I had slightly different numbers than you, but yes it was very close.

But then compare the Spurs team to the Charlton team, that's a difference in class supplying them.

I'm not saying Berbatov is a bad player, he's just hyed up a little. Bent has scored nearly 30 league goals in the last two seasons for a very, very bad team. That's hard to do. He's no more hyped up that Berbatov.

Anyways back on topic


Italia do have a BIG chance to go through ... Though Scotland could be a thorn. And France seem to have easy teams ahead of them. So ... But there is another thing that I am thinking about, doesn't the third place in the groups get a chance to play the third from another group ?!

I heard something about this today ..

Nope.

No.

There are 7 groups, the top two go through from each + the 2 hosts to make up the 16.

Aha ... Well that is my initial assumption, but when I heard otherwise .. Thanx anyways.

(Emoticons added per dst's request to make posts more interesting).

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - FC Barcelona defender Gianluca Zambrotta will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a muscle tear.

Zambrotta tore a muscle in his right foot in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Zaragoza in the Spanish first division. The Italy right back was substituted in the 20th minute, two minutes after tangling with Ricardo Oliveira. (Naughty Oliveira!)

An MRI scan on Thursday confirmed that Zambrotta had not fractured his femur as was originally believed, the Catalan club said Thursday.

The injury means Zambrotta is also likely to miss Italy's European Championship qualifying match against Georgia on Oct. 13.

link

Damn it! Now would that have happened if you had bought him, Mr. Galliani? No it wouldn't! I say Fester should be arrested for damaging ethnic interests!!

Mybe Kaladze get's injuried as well. For us it would be a releaf. For Georgia, not,..

i'd rather kaladze is fit because they play scotland right after the play us.

You are teasing dst...

From an interview with Donadoni about the Azzurri: (link)

Rather than rely on the likes of Del Piero and Cannavaro, Donadoni also stresed that he would like to blood a new generation of talent.

“I’m hoping that younger players will play a bigger role in the squad. Our youngsters are amongst the most promising in the world and we need to exploit them.

"Domenico Criscito needs more experience, but it isn’t easy to be playing regularly for a big side like Juventus at his age. He is still one of the best in his age group.

“I’m watching Giuseppe Rossi with interest and also I’m following Riccardo Montolivo, Alessandro Rosina and Marco Borriello. These players are the future of the Italian national side.”

Borriello?

Just another brilliant Donadoni invention,...

Man Italy's future seems all sudden so dark,..

Boriello is already 25... and has scored like 5 goals in a gazillion games... For God's sake... Donandoni, just shut your mouth.

Nah ... They won the world cup ... What more can you achieve

The current team is old, some players retired and the rest are playing their last competition in Euro 08. Italy will be out with a new team, just look at the young players at the moment is Serie A, you have a bright future for them

Wow, the England players are dropping like flies.

First this week was the almost always injured Michael Owen getitng hurt again. He's had his surgery and Sam Allardyce thinks he'll be back within a couple of weeks, but...it's Owen.

Today, John Terry suffered a depressed fracture to his cheekbone. He'll be operated on tomorrow but BBC seems to think he's a major injury doubt.

I can't see Owen being back in a couple of weeks. Everytime he gets hurt they always leave him another 2 weeks or so, as precaution.

If Terry doesn't play the Euro qualifier for England against Russia, I'd be shocked. If JT can walk, he'll play.

From acmilan.com, here are the Azzurri call ups for the round of international games:

PORTIERI Amelia (Livorno), Buffon (Juventus), Curci (Roma).

DIFENSORI: Barzagli (Palermo), Bonera (Milan), Chiellini (Juventus), Gamberini (Fiorentina), Grosso (Olympique Lione), Oddo (Milan), Panucci (Roma).

CENTROCAMPISTI: Ambrosini (Milan), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Mauri (Lazio), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Pirlo (Milan).

ATTACCANTI: Di Natale (Udinese), Foggia (Cagliari), Iaquinta (Juventus), Lucarelli (Shakhtar), Quagliarella (Udinese), Toni (Bayern Monaco).

Bonera got a call up. Yay!

Somewhat surprising (to me, at least) is the absence of both Rocchi and Del Piero. Del Piero /did/ say he'd only play as a striker, though. Guess Donadoni took him at his word.

This Donadoni farce will soon be over I fear,..

k well it is only georgie but obviously you can underestimate. it's all down to the scotland game, we almost have to win it.

News update on the Azzurri (from Gazzetta + the figc site):

1. Ambro practiced with the team today
2. Apparently so did Iaquinta
3. Sadly, Chiellini did not (and that worries me as there are a lot of defenders out. God help us, we may have to play Grosso).
4. Buffon will captain the side for the game, as Cannavaro is suspended.

Italy need Grosso!

Without him, we'd be looking at Germany's name in the record books as 2006 World Cup winners.

He was destined to do well only in the WC!

He was never capped before that and he shall never be capped again!

^^

What dst is trying to say, he wont be capped till he leaves inter

He already did, went to Lyon. He did have a disasterous time at Inter though..

He's having a disatrous time at Lyon too. The French press are blaming him for Lyon's poor performance in the CL.

ohh ... Shows u how important of a player he is, that i dont even know where he plays (good counter huh )

But he wasn't even in the starting 11 against Barca?? Hmh,..nah, Lyon is just bad this season. Finally, I'd say! I love PSG and Monaco and especially O.Marseille, plus the French League begun to be sooooo boooring,..

umm look at teh standings, lyon are tops again and PSG and comp are struggling like usual, teams like ancy at the tops

BBC is reporting that John Terry is definitely out of the Estonia game on Saturday. Something about a swollen knee.

Good news. It'd be silly to risk him, hopefully with the extra rest he'll be all good for the Russia game!

England aren't looking too comfortable there Kurt. I am particularly worried about Owen! Hope nothing happens to him on the field *REALLY worried*

It mightn't be that bad to rest Terry for the game -- isn't he on a yellow along with a bunch of other England regular starters? I do hope that Gareth Barry plays. He at least really puts his heart into playing for his country.

Not much new news from Converciano. Iaquinta and Chiellini both trained today so everyone there is healthy and available. Other than that, the only thing of note is that apaprently Puma have a new jersey for the Azzurri. Whee new clothes.

Lots of team news before today's various games.

Fernando Torres is out of the Spain squad with a hamstring problem. Bet Aragones wishes he'd called Raul up now.

Vincenzo Iaquinta is out of Italy squad with flu. His starting place should be taken by Quagliarella. Gazzetta are saying that 4 Milan players (Oddo, Gattuso, Pirlo, and Ambrosini) will start for Italy.

The French team spent the night in Bergen because the weather in the Faro Islands was too bad to let the plane land. They did finally make it over and the game should go ahead.

And in good news for England, McClaren seems to have gotten smart. Fat Frank stays on the bench and Gareth Barry gets the start.

Can someone please tell me why everyone in italy is shocked cause Del piero isnt selected ?

I mean , what the hell has he done lately to earn a spot with the azzurri ?

Anywho , Greece is playing Bosnia tonight at home , if turkey draws (wich I pray they do , or even lose) they are 4 points clear and wednesday its Turkey vs Greece.

oh boy oh boy oh boy ...

Some half time scores..

Scotland 2-1 Ukraine
4' [1 - 0] K. Miller
10' [2 - 0] L. McCulloch
24' [2 - 1] A. Shevchenko

England 3-0 Estonia
11' [1 - 0] S.W. Phillips
32' [2 - 0] W. Rooney
34' [3 - 0] T. Rähn (o.g.)

Edit:

FT England 3-0 Estonia
Gareth Barry with Man of the Match, again.

Great player already a legend at Aston Villa

Most definetly.

Scotland 3-1 Ukraine was a full-time score, by the way.

Faroe Islands 0-4 France - Currently '78
7' [0 - 1] N. Anelka
8' [0 - 2] T. Henry
49' [0 - 3] K. Benzema
64' [0 - 4] J. Rothen

Scotland win, France win. Italy will need to follow suit if they want to qualify in my opinion.

Is that because a win gets you 3 points!??

Yes, it is.

I'm basically saying if they fail to win today, they're out, they won't qualify.

hope they do win and france stays at home

dst and Nova will be happy. Greece lead 1-0, and Turkey trail Moldova 1-0 at the half. I really hope Greece and Norway go through from that group!

Go European Champions !!!

if anyone wants to watch the Italy game http://195.200.64.242/ch33/

Four rossoneri starting for the Azzurri: Pirlo, Gattuso, Oddo, and Ambrosini.

PIRLO right before half time1-0 italy!!!

i would love to watch it but this link doesnt work

2-0 final, grosso with the 2nd hehehe

YES!!!
Turkey drew with Malta or something, now if Norway could just beat Bosnia...

Grosso plays, Italy have a chance.

Thanks.