FIFA World Cup 2014 !

[pino]

Time to start this, and in a few hours the Italian squad will be announced !

[pino]

Also very soon I will add a poll and post details about Groups, other squads, etc..etc...

[steveaki13]

Oh yes. Cant wait Pino. Hope I am allowed to do this. Just let me know.

Here's the England squad for those that are interested.

Goalkeepers:

	Caps	Goals
Joe Hart (Man City)	39	0
Fraser Forster (Celtic)	1	0
Ben Foster (West Brom)	6	0

Defenders:

	Caps	Goals
Leighton Baines (Everton)	22	1
Gary Cahill (Chelsea)	22	2
Phil Jagielka (Everton)	24	1
Glen Johnson (Liverpool)	50	1
Phil Jones (Manchester Utd)	9	0
Chris Smalling (Manchester Utd)	10	0
luke Shaw (Southampton)	1	0

Midfielders:

	Caps	Goals
Ross Barkley (Everton)	3	0
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) *Captain	109	21
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)	8	0
Adam Lallana (Southampton)	3	0
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)	103	29
James Milner (Man City)	45	1
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)	14	3
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)	2	0
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)	15	0

Strikers:

	Caps	Goals
Rickie Lambert (Southampton)	4	2
Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd)	89	38
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)	10	3
Danny Welbeck (Manchester Utd)	21	8

Standby List:
John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

[anfield5]

Oh yes. Cant wait Pino. Hope I am allowed to do this. Just let me know.

Here's the England squad for those that are interested.

Goalkeepers:

	Caps	Goals
Joe Hart (Man City)	39	0
Fraser Forster (Celtic)	1	0
Ben Foster (West Brom)	6	0

Defenders:

	Caps	Goals
Leighton Baines (Everton)	22	1
Gary Cahill (Chelsea)	22	2
Phil Jagielka (Everton)	24	1
Glen Johnson (Liverpool)	50	1
Phil Jones (Manchester Utd)	9	0
Chris Smalling (Manchester Utd)	10	0
luke Shaw (Southampton)	1	0

Midfielders:

	Caps	Goals
Ross Barkley (Everton)	3	0
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) *Captain	109	21
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)	8	0
Adam Lallana (Southampton)	3	0
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)	103	29
James Milner (Man City)	45	1
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)	14	3
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)	2	0
Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)	15	0

Strikers:

	Caps	Goals
Rickie Lambert (Southampton)	4	2
Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd)	89	38
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)	10	3
Danny Welbeck (Manchester Utd)	21	8

Standby List:
John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

Hmm a few in who based on performance should not be.
Smalling and Jones are extremely lucky to go, both were average at best this year. Personally I would have taken Stones and Flanagan, both of whom had exceptional seasons this time round and were far more impressive than the Utd pair.

Apart from that I think this is the best squad Hodgeson could have come up with.

So.... how will England do?

I can see them making the quarter finals, then all you need is luck from there, I can also see them not progressing past Italy and Uruguay in their group.

[Rollo]

Apart from that I think this is the best squad Hodgeson could have come up with.

So.... how will England do?

I can see them making the quarter finals, then all you need is luck from there, I can also see them not progressing past Italy and Uruguay in their group.

Hart, Cahill, Johnson, Smalling, Jagielka, Henderson, Sterling, Gerrard, Milner, Sturridge and Rooney.

That's pretty well much the default XI and to be honest, the only reason I'd see that England have any need to play anyone else is to rest that XI before an important match. Secure escape from the group stage and then revert to an XI which in theory should be able to hold up fairly nicely in a European Champions League match.

...

Aside:
I think that Australia is massively overrated in the press here. Having seen the squad of 30 before they play a friendly against South Africa, I can honestly see Australia getting belted to the weeds. My prediction of losing all matches and conceding 20 goals still stands.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Hart, Cahill, Johnson, Smalling, Jagielka, Henderson, Sterling, Gerrard, Milner, Sturridge and Rooney.

That's pretty well much the default XI and to be honest, the only reason I'd see that England have any need to play anyone else is to rest that XI before an important match. Secure escape from the group stage and then revert to an XI which in theory should be able to hold up fairly nicely in a European Champions League match.


...

Aside:
I think that Australia is massively overrated in the press here. Having seen the squad of 30 before they play a friendly against South Africa, I can honestly see Australia getting belted to the weeds. My prediction of losing all matches and conceding 20 goals still stands.

You've selected 3 CB and no left back.

Hart
Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines
Gerrard, Wilshere
Stirling, Rooney, Welbeck
Sturridge

That's how I'd play, attack attack attack

[pino]

Steve, off course you're allowed to post whatever you want

[pino]

Spain's squad :

Casillas, Reina, De Gea,

Azpilicueta, Piqué, Ramos, Jordi Alba, Alberto Moreno, Javi Martínez, Albiol, Juanfran, Carvajal,

Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Koke, Iturraspe, Xavi Thiago, Pedro, Navas, Silva, Cesc, Mata, Cazorla, Iniesta,

Diego Costa, Villa, Torres, Negredo y Llorente

[pino]

Italy's :

Keepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juve), Salvatore Sirigu (Psg), Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Defenders: Giorgio Chiellini (Juve), Andrea Barzagli (Juve), Leonardo Bonucci (Juve), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Ignazio Abate (Milan), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina)

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (Juve), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juve), Thiago Motta (Psg), Marco Verratti (Psg), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Romulo (Verona), Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Marco Parolo (Parma)

Strikers: Mario Balotelli (Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Mattia Destro (Roma), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

[Firstgear]

Canada's :
Assistant Ref / Linesman: Joe Fletcher

Ok - it's not as impressive as some of the other squads listed, but as pino would say "That's alright - it's only soccer."