主播大秀

Tats better

It still defies me how a team like Togo can qualify when there are greater teams in Europe who have not made it. I appreciate that there has to be a delegation from the four corners of the globe, but it is not a true reflection of the greatest footballing nation if the opponents aren't top rated.
Saying that... if they knock out England in the latter stages, then they are all welcome round for a beer as I eat my words!

James.

I wonder if the lovely Edwige has a boyfriend? Come on Togo!

earlier to the other guys comments, wats the point of calling it WORLD cup if there are only going to be european teams in it, use ur brain

i'm sorry but owen hargreaves shouldn't be in the england squad. He gets in Bayern week in week out which shows hes a good player and i agree with that. The problem is he shouldn't be in the England team because he never performs for his country and we've got better holding midfield players, even a defender like caragher. Don't say he could be a right back because he didn't even impress against Belarus. I think we should have taken Defoe instead.

How much is $200,000 in 鈧珽uros?
Or even in 拢Pounds?

Why is it in $ anyway?

I presume that's US$ and not T&T$? - So is this blog specifically catering for USAmericans?
I thought no-one from that side of the continent on that side of the world explored British/European football/soccer blogs... do they?

ummm, yes, we do follow football, or as the yanks/canucks call it soccer, here in Canada. Ok, so Canada doesn't have a good senior mens team, but our mens U-21 is much more highly rated, and our senior womens team is also in the top 10 or so. Nonetheless my point is, we DO follow football from this continent, on this side of the world...

At the same time, i'm so used to following the transfer fees etc in GBP, that i agree the sudden appearance of $$ does throw any references out the window.

Clearly boys the other 31 contestants were far short of being 'picturesque'. I have seen better looking women on the way to the local dump. Poor call

In response to Nick's attack on Owen Hargreaves. As a Bayern Munich fan I often believe that Hargreaves is badly treated by both the English media and some English fans.

The problem stems from the fact that there is essentially a lack of Bundesliga coverage in the UK and thus fans do not get an opportunity to see Hargreaves play. Also a number of journalists seem keen to turn Hargreaves into England鈥檚 new scapegoat i.e. the new Heskey. I am afraid I have to include the 主播大秀 in this as well one only has to see Ian Wright's attack on Hargreaves on Tuesday evening.

Hargreaves has of course under performed for England. But people often fail to mention that the vast majority of his caps have come as a substitute and have been almost always out of position. Also when he has been given an opportunity as a sub he has always been very eager to impress (a good characteristic to have) and thus sometimes errors have occurred in his performances. If the England manager had used his friendlies more sensibly instead of having mass substitutions I think he could have well learned that Hargreaves is could play a fundamental role in England World Cup plans.

Towards the end of the end of the Bundesliga season it is fair to say that Hargreaves was the most in form Bayern Munich midfielder. Out-performing Chelsea's new signing Ballack by a considerable distance. The simple truth is that Bayern Munich would not have extended Owen Hargreaves contract if he was such a bad player like is often made out in the English press. Also why have a number of English clubs shown an interest in purchasing Hargreaves over the years? Perhaps English fans and media should show members of there squad a little bit of respect despite the fact that they play for a German club.

In response to Nick's attack on Owen Hargreaves. As a Bayern Munich fan I often believe that Hargreaves is badly treated by both the English media and some English fans.

The problem stems from the fact that there is essentially a lack of Bundesliga coverage in the UK and thus fans do not get an opportunity to see Hargreaves play. Also a number of journalists seem keen to turn Hargreaves into England鈥檚 new scapegoat i.e. the new Heskey. I am afraid I have to include the 主播大秀 in this as well one only has to see Ian Wright's attack on Hargreaves on Tuesday evening.

Hargreaves has of course under performed for England. But people often fail to mention that the vast majority of his caps have come as a substitute and have been almost always out of position. Also when he has been given an opportunity as a sub he has always been very eager to impress (a good characteristic to have) and thus sometimes errors have occurred in his performances. If the England manager had used his friendlies more sensibly instead of having mass substitutions I think he could have well learned that Hargreaves is could play a fundamental role in England World Cup plans.

Towards the end of the end of the Bundesliga season it is fair to say that Hargreaves was the most in form Bayern Munich midfielder. Out-performing Chelsea's new signing Ballack by a considerable distance. The simple truth is that Bayern Munich would not have extended Owen Hargreaves contract if he was such a bad player like is often made out in the English press. Also why have a number of English clubs shown an interest in purchasing Hargreaves over the years? Perhaps English fans and media should show members of there squad a little bit of respect despite the fact that they play for a German club.

"It still defies me how a team like Togo can qualify when there are greater teams in Europe who have not made it."
To extend that argument - it defies me how a team like England can make it...
Why bother with a drawn out tournament?
We gotta put up with lots of drunks on the streets, "England, England......why not just skip straight to the finals - give it to one of the greater teams ...like Brasil...

The world doesn't revolve around England/Match of the Day/what we see isn't the be all and end all in this world - this parallels that "newsnight" interview with Elvis Costello ...surprising at it may seem there are teams outside of Europe...and there are qualifying groups outside of Europe...those "great" european teams need to do the biz in their european groups...

Spot on, Bayern 06. Hargreaves is versatile and solid, and to say that he's "never performed" for England is laughable. He's done a job. Not England's best player by a long chalk, but a great squad member. 30 caps doesn't tell the whole story... 25 of those have been off the bench, so he's hardly going to dominate games, but he can do a number of positions pretty effectively. Defoe can't even manage ONE position effectively at club level, so not sure he's a convincing alternatve.

comeon holland we will do exactly like 74 when we went to the final but we will go one step further ths time comeon you orange shirts

Have to disagree with you there Lee. Scraped past Mexico, Camaroon & Ecuador. I suspect it will be the same story for Holland this year. Great players potentially great team but just not quite good enough when it matters. To add to earlier comments about Hargreaves Id have to say hes a very useful player. One only has to look at the use of Gerrard for England to see that even world class players can suffer when played out of position.

Oilers in 6!!!

Right on Edward! It's weird to live in a country (Canada) where the World Cup is second to the Stanley Cup, but the Yanks should be doubly ashamed for ignoring their very decent World Cup side. Go Leafs Go!

I have not had the opportunity to see Hargreaves play for Bayern but when he plays for England he just looks lost, running around like a headless chicken! I'm not overly impressed by Dafoe either (and that's coming from a Hammers fan). We are struggling for depth in world class strikers right now. Johnson has had limited chances to show his credentials but also fails to impress. I'm just praying for a miracle and that Rooney gets the OK.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are we forgeting that the World Cup
woldn't be fun without some spice
like Togo to go along with.
Comeon! Let's lay back and enjoy!!!!

Mzee wa Kazi,

Toronto,
Canada.

Yes, you're calling Togo an ingredient only to season the world cup! You can say worse than that. Did Togo secure the ticket to the world cup by lottery? Did Togo not go through the qualifying games beating your so-called African football giants like Senegal, Mali and Zambia? In the last world cup, Senegal posted a painful one-nil defeat on France. And did Togo not beat Senegal 3-1 in Lome and drew 2-2 with Senegal in Dakar? And so, what is your funeral? Whether you like it or not, Togo is at the world Cup. Whether Togo spices the global footbal fiesta with a poor performance or not, that should not be your worry. Togo has begun making world cup histories. The first was its qualification, the second was the crowning of a Togolese as Miss world cup and the third will be the amazing performance it will display throughout the entire soccer festival. Take it from me.

Daniel Mensah Brande, Monrovia, Liberia.

From the other side of the Atlantic (where some of us are paying attention):

Hurricanes in 5;

Mavs in 6;

Yanks sweep the Orioles this weekend; and

USA 3 - Czechs 1

As usual there is so much hype surrounding England at this world cup but the formation and style chosen by Sven is boring, predictable and unsuited to the modern game. Why not play to the strengths of the team which is essentially in midfield. Have Owen as the only striker with Gerrard and Lampard waiting to attack whilst shoring up the middle of the park. It is exactly what they do so well in the premiership every week and their goal tally speaks for itself. The pace of Owen is enough to scare any defence and Walcott and Rooney can come on fresh later in the game. Crouch is too slow and one dimensional to be a real threat.

Gareth, are u insame in saying that rooney is not a starter for england, you really dont know muvh if you think that a player with his ability dioes not deserve to be in the first team. And about the formation you have to remember that ALL the teams in the world cup play to their strengths, englands strength is the 442 formation no matter who we have in the midfield, its true what you are saying about how they play for their club teams but when it comes to their country it is totally different, remember ronaldinho has a free role for barcelona but for brazil he has to track back and try to defend.

[Quote]It still defies me how a team like Togo can qualify when there are greater teams in Europe who have not made it. I appreciate that there has to be a delegation from the four corners of the globe, but it is not a true reflection of the greatest footballing nation if the opponents aren't top rated.[\Quote]

There are many far 'greater' teams in africa who haven't qualified. But Togo have done better in qualifying and deserve to be there.

By the same argument, should teams like serbia and switzerland be going, when Nigeria and Camaroon missed out.

Yes, because the teams that missed out, didn't earn it this time round

After reading this article, I would like Togo to win the World Cup.

I will drink a pint for every goal scored against England. There is too much hype surrounding this team. My darkhorse is Ivory Coast; I would not want to have my team playing them in elimination rounds. I don't have to worry though, it will be another century before Canada qualifies for this tournament (if they're lucky). Thank god for hockey, though. Arguably the best sport in the world.

Sorry to the Hargreaves fans.

I'm a very optimistic fan and it takes a lot to get me to criticise footballers that play for teams I support, like England. But Owen Hargreaves should not be in the England World Cup Squad.

Why?

Whilst he may indeed play well for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, that doesn't mean anything in regards to fitting into the English team. The German league is played at a slower tempo to the English league - and thus, he is on a far lower level of intensity and tempo than 95% of the squad. Thus, he always appears off the pace when playing for England.

Secondly, he shouldn't be in the squad because he offers nothing different to the other players that are already there. He's most likely to be used to shut out the opposition as a holding midfielder. We already have Carrick, and now Carragher (who was better than Hargreaves against Hungary) that are better suited to the role at England level. I'd even stretch it as far as to say that Parker and King outside of the squad would be better equipped for the role. Hargreaves is not a strong fullback and would again be below Neville and Carragher.

He doesn't score goals, and doesn't create goals.

With Rooney's injury, we'd have been far better served to take Defoe/Bent than Hargreaves. Lets be fair, would anyone really be disappointed and worried for our chances if he'd been omitted?

To all the people criticising Hargreaves, are you blind to the fact that we have a 17 year old forward in our squad who has not played in the Premiership yet?!

I think it's absurd that you can have issues with Hargreaves being in the squad when we have plenty of other top quality midfielders in there, but don't seem concerned with the fact that sven has put Walcott in the squad, when of the other three natural strikers we have, Rooney is injured and Owen is looking distinctly off pace.

I know Walcott is a great prospect, but this isn't the time for Sven to be trying him out! If we come unstuck in the world cup, itll be because our strikers are unfit/inexpereinced, and not because of hargreaves!

Right, any team that has qualified for the world cup deserves to be there on the simple fact that they qualified.

Hargreaves has played 5 full games for England, the Bundesliga is a different style of football to the Premiership and he does get asked to play in a different role to his club, how many positions does Gerrard get put in? yet his class shines through, so if Hargreaves is this good then his class will shine through......players "become" at different ages, they are all human and all unique just like you and me and I think Hargreaves is yet to "become" for England.

The World Cup is the greatest sporting festival in the world at any time, it is watched by more people across the globe than any other sporting event and it is played in more countries than any other sport in the world and it can break down barriers between people and nations that would normally never be moved. This world cup is arguably the most exciting ever for the simple fact that football as a sport has progressed so much and that there are so many amazing players now that the whole spectacle will be something where you should not miss a single match, if you're in the UK then freeview lets you watch any already played game.........oh bliss.....what a month I'm gonna have!!

Serbia & Montenegro, Ivory Coast and Spain are my dark horses, check them out on the 主播大秀 website.

England have a great chance and I think Sven has made a wily choice in Theo, Pele, Maradonna were both 17 for their first world cup (no I am not putting him in that bracket) but if someone is good enough then play him, Lionel Mesi is what 18!! and he's been terrorising La Liga, The talent on show for this world cup is mouth watering, write off the Germans, Italians, Dutch and Portugeuse at your peril.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we can do and we can beat any team in the world...... BRING HOME THE WORLD CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re post 28.

Spot on, Walcott is the only real addition to the squad that is worrying. Sure he has pace. So has Bent, and Defoe has bags of it, coupled with experience in one of the top european leagues. If Walcott was still playing for Southampton, would sven of picked him? No. He just seems to go through a list of the top 5 teams in the country and picks whoever might be english. I think Hargreaves is an excellent player and hasn't be given opporunities in his favourite position. I think he's unlucky not to figure more because we have an abundance of talent in midfield.

Why are people so convinced ivory coast will do well? they have argentina and holland in their group!

Well......

Like most of you out there im a huge footie fan, and yes, im suopporting England. But I am Scottish, and live in America. While we are all entitled to our opinions about players and their abilities, dont you think we should leave Sven to make up his mind about the formation, tactics and final team selection. I love the people out there who seem to think that Sven's job is so easy, and are advising him on what to do. I wonder if he reads these......yeah right.

And lets not forget that there are more teams in this World Cup than England and their opponents. Chill, and enjoy. Once every 4 years people........

She doesn't look all that great in the photo!!! Actually she looks like a Spanish Conguito with make-up on.

Anyway, it just left me wondering whether it's after all true that only ugly babes allow themselves to become football widows and that the pretty ones just go out and find someone else.

You football-indifferents out there just keep on the look out. You never know when a hot lonely babe's gonna come your way looking for some company!

There is a good article in the Observer today about Owen Hargreaves:
'He's feted in Munich, but slated in England':

Reading some of the comments by some of the insular press in this country one would have have assumed that Hargreaves had already lost England the World Cup?

Given all the anti-Hargreaves jibes in the written media it would have been interesting if the 主播大秀 had perhaps done a interview with Hargreaves. But given the 主播大秀 has shown they are themselves biased with the comments of Linker and Wright that would have been a waste of time.

I think Togo deserves to be in the World Cup like any other team that has qualified for the tournament. Some people need to realise that there's a bigger footballing world out there besides Europe and South America. Just because a team is considered, "better" in Europe doesn't mean it is the all over the world. So learn to expand your horizons and see beyond the EPL, La Liga or Serie A.

She is ugly!

That the best they can find?

I'M a lady(well alledgedly) and I suddenly received World Cup fever this evening.I don't think there's a remedy and hopefully it's catching, it involves those stomach butterfly things. Excited,OH YES,come on England.

I'M a lady(well alledgedly) and I suddenly received World Cup fever this evening.I don't think there's a remedy and hopefully it's catching, it involves those stomach butterfly things. Excited,OH YES,come on England.Sorry just thought i'd interrupt.

Angola, Togo, Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire qualified because supposedly better African teams didn't take them seriously. Hence we're without Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Cameroon respectively.

As for stronger European teams - let's not forget the then world cup holders France were eliminated last time without scoring a goal.

Point 1: Hargreaves is good, very good!! But after 30 appearances for England and not 1 good performance, its time for him to give up on international football!

Point 2: I don't think she's particularly stunning, attractive, but surely there's better!?!?

Point 3: The African nations have the right allocation of places to the world cup, its the Aisian section and North/Central American sections that are over represented! Australia are twice the team Iran are, yet they have to play endless amounts of qualifying games and have to pit their wits against a South Ameriacan team if they want to qualify. Meanwhile the hardest team Iran have to play is UAE. Thats just wrong! Especially when teams like Ireland, Turkey, Russia and Greece have not made it.

Hargreaves - He has had a good season for bayern, but like commented on earlier, he seems lost when he comes on for england. The boy never is and never will be a right back, so to even think of playing him there is nonsense. If you need cover carragher will offer it and do a job.

The main point with all the anti hargreaves media, is that with carrick, carragher in the squad as well there is cover for right back and a holding midfielder if needed in a game, and when given a chance both have played better than hargreaves.

Somebody has said hargreaves has not become as a player yet for england. But come on he has had 30 caps (yes 25 coming off the bench) but how many more chances does he deserve.

With rooney injury a 5th striker should of been included instead of hargreaves, because for some insane reason Sven is determined to take Walcott.

Now on to Walcott, WHY,WHY,WHY,WHY,WHY, is a player who has not played a single game in top flight football, being taken to the world cup, regardless of how much potential he has, and also when your two main strikers (OWEN, ROONEY) are not certain to be fit.

Somebody mentioned Messi, Pele, marradona where 17/18 in the first world cup. but all 3 had played top flight football, and some european football. If Walcott is so hot, why has he not played a game for Arsenal, they have had him since January.

Now with all the England hype, Is everybody not tired with the same thing, every tournament the press and fans get all exicted and put so much pressure on the team, its a suprise they get through the group stages. Don't get me wrong, this is our best team for along time, and i think we do have a good chance of winning. But I think we mite have
problems if we get any injuries or a red card to any of our strikers, we don't have much options.

Ivory Costa is going to suffer a heavy defeat against Argentina...
Black Horse...My foot!!!