Julia Cesar, Lucio, Maicon, Thiago Silva (I think), Filipe Melo, Gilberto Silva, Kaka and Luis Fabiano all first choice for Brazil.

Dunga also likes Elano and he could also be considered as first choice

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Thiago Silva, Michel Bastos, Felipe Melo, Silva, Elano, Kaka, Nilmar, Luis Fabiano

England: Foster, Brown, Upson, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Barry, Jenas, Milner, Rooney, Bent.

Does anyone still think this was worthwhile?

Both countries fielded B Teams with one big name each. A complete and utter joke and wasn’t it interesting to see how many players came up injured in the lead up to the match? Johnson, Lampard, Terry etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.

Qatar has a major hand in this…
November 14th is a big day on the world arena…The last day for World Cup Qualifier matches…
As far as the middle east locale goes, there are two critical matches – one for Bahrain v/s New Zealand in Wellington, and another for Egypt v/s Algeria in Cairo. As things would normally go, there would be no cameras in Qatar on this day. But no, Qatar wont accept that if they can pay for otherwise…so whats the best way to grab attention?

Qatar has in the past continuously attempted to ‘’steal the light” and ”make a name and place on the map for themselves” using silly petrodollars… As such Qatar does not have any matches on this day due to their disqualification a while back, so there is a definite attempt at deliberately distracting media and crowd attention on this day, Nov 14th, especially to distract supporters from their little but determined neighbor and political and sport enemy Bahrain…This isnt the first time…when Bahrain for example worked hard to host the Formula 1 race, Qatar made a bidding file overnight rejected almost instantly, and to spite its neighbor Qatar used the petrodollars to build a huge circuit in record time – Losail, to host the MotoGP championship…

And all the more reason it is Bahrain that had a major role in Qatar disqualifying from the WC due to a 1-0 home win in Bahrain…

Money talks

Also there’s no reason why you can’t support your own bid for one world cup and England for the other world cup

Secondly. There’s also preference deals.

Just like in Australian politics where preference play a large role in who wins the seat, preference play a large role in who win the bid
Example
For the 2006 world cup
The Oceania representative Charles Dempsey first choice preference was England for pretty obvious reasons (as England is an english speaking country and culturally similar to Australia and large ex-pat Australian community there). However the 2nd preference has infamously determine who won the bid. He was told by oceania to vote for south africa but pressure, threats, bribes by other nations made him have “intolerable pressure” that made him abstain his vote giving Germany the world cup.

England winning the 2nd preference when all the asian nations are eliminated will be essential in winning the world cup bid.

Good article, but i think that it opens more cans of worms than can be answered. Money, money, money, it is what rules modern football. Years and years ago we would say that professional athletes only have a short timeframe to make money for the rest of there lives, but now….? I think that Ronaldo will make more than enough for a hell of a lot of lifetimes. Friendlies are often a joke at the best of times, but lets face it, the Middle East pays the money, the associations want the money, the players want the money, the agents want the money, who else wants the money? And greasing the chains of power are well known. Whether it is a favour to Kentaro, a favour for some votes for the WC bid, a favour to sponsors, well that is just the way it works now.

Just to your above points, well i disagree that the game is not a good warm-up. Isn’t the point of these friendlies (of many reasons as we are discussing) to test out players on the fringe to see if they can step up in a World Cup. Ashley Cole is injured from a Champions League game, this can happen just before the WC, so who can step up to replace him, a player who proved themselves in extremely difficult conditions in Doha, or….?

And just lastly, a comment on the clash of modern club football vs international football. When i was a kid growing up, i didn’t understand the value of money, but i did dream of hitting the winning runs for Australia, scoring the winning goal for St.Kilda in a Grand Final (could have done with me this year!)….don’t you think that a young Wayne Rooney dreamed of the same things. Modern football might be all about money, cynical and commercial, but when it comes down to it, despite the money on offer at Man Utd, the Champions League, the FA cup, i still think that Wayne would give a lot of it all back to score that winning goal in the World Cup final in South Africa next year. If that means travelling to Doha and playing a meaningless friendly with suspect motives, well maybe that is just a sacrifice that the players and fans need to make.

Cheers

Qatar (hosts of this friendly) have put their hand up as have England.

What political ideal would convince the Qatari’s to vote for England? It goes not only against their own bid but the greater plan of their federation, that makes no sense.

Dasilva has made a moot point.

Firstly, this game has nothing to do with the WC. Look at the squad Capello has taken, strong yes but it certainly doesn’t resemble his final squad and the strength is as not to embarass themselves, not to mention the gaurantees Kentaro would have required as part of their contractual obligations (I imagine they would be VERY unhappy that Beckham won’t be playing).

To suggest that this game is a good warm-up is nonsense. Here are some the players missing, those with an asterisk would be expected to make the final squad if fit:

GK: James*, Robinson, Carson
Def: A. Cole*, R. Ferdinand*, King, Jagielka, M. Richards*
Mid: Beckham*, Gerrard*, Lennon, Walcott, Downing, Hargreaves*
Att: Heskey*, C. Cole, Agbonlahor

No fewer than 8 players, who, if fit are pretty much certainties to make the final 23 not to mention a few borderliners like Lennon and Walcott.

England has no idea where or who they will be playing and they have an experienced squad, sure they might gain something from a friendly with Brazil, that is possible, but why not have it in England if they have to play it? Or even continental Europe? Why in Doha, in 30 degree heat in the middle of the European season.

This game is a favour to Kentaro, how much of this company is owned by the Qatari’s? It might be swiss-based but I could imagine they have some poil-rich investors. The Qatari’s have their finger in a lot of pies including Barclay’s and the london stock exchange.

Now look at Liverpool’s squad, a few months into the season and they could already use a break but G Johnson will be lining up, he was their best player last night so does anyone truly think Rafa wants him playing in this game?

Or what about Rooney? United can ill-afford to lose him. Same with Bent at Sunderland.

This is an unnecessary game with a higher risk of injury than normal (due to the travel and sudden climate change). FIFA might be required to compensate any injuries to players on international duty but they can’t compensate a Rooney or Terry missing the WC by picking up a serious injury in a nothing game. Is that what it takes for people to realise the magnitude of this greed?

The AFC federations will be expected to stick together (as will the countries of all the other federations).

I dont believe that Gayle was paid that $1m from Allen Stanford.

The average per capita income in the West indies(Barbados,Jamaica,Antigua,T&T et al) ranges from 6k to 20K per annum. Some of the West indies Cricketers are paid $500000 and this is tax free..you would have to say a privileged lot. The bench strength of nations like NZ,WI and SL is not great..but Australia,England and SA have any number of young players waiting for a chance. Were it not for the injuries players like Bollinger,Henrique,McKay would not have got a look in. The players may be valuable commodities but like commodities they are replaceable.

The main drawback of too much football or cricket is the game quality gets devalued..either because marquee players are injured or too tired. You do get a stomach ache if you are too greedy.

We know that England had a friendly against Saudi Arabia as a favor to pick up votes for the 2006 world cup (it didn’t work out as they were eliminated in the first round).

Your right, perhaps they should prepare for the WC by hosting San Marino at Wembley… I’m sure the location is perhaps chosen for the money, but the fact they are playing Brazil will help both teams in thier preperation. Capello didn’t choose where to play, but who would say no to a game against Brazil so close to a World Cup. Poor article, i’m sure the players will also choose a hit out against Brazil, in Doha, as opposed to mediocre opposition in Europe.

“But you’re right, it was stupid to write about the issue. Sir Alex Ferguson only had a similar opinion on the game but I guess no-one cares what he says either.”

Feguson is going senile. Complains about everything and anything these days, and clearly doesn’t have the national teams interest at heart, (he’s not even English), only cares about poor ol Man united.

As a general comment, I suspect there isn’t a half-way house on the path to mammon. Most people are bit like FoF in wanting to have a bob each way, i.e., they don’t mind money in sport as long as they feel there is also “meaning”, but as soon as they feel a contest is “meaningless”, money becomes an evil. But really, is “meaning” a yes/no commodity? I’m sure the English players will cherish any win over Brazil as being “meaningful”, even if it’s a friendly in the desert played for money. Also, once one admits that money can play a part, then the only real barometer of “meaning” is whether a contest attracts bums on seats and eyes on TV screens. FoF may regard England-Brazil in the desert as tawdry – and he may be right – but if there’s a stadium full of people to watch it, and lots of viewers in front of TVs, then that’s saying something. The biggest football crowd ever in New Zealand was a few years ago when 30,000 people turned up to see LA Galaxy (i.e., David Beckham) play an exhibition match against the Wellington Phoenix. How crass was that? But the fact is that it made 30,000 paying customers happy, so who am I to argue. (Fortunately that attendance record will get broken this weekend, when NZ host Bahrain to decide one of the last places at the 2010 WC.)

It’s also worth pointing out that England are only playing one friendly during this international window whereas many other nations are playing two matches. To pay any credence to Sir Alex Ferguson’s laughably self-interested views is simply naive.

As for having it in Doha, it may be because of the money, but why is that such a problem? It will give the game an audience that it would not have previously had. More fans will be gained from having the friendly in Doha than would have been lost by not having it in England/Brazil.