England were given a tricky World Cup qualifying group as they will face Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and San Marino in Group H as they bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Scotland and Wales were drawn together in Group A, and will play Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Northern Ireland are up against Portugal, Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg in Group F. The Republic of Ireland were drawn against Germany, Sweden, Austria, Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan in Group C.

Only group winners are guaranteed a place at the tournament. With 13 places available in Brazil for European teams, the eight-best second-placed teams will play-off against each other to go through.

England manager Fabio Capello was present at the draw, although he will not be in charge when qualifying begins as he is set to move on next summer after the European Championships.

“It is not an easy draw,” said Capello. “You have to be really, really focused and play every game like a final – but that will be another manager’s job. “We know Montenegro very well and we have to play against them again. Poland are improving and will be really focused and will be tough opponents. With Ukraine I remember the game we lost against them in the last match during the qualification for South Africa. Moldova are not so strong, and San Marino the same.”

That being said by Capello, it will be a major shock if England do not finish first in this group.

There was just one Premiership game being played on Sunday as Roberto Matteo’s West Bromwich Albion travelled to Ewood Park to pit their wits against the new management team at Blackburn. The Indian owners of Rovers are standing firmly behind their man since Allardyce’s departure and Kean didn’t do his cause any harm today. After a poor run of form Albion turned up in the North-West boosted by a win over Blackburn’s neighbours Blackpool last time out. But the Baggies’ revival was short-lived as Rovers looked good in a 2-0 home win.

Albion were lively early doors but it was their own defender Gabriel Tamas who gave Rovers a valuable lead they were not to surrender. Tamas turned the ball past his own keeper after a cross from former Birmingham midfielder David Dunn. The goal came just before half-time and Blackburn kept the impetus after the break as youngster David Hoilett hit a fierce shot past the Albion goalkeeper. Albion should have had a penalty, but were only given a free-kick after Odemwingie was brought down in the box. The Albion front man was Albion’s best chance of a goal all game, but failed to get on the scoresheet as Blackburn reached the dizzy heights of seventh in the Premiership table at the final whistle.

The transfer news this Sunday is that Demba Ba, the Senegalese striker who has held the attentions of several clubs, is to sign for West Ham on Monday. The French born striker will be joining on loan from German side Hoffenheim where he has scored 37 goals in 97 appearances.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez has apperently confirmed that he wants to come to England and Liverpool remian favourites to add the infamous forward to their ranks. Suarez is the striker who denied Ghana a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup this summer, by handling a shot on the line. Suarez was sent off, Gyan missed the subsequent penalty and Uruguay eventually went through.

Tottenham‘s Jamie O’Hara is another player who has hinted he may be about to move, but where to remains a mystery. O’Hara had an impressive season on loan at Portsmouth with Avram Grant as his manager so their is the potential O’Hara may link up with Grant again at West Ham.

Photo credit: Peter Bonnett

Now we are well in to the second-half of the 2010/2011 season, who are this terms top performers racking up the points in various fantasy leagues, and putting themselves in the running for the EPL team of the year? Maybe surprisingly, as the debate rages about the influx of foreign players in to the EPL, many homegrown British and Irish players are proving that if you are good enough, you can still claim a place in the top English sides.

Joe Hart

England‘s number one and Man City‘s starlet is the pick of the goalkeepers so far. The youngster has an impressive eleven clean sheets this season, with shutouts against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Hart has had a big influence on City’s success, and will be key if they are to take this seasons’ title.

Leighton Baines

Another England international who was a somewhat surpise call up by Fabio in the summer, Leighton Baines has had an excellent season at left-back with the Toffees. Baines is a consistent performer and his dependable nature fits the Moyles style of play well. With Seamus Coleman adding to the promising youthful backline at Goodison, Everton have lost only six games out of 21 so far this season.

Matthew Etherington

Whilst Weslhman Gareth Bale has been receiving all the plaudits this season, fellow left winger Matthew Etherington has been delighting fans at the less glamorous Stoke City. The former Tottenham and West Ham midfielder has always shown promise and now he is getting a regular run at the Britannia, he is showing the talent he has always promised. Etherington has a great left foot and his delivery of the ball is excellent. With the physical approach of Tony Pulis’ side, Etherington has plenty of targets in the box to finish off his crosses from out wide.

Andy Carroll

Newcastle sit just above halfway in their first season back in the Premier League. Having amassed 28 points, the Geordie’s have Carroll to thank for their place in the division having scored eleven goals in nineteen appearances this term.  Another player who got the nod in Capello’s recent squads, Carroll has scored at both under 19 and under 21 level for his country.

photo credit: nicksarebi

Six months ago England were odds on favourites to win the 2018 World Cup, yet they could only manage two votes from the FIFA executive committee and went out in the first round. The English press are already calling the vote a “Humiliation for England”.

2018 VOTING
1st round: England 2 (eliminated), Netherlands-Belgium 4; Spain-Portugal 7; Russia 9
2nd round: Netherlands-Belgium 2; Spain-Portugal 7; Russia 13 (Russia obtain absolute majority)

To put England’s two votes in perspective, the England bid chairman Geoff Thompson was one of the executive committee members choosing hosts for 2018 and 2022, which means that England attracted only one other supporter despite intense lobbying efforts by Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron and David Beckham

Thompson, formerly the FA chairman for eight years, said promises to England had been broken.

“I cannot believe what has happened, and I am naturally very, very disappointed,’ he said. ‘The votes that were promised clearly didn’t materialise. I never imagined we would go out in the first round.”

Part of the blame for England’s failure to win the World Cup will be laid at the feet of the British media whose scrutiny of FIFA officials could have damaged England’s chances.

The number of those voting had been cut from 24 to 22 after a Sunday Times investigation accused two FIFA members of offering to sell their votes, while BBC’s Panorama documentary was accused of further antagonising world football’s powerbrokers.

We will probably never know why England’s bid failed so miserably, but with the 2022 World Cup going to Qatar, which takes China out of the running for 2026, England’s next hope is the 2026 World Cup.

photo credit: warrenski

In two major upsets, FIFA has awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. It will be the first time that either of these two countries have hosted a World Cup.

Both countries have major obstacles to overcome. Russia had multiple time zones, poor infrastructure and a lot of new stadiums that need to be build.

Qatar is a really small country, 1.5 million people, and the temperatures during the World Cup are expected to be over 110 degrees during the games. In addition no stadium would be more than an hour apart, which could be a logistical nightmare.

There has been a lot of talk this week about the FIFA bid process, and how votes can/were bought. These decisions today will only make those allegations stronger.

Russia beat out the challenge of three other European bidders, England and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal while Qatar beat out Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” David Beckham, who has 115 England caps, told BBC Radio 5 live. “Our bid team have done everything possible. We couldn’t have got a better bid together. We wish Qatar and Russia the very best. They’re two great countries and I’m sure they’ll make Fifa very proud. It’s hard not to come away with the World Cup in 2018. Lots of congratulations to the team. A lot of hard work has been done – the Prime Minister’s hard work, Prince William’s hard work. Apologies that we couldn’t bring the World Cup to our country because there’s no better and more passionate fans in the world than in England. It’s just disappointing that we can’t bring the World Cup to them in 2018.”

Former England captain Alan Shearer felt England had the strongest bid on the table and questioned whether his country would ever be in a better position to host football’s showpiece competition.

“We’d heard a rumour two or three minutes before we’d sat down that we hadn’t been successful,” stated the ex-Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle striker. “We’d also heard we’d gone out in the first round. We don’t know for certain. Congratulations to Russia – they had a fantastic bid and it’s hard to swallow.”

photo credit: CLF

England seem to get a new squad every game under Fabio Capello these days with further new caps taking to the field against France this evening. Sunderland‘s Jordan Henderson and Newcastle‘s Andy Carroll have both travelled down from the North-East of England and start for their country against the French at Wembley. Carroll is set to lead the line up-front with Henderson partnering a Capello favourite Gareth Barry in midfield. Theo Walcott who is yet to nail down his place gets another start under Don Fabio and will hope he can push on and make one of the England 1-11 shirts his own for the foreseeasble future. There is a lot of young English talent on the scene now, and this friendly gives England a chance to run the rule over a few more.

Another youngster getting another game for the national side is Arsenal‘s Kieran Gibbs. The left-back is Ashley Cole’s replacement in waiting, but for now when Ashley his fit, the number three shirt is his. Similarly there are still a few definites that the youngsters would do well to unseat. As well as Barry, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Joe Hart seem to have made their position their own with James Milner, Walcott, and Adam Johnson after midfield spots. Add to the competition Aston Villa‘s Ashley Young and debutant Jordan Henderson and it demostrates that if you get given a chance, you have to make it almost impossible for the boss not to start you in the next game. That is what Milner, Walcott and Henderson will be hoping to do tonight. If any of the players that I mentioned as definites are on shakey ground then it is Frank Lampard, and with Capello’s formation tonight, he is giving Henderson the chance to make him keep him in his thinking for the next Euro 2012 qualifying match.

With Jagielka showing good form maybe tonight is Joelon Lescott’s last chance to get himself higher up the pecking order. It is always going to be difficult with Ferdinand and Terry to compete with, but Lescott has not stepped up to the mark and shown himself to be a world class defender for me, and whilst Capello obviously rates him, he needs to show the rest of us what he can do. The challenge of an attacking French side could give him that opportunity. Manchester United‘s Chris Smalling and Manchester City‘s Micah Richards are also after a start at the back and both of them warm the bench tonight.

Another player hoping to get his first England cap is the surpirise inclusion of Jay Bothroyd. The youngster has had his fair share of clubs already in his career, and would not have been expecting a call-up from Capello as he plays for a side outside of the EPL. Bothroyd is from Champiosnhip side Coventry. It shows that Capello is true to his word however, as he has always maintained he will pick on form and not on reputation. So let’s see how many youngsters can force his hand for the next game tonight.

photo credit: wonker

As Laurent Blanc’s new look French side reach English shores, are there any future stars of the Premier League amongst them? The French league is probably the largest of the European leagues to suffer from losing home grown talent to English football since the inception of the EPL.

There are many good players that are plying their trade in Ligue 1, but the crème de la crème of French football currently play away from home. Less than half of the 2010 World Cup squad played on home soil and the majority of those players played for just two league clubs in Bordeaux and Lyon. Marseilles and Toulouse were also represented in the 23.

However, after the French indiscipline in South Africa, Blanc has a new look squad of 24 players travelling to play England, and two thirds of that squad play their football in the top flight in France. Paris St Germain’s Mamadou Sakho is a new boy in the squad and is uncapped for his country. The defender who earns his salary in Le Championnat is just 20 years of age. Sakho is a born and bred Parisian and has played at every level of youth football for his country. He has 16 caps to his name at under-21 level, and has captained his country at this level also. Sakho is a versatile defender who has been likened by the French media to former great Lillian Thuram. If Blanc who played along side Thuram can get the same level of performance out of this young man, he definitely has long term prospects in a French jersey. And it may not be long before a few Premier League sides sit up and take notice.

23 year old Kevin Gameiro has played just once for his country and the forward has made the trip to London this week. The Lorient striker got his first run out in September against Belarus. Gameiro has also been capped at youth level for his country, but it is his statistics at club level which say all you need to know about the young finisher. After joining Lorient in 2008 he has made 79 appearances and has provided a return of 30 goals in those games. Gameiro was being touted as a World Cup squad player but unfortunately picked-up an injury before the tournament. And whether Domenech would have given him his chance or not, Blanc has a new young talent at his disposal that could light up the international scene.

There are other relative newcomers in this squad that is missing some of its star names through sanctions laid down by the French football authorities. Saint Ettiene’s young midfielder Dimitri Payet and Rennes’ Yann M’Vila are both pushing for starts in the midfield. Someone who may get his first run out for his country and who is familiar to those who follow the EPL is Tottenham’s Younes Kaboul who has been called up by the manager. And whilst Kaboul seems to have been around the Premier League for some time, he is still only 24 years of age.

photo credit: euthman

On a day which saw Europe’s golfers win back the Ryder Cup from the team from across the pond, it begs the question as to whether the US will ever have a football team capable of beating Europe’s elite?

You have to give credit to the current USA soccer squad. They have improved year on year, and have had some impressive results. So much so that they actually went in to this Summer’s World Cup as dark horses. When the US hosted the World Cup back in 1994 they were considered to be the whipping boys. And even then to be fair they held their heads high in that tournament.

More and more Americans play across Europe in the world’s best soccer leagues, and so they are putting themselves up against Europe’s best week in week out. It needs a constant flow though, and maybe not so many American youngsters are making the grade. The most successful players that have made it in the Premier League are the more established US team members. Including Landon Donovan’s cameo for Everton last season.

It is hard enough for England‘s best youngsters to get a game in the EPL let alone America’s best. I have always advocated that England’s best youngsters should go and play in the MLS as that would be better than them playing lower league footbal, and it may even benefit the US national squad. Many of the USA World Cup squad end up being fringe players in the bigger teams. Stuart Holden playes for a modest EPL side in Bolton Wanderers, but has not really come to the fore in the Premier League. Similarly Jonathan Spector at West Ham has not really made the grade as a standout defender. Future US youngsters would also probably find it hard to get regular first team games in Italy or Spain.

What about other European leagues though? France, Holland, Portugal could all be good playgrounds for the next generation of Americas’ best. You feel that something needs to happen for them to move up another gear. We aren’t seeing new young US stars in the big leagues, and the MLS has always been the last final resting place of the European professional. It would be interesting to know what the scouting network is like in the US for major European sides. It would be great to see Soccer grow and grow in the States. Although, I have to amit, I am a sucker for the NFL, and if I had the choice between the current standard of the MLS and an NFL game, it wouldn’t be a contest. Go Niners.

photo credit: babasteve

Can anybody make up their mind? Media sources around Great Britain spent 10 months leading up to the World Cup placing Fabio Capello on  pedal stall next to greats such as Bobby Charlton, Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson. The way the media portrayed the brilliant Italian was such that all players, management, fans and optimists believed that England had the right man to steer England to world glory….. and then England met Germany.

Since that fateful evening Capello has been battered. His perfectly in tact resume has taken a metaphorical hammering. Powerful tabloid newspapers have consistently questioned his credentials, even calling for his head during a number of Sunday and weekday publications. Seasoned television pundits have been picking out flaws, week in week out,  in his tactics, consistently saying that he is not the man England need.

Other members of this spiteful profession would have taken their massive salary and right now they would be sailing around the Mediterranean drinking Southern French wine whilst listening to the England matches on Radio 5 live.

Fabio Capello chose to do the opposite and decided to shut the critics up in a way which all young sports man should endeavour to choose to do, if ever they recieve critisism in their career. Simply by letting the results do the talking.

Maybe its the stubborness inside him which has stopped him from leaving the Three Lions camp. Maybe it’s because he will lose out on £12 million jackpot day or maybe the man really does understand football. He knew that England would fail at the early stages in the World Cup and knew likewise that they would storm European qualification again and that they would be able to single handedly whip up the deluded nation once again in 2012 and as a result place him back on that pedal stall he occupied for nearly two years leading up to South Africa.

At the moment the cheating Wayne Rooney has followed in his managers footsteps by shutting up serious critics by putting England 1 – 0 up against Switzerland and a step closer to Poland and Ukraine.

Tomorrow the media will be singing the praises of this hardened Italian once again, will it bother Capello? I doubt he will even bother listening to or reading the work of the hypocritical vultures.

England began their journey to The European Championships by destroying a feeble Bulgaria at Wembley this evening. From start to finish England dominated and they went a little way in restoring a reputation, torn apart by a dismal World Cup campaign.

Jermaine Defoe scored a quality hat trick, with his third goal especially noteworthy. Adam Johnson, from the multi cultural Manchester City scored England’s fourth and sets up nicely the tricky tie against Switzerland on Tuesday evening.

Certain areas of Englands game were impressive tonight. Time after time Gerrard, Barry, Dawson and Milner intercepted Bulgaria’s attempts at attacking England springing quick counter attacks instead, something Capello tried to implement in South Africa.

 There was a totally assured performance by another Manchester City youngster in Joe Hart. He was very commanding and at one point was seen juggling the ball on his knees in open play, a sign of confidence! Or maybe arrogance! Ashley Cole was superb down the left and Wayne Rooney was extemely influential throughout supplying 3 assists from Englands four goals.

There was one extremely sour note though and Tottenham fans must be holding their breath because Matthew Dawson fell awkwardly in the 70th minute and had to taken off on a stretcher. He was in absolute agony and the injury looked similar to that of Michael Owen in 2006 against Sweden in the World Cup.

Nevertheless Fabio Capello must be very pleased that England have begun with a comprehensive win. Having man of the match Jermain Defoe in such rich scoring form is a real bonus and although there is a long way to go the signs are very positive for the forthcoming campaign.