Soft goal gives US 1-1 tie against England
England's players couldn't get off the field fast enough. The Americans lingered to savor the night.
They walked to the end of Royal Bafokeng Stadium where thousands of red, white and blue-clad fans were waving the Stars and Stripes and cheering their heads off.
Try convincing the U.S. team and its fans there wasn't a winner in the 1-1 draw with mighty England.
"We'll take more out of a draw than they will," said U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, the man of the match. "They're going to feel like they should have won the game."
Facing the Three Lions in the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, the United States rallied and then hung on for an instant boost in confidence that they could advance to the second round.
Clint Dempsey became only the second American to score in two World Cups, getting the tying goal in the 40th minute on a blunder by goalkeeper Robert Green. Howard made six saves in his World Cup debut, withstanding a second-half barrage by Wayne Rooney and his celebrated teammates.
"I think a lot of us came off the field satisfied with this result, but maybe a little disappointed we didn't get more out of the game," U.S. star Landon Donovan said.
Steven Gerrard put England ahead in the fourth minute, blowing past Ricardo Clark to beat Howard from short range. Dempsey tied it when Green fumbled his 25-yard shot that skipped off the ground twice, yet another mistake in a long line by English goalkeepers.
"Mentally we're strong enough to get over it, and as a goalkeeper these things happen," Green told Sky TV. "You prepare yourself for not letting it affect you."
Anticipation had built for six months for the much-hyped game, the first competitive meeting between the nations since the famous 1-0 U.S. upset at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. There were viewing parties across America, and several Major League Soccer teams opened their stadiums to show the match from across the world on large video boards.
"I'm sure they were excited in bars back home. I can only imagine it was pretty intense," Howard said. "We're a resilient side, you know. We're a tough side and on our day we can put a good performance in."
Howard bruised his ribs when Emile Heskey's foot slid into him in the 29th minute. He was down for a while, grimaced several times when play resumed and had a painkiller injection at halftime.
Then he saved the Americans time and again in the second half, frustrating the very high-priced stars he faces each week when he plays for Everton.
Howard said the hit "felt like agony." After the match, he felt sore and said he might need an MRI to make sure there isn't any damage.
"Obviously the adrenaline is pumping," he said. "In a couple hours I'll be struggling."
Big defender Oguchi Onyewu played his first 90-minute game since rupturing a knee tendon in the last World Cup qualifier on Oct. 14. Forward Jozy Altidore, back from a sprained ankle, nearly put the U.S. ahead in the 65th minute, but Green got a hand on his angled shot and it deflected off the corner of the goal.
"A little unlucky," the 20-year-old Altidore said after his World Cup debut.
With each save late in the game, louder chants of "U-S-A!" erupted from Sam's Army and American Outlaws, groups who made the long and expensive trip from home to sit among the vuvuzela-blowing fans on a cool night in the Southern Hemisphere. The crowd of 38,646 included Vice President Joe Biden, who visited the U.S. locker room before kickoff. Some players skipped his greetings.
"I was getting taped," captain Carlos Bocanegra said.
England must try to regroup as it seeks its first major title since winning the World Cup at home in 1966. The U.S., trying to rebound from first-round elimination four years ago, got a boost as it heads into first-round games against Slovenia on Friday and Algeria on June 23.
While not a shocking win to match 1950, the U.S. earned a huge single point in its quest to reach the second round for the first time since 2002.
Both sides started out tentative and nervous. England broke on top when Heskey took Glen Johnson's throw-in and sent a through ball to Gerrard broke in as Clark couldn't catch him and flicked it past Howard for his 17th goal in 82 appearances.
It continued a troublesome pattern for the Americans, who fell behind in three of their last four qualifiers before coming back for a draw or win.
"The funny thing is, we talk about, you know, don't concede early," Bocanegra said. "And man, it's been our trademark lately, conceding early."
Dempsey, whose become a key player for Fulham in England, scored on a play very similar to the goal by Croatia's Niko Kranjcar that went in off Scott Carson's arm and helped eliminate England from qualifying from the 2008 European Championship.
Dempsey took several touches, spun around Gerrard and hit a dipping left-footed shot. The ball hit the field twice, glanced off Green's right hand and went into the net for Dempsey's 19th goal in 63 national team games. Dempsey, who also scored against Ghana as the U.S. was eliminated in 2006, matched Brian McBride in 1998 and 2002 as the only American to score in World Cups.
"At the last second, it moved a little bit," Dempsey said. "These balls move so much, you just hit them on goal, you have a chance. It's one of those goals you always say, `Why can't I get one like that?'"
David Seaman and David "Calamity" James are among the other English keepers to make gaffes, one of the reasons Howard is among three American starters in the 20-team Premier League.
Howard made a point-blank stop on Heskey's 18-yard right-footed shot in the 52nd minute and parried Lampard's 20-foot left-footed shot over the crossbar in the 63rd. Rooney had a quiet night, failing to make good contact with a Gerrard cross while open on the side of the goal in the 76th minute. The ball glanced off his head and went harmlessly wide.
"It was a difficult game," Gerrard said. "I think the important thing in the first game is not to lose. Unfortunately, we've let a poor goal in and we couldn't go on and get the winner."
Related information:
The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is a football, rugby and athletics stadium in Phokeng near Rustenburg, South Africa. It was built and is managed by the Royal Bafokeng Nation[1]. It is used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club Platinum Stars. The Leopards host large attendance matches during the Currie Cup at the stadium, instead of their usual home ground, Olen Park.
The capacity of the stadium was increased from 38,000 to 44,530 to be able to host five first round matches and one second round match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup[2].
For the 2010 tournament, the main west stand was upgraded and enlarged and given a new cantilever roof. Other improvements include the installation of new electronic scoreboards, new seats, and the upgrading of the floodlights and public address system.
The stadium upgrade was completed in March 2009 for hosting 4 matches of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Dunga, Maradona out to make a point at World Cup
From dour Dunga to the downright eccentric Diego Maradona, the leading coaches at the World Cup are plotting different ways to win the title.
Brazil coach Dunga has upset millions of his countrymen by leaving big stars such as Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Adriano out of a squad he believes needs stability to win a sixth World Cup.
One of the game's all time greats as a player, Maradona has stunned the soccer world by ignoring hugely experienced defenders Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, who showed their top form by helping Inter Milan win the Champions League.
Maradona has been unable to get the best out of stars such as Lionel Messi and the soccer jury is out as to whether such a great player will ever make it as a coach.
While the rejection of these top players seems crazy, no will be complaining in Brazil if Dunga wins the title he won as a player 16 years ago. And Maradona will achieve even greater plaudits in Argentina if he justifies his selections by capturing a third for his country.
"We will do whatever is needed to reach our goal," Dunga said during his team's World Cup preparations. "We are confident that everything has been very well planned.
"It's always the same thing before every World Cup. Everybody wants to talk about those players who are not on the team. For some reason they are always better than those who are on the team. People will always complain. But I'm going to summon those I think will help Brazil the most, regardless of their names."
While Dunga has a wealth of talent to choose from, England's Fabio Capello struggled to find genuinely top quality players to complement the stars he has.
The Italian, who has had major club successes with AC Milan and Real Madrid, knows he has the nucleus of a team to get very close to winning the title. But he doesn't have a safe and reliable goalkeeper and can't find the right partner for Wayne Rooney in attack.
What he does have, however, is a technique to get these millionaire stars to do what he wants, to behave smartly and respectfully even at their team hotel where cell phones and flip-flops are banned in public and the players dine together as a team. The disciplinarian has also ordered his England players to leave their wives and girlfriends — and millionaire lifestyles — behind.
"Capello instills fear, like a severe dad," England striker Wayne Rooney said of the England head coach. "He has explained to us how to do everything. He has made us more of a squad. He has worked above all on the tactics, now we can change them every match."
While Capello has many players who are at their peak, Italy's Marcello Lippi, who guided the team to its triumph four years ago, is trying to get one last effort from his aging stars.
Lippi was persuaded to return to the role after a disastrous spell by Roberto Donadoni, and it's no surprise that nine 30-something players are still around and that 36-year-old 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is starring in the center of defense.
Facing Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia, Italy is the favorite to win its group, and would then likely face Denmark, Japan or Cameroon for a place in the last eight. With this aging team, however, anything after that would be a bonus for Lippi, who is handing over the reins to former Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli after the tournament.
French coach Raymond Domenech is on the way out too, and will be replaced by former Bordeaux coach after the World Cup is over. Many of his critics say that's already too late.
But France, like Italy, has a comparatively easy path to the last 16 with games against Uruguay, Mexico and host South Africa. And despite the poor form of a talented but dispirited side, three victories will make Domenech look good.
A newspaper poll showed half of the French don't think the team can advance beyond the quarterfinals, while former France great Marcel Desailly said he believed the team would go out in the group stage.
Spain's Vicente Del Bosque know that his side is among the leading favorites, especially with most of the Euro 2008 winning team he inherited from Luis Argones still around.
Quiet and happy to stay out of the spotlight, Del Bosque won domestic and European titles with Real Madrid and many neutral soccer fans in the world would applaud him for a World Cup triumph.
His biggest headache is the fitness of several key players coming into the competition, with Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta all missing games for their clubs.
Germany and the Netherlands are other major contenders. Joachim Loew has loaded his German squad with six strikers to compensate for a weaker-than-usual midfield, while Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk knows his team's chances also rely heavily on a star studded-attack with Robin van Persie hoping to thrive on the talent of Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.
There's no guarantee, however, that one of the traditional favorites will go home with the trophy.
Bob Bradley has made steady improvements to the United States side after a dismal performance under Bruce Arena four years ago and a victory over England at Rustenburg on day two could kickstart a powerful run through the tournament.
Sven-Goran Eriksson had plenty of success at club level before leading England to the quarterfinals of two World Cups and a European Championship. Now the Swede has to bring stability to a talented Ivory Coast side and a quarterfinal appearance by the Ivorians, host South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria or Algeria will be a major boost for African soccer.
Otto Rehhagel is out to try and emulate a famous Euro 2004 triumph with Greece while the goal for Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won European titles with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is to spur Switzerland to make a World Cup mark long after its last quarterfinal finish in 1954.
Related information:
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities - usually international teams or individuals representing their countries - compete for the title of world champion. A world cup is generally considered the premier competition in its sport, with the victor attaining the highest honour in that sport and able to lay claim to the title of their sport's best. However, in some sports the Olympic title carries at least as much prestige.
There are a number of notable world cups in popular sports, but it is the FIFA World Cup (an Association football tournament, first held in 1930) that is widely known simply as "the World Cup".[1]
Some sport governing bodies prefer the title world championship or a related term; some even organise both a world cup and a world championship with different rules. Usually, such competitions take one of two forms, a short periodic competition or a year-long series of meetings.
Crime and Punishment in Victorian England – How You Had Your Day in Court in the 19th Century
Legal Cases Lasting Decades
Some legal cases in Victorian England (involving disputes over partnerships, trusts and wills) were heard in the Courts of Chancery, presided over by the Lord Chancellor. Such cases were notorious for their enormous duration, typically lasting decades and with a length of 50 years not being an unusual event.
At the end of such cases, the litigants were often both financially ruined by the huge cost of legal fees. The only winners were the Chancery clerks (legal officials) who earned more and more fees the longer the cases were prolonged.
One such case - the Thellusson Will case (1797-1854) - is believed to have inspired Charles Dickens to write his great novel, Bleak House, featuring the fictional case of Jarndyce vs Jarndyce which ran from generation to generation. In Bleak House Dickens attacked the inhumane phenomenon of never-ending legal logjams in the Courts of Chancery:
Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, in course of time, become so complicated that no man alive knows what it means. The parties to it understand it least, but it has been observed that no two Chancery lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises. Innumerable children have been born into the cause; innumerable young people have married into it; innumerable old people have died out of it. Scores of persons have deliriously found themselves made parties in Jarndyce and Jarndyce without knowing how or why; whole families have inherited legendary hatreds with the suit. (...) Jarndyce and Jarndyce still drags its dreary length before the court, perennially hopeless.
Reforms were finally enacted during the 19th century whcih reduced such astonishing examples of what William Shakespeare dubbed "the law's delay".
Criminal Trials Lasting Minutes
Criminal trials, by way of contrast, were often heard and decided in a matter of minutes. In 1833, the average criminal trial lasted a mere eight and a half minutes.
To speed the processing of the vast number of criminal cases in the Old Bailey, the principal criminal court in London, such cases were heard in batches with the juries required to consider their verdicts on several cases at a time.
Punishments in the pre-Victorian era had been quite brutal, ranging from whipping and branding to hanging for such lowly crimes as stealing.
By 1850 such punishments were being replaced in many cases by transportation to the British colonies, such as New South Wales, or by imprisonment, even for more serious crimes. Unfortunately, the actual conditions of the replacement punishments (hard labor, the silent system, restricted diet, solitary confinement, imprisonment in hulks, the treadmill, and so on) were still very severe when judged by today's standards.
Again the great literature of the period (for example, For the Term of his Natural Life, by Marcus Clarke, and the poem, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde) testify to the often horrifying and unjust conditions of such punishments.
Here, for example, Oscar Wilde on his imprisonment:
I never saw a man who looked
With such a wistful eye
Upon that little tent of blue
Which prisoners call the sky.
The rapidity of decisions in criminal trials, the fact that defendants had to defend themselves (not being able to pay for a lawyer) and the noisy and often chaotic conditions prevailing in the courts unfortunately meant that miscarriages of justice were not uncommon.
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England (
i /ˈɪŋɡlənd/) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.[5][6][7] It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years,[8] but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world.[9] The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations.[10] The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation.[11] England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.[12]
England's terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north (for example, the mountainous Lake District, Pennines, and Yorkshire Dales) and in the south west (for example, Dartmoor and the Cotswolds). London, England's capital, is the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures.[note 1] England's population is about 51 million, around 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, and is largely concentrated in London, the South East and conurbations in the Midlands, the North West, the North East and Yorkshire, which developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century. Meadowlands and pastures are found beyond the major cities.
The Kingdom of England—which after 1284 included Wales—was a sovereign state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union put into effect the terms agreed in the Treaty of Union the previous year, resulting in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain.[13] In 1800, Great Britain was united with Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State was established as a separate dominion, but the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act in 1927 reincorporated into the kingdom six Irish counties to officially create the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
France edge out England to seal Six Nations Grand Slam
France sealed their first Six Nations Grand Slam in six years when they weathered an England storm to run out 12-10 winners at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Three Morgan Parra penalties and a Francois Trinh-Duc drop-goal were sufficient for a France team that had already seen off Italy (46-20), Wales (20-26), Ireland (33-10) and Scotland (9-18).
France coach Marc Lievremont said that it made him immensely proud to have coached France to a ninth Grand Slam success.
"It is a moment of great pride for me and for the squad," said the 41-year-old.
"I thought for a while we were afraid of winning the match. The English largely dominated but we had the nerve in the end to hold on," added Lievremont, who has silenced his critics in fine style. Related article: Lievremont takes pride in Grand Slam win
Captain Thierry Dusautoir, captaining them for the 10th time since replacing Lionel Nallet, was also bursting with pride as they ended a run of defeats to England in competitive matches dating back to 2006.
"I feel huge pride in what has happened tonight. It was really tough tonight but we hung in there and for us this evening is hard to put in to words but it is a massive achievement."
A fluid start by England promised something special from a side that has been roundly criticised for its boring play.
But that fluidity was only really on show in the first and last quarters, as France upped their rush defence and were happy to sit back, soak up the pressure and gradually take control of the middle portion of the match.
England, who had drawn with Scotland (15-15), lost to Ireland (16-20), and beaten Italy (17-12) and Wales (30-17), scored an early try through Ben Foden, converted by Toby Flood. Replacement Jonny Wilkinson scored a late penalty.
Trinh-Duc opened the scoring with a neatly-taken drop-goal in the fourth minute after impressive French No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy drove into England's 22-metre area.
But England hit straight back with full-back Foden the welcome recipient of some swift midfield give-and-take, the last by solid debutant Chris Ashton, to slide unfettered into the left corner, Flood nailing the touch-line conversion.
The visitors, with scrum-half Danny Care and Foden to the fore, took the game to the home side, for whom Parra missed a 45-metre penalty after 13 minutes.
While centre Mike Tindall offered a more robust defence against the imposing figure of Mathieu Bastareaud, he was penalised for not rolling away in the 18th minute, and Parra cut the deficit to one point with a penalty.
Dan Cole, who came under increasing pressure from Thomas Domingo, was then penalised for collapsing a scrum and Parra moved France into the lead with his second penalty.
A further Cole infringement at the scrum handed Parra another easy chance as France moved out to a 12-7 half-time lead.
Cole and hooker Dylan Hartley made way for David Wilson and Steve Thompson as England tried to shore up their creaking scrum in the second-half.
Care's clever box kick into unguarded French territory almost paid off for the chasing Foden but the ball rolled into touch.
Ashton also had a chance but arguably chipped too early over Clement Poitrenaud, allowing the French full-back to race back and snuff out the danger.
England's game degenerated into a procession of ugly pick-and-go's in a scrappy game in which the heavy rain saw a number of spilt balls at a packed and expectant Stade de France.
But the visitors were seemingly buoyed by France's lack of attacking spirit in the last quarter which was marked by some wasteful kicking away of possession, to the catcalls of the notoriously fickle French crowd.
Mark Cueto broke through but could not find Ashton on the wing, and the pressure finally told when Wilkinson kicked a 67th minute penalty after Parra failed to roll away after bringing down Cueto on the other side of the field.
France ground out the final five minutes for a result that was a lot closer than it should have been, but one which secured 'Les Bleus' a first Grand Slam since 2004.
Related information:
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all the bases occupied by baserunners, thereby scoring four runs - the most possible on a single play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves taking all the possible tricks. The word slam, by itself, is usually connected with a loud sound, particularly of a door being closed with excess force; thus, slamming the door on one's opponent(s). The term was extended to various sports, such as golf and tennis, for winning all the major tournaments. It is even used in restaurants, for example a "grand slam breakfast" consisting of samplings of all the most common dishes. Word-playing sportscasters have also coined the popular (and etymologically unrelated) variation, "grand salami".
Calories in Soup – Progresso Healthy Classics New England Clam Chowder
The nutritional table shows the amount of energy (calories), carbohydrate, protein, and fat per unit of each soup - progresso healthy classics new england clam chowder item. Saturated fat is also shown as a separate column.
Where there is more than one serving measurement available, click on the serving to select other servings.
Soup - Progresso Healthy Classics New England Clam Chowder Calories and Macro-Nutrients
| Serving Click to see other units |
Calories | Carb (g) |
Protein (g) |
Total Fat (g) |
Sat. Fat (g) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soup - PROGRESSO HEALTHY CLASSICS NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER, canned, ready-to-serve | 1 cup | 117 | 19.8 | 5.2 | 2 | 0.5 |
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Ramen (ラーメン, rāmen?, IPA: [ɽaꜜːmeɴ] (
listen)) is a Japanese noodle dish that originated in China. It is served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as sliced pork (チャーシュー, chāshū?), dried seaweed (海苔, nori?), kamaboko, green onions and even corn. Almost every locality in Japan has its own variation of ramen, from the tonkotsu ramen of Kyūshū to the miso ramen of Hokkaidō.
Though of Chinese origin, it is unclear when ramen was introduced to Japan. Even the etymology of the word ramen is a topic of debate. One hypothesis is that ramen is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese: 拉麺 (la mian), meaning hand-pulled noodles." A second hypothesis proposes 老麺 (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while another states that ramen was initially 鹵麺 (lǔmiàn), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce. A fourth hypothesis is 撈麵 (lāomiàn, "lo mein"): 撈 means to "dredge up" and refers to the method of cooking these noodles by immersing them in boiling water before dredging them up with a wire basket.
Until the 1950s, ramen was called shina soba (支那そば, literally "Chinese soba") but today chūka soba (中華そば, also meaning "Chinese soba") is more common. By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from Canton and Shanghai offered a simple ramen dish of noodles (cut rather than hand pulled), a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gyōza dumplings to workers. By the mid 1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a charumera (チャルメラ, from the Portuguese charamela) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early Shōwa period, ramen had become a popular dish when eating out.
After World War II, cheap flour imported from the U.S. swept the Japanese market. At the same time, millions of Japanese troops had returned from China and continental East Asia. Many of these returnees had become familiar with Chinese cuisine and subsequently set up Chinese restaurants across Japan. Eating ramen, while popular, was still a special occasion that required going out.
In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-Japanese founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll,[1] instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water.
Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied from many perspectives. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market and could even be ordered by their regional names. A ramen museum opened in Yokohama in 1994.
France’s Bastareaud returns for England rugby clash
France centre Mathieu Bastareaud was the only change to the starting line-up for this Saturday's Six Nations clash with England at the Stade de France from the one that beat Italy 46-10 last weekend when the team was announced on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Stade Francais star replaces David Marty -- despite the Perpignan centre scoring two tries in the victory over the Italians -- alongside Yannick Jauzion in midfield as the French search for their first Grand Slam since 2004.
Bastareaud -- outstanding in France's first three victories in the tournament over Scotland, Ireland and Wales -- missed out on a starting place against the Italians because of a calf niggle he had felt earlier last week, though, he came on in the second-half as a replacement.
France coach Marc Lievremont opted to retain the 5ft 5inch wing Marc Andreu -- who scored his first try for France in the Italy win and set up Jauzion for another in what was his first start - instead of the more physically imposing Julien Malzieu.
"With a fullback (Clement Poitrenaud) and wings who are relatively light, we wanted to return to a more solid midfield," said the 39-year-old.
"There was a discussion over whether to pick Marc (Andreu) or Julien (Malzieu), who has also played very well in this tournament."
"We chose Marc for his punch and dynamism, and also his aggressiveness in defence."
"We are anticipating a particularly physical encounter, at the top of the range of engagement and ferocity, certainly not seen yet in this tournament," added Lievremont, who is searching for his first win over England since replacing Bernard Laporte after the 2007 World Cup.
Lievremont -- so often criticised for his chopping and changing of his teams during his tenure in which he has tried over 70 players -- retains the same front row that he has used throughout the campaign.
However he prefers the relatively untried but thus far impressive Julien Pierre instead of icon Sebastien Chabal to start in the second row alongside former captain Lionel Nallet.
England may not have been convincing in this year's Six Nations but go into the game with a run of four successive victories over the French in competitive matches dating back to the 2007 Six Nations.
Team (15-1)
Clement Poitrenaud; Marc Andreu, Mathieu Bastareaud, Yannick Jauzion, Alexis Palisson; Francois Trinh-Duc, Morgan Parra; Imanol Harinordoquy, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (capt); Julien Pierre, Lionel Nallet; Nicolas Mas, William Servat, Thomas Domingo
Replacements used: Dimitri Szarzewski, Jean-Baptiste Poux, Sebastien Chabal, Alexandre Lapandry, Dimitri Yachvili, David Marty, Julien Malzieu
Related information:
Bastareaud played for Creteil Rugby youth squads and then moved to Massy. He went through the junior academy there and played for the third division club SU Massy. He attracted national attention and after two seasons he moved to European giants Stade Francais.
He was included in the 2009 Six Nations squad, also his international debut. He scored two tries in his Six Nations debut against Scotland at Murrayfield and also impressed in the match against Wales, which France won 21–16, on February 27, 2009. He later played against England and as a replacement against Italy in the same competition. After some very impressive performances for his club, Matthieu was involved in the 2010 Six Nations Championships and is a key figure for the French side. He stood out as an extreme powerhouse as he scored two tries against Scotland and kept on impressing against Ireland and Wales. He was rested for the majority of the game against Italy but was brought on for the last 15 minutes and nearly scored with a 10 metre leg charge.
Egypt Vs EnglaND .. Capillo Nightmare
terry,rony
It’s the year of a major tournament and so, for England, there was always going to be plenty of controversy abound.
Prior to Euro ’96 there was the infamous dentist’s chair drinking incident while preparations for the 2006 World Cup were riddled with the much-publicized ‘WAG’ culture around the camp. An alleged extra-marital affair involving John Terry and the mother of Wayne Bridge’s child, forcing the latter to withdraw from international reckoning, is beyond par for the course.
Add what could prove to be Bridge’s retirement from international football to an injury to Ashley Cole - a staple figure in the national side - and a call-up for Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross hours after his mistimed tackle left Aaron Ramsey with a horrific broken leg and you’re left with a friendly of vital importance.
Wednesday’s visit of Egypt is manager Fabio Capello’s last chance to assess his players before announcing his squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, too. The Italian is expected to field as close to his strongest XI as possible from the start, but is unlikely to pass up the opportunity to have a closer look at younger talents on the fringe of the first team, including the versatile James Milner, goalkeeper Joe Hart and striker Carlton Cole.
Egypt will not be in South Africa, but the Pharaohs are by no means slouches when it comes to cup competitions. Hassan Shehata’s side have won a whopping seven African Cup of Nations tournaments, the latest coming in January with a 1-0 win over Ghana, and the last three coming in succession.
There is little to go by in terms of previous encounters between the two countries, but Egypt might be keen to exact revenge on England for a pair of defeats, the latest coming at Italia ’90, where a Mark Wright goal saw Bobby Robson’s side progress from the group stages, eventually bowing out at the hands of Germany in a semi-final penalty shootout.
Egypt are also believed to have been selected for this friendly meeting as preparation for England’s World Cup encounter with Algeria, and Shehata’s charges may wish to prove they are a different proposition to the physical style of their fellow Africans.
MOre results :
England
Brazil 1-0 England (Friendly)
England 3-0 Belarus (World Cup qualifier)
Ukraine 1-0 England (World Cup qualifier)
England 5-1 Croatia (World Cup qualifier)
England 2-1 Slovenia (Friendly)
Fabio Capello Challange
Fabio-Capello
England coach Fabio Capello insists the time has come for his stars to start setting an example on and off the pitch.
The Three Lions have been rocked by scandal of late with Wayne Bridge withdrawing from international duty over claims John Terry had an affair with his ex-girlfriend.
Left-back Ashley Cole has also been in the headlines for the wrong reasons after separating from his wife over allegations of infidelity.
Capello knows the trio are important players ahead of this summer's World Cup finals and believes they need to set an example for youngsters to follow.
The Italian admits dealing with fame and riches can be difficult at a young age, although he hopes they start making sacrifices for the good of their careers.
Important
"They are important players," explained Capello. "They have to be an example to the children, for all the fans.
"For that reason they have to stay careful in every moment and sacrifice something in their lives.
"They are young players, young boys, rich boys and this is a problem."
England's players maintain their team spirit in the camp remains high and Capello knows it is imperative the boat is not rocked by further scandals.
Asked whether he hopes England have seen the last of their off-field problems, Capello replied: "I hope so.
"It will be really important that the players in this last period have to be careful in their private lives at every moment.
"I think the next three months will be okay for the players."
Bridge turns his back on England
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge has turned his back on England after deciding the fall-out from John Terry's alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend has made his position in the team untenable.
Bridge released a statement through his lawyers on Thursday confirming that he did not wish to be selected for Fabio Capello's squad for this year's World Cup in South Africa because his presence would be potentially "divisive".
The former Chelsea left-back has been considering his international future since reports of Terry's affair with his former partner Vanessa Perroncel, a French underwear model with whom he has a four-year-old child, first came to light.
Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Capello as a result of the scandal and the Italian had thought Bridge would continue to play for his country.
With first choice left-back Ashley Cole out with an injury, Bridge would have lined up alongside Terry in the England defence in Wednesday's friendly against Egypt at Wembley.
But the 29-year-old, who is due to face Terry for the first time in City's clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, feels that is an impossible situation for him to contemplate.
It had also been claimed Bridge still feels so hurt by Terry that he may not even shake hands with the Chelsea captain during the pre-match pleasantries this weekend.
"I have thought long and hard about my position in the England football team in the light of the reporting and events over the last few weeks," Bridge said in his statement.
"It has always been an honour to play for England. However, after careful thought I believe my position in the squad is now untenable and potentially divisive.
"Sadly therefore I feel for the sake of the team and in order to avoid what will be inevitable distractions, I have decided not to put myself forward for selection.
"I have today informed the management of this decision. I wish the team all the very best in South Africa."
Although Bridge has not formally announced his retirement from international football, it seems that he would not consider coming out of his self-imposed exile unless Terry is no longer involved in England action.
Terry, who has looked distracted during recent error-strewn displays for Chelsea, will now have to play with the extra burden of knowing his actions have resulted in someone he used to class as a close friend missing the World Cup.
Capello has yet to comment on Bridge's decision, but Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore told Talksport he is happy to let the Italian deal with the situation.
Watmore said: "We leave all the playing decisions to him (Capello). I absolutely don't back seat drive the England team.
"I'm sure he and his people will have been talking to Wayne Bridge overnight on the announcement and will have been talking to him regularly as they do with all the England players."
With Cole sidelined for three months due to an ankle injury, Bridge's decision leaves Capello without both his first-choice left-backs and he will now turn to Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock or Manchester City's Joleon Lescott instead.
Warnock, 28, was named in Capello's squad for the recent friendly defeat to Brazil but his only international experience amounts to six minutes as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008.
Capello is already without Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who has a back problem, and Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson, sidelined with a knee injury.
Alun Wyn Jones will not pay for the ’sin’ which tripped up Wales
Wales are set to keep faith with the second-row Alun Wyn Jones when they name their team to face Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday. Jones was accused by his coach, Warren Gatland, of costing his side victory at Twickenham last weekend after he was sent to the sin bin for a trip and England scored 17 unanswered points in his absence.
Gatland said after the 30-17 defeat that he would consider dropping Jones, who led Wales against Italy in last year's Six Nations, but he has since calmed down and is likely to content himself with a stern rebuke and a warning about future behaviour.
"We've all made mistakes and Alun Wyn did on the weekend," said the Wales kicking coach, Neil Jenkins. "We've had other players in the past who have been sin-binned and we've come through it unscathed. That was not the case on Saturday, but that is how it goes. Things get said, but I do not think he will be dropped.
"We have learned from it and moved on. Alun is a superb player and we have to make sure that we do not lose our discipline against Scotland. Alun will not have to prove anything on Saturday. He knows he made a mistake but he has learned his harsh lesson."
The Wales wing Shane Williams said the players were behind Jones. "We are sticking by him," he said. "I know there were a number of unhappy Welsh people on Saturday, but no one is more disappointed than Alun Wyn. If I know him, he will bounce back even stronger from this and I hope he plays on Saturday because he is one of our best players."
Wales hope to have the prop Gethin Jenkins fit to face Scotland after he missed the Twickenham trip with a calf strain, but his fellow Lion Matthew Rees may need surgery to sort out a recurrent groin problem. Jenkins will return to full training on Thursday, when Wales will decide whether Rees should have an operation, which would rule him out for the rest of the season, or play on.
The scrum-half Dwayne Peel, another groin victim, hopes to make his comeback for Sale at Wasps on Sunday while Wales's first choice in the position, Mike Phillips, who has not played since damaging ankle ligaments last October, hopes to play in a club match this weekend before returning to action with the Ospreys next week.
Wales may have lost the chance of a grand slam, but Williams said they still had all to play for. "We have four matches to go and we can win the title. It is not an impossible task but we know he will have to be far better against Scotland than we were at Twickenham."
