Intl Friendlies - England Vs Brazil - 1 June

last SG · 2007-06-02T13:38:30+00:00

nevertheless, lampard should have been dropped long ago, ever since at the int'l stage where he fired 28 shots but none found the net. so much for a brillian...

zocoss SG

Intl Friendlies England Vs Brazil - Friday, 01 June 2007

vs

England Vs Brazil

Ch 24 - 3am - (Live) (Sat Morning)

Goalkeepers: Robinson (Tottenham), Carson (Liverpool), Green (West Ham)

Defenders: P Neville (Everton), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Terry (Chelsea), Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), Dawson (Tottenham), King (Tottenham), Shorey (Reading)

Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Gerrard (Liverpool), Jenas (Tottenham), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Bentley (Blackburn), Carrick (Man Utd), Lampard (Chelsea), Downing (Middlesbrough), Dyer (Newcastle)

Forwards: Crouch (Liverpool), Owen (Newcastle), Smith (Man Utd), Defoe (Tottenham).

Goalkeepers: Doni (AS Roma), Helton (Porto)

Defenders: Alex Rodrigo (PSV Eindhoven), Daniel Alves (Sevilla), Gilberto (Hertha Berlin), Juan (Bayer Leverkusen), Maicon (Inter Milan), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Naldo (Werder Bremen), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo)

Midfielders: Diego (Werder Bremen), Edmilson (Barcelona), Kaka (AC Milan), Elano (Shakhtar Donetsk), Gilberto Silva (Arsenal), Josue (Sao Paulo), Mineiro (Hertha Berlin),

Forwards: Afonso Alves (Heerenveen), Jo (CSKA Moscow), Robinho (Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Barcelona), Vagner Love (CSKA Moscow)

Trump_Card SG

My predictions :
Eng 1 - 1 Bra

LazerLordz SG

England 1 Brazil 4.

798 SG

knn! why do they call up beckscum n gonecase owen?
they really dun deserve to be in the squad!

Slipshade SG

Brazil will knock England's teeth off.

Go Kaka go! Very Happy

a-Lost-9uY SG

is this e 1st match at e new stadium for England team A

used SG

how come soo early in the morning??

so who will be the captaiin??

798 SG

if Crouch is not in the starting-lineup, i hope Brazil to ass kick England! Twisted Evil

a-Lost-9uY SG

if nt wrong, its Terry

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

England sweat over injury to Ferdinand

Carragher likely to step in against Brazil and Estonia
Beckham plays wide on right in practice game

Rio Ferdinand has suffered a recurrence of the groin injury that flared up towards the end of last season. The fresh injury problem threatens to upset Steve McClaren's plans for England's critical Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia and Friday's Wembley friendly against Brazil.
The Manchester United defender is waiting on a scan to explore the extent of the damage but the player fears he will not be available to travel to Estonia for the must-win match on June 6. In a 10-a-side game during England training at Arsenal's London Colney centre yesterday, the £30m centre-half's place was taken by Jamie Carragher.

The Liverpool vice-captain looks set to partner the England captain, John Terry, against Brazil, a fixture that seems too soon for Ferdinand.
With Middlesbrough's Jonathan Woodgate having required cartilage surgery after the end of the Premiership season, Ferdinand's problem explains why McClaren was so anxious to name the Tottenham Hotspur centre-halves Ledley King and Michael Dawson in his 26-man squad. Neither trained yesterday and were said to be warming down at the team hotel but both impressed during England B's 3-1 win over Albania last week and are expected to be available for selection this Friday.

Even so, the defensive problems come at the wrong time for McClaren, since England's Euro 2008 qualification hopes rest on a knife edge - after six games they lie fourth in Group E. However, the England manager may draw confidence from the fact that Estonia have yet to score in the five matches they have played during the campaign, all of which ended in defeat.

There were other clues about how McClaren might set up his side in the forthcoming international fixtures. With Chelsea's Ashley Cole recovering from surgery on an ankle injury, the Reading player Nicky Shorey appears set to win a first full cap at left-back as he featured in England's "A" line-up in training yesterday.

Shorey was another who won plaudits for his performance in the England B win last week, but is unlikely he will displace Chelsea's Wayne Bridge from the starting line-up and is expected to play only as a substitute.

Up front were Manchester United's Alan Smith and Newcastle United's Michael Owen, who formed the forward line against Albania at Turf Moor. The former, who was a goal scorer last Friday, may not survive into the final reckoning, however, since Peter Crouch is favoured to start against Brazil. The Liverpool striker was rested from yesterday's training session following his club's run to the Champions League final.

David Beckham returned to his first training session of the McClaren era on the right of a familiar-looking midfield alongside Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. Beckham, who has stated that he expects to prolong his England career despite his commitment to quit Europe for LA Galaxy in July, showed he harbours no ill feeling towards the man who limited his international opportunities. His first pass of the training session was to McClaren.

In a sign that Beckham's profile continues to predominate - which was a factor in his omission from McClaren's previous England squads - Real Madrid have been forced to cancel their £15m summer tour of the United States because the Americans are not prepared to watch a side that does not include David Beckham.

Madrid tried to cash in on Beckham while they could by squeezing in a postseason US tour before the Englishman's Bernabéu contract expires, rather than organising their normal pre-season tour in August. They planned to depart for Israel and the US immediately after the close of the domestic season on June 17, but those plans have been scrapped because Beckham is unwilling to play ball.

Having cancelled their US tour, Madrid had hoped that even though Beckham refused to join the squad in the States he would play against a combined Israeli- Palestinian team in Tel Aviv on June 19, only to be told that he will not travel to the Middle East either.

Although Beckham's Real Madrid contract does not expire until June 31, he has a holiday planned at the end of the season before flying to the US to join up with new club LA Galaxy in mid-July. And, still irritated by Madrid's failure to consult the players over the tour and the club's petulant reaction to his decision to leave for the MLS, he is not prepared to alter his plans.

CKeer SG

England 0-3 Brazil. Laughing

Cheers.
CK

lpx88 SG

Brazil 3 England 1

Airbus330Captain SG

As long as McClown is still in charge of the team, I can see England losing comprehensively.

Nadare SG

draw Question

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

CAPTAIN 'FANTASTIC' JOHN STILL IN CHARGE

JOHN TERRY will captain England against Brazil and Estonia despite the return of David Beckham.

Coach Steve McClaren said: "John remains captain. He's a fantastic captain. David is one of the players in the squad. John is the captain."

Michael Owen, Joe Cole and Alan Smith return and McClaren said: "Owen feels like a new signing, Alan Smith and Joe Cole too. It's a lift for everybody and I'm excited by this squad coming together."

Advertisement
There were also call-ups for Reading left-back Nicky Shorey and Blackburn midfielder David Bentley, who shone for England B against Albania on Friday.

SQUAD: Robinson (Tottenham), Carson (Liverpool), Robert Green (W Ham).

P Neville (Everton), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Terry (Chelsea, capt), Bridge (Chelsea), Brown (Man Utd), Carragher (Liverpool), Dawson (Tottenham), King (Tottenham), Nicky Shorey (Reading).

Beckham (Real Madrid), Gerrard (Liverpool), Jenas (Tottenham), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Bentley (Blackburn), Carrick (Man Utd), Lampard (Chelsea), Downing (Middlesbrough), Dyer (Newcastle).

Crouch (Liverpool), Owen (Newcastle), Smith (Man Utd), Defoe (Tottenham).

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

DON'T DITCH LAMPS

PATRICK VIEIRA believes England coach Steve McClaren should take French lessons if he is to get the best out of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

The debate over whether Liverpool captain Gerrard and Chelsea star Lampard can bring the best out of each other continues to rage ahead of Friday's Wembley friendly with Brazil and the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia five days later.

McClaren seemed to make a significant decision when he returned Gerrard to his favoured central midfield berth for the clash with Andorra in Barcelona in March after deciding to allow Lampard to rest an injury - and was rewarded with two goals in a 3-0 victory.

Advertisement
But World Cup winner Vieira insists the way forward for England is to persevere with the partnership - just as France once did with Zinedine Zidane and Youri Djorkaeff.

Vieira said: "I remember there was once a big argument in France about whether Zidane and Djorkaeff could play together, just as there is now in England over Gerrard and Lampard. People said they couldn't work together. But the coach, Aime Jacquet, knew what he was doing.

"Jacquet refused to listen to all the arguments and what happened? Both Zidane and Djorkaeff played and France won the World Cup.

"I've heard all the talk about whether Gerrard and Lampard can play in the same team and I refuse to accept it.

"When the national team is not doing well, people look to find excuses. England have not done so well, so the excuse everyone uses is about Gerrard and Lampard.

"I believe good players can always play in a team together. They just need to find the right stage. The team needs to be set up so both of them can show their best form - and that is something for the coach to do."

Vieira also refuses to accept claims that England underachieve because the players do not care passionately enough about their country.

Inter Milan's former Arsenal midfielder feels club will always come before country when it comes to playing friendlies.

But with England's hopes of qualifying for next year's finals in Switzerland and Austria in the balance, Vieira added: "I do not believe players have little interest in international football.

"There are so many club games for top players that perhaps it is difficult to get fully motivated for friendly games because you would rather think about your national league, the cups and the Champions League.

"But I still believe that playing in the World Cup or the European Championship is something that can never be beaten.

"These tournaments are special because they only come around every four years.

"The excitement of winning a World Cup or European title for your country is impossible to beat in football."

The man who was death SG

brazil 3 eng nil Very Happy

omgukilledkenny SG

brazil 2 england 1

Very Happy

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

Double injury blow for England

Rio Ferdinand and Michael Dawson have both pulled out of the England squad for the games with Brazil and Estonia.

The defensive pair are struggling with groin problems and they have been ruled out of Steve McClaren's plans.

Manchester United ace Ferdinand missed training on Monday and Tottenham defender Dawson suffered the groin injury during last Friday's B international with Albania.

In the absence of Ferdinand and Dawson, Jamie Carragher is likely to start in central defence alongside John Terry.

The duo join Aaron Lennon in withdrawing from the original squad for both games.

England take on Brazil at Wembley on Friday before travelling to Tallinn for the Euro 2008 qualifier on 6th June.

zocoss SG

OWEN: BECKHAM RECALL A NO-BRAINER

Michael Owen has backed David Beckham's England recall. International team-mates for almost a decade, Owen and Beckham have been reunited again for Friday's friendly with Brazil at Wembley. It is the first time either man will have figured for England since last summer's World Cup.

While Owen's absence has been totally due to the cruciate ligament injury he picked up against Sweden in the third game of the ill-starred campaign, Beckham has been frozen out by McClaren, who wanted to change direction after succeeding Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach.

However, just like Fabio Capello at Real Madrid, McClaren has found he cannot do without the former captain. And, from a position where his career seemed to be ebbing away, Beckham is suddenly a central figure, both in Real's Primera Liga title drive and England's bid to reach the European Championships. "You have to give David great credit for getting back into the Real Madrid side first of all," said Newcastle striker Owen, who spent a year alongside Beckham at the Bernabeu before quitting Spain for Newcastle in August 2005.

"He was not around the Madrid team for a couple of the months during the season and the manager said he might not play for the club again. "But he has come back and produced some fantastic performances in recent weeks and been in great form. He certainly deserves his recall to the England squad."

The joint returns of Owen and Beckham offer an element of back to the future for England at the start of a week which will determine whether McClaren actually has one. Owen has had to suffer in silence as England's woeful qualifying campaign unfolded, culminating in the fearful abuse McClaren suffered at the hands of his own fans in Barcelona as his team struggled to overcome the part-timers of Andorra in March.

"I felt for Steve and the players that night," said Owen. "It was almost an accumulation of things. A lot of people went into the game frustrated because we had not played too well in the games leading up to that. "Everyone was poised really to let their frustrations go and, with things not going as planned on the night, tempers started to fray."

The experience could certainly be viewed as a good one to miss. Owen takes the alternative opinion, claiming he was desperate to be involved because he felt he could have made a difference. His theory will be put to the test against the most glamorous opposition possible on Friday in a match which represents England's first game at their magnificent new home.

No-one could have envisaged a meeting with Brazil would become a mere side-show in comparison with Wednesday's trip to Estonia. Having dropped points against Macedonia, Croatia and Israel already, and with an autumn double-header with Russia still to come, England have little margin for error already. Against a side without a goal or a point in Group E so far, a further slip-up is unthinkable.

"It has not quite happened for us in a couple of games so far but we are still in a position where we can qualify," said Owen. "We have got plenty of home games to come and if we can win in Estonia, things will look a lot rosier for us." England's preparations for their Tallinn expedition have hardly been helped by a catalogue of injuries which have ravaged their defence and left them short of strikers to partner Owen.

The indications are Alan Smith will be handed the job against Estonia, with Owen asked to plough a lone furrow on Friday night. And, when he looks around the England dressing room, even with so many men missing, Owen is confident about putting on a show against Brazil, then beating Estonia.

"The two games are going to be totally different," he said. "Brazil are fantastic opponents and you could have no-one better to play against in the opening game at Wembley. "But, if someone said we were going to lose tomorrow and win on Wednesday, I would take that right now.

"In Tallinn, we will experience a hostile atmosphere against a team that will not just pull 11 men behind the ball, but 11 men into their final third. "If you don't score early in matches like that, everyone can get a bit twitchy. "But the fact is their players are not as good as ours. If we can get the first goal, I am sure we will have a good night."