Capello gets his credits

It has not taken long for Fabio Capello to be acclaimed as a person destined to guide England to World Cup glory.

Few teams in world sports draw such community hype as the England national team, with a victory -starved public regularly run into frenzy by the salivating U.K. media.

Wednesday night’s 5-1 destruction of Croatia at Wembley Stadium reserved Capello’s men a position at the 2010 World Cup.

The Italian force himself into the picture for the England coaching job as soon as Steve McClaren failed to qualify England for the 2008 European Championships. Capello impressed the F.A. chain of command with his vision for victory, and regardless of having a less-talented pool of players to choose from.

It has been 43 years since England won its only major trophy at the 1966 World Cup, and the publicity and headlines will continue all the way from now until next summer. Except that this time there looks to be some genuine basis behind them.

Maradona, A wrong choice?

Argentina were handed their newest warning on Saturday when they were pounded 3-1 at home in a World Cup qualifier, an outcome which guaranteed Brazil a position in South Africa and left Diego Maradona’s team to ditch with Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The positions have been reversed. Brazil plays counter-attacking football and Argentina the stunning game, although it has been ineffective in opposition to the five-time world champions.

On Saturday, Argentina clearly failed to learn the lesson of the 2007 Copa America final when they were the favorites after some excellent performances but played into Brazil’s hands in a 3-0 crush.

Maradona’s tore into Brazil, who peaceful y weathered the early storm and scored two swift goals to take control.

Messi performance is beg

ARGENTINA QUALIFICATION BALANCE

A World Cup with no Messi, widely view as the world’s best player, and Argentina seems almost inconceivable.

Yet Argentina can ill-afford to drop points if they are to stay on course for the 2010 finals in South Africa.

They are unstably placed in fourth place in the South American group, the lowest automatic qualifying berth, and five points behind of leaders Brazil.

The team ending fifth after the remaining four rounds in the 10-nation group has second probability to qualify with a two-leg playoff with the fourth-placed squad from CONCACAF.
Messi has yet to shift his dazzling club appearance for Barcelona to the national stage for Argentina, whose enthusiast hope to see him encourage his country to victory in his first official match in the city of his birth.

He had barely entered his teens when he left Rosario for Barcelona subsequent to no club in Argentina could pay for the hormone treatment he required if he was going fulfill his huge pledge.

Brazil have not lost to Argentina in four matches in view of the fact that the teams’ last meeting on Argentine place, a Juan Roman Riquelme-inspired 3-1 triumph in Buenos Aires in 2005.

Overrun by a counter-attacking Brazil in the 2005 Confederations Cup final, a 2006 friendly in London and the 2007 Copa America final in Venezuela, Argentina able to stop the perish in a 0-0 tie in last year’s qualifier in Belo Horizonte.