Drogba Nets But Brazil Truimph

A Didier Drogba header could not prevent Ivory Coast losing 3-1 to Brazil at the World Cup on Sunday evening.

The Chelsea forward headed home with just over 10 minutes remaining in Johannesburg, by which time the Brazilians were already three goals up through a double from Luis Fabiano and Elano.

Salomon Kalou was also a starter for the Ivorians, but was withdrawn from his left-wing role with just over 20 minutes remaining.

After 24 minutes as a substitute against Portugal last week, Drogba was deemed fit to start against the Brazilians by coach Sven Goran Eriksson.

It was Brazil who threatened first, when inside the opening minute, Robinho, still registered with Manchester City, burst forward and shot a yard over the crossbar.

Despite their reputation as Africa's pre-eminent side, Brazil would be a tall order for Les Elephants and nobody faced a harder task than Drogba, who was marked by Inter's defensive man-mountain Lucio.

After firing a speculative free-kick deep into the stand behind the goal, Drogba managed to draw a foul from his marker down the left channel, though the cross eventually came to nothing.

Though Ivory Coast had their fair share of possession in the middle of the park, Brazil were beginning to profit down the flanks, as twice Maicon earned corners as he burst down the right, Kalou given the thankless task of pursuing him.

With 25 minutes gone Brazil's attacking pair of Kaka and Luis Fabiano could boast no major action, but then they showed just why they are so highly-rated, in an instant exchanging passes and putting their country in front.

Kaka slipped the ball through the Ivory Coast backline and Fabiano, who had not scored in nine international months beforehand, smashed home from an acute angle past Boubacar Barry.

It could have got worse for the Africans shortly afterwards, but Drogba rose high to head Elano's cross away. His aerial abilities so often demonstrated at Stamford Bridge transferred effectively to South Africa.

His impact was now needed at the other end though, but Ivory Coast were struggling to gain ground, Kalou and Aruna Dindane on the other flank finding space hard to come by, and the midfield trio of Yaya Toure, Ismael Tiote and Didier Zokora lacking craft.

Five minutes into the second half, Fabiano doubled the advantage with a fine solo goal, flicking the ball over three Ivorian defenders and lashing low into the bottom corner, a sucker blow.

Drogba had his first decent sight of goal three minutes later, a deep cross reaching him at the far post but his header lacked precision and fell wide.

At the other end Barry saved from Robinho before Elano made the three points safe for the Brazilians, slotting home just after the hour following Kaka's square ball into space.

Kalou was withdrawn with a quarter of the game to go, and 10 minutes later, Drogba had his goal.

Sub Gervinho found space down the left and picked out Yaya Toure, whose cross found the forward's run into the area, Drogba making no mistake and flicking it low into the corner.

The game threatened to descend into farce when sub Kader Keita reacted after a collision with Kaka, the Brazilian unjustly given a second yellow card, which will see him miss their final game with Portugal in the week.

There was no further action though, and so despite Drogba's first goal of the 2010 World Cup, Ivory Coast will now be outsiders to progress into the last 16 should Portugal beat North Korea on Monday.

My Favourite Games: Michael Ballack

Michael Ballack's time at Chelsea is coming to an end but before leaving he shared with the Official Chelsea Website two games that hold a special place in his memory - one involving his nation on the biggest stage of all, and the other a club game against English opposition during the period he was making a major name for himself throughout Europe.

Favourite game played:

Michael Ballack enjoyed some good days against Liverpool during his four years with Chelsea but for his favourite game played, he turns the calendar back to 2002 and the night the Merseyside team visited western Germany in a European encounter.

Bayer Leverkusen had been a strengthening force in the Bundesliga since German reunification and that season made the Champions League Final, but not before overcoming Premier League sides Manchester United in the semis and Liverpool before that. It was the quarter-final that set the pulse racing for Ballack.

'We lost the first game 1-0 at Anfield which for Liverpool was a good result,' he recalls. 'But I was able to score early in the second game.'

The goal deserves some explanation, the midfielder seeing off his marker and finding the top corner with his left foot from 30 yards.

'Steven Gerrard came really close to press me and I dummied with my right and shot with my left.

'But Liverpool scored just before half-time and the game was really open. We played really good but there was always a danger with Michael Owen up front and Jari Litamen was very good for them also, and the game went up and down.

'It was really close because we had to score two more and against Liverpool that is really difficult. But I scored for 2-1 with my head this time and Liverpool had two great chances so we were a little bit lucky.

'But with the second goal from me we got new hope, we had a lot of pressure and we scored the third.'

Leverkusen's strike that made it 3-1 and put them in a position to go through came from a player who would eventually join Ballack in swapping Germany for London - Dimitar Berbatov - but it did not take long for Litamen to make it 3-2 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate. Liverpool were set for the semis.

That was until Brazil's current World Cup captain came forward from the back to hammer a left-footed winner six minutes from time.

'Lucio scored our fourth and the atmosphere was fantastic and it was one of the best games, not only for me but for the club. It was really exciting,' enthuses Ballack. His side lost at Hampden Park in the Final to Real Madrid and a famous Zinedine Zidane goal. Ballack, having then helped Germany to the World Cup Final, moved on to Bayern Munich at the end of the summer.

Favourite game watched:

His spectator high point won't go down in anyone's book as a classic match, yet it is understandable why it made a huge impression on a then 13-year-old Ballack.

The Germans' 1990 World Cup Final 1-0 victory over Argentina was a dour 90 minutes, but it is the one time his nation has been crowned world champions in Ballack's lifetime.

It will have cemented the likes of Lothar Matthaeus, Jurgen Klinsmann, Pierre Littbarski and scorer of the winning penalty, Andreas Brehme, in the affections of the future German captain and his contemporaries, although there is an incongruity.

It was a team entered by West Germany in 1990. Reunification was officially three months away - and Ballack is an East German.

'There was no player from the east in the side but by now you could watch them and they had become more close to us,' he explains.

'The reunified country was still very young - but we all felt like Germans.'

England Players Behind Fabio Capello, Says John Terry

John Terry today denied reports of friction within the England camp following their poor performances that leaves them needing a win against Slovenia on Wednesday to guarantee progression to the last 16. The defender added that the inclusion of Joe Cole could be the catalyst England need to spark their World Cup campaign.

But the England squad is set for a clear-the-air meeting tonight, with the squad set to review the dire 0-0 draw with Algeria on Friday.

"We have a meeting tonight to watch the game and see where we went wrong. As a group of players we owe it to the people back home. If we upset the manger then so be it. If people need to get things off their chest they should do," said Terry.

"If we feel that things need to be changed then everyone needs to voice their opinion. If that upsets him or any player then so what?"

The draw against Algeria followed the opening 1-1 result against USA to leave them with just two points and third in Group C, sparking reports of a rift between the senior players and Capello.

"On behalf of the players there's no unrest in the camp at all. We're obviously still disappointed from the game the other night, but we have to pick ourselves up and we have to win the game on Wednesday," said Terry.

"We're all behind the manager, we shouldn't be looking at excuses or criticising the manger. All we can do as a group of players is stick behind him. We're here, we're supporting and we are fully behind him. We know we've got his support as well and that's the main thing.

"I'm not going to sit here and question manger. All I can say is I'm here on behalf of the team and players and we're all fully behind the manager. Since the manager has come in he's had his ways and his philosophies that he's brought to the side.

"That's worked in the campaign and nothing should change from that. We've got to stay unified and stay together and get the win."

Asked if he believed Joe Cole could liven up team, Terry responded: "I think so, we've seen that with Chelsea. I personally think he and Wayne [Rooney] are the only two in the side who can really open up things and are key to breaking down defences. If he's called on Joe will do a great job."

Terry added that all the England players shared the frustration exhibited by Rooney, who drew criticism for his comments to a TV camera after the Algeria game, criticising England's travelling supporters for booing.

"Like everyone [Rooney] was frustrated with the way we played. We’re still upbeat, we've still got to go into the last game trying to top the group.

"We've go to go out there and think sod it, we've got one game left and we owe it to our fans to play well.

"Once we're out there it is up to us as a group of players to do what the manager wants us to. I'm sure for the game on Wednesday everyone will have that fire in their belly."

Terry said there was no fear in the England camp but admitted that failure to reach the second round was "unacceptable". "But until that minute comes I'm going to keep myself upbeat and keep the lads spirits up," said Terry. "I've certainly not enjoyed [the World Cup] so far but we do need to start enjoying it. Even in training the lads have been uptight. But we need our big players to stand up.

"I'm asking the fans to get behind us again because we've got the best fans in the world. If we go out then they have every right to have a go at us but its not going to come to that."

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy earlier before the World Cup by Capello following a sex scandal but the defender said it had not altered his approach in the dressing room.

"Since I've lost the armband nothing has changed for me," he said. "I was born to do stuff like that and I will continue to do that in the dressing room and on the training field. No one will take that away from me."

Frank Lampard Believes England Will Thrive Now The Pressure Is On Against Slovenia

Frank Lampard insists England’s quality will show through when faced with a do or die match against Slovenia on Wednesday.

The Three Lions require a win over the Group C leaders to ensure their place in the knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup, and avoid a disastrous showing in South Africa.

Lampard believes the pressure that will be placed on Fabio Capello’s squad will help England respond after disappointing draws against the United States and Algeria.

“We are disappointed about the way things have gone, but I wouldn’t call this a low point because we can still go through,” Lampard told The Mirror.

“You have to remember this is the World Cup and nothing is going to be easy.

“It’s all down to the game against Slovenia now and I think if you had told us beforehand that a win against them would put us through we’d have taken it.

“We’ve had some pretty big one-off games in the past and we’ve always responded to the challenge. We will do just that on Wednesday.”

A draw will be sufficient for Slovenia to make the round of 16 for the first time in the country’s short World Cup history, and would leave England at the mercy of Algeria who take on the USA at the same time.

Silva Tempted By Chelsea

David Silva admits the Premier League is 'the place to be' and has opened the door for a move to Chelsea.

The Valencia winger is currently away on World Cup duty, with Spain's quest for global glory dominating his thoughts at present.

He has, however, taken time out to discuss his future, with reports continuing to suggest that he is destined to leave Los Che this summer.

A switch to England has been widely touted, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all believed to be keen.

Silva has now revealed that he would be willing to make such a move, but has implied that he would rather try his luck in West London than the North West.

He said, in comments reported by the Daily Star: "Chelsea have established themselves as one of the best clubs in Europe over the last five years.

"They might not have the history of Real Madrid or AC Milan but they are creating their own history now. There is no reason why in the future Chelsea can't be as decorated as Real Madrid.

"Chelsea probably have, along with Barcelona, the best squad in football and if any player joins Chelsea he knows he is going to win things.

"In players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba they have players who would get into any team in the world and it would be a pleasure to play with them.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Chelsea would be a great club to play for - and a club where I could fulfil my ambition of league titles and the European Cup.

"The Premier League is still the place to be, no other league in the world has six or seven Champions League quality teams."

Real Madrid Boss Mourinho Set To Battle Chelsea For Schweinsteiger

Real Madrid Manager Jose Mourinho is set battle his old club Chelsea for the signing of the 30-million-euro rated Bastian Schweinsteiger.

According to the Spanish AS newspaper, Mourinho has put the 25-year-old German international on a shortlist of midfielders he wants to sign, along with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard , Roma's Daniele De Rossi and Athletic Bilbao 's Javi Martínez.

A fortnight ago, it was reported that Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti had already lined up Schweinsteiger as a replacement for Michael Ballack and was willing to make a £25-million bid to secure his signature.

Schweinsteiger was instrumental in Bayern Munich capturing the domestic double and reaching the Champions League final last season.

His three-million-euro-a-season contract at Bayern runs until 2012.

Nicolas Anelka To Retire From International Football

French striker Nicolas Anelka has announced his retirement from international football after being sent home from the World Cup, according to Sky Sports News.

Chelsea forward Anelka was dumped by France on Saturday after an apparent dressing room bust-up with manager Raymond Domenech during their 2-0 defeat against Mexico on Thursday.

Reports suggested that Anelka had reacted angrily to Domenech’s questioning of his first half performance and that led to him being taken off at the interval. It had been reported that Anelka told his manager to "go f*** yourself".

Anelka was also absent from training on Saturday which fuelled rumours that his World Cup was over and that was later confirmed by the French Football Federation (FFF)

But now it seems Anelka has stepped away from the national side for good.

It further compounds a disastrous few days for France, who seem destined to be knocked out of the World Cup and need a win against South Africa in their final game to stand any chance of progressing.

Michael Ballack Set For Talks With Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen will do "all we can" to bring Michael Ballack back to the club eight years after his first spell in North-Rhein Westphalia ended following the most successful season in the club's history.

Ballack becomes a free agent at the end of the month when his contract with Chelsea expires and several clubs from the Bundesliga have been linked with him.

But Leverkusen have been keen to make their interest known, with sporting director Rudi Völler declaring the club's interest on Friday.

"We know that he has two definite offers and we are now ready to start negotiations," said their general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser.

"We will do all we can to bring Ballack back. We are in close contact with him and his agent."

Nevertheless, Holzhauser knows his club cannot compete with the wages rivals Wolfsburg or even Hamburg could offer and is therefore hoping Ballack will follow his heart to return to the club he represented from 1999 to 2002 before joining Bayern Munich. He finished runner up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League in a memorable final year with Leverkusen.

"If he does come to us, then he is going to have to make sacrifices," added Holzhauser. "We cannot compete with what the others are offering."

England Could Use Joe Cole's Sleight Of Foot

Joe Cole launched himself at this England squad only to vanish into its inky depths. Fabio Capello has had no use for him in either of the games with which the World Cup program has creaked open. This is all the more peculiar since the manager spoke initially as if he had located a rare commodity when referring to the freshness of a player often kept out of Chelsea's starting line-up by injury or Florent Malouda.

Some suppose Cole is being punished for alleged conceit when he talked merrily of what he might add to the team, but he was really presenting himself as a person desperate to meet Capello's every criterion, even if that entailed defending. It would be perverse of the manager to see arrogance when the 28-year-old was aiming for obedience.

Given the generally one-paced look of the oldest squad England have taken to a World Cup, the Italian may really have been eager to employ whatever direct runners there are, and in the goalless draw with Algeria Aaron Lennon started and then gave way to Shaun Wright-Phillips. Regardless of the acceleration, there was no quick thinking.

A one-paced Cole, on the other hand, is compelled to count on deftness and Wayne Rooney deems him the current England player with the best technique. There is an irony in the midfielder's decision to postpone an announcement about the club he will join as a free agent so that nothing detracts from the World Cup campaign. To date, he might as well have been exploring the fine detail of competing offers.

Cole is not always a luminous creator and Chelsea ruled out meeting the cost of the contract that might have kept him at Stamford Bridge. There is a suspicion that he is no more than decorative. Before Euro 2004, Sven-Goran Eriksson gave him 45 minutes in a warm-up friendly with Japan but did not let him on to the field in the finals.

Even so, the same manager relished the devastation Cole is capable of when he scored with a wonderful 30-yarder against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup and laid on Steven Gerrard's goal in the 2-2 draw. He got Capello's full attention in a first England appearance since September 2008 when he was a brisk substitute in the friendly with Japan. Suddenly Cole was more than just a man whose prospects had been clouded ever since a cruciate ligament injury.

The player's task now is to demonstrate that he is part of the remedy for England's sluggishness. The side must defeat Slovenia to ensure a spot in the last 16, but the resolve of Matjaz Kek's team is recognised and other aspects were on show as they followed a win over Algeria with a 2-2 draw against the United States.

England dare not be as passive as they have looked thus far. The form of specific key footballers is a worry to Capello. His commitment to Lennon has been all the more marked since he ditched Theo Walcott, but the Tottenham winger's crosses continue to be aimless. Other issues are in the balance and Steven Gerrard, having been so invigorated by his opener against the United States, made barely any impression on Algeria.

Rooney is the key figure, but he had a wretched evening in Cape Town. Defending against him was elementary when his touch and technique proved so inexplicably defective.

It was the type of outing that made people ponder the fact that the striker's last goal for his country at a major tournament was against Croatia at Euro 2004. That may be rectified soon, but it is also feasible that exasperation will undermine him against Slovenia and that the link with Emile Heskey, so valuable in the qualifiers, is not functioning for the time being.

England will be in jeopardy if they do not display subtlety soon. While Capello is not a man for second thoughts, his side are badly in need of variety and sleight of foot. At some stage, Cole's degree of impact may be critical to the team's hopes at this World Cup.

Summary Of A Season: Florent Malouda

Florent Malouda continued to go from strength to strength in 2009/10, building on his solid finish to the previous campaign.

The Frenchman made Carlo Ancelotti's early selections and by the end had cemented his place in the starting line up. He was instrumental in a number of historic wins and netted 15 goals throughout an industrious campaign.

That was an important measurement of his abilities but just as vital were the assists. Malouda helped set up 12 of Chelsea's League goals, including his cross which Joe Cole back-heeled over the line against Manchester United as we beat them 2-1 at Old Trafford.

It was also Malouda corner that John Terry nodded on for Didier Drogba to strike past Manuel Almunia when we hosted Arsenal at the Bridge, opening the scoring only seven minutes in.

When it came to scoring himself, Malouda netted six goals more in all competitions compared to the previous campaign although his disciplinary record did slip slightly during 2009/10.

He saw red, following two yellow cards against Birmingham on Boxing Day, as well as another six yellows.

He had only found the net four times before that dismissal but would score another 11 before the season ended, including two against Portsmouth and two against Villa in our 5-0 and 7-1 wins respectively.

In fact Malouda began scoring regularly the first game following his red card when we hosted Watford for a 5-0 thumping. The next game was the nine-goal thriller against Sunderland in which he netted our second.

It was one of his most incredible goals in a Chelsea shirt after winning the ball inside the centre circle and then dancing past two opponents before accurately finding the bottom corner with his right foot.

He was a versatile member of the team, playing as a midfielder rather than a wide man in a 4-3-3 towards the season's end and he even moved back into the left-back position away against Inter Milan when both Ashley Cole and Yury Zhirkov were unavailable. It was the first time he performed those duties in a Chelsea shirt although he had done so for Lyon and once for France, and proved capable in the role against the forward runs of Maicon.

Ending his League campaign against Wigan, although he failed to find the net during our 8-0 win he did assist in Nicolas Anelka's vital opener after chesting down for his fellow Frenchman to strike with only six minutes played.

He ended the season with a second successive FA Cup winners' medal after a tight 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Wembley in which he expertly spotted Ashley Cole's run down the left flank, a move which ended with Salmon Kalou's big miss.

It will be a tough task for Malouda to build again on such a successful campaign next year following World Cup action but at 30-years-old and in the form of his life, to do so should be well within the spritely winger's reach.

Frustrated Ashley Cole Left Isolated By Steven Gerrard

On a hugely disappointing night England were their own worst enemies. They were generally outmanoeuvred by a tidy but toothless Algerian side and cluttered the midfield in an anaemic display which did no credit to anyone who featured in a white shirt.

Fabio Capello once against opted for the power of Emile Heskey to complement Wayne Rooney in attack, with Steven Gerrard returning to semi left-side duties. This meant England had only one natural winger, Aaron Lennon, to penetrate the opposition defence from wide midfield. But he struggled to do that almost from the outset after England started nervously and Algeria, with Karim Ziani and Ryad Boudebouz playing off the lone striker Karim Matmour, won possession and showed early confidence. This provided the platform for their wing-backs, Foued Kadir and Hassan Yebda, to get forward and force an already stuttering and less than fluid England side to retreat further and further back.

There was a particular lack of penetration from the left-hand side, due to Gerrard repeatedly coming inside. This allowed England to match Algeria in terms of numbers in central midfield but it squeezed the space from where Frank Lampard could express himself and meant that every time Ashley Cole was in possession, he saw only the green shirt of Kadir in front of him. Cole never had a player outside him to whom he could pass the ball.

Cole can be a vibrant attacker from deep but in this match was a near non-contributor to England's possession. This was also partly down to the side's fractured passing, which gave the full-back little confidence that he could venture forward without being caught out of position on the counter-attack. In contrast Glen Johnson, the right full-back, constantly had an outlet in Aaron Lennon and, while both put in below-par performances, they were more effective than Cole and the inward-wandering Gerrard.

It is absolutely essential that against Slovenia England use the whole width of the pitch. Stretching the opposition will also be easier if Wayne Rooney does not get swamped in the midfield minefield, as he did against Algeria. We need Rooney to be nearer the goal and that means sacrificing Heskey, who was regularly and too easily forced away from goal by Algeria's three centre-backs, in particular Antar Yahia. Heskey seemed to be playing with lead in his boots. The time has surely now come for Capello to move Rooney up and play Gerrard just behind him. That is a partnership that has the potential to cause Slovenia real problems next week. With Gerrard in attack, Capello must thenplay someone on the left who can support Cole and give him a target to pass to. He was one of the very few England players who had a genuine excuse for looking and playing in such a frustrating manner.

Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast Return Divides Opinion

Ivory Coast's solid performance in their Group G opener against Portugal has increased the number of Didier Drogba dissidents among the Elephants' supporters. The Wigan midfielder, Olivier Kapo, who was born in Abidjan, spoke for them this week when he suggested that not feeling obliged to cater to the team's star striker "liberated" the other Ivorian players and lead to a more fluent display.

However, although that opinion is spreading, it is still not the dominant view and, most importantly, the team's manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has declared that he is a Drogba believer and confirmed that the Chelsea striker will return to the starting line-up for Sunday’s momentous clash with Brazil.

Gervinho will drop to the bench to accommodate Drogba in the only change to the team that drew with Portugal. Aruna Dindane, who will be one of the players charged with supplying Drogba from his position on the right wing, welcomes the return of the country's talisman.

"Didier remains very important to us," he said. "We have some fine young forwards who are pushing for a place in the team but we certainly can't afford the luxury of leaving out Didier. In fact, no team in the world would willingly do that."
Player in-fighting has undermined Ivorian hopes in recent years but Dindane says that Eriksson's "calming" influence has eradicated that problem and that "morale is very high".

Dindane, indeed, says it is a relief to be in such an environment following the chaotic season he endured at Portsmouth. "I don't regret my time at Portsmouth, it was great and I am very grateful for having had the opportunity but it's true that circumstances were difficult."

He said that reports he will be playing his club football in Qatar next season are false but confirmed that he has had several offers from clubs around the world. "I know which one I'm going to join but I won't reveal who until after the World Cup," he said. Asked whether it is a Premier League club, he replied: "Possibly".

Nicolas Anelka Sent Home From World Cup 2010 After Swearing At Raymond Domenech

France and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has been sent home from the World Cup after allegedly swearing at coach Raymond Domenech during the 2-0 defeat to Mexico on Thursday.

Rumours were rife of an alleged bust up between Domenech and Anelka with the Chelsea forward reportedly telling his coach to "go f*** yourself".

The French Football Federation (FFF) have now confirmed that Anelka is on his way home, with his position in the squad having become untenable.

"The decision (to remove Anelka) has just been taken," FFF vice president Noel Le Graet told French radio station RTL on Saturday.

Anelka was reportedly angry at Domenech for criticisms of his positional play in the first half of the Group A clash with Mexico.

The striker is said to have then sworn at the outgoing-French boss, who then immediately subbed the Chelsea forward for Andre-Pierre Gignac.

John Terry Admits Fabio Capello Fear

England defender John Terry has admitted that Fabio Capello's no-nonsense regime has left him in fear of the boss.

The 64-year old is a famous disciplinarian and this mentality has been introduced to the Three Lions' set-up.

Mobile phones being turned off, players forced to wear suits when traveling to matches and everyone leaving the dining room at the same time are just some of the measures the Italian has introduced.

Speaking to ITV, Terry stated the benefit's of Capello's managerial style.

“When you walk past him in the morning he gives you a little ‘good morning’ and that’s it," Terry said.

"It works well I think because on the field he’s brilliant, he takes all the training sessions himself and I’ve been really impressed with him actually.”

Referring to the current no-nonsense regime, he added: “We have to be in our rooms and, sort of shut away, by 11 o’clock.”

England Trio's Slow Start Continues

Three Chelsea players took part in a tense World Cup encounter between England and Algeria which ended goalless.

John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were all selected by Fabio Capello for England's second Group C Game. The Italian also picked David James over Robert Green in goal while Gareth Barry returned to midfield.

It was a difficult first half for England as they struggled to create decent chances on goal. Cole was the first of the Chelsea trio to produce a threatening move when, with only six minutes gone, Steven Gerrard picked out his run down the left flank. Possession was snatched from the left-back before he had a chance to shoot but England had shown their intent.

It was a slow start from both sides before England had a scare when James fumbled a shot and Glen Johnson failed to clear the slip. Fortunately for England Algeria didn't take advantage of the mistake before it was cleared from danger.

Terry took a knock to the head and received treatment just before the half hour mark but was soon back in the centre of defence alongside Jamie Carragher.

England's back four managed to diffuse Algeria's chances while offensive players struggled to create, but minutes after Terry's bump Gerrard forced a quick-witted save from Rais M'Bohli when he struck from 25 yards out.

Lampard soon tested M'Bohli further after Heskey nodded down for the number 8 to control on his chest and strike towards the bottom corner.

But despite these opportunities, England lacked consistency up front and their next chance came when Gareth Barry struck from long range into M'Bohli's arms. Then Wayne Rooney shot comfortably into M'Bohli's grasp from 25 yards.

The first-half ended 0-0 without either side truly threatening their opponent's goal; although much of the play had taken place in Algeria's half, possession had been evenly shared.

There were no changes at half-time and the second period of play began much like the first had finished.

Lampard and Gerrard teamed up well to worry Algeria 10 minutes into the half when they broke into the box, but after Lampard released the England captain on the right side of the area, Gerrard's attempted pull-back for Heskey was hooked away from danger before a shot was launched.

Soon after Carragher was shown his second yellow of the tournament for blocking Hassan Yebda, it means he'll miss England's final group game against Slovenia.

Capello changed Aaron Lennon for former Blue Shaun Wright-Phillips on the hour mark in a straight swap on right wing and England threatened twice more as Rooney struck inches wide while Gerrard headed into M'Bohli's hands, before Heskey was replaced by Jermaine Defoe.

An uneventful game continued and apart from a long-range Lampard effort three minutes from time, neither side created any real threat on goal.

The fixture ended goalless with a point apiece, meaning England and USA have two points each in Group C while Slovenia lead with four.

Showing Support For Local Sport

As proud sponsors of the Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham teams in the London Youth games, Chelsea Football Club would like to offer our congratulations to both boroughs who have been making a real impact on local sports.

The K&C team has made a splash, achieving some outstanding results in the regatta where they finished a creditable seventh in the rowing and fifth in the kayak sprint.

The star performer was Olivia Hithersay who won first place in the kayak slalom. Hithersay was one of over 700 entrants from across 31 boroughs to compete on the Royal Victoria Dock

The boys' basketball team and girls' volleyball teams have also made it through to the finals which will be held on 3 and 4 July at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Hammersmith and Fulham have also made the last eight in the badminton and the final of the girls' hockey.

The Youth Games has been running for 33 years and some former competitors have gone to greater glory including Olympic 400m Champion Christina Ohuruogu, Olympic Gold Medallist Bradley Wiggins and our very own Ashley Cole.

We wish all the competitors the very best of luck.

Summary Of A Season: Branislav Ivanovic

If his 26 appearances in 2008/09 hinted there was an accomplished Premier League player in Branislav Ivanovic, then his 41 in 2009/10 confirmed the presence of a top-class defender in our ranks.

For a while the Serb was a frontrunner in voting for our Player of the Year award, and although he eventually lost out to Didier Drogba, he joined the Ivorian in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season.

That was in spite of beginning the campaign as a reserve, and while no professional will delight at seeing a team-mate injured, the chance presented to him when Jose Bosingwa's knee injury struck was certainly seized.

Branislav actually began the season in the side, at Wembley in the Community Shield, but after being exposed to Nani and Patrice Evra for 45 minutes, he had earned a yellow card and been beaten for a goal, and was replaced by Bosingwa.

After some uncertainty, Carlo Ancelotti looked to have made his mind up and plumped for the Portuguese, but injury to Alex and the manager's reluctance to play Ricardo Carvalho twice in a week allowed Ivanovic a midweek start at centre-back in our second league game of the season. His attempted clearance fell to Darren Bent at Sunderland and the striker scored, but we won the game.

His physical style saw him given another go in the 2-1 win at Stoke in September, but it wasn't until Bosingwa withdrew at Aston Villa in mid-October that he became a regular.

He bundled himself his solitary goal of the campaign at Bolton at the end of the month as he kept seven consecutive clean sheets in all competitions, while beginning to offer an added threat in attack.

Two assists came against Everton in December, and it was he who was fouled for the decisive penalty against Portsmouth a few days later.

At Christmas his importance was demonstrated by Ancelotti opting to rest him for the Fulham game. He had once previously been a player who would only be considered at such times, and that he was called on from the bench to reduce the deficit spoke volumes of his attacking potency. The move paid off as it was Branislav's deep cross headed home by Didier Drogba.

Away in the San Siro he was arguably at fault for Inter's first goal. Out of position, John Terry had to cover him but was beaten by Diego Milito, but he compensated by charging his way through Inter's midfield and defence to tee up Salomon Kalou for the equaliser.

Three days later he was caught out by Craig Bellamy as Manchester City tore us to pieces at Stamford Bridge, the Serb losing possession deep in opposition territory but failing to recover as the Welshman burst clear to score.

The title race was tight, and going all the way, so it was frustrating for the Serb to pick up a calf injury at Blackburn in March.

It kept him out almost a month, returning as a half-time sub at Spurs after damage had already been done, and starting in the 7-0 bashing of Stoke.

Impeccable at Liverpool, he set up Nicolas Anelka before coming off on the hour to a champion's ovation against Wigan. Back at Wembley for the FA Cup Final, he played 90 minutes this time as he completed a brilliant turnaround in fortunes from the start of the season.

Branislav will be looking for more of the same in 2010/11.

Ancelotti Leads Mancini In Race For Valencia Star David Silva

So after three years of Valencia pair David Silva and David Villa being heavily linked with moves away from the financially stricken club, it seems that the La Liga side may end up losing both stars within the same summer. It seems price is the main obstacle but in today’s transfer market the asking price of £33m is not wildly outrageous and let’s face it both Chelsea and Manchester City can afford to pay the sum given their sugar daddy owners.

The 24 year old has just finished his fourth season in the Mestalla first team and had arguably his best season so far last term when he helped Valencia to third spot in La Liga scoring eight times and assisting in nine other finishes. The adaptable attacker is a fixture in the Spanish international side that has beaten all before them in recent years, albeit not yesterday against Switzerland, so he would clearly be a player who would cost a decent chunk of change.

Given that Chelsea have Champions League football to offer and that Ancelotti has just allowed Joe Cole and Michael Ballack to run out their contracts it seems a move to west London would be most likely and it would be a transfer that would help reverse the ageing nature of the Blues squad.

Chelsea’s Michael Essien To Attend Ghana Game Against Australia

Ghana and Chelsea midfield general Michael Essien is expected to be in the stands for the Ghana-Australia game at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg tomorrow.

The influential midfielder is nursing a protracted knee injury which he aggravated at the African Nations Cup in January. The Stamford Bridge man will be at the stadium to offer his support to the Black Stars in their second Group D game. A victory would see Ghana virtually clinch a second round spot after their opening victory over Serbia.

"He [Essien] is one of the key senior players in the team," team spokesman Randy Abbey said.

"We are expecting him to be there on Saturday to support his colleagues."

Essien took a similar position in Angola 2010 during Ghana’s last group game against the Stallions of Burkina Faso.

Mata Reveals English Interest

Juan Mata has revealed that he would be open to a Premier League move should the opportunity arise.

The Spain international is hot property at the moment, having dazzled for Valencia over recent years.

At just 22 years of age it is expected that Los Che will struggle to retain his services for long, especially as they continue to struggle under the weight of financial upheaval.

Unsurprisingly, a switch to England has been touted, with the youngster seemingly tailor-made for the Premier League.

A tricky winger with a keen eye for goal, any number of clubs would be happy to have him within their ranks.

Mata insists he will not be pushing for an imminent transfer, as he is happy at Mestalla, but accepts the issue may be taken out of his hands.

Should Valencia decide that the time is right to cash in, Mata admits he would relish the chance to try his luck at any of England's so-called 'Big Four'.

"I don't know if I'll be sold, it depends on the economic situation of the club, which right now isn't so good," he told FourFourTwo.

"In the summer we have to raise a lot of money, and there is a possibility that they may have to sell players.

"In Spain they show many Premier League games on TV and it is an inspirational league.

"Maybe I would like to play in the Premier League. At the moment I'm here, I love living in Valencia and playing in the Spanish league, but in England the league is also top class and there are many big teams. Who knows?

"I admire Arsenal and the philosophy that the young players have. Liverpool, with their Spanish players - they also have an incredible squad. And Manchester United and Chelsea are teams that are very big, like Real Madrid and Barcelona, with money and incredible players."

Bayern Munich Warn Chelsea Off £20m-rated 'Crown Jewel' Bastian Schweinsteiger

Bayern Munich have warned Chelsea they have no intention of selling £20 million-rated "crown jewel" Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 25-year old has emerged as a key target for manager Carlo Ancelotti after a stellar season for the Bavarians since switching to central midfield.

With the youth product set to start for World Cup 2010 contenders Germany, a chase could begin to secure his signature.

Speaking to the press, Bayern chief Christian Nerlinger shot down any talk of a transfer.

"Schweinsteiger is among our crown jewels," Nerlinger revealed.

Kalas To Make Blues Move

Chelsea are reported to have snapped up teenage centre-back Tomas Kalas from Sigma Olomouc.

The Blues are just one of a number of clubs to have been tracking the 17-year-old stopper, and are believed to have won the race for his signature.

Juventus, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich have all expressed an interest in the promising Czech over recent weeks, while Bayer Leverkusen thought they had reached an agreement at one stage.

However, the situation has developed further since then, with Arsenal and Chelsea having joined the hunt.

Arsene Wenger is reported to have spoken to Kalas personally in effort to tempt him to Emirates Stadium, with their reputation for nurturing young talent well known.

It appears, though, as if the Gunners have been pipped by their Premier League rivals.

Reports in the Czech Republic claim Chelsea have paid £5million to land the youngster, but are not prepared to publicly announce the signing just yet.

That has forced Sigma to also play their cards close to chest and refrain from naming the club involving.

They have, however, admitted that a deal has been struck and that the player is on his way.

"A spell at a top European club for Tomas Kala was successfully arranged today," read a statement on the club's official website.

Kalas' agent has also admitted to an agreement being reached, but has again stopped short of announcing the identity of his new employers.

"We cannot confirm the club's name yet," Pavel Zika told sport.cz.

"Negotiations were very difficult and I am glad they are behind us now, especially for the good of the player."

It is believed that Kalas, who has made only one senior appearance in the Czech top flight, will return to Sigma on loan for 12 months before moving to England full-time.

Essien Signs 'Important Contract'

Michael Essien hailed "one of the most important contracts of my career" after signing a two-year extension to his Chelsea FC deal that keeps him at Stamford Bridge until 2015.

Ghanaian international midfielder Michael Essien has put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension that ties him to Chelsea FC until 2015.

Essien arrived at Stamford Bridge from Olympique Lyonnais in 2005 and has since made 116 Premier League appearances, but has not played for his club this year because of a torn hamstring. The 27-year-old has subsequently been ruled out of his country's FIFA World Cup campaign but says he is delighted Chelsea have shown "very big confidence and interest in me".

He added: "I am looking forward to coming back and enjoying my football and winning more trophies with the club. That is why I am here. I think it is one of the most important contracts in my career." Chelsea won both the Premier League and FA Cup this season and will start next term in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Fans' Forum Search For Family Stand Season Ticket Holder

Chelsea is looking for a season ticket holder who sits in the family stand to join the Fans' Forum for the next two seasons.

Now coming to the end of its eighth year, the Fans' Forum has recently renewed its members but still have one place to fill.

You will meet four times per season, meetings take place at Stamford Bridge on home matchdays, and representatives are expected to attend every session which normally happen before kick off.

One of the aims of the Forum is to establish a dialogue between the club and fans and to develop a better understanding of issues that affect supporters.

To reflect the diverse nature of Chelsea's support, representatives are drawn from a variety of categories, including season ticket holders, club members and others.

This is why the Forum is now searching for a fan who sits in the family stand, so that supporters in this area can get a voice

Le Saux Backing England's Chances & Chelsea Health Day

Graeme Le Saux took time away from watching the World Cup to view one of Chelsea's men's health projects in action this week, and is urging fans to visit a special event at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The former Chelsea and England star, who is an ambassador for the club, gave the Official Chelsea Website a confident prediction for today's big match in South Africa but before that, he joined in with a football tournament in an estate local to our stadium.

It was part of Football in the Community's health programmes that range from actively engaging older men in football schemes to providing walk-in centres for health check-ups on match days

Men in Chelsea FC's local area are often reluctant to visit doctors and access health services and as a result some suffer from higher than average levels of obesity, smoking and drink-related illnesses, plus other preventable health problems.

Schemes such as the one Le Saux visited provide exercise and ongoing health MOTs where participants can have blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) checked and receive information about giving up smoking and cutting down on drinking. The programme can also refer people with depression and other mental health issues onto the relevant health professionals.

'Lifestyle has a huge influence on health and I had to change my lifestyle for my sport,' Le Saux told Chelseafc.com.

'But when you have different pressures on you it can make it a lot harder to think about it. It is very easy to eat things that are not good for you and these kind of projects are fantastic because you are combining sport and relating it to the professional side of the game, but equally you are involving healthy eating and healthy lifestyle.

'I am more aware of risks now because I am not paid to keep fit and as you get older it can be harder to resist some things, but I know what the consequences are.'

As someone who was subject to careful health screening during his playing days, Le Saux hopes Chelsea fans will make use of the ongoing projects, including our Football in the Community department's first Men's Health Day on Sunday to support Men's Health Week.

The event will take place at Stamford Bridge in the Great Hall situated in the West Stand from 12 noon to 5pm.

Summary Of A Season: Frank Lampard

With 27 goals from central midfield and countless assists, it seems Frank Lampard is getting better with age.

If you factor in the England man's extraordinary resistance to injury and his ability not to earn one booking in the entire campaign it is easy to see why many think it is he that makes the Blues tick.

His season began as it would continue against Manchester United at Wembley, where he contributed a goal, helped set up the other, and then buried a penalty in the shootout.

Questions were raised over his impact in games, but having returned to a deeper position from the top of the diamond, where he had been restricted, his influence grew once more.

He netted another at Sunderland as we turned around a half-time deficit, and helped create seven in as many league games that followed, despite not scoring himself.

The 31-year-old actually went 10 without a goal before four in three arrived in October, helping send Atletico back to Madrid empty-handed as we began to score freely.

It was Frank's free-kick that John Terry nodded in against United at Stamford Bridge in November before a thigh injury on England duty while jogging ruled him out of two games. He returned to contribute in a big 3-0 win away at Arsenal before a rare dead-ball error - his late penalty at Manchester City saved by Shay Given.

In a difficult Christmas period it was two successful spot kicks that dug us out of trouble against Portsmouth and West Ham, the latter having to be taken three times at his old home ground, requiring nerves of steel.

Doubles against Sunderland and Birmingham were followed by six quieter games, including disappointment at Inter, which would be compounded in the second leg when for once the game passed him by.

Lampard's goal, and cross for Terry, helped us into the FA Cup semis, and he bounced back from European disappointment by banging in four against Aston Villa.

The feat, the second time he had achieved it, took him over the 150-goal mark for Chelsea, over 100 in the Premier League, and beyond Roy Bentley to become our third-highest scorer of all time.

After converting another against Villa at Wembley to book a place in the Cup Final, the focus shifted to league football for the next five games, and it was here where Frank really delivered.

After scraping past Bolton it was he who pulled a late goal back at Spurs before scoring a beauty against Stoke, diverting Sam Hutchinson's deep cross back across goal and in, his second of the game.

A week later at Anfield there were major celebrations as he swept home Nicolas Anelka's square ball to confirm a massive victory.

A win over Wigan would provide his third Premier League medal, and he would not be denied.

Winning and taking a penalty (after a lengthy debate with Didier Drogba) he put us two to the good as we ran riot, setting up an historic Double should we beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final.

Having scored the winner there against Everton a year before, he clearly fancied it again, launching a 30-yard drive against the post inside the first 10 minutes as we laid siege to the Pompey goal.

It was a Drogba free-kick that broke the deadlock though, and even though Frank's final contribution was to drag a penalty wide at the death, he was there in the Royal Box to lift the trophy alongside John Terry.

It will be hard to match the outstanding exploits of 2009/10, but Chelsea's most capped international has the strength of mind and consistency to succeed. If we are as free-scoring next season, it will be in no small part down to Frank.

Fabio Capello Needs To Give Joe Cole The Chance To Shine

Der Kaiser reckons England play kick-and-rush and you have to wonder why the silky skills of Joe Cole have been ignored by Fabio Capello.

Although he has the initials JC he is not viewed as the potential saviour of his country.

Cole – released last week by Chelsea – spent England’s first game of the World Cup on the bench, watching England produce the sort of stuff which led to Franz Beckenbauer’s savage attack.

That seems to be the story of Cole’s career of late – a footballing gem not treasured by club or country.

Rated a boy genius at West Ham and likened by then boss Harry Redknapp at 17 to Gianfranco Zola, his huge ability on the ball has probably never reached its peak – or been allowed to reach its peak.

He remains a player who appears to frustrate his managers as much as excite them.

In the hurly-burly of the Premier League and England internationals, Cole’s artistry appears to be viewed now as superfluous.

It is not difficult to imagine his various bosses telling Cole what he is doing wrong, not what he is doing right.

There is something about the Islington-born star that has provoked managers into criticising him publicly – for giving the ball away, not tackling back and straying out of position.

Even Sven Goran Eriksson – that most mild-mannered Swede – had a dig in 2002 when Cole gave away possession which ended in a goal for Italy in a 2-1 defeat by the Italians at Elland Road.

Jose Mourinho at Chelsea did not hold back, slamming Cole after he scored the winner against Liverpool for neglecting defensive duties and hauling him off the pitch soon after his goal.

Mourinho famously described Cole as a player “with two faces” – one he liked (Cole’s flair and technical ability) and the other he did not (Cole’s alleged lack of enthusiasm for defensive duties).

You cannot imagine Eriksson or Mourinho acting the same way with Frank Lampard.

Perhaps Cole is too nice. One of the most pleasant footballers you could wish to meet off the pitch, he must have been gutted to see Shaun Wright-Phillips sent on for the out-of-sorts James Milner against the USA on Saturday.

Despite that he still found the time to say “safe journey home lads” to the waiting media after the game.

Redknapp, now at Spurs, is looking to snap up Cole on a free transfer with Harry stating what Cole really needs is a boss who makes him feel wanted.

Hopefully, Redknapp can give him that, but imagine how he would be embraced in Spain, playing for a top La Liga side.

Cole has improved massively when it comes to defending but the impression remains he has lost his identity as a footballer.

Maybe after Saturday’s deeply disappointing draw against the USA, Capello, who made Cole sweat on his World Cup place right up to the last minute, will turn to the playmaker at some point against Algeria tomorrow.

Maybe the Italian might tell the 28-year-old to go out and express himself.

Let’s hope so, because we might witness the resurrection of JC in South Africa.

David Silva Wants To Leave Spain For England

David Silva, the Spain international midfielder, has had a change of mind about moving to England and is deliberating whether to choose Manchester City or Chelsea amid firm interest from both clubs.

Silva's reluctance to leave Spain was described as unflinching when City opened formal talks with Valencia at the end of last season but the player has gradually come round to the idea of playing in the Premier League, not least because of the realisation that Real Madrid's new manager, José Mourinho, is not keen on recruiting him.

Barcelona also have other targets, having already signed David Villa from Valencia, and Silva is now left with a choice of remaining at Valencia or moving to England. His representatives have informed Valencia in the last 48 hours that he would like to take the option of a transfer.

That now boils down to a straight choice between City or Chelsea depending on a financial arrangement being agreed with his current club. That, however, is proving far from straightforward, with Valencia asking around €40m (£33.2m), a fee that is considered exorbitant at Eastlands and Stamford Bridge.

City were the first club to register an official interest in the 24-year-old and have the financial power to offer more than Chelsea in terms of both the transfer fee and the player's salary, which currently stands at £3m a year and could easily be doubled if he were to join Roberto Mancini's team. Chelsea, however, have the lure of playing in the Champions League next season and of joining a club that has just deposed Manchester United as champions.

Silva is described as open-minded but it is understood he marginally favours Chelsea on the basis that City's reputation in Spain is not yet of one of Europe's more powerful clubs, at least not in football terms. The likelihood is that he will wait until after the World Cup in case a good tournament persuades Madrid or Barcelona to look into his availability.

City's pursuit of Silva partly originates from their knowledge that two of their more creative players, Robinho and Stephen Ireland, both want to leave the club this summer. Robinho, one of Brazil's more impressive players in the 2-1 defeat of North Korea, has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester when his loan arrangement with Santos expires on 4 August and his representatives are due to meet the City chief executive, Garry Cook, to make that official. That meeting was due to take place today but will now be held next week.

Chelsea Join Arsenal & Manchester City In Race For £20m-Rated Germany Star Mesut Ozil

Chelsea are set to join Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City in the battle for £20 million Werder Bremen midfielder Mesut Ozil.

The Germany international is one of world football’s most talented young players and Arsenal is keen to replace Cesc Fabregas with the 21-year-old this summer.

City is also interested in Ozil after seeing the midfielder develop in the last year, but Chelsea is prepared to beat everyone to the German star, according to the Daily Mail.

Ozil, who joined Werder Bremen from Schalke two years ago, has 12 months left on his current contract and has refused to accept a new deal from the Bundesliga club.

Chelsea have been interested in Ozil since he made his move to Werder Bremen and the defending Premier League champions are seeking a midfield replacement for departed veteran Michael Ballack.

Chelsea Stun Real Madrid With Offer To Triple Star Defender Sergio Ramos' Wage Packet

Chelsea have rocked Real Madrid by offering right back Sergio Ramos an £8.3 million-a-year wage packet to move to west London, according to Sport.

Ramos, 24, has developed in to one of the best defenders in the sport since moving to the Bernabeau in 2004. Although set to star for Spain at World Cup 2010, he is currently paid just £2.5m per annum, a figure the Blues intend to eclipse.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is a personal fan of the player, and has sanctioned a £48 million bid. With current right back Jose Bosingwa sidelined with a long-term knee injury, there is space in manager Carlo Ancelotti's side for the superstar defender.

Arsenal Beat Chelsea To Sign Dutch Youngster Ebecilio

Arsenal have beaten Chelsea in the race to sign Feyenoord starlet Kyle Ebecilio, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 16-year-old midfielder will join the Gunners on a three-year deal on July 1st. Arsenal will have to pay Feyenoord compensation for Ebicilio's training costs of around £500,000.

A strong and powerful attacking midfielder, Chelsea had thought that they were about to do a deal for Ebecilio but Arsenal's outstanding record of youth development under Arsene Wenger has apparently counted in the Gunners' favour.

Nonetheless, Feyenoord are disappointed to lose their young talent, having seen Ebecilio's cousin Jeffrey Bruma move to Chelsea in similar circumstances.

Feyenoord technical director Leo Beenhakker said, "We did what we could do by offering the kid a contract on time. But he wanted to wait, again this is his right. That he now goes to Arsenal, means that we only get a training allowance.

"This is the story of (Chelsea defender Jeffrey) Bruma, he was also a great talent that unfortunately never played for us. I treasure Ebecilio highly."

Ebecilio has represented Holland at under-15 and under-16 level.

Drogba: I Can't Believe It, But By The Grace Of God I'm Playing At The World Cup

Didier Drogba admitted he could not believe his World Cup dream was still alive after breaking his arm a week before the tournament started.

Drogba looked to be out of the World Cup after suffering the break in a warm-up game against Japan, but he made a remarkable recovery and came on for the final 25 minutes of Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Portugal.

And Chelsea striker Drogba, who said he will be fit to start Ivory Coast’s next game, against Brazil on Sunday, said he could not believe he was still able to play after fearing he would miss the tournament.

“I was very disappointed at first when I got the injury, but then the doctor said to me that I still had a chance to be in the squad,” said Drogba.

“So then we did everything in our hands just to try the impossible and, by the grace of God, the impossible has happened. It’s amazing. The work the doctors have done is incredible. It’s not easy to recover quickly from surgery and a broken bone and I’m just so, so grateful to be here and playing.

“Every time you put your foot on the pitch there’s a risk, but with the protection I had it was clear that there wasn’t any more of a gamble by me being there.

“The only problem I would have had was if I had fallen over. But even if I had fallen over it would only have been pain that I would have felt. Pain, I can cope with that. I wouldn’t take the risk.

“If I thought I couldn’t have played I wouldn’t have been on the pitch. Brazil is going to be a difficult game, but I hope I will have those few days to improve my condition and look at the parts of my game I couldn’t work on because I was at the hospital. But I’m confident.”

Why Frustrated Anelka Is Firing Blanks

A month after Aimé Jacquet decided against including a precocious young Nicolas Anelka in his final squad for the 1998 World Cup, L’Équipe went to visit the then Arsenal striker in Trappes, the town just half an hour outside of Paris he calls home.

They found him watching France’s second round match against Paraguay, which had the entire nation on the edge of its seat. The game went to extra-time and was ultimately decided by a strike in the 113th minute from Le Président himself, Laurent Blanc.

When asked if he would like to have been a part of it, an indifferent looking Anelka apparently replied: “It’s not that I don’t care about Les Bleus, but, at some point, you have to say stop. Otherwise you spend your life in front of the TV.” Anelka was just 19.

Four years later in 2002, an unconvincing spell on loan at Liverpool meant he was overlooked again despite performing well at the European Championship in Holland and Belgium. When Jacques Santini called Anelka up to replace the injured Sidney Govou in November, he point-blank refused, saying that he didn’t want to be ‘a stop-gap’. Anelka later demanded that Santini “get on his knees and apologise.”

His international career already appeared to be over and under Raymond Domenech it didn’t look like being resurrected as Anelka was ignored again in 2006. “I will not watch the World Cup,” he grumbled. “I feel Domenech called me back just so I could show my potential. I even scored. I think that right from the start, he had no intention of taking me on board anyway. I deserved a place.”

However, since November last year when he scored the winning goal in the first leg of France’s controversial play-off against the Republic of Ireland, Anelka has become a pillar of Domenech’s side. In fact, if he plays tonight, Anelka will set a personal record of starting eight consecutive matches for Les Bleus.

Nevertheless, his troubled history with France means the 31-year-old’s commitment still frequently comes into question. Wednesday’s L’Équipe even inquired whether Anelka really considers this summer’s World Cup in South Africa to be the pinnacle of his career, it of course being his first.

If Anelka does consider it to be so, why then is he having so much trouble working for the team as a lone central striker in both a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 formation? In each of France’s last four matches, Anelka has persistently dropped back into midfield to find the ball instead of maintaining his position and acting as the reference point for the attack as both systems clearly demand.

It’s the sort of role David Trezeguet excelled in; often disappearing, not playing any part in the build up, just being there when the move needed finishing. But Anelka, out of a need to touch the ball and feel included, can’t or maybe won’t make it work. The net result: he hasn’t recorded any shots on target in his last four matches and Les Bleus are struggling for goals.

“A centre-forward must call for the ball to be played deep and get on the end of crosses like Miroslav Klose did on Philipp Lahm’s ball for Germany’s second goal against Australia,” explained Bixente Lizarazu, left back of the great side of 1998 and 2000.

“Anelka does what he wants. He does what he likes. He will play the same match in whatever position you put him. If you put him at right-back, he would still play as a false nine.”

Statistics from France’s opening game against Uruguay last Friday show that Anelka received the ball just once in the opposition penalty area, but collected it 13 times around the half-way line. Luis Fernandez, his former coach at Paris-Saint Germain, claims this is indicative of the fact Anelka has never liked playing on his own up front.

“He grows frustrated very quickly in this position and rapidly ‘unhooks’ himself from the attack to find the ball. In Paris, with Jean-Louis Gasset, they were always saying to him: ‘Call out to the wings for the ball, then move, and ask for it in the box’. He didn’t want to. He always wanted to touch the ball.” Anelka’s apparent reluctance to play any other way supposedly led one former France manager to believe he didn’t like football at the highest level because of its emphasis on executing tactics to the letter, restricting his freedom of expression.

However, as Roger Lemerre’s former assistant René Girard countered: “It’s difficult to say that a player who is a regular at Chelsea with an Italian coach doesn’t like constraints.” World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry also believes Anelka has no problem playing as a lone striker, as he used to do everything required of him in that role when Zinedine Zidane asked him to do so; the implication being that there currently isn’t an authority figure within the French camp.

Of course, all the blame for France’s problems up front shouldn’t be left squarely on Anelka’s shoulders, even if his record at international level stands at only one goal every 300 minutes. Domenech has lined up seven different attacks in his last 12 matches, preventing his strikers from developing an understanding of each other’s movements and responsibilities.

It’s likely to be different again tonight against Mexico even though Domenech will persist with the 4-2-3-1 he used against Uruguay. Thierry Henry looks set to return to the starting XI as France’s central striker, but Anelka won’t be dropped. Instead, he’ll move to the right-hand side where he featured regularly during qualifying, taking the place of Sidney Govou

Anelka’s Chelsea team-mate Florent Malouda is certain to be back after his spat with Domenech last week. He will play on the left-hand side, meaning Franck Ribéry moves into the hole behind Henry at the expense of Yoann Gourcuff, undoubtedly the biggest casualty of France’s recent travails.

Chelsea Will Start Title Defence By Hosting West Brom

Chelsea begin their defence of the Barclays Premier League title with a home match against newly-promoted West Brom.

The match on August 14 means a return to Stamford Bridge for former Blues midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, now manager of Albion.

Next up for the champions will be a trip to Wigan, where they were beaten last season, before Stoke visit Stamford Bridge on August 28.

The title holders have to wait until October 2 for their first match against one of the big four clubs, when they face Arsenal at home, with the return fixture on Boxing Day.

Carlo Ancelotti's side first play Manchester United on December 18, with the two shaping up at Old Trafford on May 7 - the Blues' penultimate away fixture.

United, runners-up in 2009-10, also start with a home match against a newly-promoted team. Sir Alex Ferguson's side takes on Newcastle on the first day.

And Blackpool, the third of the sides promoted from the Championship, provide the Old Trafford opposition on the last day of the season, May 22.

There are two intriguing matches between top-four hopefuls on the opening day.

Liverpool starts the post-Rafael Benitez era with a home match against Arsenal, while Tottenham and Manchester City meet at White Hart Lane.

Aston Villa faces West Ham and Everton travel to Blackburn, while Blackpool's first match in the Premier League is at home, to local rivals Wigan.

Elsewhere on the opening day, Steve Bruce's Sunderland are at home to Birmingham, one of the clubs he previously managed.

Wolves and Stoke clash at Molineux, while Bolton and Europa League runners-up Fulham meet in the north-west.

Summary Of A Season: Ricardo Carvalho

Having declared the 2008/09 season 'the worst of my career', his hamstring tearing three times being the prime reason, playing 11 games more in 2009/10 and collecting a championship winners' medal at the end of it allows Ricardo Carvalho to consider his sixth Chelsea year more of a success.

It was however another season hit by injury at the end for the hugely-respected defender who has spent half the last decade as a league champion in Portugal or England.

He did total 22 league games and five Champions League appearances and it all began very well. His diving header against Manchester United in the Community Shield was Chelsea's first competitive goal of the season.

With Alex's summer groin surgery chipping two month's off the start of the Brazilian's season, Carvalho's return to fitness was all the more important and he was there in his familiar position alongside John Terry for the first league game, but was left on the bench for the midweek visit to Sunderland three days later with Branislav Ivanovic coming in.

This was a pattern repeated in the early months when two games a week where scheduled. Care was being taken with muscle tissue that proved vulnerable the year before.

Matches against Fulham, Burnley, Porto and Spurs all had Riccy in defence and were won with no goals conceded but he was also there for defeats at Wigan and Villa when the team's set-piece defending came into question, as it had the previous season.

Alex came back into the frame in October but after rotation, Carvalho returned to start November's visit by Manchester United to the Bridge. He was the team's outstanding player on the day, making important blocks from Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney. Chelsea won 1-0.

A week earlier he had crossed with the outside of the boot for Ivanovic to head a fourth goal at Bolton.

A 3-0 win at Arsenal followed soon after the Man U win and Ancelotti during this period said:

'In this moment defensive players are doing very well. We have Terry, Ivanovic, Carvalho, and Ashley Cole. The defensive line is working very well.'

Beginning with defeat at Man City, December was less secure and although our Portuguese centre-back joined the collection of overseas players to make 200 appearances for the club that month, by Christmas he was firmly locked into a game-by-game rotation with Alex as Terry's partner.

It was a policy shelved in February, partly down to an Alex niggling injury. Carvalho played four in a row for a second time in the season but defeat in the San Siro to Inter was followed by the home low point - a 4-2 reverse against Man City. Carvalho was substituted 69 minutes in with Chelsea losing 2-1.

From then on in Alex was first choice. Carvalho did start a month later at Portsmouth but lasted only 36 minutes before suffering ankle ligament damage that ended his club season, although happily not his World Cup.

Ossie Ardiles: Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard Axis Could Be England's Undoing

At the very latest, that was the day before or even 48 hours before kick-off. I wanted them to have worked on patterns of play, set-pieces, and their shape as a unit.

As a player, my preference was to know as early as possible, to prepare myself. I certainly wanted to go to bed the night before the game knowing I was playing.

Yet there is a counter-argument from some managers that they like to leave it until the day of the game — or in Fabio Capello’s case, two hours before the game – to keep the squad on their toes.

I’m not joining the long queue criticising Capello. For me, it is much ado about nothing, because at least seven or eight of the England team know they are in the starting XI. England have far more pressing problems to deal with.

But to deal with the Capello situation, criticism of managers is a part of World Cup finals. Always has been. Yet the only thing that counts when you are a manager is the set of results. How you do it really doesn’t matter.

And there are myriad ways to achieve your goals.

Managers have already been under pressure from their critics at this World Cup. England didn’t look very good, nor did France or Italy. Zinedine Zidane has found fault with France coach Raymond Domenech. They have said Marcello Lippi’s Italy are too old. I see Italy as a very strong group of players.

For me, sudden death games are when the real World Cup starts.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that Capello is under pressure from the English media. England needs changes, positional realignment, and they need to win the next game.

Capello has questions to answer. Choosing the goalkeeper from David James, Joe Hart and Rob Green was always going to be an issue; we knew that before the World Cup. There is nothing between them.

For me the most important issue Capello has to deal with though, is how Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard play together; who occupies left midfield, and who plays up front with Wayne Rooney. A formation aligned correctly could transform them as a team.

England have the personnel to play in a much more continental style. They need a slower pace, more time on the ball, and to let Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, and Aaron Lennon play.

At the moment, everything is so quick, at 100mph. That frenetic pace played into the hands of USA. It was like watching a Champions League team agreeing to a physical battle with a lower league team. Pointless — and dangerous.

England are certainties to reach the knockout stages. But unless they change, the Lampard-Gerrard situation will be their undoing when it comes to sudden death.

I feel watching all the games in the World Cup, the task is creatively unlocking, and then destroying, the opposition. Everyone is very well organised at this World Cup.

Gerrard and Lampard in a holding position don’t work. They don’t look right in defensive roles, and their talent for creative openings is wasted.

Perhaps Capello should go for 4-5-1 or 4-4-2. Michael Carrick is the natural holding role player, and I would get Gareth Barry in immediately on the left midfield, with Lampard and Gerrard pushing forward on the right, and left midfield channels, pushing up to work and hunt with Rooney. Almost 4-3-3. Lennon would be on my right midfield.

Capello could even push Gerrard right up front with Rooney with a 4-4-2, but I favour the first option.

If England relax and pass the ball, they would be a different side. Argentina, Holland and Germany have looked the best sides in the tournament so far. Why? They keep the ball for long periods, and play at their tempo and pace, and in doing so, find the space and creativity to find the goal.

Can England do it? We will have to wait and see because the real World Cup starts in 10 days’ time.

Chelsea Make £50 Million Bid For Torres

Chelsea are waiting to hear back from Liverpool having lodged a £50 million bid for Fernando Torres, according to a transfer insider.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has given the green light to what would be the biggest domestic transfer in Premier League history, but will have to out bid Manchester City.

An insider close to the negotiations told Soccernet: "There have been two verbal offers for Torres, Chelsea are willing to pay £50 million, but Manchester City offered verbally £25 million more!

"Liverpool would naturally want the bigger sum, but Torres as made it perfectly clear that he won't be joining Manchester City, even though City would go as high as £200,000-a-week wages.

"Even so Chelsea would pay Torres £140,000-a-week and when you're at that level, the important thing for the player is to go to a club with Champions League football and the chance of winning the major honours.

Liverpool, who are still to appoint a new manager after parting company with Rafael Benitez last month, have not formally acknowledged Chelsea's approach.

The blues are also in the hunt to sign Yossi Benayoun from the Anfield club and Soccernet's source expects both players to be at Stamford Bridge next season.

"If you are asking my opinion both Torres and Benayoun will go to Chelsea, the Benayoun deal is very close to completion, but Torres won't be sorted out now until after the World Cup Finals."

Leverkusen Desperate To Sign Ballack

Bayer Leverkusen will do "all they can" to bring Michael Ballack back to the club eight years after his first spell in North-Rhein Westphalia ended following the most successful season in the club's history.

Ballack becomes a free agent at the end of the month when his contract with Chelsea expires and several clubs from the Bundesliga have been linked with him, but Leverkusen have been keen to make their interest known, with sporting director Rudi Voller declaring the club's interest on Friday.

"We know that he has two definite offers and we are now ready to start negotiations," general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser said. "We will do all we can to bring Ballack back. We are in close contact with him and his agent."

Nevertheless, Holzhauser knows his club cannot compete with the wages rivals Wolfsburg or even Hamburg could offer and is therefore hoping Ballack will follow his heart to return to the club he represented from 1999 to 2002 before joining Bayern Munich.

He finished runner up in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League in a memorable final year with Leverkusen.

"If he does come to us, then he is going to have to make sacrifices," Holzhauser added in the Express newspaper. "We cannot compete with what the others are offering."

Sergio Ramos Leaves Door Open To Chelsea Move

According to Spanish daily 'Sport', Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has refused to discount a move to Chelsea.

The newspaper claims that the Blues are willing to offer up to an enormous 70 million euros to the club of former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to secure the services of the attacking right-back. Chelsea would also offer the 24-year-old a five-year contract worth 10 million euros annually.

Apparently, Real Madrid do not want to see Ramos leave, he made 40 appearances for the La Liga runners-up last campaign, scoring four goals and providing four assists. Ramos has a contract with Real worth 2.5 million euros a season until 2012/2013.

However, Real Madrid have yet to persuade Ramos to sign an extension and so the door has been left open for him to consider the possibility of a move to Stamford Bridge. 'Sport' suggests that Ramos may be interested in a move to Chelsea, or else he may be using it as a tactic to improve his bargaining position with Real.

Ramos himself appears to be playing his cards close to his chest, telling 'Sport', "I do not know where I will finish my career, because football takes many turns."

Ramos is preparing to make his World Cup debut for Spain against Switzerland.

Manchester City & Chelsea Target Dani Alves Rejects Barcelona Contract Offer

Manchester City and Chelsea have been given a boost in their chase for Barcelona right back Daniel Alves after he rejected a contract extension, according to El Mundo Deportivo.

The Brazilian international spurned an offer to boost his current deal, which runs out in 2012, by two years, amid big-money interest from the Premier League pair. With the ex-Sevilla defender a vital part of the La Liga champions' side, he has demanded a wage packet that reflects his status.

Roberto Mancini's side have refused to flinch in the face of a £35 million price tag, while Jose Bosingwa's injury problems with Chelsea have moved the Blues to the negotiating table.

Portugal Midfielder Deco Denies Row With Coach Carlos Queiroz

Portugal midfielder Deco has issued a statement to explain his post-World Cup opener remarks about coach Carlos Queiroz's choices.

The Chelsea playmaker had criticized Queiroz's decision to deploy him on the right flank in the second-half, only to replace him with Tiago just 15 minutes later. Portugal's opening match against Cote d' Ivoire ended in a goalless draw.

Deco had also questioned his coach's approach to the match, saying that trying to win in 45 minutes almost made Portugal lose the encounter.

He has now declared that it was not his intention to criticize his coach and that his comments reflected his disappointment with the result.

"I want to clarify that I have never had any problem with the coach and it was never my intention to put into question the leadership and the decisions of professor Carlos Queiroz," a Deco statement read.

"My words were uttered in the heat of the moment, without the slightest discernment, because the match had just ended and I felt deeply frustrated for not helping the team win.

"The first half did not go well. In the second-half there were more spaces and I was convinced I could help the team.

"No player likes to be substituted and I am no exception. I believed that at any moment I could make an assist or even score a goal a goal that would decide the match.

"That is where my frustration came from, motivated specially by not helping my team.

"But I never wanted to put the coach into question.

"We have two more matches ahead and we want to reach the Round of 16. That is the objective we are going to focus on."

Portugal will play their second World Cup match against North Korea on June 21st.

Carlos Queiroz Hits Out At FIFA After Didier Drogba Plays For Ivory Coast Against Portugal With Cast

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has criticised FIFA for allowing Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba to play with a cast in their World Cup opener.

The Chelsea striker had been in doubt for the match after having surgery on a broken arm, but FIFA decided that it should be up to referee Jorge Larrionda to rule on whether he could play with a cast on his arm.

"FIFA decided that the referee would make the decision," Queiroz said.

"That sounds strange to us because the rules handed to the national teams state that players cannot play with a simple string bracelet and, all of a sudden, a player shows up with a cast on his arm, putting the Portuguese players at risk.

"When people tell me there is an African football star that should play, I wonder if [the] rules are the same for everyone. We saw the cast but we do not know what he really used. Perhaps against Brazil the rules will change again."

Summary Of A Season: Nicolas Anelka

Following a Golden Boot in 2008/09, expectations were high on Anelka coming into 2009/10, but it was as a supplier of goals rather than as a scorer of them that he excelled this time around.

With Didier Drogba fit and primed to play as a lone centre-forward, it would be the Frenchman who adapted his game from last season, either playing in behind the Ivorian or out wide with a licence to roam.

The pair began the season in tandem and goals began to flow as early as its third league game, Fulham put to the sword with a strike and an assist each before another goal was added at home to Burnley, Drogba again the provider.

Two Champions League winners against Porto and APOEL were followed by a critical first goal against Liverpool, lifting an awkward Drogba cross over Pepe Reina and in.

There was then an eight-game goal drought but it did not concern Carlo Ancelotti, who said: 'He is a great player. People should give him more importance.

'I don't want to change Drogba and Anelka with any other couple. I think they are the best in the country,' the manager added. 'I think that they have fantastic qualities to play together.'

Five league assists in this spell would certainly have calmed the Italian, and he scored in back-to-back games against Everton and Portsmouth in December, as he reached 100 Chelsea appearances, before picking up an untimely groin strain as Drogba departed for Africa.

Nicolas returned in January with three in two games against Sunderland and Preston before an early strike at Burnley to ensure Drogba's absence was not felt.

His return seemed to blunt Anelka somewhat, but it was his sublime cross against Anelka's former club Bolton in April that helped bring to an end a 13-game barren streak, the header home a simple one.

A crucial square ball for Frank Lampard to convert at Anfield just about wrapped up a Premier League title, Anelka's second, and he added two further strikes in the last day demolition of Wigan.

In the FA Cup Final, although reined in slightly, he made history by becoming (along with Ashley Cole) the first man to do the Double with two different clubs, a brilliant achievement at the end of a solid personal season.

If Drogba can remain fit next time around, the chances are Anelka will be back in the supporting role, but there are few who do it better.