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Day one of the final round of games in the World Cup Group Stages is complete, and we now know that Brazil, Netherlands, Mexico and Chile are through to the next round of games, which will be played this weekend. Groups A and B are done and dusted.
But what about the other groups? Who’s in, who’s out and who’s hanging on by a thread?
<h1>Group A</h1>
Games remaining:
No games remain.
Brazil (first place finish) and Mexico (second place finish) have advanced. Brazil will play Chile on Saturday, while Mexico plays Netherlands on Sunday in the Round of 16. Croatia and Cameroon crash out.
<h1>Group B</h1>
Games remaining:
No games remain.
Netherlands&nbsp;(first place finish)&nbsp;and Chile&nbsp;(second place finish)&nbsp;advance. Chile will play Netherlands on Sunday, while Netherlands play Mexico on Sunday in the Round of 16. Spain and Australia crash out.
<h1>Group C</h1>
Games remaining:
Colombia vs Japan (Tuesday, 4pm ET) 
Greece vs Ivory Coast (Tuesday, 4pm ET)
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Group C is still very open. All teams could go through in the last game. However, that would need some amazing performances for the outsiders. Colombia are top of the group as they’ve beaten both Greece and Ivory Coast. The real battle will be between the bottom three. Ivory Coast are currently second. However, they’re only two points above Japan and Greece. A win for Japan and Greece today would send Ivory Coast crashing out. Greece, however, would have to beat Ivory Coast by three goals or more and hope that Colombia thrashes Japan. Japan must also win against Colombia to have any chance of qualifying and also hope that Ivory Coast beats Greece. It could get very tense today!
<h1>Group D</h1>
Games remaining:
Italy vs Uruguay (Tuesday, Noon ET) 
Costa Rica vs England (Tuesday, Noon ET)
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Costa Rica are through to the next round but who will accompany them out of Group D? If England beats Costa Rica heavily (which I don’t see happening since England have already announced a B+ team for today’s match and have dropped Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart, just to name two of many today), it could have an impact on who finishes top of the group based on goal difference. But the big game will be Italy against Uruguay. Who dares wins. But if Italy ties Uruguay, that’ll be enough to send the Azzurri through on better goal difference than Uruguay.
<h1>Group E</h1>
Games remaining:&nbsp;
France vs Ecuador (Wednesday, 4pm ET) 
Honduras vs Switzerland (Wednesday, 4pm ET)
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Okay, this will be a very tough one as all teams could still mathmetically go through. However, Honduras look very unlikely to beat Switzerland by several goals, and would they also need a big help from France to go through. France who currently are top after two victories over Honduras and Switzerland face Ecuador who are second with three points. Switzerland and Ecuador could both go through, however it seems very unlikely that Ecuador could manage a 6-0 victory over the French. Switzerland needs at least win or maybe get a draw to go through in second, but would they like Honduras need help from the French.
<h1>Group F</h1>
Games remaining:&nbsp;
Argentina vs Nigeria (Wednesday, Noon ET) 
Iran vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (Wednesday, Noon ET)
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So, will it be Nigeria or Iran to progress now that we know that Argentina are through and Bosnia are out? Nigeria have four points from two games. However they could finish third if they get beaten badly by Argentina and Iran beat Bosnia and Herzegovina. For Iran, it’s a must win, but for Nigeria a draw or a win would put them through. It seems unlikely they could beat Argentina, and will Nigeria therefore do whatever they can to prevent Leo Messi and his side from scoring any goals.
<h1>Group G</h1>
Games remaining:&nbsp;
Germany vs USA (Thursday, Noon ET) 
Ghana vs Portugal (Thursday, Noon ET)
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The Group of Death has become the Group of Life, with all four teams having a chance of advancing to the next round. The US and Germany will advance with a draw. A Germany win will send them through. The same applies to a US win. However, after that, it gets complicated. If Ghana beats Portugal by two goals and US loses against Germany, Ghana would go through. There’s even a slim chance that Portugal could advance.
To break it down even better, here’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/06/23/how-the-usa-can-advance-on-thursday-in-the-world-cup-infographic/">how the USA can advance on Thursday in the World Cup</a> as well as what has to happen in the other games.
<h1>Group H</h1>
Games remaining:&nbsp;
Belgium vs South Korea (Thursday, 4pm ET) 
Algeria vs Russia (Thursday, 4pm ET)
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Group H has exactly the same scenario as Group C, but in Group H the goal difference is much closer. Belgium are first with six points due to their solid performances against Algeria and Russia. Behind them are Algeria with three points after their <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/06/23/south-korea-2-4-algeria-match-highlights-video/">victory over South Korea</a>, and in third spot we find Russia with one point from their <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/06/18/russia-1-1-korea-republic-kerzhakov-saves-fabio-capellos-side-match-highlights-video/">1-1 draw with Korea</a>. Algeria could still finish first if they manage to beat Russia in the last game. However they need help from South Korea to beat the Belgians. For Russia, it is a must win game against Algeria, as a draw will not suffice. It’s the same scenario for the Koreans.

World Cup Qualification Scenarios: Who Will Advance From Groups C-H

World Cup Qualification Scenarios: Who Will Advance From Groups C-H - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://epltalk.com/2012/11/29/what-has-been-the-secret-to-swansea-citys-success-so-far-this-season/michael-laudrup/" rel="attachment wp-att-48422"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-48422" title="michael-laudrup" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/michael-laudrup.jpg" alt="" width="468" height="370" sizes="(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px"></figure></div></a>
It has been an amazing first season for the new Swansea manager Michael Laudrup, who created history by winning the League Cup, Swansea’s first major trophy. However the genius Dane has had a lot of history of his own as a player.
Let’s turn the clock back to June 15 1964, where a young Michael was born in the suburbs of Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. Michael was always destined to play football as he was born into a football family. Michael’s father was Finn Laudrup, who was an old Danish football legend. His uncle Ebbe Skovdahl played for the Danish national team; as well as his four-year younger brother, Brian Laudrup, the former Glasgow Rangers legend. Michael himself has two sons, Mads and Andreas, who both also play as professionals today.
As a young boy, Michael started playing football in his father’s childhood club “Vanløse” on the outskirts of Copenhagen. When his father then became player/coach of one of the biggest Danish teams, Brøndby, in 1973, the whole family had to move with him and both Michael and his brother Brian started playing for the club as well. During a documentary about his life, Michael revealed that despite being born into a football family, there was never any pressure from his father:
“Of course he helped us, when we started playing football, but he has never been a father who stood outside the pitch shouting ‘DO THIS’ and ‘DO THAT’”.
Juventus
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In 1983, the defending champions of Serie A, Juventus, bought Michael for a Danish record fee of around $1 million. Juventus were lucky to get the young Dane as he already was due to sign for Liverpool on a three-year contract. Liverpool decided to make a last minute change, making the contract to four years, something which disrupted Laudrup’s decision:
“I think Liverpool at that time were one of the top three teams in Europe. So they thought that this young Dane would call them back and say ‘Of course I will come’, but I didn’t, and two weeks later I signed for Juventus.”
Unfortunately for Michael, due to the Italian Serie A restriction of having a maximum of only two foreign players in each team and because Juventus already had two players such as Zbigniew Boniek and Michel Platini, Michael had to be transferred to newly promoted Lazio for a season loan deal — something which Laudrup had not been informed about before signing for Juventus.
After two years on loan at Lazio, Michael returned to Juventus in the summer of 1985, replacing Boniek and playing alongside the legend Michel Platini.
“In the four years in Juventus, the first one was fantastic. We won the championship and we won the World Cup (for club teams) against Argentinian Boca Juniors. At that time in the mid 80s, the top two players in the world were Platini and Maradona, and I played with one of them and against the other one. Only two foreign players in Juventus, me and Platini, it was a fantastic experience.”
In the following seasons, Michael suffered multiple injuries, Platini left, and Michael was left with huge expectations to lead the team in Platini’s place, playing alongside newly signed Welsh striker Ian Rush.
Barcelona
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 “After almost six years with Juventus, I thought it was time to move on. I had to make a new experience because otherwise I would get stuck there. Six years in Italy was enough for me.”
So in 1989, Laudrup joined FC Barcelona of Spain, as Laudrup’s childhood role model Johan Cruyff was trying to assemble a team which was going to strive for succcess.
“Cruyff was the manager, and I had heard what he had done in his first season, changing a lot of players, playing in a total different way, so I thought I would try and take the chance. Johan was a fantastic player, one of my favorite players from when I was young, so I thought if we can play just a little bit as he did, then that would be perfect for me.”
It was indeed a perfect match as immediately after he had joined, Laudrup enjoyed tremendous success under Cruyff’s leadership; citing the Dutchman’s philosophy and perception of the game as one of the main assets that helped foster his talent. He was one of the three restricted foreign players allowed in the team, alongside Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman. The three of them became the pillars of the Dream Team, which played&nbsp; beautiful and attractive football and were compared to the 1970s Ajax team. Alongside rising stars Pep Guardiola, Bakero and Begiristain, Laudrup and his teammates went on to win four consecutive La Liga championships in a row, from 1991 to 1994.
“The Dream Team was just a name. I think we played some very good football, but I think most of all we demonstrated that even without getting the 10 best players in the world, you can have the best team.”
Where domestic supremacy leads, European success frequently follows. Laudrup’s Barcelona team would achieve theirs in the football spiritual home of Wembley. In 1992, they traveled to England to play the European Cup Final against Sampdoria. Koeman’s free-kick goal led Barcelona to victory and to their first European trophy in the club’s history. Laudrup was twice elected the best player of the year in Spain during his Barcelona years.
When Laudrup wasn’t chosen in the 1994 European Cup final squad against AC Milan, rumors had be going that Michael and Cruyff had been in conflict and that Laudrup would leave the next season. Pep Guardiola was so devastated about the news that he&nbsp; cried while begging to ask Laudrup to stay, as he said Michael was the one that had taught him everything that he knew about football.
Real Madrid
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Laudrup’s time in Barca was over. That same year he completed one of the most controversial moves in La Liga history, changing the blue and red Barca stripes out with the plain white Real Madrid shirt. Fans were furious, claiming that it was a revenging act from Laudrup. However, Laudrup himself keeps saying that he did not have a hidden agenda.
“People say I wanted to go to Real Madrid just to get revenge. I say revenge from what? I’ve had a perfect time; five fantastic years there. I went to Madrid because they were so hungry to win, and they had four or five players who went to the World Cup. I said this would be perfect; new coach, new players who were hungry to win. I went there to win the championship.”&nbsp;
Laudrup’s impact was immediate and would he have the last laugh against all the negative media and fans who had turned against him in Spain due to his move to Madrid. Laudrup went to guide Madrid to the championship the following season, making Laudrup the only player in Spanish football to ever win the Spanish league five times in a row playing for two different clubs. Laudrup was later voted the 12th&nbsp;best player in Madrid’s history.
Japan and Ajax
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After many years in Spanish football, Laudrup left Madrid in 1996, to play in Japan. He then later joined Danish manager Morten Olsen in Ajax in 1998, where he ended his club playing career by winning the Dutch championship.
“Dutch football was not the same level as Italy and Spain but still very good. So I went there, and we won the championship by 17 points and we won the cup final 5-0 against PSV. What else could I’ve been asking or at a club level? The end of my career was fantastic, it couldn’t have been any better.”
Laudrup’s last game in football was in the 1998 World Cup quarter-final game against Brazil, which Denmark lost 3-2. However, Laudrup believes retiring in that game with his brother next to him was the best way to end the chapter of the greatest Danish players of all time.
Fun facts
While playing with Barcelona, he played in the 5–0 victory over rivals Real Madrid in the 1993–94 season. The following season while playing for Real Madrid he aided in the revenge beating that Madrid gave Barça. The final score? 5–0.
Despite being the 5th&nbsp;most capped player in the Danish National team, Laudrup did not participate in the 1992 Euros which Denmark won due to conflict with the national team coach. Laudrup decided to quit the national team in November 1990 alongside his brother and Jan Mølby. The Danes failed to qualify originally but were given Yugoslavia’s place as they were kicked out due to the war in their country.
His teammate in Real Madrid, Raúl, has called Laudrup the best player he has ever played with. His teammate in Barcelona, Romário, has said the same and added that Laudrup in his opinion is the fifth best player in the history of the game, as he was able to create and score goals almost at will.
Laudrup was known as a gentleman on the pitch and never received a red card.

Michael Laudrup, A Magician and Genius On The Pitch From 1981-98

Michael Laudrup, A Magician and Genius On The Pitch From 1981-98 - World Soccer Talk

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It will be unlikely that Team GB’s soccer team will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games, according to FA secretary Alex Horne.
Due to the popularity of the 2012 Olympic Games, people are now starting to look forward to the 2016 Rio Games in Brazil, a future which doesn’t look bright for British soccer. Alex Horne, the general secretary of the FA, believes that because of the risk of jeopardizing the footballing independence of the four home nations, seeing a GB football team participating will be unlikely.
“Within the men’s game, it’s not going to happen again. On the women’s side, I’m going to say it’s unlikely for the same reason. But you can understand why it’s more compelling. Olympic football for women is the pinnacle,” Horne told The Times.
The future looks slightly brighter for the women’s football team. Andy Hunt, Team GB’s chef de mission, said that he would love to see the women’s team participate at a future games, hopefully Rio 2016. However, his support for the men’s team isn’t as strong as for the women.
“For the men’s team, discussions will take place between myself and the FA in the next few months,” Hunt said. “But certainly for women’s football, I would love them to go on.”
It was due to the massive success of the London 2012 Olympic bid that Great Britain even gained the right to enter a soccer team as the host nation. The British Olympic Association (BOA) indicated that it would enter a soccer team. However, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) refused to even attend the meetings with the Home Nations and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) withdrew from the negotiations. In 2007 the Irish Football Association stated that it as well would not take part in the unification of a British team, which then left the English Football Association alone. The reason why the SFA didn’t want to participate was due to the fear that the Home Nations would have to stay as a combined football team after the Olympics and for future competitions.
Many sports people, fans and even politicians gave their opinion on their support to the creation of a combined team. Dai Greene, the world 400m hurdles champion, expressed his opinion that there should not be an Olympic soccer tournament because the Olympics is not all about soccer. He feared that the coverage of the soccer team would overshadow the interest in the other sports.
After London had won the bid to host the Games, the BOA published an opinion poll that claimed the majority of Scots actually supported the creation of a British team for the Games. Furthermore, politicians such as Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team for the 2012 Games and that he would do whatever it took to make that happen, although he recognized that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations.
Despite all the negative discussions about the jeopardy of the Home Nations, FIFA President Sepp Blatter assured each of the British Associations that their international football status would not be affected by fielding a combined team for London 2012. However, the SFA still refused to change its position, argued that the FIFA President’s own opinion would not matter once he had left office, and that they would not take the risk. Controversially, President Blatter changed his mind in March 2008, stating that he believed that Team GB should only consist of English players, as the independent status of the British associations could be harmed if there was a team with combined players.
The prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee at a conference held in conjunction with the 2008 FIFA World Cup in Japan, where it was stated:
“The executive committee confirmed that the participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games of a single team representing Great Britain would not affect the existing individual status of the four British football associations. For the Olympic Games, they have to play in one entity. The ball is now in their turf.”
In the end, a compromise was reached between the four associations, which concluded that only English players would represent Team GB. However, this agreement was challenged by the BOA, who believed it to be discriminatory to only select English players, and it was then later confirmed that the FA intended to select players from outside England. This caught the attention of non-English players such as Tottenham’s Gareth Bale and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, who both expressed their desire to play in the GB squad, by having pictures of themselves published wearing the GB football shirt. Bale was not chosen, however, Ramsey and four other Welsh players such as Craig Bellamy, Neil Taylor, Joe Allen and Ryan Giggs were all chosen for the London 2012 Games.
It is almost six months now since the London 2012 Games and the British people have been more than satisfied with the great achievements made by the British athletes. In football, both the men and women team got into the quarter-finals, losing to South Korea and Canada, which some say was a disappointing result yet others would disagree.
So what’s going to happen for Rio 2016? Are we going to see a combined British team? Well, despite the many negative statements from Alex Horne and Andy Hunt, many have expressed their desire to see Team GB return to the football field for Rio 2016, players such as Ryan Giggs and some member of the British Olympic Association. However, by looking at the former history, with no support from the FA, with no funding likely to be given and the complications over qualification, the future sadly looks very bleak.
How it all began:
The very first team GB squad competed for the 1908 Olympic Games held in London, which also was the first games where the teams used players selected nationally, won the the first Olympic gold medal in football. The team which participated in the following Olympics also won gold, but featured only English amateur players. As today, there was a dispute between the FA and FIFA, which saw the FA withdrawing the Olympic football team in 1924, 1028 and 1932.
When the FIFA World Cup was created, it was agreed that Olympic football would include exclusively amateur players, which lead to Team GB participating again at the 1936 Games using players from all the home nations. After a long break in participation caused by World War II, Great Britain competed in every Games from 1948 until 1972, qualifying for most of them.
However, after the FA abolished the distinction between professional and amateur players in 1974, it stopped entering a team. Even in 1992, when it was decided that Olympic teams could use professionals (as long as they were under 23 years old) – plus three over age players were allowed per squad, all the years up to the day London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games no GB team entered.

Team GB soccer team unlikely to compete in 2016 Olympic Games

Team GB soccer team unlikely to compete in 2016 Olympic Games - World Soccer Talk

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We’re less than two weeks away from the Euro 2012 Championships in Ukraine and Poland, and national teams from around Europe have all come out with their new kits for the upcoming tournament. <a href="http://epltalk.libsyn.com/webpage/epl_talk_john_devlin_true_colours_" target="_blank">John Devlin</a>, author of the books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0713679891/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=et00d-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0713679891" target="_blank">True Colours volume 1</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Colours-More-Football-Present/dp/071367928X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1338131548&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">and 2</a>&nbsp;(and publisher of the <a href="http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/" target="_blank">True Colours blog</a>), is an expert within the field of football kits and their history. The football magazine&nbsp;When Saturday Comes&nbsp;rated John Devlin books to be; “an exploration of kit design…a combination of measured analysis and warm nostalgia.”.
I recently interviewed John Devlin to get his&nbsp;thoughts about the <a href="http://epltalk.com/euro-2012-shirts-43184" target="_blank">football kits for Euro 2012</a>:
Q: So John, now that Euro 2012 is getting closer, what do you think about the kits of the major countries this — nations like France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Holland? Which one stands out?
John Devlin (JD): For me, the best kit of the tournament is without doubt the <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/29639.html" target="_blank">French home shirt</a>. After many years of studying shirts, it takes a lot to really impress me, but this shirt has it all. Style, sophistication, and originality. Plus, it manages to combine a classic, traditional feel with a modern approach; the hallmarks of a great kit. Nike has really reinvented the French strips since taking over from Adidas a couple of years ago and for my money France will be the best dressed team at the tournament. The <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/29689.html" target="_blank">Holland</a> and <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/73823.html" target="_blank">Sweden kits</a> are also interesting. Plus there are some good offerings from Adidas including <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/11766.html" target="_blank">Greece</a> and <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/26694.html" target="_blank">Spain</a>.
Q: You normally have the biggest brands — Nike, Adidas and Puma, but which brand do you think has the better designs for this summer?
JD: Overall, I would say Umbro. They only have three teams in the tournament (<a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/31216.html" target="_blank">England</a>, <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/73599.html" target="_blank">Republic of Ireland</a> and <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/73823.html" target="_blank">Sweden</a>) but each kit they produce is quality; carefully considered designs executed in an immaculate fashion. <a href="http://epltalk.com/euro-2012-shirts-43184" target="_blank">Adidas designs</a> are better this year than they have been for a while in my view, but they are still tied and restricted by the three stripes on the shoulders. Nike has <a href="http://epltalk.com/euro-2012-shirts-43184" target="_blank">some stunning designs</a> as I explained earlier but also some that are very mediocre.
Q: Every fourth year, the designs seem to change from brand to brand. Do you think that we are in a particular trend now… If so, why?
JD: I sense that colour is the key at the moment as opposed to stylistic trimmings and embellishments. So many strips are playing and pushing boundaries with colour choices and application with an emphasis on tones and tonal variation. The ‘shadow stripe’ effect is coming back which is also connected to this design. Examples include <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/29639.html" target="_blank">France</a>, who have abandoned their traditional royal blue in favour of navy tones, <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/29689.html" target="_blank">Holland</a> who also have incorporated a two-tone orange into their kits and of course the <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/71984.html" target="_blank">England away kit</a> that sees the side sport navy instead of red. UEFA regulations and sleeve badges, numbers etc. necessitate a relatively plain design so subtle variations in hue help the designs’ individuality. UEFA also prefer teams to wear single colour kits, presumably from a refereeing perspective, which makes the designers work harder in their colour selection.
Q: On your <a href="http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, you seem to focus on the shirts of the national teams in Great Britain. It has mostly been England who has been in the Euro’s but this year Ireland has qualified as well. What do you think about Irelands EURO 2012 kit, and how is it different to the previous kit Ireland wore in 1988 when they qualified the first time?
JD: The Irish kits are great. The <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/73599.html" target="_blank">home</a> is so classy and so Irish with its subtle blend of greens, a motif that is continued on to the <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/73794.html" target="_blank">away kit</a> in the form of the tonal vertical stripes on the left hand side. They’re very good designs and quite a move on from the continental Adidas strips they wore in the 80s, with the away a simple reversal of the home. The Irish’ unique colour scheme of green and white also help them stand out.
Q: England’s kit has changed a lot from the first time they qualified for their first tournament. If it was World Cups or European Championships, every decade people have been excited for the new kit that would be worn for the next tournament. England have had white, red, gray and striped shirts and so on, but for this tournament they have gone for the all-white with red trim. What do you think of their new design this summer? 
JD: It’s a <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/31216.html" target="_blank">good kit</a>, not the best England has had in recent years, but still very good. All white certainly has a heroic feel about it and Umbro and the FA have taken a brave move in ditching blue and opting for red as the contrast colour. I’d have liked to have seen a coloured neck rather than white and I’m still not certain about the all-red badge. There is such a danger at all times of teams losing their individuality in ever changing kit designs and for me the badge is a sacred part of the team’s brand and its colour integrity should be left intact. My overriding impression of the kit was that with its leaning towards the national flag it epitomised perfectly the spirit of the English nation…but did it sum up the character of the English football side? I would suggest that perhaps these are two different things.
Q: So the final question is: What is your favourite European Championship kit of all time, and what is your favourite England Euro kit?&nbsp;
JD: So many to choose from! However, I’m so bowled over by the <a href="http://scripts.affiliatefuture.com/AFClick.asp?affiliateID=30305&amp;merchantID=739&amp;programmeID=5299&amp;mediaID=0&amp;tracking=&amp;url=http://www.worldsoccershop.com/29639.html" target="_blank">2012 Nike French kit</a> that I would go for that one as my all-time favorite. As for an England kit, I would go for the 2000 home and away kits, which I thought were superb and also &nbsp;the ‘cycling jersey’ style home strip as <a href="http://www.toffs.com/England-1988-European-Championships/productinfo/7031/" target="_blank">worn in 1988</a>.

Interview With John Devlin About Euro 2012 Shirts

Interview With John Devlin About Euro 2012 Shirts - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://epltalk.com/fa-cup-saturday-5th-round-open-thread-39603/fa-cup" rel="attachment wp-att-39604"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-39604" src="/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fa-cup.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375"></figure></div></a>
It would be hard to wish for a bigger and better duo of FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley this year with the prospect of Everton meeting Liverpool in a Merseyside derby, and Chelsea meeting Tottenham, in a London derby.
Here’s the preview of the two mouthwatering matches:
<h2>Liverpool vs Everton 
Saturday, April 14, 7:30am ET/12:30pm BST&nbsp;</h2>
It will be an early kick-off in the 218th Merseyside derby this weekend due to other Premier League games being played that day.
The last time these two teams met, in March, it was an ugly result for Everton fans who saw Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard score a hat trick. Despite that result, Liverpool hasn’t had a good run lately and it has been one of their worst forms in the top division for decades. While Liverpool is the stronger of the two teams — when looking at the team sheet, the Reds will have the advantage of knowing what it takes to be victorious at Wembley after winning the Carling Cup a few months ago after defeating Cardiff City on penalties. Everton will be a much tougher opposition than the Welsh club. Still, Liverpool will desperately want to win the FA Cup, giving them two trophies which will go a long way to erasing the memory of their poor form in the Premier League.
In recent Liverpool matches, Jonjo Shelvey has seen more playing time, forcing Dalglish to leave out midfielder Jay Spearing who, by looking at the statistics, has been one of their best midfielders this season. Furthermore, it was Spearing’s hard work in the last derby that gave Gerrard more attacking possibilities and therefore helped him score his hat trick. One of the best pieces of news for Liverpool fans is that their mighty Dane, Daniel Agger, is back from injury. His return will be a big bonus in defense, and will help Skrtel who hasn’t been playing his best this season for Liverpool. The biggest area of weakness for Liverpool this weekend will be the absence of goalkeepers Pepe Reina and Doni, who both are out with red cards. That leaves young Brad Jones as their only remaining goalkeeper who has played first team football for Liverpool this season. Liverpool, however, has called up goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, who was on a season-long loan with Hull City.
Everton has been playing well lately despite the bad result against Liverpool in their last derby. David Moyes has been with his Everton team for a century now and is looking to finally get a trophy after his many years at the club. In the last ten years, it hasn’t been easy staring up your closest rivals Liverpool in the league table. However, this season The Toffees are above Liverpool with a one point margin. The difference has been the good form from striker Nikica Jelavic who, since his arrival from Glasgow Rangers this January, has been scoring important goals. Furthermore, players like Steven Pienaar and Tim Cahill have been playing well in the attacking midfield role, while the midfield has been strong with giant Marouane Fellaini, experienced Leon Osman, RoystonDrenthe and Darron Gibson all playing well. Their main weakness has been their defense where Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Jonny Heitinga and Sylvain Distin haven’t been defending as well as they normally do recently. Having said that, earlier this week Everton had a comfortable 4-0 win against Sunderland, giving them great confidence for their FA Cup clash with their rivals.
So who will win? Well as it is a derby, Liverpool will be the favorites. Everton, on the other hand, might be underdogs but this could work to their advantage.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Everton
<h2>Tottenham vs Chelsea 
Sunday, April 15, 1pm ET/6:00pm BST&nbsp; </h2>
The London derby might not be as fierce as the Merseyside one, but the football is just as good, maybe even better. The game starts late on a Sunday, something Chelsea is not pleased about as they have to play Barcelona midweek. However, Chelsea has more experience playing at the new Wembley Stadium. Plus, Chelsea has been starting to play better after the club’s worst ever start since Abramovich took over.
Tottenham, on the other hand, has been flying up and down on the form table. The North Londoners were on fire in the first half of the season, playing beautiful football with Gareth Bale playing his best football ever. However, these last few months, their form has gone down. The dive happened after Harry Redknapp got connected with the England manager job. And since then they went from top team to now fighting to hold on to the fourth spot. With a 2-1 loss to Norwich City and a 0-0 draw to Sunderland, Spurs has only won one game in their last six.
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe said that a rotation in the squad could turn the things around, something which sounds like a smart idea. Gareth Bale isn’t the player he was a month ago. He’s looking tired and out of form, while Aaron Lennon on the right is only just arriving back after a long injury. It looks like it all may come down to their central midfielders. Scott Parker is the only player in the team who can run and fight for his team 365 days of the year, helping in defence and supporting the attacking players. Players like Rafael Van der Vaart and Luka Modric must come out and show their class as they are the creative force for Tottenham.
So how will the game end? Well by looking at their past meetings, it looks like it all will end up a draw with the match going into extra time. The last time these two teams met at Wembley was the 2008 Carling Cup final and Spurs won 2-1. Tottenham might look like favorites for this game due to Chelsea thinking ahead to the Barcelona game midweek. Despite Tottenham being out of form, I see this game going into extra time with Tottenham coming out as winners and therefore meeting Liverpool in the final.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea (AET).

FA Cup Semi-Final Previews: Liverpool vs Everton, and Chelsea vs Tottenham

FA Cup Semi-Final Previews: Liverpool vs Everton, and Chelsea vs Tottenham - World Soccer Talk

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