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| Euro 2008 Championships; The Draw | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 2 2007, 04:05 AM (1,506 Views) | |
| Merengue | May 28 2008, 06:27 AM Post #31 |
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I don't kow what the world is coming too when even Raymond Domenech is starting to make sense. He listened to Nkono and did select Gomis for the final 23 man roster in place of Cisse. Trezeguet, who never even made the final 30 also wasn't selected but that was expected. Defenders Philippe Mexes and Julien Escude, midfielders Alou Diarra and Mathieu Flamini, forward Hatem Ben Arfa and reserve goalkeeper Mickael Landreau are the other casualties. France's final 23 man roster: Goalkeepers: Gregory Coupet (Olympique Lyon), Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille). Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon), Francois Clerc (Olympique Lyon), Sebastien Squillaci (Olympique Lyon), William Gallas (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Lilian Thuram (Barcelona). Midfielders: Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Olympique Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan). Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyon), Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyon), Samir Nasri (Olympique Marseille), Bafetimbi Gomis (St Etienne), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich). A mixture of youth and veterans. Looks like a good roster to me. |
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| Merengue | May 28 2008, 06:30 AM Post #32 |
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http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-...uters&type=lgns
So Germany's roster is: Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Robert Enke (Hanover 96), Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen) Defenders: Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04) Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg SV), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), David Odonkor (Real Betis) Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moenchengladbach) Like France, a very strong looking roster. |
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| Merengue | May 28 2008, 06:32 AM Post #33 |
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With Italy, it was Fiorentina's midfielder Riccardo Montolivo who was the last cut. Both Del Piero and Cassano will make the final team: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Livorno), Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla) Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Christian Panucci (AS Roma), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Lyon) Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma), Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus) Forwards: Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Genoa), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria, on loan from Real Madrid) Yet another very strong looking team. This is going to be some tournment! |
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| raconteur | May 28 2008, 09:56 AM Post #34 |
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Excellent! I really like this Italian roster. Tough luck for Montolivo but there just wasn't room for him. To my way of thinking there are some guaranteed starters: Buffon in goal; a back four of Zambrotta, Materazzi, Cannavaro and Grosso; Pirlo and Gattuso in midfield and Toni at forward. That's eight players and that will leave Donadoni with some room to juggle the lineup with the three remaining spots pursuant to the opponent. He can use either Ambrosini or De Rossi to add more steel into the midfield. Aquilani or Perrotta for more skill, Camoranesi for more width. Up top there's the options involving Di Natale, Del Piero, Cassano and Quagliarella. I'd expect Italy to change it's starting XI around from game to game but the 8 starters I mentioned should be pretty constant throughout. It's those final 3 players which will give the Azzurri some tactical variations. I'm very happy with this team. |
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| Simon | May 28 2008, 10:30 AM Post #35 |
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I'm pleased that both Cassano and Del Piero have been named for Italy. I've always been a big Del Piero fan so I took great pleasure in his 21 goals this season and Cassano's inclusion makes Italy look stronger up front than they were two years ago IMO. Strangely for a World Cup winning side, none of their strikers did all that well in Germany. Toni should benefit from his experience with Bayern this time round, and I definitely think Di Natale is a major step up from Iaquinta, Gilardino and Quagliarella, though I see the latter is still in the squad. I'll be interested to see how Boriello does, but wouldn't Inzaghi have been worth a spot almost as a wild card? If I needed goals I could trust him with the job, though Quagliarella's quicker. I'm not sure the Italian midfield and defence have progressed since 2006 though. Pirlo and Gattuso are two years older and didn't have a great season, Aquilani seems to blow hot and cold and I'm not sure about Ambrosini, although he's a willing worker. I don't think Panucci should start, will Italy go with Zambrotta and Grosso as full-backs? The team lacks a Nesta alongside Cannavaro. I don't dislike Materazzi like many people seem to, but it must be said he's an accident waiting to happen! Italy have a durable spine though, and they don't give too much away. I've said before that I don't see a great European team right now that stands out as favourites like a Germany 72 or France 84 as we've been discussing, but I think Italy have a decent chance to add the European title to their world crown. On the other squads Merengue has posted, I would have some reservations. France have some very talented players, but do they really need so many defenders? Trezeguet's exclusion was inevitable, but no less perverse for that. He scored 20 goals in Serie A this season! Henry and Anelka are both in poor form so a lot may rely on the exciting young Benzema. I hope he gets to start, as I'm looking forward to seeing him. I'm sure space could have been found for Ben Arfa at the expense of someone like Squillaci or even Govou. It's hard to believe that the dreadful Boumsong can get in their squad, I take it that's because Mexes and Escude are injured? I think Bkary Sagna is injured as well, otherwise I assume he'd have been in the squad. I'm not convinced about Germany's squad. The erratic Lehmann still seems to be their first choice keeper even though he's hardly played a game all season. Either Hildebrand or Neuer would be better IMO, but neither of them are even in the squad? Metzelder hasn't had that great a season at Madrid but he should rise to the occasion and I rate Mertesacker and Lahm highly. Overall Germany should be solid enough and, importantly, Ballack is in great form. No Schneider, is he injured? Up front, Klose has been off the boil lately but never lets his country down, but this looks like quite a weak German squad for goalscorers. Gomez and Kuranyi have their moments but are inconsistent and untested at the highest level. I think we can learn something about a lack of depth for Germany if Podolski's still in the squad despite barely playing for Bayern, while even old-man Neuville gets in despite playing in the second division! That said, we should never write Germany off. Their group of Austria, Croatia and Poland looks pretty weak and if they win that they will probably have either Switzerland, the Czechs or Turkey in the quarters, so they look to me to to have a very accessible path to the semi-finals. |
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| historyman | May 28 2008, 11:19 AM Post #36 |
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Benzema looked like such an exciting player when he was up against Man Utd in the CL. Definitely a breath of fresh air for the French forward line. As is Franck Ribery. I didn't get to see any Bundesliga action at all last season, but I gather that he's been in outstanding form. Some say that the Euros and World Cups aren't as exciting any more because we get to see most of the players all year round on tv. There is a solution to that - don't watch too much football!
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| libero | May 28 2008, 03:16 PM Post #37 |
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I think Simon's critique of Italy has some merit, the defense and midfield probably are not as strong as they were two years ago in Germany. But that isn't to say they are weak. Aquilani is a player I think can becoem a star for Italy this summer. Not only his excellent long range shooting but his all around play on both ends of the field. Personally I wish DeRossi was left home. I don't like him as a player and think he is a red card waiting to happen. But it is in attack where I really like this Azzurri team. Toni is such a force now, both scoring goals and drawing opposing defenders. DiNatale gets into scoring positions and crosses the ball well. Del Piero has become very good at drifting off a center forward. With Juve it is with Trzeguet, with Italy it'll be with Toni. Cassano is a creative force who can score some goals and break down packed defenses. Quagliarella can be an inconsistent player but he has a cracking shot and great versatility while Borriello is a goal poacher. He may not be in Inzaghi's class but he also can do more things with the ball then Pippo. I don't have quite as good a feeling about this Italy team as I did two years ago, but it is a good squad and should be a tough opponent for anybody. With a little luck it could repeat France's 2000 feat of becoming Euro champs as a World Cup holder. I don't get France not even picking Trezeguet either. Maybe he isn't a starter with Benzema developing but who couldn't use a natural goalscorer like Trezegol now? By the way I think France are getting long in the tooth both on defense and in midfield. I think they'll wear out as the tournament progresses. |
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| Simon | May 29 2008, 03:36 AM Post #38 |
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I agree, and in fact that reminds me of another point that had occurred to me. Where is Mathieu Flamini? He just had a great season for Arsenal playing as a defensive midfielder but can also play really well at the back. That versatility could have allowed Domenech to put him in instead of one or two of those eight defenders and would have freed up a spot for Hatem Ben Arfa who even played really well against Ecuador judging from the highlights I saw. Both Flamini and Ben Arfa are young and energetic of course. I don't even think it's an 'embarrassment of riches' situation as IMO players inferior to those two and Trezeguet made the cut. |
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| Merengue | May 29 2008, 11:35 AM Post #39 |
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I agree with Simon that Flamini would have been a good selection but with Domenech sticking with the veterans Vieira and Makelele and with Toulalan, one of France's rising stars a given on the roster, it came down to Lassana Diarra, Alou Diarra and Flamini for the final defensive midfield spot. I think Flamini is the best of those three but Domenech may have been opting for Diarra's greater strength. Ben Arfa did not play well in the 2nd half of the season for Lyon and it came down I think to a decision to take either he or Nasri. The latter obviously won out. As for Trezeguet's absence, I'm not surprised as he hasn't been a favorite of Domenech's. Benzema's development has made Trezeguet's presence less necessary. Still you'd think a natural goalscorer like he would at least be a good option off the bench? Sad news for Russia's Pogbrenyak, the Zenit striker who missed the UEFA Cup Final, he limped off of Russia's friendly the other day, after scoring again, and likely will miss Euro 2008 with a knee injury! Bad luck for him and for Russia who'll miss their best striker. |
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| Yogi | May 29 2008, 02:22 PM Post #40 |
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I understand why Simon and libero would question Italy based on the fact that individually the defenders and midfielders don't look as strong as those at the World Cup two summers ago. Individually they may not be in the form they were two years ago but collectively they are still working very well as a unit. And let's not forget that while Nesta began the World Cup he got hurt and it was Materazzi who ended the tournament playing alongside Cannavaro. But libero is also right I think to point out the attacking options Italy currently has available. Donadoni, like Lippi before him, has shown a more open approach than some past Italy managers and with the attackers on this roster Italy will score goals. |
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| Yogi | May 29 2008, 02:32 PM Post #41 |
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Here is a wire service report on Holland's 1-1 tie played today against Denmark, http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-...uters&type=lgns The article is interesting though for it's discussion of the attacking options available to Marco van Basten. According to this article it is a given van Nistelrooy will be the center forward and that Arjen Robben will be on the left wing. But it is on the right where the article raises some doubts still existing. The question is whether Dirk Kuyt should play there, the recovering Robin van Persie or Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder the article states is more of a central player but if I recall, and hopefully our Madrid fans here can chime in, he often played as a nominal right wing for Real Madrid this season. Sure he often pinched inside but he was lined up on the right. With van der Vaart playing the attacking midfield role, the thought is if Sneijder doesn't play on the right then he'll be forced to play a more defensive role behind van der Vaart which would of course take away his attacking effectiveness. There's also an Agence France Press article on this game discussing how the Dutch central defensive partnership of Joris Mathijsen and John Heitinga left something to be desired. Defense is definitely this Dutch team's weak link and in such a tough group that could be their downfall but the attack they have looks very exciting. |
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| Nkono | May 29 2008, 08:15 PM Post #42 |
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Trezeguet was not picked because Domenech feels he would not be a good substitute and the team has functioned better when Benzema teams up with Henry in attack than when Trezeget does. I don't necessarily agree that Trezeguet has no place on the team although I do think Benzema should be starting. Benzema is more than just France's future, he's their present too. But if Trezeguet is willing to accept being a sub then I think he'd be a great option off the bench. Remember he came off the bench and scored the game winning goal in the Euro 2000 Final! This group with France, Italy, Holland and Romania is so interesting not only for the strengths of each club but we can all mark some weaknesses with each of the four teams too. France are getting old and have their star Henry out of form, Italy are weaker in defense and midfield than 2 years ago, Holland's defense is vulnerable, Romania are inexperienced. This is a fascinating group and there are enough unknown intangibles about each team where it is going to be very difficult to pick which teams will advance out of it. But it should be compelling viewing. |
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| Don Balon | Jun 1 2008, 07:31 AM Post #43 |
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France played a scoreless tie yesterday against Paraguay. With Henry and Anelka out of form now and Benzema while good he is still young as is Gomis, France is taking a risk leaving out a proven goalscorer like Trezeguet. |
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| Dr. Z | Jun 1 2008, 11:21 PM Post #44 |
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Leaving Trezeguet off the team may not be the wisest move by France's coach Domenech but it hardly was surprising as he and Trezeguet had been on the outs for some time. Domenech I recall received a lot of criticism after announcing his Germany 2006 team too. But those critics ended up being quiet as France moved on to the World Cup Final. |
| Poniendo el pecho a las balas! | |
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| Nkono | Jun 1 2008, 11:51 PM Post #45 |
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Trezeguet joins Raul of Spain as being players from a purely footballing notion probably should be on their nations' Euro 2008 squads but they were both excluded because their teams' coaches did not think their personalities were conducive to being substitutes in the tournament. Remember national teams aren't just a collection of the best players, they also have to be a team. If the teams do well the coach will be vindicated but if they don't... well we all know what will hapen then. It's the nature of the business. |
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