to select 8. In my mind this means Warnock misses out (he is in straight competition with Baines for the second choice left-back slot). The other to miss out will surely be a centre-back as there are six who can play there. The unlucky man is between King, Dawson, Upson and Carragher.

King has had chronic knee problems but is experienced and of high quality. Upson was always considered one of the best young defenders in England but has not been on form in recent years and was involved in West Ham Utd’s relegation scrap. Dawson has come into the reckoning of recent times and was part of a strong Spurs back line that finished 4th in the Premier League. Carragher has been encouraged out of retirement. Purely on central defence he is the weakest but he offers back-up to the first choice right-back Johnson and is a versatile player. Upson misses out for me but I would not be too concerned if it was Dawson that missed out instead.

Out of the 12 midfielders 8 are likely to go to South Africa. Milner, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry (fitness permitting) and Lennon are surely all obvious choices. Walcott is not far behind for me; he is inconsistent but can quickly change a game. I am also of the opinion that Johnson and Cole should both be part of the squad thus leaving Huddlestone, Carrick, Parker and Wright-Phillips behind.

I am convinced at least one of Johnson/Cole will miss out though because the problem with picking both is that it leaves England light on central midfielders. To compound this Capello may decide to use Gerrard as a striker playing just behind Rooney and Barry may not be fully fit. This would leave Lampard and Milner (who has been converted very successfully into a central midfield player this season, although the holding type role he may be asked to play doesn’t come naturally to him). We must also remember that Ledley King is capable of playing the holding midfield role and that Joe Cole can play both on the wing and in an attacking midfield type role.

Why do I want Cole and Johnson? Cole is a very gifted player technically. He might only be a squad member rather than a first team regular at Chelsea, but his skill level is high, one only has to look at the perfect technique he employed for that perfect volley he scored against Sweden at the last world cup. He is not a traditional winger but can play effectively in that type of role and is quite versatile.

Johnson has only just come onto people’s radar recently. I have known of him for about four years now. Initially he was one of those players I had only vaguely heard of after seeing him come on as a substitute for Middlesbrough in the Premiership on the odd occasion. Only a few months after I had heard of him he joined my beloved Leeds United on a one month loan in October 2006 (he did OK for Leeds in his four games for us, nothing flash). Thus at this point I researched him more fully and have followed his career fairly closely since then.

Johnson had another loan spell at Watford in 2007 and from all accounts put in some excellent performances prompting Middlesbrough to recall him. In 2008-09 he played 32 games, half as a substitute as he was behind Downing in the pecking order. In 2009-10, following relegation, he played the first half of the season for Middlesbrough in the Championship before Man City bought him in the January transfer window for 10 million pounds following yet more stellar performances. He has played a decent amount of times for Man City since then, putting in a number of man of the match performances. He is a really exciting prospect and it would mean a lot to his development to go to the World Cup. And were he to play a role from the substitutes bench I would back him to produce something special

Wright-Phillips’ star has fallen, he is no longer seen as one of England’s great hopes. One has to imagine that being bought by Chelsea a few years back, as Man City’s star player (a couple of years before they became rich), and becoming merely a bit part in their squad has stunted his growth as a player. Also, Chelsea do not have the reputation for nurturing their players so it is little surprise. (Have Chelsea done Wright-Phillips out of two World Cup squads then?). Still a good player but not quite good enough for the squad methinks.

The other 3 midfielders I have suggested to miss out are the central trio of Carrick, Parker and Huddlestone. All very decent players but not quite the standard of the players I have picked.

I think however that Capello will choose one of Cole and Johnson and give the other spot to Carrick, my preferred choice out of the three players in the previous paragraph. Johnson may indeed be the unlucky one. If this is what Capello decides then so be it. Another option would be to take one less defender (Dawson) to accommodate the extra midfielder. Could be a good idea but may leave England light on central defenders.

Out of the 5 strikers my choice to miss out is Bent. Second only to Rooney in the Premiership charts he may be but he has never replicated this for England and I don’t see why this will change. I have far more confidence in Defoe to do the business. Heskey I do not rate as a goalscorer but if he plays alongside Rooney there’s no doubt he can help the balance of the team by holding up play, laying balls off and generally making a good partnership. Crouch has very skilfull feet for such a tall man and has a great scoring record for England.

Which 7 would you leave behind? Which 7 will Capello leave behind? Your thoughts please.
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In the near future I will discuss my England starting 11. I have some very clear views on that topic.

Aussies pummel South Africa; Ireland back in business in Euro 2008 qualification!

I can't believe that on Saturday night I made the decision to not watch this game and instead just get up for the Wales - Republic of Ireland Euro 2008 qualifier at 3am. However thankfully I did end watching from the start! A text message woke me up at about 1:15am - being too busy chewing the fat to go back to sleep I decided to get up and watch the start of the match, only to see a brutal opening stand by Hayden and Gilchrist set up a huge total of 377-6. Hayden, although riding his luck on occasion, was simply sublime scoring the fastest ever hundred in a world cup (beating John Davison by 1 ball thanks to an emphatic six down the ground). To think that 18 months previously he appeared on the outer of the Australian side!

At 3am I did switch over to watch the football (flicking back to cricket now and again naturally) !With Ireland being my favourite international football side (behind the All Whites of course!) I'm always very keen to watch them. Of course it also helped my frame of mind that Johnny Douglas was selected in the team. Douglas is of course a Leeds Utd midfielder who recently became captain after the messy Nicholls saga. He's not much of a player but he's tenacious and useful. And its nice to watch a fairly good international side employ a player from the start who plays for the Championship's bottom club (by god it pains me to say that!). Unfortunately his playing on Saturday against Wales and then on Wednesday against Slovakia is not good for Leeds as our game against Preston is on Friday. So it would be nice if he didn't start on Wednesday! Anyway - the Ireland Wales game wasn't the most rip roaring affair but it was satisfying to see Stephen Ireland score the winning goal. It keeps us in with a shot at qualification. With Germany beating the Czechs, we now see Germany top with 13 points with the Czechs and us on 10 (although we have played the extra game). And then we have Slovakia only one point behind us, and with the game in hand! This makes our match up with Slovakia huge! As the match wound up it was great to hear the commentator inform us of a late Scotland goal to take a 2-1 win over Georgia. Hopefully the Scots can avoid defeat against the Italians, keeping them in good shape to secure a surprise qualification.

Who finds it strange that I'm referring to Ireland as us? Well although I'm English I do have a smidgeon of Irish in me. My Mum's Dad's Father was Irish so I guess that makes me 1/16 Irish. And as I feel great affinity with my grandfather on that side, and my mum's maiden name, I feel a strong pull towards Ireland. I feel more patriotic towards them than I do England. I feel a pull towards England but I guess that's more directed towards Yorkshire where I was brought up. Anyway - when I found out that England Israel had been a draw, I wasn't overly concerned and certainly managed to see a bit of the funny side. Steve McClaren is useless by the way. The sooner the FA see that the better for England. I support all the so called home nations! I love Ireland and want to see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do well! I do support England too although its hard to support a football team that containst the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville!

I didn't watch the South Africa innings. Bed came a calling. If the unbelievable game at the Wanderers a year before was anything to go by then the match certainly wasn't over. And the opening stand of 160 odd proved that. However a collapse eventuated and although South Africa made a very good 294, this was still an 83 run loss.

And thankfully I could have a weekend without the stress of Leeds Utd playing!