The Marcello Lippi revolution

Transcription

magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP E: ITALY
Preliminary
competition
Italy v. Norway 2-1
Moldova v. Italy 0-1
Slovenia v. Italy 1-0
Italy v. Belarus 4-3
Italy v. Scotland 2-0
Norway v. Italy 0-2
Scotland v. Italy 1-1
Belarus v. Italy 1-4
Italy v. Slovenia 1-0
Italy v. Moldova 2-1
The Marcello Lippi
revolution
PLAYERS
The top 20 by qualifying
match appearances
1. Gennaro Gattuso (8 matches)
AC Milan
2. Gianluca Zambrotta (8)
Juventus
3. Alberto Gilardino (8)
AC Milan
4. Daniele De Rossi (8)
Roma
5. Luca Toni (8)
Fiorentina
6. Alessandro Nesta (7)
AC Milan
7. Fabio Cannavaro (7)
Juventus
8. Gianluigi Buffon (6)
Juventus
9. Andrea Pirlo (6)
AC Milan
10. Marco Materazzi (6)
Inter Milan
11. Francesco Totti (6)
Roma
12. Daniele Bonera (6)
Parma
13. Mauro Camoranesi (6)
Juventus
14. Fabio Grosso (5)
Palermo
15. Aimo Diana (5)
Sampdoria
16. Cristian Zaccardo (4)
Palermo
17. Christian Vieri (4)
Monaco (FRA)
18. Vincenzo Iaquinta (4)
Udinese
19. Angelo Peruzzi (3)
Lazio
20. Manuele Blasi (3)
Juventus
On the evening of 1 March 2006,
Marcello Lippi was beaming from ear
to ear. His team had just won a friendly
in Florence, but not just against any old
opponents – this was Germany. Italy
gave the World Cup hosts a lesson in
modern football. The match ended 4-1,
but they could have easily scored six.
The Azzurri are among the favourites
to lift the 2006 World Cup – thanks
to Lippi. He has caused a revolution
in the Italian national team. After
succeeding Giovanni Trapattoni, who
had to go after Italy were knocked out
of EURO 2004 at the group stage,
Lippi brought in no fewer than nine
new players. Eight of the 17 goals that
Italy scored in the World Cup qualifiers
were provided by newcomers such as
Daniele Rossi, Manuele Blasi, Luca
Toni, Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo
Iaquinta.
Top scorer:
Luca Toni, 4
But Lippi did not just introduce
new players – he also launched a new
philosophy. Italy now play an attacking
brand of football that has seldom been
seen before. Lippi’s predecessors have
also had excellent midfielders and strikers
at their disposal, but they rarely allowed
them to develop their creative abilities
and instead stifled their attacking
qualities.
Lippi also focuses primarily on a very
strong defence in front of Gianluigi
Buffon, possibly the best goalkeeper
around at the moment. Having said
that, Italy are no longer reliant on
tactical defensive play and controlled
results. They celebrate football, viewing
it as an art form and looking to beat
the opposition with skilful play. During
the World Cup qualifiers, Norway,
Scotland and Slovenia were little more
than sparring partners for the squadra
azzurra, who lost only one of their ten
matches.
Yet even Marcello Lippi is not
completely free of worries. Will Francesco
Totti be fit in time for the World Cup?
What position should Alessandro Del
Piero play? Should he take Christian
Vieri to Germany? Having such a galaxy
of stars does not always make it easy for
Lippi to select the ideal team – but it is
a problem that other coaches would be
more than happy to have.
THE COACH AND THE STAR
Likely line-up
Gilardino
Toni
Did you know?
Gattuso
Grosso
Pirlo
Cannavaro
Nesta
Buffon
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JUNE/JULY 2006
Camoranesi
Zambrotta
… Italy will travel to the World Cup finals
with a different coach for the fifth time in
succession. At the 1990 World Cup, the
squadra azzurra was coached by Azeglio
Vicini, in 1994 by Arrigo Sacchi, in 1998
by Cesare Maldini, in 2002 by Giovanni
Trapattoni and now by Marcello Lippi.
… Italy have been knocked out of the last
two World Cups by the host nation. In
1998, Italy lost on penalties to France in
the quarter-finals, and in 2002, they were
defeated by Korea Republic in the round
of 16 (2-1 after extra time).
… Italy have lost none of their 39 home
World Cup qualifiers to date. Their record
stands at 35 wins and four draws.
… No other team has played more extra-time
matches at the World Cup than Italy, who
have appeared in nine. Four finished in
an Italian victory, one in defeat and four
ended in a draw and had to go to penalties
– all of which Italy lost.
1934
1938
1950
1954
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Italy
France
Brazil
Switzerland
Chile
England
Mexico
Germany
Argentina
Spain
Mexico
Italy
USA
France
Korea/Japan
1st
1st
7th
10th
9th
9th
2nd
10th
4th
1st
12th
3rd
2nd
5th
15th
Most World Cup matches:
Paolo Maldini, 23 (1990, 1994, 1998,
2002)
Top World Cup scorers:
Christian Vieri (1998, 2002), Roberto
Baggio (1990, 1994, 1998), Paolo Rossi
(1978, 1982), 9 each
All-time World Cup ranking:
3rd
(70 matches, 39 wins, 17 draws,
14 defeats, 110 goals for, 67 goals
against).
Alessandro Del Piero goes past Torsten Frings during the 4-1 friendly win
over Germany.
Totti
Previous World Cup
appearances
Marcello Lippi
(58/Italian/since 2004)
The man with the white hair is one of
Italy’s top coaches and has won the
UEFA Champions League and Serie A
with Juventus. A crafty tactician, Lippi
has significantly changed and rejuvenated the squadra azzurra. Under
his stewardship, Italy now play with
variable tactics and a fairly atypical
attacking style.
Luca Toni
(29/striker/Fiorentina)
Toni previously played for minor clubs
such as Treviso, Vicenza, Brescia and
Palermo. Since his move to Fiorentina
last year, the 1.94m striker has been
virtually unstoppable, finding the net
regularly for both club and country.
Despite his height, Toni is agile, a
constant threat in the penalty box and
very effective.
Italy
Area: 301,336 km²
Population: 57.6 million
Capital: Rome (2.5 million)
Association: Federazione Italiana Giuoco
Calcio (FIGC)
Founded: 1898
FIFA member since: 1905
Website: www.figc.it
Number of players: 4,042,900
Number of clubs: 16,100
Number of teams: 63,500
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magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP E: GHANA
Preliminary
competition
Round 2
Somalia v. Ghana 0-5
Ghana v. Somalia 2-0
From flops
to the last 16?
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. John Mensah (11)
Rennes (FRA)
2. Stephen Appiah (11)
Fenerbahce (TUR)
3. Emmanuel Pappoe (10) Hapoel Kfar Sava (ISR)
4. Sammy Adjei (10)
Ashdod SC (ISR)
5. Michael Essien (9)
Chelsea (ENG)
6. Sulley Muntari (7)
Udinese (ITA)
7. Asamoah Gyan (7)
Modena (ITA)
8. Samuel Kuffour (6)
Roma (ITA)
9. Matthew Amoah (5)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
At last! Although Ghana have won the
Cup of African Nations (CAN) four
times as well as various FIFA youth
competitions, the west African country
had never qualified for the FIFA World
Cup™ before. Now, the heirs of Abedi
Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Osei Kofi and
Ben Acheampong have done it. “This
team has made history,” said Abedi Pele
once qualification had been secured.
“The whole country is immensely proud
of them.”
Ghana’s third coach on the road to
Germany was the one to bring them
success. In December 2004, Ratomir
Dujkovic took over from Mariano
Barreto, who himself had come in for
Sam Arday. The Serb was handed the job
after leading Rwanda to the 2004 CAN
to the complete surprise of many.
10. Hamza Mohammed (5) Real Tamale United
11. Kwadwo Poku (5)
Midtjylland (DEN)
12. John Pantsil (4)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR)
13. Baffour Gyan (4)
Dynamo Moscow (RUS)
14. Gabriel Issah (4)
Asante Kotoko
15. Daniel Edusei (4)
Egaleo (GRE)
16. Frimpong Asamoah (4) Enyimba (NGA)
17. Abukari Yakubu (4)
Vitesse Arnhem (NED)
18. William Tiero (3)
Liberty
19. Daniel Quaye (3)
Hearts of Oak
20. Kingston Laryea (3)
Terek (RUS)
Muntari
Essien
Pappoe
Kuffour
Adjei
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JUNE/JULY 2006
Previous World Cup
appearances
-
Top World Cup scorer:
-
A mainstay of the Ghana team: midfield dynamo Stephen Appiah.
Did you know?
Appiah
Pantsil
Mensah
Top scorers:
Stephen Appiah and Asamoah Gyan,
4 each
-
Gyan
Issah
qualifiers will show. Of the 30 countries
who contested the group phase, only
eight still had the same coach at the end
of the competition.
Reaching the World Cup finals
does not mean Dujkovic and his men
have already achieved their goal. In
Germany, they aim to be more than just
an obstacle for Italy, the USA and the
Czech Republic in Group E. Ghana are
targeting the last 16. But the Black Stars
will get there only if they exhibit the
same consistency, focus and efficiency as
they did in qualifying – otherwise they
run the risk of a repeat of their Egypt
flop.
Likely line-up
Amoah
Dujkovic proceeded to build a
disciplined team that has gelled around
two outstanding midfielders in Michael
Essien and Stephen Appiah. Ghana
ultimately topped their qualifying group
with the best defensive record on the
continent.
The association and the players have
so much trust in Dujkovic that he even
survived a disappointing showing at the
CAN in Egypt earlier this year, when
Ghana surprisingly went out at the group
stage. This is not something that goes
without saying, as African associations
are often quick to punish failures on the
pitch, as a glance at the 2006 World Cup
Round 3
Burkina Faso v. Ghana 1-0
Ghana v. South Africa 3-0
Uganda v. Ghana 1-1
Ghana v. Cape Verde Islands 2-0
Ghana v. Congo DR 0-0
Congo DR v. Ghana 1-1
Ghana v. Burkina Faso 2-1
South Africa v. Ghana 0-2
Ghana v. Uganda 2-0
Cape Verde Islands v. Ghana 0-4
… Seven of Ghana’s 24 goals during
qualification came in the last ten minutes
of matches.
… Ratomir Dujkovic is the third coach from
the former Yugoslavia to manage an
African team at the World Cup finals.
Before him came Blagoje Vidinic – who led
Morocco in 1970 and Zaire in 1974 – and
Bora Milutinovic (Nigeria in 1998).
… Ghana have already enjoyed considerable
success in continental competitions and
FIFA tournaments. In 1992, they became
the first African country to win a medal at
the Olympic football tournament (bronze).
Ghana have also won the FIFA U-17 World
Championship twice (1991 and 1995) and
reached the final on two other occasions
(1993 and 1997). They have reached the
FIFA World Youth Championship final
twice (1993 and 2001) and won the Cup
of African Nations four times (1963, 1965,
1978 and 1982).
… Ghana had the best defensive record of
any team in the African qualifying zone.
Dujkovic’s team conceded just four goals
in twelve matches. Ghana let in just one at
home, when they overcame Burkina Faso
2-1 on 5 June 2005.
Ratomir Dujkovic
(60/Serbian/since 2005)
Kept goal for Yugoslavia 15 times.
Turned to coaching at the end of his
career, beginning with Red Star Belgrade and then moving to Venezuela,
Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates
and Rwanda. Qualifying for the 2006
World Cup is his biggest success as a
coach to date.
Michael Essien
(23/midfielder/Chelsea)
Won the French league twice with
Lyon. In August 2005, he switched
to Chelsea for 36 million euros – the
highest transfer fee ever paid for an
African player. Essien is technically
gifted and immensely fit. Chelsea
manager Jose Mourinho calls him the
“perfect player”.
Ghana
Area: 238,537 km²
Capital: Accra (2 million)
Association: Ghana Football Association
(GFA)
Founded: 1957
Website: www.ghanafa.org
Number of players: 125,000
Number of clubs: 250
JUNE/JULY 2006
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magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP E: USA
Preliminary
competition
Round 1
USA v. Grenada 3-0
Grenada v. USA 2-3
No longer
laughing stocks
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Landon Donovan (16 mat.) Los Angeles Galaxy
2. Kasey Keller (14)
Borussia
Monchengladbach (GER)
3. Brian McBride (14)
Fulham (England)
4. DaMarcus Beasley (13)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
5. Carlos Bocanegra (11)
Fulham (England)
6. Eddie Lewis (11)
Leeds United (ENG)
7. Eddie Pope (9)
Real Salt Lake
8. Pablo Mastroeni (9)
Colorado Rapids
9. Steve Ralston (9)
New England Revolution
10. Claudio Reyna (8)
Manchester City (ENG)
11. Frankie Hejduk (8)
Columbus Crew
12. Steve Cherundolo (7)
Hannover 96 (GER)
13. Bobby Convey (7)
Reading (ENG)
14. Oguchi Onyewu (7)
Standard Liege (BEL)
15. Gregg Berhalter (7)
Energie Cottbus (GER)
16. Ed Johnson (7)
Kansas City Wizards
17. Clint Dempsey (7)
New England Revolution
18. Cory Gibas (6)
Den Haag (NED)
19. Kerry Zavagnin (6)
Kansas City Wizards
20. Chris Albright (6)
Los Angeles Galaxy
Weary of office? Not in the slightest.
Bruce Arena is motivated, hungry for
success and willing to experiment. It is
almost as if he had taken over the United
States national team only recently rather
than back in 1998. At that time, the USA
had just finished in 32nd and last place at
the World Cup in France. The frustrated
coach, Steve Sampson, resigned. Arena
inherited a team that appeared to be
on its knees, unable to inspire any
enthusiasm for football at home or offer
any competition to the top four US
sports of basketball, baseball, American
football and ice hockey.
Although football still lags some way
behind these sports in the USA, it has
gained in popularity in recent years,
thanks not least to Bruce Arena. At the
2002 World Cup, he led the national
team to the knock-out stage and lost
only narrowly to subsequent finalists
Round 2
Jamaica v. USA 1-1
USA v. El Salvador 2-0
Panama v. USA 1-1
El Salvador v. USA 0-2
USA v. Panama 6-0
USA v. Jamaica 1-1
Germany. The performance of the team
in Korea and Japan was a huge boost for
the game in the USA.
In the qualifying competition for
the 2006 World Cup, the USA gave
an impressive demonstration of the
progress they have made. They were the
first team from the CONCACAF zone
to qualify for Germany despite having
to play most of their matches “away”,
as Arena put it sarcastically. By this, the
USA coach was referring to the home
games his team play on the west and
east coasts, home to large numbers of
Latin American immigrants who pack
the grounds whenever Mexico, Costa
Rica or Guatemala come to town.
“We should consider playing in Alaska
in future. Maybe then we would have
home advantage,” he quipped.
Arena oversees a close-knit team
containing several players who are
under contract to European clubs
or are due to move to the continent
soon. The days when US footballers
were largely unknown and laughing
stocks are finally over. Note has been
taken of the progress made by Arena’s
team. And with good reason, because
Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley,
Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo,
Kasey Keller and Ed Johnson are more
than capable of springing a surprise in
Germany.
USA striker Ed Johnson in action.
McBride
Beasley
Dempsey
Donovan
Lewis
Berhalter
Reyna
Onyewu
Keller
98
Did you know?
JUNE/JULY 2006
Cherundolo
… The USA went 632 minutes without
conceding a goal during the qualifying
competition for the 2006 World Cup.
… Bruce Arena will be the first coach to
manage the USA at two World Cup
finals, having also been in charge in
2002. His predecessors were Sampson
(1998), Milutinovic (1994), Gansler
(1990), Jeffrey (1950), Gould (1934) and
Miller (1930).
… Ed Johnson is only the third USA player to
score a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier,
a feat he accomplished in the 6-0 win
over Panama on 13 October 2004. The
others were by Aldo Donelli in 1934 (4-2
against Mexico) and Peter Miller in 1970
(6-2 against Bermuda).
… On 17 August 2005, the USA celebrated
their 100th win in a World Cup qualifier
when they beat Trinidad and Tobago
1-0.
… Brian McBride and Cobi Jones are the only
USA players to score in three FIFA World
Cup™ qualifying competitions, having
found the net ahead of the 1998, 2002
and 2006 finals.
Top scorers:
Ed Johnson and Landon Donovan,
7 each
Previous World Cup
appearances
1930
1934
1950
1990
1994
1998
2002
Uruguay
Italy
Brazil
Italy
USA
France
Korea/Japan
3rd
16th
10th
23rd
14th
32nd
8th
Ernie Stewart (1994, 1998, 2002)
and Cobi Jones (1994, 1998, 2002),
11 each
Brian McBride (1998, 2002) and Bertran
Patenaude (1930), 3 each
Likely line-up
Johnson
Round 3
Trinidad and Tobago v. USA 1-2
Mexico v. USA 2-1
USA v. Guatemala 2-0
USA v. Costa Rica 3-0
Panama v. USA 0-3
USA v. Trinidad and Tobago 1-0
USA v. Mexico 2-0
Guatemala v. USA 0-0
Costa Rica v. USA 3-0
USA v. Panama 2-0
Bruce Arena
(54/American/since 1998)
Has coached various North American
clubs and once looked after the affairs
of the US Olympic team. Owing
to his sustained record of success,
Arena, who likes to give new players
a chance to shine, is firmly in control.
After almost eight years in charge, he
is something of a “veteran” among
national team coaches.
.
DaMarcus Beasley
(23/striker/PSV Eindhoven)
Rose to fame at the 2002 World Cup
in Korea and Japan and moved to
PSV Eindhoven two years later. This
lightweight striker has incredible
pace and is constantly on the move,
making him very difficult for opposition defences to mark. Much is
expected of Beasley – he is, after all,
only 23 years old.
24th (22 matches, 6 wins, 2 draws,
against).
USA
Area: 9,809,155 km²
Capital: Washington, D.C. (564,000)
Association: US Soccer Federation
(USSF)
Founded: 1913
Website: www.ussoccer.com
Number of players: 17,892,000
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THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP E: CZECH REPUBLIC
Preliminary
competition
Netherlands v. Czech Republic 2-0
Czech Republic v. Romania 1-0
Armenia v. Czech Republic 0-3
Macedonia v. Czech Republic 0-2
Czech Republic v. Finland 4-3
Andorra v. Czech Republic 0-4
Czech Republic v. Andorra 8-1
Czech Republic v. Macedonia 6-1
Romania v. Czech Republic 2-0
Czech Republic v. Armenia 4-1
Czech Republic v. Netherlands 0-2
Finland v. Czech Republic 0-3
Return of
the workhorse
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Tomas Ujfalusi (14 matches) Fiorentina (ITA)
2. Petr Cech (13)
Chelsea (ENG)
3. Tomas Rosicky (12)
4. Milan Baros (12)
Aston Villa (ENG)
5. Karel Poborsky (11)
Ceske Budejovice
6. Zdenek Grygera (11)
Ajax (NED)
7. Jan Polak (10)
Nuremberg (GER)
8. Tomas Galasek (9)
Ajax (NED)
9. Marek Jankulovski (9)
Fans of cultured, bold attacking football
enjoyed a genuine treat at the 2004
European Championship as the Czech
Republic served up performances that
were a joy to behold. In the semi-final,
though, they were ineffective, and thus
came a cropper at the hands of eventual
winners Greece.
Two years later, the most attractive
team in Portugal are ready for the next
major tournament. At the World Cup in
Germany, the Czechs will be aiming to
conjure up another display of footballing
fireworks. Karel Bruckner’s side provided
a taste of their artistic style of play
during the qualifying competition, when
they scored more goals than any other
European team (37) in a celebration of
refreshing attacking play. In Jan Koller
(nine goals), they had the continent’s
AC Milan (ITA)
10. Marek Heinz (9)
Galatasaray (TUR)
11. Jan Koller (8)
12. Vladimir Smicer (8)
Bordeaux (FRA)
13. David Rozehnal (7)
Paris St. Germain (FRA)
14. Vratislav Lokvenc (7)
Austria Salzburg (AUT)
15. Tomas Jun (7)
Besiktas (TUR)
16. Rene Bolf (6)
Auxerre (FRA)
17. Martin Jiranek (5)
Spartak Moscow (RUS)
18. Stepan Vachousek (5)
Austria Vienna (AUS)
19. Jaroslav Plasil (5)
Monaco (FRA)
20. Radoslav Kovac (4)
Spartak Moscow (RUS)
second top scorer. Nevertheless, all of
this was only enough to secure them
second place in Group 1 behind the
Netherlands and ahead of Romania.
The Czechs had to take the play-off
route, eventually easing their way past
Norway. Four years earlier, they had lost
to Belgium at the same stage and were
forced to watch the 2002 World Cup on
television at home.
In Germany, they are hoping to
rekindle the success they enjoyed in
their Czechoslovakia days (World Cup
runners-up in 1934 and 1962 and
European Champions in 1976). They
most certainly have the potential,
especially as Pavel Nedved is back
on board. The Juventus midfielder
announced his international retirement
after EURO 2004, but returned for the
play-offs against Norway and now intends
to play at the World Cup finals. Strong in
the tackle and full of intelligence, Nedved
is a tireless workhorse and the heart and
mind of the Czech team, directing play
along with Tomas Rosicky. In the likes of
Jan Koller, whose place in the squad is in
doubt, however, following a serious knee
injury, Milan Baros, Marek Jankulovski,
Tomas Galasek, Vladimir Smicer and
Petr Cech, who some say is the best
goalkeeper in the world, the Czechs will
have more than enough other talent to
cause a splash in Germany.
The heart and soul of the Czech team: Pavel Nedved.
Jankulovski
Galasek
Ujfalusi
Rozehnal
Cech
100
Did you know?
Poborsky
Rosicky
JUNE/JULY 2006
Grygera
Previous World Cup
appearances
1934
1938
1954
1958
1962
1970
1982
1990
2nd
5th
14th
9th
2nd
15th
19th
6th
Italy
France
Switzerland
Sweden
Chile
Mexico
Spain
Italy
Ladislav Novak, 12 (1954, 1958 and
1962)
18th
against).
Baros
Nedved
Top scorer:
Jan Koller, 9
Oldrich Nejedly, 6 (1934, 1938)
Likely line-up
Koller
Play-off:
Norway v. Czech Republic 0-1
Czech Republic v. Norway 1-0
… The Czech Republic are back in the
World Cup finals for the first time
in 16 years, having last qualified as
Czechoslovakia in 1990. Of the 32 teams
starting in Germany, only Australia have
been away longer (32 years).
… Thirteen players who were in the
Czech under-21 squad that won the
European Championship in 2002
featured in the 2006 World Cup
qualifying campaign.
… The Czechs have not drawn any of their
last 21 World Cup qualifiers. Their last
draw was against Denmark on 28 March
2001 (0-0).
… No other team scored more goals in the
European qualifying campaign than Karel
Bruckner’s men, who netted 37 times
and won eleven of their 14 matches.
… In the World Cup qualifier against
Macedonia on 8 June 2005, Jan Koller
scored four in a 6-0 win.
Karel Bruckner
(66/Czech/since 2002)
Was in charge of the Czech under-21team before being appointed senior
coach. Has clear ideas about attacking
football and knows exactly how to
put them across. Bruckner commands
respect and is very popular with his
players. After Otto Pfister (Togo), the
silver-haired gent will be the oldest
coach at the World Cup in Germany.
Tomas Rosicky
(25/midfielder/Borussia Dortmund)
Is slowly emerging from the shadow
cast by Pavel Nedved, who will definitely end his international career after
the World Cup. Rosicky is a genuine
playmaker with wonderful ball control
and vision who is capable of deciding a
game on his own. The only downside
is that he does not score enough goals
and is still too inconsistent.
Czech Republic
Area: 78,866 km²
Capital: Prague (1.2 million)
Association: Football Association of
Czech Republic (CMFS)
Founded: 1901
FIFA member since: 1907/1994
Website: www.fotbal.cz
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THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP F: BRAZIL
Preliminary
competition
The measure
of all things
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Dida (16 matches)
AC Milan (ITA)
2. Cafu (15)
AC Milan (ITA)
3. Roberto Carlos (15)
Real Madrid (ESP)
4. Ronaldo (15)
Real Madrid (ESP)
5. Kaka (15)
AC Milan (ITA)
6. Roque Junior (14)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
7. Ze Roberto (14)
Bayern Munich (GER)
8. Renato (13)
Sevilla (ESP)
9. Ronaldinho (11)
They are the World Cup holders and they
also won last year’s FIFA Confederations
Cup. They have an experienced and
astute coach and two or three players
for each position. Every squad player
is under contract to a top club. Can
anyone stop Brazil lifting the trophy for
a sixth time?
It is a good question. Although Brazil
go into every World Cup as favourites,
Barcelona (ESP)
10. Juninho (11)
Lyon (FRA)
11. Alex (11)
Fenerbahce (TUR)
12. Lucio (10)
Bayern Munich (GER)
13. Juan (10)
14. Gilberto Silva (10)
Arsenal (ENG)
15. Emerson (9)
Juventus (ITA)
16. Adriano (9)
Inter Milan (ITA)
17. Robinho (8)
Real Madrid (ESP)
18. Edu (5)
Valencia (ESP)
19. Rivaldo (4)
Olympiakos (GRE)
20. Luis Fabiano (4)
Sevilla (ESP)
Adriano
exceptional qualities. His free-kicks are
similar to those of team-mate Roberto
Carlos. Both drive the ball towards goal
with heavy swerve.
The holders are again the measure of
all things going into the 2006 World
Cup. If there is any slight doubt, it is
about the form of some established
players. Dida and Roberto Carlos have
not always been on top of their form
recently, and Ronaldo has not had the
best of seasons with Real Madrid either.
This was also the case in the run-up to
the 2002 finals, though, when the then
Inter Milan striker was not firing on
all cylinders. The outcome is common
knowledge. Ronaldo finished as the top
scorer in Korea and Japan…
Emerson
Roque Junior
Lucio
Dida
JUNE/JULY 2006
Previous World Cup
appearances
1930
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Uruguay
Italy
France
Brazil
Switzerland
Sweden
Chile
England
Mexico
Germany FR
Argentina
Spain
Mexico
Italy
USA
France
Korea/Japan
6th
14th
3rd
2nd
5th
1st
1st
11th
1st
4th
3rd
5th
5th
9th
1st
2nd
1st
Ronaldo (1998, 2002) and Pele (1958,
1962, 1966, 1970), 12
Leading scorer at
the 2002 World Cup:
Ronaldo.
Did you know?
Kaka
Ze Roberto
Top scorer:
Ronaldo, 10
Taffarel, Dunga (both 1990, 1994,
1998), 18
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
102
it is also testimony to the work of the
Brazil manager.
Brazil have world-class players in
every department, players who are
willing to adapt according to the needs
of the team. Ze Roberto, for example,
is noted more for his spectacular
contributions at Bayern Munich, but
he helps out in Brazil’s defence without
batting an eyelid. Not that he has
much choice. In no other squad is the
competition so plentiful and keen as in
the Brazilian.
In this star ensemble, only one player
is irreplaceable: Ronaldinho. If he is
missing, even a team that has won the
World Cup five times suddenly lacks its
genius. But stand-in Juninho also has
Likely line-up
Roberto
Carlos
opinion has rarely come out so much
on the side of the Selecao. When the
Brazilians get going, when they exploit
their technical supremacy to the full,
and when Ronaldinho or Adriano
embark on one of their inimitable runs,
Brazil are almost unstoppable. Coach
Carlos Alberto Parreira is safe in his job,
unusual in a country where the national
team is a constant subject of debate. And
Colombia v. Brazil 1-2
Brazil v. Ecuador 1-0
Peru v. Brazil 1-1
Brazil v. Uruguay 3-3
Paraguay v. Brazil 0-0
Brazil v. Argentina 3-1
Chile v. Brazil 1-1
Brazil v. Bolivia 3-1
Venezuela v. Brazil 2-5
Brazil v. Colombia 0-0
Ecuador v. Brazil 1-0
Brazil v. Peru 1-0
Uruguay v. Brazil 1-1
Brazil v. Paraguay 4-1
Argentina v. Brazil 3-1
Brazil v. Chile 5-0
Bolivia v. Brazil 1-1
Brazil v. Venezuela 3-0
Cafu
… Brazil captain Cafu can this year set the
record for the most number of appearances
for Brazil at the World Cup finals. The
defender has played 16 matches so far.
… Parreira is the fourth coach to manage
Brazil at more than one World Cup,
having already taken charge of the
Selecao in 1994. The others are Mario
Zagallo (1970, 1974 and 1998), Vicente
Feola (1958 and 1966) and Tele Santana
(1982 and 1986).
… Brazil are the only team to have played
at all 18 World Cups. The five-time
winners top the list for the number of
matches played (87), the number of
victories (60) and the number of goals
scored (191).
… Carlos Alberto Parreira’s team can beat
their own record of seven consecutive
victories at the World Cup if they
overcome Croatia in their opening match
in Germany.
Carlos Alberto Parreira
(62/Brazilian/since 2003)
Took part in his first World Cup in
1970 – as a fitness coach – and led
Brazil to the title in 1994. A meticulous
worker, Carlos Alberto Parreira always
manages to form a harmonious team
from the best individuals. His motto: if
you want to play for Brazil, you have to
leave your ego in the dressing room.
Parreira’s favourite hobby, incidentally,
is fishing.
Ronaldinho
(25/striker/Barcelona)
Although he still has his best years in
front of him, this brilliant attacking
player has won almost everything
there is to be won in the international
game. The FIFA World Player of the
Year in 2004 and 2005 is creative,
unpredictable and technically superb.
Ronaldinho performs his tricks with
inimitable ease and can be used in any
attacking position.
1st
against).
Brazil
Area: 8,547,404 km2
Capital: Brasilia (200,000)
Association: Confederacao Brasileira de
Futebol (CBF)
Website: www.cbfnews.com.br
Founded: 1914
Number of players: 7 million
JUNE/JULY 2006
103
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP F: CROATIA
Preliminary
competition
Croatia v. Hungary 3-0
Sweden v. Croatia 0-1
Croatia v. Bulgaria 2-2
Croatia v. Iceland 4-0
Croatia v. Malta 3-0
Bulgaria v. Croatia 1-3
Iceland v. Croatia 1-3
Malta v. Croatia 1-1
Croatia v. Sweden 1-0
Hungary v. Croatia 0-0
Father and son
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Marko Babic (9 mat.)
2. Darijo Srna (9)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
3. Niko Kovac (9)
Hertha Berlin (GER)
4. Dado Prso (9)
Glasgow Rangers (SCO)
5. Niko Kranjcar (9)
Hajduk Split
6. Tomislav Butina (8)
Bruges (BEL)
7. Josip Simunic (8)
Hertha Berlin (GER)
8. Igor Tudor (8)
Siena (ITA)
9. Robert Kovac (8)
Croatia’s first appearance at the World
Cup finals in France in 1998 went off
with a bang as the debutants finished
in third place, with Robert Prosinecki,
Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and
Robert Jarni starring.
All have since retired to make way for
a new generation of talent. And while
coach Zlatko Kranjcar’s team may not
have quite the same individual quality,
it does have a balanced, compact and
hungry look about it. Croatia were
unbeaten in qualifying and even claimed
a win in Sweden.
The backbone of the side is formed by
players who earn their money abroad.
With one interesting exception. The
youthful looking Niko Kranjcar, son
Juventus (ITA)
10. Ivan Klasnic (8)
Werder Bremen (GER)
11. Jerko Leko (7)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
12. Ivan Bosnjak (6)
Dinamo Zagreb
13. Stjepan Tomas (5)
Galatasaray (TUR)
14. Jurica Vranjes (5)
Werder Bremen (GER)
15. Mario Tokic (5)
Austria Vienna (AUT)
16. Bosko Balaban (5)
Bruges (BEL)
17. Ivica Olic (5)
CSKA Moscow (RUS)
18. Dario Simic (4)
AC Milan (ITA)
19. Ivan Leko (3)
Bruges (BEL)
20. Stipe Pletikosa (2)
Hajduk Split
Top scorers:
Dado Prso, Darijo Srna, 5 each
of the Croatian boss, plays behind
the two strikers with great verve and
creativity. In the season just ended,
Kranjcar junior played for Hajduk
Split, but he has long been a target of
foreign clubs.
Croatia are well equipped in attack.
Dado Prso, the never-say-die Glasgow
Rangers striker who is strong in the air,
is the ideal foil for Ivan Klasnic, a player
who instead of simply roving the penalty
area often prefers to drift out wide. In
defence, Kranjcar senior tends to opt for
experience. Niko Kovac, Dario Simic,
Igor Tudor and Darijo Srna have a stack
of caps between them. He can also fall
back on Robert Kovac, though the
Juventus defender is not an automatic
first choice.
Robert Kovac is not the only member
of the Croatian squad who does not
always start for his club. At first glance
this would appear to be a disadvantage,
but it could prove to be a plus as these
players may well be fresher than others.
The expectations in this footballcrazy country are high. Anything less
than a place in the last 16 would be a
bitter disappointment. The draw for the
group phase also set up a tasty clash with
Australia, who have a number of players
with Croatian roots in their side.
Likely line-up
Klasnic
Almost unstoppable: Niko Kranjcar (number 19)
Prso
Kranjcar
Babic
Modric
Tomas
N. Kovac
Tudor
Butina
104
JUNE/JULY 2006
Did you know?
Srna
Simic
… In finishing third at the 1998 World Cup,
Croatia achieved the best final position
by a debutant since Portugal in 1966
(also third).
… Dario Simic is the only player in the
Croatia squad to play in the qualifying
competitions for the 1998, 2002 and 2006
World Cups.
… Zlatko Kranjcar could become the third
coach to manage his own son at the World
Cup finals. In 1966, Uruguay’s Ondino
Viera picked his son Milton, while in 1998
Italy’s Cesare Maldini placed his faith in
son Paolo.
… Croatia qualified for the World Cup finals
on each of their first three attempts (1998,
2002, 2006), a feat only two countries
had achieved before them. Sweden and
Switzerland also succeeded in reaching the
finals in 1934, 1938 and 1950.
Zlatko Kranjcar
(49/Croatian/since 2004)
Succeeded Otto Baric after EURO 2004,
having previously led home club NK
Zagreb to three league titles. Son Niko
is tipped to become Croatia’s next playmaker and was called up by his father
for the first time in June 2005. Kranjcar
is an undisputed authoritarian coach. In
March 2006, his team defeated Argentina 3-2 in a friendly.
Previous World Cup
appearances
1998
2002
France
Japan/Korea
3rd
23rd
Robert Jarni, 11 (includes 1 match for
Yugoslavia; 1990, 1998, 2002)
Davor Suker, 6 (1998)
23rd (10 matches, 6 wins,
4 defeats, 13 goals for, 8 goals against).
Croatia
Area: 56,542 km2
Capital: Zagreb (1 million)
Association: Hrvatski Nogometni Savez
(HNS)
Website: www.hns-cff.hr/
Founded: 1912
Ivan Klasnic
(25/striker/Werder Bremen)
A striker who also shines as a creator of
goals. His ball control is outstanding and
he is now much more consistent than at
the start of his career. Klasnic’s stronger
foot is his left one. He is a “footballing
striker”, who when in doubt prefers an
elegant lob to a hard shot. Gathered
experience in the UEFA Champions
League with his club Werder Bremen.
Dado Prso.
JUNE/JULY 2006
105
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP F: AUSTRALIA
Preliminary
competition
Round 2
Australia v. New Zealand 1-0
Australia v. Tahiti 9-0
Australia v. Fiji 6-1
Vanuatu v. Australia 0-3
Solomon Islands v. Australia 2-2
Guus Hiddink
the key
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Brett Emerton (8 mat.)
Blackburn Rovers (ENG)
2. Vince Grella (8)
Parma (ITA)
3. Tony Vidmar (7)
NAC Breda (NED)
4. John Aloisi (7)
Alaves (ESP)
5. Zeljko Kalac (6)
AC Milan (ITA)
6. Tim Cahill (6)
Everton (ENG)
7. Scott Chipperfield (6)
Basel (SUI)
8. Josip Skoko (6)
Wigan Athletic (ENG)
9. Jade North (5)
Newcastle United Jets
10. Marco Bresciano (5)
When Australia took on Uruguay in
the return play-off match in Sydney last
November, the interest was huge. Some
80,000 spectators witnessed the crucial
encounter for a place in the World Cup
finals. The match turned into a giant
party that ended on a high note when
goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and his
team-mates became heroes by clinching
victory in a penalty shoot-out. World
Cup qualification was a further boost for
football down under. Australia now has
a professional league again, and its youth
teams have repeatedly proved that they
have no reason to fear the competition.
The senior side’s triumph over Uruguay
completed the picture that Australian
football is painting at present, i.e. that
Parma (ITA)
11. Mile Sterjovski (5)
Basel (SUI)
12. Ahmad Elrich (5)
Fulham (ENG)
13. Jason Culina (4)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
14. Lucas Neill (4)
Blackburn Rovers (ENG)
15. Mark Viduka (4)
Middlesbrough (ENG)
16. Adrian Madaschi (4)
Dundee (SCO)
17. Stan Lazaridis (4)
Birmingham City (ENG)
18. Mark Schwarzer (3)
Middlesbrough (ENG)
19. Patrick Kisnorbo (3)
Leicester City (ENG)
20. David Zdrilic (3)
Sydney FC
Round 3
Australia v. Solomon Islands 7-0
Solomon Islands v. Australia 1-2
the game is finally well on the way to
establishing itself.
This process has, of course, been helped
by the fact that Australia’s best players are
under contract with foreign clubs. Mark
Viduka is a seasoned Premier League
professional, while Brett Emerton has
also established himself at Blackburn
Rovers, as have Vince Grella and Marco
Bresciano in Italy. At the moment,
though, all of them are being outshone
by Tim Cahill, an attacking midfielder
who is the driving force behind Everton.
Along with the eccentric Harry Kewell,
Cahill has the task of breathing life into
the Socceroos’ attacking play. The man
responsible for ensuring that the various
sections of the team gel is someone
who is idolised as much in Asia as he is
down under. Guus Hiddink, a Dutch
coach with a strong understanding of
group dynamics and tactics, is chiefly
responsible for taking Australia to the
World Cup finals in Germany for the
second time after 1974. “The team spirit
was one of the reasons we made it,”
says Viduka, “but the main reason was
Hiddink. He’s just unbelievable.”
Australia will nevertheless be among
the underdogs in Germany. Several
players have European roots, which is
why the match against Croatia will take
on added significance. “It’s going to be a
fascinating game,” predicts Viduka.
Play-off
Uruguay v. Australia 1-0
Australia v. Uruguay 1-0 aet,
4-2 on penalties
Top scorer:
Tim Cahill, 7
Previous World Cup
appearances
1974
Germany FR
14th
10 players each with 3 games (1974)
57th
(3 matches, 1 draw,
2 defeats, 0 goals for, 5 goals against).
Likely line-up
Tim Cahill (no. 10), Australia’s midfield dynamo.
Aloisi
Viduka
Did you know?
Kewell
Grella
Cahill
Emerton
Chipperfield
Popovic
Vidmar
North
Schwarzer
106
JUNE/JULY 2006
… Guus Hiddink is the first Dutch coach to
take part in three World Cups.
… Australia are one of six teams that have
qualified for a World Cup but have yet to
score a goal.
… Based on past performances, Australia
have the advantage over two of their three
group rivals in Germany. Only Brazil have
a better head-to-head record. Japan and
Croatia have both lost more games against
Australia than they have won.
… The Socceroos have never won a
competitive match on German soil.
Australia lost twice and drew once at
the 1974 World Cup, and they lost all
three games at the 2005 Confederations
Cup.
… Australia are the second-highest scorers
in World Cup qualifying matches. In 91
games, they have hit the net 267 times, a
figure surpassed only by Mexico (340 goals
in 123 games).
Guus Hiddink
(59/Dutch/since 2005)
The successful coach led Korea Republic to a sensational fourth place in the
2002 World Cup on home soil. He
resigned as manager of Dutch giants
PSV Eindhoven at the end of the
season just finished. Hiddink sees
football as a genuine team sport and
repeatedly brings out the best in his
players. He is regarded as a master of
motivation and tactical finesse.
Harry Kewell
(27/midfield/Liverpool)
Made his breakthrough at Leeds
United in the English Premier League.
The leftwinger moved to Liverpool in
2003, but then suffered numerous
injuries, eventually becoming a firstteam Anfield regular under coach
Rafael Benitez in 2006. Kewell is a fast
attacking player with an eye for goal,
although he is occasionally accused of
having an attitude.
Australia
Area: 7,692,030 km²
Population: 20 million
Capital: Canberra (320,000)
Association: Football Federation
Australia Limited (FFA)
Website: www.footballaustralia.com.
au
Founded: 1961
JUNE/JULY 2006
107
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP F: JAPAN
Preliminary
competition
Japan v. Oman 1-0
Singapore v. Japan 1-2
Japan v. India 7-0
India v. Japan 0-4
Oman v. Japan 0-1
Japan v. Singapore 1-0
Japan v. Korea DPR 2-1
Iran v. Japan 2-1
Japan v. Bahrain 1-0
Bahrain v. Japan 0-1
Korea DPR v. Japan 0-2
Japan v. Iran 2-1
A midfield
to be proud of
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (12)
Gamba Osaka
2. Akira Kaji (11)
Gamba Osaka
3. Alessandro Santos (10)
Urawa Red Diamonds
4. Takashi Fukunishi (9)
Jubilo Iwata
5. Yuji Nakazawa (9)
Yokohama Mariners
6. Mitsuo Ogasawara (9)
Kashima Antlers
7. Takayuki Suzuki (9)
Red Star Belgrade (SCG)
8. Keiji Tamada (9)
Kashiwa Reysol
9. Shunsuke Nakamura (8)
Celtic (SCO)
10. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (7)
Jubilo Iwata
11. Makoto Tanaka (7)
Jubilo Iwata
12. Naohiro Takahara (7)
Hamburg (GER)
13. Hidetoshi Nakata (5)
Bolton Wanderers (ENG)
14. Shinji Ono (5)
Urawa Red Diamonds
15. Yasuhito Endo (5)
Gamba Osaka
16. Atsushi Yanagisawa (5)
Messina (ITA)
17. Junichi Inamoto (5)
West Bromwich Albion
Refreshing – that was how Japan’s
appearance at the Confederations Cup
in 2005 was described by many experts
after Zico’s team put in some convincing
performances at the World Cup dress
rehearsal.
The Brazilian was one of the best
midfield players of his time. It is
therefore interesting that the midfield
is Japan’s strongest department, too,
as Zico has a wide choice of talented
players at his disposal. Alessandro
Santos can dictate a match just as well
as Shunsuke Nakamura, who is now
starring in Scotland with Celtic. The
best-known Japanese player, however,
is still Hidetoshi Nakata, who has twice
been voted Asian Player of the Year.
(ENG)
18. Seigo Narazaki (4)
Nagoya Grampus Eight
19. Masashi Oguro (4)
Grenoble (FRA)
20. Toshiya Fujita (4)
Jubilo Iwata
Nakata is now under contract to Bolton
Wanderers. He used to play in Italy and
has acquired pop star status at home, an
image he his happy to maintain.
At the World Cup, Japan will be
bidding to replicate their huge success of
2002, when they staged the tournament
along with Korea and, under the
stewardship of French coach Philippe
Troussier, finished ninth. It is doubtful,
however, whether Shinji Ono and
Junichi Inamoto, for example, two of
the celebrated stars four years ago, will
be able to reach such heights again. Ono
recently returned to Japan after fourand-a-half years with Feyenoord. It is
also unclear how effective Japan will be
in attack. Masashi Oguro and Naohiro
Takahara are the leading candidates for
a place in the starting line-up, although
Takahara has yet to achieve a real
breakthrough at German club Hamburg
despite being there for three-and-a-half
years, while Oguro moved to French
second-division outfit Grenoble in
January 2006.
Japan’s strength – their exceptionally
gifted midfield – is also their weakness,
since their attack-minded players
are prone to neglect their defensive
duties. In short, great discipline will
be needed if the two-time Asian
champions are to match the success
of 2002.
Likely line-up
Top scorers:
Takashi Fukunishi, Mitsuo Ogasawara,
Masashi Oguro, Takayuki Suzuki,
3 each
Previous World Cup
appearances
1998
2002
France
Korea/Japan
31st
9th
Hidetoshi Nakata, 7 (1998, 2002)
Junichi Inamoto, 2 (2002)
41st
(7 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw,
against).
Shunsuke Nakamura (No. 10) is difficult to stop.
Takahara
Santos
Did you know?
Inamoto
H. Nakata
Nakamura
Ono
K. Nakata
Nakazawa
Miyamoto
Tanaka
Kawaguchi
108
JUNE/JULY 2006
… Japan have scored six goals in seven World
Cup matches – all in the first 30 minutes
of the second half.
… Japan’s previous World Cup match against
Croatia resulted in a 1-0 victory for the
Europeans (France ‘98).
… Japan have never won a competitive FIFA
match against a team from South America on European soil, having lost 1-0 to
Argentina at the 1998 World Cup and 1-0
to Colombia at the 2003 Confederations
Cup (both in France), 4-3 to Paraguay
at the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece
and drawn 2-2 against Brazil at the 2005
Confederations Cup in Germany.
… Japan were the first team to qualify
for this year’s World Cup. At 5.35 pm
local time on 8 June 2005, Zico’s men
sealed a 2-0 victory over Korea DPR in
Bangkok to secure qualification. Five
hours later, Iran also booked their ticket
for Germany.
Zico
Took part in three World Cup finals as
a player, scoring 52 goals in 72 international matches, and went down in
football history as the “white Pele”. As
national coach of Japan he won the
Kirin Cup and the Asian Cup in 2004.
Zico prefers a cultured passing game,
true to his own football background.
During the qualifying competition,
he often had to manage without the
players based abroad.
Alessandro Santos
(28/midfield/Urawa Red Diamonds)
Brazilian by birth, he moved to Japan
as a student. Santos is a creative
playmaker who creates chances for
the strikers with his text-book passing.
Tricky and quick, opponents often have
to resort to fouls in order to stop him.
“Alex”, as he is known, is the idol of
young fans in Japan. He can also play in
defence and is responsible for Japan’s
set pieces.
Japan
Area: 377,837 km²
Capital: Tokyo (8.5 million)
Association: Japan Football Association
(JFA)
Website: www.jfa.or.jp/e/index.html
Founded: 1921
JUNE/JULY 2006
109
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP G: FRANCE
Preliminary
competition
Reliant on
Zinedine Zidane
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. William Gallas (10 matches) Chelsea (ENG)
2. Patrick Vieira (9)
Juventus (ITA)
3. Sylvain Wiltord (8)
Lyon
4. Gael Givet (7)
Monaco
5. Vikash Dhorasoo (7)
Paris St Germain
6. Jean-Alain Boumsong (6)
Newcastle United (ENG)
7. Gregory Coupet (6)
Lyon
8. Thierry Henry (6)
Arsenal (ENG)
9. Djibril Cisse (6)
Liverpool (ENG)
10. Willy Sagnol (5)
Bayern Munich (GER)
11. Sebastien Squillaci (5)
Monaco
12. Fabien Barthez (4)
Marseille
13. Claude Makelele (4)
Chelsea (ENG)
14. Lilian Thuram (4)
Juventus (ITA)
15. Zinedine Zidane (4)
Real Madrid (ESP)
16. Florent Malouda (4)
Lyon
17. Robert Pires (4)
Arsenal (ENG)
18. Ludovic Giuly (4)
Barcelona (ESP)
19. Alou Diarra (4)
Lens
20. Sidney Govou (4)
Lyon
Raymond Domenech has lofty goals.
“We’re going to Germany to win the
World Cup,” says the France boss. When
said in reference to a team that ruled the
football world in 1998, such a remark
is not unreasonable. Yet Domenech’s
words raised a few eyebrows even among
supporters at home. First of all, there
was the small matter of the 2002 World
Cup, when the holders were eliminated
at the group stage after failing to win
a game or score a goal. Then there was
EURO 2004, when France went out in
the quarter-finals, and finally, there was
their struggle to qualify for Germany
after being held to three scoreless draws
at home.
After winning the World Cup in
1998 and the European Championship
in 2000, France were the undisputed
kings of international football, but the
European triumph six years ago was
France v. Israel 0-0
Faroe Islands v. France 0-2
France v. Republic of Ireland 0-0
Cyprus v. France 0-2
France v. Switzerland 0-0
Israel v. France 1-1
France v. Faroe Islands 3-0
Republic of Ireland v. France 0-1
Switzerland v. France 1-1
France v. Cyprus 4-0
the beginning of the end. A nation
apparently blessed with a host of talent
also failed to come to terms with the
retirement of experienced players such
as Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram,
Claude Makelele and Bixente Lizarazu.
The glory days had suddenly departed,
to be replaced by a hangover. France
produced a string of poor performances,
failing to see off opponents or produce
convincing football, so when their bid to
qualify for Germany looked as if it might
founder, Zidane and Makelele returned
to the fold. “I had to help the team,” said
Zidane. And help them he did. Les Bleus
were on the way back.
France still have a wealth of
outstanding talent at their disposal,
but while most of their stars have been
playing to the peak of their ability for
their clubs, in the national team they
look inhibited, short on inspiration and,
above all, ineffective. Strikers Thierry
Henry, David Trezeguet and Djibril
Cisse have been the main culprits.
During the qualifying campaign, they
squandered a series of excellent chances,
which almost proved to be the team’s
downfall.
The situation is compounded by the
fact that France rely heavily on Zidane.
If he fails to spark, they struggle even
against average opposition. But France
are capable of beating anyone when
their playmaker is on form. Which side
of “Zizou” will we see in Germany?
Top scorer:
Djibril Cisse, 4
Previous World Cup
appearances
1930
1934
1938
1954
1958
1966
1978
1982
1986
1998
2002
Uruguay
Italy
France
Switzerland
Sweden
England
Argentina
Spain
Mexico
France
Korea/Japan
7th
9th
6th
11th
3rd
13th
12th
4th
3rd
1st
28th
Maxime Bossis, 15 (1978, 1982, 1986)
Just Fontaine, 13 (1958)
Likely line-up
7th
against).
A disappointed Thierry Henry after missing a chance.
Henry
Trezeguet
Did you know?
Zidane
Gallas
Dhorasoo
Vieira
Makelele
Boumsong
Thuram
Coupet
110
JUNE/JULY 2006
Sagnol
… A Frenchman scored the first goal in the
history of the FIFA World Cup™. Lucien
Laurent achieved this historic feat in
Montevideo on 13 July 1930, netting
against Mexico in the 19th minute of a
game France eventually won 4-1.
… None of the 32 teams who made it to
Germany scored fewer goals in qualifying
than France. Les Bleus hit the target just
14 times in ten games.
… Raymond Domenech is France’s eleventh
coach in twelve World Cup appearances.
Only Michel Hidalgo has managed the
French team at two World Cup finals
(1978 and 1982).
… France are one of three teams to win
the World Cup and then go out at
the group stage when defending their
title. The French suffered this mishap in
2002 (0-1 against Senegal, 0-0 against
Uruguay, 0-2 against Denmark). In 1950,
holders Italy were eliminated in the
preliminary round; the same fate befell
Brazil in 1966.
Raymond Domenech
(54/French/since 2004)
The former international (six caps) who
once played under Aime Jacquet (the
World Cup-winning coach in 1998)
worked as a youth coach for the French
FA for twelve years. Domenech has
made stage appearances in several
plays and loves astrology. Unpopular
with many fans after a poor qualifying
campaign.
Zinedine Zidane
(33/midfielder/Real Madrid)
One of the best players of recent times,
a three-time FIFA World Player of the
Year and a member of the sides that
won the World Cup in 1998 (two
goals in the final) and the European
Championship in 2000. Son of Algerian immigrants. His idol was Enzo
Francescoli, after whom he named
one of his sons. France rely heavily on
Zidane, although “Zizou” has not been
his usual peerless self recently.
France
Area: 543,965 km²
Capital: Paris (2.1 million)
Association: Federation Francaise de
Football (FFF)
Founded: 1919
Website: www.fff.fr
JUNE/JULY 2006
111
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP G: SWITZERLAND
Preliminary
competition
Switzerland v. Faroe Islands 6-0
Switzerland v. Republic of Ireland 1-1
Israel v. Switzerland 2-2
France v. Switzerland 0-0
Switzerland v. Cyprus 1-0
Faroe Islands v. Switzerland 1-3
Switzerland v. Israel 1-1
Cyprus v. Switzerland 1-3
Switzerland v. France 1-1
Republic of Ireland v. Switzerland 0-0
An unexpected
success
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Patrick Muller (12 matches) Lyon (FRA)
2. Johann Vogel (12)
AC Milan (ITA)
3. Pascal Zuberbuhler (12)
Basel
4. Alexander Frei (10)
Rennes (FRA)
5. Ricardo Cabanas (10)
Cologne (GER)
6. Ludovic Magnin (10)
Stuttgart (GER)
7. Johan Vonlanthen (10)
NAC Breda (NED)
8. Daniel Gygax (10)
Lille (FRA)
9. Philipp Degen (9)
10. Tranquillo Barnetta (9)
When the Swiss Football Association
(SFV) handed the reins of the national
side to Jakob Kuhn five years ago, the
new coach presented his bosses with a
document stating that he would build
a new team that would go on to win
the European Championship in 2008.
One or two gentlemen will no doubt
have shaken their heads in disbelief at
the very thought. Switzerland, European
champions in 2008?
Today, no one smiles politely when
it comes to Switzerland’s footballers
any more. For decades, they led a
largely anonymous existence, but
recently, thanks to an exemplary youth
development scheme that was launched
in 1995 and is co-funded by a major
bank, this relatively small country has
produced several outstanding players,
among them Tranquillo Barnetta,
Philippe Senderos, Alexander Frei,
11. Philippe Senderos (8)
Arsenal (ENG)
12. Raphael Wicky (6)
Hamburg (GER)
13. Christoph Spycher (6)
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
14. Hakan Yakin (6)
Young Boys Berne
15. Johann Lonfat (5)
Sochaux (FRA)
16. Benjamin Huggel (4)
17. Bernt Haas (3)
Bastia (FRA)
18. Murat Yakin (3)
Basel
19. Marco Streller (3)
Cologne (GER)
20. Reto Ziegler (3)
Wigan Athletic (ENG)
Philipp Degen, Marco Streller and
Johan Vonlanthen.
Word of the excellent work of the
SFV, which reaped its first reward
in 2002 when Switzerland won the
U-17 European Championship, has
since spread across Europe. More than
60 Swiss players currently play their
football abroad for clubs of the calibre
of Arsenal, AC Milan, Lazio, Lyon,
Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen
and Hamburg.
Kuhn did not expect to qualify for
the 2006 World Cup, particularly as
his team is comparatively young and
was up against renowned opposition
such as France, the Republic of Ireland
and Turkey (in the play-off). Yet the
Swiss showed astonishing maturity
and self-assurance in the qualifying
competition,
maintaining
their
composure, shape and discipline even
under the fiercest pressure. With their
tactical flexibility, cultured build-up
play and attacking outlook, this closeknit outfit under captain Johann Vogel
has gained widespread admiration and
recognition.
Switzerland’s carefree and gutsy style
of play has sparked a wave of euphoria
across the country and raised the level
of expectation among fans. They are
more than capable of springing another
surprise at the World Cup.
A permanent fixture in the Swiss attack: Marco Streller (right).
Magnin
Vogel
Senderos
Cabanas
Muller
Zuberbuhler
112
Previous World Cup
appearances
1934
1938
1950
1954
1962
1966
1994
7th
7th
6th
8th
16th
16th
15th
Italy
France
Brazil
Switzerland
Chile
England
USA
Kiki Antenen, 8 (1950, 1954, 1962)
Sepp Hugi, 6 (1954)
Frei
Did you know?
Wicky
Top scorer:
Alexander Frei, 7
27th
against).
Likely line-up
Streller
Play-off:
Switzerland v. Turkey 2-0
Turkey v. Switzerland 4-2
JUNE/JULY 2006
Barnetta
Ph. Degen
… Switzerland lost only one of their twelve
matches en route to Germany, stringing
together an eleven-game unbeaten run
(five wins, six draws) before going down
4-2 to Turkey in the second play-off match
in Istanbul (having won the first 2-0).
… Jakob Kuhn will be the first Swiss coach
to manage his country at the World Cup
in 56 years. His predecessors were the
Austrian Karl Rappan in 1954 and 1962,
the Italian Alfredo Foni in 1966 and the
Englishman Roy Hodgson in 1994. The last
Swiss coach at the World Cup was Franco
Andreoli in 1950.
… Switzerland have never played a team
from Africa, Asia or Oceania at the World
Cup. In their previous 22 matches, their
opponents have all been from Europe
(16), South America (4) or the CONCACAF
region (2).
… Although Switzerland have scored at
least once in each of their 22 World Cup
matches to date, they have led at half-time
on just four occasions.
Jakob Kuhn
(62/Swiss/since 2001)
The former Switzerland and FC Zurich
playmaker led the national team to
EURO 2004 qualification. He places
great emphasis on personal responsibility among his players and prefers a
diamond formation. Kuhn, previously a
youth coach at the Swiss FA, possesses
natural authority and is well-respected
and popular across the country.
Alexander Frei
(26/striker/Rennes)
Has scored 22 goals in 40 internationals – an excellent record.
A strong-running, penalty-box
predator and free-kick specialist who
was the leading scorer in the French
top flight in 2004-2005. Frei underwent hip surgery earlier this year
that put him out of action for quite
a while.
Switzerland
Area: 41,285 km²
Capital: Berne (122,000)
Association: Schweizerischer Fussballverband (SFV)
Founded: 1895
Website: www.football.ch
JUNE/JULY 2006
113
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP G: KOREA REPUBLIC
Preliminary
competition
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Lee Woon-jae (12 matches) Suwon Samsung
2. Lee Young-po (11)
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
3. Ahn Jung-hwan (9)
Duisburg (GER)
4. Seol Ki-hyeon (9)
Wolverhampton
Significant
improvement needed
Round 2
Korea Republic v. Lebanon 2-0
Maldives v. Korea Republic 0-0
Korea Republic v. Vietnam 2-0
Vietnam v. Korea Republic 1-2
Lebanon v. Korea Republic 1-1
Korea Republic v. Maldives 2-0
Korea Republic’s fourth-place finish at
the 2002 World Cup was one of the
greatest sensations in the history of
the tournament. The achievement was
celebrated all over the country, and coach
Guus Hiddink, the architect behind the
success, became a national hero. When
the Dutchman returned to his home
country shortly afterwards, thousands of
South Koreans cried bitter tears.
Round 3
Korea Republic v. Kuwait 2-0
Saudi Arabia v. Korea Republic 2-0
Korea Republic v. Uzbekistan 2-1
Uzbekistan v. Korea Republic 1-1
Kuwait v. Korea Republic 0-4
Korea Republic v. Saudi Arabia 0-1
Following in Hiddink’s footsteps
proved too big a task for his successor,
Humberto Coelho. The South Korean
FA quickly replaced the Portuguese
coach with Hiddink’s compatriot Jo
Bonfrere, but he could not live up
to expectations either. In September
2005, yet another Dutchman, Dick
Advocaat, took the helm. The vast
majority of fans expect him to reach at
Wanderers (GER)
5. Park Ji-sung (8)
Manchester United (ENG)
6. Lee Dong-gook (8)
Pohang Steelers
7. Kim Dong-jin (7)
FC Seoul
8. Kim Do-heon (7)
Seongnam Ilhwa
9. Chung Kyung-ho (7)
Gwangju Sangmu
10. Choi Jin-cheul (6)
Chonbuk Hyundai
11. Yoo Sang-chul (6)
Ulsan Hyundai
12. Lee Chun-soo (6)
Ulsan Hyundai
13. Cha Doo-ri (6)
14. Park Jae-hong (5)
Chonbuk Hyundai
15. You Kyoung-youl (5)
Ulsan Hyundai
16. Song Chong-gug (5)
Suwon Blue Wings
17. Kim Nam-il (5)
Suwon Samsung
18. Kim Jung-woo (5)
Ulsan Hyundai
19. Park Dong-hyuk (4)
Chonbuk Hyundai
20. Cho Byung-kuk (3)
Suwon Blue Wings
least the quarter-final stage at the 2006
World Cup.
Although 2002 heroes such as
goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, midfielder
Park Ji-sung and striker Ahn Junghwan remain key figures, overall Korea
Republic look substantially weaker than
four years ago, when they benefited
from home advantage, a carefree style
of play, and the fact that they were
underestimated by the opposition.
In the qualifying competition for the
2006 World Cup, the Koreans did not
leave a strong impression, a circumstance
reflected by the changes of coach. Draws
against Lebanon and the Maldives and
two defeats against Saudi Arabia are not
exactly hallmarks of a top-class team.
Despite these disappointments, the
euphoria in the country ahead of the
2006 World Cup remains sky high.
Thousands of fans will fly to Germany
to support their idols in the group
matches against France, Switzerland and
Togo. And then? It is not inconceivable
that Korea Republic will survive the
preliminary round. They have a strong,
athletic team that can pose a threat to any
opposition. But if they are to survive the
group stage, they will need a substantial
improvement in performance compared
with their qualifying campaign.
Likely line-up
Seol Ki-hyeun
Did you know?
Lee Chun-soo
Kim Nam-il
Lee Young-pyo Choi Jin-cheul
Park Ji-sung Lee Eul-yong
Kim Jin-kyu Kim Dong-jin
Lee Woon-jae
114
JUNE/JULY 2006
… No Asian nation has qualified for the
World Cup finals as often as Korea Republic. They are taking part for the sixth time
in succession and the seventh time overall.
In addition, no Asian country has played
as many World Cup qualifying matches as
Korea Republic (89).
… Of the 19 goals that Korea Republic have
scored in World Cup final competitions,
only four came in the first half.
… Korea Republic lost just two of their twelve
matches on the road to the 2006 World
Cup finals, thus equalling their record set
during the 1962 qualifying competition.
… World Cup finals on European soil have
not brought Korea Republic much luck
so far. In France in 1998, their best result
was a 1-1 draw against Belgium. All other
seven World Cup matches in Europe ended
in defeat.
… All three of Korea Republic’s World Cup
victories were achieved on home soil four
years ago, when the team finished in an
outstanding fourth place.
Previous World Cup
appearances
1954
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Switzerland
Mexico
Italy
USA
France
Korea/Japan
16th
20th
22nd
20th
30th
4th
Hong Myung-bo, 16 (1990, 1994,
1998, 2002)
Ahn Jung-hwan (2002), Yoo Sangchul (1998, 2002), Hwang Sun-hong
(1994, 2002) and Hong Myung-bo
(1994), 2 each
31st
against).
Korea Republic’s Chung Ho-kyung escapes the attentions of an opponent.
Lee Dong-gook
Top goal scorer:
Lee Dong-gook, 5
Dick Advocaat
(58/Dutch/since 2005)
The former midfielder managed the
Dutch national team at the 1994
World Cup and EURO 2004. He has
also coached teams of the calibre of
PSV Eindhoven, Glasgow Rangers
and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Shows great authority, but his critics
often accuse him of being arrogant.
At home, Advocaat is nicknamed the
“Little General”.
Park Ji-sung
(25/midfield/Manchester United)
Had such an outstanding World Cup
in 2002 that coach Guus Hiddink took
him with him to PSV Eindhoven. A
tireless driving force who never shirks
a tackle, Park moved to Manchester
United in August 2005. He is a quiet,
tactically adept team player who is
popular with coaches, players and
fans alike.
Korea Republic
Area: 99,313 km²
Population: 48 million
Capital: Seoul (9.9 million)
Association: Korea Football Association
(KFA)
Founded: 1928
Website: www.kfa.or.kr
Number of clubs: 60
Number of teams: 620
JUNE/JULY 2006
115
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP G: TOGO
Preliminary
competition
Round 2
Equatorial Guinea v. Togo 1-0
Togo v. Equatorial Guinea 2-0
The moods
of Adebayor
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Emmanuel Adebayor (12)
Arsenal (ENG)
2. Jean-Paul Abalo (11)
Dunkerque (FRA)
3. Kossi Agassa (11)
Metz (FRA)
4. Yao Aziawonou (11)
Young Boys Berne (SUI)
5. Mohama Atte-Oudeyi (10)
Lokeren (BEL)
6. Eric Akoto (9)
Admira Wacker (AUT)
7. Junior Senaya (9)
YF Juventus (SUI)
8. Moustapha Salifou (9)
Stade Brest (FRA)
9. Abdul Mamah (8)
FC 105 Libreville (GAB)
10. Dare Nibombe (8)
RAEC Mons (BEL)
11. Abdel Coubadja (6)
Guingamp (FRA)
12. Cherif-Toure Mamam (6)
Antwerp (BEL)
13. Adekanmi Olufade (6)
Al Sailiya (QAT)
14. Sherif Toure (5)
Metz (FRA)
15. Komlan Amewou (5)
Liberty (Ghana)
16. Emmanuel Mathias (4)
Esperance Tunis (TUN)
17. Guyazou Kassim (3)
AS Douane
18. Lantame Ouadja (3)
Wisla Krakow (POL)
19. Ismaila Atte-Oudeyi (2)
AS Douane
20. Jacques Romao (2)
Louhans Cuiseaux (FRA)
African football is entertaining,
colourful, and full of joie de vivre – but it
can also be unpredictable and merciless,
Senaya
Salifou
coach is bad.” According to the experts,
Togo will merely be a sparring partner
for their opponents in Germany. The
general view is that the team does not
have the right balance and is too reliant
on Adebayor and his moods. It also
lacks quality, consisting of too many
players who are with lower-league
clubs and even there often only second
choice.
Yet this is not really important. Togo
have already pulled off a tremendous
victory simply by qualifying for the
World Cup finals. But in football it
is only the here and now that counts
– perhaps even more so in Africa.
Top scorer:
Emmanuel Adebayor, 11
Previous World Cup
appearances
-
Yao Aziawonou and
Togo will be making
their World Cup debuts
in 2006.
Adebayor
Toure-Maman
Nibombe Z. Atte-Oudeyi
Akoto
Agassa
116
not the more prominent globetrotter
Velibor Milutinovic, was handed the
Togo job.
Pfister is in charge of a team that
took everyone by surprise by qualifying,
including themselves. After losing
their first match against the football
minnows of Equatorial Guinea, Togo
ultimately secured qualification ahead
of Senegal and Zambia.
Pfister rejects claims that he has too
little time to prepare the team for the
World Cup finals, but as he is well
aware, it will not be an easy task: “If
the team win three matches, the coach
is good; if they lose three matches, the
Likely line-up
Coubadja
as Stephen Keshi painfully discovered in
February. He had sensationally led Togo
to the 2006 World Cup and been voted
African Coach of the Year, but just days
after receiving his award, Keshi was
removed from office. Togo’s miserable
showing at the African Cup of Nations
in Egypt (three matches, three defeats)
and a row with the headstrong star of
his team, Emmanuel Adebayor, led to
his immediate dismissal.
The former Nigerian international
has been replaced by Otto Pfister, who
has lived in Switzerland since 1959
and has now worked in 14 different
countries, including the African
countries of Rwanda, Upper Volta
(now Burkina Faso), Egypt, Ghana
and Senegal. More recently, however,
the 68-year-old German, who will be
the oldest coach at the World Cup, had
been out of a job. It was therefore all
the more surprising when Pfister, and
Round 3
Zambia v. Togo 1-0
Togo v. Senegal 3-1
Liberia v. Togo 0-0
Togo v. Congo 2-0
Togo v. Mali 1-0
Mali v. Togo 1-2
Togo v. Zambia 4-1
Senegal v. Togo 2-2
Togo v. Liberia 3-0
Congo v. Togo 2-3
JUNE/JULY 2006
Did you know?
Aziawonou
Abalo
… To date, Togo have played in the final
round of a FIFA tournament just once, at
the World Youth Championship in 1987
when they lost all three of their group
matches (2-0 against Australia, 3-0 against
Chile, 4-1 against Yugoslavia).
… Emmanuel Adebayor scored nine of
his eleven goals at home in the race to
qualify for Germany 2006. He put Togo
in front in every game in front of his
home crowd.
… I g n o r i n g t e a m s f ro m t h e f o r m e r
Czechoslovakia, Soviet Union and
Yugoslavia, none of the 32 nations in
Germany has played fewer World Cup
qualifying games in the history of the
competition than Togo. The small African
country has played just 43 matches so far.
… Togo did not lose a home game in
qualifying for Germany and have won
the last eight matches played in front of
their own fans.
Otto Pfister
(68/German/since 2006)
Pfister took over as national boss
only last February. It is his 18 th
coaching job in his 14th country. He has
already managed four national teams:
Rwanda, Upper Volta (now Burkina
Faso), Senegal and Ghana. Pfister won
the FIFA U-17 World Championship
with Ghana (1991) and various titles
with Egyptian side Zamalek, including
the African Cup Winners’ Cup.
Emmanuel Adebayor
(21/striker/Arsenal)
The undisputed star of the team, he
scored eleven goals in the qualifying
matches. Strong both physically (he is
1.90m tall) and technically, he played
a key role in the dismissal of coach
Stephen Keshi, who for disciplinary
reasons picked Adebayor only occasionally during the 2006 African Cup
of Nations.
Togo
Area: 56,785 km²
Capital: Lome (730,000)
Association: Federation Togolaise de
Football (FTF)
Founded: 1960
Website: www.ftf-enligne.tg
JUNE/JULY 2006
117
magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP H: SPAIN
Preliminary
competition
Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Spain 1-1
Spain v. Belgium 2-0
Lithuania v. Spain 0-0
Spain v. San Marino 5-0
Serbia and Montenegro v. Spain 0-0
Spain v. Lithuania 1-0
Spain v. Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1
Spain v. Serbia and Montenegro 1-1
Belgium v. Spain 0-2
San Marino v. Spain 0-6
Out to justify
their reputation
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Iker Casillas (12 matches) Real Madrid
2. Raul (12)
Real Madrid
3. Carlos Puyol (11)
Barcelona
4. Fernando Torres (11)
Atletico Madrid
5. Michel Salgado (10)
Real Madrid
6. Xavi (10)
Barcelona
7. David Albelda (9)
Valencia
8. Vicente (8)
Valencia
9. Carlos Marchena (7)
10. Joaquin (7)
Will Spain finally succeed in playing to
their potential at the 2006 FIFA World
Cup™? Fourth place in Brazil in 1950 is
the best finish ever achieved by a Spanish
team in the finals. A derisory return, in
view of the quality players the country
has produced.
The 2006 squad is once again packed
with famous names, players who most
experts would not hesitate to term
world-class. Raul and Fernando Torres
form a strike pairing to put fear into any
defence, while Luis Garcia staked a claim
for a regular place up front by scoring a
hat trick in the first-leg of the play-off
against Slovakia. Albert Luque was long
considered the new hope in attack, and
Jose Antonio Reyes has shone for Arsenal
in the UEFA Champions League. If the
supply of exceptionally gifted strikers
Valencia
Real Betis
11. Jose Antonio Reyes (7)
Arsenal (ENG)
12. Asier del Horno (6)
Chelsea (ENG)
13. Xabi Alonso (6)
Liverpool (ENG)
14. Ruben Baraja (6)
Valencia
15. Albert Luque (6)
Newcastle United (ENG)
16. Antonio Lopez (5)
Atletico Madrid
17. Pablo (4)
Atletico Madrid
18. Sergio Ramos (4)
Real Madrid
19. David Villa (4)
Valencia
20. Juanito (3)
Real Betis
Del Horno
set to be directed by Xavi, Barcelona’s
supremely assured ball distributor. The
list ends with Real Madrid’s Guti, who
also considers himself a candidate for a
regular first-team berth.
Aragones is spoilt for choice at the back,
too. Real’s Michel Salgado and Sergio
Ramos, Carlos Marchena of Valencia and
Barcelona’s Carlos Puyol are dependable or
even outstanding defenders. Goalkeeper
Iker Casillas also has the experience
needed to play at the top level.
If Aragones succeeds in finding the
right blend, Spain will surely live up to
their reputation in Germany.
Reyes
Xavi
Marchena
Puyol
JUNE/JULY 2006
Joaquin
Salgado
… Spain have been to the last eight World
Cups. The last time they failed to qualify
was for the first tournament in Germany
in 1974, when they lost 1-0 to the then
Yugoslavia in a play-off.
… Luis Aragones, 67, will be the fourth
oldest coach ever at the World Cup. Only
Gaston Barreau (France, 1954 World
Cup) and Cesare Maldini (Italy, in charge
of Paraguay in 2002) and Togos present
German coach Otto Pfister were older.
… Spain have had only one player sent off
in over 30 World Cup matches – Nadal
against Korea Republic (2-2) in 1994.
… Spain finished their last three qualifying
competitions unbeaten and have not lost
in their last 35 World Cup qualifiers.
… Spain are also unbeaten in seven World
Cup matches (four wins, three draws).
In 2002, they were knocked out in the
quarter-finals by Korea Republic after a
penalty shoot-out.
Previous World Cup
appearances
1934
1950
1962
1966
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Italy
Brazil
Chile
England
Argentina
Spain
Mexico
Italy
USA
France
Korea/Japan
5th
4th
13th
10th
10th
12th
7th
10th
8th
17th
5th
Andoni Zubizarreta, 16 (1986, 1990,
1994, 1998)
Fernando Hierro (1994, 1998, 2002),
Emilio Butragueno (1986), Fernando
Morientes (1998), Estanislao Basora
(1950), 5 each
6th
against).
Torres
Casillas
118
were not large enough already, coach Luis
Aragones can also fall back on Fernando
Morientes or Valencia’s shooting star
David Villa.
In midfield, two of Villa’s club
colleagues, the robust David Albelda
and Ruben Baraja, are fighting it out for
a place in the starting line-up. They are
joined by Francesc Fabregas, who only
made his debut in the national team
earlier this year. The young Arsenal
talent is said to have all the qualities a
playmaker needs. Vicente and Joaquin
are among the best wide players in
the world, and Spain’s build-up play is
Pulls the strings
in midfield:
Xavi.
Did you know?
Vicente
Top scorer:
Fernando Torres, 7
Likely line-up
Raul
Play-off
Spain v. Slovakia 5-1
Slovakia v. Spain 1-1
Luis Aragones
(67/Spanish/since 2004)
The former striker (nickname: flatfoot)
took charge after EURO 2004. Apart
from Real Madrid, Aragones has
coached all the top sides in Spain,
most recently Mallorca. His biggest
success came in 1996, when he won
the double with Atletico Madrid.
Aragones is a controversial figure who
is considered wise, yet impulsive. His
headstrong nature constantly gets him
into trouble.
Raul
(28/striker/Real Madrid)
Averages almost a goal every two
games for Spain and played for Real
Madrid in the UEFA Champions League
at the tender age of 17. Eleven years
later, he is a legendary figure far
beyond the Spanish capital. A brilliant
goalscorer with a strong left foot. Although Real Madrid have been buying
new star strikers year in, year out, in
the recent past, Raul has shrugged off
the competition every time.
Spain
Area: 504,782 km²
Capital: Madrid (3.2 million)
Association: Real Federacion Espanola
de Futbol (RFEF)
Website: www.rfef.es
Founded: 1913
Number of players: 2.5 million
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magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP H: UKRAINE
Preliminary
competition
Denmark v. Ukraine 1-1
Kazakhstan v. Ukraine 1-2
Ukraine v. Greece 1-1
Ukraine v. Georgia 2-0
Turkey v. Ukraine 0-3
Albania v. Ukraine 0-2
Ukraine v. Denmark 1-0
Ukraine v. Kazakhstan 2-0
Greece v. Ukraine 0-1
Georgia v. Ukraine 1-1
Ukraine v. Turkey 0-1
Ukraine v. Albania 2-2
Not just
Shevchenko
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Andrey Rusol (12 matches) Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
2. Alexandr Shovkovski (12)
Dynamo Kiev
3. Andriy Nesmachny (11)
Dynamo Kiev
4. Anatoliy Tymoshyuk (11)
Shakhtar Donetsk
5. Oleh Husyev (11)
Dynamo Kiev
6. Andrey Voronin (11)
7. Andriy Husin (11)
Krylia Sovetov (RUS)
8. Vladimir Yezerski (10)
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
9. Andriy Shevchenko (9)
Ukraine secured their first-ever
qualification for the World Cup finals at
the third time of asking. They were the
first European team to book their ticket
to Germany, emerging from a very strong
group that included Turkey, Denmark
and European champions Greece.
For head coach Oleg Blokhin, then,
it was a happy end to what had been
a turbulent journey. In March 2005,
the former striker announced his
resignation, only to go back on his
decision later. The change of heart
allowed him to make his prediction
reality, because before the World Cup
qualifying campaign, Blokhin had stated
that his team would go to Germany as
group winners, a remark that prompted
the Ukrainian media to claim that
he was suffering from delusions of
AC Milan (ITA)
10. Andriy Vorobey (9)
Shakhtar Donetsk
11. Oleg Shelaev (9)
12. Serhiy Fedorov (8)
Dynamo Kiev
13. Olekcii Byelik (8)
Shakhtar Donetsk
14. Ruslan Rotan (7)
Dynamo Kiev
15. Serhiy Zakarlyuka (3)
Metalurg Donetsk
16. Serhiy Nazarenko (3)
17. Aleksandr Radchenko (3)
18. Mikhail Starostyak (2)
Shinnik Yaroslavl (RUS)
19. Serhiy Shyshchenko (2)
Metalurg Donetsk
20. Aleksandr Rikun (2)
grandeur. The critics have long been
silenced, though, so convincing were
Ukraine during the qualifiers. Blokhin
continued the legacy left by legendary
coach Valeri Lobanovsky with great
care. He operated with different systems,
preferring a forceful pressing game at
home, but content to sit deep and wait
for opportunities away.
Blokhin generally puts his faith in
players from the Ukrainian league, whom
he primarily recruits from top clubs
Dynamo Kiev, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
and Shakhtar Donetsk. His key man,
however, is Lobanovsky’s “foster son”,
Andriy Shevchenko. The AC Milan
striker scored six goals in the qualifying
competition to become his country’s
leading scorer once again.
Yet Ukraine are more than just
Shevchenko. Andriy Vorobey and
Andrey Voronin, for example, have
blossomed magnificently in the shade
cast by this outstanding player. On their
day, the three of them form one of the
most dangerous strike forces anywhere
in the world. Ukraine have an excellent
coach, a clear tactical approach and an
above-average team. The last 16 is a
realistic target.
Top scorer:
Andriy Shevchenko, 6
Previous World Cup
appearances
Most World Cup appearances:
-
Likely line-up
Andriy Shevchenko’s strike partner, Andrey Voronin.
Voronin
Shevchenko
Did you know?
Vorobey
Husyev
Nesmachny
Tymoshyuk
Rusol
Fedorov
Shovkovski
120
Husin
JUNE/JULY 2006
Yezerski
… Apart from Russia, Ukraine are the first
team from the former Soviet Union to
qualify for the World Cup finals.
… Coach Oleg Blokhin also took part in
two World Cups. In 1982, he made five
appearances (one goal) for the then Soviet
Union, and in 1986 he played twice (one
goal).
… Ukraine came through the qualifying
competition unbeaten.
… The Ukrainians have played two World
Cup qualifiers on German soil and lost
both, going down 2-0 to Germany in
Bremen in the qualifying campaign for
1998 and 4-1 in Dortmund in the play-off
for the 2002 tournament.
… Andriy Shevchenko is the only Ukrainian
player to score in three different World
Cup qualifying competitions, netting
twice in the 1998 campaign, ten times
in the 2002 preliminaries and six in the
qualifiers for Germany. This gives him 18
goals altogether, a tally that in Europe is
bettered only by Portugal’s Pauleta.
Oleg Blokhin
(53/Ukrainian/since 2003)
The former world-class striker and
European Footballer of the Year is a
headstrong coach who instils discipline
and togetherness in his side. He prefers
players who are with domestic clubs,
but maintains an excellent relationship
with his star man, AC Milan striker
Andriy Shevchenko. Blokhin temporarily
resigned in March 2005, but on his
return, he steered his team safely to
the World Cup finals.
Andriy Shevchenko
(29/striker/AC Milan)
The attacking all-rounder shoulders
more responsibility in the national team
than he does at his club. “Sheva” is
possibly the most complete striker in
the world. Quick, opportunistic and
physically strong, Shevchenko has been
a prolific goalscorer no matter where he
has played, be it for Dynamo Kiev, AC
Milan or the Ukraine. He is married to
an American model.
Ukraine
Area: 603,700 km²
Capital: Kiev (2.7 million)
Association: Football Federation of
Ukraine (FFU)
Website: www.ffu.org.ua
Founded: 1991
JUNE/JULY 2006
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magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP H: TUNISIA
Preliminary
competition
Tunisia v. Botswana 4-1
Guinea v. Tunisia 2-1
Morocco v. Tunisia 1-1
Malawi v. Tunisia 2-2
Tunisia v. Malawi 7-0
Botswana v. Tunisia 1-3
Tunisia v. Guinea 2-0
Tunisia v. Kenya 1-0
Kenya v. Tunisia 0-2
Tunisia v. Morocco 2-2
Can Santos conjure
up a second win?
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Radhi Jaidi (9 matches) Bolton Wanderers (ENG)
2. Jawhar Mnari (9)
Nuremberg (GER)
3. Ali Boumnijel (8)
Club Africain
4. Clayton (8)
Al-Sadd (QAT)
5. Adel Chadli (8)
Nuremberg (GER)
6. Karim Hagui (7)
Racing Strasbourg (FRA)
7. Francileudo Santos (7)
Toulouse (FRA)
8. Riadh Bouazizi (7)
Erciyesspor (TUR)
9. Kaies Ghodhbane (7)
Konyaspor (TUR)
10. Hatem Trabelsi (6)
Tunisia’s role at the World Cup finals
will be completely different to the one
they are accustomed to playing during
their qualifying campaigns, when the
north Africans are perennial favourites.
In Germany, their prime aim will simply
be to win a game, having previously won
just the once in 1978.
Their hopes of achieving this target
will rest largely on the experience of
coach Roger Lemerre and the individual
quality of their key players. Tunisia
skipper Hatem Trabelsi, for example, is a
first-team regular at Ajax. “By playing in
the UEFA Champions League, I’ve been
able to improve my game in every area,”
says the defender, who has been with the
Dutch side since 2001.
Up front, much focuses on Toulouse
striker Francileudo Santos, Tunisia’s most
prolific attacking player in qualifying
with six goals. Just 1.72 metres tall, the
Brazilian-born striker from the province
of Maranhao moved to north Africa in
Ajax (NED)
11. Slim Benachour (6)
Vitoria Guimaraes (POR)
12. Ziad Jaziri (5)
Troyes (FRA)
13. Mehdi Nafti (5)
Birmingham City (ENG)
14. Ali Zitouni (5)
Troyes (FRA)
15. Khaled Badra (4)
Esperance Tunis
16. Haykel Guemamdia (4) Racing Strasbourg (FRA)
17. Alaeddine Yahia (4)
Top scorer:
Santos, 6
the 1990s via Standard Liege. He was
originally discovered by French coach
Jean Fernandez during his spell at Etoile
du Sahel and he later followed him to
France after finding the net 32 times in
two seasons in the Tunisian league.
Fernandez took charge at Sochaux
and Santos proved an immediate hit
at the then second division outfit. In
2004, he became a Tunisian citizen and
shortly afterwards, Tunisia lifted the
African Cup of Nations on home soil
by beating archrivals Morocco in the
final. Their first goal was scored by none
other than…Santos. The 2006 African
Cup of Nations in Egypt was rather less
of a success for Tunisia, with Lemerre’s
charges bowing out at the quarter-final
stage against Nigeria after a penalty
shoot-out. The defeat was a bitter
disappointment for the holders, whose
supporters will demand a substantial
improvement at the World Cup. Tunisia
will at least take a positive record into
their group games. In terms of matches
won, they have a clear advantage over
Saudi Arabia. The north Africans have
played Spain only once before (a 1-0
win at the World Youth Championship),
while the match against Ukraine will be
a first as the two countries have never
met before.
St. Etienne (FRA)
18. Chaouki Ben Saada (4) Bastia (FRA)
19. Issam Jomaa (4)
Lens (FRA)
20. Hamed Namouchi (3)
Rangers (SCO)
Did you know?
Benachour
Ghodbane
Chadli
Mnari
Bouazizi
Jaidi
Clayton
Trabelsi
122
JUNE/JULY 2006
Argentina
France
Korea/Japan
13th
26th
29th
Zoubeir Baya, 6 (1998 and 2002)
Raouf Bouzaiene (2002), Skander
Souayah (1998), Moktar Dhouib (1978),
Nejib Ghommidh (1978), Ali Kaabi
(1978), 1 each
The veteran of the team: goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel.
Santos
Boumnijel
1978
1998
2002
47th
(9 matches, 1 win, 3 draws, 5 defeats,
5 goals for, 11 goals against).
Likely line-up
Guemamdia
Previous World Cup
appearances
… Of the five African qualifiers, Tunisia are
the only team with World Cup experience,
having played at the tournaments in 1978,
1998 and 2002.
… Goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel, who played
in eight of the ten qualifying matches,
needs to make just one appearance in
Germany to join a select group of players.
Until now, only four players over the
age of 40 have appeared at the World
Cup: Roger Milla (Cameroon/42 years
and 39 days), Pat Jennings (Northern
Ireland/41 years exactly), Peter Shilton
(England/40 years and 292 days) and
Dino Zoff (Italy/40 years and 133 days).
Apart from Milla, all these players were
goalkeepers. Boumnijel was born on 13
April 1966.
… Tunisia became the first African team
to win a World Cup match when they
overcame Mexico 3-1 in Rosario (Argentina)
on 2 June 1978.
Roger Lemerre
(64/French/since 2002)
The biggest success of his career was
followed by the biggest disappointment. In 2000, he won the European
Championship with France, only
to go out of the World Cup at the
group stage with Les Bleus in 2002.
Lemerre led Tunisia to an African Cup
of Nations win in 2004 thanks to
victory over Morocco in the final. He
is not known as a fickle coach who
constantly changes his formation.
Hatem Trabelsi
(28/defender/Ajax Amsterdam)
Trabelsi is quick and an accurate
crosser of a ball. In 2001, he moved
from Tunisian side CF Sfaxien to Ajax,
quickly establishing himself at the
famous Dutch outfit and attracting
the attention of various top clubs
with a string of fine performances
for club and country. Trabelsi has
a wealth of experience and is the
Tunisian skipper.
Tunisia
Area: 163,610 km²
Capital: Tunis (728,000)
Association: Federation Tunisienne de
Football (FTF)
Founded: 1956
Website: www.ftf.org.tn
JUNE/JULY 2006
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magazine
THE 32 TEAMS
GROUP H: SAUDI ARABIA
Preliminary
competition
Saudi Arabia v. Indonesia 3-0
Sri Lanka v. Saudi Arabia 0-1
Saudi Arabia v. Turkmenistan 3-0
Turkmenistan v. Saudi Arabia 0-1
Indonesia v. Saudi Arabia 1-3
Saudi Arabia v. Sri Lanka 3-0
Uzbekistan v. Saudi Arabia 1-1
Saudi Arabia v. Korea Republic 2-0
Kuwait v. Saudi Arabia 0-0
Saudi Arabia v. Kuwait 3-0
Saudi Arabia v. Uzbekistan 3-0
Korea Republic v. Saudi Arabia 0-1
Hoping to
cause a surprise
PLAYERS
match appearances
1. Hamad Al Montashari (9 matches) Al Ittihad
2. Yasser Al Qahtani (9)
Al Hilal
3. Mabrouk Zaid (8)
Al Ittihad
4. Saud Khariri (7)
Al Ittihad
5. Raza Takar (7)
Al Ittihad
6. Mohammad Al Shlhoub (7)
Al Hilal
7. Ahmed Al Bahri (6)
Al Shabab
8. Khaled Al Thaker (6)
Al Hilal
9. Naif Ali Al Qadhi (6)
Al Ahly
10. Sabe Al Abdullha (6)
Al Ahly
11. Ibrahim Sowed (6)
Al Ittihad
12. Ahmed Dukhi Al Dosari (5)
Al Ittihad
13. Khamis Alowairan Al Dossari (5)
Al Ittihad
14. Manaf Abushgeer (5)
Al Ittihad
15. Taiseer Al Jassam (5)
Al Ahly
16. Sami Al Jaber (5)
Al Hilal
17. Talal Al Meshal (5)
Al Ahli
18. Abdulaziz Khathran (4)
Al Hilal
19. Mohammed Noor (3)
Al Ittihad
20. Saad Al Harthi (3)
Al Ittihad
When it comes to the Saudi manager’s
hot seat, nothing is more constant than
change. Since 1994, no fewer than 15
coaches have tried their luck in the job.
At the 1998 World Cup, Carlos Alberto
Parreira was even sacked halfway through
the tournament.
After successfully qualifying for the
2006 World Cup last December, Gabriel
Calderon was also asked to pack his
bags. The official reason given for the
sacking was “unsatisfactory results”, but
the former Argentine international was
apparently shown the door partly because
of his idiosyncratic conduct. Association
officials were unhappy, for instance,
that Calderon had not scheduled any
friendlies during their two-week training
camp leading up to the tournament in
Germany.
Brazil’s Marcos Paqueta was
appointed as Calderon’s successor.
“I’m happy that everyone thinks Saudi
Arabia will be the easiest team in the
Top scorer:
Yasser Al Qahtani, 4
competition,” he says, “because it will
allow us to spring a few surprises.”
The majority of his squad is made up
of players from the two leading Saudi
clubs, Al Ittihad and Al Hilal. “The
players are top quality and have good
technique,” says Paqueta in praise of
his team, although he admits they
lack international experience, which is
something the star of the squad has in
abundance. Striker Sami Al Jaber once
played for Wolverhampton Wanderers
in England and will be contesting his
fourth World Cup in succession. He is
likely to be partnered up front by Yasser
Al Qahtani, probably Saudi Arabia’s best
player. Al Hilal are said to have paid a
record fee of USD 10 million for his
services, but the Saudis are also pinning
their hopes on Hamad Al Montashari,
the 2005 Asian player of the year.
Paqueta has set himself the target of
surviving the group phase. To do so,
however, Saudi Arabia will need to make
a better start than they did in Korea and
Japan in 2002, when they crashed 8-0
against Germany. “Pressure only serves
to motivate me,” says an upbeat Paqueta.
“It’s the fuel I use to convert into positive
energy.”
Previous World Cup
appearances
1994
1998
2002
USA
France
Korea/Japan
12th
28th
32nd
Mohammed Al Deayea, 10 (1994, 1998,
2002)
Sami Al Jaber (1994, 1998) and Fuad
Amin (1994), 2 each
42nd
(10 matches, 2 wins, 1 draw,
against).
Likely line-up
Al Qahtani
Asian player of
the year Hamad
Al Montashari.
Al Jaber
Did you know?
Noor
Al Shlhoub
Al Thaker
Takar
Al Bahri
Al Montashari
Zaid
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JUNE/JULY 2006
Khariri
Mousa
… Saudi Arabia entered the qualifying
campaign with Gerard van der Lem in
charge, only to sack him, despite a good
start, after a disappointing showing at the
2004 Asian Cup.
… At the 1994 tournament in the USA, Saudi
Arabia reached the last 16 but they have
not won a World Cup match since.
… Saudi Arabia have met an African team in
the group phase at each of the last three
World Cups. In 1994, they beat Morocco
2-1, in 1998 they drew 2-2 with South
Africa, and in 2002 they lost 1-0 against
Cameroon. Of the seven matches against
Tunisia to date, Saudi Arabia have won
two, drawn one and lost four.
… Their last win at the World Cup finals was
a 1-0 triumph over Belgium in Washington
in 1994, a result that saw them through
to the last 16.
Marcos Paqueta
Succeeded Gabriel Calderon in
December 2005, signing a contract
until 2007. Paqueta managed top
Saudi club Al Hilal before taking the
national job. His biggest successes to
date have been as a youth-team coach
in his home country. In 2003 he led
the Brazil U-17 team and then the
U-20 side to World Championship
titles.
Sami Al Jaber
(34/striker/Al Hilal)
The only Saudi to have played in
Europe – for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2000 – he made an impressive
comeback when Calderon recalled him
to the national team after a two-year
absence. Al Jaber will be contesting
his fourth World Cup in succession in
Germany. “When we made our World
Cup debut in 1994 we were good,”
the veteran says. “Today we’re good
and young.”
Saudi Arabia
Area: 2,240,000 km2
Capital: Riyadh (3.6 million)
Association: Saudi Arabian Football
Federation (SAFF)
Website: www.saff.com.sa
Founded: 1959
JUNE/JULY 2006
125

The Marcello Lippi revolution

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