International

A dramatic and tactical masterclass, that. Prandelli’s formation shift to a 3-4-2-1 was courageously adopted and brilliantly executed, forcing Spain (and perhaps more importantly, Jordi Alba) to play deeper than either are accustomed to. By playing Maggio and Giaccherini as wingbacks, Prandelli effectively marked the wide areas of the field […]

Starting Friday, 53 European nations will begin their journey to become one of 13 from UEFA to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The anticipation and expectations are high, and the headlines about the nine intriguing groups are everywhere as the big day has finally arrived. After extensively […]

You may have noticed that FIFA two weeks ago delayed the publication of its ranking list. This wasn’t due to any technical problems, but because the ranking of two African teams was dependent on the results of a decision taken by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. The ranking list was of great […]

This is an article on some of the lesser known faces of recent Brazil squads (all of them defenders or midfielders) that stand a good chance of making the final selection for the 2014 World Cup. I have tried to avoid the more obvious players such as Neymar, Lucas Moura, […]

I may be looking back through rose-tinted glasses, but I remember EURO 2008, as being a truly great tournament. In fact, I’d say it’s the best tournament that’s taken place in my lifetime. It was, at least in my mind, a tournament where the attacking teams were rewarded and the […]

At 34 and playing his club football in Brazil, many thought Diego Forlan’s best days in a Uruguay shirt were behind him. Three years removed from winning the Golden Ball in the 2010 World Cup, Forlan had been forced to return to South America — the continent he left in […]

The Confederations Cup – often perceived as little more than a tune-up for the World Cup – is an infinitely interesting competition. While the sides that participate are often international powers (Spain, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay and Mexico participated in this year’s installment), the overwhelming sense is that it isn’t a […]

By Tuesday night, something incredible may have happened in European and World football. One European nation may well have taken a giant step towards becoming the smallest ever country to qualify for the World Cup by securing a place in the playoffs, meaning they would be just one two-legged tie […]

It’s not often I can write something in praise of FIFA and UEFA. However, last week, they may have helped to broker a deal to end a bitter dispute between two nations (in terms of playing football, anyway) and to bring in one of the largest European nations currently outside […]

Last week saw international football being played all over Europe, with friendly games giving most of the European teams going to this summer’s World Cup another chance to experiment with different players and formations, or just to give players a little more international experience. However, one of those international games […]