England Vs Spain

Subject: England Vs Spain Sat Feb 07, 2009 11:51 pm

Squads:

England squad:
Goalkeepers: Robert Green (West Ham), Joe Hart (Man City), David James (Portsmouth).

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Man City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Luke Young (Villa).

Midfielders: David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Gareth Barry (Villa), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man City), Ashley Young (Villa).

Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Villa), Carlton Cole (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Villa).

Spain squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool).

Defenders: Raul Albiol (Valencia), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Juan Gutierrez (Real Betis), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Albert Riera (Liverpool), Sergi Busquets (Barcelona), Santiago Cazorla (Villarreal), Marcos Senna (Villarreal), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia).

Forwards: Daniel Guiza (Fenerbahce), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao ), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Valencia).

England defender Rio Ferdinand says Wednesday's friendly against Spain is a "massive test" of how far the team has come under manager Fabio Capello.

England go into the match in Seville on the back of five successive wins, but face a side who triumphed in last summer's European Championships.

"You only have to look at the names on their team sheet and it is full of quality," Ferdinand said.

"They have some of the best players in Europe, if not the world."

Despite Spain's success in the European Championships, a tournament England failed to qualify for, the Manchester United defender says his team-mates are confident they can return with a positive result.

"We don't fear anyone. If we play to the best of our abilities we can beat anyone on the planet," he added.

"Recently we have played France, Germany and Croatia, who people say are the top ranked teams in Europe, if not the world. To add Spain to that list will give us a good pointer."

Since a 2-1 win over Switzerland in his first match at the helm, Fabio Capello has amassed eight wins in 10 matches in his first year as England coach.

But Ferdinand insists it is unfair to judge how the Italian compares to other national team managers.

"It is too early to talk about best and worst managers. He is doing a good job at the moment and long may it continue," he said.

"As Fabio knows, you are ultimately judged on whether you win tournaments. It is a cut-throat way of looking at it, but that's the way it is and I'm sure the manager wouldn't look at it any other way.

"We have to make sure we build on the decent results we have had so far. We need to make sure we qualify for this World Cup and get our teeth into a campaign when we get there."

Wednesday's clash is England's first match in Spain since black members of the team were subjected to racial abuse during a friendly in Madrid in 2004.

The Spanish FA was given a £44,750 fine by Fifa for that incident, but Ferdinand claims the players are not concerned about a possible repeat of those scenes.

"We are fully concentrated on playing football, we play where we are told to play and anything going on on the outside can be dealt with by the powers that be," he stated.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa's James Milner, fresh from scoring in a 2-0 win over Blackburn at the weekend, said that the club's rise to third place in the Premier League has helped him earn his first call-up to a full international squad.

"It's a great club to be playing for at the moment. I'm enjoying my football and lucky enough to be playing with good players, working with good staff - and the manager fills you with a lot of confidence.

"You can see from the run we've been on this season, when you're enjoying your football you'll play your best football - and we've been doing that."

Milner was surrounded by familiar faces at his first training session with club colleagues Gareth Barry, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Luke Young and Ashley Young all taking part, while Emile Heskey sat out of the morning session with an Achilles injury.

Former Leeds and Newcastle midfielder Milner is keen to ensure that his country's run of good form continues against Vicente Del Bosque's men.

"They are one of the best teams in the world. After coming off the win against Germany, it'll be disappointing not to get another win and get that momentum going."

England's last victory over Spain came in Sven Goran Eriksson's first match in charge in 2001 when goals from Heskey, Nick Barmby and Ugo Ehiogu propelled them to an emphatic 3-0 win.

BBC Sport

Subject: Spain v england Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:37 pm

Score predictions

3-3 im going to say

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:43 pm

wow lol ... 2-2

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:45 pm

Hatricks for torres and carlton cole

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:14 pm

Threads merged

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:16 pm

whats point?

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:21 pm

Tommy Swfc wrote:: whats point?

I don't think there should be more than one thread on the same match. It makes topics look inactive and often looks untidy, so as moderator of international football I have taken the appropriate action.

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:24 pm

jesus , regular little hitler with power

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:08 pm

No, just thorough Razz

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:33 pm

England's revival under Fabio Capello was given a reality check with defeat by Euro 2008 winners Spain in Seville.

Gabriel Agbonlahor shot wide early on before the hosts went ahead when David Villa went past Phil Jagielka and John Terry to finish clinically.

Fernando Llorente powered in a header late on to confirm Spain's superiority.

David Beckham came on at half-time for his record-equalling 108th England cap and set up debutant Carlton Cole but his effort was cleared off the line.

It was England's first defeat in nine games and the manner of the loss will give manager Capello a better idea of the task ahead.

There was no repeat of the racist abuse some of England's players endured when these two sides met in 2004 and, instead, the focus was on the football.

Capello has made a point of picking players on merit rather than reputation and his stance nearly paid off immediately at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

Gareth Barry crossed from the left for Villa team-mate Agbonlahor but the striker volleyed narrowly wide.

Barry then headed a Stewart Downing corner wide before Emile Heskey was cynically fouled when he would have been clean through on goal, although he was wrongly given offside.

But the early England promise quickly evaporated as Spain found their passing rhythm and, at times, toyed with the visitors.

Everton's Jagielka was making his first England start and facing Fernando Torres of Liverpool for a fourth time in the past four weeks.

The centre-back had come out on top in their previous duels and, when Torres created a sight of goal for himself, it was Jagielka who flung himself to block the striker's shot and also clear after a David James fumble.

But Spain could also call on Euro 2008 Golden Boot winner Villa, who profited from Jagielka's error that led to Spain's opener.

His stray pass found Xabi Alonso, who swiftly fed Villa. He skipped past Jagielka and held off John Terry's challenge before expertly side-footing home into the bottom left-hand corner.

The sight and danger of Spain's front two highlighted England's lack of a proven goalscorer, despite Heskey's nuisance factor and Agbonlahor's pace.

Spain were in their stride and, after a Villa shot was blocked by Terry, Alonso struck a powerful shot off target.

There was a regality about the Spanish midfield, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta stroking the ball around with ease.

Barry and Michael Carrick were in the centre of England's midfield to nullify Spain but the pair had little impact and spent most of the game chasing their rivals.

The raft of substitutions at half-time included the arrival of Beckham, who drew level with 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore on 108 caps, the record for an England outfield player.

Beckham's precise cross-field pass found Shaun Wright-Phillips, who cut inside from the left to create a chance for himself only to see his shot saved at the second attempt by Pepe Reina.

England's defeat was sealed eight minutes from time when Llorente rose above Matthew Upson to power home a header from Xavi's diagonal free-kick.

Cole had a chance to reduce the arrears late on from Beckham's superb through-ball when the West Ham striker, on for his England debut, went round Reina but saw his shot cleared off the line by Gerard Pique.

In a fractious final few minutes out of keeping with the rest of the match, Beckham was booked for dissent.

Defeat, the second of his reign, by the world's number-one ranked team left Capello with plenty to reflect on ahead of next month's friendly with Slovakia, before the key World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

Spain: Casillas (Reina 46), Sergio Ramos, Pique, Albiol (Marchena 75), Capdevila (Arbeloa 46), Alonso, Senna, Iniesta, Xavi (Guiza 84), Torres (Llorente 64), Villa (Silva 56).
Subs Not Used: Busquets, Riera, Juanito, Santi Cazorla.

Goals: Villa 36, Llorente 82.

England: James (Green 46), Johnson, Ashley Cole, Carrick, Jagielka (Upson 46), Terry, Wright-Phillips, Barry (Lampard 46), Heskey (Crouch 46), Downing (Beckham 46), Agbonlahor (Carlton Cole 75).
Subs Not Used: Hart, Bridge, Ferdinand, Milner, Ashley Young.

Booked: Beckham.

Att: 42,102

Ref: Stephane Lannoy (France).

BBC Sports

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:07 pm

The squad that played was never going to get anything IMO.

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:08 pm

Exactley sean , no rooney gerrard or rio

Subject: Re: England Vs Spain Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:24 pm

I hate Rooney, rather have fucking Heskey.