International Breaks Blow
By: Johonna | November 13th, 2009
I understand that being called up to a National Team is an honor. It means that among all the players from your particular country, you are one of the very best at what you do. Great. Good for them. I am proud of our Internationals. Right now, Inter has 13 squad members out being the best at what they do for their countries – AND IT BLOWS.
Look. I love football and I love my team. After a particularly stressful week, there is almost nothing better than a Sunday morning spent sitting in my bead looking at sweeping view out the full wall of windows and watching my beloved nerazzurri beat the snot out of some poor unsuspecting team on TV while my sweetie plies me with espresso. It is heavenly. But this weekend, all that has been cruelly ripped from me. Well, I still get the espresso and the sweetie and the windows, but as for the rest, the really important bit, I will have to make do with some crappy-ass international game while I feverishly pray that none of our boys pull up injured. Especially as most of them will be playing meaningless friendlies. Ok, the Brazil v England game may be worth watching, but it is hardly the same. Somehow, I just dont think I am alone in this.
So I guess my question is, where do you come down on this issue? Are you excited by the World Cup and Euros? Or is it just some handy filler for the European off-season?
I admit, I enjoy the drama of the actual World Cup and Euro tournaments – it is the qualifiers and, to a much greater extent, the friendlies that I can do without. Dont get me wrong, I watch them, but they are like methadone – adequate for maintenance but they dont really scratch the itch. Sometimes it is interesting to watch teams from countries where I dont know any of the players – but that is just for the novelty.
Maradona better not break him!
I suppose that if I were a better person, I would look at these friendlies as a way to enjoy the beautiful game without the stress of caring who wins – just to watch them for their aesthetic beauty. And I get that. Unfortunately I am so worried about the possibility of injuries and the toll travel takes on the players and what that all means to my club that my higher self, the one who appreciates beauty for beauty’s sake, is completely drowned out. Basically, I am just annoyed.
For those of you with your higher selves intact, who are able to appreciate these games, here is where you can follow Inter’s internationals:
UEFA Under-21 Championship Qualifiers
- Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon (Italy Under-21): Hungary v Italy (Gyor, Friday 13 November) and Luxembourg v Italy (Luxembourg, Tuesday 17 November)
World Cup Qualifiers
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon): 2010 World Cup qualifier – Morocco v Cameroon (Fez, Saturday 14 November)
- Sulley Muntari (Ghana): 2010 World Cup qualifier – Ghana v Mali (Kumasi, Sunday 15 November)
- Renè Krhin (Slovenia): 2010 World Cup qualifying playoffs – Russia v Slovenia (Moscow, Saturday 14 November) and Slovenia v Russia (Maribor, Wednesday 18 November)
International Friendlies
- Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio (Brazil): Brazil v England (Doha, Saturday 14 November) and Oman v Brazil (Muscat, Tuesday 17 November)
- Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina): Spain v Argentina (Madrid, Saturday 14 November)
- Cristian Chivu (Romania): Poland v Romania (Warsaw, Saturday 14 November)
- Wesley Sneijder (Holland): Italy v Holland (Pescara, Saturday 14 November) and Holland v Paraguay (Heerenveen, Wednesday 18 November)
- Dejan Stankovic (Serbia): Northern Ireland v Serbia (Belfast, Saturday 14 November)
- David Suazo (Honduras): Honduras v Lithuania (Tegucigalpa, Saturday 14 November) and Honduras v Peru (Fort Lauderdale, Wednesday 18 November)
So strange to see the Argies still in Milan on a break. Poor Pupi.
For those of you still jonesing for that Inter fix, there is a club friendly this Saturday against Swiss second division side FC Vaduz in Liechtenstein. I think, though, that there will be very little coverage of it outside of the Inter Channel in Italy.
Call-ups:
Goalkeepers: Toldo, Orlandoni.
Defenders: Cordoba, Materazzi, Samuel, Donati*, Rigione*.
Midfielders: Quaresma, Motta, Vieira, Obi, Mancini, Fortunato*, Carlsen*, Biraghi*.
Strikers: Arnautovic, Beretta*, Alibec*
*Youth players.
The game is at 5pm local time (8am pacific, 11pm eastern) You may be able to follow it through the Inter web page. We will see.
FORZA INTER
My favorite international qualifier – and that is just because the eagle owl is so super cool:
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Category: Christian Chivu, Davide Santon, Dejan Stankovic, Douglas Maicon, Esteban Cambiasso, International Duty, Julio Cesar, Lucio, Mario Balotelli, Rene Krhin, Samuel Etoo, Sulley Muntari, Team News, Wesley Sneijder
Tags: Christian Chivu, David Suazo, Davide Santon, Dejan Stankovic, Douglas Maicon, Esteban Cambiasso, FC Internazionale Milano, International Duty, International Friendly, Italy U21, Julio Cesar, Lucio, Mario Balotelli, Rene Krhin, Samuel Etoo, Sulley Muntari, Team News, Wesley Sneijder, World Cup QualifiersSubscribe
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Comments | Add your comment
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Well i will side with Inter Inter on Ano i think he is another striker Mourinho would have in mind , but i don’t think he will play any league matches i believe Mourinho is saving him for the Cup matches .
Posted from
United States
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My heart stopped for a minute when Maicon went down today clutching his ankle. Thankfully he’s all fine. Lucio’s shot was so awesome, pity he didn’t score. Spain vs Argentina was pretty interesting too, Cuchu made his comeback in the last 15 mins, but didn’t really get to do much.
Good to know Arna can hit the back of the net.
Mourinho tried out the 4-2-3-1 again. Of course, with mostly fringe players, but now that he’s had to revert to that system two games in a row, anyone else think its likely we could see a change in systems soon? Its definitely a lot more attacking, and with Eto’o, Sneijder and Balotelli supporting Milito, the goals can fly in from all angles. Plus, we have lots of backup options for this formations – Quaresma, Mancini, Arna for the wings, Deki for the middle, Suazo up front, and of course, a ton of midfielders for the central pivot spots – Cambiasso, Motta, Zanetti, Muntari and Vieira.The only doubt I have is about Milito’s ability to play as a lone forward and hold up the ball. Balotelli has the strength to do that, but that position would waste his dribbling abilities. Suazo has the strength, but he’s been off-colour for a long time now. A big brute like Adriano would have been ideal for this kind of a formation.
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United States -
Oh man. Now Il Corriere dello Sport says Yaya Tourè is coming to Inter in January.
sigh
Posted from
United States -
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dire una preghiera per La Vecchia Signora. The world is moving on without her and her old ways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuPoEggKhUQ&feature=fvw
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@ Maryam, are you from qatar?
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Kuwait -
Now another coach behaves like a dickhead, according to goalbullshit.com. Bert van Marwik has kept Sneijder instead of sending the player back to Inter for medical attention. Apparently he played Sneijder in a fucking FRIENDLY against Japan when the player got injured, and THREE DAYS LATER played Sneijder against Scotland even though he was unfit. Now Inter is left to carry the baby and our own interests are compromised. Fuck Bert whatever his fucking name is. First it’s Queroz over Ronaldo, and now it’s Bert fucking Marwik. What the hell is wrong with all these coaches????
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United States -
Pardon the language. But Bert van Wicked deserves a good fuck.
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United States -
Jo, that’s not all I read – apparently we want to give them Balotelli in return…
Yeah, sure, that makes sense!More international week BS.
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United States -
I really enjoyed the England-Brazil match, but thats maybe cause I enjoyed seeing Lucio, Cesar and Maicon play live in front of me!
They all had a great match, and Lucio almost scored!
Poor England totally got owned in that game…
And I know what you mean Vinod when I saw Maicon fall,
I started screaming in the stadium telling them they are not allowed to hurt any Inter players cause we have an upcoming match against Barca! Thankfully Maicon got up fine…phew! Jo- Just like you I found out the hotel they were staying in way too late. Totally would have stalked them if I had known!
And Ali, I live in Qatar,but I am not from there.
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United States -
id love to have yaya toure but not for balo
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United States -
Maryam, somehow it didn’t register in my mind the first time when you said you were going to watch them live!
How awesome! Did you manage to get any autographs?On TV, it sounded like there were way too many English fans in the crowd. But the Brazilians didn’t need any support, the way they dominated.
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United States -
Johanna, I understand the frustration
but the World Cup and the Euro’s are great comps and the other confederation comps are important too.
the qualifiers and friendlies can be boring and sometimes seem irrelevant but the World Cup wouldn’t be as good otherwise.
national teams need to play together as much as possible to perform at these events. If they only got together for a month and a bit once every 2 or 4 years they’d be useless and the international comps would be boring kick and giggle and football would suffer.
Not only does the WC make a lot of $$$ for football, it helps promote the sport. As an aussie I used to feel like i was part of a small oppressed minority because i watched football even though im middle class, white and male.
But after Australias run at the last WC almost all aussies have some interest in football, even if its only for big comps like the world cups. thats why theyre so important.
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Australia -
And @ Aliii
are you from Kuwait?Posted from
United States -
So now lets channel most of our talks into our future what do most of u think of Denis Alibec ? Anurtovic ? Santon ? Ballatoli ? Cresiteg ? Destro and the rest that participated in the just ended under 17 youth cup .
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United States -
http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/11/16/1627941/inters-ernesto-paolillo-lauds-romanian-whiz-kid-denis-alibec#comments Our director has already shed his ideas into the future of Denis whiles lets us fans see what we think of the rest , Santon a Barwuah can be exculded because we have shed or the light and ideas on them lets look at those coming Khrin , Belac and our youth team in general.
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You know, I was thinking of a Primavera post…
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bs.com is saying that Maicon has renewed till 2014! (add salt as usual)
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Ya, that is on football italia too. I think the reports are saying that Maicon has agreed to the renewal but I dont think he has signed anything. Probably when he gets back from International duty.
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United States -
i think hes gonna be at madrid next year anyways
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United States -
@ Sevag, yes I am? …you?
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Kuwait -
Vinod- It was great, and no unfortunately I couldnt get any autographs.
Plus you wouldn’t believe how intense was the security over them!
However my brother was in the same plane as them when they were arriving, and Lucio and Maicon were sitting in the seats right infront of him!!!! He was able to get a photo with Lucio, who he said was really nice, but then the security came and he couldnt talk to anyone else.
He calls me up right when this happens, and you can imagine the intense jealousy I was feeling at the moment.
Oh well, I’ll see them one day, the whole Inter team in fact, when I finally get the chance to go to Italy and see them there!Posted from
United States -
@ Aliii
I live in Kuwait but I’m ArmenianPosted from
United States
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