Formula 1 and Football

FWC 2006: Best World Cup Ever?

2006-07-02T13:05:00.000+05:30

The quarterfinals are over, and as one looks back at the matches gone by, there is a certain excitement one feels, and many neutrals have already classified this as the best tournament in history. A few days ago, it was still being disputed, for Brazil didn't seem to have any challenges, but now that theory has been turned on its head with a Zizou-inspired performance that saw the World Champions eliminated from the tournament.

Think about it. Goals galore. The tournament averages nearly 3 goals a game. And with the Teamgeist causing keepers problems, that has led to some truly spectacular goals. There have been so many goals in this tournament capable of entering the tournament's all time Top 10 for sensational strikes that I have lost count. And you know, there is a bit of magic in the air when Frings and Lahm are in that category. It doesn't hurt that 19 goals have been scored in the first 10 minutes and 35 in the last 10, not to forget an extra time stunner from Maxi Rodriguez.
Not to forget the team goals, brilliant displays of teamwork and precision that have lit up the cup. Who can forget Esteban Cambiasso's goal against Serbia and Montenegro? 24 Argentina passes involving 8 different players, ending with a fabulous backheel from Crespo to Cambiasso, and BANG! The ball was in the back of the net. The Brazilians went one better against Ghana, passing 24 times within their own half before launching a long ball, which a flying Ze Roberto latched onto and dispatched. Cynics like me will point out that it was a deliberate move from the Brazilians to go past their South American rivals.
Not that either team really profitted from their flair play. Both teams went out shockingly in the quarterfinals, Argentina in a penalty shootout against the tactically astute Germans, and the Brazilians finding themselves 'outBraziled' by Zidane. That left just 4 teams in the competition, all European. Something of a shock since all the bets were on an Argentina-Brazil final.
Of course, some will say that this tournament was a bit boring in that all the semifinalists are European. I disagree for this shows the rest of the world that technique and tactics are crucial, something which the normally tactical coaches of Argentina and Brazil, Pekerman and Parreira respectively, threw out of the window at the wrong moment. The Africans were disappointing in this tournament with only Ghana reaching the second round. They probably deserved nothing better in my opinion, as they displayed the usual African tendency to go solo rather than build up to goals. However, there are still pluses for these teams, such as Ghana's humbling of the World Number 2 Czechs, Ivory Coast's spirited performances, and Tunisia's gutsy displays. Asians were even more disppointing, with South Korea being the only team from the continent not to finish bottom of its group, and for that they can thank Togo, the worst team of the competition.
On the whole, it was the deserving teams that got through, albeit with some controversy.
There were a few brawls, and while they were a disgrace to the spirit of football, for entertainment value these matches brought a spark to the tournament, and displayed the players' passion for the game. On the whole, these matches did bring a special something to the tournament that we won't see for a long time.
The fans were brilliant too, and why wouldn't they be? Franz Beckenbauer and the Organizing Committee were absolutely brilliant in the way they set up areas specially for fans, making it a joy for all those in the country, even those who couldn't get tickets to watch matches.

Goals, cards, feuds, the odd shock and yet the proven superiority of class and technique, and a whole host of bright young faces that lit up the tournament such as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Tranquillo Barnetta and Fernando Torres, coupled with the international rebirth of proven players such as Zidane, Ronaldo and Klose. Yes, this is truly, in my opinion, the best World Cup ever.

Argentina 6-0 Serbia and Montenegro

2006-06-17T16:52:00.000+05:30

It has been about 20 hours since the match between Argentina and Serbia and Montenegro, yet I still can't find the right words to describe my state after that massacre. Flabbergasted? Somewhat. Shocked? Yes. Astounded? Yes. Thrilled and excited? Of course, I couldn't control my laughter watching what seemed the most one sided match in history. Still, these words don't even begin to describe what sort of impact a match like that can have on an already dazed kid like myself.
Let's be clear about a few things. Serbia and Montenegro is a very good team, with what is generally a brilliant defence. So, was the scoreline a bit exaggerated? Definitely not. Argentina destroyed the players from the former Yugoslav nation with the best passing game the world has ever seen (I am probably not exaggerating here). Things could have been far worse for the Serbs and Montenegrins. Argentina had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside, and also looked like they were cruising in second gear. This was a team that had the luxury of players like Cambiasso, Messi and Tevez come off the bench to score, while the first team excelled too. Spain-Ukraine was a bit flattering in terms of the scoreline, as there was plenty of dodgy refereeing involved, though the better team did win in the end. In this case, there was no such problem. This was Argentina in cruise mode. And the rest of the teams in the tournament just saw why this team is rated the best Argentinian side since the 1986 winning one. If last week's Czech demolition of USA was awe-inspiring, you'd have to come up with a whole new word for Argentina's performance.
The first goal was a great team goal with plenty of passes, and was finally converted by Maxi Rodriguez. Soon after, the normally impressive Luis Gonzalez was taken off injured and replaced by Esteban Cambiasso. The sub made his presence felt soon enough, scoring after a fabulous move that involved 24 passes from 8 different outfield players. If Maradona's second goal against England in 1986 was the best solo goal ever, this is the best team goal ever, arguably. Things only got worse for the shocked SCG team when Rodriguez scored again after a brilliant display of opportunism by Saviola. A perfectly legal goal from Crespo was then ruled out for offside, and the player was booked for supposed 'time wasting.'
After the break, however, there was no respite, as wonderkids Tevez and Messi came on, and both scored, as did Hernan Crespo.
Simply put, this was a masterclass in football, and every team in the competition will try and cut classes when Argentina is teaching.

Failing France...

2006-06-16T13:08:00.000+05:30

It would be fair to say that France are a pale shadow of the glorious WC 98 and Euro 2000 winning team.

A lacklustre qualifying campaign and a dull start to the Cup has raised fears that it is going to be a repeat of the 2002 debacle. But how have the mighty fallen so badly? The answer lies in their two best players, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.

Put bluntly, Zidane and Henry simply aren't compatible with each other. Henry is a striker whose essential need is space- space in which to run, to get past people and to get in on goal. Therefore it is imperitive that to get the best out of him, attacks are like rapier thrusts- quick and direct, so that when he gets the ball in the final third, the opposition is still struggling to regroup, giving him the opportunity to use his pace. Zidane, for all his attributes, tends to slow down the game. So by the time the ball reaches Henry, he is surrounded on all sides by the defence, and sees no way to go, no space in which to run.

There are two possible solutions to this problem: a) Drop Zidane or b) Drop Henry. If the former, then France need to play Vieira in the centre and Malouda on the right, and Trezeguet alongside Henry in a 4-4-2 formation so that they can break with pace and get the ball early to the Arsenal man. If the latter, then France need to play either Trezeguet as the lone striker or pair him up with Saha and drop Vieira.

The main problem is Raymond Domenech's indecision whether to build the team around Henry or Zidane. Quite clearly there is no space in the side for both of them. There is still time to take the bild step, but if Domenech persists with this line-up, it is a recipe for disaster... and instead of the chants of "Allez Les Blues", we could soon be hearing cries of "Sacre Bleau!" from the French fans.

Redemption for FWC 2006!

2006-06-12T23:23:00.000+05:30

Just as I thought the first day of the World Cup was going to be the only decent day in terms of excitement during this tournament, I was, thankfully, proved wrong. First, I witnessed the most exciting match of FWC 2006 so far. Then came the most dominant performance.
The first game of the day was between Japan and Australia. After some bright play early on by Australia, Japan got a completely undeserved lead through Shunsuke Nakamura's cross when 2 Japanese players wrestled Aussie keeper Mark Schwarzer to the ground, hence allowing Nakamura's cross to float into goal. Mysteriously, the ref didn't spot a thing, much to the fury of Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink. Sadly, this travesty let Japan have the lead well into the second half as well, until Hiddink, out of desperation, brought on Josh Kennedy, Tim Cahill and John Aloisi. Kennedy caused problems to the Japanese immediately with his aerial ability and his unique movement when on the ground. Cahill and Aloisi took time to settle down, but when they did, the game was turned on its head. In the 84th minute, after confusion in the Japanese penalty area following a throw in, Cahill slotted the ball home. 5 minutes later, he received the ball on the edge of the box, and slammed one onto the inside of the post. 2-1. The Japanese were fading fast, and Aloisi then compounded their misery, and Hiddink's selection headaches for the next match, by running through the defence to score his 23rd international goal. Easily the best match of the tournament so far.
Things were to get even better for football in general, and for the Czechs in particular. After a dominant performance at Euro 2004, many felt they were past their best after having to scrape through to the finals after 2 1-0 wins in the playoffs against Norway, and 2 defeats by Holland in the group stages, their World Number 2 ranking seemingly undeserved. Today, they proved their doubters wrong. They put in the most dominant performance of the last one year, at least, at club and international level (and I am including 6-1, 6-0,7-0 results and even Brazil's 8-0 win over a Swiss second division side). The best way to express how the United States players and coaches must have felt during the side's 3-0 loss to the Czechs can best be expressed in boxing terms. Imagine you are a boxer, and you draw your hand back to deliver what you think is a killer blow to your opponent. And while you are drawing your hand back, he punches you 4 times in the face and knocks you to the ground. He does this many times, and just tries not to deliver a knockout blow to see how long he can keep the fun going. Imagine yourself in this state and you would know just how USA coach Bruce Arena felt. His side dominated possession, but just to try and keep the Czechs from getting the ball.
Not that it worked. Rosicky, Nedved and Poborsky just kept going at the US defence. And Koller up front scored an early goal. It must have been heartbreaking for 6 foot tall Damarcus Beasley to leap and find the ball flying over him, and then turn around to see the tallest player in the tournament crouch to head the ball in. Even when he left with a hamstring injury, the US had no respite, as 6'5" Vratislav Lokvenc came in. No need for Milan Baros, it seems.
Elsewhere, Rosicky, aided by Nedved, plagued the Americans, and slammed 2 beautiful goals, the first arguably the best goal in the tournament (at least as good as Frings') and the second after being released by a beautiful piece of vision from Nedved. All in all, 3-0 doesn't even begin to convey the Czech dominance, and it makes one wonder why Arsene Wenger wants to convert one of the best attacking midfielders in the world (Rosicky) to a winger. Especially when his last such experiment, Aliaksandr Hleb, is still to perform at around 5% of his capabilities (hopefully, he will get there).
Anyway, I am pretty glad I decided to watch all the matches today. Now to watch Italy take on Ghana. So long!

Can England do it?

2006-06-11T17:38:00.000+05:30

-Michael Steele, Getty Images

As Skysports commentators Martin Tyler and Andy Grey never fail to remind us, England last won the World Cup in 1966 and this is their best shot of repeating that feat in the last forty years. That is probably right, if only Sven Goran Eriksson would get his men to throw off the chains and start playing real football.

With the wealth of attacking talent England have, you really have to wonder at the pragmatic approach adopted by Beckham and co. After a perfect start against a very average Paraguay side, England's failure to build on the momentum was extremely disappointing. Instead the team sat back, and allowed the Central Americans to come on to them in hopes of an equaliser, hopes which should have been extinguished for good in the first twenty minutes itself.

Eriksson's post match comments regarding Michael Owen's fitness were baffling to say the least. The Newcastle man is a pale shadow of the tearing forward who so terrorized Argentina in 1998. His pace is gone, his touch has deserted him and it looks as if his predatory instincts are failing as well. And as to his substitution, why, oh why Sven, did you bring Downing (left winger) on??? What was the point of taking Theo Walcott to Germany if not to unleash him on defences in situations like these? If you were never so confident about him, you might as well have taken Defoe. Also, what's with this Owen Hargreaves fascination you have? Why remove Joe Cole, your best attacking player on the night, for a defensive midfielder? You weren't protecting a one goal lead against Brazil or Holland, you know.

Another thing which could end up being England's downfall is Sven's insistence on playing Steven Gerrard out of position. The Liverpool man is not a defensive midfielder and has never been one. He is a creator, not a destroyer. And moreover, he is better than Lampard. The absence of Rooney's genius and Gerrard's drive (in the attacking role) were major contributors to the listless display we saw yesterday.

If, in spite of Eriksson's caution which verges on the absurd, were England to win the World Cup, it would be in the same pragmatic manner, and it would get them few fans. Learn from the Dutch, Sven, that in the long run it's better to lose beautifully than win ugly. You have a team, which on their day, can give the Brazilians a run for their money. Use it well.

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica

2006-06-10T15:47:00.000+05:30

What a start to the Greatest Show on Earth! After a rather low key opening ceremony (as per FIFA's orders), the world witnessed the highest scoring opening match in World Cup history, and arguably the most exciting one too. World Cup 2006 was less than 6 minutes old when young leftback Philip Lahm rounded a defender and curled one into the top corer at the far post, from the corner of the 18 yard box. Now you know you are in for a treat when someone like Philip Lahm opens the scoring, that too in such spectacular fashion!
German celebrations didn't last long however. In the 12th minute, a clumsily worked offside trap let Paulo Wanchope take advantage and he went through on goal alone, placing the ball past a hapless Jens Lehmann, for whom things would get worse moments later when he injured his ankle (someone please tell me where Oliver Kahn goes to pray- I could do with some luck myself!).
Parity had been restored, but it lasted less than 5 minutes, with Miroslav Klose tapping one in after good work by Schneider and Schweinsteiger. He doubled his tally after the break with some quick reflexes after the keeper stopped his bullet header. Remember, this guy had been written off after the last world cup, even though he scored 5 goals then to be second in the scoring charts. The media blasted his apparent lack of ability when deprived of space to head the ball. Now, he came in to this match as the German Footballer of the Year, and scored 2 goals with those 'non-functional' feet of his, taking his World Cup tally to an impressive 7 goals from 8 games.
Soon after Klose's substitution, Wanchope took advantage of another offside trap gone wrong, Arne Friedrich the guilty party on both occasions, to spark the game back to life. Then, in the 87th minute, Torsten Frings struck. Yes, you read it right. Torsten Frings. Guy who barely ever shoots, forget score. Receiving a pass from Schweinsteiger, he let go from over 30 yards, straight into the top corner, to score a goal that may remain the best this World Cup has seen even after the next one month has gone by. 6 goals in the opening match, a new record, including 2 stunners from very unlikely sources that can stand out in comparison with almost any goal in World Cup history. This was already turning out to be a stunning World Cup.
Things only got better for neutrals, when Ecuador upset Poland 2-0. After a stunning qualification campaign, the Poles were favourites to qualify from this group with Germany, but now find that they need a miracle to progress in this tournament.
Elsewhere, the Togo team suffered a huge loss when coach Otto Pfister resigned over a pay dispute. The team now finds itself in the unenviable position of having to go through the Group stages with an interim coach.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Group D

2006-06-08T18:39:00.000+05:30

Group D looks somewhat straightforward with Portugal being the clear favourites. Mexico are amongst the best sides in the world, and should be able to beat a skillful Iranian side to the second qualification spot. Angola are the outsiders in this group. The problem with qualification from this group is that the qualifying teams will set up a showdown with the qualifiers from the Group of Death in the second round.
Portugal is one of the strongest teams around. A skillful team with a delightful blend of youth and experience, the team has been rebuilt almost completely by 'Big Phil' Luiz Felipe Scolari after the Golden Generation moved on. One of the few survivors of that gloriously underachieving team is Luis Figo, arguably the greatest player in the country's history after Eusebio. The Inter midfieler will be at hand to lend some experience to a youthful side that has not witnessed many major tournaments.
Inspite of Figo's presence, most Portuguese fans are pinning their hopes on the shoulders of the young and talented, if somewhat erratic, Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo (in pic). The flamboyant number seven is known for his stepovers and bursts of pace that often leave defenders redfaced. He has often been criticised for needless trickery, especially at club level. However, for his nation, he has been a stellar performer over the last three years and will be keen to display his dazzling talents at the World Cup Finals.
He is ably supported in midfield by Barcelona star Deco, who is likely to display his status as one of the world's most valuable midfielders. Winger Simao is more than capable of causing a few tears to opposition fullbacks and will prove to be quite a handful. Maniche is a skillful player with fabulous technique but might end up watching from the sidelines after half a season on loan at Chel$ki that saw him make very good friends with the subs' bench. Midfielders competing for the holding role include Costinha, Hugo Viana and Armando Petit. Lyon's Tiago will be another midfielder to watch. This lot will try to provide service to Pauleta up front, while sitting in front of a strong defence that includes, Paulo Ferreira, Miguel, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, and Fernando Meira, among others. They will of course be backed up by goalkeeper Ricardo, one of the stars of Euro 2004, who has been chosen as number one ahead of Quim and Bruno Vale. The main strategy will be to burst down the wings and play the ball into the one man up front, though Pauleta can also be replaced by Helder Postiga, the experienced Nuno Gomes, and Fulham's combative forward Luis Boa Morte. All in all a tough team to beat.
Mexico is one of the strongest unseeded teams, and is strong inspite of coach Ricardo Lavolpe's unusual selection policies, which include dropping the country's biggest star Cuauhtemoc Blanco and picking his son-in-law Rafael Garcia. The country's main strength is its defensive setup, which includes a talented shotstopper in Oswaldo Sanchez and a tough tackling back four, also capable of burst down the field, that comprises Carlos Salcido, Barca defender Rafael Marquez and 37 year old Carlos Suarez, among others. The midfield is a little suspect, but the team has many world class strikers to get the goals no matter how poor the service is. Jared Borghetti is the team's all time leading scorer, and is backed up by Jose Fonseca and the somewhat out of form but ever enthusiastic Guillermo Franco (remember his seven misses in the Champs League semifinal second leg?).
The only challenge to Mexico for the second qualifying spot will be from Iran. The team has many players who played as youngsters at France 98. In Ali Daei, they have the all time leading goalscorer in men's football at the international level. Ali Karimi, a former Asian Player of the Year, is a star at Bayern Munich, and the team also has other Germany based players such as Vahid Hashemian and Mehdi Mahdavikia. The team's strength is its attack, but it is also capable of dour defence when required.
Angola are rank outsiders in this group, and this World Cup will serve as a launchpad for future success for the team rather than an immediate impact on the world stage.

ASSESSMENT/PREDICTIONS- Portugal will go through qualification without much hassle. Mexico should also go through easily, but Iran is capable of giving a few scares.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Group C

2006-06-08T16:14:00.000+05:30

If you thought that the last post was long drawn and boring, then this might just about break every record possible. We are talking about the famed group of death, and this year it features Argentina, Holland, Serbia and Montenegro (the stingiest defence in qualification, with plenty of goals to boot), and the strongest of the African representatives, the Ivory Coast.
First up, Argentina. Another team that has pinned its hopes on a youngster recovering from injury, in this case Lionel Messi, who has already made his comeback, as has tough Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze. Messi is the latest in a long line of players to be christened the new Maradona, and only the second to be named so by El Diego himself. The first one, Andreas D'Alessandro, has been dropped from the team after a string of indifferent performances for Wolfsburg, followed by many flashy, yet ineffective appearances for Portsmouth.
Another star the team will rely on is Villareal midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme. Inspite of a crucial penalty miss in the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal, the former Barca player has had a good season, and is heading into this tournament as the team's most valuable player. He heads an all star cast in the nidfield department that features Pablo Aimar, Luis Gonzalez, Javier Mascherano, and Esteban Cambiasso among others. This midfield sits in front of a defence comprising players like Robarto Ayala, Heinze, skipper Juan Pablo Sorin, Fabricio Coloccini, Lionel Scaloni and Gabriel Milito. Sorin is likely to link up with the midfield. The only controversy regarding this back line is the absence of veteran wingback Javier Zanetti, but it seems unlikely that he will be missed in such an all star cast. One problem, here, however, is that Ayala is the only natural centreback in the squad. Coach Jose Pekerman will end up converting a wingback to centreback. Similarly, the midfield has no wingers of repute. All the players are central midfielders. Hence, Pekerman may move Mascherano to the right and use Sorin or Messi on the left wing, or the other way around.
Up front, the team has no problems, with world class forwards such as Hernan Crespo, Messi, Carlos Tevez, Javier Saviola and in form Inter forward Julio Ricardo Cruz. The only conceivable weakness in this team appears to be the vacancies out on the wing.
Holland boasts of a squad complete in every respect. Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira called it the most complete squad in the world. And with Marco van Basten in charge, the infamous Dutch infighting appears to have ceased. Edwin van der Sar in goal has long been considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and is full of confidence after a good season with his new club, Manchester United. The defence features world class defenders like Kew Jaliens, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Liverpool's Jan Kromkamp, Andre Ooijer, Johnny Heitinga, and Tim De Cler, with veteran Philippe Cocu sitting in front of the defence to protect it. More likely, Marc van Bommel will play that holding role in midfield. Other stars in midfield include Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder, both Ajax Amsterdam products. The forward line has considerable pedigree, led by Manchester United striker (may leave the club soon) Ruud van Nistelrooy, young Gunner Robin van Persie, Feyenoord forward Dirk Kuyt, Chelsea's Arjen Robben (likely to play a supporting role on the flanks to the other forward players), Ajax forward Ryan Babel, and PSV Eindhoven's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, known as much for his goalscoring feats as his regal name.
There are a few weaknesses with this team, however. Coming into the competition, the goalscoring forwards are slightly out of form, with the exception of Dirk Kuyt. Many are criticising van Basten's decision to leave behind red hot Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who underlined his class this past weekend with a brace in the U-21 European Championships final to help Holland to a 3-0 victory over Ukraine. A more serious problem is that of injuries to several key players, including van der Vaart, Sneijder, and Cocu. A few players have been named on standby, and van Basten has until tomorrow to decide if he wants to use them.
The Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro are less historic teams than their group rivals, but are very strong. The strongest of Africa's representatives to this tournament, the Ivory Coast are led by Didier Drogba, who has displayed the sort of form for his nation that his club Chelsea is still looking to him to reproduce in the Premiership. Other players with top level experience are Arsenal defenders Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, former Auxerre defender Cyrille Domoraud, Didier Zokora and Aruna Dindane. This team is built to score, and whether or not it goes through, it will entertain.
In contrast, Serbia and Montenegro is more noted for its stingy defence, which conceded only one goal in qualifying, with its back four, comprising Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic, Goran Gavrancic, Ivica Dragutinovic and Mladen Krstajic, being christened the 'Famous Four' (okay, maybe creativity is not the strong point of the S & M media!). Up front, too, they are a potent force, through Savo Milosevic and Atletico Madrid striker Mateja Kezman. The latter, a Chelsea reject, is in great form and will be their main source of goals. In midfield, too, they are strong, with Daniel Ljuboja, Dejan Stankovic and Predrag Djordjevic being renowned playmakers on the European mainland. Their star midfielder, Zvonimir Vukic, however, pulled out of the squad due to an injury. He was replaced by coach Ilja Petkovic's son Dusan, but allegations of nepotism led to Dusan walking out of the camp, although perfectly fit. Under these circumstances, S & M will travel to Germany with 22 players instead of 23.
ASSESSMENT/PREDICTIONS- Argentina and Holland to go through, though it will be hard work against S & M and the Ivory Coast. Argentina and Holland will look to make up for 2002, when joint favourites Argentina crashed out in the first round and Holland didn't even make it to Korea and Japan. This time, they have weaknesses which can be exploited (Argentina's flanks are exposed, Holland has to look for 1-0 wins in its matches), but they should make it through.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Group B

2006-06-08T15:19:00.000+05:30

Okay, we know it has been way too much time since our last preview. There was a desperate need to change the format to avoid having a sudden influx of 32 posts about 32 teams. Hence, we have decided to limit our discussion to each group, and predictions relating the individual groups, and teams where applicable. If the readers want some detailed analyses of the strengths, weaknesses, and chances of each team in the competition, please do say so in the comments and we shall do what we can.

Okay, now coming to Group B, featuring England, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sweden. On the face of it, it seems there is no need for discussion about which teams will go through from this lot. England and Sweden are both world class teams and are more than capable of beating any team in the world on their day.
England boasts of talents such as skipper David Beckham, PFA Player of the Year Steven Gerrard, FIFA World Player runner up Frank Lampard, former European Player of the year Michael Owen, and the first ever FIFA Youth Player awardee Wayne Rooney, coupled with the most expensive defence in the world. As I write this report, Rooney has just returned to training after a serious injury to his metatarsal, and rumours are filtering through that he has been cleared to play at the World Cup after a fitness test. This is very good news, even if unconfirmed, for a nation that was plunged into gloom after the talismanic forward's injury. Much hope was placed on the broad shoulders of one who is till a mere 20 years old, and with this good news, there is a renewed sense of expectation in a country where football is everything.
However, the Swedes are among the most talented players in the world. Henrik Larsson has an unmatched goalscoring record, and is in fine fettle after leading Barcelona, almost singlehandedly, to a win in the Champions League final. Juventus forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic enjoys a cult status in Turin and also back home, and with his vision, skills, and ability to get crucial goals, plays the perfect foil to Larsson's predatory style. Freddie Ljungberg is a tricky customer to deal with, with blistering pace and a good eye for goal. On his day, he can be a handful for the best of defences. He has, however, had a below par season with Arsenal, with indifferent form and plenty of injuries. In midfield, the Swedes' lynchpin is Rennes midfielder Kim Kallstrom. A great passer of the ball, the playmaker possesses great vision and will be crucial to the Scandinavians if they are to go far in the tournament.
Of course, it isn't like the Swedes and English will have it all their way. Trinidad and Tobago are a talented side boasting names like former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, veteran Russell Latapy, keeper Shaka Hislop, Stern John, and also talented youngsters like Chris Birchall. The team is simply in the tournament to enjoy their first taste of the game's greatest stage, but that doesn't mean they are going to roll over. The big two have a greater problem on their hands in the form of Paraguay. The team has dealt well with the retirement of longtime captain and keeper Jose Chilavert, the flamboyant custodian who scored dozens of goals through setpieces during his career. The injury prone Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz is their main target man, and has proved his pedigree in every top level competition he has played in, against top opposition. The captain's armband has been handed to defender Carlos Gamarra, the country's most capped player, and the team appears to be in safe hands.
As I said before, Sweden and England are likely to progress, but there is always a possibility of a shock, especially from a team of the calibre of Paraguay. England appears a bit more capable of slipping up, with plenty of injuries to deal with, and also facing their bogey team Sweden. However, they have a few aces up their sleeve, even if Rooney struggles, in the form of giant striker Peter Crouch, and speedy North Londoners Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, who could prove more than a handful in the dying minutes. If England wrap up qualification after the first 2 matches, Sven Goran Eriksson could even attempt to let Theo Walcott have a good chance of becoming the youngest scorer in the history of the competition. The main attraction of this group is that there is a genuine possiblity of a mouth watering clash between old rivals England and Germany in the second round if either team finishes second in its group.

ASSESSMENT/PREDICTIONS- England and Sweden to go through, there will be bitter fight in the last match of the group stage to avoid a meeting with home team Germany.

FIA 2008 F1 Commission: What the hell is this?

2006-06-02T09:48:00.000+05:30

What the hell is this, from 2008, the voting rights which were earlier provided to each of the 12 teams (plus the sponsers and promoters) will be restricted to just 6 teams. These voting rights are of paramount importance, as they are needed to approve any major change in the formula 1 regulations.

What is even more shocking is that McLaren has been left out, even when teams like Red Bull Racing has been given the rights, there excuse, only one team per country and from UK (McLaren's Home ground) Williams have been given the rights.

All this has been done to simplify the decision making process, but i say, still each team should enjoy equal rights and instead Race promoters should be removed from the commission, if needed. And anyway, in formula 1 there is something always more than just what meets the eye.

The complete list is:

Teams:
Austria - Red Bull Racing
France - Renault
Germany - BMW Sauber
Italy - Ferrari
Japan - Honda
United Kingdom - Williams

Race promoters:
Australian Grand Prix
Brazilian Grand Prix
Hungarian Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix
Spanish Grand Prix

This is ridiculous, and must be changed soon.

btw, the lady in the pic isn't me ;-)

on another note Villeneuve is getting married.

Technorati Tags: FIA 2008 changes, Formula 1, Formula 1 Commission, Villeneuve

Technorati Tags: FIA 2008 changes, Formula 1, Formula 1 Commission, Villeneuve

Sheva to Chel$ski

2006-06-01T20:55:00.000+05:30

If you couldn't make it out from the title of the post, I ain't a huge fan of the Chel$hits. Well, I was during the Zola era, but I don't approve of the blatant conversion of the entire sport into an industry by Roman 'Moneybags' Abrahamovich. I believe that of the money pumped into a team, most should be used to delvelop football at the grassroots level, and build up great youth teams. A little bit should of course be spent on established stars to bring experience and class to a team, but not the exhorbitant amounts spent by this man to create a team of superstars that would ruin the game for every other team in the world. I don't like Chel$ki, so I must warn you that this may turn into a rant that has little to do with Sheva. I will try and avoid it, but it will be hard to avoid ranting against the Blues.
Basically, Chel$ki has signed Sheva for 30.8 million pounds (around 56 million dollars). 30 MILLION!!! What sort of team can compete with that sort of money being splashed out as a whim? This team has already bought Ballack this season, and Mourinho has now hinted that he is targetting Roberto Carlos! This is a team that sent Hernan Crespo on loan just because the manager had an idea that he may not be right for such a 'great' team. The way this is going, Chelsea will wind up with every bigname player in the world, and will have to start a whole new league with 20 teams- Chelsea All-Stars #1, Chelsea All-Stars #2, and so on, ad nauseam. This is going to disgrace the great sport of... (RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT!)

Okay, okay, I will try and get back to the topic. Which was Sheva's transfer. AC Milan President Adriano Galliani, when he realised it was going to be impossible to prevent Chel$hits from buying Shevchenko, tried to focus his energies on bringing in Chelsea's French defender William Gallas as part of the deal, in order to tighten up a leaky defence. This seemed quite likely as Gallas has often expressed unhappiness at Stamford Bridge. But, of course, neither AC Milan nor Gallas could contend with the force of an Abrahamovich tornado that destroys everything that stands in its way. Gallas stays in London.

Shevchenko says that money had no part to play in his choice. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, as I have long been a fan of his. He claims it was the will of his American model wife Kristen Pazik, who wanted their son Jordan to grow up in an environment where everybody spoke English. I must say, between this woman and George Bush, I ain't exactly becoming a huge fan of Americans.

Milan is one of my favourite teams, second only to Manchester United. Inspite of this move, I continue to appreciate the great periodin Milan's history with Sheva in attack. He is second on the Rossoneri's all time goalscoring charts, behind Swedish legend Nordahl. On behalf of all the Rossoneri faithful, I would like to say to Sheva, "We will miss you." Goodbye.

In other news, Francesco Totti returned from injury to play for Italy against Switzerland, a 1-1 draw that saw the most formidable Italian team in a decade come up against an impressive Swiss team that is fast emerging as a genuine powerhouse in world football. Elsewhere, injuries abound, as Gary Neville fights to regain his fitness after coming off with an injury against Hungary, Mirko Vucinic is out of the Serbia and Montenegro squad (coach Ilja Petkovic called up his son as a replacement), and Czech veteran Vladimir Smicer seems to be out of the World Cup. Also, Spanish football authorities have expressed bitterness towards Chelsea for witholding information about an injury to Chelsea's Spanish leftback Asier del Horno, that is almost certain to keep him out of the World Cup. Chel$ki callously ignored the defender's problems and continued to play him, having sent Wayne Bridge on loan to Fulham, at the fag end of the season. It makes one sick how they think they can get away with everything, those Chel$hits, power hungry, trophy mad, greedy,... (RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT!)

All right, fine, maybe I should end this discussion right now, adn leave the rest of the Chel$ki- bashing for future posts.

ADVERT: Brazil vs Argentina

2006-05-29T14:35:00.000+05:30

Before a football game between Brazil and Argentina, a condom company from Argentina came out with this ad.

Brazil won, and this is how their football association replied.

Technorati Tags: Football ads, advertisement, brazil vs Argentina

What The Hell Was That??????

2006-05-28T19:41:00.000+05:30

I would like to announce a reward of Rs 50 (not much, but what can you expect from a kid?) that will go to the first person who can explain to me, properly, WHAT JUST HAPPENED AT MONACO! The entire race was filled with incident and controversy. First Schumi's pole position being stripped, quite deservedly, if I may say so, and going to Fernando Alonso. It isn't the first time in his life Michael has tried pulling a fast one (can you say Damon Hill?).
Schumi made up for it almost as soon as the race started, moving up from 22nd position (and starting from the pit lane) to climb to 16th within a few laps. A one stop strategy further helped his rise up the standings.
Of course, that wasn't the only eventful part of the first few laps. Kimi almost overtook Webber right at the start, and then did so a lap later, in a daring move that could have found him slammed into a wall if he didn't do it fast enough. Kimi kept closing in on Alonso as the race progressed.
Alonso, tried to slow things down, hence causing Webber and Montoya to catch Kimi and cause problems. Then Alonso had a few problems of his own as the front four got caught in heavy traffic, which finally resulted in Alonso and Kimi lapping the 8th placed driver (and we thought it would be difficult to overtake at Monte Carlo!). In his effort to get past Fisichella, Webber's car stalled and started smoking. The safety car was called onto track.
This should have been Kimi's chance to catch Alonso. Instead, the Mclaren once again got into its vintage pattern of all speed, no reliability, stopping completely because it slowed down (if only my dad's car could do that. It would make him speed up when the bicycles look ready to overtake!). Anyway, as a McLaren fan, I can at least be thankful that this car had a little bit of the pace that last year's car did.

Anyway, by this time, Schumacher had made use of the two trips for the safety car (this would go up to 3 when 3rd placed Trulli pulled up some laps later) by closing in, and then overtaking when it became legal. Usual Schumi style, he took every half chance available to do so, not really mindful how risky the manouevre. Don't forget, this is the same guy who barged his own teammate Barrichello to overtake him on the last lap last year. Again, they found themselves in a race for fourth position, but on different teams this time.
In the end, Barrichello managed to hold on to fourth, with the top three comprising Alonso, Montoya and Coulthard, respectively.
Did you get all that? Nahh!!! Don't worry about it if you didn't. I am still trying to comprehend what happened myself. Only way to get a decent idea of the story of the race, if you didn't watch it, is to do so when the repeat telecast comes. In the meantime, the final result could help you get a fair idea of the way the championship standings are going.

POS	DRIVER	NATIONALITY	ENTRANT	TIRE	LAPS	TIME/RETIRE
1.	Fernando Alonso	Spain	Renault		78	1h43m43.116
2.	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombia	McLaren-Mercedes		78	14.5
3.	David Coulthard	Britain	Red Bull-Ferrari		78	52.2
4.	Rubens Barrichello	Brazil	Honda		78	53.3
5.	Michael Schumacher	Germany	Ferrari		78	53.8
6.	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italy	Renault		78	1m02.0
7.	Nick Heidfeld	Germany	Sauber-BMW		77	1 Lap
8.	Ralf Schumacher	Germany	Toyota		77	1 Lap
9.	Felipe Massa	Brazil	Ferrari		77	1 Lap
10.	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Italy	Toro Rosso-Cosworth		77	1 Lap
11.	Jenson Button	Britain	Honda		77	1 Lap
12.	Christijan Albers	Netherlands	MF1-Toyota		77	1 Lap
13.	Scott Speed	United States	Toro Rosso-Cosworth		77	1 Lap
14.	Jacques Villeneuve	Canada	Sauber-BMW		77	1 Lap
15.	Tiago Monteiro	Portugal	MF1-Toyota		76	2 Laps
16.	Franck Montagny	France	Super Aguri-Honda		76	2 Laps
17.	Jarno Trulli	Italy	Toyota		78	6 Laps

R	Christian Klien	Austria	Red Bull-Ferrari		56
R	Nico Rosberg	Germany	Williams-Cosworth		51	Accident
R	Kimi Raikkonen	Finland	McLaren-Mercedes		50
R	Mark Webber	Australia	Williams-Cosworth		48
R	Takuma Sato	Japan	Super Aguri-Honda		46

That's it for now. Alonso's success continues, and so does Spain's sprting renaissance. Can this period of good fortune for the nation carry on into the World Cup and the rest of the Formula One season? Let's wait and watch.

PACE of Alonso and Kimi

2006-05-28T18:17:00.000+05:30

Small Update, showing the competition level:

Lap 28: SEC1    SEC 2        SEC 3
ALO      20.5      38.7            18.9
KIMI         20.5      38.7            18.9

Absolutely brilliant stuff.

Schumi got what he Deserved

2006-05-28T17:59:00.000+05:30

" Michael Schumacher has been moved to the back
of the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix after stewards concluded that he
deliberately blocked the track in the closing stages of qualifying, preventing
rivals from beating his time. " - F1.com

Tifosi may cry to whatever extent they want, but if
they think with an open mind, as i mentioned in the last post, his act (he
locked his brakes as he entered the rascasse corner, though he got the control
back without hitting anything, but stalled his car) has costed alonso his pole,
which he has now been given.

Apart from this, i hope this decision, will check the
excessive I-AM-THE-GOD attitude of schumacher, which will be good not only for
the f1 fans but also for him.

btw, as i hoped yesterday, raikkonen did pass p2
williams to get second on track in a brilliant move, at the first corner, and
also clocked the fastest lap during the lap 2. Lap 14 is going on right
now, and schumi has already got up to p16, but his main challenge will be to
get atleast in the points. (It reminds me of last year, when kimi claimed p2
and p3 even after starting right from the back of the grid).

bye for now, and yes, happy racing!!!

Technorati Tags: Kimi raikkonen, schumacher penalty, monaco qualifying

Formula 1: Monaco Qualifying

2006-05-28T00:32:00.000+05:30

Well, it really looked that after a dark start for the season (on a relative scale), kimi raikkonen was all set to get to the top, even in the session with the last 16 cars, he got p1, but unfortunately he ended up getting p4 in the final standings, with schumi and alonso forming the first row, and a brilliant performance by webber in williams getting him p3.

Well, even in the final session, kimi has the fastest first sector time, but that doesn't really please me as this is one of the slowest circuits in the world, and perhaps mclaren still haven't got their speed back, and it is just due outstanding driving by kimi that he got those times.

Well on the race day, i hope he doesn't get stuck behind the slower williams and overtakes it right at the start, and for heaven's sake this time McLaren gets their pit stop strategy right, then there is some hope for this guy.

well, in the dying minutes, schumi got a nag with his car and that delayed alonso behind him, which has alonso the pole, now do we smell something over here or is it just a itch in the mind of a McLaren fan.

Technorati Tags: Formula 1, Kimi Raikkonen, Monaco GP

Formula 1 Trivia - Part II

2006-05-24T23:54:00.000+05:30

It was only in the 1920's when single seater cars came out,till then two seater's were used. Single seaters came out beacuse of the development of (would you believe it) rear view mirrors, Since the primary use of the second seat mechanic was to warn when another driver was going to overtake!!

THE McLaren MP4 means:
In 1980 Marlboro forced a merger between McLaren and Ron Dennis' Project Four Racing, who had a carbon-fibre F1 car designed by John Barnard on the stocks. This became the McLaren MP4/1 which rescued the team's competitiveness. Eventually Teddy Mayer left the team he helped to found, leaving Dennis in sole charge.Thus the 1st MP4 /1 was out, The first true McLaren was the M1, also known as the McLaren-Elva-Oldsmobile Mark 1 when it was productionised by Trojan.

From a normal seating position, with all seat belts fastened, and whilst wearing his usual driving equipment, a driver must be able to remove the steering wheel and get out of the car within five seconds and then replace the steering wheel within a total of 10 seconds.

In 1988 Mclaren drivers Prost and Senna won 15 out of 16 races in a season, McLaren scored 199 constructor points. McLaren recorded 15 pole positions,and they would have won the last race of the season too leading till the last lap. All these records set that year hold to date. - yeah i am mclaren fan ;-)

Did you know that Starting No's for the cars are given to the constructor and not to the car driver, except for the current world champion, whichever team he joins will get no 1 no for the car and his teammate will get the No. 2 number.This rule was removed in 1996 and the previous years results determine the No. of the car, also No. 13 is removed from the starting No's.

Arsenal sign Tomas Rosiky

2006-05-23T16:51:00.000+05:30

Source for Pic: Arsenal.com

Arsenal have completed the signing of Czech attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky from Borussia Dortmund.

The arrival of Rosicky gives Arsenal options both in the centre of the park and on the left wing. Like the conversion of Aliaksendr Hleb from a central midfielder to a right winger, it is believed Wenger will try to mould Rosicky in the same way, albeit on the opposite flank. At the same time Rosicky can be used in a five man midfield, playing alongside Cesc Fabregas, just behind Henry. He could also be rotated with Fabregas in the 4-4-2 formation in which he plays off Gilberto.

Rosicky has an excellent shot and can add another dimension to Arsenal's play by scoring from outside the box. He has good strength, pace and an eye for the killer pass, and all in all, will probably turn out to be another jewel in Wenger's young squad.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Ecuador (Group A)

2006-05-22T18:05:00.000+05:30

Ecuador
1 GK VILLAFUERTE Edwin - (Deportivo Quito, ECU)
2 DF GUAGUA Jorge - (El Nacional, ECU)
3 DF HURTADO Ivan - (Al Arabi, QAT)
4 DF DE LA CRUZ Ulises - (Aston Villa, ENG)
5 DF PERLAZA Jose - (Olmedo, ECU)
6 MF URRUTIA Patricio - (LDU Quito, ECU)
7 MF LARA Christian - (El Nacional, ECU)
8 MF MENDEZ Edison - (LDU Quito, ECU)
9 FW BORJA Felix - (El Nacional, ECU)
10 FW KAVIEDES Ivan - (Argentinos Juniors, ARG)
11 FW DELGADO Agustin - (LDU Quito, ECU)
12 GK MORA Cristian - (LDU Quito, ECU)
13 DF AMBROSSI Paul - (LDU Quito, ECU)
14 MF CASTILLO Segundo - (El Nacional, ECU)
15 MF AYOVI Marlon - (Deportivo Quito, ECU)
16 MF VALENCIA Luis - (Recreativo Huelva, ESP)
17 DF ESPINOZA Giovanny - (LDU Quito, ECU)
18 DF REASCO Neicer - (LDU Quito, ECU)
19 MF SARITAMA Luis - (Deportivo Quito, ECU)
20 MF TENORIO Edwin - (Barcelona, ECU)
21 FW TENORIO Carlos - (Al Sadd, QAT)
22 GK LANZA Damian - (Aucas, ECU)
23 FW BENITEZ Christian - (El Nacional, ECU)

Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez (not to be confused with Spanish football legend Luis Suarez)

This squad came through South American qualifying without much bother, finishing third behind Brazil and Argentina. They will find the finals a much tougher prospect, however, as they face younger, fresher teams in their group.
The core of the team remains much the same. There are, however, some bright, young faces such as forward Cristian Benitez. The star players still remain Aston Villa's marauding wingbacks Ulises de la Cruz, forwards Agustin Delgado and Kaviedes, and Edwin and Carlos Tenorio.
The team has talented keepers. The problem is that they are still inexperienced, the seniormost keeper, Villafuerte, having won just 14 caps for the national team.
The defence looks solid, but unremarkable. No names stand out apart from de la Cruz, who is more noted for his attacking qualities than his defensive ones. The midfield and frontline have a few new talents, such as Borja, Valencia, Benitez, Lara and Castillo.

OVERALL ASSESMENT: This team is experienced and solid, but the age factor may work against them, as does the fact that the team can be a little one- dimensional. They may have breezed through qualification, but that was mostly on the basis of results in the thin air of Quito. Away from home, Ecuador has always struggled, and they could do so again. They will have to work hardest to qualify from this group.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Poland (Group A)

2006-05-22T15:41:00.000+05:30

Poland
1 GK BORUC Artur - (Celtic, SCO)
2 DF JOP Mariusz - (FC Moscow, RUS)
3 DF GANCARCZYK Seweryn - (Metalist Kharkiv, UKR)
4 DF BASZCZYNSKI Marcin - (Wisla Krakow, POL)
5 MF KOSOWSKI Kamil - (Southampton, ENG)
6 DF BAK Jacek - (Al Rayyan, QAT)
7 MF SOBOLEWSKI Radoslaw - (Wisla Krakow, POL)
8 MF KRZYNOWEK Jacek - (Bayer Leverkusen, GER)
9 FW ZURAWSKI Maciej - (Celtic, SCO)
10 MF SZYMKOWIAK Miroslav - (Trabzonspor, TUR)
11 FW RASIAK Grzegorz - (Southampton, ENG)
12 GK KUSZCZAK Tomasz - (Slask Wroclaw, POL)
13 MF MILA Sebastian - (Austria Vienna, AUT)
14 DF ZEWLAKOW Michal - (Anderlecht, BEL)
15 MF SMOLAREK Ebi - (Borussia Dortmund, GER)
16 MF RADOMSKI Arkadiusz - (Austria Vienna, AUT)
17 DF DUDKA Dariusz - (Wisla Krakow, POL)
18 DF LEWANDOWSKI Mariusz - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
19 MF GORAWSKI Damian - (FC Moscow, RUS)
20 MF GIZA Piotr - (Cracovia, POL)
21 FW JELEN Ireneusz - (Wisla Plock, POL)
22 GK FABIANSKI Lukasz - (Legia Warsaw, POL)
23 FW BROZEK Pawel - (Wisla Krakow, POL)

Coach: Pawel Janas

This is a young and talented Polish team that got an automatic qualification spot, inspite of finishing second to England in its group. The squad looks somewhat different from the last world cup, where Poland finished bottom of a group containing South Korea, USA and Poland, yet there are some familiar faces who have retained their place due to their continued good performances over the last 4 years.
The goalkeepers' list bears the biggest shock of the squad, with Polish football's biggest star, Jerzy Dudek, finding himself out of the national team after a season in which he was second choice to Pepe Reina at Liverpool. Instead the number One jersey has been handed to Boruc of Celtic. Tomasz Kuszczak (West Brom) and Legia Warsaw's Lukasz Fabianski are likely to be the reserve goalkeepers.
In defence, there is a long list of quality players that includes veteran Jacek Bak, Zewlakow of Anderlecht (just moved to Olympiakos), Lewandowski and Baszczynski. There are also less experienced players like Jop, Gancarczyk, and Dudka who have displayed tremendous ability.
The midfield is also strong. Jacek Krzynowek (in pic) has been a star at Bayer Leverkusen for many years, and might be keen to prove a point at the World Cup before moving to Wolfsburg. He has great mental strength and is quite experienced (the most capped player in this squad), and has a great technique as shown by his stunning strike against Real Madrid a few years ago. Kamil Kosowski has had a great season for Southampton, and Miroslav Szymkowiak an even more stunning one for Trabzonspor in Turkey. Sobolewski, Mila, Radomski, Gorawski and Giza are also fairly good. Then there is Ebi Smolarek of Dortmund, who, to be fair, has looked like a pretty good striker, more than a midfielder , at club level. He makes intelligent runs, and scores plenty of goals.
The reason Smolarek plays in midfield for Poland inspite of his proven attacking instincts is the team's stunning strike force, easily the team's biggest strength. The forward line is so strong that the team's star striker (Emanuel Olisadebe) at the last edition couldn't even make it into the squad. Zurawski and Rasiak have fared brilliantly in Britain at club level and even better during the FWC 2006 qualifiers. Reserve strikers are Jelen and Brozek. With Smolarek's goals from midfield added to this, it makes for a goalfeast.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: Poland are favourites to progress from Group A after Germany, provided they play to their potential, especially against Costa Rica and Ecuador. And expect plenty of goals if they do. They may regret dropping Dudek, though. Janas will hope, however, that this gamble pays off for Poland.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Costa Rica (Group A)

2006-05-22T12:57:00.000+05:30

Costa Rica
1 GK MESEN Alvaro - (Herediano, CRC)
2 DF DRUMMOND Jervis - (Saprissa, CRC)
3 DF MARIN Luis - (Alajuelense, CRC)
4 DF UMANA Michael - (Brujas, CRC)
5 DF MARTINEZ Gilberto - (Brescia, ITA)
6 MF FONSECA Danny - (Cartagines, CRC)
7 MF BOLANOS Christian - (Saprissa, CRC)
8 MF SOLIS Mauricio - (Comunicaciones, GUA)
9 FW WANCHOPE Paulo - (Herediano, CRC)
10 MF CENTENO Walter - (Saprissa, CRC)
11 FW GOMEZ Ronald - (Saprissa, CRC)
12 DF GONZALEZ Leonardo - (Herediano, CRC)
13 FW BERNARD Kurt - (Puntarenas, CRC)
14 MF AZOFEIFA Randall - (Saprissa, CRC)
15 DF WALLACE Harold - (Alajuelense, CRC)
16 MF HERNANDEZ Carlos - (Alajuelense, CRC)
17 DF BADILLA Gabriel - (Saprissa, CRC)
18 GK PORRAS Jose - (Saprissa, CRC)
19 FW SABORIO Alvaro - (Saprissa, CRC)
20 MF SEQUEIRA Douglas - (Real Salt Lake, USA)
21 FW NUNEZ Victor - (Cartagines, CRC)
22 DF RODRIGUEZ Michael - (Alajuelense, CRC)
23 GK ALFARO Wardy - (Alajuelense, CRC)

Coach: Alexandre Guimaraes

Okay, I can't honestly say I know enough about this team to comment on its strengths and weaknesses. However, I do remember the performances from FWC 2002, where this tiny nation gave a good account of itself in a group that featured eventual champions Brazil and second runners up Turkey. Many players that were an integral part of that squad remain in the team, including star striker Paulo Wanchope, Brescia's Gilberto Martinez, Mauricio Solis, and Ronald Gomez, who certainly troubled the other teams in the last edition of the FIFA World Cup.
The team seems to be an experienced one, mostly, with the three youngest players born in 1984. Having two 21 year olds and a 22 year old as the least experienced members of the team is not a bad thing. There seems to be a bit of steel in midfield and defence with players like Marin and Solis having earned over 100 caps. The likes of Gomez, Fonseca and Centeno provide good attacking options and can put a lot of pressure on opposition defences, as well as put a few into the back of the net. Young players like Bolanos could make a huge difference as well. It certainly helps the team that many players were part of the Saprissa team that finished third in the FIFA World Club championship last year, putting in many impressive performances in a tournament that featured Sao Paulo and Liverpool.
And then there is Paulo Wanchope. The nation's all-time top scorer has played for clubs like Derby County, West Ham, Manchester City and Malaga, and brings top level experience to a team filled with players who have never left Central America. His long legs set him off on great runs, which, although appearing clumsy to the naked eye, have an unusual level of stability. His unusual style certainly puts off opponents, and this tall, lanky striker is more than capable of scoring brilliant goals, as shown by his 2004-05 strike against Numancia (for Malaga) which was named by ESPN as La Liga's goal of the season.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: Costa Rica is a well- balanced, experienced team, and is very much capable of making it to the second round if the players play to their potential, and also display sufficient determination against evenly matched teams like Poland and Ecuador. It won't be easy however, given the pedigree of some players in the Polish and Ecuadorian squads, and of course the host nation Germany.

FIFA World Cup Preview- Germany (Group A)

2006-05-22T10:42:00.000+05:30

1st squad list- as obtained from http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060516/1/6svc.html

1 GK LEHMANN Jens - (Arsenal, ENG)
2 DF JANSEN Marcell - (Borussia Moenchengladbach, GER)
3 DF FRIEDRICH Arne - (Hertha Berlin, GER)
4 DF HUTH Robert - (Chelsea, ENG)
5 MF KEHL Sebastian - (Borussia Dortmund, GER)
6 DF NOWOTNY Jens - (Bayer Leverkusen, GER)
7 MF SCHWEINSTEIGER Bastian - (Bayern Munich, GER)
8 MF FRINGS Torsten - (Werder Bremen, GER)
9 FW HANKE Mike - (Wolfsburg, GER)
10 FW NEUVILLE Oliver - (Borussia Moenchengladbach, GER)
11 FW KLOSE Miroslav - (Werder Bremen, GER)
12 GK KAHN Oliver - (Bayern Munich, GER)
13 MF BALLACK Michael - (Bayern Munich, GER)
14 FW ASAMOAH Gerald - (Schalke 04, GER)
15 MF HITZLSPERGER Thomas - (VfB Stuttgart, GER)
16 DF LAHM Philipp - (Bayern Munich, GER)
17 DF MERTESACKER Per - (Hanover 96, GER)
18 MF BOROWSKI Tim - (Werder Bremen, GER)
19 MF SCHNEIDER Bernd - (Bayer Leverkusen, GER)
20 FW PODOLSKI Lukas - (FC Cologne, GER)
21 DF METZELDER Christoph - (Borussia Dortmund, GER)
22 MF ODONKOR David - (Borussia Dortmund, GER)
23 GK HILDEBRAND Timo - (VfB Stuttgart, GER)

Coach- Juergen Klinsmann

German coach has selected his squad mostly along the expected lines. The squad appears to be a young one, with a few experienced faces thrown in, including players like Jens Nowotny, who has been recalled to the national team after a lengthy absence to add some steel to an inexperienced defence, and the evergreen Oliver Neuville, who made it to the squad ahead of an underperforming Kevin Kuranyi. Others, such as Chelsea's Robert Huth and Dortmund's Odonkor, were surprise inclusions, selected purely on ability and talent rather than on experience.
In the goalkeeping department, Jens Lehmann gets the nod ahead of the legendary Oliver Kahn following a stunning season with Arsenal. A surprising, if welcome, move from a country that often puts past glory ahead of current form in the goalkeeping department (Kahn himself has played in only 1 world cup, though this will be his fourth time in the squad). Timo Hildebrand, a talented shotstopper who has proven himself time after time to be at least as capable as his senior partners in the squad, is third choice after a somewhat below par season.
In defence, Per Mertesacker seems to be the only one who has been involved in first team action for Germany for the last one year. Metzelder and Lahm are somewhat injury prone, Huth has had no first team action at club level with Chelsea, Nowotny has the same problem at international level. Jansen is somewhat untested. All in all, a fairly weak defence.
The midfield is fairly strong. Frings has plenty of experience and proven ability, as do Kehl and Schneider. Hitzlsperger is a good utility man with fantastic technique and explosive power. Odonkor has had a good season with Dortmund, and may be just the unknown factor Germany needs. The pacy Schweinsteiger is among the best young players in the world, and often leaves his markers for dead with his bursting runs from midfield. Tim Borowski is a fabulous talent, arguably the best in the squad in terms of technique and creativity. A little international experience could turn him into a world class player. Then comes the skipper Michael Ballack. Among the best midfielders in the world, he boasts of superb technique, a great eye for goal, tremendous stamina, amazing vision, and great desire. He is experienced, faring superbly in the last world cup. He is also keen to do well this time for he missed the final last time around after picking up a necessary yellow card in the semifinal. This is a strong midfield and could pose a challenge to the best in the world.
Up front, Asamoah is experienced and in form, as is Klose, a veteran of the last World Cup, where he finished with 5 goals. Podolski is a fan favourite, and is almost guaranteed a starting place. Mike Hanke doesn't have the pedigree of the others, but he is another player capable of surprising opponents, particularly with his aerial prowess.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT- Germany is almost certain to go through to the second round, but need decent cover for a weak defence if they are to do anywhere near as well as last time. The keepers may be world class, but no keeper can survive 90 minutes cleaning up after such a defence, as was seen in last year's Confederations Cup.

Formula 1 and Overtaking

2006-05-20T22:38:00.000+05:30

Unfortunately on the pretext of safety, the two words mentioned in the heading (FORMULA 1 and OVERTAKING) are slowly becoming an OXYMORON. I agree that was an exaggeration, but while considering circuits of Italy, Spain and Hungry it isn't even very far from reality. Compare the situation with about a decade or so back, and you can feel the pain. Though in 2005 Kimi Raikkonen, smashed all the conventions of modern day formula 1limitaitons on overtaking by going p2 and p3 right from the back of the grid, but that was majorly due to his extraordinary talent combined with the supreme speed of McLaren in that season.
These days, winning a gp, is primarily about, taking the lead at the start, overtaking while in pits and defending your position once in lead, you hardly get to see some great overtaking maneuvers between the top teams.
Let us all pray that in future, overtaking the drivers who are lap down, doesn't become the only overtaking we see in a race.
What say???

Thierry Henry signs a new deal with Arsenal

2006-05-19T22:22:00.000+05:30

Ending months of speculation about a possible move to Barcelona, Arsenal star Thierry Henry signed a new contract with Arsenal which keeps him at the club until 2010. In a move bound to spark of wild celebrations among Arsenal fans, Henry said, "At one point it crossed my mind to leave," he told a news conference on Friday, two days after Arsenal lost the Champions League final to Barcelona.

"But I think with my heart and my heart told me to stay."

"I've never played in Spain and never will. This is my last contract.

"This is the best country to play football. It's the passion I like. Here you can do your job in the right way - people here respect the players."

We can be so proud of what we did.

"The (Champions' League) game reassured me of one thing I wanted to know - how far I can go with that team. They showed me they are a team with heart and lots of quality.

"In the past year the fans have been more than amazing and after the way we lost on Wednesday, I couldn't let them down.

"It was another thing to add and a positive thing to make me stay."

Barcelona had hoped to lure Arsenal's talisman away from London with the prospect of glory and riches, but they reckoned without his unwavering loyalty to Arsene Wenger and the club, and his love for the fans. With the signing of this new contract Henry has firmly established himself as an all-time Arsenal legend, and the short-term future of the club looks bright indeed.

Formula 1 Trivia

2006-05-18T23:37:00.000+05:30

Though this blog as we say, isn't just about plain facts and news but about our views, but here due to the exceptional nature of facts, i will break the rule.
According to me Formula 1 should replace the word perfection in the English Dictionary, and here are some amazing facts about Formula 1, and i am sure, after reading them you will agree with me ;-")

01. An F1 car is made up of 80,000 components, if it were assembled 99.9% correctly, it would still start the race with 80 things wrong!

02. F1 car engines last only for about 2 hours of racing mostly before blowing up showing the extent to which the engines r pushed to perform…

03. An average F1 driver looses about 4kgs of weight after just one race due to the prolonged exposure to high G forces and temperatures for little over an hour (Yeah thats right!!!)

04. The brake discs in an F1 car have an operating temperature of approx 1000 degees Centigrade and they attain that temp while braking before almost every turn.

05. To give you an idea of just how important aerodynamic design and added downforce can be, small planes can take off at slower speeds than F1 cars travel on the track.

06. The amount of aerodynamic downforce produced by the front and rear wings and the car underbody is amazing. Once the car is travelling over 160 kph (they travel at over 300kmph),an F1 car can generate enough downforce to equal it’s own weight. That means it could actually hold itself to the CEILING of a tunnel and drive UPSIDE down!

07. The refuelers used in F1 can supply 12 litres of fuel per second. This means it would take just 4 seconds to fill the tank of an average 50 litre family car.They use the same refueling rigs used on US military helicopters today.

08. TOP F1 pit crews can refuel and change tyres in around 3 seconds.

09. Race car tyres don’t have air in them like normal car tyres. Most racing tyres have nitrogen in the tyres because nitrogen has a more consistent pressure compared to normal air. Air typically contains varying amounts of water vapour in it, which affects its expansion and contraction as a function of temperature, making the tyre pressure unpredictable.

10. Normal tyres last 60 000 - 100 000 km. F1 Racing tyres are designed to last 90 - 120 km.

waiting for more, don't worry, they will keep coming ;-)

Champions' League Final

2006-05-18T21:50:00.000+05:30

In the end a hidebound referee ruined what was rapidly shaping up to be a classic exhibition of end-to-end attacking football. Jens Lehmann's red card in the nineteenth minute- while admittedly in strict accordance with the rules- hurt the game when counting the goal and showing the keeper a yellow card would have been a much better decision. The referee has since admitted his mistake, but for the disconsolate Arsenal fans it is too late.

It was a determined, heartening and often desperate rearguard battle from a club whose success over the decades has been built on defensive stability. Nine out of ten clubs in Arsenal's place, after going a man down against a team like Barcelona would simply have wilted and let themselves be swamped. But showing passion, determination and heart, this small working class club from London did English football proud on the night.

After Sol Campbell's bullet header, Almunia's wonder save and some last-ditch defending, it was just beginning to look like the London club's night when Eto'o and Belletti- both set up by Henrik Larsson- scored to break Arsenal hearts. 2-1 to Barcelona the final score, but not before a couple of Thierry Henry misses which on any other day would have been in the back of the net.

The best team in Europe deservedly lifted the trophy, but Arsenal can go out with their heads held high and prepare for next season. Take a bow Barca and Arsenal.

Drivers Lineup: UPDATE

2006-05-16T23:46:00.000+05:30

"'The title battle will be fought between Ferrari and Renault,'' the 26-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport after finishing a distant fifth in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix."

and in addition to his quote saying that the car isn't good enough this season, combined with the 150 million $ offer for kimi from renault, and a public scolding by ron dennis for turning late for friday practice (this is like that beckham-shoe-alex thing), hints more than strongly at disastrous reality for mclaren/kimi fans, that he is leaving the team for sure.

btw, i personally think that valentino rossi will do brilliantly in f1 too, afterall he crossed the 300 kmph barrier, right in his first practice session in a f1 car with ferrari.

2006-05-16T22:31:00.000+05:30

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL PREVIEW

Just a day away from the final of the UEFA Champions League final. Ask any footballer about his greatest professional dreams, and you will find that playing (winning, rather) the Champs League final comes second only to doing so at a World Cup final. To many fans, this match represents more than even the World Cup final. This match is one of the greatest exhibits of class, excitement and mastery on the football fieeld, traditionally. Who can forget last season's final, when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win on penalties? Or Manchester United's stirring comeback in 1999, to defeat Bayern 2-1 with two injury time goals from Sheringham and Solskjaer? Yes, the Champions League final seldom fails to produce classic displays of what is truly the Beautiful Game.
This year, it is another English team that has the opportunity to add the celebrated trophy to its cabinet. Arsene Wenger's young side have produced many stirring performances en route to the final, upsetting the odds many times in a fairy tale run that may see them banish the ghosts of previous seasons' memories come May 17 at the Stade de France. Standing in their way, though, is Barcelona. Frank Rijkaard has, in just a few seasons, transformed a struggling side into arguably the best team in the world. The only hurdle left for the Catalans is to prove this by triumphing against Arsenal.
One of the main reasons behind Barca's success has been Ronaldinho, the two-time reigning FIFA World Player of the Year. The Brazilian knows how to entertain, but he does so without compromising any chance to make the opposition pay. He has proven time after time that he can't be stopped. The only chance Arsenal have against him appears to lie in having five players marking him and hoping that he has a bad day.
Even if, by some miracle, Ronaldinho fails to live upto expectations, Barca have Samuel Eto'o up front. The Cameroonian has sealed the Golden Boot award in the Primera Liga, and is desperate to display his wares in Paris, especially as he is one of the few men in this match who won't be going to Germany as Cameroon failed to reach the World Cup finals. In addition to Eto'o, the team also boasts the talents of the mercurial French winger Ludovic Giuly and former Champions League winner (with Porto) Deco. All in all, a potent forward line.
Arsenal's main man is skipper Thierry Henry. Having won the English Premier League's Golden Boot award yet again, the Frenchman is keen to do well on his return to his hometown. Recent speculation about a possible move to Barca in the summer can only serve to fire him up. With Adebayor and Theo Walcott unable to play the final, his allies in attack will probably be Fredrik Ljungberg, Robin van Persie, Aliaksandr Hleb, Jose Antonio Reyes and Robert Pires.
And then comes young Spaniard Francesc Fabregas. Following Patrick Vieira's move to Juventus, Fabregas made the central midfield spot his own with a string of brilliant displays. Arguably Arsenal's best player this season, he will be crucial, given his prowess to break from defence and his crisp passing, coupled with his innate ability to create space in which to manouever. What makes this match interesting for him is that he was a product of the Barcelona youth system before he moved to North London.
On the opposing side, he will face his childhood mate, Argentine wonderkid Lionel Messi. Messi, however, may not get to start or even play due to an injury suffered in the Round of 16 against Chelsea. Instead, another Barca youth system product, Andres Iniesta, is going to trouble the Gunners with his marauding runs and ability to find the right person with every pass. If Ronaldinho is heavily marked, this lad could take advantage and make Arsenal pay.
All right, now that we have seen the people who are going to try and get the ball into the back of the net, let us focus on the people trying to stop them. First the defensive midfielders. Barcelona has two good options. Marc van Bommel has been in fine form of late, and along with a decent defensive setup, he provides good attacking instincts. In contrast, Jose Edmilson is a centreback by trade, and may be the hard man Barca want to keep tabs on Henry. Arsenal will probably let Gilberto Silva handle the defensive midfield duties for them. He did a great job marking Riquelme in the semis, but he knows that his compatriot Ronaldinho is on a completely different level. Gunners fans will pray that he knows something about Ronaldinho from their time in the national team that could give him the edge.
Now to the defences. At rightback, Barca can choose between Belletti and Oleguer, both good players in their own right. Arsenal have young Emmanuel Eboue, fast and brutal, if the situation demands it. He will need all his abilities to keep the rampaging Catalans in check. The Barca centrebacks are the experienced campaigners Rafael Marquez and skipper Carles Puyol. A tough, experienced combination, but they will be tested by the pacy Henry. Their Arsenal counterparts are Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell, with a slight possibility that Philippe Senderos may be fit to play. While not bearing the pedigree of Puyol and Marquez, they can boast of a record run of clean sheets in the Champions League, and will be tough to get past. At leftback, Barca has former Gunner Gio van Bronckhorst, who has made the most of his second chance in Catalunya after a few seasons on the Arsenal bench. His backup is another former Gunner, Sylvinho. The corresponding position for Arsenal is Wenger's greatest worry, with a large number of players having been used over the course of the season in that position, including the injured midfielder Flamini. Gael Clichy appears to be fit to play again, and may get the nod.
And finally, the goalkeepers. Barca has Victor Valdes standing between the posts. He has a good campaign, and is statistically the best goalkeeper in Spain this season. Arsenal can boast of arguably the most in-form 'keeper in the world this season in Jens Lehmann. Newly appointed Germany's chief custodian ahead of Oliver Kahn, he has had a stunning season, and has played a great role in Arsenal's road to the final, not least of which involved a spectacular penalty save against Riquelme in injury time in the second leg of the semifinal against Villareal to get Arsenal to the final.
Overall prediction- if Barcelona display their talents even a little bit, they can rip apart any team in the world, including Arsenal. If they have an off night, however, Henry, Fabregas and co. will make them pay. If both teams play equally well, Barca still retains the favourites tag. However, if Arsenal manage to keep Super Ron quiet without leaving the other Barca stars to do as they like, they could take the game to penalties, which is probably what most would feel they should aim for. In a penalty shootout, Lehmann has to be favoured to fare better than Valdes, and the trophy could be on its way to London.
One thing is for certain, though, in this final held 50 years after the first one was won by Real Madrid. Like all Champions League finals, there will be plenty of excitement, and the odd surprise is possible, so nothing written on this post so far really matters. All I can say is, enjoy, cause you might just be in for the ride of your life!

2006-05-16T15:30:00.000+05:30

ARGENTINA WORLD CUP SQUAD ANNOUNCED; MAJOR SHAKEUP IN POLISH SQUAD

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman announced the remaining players going to Germany for the World Cup Finals in addition to retaining the 16 players he had named originally, which included the likes of Gabriel Heinze and Lionel Messi, both recovering from injury. Shockingly, veteran wingback Javier Zanetti (Internazionale) has been left out of the squad, with Lionel Scaloni (on loan at West Ham from Deprtivo La Coruna) going to Germany. After a good season at Sevilla, Javier Saviola finds himself back in the national team. The last time he played a string of games together for the national team was at the FIFA Confederations Cup, the only time in the last 2 years.
Elsewhere, the Italian and Portuguese squads were unveiled. No major shocks in the Portuguese side. As for the Azzuri, Pippo Inzaghi capped a superb run of form since his comeback from injury with a call up to the World Cup squad. Morgan De Sanctis (Udinese) has lost his place as third choice goalkeeper to the in-form Marco Amelia (Livorno).
The Polish squad has undergone a major shakeup. Liverpool 'keeper Jerzy Dudek, second choice to Pepe Reina at Anfield, now finds himself out of the national team. Other high profile casualties include Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tomasz Frankowski who had top scored for Poland in qualifying, former captain Tomasz Klos and full-back Tomasz Rzasa. West Brom's Tomasz Kuszcak looks likely to be moved up to second choice 'keeper for the Poles.

The full squad lists are available at the following Wikipedia link, with FIFA publishing the squad lists only after 18th May.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_%28squads%29

Elsewhere, rumours abound that Xabi Alonso has not made it to the Spanish squad, but according to most reliable sources, the squad announced by Luis Arragones does feature the Liverpool midfielder. All such rumours shall be cleared up when the squad lists are published by FIFA in 2 days time.

2006-05-15T22:15:00.000+05:30

DEADLINE FOR NAMING WORLD CUP SQUADS:

Today, May 15, was the deadline for the nations that qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2006 to submit their final squad list to FIFA and the organizing committee. Most teams announced their squads for the benefit of the football fraternity and the world at large, but some are still to do so. FIFA will publish all of the squad lists on February 18. Most managers have gone with the teams that were expected to be named, but there have been some surprises.
France, for example, has chosen not to go with Robert Pires, following a season where he spent a great deal of time on the Arsenal subs bench. A tragedy for the 'veteran,' who spent the 1998 World Cup looking on from the sidelines, and then missed the 2002 edition due to an unfortunate injury, at the height of his powers. Alas, the talented Frenchman has lost what appears to be his final opportunity to shine on the greatest stage of all.
Spain, somewhat surprisingly, have left out the experience but somewhat out-of-form veterans Fernando Morientes and Ruben Baraja. David Albelda has retained his place in the squad but is likely to be third choice for the central midfield role, behind Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas. Iniesta has been given a chance to display his talents as well.
The only real surprise in the Swiss squad was the exclusion of Hakan Yakin, the playmaker who has returned to the form that made him arguably the greatest Swiss player ever. On the goakeeping front, with Jorg Stiel now out of the way, Euro 2004 understudy Pascal Zuberbuhler has been handed the gloves.
Back to France, Dhorasoo and Chimbonda have been named in the squad in addition to the regulars. No real surprises in the Japanese and Croatian squads, except for Aston Villa fans, who will be dismayed to learn that Bosko Balaban has been in fine form since leaving the club a few years ago and has hence become a key member of a rising Croatian squad.
The Brazilians have gone as expected, the closest thing to a surprise being the inclusion of an in-form Fred (Lyon).
The Americans haven't gone for too many changes to the usual team, except for bringing in Chris Albright in place of the injured ex-Leverkusen player Frankie Hejduk. The main surprise, though, is that Tim Howard has been handed the number one jersey ahead of the in-form Kasey Keller. It seems likely that Keller's age and Howard's Manchester United stamp played an important part in this selection Elsewhere, Ghana has included three players who have come out of retirement after 8 years, including Stephen Appiah (Fenerbahce) and Eric Addo (PSV), and the Czechs have named a squad almost identical to the Euro 2004 one, inspite of some players being injured and Milan Baros' lack of form.
Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe has created some controversy with his selections. He has left out a few talented young players and also the veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco, widely regarded as the country's greatest ever player. The ones to profit include 37- year old defender Claudio Suarez and Lavolpe's son-in-law Rafael Garcia, along with foreign- born talents such as Naelson and Guillermo Franco (the much-maligned Villareal 'striker').
Angola coach Goncalves has named the expected squad, the sole ecxeption being the uncapped goalkeeper Mario. Serbia- Montenegro has also gone with the expected, with Basel's Ivan Ergic being called up to the national team for the first time.
In the Dutch squad, Seedorf, inspite of a slight resurgence in form for Milan, remains out of Marco van Basten's squad. Andy van der Meyde paid the price for leavin Ajax 2 years ago and then going to Inter and Everton by losing his place in the national team. Roy Makaay was another surprise exclusion from the squad.
Argentina is yet to announce the full squad, but we know for sure that Gabriel Heinze and Lionel Messi, neither completely fit yet, are in the squad and are likely to start for the team as well.
Sven Goran eriksson named four strikers in his squad, of which 2 (Owen and Rooney) are recovering from injury and one is an untested 17- year old (Theo Walcott). The fourth striker is Crouch, with Defoe and Andy Johnson named as backups. Darren Bent, the highest scoring English striker this season, hasn't been considered, presumably due to his lack of pedigree. Some are surprised that Owen Hargreaves, injured most of the season, has regained his place in the England squad, and also that talented youngster Aaron Lennon has burst into the squad. The expected selection of Scott Parker as a possibilty for the holding role never came up, with Gerrard, Jenas and Carrick likely to be used in that role at various stages of the tournament. Robert Green has managed to keep his place as third-choice keeper. A somewhat surprising squad, but it may be likely that Sven has decided to focus on youth and pace, and also hope that the newcomers may make the same impact that Owen made at France 98 and Rooney at Euro 2004.
Germany has left out Kevin Kuranyi (he has been named among the backup players). Instead, veteran Neuville has been recalled along with Gerald Asamoah, with David Odonkor being a surprise inclusion. In midfield, veteran Bernd Schneider has kept his place, as have talented youngsters Hitzlsperger and Tim Borowski, but veterans Paul Freier and Fabian Ernst are going to be backups.
No surprises elsewhere, with teams such as the Czech Republic and Ukraine choosing to retain their star players still recovering from injury. Previews for the eight groups to start next week.

In other news, rumours are beginning to circulate that Juventus may be relegated to Serie B if allegations of referee- fixing are proven. While these rumours seem almost impossible, they aren't without precedent, with Milan and Lazio being relegated in 1979- 80 in a match- fixing scandal. If such an event occurs, Milan wins the Scudetto. However, with Milan and Firentina now also accused of such charges, the title could somehow end up at Inter. This all seems too far- fetched, though. In this commercial age, few football associations would relegate their most glamorous clubs. Some monetary penalty is more likely to be imposed if, by some tragedy, the allegations are found to be true.
Comments are invited.

2006-05-15T18:35:00.000+05:30

SPANISH GP:

Well until you are a I-DON'T-WANT-ANYTHING-BUT-ALONSO type of person, the spanish GP was pretty much ordinary when compared to the earlier races of the season. Renault has found the magic formula of a reliable and faster-than-anyone-else-on-track car and were able to win their 100th GP. Kimi Raikkonen showed some sparks at the start of the race, overtaking 3 guyz right at the start of the grid, reminding us of the glory days of McLaren dominance. But due to the slow straight line speed (i will be taking up this issue in more detail later) he didn't prove much of a threat to the front runners. Michael Schumacher did well to get p2, breaking the hopes of Renault for a 1-2, but that was pretty much expected after the devastatingly fast lap by Schumi in the 2nd round of qualifying. Well that pretty much sums up the race according to me.

This race along with the previous ones, is giving a constant hint, that in massa ferrari have found a more than decent driver (he is doing better than barri, though i agree a little early to say that). With Kimi, Valentino Rossi up on grab, a stable second driver (massa) and schumi back with his form, will schumi bid farewell to the magic of F1 next year at his prime? the mystery remains.

Race Result
p1->p1 Alonso
p3->p2 Schumi
p2->p3 Gincarlo
p4->p4 massa
p9->p5 Kimi Raikkonen

2006-05-13T23:13:00.000+05:30

Where does one begin to write about an FA Cup Final which has just about everything that makes the beautiful game the spectacle it is- poached goals, freak goals, great goals- defensive lapses, keeping errors and wonder saves- great comebacks, last minute fireworks, penalty shoot-outs.

Of late, the FA Cup, despite being the second-oldest Cup competition in football, has lost some of its glamour compared with the money-spinning 380-game premiership- but the final however still retains the old aura. One glance at a full Millenium Stadium and the entire crowd on its feet singing "Abide With Me" was enough to confirm that.

Coincidentially, the last time these two teams won an FA Cup Final it was against the same club- Arsenal. In 1980 West Ham, the confirmed underdogs, won by a solitary goal against a Terry Neill's Arsenal side boasting of players like David O'Leary, Pat Jennings, Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton. In 2001 Liverpool after being under the cosh and a goal down for eighty minutes came back with two Michael Owen strikes to break Gunners' hearts.

The placid beginning of the match did not prepare anyone for the fireworks that were to come. Under the Cardiff Sun both teams were cautious, testing each other out, seeking to win the tactical battle in midfield. But then on twenty minutes the match was set alight. Dean Ashton's astute ball to Scaloni ended with a dangerous cross being fired in low across the face of goal and Jamie Carragher scored a disastrous own goal past the stunned Reina. Minutes later it got worse when Etherington's snapshot was spilled by Reina and Ashton pokes the ball home to send the West Ham fans into delirium.

"Istanbul, Istanbul..." you could almost hear the voices in your head. Somehow one felt the game was far from done and dusted. And so proved to be the case. Crouch was harshly adjudged to have been offside after a superb finish from Gerrard's cross- but moments later Cisse scored from an identical position. Liverpool finished the half stronger and went into the break upbeat despite being the goal down.

But within minutes of the restart West Ham almost put the game to bed, Reina making a super double-save to deny first Hareweood and thebn Benayoun. It seemed to be Istanbul all over again then as Kewell was injured- just like in the Champions' League final- and had to be replaced. Morientes came on. And then on fifty four minutes, Liverpool scored the quintessential "English goal"- a cross from the left was headed back into the danger area by crouch and Gerrard lashed home from twelve yards- 2-2. At this point Liverpool were looking the stronger, but a freak goal from England hopeful Paul Konchesky pegged them back again- and attempted cross from the left looping over a stranded Reina and into the far corner. Liverpool felt it was time to ring in the changes- Jan Kromkamp on for Xabi Alonso and Dietmar Hamman, one of the heroes of Istanbul, replacing Peter Crouch.

Why Benitez chose to replace a striker with the aerial prowess of crouch with a midfielder, particularly when a goal down, remains a matter of debate. The introduction of Hamman slowed down the Liverpool attacks considerably, and the Reds suddenly began to look laboured. West Ham defended stoutly, determined that they would not be denied after twenty-six years. Wave upon wave of Liverpool attacks broke upon the rocks that were Anton Ferdinand and Danny Gabbidon. Came the ninety minute mark and it seemed the Cup was heading back to London. The fourth official signalled four minutes of stoppage time...

And up stepped Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool captain let fly from thirty yards, an astounding volley with enough power and precision to beat Shaka Hislop all ends up and settle into the bottom corner of the net. A wonderful goal from a wonderful player at a wonderful time. 3-3... had there ever been a more dramatic and entertaining FA Cup Final?

More was to come. A dour half an hour of extra time saw several players come down with cramp, Cisse's leg bandaged and Harewood's toe damaged. In the very last minute West Ham had a chance to snatch victory, but Reina made a superb save to deny captain Nigel Reo-Coker, tipping the ball against the inside of the post. Harewood stabbed the rebound wide, and the stage was set for penalties.

Dietmar Hamman and Teddy Sheringham both scored, while misses from Sammy Hypia and Bobby Zamora meant that it was 1-1 after two penalties. However, Reina then won the Cup for the Merseysiders after two brilliant saves of Konchesky and Ferdinand. Heartbrake for the Hammers, ecstacy for the Reds. All in all a brilliant game of football played by two fearless sides who went for it from the word go, a treat for all footie lovers and yet another testament to the beauty of this timeless game.

2006-05-13T11:58:00.000+05:30

Formula 1 Teams and Drivers Lineup

well, when predicting the future (2007) driver lineups for formula 1, one things you can say for sure is that it will be really interesting, nothing else is for sure except ont fact that probably both the drivers of renault are leaving, it is sure, courtesy flavio briatore and alonso himself, though obviously even this may change.

so let us discuss individual lineups of the top 3 teams

1) McLaren : Are more than ready to throw out montoya, even for the slightest possible itch, and considering the fact tha montoya is the most unpopular driver, he may not even have the back up of crew and kimi. Also given his over aggression, he frequently pushes the car over the limit (tyres, brake disc etc).

McLaren will do probably what they can to save kimi, he suits their cars, which has always been relying primarily on pace rite from the legendary 1988 season. kimi as we all know can easily be the fastest man by a huge margin on the track if the car allows. But kimi given his really tragic luck with mclaren, will most probably looking for a change, and till the start of the season it was confirmed it was ferrari but now renault has proved that there victroy last season wasn’t a fluke, and ferrari have found massa (he is doing really good), renault is looking a good option for him

2) ferrari possibly has the most stable lineup as of now, compared to ren and McL.
schumi is doing fine, massa is doing great, rather probably better than barri, in the first season itself. i won’t be totally surprised, if they continue this lineup.

3)Renault: NO ONE, just abt no one knows anything abt it. as reddy just said, and even i read on a few sites, the offer does seem good for kimi, and i also explained earlier in the post as why kimi may accept it. (strong team + massa + money)

now having said all this, there is one guy that i would like you all to keep an eye on, and he is ROSBERG, i reckon he may be a part of the MRF (mclaren, renault ferrari) next season, if he continues the way he is driving now.

also in F1, the saying “money rules” applies very strongly, if it can happen with Jacque villeneve (sorry for the spelling), it can happen with anyone.