WHUFC.com
Robert Green is itching to get to South Africa to begin England's 2010 FIFA
World Cup challenge
01.06.2010
He might have been spared the same anxious wait as his outfield colleagues,
but Robert Green is glad the England squad has been named and the players
are free to concentrate on the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As one of three
goalkeepers in Fabio Capello's provisional 30-man selection, the West Ham
United man knew only injury could deny him a seat on the plane to South
Africa. While the 30-year-old can be pleased for himself and club-mate
Matthew Upson, who also made the cut, Green had some sympathy for Hammer of
the Year Scott Parker, who was one of seven players overlooked. "I didn't
receive a phone call from the manager. I think with the three keepers being
in we were fairly safe! We were kind of happy in the knowledge that we were
going. "It is a tough decision for Mr Capello to make and, in another way, a
pleasing one in that he has so many good players to choose from and so it
makes it difficult in that sense. "For the players who are not in the squad,
of course they will be disappointed but they can be pleased and proud still
with what they have done to be here, in this position, they have all still
had great seasons and done tremendously well and that is why they have been
in contention. "I am sure by the time pre-season comes around and they have
had a break over the summer, they will all be ready for the start of the
season for their clubs and be looking to do just as well again."
Green suffered the heartache of missing the 2006 World Cup in Germany after
rupturing his groin in a pre-tournament warm-up fixture against Belarus in
Reading. Four years on, he is hopeful of being named as England's No1 for
the Group C opener against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday 12
June. With group-stage fixtures to follow against Algeria and Slovenia,
Green is confident the Three Lions can enjoy a productive time in South
Africa. "We are all very much looking forward to it. It is a fine line
between success and failure sometimes and we will all be doing our very best
to ensure it's a successful tournament for us."
Green and Upson are two of ten past and present West Ham players in
England's 23-man squad. Academy graduates Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand,
Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole have all been included, along
with David James, John Terry and Jermain Defoe.
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Green and Upson named
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will have two players in the England squad at the FIFA World
Cup in South Africa
01.06.2010
Robert Green and Matthew Upson will go to the 2010 FIFA World Cup after
being named in Fabio Capello's final 23-man England squad for South Africa.
There was disappointing news for Scott Parker, however, as the two-times
reigning Hammer of the Year was one of seven players to miss out from
Capello's 30-man training squad that had prepared in Austria. England get
their Group C campaign up and running against the United States on Saturday
week before matches against Algeria and Slovenia on 18 and 23 June
respectively. The finalised squad fly out to South Africa on Wednesday night
and, upon arriving, will soon get down to work on the training pitches at
altitude in Rustenburg before an expected warm-up game on Monday against a
local side. England will remain in the north-western city to take on the US
at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Green and Upson will be eager to emulate the
achievements of West Ham United greats Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff
Hurst, who lifted the World Cup for England in 1966. Green is tipped to be
the Three Lions' starting goalkeeper in South Africa, having started four of
England's World Cup qualifiers and excelled in the recent 3-1 friendly
victory over Mexico at Wembley. Now 30, the Chertsey-born stopper has been a
model of consistency for the Hammers over the past three seasons, starting
126 consecutive Barclays Premier League matches for the club. Four years
ago, Green was expected to be named in Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad for the
2006 World Cup in Germany, only to suffer a ruptured groin muscle in a
B-team warm-up friendly with Belarus just weeks before the tournament got
under way. Since making his debut under Eriksson in the 3-2 friendly win
over Colombia in the US in May 2005, Green has added nine further caps under
Capello, conceding just seven goals. Upson, 31, has also become a regular
squad member under the present England manager, earning 12 of his 19 caps
since the Italian took charge in December 2007. The centre-back started
Capello's first match in charge - a 2-1 victory over Switzerland at Wembley
in February 2008 - and featured in five of England's ten World Cup
qualifiers. Returning to South Africa will bring back fond memories for
Upson, who made his full international debut against the Bafana Bafana in a
2-1 friendly victory in Durban in May 2003.
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McCarthy misses out
WHUFC.com
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has left Benni McCarthy out of
his World Cup plans
01.06.2010
Benni McCarthy has been left out of South Africa's 23-man squad for the FIFA
World Cup finals after the selection was finalised on Tuesday morning. The
West Ham United striker had struggled to prove his fitness in time for the
host nation. He remained on the bench for the 5-0 defeat of Guatemala at the
Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Monday night, although he did get a
second-half appearance in the 2-1 defeat of Colombia on the previous
Thursday. Injury problems since his arrival at West Ham United in February
meant McCarthy made just two Barclays Premier League starts and three
substitute appearances in four months. He was still expected to make the
World Cup, especially with the experience of 32 goals in 78 caps since his
debut in June 1997. He also played at the 1998 and 2002 finals.
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Pre-season friendly latest
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have so far confirmed three summer fixtures ahead of the new
season
01.06.2010
West Ham United have confirmed three pre-season fixtures so far as the club
prepares for the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League campaign. The Hammers will
travel to Peterborough United for a pre-season friendly on Wednesday 14
July, in a match to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their arrival in the
Football League. Posh are set to push for promotion from League One next
season under new manager Gary Johnson, having finished bottom of the
Championship this time around. It will be the second time in three years
that the two clubs have met in a summer friendly after the Hammers won 2-0
at London Road on 29 July. That match was notable for Valon Behrami's debut
and two Craig Bellamy goals. The Hammers will then head to Portman Road on
Saturday 31 July to take on Ipswich Town. The trip up the A12 to Suffolk for
the 3pm fixture promises to be an entertaining game against Roy Keane's
side, who ended last season 15th in the Championship. West Ham last visited
Ipswich for a pre-season fixture on 4 August 2008, when Dean Ashton scored a
hat-trick in a 5-3 victory for the visitors. Craig Bellamy and Mark Noble
were also on target. The club will make the trip to MK Dons for a 7.30pm
kick-off on Wednesday 28 July. This summer's meeting will constitute the
club's second trip to the Buckinghamshire new town, having gone down to a
3-2 defeat in July 2007. The match saw Freddie Ljungberg make his debut for
the Hammers, while Hogan Ephraim and Matthew Upson scored the visitors'
goals. Tickets for the 28 July fixture will be priced at £10 for adults, £6
for OAPS and disabled supporters (with the career admitted free of charge),
£1 for Under-16s, with Under-7s being admitted for free.
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Friendly blow for Behrami
WHUFC.com
A minor injury in training has dashed Valon Behrami's hopes of playing for
Switzerland on Tuesday night
01.06.2010
Valon Behrami will sit out Switzerland's friendly against Costa Rica on
Tuesday night after getting a knock on his right ankle in training. Behrami,
who was part of the Swiss squad at the 2006 finals and also UEFA Euro 2008,
took a blow to his ankle in the final practice session staged at the
national-team training camp in Crans-Montana before the warm-up match in
Sion. Medical staff gave him the all-clear on Monday evening but he will not
be risked against the Costa Ricans, officially listing his status for the
match as "questionable". Tuesday's match is only the second fixture between
the two nations, with Switzerland scoring a 2-0 victory in Geneva in
September 2006 in the only previous meeting. The West Ham United midfielder
is one of Ottmar Hitzfeld's key players for the finals, where the Swiss will
meet Spain, Chile and Honduras in the group stage, even though he has not
played for a month. The 24-year-old had only returned to training a
fortnight ago after a knee problem caused him to miss the final Barclays
Premier League game of the season against Manchester City on 9 May. Hitzfeld
is believed to have settled on his starting XI for the World Cup, with No11
Behrami set to play in a wide midfield role, swapping flanks with Bayer 04
Leverkusen's Tranquillo Barnetta on a regular basis. The German-born manager
will also be without FC Lucerne midfielder Hakan Yakin and Hannover 96
defender Mario Eggimann against Costa Rica, but both are expected to be fit
for the World Cup. Switzerland have lost their last two home friendlies to
Norway and Uruguay, meaning Hitzfeld is eager for a morale-boosting win
ahead of their send-off match against World Cup holders Italy in Geneva on
Saturday. It is a deliberately tough test, with the Swiss set to start their
finals campaign on 16 June against European champions Spain in Durban
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Sir Trevor hails Young Lions
WHUFC.com
The club legend has paid tribute to England's U17 stars - including young
Hammers forward Robert Hall
01.06.2010
Sir Trevor Brooking has hailed England's success at the UEFA European
Under-17 Championship after the 2-1 defeat of Spain in the final. The Young
Lions - with Hammers starlet Robert Hall appearing in all five games at the
Liechtenstein tournament - were impressive from start to finish and fully
deserved to lift the trophy on Sunday evening. Hall was most regularly used
in a wide attacking role and at still only 16 was one of the younger players
on view. Speaking to TheFA.com, Sir Trevor, the Football Association's
director of football development, said: "It's fantastic for everyone
involved. I'm obviously delighted for the players and the coaching staff,
but, also for everyone at The FA ... to get to this one and win it, with a
group who we always thought were very good, is brilliant."
"More than anything it was a great team performance and you can see this
group have got a great team spirit. "It is important to get that taste of
winning early on [in their careers] and I can see how much they enjoyed it,
but, we must remember that it's just a little sample for them. There's still
a long way to go in their development. "Having said that, it's really good
for this group because it has whetted their appetite. They know what it
feels like and they now know they can do it. Hopefully there will be a few
of these that will progress into the Under-21 and senior teams."
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Noble's recipe for success
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has thrown his support behind the club's healthy eating programme
01.06.2010
Back in the old days, footballers would eat almost whatever they liked
before matches, and enjoy a post-match pint in the pub following the final
whistle. Into the 21st century, and Barclays Premier League footballers
cannot afford to be so ill-disciplined when it comes to their diets.
Instead, West Ham United's players carefully watch what they eat to ensure
they maintain tip-top physical condition all season long. With concern over
childhood obesity and youngsters' lack of exercise, the Premier League
Creating Chances Places for Players scheme is taking steps to ensure
schoolchildren from all backgrounds understand the importance of eating
healthily. At a special event organised by the club's Community Sports
Trust, Mark Noble, Head Chef Tim De'ath - also the England chef at the FIFA
World Cup - and Academy Director Tony Carr met a group of children from the
London Borough of Newham at the Boleyn Ground, explaining the benefits of
leading a healthy lifestyle. "Obesity is a problem," said Noble, who is a
proud father himself. "I'll see a kid who is overweight with low self-esteem
who feels too embarrassed to join in a PE class and it's a horrible
situation. Parents should deal more strictly with them and encourage them to
join in PE. Feed your kids properly and they'll grow up properly. I'll be
like that with my kids. "The club weigh us before we go away on holiday and
if we don't weigh the same when we come back we get fined. Some of the
players go nutty in the first week of holiday and then run round fields.
"During the season, though, it is literally nine months of eating no
rubbish."
Noble also led a training session with the youngsters on the Boleyn Ground
pitch, promoting the need for them to take part in sport and other physical
exercise to keep themselves in the best possible physical condition. Academy
Director Tony Carr also explained the importance for young people to
exercise if they are going to attempt to pursue a career in sport. Carr is
in his fourth decade with the club and is responsible for the development of
many of the game's biggest names. In 2006, Carr was diagnosed with Type 2
diabetes. After learning to live with the condition and proving it should be
no barrier to a healthy and active life. Community Sports Trust Chief Mick
King said the event, and its positive message, had proved to be a huge
success. "The Project demonstrates the Club's commitment to the healthy
living agenda. It is important to link healthy living with an active
lifestyle which is why health education combines effectively with exciting
activity programmes. "The collective contribution made by Mark Noble, Tony
Carr and Tim De'ath was outstanding in terms of enthusiasm, knowledge,
practical awareness and positive role modelling."
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Rob Green wants to make up for 2006
BBC.co.uk
England goalkeeper Rob Green says he will savour his World Cup place this
summer after missing out four years ago with a groin injury. The 30-year-old
West Ham man was named in Fabio Capello's final 23-man World Cup squad on
Tuesday. He missed out on Germany in 2006 after injuring himself against
Belarus. "That highlighted how precarious a position your life can be in. I
want to take advantage, take everything on board and enjoy it," he said.
"Barring anything happening in the next 24 hours, touch wood, I should be
fine," he added. Green, who came through the ranks at Norwich City, was in
Norfolk to open Norfolk FA's new football development centre on the day that
Capello announced his squad. He told BBC Radio Norfolk it was good that the
battle to start in goal for England was so close between himself, David
James and Joe Hart. "I think it promotes a friendly and strong rivalry
within the keepers," he said. "We know that every training session, every
game every opportunity that we've got we've really got to take that chance.
"That can only promote people being on top form for the finals and the final
games themselves. "It's something we've really got to take as a positive,
whoever's going to be playing will have to be playing well to keep the other
two out."
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Duo named in final 23
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st June 2010
By: Staff Writer
Matthew Upson and Rob Green have both been named in the 23-man England squad
for this summer's World Cup Finals in South Africa. However there was
disappointing news for Scott Parker, who was one of the unlucky seven struck
off the initial 30-man squad list - albeit a not unexpected exclusion
considering that Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick and Ledley King can all play
in Parker's defensive midfield role. The 29-year-old Hammer, who was almost
certainly bidding to appear in the finals for the last time given that he
will be 33 by the time the next tournament comes around, misses out along
with Everton's Leighton Baines, Tottenham's Michael Dawson and Tom
Huddlestone, Man City's Adam Johnson, Arsenal's Theo Walcott and
Sunderland's Darren Bent.
The full 23-man England squad is as follows:
Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green; Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio
Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen
Warnock; Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank
Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Shaun Wright-Phillips; Peter Crouch,
Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.
* Another Hammer who won't be featuring in South Africa this summer is
recent signing Benni McCarthy, who has been suprisingly left out of the
Bafana Bafana squad by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. The 32-year-old, who
is his country's all-time record goalscorer has been ommitted from the squad
due to fitness concerns.
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Prem duo eye Real youngster
Reds and Hammers linked with Opare loan
Last updated: 1st June 2010
SSN
Liverpool and West Ham are competing with a host of clubs from across Europe
for Real Madrid starlet Daniel Opare, skysports.com understands. Opare is
regarded as one of Africa's brightest talents and was spotted by Real early
on as he moved to the Spanish capital in 2007. The Ghana youngster was
tipped to make the breakthrough from their Castilla side last term, but
injury hampered his progress. Now fully fit, the versatile full-back, who
can also play anywhere in midfield, is now set to be allowed to move on loan
next season. This has alerted a string of clubs from across Europe, with
England very much a potential destination with both Liverpool and West Ham
understood to be keen on taking him. Also keen to snap him up are the likes
of Lyon, PSV Eindhoven, Club Brugge, Buraspor and Steve McClaren's
Wolfsburg. The player's representative Chris Nathaniel confirmed to
skysports.com that interest in Opare was significant. "Daniel is fully fit
again now and is ready to play next season," he told skysports.com. "Of
course his injury means he will not be considered for Real's first-team but
he hopes a spell on loan somewhere could help him come to the attention of
Jose Mourinho. "With that in mind, Daniel is now considering his options
carefully as he has a number of options and he is already looking forward to
pre-season training - wherever that may be."
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Fats yer lot I'm afraid Benni
The Sun
By TONY LITTLE
Published: Today
SOUTH AFRICA'S all-time top goalscorer Benni McCarthy has missed out on the
World Cup. The West Ham striker, 32, was axed from the final 23-man squad by
coach Carlos Alberto Parreira despite netting 32 goals in 78 matches.
McCarthy struggled with fitness last season and was criticised by Hammers
co-owner David Sullivan for being too fat.
Parreira said: "It was a sad thing to have to split apart our family but I
told them to keep their heads up, as life goes on." McCarthy said: "The
final squad is a tough call for any coach and I'm sure it was not made
without heartache." Everton's Steven Pienaar, Fulham's Kagisho Dikgacoi and
Portsmouth's Aaron Mokoena - the Bafana Bafana captain - made the final
squad.
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Redknapp slams Capello's treatment of Dawson and Parker
Published 23:00 01/06/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Harry Redknapp has slammed Fabio Capello's treatment of Michael Dawson and
Scott Parker and says the players felt like "ghosts" in the England squad.
Capello trimmed his England squad down to 23 yesterday and it was no major
surprise when Dawson and Parker were two of the seven players to face World
Cup heartache. Both players have enjoyed memorable seasons for Tottenham and
West Ham, but they failed to play a minute's worth of action in the two
friendlies against Mexico and Japan. Redknapp cannot understand why they
were taken on an intense training camp to Austria if Capello had no
intention of seeing them in action and feels they were only there to make up
the numbers. Redknapp said: "They tell me Scott trained fantastic every day
and could not have done anymore. He worked his socks off. But whatever he
did, he was not going to go [to the World Cup]. "Someone said to me he felt
like a ghost on the trip, like Dawson; they were there but not there and
they could sense that. "The manager didn't really speak to them or give them
much feedback. But they were never going to go. "They have not kicked a
ball. Dawson and Parker have had great seasons but you might as well have
taken 25 [to Austria]. "They had no intention of them being in the squad and
they made up the numbers."
This is the third time the Tottenham manager has had a public bust-up with
Capello after he rubbished the Italian's tactics in his first game in charge
and criticised his handling of Ledley King's injury. Redknapp was also
shocked to see Theo Walcott left out of the squad and feels he could have
been a matchwinner for England in South Africa. Redknapp added: "I thought
Theo would go. I like him and he has got great ability. "I gave him his
debut [at Southampton]. He is inconsistent at times, but he is a winger and
flies by people. I thought he would be in the squad. "I am surprised. He
(Capello) probably had another look at him and was probably frustrated with
his final ball against Japan and decided not to take him. "But you only have
to look back at Croatia when he scored a hat-trick and ripped them to
pieces. I am surprised he has not gone. "He can play wide or through the
middle. I think he will end up in the middle. "Aaron Lennon will have days
when it doesn't go his way. Theo can come on and give them a problem. I am
surprised he didn't make the trip."
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