Henry's WC 2002 excuse

[Grande]

Ah was reading an interview with Thierry Henry from de latest World Soccer magazine, he was saying de main reason France choked in de last World Cup was because their players were overworked from club (Domestic league and UEFA Cup) and friendly duties and by the time de WC came around, they did not spend enough time AWAY from de game to fully appreciate and respect de tournament.

Henry went on to say that Brazil did so well because their main players had 'fresh legs', as Ronaldo had now come back from injury, Rivaldo wasn't starting at Barcelona anymore, and Ronaldinho was playing with a half-decent team (PSG) that wasn't in the Champions League and thus he had way less games to play and thus less pressure. (As if Ronaldinho care about pressure)

Personally, NUTTIN against Henry, but I think these are somewhat poor excuses b/c France played like France. Their opponents were able to contain them, that's all. MAYBE he have ah point with the Brazil comments, but then again, is Brazil.

I just find it interesting b/c the majority of this forum, including me, think it is ah very good thing to get as much football as you can get before playing in de World Cup. Dat is why man vex Stern wasn't getting ah sweat. Can too much lead to negative results, as Henry believes? 

[Jahyouth]

Too much football is not good atall.  Remember that these players need rest too, and to have their bodies going full tilt for so long and then have a major tournnament AFTER the domestic and European seasons is really hard.

Remember that Sven was begging the English FA for a month-long "winter break" as there is in many other leagues as he thought the the English team are always at a disadvanyage with tired players.

At the same time, too little football is also not good.  You cannot be benching whole year then just turn it on in the World Cup. 

A nice balance of the two is good.

[trinibug]

There is never any room for excuses in sport, it all gets settled on the field and either you come out saying how you overcome your obstacles, or you talk about how you couldn't get past them.

Nevertheless, too much ball does take it's toll. If we are to go back to 1991 youth world cup. We qualified, and were looking very good, but as the warm-up matches progressed leading up to Portugal, you could see that the team was getting stale.

France was stale in that last world cup. Good players, too much football.

[g]

I think FIFA get it right this time though, top players feeling d pressure now with a heavy schedule but it will bode for a quality world cup this time around. Everybody getting d same amount of rest before d tournament bar 1 or 2 matches, all teams probably not getting the same amount of quality preparation but there can be NO EXCUSES NOW FROM ANYBODY about being burnt out from the season.

[DeSoWa]

There is ah saying..too much of a good thing is bad...but ah think too little is worse.

Big Up!

[Filho]

Henry has a good point....but he is still making excuses. Modern-day footballers play too much football and some look pretty tired in these post season tourneys. But it is a bit ironic that he is saying the relative ease of the FRENCH league helped Ronaldinho. I suppose France should have picked more of its local players then    I think the main reason France failed is that Zidane was only 70%. Remember he was badly hurt in a friendly with S Korea and carried the injury into the WC. France is just not the same without a fit Zidane...worse yet, they didn't have enough time to prepare for his injury

Ronaldo definitely benefited from being fresh...but he was also clearly out of shape and carrying around the pyschological baggage of WC2002 and an unproven knee...so that balances out in my opinion. Brazil lost their captain on the eve of the WC and had Gilberto Silva and Kleberson (youths with little international experience) in the engine room...and they played in Brazil...a  country which up until last year had the most congested, marathon football season on the planet. Roberto Carlos and Cafu played as much football as anybody else in Europe and still ran de line like twenty-something year olds...so Henry has a legit point...but he's still making excuses. When there is a will....

[Filho]

too much ball all around

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=354708&cc=5901

[real-warrior]

excuses,excuses,excuses

[weary1969]

God doh like ugly it was judgement for the obeah they wok on Ronaldo before the final in 98. it is because of their poor showing defending champions have to qualify. So if we win the WC by some etreme miracle we still have to quaify. THANKS HENRY ETAL

[Peong]

Henry gone a little too far by comparing France with Brazil in WC2002.  He forget  about Germany, Italy, England, and Spain, who were all able to progress in spite of having real games to play in their leagues.

Everybody was tired. Some just handled it better.

I think France real missed Pires that year.

[Grande]

Henry gone a little too far by comparing France with Brazil in WC2002.  He forget  about Germany, Italy, England, and Spain, who were all able to progress in spite of having real games to play in their leagues.

Everybody was tired. Some just handled it better.

I think France real missed Pires that year.

Yeah I agree, Pires is ah boss player and it was a mistake not to include him in de squad. He is able to score goals and create chances as much as Zidane does. I don't expect much from France this year either, ah like Henry and Trezeguet but sometimes I think dey doh gel well together, give men like Cisse, Saha and Anelka a chance....Makalele come back and dat is ah saving grace...

[Tenorsaw]

There is some validity to Henry's claims of fatigue.  He has a good argument, although I think complacency was also to blame for their poor showing last time around. I expect a different showing from France this time around.  They're an aging team, but anything less than a quarter final appearance would be hugely disappointing.  They're too talented to not go so far.