FIH Hockey World Cup: India v Pakistan highlights

India started their 2010 world cup campaign in style beating arch rivals Pakistan 4-1. India dominated play for most parts and were clearly the better team overall. This is the ideal start for our team but it will be interesting to see how we cope up against more demanding oppositions like Australia, England and Spain.
Check the highlights here:

PART 1:


INDIA Vs PAK HIGHLIGHTS-FIH-WORLDCUP 2010 Part 1
Uploaded by godofcricket. - More professional, college and classic sports videos.

PART 2:


INDIA Vs PAK HIGHLIGHTS-FIH-WORLDCUP 2010 Part 2
Uploaded by godofcricket. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

Men's Hockey World Cup 2010 - Delhi

After all the drama surrounding the Indian Hockey last month, the world cup is finally here. The tournament starts on 28th Feb and ends on 13 March 2010 in New Delhi. It would be cracker of a tournament and worth watching for any serious sports enthusiast. It's not very often that we get top international events in sports other than Cricket.

Here's the tournament Calendar and Ticketing details....

Ferdinand could repalce Terry as England captain

Capello has given strong indication that Ferdinand could lead England for the World Cup in South Africa.

"When I chose Terry as captain, I also selected a vice-captain and also named a third choice," said Capello. "There is no reason to change this decision. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the FA, particularly Lord David Triesman and Ian Watmore for allowing me to make this decision in my own time and in the best interest of the team."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/05/john-terry-fabio-capello-england-captain

John Terry sacked as England Captain

John Terry would not hold the trophy aloft this summer in South Africa even if England is able to do the unthinkable. Fabio Capello, the England manager, today made his decision of stripping Terry of his captaincy.

Capello said: "After much thought I have made the decision that it will be best for me to take the captaincy away from John Terry. As a captain with the team, Terry has displayed extremely positive behaviour," said Capello. "However, I have to take into account other considerations and what is best for all of the England squad. What is best for all of the England team has inspired my choice and Terry was notified first."

Fifa World Cup 2010 tour packages by Emirates

Football World Cup is just round the corner and as always it will be the most sought after sporting event of the year. Emirates and SOTC have come up with package deals for the tournament that includes match tickets.

Anyone who is keen to be in South Africa this summer for the biggest sporting extravaganza should have a look at:

http://www.emirates.com/in/English/destinations_offers/special_offers/fifa_world_cup_packages/fifa_world_cup_packages.aspx

England's World Cup Draw: High Profile Reactions...

As last night's draw was unfolding, plenty of reactions were pouring in. Following are few from the English-men who matter:

Capello: "You have to respect all the teams and I know from my experience as a player that when you have to play here, the pressure is different and the mentality is different."
"We played against Slovenia at home and I well remember suffering in the second half. Slovenia's style is Balkan. They are technically good, a lot of passes and imagination. USA can prepare for the World Cup better than us and prepare with their training a long time before us." The manager admitted he knew "nothing" about Algeria and saw only "some moments" of their dramatic victory over Egypt. "I saw the goals they scored to qualify but not too much to understand the style or what will happen during the game."

Beckham: "It's a very interesting group. You don't get easy games at the World Cup. As a country we're very honored to be here and very honored to play a part in such a historical time in South Africa."

Gerrard: "I am really encouraged by the draw. It is all we could ask. There are no surprises and it's been really kind, even beyond the first group stage. We have to be professional and show the right attitude, because even though we'll be massive favorites you know the other teams in our group will see England as a huge scalp - almost their own World Cup final. But we have to be confident of getting maximum points, otherwise we shouldn't be going. And that can give us the confidence to progress, given that a lot of the favorites to win the trophy are in the other half.

Terry: "We've been labeled the Golden Generation and soon we'll find out if we can live up to the billing or risk being dubbed the Lost Generation," he told the Sun. He spoke of "a lot of unfulfilled ambition in the dressing room" and added: "For myself, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David James, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand it's now or never."

Lampard: "People want and expect us to win the tournament, which is how we feel as players. Anything other than winning it would be failure almost."

Shearer: "Fabio Capello will be sat in his seat in Cape Town, and inside he will be absolutely delighted with that draw. I can see England doing well in all of their group games. I don't think anyone can be anything other than delighted with that - if you'd offered that group to Fabio this morning, he would have bitten your hand off."

BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson on England's World Cup draw: "That couldn't have gone any better. Privately, Fabio Capello will be absolutely delighted with that."

Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8391833.stm

Bookmaker makes England second favorites ahead of Brazil!!!

Immediately after the draw bookmakers William Hill made England 5-1 second favorites to win the World Cup behind Spain at 4-1.

Perhaps surprisingly, they make Brazil third favorites at 11-2 after the South Americans were drawn in a tough Group G with North Korea, Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

The list from William Hill looks like this:
Spain 4/1
England 5/1
Brazil 11/2
Argentina 9/1
Italy 11/1
France 11/1
Germany 12/1
Netherlands 14/1
Portugal 25/1
Ivory Coast 28/1

http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/EN/betting/e/839/World-Cup-2010---Outright.html

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Pot Luck favors England

I just got off ESPN and draw has been a fair boost for English World Cup aspirations. England has been drawn in Group C which looks like this:

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

England will have a tough game against USA that would possibly decide the group standings. I expect England to go through easily however they would be wary of finishing behind USA as that could mean Germany in the round of 16. The group could have been a lot tougher with either Portugal or France and England has been lucky to avoid both of them.

The Good:
In my opinion, England has been overtly lucky this time around. By being drawn in the first half of the group, England make sure they do not meet any of the following until the Semi-Finals:

Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Ivory Coast

Two top contenders - Brazil and Spain- along with the ever dangerous Italy, Portugal and Holland have been drawn in the south side of the draw- very very good for England.

England is in Group C and I would expect them to top the group ahead of USA. If that happens and Germany top their group 'D' as expected, England would avoid even the Germans until the Finals.

The Bad:
England has a possibility of facing Argentina, France or Aussies somewhere before the semis. While these are good teams they do not match up to Spain, Brazil or Italy. So really it is not too bad for England.

The Ugly:
Only one possibility- England finish behind USA in Groups.

It's already 1:30 AM in India and I am groggy now... More to follow later.

2010 FIFA World Cup Final: Draw is out

The final draw is out. Here it is:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

So what's this world cup worth ?

So you wanna know how much money is at stake in this World Cup? Read on for the details :

http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-whats-this-world-cup-worth.html

England's journey to glory rests on pot luck- Part 2

A lot is being said about how England's progress would depend on a favorable draw and how Capello's boys would want to avoid certain teams. What's lost with all such theories is that England is a darn good football team who has a damn good opportunity to reach the summit in South Africa

England does not want to be drawn with France or Portugal- well who wants to? It's a huge tournament and no team will win it without a lot of hard work and some luck. It's that slice every team is looking for at the draws and if that means praying for an easy draw - nothing wrong.

It's simple, even mighty Brazil or Spain would want to avoid bigger teams up front. No one would want to go out early from a World Cup. England has possibly as good a chance as any other top team and there is no doubt they would be a handful for even the best team in the world. Draw- good or bad- would eventually assist the teams and their managers to prepare and plan for the biggest tournament in the world.

"Eight matches, eight wins and Capello’s team swept to South Africa. Confidence is coursing through the squad although there is a realization that beyond a core of 14-15 players, England may struggle. Yet if they cannot succeed under Capello then it will never happen. Expect a semi-final - at least. The manager is on a mission and, with luck, who knows? They will certainly be prepared"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6596762/England-team-at-World-Cup-2010.html

England's journey to glory rests on pot luck

A lot depends on how England fares in South Africa next year including their bid for 2018 and FA's debt.

A nice read below for people who follow English football:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/6720893/World-Cup-2010-draw-Englands-journey-to-glory-rests-on-pot-luck.html     

Spain: Europe's best bet!!

Spain has been the perennial underachiever at the World Cup’s but things are looking different this time around. They have displaced Brazil at the top of FIFA world rankings and have easily brushed aside any competition en-route to finals. They look by far the best European team – and alongside Brazil- are being touted as the tournament favorites.

Since the World Cup started in 1930, no European nation has won the trophy on another continent. Spain has the potential to change this forever in July 2010 provided they have some luck and they keep their top players fit. A lot would depend on Torres’ goal scoring ability and Spain would need him fit and firing. They have talent all across the pitch and for the first time in years they also appear to have the resolve to go far. This Spanish side plays fluid and sumptuous football and is the team to watch out for.

What about the other European powerhouses? Germany and Italy are big match teams and they have the knack of producing their best when it matters. They will be a threat as always and have a fair chance of going deep into the tournament. I would not be able to say the same about France though. I feel they will struggle under Domenech and an early exit for France would be justice for Ireland. The farther that France goes the more will it hurt. I hope they are drawn alongside either Brazil or Spain with USA or Ivory Coast for company. With Capello at helm, England appears formidable if they can keep the squad injury free. This is going to be my team in South Africa and I would root for them all the way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philminshull/2009/12/spain_can_finally_end_europes.html

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: The Pots revealed

Following are the pots for the draw coming up this friday the 4th:

Pots for Friday's draw: eight groups of four countries to be drawn, each group containing one country from each pot.

Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Mexico, Honduras

Pot 3 (Africa and South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay

Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm 

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Seeds are out!!

The seeds for next year's World Cup are out today. Previously FIFA had used a combination of previous 2 world cup performances alongside current rankings to determine the seeds. This year however, FIFA decided to go with the October rankings alone.

The seeds for this year’s draw are:
South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England

In one of my previous posts I had made some firsthand calculations based on previous world cup draws to arrive at the probable seeds. Check below for more details:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8390084.stm

France Ireland replay - well not quite...

Sepp Blatter has called for a crisis meeting of FIFA chiefs to deal with the fallout created by the 'Hand of Henry'. It however changes nothing for the Irish since a senior Fifa source told the Press Association: "A replay is impossible. It would be against the rules of football."

The idea of having an extra referee's assistant behind each goal, as is the case in the Europa League, might well be discussed. This would mean another human eye behind each goal line as early as the World Cup.Wait and watch this space for more.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8375320.stm

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 3 - An English perspective

England has received a seed boost ahead of the final draw. They are amongst the top 8 and I believe they deserve every bit of it. If England keeps their best men fit, they would surprise a lot people including themselves.

A lot would depend however on the draw and there are umpteen possible permutations and combinations for the possible groups. The two most alluring possibilities for England lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. If England comes out really lucky they could end up with teams like - Switzerland, New Zealand and Algeria which would nearly guarantee a safe passage through at the top of their group. If the draw however is unkind, they could be pitted with the likes of Portugal/Netherlands, Ivory Coast and USA in what could arguably be the group of death. Most likely outcome would be somewhere in between the wide range of possibilities and the 3 Lions would be mighty relieved to avoid both Portugal and Netherlands upfront.

I just wish to see England go the distance this time because this could be their best chance for a lot of years to come, considering most of their top players wouldn’t be around for too long.

A friend of mine has put an interesting spin on the current England squad and what lies ahead. Check it out at:

http://sportsbizfreak.blogspot.com/2009/10/for-england-and-fabio-road-does-not-end.html

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 2 - 'French' connection and the 'Host' factor

In my previous post I talked about the formal procedure that could determine how FIFA would seed the teams before final draw happens on Dec 4. We saw the 8 lucky ones who would be seeded and therefore avoid each other at the group stage. Amongst the unseeded teams, Portugal could be feeling the most aggrieved because the 'French Connection' has cost them an entry to the elite group.

While 'Hand of Henry' has sunk Irish hearts the most it has also meant that Portugal have moved to the second tier of teams. If it was Ireland who had qualified, the points system would have meant a seed for Portugal and Ireland would have taken their place amongst the second rung.

Another aspect about the seeds and how they would impact the final draw is the host country. With none of the top 8 countries hosting, SA have been auto drafted into the elite group to make sure they play the opening fixture as part of Group A. This again means that another top nation has lost on the elite spot. This time Netherlands suffer as they miss out on the top tier and together with Portugal would pose the greatest threat to the top 8 teams.

If both these anomalies were eliminated, we could have had both Portugal and Netherlands in elite group thus making life much easier for the top teams - including England.

Ferguson picks Brazil for 2010 - writes England off

“I can’t see past Brazil, actually,” Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail. “They are going to be the ones in South Africa.”

Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1229939/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-insists-Fabio-Capellos-England-wont-win-World-Cup.html

Irish hopes dashed by the HAND of GOD

Ireland have been cheated and it's sad to see such crucial matches being decided by the 'hand of God'. England suffered at the hands of Maradona some 23 years ago and it's ireland now. The sad part is that we have learnt no lessons in more than 20 years.

I understand that human errors are hard to eliminate and that referee's would continue to have bad days at office once in a while. I also completely disagree with the 'moral' arguments made by some pundits blaming Henry and France of being the cheats. The article in Telegraph does just that and puts all the blame on Henry. I found it hard to find even one logical point in the entire article. Read for yourself and decide.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/republicofireland/6609355/Thierry-Henry-must-be-banned-from-playing-in-the-2010-World-Cup.html

There has been a lot of hue and cry about technology in sports and about the shortcomings of some of them, a simple video replay would have settled this issue in not more than 15 seconds.

Check the video at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2D6LdNakzE