Japan 1 - 2 England

The words used by journalists to describe England's performance against Japan yesterday afternoon do not seem to have differed greatly from those used regarding the game against Mexico. "Unconvincing", "sloppy" and "labourious". Hardly encouraging words as we head into the final preparation time before the first game against the USA, but there are some positive things to come out of this game, which I will discuss later.

But first, the game itself. Capello decided to choose a different starting line-up to the one he chose against the Mexicans. He went with the standard 4-4-2 formation, with Rooney starting alongside Bent. Capello chose to unusually put Lennon in an unfamiliar position on the left, with Walcott on the right instead of using Joe Cole, an out-and-out left winger. Lampard started the game, with Gerrard on the bench. Tom Huddlestone got a chance to play alongside the Chelsea midfielder. The back 4 was probably the only part of the team that seemed to resemble the first choice back 4 that looks likely to play against the US. Ferdinand was partnered with Terry, with Cole on the left and Johnson on the right. David James was given the goalie gloves for the first half and he was immediately put to work when Japan were awarded a free kick from which they scored the first goal of the game. The Brazilian-born centre back Tulio lost his marker in the 7th minute and smashed the ball into the back of the net. This came as a shock to the England players who had dominated possession before the set piece, and England's confidence took a knock as they failed to get into any kind of rhythm. Japan were inspired with confidence by their goal and they pushed forward in a far more organised fashion, unsettling England even more. Lennon had a fantastic chance to level the scores mid-way through the first half, after a great through pass by Rooney but could only aim it at the keeper. After that chances were few and far between; England's performance became flat and they went into half-time 1-0 down.

With the beginning of the second half, came a whole host of substitutions (5 to be precise) and a change of formation. This time Capello brought on Gerrard for Huddlestone, Hart for James, Carragher for Johnson and finally, Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips for Walcott and Bent. Lennon switched back to his preferred position on the right, with Gerrard reunited with Lampard in the centre of the park and Wright-Phillips playing on the left. Joe Cole played in just behind Rooney. This new formation brought with it a change in tempo and England began to play at a much faster pace. England pushed forward and began to create chances and were rewarded with the opportunity to equalise in the 56th minute, when Honda inexplicably palmed the ball away with his hand from England's free kick. Lampard was the first choice penalty taker; after missing against Portsmouth in the FA Cup, the pressure was on for the Chelsea man. He missed. It wasn't a great penalty and the Japanese keeper, Kawashima guessed right to make the save.

The frustration of missing the penalty and the failure to equalise got to some players, notably Rooney who began to lose his temper. Japan then created several chances to go 2-0 up but England were kept in the game, thanks to some magnificent saves from Hart, including a brilliant fingertip save from Marimoto. Whilst the England keeper impressed at one end, the Japanese keeper did the same at the other, saving superbly from a curved Rooney shot. And it wasn't until the 72nd minute that Kawashima had to pick the ball out of his net, after one of his own players had unwittingly levelled for England following Joe Cole's cross into the box. Cole did well to create space down the right and the unfortunate Tulio ended up scoring at both ends. Capello then took Lennon off and replaced him with Heskey, thus reverting back to a 4-4-2 formation with Joe Cole slipping in back on the left wing in front of clubmate Ashley Cole. Wright-Phillips switched to his favoured position on the right.

With the rain chucking down, players were slipping and sliding about everywhere and the game was speeded up as the ball zipped about with pace. England adjusted their pace with the conditions and soon went 2-1 up in the 83rd minute. The goal was identically opposite to the equaliser. It was crossed in by the other Cole, this time on the other side of the pitch, and put into the back of the net by Japan's other central defender. It is safe to say that England were decidedly relieved to see it go in however symmetrical it may have been to the previous goal. But it was pretty cool symmetry nonetheless. Heskey had a beaut of a chance to make it 3, when Gerrard delightfully crossed in the ball in the 88th minute but it was another big miss for the big man who has now not scored for England in about a year. Gerrard gave everyone a scare when he hobbled off the pitch at full-time but the England medical staff have played down any fears and have said it is just a minor cause for concern.

So what will Capello be thinking ahead of revealing his final 23?

Well, I said there were some positives to take from the game. The fact that England were playing badly and still managed to scrape a win is definitely something worth noting. Also, Capello showed he wasn't afraid to shake things up a bit if things weren't going as planned, with the change of formation. The change in shape showed that Capello is able to accommodate Gerrard, Lampard and Cole all at the same time. Joe Hart made some fantastic stops and Gerrard and Lampard showed that they could work well together without Barry. Also, it is important to remember that the team that played in Graz is not the one that Capello will employ in the finals; the final 11 will have had time to adapt and adjust to each other and will not have to accommodate so many subs or changes. The whole mentality of the team will be different too, as they won't be playing in any more friendlies but in the real thing. Finally, playing at altitude didn't seem to have too much of an impact on the players, so it looks as though it won't be too much of a problem in South Africa.

There are however some concerns. For example, penalty taking. Capello must be a little worried about it inwardly but he has stated that he will not change the order of takers; implying that Lampard will still be first-choice. In a way, it's best to miss now than later, but Lampard's recent misses must be preying a bit on his mind. Also, it is clear that England must defend better on set pieces. I am sure that they will work on this in training but Tuilo managed to lose his marker pretty easily and score the first goal. England are sure to be punished if this issue goes unresolved.

So: it was not quite the 6-0 drubbing that England gave Jamaica before setting off for Germany in 2006 but luckily for England, these performances don't count for much. It is in South Africa, where they must make their mark.

Here's my prediction for the final 23: (the official, final list comes out tomorrow)

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham).

Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).

Forwards: Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

NB: Providing Gareth Barry is deemed fit to play.

The Stadiums

Fellow football fans!

Only 12 days remain until we get underway.

And with Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Denmark having already landed in South Africa, it seemed a good time to check out this year's venues where all the action will be taking place.

Following on from the previous post about Invictus, I thought it most appropriate to begin with Ellis Park Stadium in Jo'burg. The stadium was featured heavily in the film as it was the venue for the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup final. Indeed it was the very stadium in which Nelson Mandela donned the Springbok jersey and the stadium in which the 1995 South African team won the tournament. The stadium was used as the venue for the 2009 Confederations Cup final and seats 62, 567 spectators. It was updated before the Confederations Cup tournament and the number of seats was increased by 5,000. It is currently home to Orlando Pirates FC and will be used as one of the quarter-final venues. Ellis Park stadium holds a lot of national symbolism for many South Africans and I'm sure there will be many mentions made of the historic events that took place there in 1995, during this year's tournament.

With a capacity of just 43, 589, the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is the smallest stadium, out of the 10 that have been chosen to host this year's World Cup games. Despite being the smallest of the lot there have been no shortage of controversies surrounding its construction. The Mbombela stadium is one of 5 new stadiums to have been built for the tournament and will later be used for both football and rugby. However, there have been angry protests at the stadium planners who bulldozed over two schools in order to pave the way for the construction of the stadium. There have also been allegations of corruption and dodgy financial transactions, including the murder of a local councillor. In addition, there have been not one, not two, but three new pitches laid out in order to meet FIFA standards. The stadium's design has taken inspiration from Kruger National Park, which is located nearby and has built on the theme of nature in its use of a bright and vivid colour scheme.

England's opening Group C match against the USA will be in Rustenburg, more specifically in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium which is actually located 7 miles away from Rustenburg itself. The stadium is named after a semi-autonomous 300,000 strong tribe who part-funded the stadium. It was completed in 1999 and like many of South Africa's stadiums is used for rugby as well as for football. It has a capacity of 44,530; this figure includes the 5,000 extra seats added as part of South Africa's renovation strategy for the world cup.

The Peter Mokaba Stadium, which was named after the anti-apartheid activist, was officially unveiled this year as one of the 5 newly built stadiums. It seats 46,000 fans and looks pretty impressive in its design. The idea behind its unique shape is taken from the local Baobab tree and the main pillars have been designed to represent the trunk of this tree.

The 48,000 seater Free State Stadium located in Bloemfontein was renovated in 2008 and hosted the Confederations Cup semi-final between Spain and USA. The stadium, located in the football mad city of Bloemfontein, will be hoping to see plenty of goals to live up to the record-breaking rugby score of 145-17 between New Zealand and Japan in 1995. (And no, that is not a typo, it really was 145.)

The Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth has got to be one of the most impressive looking stadiums in South Africa. It has these white "petals" around the outside and when viewed from above it is supposed to resemble a sunflower. I quite like this concept; a big, bright, beaming sunflower sort of represents hope in a way, and that suits the man, who the stadium is named after, down to a tee. It does look pretty cool when viewed from Google Earth. This unique design did however result in the stadium going nearly 50% over budget though. The stadium will be used, amongst other matches, as the venue for the third-place play off and can seat 48,000 people.

One of the oldest stadiums to be used in the tournament is the 51,760 seater Loftus Versfeld Stadium located in Pretoria. Sport began to be played here in 1906 and indeed the stadium itself is named after Pretoria's founder of organised sports. Again it has also gone under great renovation and is now a lot more modernised and adequate to host some of the world cup matches.

The Cape Town Stadium is another stadium that is aesthetically very impressive. It has 69, 070 seats and can be lit up at night to resemble a rose-coloured bowl. Historically and geographically speaking, the stadium's location is significant - midway between Robben Island and the Table Mountains; the stadium planners were meticulous in their planning so that the Stadium would not ruin the views of the Table Mountains. The stadium attracted criticism for being located in a middle-class district and for its spiralling costs - the final figure being £400 million. The stadium has however ensured that spectators will be covered by a large glass roof should it rain and the exterior of the stadium has been constructed with noise-reduction in mind. I think it has to be one of my favourite stadiums, if not the favourite, out of the 10 selected. One of the semi-finals will be played at this venue.

The second largest stadium is the 70,000 seater Moses Mabhida Stadium which is based in Durban. It is also one of the 5 new stadiums and like many of the ones I've previously mentioned, its design and the symbolism behind it has been thought out very carefully. The roof has this kind of Y-shaped arch like the sideways Y on the South African flag representing unity. Not only that, but the designers have also thought about its long-term future, and tourism in particular. The stadium offers tourists the chance to have a cable ride from where they are able to view the shoreline and beyond. Also, tourists can experience a bungee jump above the stadium! That's pretty damn cool in my opinion and it's nice that they've considered the future beyond the world cup. This venue will host the other semi-final.

And finally, South Africa's pièce de résistance, Soccer City in Jo'burg, will be where the 2010 World Cup final will be played. It is the biggest stadium of the lot, with a 91,141 seater capacity. Again its design is representative of something important to South African culture and history. This time, the stadium has been made to represent the calabash - a cooking pot/water carrier; a small but significant element of daily life in Africa. The ground is also historically significant - it is where 100,000 people gathered following Mandela's release from prison; it is also where South Africa won the 1996 African Cup of Nations.

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There have been some major issues along the way including 70,000 construction workers going on strike regarding payment problems. However, aside from these setbacks, South Africa can be proud of producing 10 stadiums worthy of hosting the world cup games in the summer to come. It is so pleasing to see the amount of thought and effort that has gone into the consideration of the designs and what they represent. So, after massive investment and years of planning and preparation, the stage is finally set and it is now down to the players to perform and leave their mark on it.

'I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul'...

For those of you that have watched Invictus, you will recognise the title of this post as the last two lines of the poem recited by Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) to Bokke captain, François Pienaar (Matt Damon) during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

I have been dying to see this critically acclaimed movie since its release in December 2009 and I finally had time to watch it the other day and boy was it worth the wait! I'm not going to ruin the plot for those who haven't yet watched it, but I will talk a bit about the background of the movie as I think it's relevant.

The film is based on the period directly following the Apartheid and the release of Mandela from Robben Island. It's based on a true story of how Mandela used sports, in particular rugby to unite the Afrikaaners with the black majority during his time as President of South Africa. I have often spoken in earlier posts about how politics and sport are inseparably linked; Mandela recognised this and sought to engage with what was a largely white or Afrikaaner based sport. The green and gold colour of the Springboks was for many blacks, representative of the Apartheid era and of white oppression. However, Mandela was determined to change this image into one of the "Rainbow Nation" by donning the famous jersey, with Pienaar's number on the back. To a large extent, he succeeded in his attempts at changing the face of a nation torn apart by violence and aggression, and the Springboks eventually went on to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup which they hosted.

I have to say that Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were superb in their respective roles in the film. You could have been forgiven for thinking that Mandela was playing himself; Freeman captured Mandela's gentle but firm demeanour magnificently and was thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Matt Damon managed to perfect his South African accent to a tee and was also convincing in his role as captain of the 1995 team. I would recommend this film without a moment's hesitation; it doesn't matter whether you follow rugby or not, there's a deeper meaning to the film which extends to everyone.

It is unmistakeably clear to see how Invictus is linked to the upcoming World Cup, despite it concerning a different sport. The message is clear - South Africa wants to show the world that it can pull together and deliver a tournament that will be as good or even better as those before it have been. I mentioned in one of my earlier posts about how racism is still in existence in South African society. This situation hasn't changed, but for many South Africans today, Mandela's message about unity and hope also hasn't changed.

Perhaps for all the players currently preparing for SA 2010, they can take inspiration from the following words, as Pienaar and his team did during SA 1995:

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Wembley's (Mexican) Wave Off...

'Unconvincing' was the word used by most journalists to describe England's performance during last night's friendly against Mexico. Would I agree with that? Well, to an extent I guess so. Mexico are a good side and there is no doubt that they gave as good as they got, especially in the first half, yet England still managed to score 2 and then another early on in the second half. But a win is still a win and clichéd though it may be but, sometimes even the best teams have to win unconvincingly if they are to have a stab at winning some silverware come the end of the season, or in this case, tournament. It's true - last night's match will have certainly given Capello a lot to consider, on top of what he already has to think about in terms of final squad selection. But perhaps it's better that the issues are addressed now, rather than during the tournament itself...

So last night's final game at Wembley (well until September anyway) was a chance for the England players to force their way onto the team sheet. The Chelsea players and David James were given a rest after their FA Cup tie and this meant that Capello started with a somewhat unfamiliar but not inconceivable line-up. He chose Ferdinand to pair with Ledley King at centre back and opted for Leighton Baines as left back in place of first-choice Ashley Cole. In midfield, he put Gerrard out on the left with Milner and Carrick partnering up in the middle and instead of using him as a sub, started with Crouch alongside Rooney up front.

To their credit Mexico played well, keeping possession for a large part of the first half and creating several chances. Robert Green did his World Cup hopes no harm, saving well from Vela on two occasions. Mexico continued to create chances and attack despite a 17th minute header from King from a set piece. You would have thought that this would have settled England nerves somewhat, but Mexico didn't allow England to get into any kind of rhythm and tried hard to expose defensive frailties particularly down the left. Leighton Baines was caught with the ball more than once in the first half. With England ruffled, Gerrard was forced to push into the centre, leaving the left wing far more prone to Mexican attacks. It wasn't a good balance. But England made good of another set piece to get the second goal albeit one that was offside and looked to have come off Crouch's arm. But still Mexico kept on pressing forward and England was forced to sit back and defend. And for all their possession, Mexico were rewarded with a goal seconds before the half-time whistle. It was one which exposed England's defensive weaknesses again and despite Baines' goalline clearance, his rebound went straight to West Ham's Guillermo Franco who slotted the ball past his club keeper, Rob Green.

Capello made 3 changes before the second half got underway, bringing on the recently returned Jamie Carragher for Ferdinand, taking off Green for Hart and replacing Crouch with Defoe. Gerrard also swapped positions with Young PFA's Player of the Year, James Milner and this suited England's style much better. Not only was Gerrard more comfortable in the centre, which is undoubtedly his best position, but the team in general were a lot more at ease with the ball and in going forward. Indeed, Glen Johnson scored within minutes of the restart after Theo had kept the ball in play. Johnson took the ball past three defenders before unleashing a spectacular shot. It was a super goal and pretty much killed off any chance the Mexicans had of recovering from their deficit. The rest of the game continued with chances at both ends however Hart was not kept as busy as Green had been in the first half. We didn't see too much of Defoe but the late Man City sub, Adam Johnson impressed and looks to be a good prospect.

There is definitely a lot for Capello to mull over after this game and no doubt his decisions have been made a lot harder after last night. I mean, for instance, I have no idea now which keepers he will take with him. It's going to be a close call. Also, he is still waiting on Gareth Barry to prove his fitness. It was announced today that Capello will give him another week to get fit before he decides whether to take Barry or not. We didn't see any of the Chelsea players in action; Joe Cole's place doesn't look certain so he will be keen to get on the pitch against Japan come Sunday. Capello will also want to sort out the midfield so it doesn't get as imbalanced as it did in the first half. There were some positives to come out of the game as well. For example, it is clear that England are capable of getting goals and making the most out of their set piece opportunities even if they are not playing particularly well. Capello will be looking to improve on other areas of their play at their training camp in Austria.

So: maybe the England performance last night wasn't the best but several key players were missing and Capello still has a while to fiddle around with his team and work out what would be the best combination. He has the match against Japan on Sunday to come which will be played at altitude in the Austrian Alps; it will be quite interesting to see what effect, if any, altitude has on the players. The game against Japan will be Capello's last chance before he has to make his mind up and with other managers already whittling their teams down to the final 23, Capello will want to make sure he has done everything possible to ensure that the final 23 will be his best 23.

Elsewhere:

The hosts, South Africa, drew 1-1 with Bulgaria.

Ronaldo's Portugal surprisingly drew a blank against the 117th ranked Cape Verde Islands.

South Korea beat England's next opponents, Japan, 2-0.

The 'Battle of the South' saw Australia beat their neighbours, New Zealand two goals to one.

And Argentina smashed 5 past Canada.

Capello's 30...

So as promised, a detailed analysis of the England provisional squad as we look ahead to the scheduled friendlies against Mexico and Japan. Remember this group of 30 players will be whittled down to just 23. Whatever happens 7 must be cut. The players will no doubt be feeling the pressure as time runs out to prove that they have what it takes to get on that plane.

Let's start with the keeper situation. Joe Hart has earned himself a place in the trio of keepers selected by Capello, after a great season on-loan with Birmingham. David James and Robert Green make up the other two. Green and James, in particular, have a lot of experience in big tournaments; Joe Hart will be looking to use SA as an opportunity to increase his somewhat limited experience. I watched James playing for Portsmouth in the FA Cup final at the weekend, and he pulled off some fine saves to keep Portsmouth in the game for a long time. Despite Pompey's relegation this season, I think he has come a fair way away from the "Calamity James" we all cringed at. One keeper not heading for the African continent is Paul Robinson. He had been Sven and McClaren's first choice keeper in previous tournaments, and his club manager Big Sam, is a little miffed at his exclusion, to say the least. Unlike some managers, Capello has picked the perfect number of goalkeepers you would take to a World Cup tournament (Spain's manager has picked 5), but if he is having trouble deciding who to leave behind, then he may well only take 2. If this is to be the case, I think he would leave Green behind.

Moving on to defenders and one shock inclusion, whom you wouldn't really be expecting to see on the England teamsheet is Liverpool's Jamie Carragher, who has been coaxed out of retirement to make himself available as a possible centre/full back for Capello. Carragher's experience and versatility make him a good catch for Capello who has no shortage of injury doubts and worries at the back. Michael Dawson has had a great season for Tottenham, however his fellow team-mate, Ledley King is one of those injury worries, after suffering from a knee problem for the best part of this season. Leighton Baines who played for England earlier this season has been named as one of 10 defenders hoping to go all the way. Ashley Cole has made a good return back from injury to vie for the left-back position, and with no Wayne Bridge, he looks to be a safe bet to be heading to SA. Despite his off-field antics, ex-captain, John Terry has been chosen alongside Liverpool's Glen Johnson. There are still doubts over the fitness levels of Rio Ferdinand, who has also missed a large chunk of Man U's season. Fabio's other options include Steve Warnock and Matt Upson.

Capello has chosen 12 midfielding possibilities. It seems a dead cert that Lampard, Gerrard and Carrick will be playing in SA. To this, I would also add James Milner who has been phenomenal this season. Joe Cole and Gareth Barry are both injury doubts; Cole only just having returned back from injury, although he declared the other day that after having done a few fitness tests, he was the fittest Chelsea player on the team. Perhaps so but Capello will be keen to see just how fit he really is at their training camp in Austria and during the upcoming friendlies. Gareth Barry suffered an ankle injury and is due to undergo a fitness test soon, should he fail that, it would make Capello's life slightly easier in terms of decision-making and who to leave behind. Capello has stated that if Barry were not to be fit, he may consider opting for a 3-5-2 formation, with 3 central defenders at the back. Personally, I think he should stick with what England know best, i.e. 4-4-2. It is what they feel most comfortable with and the last time the 3-5-2 system was employed, England lost away to Croatia. Less said about that the better. Huddlestone, Lennon and Wright-Phillips have also been selected after having a great season with their respective clubs. I think Lennon will also be definitely going to SA. After injury had ruled out David Beckham for vying for the right-wing position, Theo Walcott will be in with a good shot in playing at next month's tournament. Scott Parker makes up the twelfth midfielder hoping to impress Capello before he has to make his mind up.

Finally, it is a huge blow for Bobby Zamora to not be able to fight it out for one of the forward positions after the amazing goal-scoring season he has had for Fulham, particularly during their Europa League campaign. Had it not been for his Achilles tendon, he would surely have been one of the favourites to make it on that plane alongside Rooney. It is a massive blow for the player as it would have capped off a great season for him. I think Capello is going to have a tough decision regarding which forwards to take, other than Rooney of course. Bent has had a fine goal-scoring season for Sunderland. His move from Tottenham has really worked well in his favour. Then there's everybody's favourite robo-dancer and wonder-sub, Peter Crouch, who it has to be said has come and scored late on in a game more than a few times now. However, he has been relegated to the bench at Spurs in favour of Pavlyuchenko and Defoe, who has also been selected. Definitely something for Capello to chew on there. Making up the last choice of striker is Emile Heskey. The big, hefty centre forward has always been a firm favourite of Capello and it is true that he has played quite well in assisting Rooney up front and creating chances. The big criticism of Heskey is that he doesn't score often enough! Will that be a deciding factor in Capello's final choices? Only time will tell. Capello must make his mind up by 1st June and it will certainly be interesting to see who the Italian goes for in the end.

Ballack set to MISS the World Cup Finals

Following on from my previous post when I said it would be a huge loss to the German team, if Ballack were to miss the Finals, well unfortunately this looks to be the case as scans on his ankle have revealed that the damage is serious enough for him to miss the whole tournament. This is a massive shame both for the player and the German team. Ballack has had his fair share of injuries at Chelsea and has managed to recover from them, but his latest injury, coming on what was effectively the last day of the English football season, must have come as a bitter blow for the big midfielder who was set to captain his country next month. As for the German team, well Ballack's playing record speaks for itself - they have never lost a game that Ballack has been playing in since June 2005. For a long time, Ballack has been a crucial component in Germany's midfield and his presence will be sorely missed both on and off the pitch. Germany must now revise their plans without him but just how much they will be affected by the loss of their captain, remains to be seen...

Provisional Squads...

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, exams have been taking over my life.

But...now that they are over, it's time to finally concentrate on the main event taking centre stage this summer...that's right, there are now only 25 days left until it all kicks off in South Africa!!!

So, every manager has now announced their 30 man provisional squad (or just under 30), and after a few friendlies, the squads will be reduced to the final 23! So I thought it apt to take a look at whether some of the other nations' teams have thrown up any surprises. A more detailed post on the England provisional team will appear soon!

So looking at the French squad first up and it's a shock to see Vieira missing from the list. Vieira has been a major force in the French team and has been present for the best part of a decade. He was a central component in the team that won in 2000 and was also part of the World Cup campaign in 1998, coming on as a substitute in the final. He offers experience and presence in midfield, but perhaps Domenech feels it is time for a more youthful approach. Since signing for Man City, Vieira has had limited opportunity to shine, often coming off the bench and it is clear to see that he is only a shadow of the player he was at Arsenal. Still, it is nice to see him taking it all in good grace, declaring that he respects Domenech's decision which he can see was made on "sporting grounds". Still it is somewhat of a shame as this would surely have been his last World Cup. Other surprise exclusions include Nasri and Benzema. Benzema, who transferred to Real Madrid from Lyon this year has had somewhat of a frustrating season both on and off the pitch. The saga surrounding the private life of some of the French team's finest footballers would have been an unwanted distraction to Domenech's preparations, yet he has included Ribery, Ben Arfa and Govou in his squad despite their role in the scandal. Djibril Cisse was also a surprise call-up, the former Liverpool man hasn't played for the national team since he was not included in the squad for Euro 2008. Hugo Lloris has also been given the No.1 position after his impressive performances for Lyon. It seems that Domenech is opting for a more younger, fresher looking squad than seen in previous tournaments, with experience coming from the likes of Gallas, Toulalan and captain, Henry.

Diego Forlan has been given a place in the Uruguayan squad and quite rightly so, after the wondrous season he has had with Atletico Madrid, not only scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final but also hitting the back of the net plenty of times in La Liga this season and last season too!

Meanwhile, Diego Maradona, who in the past has more than enjoyed rotating his squad about has opted to leave out Cambiasso and Zanetti despite them being crucial components of the Inter team that are about to play in this season's Champions League final. Also, only one half of the Milito brothers will be in with a shot in getting on that plane to SA - Gabriel Milito has been left out of the squad but Diego Milito will have a chance to prove his worth in the upcoming friendlies. Also it should come as no surprise that Barca's star man, Lio Messi has made it in and is one of those virtually guaranteed to be heading to SA in a few weeks time.

The Algerian squad has been massively affected by injuries but they should be boosted by the addition of 3 French Junior Internationals who have been cleared by FIFA to play for the Algerian senior team.

The German team is currently awaiting scan results for their captain Michael Ballack after he was injured in Chelsea's FA Cup Final win yesterday against Portsmouth. The confident midfielder admitted he was concerned about his participation in the tournament after being substituted off due to a bad tackle on his ankle. If Ballack is unable to participate, it would be a huge blow to the Germans. Nonetheless, manager Joachim Low has opted for plenty of experience by choosing many of the players who reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 2006. Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose, Lahm, Mertesacker have all experienced the World Cup before. What's unusual is that Low has not picked any player from, last season's Bundesliga winners, Wolfsburg. Instead he has picked two uncapped players in Daniel Aogo and Holger Badstuber. I have seen Badstuber playing for Bayern this season in the CL and he has been pretty impressive in his defensive duties. He looks to be a really promising prospect.

A noticeable miss for the Dutch squad is Ruud van Nistelrooy. He actually reversed his decision to retire but worries over his fitness levels and injuries this season have ultimately resulted in his omission.

The big player missing from Brazil's team is Ronaldinho. It seems strange to go into a massive tournament without him, but the coach, Dunga, has decided against including him in the 23-man squad. Instead Ronaldinho has a chance to become one of the 7 stand-by players. Ronaldinho has played quite well this season for AC Milan and he had hoped to add to his previous two appearances at World Cup finals in 2002 and 2006 respectively.

Finally, strong favourites Spain have decided to include the injured Fabregas, Torres and Iniesta in their provisional squad. All three are in a race against time and are determined to get fit before the tournament gets underway. There is no doubt that they figure heavily in the Spanish team and will be huge losses if they don't get fit in time. It is a little bit of a risk for Spanish boss, del Bosque, but risks that could be well worth it for the European champions. Del Bosque has picked 5 goalkeepers and all have great quality. Casillas will no doubt occupy the no.1 spot and Reina will be strong favourite as first-choice reserve, but a call up for Atletico's 19 year old goalkeeper David de Gea and Barca's keeper Victor Valdes means that competition will be tough in battling it out for the 3rd spot. De Gea has been phenomenal in the Europa League this season for Atletico. His tall, towering presence combined with fresh youthful energy has clearly been picked up on by the Spanish manager. Valdes has also been rock solid at the back for Barca, particularly in La Liga and the Champions League. Valdes' teammate, Pedro has also been included in the provisional squad after having a great season with the Catalans, however his teammate Bojan has not been included. Still, Bojan is very young and has many chances to be part of what is looking to be a very strong Spanish side, in the future. Finally, the veteran Raul will not be featuring at this year's finals in what would surely have been his last World Cup tournament.