France throw up Benzema shocker

Patrick Vieira and Karim Benzema have been omitted from France's 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup.

Vieira returned to the Barclays Premier League to join Manchester City from Inter Milan in January and recovered some of his form, but not enough to impress Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech.

Benzema, who has had a less than fruitful season with Real Madrid, has also missed out on selection for the squad, as has midfielder Samir Nasri, whose Arsenal team-mates Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna are included.

Franck Ribery, who is sweating over his participation in Bayern Munich's Champions League final with Inter on May 22 with the Bundesliga champions appealing his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is included.

Three members of Marseille's Ligue 1-winning squad - goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and forwards Hatem Ben Arfa and Mathieu Valbuena - are named, as are two Chelsea players, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda.

France were drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay, their opponents in their first game in Cape Town on June 11.

Squad: Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Mickael Landreau (Lille), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille); Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Marc Planus (Bordeaux), Adil Rami (Lille), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla); Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Yann M'Vila (Rennes), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon); Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseille), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).

Dunga dumps Ronaldinho & Adriano

Ronaldinho and Adriano will both miss the World Cup after being omitted from the 23-man Brazil squad named by Dunga today.

Wolfsburg striker Grafite is the surprise inclusion at the expense of Flamengo's Adriano, while Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is one of the three goalkeepers named.

Dunga explained Adriano's failure to make the squad was a rational, rather than emotional decision after the former Inter Milan forward was granted numerous chances to impress and failed to do so.

"Adriano was given several opportunities," said Dunga, who lifted the World Cup as captain in 1994 and will now bid for the Selecao's sixth World Cup win.

"There was a moment when we made a decision about the group.

"The group always welcomed Adriano, but there is a moment when reason talks louder than the heart."

The 30-year-old Ronaldinho, who was the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, has been in good form for AC Milan this season but has missed out on Dunga's squad for the finals in 2010, denying him the chance to add a second World Cup crown to the one he won in 2002.

One of his team-mates in 2002, former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson, has made it into the squad after rediscovering his best form back in Brazil with Flamengo.

The coach also opted to leave out Santos duo Paulo Henrique and Neymar.

Dunga revealed the duo failed to impress enough while on international duty.

"I have to test the players when they are in the national team," he said.

"I follow their form in their clubs, but why didn't you (the media) want them in the squad in December or January?

"These players are enormously talented, but I cannot prepare a national team for 2014 if I have to win today."

AC Milan's Alexandre Pato has also failed to win selection after a less-than-impressive season in Italy.

Inter Milan trio Julio Cesar, Maicon and Lucio will be three of the most important players in the squad after helping the Nerazzurri clinch a berth in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Brazil have been drawn in Group G alongside North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal and Dunga called for the fans to back the team, regardless of their thoughts on him as coach.

"I beg the Brazilian fan that they support us," he said.

"If they don't like me or any other thing, that's fine, but I want him to support us, to be a patriot."

Squad: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (Roma), Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham); Maicon (Inter Milan), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter Milan), Juan (Roma), Luisao (Roma), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon); Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Josue (Wolfsburg), Elano (Galatasaray), Ramires (Benfica), Kleberson (Flamengo), Kaka (Real Madrid), Julio Baptista (Roma); Robinho (Santos/Manchester City), Nilmar (Villarreal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Grafite (Wolfsburg).

England World Cup 2010 Squad Named: Fabio Capello Picks 30 Man Provisional Selection

England coach Fabio Capello has made several surprise selections in his preliminary 30-man World Cup squad.
Uncapped duo Adam Johnson and Michael Dawson both feature along with Dawson’s Tottenham team-mate Tom Huddlestone.
Jamie Carragher comes out of international retirement, while fellow defender Ledley King and the injured Gareth Barry have also been picked.
Stephen Warnock, Scott Parker and Darren Bent are chosen, with the final 23-man squad to be announced by 1 June.
Under Fifa regulations, Capello is permitted to bring players into his 23-man squad who were not included in the preliminary party.
But that would be an unusual move, meaning the final party he takes to this summer’s finals in South Africa is likely to come from the one he has already named.
England play Mexico at Wembley on 24 May and Japan in Austria six days later as part of a pre-tournament training camp.

That will provide Capello with time to work with a much-changed squad and put the finishing touches to his preparations.
The Italian has included 23-year-old Joe Hart among his three goalkeepers after the Manchester City player enjoyed an outstanding season on loan at Birmingham.
Like Hart, left-backs Leighton Baines of Everton and Aston Villa’s Warnock have one senior cap to their names and are graduates of the England Under-21 side.

There was plenty of speculation over whether Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole would be selected but the 28-year-old has bounced back impressively from cruciate knee ligament damage and a poor run of form.
“I followed Joe Cole for a long time when he was injured and when he started to play he was not so good,” Capello admitted. “But now he’s fit and every game he has played with us he has always been good.”
Capello’s other wide options include fit-again Aaron Lennon of Tottenham, Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City.

He was reportedly set to omit Barry because of the ankle injury that will keep him out until the start of June but the Manchester City midfielder, who has won 20 of his 36 caps under Capello and played in eight of England’s 10 World Cup qualifiers, has been included and will have a fitness check on 24 May.
Capello revealed he tried to persuade Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to come out of international retirement, but failed.
“We tried to convince him to return but he said no, he’d prefer to stay with his family,” revealed the former Real Madrid and AC Milan manager.
There were rumours England might turn to Owen Hargreaves, the man Barry replaced in the team in September 2007, but a knee problem has restricted the Manchester United midfielder to only one minute of first-team football in 19 months.
Manchester City’s Johnson, Huddlestone, West Ham’s Parker and Villa’s James Milner are also rewarded for fine seasons.
“I met with Hargreaves twice in Manchester but he’s not fit to play and hasn’t played in 18 months,” said Capello. “I trusted him but the last decision was his. I hope he’ll be fit for the European Championship qualifiers in the autumn.”
Fulham’s Bobby Zamora and West Ham’s Carlton Cole both missed out on a striking berth, with Sunderland’s 25-goal frontman Bent, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe of Spurs joining Villa’s Emile Heskey and prolific Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney.
“Zamora was a really important player but we spoke with him and he has a big problem with his Achilles,” Capello added. “He said he can’t play because he can’t train every day.”
The World Cup runs from 11 June to 11 July and England open their Group C campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on 12 June before facing Algeria on 16 June and Slovenia on 23 June.

England’s 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham).
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa).
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Scott Parker (West Ham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).
Forwards: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United). (BBC Sport)

Crazy Domenech drops Nasri from France squad for World Cup!

Raymond Domenech has been much maligned in France for some of his strange decisions while managing the national team, but surely this must be one of his craziest move ever.

Although Clichy, Sagna and Diaby are all in the France squad to go to South Africa, the midfield maestro Samir Nasri has not been included, despite some excellent performances for Arsenal while Cesc Fabregas was out injured.

The crocked William Gallas, who hasn’t played for Arsenal for months because of his recurring injuries, has been given a chance to prove his fitness ahead of the final selection.

Poor Sami was messed about by Domenech two years ago at the Euro2008 competition, when he was put on standby when Patrick Vieira was injured, only for Domenech to keep the Arsenal legend at the Finals, even though he didn’t recover in time to play.

Bacary Sagna couldn’t help but sympathise with his team-mate. He said: “It’s great to see so many Arsenal players but the news of Nasri has put things in perspective. In these moments there is little one can say. I have not yet called him but no words can soothe him. He misses a World Cup.”

I don’t understand why France kept Domenech on as manager after the team’s dismal performance at the Euros, and he has proved once again that he is an idiot. He will definitely be dismissed once France are embarrassed by his tactics again this summer.