World Cup squads

[Wanted Man]

With less than two weeks to go, it should be interesting to see how the teams will end up playing.

In the case of the Netherlands, the consensus is that the team's fortunes will depend on the "Big Four": Van Persie, Sneijder, Van der Vaart, and Robben. When they are fit and playing, some very nice things can happen, is the idea.

Earlier this month, the decision was taken not to call up Van Nistelrooy, who had attempted to make a comeback. Probably a good idea. He's a great player, but he has been injured for a long time, and failed to find his old form.

Goalkeepers
Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax)
Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)
Sander Boschker (FC Twente)

Defenders
Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax)
Khalid Boulahrouz (Vfb Stuttgart)
John Heitinga (Everton)
Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg SV)
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord)
Edson Braafheid (Celtic)
Andre Ooijer (PSV)

Midfielders
Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax)
Wesley Sneijder (Internazionale)
Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)
Ibrahim Afellay (PSV)
Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich)
Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)
Stijn Schaars (AZ)

Forwards
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Ryan Babel (Liverpool)
Eljero Elia (Hamburg SV)

[Vanguard1917]

(provisional)

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

COME ON IN-GER-LUND!! :cool:

I wish Paul Scholes had accepted Capello's call-up. As G Neville said recently, he's probably still the best English midfielder around. (Yet he's full of modesty, doesn't like the limelight and, infamously for United fans, does not even have an agent.)

[farleft]

The Dutch side is good, very solid but falls short of greatness, they will get through the group stages easy but will struggle against the bigger sides.

Disappointed not to see Bobby Zamora in the England team, he's (in my opinion) much better than Heskey.

[Vanguard1917]

England's 23-man squad for the World Cup finals:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham).
Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa).
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).
Forwards: Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

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The big suprise was the exclusion of Theo Walcott.

[Wanted Man]

Why did that happen? Simply because they already have a few fast forwards and right-wingers?

@farleft: the main weakness for the Netherlands is the defence, even though many of our defenders have gotten much better recently (Heitinga at Everton, Van der Wiel breaking through at Ajax, etc.). Basically, our chances depend on the genius of the aforementioned "big four".

[Vanguard1917]

Why did that happen? Simply because they already have a few fast forwards and right-wingers?


Capello gave the reason of his injury-ridden season.

Update (for those who live outside the UK, or otherwise in some very remote cave): Captain Rio Ferdinand is out with injury and is replaced by Spurs' Michael Dawson. Steven Gerrard is the new Captain.

[Wanted Man]

Ferdinand, Drogba and Robben all injured... There will still be many great players to display their skills during the World Cup, but it would definitely be a shame if these three all failed to make a return during the tournament.

[F9]

Ferdinand, Drogba and Robben all injured... There will still be many great players to display their skills during the World Cup, but it would definitely be a shame if these three all failed to make a return during the tournament.

I heard Drogba will be ok.Ferdinand is an end job, but robben..?What happened?:blink:I dont know if the stupid sports pages im reading have missed such an injury.... but it wont be a suprise judging from the idiots owning them and the most stupid "sport writers" you probably ever saw.

[Wanted Man]

Robben: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/05/arjen-robben-holland-world-cup-2010

[F9]

Robben: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/05/arjen-robben-holland-world-cup-2010

ohh thats was today!? Mehh, world cups only good thing is seen good and fun football, i dont want to see defense playing etc..

[Wanted Man]

Turns out that the injury was not extremely severe. Robben will still travel to South Africa. Hopefully, his recovery goes well. He can really make the difference, so it would be great to see him in the latter stages.

[F9]

Turns out that the injury was not extremely severe. Robben will still travel to South Africa. Hopefully, his recovery goes well. He can really make the difference, so it would be great to see him in the latter stages.

Yeah im glad, i would love to see more goals like the one against manchester:)
Also, i hope to enjoy lots of goals from Argentina against greece.Go Argentina:thumbup1:

[Devrim]

Update (for those who live outside the UK, or otherwise in some very remote cave): Captain Rio Ferdinand is out with injury and is replaced by Spurs' Michael Dawson. Steven Gerrard is the new Captain.

I don't think that it matters losing the captain, but as a player I think that Ferdinand was very important. He was probably the only one of the England defenders in the squad who could play the ball well. Now they will be reduced to a couple of carthorses at center back, Terry, who was limited to start with, but hasn't even been preforming within his limits since that little incident, and King, who at least knows that sometimes you have to pass the football to the people on your own team...if his knees don't give way, and they have to cart him off to the knackers yard.

Devrim

[Vanguard1917]

I don't think that it matters losing the captain, but as a player I think that Ferdinand was very important. He was probably the only one of the England defenders in the squad who could play the ball well. Now they will be reduced to a couple of carthorses at center back, Terry, who was limited to start with, but hasn't even been preforming within his limits since that little incident, and King, who at least knows that sometimes you have to pass the football to the people on your own team...if his knees don't give way, and they have to cart him off to the knackers yard.

Devrim

Yeah, Rio is easily one of the best centre-backs in the world when he's at his best.

Another player out of the WC with injury is Portugal's Nani. I was really looking forward to watching him.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Watch for the DPRK to pull off an upset and win the whole thing.

[mykittyhasaboner]

Watch for the DPRK to pull off an upset and win the whole thing.

It's going to happen! Just believe in them! :)

I hope they at least pull through enough to come in first or second in their group.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Their group is ridiculous. Even fans of the Brasilian team are complaining about it.

[praxis1966]

Two things: 1) I dunno why nobody's mentioned it since this discussion's turned to injuries, but Michael Ballack's out as well. 2) It's a CRIME that Capello took that donkey Heskey instead of Darren Bent. I've got England making the semis in my bracket, and if they don't make it that far because they've lost a match by a narrow margin, they ought to have Capello's head on a pike.