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10 Things We Learned From The Midweek Internationals
A busy week for the international game brought plenty of talking points...
Feb 10, 2011 2:30:00 PM
By Peter Staunton
Christian Eriksen surpasses Jack Wilshere
Occasionally there can be a tendency to overburden a young player with unrealistic expectations early in a promising career, and the prospects of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere have been discussed at length for the best part of two years, for better or worse. No doubt, he is a capable, diligent footballer and deservedly was handed a start for his national team last night. In places, the 19-year-old was found wanting, particularly in the defensive aspects of his game, but the hype machine may have already taken hold. Is he really the player to lead England over the next decade? Probably not, but he could perform a key function within any decent team. However, there is something special about his younger adversary, Christian Eriksen. In direct competition with Wilshere last night, Eriksen showed that he is arguably the brighter prospect. Capable of finding space in which to work and gaps in which to thread passes, the Ajax graduate has a playmaking maturity beyond his years. Eriksen is not the cynosure of considerable press intrusion in the Netherlands and his development at both club and international level is progressing nicely.
Colombia can be the dark horses for Copa America 2011
Los Cafeteros began 2011 with a defeat to World Cup winners Spain but the result belies the performance given by Hernan Dario Gomez's side. The lacklustre Spanish had to endure until the 87th minute before David Silva netted the winner but, in truth, the game was anything but a formality to that point. The visitors to the Bernabeu were compact in defence and showed tactical dexterity, adjusting their system throughout the encounter. And on another day, the chances that fell to Hugo Rodallega and Pablo Armero could have been taken. Nonetheless, the game serves as useful preparation for the Copa America on Argentinian soil, a tournament in which Colombia meet the hosts. Gomez has some outstanding individuals at his disposal, among them Giovanni Moreno and Armero, and a system which benefits the pace possessed on the flanks. If the Colombians can negotiate their way to an opening win over Japan in the summer, then they could go deep in the competition.
More positives for France and Laurent Blanc
Setting aside the travesty that was the Stade de France surface, there are plenty of positives to be gleaned from les Bleus' deserved and measured victory over Brazil. It is now five straight victories for Laurent Blanc. During that sequence his team have conceded only once. A formidable central defensive partnership has been forged between Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes, two players who could not garner much game time under Raymond Domenech. Indeed, it is the Domenech cast-offs who are excelling for Blanc. Jeremy Menez and Karim Benzema were threatening and lively for the hosts while Samir Nasri was excellent in the preceding games. French football hit its lowest ebb during the World Cup but it has not taken Blanc long to re-establish the credentials of the 1998 World Cup winners.
Lionel Messi outshines Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country
The week was dominated by the circus that has become the Messi v Ronaldo debate. Sergio Ramos, Sergio Batista and Dani Alves have all had their say on the duel between the world's two best players. And at the conclusion of the week's most glamorous glamour friendly, it was Messi and Argentina who came out on top over Ronaldo and Portugal. The new coach Batista has found the role for la Pulga that eluded Diego Maradona. As the player himself noted, he is featuring for the national team in a role similar to that at Barcelona. It is paying handsome dividends for the South Americans. Messi has gripped the responsibility entrusted to him, delivering the winner against Brazil and an assist and the clincher against the Portuguese.
Joachim Loew still hasn't found what he's looking for
Before the World Cup the German trainer had to convince a nascent team that they could compete in South Africa and go deep. The likes of Thomas Mueller and Mesut Oezil had barely 10 caps between them and, thanks in part to the Nationalmannschaft's success in Africa, they are now household names. Now that Germany are again seen as one of the strongest teams, third in the latest FIFA World Ranking, comes a new set of problems for Loew. While some of his players are set for a decade with the national team, there are significant tweaks to be carried out. Arguably, Loew still needs two of his back four to be settled upon. Dennis Aogo was decent at left-back but no more exceptional than Jerome Boateng has been. Per Mertesacker remains a favourite, despite his obvious limitations, and the berth next door to him is still up for grabs. Unfortunately, neither Holger Badtuber nor Mats Hummels proved themselves capable of taking it. The Bayern defender Badstuber remains ponderous, even if his distribution is top notch, while Dortmund's Hummels found the going extremely tough, being at fault for Italy's goal. The latter is one of the Bundesliga's most promising defenders and will get better with experience but Italy again exposed a chink in the armour.
There is no such thing as a 'friendly' for Mano Menezes' Brazil
Only Julio Cesar, Daniel Alves and Robinho survived the transition from the World Cup quarter-finals to Meno Menezes' starting XI against France last night. The other eight starters had about 40 caps between them before the game kicked off. The former Corinthians coach Menezes has sparked a fierce competition for places among Brazil's front-line players and established campaigners like Lucio and Maicon must wonder whether or not they are going to have their starting berths handed back. The tenacity and vigour of the Brazil team was apparent - all too apparent in the case of Hernanes, who was sent off for a desperate lunge at Karim Benzema. Brazil have taken all their matches under Menezes very seriously. France breached Menezes' Brazil for the first time and delivered the coach his first defeat. Each game is an audition for his eager charges; the sight of Lucas berating the referee Wolfgang Stark at the final whistle went to show just how seriously this Brazil team are taking 'meaningless' fixtures.
Russia's on-field woes outweigh their off-field machinations
What lessons could Dick Advocaat have learned for his Euro 2012 qualification campaign from this utterly abject game in Abu Dhabi against Iran? Not a lot. It was as despondent a performance as you are likely to see from a group of professionals. Next month's friendly with Qatar is hardly going to keep the squad on its toes either. Advocaat's side are still devoid of ideas, the tactics muddled and, despite playing together at club level, the goalkeeper and three of the back four continue to look like strangers to each other. There were certainly political and financial undertones to the scheduling of this game but we are none the wiser regarding Russia's standing as a team. Their qualification process has been sticky to this point and they would have been better off, football wise, with a game against a European rival. Massive improvement is needed within the ranks and the coach needs to find a way to maximise the contributions of Andrey Arshavin and find a consistent berth for Alan Dzagoev. But there is an amount of mutual back scratching to be done on the part of the RFU.
Klaas Jan Huntelaar's identity crisis shows no sign of abating
It has been nearly 1,000 minutes since Huntelaar found the target in the Bundesliga for Schalke but he continues to rack up the strikes for the Netherlands. He has now scored in each of his last six matches for the national team. Last night, against Austria, Huntelaar delivered another expert performance for a depleted Dutch team. He scored once and provided an assist as Bert van Marwijk's experimental side emerged victorious. The schizophrenia apparent in Huntelaar's game is a conundrum for his club coach, Felix Magath, who has watched his €14m signing go from one of the league's best signings to a rather expensive looking white elephant in a matter of months. The atmosphere around Gelsenkirchen, the multitude of signings and the underwhelming results may not be conducive to vibrant attacking play so Huntelaar must relish being out of the firing line when on duty for the Oranje. Do not let his league troubles fool you, Huntelaar is still among the best forwards in Europe.
There are legitimate concerns for the international career of Michael Essien
Have we been subjected to the most low-key international retirement the game has ever known? Michael Essien has not featured for Ghana in their last two major international tournaments and is not currently a consideration for national team duty. Senior players like Richard Kingson and the FA vice-president Fred Pappoe insist that the Chelsea midfielder is on a sabbatical from the Black Stars. The 28-year-old had previously stated that he will relinquish his berth in the squad for 'the foreseeable future'. A change of management has not ceased the stay-away so, legitimately, it must be asked. Is Michael Essien done with Ghana? Or Is Ghana gone with Michael Essien? In Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Anthony Annan, among others, the Black Stars have a solid midfield base around which the team can be built for the coming years. A 4-1 win over Togo was achieved without him. Would re-introducing Essien, a player out of sync with the beat of the national team, disrupt its fluency?
News of Italy's demise is greatly exaggerated
Cesare Prandelli has commended his Italy team for their greatest performance under his stewardship. Their 1-1 draw with Germany in Dortmund was a good, old-fashioned tear-up. Germany had moments of domination as did the Azzurri, who, truth be told, were unfortunate not to have been awarded at least one penalty. The relative health of the Bundesliga in comparison to Serie A and the contrasting outcomes of both national sides' World Cup 2010 has produced a sense of superiority on the part of the Germans. However, Prandelli's transitional Nazionale showed that they retain a rigidity and competitiveness. Newcomers like Andrea Ranocchia and Leonardo Bonucci were assured - how Bari could do with those two this season - while the replacements introduced by the coach, Alberto Aquilani, Giuseppe Rossi and Sebastian Giovinco, all impressed. Moreover, in Antonio Cassano, Italy have a genuine 'number 10', with vision and personality. There is still a long way to go for the Azzurri to regain their slipped crown but the side is being built in the image of their coach. They are going in the right direction.
Follow Peter Staunton on
.
Occasionally there can be a tendency to overburden a young player with unrealistic expectations early in a promising career, and the prospects of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere have been discussed at length for the best part of two years, for better or worse. No doubt, he is a capable, diligent footballer and deservedly was handed a start for his national team last night. In places, the 19-year-old was found wanting, particularly in the defensive aspects of his game, but the hype machine may have already taken hold. Is he really the player to lead England over the next decade? Probably not, but he could perform a key function within any decent team. However, there is something special about his younger adversary, Christian Eriksen. In direct competition with Wilshere last night, Eriksen showed that he is arguably the brighter prospect. Capable of finding space in which to work and gaps in which to thread passes, the Ajax graduate has a playmaking maturity beyond his years. Eriksen is not the cynosure of considerable press intrusion in the Netherlands and his development at both club and international level is progressing nicely.
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Colombia can be the dark horses for Copa America 2011
Los Cafeteros began 2011 with a defeat to World Cup winners Spain but the result belies the performance given by Hernan Dario Gomez's side. The lacklustre Spanish had to endure until the 87th minute before David Silva netted the winner but, in truth, the game was anything but a formality to that point. The visitors to the Bernabeu were compact in defence and showed tactical dexterity, adjusting their system throughout the encounter. And on another day, the chances that fell to Hugo Rodallega and Pablo Armero could have been taken. Nonetheless, the game serves as useful preparation for the Copa America on Argentinian soil, a tournament in which Colombia meet the hosts. Gomez has some outstanding individuals at his disposal, among them Giovanni Moreno and Armero, and a system which benefits the pace possessed on the flanks. If the Colombians can negotiate their way to an opening win over Japan in the summer, then they could go deep in the competition. More positives for France and Laurent Blanc
Setting aside the travesty that was the Stade de France surface, there are plenty of positives to be gleaned from les Bleus' deserved and measured victory over Brazil. It is now five straight victories for Laurent Blanc. During that sequence his team have conceded only once. A formidable central defensive partnership has been forged between Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes, two players who could not garner much game time under Raymond Domenech. Indeed, it is the Domenech cast-offs who are excelling for Blanc. Jeremy Menez and Karim Benzema were threatening and lively for the hosts while Samir Nasri was excellent in the preceding games. French football hit its lowest ebb during the World Cup but it has not taken Blanc long to re-establish the credentials of the 1998 World Cup winners.Lionel Messi outshines Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country
The week was dominated by the circus that has become the Messi v Ronaldo debate. Sergio Ramos, Sergio Batista and Dani Alves have all had their say on the duel between the world's two best players. And at the conclusion of the week's most glamorous glamour friendly, it was Messi and Argentina who came out on top over Ronaldo and Portugal. The new coach Batista has found the role for la Pulga that eluded Diego Maradona. As the player himself noted, he is featuring for the national team in a role similar to that at Barcelona. It is paying handsome dividends for the South Americans. Messi has gripped the responsibility entrusted to him, delivering the winner against Brazil and an assist and the clincher against the Portuguese. Joachim Loew still hasn't found what he's looking for
Before the World Cup the German trainer had to convince a nascent team that they could compete in South Africa and go deep. The likes of Thomas Mueller and Mesut Oezil had barely 10 caps between them and, thanks in part to the Nationalmannschaft's success in Africa, they are now household names. Now that Germany are again seen as one of the strongest teams, third in the latest FIFA World Ranking, comes a new set of problems for Loew. While some of his players are set for a decade with the national team, there are significant tweaks to be carried out. Arguably, Loew still needs two of his back four to be settled upon. Dennis Aogo was decent at left-back but no more exceptional than Jerome Boateng has been. Per Mertesacker remains a favourite, despite his obvious limitations, and the berth next door to him is still up for grabs. Unfortunately, neither Holger Badtuber nor Mats Hummels proved themselves capable of taking it. The Bayern defender Badstuber remains ponderous, even if his distribution is top notch, while Dortmund's Hummels found the going extremely tough, being at fault for Italy's goal. The latter is one of the Bundesliga's most promising defenders and will get better with experience but Italy again exposed a chink in the armour. There is no such thing as a 'friendly' for Mano Menezes' Brazil
Only Julio Cesar, Daniel Alves and Robinho survived the transition from the World Cup quarter-finals to Meno Menezes' starting XI against France last night. The other eight starters had about 40 caps between them before the game kicked off. The former Corinthians coach Menezes has sparked a fierce competition for places among Brazil's front-line players and established campaigners like Lucio and Maicon must wonder whether or not they are going to have their starting berths handed back. The tenacity and vigour of the Brazil team was apparent - all too apparent in the case of Hernanes, who was sent off for a desperate lunge at Karim Benzema. Brazil have taken all their matches under Menezes very seriously. France breached Menezes' Brazil for the first time and delivered the coach his first defeat. Each game is an audition for his eager charges; the sight of Lucas berating the referee Wolfgang Stark at the final whistle went to show just how seriously this Brazil team are taking 'meaningless' fixtures.Russia's on-field woes outweigh their off-field machinations
What lessons could Dick Advocaat have learned for his Euro 2012 qualification campaign from this utterly abject game in Abu Dhabi against Iran? Not a lot. It was as despondent a performance as you are likely to see from a group of professionals. Next month's friendly with Qatar is hardly going to keep the squad on its toes either. Advocaat's side are still devoid of ideas, the tactics muddled and, despite playing together at club level, the goalkeeper and three of the back four continue to look like strangers to each other. There were certainly political and financial undertones to the scheduling of this game but we are none the wiser regarding Russia's standing as a team. Their qualification process has been sticky to this point and they would have been better off, football wise, with a game against a European rival. Massive improvement is needed within the ranks and the coach needs to find a way to maximise the contributions of Andrey Arshavin and find a consistent berth for Alan Dzagoev. But there is an amount of mutual back scratching to be done on the part of the RFU.Klaas Jan Huntelaar's identity crisis shows no sign of abating
It has been nearly 1,000 minutes since Huntelaar found the target in the Bundesliga for Schalke but he continues to rack up the strikes for the Netherlands. He has now scored in each of his last six matches for the national team. Last night, against Austria, Huntelaar delivered another expert performance for a depleted Dutch team. He scored once and provided an assist as Bert van Marwijk's experimental side emerged victorious. The schizophrenia apparent in Huntelaar's game is a conundrum for his club coach, Felix Magath, who has watched his €14m signing go from one of the league's best signings to a rather expensive looking white elephant in a matter of months. The atmosphere around Gelsenkirchen, the multitude of signings and the underwhelming results may not be conducive to vibrant attacking play so Huntelaar must relish being out of the firing line when on duty for the Oranje. Do not let his league troubles fool you, Huntelaar is still among the best forwards in Europe. There are legitimate concerns for the international career of Michael Essien
Have we been subjected to the most low-key international retirement the game has ever known? Michael Essien has not featured for Ghana in their last two major international tournaments and is not currently a consideration for national team duty. Senior players like Richard Kingson and the FA vice-president Fred Pappoe insist that the Chelsea midfielder is on a sabbatical from the Black Stars. The 28-year-old had previously stated that he will relinquish his berth in the squad for 'the foreseeable future'. A change of management has not ceased the stay-away so, legitimately, it must be asked. Is Michael Essien done with Ghana? Or Is Ghana gone with Michael Essien? In Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu and Anthony Annan, among others, the Black Stars have a solid midfield base around which the team can be built for the coming years. A 4-1 win over Togo was achieved without him. Would re-introducing Essien, a player out of sync with the beat of the national team, disrupt its fluency?News of Italy's demise is greatly exaggerated
Cesare Prandelli has commended his Italy team for their greatest performance under his stewardship. Their 1-1 draw with Germany in Dortmund was a good, old-fashioned tear-up. Germany had moments of domination as did the Azzurri, who, truth be told, were unfortunate not to have been awarded at least one penalty. The relative health of the Bundesliga in comparison to Serie A and the contrasting outcomes of both national sides' World Cup 2010 has produced a sense of superiority on the part of the Germans. However, Prandelli's transitional Nazionale showed that they retain a rigidity and competitiveness. Newcomers like Andrea Ranocchia and Leonardo Bonucci were assured - how Bari could do with those two this season - while the replacements introduced by the coach, Alberto Aquilani, Giuseppe Rossi and Sebastian Giovinco, all impressed. Moreover, in Antonio Cassano, Italy have a genuine 'number 10', with vision and personality. There is still a long way to go for the Azzurri to regain their slipped crown but the side is being built in the image of their coach. They are going in the right direction.Follow Peter Staunton on
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Make Your Prediction Choose match
Russia - Uruguay
- Switzerland - Germany
- Denmark - Brazil
- Portugal - Macedonia FYR
- Spain - Serbia
- Netherlands - Bulgaria
- Norway - England
- Albania - Iran
- France - Iceland
- Lithuania - Russia
- Italy - Luxembourg
- United States - Brazil
- Netherlands - Slovakia
Russia
Uruguay
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Most Popular Predictions
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Russia 1-2 Uruguay
- 16.11 %
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Russia 1-3 Uruguay
- 11.11 %
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Russia 0-2 Uruguay
- 9.44 %
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