France has shuffled its roster ahead of the game on Friday with the U.S. MNT. Samir Nasri will miss
the game due to a knee injury. Manager Laurent Blanc has not elected to call up a replacement but
there are a few other injury doubts for Les Bleus ahead of Friday's game. Both Yohan
Cabaye and Florent Malouda have fitness concerns.
GK: Cédric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille) DEF: Eric Abidal
(Barcelona), Matthieu Debuchy (Lille), Jérémy Mathieu (Valencia), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal),
Adil Rami (Valencia), Anthony Réveillère (Lyon), Mamadou Sakho (PSG) MID: Yohan Cabaye
(Newcastle), Alou Diarra (Marseille), Florent Malouda (Chelsea) Yann M'Vila (Rennes), Marvin
Martin, (Sochaux), Samir Nasri (Manchester City) FOR: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kevin Gameiro
(PSG), Jérémy Ménez (PSG), Loïc Rémy (Marseille), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich), Olivier
Giroud (Montpellier)
France head coach Laurent Blanc has named a 22-man roster for the upcoming match against the U.S.
Men's National Team on Nov. 11. Blanc calls in a formidable squad for the countries' first meeting
since 1979, with Ballon d'Or nominees Eric Abidal and Karim Benzema among the headliners. The U.S.
Men's National Team will release its roster on Thursday.
Take a look for yourselves, courtesy of the mugshots on FFF.fr. And that's without Gourcuff.
I'll update later, but here's the squad to face the USA and Belgium:
Goalkeepers
Cedric Carrasso (Girondins Bordeaux)
Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyon)
Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)
Defenders
Eric Abidal (Barcelona)
Matthieu Debuchy (Lille)
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)
Adil Rami (Valencia)
Anthony Reveillere (Lyon)
Jeremy Mathieu (Valencia)
Mamadou Sakho (Paris St Germain)
Midfielders
Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United)
Alou Diarra (Marseille)
Yann M'Vila (Stade Rennes)
Marvin Martin (Sochaux)
Attacking Midfielders
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Jeremy Menez (PSG)
Samir Nasri (Manchester City)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Forwards
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Kevin Gameiro (PSG)
Olivier Giroud (Montpellier)
Loic Remy (Marseille)
I am far from the best person to write a scouting report on Olympique de Marseille, but no one
else is volunteering. (Add comments if you have any thoughts.)
Match: Champions League Group Phase Away to the Arsenal
Result: 0-0
Standings after this 4th match
1.
Aaron Ramsey came off the bench to strike an injury-time winner that guided Arsenal to a famous
1-0 victory over Olympique Marseille at Stade Velodrome.
Earlier in the match, a blatant handball from Marseille's Souleymane Diawara went unnoticed as
the Gunners were denied an easy penalty decision.
Tomorrow sees the Arsenal step on the Stade Velodrome and take on the mighty Olympique
Marseille, for what is due to be an exciting clash for 1st place in Group F. With Olympiakos
winless and Dortmund disappointing, the Arsenal-Marseille clashes will likely dictate the final
standings of our group, so it's important to go and get a result out there tomorrow.
Euro Qualifier on Friday.
Fifa.com has a post about Cisse and Gomis being called up as replacements to injured players who
include:
Benzema;
Ribery; and
Sagna.
That's 3 starters, plus Abidal reportedly has "fitness concerns."
Mexes is still out, right? We should get an updated roster:
From AFP "one day ago":
Revised France squad
Goalkeepers
Hugo Lloris (Lyon)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux)
Defenders
Eric Abidal (Barcelona/ESP)
Mathieu Debuchy (Lille)
Adil Rami (Valencia/ESP)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United/ENG)
Anthony Reveillere (Lyon)
Younes Kaboul (Tottenham/ENG)
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal/ENG)
Jeremy Mathieu (Valencia/ESP)
Midfielders
Alou Diarra (Marseille)
Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle/ENG)
Yann Mvila (Rennes)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea/ENG)
Jeremy Menez (Paris SG)
Samir Nasri (Manchester City/ENG)
Marvin Martin (Sochaux)
Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
Forwards
Bafetimbi Gomis (Lyon)
Kevin Gameiro (Paris SG)
Loic Remy (Marseille)
Djibril Cisse (Lazio/ITA)
Just a brief reminder that if France do not win against Albania, we're probably screwed (i.
After a thrilling result on Wednesday, Arsenal were drawn as a top seed in the Champions League
group draw today, Thursday August 25.
Being seeded meant we avoided such big names as Barcelona, Inter, Bayern and Madrid, but anyone
who watches Champions League regularly knows that lower seeded teams can prove difficult.
Here's Laurent Blanc's selection for the friendly on Wednesday in Montpellier against Chile:
Goalkeepers
Hugo Lloris (Lyon)
Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Defenders
Eric Abidal (Barcelona)
Patrice Evra (Manchester United)
Younes Kaboul (Tottenham)
Adil Rami (Valencia)
Anthony Reveillere (Lyon)
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Mamadou Sakho (PSG)
Midfielders
Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle)
Alou Diarra (Marseille)
Yann M'Vila (Rennes)
Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Marvin Martin (Sochaux)
Blaise Matuidi (PSG)
Samir Nasri (Arsenal)
Jeremy Menez [read more]
We're not even into July yet and some clubs are already well into the swing of their transfer
dealings. Spurs meanwhile have showed intent by signing Brad Friedel on a free. I'm sure that this
is the kind of signing that will again have Fergie proclaiming us as the ones to watch this coming
season.
Several of us had suspected that Spurs' transfer dealings involving goalkeepers weren't quite
over and there are rumours today linking two separate stoppers to the club.
Polish International Artur Boruc spent 5 years at Celtic before heading to Serie A with
Fiorentina. The keeper was originally battling with Sebastien Frey for the number one shirt but
stepped in after Frey's injury and made over 20 appearances.
Ukraine 1, France 4
Ukraine opened the scoring in the 53rd minute courtesy of an epic howler from France's backup
goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. France replied with a very well taken equalizer from Gameiro, and then
ran over Ukraine in the last 10 minutes or so after some of France's best players came on as
substitutes.
With France's next Euro Qualifier a week from today, let's a take a look at where things
stand:
France's Upcoming Matches
Friday, June 3, 2011 – Qualifier 6 of 10 – Away to Belarus
Monday, June 6, 2011 – A friendly away to Euro 2012 co-host Ukraine
Thursday, June 9, 2011 – A friendly away to Euro 2012 co-host Poland
Euro Qualifying Group D Standings
France – 12 points from 5 matches
Belarus – 8 points from 5 matches
Albania – 8 points from 5 matches
Bosnia and Herzegovina – 7 points from 4 matches
Romania – 5 points from 5 matches
Luxembourg – 1 point from 6 matches
Here are the players called up to face Belarus, who defeated France 1-0 in Paris in
September.
Want-away Marseille defender Taye Taiwo has confirmed he will be leaving the Ligue 1 giants at the
end of the current season reports skysports.com.
The 25-year-old left back went on to say that he knows where he will be heading in the summer, but
refrained from revealing the identity of the club he expects to turn out for next campaign.
Manchester United advanced to their fifth consecutive Champions League quarter-final after a
nervous 2-1 victory against Marseille at Old Trafford.
United got off to a great start when Hernandez scored inside six months, turning a Rooney cross
into the net from a couple of yards out.
Manchester United advanced to their fifth consecutive Champions League quarter-final after a
nervous 2-1 victory against Marseille at Old Trafford.
United got off to a great start when Hernandez scored inside six months, turning a Rooney cross
into the net from a couple of yards out.
