The Shamefull English Press

England did not lose because they were cheated by an Uruguayan referee... England lost because they were a quarter of the team that Germany is... a lot of stars failing to work together....

Congratulations Germany! I admire the curent German team because they are a departure from all past teams that were defensive and uninspiring... this young Germany is brilliant... more explanation to come.

Match Preview: GERMANY versus ENGLAND

 VERSUS

Stage: 1/16th Final

Winner Plays Versus: Argentina or Mexico

Time: 1600h GMT +1

Venue: Free State Stadium – Bloemfontein – The site of France’s exit to South Africa and one of the better stadiums for camera work so far.

Referee: Roberto Rosetti.(Italy) – a very very strict referee known for not putting up with showboating superstars. This could really be a disadvantage for the English players who are used to a rougher version of football in the Premiership, with referees that don’t card as often. Date of Birth: 18.09.1967 in the province of Piedmont, Italy. Height: 190 cm Occupation: Hospital manager Mother tongue: Italian Other languages: English, French International since: 2002 First international: Tunisia-Cameroon (11.01.2002) Hobbies: Tennis, movies, books Fondest memory: UEFA European U-16 Championship 2000/01; FIFA World Youth Championship UAE 2003; FIFA Confederations Cup Germany 2005; FIFA World Cup Germany 2006; UEFA Euro Austria-Switzerland 2008

Overview: “Expect nothing and everything,” the old cliché has never rang truer. One of the greatest rivalries in the game, dormant in recent years, is about to be revived, as either 12 cylinder Germany or lawnmower England must go home this find afternoon... and anything could happen.

Suggested Menu With Your Game:

Appetizer:  Young Asparagus in Cream Sauce to recognize the input of the Beyern Munich, Schalke, Bremen, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Dortmund youth program into this German team.

Main Course:  Fish and Chips over-drowned in vinegar to salute the way the English team performed

Drink: German Beer because the chances that the English will be enjoying theirs after this are smaller

Desert: Black pudding – as a meaty tribute to the beefy Wayne Rooney... especially since its not a desert and he hasn’t been much of superstar.

Squad Analysis:

GERMANY:
Unofficial Theme Song to Accompany Style of Play:

No choice here there is a real must!

Do listen to it here on youtube!

Germany Death Techo band Rammstein singing VIVA KOLONIA a tribute to Podolski’s team 1.FC.Köln to inspire him and the German team to some hard bass sounds against the back of the English net.

Tactics: Coach Joachim Löw has had an incredibly progressive, one could say revolutionary cadency in charge of the German national team since he took over from Kilnsman in 2006. He has, with his highly capable coaching staff transformed the German national team from its traditional defensive, oppressive style of football into a composed, dangerous attacking team. Deploying an offensive 4-2-3-1 in previous games, but has considerable injury worries for this one with irreplaceable Baastian Schweinsteiger, and Jerome Boateng fighting off injury, and one of the players of the tournament so far Mesut Özil having suffered the loss of his grandmother on Saturday.

If all is according to plan, Podolski on the left and Mueller play as very offensive wingers, Özil plays behind attacker Klose and they are backed up by two central midfielders Khedira and Schweinsteiger or Kroos.

Strengths: Technique, fitness, energy and striking power.. the German team has an efficient attacking machine that has struggled the last two games after a 4-0 hammering of Australia in the debut game.

Weakness:  Psychology, the young German team has obvious lack of consistency which could be in part due to lack of experience. The formations are not weak in any way, but the absence of Schweinsteiger could really hurt heir ability to interrupt English attacks.

Key to beating England: Since not so many WWII veterans will be reading this I can say submarine style will work best... hit hard and hit fast to demoralize a shaky English squad morale before they can find their strength in this match. The destructive game can be very efficient against a so far uncreative English team, and should be emphasized as well.

Key Squad Members:

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been one of the best in this tournament, even though last December he was still Germany’s number 3. Following the retirement of the emblematic Oliver Khan, a whole horde of talented goalkeepers has worn the German gloves, but after the tragic suicide of Robert Enke, the injury to Rene Adler its now 24 years young Manuel Neuer that is showing off his considerable talent.

Per Metersacker and Arne Friedrich form one of the best defensive axes in the World Cup, and they combine well on the ground and in there only conceding one goal so far. Even when Germany has been in trouble the last two games, this final line has not faltered with Neuer behind them.

Philipp Lahm is the captain, the motor, and the colonel on the pitch, marshalling the tempo and posture of the young German team while covering both defence and offense with rare class as he does for Bayern Munich.

Thomas Mueller has been one of the revelations of the tournament, exploding onto the scene 12 months ago at Bayern Munich, forcing the sale of Luca Toni, the benching of Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose and Ivica Olic, and has now been a surprise inclusion in the German team, a surprise starter, surprise goalscorer, and now could make a suprise appearance in the team of the tournament. His wing play is scintillating.

Mesut Özil see Thomas Mueller..... expect that he plays for Werder Bremen, has been staring for two seasons and is a central attacking midfielder like Germany have not had since the fantastic Thomas Haessler. See his superb goal agains Ghana here. 

At 25 Lukas Podolski is one of the old boys in the team. Now converted to a left winger, where he plays better than as a dedicated attacker, Podolski is a fantastic goal getter and don’t be surprised if he adds another couple to his 37 goals for Germany. He has been on poor form, moving back to modest but well-loved club FC Koln from Bayern Munich and struggling to find his club form, but playing very well for the national team.

ENGLAND

Unnoficial theme songs to accompany style of play: Weee shallll nevvvveeer giiiive uuupppp weeee shall neeeeveeer giiivveee innnnn a cheesy motivational song can be played first as its all the English team deserves so far 

But that wouldn’t work for many so English Superstar band Coldplay with their song Viva La Vida can hopefully get through and  inspire some of that long absent latino flair in the sleepy, boring English team  – Especially since it starts off with “I uuuuseed to ruuuulllle thhheee world”

Tactics: Too many its seems, from Italian manager Fabio Capello, who has been forcing his players into unnatural positions and forgotten the basics of a good atmosphere and motivation. England play a very strange 4-4-2 that seems to stifle creativity and quickness, the second of which especially the English team could excel at. Heskey and Rooney have formed a very failed partnership and hopefully Jermaine Defoe can replace Heskey after scoring the winning goal against Slovenia.

The biggest failure of Capello in the English media’s eyes has been the failure to use creative midfielder Joe Cole, who has been one of the best playing England players in recent years.

Strengths: A good degree of physical ability, quality and talent. No, the English team are not overrated... individually... they just haven’t come together in a good way, and the old football saying “the team makes the individual” is very true here.

England has one of the best defences in the world, even with the absence of Rio Ferdinand. English defenders are simply a class above most of the competition, except maybe German.

Weaknesses: As above... lack of gel. Even Stevie Gerrard can be weak in the England setup as his cooperation with Frank Lampard has been very mediocre.

Although English goalkeepers have been considered a traditional weakness, David James is really very underrated, even if he is no Manuel Neuer.

Key to beating US: Find the form that has mysteriously gone missing. England had brilliant moments in qualification, and excellent goal scoring form. Subbing Wayne Rooney early if he doesn’t deliver might be an option, he seems to consume England’s energy. Ohh, and win possession in midfield, and prevent Germany from scoring early... lot’s to do really.

Ohhh, and since they have learned that in major competitions, never confront Germany on penalties! England has lost twice.

Key Squad Members:

David James  is key wether anyone likes it or not. Yes he used to make horrible mistakes in the past, but now he IS England’s best goalkeeper, and he is really not that bad! Never forgiven for a shaky youth, the 39 year old is far from that, and is in for the game of his life tonight... he will be up for it, will the rest of the England team?

John Terry.... so far his contributions have been attempting a mutiny against Fabio Capello. Losing his captaincy for sleeping with a teammates Fiancee and making a vital tackle against Slovenia which could have knocked England out. The emblematic Chelsea man has it all to prove again.... and the ability is there without a doubt.

Gareth Barry – The Manchester City man has not played to expectations either, and his defensive midfield role will be key if Germany can stop German attacks and hit back. Again, he has the ability, where has it gone?

Jermaine Defoe – Come on Jermaine! Punish Capello for leaving you out....  the attacker has been the best England has to offer over the past two seasons, and scored the vital goal against Slovenia. He has every possibility of saving England from disaster here, he just has to be as good as with Tottenham.

Wayne Rooney – The tempermental, beefy, muscular, explosive Manchester United forward has more often than not delivered the goods for England that he does for money at club level. His form the last three games has been impressive, but nobody imagies subbing him, because only 10 seconds of his top form are enough to win a game. Everyone in the world will be asking themselves if he will flop of fly today.

Expected Result: Germany wins 3-1 looking at form.

A Slight Surprise: A close run game edged by England.

A real shocker: England sweep away Germany and go on to lift the cup… their last three performances suggested nothing of the sort.

Obi Wan Asterix Says: This will be a tense and classic match… 2-1 will be the score for…. Germany. 

Group C: Epitaphs and Evolutions

Overview: This group ended on a knife’s edge, with American veteran Landon Donovan’s strike in the 91st minute toppling the table and sending the Americans to the top of the Group in a dramatic fashion, ousting the hard working Slovenians and forcing England into a thrilling confrontation with Germany.

FINAL TABLE:

TEAM	WON	DRAWN	LOST	GOAL DIFFERENCE (FOR, AGAINST)	POINTS
	1	2	0	+1 (4,3)	5
	1	2	1	+1 (2,1)	5
	1	1	2	+0 (3,3)	3
	0	1	2	-2 (0,2)	1

Yank Determination Prevails At the Final Breath

Tribute:
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A Yankee Doodle, do or die
A real live nephew of my uncle Sam's
Born on the Fourth of July
I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart
She's my Yankee Doodle Algeria
Yankee Doodle came to London
Just to ride the Slovenian ponies,
Stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it Wayne Rooney

Analysis: The US team has long wielded the win-at-all-cost grit and determination that makes them stand out from so many other teams. From the draw against England, to the 2-2 equalizer against Slovenia, to the 1-0 victory against Algeria this was a very hard fought group topping... but for many of the US players tenacity is their main attribute. This is very much a score-one-more than your opponent team, as leaky at the back as so many other US teams in the past, but possessing a very complementary group of players that never settles on anything but victory.

Strengths: Landon Donovan is an exceptional attacking midfielder of world class, and Tim Howard is a world class goalkeeper, while Clint Dempsey is a world class goal poacher. The world class ranking stops there and drops of sharply, with Bocanegra, Bradley, backup keeper Hahnemann, defender Onyewu, reserve winger Beasley and powerful forward Altidore ranking somewhere in between.  A couple of more names can figure in there, but comparing to even a Slovenia don’t present anything exceptional on an individual basis.

The rest of the team is often a bit out of their league, not in fitness and determination, but in their understanding of the game often making  critical mistakes, recoverable by fast pace, sharp reflexes, and masterful concentration. The remaining players all bring something, but also lack important traits.

The strength of the US team is really hinged on:

 1) psychology – a Darwinistic drive to succeed and mark the US in a sport which still gets less attention than other US athletic endeavours 

2) fitness – strength and the ability to run opponents into the ground somewhere within the 90 minutes and 

3) the collective, therefore the ability to work so well as a team as to make up for each other’s shortcomings with complementary traits and 

4) again the desire to mark themselves for their quite impressive successes in front of an apathetic US public.

5) the unbendable American Yankee Doodle confidence and attitude, that being the best is all that matters

Prognosis:  Finally after so many years it needs to be said: A threat to any opposition... I fear for more talented Ghana, the last African team in the tournament, with their inability to convert countless chances into goals. The US can keep advancing, but can also lose significantly to a top team in good form. If anyone as much as slips up, the US is ready to punish them.

Sluggish England Slither Into Second

Tribute: Sunday morning I’m waking up, can’t even focus on a coffee cup, don’t even know who’s bed I’m in, where do I stop where do I begin? – Lyrics by English DJ’s the Chemical Brothers.

Analysis: Dazed and Confused by Led Zepellin could also describe it, but I didn’t want to be accused of being grandfatherly. 

England are a shambles comparing to what they should be... offensively, as the defence has been solid enough. It seems that Italian manager Capello has finally managed to impose the famous Italian Catenaccio style of play on the English team, and the suffering will continue until a penalty defeat at some upcoming stage of the playoff faze. The fact remains that England’s millionaires are not performing up front, and there is still no excuse for the lack of pace, tempo and creativity from players that run like the wind at the sound of a flapping paycheck with their clubs. The quality is somewhere in there, as literally 160 seconds of work out of 270 minutes of play were enough to get England through this group.

Strengths:  I dare say individual quality, although few have shown it. England are aligned defensively and have good tacklers and players with exceptional tactical discipline. England can score with individual efforts, although few such efforts have materialized so far in three games. Otherwise the offensive machine is really not functioning, and the main competition and energy of the players seems to have gone showboating at press conferences and making dramatic statements of intent with no intention of delivery to gathered journalists. England could have just as easily been knocked out by a Slovenian goal in the second half.

Prognosis: Germany versus England makes the juices of anticipation flow... but this much could prove little else than a 0-0 penalty-settled amateur mud-wrestling competition. Based on performance, Germany should win, but based on experience England tips the balance... not much good that all that experience has done them so far.

Stalwart Slovenia 30 Seconds From Sensation

Epitaph: Teamwork and work ethic, how far it can go even with obvious shortcomings in squad quality. Buy your Slovenian friend a drink, he/she deserves it.
Analysis:  A very integrated unit that eliminated Russia and the Czech Republic from the World Cup came within 30 seconds of qualifying for the next phase today, and manage to match England in overall performance. Steven Gerrard alone makes more money than the whole Slovenian team.
Slovenia can serve as a shining example to the importance of a positive atmosphere, a coach that knows his players strengths and weaknesses perfectly, a good goalkeeper and a positive attitude.
Even though the team were eliminated by the US goal after the final whistle, Slovenia can count their South African outing as a great success, and exhibition of what can be achieved through a positive “can-do” mentality. Ironically, they were knocked out by a “do-or-die” US.

Algerian Rocklike Defence Fails to Help Reckless Attack

Epitaph:  A superb defence and a misfiring attack... Karma finally caught up with controversial Algeria.

Analysis: The football world is changing again. During the past 20 years, it was not very probable that a North African team would advance to the World Cup Finals by defending alone. Generally the attacking football of African teams is giving way to disciplined, skilful defences and Algeria are one very good example. 

The back half of the Algerian team was exceptional in South Africa. The forward line, just as in the past two years, was nervous, wasteful and simply unable to get the ball in the opponent’s goal.

On a side note, its important to remember how much referee-playing and theatrics qualified Algeria for this World Cup, at the expense of consecutive African champions Egypt, and to note that the referring standards during this tournament successfully prevented the diving, feigned injuries, referee-chatting exhibitions that won key points for the Algerians in the past. They deserve congratulations for improving in the honesty department, even though in the final seconds of their World Cup, Anther Yahia managed a red card for dissent....

11 Performances to Remember

Tim Howard – his numerous saves saved his teammates numerous mistakes on at least 10 occasions in three games. Howard is in great form, and was without a doubt the group’s best goalkeeper, even playing through pain for part of the group.

Honourable Mention: Samir Handanovic and  Rais M Bolhi two more goalkeepers outshone the others in this tournament. Slovenia’s first goalkeeper Handanovic is a talent, although he failed to be heroic against Jermaine Defoe’s England goal that went through his hands form point blank range. Rais M Bolhi was Algeria’s third choice goalkeeper before this tournament, but his solid, concentrated and disciplined performances should earn him a permanent slot as his team’s number 1. Both goalkeepers performed exceptionally, even relatively to other groups in the tournament.

Glen Johnson – the best England player in all three games... Johnson’s defence of the goal line against Slovenia will be overlook as English commentators compile their match summaries... but it was one of his many contributions that kept England in the tournament. His addition of tempo to attack, and dangerous crosses into the box were just about he best element of England’s weak attack, which is not saying much. He was one of Liverpool’s best players this season, and constituted one of the few positives in the England squad so far.

John Terry – mostly included for his ability to apologize for trying to start a mutiny against Fabio Capello after England’s draw with Algeria in the second group game. His defending, including an important tackle in the second half Slovenian onslaught combine with the apology to actually suggest that one of England’s superstars might have done just barely enough this tournament. Despite the off-the-pitch antics Terry has been excellent in defence.

Majid Bougherra – Sublime in defence, as important for Algeria as for Glasgow Rangers. A complete defender, who manages together with Yahia defend and cause the rare goals that Algeria actually manage to score... not in this tournament off course, although England’s spirit was shattered by his great defensive performance.

Anter Yahia – Scored the thundering shot against Egypt that sent Algeria to the World Cup, and formed the highly impressive defensive partnership with Bougherra that seems capable of frustrating any team. Managed to get himself sent off in the dying seconds of the group, probably for telling off the Belgian referee in accordance with Algerian ritual.

Honourable Mention: Nadir Belhaj – his dynamic, powerful runs down Algeria’s left wing from defence always look dangerous, but his lack of delivery mean that its often all for show. At his best he looks like a galloping horse, at his worst like a stampeding mule.

Michael Bradley – The coaches son really organizes the US midfield, as he does with German club Borussia Moenchengladbach. His goal against Slovenia was superb, and he makes up for the US midfield’s shortcomings with his commanding presence. His decision to shave his head to match his dad’s barren top can be forgiven with his gradually improving performances. His weakness is that he can faze out of games and suffer from lapses of concentration.

Hassan Yebda – The Portsmouth defensive midfielder was the best Algerian player this tournament, being the only link between defence and attack that functioned for the North Africans. His defensive work was exemplary, and he sparred no energy in launching Algerian attacks that would have been much more successful if the Algerian forward line didn’t squander all of them. His blonde hair colour is fake in case you were wondering. A candidate for best... but for his team’s ultimate failure, and for his constant aggressive debates with referees.

Alexandar Radosaviljevic – Hard working defensive midfielder that played three good games. He did the crucial, yet hard-to-spot work that made Slovenia so difficult to attack, and so ready to counterattack. Modest Greek outfit Larissa could be set to lose his services for a bigger stage.

Valter Birsa – his goal against England was excellent, and many of the crosses he produced were the fuel of Slovenia’s qualification and group successes. Here is a player that plays well for both club and country, and is still constantly improving. He was a major reason for Auxerre’s successful season and should be jumping to a bigger club soon.

BEST OF THE GROUP: Landon Donovan – three spectacular games from the American Ace. Here is the US player that has reached all of his World Class potential, and managed to deliver it at the World Stage once again. A vastly underrated player, his 91st minute US-saving goal against Algeria is one for the history books. Superb in playmaking, and also capable of taking matters into his own hands.

Clint Dempsey – Brilliant at running in and scoring, although had two goals disallowed for very marginal offside calls. He gives everything every game, Its no wonder that he was one of the best performing players in the English premiership this season, as the American can teach the Lampards and Rooneys a thing or two about determination. I wish he would play a little less dirty though... as his fouls can be borderline red cards sometimes... and he does sometimes assume the falling-leaf position in the opponent’s penalty area.

11 Flops to Forget

Faouzi Chaouchi and Robert Green – two flappy goalkeepers. Green had only one game to swat haplessly at the ball, while Chaouchi ends a long run of up and down swattyness which saw him feigning a concussion during the African Nations Cup, collecting two red cards and having one heroic game which eliminated African Champions Egypt from the tournament. Each lad had a miss that will make the funny music video features at the end of the World Cup.

Jamie Caragher – Not that he played bad, but that he had the audacity to tell the English press that “the Champions League is harder than the World Cup.” If that were the case Jamie why did you manage to get yourself suspended after one game, and why did your illustrious colleague only produce two goals in three games?

Jay DeMerit – Worked hard, but made constant defensive mistakes that were amazingly not eaten up by the opposition. Nearly cost the US the final game against Algeria with a bad defensive touch.

Steve Cherundulo – Worked hard, but left kilometres of open space in defence when going forward, which most of the US’s opponents were quick to exploit. He does the same trick at Hannover, and they enjoyed relegation this season, which means he has his colleagues to thank for good cover.

Medhi Lacen – Has played well recently, but didn’t do much except get in the way of the opposition.... the plastic reserve bench would have done the job even better.

Karim Ziani – Ran and dribbled as always. Shot balls into other stadium constantly as always. Never passed when it was the better decision and that is why he is among the flops... England could have used his energy though.

Frank Lampard – Nothing comparing to his Chelsea form.... he could have spent more effective time with public relations entertaining frustrated fans in the stands. His reason for being in the England squad is obvious... to comment about how “now we realize that we have to pick up the pace and give it our all because we are not playing like we do in the Premiership.” Well played Frank... give us another.

Aaron Lennon – A player on the rise, but not the last three games. He failed to produce anything that resembled his Tottenham form, and never managed to show off his running speed... well his walking around the pitch wasn’t that fast either.

Emile Heskey – when striking the Jambulani ball the aging also-ran looked like an elephant trying to cross a tight-rope. What Italian manager Fabio Capello saw in him to give him three more games to finally hit the ball correctly after 32 years is for the astrologists to decipher. Sorry Emile, you might be a nice guy, but where is the logic? Why was he picked over Aston Villa colleagues Gabi Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, and why did he start ahead of Defoe, Peter Crouch or Joe Cole? His work and runs off the ball were only positives.

Wayne Rooney – so many expectations, so many commercials, so many covers of video games and tabloid magazines. Ahhhh.... the only thing Wayne managed to produce is  a smug remark that the England fans who travelled thousands of kilometres to South Africa to watch him pick his big nose “are not supporting him enough.” Perhaps he will take Alex Ferguson’s advice and retire due to lack of interest in anything that doesn’t earn him loads of money?

WORST OF HE GROUP: Rafik Djebbour and Abdelkader Ghezzal – Take either one of them it doesn’t matter. Rafik’s monumental miss against the US in the opening minutes of the final game, where alone with the goalkeeper he tries the hardest trick in the book and volley the ball onto the crossbar, and Ghezzal’s red card in the opening match against Slovenia summarize the performance of Algeria’s misfiring misfit offensive line.

Toothless England fail to Chew Dry Algerian Couscous

Yes, I said to everyone that this was going to be a horrible match, but I expected it to be a lot rougher.

0-0, an Algeria playing the trademark excellent defence that has gotten them this far, and an England relying on over-overpaid egos refusing to gel as a team and create respectable offensive opportunities.

Is it Capello's Catenaccio? 

The England team lacks clear tempo change. The total 5 minutes they managed to accelerate last game they looked dangerous. Otherwise, the brilliant England in qualifiaction is a shadow of itself, playing Italian style maybe, which consists of feigning uselessnes for first two matches of a World Cup before turning on the style after near-death-group escape? Sounds Italian enough, a bit more diving and emotions and England can do well in that department.....

Is it lack of defecation?


England Constipated? Too much pudding and bitter?

It's been nearly a decade of this... in retrospect the best England team was under Sven Goran Eriksson. Overpaid? Unmotivated because they can drive off in their Ferrari's to their expensive Villas and trophy wives? What is the matter with England? Certainly its psychological, as both the US and Algeria caused them excessive problems

Is it the ball?

No.

In the words of Lars Lagerback, "yes the ball is lighter and faster, but both teams are using it so never mind"... the English team is looking neither lighter nor faster, so no.


Is it Algeria and the US?

Yes and no. As I said a million times, the MEDIUM teams are getting very good. Algeria plays a particular brand of defensive football that has been bringing them success for two years, and it is build on players from the English, Scottish, German and French league who know how to defend. Their three best players, Belhadj, Yebda and Bougherra al play in the British isles, and are stars with their teams.

The Americans are a very combative, competitive team. They thrive as underdogs, and when they feel victims of some or other conspiracy, much like Algeria (not today but normally).

If the US has had trouble with these two, then watch out for a gelled, organized and nothing-to-lose Slovenia!

Is it the Media Pressure? 

Yes! The hype and negativity of the English press is certainly ruining the team atmosphere. The criticism of Heskey for instance is in his head when he is trying to use that one opportunity on goal that the uncreative English midfield is providing him with. The English problem is not with defence, which comes from konwledge of the game and tactics, but offence which comes from self-esteem and a positive initiative-seeking atmosphere.

Match Preview: England versus United States of America

VERSUS

Match: ENGLAND v. USA

Date: June 12th 2010
Time: 2030h
Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium - Rustenberg
Capacity: 44530 People

Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)

Country: Brazil
Date of Birth: 03.09.1965
Height: 179 cm
Occupation: Journalist
Mother tongue: Portuguese
Other languages: Spanish
International since: 1997
First international: Brazil-Chile (02.04.1997)
Hobbies: Reading, sports
Fondest memory: FIFA World Cup 2002 Korea/ Japan FIFA World Cup 2006 Germany

Analysis: England should really really take this... but the Americans who have been trash-talking for 2 weeks should pose determinied-athletic opposition. I can’t imagine this game being boring.

Form: 
England has not played that well in friendlies and they suffered two key injuries. US are having problems, especially scoring... not something to place importance on though.


Key Players:

Steven Gerrard all eyes on the midfield master, he’s used to the pressure.

Landon Donovan this crafty, arrogant talent is a constant danger, even to an in-form England.

Men to watch:

Clint Dempsey he scores bags of goals in the Premiership, and he is brutal when given a scoring opportunity... usually plays midfield but US are short of attackers.

Glen Johnson England’s right back will be important in linking defense and attack... he should also be dangerous on the right, a definite man t watch.

Previous Matches:
7 Wins for England 2 for USA no draws – 35 goals scored for England and 8 for USA

Most likely scenario:
England wins 3-1

A slight surprise would be:
England only wins 1-0

A real upset would mean:
U.S. Wins 3-0

As a dinner I propose:

A real meal for healthy, fit champions:

A hearty English Bitter with

California Burger and Fries for dinner

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
4 sesame seed buns
1 pound mushrooms sliced and grilled
12 slices avocado
4 slices jack cheese
4 slices tomato
4 teaspoons thousand island salad dressing

How to make it
Cook burger to desired doneness.
Pan toast rolls with small amount of butter then spread with thousand island dressing.
Place grilled burger on roll and garnish.

Group C Preview

The Group C Contenders

Note: I am condencing and changing the format into single side-by-side previews for all countries now rather than individual team previews.

England	13th World Cup Appearance	25 Win17 Draws 13 Loses	1 Time World Champions (1966) 1 Time Fourth Place (1990) & 1996 European Championship Semifinalist and 1968 Third Place
United States	9th World Cup appearance	6 Wins 3 Draws 11 Losses	2002 World Cup Quarter Finalists 4 Times North American Champions (1991, 2002, 2005, 2007) 4 Times Runners-Up (1989, 1993, 1998, 2009)
Algeria	3rd World Cup appearance	2 Wins 1 Draw and 3 Losses	1990 African Champions and 1980 Runners Up and 2 Times 3rd Place (1984, 1988) 2010 and 1982 4th Place
Slovenia	2nd World Cup Appearance	0 Wins 0 Draws 3 Losses	1 World Cup and 1 European Championship Participation

Overview: The US Wins in Land Area and Population with Algeria Second, Slovenia fights for first with Algeria in Cuisine, but do any of these teams actually have a chance of unseating England in football?

Land Area (sq km): Eng: 130 395 USA: 9,826,675 Alg: 2,381,741 Sln: 20, 273

Populations: Eng: 51,446,000 million USA: 309,449,000 Million Alg: 34,895,000 Sln: 2,054,199

Team Bus Slogans:

Slovenia

Z enajstimi pogumnimi srci do konca 

(With eleven brave hearts to the end)

USA

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Victory!

Algeria

نجمة وهلال من أجل هدف واحد: النصر

(Star and crescent with one goal: Victory!)

England

Playing with Pride and Glory

Team Positive Nicknames: Eng: The Three Lions USA: The Yanks, The Stars & Stripes Alg: Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes) Sln: The Mountaineers

Team Negative Nicknames: Eng: The Hooligans USA: The Yanks, The Rejected Baseball Players Alg: The Algerian Diving Team Sln: Slovakia

Most Famous Clubs: 

Eng: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea 

USA: Los Angelex Galaxy, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Columbus Crew 

Alg: Entente Sportive de Sétif, JS Kabylie, MC Alger, USM Alger, MC Oran 

Sln: NK Maribor, ND Gorica, Interblock Ljubljana, Olimpija Ljubljana

Famous Players of the Past:

Eng: Bobby Charlton, Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, George Best, Peter Shilton, Jimmy Greaves, Paul Gascoigne, David Platt, Kevin Keegan and many more...

USA: Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Alexi Lalas, Cobi Jones, Tom Dooley, Claudio Reyna, Eric Wynalda

Algeria: Abdelhafid Tasfaout, Lakhdar Belloumi, Zinedine Zidane, Djamel Menad

Slovenia: Zlatko Zahovič, Aleš Čeh, Milenko Ačimovič, Nastja Čeh, Srečko Katanec, Branko Oblak, Danilo Popivoda

The 4 National Anthems Singing Competition: Slovenia by far takes the prize with a bloody scramble of rockets, soldiers,queens and blood for second place.

England: Still God Save the Queen although soon to be changed to Jerusalem.. commonly sung by very soaked England fans with a distinct smell of fermented wheat in the air, therefore it has been kept rather simple to avoid „embarassment” 

God save our gracious Queen,

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen:

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us:

God save the Queen.

O Lord, our God, arise,

Scatter her enemies,

And make them fall.

Confound their politics,

Frustrate their knavish tricks,

On Thee our hopes we fix,

God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,

On her be pleased to pour;

Long may she reign:

May she defend our laws,

And ever give us cause

To sing with heart and voice

God save the Queen

USA: Something about rockets and bombs but nothing about A-rabs.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;

O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Algeria: Blood, lightning, more blood, soldiers on mountains, blood and destruction, all is destroyed except Algeria

We swear by the lightning that destroys,

By the streams of generous blood being shed,

By the bright flags that wave,

Flying proudly on the high mountains,

That we have risen up, and whether we live or die,

We are resolved that Algeria shall live -

So be our witness -be our witness - be our witness!

We are soldiers in revolt for truth

And we have fought for our independence.

When we spoke, none listened to us,

So we have taken the noise of gunpowder as our rhythm

And the sound of machine guns as our melody,

We are resolved that Algeria shall live -

So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!

Slovenia: A drinking song, about a poet and his national idea, really wins the anthems league... also says that God should bless all nations, a rare sign of universalism.

The vintage, friends, is over, And here sweet wine makes, once again, Sad eyes and hearts recover, Puts fire into every vein. Drowns dull care, Everywhere, And summons hope out of despair.

To whom with acclamation, And song shall we our first toast give? God save our land and nation, And all Slovenes where'er they live, Who own the same, Blood and name, And who one glorious Mother claim.

God's blessing on all nations, Who long and work for that bright day, When o'er earth's habitations No war, no strife shall hold its sway; Who long to see That all men free, No more shall foes, but neighbours be.

The competition of the cuisines: Algerian and Slovenian are fighting for first place, with the Algeria winning on penalties due to spice usage. England and America dropping out due to liver disease.

Algeria: Heavily influenced by Berber, a wonderfully diverse staple of North African fare focusing on Lamb, Beans and Marvellous Sauces benefiting from an exotic bouquet of spices and very healthy, good cooking methods. 

Slovenia: Surprisingly good wines and decent beers accompany a mix of absolutely everything depending completely on which mountain valley you happen to be in.

England: Saved from last place by fish & chips, English cooking is really not as bad as its reputation. Stews, pies, puddings and all types of other heavies make it possible to be pleasant. It might however just be the reason why England hasn't won anything in ages.

U.S.A.: The burger in all its manifestations leaves little else ot say.

The Tactics:

England: Capello furnishes his teams with defensive strength, and allows them to advance in an evolution of the classical Italian build-up approach. England attack, like a climber climbs mountains , in stages, and even though it can all look fast and spontaneous its a very organized 4-4-2 or possibly 4-5-1 that Capello will deploy.

U.S.A.: The Americans are getting better and better every year, and while I used to love to make fun of the team, they are not to be underrated anymore. Firstly the U.S. has a lot of very fast and very fit players, without brilliant technical abilities (apart from Landon Donovan), as the US press tries to portray, but with great acceleration and teamwork. The work-rate, arrogance and determination of the yanks combined with much less rebellious tactics than the 3-6-1 that Bruce Arena invented and was criticized far, the current manager Bob Bradley. He focuses extensivelly on set pieces and plays a 4-4-2 against smaller opponents and often a very defensive 4-5-1 against bigger teams like England. Sometimes he deploys a wilder position in an adapted 4-3-3 with a lot of free roaming attacking players but is not likely to use that in the World Cup because he knows his players are a bit outclassed by the opposition.

Algeria: Algeria have attacking talent but they don’t use it preferring to rely on an exceptional defense and theatrics. Sadly, honestly, having watched Algeria much over the years I find their diving and referee playing as horrible as Brazil’s or Portugals. To be honest however, the 4-5-1 that has been used by Algeria can be highly effective on the break, and they have a lot of good long-range scorers and physically capable defenders. Playing the referee, and time wasting champions when in the lead, this tactic sadly usually manages to give them the necessary advantage.

Slovenia: A very classic, very straightforward flat 4-4-2 is what Slovenia play to great success. Without the individual talent of bigger opponents they have beaten, Slovenia plays out the wing based attack like a Denmark or a Czech Republic of 1996 to perfection. They have a lot of players who don’t think too much when pushing the ball over the goal line with any body part. Their defence is very solid and well supported by the rest of the team, something the Russians found out the hard way.

The Strengths:

England: World Class, phenomenal individuals talents, speed in attack, height with Peter Crouch, strong defenders – everything really except for goalkeepers. The midfielders can all score, and often do.

US: Very fast and fit players with an underdog complex driving them to a „do whatever it takes to win” attitude. The U.S. has some very good players in the like of Landon Donovan or the Goalkeeping team which continues the great US tradition between the posts.

Algeria: A very good defense qualified them for the World Cup and keeps working for them. They are experts of playing the referee and getting calls their way. Surprising technical skills and shooting power from some players can prove dangerous.

Slovenia: Clockwork. Slovenia works as a team like few others, with everyone knowing where every one else is at a given moment even with eyes closed. Novakovic is a great finisher, and a couple of other players play with a lot of heart scoring important goals. The defense is rock-solid and the goalkeeper Handanovic is fantastic.

The Weaknesses: 

England: Goalkeeping is a relative week spot but not in relation to the group. David James is not that great, and Robert Green has his own problems whichever keeper Capello chooses. Injuries have hit England hard in defence but they should be able to cope. The pressure of must-win could rattle England.

US: The US honestly still lacks World Class talent, especially in defence. Bradley is good at making a tight defence out of mediocre players, but during a World Cup that just might not be enough. 

Algeria: Algeria defend, and are unacustomed going forward to attack. They also have a tendancy to lose their heads and aquire cards, as for example 3 reds in a January African Nations Cup game. Otherwise they simply lack the offensive quality to go very far in this World Cup.

Slovenia: Slovenia lack enough World Class players, and will finally lose to the right big opponent. Their system, once analyzed is very predictable, they kept on winning because opponents underestimated them and didn’t prepare defensivelly, this can soon end.

The Expectations, the surprise potential, and the Shocker

The standard scenario is nearly unavoidable, England will sweep this group on the way to one of their best World Cups ever. In the Standard scenario the U.S. would come second with Algeria and Slovenia picking up the last two spots. There is surprise potential in that any of the three teams have and outside, marginal chance of beating England, and the U.S. could finnish top of the group if England drop points. The Shocker here is nearly impossible, and that would mean England failing to qualify from this group, this is an easy group for England, and that is just not supposed to happen. Another possibility of a shock can come from Slovenia continuing their brilliant run of form and making it out of this Group.

Finally Obi Wan Asterix’s Predictions your reward for having read this far:

There is not much margin for shock here, and the standard will happen that England will advance with the U.S. advancing. I don’t see Algeria succeeding, and I give Slovenia a slightly better chance.

The Managers:

England: Fabio Capello is one of the best Managers in football. He has won league titles with four different teams and the Champions League with Milan, is one of the best handlers of overpaid superstars, and is a consumate tactician making him a brilliant choice for England. He is sometimes disliked by others for his harsh, dry attitude and lack of empathy with players, but his sense of imposing discipline usually pays off. He has also been rather controversial, praising Francisco Franco on occassion and aquiring a 17 million pound art collection. 

USA: Bob Bradley navigated through heavy criticism in the US to create a highly competitive and capable American team out of the disasterous era of Bruce Arena. Nepotistic in having his son Michael ever present in the US team, Bradley is a manager who trains together with his players and has the yanks playing a really American style of „soccer” instead of an imported tactical model. Bradley has very high ambitions for his team, and tends to act as if the US had the status of a Brazil or Germany.

Algeria: Rabah Saadane makes an impression of being a nice old man, but his Algeria are a diving, fouling group of players. He plays the much hated tactic of drawing other teams to attack Algeria before hitting them on the counter attack. Saadane nevertheless is one of the cleverest coaches in Africa, and his success at club level and with now his fifth spell in charge of the Algerian National team is not for a lack of reason. Opponents beware, this little old yoda might be a sith, but he really knows how to get points and pick his team up and remotivate them after a beating.

Slovenia: Matjaž Kek was himself a good defender, and knows how to construct a team on a solid defense. He is very down to earth, gets along great with his players, and is a master of making them believe and achieve what they set out to do. This is not said off-hand as Slovenia have had stunningly surprising success since he took over in 2007, for example winning 8 of their last nine games, and managing a brilliant 2-1 lost to England at Wembley last September in a friendly. Matjaz is really the right man in the right place.

Key Players: (x times played for country, x goals for national team)

England:

John Terry, 29, Central Defender, Chelsea (60,6) one of the World’s Best Defenders, „the Tank” Terry has always been a source of stabiltiy for England but now his controversies around sleeping around with teammate’s girlfriends have made him lose the England captaincy. An incredible asset but he is dealing with controversy and his form has to been seen.

Jamie Carragher, 32, Central/Right Defender, Liverpool (36,0) Capello convinced him to come of international retirement just in time, as Rio Ferdinand became injured. He is tough and a top defender, will he form a good partnership with Terry? If he does than England has the best defence in the world no less.

Steven Gerrard, 30, Central Midfielder, Liverpool (81,16) one of the greats, but can be sellfish and take too many long shots from time to time. Capello seems to be getting the best out of him. In my opinion he was best as a defensive midfielder, but now he is used more and more forward where he wastes many opportunities.

Frank Lampard, 31, Central Midfielder, Chelsea (78,20) another great name of the game, he is key to England’s success coming fresh from his Chelsea title winning team. 

Wayne Rooney, 24, Forward, Manchester United (60,25) another phenomenal season with Man Utd, he is very dangerous going forward and a constant danger. His weakness is psychological, and he has previously gotten many red cards in key matches for various losses of cool. Now he seems more mature, but that remains to be seen. A candidate for top scorer of the tournament.

Joe Cole, 28, Left/Offensive Midfielder, Chelsea (54,10) attacking midfielder and left winger who has been underused by Capello, but has been one of the most effective players for England.

Jermaine Defoe, 27, Attacker/Left Winger, Tottenham (39,11) another fantastic season with Tottenham with bags of goals but he still hasn’t convinced Capello. At the moment he is the best England player to partner Rooney, but will he get enough playing time to score goals for England?

US:

Tim Howard, Goalkeeper, 31, Everton (51,0) famous for his Tourette syndrome he is unable to stop swearing. Howard continues the tradition of great American goalkeepers and adds a lot of value to a sometimes untallented American team. His command of the area and shot stopping are superb making him probably the best goalkeeper in the group except for Handanovic.

Landon Donovan, Attacking Midfielder/Forward, 28, L.A. Galaxy (123,42) arrogant, driven, and snotty this very capable player stands out from American football history as probably the best US National player of all time. His passing, playmaking and goalscoring make him a threat on and off the ball, and the US success depends largely on his flair and creativity. He likes to play the referee and wind up opponents when the US are in trouble, but don’t take you eyes off of him when he has the ball.

Carlos Bocanegra, 31, Central Defender, Rennes (79,12) his jumping ability is superb which means he scores many goals at all levels of the game from corners and headed goals. He has greatly improved his defensive game in European club football and is an asset to the team. He now captains team USA.

Oguchi Onyewu, 28, Central Defender, AC Milan (54,5) although he plays for Milan he missed most of the season due to a knee injury. In some ways he is overrated but his ability to stay focused make him the best American defender. If he starts for the US team he can form a very tight defense with Bocanegra, but not always.

Michael Bradley, 22, Central Midfielder, B.Moenchengladbach (43,7) he is the coaches son, but he deservedly plays a key role for the team, starting off the attacks and playing a key role in central midfield setting the team’s pace. His free kicks can be dangerous, and he assists many goals.

Jozy Altidore, 20, Striker, Villareal (25,9) he scores important goals for the US team, but has failed to make a massive impact at club level. His main attributes are physical and he posesses impressive speed and strength which are a mainstay of US tactics. Injury problems means he could be absent giving Bob Bradley a real problem in choosing attackers.

DeMarcus Beasley, 28, Left Winger/Attacker, Rangers (92,17) he is probably the most succesfull US player after Donovan, Beasley makes important runs and can play a variety of positions ranging from left midfield to striker. He is not really World Class but almost, making him a key team for the US.

Clint Dempsey, 27, many midfield and forward positions, Fulham (62,18) it doesn’t matter when he plays he is probably the most in-form US player having a tremendously good season with Fulham guiding them to the Europa cup final and scoring many important teams for the US. He really often gets into very dangerous scoring positions and is excellent at putting away the ball.

Algeria:

Yazid Mansouri, 32, Defensive Midfielder, Lorient (67,0) the team captain, and a clever organizer, Mansouri is a rare stable and honest player comparing to some of the antics of his teammates. He together with Yebda is the iron gate to the Algerian goal, and all attacks start with him.

Karim Matmour, 24, Attacking Midfielder, Forward, B.Moenchengladbach (22,2) a player who has not yet done great things, except scoring perhaps the goal of the tournament in January’s Africa Nations cup, his physical strength and determiniation will be key if Algeria is to find a way to the opponent’s goal.

Hassan Yebda, 26, Central Midfielder, Benfica (9,0) a standard defensive midfielder that has trouble going from defense to attack and slows down the game too much. His contribution in being an effective gatekeeper in front of the defense are very important.

Madjid Bougherra, 27, Center Back, Rangers (41,3) together with Yahia they form Africa’s best central defense. Really tough in the air, sometimes scoring important goals from set pieces and a realy leaer of the team from the back Madjid contribution in shutting down opposition teams will be key if Algeria are to advance.

Antar Yahia, 28, Bochum, Center Back (44,5) he scored the magnificient volley that knocked africa’s best team Egypt out of the World Cup. His main contribution is forming probably Africa’s tighest defense together with Bougherra. Strong on the tackle, positioning and in the air he is a genuine defensive force on which the success of Algeria rests.

Karim Ziani, 27, Left Winger, Wolfsburg (55,5) the former Marseille man’s crosses are essential to ensuring that Algeria will be able to attack this World Cup. His performances for the national team could be better, but he does ocassionally manage to pull off something with a lot of class.

Faouzi Chaouchi, 25, Goalkeeper, ES Setif (10,0) Even though he might lose his place again to traditional no.1 Gaouaoui, Chaouchi needs mention because he was instrumental in his highly controversial achievements playing while the older keeper was injured over the last twelve months with Algeria. He has an incredible two legs against Egypt during the qualification playoff, with brilliant saves and seemed unbeatable. He folded during Algeria’s destruction by humble Malawi at the African Nations only to recover his important influence on the team, although he feigned a concussion and wasted around 15 minutes of game time before being sent off. He is dishonnest and young, but a passionate and skilled if unpolished goalkeeper.

Slovenia: 

Milivoje Novakovic, 31, Striker, FC Koln (38,16) a strong, dynamic attacker who is very efficient up front for Slovenia and will need to continue his incredible 50% goalscoring record if Slovenia are to surprise.

Samir Handanovic, 25, Goalkeeper, Udinese (39,0) a highly underrated goalkeeper, Handanovic could very well make a move to a bigger club soon. He has reflexes and can make extraordinary saves, while being a comanding presence in the penalty box.

Robert Koren, 29, Midfielder, West Bromich Albion (41,0) a real leader in the Slovenian midfield, and the team’s captain, Koren is a clever passer and playmaker of the tradtional mould. He is useless at scoring goals, but fantastic at keeping the Slovenian clock ticking.

Valter Birsa, 23, Right Winger, Auxerre (34,2) a dangerous quick, hardworking midfielder who provided most of the important assists with his exceptional crosses for Slovenia in qualification. He doesn’t have phenomal speed or dribbling ability, but his ability to help his team is phenomenal.

Zlatko Dedic, 26, Striker, Bochum (24,3) three goals only, not much ability but the three most important goals that Slovenia needed for qualification „golden” Dedic as his name is translated has really become Slovenia’s golden boy and lucky charm.

Unknows Set to Shine:

Aaron Lennon, 23, Right Winger, Tottenham (17,0) a fantastic, mercurial winger who had a monumental season with Tottenham looking like one of the most dangerous right wingers in the game. Will compete with Shaun Wright Philipps for the starting spot and probably get it.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Right Winger, 28, Man City (31,6) the former Chelsea player’s time to show off his true talent has come. He has better dribble than Aaron Lennon and provides a methodical alternative to Milner and Lennon for Capello, that is if he gets playing time. He is however a fantastic choice for the bench, and this could be Capello’s brilliance.

Ledley King, 29, Central Defender, Tottenham (20,2) with Rio’ injury Ledley could fill the defensive role in front of Carragher if problems arise. He is very highly valued in England and a major figure in Tottenham’s resurgence as a team. His physical strength and stability make him a formidable talent, which could be obvious if he gets a chance to demonstrate it this WC.

Djamel Abdoun, 24, Right Winger, Nantes (7,0) a crafty right winger, that looks in his limited appearances so far, as a key new asset for Algeria. If he is not sacrificed due to an overly defensive policy of the coach he could really make a name for himself this June.

Abdelkader Ghezzal, 25, Striker, Siena (19,3) Algeria’s most interesting striker, he is very hard working up front where he often plays alone. Big and strong, he does well in a crowd of defenders by holding up balls and setting up teammates. He could shine here.

Tim Matavž, 21, Striker, Groningen (1,0) a real revelation in the Dutch league anda  surprise inclusion in the Slovenian team. A 188 cm tall skilled player.

Rene Krhin, 20, Central Midfielder, Inter Milan (4,0) a very talented, very inexperienced Slovenian prospect from the Inter youth team with bags of technical ability... will he play?

Jose Francisco Torres, 22, Central Midfielder, Pachuca (10,0) a very good addition to the US team, he is very well rounded and a likely starter.

Glen Johnson, Right Defender, 25, Liverpool (22,1) excellent defending, excellent going forward, a major star of Liverpool's poor season who was a great aquisition in an otherwise bleak season. He is peaking as a player but Capello rightly respects his tremendous abilities.

Missing key players:

Rio Ferdinand, 31, Central Defender, Manchester United (78,3) a major loss in defence for England, but they can cope. Injured.

David Beckham, 35, Right Midfielder, L.A. Galaxy (115,17) A legend who can be very important with his tremendous experience and fantastic passing. Injured.

Theo Walcott, 21, Arsenal, Right Winger/Forward (11,3) this fast still learning winger/forward didn’t meet Capello’s plans who chose Shaun Wright Phillips and Aaron Lennon and James Milner in that role instead.

Ashley Young, 24, Attacking Mild, Aston Villa (6,0) a huge talent with a very medium season, he will get his chance if he finds the form again.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, 23, Forward, Aston Villa (3,0) a fast good forward who had a moderate season and didn’t make the team.

Yacine Bezzaz, 28, Winger, Strasbourg (21,0) an asset for the poor Algerian offense but has not been selected for the team.

Miran Burgič, 25, Forward, AIK (5,0) a champion in Sweden last season, but never realy fitting into Slovenia.

Eddie Johnson, 26, Forward, Fulham (41,12) a huge loss for the US, as he is the best attacker the Americans have outside of Altydore. He hit a low slump of form and was very controvertially left out the team by Bob Bradley.

Conor Casey, 28, Forward, Colorado Rapids (19,2) a US talent of sorts, but not really. Another well known US attacker left out, but with the poor goal scoring record that’s understandable.

The Schedule

5	12/06 @ 2030h
6	13/06 @ 1330h
22	18/06 @ 1600h
23	18/06 @ 2030h
37	23/06 @ 1600h
38	23/06 @ 1600h