The 2010 FIFA World Cup can be John Terry’s last international performance with England. After several critiques noted Terry’s bad performances during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Italian player Fabio Cannavaro made an interesting comment regarding Terry’s position in the team.
“I think John Terry will not be in the list of players,” stated Cannavaro to the Daily Star. Cannavaro’s comment is not without base; he was playing under Capello’s coaching in Real Madrid and Juventus and he knows how Capello manage and coach a team very well.
As we all know, John Terry is considered the main source of problems for England in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was the first player to ignite doubt towards Capello’s choice of tactics and strategies, and persuaded other players to question the head coach’s leadership. Terry apologized soon after, but the issue was too big to forget at the time.
Capello is also under heavy pressure to win the upcoming 2012 European Cup, so it is only natural that he wants to construct a solid and good-performing team. Rebellious players such as Terry and his close colleagues may not be listed as part of the team. On the other hand, great players who performed well and stayed cool under pressure, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole, is said to be in the team almost for certain.
Capello will have all the time he needs to construct a new, better, team for the 2012 European Cup. Will the Three Lions roar again soon?
Football, also known as soccer in the United States, is not the most popular sports in the country. That may change real soon – in fact, it is already changing – especially now that more stars from all around the world are transferring to USA teams. After the spectacular transfer of David Beckham and a lot of other great names, Thierry Henry is adding the long list of multinational start players who decided to play in the US MLS.
The former Barcelona star may not be greeted as spectacularly as David Beckham when he made his transfer to LA Galaxy, but it is still an interesting move for both the US football fans and international football lovers. With Henry now playing for the New York Red Bulls, it is only a matter of time before more internationally-known players join the league.
Jen Chang, Soccer Editor at Sports Illustrated, stated that soccer may not be as popular as NFL, MLB and NBA; it is quite difficult to match the three most popular leagues in the United States from this point. However, it is not impossible at all to match NHL’s popularity and became one of the top 5 most popular sports in the US.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup also contributes to this interesting development. With top news stations including ESPN reportedly spent record-breaking amounts of money for exclusive coverage, plus the US national team placing in the World Cup, more and more people are appreciating the sport as part of the US culture.
There has been several rumors regarding the future manager of Fulham since the team’s manager Roy Hodgson was sacked. Among the names are Ivory Coast’s head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. Martin Jol, currently managing Ajax FC, is also rumored to be the next manager of Fulham. The later seems to be more than just a rumor, because Jol is scheduled to meet Fulham officials just before the team departs for 10-day pre-season tour to Sweden.
It is almost certain that Martin Jol will be the next manager of Fulham, especially because reports are stating how intense talks between the two parties have been going on for quite a while. He is scheduled to be appointed manager officially next week (26/7) and will catch up with the team in Sweden.
The 54-year-old Ajax coach is one successful coach nonetheless, and will be a great boost to Fulham’s performances as a team. Ajax, under Jol’s management, successfully accomplished a lot of things including securing a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League.
Whether Martin Jol will officially be Fulham’s new manager is something we still need to wait and see, but other names approached to be the next manager of Fulham are already ruling themselves out through statements and current engagements. United States coach Bob Bradley is among the names mentioned in a lot of rumors, although Bradley has confirmed that he will remain as head coach for the United States team. Switzerland’s Ottmar Hitzfeld is also linked to Fulham’s search for new manager, but he ditched the rumor with a strong statement earlier this month.
