World Cup Select XI

Compiled by Matthew Day & Tim Wigmore

Castigated Hargreaves one of few to excel

England’s World Cup ended, inevitably, on penalties, though their performances throughout the tournament did not merit a last four place. Far too many of their hyped-up side failed to deliver, although the much-criticised Owen Hargreaves was superb against Portugal.

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Diagnosis England

By Phil Blackwell
Golden Balls, Swollen Balls, Bugger All.
In the land of excessive hope and little glory, English football fans are once again left with nothing to celebrate and only scapegoats to find.
To say that England’s flawed World Cup campaign was embarrassing is nothing short of an understatement, it was simply pathetic.

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The curtain draws over Germany

These World Cup finals may have in fact been as close to a fairytale as one dares to imagine. And the core of the story has been superb efficiency from the organising committee and a warm welcoming hand from Germany for the world to enter its walls. The manor in which the German fans changed [...]

Zizou’s lost legacy

Zinedine Zidane, an authentic great of the last decade, was set to bow out of all football having led a disunited French side against the odds to a World Cup final. He had been the star eight years ago with a first half double against Brazil and his story looked to have taken a final [...]

The ‘Golden Swede’ World Cup Awards 2006

Mike Martin presents the awards FIFA couldn’t be bothered with…

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Italy v France: The numbers game

Emmett Williams runs the rule over the stats as France and Italy square up once again - and finds two very contrasing teams.
Through six matches of the World Cup finals, neither France nor Italy have lost a match, with the Italians drawing once against the US and the French drawing their matches against Switzerland and [...]

More needed from Les Blues for World Cup glory

France will need to show more quality if they are to overcome a resilient Italy in the World Cup final, says Emmett Williams.

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