World Cup: National Team threads #2

[Chimaera]

Confirmed: Gareth Southgate's provisional England squad​

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford.

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Harry Maguire, Jarell Quansah, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton.

Forwards: Jude Bellingham, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins.

No Henderson, No Rashford.

Bit of a surprise on some of the non-capped younger players. Southgate also taking 4 keepers for now. Selfishly, seeing Jones, Gomez and Quansah make it is nice. Jones was one of England's best player last summer at u21s. Would have liked to see Elliott sneak in, but I get it. Wharton making it over him is a bit odd, though they're different. He's got time.

 

[luiginb]

No Tomori confirms Southgate only watches PL

 

[Albatros]

The U17 pitch looks awful minding it's the opening day of a fairly major tournament. A well-deserved 2:1 victory for Portugal over Spain nevertheless.

 

[Power Man]

Petkovic not calling up Chaibi this time

He better have a good reason ........................

He didn't call up Belloumi either, even though he is coming off an excellent season the Portuguese 1st division........

 

[John Price]

Mbappe floated around the notion of playing for the U23 French Olympic team but neither he or Griezzman will play Paris 2024: Thierry Henry unveils preliminary France squad with Lacazette, but no Mbappé or Griezmann 'for now'

 

[luiginb]

Mbappe floated around the notion of playing for the U23 French Olympic team but neither he or Griezzman will play Paris 2024: Thierry Henry unveils preliminary France squad with Lacazette, but no Mbappé or Griezmann 'for now'

Wait until Macron hears about this!

 

[robertmac43]

This is an interesting story:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797645985839034411

 

[luiginb]

This is an interesting story:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797645985839034411

That country is famous for pulling shit like this

 

[luiginb]

The German team I'd pick for the Euros, I'm pretty sure they'd have a good chance at winning while playing some beautiful football:

Stefan Ortega (Marc-André Ter Stegen)(Bernd Leno)

Joshua Kimmich (Benjamin Henrichs)
Mats Hummels (Jonathan Tah)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Antonio Rüdiger)
Maximilian Mittelstädt (David Raum)

Toni Kroos (Angelo Stiller)
Florian Wirtz (İlkay Gündoğan)
Leon Goretzka (Robert Andrich)

Leroy Sané (Brajan Gruda)
Deniz Undav (Thomas Müller)
Jamal Musiala (Jan-Niklas Beste)

extra: Manuel Neuer, Jonas Hoffmann, Kai Havertz

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

The German team I'd pick for the Euros, I'm pretty sure they'd have a good chance at winning while playing some beautiful football:

Stefan Ortega (Marc-André Ter Stegen)(Bernd Leno)

Joshua Kimmich (Benjamin Henrichs)
Mats Hummels (Jonathan Tah)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Antonio Rüdiger)
Maximilian Mittelstädt (David Raum)

Toni Kroos (Angelo Stiller)
Florian Wirtz (İlkay Gündoğan)
Leon Goretzka (Robert Andrich)

Leroy Sané (Brajan Gruda)
Deniz Undav (Thomas Müller)
Jamal Musiala (Jan-Niklas Beste)

extra: Manuel Neuer, Ilkay Gundogan, Kai Havertz

This team would concede 8 goals a game

 

[luiginb]

This team would concede 8 goals a game

The opposing team would need to ball first, I doubt they'd get a lot of whiffs of it.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

The opposing team would need to ball first, I doubt they'd get a lot of whiffs of it.

the peak Spanish sides for whom suffocating possession was the best defense had a world-class back four and arguably the greatest DM who's ever played the game

even when "you can't score on us if you never have the ball" is the strategy, you are still susceptible to being countered on and this team would get countered on

to say that a midfield of kroos, wirtz, and goretzka would be a sieve is to understate it dramatically

 

[luiginb]

Wirtz doesn't do defense properly, although at time he tries, but Kroos and Goretzka are still underrated defensively. And Bayern's Tuchel also showed us that Musiala and Sane can defend if the occasion arises. I agree this team is slowww, so counters would be a problem, but Schlotterbeck and Mittelstadt are fast. And it's not like the other options in midfield Germany have are famous for their speed.

 

[Ceremony]

Wales unable to score a goal against a glorified holiday camp. Absolutely delicious. About f***ing time as well.

 

[Power Man]

wow Petkovic is beyond stupid

 

[cgf]

This team would concede 8 goals a game

Please. We’ve seen what that team would do, they’d only give up 3-5 goals per game…

Leon has embraced a more holding role this season than he ever has before, but yeah. We need Andrich, Khedira, Pavlovic or Martel starting next to Kroos / Gundogan / Goretzka.

But I also am not too worried about our offense with Musiala, Sane, & Wirtz behind Havertz / Füllkrug / Beier / Undav…especially if we had Schlotterbeck & Kroos’s passing to initiate our movements.

Though I don’t think Hummels has enough left in the tank to start at an international tourney anymore.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Ben Seghir notches his first for Morocco from a nice assist by Diaz to put Morocco up 2-0 against Zambia in a WC qualifier. Looks like another match where Bono will be able to take a nap.

Not watching that match but England is about to lose to Iceland at Wembley with only one shot on target? Woof.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

1 shot 1 goal for Bono and a weak one to boot. Saudi Arabia kills players.

 

[gary69]

Nigeria already on their way out of the World Cup? Lost to Benin today and they have only 3 pts after 4 matches.

 

[John Price]

Watching some South Korea - China World Cup qualifying at work. We are at the half of a 0-0 match.

SK looked dominant in their walloping of Singapore last time.

 

[John Price]

Korea score!!

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Crystal Palace's new 20 year-old CB Chadi Riad puts Morocco up 2-0 against Congo fifteen minutes in. His first for the NT, second game. I get that the difference in squads is immense but Morocco is going to massacre that qualifying group. It's not very good.

3-0 inside 20. El Kaabi keeps bagging them. Too easy for Hakimi.

 

[robertmac43]

Imagine being eliminated on something like this....

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800653432392397202

 

[luiginb]

The team I'd pick for France for the Euros:

Mike Maignan (Lucas Chevalier) (Brice Samba)

Jules Koundé (Malo Gusto)
Benjamin Pavard (Nordi Mukiele)
Olivier Boscagli (Dayot Upamecano)
Théo Hernández (Anthony Caci)

Aurélien Tchouaméni (Eduardo Camavinga)
Michael Olise (Téji Savanier)
Adrien Rabiot (Pierre Lees-Melou)

Ousmane Dembélé (Kingsley Coman)
Antoine Griezmann (Christopher Nkunku)
Kylian Mbappé (Bradley Barcola)

extras: Marcus Thuram, Mathys Tel, Yacine Adli

 

[Savant]

Pavlovic out for Germany with tonsillitis

Emre Can is replacement