SB Nation International Friendlies
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The European teams who have already qualified for (or been knocked out of) Euro 2012 are playing international friendly matches during the break to work on their chemistry and make a lot of money
After going through the blues of failing to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the Algerian national team is entering an important and crucial time in its quest to gain its place among the giants of the continent. Head coach Vahid Halilhodzic has set-up two international friendlies, both against strong African teams: Tunisia and Cameroon. This will give him a chance to assess a 31-player squad before he has to prune the numbers down for 2013 Cup of Nations qualification.
Outside the regular problem of not having regular goal scoring forward, the Algerian national team still has some work to do...
Rebuild from the back
With Lecce's Djamel Mesbah out due to injury, Nadir Belhadj is back in the mix coming off a Asian Champions League title with Qatar club Al Sadd. The uncertainties continue as the ACN 2010 and 2010 World Cup veterans Antar Yahia and Madjid Bougherra play in sub-par leagues (Saudi Arabia and Qatar respectively) making their actual form and fitness suspect. Vahid Halilhodzic has plenty of work to do on the defence with other centre backs challenging for a place in his eleven, but none having made an obvious claim.
Offensive play, and the lack thereof
Usually an area of Algerian excellence, the offensive sector of the Algerian national team has recently been average at best, depending entirely on Karim Ziani (playing his club soccer in Qatar) for for the past five years. The defensive midfield is full of good players which will create a lot of competition - you can't really argue with the likes of Medhi Lacen, Hassan Yebda, Adlene Guedioura and Lemmouchia. The embarrassment of riches in front of the defence should give Halilhodzic some breathing room and satisfaction and will allow him to focus more on his offensive playmakers.
The return of Ryad Boudebouz (FC Sochaux) will bring talent, speed and dribbling to a slow offensive unit that needs some life and creativity. There's more help coming, too: What better way to start improving the offence than by drafting in a Valencia player? Sofiane Feghouli has found a spot in the starting eleven of the Catalan club under Unai Emery and hopes to reward Vahid Halilhodzic with his trust.
We should expect to see two separate Algerian teams for each game. Halilhodzic has already stated during a press conference that the players that played the least since he took over will be playing against Tunisia. Both veterans and new players alike will have a chance to prove themselves to impress the coach enough to be part of the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. Not only will Halilhodzic be looking at the capacity of each player to take his level up but will also a chance to create a group dynamic and infuse some confidence into a shaky national team.
The Tunisians are sparring with Algeria to prepare for their own 2012 African Cup of Nations in which they will face Morocco during the group stages. The Tunisians want to play a team similar to the Moroccans so as to assess how their side does against a team with a typical North African style. In addition, Tunisia is coming as the 2011 champions of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament designed exclusively for local-based African players.
Cameroon has also missed the 2012 African Cup of Nations and will want to regain some momentum like Algeria for the 2013 African Cup of Nations. It is unusual to see the ''Lions Indomptables'' of Cameroon miss an African Cup of Nations but internal turmoil and frequent coach changes was just too much for an African giant.
Here's Algeria's full squad list for this round of friendlies:
Goalkeepers: Azzedine Doukha, Michael Fabre, Mohamed Zemmamouche, Rais M’Bolhi.
Defenders: Nadir Belhadj, Madjid Bougherra, Ismael Bouzid, Abderahmane Hachoud, Carl Medjani, Mohamed Rabie Meftah, Djamel Mesbah, Antar Yahia, Mehdi Mostefa.
Midfielders: Hamer Bouazza, Ryad Boudebouz, Abdelmoumene Djabou, Sofiane Feghouli, Adlene Guedioura, Foued Kadir, Khaled Lemmouchia, Hocine Metref, Saad Tedjar, Hassan Yebda, Karim Ziani, Mehdi Lacen.
Forwards: Said Bouchouk, Rafik Djebbour, Abdelkader Ghezzal, Kamel Ghilas, El Arbi Hillel Soudani, Karim Matmour.
Germany rallied from a 3-1 first half deficit to draw even with Ukraine, 3-3 on Friday night. The Germans made a series of costly mistakes in the first half, and allowed the Ukrainians to three goals despite dominating the flow of the match. In the second half, the Germans seemed to cool their heads defensively, cutting off the Ukrainian's options on offense while springing lethal counter attacks.
German coach Joachim Löw responded to his side's lackluster defending in the first half by removing defender Christian Trasch and defensive midfielder Sami Khedira during the break in favor of more attacking options in midfielders Simon Rofles and Andre Schurrle; his gamble paid off in the 65th minute, when Rofles blasted in a brilliant team effort.
Löw also gambled by putting superstar-in-making Mario Goetze next to already-a-star-but-might-even-get-better Mesut Özil in the creative midfield; I'm still not entirely sure whether this worked out--they were both replaced in the 68th minute in favor of Lukas Podolski and Thomas Müller, the eventual goal-scorer. They seemed to work pretty well together, but seemed a bit out of sync (which makes sense, seeing as they've rarely held the creative duties together).
Ukraine will be happy that they put on such an impressive display for their home fans, despite the result: they came out and battled with one of the best five teams in the world and grabbed a metaphorical point (though, of course, this game means nothing). Germany should take this time to analyze their first half and try to figure out where they went wrong; and, no doubt, they'll look into the Goetze-Özil partnership, as they're one of the most promising young duos in the world right now.
The Netherlands drew Switzerland 0-0 at home Friday evening, in a tough 0-0 draw that was very reminiscent of the Swiss' performance against Spain in the first round of last summer's World Cup. Despite a generally strong attack, the Dutch found it nearly impossible to break down a very organized Swiss defense.
Holland dominated most facets of the match, employing almost every attacking method in the book as they tried to drum up scoring opportunities--but to no avail. The Swiss defense held true for the most part, and the Dutch failed to capitalize on the few opportunities they found. Wesley Sneijder had a couple of long-range attempts blocked in the first half, while Robin van Persie challenged the Swiss back line a few times as well throughout the match; but really, the story of this match was Switzerland's defense.
Holland is a fantastic attacking side, featuring some of the best players in the world; just like Spain, they function well in possession and on the counter-attack, a nightmarish proposition for even the best defenses. But today, Switzerland held firm, blocking attack after attack, and even breaking on the Dutch with that over-the-top style that characterizes defensive sides.
From a Dutch perspective, this match means nothing: they didn't seem to try their hardest to win, and their hearts didn't appear to be in the game; from a Swiss perspective, this draw could speak volumes to their team's chances in the 2012 Eurocup--if they can defend like this, they should feel confident playing against any side in the world.
In what will be a surprise result if it holds up, Ukraine is beating Germany 3-1 at home thanks to a few artfully taken goals, and an absolutely terrible German defensive effort. The Ukrainians scored twice after mental errors, breaking quickly on the counter attack to catch the Germans sleeping on defense. While the goals came against the run of play--Germany was dominating the match thanks to some fantastic play from young superstar center midfielders Mario Goetze and Mesut Özil--they weren't entirely undeserved, as the Germans were exceedingly vulnerable at the back.
Andriy Yarmolenko beat German keeper Ran-Robert Zieler in the 28th minute to put the Ukrainians on top; the goal came against the run of play, however, and the Germans seemed poised to equalize almost immediately afterwards. What actually followed, however, was a stunning series of events that lead to Ukraine's second goal only minutes later: first, the Germans lost an easy ball in attack, and failed to track back as Ukraine countered. Yevhen Konoplyanka pushed home the cross, past a diving Ziegler--who may have tripped--and Ukraine had a shocking 2-0 lead in the 36th minute.
The Germans rallied, however, and found a goal only two minutes later as Toni Kroos blasted home a brilliant move in the 38th minute. However, in a genuinely stunning development, the Ukrainians scored again in stoppage time to send the Germans to the locker room losing 3-1: Serhiy Nazarenko slotted home another counter-attack in the 46th minute, sending Ziegler and company off the field in embarrassment.
In the Netherlands, Holland and Switzerland are in the midst of a gritty 0-0 draw reminiscent of Switzerland's World Cup performance against Spain: the Dutch have missed a series of chances, while the Swiss have maintained their rigid back line. We'll have updates for you as that game wraps up.
Mexico manager 'Chepo' Jose Manuel de la Torre has been on the job for almost a year now and is off to a fantastic start, but has yet to win a match at home. In the build-up to the 2011 Gold Cup - which Mexico won - and in the immediate time afterwards, El Tri played all of their friendlies in the United States. During the last international break, Mexico played Brazil in Torreon and fell 2-1, thanks to two late goals.
Thanks to all of that, Chepo is a very successful manager, despite the fact that he doesn't have a home win. Fans will be expecting him to change that on Friday night, as Mexico hosts Serbia in Queretaro. El Tri's side is almost completely a full side, and they should be able to field an extremely strong lineup.
Gerardo Torrado is the only clear-cut first choice player missing from the squad. Veteran defender Rafael Marquez is out due to poor performances with his club side New York Red Bulls, while Aldo de Nigris has struggled with injuries this season and is now below Oribe Peralta in the pecking order. 'Chicharito' Javier Hernandez, Andres Guardado and 'Maza' Fransisco Rodriguez, thought of as the most untouchable fixtures in the starting XI, are all expected to start the match.
Serbia boast a strong side that should challenge Mexico, featuring Fiorentina attacking midfielder Adem Ljajić, Juventus winger Miloš Krasić and Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović, among others. Caretaker manager Radovan Curcic isn't expected to change much systematically from the team under Vladimir Petrovic, who was fired after Serbia failed to qualify for Euro 2012.
Kickoff is at 9:00 pm ET, and the game can be seen in the USA on Univision. For more on El Tri and Mexican football in general, visit SB Nation's Mexican futbol blog FMF State Of Mind.
The German National team are looking to get a sneak peak at the venue they hope to be playing at in the Euro 2012 final on July 1 when they travel to Kiev to play Ukraine. Manager Joachim Loew's side won all ten of their qualifying matches, but friendly might set up a little different for the Germans.
Loew has stated that he plans on experimenting a bit in this match, specifically by playing Borussia Dortmund star Mario Gotze alongside Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil. Also, Hannover's Ron-Robert Zieler will play at least one half in goal. Loew will be without the services of Miroslav Klose, Bastien Schweinsteiger, and Phillip Lamm for Friday's match.
Ukraine coach Oleh Blohkin also has a number of injuries to deal with. Oleh Husev, Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Andriy Veronin are all missing and Andriy Schevchenko and Oleksandr Aliyev face late fitness tests. Blohkin does, however, still have the services of Bayern Munich midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk as well as Dynamo Kiev star Artem Milevskiy.
This match will be an excellent tune-up for both sides, with Loew getting the opportunity to experiment and Blohkin getting to test his side against some top competition.
Netherland's manager Bert van Marwijk is, like so many other international sides at this time of year, riddled with injuries. The Dutch will have to make due without the likes of Ibrahim Afellay, Arjen Robben, and Erik Peters. As a result Ajax midfielder Theo Janssen and Juventus winger Eljero Elia have been called into the squad, along with Roy Bereens from Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar.
Make no mistake though, the prolific scoring team that we saw in Euro 2012 qualifying still has plenty of firepower. The Dutch scored 37 goals in qualifying, while allowing only 8, and Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijer, and Dirk Kuyt are all expected to play and should be more than enough to see the Clockwork Orange through.
Switzerland have to deal with some injury problems of their own. In the days leading up to this match Reto Ziegler, Valon Behrami, and Eren Derdiyok were all forced to withdraw from the squad. This is a very young Swiss team, with only 5 players over the age of 27. Manager Ottmar Hitzfield still has Gokhan Inler, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Gelson Fernandes at his disposal, but the loss of Derdiyok means no player in the squad has scored more than 4 goals for the national team.
These two teams last faced off in 2007, with the Swiss taking a 2-1 victory. This iteration of the Dutch squad will be looking to turn the tables on Switzerland and come away with a victory before taking on Germany next week.
Five matches, one win. That's the scoreboard for the United States under Jurgen Klinsmann so far and this despite playing four of those matches at home against some underwhelming competition. The excitement surrounding his hire has been subdued and now questions about whether or not he can cut it as a manager are being asked. While the results don't matter until World Cup qualifying starts in June, Klinsmann can built up a lot more goodwill with a win on Friday when the Yanks take on France in Paris at the Stade de France and thanks to a host of absences from Les Blues, the Americans just might have a chance.
The French were already short-handed when their roster was announced as Yohan Gourcuff, Bacary Sagna and Philip Mexes were all left off the team because of injuries. Then Patrice Evra asked off the team following the death of his brother, Samir Nasri injured his hamstring and Eric Abidal stayed with Barcelona to play in a Copa Del Rey match. Well look at that. France are without six of their top players, or as it can be called on this side of the pond, the door just creaked open for the U.S.
If the Yanks are to have any success in France, they'll need to give Clint Dempsey some support. While the U.S. has done a better job of maintaining possession under Klinsmann, it has largely been wasteful and unimportant possession that don't lead to any sort of dangerous attack. The only source of creativity in the U.S. attack has been Dempsey, but he cannot do it alone. Too often he has gotten the ball within 30 yards of goal and looked around for help, only to see his teammates standing still. If they are not going to make themselves available and look to combine then it will become a lot of Dempsey operating on an island while the team continues to struggle to create chances.
That will be especially true against France since Dempsey will have a hard time doing much on his own. Yann M'Vila will be charged with closing the Fulham man down and it's unlikely that Dempsey will be able to get much time with M'Vila on top of him all match. Brek Shea has made an impact in spurts, but he too has been working alone too often. If Klinsmann opts for Maurice Edu in an advanced midfield role again things could get ugly for the Yanks.
Meanwhile, the defense will be tested by a good France attack. Steve Cherundolo is beginning to look his age for Hannover and he hasn't been particularly impressive for the U.S. either in the fall. He'll have Franck Ribery running at him for most of the match, a tough mark for anyone, but a useful match-up that will allow for an evaluation of Cherundolo and whether he is still an international quality right back.
The center backs, whatever combination of Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu and Michael Orozco Fiscal, will be tested too with Karim Benzema and Kevin Gameiro coming at them. The French might be weakened by absences, but it's still a team much better than those that have put the U.S. to the sword of late. Klinsmann supporters can point to the seven months before World Cup qualifying starts, but after Friday there will be just two matches before qualifying begins. Time to prepare is running out and Friday is less preparation and more of a test. Will the U.S. be ready to answer the test the get from Les Blues, weakened or not?
England Vs. Spain, 2011 International Friendly: Preview
Time to embrace hilarious mediocrity, England. The world champions are coming to town, and things aren't likely to be very pretty when the dust settles at Wembley, because Spain are very likely to waltz in and demolish an England squad that Fabio Capello seems determined to leave a traumitised wreck. It's bad enough playing Spain with your best team, but the manager is insistent on blooding in new recruits for the match, which can only really end in tears.
Frank Lampard will captain the Three Lions. Phil Jones will play in midfield. Spain, meanwhile, can call on the services of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas, whom you may remember from their status as four of the best eight midfielders on the planet (and probably three of the best three). International friendlies are often called so that teams can try out new techniques and tactics*, so one can only imagine that Capello is attempting to hone his 'what if we play a team that's way better than us and half of our starters are out with... I don't know, cholera' contingency plan, which will serve him well when England are knocked out of Euro 2012 on penalties in the quarterfinals.
*Ok, that's a lie. They're there for the money.
If Spain really feel like being mean, they can field David Silva and Juan Mata on each flank, which will cause so much creative play that even David Villa and Fernando Torres might get goals. Seriously, nobody in the Premier League can defend David Silva. Why should we imagine that Glen Johnson can? Things would be a lot easier if Micah Richards had been called up, but since Capello hates you, the viewing public, that won't happen.
Anyway, England aren't good, Spain are, and that's the way things go. Since it's a friendly they'll probably be good guests and not stomp the Three Lions so badly they'll need surgery, but rest assured that they certainly could if they wanted to, and if it's less than a three-goal margin it's only because Spain were being nice. The match will be held at Wembley at 5:15 PM GMT (12:15 PM EST). Get ready for some carnage.
Oh, and England will be wearing a poppy on their armband. This is Very Important. Never forget.
Nov 11 9:55p by Graham MacAree - 0 comments