FIFA U20 World Cup

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

 

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/index.html

 

The best competition in the world it really is.

 

FIXTURES

 

[O Fenomeno]

Should I pick out four stand out players like I did 2011 edition

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Up to you mate but I wouldn't mind doing a blog with you after the tournament on who were the stand out performers and stars?

 

But go ahead with your four to follow, maybe we should do ten to follow?

[O Fenomeno]

Are the official squads in as yet?

[O Fenomeno]

It was actually five I picked

http://www.vip2.co.uk/forum/topic/73532-fifa-u20-world-cup-colombia-2011/?fromsearch=1

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Not yet, the referees have just been confirmed then it's the playing squads who have to submit 14 days prior to first fixture which is on June 21st.

[O Fenomeno]

You going to follow this?

Last ones I followed was Canada 07 (Aguero captain I thought Maxi Moralez was gonna be a world beater, Czech Rep surprised everyone, Coentrao's wing play,Got caught in the Pato hype)

Netherlands 05(The Messi tournament)

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

FIFA U17 - 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005.

FIFA U20 - 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005.

 

My favourite tournament which really does host the best talent in the world, every team is out there to win and I just love seeing emerging smaller nations coming through.

What I normally find is the Japanese start tremendosly well and it's always such a fantastic miss-match of physicallity when they come up against the African teams which commentators and journalists easily knock the Japaneses chances but they always have the right formation, good technique and solid defence but just fade in the later rounds.

 

The Brazilians are the Brazilians, everyone is just waiting for the next big thing and the players know that, they start showing off trying to mark themselves down in the eyes of the judges which can play against them and has been their downful in the past.

 

UEFA normally throw a few Toulon, U23, U20 tournaments this time of year but they normally feature maturer players who have had a lot of experience out on loan and are essentially on the scrap heap as the new generations are emerging and play with a lot of pressure in a sense, many don't go on to fulfil their aspirations.

[O Fenomeno]

These youth tournaments have fooled me in the past

The way some of the stars of certain tournaments have fallen hard

Adailton

Adiyah

Niguez

Dudu

Maxi Moralez

U17 has to be the worse yard stick

Pongolle

Anderson

Chrisantus

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

That's very true, I fell into the Adiyah trap for sure.

 

I think what you have to do is search for benchmarks around 1-2 years of the age.

 

At the top level these kids will inetivably meet the same opposition but breakthrough is quicker than others.

 

My best recent example of this benchmarking is Paul Pogba, if you see what hes gone on to do then you have to start looking in and around that period in teams that he's played in and played against which has seen Arsene Wenger take a chance on Yaya Sanogo who was a colleague at U17 & U20 of Pogba's with France, playing equally as well at times.

 

I think with Adiyah was he come from obsqurity in Africa, the fact he looked so good whilst never really generating interest in the lead up to the event from top clubs suggests that year was a poor standard, of course there are exceptions to the rule but it's generally a good rule of thought.

 

(Excuse my spelling, this keyboard is all over the place, need a hammer to get the keys to work)

[O Fenomeno]

True true

Have you realised every England squad is so underwhelming due to the fact clubs refuse to release the best players available why is that?

Spain,Brazil,Argentina take this competition so serious

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

True true

Have you realised every England squad is so underwhelming due to the fact clubs refuse to release the best players available why is that?

Spain,Brazil,Argentina take this competition so serious

 

Yeah I know, it's strange.

 

I really don't know what the answer to why that is.

 

My only suggestion is that players grow up in those countries dreaming of playing for their country rather than the club they support and they lose focus by trying to get into a system that relies on the selection and breeding of Premier Leauge clubs than a direct focus from an International angle.

 

For example; how many 12-16 year olds focus on wanting to get into a Premier League club? they all dream of making it into their boyhood club and the dream of international ambition is lost in this thought process imo.

 

I wouldn't claim to know too much about the thinking of those in the countries you mentioned but I assume the dream is play for Brazil, play for Spain, play for Uruguay over any clubs and this fascination or drive is cued by previous success in such tournaments and what it's brought to those who have competed in these tournaments.

 

Clubs are just a means to an end because they are very open in their recruitment given the rich depth in their resources providing a continual development strategy which takes the pressure of kids and they let their natural ability flourish in a more suitable playing environment.

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Also do you find with other nations that their turnover rate per tournament is larger than England?

 

What I mean is that the same group of players in the U17 level at England will feature at U19, they will feature at U21.

 

England needs to tailor their strategy, target players at certain levels for example; Dan Crowley is the next big thing and they need to be aware of their home and international environment so should they elevated him into the U21 to help bring up the techinical quality in an era that requires ball retention or get him in early at U17 and understand where England are at the minute.

 

You rarely see the same faces of Brazil U17 in their U20 a few years later whether they are successful or not, they implement a shrewd short term vision that supports a long term goal in projects that are designed to exploit the strengths and depths of their individuals rather than looking in the long term for progression by throwing them in at U17 keeping them at U20.

 

You'll never improve that way, you'll forever be behind playing with the same talent because at the top the talent narrows down and inetivabley they have all met in some form or another so you're best not to take a long term approach and keep churning them over then you can see where you're going wrong against the level in a cross-sectional approach of football in the world.

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Hey Porchy,

 

Check out this, Gael Bigirimana has been called up to Taylor's provisional U20 squad.

 

Interesting...

[Captain Planet]

Tulse has enlightened me in this thread

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Tulse has enlightened me in this thread

 

Would love more contributions in this thread...

 

Progress >>

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

Teams are out guys.

 

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/teams/index.html

 

21st of June it all kicks off.

 

So excited.

 

I was looking at going to the final or getting over to Turkey for the group stages as you get 2 games for one price which is only £25 a ticket.

 

Hotel in Istanbul and flight for a week comes to like £650.

[The Somalian]

You not worried about the unrest what's going on in turkey atm?

[Eskay Jones]

never thought id see the day. Tulse >>

[mark_INIESTA_davies]

france have a seriously strong squad

 

Agreed.

 

My only question is in the striking position, what do you think?

 

I have a slight incline that Sanogo will just be used as a target man and Pogba will be really expected to get beyond him on as many occasions as possible.

 

There's a lot of pressure on Thauvin who performed miracles last year and he really will need to chip in with at least 2-3 important goals if France want to go all the way.

 

Some suggestions that Lemina will play a deeper playmaking role but on so many occasions I've seen him break into foward areas effectively.

 

Lemina could be the key though, I think he'll be expected to start moves off  from deep and continue the moves further forward with Kondogbia dropping in to fill his position.

 

Umtiti & Digne might be the best pair of fullbacks in the tournament and I've always believed a key to a successful team in these tournaments is what you have out wide.

 

How far do you think they will go?

[Drift]

deulofeu to mock this tournament

[Agony]

deulofeu to mock this tournament