A Heartfelt Embrace

Mr. Blatter, your results are served. How do you think your little scheme has fared? Quite well if you ask me, after all, the top two reasons (Portugal and France) this abominable seeding system was adopted in such a hasty last minute fashion have secured their tickets to the big dance in South Africa, while bumping their (equally) deserving ‘minnow’ nation counterparts from proving just how advanced the beautiful game has become in the oft neglected corners of the European football universe. Everybody at FIFA headquarters in Zurich surely winced when it became obvious the tournament would loose star Russian forward Andrei Arshavin, but were quickly relieved when Portugal and France qualified ensuring appearances from top draw players like Christiano Ronaldo, Raul Miereles, Deco, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and Franck Ribery. Read on for a breakdown of today’s results.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Ireland v France: Les Blues, Les Blues, I suppose, that for the time being at least, the bell does not toll pour vous. After suffering drive after drive by the Irish squad, France managed to win the match  by playing very well for only 30 minutes of the match… in extra time (to be fair… the loss was more than partly due to a piss-poor officiating – See Hand of God). Kudos to an Irish team that should be proud to have put on the performance they did. I realize that it will offer little consolation to players like Robbie Keane or Damian Duff who will likely never see a World Cup Final again.. but take solace in the fact that France will struggle to advance past the group stage when it comes time for them to put-up or shut-ip.

Slovenia v Russia: Perhaps the most stunning match of the evening. Guus Hidink has failed to qualify his Russian squad through to the finals, a happenstance that has never occurred! Arshavin and company were no match for a clearly determined and salivatingly hungry Slovenian squad. While not the end of Arshavin’s international career, you dont get many chances to play on the world’s biggest stage, and don’t think that this loss doesn’t sting the diminutive forward in the worst way.

Andrei Loses His Shirt...

Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina: An unfortunate end to the Cinderella-like run put on by the Bosnians. Edin Dzeko and his crew are now forced to watch from the sidelines as Portugal moves through to one of the coveted final berths. Take comfort in this Edin, your time will come.

Portugal Edges Bosnia

Greece v Ukraine: One goal to win it all, one goal to bind them. Greece has secured a trip to world cup after a decent showing in the qualifiers against the Ukraine. A match that was touted as the most even among the European Qualifiers did not disappoint as the ball was constantly hunkered down in the midfield. Nevertheless, an early goal from Salpingidos sealed the deal, and bumped Ukraine from a second straight appearance in the finals.

ROBERT GRECO’S PREDICTION RATING:

1 for 4: A disappointing run for me personally today. I was shocked to see some of the final results, though as I mentioned, many of them were tough matches, and all of them were in fact decided in truth on the return leg. Keep checking cheddarbomb.wordpress.com for more football crystal ball.

Next Up: Champions League Match Day 5.

Franck “Die Rübe” Ribery hat ja seinen Ruf als treulose Tomate schon weg. Nachdem er bei bisher allen seinen Clubs sofort auf Vertragsauflösung gedrängt hat, nachdem ein besserer Club angeklopft hat so auch jetzt wieder.

Die dummen Bayern müssen ihn nun endgültig (nachdem er in der Hinrunde nur eine Handvoll Spiele bestritten hat wegen angeblicher Verletzungen) in der Winterpause zu Real Madrid ziehen lassen. Robben wird verrechnet, so dass noch ca. 40 Mio. € an die Isar fliessen werden.

Vielleicht ist er aber auch nur rüber zum Supermarkt Zigaretten holen?

Still working. Magic Systeme and Khaled help me stay focused and awake. Franck Ribery gets thrown in for color. (BTW, the relationship between French musicians and French footballers is interesting. See also, for example, Youssoupha connecting with Claude Makalelele (the Congolese connection) and Sami Traore.

Is Khaled Lemmouchia moving to Ligue 1?

It wouldn’t be winter without a little bit of transfer rumor news. And, like we have seen in the last six months, much of the talk is about two players in general: Franck Ribery and Marouane Chamakh.

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has said time and time again that he does not plan on selling Chamakh during the winter transfer window if his team is in the middle of a title hunt. And, as or right now, his team sits in first place. So, the likelihood of Chamakh moving in the winter would be remote. Still, a number of teams have shown interest in the Moroccan player.

 A number of English Premiership teams have popped up in the last week. West Ham United still seems the be the team that is most mentioned in the English press. But now Everton, Arsenal, Juventus and Sunderland have been added to the mix. Most of the rumors of Chamakh’s transfer come from The Sun in the UK. French publication have yet to publish any credible transfer news regarding the player. Again, this seems like more British ‘hope’ instead of concrete fact in these stories.

Still, expect Chamakh to transfer at the end of the season. And if he does, expect him to move to a big club, as a move to Everton, Sunderland or West Ham would just be a waste of time and his career.

In the Franck Ribery transfer saga, Manchester City, Man United and Chelsea still seem to be the English teams targeting the player. While these player have mentioned that they are interested in the Bayern Munich midfielder, there has have not been any concrete numbers as far as the cost of a possible transfer. The likelihood of Ribery moving in the winter are better than Chamakh’s chances, but who knows where. A move to Spain still seems to be the logical choice.

There is also some news of players moving into Ligue 1 as well.

Khaled Lemmouchia, a French-born Algerian who plays on Algeria’s national team, is looking for a move to Ligue 1. Lemmouchia currently for Algerian side ES Setif. The player started his youth career in France and was brought up in the Lyon youth system.

Lemmouchia, now 27 years old, is being looked at by Sochaux and Le Mans.

Another Algerian player from ES Setif, Malek Ziyai, is also being looked at by Le Mans and Montpellier, according to L’Equipe magazine.

Otherwise, news for the winter transfer market has been rather quiet.

The Draw

FIFA should be ashamed. Period. For the first time in the history of World Cup Qualification, teams relegated to a playoff situation to ensure qualification have been seeded in order to avoid traditionally ‘top’ squads from eliminating each other, prospectively avoiding revenue losses in the tens of millions of Euros. FIFA’s reasoning?  Well, to be honest, we haven’t been given any official reasoning regarding this decision, other than it was deemed to be for the good of the sport and that it was agreed to (hastily) nearly unanimously by the football’s governing body. So much for FIFA’s FAIR PLAY programme I suppose.

Ireland’s response was perhaps the most irate with Manager Giovanni Trapattoni claiming that a decision such as this strikes at the pureness that lies at the heart of the beautiful game. Keeper Shay Given offered a more succinct, yet equally eloquent description of his feelings regarding the seeding system: “Disgusting”. It begs the question that had teams like Portugal, France and even Russia been more successful in their qualification attempt, and smaller nations such as Serbia, Denmark or Switzerland been swapped into their position, would FIFA have adopted a similar stance?

Ireland’s contempt for the system has gained further validation when they were informed that they had drawn a sleeping giant in the form of Raymond Domenech’s France. France will have to take the field without inspirational midfield maestro Franck Ribery but will not be shy of firepower as Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema and Nicolas Anelka are all available for the first leg of the play-off.

The aforementioned match will be joined at the weekend by ties between Bosnia-Herzegovina and a Ronaldo-less Portugal,  a fairly even  matchup between Greece and Ukraine and lastly, Euro Cup surprise Russia and the mighty minnows from Slovenia. For FIFA, the best case scenario from both a monetary and reputation standpoint would be uncontested victories on the part of Portugal, France, Greece and Russia. However, these are all clashes that can very easily finish in favour of either opponent… and in this writer’s opinion, none of which will be decided until the return leg of the respective play-offs.

Predictions:

Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina : Even without Ronaldo, and despite a complacency surpassed only by the Italian team, Portugal has the skill, training and wherewithal to dump BH out of the competition. Despite this I believe the Balkan country will give their Iberian counterpart a run for their money… It is because of this that I will be sad to see them go. Portugal to win.

Ireland vs France: This will spell the end of Raymond Domenech. Too many times has he scraped through by the skin of his teeth and avoided a right and proper sacking. Unfortunately this play-off may also be the end of Thierry Henry’s international career which is undoubtedly depressing for a French squad in dire need of direction and leadership for the future. Trapattoni and his determined Irish squad led by the lionhearted Robbie Keane and stellar goal keeping from Shay Given should rule the day. Ireland to win.

Greece vs Ukraine: Andriy Shevchenko has returned to form at Dynamo Kiev and honestly, what has Greece accomplished since winning the Euro competition five years ago. Ukraine is strong!!… stronger than the Greeks anyways. Ukraine to win.

Russia vs Slovenia: It is hard to believe that Russia is even in this position following such a dominant showing at Euro in 2008. Despite their difficulties, and of course the valiant effort put forth by their opponents Slovenia in their qualifying group, it is difficult to see how a team with Andrei Arshavin, Igor Akinfeev and Roman Pavlyuchenko leading the way will not be able to see their cause through to the big dance in South Africa. Russia to win.

Only time will tell whether FIFA’s unorthodox, and greatly unpopular, decision to seed these playoffs will pay off in the form of more coinage in the coffers. Sit tight Mr. Blatter, you will know soon enough.

Who Ate  All the Pies picks it’s Premier League Flops Team of the Season, including five(!) United players.

The Evening News lists our six major transfer targets (and overrates our chances of signing them).

Red Rants puts Nani’s latest brilliant career move into a bit of perspective.

There was a constant rumor that Brazilian footballer Robinho will join Spanish giant FC Barcelona, but looks like this rumor will become a true story. Spanish sport media are now reporting that Barcelona reached agreement with Robinho.  However, the deal is not confirmed since Barcelona wants long time loan before the transfer, and Robinho wants the permanent transfer in January.

Robinho, who moved from Real Madrid to Manchester City for a British record 32.5 million pounds, is current recovering from injury, but his addition on Barcelona squad will certainly make the team stronger. If Robinho comes to Barcelona, he will replace injury struggling Thierry Henry. Robinho, who is familiar in playing left side wing foward, will play upfront  with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi which will probably consists the best attacking line up in the world.

There are also reports that Manchester City is  already looking for a replacement for Robinho and looks like Franck Ribery, a French football star, is their first target. It will be interesting to check the final destination of two monster footballers – Robinho and Ribery –  in the January transfer market.

Domenech shows the press France's new jersey

Raymond Domenech today announced the players that he will call up for France’s playoff matches against Ireland in order to qualify for the World Cup final.

Here is the player selection:

Goaltenders:
Cedric Carrasso (Girondins Bordeaux)
Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyonnais)
Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)

Defenders:
Eric Abidal (FC Barcelona / ESP)
Aly Cissokho (Olympique Lyonnais)
Julien Escude (Sevilla / ESP)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United / ENG)
Rod Fanni (Stade Rennais)
William Gallas (Arsenal / ENG)
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal / ENG)
Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla / ESP)

Midfielders:
Abou Diaby (Arsenal / ENG)
Alou Diarra (Girondins Bordeaux)
Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid / ESP)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea / ENG)
Yoann Gourcuff (Girondins Bordeaux)
Moussa Sissoko (Toulouse FC)
Jérémy Toulalan (Olympique Lyonnais)

Forwards:
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea / ENG)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid / ESP)
Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse FC)
Sidney Govou (Olympique Lyonnais)
Thierry Henry (Barcelona / ESP)
Loïc Rémy (OGC Nice)

The most notable absence is midfielder Patrick Vieira. There was some talk in the press that Vieira and Domenech talked about Vieira’s role on the French National Team. And, as it seems from this lineup, Vieira doesn’t fit into the French manager’s plan. There was also some talk that Vieira would consider retiring from international play if he didn’t make the team. We will keep you up to date on any possible announcement of a Vieira retirement.

Another player that isn’t listed if Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery. Ribery has been injured this season and has seen limited time with the French National Team.

With Vieira out, it seems like Toulouse’s Moussa Sissoko will start being a regular player on the French international team. And if the injuries continue to Ribery, Sissoko can continue to make his point for being considered a starter for the FNT.

Also, the other Sissoko, Lyon’s Aly Cissokho, was given his first call-up to the national team.

Domenech talked about Vieira at his press conference today. “It was not easy, it’s never easy,” Domenech said, according to goal.com, to the press as he broke the news that the midfielder will not be involved. “I am glad that ‘Pat’ is returning gradually to the highest level. We weighed up the pros and cons this morning with the staff. I want one thing, for him to play regularly. He brings experience at top-level competitions. It’s an element we don’t have.”

The only other news of note is that Bafe Gomis has been taken off the team and replaced by Nice’s Loïc Rémy. This site has said a number of times that Rémy is one of the most underrated players in Ligue 1. It is nice to see he will finally, possibly, get a chance to play for the national team. But with Andre-Pierre Gignac, Karim Benzema and Nicholas Anelka being the strikers (and Henry and Govou on the wings), it will be unlikely that we will see Rémy playing, unless France is blowing out Ireland.

Therefore, there are a few changes of note, and some of them were kind of expected.

Also, Raymond Domenech showed the press the new kit that France will be using for World Cup 2010 (if they make it). The players will be wearing the kits against Ireland in the upcoming playoffs.

First there was blood, then there was blood and last there was a handshake. I learned the other day France would no longer comemmorate 11 November as the day of the win over German forces in 1918 but as a celebration of the French-German friendship. Countless memories came to my diehard sport fan mind.

That year when a 22 year-old Jan Ullrich killed über popular Richard Virenque’s hopes to win le Tour de France in Andorra or when 400 metres queen Marie-José Pérec’s main rival was a certain Grit Breuer (who would later fail a doping test). I could name the recent rivalry between the two handball national teams that started with a controversial one goal Germany win at home during the 2007 World Championships and stopped a year later with a 10 goal rally by les Bleus at the European Championships. But obviously the one memory that stands out is this.

The story of France and Germany is of two potent neighbours and I don’t know why I need to come up with a Ned Flanders – Homer Simpson comparison. Truth is from Bixente Lizarazu to Nikola Karabatic and Franck Ribéry or Rudi Völler and Klaus Allofs, a number of French players became absolute stars in Germany and the other way round. Long jump superstar Heike Drechsler even married a French decathlonian…

There’s a song I’ve always liked and that is my personal anthem to the French-German friendship. It is a song by French rock band Noir Désir called “Marlene” as a tribute to German actress, singress, former girlfriend of Jean Gabin and most of all anti-Nazi activist, Marlene Dietrich.

2008 FIFA Men's World Footballer of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo.

WOMEN: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).

MEN: Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribéry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

The 23 nominees for FIFA World Player of the Year and 10 nominees for Women’s World Player of the Year have been announced by FIFA.

The five finalists for each award will be announced at the beginning of December with the winner being revealed on Dec. 21.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the honor last year and makes the list again.  All five finalists from 2008 are on the short list again this year (Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Kaka, Xavi and Lionel Messi).

I’d have to give the edge to Messi this year as he played such a pivotal role in Barcelona’s treble last season.  Despite Argentina’s struggles in World Cup qualification, he’s always an incredibly dangerous threat.

On the women’s side, Brazil’s Marta has won the award three years running and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she won it again.

From FIFA.com:

The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA World Player 2009;

Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Ribéry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

The following ten women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women’s World Player 2009;

Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).

FIFA has announced 29 players that are up for FIFA Player of the Year for 2009.

On the French mens side, Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery and Barcelona’s  Theirry Henry have been nominated. For the women’s is Washington Freedom defender/midfielder Sonia Bompastor.

The player of the year award is determined by players and coaches of the national teams, and the top five vote-getters will be announced in early December. The announcement of the award will be held in Zurich on December 21st, 2009.

The most striking note is that not a single mens player on the list is from a non-UEFA team.

Football Goss!p understands that Real Madrid have again expressed their interest in signing french ace Frank Ribery. They are confided that Ribery will be a galacticos player next year. Ribery whos valued in the region of £60 million is also wanted by Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd, as well as Man City and Barcelona.

Vieria heading back to east London?

As was posted on here a few days ago with Franck Ribery, the transfer market talk is already starting up.

Update on the Ribery situation, Sky Sports reports that Robinho is no longer being target by Barcelona. That is according to the Spanish club itself.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes gave Barca a ‘hands off’ warning in regards to Robinho back in the summer. And Barca say that they have not worked with Man City on any offer for the Brazilian since that warning. And according to Sky Sports, Hughes insists that Man City still have no intention on moving the striker, even though Robinho said to the press recently that he would like to see a move to Barcelona.

 This gives more meat to the report that Franck Ribery is looking more toward a transfer to a Spanish club. Barcelona have already stated that they are interested in Ribery, trying to beat Real Madrid to the Frenchman.

In Bordeaux, the Marouane Chamakh talk is starting again. The striker’s contact with Bordeaux ends next summer, and club owner Nicolas de Tavernost stated that he would like for Chamakh to stay with the club for at least one more year. Still, while there is talk about Chamakh moving to a bigger club, there is no clue to what that bigger club might be just yet.

Still, a few months ago, Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc said that he had no intention of transferring Chamakh during the winter, especially if they are in a championship run. But, if he refuses to sign a contract, maybe it is the best for the team to let him go.

Stephane Sessegnon also said to Sky Sports that he has been approached by British clubs in the last year, but has decided to stay in France for a number of reasons.

“I decided to stay in PSG because I have a lot to learn before coming to a very big league and another big club in a country I can’t speak the language of,” said Sessegnon to Sky Sports.

Sky Sports also report that Sessegnon said that he is in to rush to move to any team and is happy at PSG. So, you can take Stephane Sessegnon off your possible transfers for 2009-2010.

Patrick Vieira, according to the Sunday Mirror, is being targeted by West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola. Vieria said earlier in the month that he was going to switch clubs, and that he has no intention of continuing playing for Inter Milan, where is has only played six times.

He also feels that he needs to be on a team where he will have a starting role, unlike at Inter where he is surplus, so he can make a case for being put back on the French National Team.

Therefore, Vieria won’t be in an Inter jersey, and West Ham are looking like the favorites as of now. But, according to ESPN, Paris St-Germain are also expected to make a move for the midfielder.

So, a recap…Sessegnonis staying in Ligue 1, we have no idea what is going on with Chamakh, and Ribery will not play in Germany next year. The question is where he will play. And Vieria will be moving, and England and France are the front-runners.

…um dem allgemeinen Trend unter Bloggern mal Folge zu leisten, poste auch ich hier 10 Dinge, auf die ich locker verzichten könnte. Nehmt diese Liste aber nicht allzu ernst

1.) Kommunismus

2.) “Hannover” 96

3.) Bibelbuxen

4.) Staus

5.) undifferenzierte Meinungsbildung, die auf Schlagzeilen basiert

6.) nervtötende Anrufe

7.) Mädelsabende, organisiert von meiner Freundin, durchgeführt in unserer Wohnung

8.) Einstellungstests – hey Leute, ich bin der Beste, den ihr kriegen könnt. Also stellt mich direkt ein, ihr Typen

9.) Warten auf irgendwas…

10.) sinnlose Blog-Listen, die lediglich dazu dienen, Leser anzuziehen

As the winter transfer window is approaching us, the player that is being talked about mostly is Franck Ribery.

The French international, who has suffered from injury most of the year and will likely miss the upcoming WC qualifiers against Ireland, has been linked to a number of teams throughout Europe again.

The team that seems to be getting most of the buzz is Manchester City. After Robinho announced that he would like to seek a transfer to Barcelona, Ribery was the first name mentioned has his possible replacement. According to a number of British newspapers, Man City is willing to offer Bayern Munich £65 million for the French midfielder.

Even though Man City plan on possibly dishing off Robinho, Barca have also stated in recent days that they are also considering going after Ribery. According to the website tribalfootball.com, Barca are stepping up their efforts to try to counter any possible offers by rival Spanish side Real Madrid.

Another team that is getting some attention is, of course, Real Madrid. RM, who were tying to get Ribery during the last transfer window, has also offered Bayern £65 million for Ribery, according to The Sun.

Other teams has been mentioned as well. Manchester United have been mentioned a few times, but the amount that United would pay for Ribery has been reported as much lower that Man City and RM, compared to what they offered for the player in the last transfer window, which was around the amount of $90 million.

Another team that ESPN reported about was Chelsea. Chelsea, the team that received a transfer ban, recently launched an appeal and asked if they could at least have this transfer window open before they go into a transfer hiatus. ESPN has reported that Chelsea would offer £60 million for Ribery. Still, we have to see what happens as far as the appeal.

During the last transfer window, Franz Beckenbauer said that Bayern would consider accepting offers for Ribery around the amount of £80 million. Beckenbauer said to German sports newspaper Sports Bild that he thought that any offer for Ribery should rival RM’s offer to Manchester United for Christiano Ronaldo. “Should Bayern let Ribery go? Of course we wish to get the market price. And if Cristiano Ronaldo is worth 94 million euros, then Franck Ribery is worth a comparable sum,”  said Beckenbauer. He added “if we do not receive an offer at this level, then he should honour his contract until 2011.”

So, again, the transfer news for Franck Ribery continues. No matter where he goes, he seems to be unhappy. I am not sure if this will continue, but only time will tell if he will settle in well at his new team, whether it is in England, Spain or if he continues at Bayern until 2011. But he never seems to be happy.

But as of right now, Manchester City is the safe bet.

Charlie Davies and Twitter, we felt like we knew him personally. (The Other Football)

Kasey Keller may play until 2011. (MLS Rumors)

FIFA introducing MRI scans to check age for U-17 World Cup. (Off the Post)

Is Ribery No Longer Part of Domenech’s Plan? (The Kartik Report)

Andrei Arshavin is cheap. (Who Ate All The Pies)

If you live in an area where it’s in theaters, go see “The Damned United.”

Was passiert am Samstag (15.30 Uhr) gegen Eintracht Frankfurt? Zeigt die Mannschaft eine Trotzreaktion nach der erbärmlichen Leistung gegen Bordeaux, oder schlittern wir noch tiefer in die Krise rein?

Schwer zu beantworten diese Frage, vom Gefühl her erwarte ich ein richtiges scheiß Spiel. Die Eintracht wird wie jeder Gegner hinten drin stehen und wir werden uns brutal schwer tun den Abwehrriegel zu knacken. Schon allein da mit Ribery und Robben unsere einzigen Kreativspieler weiter ausfallen.

Robben ist immerhin zurück im Kader, aber ob er der Mannschaft auf anhieb helfen kann? Im Endeffekt kommt es doch aufs gleiche raus wie die letzten zwei Jahre als Ribery stets auf sich allein gestellt war. Er wurde von den Gegnern in die Mangel genommen und dann lief überhaupt nichts mehr. Das gleiche Schicksal wird wohl auch Rob ereilen. Das geniale Gegenstück Rib fehlt einfach.

Wie lange Ribery noch ausfallen wird ist nach wie vor offen.Wenigstens ist jetzt klar wie seine Entzündung der Patellasehne weiter behandelt wird. Ribery wird nicht operiert und soll sich einer konservativen Behandlung unterziehen. Dieser Beschluss wurde einvernehmlich von Hoeneß, Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt, Ribery und dessen Berater getroffen.  “Ich denke, dass dies eine gute Entscheidung ist. Ich habe mit ihm vereinbart, dass er die Verletzung erst ganz auskurieren muss”, so van Gaal der gleichzeitig vorsichtig optimistisch ist was den Heilungsverlauf angeht: “Ich habe die neuen Kernspin-Fotos gesehen. Da war eine deutliche Verbesserung zu sehen. Ich habe die Hoffnung, dass es schneller geht, als viele denken.”

Neben Ribery fehlen dem FC Bayern weiterhin Breno (Salmonellen-Infektion), Braafheid (Muskelverhärtung im Oberschenkel) und Olic (Muskelbündelriss in der Wade).

Ich bin gespannt wie sich die Mannschaft präsentiert und hoffe einfach nur auf drei Punkte. Egal wie wir die holen. Unberechtigter Elfmeter, Abseitstor, Webmley-Tor, Abstauber in der vierten Minute der Nachspielzeit,…

Wir brauchen diesen Sieg. Das wäre so enorm wichtig.

AUF GEHTS BAYERN KÄMPFEN UND SIEGEN!

Franck RIBERY, footbaleur international français a fêté la victoire de l’Algérie sur le Rwanda en défilant avec le drapeau algérien !

regardez sur ce lien les réactions françaises!

http://www.nationspresse.info/?p=61642

In 2006, we saw the emergence of the new French superstar. Little known Marseille attacking midfielder Franck Ribery made a splash on the international scene during the World Cup 2006. His speed and ability to create plays gave all French supporters hope that we might have already found a replacement for the retiring Zinedine Zidane.

But since those World Cup days, injuries have limited Franck Ribery’s playing time for the national team. And in recent months, even though he has been healthy, Ribery always come off the bench for France, but never starts.

I have talked to a number of French supporters about Ribery, and they are all baffled about why he isn’t seeing more time on the pitch. He is a quality player that needs to be out there on the field, but why does he rarely play anymore?

Simple, France don’t need him.

Yes, i’m going there. I did say it. Raymond Domenech and the French National Team doesn’t need Franck Ribery as their starter. I know many of you think that I am crazy for saying this, but let me explain.

Back in the 2006 World Cup, France had a pretty balanced midfield.  They would run five midfielders, with Makelele and Vieira in the back, with Vieria pushing up. Up front at midfield, Zidane controlled the play in the middle with Ribery on his right and Moulouda on his left.

But even with Ribery on the right, he would always drift to the center toward Zidane and Henry. Moulouda does the same on the left. And even in the few games that he has played for France this year, Ribery usually finds his way to the center of the pitch. Being in the center is just Ribery’s style.

In the 2010 WC qualifying, France looks like a different team than they did just four years ago. Thuram, Wiltord, Sagnol, Zidane and Vieira are gone. And players like Jeremy Toulalan, Moussa Sissoko, Andre-Pierrie Gignac, and Karim Benzema were added. France is a different looking team than the great 2006 squad.

Therefore, as the team has changed, the way that Raymond Domenech has run the team has also change.

Instead of going with the traditional #10 player creating the play up the middle as we have been accustomed to seeing France do for the last 15 years, Domenech has now started moving the ball up the flanks. In addition, Domenech has made his defensive midfield stronger by adding  Lassana Diarra, Jeremy Toulalan and Moussa Sissoko. And usually two of those three players are starting in the central midfield.

As a result of playing this type of system, Domenech doesn’t need Ribery, who seems to be more comfortable as a floating attacking midfielder in the center than he is at the flanks. And, as we all know, Ribery is no defensive midfielder.

So, why did Domenech move from a traditional attacking style of play to a predominate defensive style of play? Only Domenech knows that one.

Therefore, I will go ahead and take a crack at it. Here we go…he has too many strikers. Yes, France is loaded with strikers. Domenech has so many strikers, that he usually he has to put one on the bench. And, as of recent, the player that has been the victim of the bench has been Karim Benzema.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, Nicholas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema, Sidney Govou, Bafe Gomis…the list is endless. Therefore, Domenech has decided to take two of his best passing strikers, Henry and Govou, and put them on the right and left side, while playing Gignac (last year’s Ligue 1 leading scorer) and Anelka (EPL’s leading scorer) up front.

So far, this is all just an experiment. The first year of this format is slowing catching on. Remember, asking players to change the way that they have played for years is quite a hard thing to do. To adapt to a new style of play isn’t easy. And that is exactly what Domenech is asking his players to do.

But the last two games have shown that France can succeed with this formation. Not only did Gignac find the net a number of times, but Henry in that attacking right midfield position also found the next. This new formation has made France more unpredictable and stronger offensively.

On the other hand, the defense has improved as well. France has done a great job shutting down the opposition. France has only allowed nine goals in the 10 WC qualifying matches.

While the defensive line has looked quite impressive, the defensive midfield is playing great as well. I dare to say it, but Jeremy Toulalan is turning into the best ever ‘defensive’ midfielder for France. I know that people don’t want to hear that either, but the games he has played for both France and Lyon have been exceptional. He is the real thing, and will continue to prove himself year after year.

So, when all is said and done, the player that is left out of the equation is Franck Ribery. Yes, the player that many consider France’s best player might not find a place on this French team because he has too much of a tendency to work his way inside. And Domenech has shown in the last few WC qualifying matches that he doesn’t want a floater inside, but someone who can run up the flank, with discipline, and make plays from those positions, not the center.

And also, due to Ribery’s injuries, Domenech can’t rely on having a strong central attacking midfielder. Therefore, he needs to create a plan that doesn’t solely rely on Ribery. And having a #10 centered formation means that Ribery needs to be healthy 100% of the time, or they are screwed.

So, French fans, don’t get discouraged, as I had. I finally see what Domenech wants to do. And, if they can make this system work, they might just be better in 2010. I just say “watch out”!

Oh, and since we are talking about Ribery, there are rumors today that he might take the place of Robinho at Man City. As a City supporter, god I hope so!!!!!

Am Samstag (15.30 Uhr) ist es wieder so weit. Nach der Länderspielpause geht es um wichtige Punkte in der Bundesliga. Gegen den Aufsteiger aus Freiburg muss unbedingt ein Dreier her um den Abstand zur Tabellenspitze nicht noch größer werden zu lassen. Die beiden Klubs an der Spitze, Leverkusen und Hamburg, werden sich im direkten Duell selber die Punkte klauen.

Also eine ordentliche Ausgangslage. Nun zum Personal, das Louis van Gaal einige Sorgenfalten bereiten dürfte.

Am Donnerstag sah es noch nach einem Blitz-Comeback von Arjen Robben, nur zwei Wochen nach seiner Knie-OP, aus [> siehe hier]. Nach dem CL-Spiel gegen Juventus Turin waren die Ärzte noch von einer drei- bis vierwöchtigen Pause ausgegangen. „Robben ist unglaublich schnell zurück“, hatte van Gaal erklärt und angekündigt der Holländer werde “zumindest auf der Bank sitzen.” Doch zu früh gefreut, nach dem Abschlusstraining am Freitag klagte Robben über leichte Probleme und verzichtete daher auf die Reise nach Freiburg. “Rob” wird in München behandelt und soll wenn möglich beim CL-Spiel am Mittwoch in Bordeaux in den Kader zurückkehren. Hier gilt aber nichts zu überstürzen. Robben ist sowieso verletzungsanfällig, lieber eine Woche länger aussetzen.

Von Franck Ribery gibt es dagegen nichts gutes zu vermelden. Wie lange der Franzose (Reizung der Patellasehne im linken Knie) ausfällt ist offen! Ribery wird für unbestimmte Zeit nicht zur Verfügung stehen. Van Gaal: „Mal habe ich ihn eingewechselt und mal von Anfang an spielen lassen, aber die Verletzung kam immer wieder zurück. Wir haben abgesprochen, dass er zuerst die Verletzung komplett ausheilen muss, bevor wir mit ihm weiterarbeiten.“ “Rib” laboriert seit der Saisonvorbereitung an der Patellasehnenentzündung die ihn immer wieder zu Pausen gezwungen hatte. Ich denke die beste Lösung. Ein schmerzhafter Verlust, aber was hilft uns ein angeschlagener Ribery der sich dann vielleicht eine  noch schlimmere Verletzung zuzieht. Die Gegner gehen bei ihm sowieso nur auf die Knochen.

Und damit zum nächsten Ausfall, der aber bei weitem nicht so schwerwiegend ist. Martin Demichelis hat mit Argentinien die WM-Quali geschafft und im Spiel gegen Uruaguay sogar über 90 Minuten durchgespielt. Doch “Micho” ist erst am Freitag nach München zurückgekehrt und soll sich zunächst von den Reisestrapazen erholen – van Gaal verzichtet auf ihn. Allerdings brauchen wir ihn momentan auch nicht, da Badstuber und van Buyten einen guten Job machen.

Außerdem fällt Ivica Olic aus der sich einen Muskelbündelriss in der rechten Wade zugezogen [bayern-fansite berichtete].

Damit aber genug der schlechten Nachrichten und zu den guten. Mark van Bommel wird erstmal nach neun Wochen Pause wieder zum Kader gehören. Ebenso steht Luca Toni zum ersten Mal überhaupt in dieser Saison im Aufgebot für ein BuLi-Spiel

Beide werden wohl sofort in die Startelf zurückkehren. Wobei es bei van Bommel wohl nicht für 90 Minuten reicht.

Damit kommen wir zum System: Van Gaal wird aller Voraussicht nach auf ein 4-4-2 umstellen mit Klose und Toni/Gomez im Sturm. Im Mittelfeld werden dann van Bommel und Ottl eine Doppel-Sechs bilden und links von Schweinsteiger sowie rechts von Müller flankiert. In der Abwehr bleibt alles beim alten mit Braafheid, Badstuber, van Buyten und Lahm.

Die Marschroute ist also klar. Drei Punkte müssen her. Oder um Bastian Schweinsteiger zu zitieren: „Wir müssen jetzt eine Siegesserie starten. Lieber ein ‚dreckiges‘ 1:0, als schön spielen und kein Tor schießen. Wir müssen das Tor erzwingen wollen. Von mir aus kann es auch ein Handtor oder ein Elfmeter in der 90. Minute sein – Hauptsache wir gewinnen das Spiel.”

Dem ist nichts hinzuzufügen.

Apologies to Ireland, Slovenia, Ukraine and Bosnia. FIFA does not want you at the World Cup in South Africa next summer. So fervent was its determination that the rules of the competition were changed midway through it with the introduction of a seeding system in the qualifying play-offs. So these four countries will take on France, Russia, Portugal or Greece for the final four spots on the road to Cape Town. Now that is as fair as O.J. Simpson’s trial. FIFA might have wanted to give France and Portugal two goal head starts in their matches but apparently, that’s too obvious!

If you haven’t realised by now (which makes you really thick-skulled), it’s purely a commercial decision by the bigwigs sitting up in their ivory tower at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Just like in the Lord of the Rings, when the evil eye at Mount Doom did not like the way things were panning out in the war, it moved to intervene. And so did Sepp Blatter and friends. But don’t tell them that the evil eye gets destroyed in the end; we don’t want to ruin the surprise at their eventual downfall.

After all, someone needs to pay for their luxury boats and homes in the Caribbean. Who is going to foot Blatter’s massage bill if the corporate sponsors are angry that not all the money-generating superstars are at the world’s biggest sporting event? Certainly not me, although I would like the massage. Not from Blatter though.

When the possibility that Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrei Arshavin might be spending their summer on a beach in Dubai began to materialise, FIFA swooped down faster than Kanye West takes to interrupt an awards speech, thereby destroying whatever credibility it had left as football’s governing body. The World Cup should be an affair for the top 32 countries based on merit. It is justifiable to use the FIFA rankings when determining the initial qualifying groups, but once that kicks off, previous accolades should be thrown out the window. Current form and results is all that should matter.

When the runners-up of each group face one other for the play-offs, it should be a fair and open (in other words, unseeded) draw. Why should a country like Bosnia (which has overcome so much hardship in its troubled past to put up a commendable performance) be unfairly treated because Thierry Henry’s team didn’t have what it takes to top their group? All’s fair in love and war, but certainly not football.

I would have loved to have seen what FIFA would have done if Portugal or France had not finished runners-up in its group. There probably would have been an additional play-off spot created for the team with the tightest jersey or the most effective play until they reached the penalty box. Or even an expanded 34-team tournament!

Call me idealistic or old-fashioned. But I’ve always believed that the World Cup was where virtual unknowns burst onto the footballing stage and their agents let it be known that they were ‘honoured’ to be linked with the big clubs. Davor Suker, Jose Luis Chilavert, Tomas Brolin and Miroslav Klose wouldn’t have been household names if not for their countries’ better-than-expected outings in previous editions of the Cup. The so-called big names have flattered to deceive on the biggest stage a la France in 2002 and Spain in 2006.

Kudos to Diego Maradona, who tried to foil FIFA’s plans by doing his best to prevent Lionel Messi from booking his ticket to South Africa with ridiculous tactics and even more outrageous goal celebrations. The Argentinians squeaked past the finish line by the skin of their South American teeth. It is football blasphemy to see a team with Messi, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano and Diego Milito play so badly. You know you’re not cut out to be a coach when you make these players look so ordinary.

But a character like Maradona would be much welcomed by the sponsors. His eccentricity alone guarantees an additional few million television viewers. He’s capable of running onto the pitch and attacking the referee. I hope Alan Wiley loses some weight by then so he can run for safety. Or better yet, imagine if Argentina were to take on North Korea. Maradona would probably create a diplomatic incident of epic proportions. So whilst I think the World Cup could still go on without the big sides, we certainly need our dose of colourful characters.

Oh, by the way, no European team has ever won the World Cup when it’s held outside of Europe. So, this time, apologies to Spain, England and Italy. Lucio will be lifting the Cup for Brazil come July 2010. And Cristiano Ronaldo will be at the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel by then, thinking of ways to be the centre of attention for the coming transfer market.