Another set of friendlies announced

South Korea have been very busy looking for sparring partners. The 2002 World Cup hosts have set up a bunch of friendlies for next month. On 9 January they play Zambia in Johannesburg, South Africa, whilst also taking on some club sides from the country. They'll be without European based player until 18 January when they meet Finland in Malaga, Spain, while meeting Latvia on the 21st. Fellow Asians Japan have set up three matches with opposition from the same continent - Yemen, China and Hong Kong.

While for Korea it looks like it doesn't matter who's the opposition, as long as they can play, then New Zealand, like England, are looking opposition similar to their opponents in the World Cup finals. The All Whites will play Mexico on 3 March in Los Angeles as a preparation for their group F opponents Paraguay. Mexico itself also have a match with Netherlands on 26 May. The Netherlands will face another North American opposition on 3 March in USA. The US also have a match with Honduras in January.

Current European Champions Spain have so far announced three fixtures. The team, currently nr.1 on FIFA ranking, will play France in March, but won't take on any team until the final weeks before the World Cup tournament, with two home and on away fixture set up. The opposition has not been announced yet.

France have already have announced their opposition for the final weeks and they are Costa Rica and Tunisia, on 25 and 30 May respectively. France's group A opponents Uruguay so far have announced a match with Switzerland on 3 March.

From group B, Argentina will meet Germany in March. The Germans also have some weird fixtures in May with hosting Malta and visiting Hungary. Same goes for their group D companions Australia. Kuwait in January and Indonesia in March aren't exactly teams you'd expect to play before a World Cup finals tournament. In the same group, Serbia have a friendly with Algeria on 3 March.

More misery for Maradona

Even though Argentina manager Diego Maradona is still banned from any footballing action from FIFA, the man was at Camp Nou yesterday to witness yet another defeat for his team.

Argentina played a friendly match against a very unusual team. Catalonia's national team only gets together twice a year near the Christmas period.

Having the luxury of boasting Barcelona and Spain stars Victor Valdes, Xavi, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and other, the team, lead by the legenday Dutchman, three-times European Footballer of the Year Johan Cruyff, was too strong to handle for a make shift Argentina team.

Diego Pozo, Cristian Alvarez (Eduardo Salvio), Martin Demichelis, Nicolas Otamendi (Nicolas Pareja), Emiliano Papa (Jesus Datolo), Javier Pastore, Mario Bolatti, Fernando Gago (Ever Banega), Angel Di María, Gonzalo Higuain (Martin Palermo) and Ezequiel Lavezzi, was the Argie line-up.

The match ended 4-2. After a slow start, with a very easy and laid back attitude from both of the teams, the match came to life in the 2nd half. Catalonia's Sergio Garcia wasn't marked properly and the Real Betis man opened the scoring in the 43th minute. After the break, it was soon 2-0, with Bojan, who's still hoping to nail a place in Spain's World Cup squad, scoring after a brilliant individual run from midfield. Javier Pastore pulled one back in the 62nd minute, but seven minutes later Catalonia again lead by two goals, when Sergio Gonzalez (Deportivo) scored a penalty. Benfica's Angel di Maria, who's linked with a switch to Manchester United, scored in the 71st minute to make the scoring board more respectable, but Espanyol's Moises Hurtado soon after, in the 74th minute to me exact, but the result out of doubt and made it 4-2. There were chances for both near the end, but neither could capitalise them.



So a lot to think about for Maradona and his assistant Hector Enrique, who was in charge of this match. Even though it wasn't the first selection, the team lacks defensively. Hector Enrique said: "We have to work hard on defense. I do not know if it is serious, but four goals is too much. At the World Cup we have to be much more careful". And while there was some improvement in attacking play, the percentage of chances converted was low. But at least that's the positive change from recent matches. In past months the team even hasn't created enough goalscoring opportunities to get on the score sheet.

No surprises as Messi is named FIFA World Player of the Year

After winning Ballon d'Or, Lionel Messi was also clear favorite to pick up the FIFA award and much like Ballon d'Or, the Argentina also pipped his rivals by an enormous margin. Voted by the men's and women's international team captains and managers, Messi picked up 1073 votes, with 2nd place Cristiano Ronaldo far behind with 352 votes. Messi's Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta finished 3rd with 196 votes and 5th with 134 votes respectively. Kaka was between them at 4th with 190 votes.

It's been a magical year for Messi and Barcelona. Winning every possible trophy there is, with Messi's goal sealing the latest, FIFA World Club World Cup, and playing superb attacking football under manager Josep Guardiola. If only Messi could carry his club form on to his displays for Argentina, which so far have been very poor under manager Diego Maradona. He's no doubt currently the best player on the planet, but he can't do it all on his own, but that's the way Maradona's tactics seem to have been built. Argentina will take on Catalonia's team tomorrow in a friendly. While Messi won't be involved, it will be interesting to see, if there is a change of play, even though Maradona himself is still banned from any action by FIFA.

Back to the FIFA awards ceremony. Puskas award, named in the honour of legendary Hungary striker Ferenc Puskas, was announced for the first time ever and it was awarded to the best goal scored during the year. It was voted by fans and Cristiano Ronaldo's 40-yard screamer versus Porto was the winner.

The best XI, FIFPro team of the year was also named. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid); Dani Alves (Barcelona), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United); Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Fernando Torres (Liverpool) made up the dream team of this year in football.

Group B overview

Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece

Fixtures:

12/06/2010, Johannesburg - JEP, Argentina vs Nigeria
12/06/2010, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, South Korea vs Greece

17/06/2010, Mangaung/Bloemfontein, Greece vs Nigeria
17/06/2010, Johannesburg - JSC, Argentina vs South Korea

22/06/2010, Durban, Nigeria vs South Korea
22/06/2010, Polokwane, Greece vs Argentina

Much like France in group A, Argentina are here looked like the one, who will run away with the group win here. And it can happen, if Maradona can get things right. Big part of this group's outcome will depend on the 1st round of matches. If the better teams, at least according to FIFA rankings, Argentina and Greece can win their first matches, then it would be very hard to dislodge them.

Again, I don't want to offer any predictions here, but I do think that Argentina will make it through. They've got a very nice fixtures list, even though all the teams are good here.

This group is linked with group A, so the winners will meet group A 2nd and runner-up the winner of group A.

Maradona's mysterious ways

Appointing Diego Maradona always looked more like a sentimental than a sensible thing to do by the Argentinian FA. The man had no experience of managing at high level, only trying his hand at lower league clubs some 15 years ago. Certainly appointing one of the more experienced Argentine managers, Diego Simeone or Carlos Bianchi, would've made more sense. But it didn't start off too badly.

Maradona was appointed near the end of last year. His first match in charge turned out to be versus Scotland, which the team won. Also wins in the World Cup 2010 qualifying process followed, but it all turned sour in the infamous game versus Bolivia. Argentina lost that match 6:1, which marks their worst defeat in their history along side 5:0 drubbings by Uruguay and Colombia and a similar scoreline defeat by Czechoslovakia in 1958.

Onwards, the campaign was very frustrating. Even though the next match was won, three straight defeats followed. Maradona using a unprecedented 80 different players in the squad didn't help the matter. His tactical choice was also naive, in every game lining up with a stagnated 4-4-2 with no interchange between the wings and little movement, or even no movement in some games, by the main striker. Maradona himself defended his tactics by saying that he's only just learning the tactical plan. But is post as the manager of Argentinian football team really a place, where you should only be learning?

To his luck, Maradona is worshiped in Argentina, in other circumstances he probably wouldn't have lasted until the end of the qualification. And his team did the business in the end. Even though a small miracle was needed against Peru and the win versus Uruguay, which sealed the qualification in the last round, came very hard.

There's no doubt about his motivating skills and effect on players, but he hugely lacks in other departments of what makes a successful football manager. As said, his tactical knowledge is near to none and his selection of players is mystifying. Having a serious lack of experience might be the cause of all of this. Maradona should've probably tried his hand at some Argentinian top club, before putting his name forward for the international team role.

Latest news say, that Guus Hiddink, who this time around with Russia failed to take a team to the World Cup after 3 successful runs, is lined up to somekind of a consulting role for Maradona. In a interview Hiddink revealed: "That would not be a bad idea, would it?
“We know each other well. It even makes me smile thinking about it. But I do have a contract with Russia, which covers the period of the World Cup.’’

And maybe that's what Maradona exactly needs. A more experienced manager along side him, to guide him through the tactical preparations for the match and such. His current partnership with Carlos Bilardo clearly isn't working.