World Cup Corner

Pavel Nedved, who has scored 18 goals in 90 games for the Czech Republic, has announced his retirement from international football after the Czech Republic’s friendly game with Serbia. This will be his second retirement from international football. After Euro 2004 he ended his international career but returned to help the Czech Republic team during the qualifying for this summer’s World Cup.

I would like to say that the match against Serbia will be my last match for the national team. I have decided to end my international career and free the place for youngsters. My decision is final. I am going to be 34 and I want to be with my family and play for Juventus.

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Steve McClaren has chosen not to name David Beckham to the England squad that will play Greece on August 16. Out of the squad are also Theo Walcott and World Cup goalkeeper David James.

Here are all players which will have a chance to play for England:

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While International teams get ready for Euro 2008 and qualifying for South Africa 2010 there are going to be a lot of friendlies played in the next weeks. Don’t forget to mark your calendars.

August 15 matches and results:
Algeria - Gabon 0:2
Ukraine - Azerbaijan 6:0
Slovakia - Malta 3:0
Slovenia - Israel 1:1
Ghana - Togo 2:0
Wales - Bulgaria 0:0
Iceland - Spain 0:0

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Japan has won their first game under new coach Ivica Osim. Brazilian born Alex’s first-half double gave Ivica Osim the perfect start with a 2-0 home victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

After the match Osim said:

Generally speaking, it was good as the first match. We played with a good tempo from the start and looked sharp even though we only had three days together before the match. There were some encouraging signs but we have to make sure we can maintain that sort of tempo for the full 90 minutes. By running more, Japan should be able to compete better with physically larger players from foreign countries.

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There were a loot of friendly matches played on St. Martin’s wine feast weekend. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about: St. Martin was Europe’s first great wine making monk.

November 11, 2005:
Tunisia - Congo 2:2 (Suspended)
Paraguay - Togo 4:2
Iran - Rep. of Macedonia 1:2

November 12, 2005:
Netherlands - Italy 1:3
South Korea - Sweden 2:2
Argentina - England 2:3
Scotland - USA 1:1
France - Germany 0:0
Portugal - Croatia 2:0
U.A.E. - Brazil 0:8
Romania - Ivory Coast 1:2
Liechtenstein - Rep. of Macedonia 1:2

November 13, 2005:
China - Serbia & Montenegro 0:2
Iran - Togo 2:0
Paraguay - Rep. of Macedonia 1:0
Ecuador - Poland 0:3

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Update, November 10: Nicolas Anelka returned with style. He scored the first goal as France came from two goals down to beat Costa Rica 3-2 in Martinique.

Fenerbahce striker Nicolas Anelka will start for France international squad in friendly against Costa Rica after his surprise call-up to the team. The match, a warm-up for next year’s World Cup finals, has been arranged in Martinique in memory of the 152 people from the French-administered Caribbean island who died in a plane crash in Venezuela in August.

Anelka, whose parents are from Martinique, has not played for France since April 2002 when they drew 0-0 against Russia at the Stade de France. The controversial forward snubbed a late call-up for a friendly against Yugoslavia in November 2002 and has not been selected since.

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Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari named the following 20-man squad for friendlies against Croatia on November 12 in Coimbra, Portugal, and Northern Ireland in Belfast three days later.

Portugal will use the game as build-up for next summer’s World Cup finals.

Goalkeepers:
Ricardo Pereira (Sporting), Paulo Santos (Braga)

Defenders:
Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho (both Chelsea), Jorge Andrade (Deportivo Coruna), Marco Caneira (Valencia), Jorge Ribeiro (Dynamo Moscow), Miguel Monteiro (Valencia), Nuno Frechaut (Dynamo Moscow), Fernando Meira (VfB Stuttgart)

Midfielders:
Costinha (Dynamo Moscow), Armando Petit (Benfica), Joao Alves (Sporting), Tiago Mendes (Olympique Lyon)

Forwards:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Luis Boa Morte (Fulham), Simao Sabrosa (Benfica), Helder Postiga (Porto), Pauleta (Paris St Germain), Nuno Gomes (Benfica).

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Coach Jose Pekerman called Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo in Argentina’s squad for the friendly match against England in Geneva on 12 November. Javier Zanetti, Javier Saviola and Julio Cruz also return to the international fold.

Argentina will play Qatar four days later, on 16 November.

Argentina squad:
Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid);

Roberto Ayala (Valencia), Diego Placente (Celta Vigo), Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel (both Inter Milan), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Gabriel Milito (Real Zaragoza), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo Coruna);

Sebastian Battaglia (Boca Juniors), Juan Roman Riquelme, Juan Pablo Sorin (both Villarreal), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Luis Gonzalez (Porto), Mario Santana (Palermo), Daniel Bilos (Boca Juniors), Maxi Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid);

Hernan Crespo (Chelsea), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Carlos Tevez (Corinthians), Javier Saviola (Sevilla), Julio Ricardo Cruz (Inter Milan).

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Beside play-offs for the FIFA World Cup 2006 there will also be played some friendly matches in October and November. Some matches still need to be confirmed.

October 23, 2005:
Madagascar - Mauritius 2:0

October 25, 2005:
Oman - Syria 0:0

October 26, 2005:
Mexico - Uruguay 3:1
Bahrain - Panama 5:0

October 30, 2005:
Puerto Rico - Guadeloupe 1:3

November 9, 2005:
France - Costa Rica 3:2

November 11, 2005:
Tunisia - Congo 2:2 (Suspended)
Paraguay - Togo 4:2
Iran - Rep. of Macedonia 1:2

November 12, 2005:
Netherlands - Italy 1:3
South Korea - Sweden 2:2
Argentina - England 2:3
Scotland - USA 1:1
France - Germany 0:0
Portugal - Croatia 2:0
U.A.E. - Brazil 0:8
Romania - Ivory Coast 1:2
Liechtenstein - Rep. of Macedonia 1:2

November 13, 2005:
China - Serbia & Montenegro 0:2
Iran - Togo 2:0
Paraguay - Rep. of Macedonia 1:0
Ecuador - Poland 0:3

November 15, 2005:
Northern Ireland - Portugal

November 16, 2005:
Cyprus - Wales
Japan - Angola
South Korea - Serbia & Montenegro
Jordan - Georgia
Syria - United Arab Emirates
Egypt - Tunisia
Ivory Coast - Italy

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On November 12 two international matches are due to be played on the same evening in the same country. In Bern Switzerland is playing against Turkey in their World Cup qualifying first-leg play-off the same night as Argentina is playing a friendly match against England in Geneva.

Because of two matches will be played on the same evening there are some concerns about security in Switzerland.

Related articles:
Crespo back in Argentina squad
Argentina fix date for friendly with England