Win for Spain means victory for football

In a World Cup in which conservatism has taken a front seat and defensively orientated tactics have led to a below average goal return, Spain won an important victory for attractive, attacking football on Tuesday night, when they beat Portugal 1-0 in a compelling Iberian showdown in the second round.

It wasn’t a classic by any means, partly because of Portugal’s defensive stability, but the game was lifted when David Villa eventually broke through the opponent’s stubborn back line to grab the winner, taking his tally to four in this competition. That puts El Guaje level with Gonzalo Higuain and Robert Vittek at the top of the scoring charts and moves him to within one goal of Raul’s Spanish record of 44.

For a long time on Tuesday, the game looked destined to end in a stalemate, but a second half change by both managers just before the hour mark ultimately decided the encounter.       

Carlos Queiroz could make a very strong case for having formulated the best defensive blueprint of any team in this competition. He would have a very competitive rival in Dunga and his innovative Brazilian system, of course, as was evident when the two nations cancelled each other out to sleep-inducing effect when they met in the group stages.

Any one of Portugal’s defenders would be contenders for the team of the tournament so far, and Fabio Coentrao, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho and Ricardo Costa were tight as ever in the face of Spain’s multi-layered attack.

Queiroz made special amendments to reduce Xavi Hernandez’s influence on the game by playing Real Madrid centre back Pepe in a holding midfield position. Pepe’s job was to limit Xavi’s space, which he did well, but no one can stop the Barcelona playmaker from getting on the ball. Tiago Mendes and Raul Meireles completed the Portuguese central midfield three, with instructions to disrupt Spain’s rhythm.

Spain tiqui-taca midfield always dominate possession, it doesn’t matter whom they play. That is partly due to the fact that they have the most technically gifted passers in world football and partly due to their shape.

With the ball, Vicente Del Bosque’s team set out in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with David Villa high left, Andres Iniesta high right and Fernando Torres furthest forward. That was adjusted slightly to a more restrictive 4-4-2 shape when they were defending. Iniesta’s natural tendency to drift towards the middle of the pitch meant that Spain often outnumbered the Portuguese central three, as Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso (holding) and Xavi and Iniesta (roaming) amounted to a numerical advantage.

Sergio Ramos and Joan Capdevila also supported in wide areas high up the pitch so, at times, it looked like Spain had as many as eight players knocking on Portugal’s door. This made La Roja most vulnerable to the counter-attack in wide areas, but Simao Sabrosa and Cristiano Ronaldo failed to successfully exploit this potential weakness.

The reason why Spain are able to play this system unlike, say, England, is because, with two defensive midfield players in Busquets and Alonso, they have a contingency plan if they lose the ball, as those two are never caught out in the offensive third, which can not be said of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry. Sergio Busquets rarely moves more than ten to fifteen yards away from his centre backs and Xabi Alonso is always close to him. In addition, Spain seldom lose the ball unnecessarily, which is precisely where England’s lack of concentration, ill-discipline or plain technical inferiority lets them down. Also, in Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, Spain are blessed with far more pace than England with John Terry and Matthew Upson.

But enough about why Spain are vastly superior to England. In this match, Portugal held their own until midway through the second half. La Roja had the possession and territorial advantage for most of the game, but there were a couple of scares for Vicente del Bosque’s men. Most notably in the first half when Iker Casillas had to block a Tiago effort from the edge of the box and then tip away the rebound as the physical presence of Hugo Almeida closed in, and in the second half when Almeida’s searching cross deflected off Puyol and looped just wide of Casillas’ far post.

The turning point was the first set of substitutions on 58 minutes. Del Bosque retired Fernando Torres, who was dangerous here without hitting top form, and replaced him with Athletic Bilbao’s more obvious target man, Fernando Llorente.

Queiroz’s move saw Danny replace the tiring Almeida, which meant the Zenit St Petersburg midfielder playing wide right and pushing Cristiano Ronaldo alone up front, where he would find himself completely isolated from the game.

It was immediately obvious which change had been more successful. Llorente nearly scored within minutes of his introduction as he dived on to a Sergio Ramos cross to head the ball straight at Eduardo from point blank range. He should have scored, but he was already looking more incisive than Liverpool’s number nine had been.

Llorente was also involved in the build up to Spain’s goal as laid the ball back for Iniesta to roll to Xavi who flicked it into David Villa’s path, and Barcelona’s new signing took two efforts to eventually beat Eduardo on the rebound.

It says a lot for Spain’s mentality that the match actually livened up after they took the lead. It would have been most teams’ prerogative to retreat into a defensive shell but Del Bosque urged his side forward in search of more goals. This stretched the game at both ends and made for a fantastic finale.

The similarities in mentality and style between La Roja and the current record-breaking Barcelona side are deeply manifest, which is really no surprise when you consider that the spine of this Spanish team is made up of Los Cules finest.

Pressing down the pitch, keeping hold of the ball and tiring your opponent by making them chase pass after pass is definitely the best form of defence. And this against the considerable Portuguese talent; compare it to England’s “run it into the corner” tactic employed against lowly Slovenia and we have another prime example of where the Three Lions are going wrong. Spain won the game in style. Portugal were quite desperate in defeat, especially after Ricardo Costa’s late sending off for an elbow on Joan Capdevila.

Next up for Del Bosque’s side is the encouraging prospect of a quarter-final against Paraguay, which, if they win, will lead them to a mouth-watering semi-final against the winner of the Argentina vs Germany match. Spain is certainly looking likely to record its best World Cup finish since 1950; but finishing 4th would surely be an insult to this side’s potential.

Welcome back, Arjen

Holland's World Cup campaign has been decidedly subdued. The Dutch are one of only two teams left in the competition - alongside Argentina - that has won every match it has contested. Laboriously wrought victories over Denmark (2-0), Japan (1-0) and Cameroon (2-1) in the group stages were followed by a conservative but mostly comfortable 2-1 win over Slovakia in the second round on Monday afternoon in Durban.

Bert van Marwijk's team scored quite early on in the game and then spent about an hour just trying to keep hold of the ball and reduce Slovakia's options by refusing them a fair share of possession. This worked well enough, although it made for an agonisingly slow spectacle, until Vladimir Weiss' men sprang to life towards the end of the second half.

The former Yugoslavian minnows were set out in a very ambitious 4-2-3-1 style to match Holland, with Miroslav Stoch and Weiss junior both starting for the first time next to Marek Hamsik behind Robert Vittek. Late in the game they threatened to find a way back into the contest, but their hopes were eventually dashed by Wesley Sneijder's 84th minute finish. Vittek did manage to draw level with Gonzalo Higuain as the World Cup's leading scorer on four goals with a penalty, but that did not come in time to inspire a comeback as it proved to be the last kick of the game.

Thus Holland have managed to saunter into the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazil on Friday, without moving out of third gear yet. There was, however, one definitive indication on Monday that the Dutch could move up a gear or two to cause Dunga's samba boys real problems in the last eight. That was the return of Arjen Robben.

Injury kept the Bayern Munich winger out of the side for all three of Holland's group stage matches and even though he doesn't feel 100% yet, he was head and shoulders above the rest of his team mates as he guided them past Slovakia. It was his 18th minute solo goal that gave van Marwijk's side a vital early lead. With typical style and panache, Robben cut in from the right wing, dribbled past a few defenders and hammered a low left-footed strike past Jan Mucha in the Slovakia goal. As a left footed player causing havoc by drifting in from the right, only Lionel Messi can claim superiority over the former Groningen cadet in the world game at the moment.

Manuel Pellegrini cited the sale of Arjen Robben against his will to Bayern Munich last summer as the beginning of the breakdown in his relationship with the Real Madrid hierarchy during his ill-fated one year stint in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Chilean coach obviously saw the quality that makes Robben, when fit, among the best three or four players of his generation. Unfortunately, that fitness clause has always been a significant problem. 

Muscle injuries caused by Robben's explosive style and his tendency to exaggerate his physical problems have been a constant source of frustration for his managers down the years. It is said that the Bayern Munich number 10 refuses to play unless he feels absolutely ready, often contradicting the opinion of his doctors and physios when they feel he is in good condition. Playing through the pain barrier doesn't seem like something that the 26 year is prepared to do.

It is not for nothing that around 82 million euros has been spent on transfer fees for Holland's brightest star.

    Arjen Robben's accumulative transfer worth: 82m

Groningen to PSV - 4m
PSV to Chelsea -18m
Chelsea to Real Madrid - 35m
Real Madrid to Bayern Munich - 25m

That makes him one of the most expensive players in the history of the game. In today's inflated transfer market, he is worth every penny. Robben was the key figure in Bayern Munich's remarkable season in which they won a domestic double and narrowly missed out on an historic treble with a Champions League final defeat to Inter Milan. Consistency on the fitness front played a big part, as the Dutch master responded to his many doubters by scoring 23 goals in 37 appearances, in what was by far the best season of his spectacular career to date.

While doubts about his physical durability roll on, buoyed, if anything, by his problems in this competition, Robben's ability has never been questioned. He is the most technically gifted player at Bayern Munich, just as he was at Real Madrid, Chelsea, PSV Eindoven and Groningen before that, and he is surely the most serious threat to Brazil's progress to the semi-finals here in South Africa.

Day 19 - June 29th

Paraguay vs Japan          15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Spain vs Portugal            19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 19 - Player to Watch

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

England's costly defeat

South Africa 2010 will go down as one of the worst World Cup campaigns in England’s history. Granted, the Three Lions did not qualify in 1974, 1978 or 1994, but, as far as finals tournaments go, this was perhaps the worst.

Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at the hands of a slick, intelligent German side was the heaviest World Cup defeat England has ever suffered. Fabio Capello’s veteran team, built around the fading remnants of the so-called “Golden Generation”, many of whom will never grace this stage again, were outthought, outmanoeuvred and generally outclassed by a young team that has the potential to dominate the international scene for years to come.

England’s last 16 exit came after a drab group showing in which they struggled to qualify second despite coming up against supposedly weaker opposition. Losing out to the USA in the race for top spot cost Capello’s men a much easier route to the final, with Ghana then Uruguay the alternative prospects before a sterner test against Brazil or Holland anticipated in the semi-final. Expecting England to beat Germany, Argentina, Spain and perhaps Brazil on the way to glory was more than just wishful thinking.

Sunday’s capitulation did not include the worst midfield or attacking performance we have seen from this team in the last two weeks. Capello’s men looked more comfortable on the ball than at any point during the group stage, building on the definite improvement shown in the Slovenia win.

Defensively, however, it was an England horror show. David James had to pull off at least two or three excellent saves and yet the Premier League select at the back still invited Germany to knock four past them.

England’s greatest strength against Slovenia was the team’s undoing against Joachim Low’s side who, unlike the Slovenians, know how to exploit the counterattack to devastating effect. Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole supported the England midfield very high up the pitch, as I’m sure they were instructed to do, but they left the defence dangerously exposed time and again and the Germans enjoyed a significant numerical advantage every time they swept forward.

Fabio Capello reportedly earns £6.5 million a year, which means the Italian will have cost the FA £26 million by the time his contract expires in 2012. For someone paid so much, he got things so wrong here when it really mattered.

If you’re up against a German eleven with three recognised strikers and Mesut Ozil leading the attack, playing with two central defenders and two roaming wingbacks is not a wise tactic. Lumbering duo John Terry and Matthew Upson were torn apart by the raw pace of Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller.

When there were significant numbers in the England defence, they defended like schoolboys. Everyone was drawn towards the ball and that left players free in wide open spaces. With Podolski and Muller hugging the touchlines up front, Germany’s lateral movement in the final third stretched their opponents’ defence beyond its elastic limit, which meant there always seemed to be a man unmarked at the far post. The last three German goals came about as a result of this defensive inadequacy.  

Frank Lampard’s disallowed strike, which bounced a clear metre inside Neuer’s line, was a travesty and will reopen the debate about the introduction of goal line technology. That moment will be dissected in great detail for week’s to come; who knows how the match would have played out if it had been rightly given? But, ultimately, that moment of controversy had little bearing on the result and it is not as if England deserved to win on the basis of this defensive performance.

Lampard had an unlucky day all round. He also hit the crossbar with a stunning long range freekick that had Manuel Neuer well beaten. The Chelsea midfielder came closer to scoring than any of his team mates after Matthew Upson’s goal, although Steven Gerrard also forced a fantastic save by the German keeper in the second half.

The fact that England’s main attacking threat emanated from midfield was telling. Wayne Rooney was the nation’s great hope heading into this tournament but the Manchester United star, who hasn’t scored in a competitive game since March, has woefully underperformed in South Africa. Rooney has now gone two World Cups without a goal and yet he is regularly lauded as one of the greatest strikers on the planet.

Miroslav Klose scored 6 goals in 38 appearances for club side Bayern Munich this season. Lukas Podolski hit 3 in 31 games for Cologne. With four goals between them in South Africa, they have nearly half their combined club total already in this tournament. Wayne Rooney found the back of the net 34 times in just 44 matches for Man Utd and Jermain Defoe scored an impressive 24 in 43 for Tottenham.

These statistics do bring us back to a familiar question: why do English players, unlike most of their international counterparts, play far better for their clubs than for their countries? What can be done to change that? That is the 26 million pound question.

Day 18 - June 28th

Holland vs Slovakia       15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Brazil vs Chile              19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 18 - Player to Watch

Robert Vittek (Slovakia)

Uruguay lead the way

Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1 yesterday to become the first team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup quarter finals. Ajax’s prolific striker Luis Suarez netted twice to move above compatriot Diego Forlan in the scoring charts. No matter what the competition now holds for Oscar Tabarez’s side, they are sure to improve on their current position of 16th in the FIFA rankings, and should move above 12th to surpass their highest posting ever.

Of course, Uruguay’s glorious history pre-dates FIFA rankings. They are one of the most successful international teams of all time, with 2 World Cups, 2 Olympic Games and 14 Copa America titles to their name.

This year, La Celeste is hoping to emerge from the driest spell in the nation’s history. Uruguay’s last trophy came in 1995 in the Copa America and, since then, they have struggled to even qualify for the World Cup, let alone make an impact. South Africa 2010 represents the first time the South Americans have got beyond the last 16 since 1970.

Uruguay won the inaugural FIFA World Cup on home soil back in 1930, and caused one of the biggest upsets of all time to repeat that feat in 1950 by beating Brazil in the famous Maracanazo match. They could even have accumulated more world championship titles if they hadn’t opted to boycott the World Cup in Italy 1934 and then again in France 1938 when they were at the pinnacle of their powers. A protest at the poor European turnout at their competition in 1930, and then anger in 1938 at what they saw as the reneging of a gentleman’s agreement to hold the competition alternately in South America and Europe, meant that the very first champions did not get to defend the Jules Rimet trophy, and they did not return to the world stage until 1950.

Since then, the World Cup has brought mixed fortune for La Celeste, and their form over the last twenty years points to a general decline. Perhaps this is not surprising given the fact that, with a population of under 4 million people, Uruguay is a small fish in a very big footballing pond.

Much was expected of the last generation of stars, but the likes of Alvaro Recoba and Paolo Montero, who both enjoyed glittering club careers in Italy’s Serie A, were unable to inspire a renaissance. Diego Forlan was also a member of that group, and it is the Atletico Madrid veteran who is at the heart of the current team.

They barely made it to South Africa, qualifying via a narrow play-off win over Costa Rica. But Oscar Tabarez has improved the team considerably, and they seem to be evolving as the competition goes on.

For the drab opening 0-0 draw with France, Uruguay were set out in a 5-3-2 formation, utilising wing-backs to contain their opponents in wide areas. Obviously it did little for their attacking game, and since then they have converted to a 4-3-1-2 shape, which allows Tabarez to play to his strengths and field his three most potent attacking weapons.

Despite what we saw of him for Manchester United in the Premier League, Diego Forlan is a goal machine who regularly competes for the Pichichi trophy in Spain’s La Liga. Quite incredibly, Uruguay have found an even more prolific forward to go alongside him in Luis Suarez, who was the only player to outscore Lionel Messi in a top flight European league this season as he hit 49 goals for Ajax in all competitions. Forlan is operating in behind Luis Suarez and his new international partner Edison Cavani, a tall, powerful centre forward who, at 23, is already starting to live up to his huge potential with Sicilian club Palermo.

After Uruguay took the lead against South Korea on Saturday they took a backward approach by defending in their own half and invited Huh Jung-Moo’s side back into the game. If they are going to beat Ghana in the quarter-finals, they have to be wary of this tendency to protect the lead and remember where their strengths lie.

If they play to their potential, they should cause The Black Stars all sorts of problems. The South American teams continue to set the benchmark in this tournament, but while Argentina and Brazil draw the world’s attention, it is Uruguay who look the most likely to sneak their way into the last four.

Day 17 - June 27th

England vs Germany          15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Argentina vs Mexico           19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 17 - Player to Watch

Wayne Rooney (England)

Spain vs Catalonia

Spain stormed into the last 16 yesterday night with a 2-1 win over dark horses Chile in Pretoria. FC Barcelona's influence on the national team is huge at the moment. David Villa and Andres Iniesta, both blaugrana representatives, got the goals that sealed qualification beyond the group stages. I often get asked, including a couple of times via the comments section of this blog, if Catalonia would beat Spain if they were allowed to compete independently of their current sovereign state. So I thought I'd try and settle the issue here by letting you decide.

 Here is a select Catalan XI and a Spanish XI (excluding all Catalan players, obviously). Don't forget that some of the players who have progressed through the ranks of the Barcelona academy from a young age, such as Andres Iniesta and Pedro, are not actually Catalan.

CATALUNYA                                            ESPANYA

Victor Valdes (Barcelona)                    Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Joan Capdevila (Villarreal)                   Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)                
Carles Puyol (Barcelona)                     Carlos Marchena (Valencia)  
Gerard Pique (Barcelona)                    Raul Albiol (Real Madrid)
Fernando Navarro (Sevilla)                  Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) 
Oscar Serrano (Racing Santander)       Jesus Navas (Sevilla)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)                     Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)                Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
Sergi Busquets (Barcelona)                 David Silva (Valencia)
Sergio Garcia (Real Betis)                    David Villa (Barcelona)
Bojan Krkic (Barcelona)                       Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

The first thing you notice is that Real Madrid and Barcelona have an unhealthy monopoly on both Spain and Catalonia's best players. I'll let you decide who you think would win in a face-off between these two sides but in my opinion Spain would edge it. Defensively they are very even, in midfield they are very even, but up front Spain look clearly superior. They have a lot more strength in depth as well; players like Pedro, Javi Martinez, Juanma Mata and Fernando Llorente, all members of the full national squad in South Africa, would be on the bench.

Day 16 - June 26th

Uruguay vs South Korea       15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
USA vs Ghana                     19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 16 - Player to Watch

Park Ji-Sung (South Korea)

Why Cesc sits on the bench

The Spanish team is brimming with world class talent. Famous names like Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas roll off the tongue when we come to discuss the merits of the EURO 2008 champions. But here in South Africa, one player in particular has emerged as the apple of Vicente Del Bosque's eye. This player is far less celebrated than the aforementioned stars. His name is Sergio Busquets.

Spain's manager sees something in the Barcelona midfielder that is not all that easy to spot. He was extolling Busquets this week and went as far as to say: "If I were a player, I would like to be like Busquets". Not Lionel Messi, not Cristiano Ronaldo, not even Xavi Hernandez. Sergio Busquets. The 21 year old has just fifteen caps and yet he has emerged from relative international obscurity to fill the space vacated by Marcos Senna in the midfield holding role, a position which is absolutely vital to Spain's stability.

The son of former Barcelona hero, Carles, Sergio Busquets is by no means an unknown quantity in Spain or in Europe. Barcelona's domestic and European success in recent seasons has made all of their players household names, but the Sabadell born player is never really one to stand out from the crowd. He is an efficient passer, a man who rarely loses the ball but is vey adept at winning it back thanks to his far reaching, gangly long limbs. In other words, he is a dream of a holding midfielder for a team like Spain or Barcelona, where dominating possession with a combination of slick passing and aggressive pressing tactics is the number one priority.

It is no surprise that Busquets has matured into the most obvious partner for Xavi and Iniesta in the Barcelona midfield three, but that is not to say that he starts every game when everyone is fit. Fierce competition from defensive midfielders Seydou Keita and Yaya Toure has ensured that there is continual rotation in the blaugrana eleven. Pep Guardiola's increasing preference to field Busquets, however, has already convinced Ivory Coast star Toure that his future lies away from the Camp Nou.

The Spanish press are already speculating about potential replacements. Javier Mascherano is often mentioned in a follow up to last summer's flirtation with the Argentine captain, but he is more likely to follow Rafa Benitez to Inter Milan if he leaves Liverpool. Tottenham's Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios has also been linked to Barca after a fine performance against Spain in their Group H clash. The one man expected to join Barcelona this summer is Arsenal's skipper Cesc Fabregas and he would be in direct competition with Sergio Busquets. As at international level, however, the latter's strength in a more withdrawn role would give him the edge, and Cesc would actually more likely represent the long term replacement for Xavi. He could be accommodated immediately, though, with a few changes, one of which would involve moving Andres Iniesta into the front line.

Few people would doubt Fabregas' technical superiority as a complete midfielder and I can fully understand the confusion in England as to why Arsene Wenger's protege is not an automatic starter for La Roja. But the system Spain have employed under Luis Aragones and Vicente Del Bosque is completely dependent on one player protecting the back four in a withdrawn midfield capacity. Distribution is essential to a team which neglects the long ball game in favour of "tiqui-taca" short passing, and the holding player is the chief link between the defence and the midfield. It used to be Marcos Senna's responsibility, but now the torch has been passed to Busquets.

We don't have to look far to find other examples of teams where more skilful footballers are shunned in favour of someone who can play this role to great effect. Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo are first choice in Dunga's eleven and yet Diego and Ronaldinho didn't even get into the Brazil squad. Joao Moutinho was left out for Portugal and Deco has to settle for a place on the bench most days as Carlos Queiroz opts for former Portsmouth and Tottenham man Pedro Mendes. Diego Maradona sticks with Newcastle wide man Jonas Gutierrez as opposed to, well, anyone eligible to play for Argentina.

Sergio Busquets and these other beneficiaries are prime examples of the fact that football is a team and not an individual sport. But there is a down side to Busquets' game. If we cast our minds back to the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan we are provided with evidence of his flaws. In that game, some egregious exaggeration and down right play acting from Busquets saw Thiago Motta sent off for Inter in the second leg against Barcelona and it cost the former blaugrana star a place in the final. Busquets is a diver. He doesn't necessarily go down without being touched but the slightest hint of a challenge will see him sprawling on the deck, clutching at imaginary wounds. Spain's newest star would be deservedly vilified in the Premier League, but in Spain, as in most Mediterranean/Latin countries, this sort of behaviour is accepted as part of the game and all too prevalent. Busquets is indicative of that unfortunate reality rather than an exception, and it certainly doesn't undermine his value in the eyes of his managers at club and international level.

Spain take on Chile today in a match that they must win to seal progression to the last 16 of the World Cup. Sergio Busquets will be the linchpin in the Spanish midfield and he will have a crucial role to play against Marcelo Bielsa's notoriously dangerous, ambitious young attacking team. Having scored just twice despite forty-nine shots so far in this competition, Spain are not enjoying their best spell in front of goal and could be more reliant than ever on their defensive discipline.

Day 15 - June 15th

North Korea vs Ivory Coast           15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Brazil vs Portugal                          15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Chile vs Spain                              19:30 BST / 20:30 CET
Switzerland vs Honduras               19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 15 - Player to Watch

David Villa (Spain)

Capello's redemption

I had my doubts about Fabio Capello's team selection on Wednesday against Slovenia, but I will be the first to admit that the Italian's changes paid off. I spent the first twenty minutes squinting at the screen, trying to find any evidence of Jermain Defoe's existence; the Tottenham striker barely touched the ball in that period. James Milner, on the other hand, was active on the right wing at the start of the match, but every time he touched the ball he gave it away unnecessarily. That is, until he curled a stunning cross into the path of Defoe, who duly hammered the ball past Samir Handanovic from close range.

It was an assist and a goal for Capello's two principal changes. Thus the coach's controversial decision to leave out Peter Crouch and Joe Cole was justified by the moment that sealed England's progress to the next round. 

After England took the lead, Milner's nerves seemed to steady and he put in an excellent performance at right midfield, taking on and beating Bojan Jokic time and again to create space to whip in some crosses that David Beckham wouldn't be ashamed of. Milner is not the quickest player - certainly far slower than Aaron Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips - but his ball control is much better, which allows him to confuse his marker with cunning rather than pace.

Jermain Defoe had a great opportunity to double his tally shortly after the goal, advancing on the defence and letting fly with a powerful strike from the edge of the 18 yard box, but it was straight at Handanovic and the Udinese keeper did well to parry it away. Beyond that, Defoe's influence on the game was modest, but he had already done what he was brought in to do.

In terms of formation, there was no significant tactical change from Fabio Capello, but what didn't work against Algeria, did against Slovenia. Steven Gerrard played the narrow left wing role to much greater effect. His licence to roam also paid dividends, as he regularly took control of proceedings in the middle of the pitch and could always rely on Ashley Cole to occupy the space on the left. The link up between the Liverpool skipper and the Chelsea defender was one of England's biggest strengths and it was not just Cole who supported well in wide areas. Both he and Glen Johnson got forward at every opportunity, doubling up against the Slovenian wing backs to press Matjaz Kek's team into their own half. That aspect of the game was a joy to watch from England's perspective, but to be fair it was facilitated by the complete absence of any Slovenia threat in wide attacking positions.

Kek's team stuck to the strict 4-4-2 discipline, but it brought them little joy as they were out-classed and out-muscled in central midfield. On the rare occasion that they pushed forward, Slovenia attacked in straight lines down the middle of the pitch. It caused England few problems. Their most dangerous moments came when needless freekicks were conceded, normally by Matthew Upson or Gareth Barry, or when auspicious flick-ons found their way into the paths of the strikers, but David James was never pulled out of his comfort zone.

Upson's contribution was positive on the whole. He made one exceptional intervention to deflect a shot in the second half, but he is used to far trickier opponents in the Premier League and was not badly exposed at any point. In a complete turn around, Barry was actually one of the weakest links in the England chain, giving the ball away too often in dangerous areas. He still has an important role to play in central midfield, however, and won't be excluded in the next round.

Germany awaits in the last 16 after Mesut Ozil's strike in the 1-0 win over Ghana propelled them to the top of Group D. England finished second in Group C thanks to Landon Donovan's stoppage time winner against Algeria and Capello's men now have an ominous looking route to the final. If the games go according to form, Germany (last 16), Argentina (quarter-finals), Spain (semi-finals) and then Brazil (final) await the Three Lions. With as much optimism as I can muster, I would rate every one of those matches at 50-50, so start tossing coins. England to win the World Cup: 16-1.

Day 14 - June 24th

Paraguay vs New Zealand       15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Slovakia vs Italy                    15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Cameroon vs Holland             19:30 BST / 20:30 CET
Denmark vs Japan                 19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 14 - Player to Watch

Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)

England: the beginning or the end

This World Cup has been a nightmare for England so far, but a convincing win over Slovenia today would consign all the on and off field struggles to history as just that, a bad dream. For if England triumph over Matej Kek's side in Port Elizabeth this afternoon, they will have completed the task of qualifying from Group C, and if Wayne Rooney and co. can finally find their shooting boots and score several goals, top spot will surely be the prize.

In terms of psychological preparation for this match it appears the squad has come full circle. In the immediate aftermath of the Algeria debacle, things did not look good, with schisms appearing within the camp, Rooney lashing out at the fans and Fabio Capello suggesting that England had regressed to the forlorn team he saw when he took over, implying that all his work over two years had been for nothing.

On the day of the final group match, the noises coming out of the England camp are much more positive. Capello exercised his authority after John Terry's "say it like it is" comments last week and the former captain appears to have fallen back in line for the time being. The Italian coach's claims that the players are happy may have something to do with his promise to overhaul a failing system.

England's formation against Algeria
Capello's tactics for the Algeria game were not necessarily flawed in themselves, but the dreadful individual performances of the players (almost to a man) made the system look static and uninspired. The main change was the introduction of Gareth Barry into the centre of the pitch and Barry was the best of a bad bunch across the midfield four. Steven Gerrard was playing in a narrow left sided position but, whether he was given a free role or just lacked positional discipline, he never looked comfortable in that area and was constantly looking for the ball elsewhere.

Aaron Lennon is a natural wide man on the right but he simply had a bad game and did not cause enough problems for Nadir Belhadj, who is one of the quicker opponents who will mark Lennon in this tournament. He was also drawn deep a lot to cover for Glen Johnson, who was marking the dangerous Karim Ziani, and the Tottenham wide man is wasted in his own half.

Emile Heskey started up front as the target man with Wayne Rooney playing next to him. Heskey looked out of his depth at this level, so did Rooney for that matter, but at least we know the Manchester United striker can perform on the biggest stage. As it was here, both players were dropping too deep in frustration as England struggled to keep the ball.

What I would change
If he insists on sticking with the 4-4-2 formation, Peter Crouch should be Emile Heskey's replacement ahead of Jermain Defoe. Crouch will cause problems at set-pieces by virtue of his towering presence alone. Even if the Tottenham striker doesn't connect with the ball, he draws attention away from the likes of Terry, Barry, Rooney and Gerrard and more than one opponent has resorted to double marking him. If the game is drawn beyond the opening minutes of the second half, Jermain Defoe should be introduced sooner rather than later to give him as much time as possible to make an impact.

That would be my attacking blueprint for a 4-4-2 shape, but I think I'm leaning towards a 4-4-1-1 as a more suitable game plan. Before we even get to the tactical nitty gritty, a change in formation would have the positive psychological effect of distancing the team from the unsuccessful outings against the USA and Algeria. If Friday showed us anything it was that the Three Lions cannot rely on Rooney alone to fire them to glory. His best ever club form, however, has come this season in a lone striking role under Sir Alex Ferguson. Steven Gerrard would be the ideal candidate to play just behind Rooney, with Joe Cole filling the left midfield slot as an interchangeable alternative to Gerrard, depending on how the match is panning out. Cole was the best player on the pitch during his last outing as a substitute against Japan; he is one of few creative sparks with the confidence to receive the ball under pressure and not immediately panic to get rid of it.

I would probably stick with the Lampard, Barry, Lennon combination but Capello needs a lot more out of them. Lampard has to dominate the midfield and get into scoring positions around the edge of the box as he does so well for Chelsea. Lennon should be urged to throw caution to the wind and use his blistering pace to scare the living daylights out of left back Bojan Jokic whenever possible.

How it is likely to change
Capello has already confirmed that Matthew Upson and not Michael Dawson will come into the back four to replace Jamie Carragher (suspended), who replaced Ledley King (injured), who replaced Rio Ferdinand (injured); England are already down to fifth choice before the conclusion of the group stage. Otherwise, I imagine the back five will be unchanged. David James gave an assured performance against Algeria even though he had little to do by way of shot stopping. He did look uncharacteristically assured in the air, however, at corners, crosses and set-pieces.

Judging by the brief glimpses we have had of England's training camp and the slight hints at press conferences and interviews, it looks as though the manager is going to continue with the 4-4-2 formation, with Jermain Defoe possibly coming in up front next to Wayne Rooney. There is also a rumour that James Milner will complete a midfield four next to Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry.

I hope this is not the case. I think James Milner is an excellent player with a point to prove after his humiliating first half substitution against the USA but, for me, Joe Cole has to be given the nod. His consignment to the periphery is the most baffling aspect of Capello's tactical layout so far.

Slovenia tend to play a traditional 4-4-2 shape but Kek might be tempted to switch to a more defensive system to try and force the draw that would guarantee the Adriatic minnows a place in the last 16. Regardless of how Slovenia play, England should win this match. They have favourable antecedents to draw on from similar positions after two group matches, when their backs were against the wall in 1986 and 1990. Italia '90 was the last time the Three Lions made it to the last four. If they can get through today unscathed, they have the best chance since then of reaching that milestone again.

A second round match with Ghana or Serbia and then a quarter-final tie with Uruguay or South Korea could not be more inviting. It certainly looks more favourable than the last three World Cups, where imposing Portugal (2006 quarter-finals), Brazil (2002 quarter-finals) and Argentina (1998 second round) sides have sent England packing.

Day 13 - June 23rd

Slovenia vs England            15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
USA vs Algeria                   15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Australia vs Serbia             19:30 BST / 20:30 CET
Ghana vs Germany            19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 13 - Player to Watch

Michael Bradley (USA)

Round 2 - Star Man

Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina)

Team of Round 2

For the majority, the knockout stage starts here

The second round of group games is over, the concluding third matches start today, and the big teams could start dropping like Kader Keita. The fate of five giants of European football, all of whom were expected to qualify top of their groups, currently hangs in the balance.

First up today is France, a team in absolute disarray following the fallout of the Nicolas Anelka expulsion and subsequent player revolt. As if it wasn't bad enough that they have failed to score so far in a draw with Uruguay and defeat to Mexico, which leaves them on the brink of a second humiliating World Cup exit in eight years. 

Les Bleus finally resumed training yesterday but there is still the threat of a possible boycott hanging over their clash with South Africa this afternoon. We've seen the fitness coach Robert Duverne storm out of the camp after a bust-up with skipper Patrice Evra, whispers of a Zinedine Zidane inspired coup against manager Raymond Domenech, the resignation of France's managing director Jean-Louis Valentin and even the intervention of president Nicolas Sarkozy to diffuse the crisis amidst a storm of public indignation back home.

Putting the politics to one side for a moment, France's task today is simple: they must thrash the Bafana Bafana and hope the simultaneous Uruguay vs Mexico encounter does not end in a draw. Some people have suggested that the knowledge that a draw will send them both through will see Uruguay and Mexico take their foot off the gas but that could not be further from the truth; both teams want to avoid a second round meet with Argentina by topping the table. Oscar Tabarez's team hold the advantage at the moment on goal difference so they are more likely to defend a draw but, looking at their strengths which lie primarily in attack, they cannot really afford to do that. Javier Aguirre, of course, is looking for a win that will see the Mexicans leapfrog Uruguay.

Having said that, a draw is not unlikely even if the teams don't go out looking for it. If the score is tied late on, the match is likely to be played at a very low tempo, but I don't expect any collusion. Unlike the Sweden vs Denmark match in similar circumstances in Euro 2004, where the Scandinavians needed not only a draw but a score draw of two or more to eliminate Italy and their match finished 2-2; the Italian conspiracy theorists had a field day. 

France are arguably the only major European nation actually expected to drop out, but poor or inconsistent form so far in the competition has left four others in need of positive results in their final group encounters.

England will qualify to the knockout stages if they beat Slovenia and, if they outscore the USA in their match against Algeria, then the Three Lions will top Group C. However, a win over Matjaz Kek's team is by no means a forgone conclusion. Slovenia top the group with four points and, despite being the smallest nation represented at the World Cup this year and 17 places behind England in the FIFA rankings, the former Yugoslavian province will be confident of an upset. Not least because morale has taken a battering inside Fabio Capello's camp after some truly awful performances.

A 4-0 demolition of Australia in the Group D opener left many tipping Germany to go all the way in South Africa. Cue an inauspicious defeat to Serbia and suddenly Joachim Low's team are left needing a win in their final match against Ghana to guarantee a place in the last 16. If Serbia overcome Australia, only a win will do for the Germans. They looked comfortable in their last match until Miroslav Klose's red card and even threatened to get a result with a numerical disadvantage so they should not be too downbeat. They are clear favourites against the Black Stars, but will have to win a physical midfield battle and break down the stubborn Ghana defence if they are to proceed.

Italy are in a similar position to England in their group. They have two points so far after two dour draws and need to beat Slovakia to go through. Unlike their compatriot Capello's men, however, finishing first in Group F is impossible if Paraguay continue their good form with a win over New Zealand. That would mean a last 16 meet with Holland for the Azzurri, one of several potentially thrilling clashes in the first knockout stage.

Spain's 0-1 defeat to Switzerland last week was the shock result of the tournament so far and it has left Vicente Del Bosque's side needing a win over Group H leaders Chile in the final match. There is the possibility of a three way tie on points in that group, an eventuality which will occur if Spain and Switzerland both win. Chile's low scoring wins over the Swiss and the Hondurans mean that they will probably go out if they lose to the Spanish, despite their 100% record so far. As far as Spain's chances go it is looking very good for La Roja.

Portugal thrashed North Korea 7-0 yesterday in a record win for them but it was Spain who really shone in their 2-0 victory over minnows Honduras. Del Bosque was not entirely happy because of wasted chances but Spain's exhilarating passing style was unmanageable. Every attacking player is eminently comfortable on the ball and capable of gaining a yard on their marker to find space for a shot. David Villa showed that yesterday with his first, in my opinion the goal of the tournament so far. Spain switched formation from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 yesterday without any negative repercussions in terms of their play. Oh for a smidgen of their quality in England. 

The South American teams have dominated this tournament so far and it is conceivable that all five (+ Mexico who look and play like a South American team) will have a part to play in the knockout stages. But La Roja have still looked the best side, despite losing their opening game. A draw or less against Chile would be a catastrophe, not just for Spain and their fragile World Cup ego, but for the tournament in general, which needs this team to raise the overall quality after a low key start.

Day 12 - June 22nd

France vs South Africa           15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Mexico vs Uruguay                15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Greece vs Argentina              19:30 BST / 20:30 CET
Nigeria vs South Korea          19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 12 - Player to Watch

Franck Ribery (France)

Day 11 - June 21st

Portugal vs North Korea         12:30 BST / 13:30 CET
Chile vs Switzerland              15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Spain vs Honduras                19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 11 - Player to Watch

Alexis Sanchez (Chile)

Italy's decline

New Zealand's 1-1 draw with World Cup holders Italy has been hailed as the greatest result in the Oceanic island's history. There is little doubting that claim, considering the Kiwis best result before Sunday's tie with the Azzurri was the draw against Slovakia on matchday 1. This is New Zealand's second World Cup; they qualified for Spain 1982 but made no impact on the tournament whatsoever, losing all three group matches as expected. They were tipped by many for a repeat performance in South Africa but Ricki Herbert's team have done much better so far in 2010.

Paraguay, the only team New Zealand have still to play, currently top Group F with four points. Herbert's side are joint second with Italy on two. In all probability, the Kiwis will have to beat Paraguay in the final group match to qualify for the last 16 and that will be a difficult task. If Paraguay win that game they will top the table and Italy would go through second with a win or a draw against Slovakia.

Marcelo Lippi's world champions were supposed to sail through their group with ease, but their stuttering form has left them needing a result in the last match to progress and their likely reward is a clash with Bert van Marwijk's Holland side in the first knockout round. On current form, the Italians would be clear underdogs heading into that one.

Four years is a long time in football. Italy are a shadow of the team that won the World Cup in Germany in 2006. Only remnants of that all-conquering side remain scattered throughout the current squad, and most of those names have been diminished by age.

The problem with Italy is not tactical, it is technical. It is a strange and unique case that Italy's most gifted player, Francesco Totti, is not in the World Cup squad. The Roma captain officially retired in 2007 and he resisted Roberto Donadoni's attempts to bring him back for EURO 2008. After nearly three years in the international wilderness, Totti announced that he would be available for a World Cup recall under Lippi, but the veteran manager opted not to take him to South Africa.

So Francisco Totti was left out, but what happened to the rest of the team that started the 2006 World Cup final?

Gianluigi Buffon is still a world class goalkeeper and Italy's first choice between the sticks but he has a back problem which saw him replaced by Cagliari's Federico Marchetti in the opening match against Paraguay and he was not fit to return against New Zealand.

Marcello Lippi resisted a sentimental call up for Juventus left back Fabio Grosso - whose goal gave Italy a semi-final win over Germany four years ago - after a poor season for the Old Lady.

Fabio Cannavaro became only the second defender to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award after leading his country to glory in 2006 but, despite the fact that he still wears the captain's armband, he is now well past his best at nearly 37 years old.

At least in the case of Marco Materazzi and Alessandro Nesta, who shared the responsibility of partnering Cannavaro in Germany, they have conceded their losing battle with age and  are no longer in the international frame.

Gianluca Zambrotta can still be seen storming (or sauntering) up and down the right side of the pitch but he is a shadow of the player he once was.

Gennaro Gattuso, another ageing veteran, is in the Italy squad but he is used sparingly now.

Andrea Pirlo is perhaps the only player carried over who is still capable of performing to his 2006 level, but a pre-tournament  injury has left him short of fitness and he has been restricted to the bench so far.

English-born 32-year old midfielder Simone Perotta is no longer in contention after a steady decline in influence over recent seasons.

Mauro Camoranesi has looked Italy's best player in his two cameo appearances coming off the bench against Paraguay and New Zealand and he is pushing for a start against Slovakia on Thursday, but he is another one fighting a losing battle with age.

33 year old striker Luca Toni fell out of favour at Bayen Munich at the beginning of the season and a move to Roma at the end of 2009 did not do enough to get him a place in Lippi's provisional squad.

That golden generation is now at an end and the players coming in to fill the gaps are simply not as gifted. The declining quality of football in Serie A is partly to blame. Inter Milan were the exception to the rule last season, winning an unprecedented domestic treble, but Italy's top tier is now a one party state and Inter's dominance is such that it has now been six years since a team other than the nerazzuri has claimed the Scudetto.

In fact, it was only Internazionale's European Cup success that saved Italy from falling behind Germany in the UEFA coefficient list, which would have had dire consequences for the league as Serie A would have conceded it's fourth Champions League slot to the Germans. That eventuality has been staved off for another season at least, but that day will inevitably arrive unless the FIGC (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio) can halt the decline.

Inter's success is actually detrimental to the strength of the national team. There was not a single Italian in Jose Mourinho's starting eleven for the Champions League final in Madrid and so, incredibly, Italy's title holders for the last five seasons do not have a single representative in Marcelo Lippi's World Cup squad.   

Antonio Di Natale hit 29 goals for Udinese and has been the standout player in Serie A this season despite being 32 years old; he currently leads Italy's attack. But this is a man who didn't make the Azzurri squad back in 2006 in his prime at the age of 28 and here we have a perfect example of the gulf in class between 2010 and 2006. Di Natale is often under rated and he could be important for Italy if they are to defy the odds and extend their run in the competition beyond next week. I, for one, am not expecting them to.

Day 10 - June 20th

Slovakia vs Paraguay            12:30 BST / 13:30 CET
Italy vs New Zealand             15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Brazil vs Ivory Coast             19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 10 - Player to Watch

Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia)

Team of Round 1

Their destiny is still in their own hands...

Their destiny is still in their own hands heading into the final match of the group stage next week, but who would care to predict the outcome of that game after this horror show. It was a dismal performance which made a mockery of the external hype and confidence in this team, not just from the patriotic supporters back home but from players, managers, fans and experts all over the world, who expected this group of players to make a huge impact at the World Cup.

I am talking about Germany, of course, and their Group D defeat to Serbia on Friday.

England's catastrophic humiliation at the hands of Algeria in Cape Town doesn't even bear thinking about.

Words fail me, so here is a statistical look at how Fabio Capello's men fared against a team ranked 30th in the world:

                      ENGLAND    ALGERIA

POSSESSION:       53%         47%
GOAL ATTEMPTS:   14           13
ON TARGET:          8             8

Nothing between the two of them, was there? No, literally, you'd need to compare their tax returns to find any difference. I'm genuinely starting to believe that France are the lucky ones.

Manchester United's superstar forward Wayne Rooney, widely tipped for a place on the shortlist for the World Player of the Year award this year, played like a hungover pub team player and he was not alone in that category. While the star of the show was Algeria's tricky midfielder Karim Ziani, who struggles to get a place on the bench for Wolfsburg.

Where was England's most technically gifted midfielder Joe Cole? When will Capello finally ditch Heskey in favour of the free-scoring Peter Crouch? Why is the team fundamentally incapable of keeping possession for more than a few seconds at a time? There are far more questions than answers at the moment and Capello has so far failed to respond satisfactorily.

England's form is inexplicable, their apathy baffling. The bronzed players (simply sunburned in Jamie Carragher's case) look like they've had far too much sun.

Day 9 - June 19th

Holland vs Japan                    12:30 BST / 13:30 CET
Ghana vs Australia                 15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
Cameroon vs Denmark          19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 9 - Player to Watch

Eljero Elia (Holland)

Argentina: papering over the cracks

Argentina thrashed South Korea 4-1 on Thursday afternoon in a win that effectively guaranteed the albiceleste top spot in Group B. Greece's succeeding 2-1 win over Nigeria worked in Diego Maradona's side's favour and, barring a miracle, they will now be looking forward to a second round match against either Uruguay or Mexico.

Puppet master Lionel Messi pulled the strings once again but it was Gonzalo Higuain who starred as the marionette, notching a second half hat-trick to confirm Argentina's place in the knockout stages. Higuain's goal touch more than made up for his carelessness in last weekend's win over Nigeria and propelled the Real Madrid striker to the top of the World Cup scoring charts.

Argentina's World Cup campaign has been an unmitigated success until now, but there are still serious defensive concerns to be addressed. With the team playing so well, it is easy to forget that Diego Maradona came under significant pressure during a qualifying campaign in which his team struggled to secure a place among the top four in South America. Despite the positive signs so far, most of the frailties of the last two years are still waiting to be exposed by any team with realistic designs on winning the World Cup.

Twice Argentina have blown their opponents out of the water with devastating attacking displays, but on both occasions they offered their rivals more than a tentative invitation to score themselves. Officially, Maradona's side have set up in a 4-3-3 formation so far, but Jonas Gutierrez's tendency to drift forward on the right means that it more closely resembles a 3-4-3 a lot of the time. From an attacking perspective this is highly effective, as the Newcastle man stretches the play creates space by drawing attention away from the middle of the pitch. Defensively it is very risky.

This point brings us back to the forgotten issue of the manager's curious squad selection. What on earth was Maradona thinking leaving Javier Zanetti out of the 23 man travelling party? Despite his advanced years, Inter Milan's Champions League winning captain offers all the pace and energy of Jonas Gutierrez as a right wing back but with the added insurance of being one of Europe's most feared defenders. Zanetti can operate on either flank and is exceedingly reliable. If and when Argentina finally come up against a world class left winger, Maradona could be left secretly regretting his most baffling managerial decision to date.

Another under-performing player managed to drift under the radar on Thursday thanks to the general delight at Argentina's propitious scoreline. Maxi Rodriguez is not worthy of a starting place in this eleven and, even though he was only playing against South Korea because of a minor injury to Juan Sebastian Veron, he shouldn't be in South Africa at all.

There is a reason Atletico Madrid allowed the former midfield dynamo to join Liverpool for free in January. He is simply not the player he was two or three seasons ago.

Controversial as it may sound, especially for followers of the Argentine Primera Division, I don't even think two-time South American Footballer of the Year (2008, 2009) Veron should be starting for this Argentina side. There is no doubt that the Estudiantes veteran has great vision, but he does not occupy the same position for Argentina that he does for his club and there are better players who could play in the withdrawn central midfield role. Esteban Cambiasso, another key figure in Inter Milan's historic treble winning season, is one. The formidable young Ever Banega of Valencia is another.

Cambiasso is essentially a defensive midfield man who will offer far more in terms of protecting the defence than Veron and, with as many as four out and out attackers on the pitch, that is crucial. Cambiasso also has a tendency to pop up with important goals and it makes little sense to me that someone with such experience was overlooked when players as limited as Maxi were included, as well as names like Martin Palermo and Javier Pastore who are unlikely to get a look in.

Ever Banega was, however, the one man I was most disappointed to see neglected. The former Boca Juniors midfielder has long been touted as the eventual replacement for Juan Roman Riquelme in the national set-up, but this season he finally justified all the hype by cementing a starring role in the Valencia midfield with some cultured performances. He is technically more proficient than Cambiasso or Veron, has an incredible range of passing, scores wonder goals and is very energetic in winning the ball back in the middle of the park. He, before all others, would be my first choice to partner Javier Mascherano in the heart of the team.

It is hard to criticise Diego Maradona at the moment given the refreshing approach of his team in a tournament that is yet to dazzle us. From a team selection standpoint he has one of the hardest (albeit enviable) tasks of any manager at this World Cup; where else would Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero sit warming the bench but Argentina? El Kun is still very young and you feel that his day will come. For Milito it is more unfortunate as this will be his last major tournament. He could still play a key role for the Albiceleste but, after Gonzalo Higuain's hat-trick against the Koreans, it is hard to see him breaking into the starting eleven.

"Pipita" Higuain deserves his moment of glory. This is a player who has had to force his way to the front of the queue at Real Madrid no less than four times. The rapid managerial turnover at Real means Higuain has already served under Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster, Juande Ramos and Manuel Pellegrini in his four seasons with Los Merengues and under each coach he has started as third or fourth choice striker and worked his way up to become one of the first names on the team sheet.

We can assume that under Jose Mourinho this will not be the case. Moreover, if Argentina are going to fulfil their potential and go all the way in this World Cup, it is likely to be "Pipita" who scores the goals that fire them to glory.

Le coq up massif

France's World Cup adventure is all but over after they were gunned down 2-0 by an impressive Mexico side on Thursday night. Manchester United's  new signing Javier Hernandez proved once again that he is worthy of a starting place in Javier Aguirre's team by coming off the bench and skipping past Hugo Lloris to slot in the opening goal before another substitute, ageing forward Cuauhtemoc  Blanco, scored a penalty to end French hopes.

It has been a bitterly disappointing tournament for France. Their failure to score so far is reminiscent of the disastrous 2002 campaign in which they entered the competition in Japan and South Korea as both world and European champions but exited after the group stage having failed to find the net in any of their three encounters.

Disappointing yes, surprising no. The team have been in disarray over the last couple of years. After an unconvincing qualifying campaign, Les Bleus booked their place in the finals with "that goal" against Ireland in the play-offs and no improvement has been noted in the interim. The French Football Federation should have been brave enough to sack Raymond Domenech months ago rather than allow him to oversee this debacle. Announcing his impending replacement by former Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc after the World Cup was another spectacular faux pas.

Group A is now shaping up for Uruguay and Mexico to qualify to the next round, with the outcome of who will lead the classification set to be decided in their clash early next week. If those two draw then France and South Africa are definitely out, but with any other result there is still a very slim chance of either the hosts or France going through. If Mexico beat Uruguay, for example, France would qualify if they made up the five goal disparity between their goal difference with a big win over Carlos Alberto Parreira's team.

France were not the only nation to suffer yesterday. Nigeria's World Cup dream is now over after the Super Eagles surrendered a lead in a 2-1 defeat to Greece. Lars Lagerback's job was complicated by a totally unnecessary - yet completely justified - red card, which saw Sani Kaita sent off for raking Vasilis Torosidis with his studs. Greece's first ever World Cup win opens up the possibility of their qualification to the last 16 if they get a better result than South Korea in the final Group B matches.

Day 8 - June 18th

Germany vs Serbia                 12:30 BST / 13:30 CET
Slovenia vs USA                     15:00 BST / 16:00 CET
England vs Algeria                  19:30 BST / 20:30 CET

Day 8 - Player to Watch

Thomas Muller (Germany)

Round 1 - Star Man

Mesut Ozil (Germany)

Great things were expected of Werder Bremen's Mesut Ozil coming into this tournament from those of us who have followed his club progress in the Bundesliga. Outside of Germany he was something of an unknown quantity but he announced his arrival on the international scene with a spell-binding performance against Australia and is fast becoming a household name. He is extremely quick and possesses excellent dribbling skills but it is his natural vision which really makes him stand out.