Objectivo.com

David Beckham has no intention of waving farewell to England after reaching 100 appearances.

The Los Angeles Galaxy star, who reached the milestone Wednesday night, maintains the wave he gave when he walked off during England's 1-0 loss to France was just an acknowledgment of the standing ovation that even the French fans gave him.

Beckahm was impressed with the standing ovation that the French fans gave him on his way off the field. He thanked both sets of fans, but insists that the rumors that he is leaving international football for good are only rumors, that weren't started by him.

Although Beckham didn't even have a shot on goal and collected a yellow card for a foul on French goalscorer Franck Ribery, he was satisfied with his performance.

Even though he had been replaced, Beckham was the last England player to walk off the field. At the end of the game, he walked back on, hugged France defender William Gallas, and had a long talk with the Arsenal player before again waving and applauding the fans.

Becks stated that the only place he would like to play more than Wembley, would be in Paris, where his very good friend Zidane played. Beckham, who turns 33 in May, believes he will still be fit enough to play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, assuming England qualifies.

Beckham, who was overlooked by Capello for the Switzerland game because the Italian didn't consider him fit enough during Major League Soccer's offseason, called on the England fans to be patient with the new manager while he tries new formations, tactics and selections. Capello and the English side have both come under pressure following the match yesterday, which was only the second match under the new boss.

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Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been named England captain for Wednesday's friendly with France in Paris. Chelsea defender John Terry, captain under Steve McClaren, had been expected to skipper the side on Wednesday. Steven Gerrard led England for manager Fabio Capello's first game in charge against Switzerland last month.

There was also speculation that David Beckham could captain the side if, as expected, he wins his 100th cap. Yet, probably in the best intrest of the England side, Capello decided to move forward rather than backwards.

Although Capello has named Ferdinand to lead the side against France there is no suggestion that the Manchester United star will captain England throughout their forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign. Capello then confirmed that throughout the upcoming friendlies he would continue to rotate the captaincy hoping to find the best man for the job by the start of World Cup qualifying.

The appointment of Rio Ferdinand to captain is somewhat suprising, but this isn't an unusual tactic for Fabio Capello.

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With a spot in the 2008 Olympics on the line, a decidedly pro-American crowd watched their young ones dispatch a Canadian side 3-0 at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

After dominating the run of play for 25 physical minutes, the red, white and blue finally struck gold on a Freddy Adu freekick. Jozy Altidore was taken down just outside the right corner of the 18-yard box, and Benfica starlet Adu sent a low ball off his increasingly brilliant left foot into the box. An onrushing Sacha Kljestan distracted Canandian keeper Joshua Wagenaar long enough that the goalie's last second dive merely deflected the goal-bound ball into the side netting.

Seeking to inject some offensive life into his side, Canadian coach Nick Dasovic -- who earlier this week took the pressure off his team by telling reporters that if the Canadian side lost, the journalists could go back to covering the NHL -- brought on Syracuse University star Kyle Hall in place of Keegan Arye. Hall brought some life to the squad, but it failed to muster any sustained attack before halftime.

Two minutes into the second half, Altidore made his presence felt once again as the Maple Leafs' Andraze Ornoch drew a yellow card for taking down the U.S. forward just outside the box. Adu again stepped up and swerved the ensuing freekick over the wall and past a frozen Wagenaar for a 2-0 lead.

After the team's battle back and forth, Kljestan put the game away for good 11 minutes from time as his fine first touch off a Tyler Holden cross split the Canadian defense and sent him in alone with Wagenaar. The Chivas USA talent calmly slotted the ball to the goalie's left and the celebration began in earnest.

In a final that matters for nothing other than pride, the United States will face Honduras, who beat Guatemala in penalty kicks.

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David Beckham has been recalled to the England squad for the friendly with France in Paris on 26 March.

The LA Galaxy midfielder, 32, who has 99 caps, is in a provisional 30-man squad named by coach Fabio Capello. Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, 19, has been called up for the first time since the 2006 World Cup finals.

Middlesbrough defender David Wheater, Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe and Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor are also included. While Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick and his club-mate, goalkeeper Ben Foster, miss out along with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, who has also been left out of the Under-21 squad.

Capello has picked Portsmouth veteran David James, Villa's Scott Carson and Wigan's Chris Kirkland as his three keepers, meaning there is also no place for Tottenham's Paul Robinson or West Ham's Rob Green.

Beckham was omitted from Capello's first squad, for February's 2-1 friendly win over Switzerland, along with Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard, who both return after injury.

But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was watched by Capello's assistant Franco Baldini in a friendly for LA Galaxy in Dallas at the weekend and obviously did enough to convince the Italians over his fitness.

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Brady is director of Arsenal's youth academy - but the English club have agreed to him working with Ireland.

Arsene Wenger and the Club are happy to keep him on as the Youth Director while also being able to help his home country.

"Trapattoni needs to get to know the players and I can help him with that."

Brady played under Trapattoni during his spell at Juventus in the 1980s.

The former Republic of Ireland midfielder recently travelled to Austria to meet Trapattoni.

Brady expects to formalize his role in discussions with the Football Association of Ireland in the coming days.

Brady will also work alongside Marco Tardelli who has already joined Trapattoni's Republic set-up.

One of the Brady's first tasks is likely to be attempting to convince Steve Finnan and Andy O'Brien to reverse their decisions to quit international football.

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At least Christian Schmölzer, the European Championship tournament director for Austria, will miss the Three Lions. Austria, along with Switzerland, will co-host this summer’s 16-team continental championship from June 7-29 without England, who failed to qualify.

Schmölzer was in Salzburg this week to discuss details of the tournament and this city’s plans to play host to three games involving the teams in Group D (Greece, Russia, Sweden and Spain). The matches here will be played in the stadium that is the home to Red Bull Salzburg, the 30,000-seat Wals-Siezenheim Stadium.

During an interview at a downtown hotel, Schmölzer said that he was “disappointed, yes” that England would not be participating this summer. “I believe that it is Euro that will miss out,” Schmölzer said.

“The British, whether the English or the Scots, bring something of excitement and emotion. In general they behave. Yes, they are great drinkers of beer. But really, what problems they might have with their fans are only at games in England.

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Trapattoni Hopes to Make Ireland a Better Team

The Republic of Ireland will face Colombia in a friendly at English Premier League Fulham's Craven Cottage ground on May 29, the Football Associaction of Ireland has announced.

The game will be new manager Giovanni Trapattoni's second in charge and will conclude what officials hope will be an "intensive" period of preparation in the run-up to the Republic's 2010 World Cup qualifying programme.

Trapattoni takes up his new post on May 1 after he sees out the Austrian League season with Red Bull Salzburg, currently third in the table.

The veteran Italian boss will first conduct a week-long training camp in Portugal ahead of a friendly with Serbia at Croke Park on May 24.

This will then be followed with the game in London against Colombia, who are also due to play France in Paris on June 3.

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South Korea has decided to ask FIFA to mediate in a dispute with the North over its refusal to let the South play its national anthem and raise its flag at a World Cup match in Pyongyang next month, a news report said Tuesday.

During a meeting at the North Korean border city of Kaesong, the North insisted that both Koreas use a traditional folk song and a neutral flag in the March 26 match, Yonhap news agency reported. It cited Yoo Young-chol, a spokesman at the South's Korea Football Association.
South Korean negotiators rejected the North's insistence, saying that FIFA - soccer's world governing body - stipulates national anthems and flags should be used at official international matches, Yonhap said.

Korea Football Association officials could not be immediately be reached for comment on the report.

In recent years, the two Koreas have displayed the blue and white "unification flag" and used the traditional song "Arirang" at friendly sports events as part of their efforts to foster positive feelings toward reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.

Both sides marched together under the unification flag at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The two Koreas fought a devastating three-year war that ended in 1953 in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving them technically at war. Their relations have significantly warmed since the first summit between their leaders in 2000.

The two Koreas are in the same group with Turkmenistan and Jordan in the Asian third-round qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

In opening matches last week, South Korea beat Turkmenistan 4-0 and North Korea defeated Jordan 1-0.

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The Nigerian Football Association, NFA, will name the new replacement for the head coaching job. Berti Vogts, who had quit the position after his teams disappointing display in the African Cup of Nations, earlier this month.

"We expect the board to appoint a new coach for the national team on Thursday following the recommendation of the NFA technical committee," said NFA spokesman Ademola Olajire.

Former Togo coach Stephen Keshi is the leading candidate of about a dozen coaches that are supposed to be interviewed for the job. The coahces will be interviewed by the country's technical comittee led by the NFA Board Member Taiwo Ogunjobi.

The other shortlisted candidates include former national team coach Shuaibu Amodu as well as former internationals Austin Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh and Daniel Amokachi.

Vogts quit as national team coach even though his contract ran through until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after the Super Eagles were knocked out of the 2008 Nations Cup in the quarter-finals by hosts Ghana earlier this month.

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Fabio Capello has been warning England's players that they need to adapt to his demands on tactics if they want to succeed as a national side.

Capello has been trying to impose his philosophy on the England players and was pleased somewhat with how the players responded in the match with Switzerland.

Capello believes that more discipline and better movement with and without the ball can increase their effectivness by twenty percent.

"English players are tactically fine, they know how to move tactically. But every coach has his own ideas and characteristics," Capello said.

"Disciplined on the pitch, with good movement as a team, and at the same time capable of stressing the qualities and abilities of each individual player.

"The England players will have to do what I ask of them. Against Switzerland what I asked over three days in terms of team movement and schemes was performed at 80 percent.

"I had seen most of them in action before, but watching them on TV doesn't allow you to appraise them off the ball. You can only verify their tactical level from the pitch."

Next up for the Italian and English National side is next month when they visit the French. He is already speaking English well enough to communicate with them, but wants and hopes to be fluent by the end of next month, even if some of the regional accents are proving impossible for him to understand.

"It is fundamental to speak the language, particularly before kick-off and during the interval, for tactical plans and psychological support. The latter can be more important at times than the former," Capello said.

"But I'm happy with my language progress. The only difficulty, when I tour Premier League matches, is that different people in different accents talk to me, and in some instances I can hardly understand a word!"

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Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is being held under the Mental Health Act, a police source said on Thursday.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United player, widely known as Gazza, was detained at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, on Wednesday evening.

Nobody was injured and there was no violence and no damage to the hotel.

"A 40-year-old man has been detained," a spokesman for Northumbria Police said.

"We had received a report of concern for a 40-year-old man staying at the hotel. The man was detained under the Mental Health Act."

A spokeswoman for Hilton Hotels said Gascoigne had been at the hotel for only a day.

She said there was no trouble before police arrived.

'He had only been staying with us for one night. He checked in on Wednesday morning,' she said. 'The call actually came in from the police so it was not from the Hilton.

'From our end the police call came in and we were obviously happy to help but there was nothing that happened at the hotel to make us think that there was anything wrong and once the police arrived that evening, he was escorted peacefully away.'

She added: 'It's a very sensitive situation.'

No members of staff at the hotel were available to comment. Gascoigne's last direct involvement in football was as manager of minor League club Kettering Town, a job he left in 2005.

He was capped 57 times by England between 1988 and 1998 scoring 10 goals, and made international headlines during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy.

Famously bursting into tears after receiving a yellow card in England's semi-final against West Germany, which would have seen him suspended for the final if England had qualified, he became a household name and 'Gazzamania" was born.

He had already been identified as the most naturally gifted player of his generation, but hopes that his early promise would be fulfilled were seriously compromised playing for Spurs in the 1991 FA Cup final against Nottingham Forest.

Early in the match at Wembley Gascoigne made a reckless challenge on Gary Charles and seriously damaged his knee, delaying a move to Lazio in Italy for more than a year.

His Lazio career was also marred by injuries and inconsistent form and although he continued playing for England until 1998 and at the top level with Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough, he never quite reached the heights he displayed as a youngster with Newcastle and Spurs.

His final ports of call as a player were with Chinese second division side Gansu Tianma before a brief reprise back in England with lowly Boston United.

Another short spell as manager of Kettering ended amid allegations that he had been drinking while at work.

Gascoigne has made tabloid headlines throughout the years for trouble off the field which he detailed in his 2004 biography "Gazza: My Story" including admissions of beating his wife Sheryl and other personal problems.

Ex-England manager Bobby Robson once endearingly referred to Gascoigne "being as daft as a brush" and while some of his antics were light-hearted pranks, a more troubled side to his character has always lurked in the background.

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Courtesy of soccerway.com

Chinese fans spared Japan but turned on their own team instead as the hosts went down 1-0 in the East Asian championships here on Wednesday.

Ear-splitting boos erupted in the final minutes and plastic bottles rained down on the pitch as Koji Yamase's early strike proved decisive for Asia's top team.

Local fans, who traditionally give the former colonial power a rough ride, remained unexpectedly quiet during Japan's national anthem and cut out the loud booing that marred their win over North Korea.

Perhaps it had something to do with newspaper articles in local press saying true football fans respect their opponents.

However tempers boiled over towards the end as the crowd chanted "fire him" at China Football Association chief Xie Yalong.

"I knew it would be a tough game but my players fought calmly," said Japan coach Takeshi Okada, whose squad missed Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura and three key strikers including former Frankfurt player Naohiro Takahara because of poor form or injury.

"They fought patiently and produced a result," Okada added.

China's under-pressure Serbian coach Vladimir Petrovic praised his whole squad, including six under-23 players, for "performing aggressively."

"We were a little bit unlucky," he said. "The most important thing is our next World Cup qualifier against Australia (on March 26). I think we will never make the same mistake."

Japan have not lost to China in the past 10 years, and the record rarely looked in danger when Yamase scored from close-range on 17 minutes after Michihiro Yasuda's cross.

However Wang Dong's 25-yard strike cannoned off the right post and Japan lived dangerously in a goalmouth scramble. On 36 minutes, Li Jian miscued a promising header and Du Zhenyu also came close with a floated free-kick.

But Japan were within inches of doubling their lead as Yasuhito Endo's free-kick hit the post before half-time. The midfielder arrowed another dead-ball against the woodwork after the break.

Yamase, who scored twice in last month's friendly against Bosnia, squandered another chance on the hour-mark when he found himself one-on-one with Chinese 'keeper Zong Lei.

Naotake Hanyu also missed an easy chance moments later, and Yuzo Tashiro netted in the closing stages but it was flagged off for offside. Tashiro weaved through the Chinese defence but shot over in injury time, as Chinese fans began to get restless.

China have endured tough times since reaching their only World Cup finals in 2002 and finishing second in the 2004 Asian Cup, a slump highlighted by their first-round exit from last year's edition of the regional showpiece.

Anti-Japanese feeling reached a head after the 2004 final, when thousands of angry fans demonstrated against the visitors.

North Korea and South Korea were to clash later Wednesday in the four-nation round robin.

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CBS’ Sixty Minutes did a story yesterday on the happiest country on earth, and the winner was Denmark. Most people probably thought, as I did a place like Fiji, the Bahamas or another getaway island or sunny place would win. Yet, it was explained and it made sense that the modest living and modest expectations allow for more happiness in their lives.

One of the examples they used was the triumph of the 1992 Denmark football team winning the Euro’s. One expert explained that the country still probably hasn’t fully recovered from the euphoria because of its modest expectations. The team hadn’t even qualified for the Euro’s, yet tensions and problems in Eastern Europe slotted the Danes in the tournament. With such low expectations, after not even qualifying, they were able to play without fear of disappointment, and win the Euro’s.

In stark contrast, think about the almost unfair expectations that the English put on their players and coaches. The best comparison was when the English played the Danes in a warm up match for the World Cup qualifiers later rounds. The English were amazed that a team like Denmark could beat them, and beat them badly in Denmark. Yet, the more amazed of the fans were the Danes in Copenhagen, and were so happy, that they missed out on qualifying for the World Cup.

Yet, with all of the highs and lows that the Danish people have endured, they keep themselves on an even keel and the modest expectations and living help them stay happy.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Courtesy of Soccerway.com

Japan have vowed to ignore the hostile crowd expected at their crunch match against China at the East Asian championship on Wednesday.

Japan are steeling themselves after Chinese spectators persistently booed and jeered the former three-time Asian champions when they beat North Korea in their opener on Sunday in the four-nation round robin.

"The booing won't change our play although it may possibly influence referee decisions in many ways," said Japan coach Takeshi Okada.

"In that sense, it will give us a great experience ahead of our away (World Cup) battles," he said.

The Blue Samurai received a similar reception at the 2004 Asian Cup when Chinese spectators jeered while the Japanese national anthem was played.

They also hurled paper cups and plastic bottles at Japanese supporters during matches.

Japan went on to beat China in the final in Beijing for their third continental title, sparking a near riot, with a Japanese diplomat's car vandalised at the venue.

It was a time when Japan and China were at the height of a territorial row over East China Sea islets, as well as simmering antipathy dating to Japan's World War II aggression in China and other Asian nations.

"We'd better stay calm going into the game," said Yasuhito Endo, Japan's key midfielder in the absence of Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura.

"I have seen worse booing from J-League supporters at Urawa, Niigata and such," said Endo who plays for Gamba Osaka in the J-League.

"In any case, we must win tomorrow to keep our title hope alive."

Japan's veteran goalkeeper and former Portsmouth reserve Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi said the key would be to attack first.

"Although our opponents are playing at home, we can make them panic if we make the first move in attacking," he said. "We must put pressure upfront and dominate the opponents. We must focus from the very start."

China are also determined to win after losing to South Korea 3-2 in their opener. The two Koreas will also clash here on Wednesday in a rare encounter ahead of their World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang on March 26.

China coach Vladimir Petrovic played down the importance of his team's match, saying he expected the atmosphere to be less tense than at bigger tournaments or in a World Cup qualifying round.

"It's just like a friendly match. It's not for some big cup or for qualification," the Serb said late Tuesday.

"I think it will be a beautiful match for supporters and television audience."

He noted however the historical significance of the match.

"It will be a very, very big match because we have not won any match against Japan in the last 10 years," he said.

In their last encounter, China drew 2-2 with Japan also in the East Asian championship in South Korea when they won the title.

"We respect Japanese football for that," he said.

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Courtesy of the LA Times

Mexico national and Olympic team Coach Hugo Sanchez has selected 25 players from a dozen Mexican league clubs for a two-game swing through California and Texas as preparation for the regional qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics.

Mexico's under-23 squad, led by national team goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa of Club America and also featuring forward Luis Angel Landin of Morelia, will play Australia on March 2 at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum and Finland on March 6 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

Also prominent on Sanchez's roster are midfielders Patricio Araujo, of Chivas de Guadalajara, who captained Mexico to the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in 2005 and later was captain of the under-20 national team, and Cesar Villaluz of Cruz Azul.

The CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament is being held in Carson, Tampa, Fla., and Nashville, with Mexico scheduled to play first-round games against Canada, Guatemala and Haiti at the Home Depot Center on March 12, 14 and 16, respectively.

Mexico's other Olympic hopefuls -- Coach Leonardo Cuellar's women's national team -- will arrive in Los Angeles this week and will play the NCAA champion USC women's team at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Coliseum.

Cuellar's squad is preparing for the CONCACAF women's Olympic qualifying tournament to be played in Juarez, Mexico, April 2-13. Mexico, along with Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S., will be competing for two places in Beijing.

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It's the Brazilans against the Czech Republic apparently, but with Brailian made cars and Japanese cars made in the Czech Rupublic. Here's the funny video above.

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The Corrupt Jack Warner

Courtesy of espn.com

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner believes the 'time has come' for England to host another World Cup.
Warner had initially said he was against FIFA's decision to change the rotation rules which would enable Europe to host the tournament in 2018.

The 65-year-old had also been previously claimed England would be unlikely to win the race to stage the showpiece in 10 years' time.

But Warner, who is also president of the CONCACAF executive committee, has now come out and said England deserve to host the tournament having lost out to Germany in 2006.

'It is England's time. The fact is they invented this sport. They last held the World Cup 42 years ago,' Warner told Sky Sports News.

'That is almost two to three generations. There are guys in England who have never seen a World Cup on English soil. I am saying that the time has come for England to come into its own.

'They have a lot of things in place and CONCACAF is one of the the strongest supporters of England.'

Warner, who had been quoted as saying England were an 'irritant' disliked by the rest of Europe, reaffirmed his feeling that the country are not very popular within UEFA.

'I was critical of The FA (in the past). There seems to be some kind of situation where England was marginalised,' Warner said.

'If England's time (to host the World Cup) is 2018, I would be happy for them.

'But the feeling in Europe from time to time that this view (of supporting England) is not a collective view held behind closed doors.'

Warner also expressed his desire for a friendly between England and Trinidad and Tobago football in the summer.

The two countries last met in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup.

Warner added: 'We have agreed to hold discussions which is positive but we shall wait and see if we can sort something out.'

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Giovanni Trapattoni is the New Ireland Coach

The Italian style and influence on world football is now becoming very prevalent. Fabio Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni have both been named managers for the England and Ireland jobs. This marks a change in the philosophy of football, which for many years had been “total football”, the Dutch way of playing football.

Fabio Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni are two rather well traveled football managers that have had success at almost every place they have managed. They’re style of play is very Italian, and love to promote the Azzuri style of football, not normally used in England or Ireland. Capello and Trapattoni both like to use a strong defense along with either one or even two holding midfielders. Controlling the ball and commanding the center of the midfield is the most important part. This influence of the Italian way of football mirrors the same way the Dutch football influenced soccer for many years.

After the great run of the Dutch sides during the 70’s and 80’s, many other national and club sides elected to run the “total football” system. More recently, Guss Hiddink took a South Korean side to the semi-finals of the World Cup, using the same system, a country without a great footballing history. This success displayed that the Dutch system is still very relevant. But after the Italians won the World Cup, it has been an Italian onslaught, and the influence has truly been potent already.

It will be interesting to see how effective the Italian revolution will be both in England and Ireland. If the test proves to be a success, the Azzuri style of football will only grow in the world, and probably become as dominant as the famous “total football” system.

By: Christopher Chantland

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Landon Donavon Will Be Playing
his Galaxy Teammate David Beckham

Well there are reports out today that the United States Men’s National Team will be going to Wembley Stadium in late May for a friendly against our Colonial Cousin's. This is a perfect situation for everyone involved in either Association of soccer, especially those two teammates on the LA Galaxy.

Firstly, this is a big test for the United States. Yes, England didn’t qualify for EURO 2008, but it’s hard to dismiss that their top squad of players are not world class. As well, this is a big test in a very nasty environment on European soil to get the nerves out before they play against Spain. As well, the dynamic of playing our colonial cousin’s, on their soil, has to be salivating to anyone reading this.

Secondly, this is the chance Fabio Capello to start David Beckham and give him his century of caps for his country. It’s the perfect situation, Becks playing against some of the players he plays against in the MLS as well as his own teammate Landon Donovan. Landon has seemed to be lacking an influence on the past few International matches, but with Becks on the pitch, you know Landon will want to put in a great performance. The dynamic will be quite interesting, especially because no one person knows how good or stable the relationship between the “poster boy” of American soccer and the “poster boy” for the entire game of soccer, really is.

What are your thoughts on this tasty fixture?

By: Christopher Chantland

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GOALKEEPERS: Guillermo Ochoa (Club América), Luís Ernesto Michel (CD Guadalajara), Moisés Muñoz (Morelia)

DEFENDERS: Rafael Márquez (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven / HOL), Johnny Magallón (CD Guadalajara), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Oscar Rojas (América)

MIDFIELDERS: Pavel Pardo (VFB Stuttgart / GER), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Francisco Arce (Santos Laguna), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo la Coruna / SPA), Antonio Naelson (Toluca)

FORWARDS: Giovani Dos Santos (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Vela (Osasuna), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Adolfo Bautista (Jaguares de Chiapas), Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor / TUR)

Bob Bradley has yet to announce his US squad, although I doubt and hope that it will not be the strongest side. He should pick a fairly youthful and non-European based players that should be prepared for the future of the National Team.

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Gold Cup Champions and Win over Mexico: 41.67%
David Beckham’s Arrival: 25%
Under 20’s Team Success: 16.67%
Houston Dynamo’s Repeat: 8.33%
Other: 8.33%

Well the results are in and the majority of the voters believed that the United States success in the Gold Cup was the most memorable moment. Of course, beating Mexico is always wonderful and doing it to win silverware is even better!

Benny's Midas Touch

Beckham’s arrival in the United States, although not prolific, was very effective in providing a platform for soccer to build in the United States. While the US Under-20 world cup displayed that the United States possesses talent to build with in the near future.

By: Christopher Chantland

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The world's worst kept secret is now totally out in the open. Fabio Capello will be the next England manager with a four and a half year contract and an option to quit after 2010. So, he can take the team to World Cup victory in South Africa and then say arriverderci.

A great choice. Not Jose Mourinho but a manager with a more than impressive CV. We can easily discuss the league titles at Juventus, Real Madrid etc. but let's not forget he took Roma to its first scudetto in 18 years in 2001. His leadership of AC Milan when they absolutely thrashed Barcelona in the 1994 European Cup should also be highlighted. Remember the European Cup? The pinnacle of achievement for any European club prior to some of the nonsense that is today's Champions' League tournament.

The predictable moans about him not being English have emerged. Tony Adams, Gareth Southgate, Paul Ince and others. I understand the frustration but Paul Ince really takes the biscuit. He actually says there are plenty of English managers with similar records to Capello. Really? Exactly where? He also lambasted the fact that the FA had to go to "Europe" to find the new coach. Where does he think England and the UK are? Asia? Great player, up and coming manager but a little short on the open-mindedness.

The backroom staff will be interesting. Capello looks to be bringing a number of Italian support that he trusts. I would love to see Stuart Pearce in there for the English contingent. A hero for England, a progressive coach and a possible future England manager. David Platt, managerial experience aside, would also be a key asset given his experience of playing in Italy for three years. Former Chelsea superstar Gianfranco Zola would also be a great appointment. Nobody seems to mention Zola's former teammate Gianluca Vialli but his extensive knowledge of both the Italian and English games would be more than useful.

But we have a manager installed who gives us hope. Maybe not the messianic hope of Mourinho but a superb manager who will take no BS from the players and whose record is so impressive. It's time to get behind him 100 per cent.

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It has been reported that Jose Mourinho has been talking with the FA about the England job. The FA has been hesitant because of Mourinho's ego and mind games. Well today, the "Special One", as he has named himself, stated the quote of the year.

Jose, The Brilliant One

While being asked about his status for the England job, he was quoted saying, "As long as I don't have to pick Shevchenko, Count me in". Bloody brilliant! I laughed so hard, I almost cried. Imagining Jose, with his suave, Portuguese accent, taking a piss at Roman Abromavich, while in the proccess of interviewing for the England post. No longer will Jose be known as the "Special One", but as the "Brilliant One".

By: Christopher Chantland

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By the 2010/11 season, FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants to limit teams to six foreign players. Blatter's reasoning behind this? Apparently, the fact that clubs are fielding teams with no national players is stifling homegrown talent.

While many agree with the idea behind the plan, including UEFA's Michel Platini, it will be close to impossible for FIFA to enforce it in Europe, as the European Union allows for free labor movement.

While FIFA governs 208 associations, this idea to limit foreigners could very well work in other confederations, just not with the 29 EU members.

What do you think? Should FIFA ban the number of foreigners playing on a team or should they let clubs field the best team possible?

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