Football: Columbia v. England (Friendly)

Was thinking of heading to The Arc later to watch this game.

Anyone else heading down to watch it?

They are not advertising it but i'm sure they won't mind showing it.

I noticed a big lack of interest in England friendlies by a few football fans recently.

Some people have told me that Sven ruined friendlies by changing all the players at half time, but this has now stopped and the last game against the US was quite a good game (Although i wasn't feeling 100% after the Andechs trip). There isn't the normal excitement like compared to a world cup final but still..

The squad is still not 100% but we now have the Spanish players back (Beckham and Owen) and I think it is interesting to watch how the newbies like Peter Crouch from Southampton will fit in and how the team plays against the team they are not used to, I think Columbia will be a challenge!

When i came to Munich 1 year ago it was the same, hardly anyone went to see the friendlies - what's everyones reason?

Eric, I heard that half the England squad couldn't be bothered to watch it.

Paul Robinson is going to Tesco's for the weekly shop, Gary Neville is washing his hair, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard are going on the West Ham celebrations down the pub, Steven Gerrard is still hungover from last week and doesn't want to go out, Wayne Rooney is off to the skateboard park then nicking hubcaps, and Keiron Dyer is still looking for an argument somewhere on the Tyne.

Joe Cole and Michael Owen thought they were actually going to the real Colombia, and David Beckham is only there because the missus wanted to do a bit of shopping in New York.

Sad state of affairs ain't it?

Nope, the walking brain that is Rio upset some local gangster in Stockholm and got the shite kicked out of him...

(I know...Do they really have gangsters in stockholm???)

True, the games are at the end of the season and many players are not playing, especially the ones who are guaranteed a place in the team, but who cares? This is where the players of the future get to play alongside some of the othe rengland players to see if they fit in and how well they play in international football! I think Owen + Beckham are going along as their places are upu for grabs now they are out of the eye of Sven most of the time, and neitehr have played that well for England recently.

I especially don't blame Gerrard, he can do whatever he wants, he's god!

Yep... his name is Keydeck

Cannot understand the mentality by some players who believe playing for your domestic team is bigger and better than representing your country.

Ok, you get a bit more dosh, but it's your country. I don't reckon you'd get near the full English squad playing at the next olympics

Eric, he's still drinking out of that bloody big cup. Do you know how much beer it holds?

We'll show the game if you wanna see it...

Nope. Sorry. Won't be there. I refuse to watch England friendlies and I am sticking by my decision.

Anyhoo, I have band practice so I cannot make it anyway.

The next few friendlies are vital, they pretty much are 2nd string players he's took, but these lads are more than likely playing for their place in 2006.

Is this only a recent think or have you always felt this way ?

Since when?

is it since Australia beat England?

You won't be laughing after the ashes...

What is an England friendly? Versus Germany or Scotland could never, ever in a million years be termed a 'friendly', points or no points. It's like a friendly between Holland and Germany... someone is gonna get spat on.

I agree that we need friendlies, and they are not about winning, drawing or loosing, but about experimentation and discovery. Kieran Richardson did very well against the USA. OK, we learnt something there. But this whole trip seems to be more about marketing footie to the US than about serious footie itself.

REJECTED!

Only really since Sven took over and the Premier League managers started withdrawing "injured" players...

I know they are only friendlies but when I see the performances against Australia (yes, hazza, that was one of them) and Spain then I do not understand what he intends to learn from such crap..

"But this whole trip seems to be more about marketing footie to the US than about serious footie itself"

Is Glazer behind this at all?

Who cares as long as it gets the team playing together more with the world cup aproaching fast!

I'll tell you what I don't understand. If we want to learn something with friendlies, why the fuck aren't we participating in the Confederations Cup 2005? We've got Germany (the hosts), Australia, Argentina, Tunisia, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Mexico playing. Surely we would have learnt a damn sight more playing Germany, Argentina and Brazil than the USA and Colombia.

England have not qualified...

@ Sin - I agree, some of the games like Australia might be a bit easy but still we need to play easy games sometimes

Edit - Not Qualified - Don't remember those games!

It is the champions of Europe, Asia, Oceana, Africa, South America, North America and the world champos..

EDIT: Do you not remember the european champs or the world cup

Wee Mun, I just read the 40 page .pdf from FIFA (Fuckin' Interfering with Football Again) and the only method of qualification I can find is application within the deadline.

Edit: But my point is, 12 months before the World Cup, England really need to be coming up against world class opposition in friendlies. The top 5 ranked teams (as of today, in order) are Brazil, Czech Republic, Argentina, France and Holland (you'll never guess what... we are 6th). If the Czech Republic, France and Holland aren't busy, let's have a bash. Colombia are ranked 28th.

I may be wrong, but I am sure I read somewhere that the teams are in because of the criteria detailed in me last post

It would be quite a coincidence...

Just looked it up, Wee Mun is correct!

Makes a change

And USA were ranked 10 believe it or not!!

Columbia play a different style of football than we are used to, will be good to get some more experience of south american football.

Brazil? Argentina? Uruguay? Costa Rica? All ranked well above Colombia.

How you read the write-ups of Colombia's current team? Their flat back nine and lone striker are reminiscent of The Arse 1960-2000. If we don't see a full attacking England performance, then the friendly is a waste of time.


Give 'em a break Wee Mun. Somebody's got to love them

Edit: And England are ranked 6th - Believeable?

FYI - Half Time Colombia 1 England 2 (both Michael Owen)

Three for Owen.
They're calling it a hat-trick but it can't be because he didn't score them all in one half

It's strange for me to understand not wanting to watch my national team compete in any sport I follow.

If it's not a full strength team, then surely it's still a great way to watch future players in action...

I doubt any of them will be there seeing as England aren't allowed to play footy in the olympics

@BTR

Pardon the ignorance - coming from a non Football playing nation is my excuse. I thought the football played in the Olympics were open to any country who wanted to enter a team.

Why aren't England allowed to play, and if applicable, which other 'powerhouse' nations aren't either?

England dont play in the Olympics, Great Britain do. (England, N. Ireland and errrr another two I think, though one I am sure is an imaginary country).

as 3Lions suggests - it could cause problems as GB is represented at the Olympics where the footy is represented by 4 individual associations. The worry is that if GB fielded a football team FIFA might force the 4 UK associations to field a joint team in, for example, the World Cup.

i.e. yet another British/Pom/Limey peculiarity

although I don't know what the situation is with Denmark if they enter an Olympics team - as they ought to have the same problem with Denmark/Faroe islands/Greenland

I think you mean we all WISH it were imaginary don't you?

So the GB team at the Olympics is similar to what the British Lions are doing in Rugby, or?

Surely then with all four nations offering their players, the Poms should kill it at every Olympics, or do players really not give a toss?

Not really cos I dont think that the olympic teams are the same in strength as the International sides. You wouldnt have an Olympic side with Beckham, Owen & Co in it. Its either age limits or something that restricts teams from fielding a full international side.

From the FA:

Ever since the forming of the home nations each association has independently picked its own representative sides.

The FA administered the last British team, with the agreement of the other British Associations.

Charles Hughes, The FA’s Assistant Director of Coaching and Manager of the England Amateur Team, was appointed Manager and selected a group of players to attend training sessions at the Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Buckinghamshire.

In 1974 the FA Council abolished the official distinction between 'amateu' and 'professional' footballers in England.

This put an end to the practice of "shamateurism", whereby players claimed to be amateur but still irregular payments from their clubs. At that time the Olympics were only open to amateur sportsmen and women, so the British Associations were no longer able to enter a football team.

As all of the home nations act independently and there is no Great Britain Association affiliated to FIFA it is currently not possible to enter a team into the Olympics.

Hazza, KO was 22:00. I gotta work today. It's a good enuff reason.

No

Rollocks Eric!

My car broke down.

There was an earthquake last night in Großhadern.

A volcano erupted in Westpark.

Honest!!!

It was a pointless PR excercise demanded by the FA. That is the best reason I can come up with

Was a good game though, glad i watch it!

Still... nice easy way to get to 42 goals for your country.

...and we did learn something didn't we?

1 - No way is there anybody in goal near Paul Robinson's quality.
2 - Alan Smith needs to be reminded which way we are playing.
3 - Glen Johnson is crap in an England shirt.
4 - Knight, Carrick and Crouch may have future potential.

as he is in a Chelsea shirt. Really don't see the point of him

I didn't understand that at all BR - What did you mean?

I had a lot more confidence with Robert Green in goal than with David James, a few more games and maybe he'll push James out of the second choice keeper position

aye i thought robert green was ok in goal. the whole defence was all over the place 2nd half. it was classic james, making a quality save than letting in soft header from the corner.

carrick looked good, crouch will be ok in the sub role that he will get - although he seemed to work well with owen, in fairness.

EDIT: fixed spelling!