In just two brief days, I reckon Beckham's undone all that dubious goodwill work with kids and Zinedine Zidane that we kept getting emails about (more on that soon...). Yesterday was that EPL comment about how he'd play anywhere, just give him a ring someone and he'll do it, etc.
Then, he and Grant Wahl had a little donnybrook during a far-from-routine presser ahead of his season debut at the Red Bulls, which I'll totally be liveblogging by the way (beginning at 7.45pm. Bring the dip, I got the chips!).
Well, today saw him hide behind the England manager as justification for his continual want-away-ness. I mean, it's not his fault he needs to play anywhere but in Los Angeles.
It was Fabio! Fabio told him to!
Cue the "well if Fabio told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?" jokes, but seriously, let's look at what he said and then make fun of him.Leading up to the World Cup, the England manager has made it very clear to me that I need to be playing at a European level." (regarding playing for England) I will do everything possible. I'll always regret it if I didn't do everything to give myself a chance to be involved in that. At the moment, my priority is the rest of the season and also playing and keeping in every squad for England and representing my country. Going forward, of course I want to be involved in the World Cup. I've not hidden that fact."
That's of course assuming that you're going to be included in the World Cup squad. I mean, you're not getting any younger and you're becoming a little one-dimensional on the right wing, having been supplanted by the likes of Walcott and Lennon as a more agile, spritely option.
Would it kill you to just keep your mouth shut and enjoy the LA Galaxy for even five minutes? Tomorrow, I await the presser where he claims God came to him in a dream and implored him to move to Barcelona immediately.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Beckham Speaks Again!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Under 21 European Championships: The Final!
England expects, young man!
It's a little quiet at UF towers today. Everyone is busy with, well, other business. But that's ok, this afternoon we'll have a good old fashioned live thread. You can amuse yourselves. It's the final of the Under 21 European Championships. England v Germany. Woahhhhh. The old enemy! I'll check in from time to time to see how you are doing and to add updates.
After his semi final penalty heroics, Joe Hart is suspended for England. He will likely be replaced by man mountain and Peterborough stopper Joe Lewis. England also have key players missing up top. Gabby Agbonlahor and Frazier Campbell are also suspended. Theo Walcott is expected to play a key role as a central striker.
Problems aside. Manager Stuart Pearce is feeling confident..."The team who has the most guts, takes their chances and maybe has enough fit players will win, we came here to win, now we want to take the trophy home." -Stuart Pearce.
The teams are in..Lets have a look.
Germany U21: Neuer, Beck, Howedes, Boateng, Boenisch, Hummels, Johnson, Castro, Khedira, Ozil, Wagner.
Subs: Fromlowitz, Aogo, Ebert, Marin, Schwaab, Grote, Adlung, Ben-Hatira, Schmelzer, Ede, Sippel.
England U21: Loach, Cranie, Richards, Onuoha, Gibbs, Cattermole, Muamba, Noble, Milner, Walcott, Johnson.
Subs: Lewis, Taylor, Stearman, Gardner, Rodwell, Tomkins, Mancienne, Driver, Rose.
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland).
So Lewis misses out, interesting. Thats a pretty strong line-up consdering the suspended players. No room in the starting 11 for Chelsea's Michael Mancienne or Everton's teenage sensation Jack Rodwell.
Stick around...It's England v Germany at 2.45 EST.
I'm hoping that it's victory that Stuart Pearce smells of. The sweet smell of victory. Bigus has everything crossed. Everything!Scott and Joe Lewis was my toughest decision, no doubt about it. The first thing Joe did was congratulate Scotty, which is exactly what I'd expect from him.
- Pearce on Loach getting the nod between the sticks instead of Joe Lewis.
They have kicked off in Sweden and England have had an early chance, Milner cross headed over by Crainie.
6 mins: England looking good. Had a couple of chances and keeping the ball. Germany are sporting a red kit with a black stripe. Hmmm. They look like Blackburn. Lets hope they play like Blackburn.
Watching in French is a little odd. Theres a female commentator with a very nice voice. Key-ron Geeeebs.
15 mins: Pretty even now, Germany just had a spell of possession, but the England defence stood firm. Dig in lads!
24 mins: Ah Fu%k, F@ckety bollocks. Germany score. After some good play by England, Germany counter and Ozil feeds Castro, who cooly finishes past Loach. Up til then we looked good. 'Tee-yo Walcourt' is running like a mad man and the midfield looked in control. Oh well.
England 0 Germany 1.
27 mins: Milner (or Meeeelnehr) tricks two German dudes, strides into the area and falls under pressure? Penno? Could have been, but the ref says NO. Bastard. Some good work by Milner. Camon England!
33 mins: England playing some very nice football, but looking a little vulnerable against the break. On two occasions Germany have busted through. This young German team is very, very direct. England have the nice build-up but no final ball.
HT 1 nil Germany. I gotta run folks. Lingering Bursitis is now at your service. Take it away, LB.
HALF TIME: England 0, Germany 1
So imagine my surprise when a pleasant Monday afternoon is disrupted by the Canary, insisting I cover the 2nd half of this tournament final. My inner patriot was still asleep at the time after a long midnight drive back from the beach, but he's awake and munching on snacks and eagerly awaiting the Gangbusters-esque comeback by our lads after the break.
After all, England hasn't won any official tournament of note since 1993 when our youngsters, including a pre-pubescent Robbie Fowler, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes (and QPR legend Kevin Gallen!), won this very same trophy.
Now, I look at the squad and wonder just how heavily they will dash our dreams of World Cup success in 2014.
Almost ready for the restart... I must find a beer for this. What little of the first half I did catch online was decent to say the least; I had no clue James Milner was that young, and I had no idea that Fabrice Muamba was English either.
46 mins: Sub for England, with Nedum Onuoha off and Michael Mancienne on.
47 mins: GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL... dear oh dear. Mr. Loach between the posts will need some treatment for PTSD after that absolute clanger, lest he lose all confidence and turn into the 2nd coming of Paul Robinson. Ozil beat him from 35 yards with a speculative free-kick that spun, looped, swirled and fizzed through the night sky and 'twixt Loach's slippery grasp. Nail in the coffin? England 0, Germany 2
50 mins: Sadly, our lads look rather cumbersome on the ball, with heavy first touches across the midfield and a rather formulaic approach to goal. What's even sadder is that the Germans are playing with the kind of free-spirited passing that betrays their Teutonic roots.
53 mins: Loach is off his line in a flash to collect Ozil's sharp through-ball before it can be guided into his net.
56 mins: Boateng comes close to further compounding the Limey misery, nodding a freekick over the bar. A decent chance.
60 mins: Fun fact stolen from the Guardian! Should the Krauts win tonight, they'll hold all 3 youth trophies at the same time, a feat that has never been done before. U-21, U-19, and U-17 silverware all sitting in Munich. We'll have to bomb again to get it out.
62 mins: TENSION IN THE GERMAN BOX! England's best move of the game ends up without a goal - Milner bobbed and weaved to the touchline and cut it back for Johnson, who did everything right inches from goal to direct it in... shame Beck did everything even righter in scooping it out at the last second.
65 mins: Sebastian Boenisch channels his inner Schumacher and just-about murders Milner with a shockingly awful challenge that threatens to ignite World War 3 in ol' Stuart Pearce on the sideline. He stomps furiously on the whitewash denoting the edge of his FIFA-approved safe manager technical strategy zone to protest the tackle... the Kraut does end up with a yellow card for his ferocity.
67 mins: In the 30-odd minutes I've watched, this Ozil fellow has been rather good, and he almost makes it 3-0, skipping infield from a quickly-taken corner and firing hard into the side netting. Werder Bremen has themselves a gem of a midfielder there.
German sub: Auf Wiedersehen to Fabian Johnson, a hearty 'Allo to Daniel Schwaab.
70 mins: England go mighty close yet again! Milner's corner is a tease across goal, and Lee Cattermole's glancing header is brilliant pummeled off the line by Beck, the defender who's clearly got instincts as a goalie.
74 mins: The game's being played at a snail's pace, as Germany are comfy with a 2-0 lead and England are lacking the finesse or urgency to fashion themselves a lifeline.
77 mins: Germany again come close to scoring another... Ozil put a gorgeous ball across the face of goal with Loach all at sea, but Sandro Wagner can't slide in to give it the goalward nudge it needed from three yards out.
78 mins: Oh wait... GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL, and less than 45 seconds after that awful miss, Sandro Wagner atones with Germany's third. The fantastic, electric Mehmet Ozil is again the instigator, cantering up the gut of the English defense and knocking ahead for Wagner, whose cool finish under Loach showed some remarkable self-confidence. Another pretty goal from those ugly, ugly Krauts. I fear the '10s will be dominated by Germany and their embarrassment of teen soccer-playing riches. England 0, Germany 3
79 mins: Sub for England, too little, too late: Jack Rodwell on, Muamba off. Micah Richards is also playing as a striker. So crazy.
83 mins: Can I go home now?
84 mins: I'll take a minute instead to pat my blog on the back for its superb coverage of the Confederations Cup, aka "The Cup that should be in Chicago or wherever US Soccer is based", as we managed to liveblog every single game, including Iraq/South Africa. Not many others on the web managed that, if any.
Next summer will be an awful lot of fun. We'll also liveblog the heck out of the Swiss Super League to show that we're unbiased when it comes to covering tiny tournaments.
85 mins: GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL, and we're looking at fodder for next summer's World Cup media, folks, as the Germans are relentless. It's Sandro Wagner again, and his finish was even lovelier than his last. Taking possession wide on the left, he gave himself a few steps before a pretty, curling finish inside the far post that left Loach rather helpless. England 0, Germany 4
Sub for Germany: Mats Hummels off, Dennis "Wake Me Up Before You" Aogo on.
88 mins: Ze Germans are not content with four, as they treat the English third of the pitch like their own private Sudetenland after a halftime handshake with Pearce allowing them to do so.
90 mins: Subs and curtaincalls time: Ozil off, Marcel Schmelzer on.
@MikeGeorger - no clue, although I do know that Kroos wasn't in the squad for the tournament.
FULL TIME: England 0, Germany 4
Let's look at the England Explanation/Rationalization Index:
1. Hey, we still made a final.
2. It's good experience for our youth, even though we were crushed. It will steel them for the future.
3. Bulletin Board material for the World Cup squad! C'mon lads, don't let the Germans treat our kiddies like this! Time for revenge!
4. Hey, we still beat 'em 5-1 in Munich back in 2001.
Sad fact is, a lot of these lads ply their trade weekly in the EPL, and without all the expensive foreign tosh in accompaniment, they looked rather ordinary and were torn apart with ease by a tiny, diminutive-looking German midfielder with frosted tips. Mehmet Ozil was a revelation tonight, and Sandro Wagner's late brace was sweet too. Not much to cheer about if you're Three Lions-friendly.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Under 21 European Championships: An Update
Jack Rodwell of Everton.
England and Germany both went through to the semi finals last night as the two sides met and fought out a 1-1 draw. England's under 21 coach, Stuart Pearce, made ten changes from the team that beat Spain 2 nil last week. Only Adam Johnson remained in the side as Pearce rested his squad.
Germany took the lead when Chelsea center back Michael Mancienne lost Jermaine Boateng and the young German fed his team mate Gonzalo Castro, who fired his side ahead after just 5 mins.
Everton youngster Jack Rodwell equalized for England from a Craig Gardner corner on 29 mins.
Theo Walcott was once again on the bench for the young lions. He was a second half substitute replacing Fraizer Campbell. Peterborough keeper Joe Lewis also saw action during the second half as the two teams played out a stalemate.
The point means England finish the group stage at the top of group B.
England will now play in a semi final on Friday, facing the runner up from group A. Germany will face the group A winner in the other semi.
England and Germany's semi final opponents will be known later today after the following group A deciders.
Belarus V Italy
Serbia V Sweden
Both games kick off at 2.45 ET. To learn more about the Under 21 Championships and to view the tables, go here.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Kids Are Alright
Capello's England may be banging in goals for fun on their way to the World Cup, and those winning ways are rubbing off on the under 21 squad currently playing in the European Championships in Sweden. Last night the young lions beat Spain 2-0 to advance to the semi finals.
Fraizer Campbell and James Milner scored the goals and England could also afford to miss a penalty when Milner saw his effort saved by Spanish keeper Sergio Asenjo. Theo Walcott was on the bench, in a move that seemed controversial until he came of the bench with an hour gone to set up Milner with some super play.
Two wonderful goals.
England now face Germany next Monday in an attempt to reach the final. Get in!
Monday, June 1, 2009
England! Scotland! Excitement!
Feeling a bit bored today? Fancy a matchup between England and Scotland? If both of your answers are yes, then Hallelujah! do I have something for you. In the first meeting between the neighbors at any (male) level in 10 years, the two will play today at 2 EDT in a U-19 Euro qualifier. To add a little spice, the winner of the match goes on to the full tournament. It's too bad the British press doesn't care.
Looking for any information on this match, I went to all of the usual haunts. Nary a word anywhere. Heck, even the sites I use for keeping up with scores--the sites that claim to give you all of a day's fixtures and scores--did not have anything on the competition at all. A Google News search for England Scotland Euro brings only two hits from the last twenty-four hours. The original article I found, and the FA website.
I have no link for it, but I do remember reading a FourFourTwo article a couple of years back which highlighted England's problems with youth tournaments. Namely--they ignored them because they weren't as good as the continental teams at that time. The article implied that this was partly to blame for the current state of the England squad (missing out on Euro 2008 and all that). Is the lack of coverage, then, an intentional head in the sand effort by the press? Probably not, I know, but I would still think it merited at least some ink.
Anyway, the game breaks down like this: if England win or draw, then they advance. Otherwise the Scots will head to Ukraine in July for the finals with a win. Both team have beaten their other two group opponents, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, already. England enjoy a one goal better differential.
The game is at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane tonight. The FA website says that Setanta will be showing the match, so keep an eye out for a feed. Otherwise, the UEFA page for updates on the match is here.
Here's hoping for a Scottish win. I'm going to go put on one of my hideous Scotland shirts now.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
White Men Can't Jump Organize A World Cup Bid
England launched it's Kick It Out campaign to host the 2018 World Cup. And well, it's already in trouble.
They invited the Klan. Or roughly the English equivalent thereof, meaning they like tea with their intolerance.
Anyway, the British National Party is a whites only, anti-immigration party. And man I bet that party frequently goes on all-night meth-fueled benders.
That in itself did not go over to well with some other attendees of the launch party. But there was another faux pas...
After dancing around the issue euphemistically, the Guardian gets to the crux of the matter:There is also dismay that... everyone who addressed the audience was white and male.
So England launches a White World Cup Bid and they forget to invite minorities (and women). Really, the higher ups in charge of the bid are just trying to mimic the make-up of the English squad... and similarly fall short in their bid to win anything.
Anyway, not in the pic above is an asterisk next to the slogan "England United, the World Invited" that reads "*Except Africa."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Europe? Meh. England Is Back On Top.
So we are down to the final four in Europe's biggest competition. United will play Arsenal and Barcelona will take on Spartak Laaaandon in the semis of the Champions League. So that's 3 of the 4 teams from England, and at least one English team is guaranteed a place in the final.
Spanish and Italian teams used to be so strong, but not any more. This will drive UEFA nuts!
This year's final will be the fifth occasion IN A ROW that an English side has been to the big dance. Surely there is absolutely no doubt that the rest of Europe now ranks waaaaaaay behind the standards of English football.
Arsenal's beat-down of Villareal, Liverpool's arse-kicking of Real Madrid, they point to not just better, but much better. The Premier League has been regarded as the World's Best League for quite a while, but now there is absolutely no doubt. It's head and shoulders above the rest.
But Bigus... ain't that down to plenty of foreigners in the EPL?
Hmmm. Good point me. Lets see shall we.
Arsenal are a foreign invasion but in Walcott, Wilshere and Gibbs, you have 3 English players ready to step up. Gibbs has already established himself as a back-up at left back this term.
Man U have Scholes, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Rooney, Brown, Carrick, Neville, Foster, Martin and Eckersley.
West Ham have 8, Villa have 10, Everton 8, Spurs 13, Citeh 8, Boro 12, Wigan 9..You get the point.
While Chelsea and Arsenal have just 4-5 Englishmen in their squads and Liverpool just 2, it matters little. See, the rest of the league benefits from the experience playing these sides has to offer.
Just look at Bolton at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Or Hull at Anfield? While the quality of the Top 4 is clearly there for all to see and largely financed by big pockets, everyone is a winner and this is clearly evident when looking at the national team.
The England team is benefiting greatly from housing the best league in the World. The team is improved; unbeaten in WC qualifying and up to 7th in the World rankings. Players like Heskey, Lennon, Agbonlahor, Young, Barry, Crouch, Johnson, Upson, Lescott, Jagielka, Downing, Carlton Cole and a host of fringe players are flourishing in the EPL and reaping the benefits of such a high standard of football.
Spain, Italy, Germany?
Their domestic leagues are losing ground and need to do something before they fall too far behind. Spain may be European Champions but consider this: 5 of their best players ply their trade in the EPL (Reina, Torres, Arbeloa, Riera and Alonso).
As for the rest? They are on the way. Villa, Senna, Ramos, Capdevila and Silva are all sort after and available for the right price. Villa is set to break transfer records this summer. Valencia and Villareal are skint and its no secret they need the cash, so moves for Silva, Villa and Senna to Man City, Liverpool, United or Chelsea looks likely this summer.
The current dominance of English football will be driving UEFA and Michel Platini nuts. He hates England with a passion and wants to implement many rules to stifle the English game and level the playing field; no foreign owners and smaller squads are just a couple of his ideas.
He, along with FIFA duffer Sepp Blatter want to impose a 6 + 5 rule to English teams, guaranteeing 6 English players on every starting 11. While some in England see this move as a leveler to combat the influx of foreign talent as a great way to bring through English talent, I honestly believe differently.
To improve and flourish, you must play the best and prove yourself. The previous lack of young English kids coming through Premier League clubs says more about the youth structure, coaching and national initiatives than it does for the heavy competition.
Competition is the only way to go. And there is no better competition for places than in the Premier League. Capello sees it and England fans should be laughing right now. I know I haven't been this excited about the national team's prospects since... well, I can't remember.
-Bigus
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
New FIFA World Rankings Released.
Today FIFA have released the latest world rankings after the last round of World Cup qualifying games. England are up to 7th after winning all 5 of their qualifiers (including the stuffing of Croatia) and scoring 16 goals in the process. During this period England also beat Germany in Berlin (get in!) and shoved 4 past Slovakia.
Follow me after the jump for a look at the FIFA rankings in a little more depth.
So here's the top ten.
FIFA World Rankings:
1. Spain
2. Germany
3. Holland
4. Brazil
5. Italy
6. Argentina
7. England
8. Croatia
9. Russia
10.France
European Champions Spain stay in top spot after winning all 6 of their WC games thus far. They still look impressive although they are in a pretty weak group with the likes of Armenia, Belgium and Estonia.
Germany have won 5 five of their qualifiers and drawn one, against Finland. You can only beat who you play, right? Germany are not a great team in my eyes, but as long as they win, they will stay were they are.
Holland have won all of their qualifiers so far and conceded just one goal in doing so. To Macedonia. This is quite surprising as the Dutch have never really been known for keeping clean sheets with their style of attacking footy.
Brazil are done. There. I said it! Lucky to be 4th. Washed up, found out. D.O.N.E.
6 draws and a 2-0 defeat to Paraguay in their qualifiers. No one should fear Goofy and his mates anymore, the standard of many world teams has improved and Brazil may as well stay home next summer. They are second in their CONMEBOL group, the lord knows how! Their recent run deserves a drop out of the top ten but somehow they are sticking around at number 4.
Italy have won 4 and drawn 2 in qualifying. They are still top of their group with 14 points, but the Republic of Ireland are right behind them.
Argentina have hired a disgusting fat cheat as a manager and as a result God is punishing them. They sit 4th in the CONMEBOL group, 4 draws and 3 defeats. Last week they were thumped 6-1 by BOLIVIA. Yeah that's right BOLIVIA. BOLIVIA beat them 6-1. They were O-BOLIVIA-TED. Sorry. I really do enjoy seeing Maradouche struggle. It could be a little perverse, I know. 6th? FIFA are having a laugh. Maybe they missed a 1 off the front.
Bolivia. 58th in the rankings.
England are 7th and they look great at the moment. The WCQ wins and the victory over Germany in Berlin have English folk genuinely excited for next summer. I know I am. 7th is still a bit crap, when you consider England's improvement over the last year and the fact that our group is tougher than most, we really should be higher.
Croatia are next. They have won 4, lost 1 and drawn 1, against the Ukraine. What else can you say? They will likely pip the Ukraine to second place.
Russia are 9th and this is largely due to the 'Guus' factor. Current Chelsea and Russia manager Hiddink is not a bad manager to say the least. Russia are improved of late and have won 4 of their 5 qualifiers. They are second in their group to Germany but could catch the Germans when all is said and done.
France are 10th, why oh why oh why. WHY? They lost 3-1 to Austria, drew with Romania and only managed to beat the mighty Lithuania 1-0 away and at HOME. They also recently lost to Argentina in a friendly and drew 0-0 with Uruguay. In a nutshell, France are not the France they were. Their day has been and it ain't coming back for a while. They should be grateful to be 10th.
Other teams worth a mention are Portugal who rank 11th, Scotland at 24th and how about this... Northern Ireland are 27th, EIGHT places above the Republic of Ireland.
No, no, no I didn't forget, of course, how could I forget the U.S. America is now 15th. A position earned after beating soccer giants Trinidad and Tobago (75th), Guatemala (111th) and Cuba (98th). I know, I know. You can only beat who you play! This is why I am starting a 'USA for CONMEBOL' campaign. It's the nearest group right?
So who is last? That honor goes to Papua New Guinea who rank 202nd. Papua don't preach AT all. To no one. A Google search even failed to find an image!
Full rankings can be found here.
-Bigus.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Behold The Power of Democracy!
Voting rules. Ahh... see what I did there?
Anyway, this was mentioned in Backpasses (see post below) but The Offside is asking for your input. They want to know which is the most exciting league in Europe.
We're mostly EPL over here, with a smattering of France and the Scots but we're actively trying to consume more Italy and Spain (Mmmmm... Spain).
And frankly we all should. Why? Because Spain has been awesome this season. Easily the two most exciting matches I've seen this season were the 3-3 Valencia v. Villarreal tilt, and this past weekend's 4-3 win by Atlético over a suddenly shaken Barcelona side.
On top of that, having less emotional attachment seems to make watching, uhm... what's the word? Enjoyable. That's it. Watching Spanish football is kind of fun. They score even (fucking Arsenal).
We're not big believers in the "scoring = excitement" premise, but the EPL does lag behind Spain by about a half goal per match.
More interesting, the EPL is barely ahead of Italy, which gets abused for its supposed boring and defensive football. That link above takes some going through, but if you scroll down you'll see the current scoring hierarchy goes: Germany > Spain > England > Italy > France.
Our cursory theory on the low EPL output is threefold: A) The relegation battle is so tight with so many teams, they they are playing to not concede anything to anyone. A 0-0 draw is a fantastic result for a bottom-table team. B) Arsenal alone is responsible for this low average scoring. C) There is no need to explain, this season's average is pretty much in line with the scoring averages for the last 3-4 EPL seasons.
Anyway, go vote (*cough* Spain *cough*), it's your duty as a Netizen. And if you don't, the terrorists win.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Barca Is Super, Thanks for Asking
Well F.C. Barca might be in a bit of a slide on the pitch as the race for La Liga tightens, but a certain group of supporters thinks that the Blaugrana still look fabulous.
The first gay and lesbian football supporters' group to be officially accepted by a Spanish club has pinned its shield to the wall of Barcelona's stadium and vowed to fight prejudice in one of the world's most homophobic sports.To celebrate, the fans then pinned each other. Hey-O!
Anyway, Barcelona has gay supporters. They're official. And they're pissed.
Continues the Guardian: "When England's football players took on Spain in Seville a fortnight ago, journalists were watching home fans so hard for racist abuse that they failed to notice how Beckham was subjected to a barrage of homophobic insults. 'They spent more than a minute chanting "Beckham maricón" ("Beckham faggot"), said the peña's spokesman, Josep Ribes. 'We lodged a complaint about that.'"
Ooh, I bet that complaint was strongly worded, but on just the loveliest stationery you've ever seen.
Anyway, if you check the video above, Ribes is right. You can clearly hear the chant, and it's far more musical that any of us would have thought.
We're pretty tolerant around these parts. If two guys want to do each other up the pooper, God love them for it. We're also a little surprised because we'd think that mere homophobia is a step in the right direction from abject racism. It's almost as if Spain is maturing before our ears.
Also, why the hell are Barca supporters, even gay ones, upset about this? A) You're Spanish. Becks is English. That's your opponent, you're supposed to hurl insults at him. B) You're a Barca fan. Becks played for Real Madrid, your rival, you're supposed to hurl insults at him. Finally, "Beckham, tus zapatos son feos" doesn't have the same catchy simplicity as "Beckham maricón."
Spain already has some of the most progressive same-sex marriage laws in Europe (or the world or that matter), not that that makes up for a stadium-wide chant, but on balance, they gays in Spain are probably already ahead in the game. Oh, and Becks is kind of gay. So there's that too.
Read more on "Barca Is Super, Thanks for Asking"...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
We Don't Want to Rule the World. We Just Want to Piss Off the Brits.
Bernard Laporte contemplates his master plan.As we all know, the French and the Brits enjoy tweaking each other (why, Bigus and I engaged in a slap-fight just this morning), particularly when it comes to sports. Lately, much of the invective coming from the French side has been from the increasingly clueless Michel Platini. Although he is supportive of this latest agitation, he is not the main architect. For that, we must look to Bernard Laporte, the sports minister of France.
So it seems that the French have a plan (we do?) to deal with the effects of global financial instability on sports by putting European sports leagues under the purview of a European "super-sport" administrator. Theoretically, by removing the influence of the domestic government bodies on financial regulation of sports leagues, this new European administrator would: (1) prevent clubs from being damaged by the financial failures of their backers; and (2) increase parity by preventing clubs from profiting on the pitch (in terms of results) while maintaining an increasingly burdensome debt (a la Chelsea; yes, we can argue that Chelsea's debt is owed to Abramovich - cut me some slack here, it's not my plan).
Bascially, many see this as a power-grab by UEFA (and by Platini, of course; Michel, arret-toi, enfin!) which would effectively gain control over financial regulation, player transfers, and youth development. Obviously, the FA and the EPL (suck it, Barclay's!) are opposed to such a move, and British sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has indicated that he is not amenable to many of the details of the plan, including the provision for allowing sports leagues an "opt-out" for European law (seriously? the plan is to just allow sports leagues to ignore international law? how was that considered a good idea?).
The most interesting note comes at the end of the article, and provides some juicy food for thought:
If the French proposals are accepted next week they will be included on the agenda for the Council of Ministers meeting at the end of the year, raising the prospect that sport's regulation could become a bargaining chip in horse-trading over weightier issues among heads of state.
Ah, yes, the old bargaining chip. I can see it now: "We'll let you keep the FA in control, but you have to fully join the EU by dropping your stupid British pounds!"
Fabi-oh-so Confident.
Can you feel it? Can you?
Something special is happening to the England team, something unusual. Something that has been missing for a loooooong time. Consistency has returned, bringing its old friend confidence along for the ride. Last night's win in Berlin was the absolute confirmation that many England fans needed before welcoming the confidence back, the confidence to believe in the England team once again.
Germany 1 England 2. We are back people. Can you f*cking believe it?
Bigus is on cloud nine this morning. Watch out world, here come England!
So what is it that Fabio is doing right? For the most part, this is the same bunch of players that Steve McClown was ruining. Is it just confidence? Well I mentioned before that simplicity is a major factor.
For example, England's shape has been consistently similar under Capello, even with different personnel. The depth McClaren failed to inspire has allowed for it. Take last night for instance; Walcott's injury really didn't affect Capello's desire to play an out-and-out winger on the right. Shaun Wright-Phillips was ready to oblige. The absence of both Coles was not important either. Bridge took Ashley's place and Stuart Downing took his opportunity to impress the Italian coach with a solid showing. It was Downing's free kick that provided John Terry's winning header.
Depth was also available at the heart of the midfield and up top. Carrick's performance may make it difficult for the missing Lampard to claim his place back, thanks to his performance that many journalists declared 'man of the match' worthy.
Up top, Rooney's work rate and ability to find space was matched by the impressive Gabby Agbonlahor. England's depth consists largely from young players with little experience and this is a glowing testament to Capello's ability to organize and inspire confidence. Agbonlahor, Young, Walcott, Downing are all hungry and will play a large part in England's future. Others in last nights squad were there to make up the numbers. I cannot see Parker, Lescott or Bullard in the big picture but should injuries strike, it is reassuring that Capello is just the man to get the best from the second best.
Earlier in the week, Capello had shown disappointment and doubt over the numerous bumps and bruises that left his squad short. The exodus of key players to minimal knocks had threatened to render the game with Germany one of no importance. That's certainly how Premiership managers saw the fixture. But to English folk, a showdown with the auld enemy is an important historic fixture that is always welcomed. One that feeds national pride.
In recent years Germany had inflicted pain on England, winning in the last game at the old Wembley. England returned the favor by stuffing Germany in Munich. Last night's game was important for a number of reasons. A true acid test of England in the Capello era. Could he dig deep into the talent pool and delver a win in Berlin, with such key players as Rooney, Lampard, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand absent? In front of 75,000 taunting Germans? Not only did he answer that question but he did it in style. England looked comfortable for most of the game. Upson poked home to give England the lead after German stopper Rene Adler failed to punch a corner clear. The lead should have been extended in the second half, when the in-form Darren Bent broke through and created an open goal opportunity, only to shank his shot wide of the post. Terry then gave Germany a lifeline as he failed to deal with a long ball and Patrick Helmes nipped in to to slide the ball through Scott Carson's legs to finish. Lots of players dedicate goals to loved ones and some sick bastards dedicate them to drink-drivers, but Helmes dedicates his goals to the memory of his dead dog. How normal.
England's determination to win was highlighted ten minutes later when Shaun Wright-Phillips latched onto a ball 10 yards into the German half before dispatching a thumping shot that hit the post from 25 yards. England restored the lead on 83 mins when Captain John Terry headed home the winner from Downings free kick. It was a magnificent header. Terry's effort handed the Germans their first defeat in Berlin since 1973. Brazil were the victors then and that's not a bad act to follow.
Capello is now unbeaten in 7 games and has won his last 5, with his only defeat coming in the friendly with France back in March. England sit at the top of their World Cup qualification group and wins in Croatia and Germany have filled the nation with pride, and of course, confidence.
Something special is happening alright, and I for one am as excited as a bar full of woo girls when 'Sweet Home Alabama' hits the juke box.
I'll be enjoying this one for a while dear readers. At least until after lunch. Maybe I'll go for liverwurst on a Kaiser roll, topped with Colmans mustard of course.
-Bigus.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Capello, the Simple Fellow.
Belarus 1 England 3
-----
4 games, 14 goals, 12 points. Job done.
England's 3-1 win in Minsk last night filled old Bigus with confidence. Not just another 3 points, but the reassurance that Fabio Capello knows what he is doing.
And just what is it that England's super Italian is doing? Keeping it simple!
Sven favored a defensive approach and that arse clown McClaren scratched his bonce routinely, searching for an idea, but Fabio Capello has plenty of those and they have led to winning ways.
For starters, Capello has found a line-up he likes and has given them time to gel. While Sven was successful in qualifying, he tinkered with the line-up and found it hard to find a front two he bellieved in. McClaren was so inept in his selection, he would change formations from one game to the next, whereas Capello has been the complete opposite: stoic and determined in his ways. It's a breath of fresh air. No Owen? How dare he! Crouch on the bench? Tough. "I am Capello and I like Heskey!"
Whilst Fabio still struggles to accomodate Gerrard and Lampard, he has found security in the rest of his improving 4-4-2. Rooney and Heskey understand each other up front and the back four have been consistent. The back line has become inter-changeable and deep under Capello. No Terry? No Cole? NO PROBLEM. Upson and Bridge were the latest pieces to the party and both looked comfortable in Minsk.
Where Capello's simplicity has paid off has been in Englands substitutions. He does not tinker with the shape of the team during a game. Walcott off? Shaun Wright Phillips on. Heskey off? Crouch on. Like-for-like changes that have helped England stay consistent in their endeavours and top of their qualification group, a group that looked fairly trecherous when it was drawn. Ukraine and Croatia are no pushovers!
The midfield conundrum is an entirely different matter for Capello. Who would not want to partner the best two central midfielders in the country? It's a poser that will continue to haunt this current England squad all the way to the World Cup. Gerrard was excellent last night but it's clear that he and Lampard find it extremelly difficult to connect with one another.
But as Fabio wrangles with his midfield, he can find comfort in the rest of his side. Heskey and Rooney look comfortable together as do their back-ups, Crouch and Defoe, and the back four look set with plenty of positional depth on the bench.
Belarus's only goal last night came from a defensive lapse as Brown was caught napping at the back post, but such a lapse can be tolerated when your side looks comfortable every time they move forward. And England did, especially in the second half. Even with the odd couple sharing space in the midfield, England looked comfortable. Walcott struggled at times but the youngster's treble in Zagreb has given him a HUGE reputation to live up to, and England fans MUST be patient.
The opening goal of last night's match came early after the exceptional Rooney turned his marker and moved into space only to spot Gerrard rushing to the ball. He backed off and the resulting shot from 30 yards was unstoppable, finding its way into the bottom-right corner of the net.
20 minutes later England fell asleep briefly and paid the price as Belarus found a way into the box and a cheeky Igor Stasevich cross found Pavel Sitko unmarked as Wes Brown watched on.
After that, it was all England. Heskey worked the ball wide on 50 minutes and crossed low for Rooney to finish to make it 2-1 and England continued to press.
Rooney capped an outstanding outing with a brilliant solo effort with 15 or so minutes remaining, taking on two players before wrong-footing the keeper and sticking the ball in at the near post.
Rooney has 5 goals in the last 3 games and has been nothing short of a revelation for England of late. He is still 22! Hard to believe, eh? He seems to have been around forever! He has found a true partner in Emile Heskey and he is making the most of it.
England should have scored a fourth towards the end of last night's game but Gerrard refused to acknowledge his left foot as he was put through to an empty goal. The outside of his right boot found the post. A simple left-footed swipe would have found the net with ease.
Overall Capello has to be pleased. He doesn't have an obvious answer to the great midfield question that graces every breakfast table debate in England, but at this point, who cares?
Croatia away? Done. Belarus away? Done. Kazakhstan? Done. As my mate Garry 'Hoops' would say, "job's a good 'un!"
England sit at the top of the heap today, 5 points clear of Croatia with a confidence they have been lacking in recent times.
I for one have been impressed with Capello's attitude and team selection. The players seem happy and the goals are flowing. There is finally a consitency to the line up and bench.
The simple truth is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's that simple. It's Capello simple.
- Bigus.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
World Cup Qualifying Open Thread
Asia is in the books because it's already tomorrow over there. So if you're in Asia, please don't spoil the outcomes of the European matches for us.
Anyway, UEFA gets underway in mere minutes with Russia v. Finland. Apparently there is something of a national obsession in Finland with the Tango. This isn't really relevant to soccer but it's interesting nonetheless.
If you've got access to this technology known as 'television', there's a decent match up on FSC at noon between the Dutch and Norway. And we wouldn't be good Americans if we didn't mention England.
Fifty-ninth ranked Belarus are sitting at 4th position in Group 6 on three points, but they have only played two matches and, with an upset of England could instantly make this group far more interesting as well as destroy the confidence built up by Fabio Capello. It would also give Engerland fodder for its national pastime of second guessing.
Anyway, fun as that might be to think about, the English are shoe-ins to win at Belarus. Why do I know this? First, because as I type this sentence my iTunes just shuffled up "Rock 'n' Roll Party in the Streets" by Axe. Nothing could be a greater harbinger of victory for all English speaking people (yeah, I just want to let as many people know that scattered throughout my hipster indie rock library is some truly shitty metal). Second, and more importantly, the English players aren't screwing their WAG's.
That's why they failed so miserably in Germany, at least according to El Capitan Rio:People were worrying more about what people were wearing and where they were going out, rather than the England football team. That then transposed itself into the team. That's said in hindsight. At the time, we were caught up in the bubble ourselves. Being somewhere like Baden-Baden, walking around the town, there were paparazzi everywhere, our families were there. When you step back and look back at that, it was like a circus.
Yeah, blame the chicks and the press.
Tempting to call him a stupid twit, but maybe there is something to it.
In Zimbabwe the head of the FA is fucking the players, and they failed to make it to the Third Round of CAF qualifying, having finished with just 1 win in their 4 team group (and if you only click on one hyperlink this month, make it this one).
Anyway, feel free to play along in the comments because once the party gets started we're all here to stay.
Selected European fixtures: (kickoffs in ET)
Belarus v England, 2.30
Belgium v Spain, 2:45
Croatia v Andorra, 2:15
Germany v Wales, 2:45
Italy v Montenegro, 2:50
Latvia v Israel, 12:00
Northern Ireland v San Marino, 2:45
Norway v Holland, 1:00
Portugal v Albania, 3:45
Rep of Ireland v Cyprus, 2:45
Russia v Finland, 11:00am
Monday, October 13, 2008
We've won! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Bigus is not a fan of Ashley Cole. Let's start with that.
In short, I hate him. I think he is a ungracious, spoiled, greedy, two-timing twat. What Cheryl Tweedy sees in him in beyond me! (Ed. Note: Thankfully, his missus is accepting other offers...) I don't want Cole playing for England, but booing any England player after playing a dodgy pass across his own goal while you are winning a game is totally unacceptable and disgraceful.
Until recently I cannot remember the awful booing being a part of England's historical past and NEVER at the old Wembley. It makes me ashamed. Booing away from home has been heard when the team is losing or playing garbage football, but not when they are winning. So why has the new Wembley been filled with boos, even when the team is winning?
When Wembley was being built, the England team traveled the Country. They played at Old Trafford, the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Elland Road in Leeds, Villa Park in Birmingham, the Walkers Stadium in Leicester, St Mary's in Southampton and they even played on the filthy turf at Portaloo Road. I don't remember booing.
That's because there was none. The traveling England roadshow gave people in different parts of the country a chance to see England, a chance they wouldn't normally be offered. Traveling to London on a Wednesday evening to spend a ridiculous amount of moolah on a game is not really an option when you live in Gateshead and earn a modest living, but the short trip to Sunderland presents an excellent opportunity. What came from England's tour was great support: real fans getting to see their heroes.
What is happening at Wembley is something completely different.
The only real reason for the impatience at Wembley and the expectation of 4-5 goals a game can only be created by casual England fans. Corporate watchers and the wealthy who 'fancy a night out'. They want goals and they want them now. The new Wembley has become a haven for corporate events, the social gathering with clients, the wining and dining and the expected 5 goal entertainment. The facilities at the old Wembley were tat. Not at all ideal for 'sealing the deal' or treating your high-earners. High-earners who may prefer Rugby or Cricket and think that Joe and Ashley Cole are twins.
The tickets at the new Wembley are pricey but the place is full. Last Saturday's game vs. Kazakhstan was a sell-out, and yet there were plenty of empty seats at the end of the first half and at the beginning of the second. The bars must be packed.
You see, watching England at Wembley has become the new 'night at the theatre'. The place is filled with rich casual fans while the real fans shake their head at the cost of attending a game at Wembley AND at the booing that gives them a bad name. If the FA are not careful they will completely isolate real England supporters. I honestly feel ashamed at such behavior. You pay your money and there is nothing wrong with voicing your opinion if the team loses or is having a stinker at half-time, but booing a player for a bad pass is shocking. Even more so do it when the team is up a goal! The Football Association may need to review their ticketing policy if the team is to get the support it genuinely needs to be successful.
- But Bigus, You seem certain it's corporate folk...How so?
If you have ever been to a Cup Final at Wembley, and I was very lucky to go to this year's, you will note that the joint is full of real supporters from the two places competing. Real fans with real passion cheering for success. The atmosphere is electric and the noise for either side tremendous. Spine tingling in fact. Cardiff V Portsmouth doesn't attract the corporate boo boys, but one's Country? Big difference. It also appears to have become trendy to see England play.
Wembley cost a fortune to build and was well over budget. The England team were supposed to get a nice new environment and the supporters a home to be proud of. But that environment appears to have a cost as the F.A look to recoup theirs. 5-1 was the final result on Saturday and that's 3 well earned points but I didn't feel pride afterwards, Just embarrassment.
If the best stadium in the World comes with boos and dispassionate businessmen then I'll take the obstructed views, minuscule leg-room and the nasty loos that the old Wembley offered... gladly.
- Bigus.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Bing, Bang...Bing, Bang, Bing.
There was no Korki Buchek soundtrack at Wembley this afternoon but there were five goals. Highlights after the jump.
England made hard work of the first half but put this one to bed in the second. The final score was 5-1. Goals from Ferdinand, Rooney (2), Defoe and an OG under pressure from a Lampard free-kick did the damage. Enjoy.
Bigus.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Caption Time - International Edition.
It's that time again: Caption time!
This week I went with a picture from England's training camp ahead of the World Cup qualifying games this Saturday and next Wednesday against Kazakhstan (what's up vanilla face?) and Belarus.
So what is Wayne Rooney saying to Stevie G, or vice versa? You decide.
As always, the winner will be showered with free speech: a 'one night only' guest blog* here on the greatest footy site on earth. You lucky, lucky people.
Leave your efforts below, and good luck!
-Bigus.
*Ed. Note: Last week's winner has their post going up today.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
THAT Guy won it for England!
There we were, Likely, Kopper and I, watching England destroy Croatia.
We witnessed Walcott's graduation, we witnessed outstanding performances from Heskey and Rooney and were under the false impression that Capello's England had finally arrived, that this result was a sign of great things to come.
Actually it was karma... as we were also in the presence of the most irritating, nonsensical bile spewing Irish/American/Croatian guy who single-handedly did the damage.
Even his fellow Croatia supporters cringed as he yelped and barked like a rabid dog...
Join me after the jump to discover how this, I mean THAT guy, is a danger to our wonderful sport... CAMON GUYZZZZZZ, PLAY SOME SACKAH...
So without further ado I introduce you to this guy, or is he THAT guy? Anyway, he is the sole reason that football in the U.S.A. will never develop into a big sport. He makes sure of this by roaming from pub to pub. Place to place, destroying any interest in the game that might be flowering in passers by. He does this with a noisy display of nonsense. Similar to the mating ritual of an Oranutang.
Who is he? Well from what we could gather he was born in Croatia. He sounds Irish and he LURRVES Sackah! He lurrrves Michael Owen too and told anyone who would listen that he loves to watch Michael Owen play on left or the right WING and that his Liverpool play "pure football". How does he know this? Because he has "the Time Warner cable". He also lurrves 'Serial A' and the Eyetalian Sackah.
Now everyone is entitled to talk gibberish and have an opinion, right? But when it's during an England Cup qualifier and it's obnoxiously loud (and I mean LOUD) then you must be stopped at all costs. This guy would put Beckham off the game and drive Thierry Henry to Cricket. His effect in the United States should not be underestimated.
All of our efforts to elevate our game in America could be threatened!
I tried really hard to blank him out but lets review his dangerous performance:
- Heskey challenged the Croat keeper and while it was a little clumsy it was not really worth mentioning... THAT guy jumped up and screamed. "Send hum off"!! Ref, disgrace, OFF, OFF!!" An England fan pointed out to him that it really wasn't worth a card, let alone a red and he responded with "I know about Sackah, I played in high-school and that's not Sackah".
- On no less that 15 occasions he yelped "Kick da ball into da carner, camon... play sackah... this outburst was usually summoned as the keeper had the ball on the spot for a goal kick.
- Simunic was awarded a yellow card for flattening Walcott and for that guy this was an outrage... how do we know this? because "I played sackah in high school that's no foul". This was repeated for Siminics second 'tackle' and for the Kovac red.
- Croatia's possession was usually championed with a quick burst of "wake up, wake up play sackah" and "kick da ball in da carner," followed by long outbursts of "Play some sackah dammit!"
- As each England goal flew in and the cheers in the bar erupted, it was as if that guy was heard in Zagreb. Young Theo and co could feel my pain and mustered the desire to silence this buffoon, to save my ears from bleeding and my brain from turning to mush. For this, I am grateful.
So take a good long look UFers. Print that picture out or make a mental note. If this, I mean that guy, roams into your pub before kick off, beware! He comes armed and ready to destroy your beautiful game.
THAT guy skulked out 10 mins early and let us celebrate in a 'Sackah' free zone.
Get In England!
-Bigus
Theo-mania
Move over young Huxtable, there's a newer, cooler Theo in town.
Young lad Walcott ascended into the realm of England heroes last night with his hat-trick, and the media is loving it! And rightly so!
After the jump, some quotes about England and Walcott from around the news.
"Capello took the attacking option by selecting Walcott ahead of David Beckham and playing Joe Cole on the left. He has huge faith in Walcott, and to say that he repaid it is understatement gone mad. A new international star was born in Zagreb, and in the same moment we may have seen the end of Beckham as a player who starts the big games for England. There was something symbolic about the embrace between the pair when the older man replaced the youngster late on." [Phil McNulty - BBC]
"He's also refreshingly free of footballer's ego (an endemic and highly contagious disease). How many footballers would buy their girlfriend a better car than their own? While Mel whizzes about in a slinky Merc, Walcott still self-identifies with a very modest VW golf. "It's small and zippy. It reminds me of myself," he says. It is an unusual philosophy in a sport where the training ground car park is another competitive extension of the football pitch. But Walcott doesn't seem to have that 'wannabe big bollocks' drive. He is happy being a prodigiously talented footballer, working on improving his skills. It is enough. He does not drink, he does not cheat on his girlfriend, he does not need anger management therapy, he is just nice, and human." [Anna Kessel - The Guardian]
"Hats off, Mr. Capello... Fabio the Great has humiliated Bilic on the eve of his birthday." [Croat newspaper Vecernji List]
"Walcott's performance was a triumph both for the player and for his manager. Intelligently deployed, he refused to be discouraged when things did not go right in the opening minutes and took each of his three chances with a sang-froid that Owen himself would have envied. Coming in from the right flank on each occasion, he finished with a calmness and a precision that made his success seem almost lacking in drama." [Richard Williams - The Guardian]
"I am not surprised, because he is a player who has good timing with his runs and is a clinical finisher who can score goals, but I always believed that he will be a fantastic player and I was never concerned. For me, most of all is that he continues to develop as a team player. What happened yesterday we have to consider to be an exception - even for players of 25, 26 to score three goals in an international game is a one-off. The potential is there - but do not make him Thierry Henry before he is Thierry Henry. One game is one game, a career is something different, it is consistency." [Arsene Wenger]
The doom and gloom which followed Stevie Mac and his umbrella along with the scare mongers professing the death of the England football team are distant memories. I say distant memories because I have an extremely short memory (so much so that I have erased the weekend's Andorra game) and because I am also a typical England fan.
"I say, let's go wild!!!! England fans wouldn't be the same if we didn't now claim to be the best team in the world or that we will undoubtedly win the World Cup. Seriously though, last nights performance and result were refreshing - relief, quality and excitement in equal measure. Also, it was one of those 'where were you when' moments as cometh the hour, COMETH THE MAN." [Craig Malpas]
"Perhaps Sven-Göran Eriksson’s judgment was right after all. In the space of 56 astonishing minutes last night the shy teenager who admitted only two days ago to being starstruck when surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup finals blossomed into a young man capable of leading England’s challenge towards the next tournament in South Africa." [Matt Hughes - The Times]
"England appears to have found David Beckham's replacement." [Grahame L. Jones - LA Times]
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Um... wow.
I don't often enjoy being proven wrong, but this is one time where I'm completely fine with it.
Hit the jump for the big scores round-up. Not a bad night for the Home Nations overall, with Wales being the only loser. Scotland bagged a great result away from home, and Northern Ireland did well to hold the Czechs to a goalless draw.
Croatia 1 - Mandzukic 78
England 4 - Walcott 26, Walcott 59, Rooney 63, Walcott 82
FYR Macedonia 1 - Pandev 77 (pen)
Netherlands 2 - Heitinga 47, van der Vaart 59
Finland 3 - Johansson 33, Vayrynen 43, Sjolund 53
Germany 3 - Klose 38, Klose 45, Klose 83
France 2 - Henry 54, Anelka 64
Serbia 1 - no clue who scored it
Iceland 1 - Gudjohnsen 77 (pen)
Scotland 2 - Broadfoot 18, Robson 59
Italy 2 - De Rossi 17, De Rossi 89
Georgia 0
Lithuania 2 - Danilevicius 53, Danilevicius 58
Austria 0
Moldova 1 - Picusciac 1
Israel 2 - Golan 40, Saban 45
Montenegro 0
Rep. of Ireland 0
Northern Ireland 0
Czech Republic 0
Portugal 1 - Nani 40
Denmark 0
Russia 2 - Pavlyuchenko (pen) 22, Pogrebniak 81
Wales 1 - Ledley 67
Spain 2 - Capdevila 8, Villa 17
Armenia 0
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