England's Chances All But Extinguished

I wrote earlier about reasons to be positive about England heading into their 2nd group game with Uruguay.

There are no longer reasons to be positive.

England delivered a woeful performance that would have left a lot of Sunday League teams embarrassed.

They played with none of the attacking flow that gave them such optimistic reviews in their opening game defeat against Italy.

Uruguay were the better team from the word go.

The Three, very tame, Lions have no-one to blame but themselves.

The defensive frailties that were evident in that first game were exposed once more against Uruguay but with none of the attacking enthusiasm of the first game to counter balance it.

Against Italy we looked shaky at the back but we defended that in the best way we could, by brute attacking strength.

Tonight we played like a team without a cause, with none of the fighting spirit or verve of the opening encounter with the Azzuri.

So what went wrong?

For a long time I've defended Roy Hodgson and his tactics, my staunch defence of him crumbled tonight much like England's defensive and attacking efforts.

One could argue that it was Luis Suarez's insatiable talent that condemned England to defeat this evening but that person would be missing the overall picture.

Of course Suarez's influence on the game was massive but I still think England would have lost even if he had not played.

That, in itself, illustrates how poor England were tonight.

If we had played with the style and panache that we had against Italy I see no reason why we could not have dispatched of the Uruguayan side with ease.

Luis Suarez or no Luis Suarez.

But we did not.

For some reason, and I can only attribute this to Hodgson's tactics and team talk, we played very conservatively.

Thus eliminating the strength we had in the opening group game and putting pressure on the weakness from that game - our defence.

Defensively we were once again poor but that was to be expected, what was so disappointing was the lack of attacking dynamism that we displayed so proudly in the first game.

That was missing tonight.

But the thing we missed most was the commitment, spirit and fight of the first game.

In the opener we never seemed to give up but tonight, barring the five minute spell that followed Rooney's goal, we seemed in admittance to the inevitable defeat.

I've always said that if a team loses I can accept it, as long as they gave it their all.

Against Italy I could say that.

Tonight I could not.

England emerge from yet another major competition with their tails firmly tucked between our legs.

Something needs to be done to combat the inevitable crushing defeat of the national team at every major occasion.

And it needs to be done soon.

England's Chances Hang In The Balance

Despite delivering a performance that exceeded mine and most fan's expectations in their first game the Three Lions now face a must-win game tonight.

Their surprisingly good performance was not enough to see them take anything from a tough opening fixture against Italy and now they must show their mettle against a wounded Uruguayan outfit.

Uruguay started their World Cup in the worst way imaginable with an ignominous defeat against wooden spoon candidates Costa Rica.

They will be looking to fight back and give themselves a chance of progressing to the latter stages by putting England to the sword.

Much of how the game will look will be dependent on the fitness of Luis Suarez.

The Liverpool striker, who took the Premier League by storm last season, is without doubt Uruguay's star player and if he is fully fit he will be a source of discomfort for England at best.

England's match against the Italian's last Saturday may have ended in defeat but the manner of the defeat was refreshing.

The Three Lions were bold and exciting going forward if a bit suspect at the back during their battle with the Azzuri.

Wayne Rooney was assigned to an unfamiliar role on the left wing and he definitely struggled to adapt to the task.

He did provide the assist for Daniel Sturridge's equaliser in the first half but he was anonymous for much of the game.

Leighton Baines also came under scrutiny for his performance but in reality he was helpless.

Too often Baines was left to deal with the right flank of Italy on his own due to Rooney not providing the cover he should have.

Rooney is an unbelievably talented individual but I think he showed that left-wing is not the position for him and thanks to the impressive performances of Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Danny Welbeck I don't think there is a place for him in the starting eleven currently.

I'd bring in Southampton star Adam Lallana to replace him on the left-hand side of midfield.

Not only would Lallana give a better balance to the side and provide more cover for Baines but I think he would be more of a threat going down that left flank than Rooney provided.

Other than that it seems clear to me that Hodgson should change nothing.

Everyone else in that England side either performed well enough to retain their place or should remain because there is no-one able enough to replace them.

There seems genuine talent and a spirit, something we haven't seen for far too long, in this England team that give every reason for the fans to remain positive heading into this crucial clash.

Roy should send his troops out with one message "Pick up where you left off last time boys".

Don’t Write Spain Off Just Yet

Before tonight’s encounter with Netherlands no-one in their right mind would have wrote off the defending World Champions after just one game.

Yet after the drubbing Spain have just received at the hands of the Dutch that’s exactly what some fans seem to be doing.

It’s not exactly a dream start to the group stage for the Spaniards but it is clear to me that this is far from over.

Before the World Cup started I stated that I thought Chile had a great chance of progressing from Group B into the knockout stage.

My faith in that statement has diminished significantly from then to now and Chile haven’t even played yet.

The reason for my slip in faith is that I expected the Chileans to progress at the expense of Netherlands – not Spain.

All of a sudden Chile’s game versus the Spanish on Wednesday evening is of paramount importance for their prospects.

Lose and the tournament is almost certainly over for them.

Win and they should guarantee safe passage to the next stage of the competition.

This all comes a game earlier than I had expected for Chile.

I thought this must-win scenario would come on the final gameday in Group B.

I thought it would be Chile versus Netherlands in a one game fight for survival after both sides had lost to Spain and beaten Australia.

I thought wrongly.

The stellar performance delivered by the Dutch has turned Group B on its head.

All of a sudden Spain are the one’s under threat from any Chilean progression.

But I wouldn’t write them off just yet.

Spain may not be the same team they were four years ago when they won the World Cup for the first time but they are still a hugely talented team and to write them off at this stage is ludicrous.

If Spain win their final two group games that will probably be enough to see them through.

Spain are such an accomplished side that them winning their final two games is not only plausible it is actually more likely than not.

Four years ago Spain became the first team ever to lose their first match of the World Cup but go onto win it.

Could history repeat itself?

A Five Point World Cup Preview

Tomorrow marks the start of the twentieth FIFA World Cup. Taking place in Brazil for the first time since 1950 the build-up has been dogged by protests from Brazilian's regarding their hosting of the competition and allegations of corruption within FIFA regarding Qatar's successful World Cup bid for 2022. But putting all that aside it is very hard not to be excited. The World Cup is something that only comes around once every four years and despite my usual indifference to international football it is always something which I fervently look forward to. This years competition is extremely hard to predict but that's what I'm going to attempt to do. Let's start with the most important thing, the winners:

Winners: Germany 

A bold prediction when you consider no European team has ever won a World Cup on South American soil but Germany have such a strong side that I feel they can put that voodoo to bed by overcoming the climate and thirty-one other teams to win the World Cup for a fourth time. With players like Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil and  Mario Götze - among others - they have quality oozing out of every pore and I expect them to lift the trophy on the 13th of July. It's hard to discount current holders Spain, hosts Brazil or a Messi-inspired Argentina but I feel Germany have a team that can deal with those threats and march on to glory.
 
The Group of Death: Group B 

Often in World Cup's there has been one group that has stood out, one group that was labelled with the tagline of the "Group of Death". This years competition is different since there seem to be three groups vying for that unwanted title. Group D: which contains Uruguay, Italy, England and Costa Rica has the best average ranking of any of the groups. Group F contains Germany, Portugal, Ghana and the United States of America, a group which could undoubtedly spring a surprise or two and was only usurped by Group D for the best average ranking with the most recent release of the FIFA rankings. But it is Group B that has me most intrigued. With Spain - who have won the last three major tournaments they have taken part in (2008 & 2012 European Championships and 2010 World Cup), Netherlands - who were the runners-up to Spain in that 2010 World Cup, Chile - an extremely talented team accustomed to the South American climate and Australia - a side that always seem to deliver performances at major tournaments that belie their lowly ranking - this is my clear group of death. When you can't guarantee the progress of a side as talented as Spain with any great conviction it is a sign that this is a very tough group.
 
Overachievers: Chile 

Continuing on with the Group B reverence there are many prospective teams that could overachieve in this World Cup but I've plumped for Chile. Belgium have been touted so strongly for so long that I no longer think they can overachieve. Colombia were another side I considered but the loss of Radamel Falcao will hit them hard. Falcao is undoubtedly their most important player and although I expect them to make it through their group I don't see them making a massive impression in the knockout stages without him. So that left me with Chile. Stuck in what I consider to be the real "Group of Death" I expect them to surprise most people and progress to the knockout stages at the expense of one of the big European teams. Chile have only lost twice in the past year and those defeats came at the hands of Brazil and Germany. Their otherwise unbeaten run in this period has seen them attain a very credible draw against group opponents Spain as well as sending Uruguay, Ecuador and England (at Wembley) to defeats. Juventus' Arturo Vidal and Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez are clearly their star players but they have more strength in depth than a lot of people realise. Just making it through to the knockout stages, considering their group, would be seen as a great achievement and I believe that is an attainable goal.
 
Underachievers: Netherlands 

It would be easy to label England as the underachievers but with so many expecting them to exit in the Group Stage it's hard to see what could qualify as an underachievement. Losing to Costa Rica and finishing bottom of the group? Surely even England can't sink that low. So I went with Netherlands. They have an extremely strong side on paper boasting the likes of Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in their 23-man squad. And with new Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal in charge you would be forgiven for thinking they have a good chance of making a real impact. It is not inconcievable that they could achieve great things in Brazil but I see them falling at the first hurdle. With my previous prediction of Chile upsetting the apple cart in Group B, I see the Dutch as the team most likely to fall victim to a Chilean surprise. Spain will probably have enough about them to get through which would leave Netherlands to join Australia as the teams knocked out in Group B. This would have to be considered a massive underachievement for a team as talented as Netherlands, especially when you consider they were runners-up just four years ago.
 
Player to Watch: Lionel Messi 

Some people would say this is a cop out. Calling arguably the best player in the world the player to watch out for seems far too easy a statement. But Messi, for some reason, has a lot to prove to certain sectors of the footballing community. They feel he cannot be considered an all-time great until he turns in top quality performances for Argentina at the World Cup. I do not share this opinion however I do expect this to be the year that Messi expunges those doubts. Argentina should have a strong World Cup when you look at their squad and the relative ease with which they should progress from the group stage and I expect Messi to play a large part in their success. I used the Telegraph predictor before I wrote this article and it saw Argentina beat Spain and make it all the way to the final before losing to Germany. If that were to come to fruition surely this would have to be considered a success even without lifting the trophy? It would be a personal achievement for Messi to get that far and if he plays as well as I expect him to it is a definite possibility. He is my player to watch because I think this is the tournament where he finally silences his doubters for good.
 
It will be interesting to revisit this article once the World Cup is done and dusted to see whether these predictions rang true or not. Either way I expect it will be a great tournament with shocks and entertainment aplenty.

The "Triple Punishment" - Is It Too Severe?

Following the dismissals of Manchester City’s Martin Demichelis and Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny in their respective Champions League matches this week there has been much debate regarding the so-called “triple punishment” of those situations.

The idea behind the triple punishment concept is that it is too severe because there are three separate punishments for the offending team over one incident.

Firstly, there is the penalty the team has conceded which is – more often than not – going to result in a goal for the opposing team.

Next there is the dismissal of your player meaning that you have to play the remainder of that particular game with only ten men.

And finally there is the fact that you will have to play a certain number of games – dictated by how long his suspension is – without that player.

Some feel that this is too harsh and that the referee in both games should have just awarded the penalty instead of also dismissing the players.

First of all I would like to absolve the referees of all blame.

They are merely there to uphold the laws of the game whether that is something as serious as violent conduct or as trivial as a player being cautioned for removing his shirt when celebrating.

They are the enforcers of the law rather than the actual lawmakers.

So in this instance those people who are blaming the referees should be focusing their anger at UEFA or FIFA because they are the ones who decide what the laws should be, not referees.

Then we come to the actual issue of whether the punishment fits the crime.

Personally, I think it does.

Yes, you can argue it ruins the game as a spectacle but this is a competitive sport first and foremost and the punishment handed out was – in my opinion – appropriate.

Look at it from Bayern Munich’s point of view.

Arjen Robben was fouled by the goalkeeper in a situation where he had a clear goalscoring opportunity.

If the referee does not send off the offender in that situation then all Munich are left with is a missed penalty.

That is unfair. 

Wojciech Szczesny knows the rules.

He understood the risk he took in attempting to beat Robben to that ball.

It’s quite simple.

He has to be sent off.

Reasons To Be Cheerful, If You’re Italian

So last night Italy suffered their first loss in the 2013 Confederations Cup.

A thrilling encounter saw hosts Brazil see off the Azzuri with a 4-2 victory.

But it’s far from a doom and gloom situation at the moment if you’re an Italian fan.

The Italians have been going through a period of transition since they won the World Cup back in 2006.

Legends such as Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Francesco Totti all retired in dribs and drabs after that and Italy have struggled to replace them.

An ignominious group stage exit when defending their World Cup title in 2010, which included being held to a draw by lowly New Zealand, saw Marcello Lippi step down as manager.

His replacement was the well-respected Cesare Prandelli.

Prandelli made his name as a manager whilst in charge of Fiorentina.

In five seasons he led the Viola to Champions League qualification on three occasions.

In a remarkable achievement he managed to take Fiorentina to a sixth-placed finish and UEFA Cup qualification despite starting the season with a 15 point deduction.

That UEFA Cup campaign saw them reach the semi-finals before losing on penalties to Rangers.

And since taking charge of the national team Prandelli has done a good job.

He brought new players into the team and took the little fancied Azzuri all the way to the Euro 2012 Final.

They were soundly beaten 4-0 by world beaters Spain but the fact that they made it to the final was a great achievement for the Italians.

Now we come to the present and Italy have qualified for the next round of the Confederations Cup after victories against Mexico and Japan.

And last night’s game against Brazil, just three days after they barely scraped past Japan, showed how much they have improved.

Italy took the home side to the limit and in the end would have been well worth the draw.

With the tie poised at 3-2 Italy threw everything they had at Brazil and were unlucky not to equalise several times before Fred added Brazil’s 4^th goal of the game and put the result beyond any doubt.

But this wasn’t just about the result, this was about Italy showing they could well be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

The Azzuri were missing arguably their two biggest players in Andrea Pirlo and Danielle De Rossi but still provided a challenge against a reformed and on form Brazilian outfit.

In all likelihood Spain will knock them out of the Confederations Cup in the next game but Italian fans certainly have reasons to be positive.

Why Have The NBA Playoffs Been So Boring in 2013?

We’re in the middle of a fantastic series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat so this seems like an odd question to poise but to me these Playoffs have been very uninspiring.

Even the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers series that went to a seventh game did little to light a fire under me.

I felt like I knew the Heat would prevail and the Finals against San Antonio are the first time I’ve really felt the Heat were under any threat.

That lack of suspense is a big part of why I’ve felt so underwhelmed by these playoffs.

This may be the first time in history that I have been more entertained as a whole by the regular season than I was by the Playoffs.

The fact that the San Antonio Spurs whitewashed the Memphis Grizzlies – albeit two of their games did go to overtime – in the Western Conference Finals just underlined the lack of competition this year.

The Grizzlies had recently beaten an Oklahoma City Thunder side missing star man and point guard Russell Westbrook.

Kevin Durant did his best to make up for Westbrook’s absence but it left the Thunder too lopsided and too reliant on Durant to progress.

One of the few chances these playoffs had of being salvaged went by the wayside when the Spurs defeated Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

Not that the Spurs aren’t an exciting side but the Warriors are young, vibrant and most of all fresh.

They would have added an element of unpredictability had their stay in the competition lasted a bit longer.

Their series against the Denver Nuggets in the first round was one of the few bright spots of this playoff campaign and I imagine the anticipation for a Golden State versus Miami final would have been off the charts.

The only other team that threatened to stir up any interest in the Playoffs were the New York Knicks.

They had the potential to mount a serious challenge against the Miami Heat but due to their three point shooters not firing and Carmelo Anthony losing his regular season form they couldn’t even beat the Indiana Pacers.

The series that I think has epitomised these playoffs as a whole was the first-round clash of the Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers.

That series, and these playoffs as a whole, can be summed up with one word.

Lacklustre.

This was illustrated by the fact that I watched three of those games in full and I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in any of them.

The Spurs and Heat are having a great battle at the moment and with game five taking place tonight they could go on to make these Playoffs eternally memorable.

But prior to this series the entertainment level was not as high as I have become accustomed to.

All I can hope for now is that the San Antonio versus Miami battle rages as hard as it has in the first four games for the next three games.

And with the way things are going Tony Parker, LeBron James and their respective teams may well do that.