Ramallets, Spanish goal keeper, lies on the ground after failing to prevent a goal by Jairzinho, Brazilian left insider, during the championship soccer matches in Rio De Janeiro. Brazil won, 6-1. Date: July 16, 1950. Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image: Bettmann
Showing posts with label World Cup Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Cup Blog. Show all posts
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Monday, May 31, 2010
US World Cup team arrive in South Africa
By Sapa -- Associated Press
U.S. national soccer team's head coach Bob Bradley (2nd R) walks with his team on arrival at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo airport May 31, 2010. The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11. REUTERS/David Gray
Photograph by: DAVID GRAY
Credit: REUTERS
Armed special task-force members, dressed in dark blue uniforms, surrounded the South African Airways plane at the O.R. Tambo airport as the players emerged on a cool, overcast afternoon.
After leading his team off the plane, coach Bob Bradley immediately picked out the opening game against England, on June 12, as a chance to make an impression on the tournament.
"There has been a lot of attention on our first game with England," Bradley said. "It's a great opportunity for us.
"But we certainly know that Slovenia and Algeria are excellent teams. It will be a tough group and we are looking forward to it.
Plain-clothes security officials, wearing earpieces and sunglasses, also patrolled the arrivals facility - set aside for World Cup teams - where the Americans cleared immigration.
The country has a familiar feel for the U.S. squad, who enjoyed an impressive showing in the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year.
Bradley's team reached the final of the competition and played at the grounds in Rustenburg and Pretoria and Johannesburg's Ellis Park - the same venues it visits in the group stages.
"We're very fortunate that we have had experience here," Bradley said to reporters on the airport tarmac. "The people here in South Africa have always treated us so well so in that regard, it's a comfortable feeling to be back for the World Cup.
"We are very excited... The travel went really well and the team is looking to get started with our work here."
Dressed in blue-and-red team tracksuits, the U.S. players then boarded a bus for the 25-minute drive up to their base at the Irene Country Lodge, a luxurious, rural-style hotel in a village between Johannesburg and the capital city Pretoria.
The lodge is billed as "a haven of peace and tranquility in the hub of South Africa's economic heartland".
It's where the U.S. team will acclimatize to the cool, early-winter conditions ahead of a final warmup match against Australia on Saturday -which Bradley said would be a good way to finish.
"The final game against Australia is our last chance to work on some things," Bradley said.
"I think the weather here is great for football. It's going to mean that the games are played at a good tempo. We have enough time between now and June 12 to acclimatize so I think, on that end, it's going to be a great World Cup."
U.S. national soccer team's head coach Bob Bradley (2nd R) walks with his team on arrival at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo airport May 31, 2010. The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11. REUTERS/David Gray Photograph by: DAVID GRAY
Credit: REUTERS
Armed special task-force members, dressed in dark blue uniforms, surrounded the South African Airways plane at the O.R. Tambo airport as the players emerged on a cool, overcast afternoon.
After leading his team off the plane, coach Bob Bradley immediately picked out the opening game against England, on June 12, as a chance to make an impression on the tournament.
"There has been a lot of attention on our first game with England," Bradley said. "It's a great opportunity for us.
"But we certainly know that Slovenia and Algeria are excellent teams. It will be a tough group and we are looking forward to it.
Plain-clothes security officials, wearing earpieces and sunglasses, also patrolled the arrivals facility - set aside for World Cup teams - where the Americans cleared immigration.
The country has a familiar feel for the U.S. squad, who enjoyed an impressive showing in the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year.
Bradley's team reached the final of the competition and played at the grounds in Rustenburg and Pretoria and Johannesburg's Ellis Park - the same venues it visits in the group stages.
"We're very fortunate that we have had experience here," Bradley said to reporters on the airport tarmac. "The people here in South Africa have always treated us so well so in that regard, it's a comfortable feeling to be back for the World Cup.
"We are very excited... The travel went really well and the team is looking to get started with our work here."
Dressed in blue-and-red team tracksuits, the U.S. players then boarded a bus for the 25-minute drive up to their base at the Irene Country Lodge, a luxurious, rural-style hotel in a village between Johannesburg and the capital city Pretoria.
The lodge is billed as "a haven of peace and tranquility in the hub of South Africa's economic heartland".
It's where the U.S. team will acclimatize to the cool, early-winter conditions ahead of a final warmup match against Australia on Saturday -which Bradley said would be a good way to finish.
"The final game against Australia is our last chance to work on some things," Bradley said.
"I think the weather here is great for football. It's going to mean that the games are played at a good tempo. We have enough time between now and June 12 to acclimatize so I think, on that end, it's going to be a great World Cup."
Mexico Squad - Jonathan Dos Santos Misses Out
The Barcelona youngster is one of three players who were cut from the provisional squad...
By Stefan Coerts/Goal dot com
Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre has announced his final squad for the 2010 World Cup. Aguirre cut three names from his provisional roster after the 5-1 friendly win against Gambia.
Young Barcelona midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos is the most notable player to miss out on the final selection. Defensive duo Juan Carlos Valenzuela (America) and Adrian Aldrete (Morelia) were the other two players to miss the cut.
"The Mexican Football Federation is grateful to Jonathan Dos Santos, Juan Carlos Valenzuela and Adrian Aldrete for their dedication, discipline, professionalism and commitment shown during the preparations with the national team," read a statement on the governing body's official website.
Mexico have been drawn in Group A alongside Uruguay, France and host nation South Africa, who they face in the curtain raiser in Johannesburg on June 11.
Goalkeepers -
Oscar Perez Chiapas
Guillermo Ochoa
America
Luis Ernesto Michel
Guadalajara
Defenders -
Rafael Marquez
Barcelona (ESP)
Ricardo Osorio
Stuttgart (GER)
Francisco Rodriguez
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Carlos Salcido
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Hector Moreno
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Paul Aguilar
Pachuca
Efrain Juarez
Pumas UNAM
Jonny Magallon Guadalajara
Joerge Torres Nilo
Atlas
Midfielders -
Andres Guardado Deportivo La Coruna
Giovani Dos Santos
Galatasaray (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Gerrardo Torrado
Cruz Azul
Israel Castro
Pumas UNAM
Forwards -
Pablo Barrera
Pumas UNAM
Adolfo Bautista
Guadalajara
Alberto Medina
Guadalajara
Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Veracruz
Carlos Vela
Arsenal (ENG)
Javier Hernandez
Manchester United (ENG)
Guillermo Franco
West Ham United (ENG)
By Stefan Coerts/Goal dot com
Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre has announced his final squad for the 2010 World Cup. Aguirre cut three names from his provisional roster after the 5-1 friendly win against Gambia.
Young Barcelona midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos is the most notable player to miss out on the final selection. Defensive duo Juan Carlos Valenzuela (America) and Adrian Aldrete (Morelia) were the other two players to miss the cut.
"The Mexican Football Federation is grateful to Jonathan Dos Santos, Juan Carlos Valenzuela and Adrian Aldrete for their dedication, discipline, professionalism and commitment shown during the preparations with the national team," read a statement on the governing body's official website.
Mexico have been drawn in Group A alongside Uruguay, France and host nation South Africa, who they face in the curtain raiser in Johannesburg on June 11.
Goalkeepers -
Oscar Perez Chiapas
Guillermo Ochoa
America
Luis Ernesto Michel
Guadalajara
Defenders -
Rafael Marquez
Barcelona (ESP)
Ricardo Osorio
Stuttgart (GER)
Francisco Rodriguez
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Carlos Salcido
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Hector Moreno
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Paul Aguilar
Pachuca
Efrain Juarez
Pumas UNAM
Jonny Magallon Guadalajara
Joerge Torres Nilo
Atlas
Midfielders -
Andres Guardado Deportivo La Coruna
Giovani Dos Santos
Galatasaray (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
Gerrardo Torrado
Cruz Azul
Israel Castro
Pumas UNAM
Forwards -
Pablo Barrera
Pumas UNAM
Adolfo Bautista
Guadalajara
Alberto Medina
Guadalajara
Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Veracruz
Carlos Vela
Arsenal (ENG)
Javier Hernandez
Manchester United (ENG)
Guillermo Franco
West Ham United (ENG)
U.S. team avoids crowd, heads to South Africa
ESPN SOCCERNET
There was plenty to think about Sunday as the U.S. team arrived at Dulles International Airport for the 17-hour flight to South Africa for the World Cup.
"It starts to get real now, you know?" goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann said.
Hahnemann and his teammates pulled off one final trick play before leaving U.S. soil: They went in through the "out" door.
The team entered the airport through the arrivals area -- instead of departures -- and went straight through security, bypassing the South African Airways ticket counter -- where some employees had dressed in U.S. team jerseys -- and a handful of disappointed fans who hoped to wish the team well.
"I was hoping to see them," said Alan Muhealden of Centreville, Va., who wore his Landon Donovan jersey and waited 4 hours but didn't get to glimpse a single player. "I'm not too disappointed. I still support them."
Cricket and rugby teams from other countries still take extended tours to far-flung places, but the World Cup is as long as it gets among major U.S. national squads. If they're fortunate enough to make the championship game, these Americans won't return until mid-July.
"We didn't know what to pack, so we packed pretty much everything," Hahnemann said. "It's a long time to potentially be away from everybody. We were talking about it earlier today. A lot of people have to do that, spend a lot of time away from their families, and we're not 100 percent used to that, so everything is a little bit different."
Although it's not technically summer, the weather was summer-like at the airport -- mid-80s and take-your-breath-away humidity. The forecast Monday for Johannesburg, where mid-winter is on the way, calls for rain and a high of 63.
No wonder the players packed a little of everything.
"That'll actually make a difference," Hahnemann said, "because every other World Cup, it's usually in hot weather. It slows the game down quite a bit, so we're going to see a faster pace World Cup than we've seen in a long time."
There was plenty to think about Sunday as the U.S. team arrived at Dulles International Airport for the 17-hour flight to South Africa for the World Cup.
"It starts to get real now, you know?" goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann said.
Hahnemann and his teammates pulled off one final trick play before leaving U.S. soil: They went in through the "out" door.
The team entered the airport through the arrivals area -- instead of departures -- and went straight through security, bypassing the South African Airways ticket counter -- where some employees had dressed in U.S. team jerseys -- and a handful of disappointed fans who hoped to wish the team well.
"I was hoping to see them," said Alan Muhealden of Centreville, Va., who wore his Landon Donovan jersey and waited 4 hours but didn't get to glimpse a single player. "I'm not too disappointed. I still support them."
Cricket and rugby teams from other countries still take extended tours to far-flung places, but the World Cup is as long as it gets among major U.S. national squads. If they're fortunate enough to make the championship game, these Americans won't return until mid-July.
"We didn't know what to pack, so we packed pretty much everything," Hahnemann said. "It's a long time to potentially be away from everybody. We were talking about it earlier today. A lot of people have to do that, spend a lot of time away from their families, and we're not 100 percent used to that, so everything is a little bit different."
Although it's not technically summer, the weather was summer-like at the airport -- mid-80s and take-your-breath-away humidity. The forecast Monday for Johannesburg, where mid-winter is on the way, calls for rain and a high of 63.
No wonder the players packed a little of everything.
"That'll actually make a difference," Hahnemann said, "because every other World Cup, it's usually in hot weather. It slows the game down quite a bit, so we're going to see a faster pace World Cup than we've seen in a long time."
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Eto’o threatens to walk away from World Cup
By Rob/World Cup Blog
Samuel Eto’o eh? He sure knows a thing or two about team stability. Though he seemed to have calmed down in recent times (to the point where Didier Drogba has stopped becoming the poor man’s Eto’o in terms of unpredictability) he lashed out today, claiming he might just walk away from that big party in South Africa afterall.
Why? Because Cameroon legend, Roger Milla spoke out and claimed that Eto’o “hasn’t brought anything to our national team”.
Milla of course is Cameroon’s answer to Pele, delighting fans the world over twenty years ago as he lit up Italia 90. Pele has a habit of speaking out of turn every now and then, but mostly everyone ignores it. Eto’o however is clearly a more sensitive soul.
“…is it worth me going to the World Cup? I’ve still got some days to think about it but I’ll see if my taking part is important because I don’t need this in my career. It is always before tournaments that bitter people wake up. What has he [Roger Milla] done? He hasn’t won the World Cup.” is what Eto’o said exactly.
Harsh words indeed. Although I don’t recall Samuel Eto’o winning the World Cup just yet either. Though he has won basically everything else.
Perhaps it is little more than a tantrum, and its tough to image that Eto’o would walk away from the biggest stage on Earth – an African World Cup no less – just because a former player said some mean things about him.
He wouldn’t be the first iconic player to walk away from appearing a World Cup by any stretch of the imagination. In different circumstances, Johan Cruyff decided he didn’t want to go over to Argentina to play in 1978 (Holland got to the final and lost that time around).
I hope he does get his head down and go though. It kinda makes me sad when great players from different eras argue (maybe because the fantasist in me wants to see them play together), but what a blow it would be, not just for Cameroon and their hopes at the World Cup, but also for African football as a whole. Along with Drogba, Eto’o is the most recognisable name in African football, and a World Cup on African soil without him in it is just unimaginable.
Samuel Eto’o eh? He sure knows a thing or two about team stability. Though he seemed to have calmed down in recent times (to the point where Didier Drogba has stopped becoming the poor man’s Eto’o in terms of unpredictability) he lashed out today, claiming he might just walk away from that big party in South Africa afterall.
Why? Because Cameroon legend, Roger Milla spoke out and claimed that Eto’o “hasn’t brought anything to our national team”.
Milla of course is Cameroon’s answer to Pele, delighting fans the world over twenty years ago as he lit up Italia 90. Pele has a habit of speaking out of turn every now and then, but mostly everyone ignores it. Eto’o however is clearly a more sensitive soul.
“…is it worth me going to the World Cup? I’ve still got some days to think about it but I’ll see if my taking part is important because I don’t need this in my career. It is always before tournaments that bitter people wake up. What has he [Roger Milla] done? He hasn’t won the World Cup.” is what Eto’o said exactly.
Harsh words indeed. Although I don’t recall Samuel Eto’o winning the World Cup just yet either. Though he has won basically everything else.
Perhaps it is little more than a tantrum, and its tough to image that Eto’o would walk away from the biggest stage on Earth – an African World Cup no less – just because a former player said some mean things about him.
He wouldn’t be the first iconic player to walk away from appearing a World Cup by any stretch of the imagination. In different circumstances, Johan Cruyff decided he didn’t want to go over to Argentina to play in 1978 (Holland got to the final and lost that time around).
I hope he does get his head down and go though. It kinda makes me sad when great players from different eras argue (maybe because the fantasist in me wants to see them play together), but what a blow it would be, not just for Cameroon and their hopes at the World Cup, but also for African football as a whole. Along with Drogba, Eto’o is the most recognisable name in African football, and a World Cup on African soil without him in it is just unimaginable.
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