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Thursday, September 6, 2012
FIFA QUALIFIERS - PERFORMANCE OF AFC TEAMS
Dempsey happy to be back in action (FIFA)
© Getty Images
USA forward Clint Dempsey admits he is glad to be back training among a group after his stand-off with Fulham this season.
Having made his desire to leave the Cottagers clear, Dempsey had been spending a lot of time doing solo sessions over the past few weeks. The situation was brought to an end on Friday when the 29-year-old completed a move to Tottenham and he joined up with his US colleagues soon after ahead of the team's CONCACAF FIFA World Cup™ qualifying Group A double-header against Jamaica.
We just need to make sure we get the points because they're vital and we need to make sure we put ourselves in the driver's seat so that we qualify for the next round.
USA striker Clint Dempsey
The first of those games is in Kingston tomorrow and speaking about his preparation for the clash, Dempsey told www.ussoccer.com: "It was good. It was good to get back into the team, with the guys, and good for me to get back into training. I've been training with a trainer, but it's good for me to get back in playing with team-mates."
Following tomorrow's contest, the USA and Jamaica - who are currently joint-top of the group on four points from two matches each, with the former having a superior goal difference - meet again on Tuesday in Ohio. Contemplating those two games together, Dempsey said: "You could look at it as a play-off fixture in the sense that there is a home and an away leg.
"We just need to make sure we get the points because they're vital and we need to make sure we put ourselves in the driver's seat so that we qualify for the next round," he said. "Everybody wants to be part of a World Cup and for some of these guys it'll be their last chance to do that. I think everybody here wants to do something special and playing in a World Cup is certainly that."
Messi expects rough qualifying ride (FIFA)
© AFP
Lionel Messi is wary of the threat posed by Paraguay as Argentina bid to extend their five-match winning streak in tomorrow night's FIFA World Cup™ qualifier.
The Albiceleste's run of victories has taken in qualifiers against Ecuador and Colombia, lifting them to third place in the group. They lie a point behind Uruguay, who take on Colombia tomorrow, and two behind leaders Chile, who are not in action. "Paraguay will be very difficult opponents but we must get the job done at home," Messi warned.
Goalkeeper Sergio Romero agreed: "Paraguay maybe are the most difficult adversaries we had in the past: we lost the last two matches we played in Asuncion and had to battle hard to rescue a draw at home."
Paraguay will be very difficult opponents but we must get the job done at home.
Lionel Messi
Head coach Alejandro Sabella has had to deal with injuries in the build-up to the game, with Manchester City star Sergio Aguero and Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini both unavailable for both tomorrow's match and Tuesday's clash with Peru.
Aguero's City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta is also doubtful with a hamstring strain, with Napoli's Hugo Campagnaro on standby to replace him. Leandro Desabato of Estudiantes La Plata will replace Coloccini while Aguero's absence creates a vacancy for Paris St Germain's Ezequiel Lavezzi in attack.
Messi said: "Despite the changes, the group is always as strong and that's a good thing."
Paraguay have yet to win away from home during the qualifying campaign, but midfielder Victor Ayala believes if they can keep Barcelona star Messi under wraps, they can spring a surprise in Cordoba. The Lanus player said: "Without Messi, Argentina is not much better than us. If we can control him our chances will surely improve."
A defensive visiting line-up will look to Malaga new boy Roque Santa Cruz and Cerro Porteno's Jonathan Fabbro for goals. It will be a particularly noteworthy occasion for the latter, with the 30-year-old making his competitive international debut against the country of his birth.
Howard: Azteca win means everything to us (FIFA)
© AFP
Veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard was at his outstanding, acrobatic best on 15 August, when USAcarved out a piece of history by beating arch-rivals Mexico at the Estadio Azteca for the first time in history. The 33-year-old, who has 78 caps for his country, calls the 1-0 win “one of the biggest moments of my career."
In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, Everton's former Manchester United man talks about that ground-breaking day in Mexico City, the state of the simmering USA-Mexico rivalry, upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers against Jamaica, and his firm belief that the Toffees can qualify for Europe this season.
In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, Everton's former Manchester United man talks about that ground-breaking day in Mexico City, the state of the simmering USA-Mexico rivalry, upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers against Jamaica, and his firm belief that the Toffees can qualify for Europe this season.
FIFA.com: Tim, what does that 1-0 friendly win at the Azteca mean to you and to US soccer?
Tim Howard: It means everything to us. We’d never done it before and over the years we were all hoping that we would be the group of players to finally get over the hump. To be a part of the generation that finally won at the Azteca fills us with so much pride. It’s definitely one of the biggest moments of my career.
How intimidating is it stepping out at the Azteca?
You're down in this long, dark tunnel, underground. It’s cold. You can’t see where you’re walking and it’s completely disorienting. Then you emerge out into the brightest, most intimidating scene, this stage where the stands go straight up into the sky and you’re hit with the noise of the crowd,100,000-strong. It’s so much to take in.
Tim Howard: It means everything to us. We’d never done it before and over the years we were all hoping that we would be the group of players to finally get over the hump. To be a part of the generation that finally won at the Azteca fills us with so much pride. It’s definitely one of the biggest moments of my career.
How intimidating is it stepping out at the Azteca?
You're down in this long, dark tunnel, underground. It’s cold. You can’t see where you’re walking and it’s completely disorienting. Then you emerge out into the brightest, most intimidating scene, this stage where the stands go straight up into the sky and you’re hit with the noise of the crowd,100,000-strong. It’s so much to take in.
And that’s all before the kick-off…
Yeah, then you have to deal with the altitude, which is a big deal. And you’re usually playing against a team that keeps the ball and makes you chase them around. And as the years pass, and they never lose there, you’re just piling up the psychological factors. So, first you have to deal with the physical stuff and then the psychological stuff. That’s a lot stacked on your plate as a visiting team.
There are banners painted on the walls of the Azteca tunnel documenting individual countries' respective records there against Mexico. How does it feel to know they will have to change theUSA's?Those banners and statistics are real; they’re down there. The pride I felt was immense when I walked past the USA banner, where it said ‘zero wins', and I knew they would have to change it.
Is the achievement even more special because there were a number of regulars out of the team, with some players also playing out of position?
Everyone who was out there on the night for us took the opportunity to shine – veterans like myself and the young guys. We got there late, there was no way to properly adjust to the altitude. We had guys playing out of position, and new guys out there too.
Yeah, then you have to deal with the altitude, which is a big deal. And you’re usually playing against a team that keeps the ball and makes you chase them around. And as the years pass, and they never lose there, you’re just piling up the psychological factors. So, first you have to deal with the physical stuff and then the psychological stuff. That’s a lot stacked on your plate as a visiting team.
There are banners painted on the walls of the Azteca tunnel documenting individual countries' respective records there against Mexico. How does it feel to know they will have to change theUSA's?Those banners and statistics are real; they’re down there. The pride I felt was immense when I walked past the USA banner, where it said ‘zero wins', and I knew they would have to change it.
Is the achievement even more special because there were a number of regulars out of the team, with some players also playing out of position?
Everyone who was out there on the night for us took the opportunity to shine – veterans like myself and the young guys. We got there late, there was no way to properly adjust to the altitude. We had guys playing out of position, and new guys out there too.
You're down in this long, dark tunnel, underground. It’s cold. You can’t see where you’re walking and it’s completely disorienting. Then you emerge out into the brightest, most intimidating scene.
Tim Howard on walking out through the Azteca tunnel
There was a lot of hype around the game, as Mexico had just won Olympic Gold for the first time. Did that make any difference?
Absolutely, they just won the gold in London and there was a lot of talk surrounding our game. Almost none of that talk was about us…which is fine, it’s normal. That kind of made it more special. We banded together. It was about grit and determination. We had a lot of excuses to lose that game – it was only a friendly and there were a lot of things going on – but we overcame it.
How would you describe the state of the USA-Mexico rivalry? Who’s on top at the moment: El Trior the Stars and Stripes?
It shifts, and it depends on who you ask. It also depends on what you look at. Mexico won the Olympics and they've been getting good results recently, so down there they think they’re on top. We finished top of the last World Cup qualifying group, so there’s reason to think we are.
Can you talk about the nature of the rivalry a bit? It seems extremely heated.
It’s a healthy rivalry. We both want to be the best and we push each other. We both want to be in the final round of qualifying. The fact that we won at the Azteca means we did our part to open the debate again. In a way, we broke the momentum that was going Mexico's way with the Olympics. We’re back in the argument again. That’s what’s great about when we play.
Your USA coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, said he wishes he could play Mexico everyday. What do you think he means by that?
Both countries need each other to move forward. It’s not a hatred, it’s a mutual respect. We grow as they grow. We kick each other so hard and play so hard against each other because it matters so much. That’s what makes a great rivalry.
Can you talk about the Klinsmann era so far? What’s changed? What’s stayed the same?
Klinsmann is a progressive thinker. He implements a lot of different ideas, and they are all aimed at making each player better on the field and making us all better as a team. His ideas aren’t just football ideas, either, they’re about lifestyle and attitude.
Is everyone on board with his ideas?
When you introduce a lot of new ideas to a large group of people, it’s hard to get everyone to buy into everything. That said, we’ve got a great bunch of guys who want to win and work extremely hard to implement his ideas on the pitch.
Klinsmann seems to have a real infectious enthusiasm. Does this rub off on the team?
He has a real zest for life, and a zest for soccer. He’s a positive thinker. Part of that might be trickling down to us, and maybe it’s not a coincidence that we beat Mexico at the Azteca for the first time with him as our coach.
What is he like on a practical level, in training sessions and in the technical area?
He’s hard on us as a coach, but when we make a mistake he says, ‘try it again,’ when a lot of other coaches might shut you down and tell you not to take chances. He encourages us and wants us to enjoy our football and try new things.
You have a pair of FIFA World Cup qualifiers coming up this weekend and next week againstJamaica. What do you expect?
Jamaica is a tough team and it’s tough to play them at ‘The Office’ in Kingston. We’re hoping we can keep up the momentum from the Azteca win and get one there, where we rarely win.
Jamaica have gotten better in the last few years. What makes them dangerous?
They’re a lot like us. In fact, Jamaica, Canada and the USA are very similar and match up very tightly. They have strong, athletic players and a few guys who know how to move the ball around. When you play a team that cancels you out like that, you need to get the tactics right. We need to find a rhythm and dominate the areas we can dominate on the field.
Absolutely, they just won the gold in London and there was a lot of talk surrounding our game. Almost none of that talk was about us…which is fine, it’s normal. That kind of made it more special. We banded together. It was about grit and determination. We had a lot of excuses to lose that game – it was only a friendly and there were a lot of things going on – but we overcame it.
How would you describe the state of the USA-Mexico rivalry? Who’s on top at the moment: El Trior the Stars and Stripes?
It shifts, and it depends on who you ask. It also depends on what you look at. Mexico won the Olympics and they've been getting good results recently, so down there they think they’re on top. We finished top of the last World Cup qualifying group, so there’s reason to think we are.
Can you talk about the nature of the rivalry a bit? It seems extremely heated.
It’s a healthy rivalry. We both want to be the best and we push each other. We both want to be in the final round of qualifying. The fact that we won at the Azteca means we did our part to open the debate again. In a way, we broke the momentum that was going Mexico's way with the Olympics. We’re back in the argument again. That’s what’s great about when we play.
Your USA coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, said he wishes he could play Mexico everyday. What do you think he means by that?
Both countries need each other to move forward. It’s not a hatred, it’s a mutual respect. We grow as they grow. We kick each other so hard and play so hard against each other because it matters so much. That’s what makes a great rivalry.
Can you talk about the Klinsmann era so far? What’s changed? What’s stayed the same?
Klinsmann is a progressive thinker. He implements a lot of different ideas, and they are all aimed at making each player better on the field and making us all better as a team. His ideas aren’t just football ideas, either, they’re about lifestyle and attitude.
Is everyone on board with his ideas?
When you introduce a lot of new ideas to a large group of people, it’s hard to get everyone to buy into everything. That said, we’ve got a great bunch of guys who want to win and work extremely hard to implement his ideas on the pitch.
Klinsmann seems to have a real infectious enthusiasm. Does this rub off on the team?
He has a real zest for life, and a zest for soccer. He’s a positive thinker. Part of that might be trickling down to us, and maybe it’s not a coincidence that we beat Mexico at the Azteca for the first time with him as our coach.
What is he like on a practical level, in training sessions and in the technical area?
He’s hard on us as a coach, but when we make a mistake he says, ‘try it again,’ when a lot of other coaches might shut you down and tell you not to take chances. He encourages us and wants us to enjoy our football and try new things.
You have a pair of FIFA World Cup qualifiers coming up this weekend and next week againstJamaica. What do you expect?
Jamaica is a tough team and it’s tough to play them at ‘The Office’ in Kingston. We’re hoping we can keep up the momentum from the Azteca win and get one there, where we rarely win.
Jamaica have gotten better in the last few years. What makes them dangerous?
They’re a lot like us. In fact, Jamaica, Canada and the USA are very similar and match up very tightly. They have strong, athletic players and a few guys who know how to move the ball around. When you play a team that cancels you out like that, you need to get the tactics right. We need to find a rhythm and dominate the areas we can dominate on the field.
He implements a lot of ideas, and they are all aimed at making each player better on the field and making us all better as a team. His ideas aren’t just football ideas, either, they’re about lifestyle and attitude.
Tim Howard on Jurgen Klinsmann
You started your qualifying campaign with a tougher-than-expected 3-1 win over Antigua and Barbuda and then a draw on the road in Guatemala. How do you feel about the start?
At the end of the day we got a pretty comfortable win against Antigua and Barbuda. They did pose us some problems with their speed and physicality, but we handled it. I have my concerns about the Guatemala game, though. We took an early lead, and we needed to finish it off. If you leave a team hanging around, they might just punish you. And that’s what happened down there. We need to be more resilient at both ends of the field, but overall I would say that our start is ok.
At the end of the day we got a pretty comfortable win against Antigua and Barbuda. They did pose us some problems with their speed and physicality, but we handled it. I have my concerns about the Guatemala game, though. We took an early lead, and we needed to finish it off. If you leave a team hanging around, they might just punish you. And that’s what happened down there. We need to be more resilient at both ends of the field, but overall I would say that our start is ok.
Your club, Everton, have started at a canter in the English Premier League, with two wins from three games. What’s the reason for this hot start?
The spirit at the club is incredible. There are no egos and the guys all fight for each other. When you see Manchester United at home as your first game of the season you think, ‘oh my God', but I think we dominated our opener against them and deserved the win.
Manager David Moyes has improved the squad consistently in recent years. What’s his secret?
Moyes has a really good recipe for success. He doesn’t just bring in every good player available. He brings in guys that can play two positions, who will buy into the Everton way, and then he guides them along. He’s an incredible motivator and he gets better at it every year.
Can you define what success for Everton would look like this year?
We want to finish in the top six and get into Europe. The Champions League might be a stretch because we can’t spend the same kind of money as the five or six teams in England who can, but on the pitch I think we have what it takes. And getting back to Wembley Stadium would be great too (Everton have been there three times since 2009 for two FA Cup semi-finals and the 2009 FA Cup Final ).
The spirit at the club is incredible. There are no egos and the guys all fight for each other. When you see Manchester United at home as your first game of the season you think, ‘oh my God', but I think we dominated our opener against them and deserved the win.
Manager David Moyes has improved the squad consistently in recent years. What’s his secret?
Moyes has a really good recipe for success. He doesn’t just bring in every good player available. He brings in guys that can play two positions, who will buy into the Everton way, and then he guides them along. He’s an incredible motivator and he gets better at it every year.
Can you define what success for Everton would look like this year?
We want to finish in the top six and get into Europe. The Champions League might be a stretch because we can’t spend the same kind of money as the five or six teams in England who can, but on the pitch I think we have what it takes. And getting back to Wembley Stadium would be great too (Everton have been there three times since 2009 for two FA Cup semi-finals and the 2009 FA Cup Final ).
Bogota test for Uruguay, debuts for coaches (FIFA)
© AFP
Leaders Chile sit out the seventh round of games in the South American qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, which sees the newly appointed Xabier Azkargorta and Gerardo Pelusso take up their respective seats in the Bolivia and Paraguay dugouts.
Elsewhere, second-placed Uruguay have the chance to go top of the section when they travel toColombia, just one of the weekend’s four intriguing encounters. FIFA.com sets the scene.
The big gameColombia-Uruguay
Friday 7 September, Barranquilla, 15:30 (local time)
Former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman faces quite a task in his first official match in charge ofColombia, which pits him against Oscar Tabarez’s reigning Copa America champions, who lie just one point behind frontrunners Chile. Still to win in front of their fans, the sixth-placed Cafeteros have the opportunity to thrust themselves into the leading group, and also have history on their side, having beaten the Uruguayans in their previous two meetings in Barranquilla.
Friday 7 September, Barranquilla, 15:30 (local time)
Former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman faces quite a task in his first official match in charge ofColombia, which pits him against Oscar Tabarez’s reigning Copa America champions, who lie just one point behind frontrunners Chile. Still to win in front of their fans, the sixth-placed Cafeteros have the opportunity to thrust themselves into the leading group, and also have history on their side, having beaten the Uruguayans in their previous two meetings in Barranquilla.
Just to add extra spice to an already enticing occasion, the match pits together two of the continent’s finest goalscorers: Radamel Falcao, who has been on scintillating form with Atletico Madrid, and Diego Forlan, his predecessor at Atleti and who has just celebrated his first goals for Brazilian club Internacional.
ElsewhereAlejandro Sabella’s Argentina entertain Paraguay in Cordoba, with both sides having enjoyed contrasting fortunes so far. While the hosts, who stand third, have designs on taking over at the top,La Albirroja are just one place off the bottom and have lost all their away games to date. The visitors will nevertheless be comforted by the fact that they have not lost a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Argentinian soil since 1973, having come away with a draw on their last five visits.
“We're not easy rivals for the Argentinians and we want that trend to continue,” new Guaraní boss Pelusso told FIFA.com.
Azkargorta is another coach bracing himself for a debut on Friday. The Spaniard, who steered Boliviato their last FIFA World Cup finals appearance at USA 1994, returns to the post for their trip toEcuador. It promises to be a tough task. Currently fourth, El Tricolor have won all three of their games in Quito so far and are out to claim the scalp of a side accustomed to playing at altitude but now shorn of the services of the recently retired Pablo Escobar, a goalscorer in the Bolivians’ 3-1 defeat ofParaguay in June.
Last but not least, Venezuela travel to Peru with designs on recording their first ever win in Lima. LaVinotinto, who sit in the play-off position and are aiming for their maiden FIFA World Cup appearance, will not have it easy against Jose Markarian’s side. Though bottom of the table, the Peruvians hope to field a full-strength side as they seek to revive their flagging campaign, with Paolo Guerrero striving to return from injury and partner Claudio Pizarro in attack.
Player to watchLionel Messi (ARG)
Messi’s nine goals in his last five international appearances have brought to an end a long debate about his performances for his country. Increasingly at ease in the role of captain, the Barcelona ace is now La Albiceleste’s fourth-highest scorer of all time and is out to add to his haul against Paraguay, a team he has scored just once against, at the 2007 Copa America.
Messi’s nine goals in his last five international appearances have brought to an end a long debate about his performances for his country. Increasingly at ease in the role of captain, the Barcelona ace is now La Albiceleste’s fourth-highest scorer of all time and is out to add to his haul against Paraguay, a team he has scored just once against, at the 2007 Copa America.
Did you know?
Uruguay have gone 18 games without defeat, their last reverse being a 2-1 loss to Germany on 29 May last year. Since then La Celeste have come away unscathed from meetings with the Netherlands, Italy and France. Their last visit to Colombia was also a successful one, the Uruguayans winning 1-0 in Bogota en route to South Africa 2010.
Uruguay have gone 18 games without defeat, their last reverse being a 2-1 loss to Germany on 29 May last year. Since then La Celeste have come away unscathed from meetings with the Netherlands, Italy and France. Their last visit to Colombia was also a successful one, the Uruguayans winning 1-0 in Bogota en route to South Africa 2010.
What they saidCesar Gonzalez, Venezuela midfielder: “Peru beat us to third place at the last Copa America so obviously we’ve got some unfinished business with them. We’ll have to keep a cool head, though, because they’ve got some very good players who can turn a game just like that. As for us, we’re still very much focused on the idea of reaching the World Cup for the first time.”
Fixtures
Friday
Colombia-Uruguay
Ecuador-Bolivia
Argentina-Paraguay
Peru-Venezuela
Fixtures
Friday
Colombia-Uruguay
Ecuador-Bolivia
Argentina-Paraguay
Peru-Venezuela
Road to Brazil begins in Europe (FIFA)
© AFP
The first set of European Zone qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ gets underway this Friday and Saturday, with no fewer than 24 intriguing fixtures on the agenda. All 53 UEFA member associations will take part in Round 1, which will see the nine group winners qualify automatically, while Round 2 will consist of four home-and-away play-offs between the eight best runners-up.
While reigning world champions Spain, placed in the five-team Group I, will sit out the first weekend of action, there are hugely important games spread throughout the pools, many of which appear difficult to predict.
After a highly disappointing showing at the recent UEFA European Championships, during which they exited after losing all three of their group matches, the Netherlands will be very keen to both turn the page and steady the ship, especially as their last friendly outing just three weeks ago saw them lose 4-2 at the hands of Belgium.
Louis van Gaal, who replaced Bert van Marwijk at the helm of the Oranje in July, has already rung the changes, omitting Nigel de Jong, Gregory van der Wiel, Vurnon Anita, Khalid Boulahrouz, Rafael Van der Vaart and Ibrahim Afellay from his squad. The Dutch supremo has suggested that the players in question – who all moved to new clubs over the summer – might not be completely focused on the crucial encounter with Turkey, and has placed his faith in stalwarts such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has been confirmed as the team’s first-choice striker.
Over in the Turkish camp, Abdullah Avci, who has been at the helm of the Crescent Stars since Guus Hiddink’s resignation in November 2011, has lately been striving to channel the huge passion surrounding the national team into a greater level of "discipline and concentration" in his charges.
The other games
One of the most open-looking pools, Group A contains three countries from the former Yugoslavia and two nations from Great Britain. The remaining team, Belgium, whose current starting XI is packed with talented stars such as on-song Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, are likely to fancy their chances of claiming the automatic qualifying slot. As any points secured away from home will doubtless be at a premium, Les Diables Rouges' first official match under Marc Wilmots in Cardiff should be a closely contested affair.
With Mario Balotelli absent due to eye surgery, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has continued to place an emphasis on youth, bringing in promising newcomers Marco Verratti, Fabio Borini, Mattia Destro and Lorenzo Insigne for I Nazionale’s awkward-looking trip to Bulgaria. Denmark, meanwhile, will welcome a Czech contingent to Copenhagen that is significantly handicapped by injuries to key personnel, including Vaclav Pilar, Tomas Rosicky and Daniel Kolar.
As the Germans welcome a modest Faroes side to Hannover, Joachim Low has decided not to take any unnecessary risks ahead of his charges’ vital clash with dark horses Sweden in October. He has even left out Bastian Schweinsteiger, so the midfield fulcrum is able to work his way back to full fitness in time.
The Hungarians, who recently pulled off an impressive 2-1 friendly victory over the Czech Republic, will want to get off to a good start versus Andorra, in a group where they can realistically aim to finish in second place behind the Dutch.
Switzerland, who raised eyebrows with a notable 4-2 away win in a friendly with Croatia last month, and Norway, who have not qualified for a FIFA World Cup since 1998, will both have designs on top spot in this tight-looking section.
Newly installed Russia coach Fabio Capello will oversee the beginning of a new era for the former Soviet nation against Northern Ireland, and has already put his own stamp on the team by dropping fan favourite Andrei Arshavin, who captained the side at EURO 2012. Portuguese supporters, meanwhile, will be hoping that Cristiano Ronaldo’s current discomfort at Real Madrid has no negative effect on his performances for A Selecção das Quinas.
The three teams expected to challenge for first place in Group G – Greece, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina – are all faced with opening-day away matches, and will be anxious to avoid any sort of slip-up that might damage their qualifying aspirations.
Chelsea skipper John Terry, now 32, has been recalled to the England set-up by Roy Hodgson ahead of the Three Lions’ trip to Moldova. The Three Lions coach has also brought in two of Terry’s team-mates at club level, Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand, bringing the number of Blues’ players in the squad to six, compared to three from Manchester City and three from Manchester United.
Following in the footsteps of Laurent Blanc, fellow 1998 FIFA World Cup-winner Didier Deschamps has now grasped the reins of the French national side. Les Bleus have been searching for the ideal style and formation to get the best out of the many individual talents present in their squad, and will hope that things finally click into place away to Finland.
Player to watch
Almost 15 months after his last cap, which was earned in a 1-0 win in Poland on 9 June 2011, Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has returned to a France line-up in need of a commanding presence in the centre of the pitch. The former Auxerre player, who was beset by injuries last season but appears to be back to full fitness this term, has stated that he feels no apprehension about his return, and is simply "eager to make up for lost time".
Almost 15 months after his last cap, which was earned in a 1-0 win in Poland on 9 June 2011, Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has returned to a France line-up in need of a commanding presence in the centre of the pitch. The former Auxerre player, who was beset by injuries last season but appears to be back to full fitness this term, has stated that he feels no apprehension about his return, and is simply "eager to make up for lost time".
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