Tag Archives: robert-green

World Cup 2010: What we’ve learned today | Paul Hayward

South Africa have all but been eliminated, leaving Africa desperately hoping at least one of its five other teams avoid a wipe-out This World Cup needs a strong African contender to extend the sense of triumph beyond the continent’s bare staging of the tournament for the first time. To think the six nations who call Africa home would be satisfied with an early wipe-out on the field of play so long as the event itself can be called a success would be to misunderstand the ambitions of football in these parts. South Africa are already in dire peril of becoming the first host country to fail to progress beyond the group stage. At Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria last night, Bafana Bafana fell victim to a striker who is developing a formidable reputation for crushing dreams. Diego Forlán, scorer of two of Uruguay’s goals in the 3-0 win, was Fulham’s tormentor in the Europa League final in Hamburg. • Follow the Guardian’s World Cup team on Twitter • Sign up to play our great Fantasy Football game • Stats centre: Get the lowdown on every player • The latest team-by-team news, features and more This far weightier blow against romance left South Africans crushed and embarrassed. As they left bars and restaurants they were already haunted by a vision of how this World Cup might feel if they no longer have Carlos Alberto Perreira’s side to cheer. We are in uncharted territory here. Never has a World Cup host had to abandon its prime allegiance and find another so quickly. South Africa must beat France in Bloemfontein to have any hope of advancing. The mantra has been that all Africans would support whichever team was left when theirs went out, but the portents are not good. Nigeria have already lost to Argentina and Greece, Algeria went down to Slovenia, Cameroon were beaten by Japan and the Ivory Coast began with a 0-0 draw with Portugal. Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Serbia remains the continent’s only flourish. There is still time for this unpromising early momentum to be reversed, but it pains all sentient neutrals to imagine South Africa’s energy and their sacrifices off the pitch coming to nought. Most obviously, Africa cannot be a nursery for the rich European clubs without the countries that supply that talent progressing at national level. This World Cup was meant to strengthen the African game. Otherwise it’s just a circus passing through. World Cup 2010 South Africa Paul Hayward guardian.co.uk

See the original post:
World Cup 2010: What we’ve learned today | Paul Hayward

World Cup 2010: Robert Green’s redemption remains stuck in limbo | Paul Hayward

The England goalkeeper will not know if he can make a return journey from bum to hero until two hours before kick-off Reflecting on Tim Howard’s downfall as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper in the summer of 2005, Esther Howard, his mother, said in a recent interview in the New Yorker: “In England the goalkeeper is treated like a necessary evil. It’s a totally thankless position. One mistake and you’ve gone from being a hero to being a bum.” Not quite, because Fabio Capello is staying true to Robert Green, author of the goalkeeping howler against the USA last Saturday. The England coach will not say whether Green will retain the jersey against Algeria but nor will he join the chorus that says the West Ham man’s mistake was terminal, which is a loyalty of sorts. The two-hour team-disclosure rule stands, so Capello is sticking to one of his golden principles. • Follow the Guardian’s World Cup team on Twitter • Sign up to play our great Fantasy Football game • Stats centre: Get the lowdown on every player • The latest team-by-team news, features and more The selectorial logic that sent Howard to Everton was not quite as brutal as his mother claims because United had coveted Edwin van der Sar since the end of the Peter Schmeichel era but Mrs Howard’s reading of the goalkeeper’s fear of rejection would have resonated with Green on the eve of England’s second Group

More here:
World Cup 2010: Robert Green’s redemption remains stuck in limbo | Paul Hayward

England Goalie — Still Alive, Practicing

Filed under: TMZ Sports , Paparazzi Photo Days after his world famous World Cup blunder, America’s favorite soccer player — England goalkeeper Robert Green , aka Stonehands McGoo (center) — watched his back-up not drop the ball during a practice session yesterday. It’s never too late to learn. Read more

Originally posted here:
England Goalie — Still Alive, Practicing