Walcott's girlfriend asks media for privacy

Walcott's girlfriend asks media for privacy



The teenage girlfriend of England World Cup squad member Theo Walcott today asked the media to respect her privacy while she revises for forthcoming AS-level exams.


Melanie Slade, 17, issued a joint statement with the Walcott family asking that they be left alone, just hours after she appeared at a charity publicity event.


The statement said that she would not be considering any of the "very kind requests for interviews or commercial offers" until after the World Cup.

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Teddy's Opinion: The mass media should respect the privacy for the other people. Melanie Slade is a 17 year-old girl. I hate the mass media ignore the privacy.

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Argentina : Pekerman selects 16 for Madrid meeting

Argentina : Pekerman selects 16 for Madrid meeting

Argentina coach Jose Pekerman has revealed the names of 16 players he will be meeting next Monday and Tuesday in Madrid. The list, containing some notable omissions, offers the first concrete sign of what Pekerman's final squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup will look like.

Of the 16 players called up on Friday, all but one are European-based. The exception is Boca Juniors goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, who will fly to Spain on Sunday night after a key game in his country's Clausura championship.

According to a statement from the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the respective players' clubs had no objections to the meeting, which will not involve any physical work-outs or squad training. "The coach and his staff will take full advantage of the meeting to show videos, chat individually and collectively to the players, refresh concepts and assess the physical and medical well-being of those present," the AFA said.

Some sections of the country's media expressed surprise at the players not on the list, among them Javier Zanetti, Pablo Aimar and Martin Demichelis. However, several of these are involved in key end-of-season games with their clubs, and their absence does not rule out the possibility of inclusion in the final 23-man squad to be named on or before 15 May.

The list announced by Pekerman is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid, Spain)
Defenders: Roberto Ayala (Valencia, Spain), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan, Italy), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Leandro Cufre (AS Roma, Italy), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, England), Gabriel Milito (Real Zaragoza, Spain), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal, Spain)
Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan, Italy), Luis Gonzalez (Porto, Portugal), Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal, Spain), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Lionel Scaloni (West Ham United, England)
Forwards: Hernan Crespo (Chelsea, England), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Spain).

[Source from : fifaworldcup.yahoo.com]

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England squad included Rooney and Walcott

England squad included Rooney and Walcott

The injured Manchester United FC forward Wayne Rooney has been named in Sven-Göran Eriksson's provisional 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Striking problems
The 20-year-old broke a metatarsal bone in United's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea FC on Saturday 29 April. He is not expected to be fit again until the second week of June at the earliest, with England due to open their campaign against Paraguay on 10 June. Fellow striker Michael Owen is also in the selection after just recovering from a similar problem.

'A gamble'
There was also a shock call-up for 17-year-old Theo Walcott, who has yet to play in the Premiership for Arsenal FC. "I thought a lot about it during the last month," said Eriksson. "It is a gamble, of course it is a gamble, I can't deny that. But it is a nice one. He is a great talent, the pace he has is incredible. Michael Owen will be fully fit to train 100 per cent with us. It is just for us to wait and hope and see with Wayne Rooney."

England squad

Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur FC), David James (Manchester City FC), Robert Green (Norwich City FC).

Defenders: Gary Neville (Manchester United FC), Sol Campbell (Arsenal FC), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United FC), John Terry (Chelsea FC), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool FC), Ashley Cole (Arsenal FC), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea FC).

Midfielders: David Beckham (Real Madrid CF), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC), Frank Lampard (Chelsea FC), Owen Hargreaves (FC Bayern München), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Michael Carrick (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Joe Cole (Chelsea FC), Stuart Downing (Middlesbrough FC), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur FC).

Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United FC), Michael Owen (Newcastle United FC), Peter Crouch (Liverpool FC), Theo Walcott (Arsenal FC).

Standby: Scott Carson (Liverpool FC), Luke Young (Charlton Athletic FC), Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham United FC), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace FC).

[Source from : uefa.com]

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Theo Walcott will get his World Cup chance.

Sven-Goran Eriksson today has made it clear Walcott, along with the other England youngsters Lennon and Downing, stand a good chance of getting some action at the World Cup in Germany,
“I played Wayne Rooney when he was 17 in a qualification game against Turkey. In Portugal or Italy or Sweden no-one would say I’m not adventurous. I’ve always been ready to take out players and put in younger players if necessary. I hope to start with the best X1 and you know what that is. We have to wait on Rooney. But we have a lot of players starting on the bench who will be knocking on the door. I’ve always liked pace in football but if you don’t have it I can’t buy it in this job. I have to wait for it to come through.”
Two months ago though, Eriksson was singing somewhat a different tune,
“It’s very difficult to take a player without a cap to a World Cup. You never know but probably not, without closing all the doors. Going from the bench in a club team to international football in a World Cup, that step is extremely big.”
Rooney’s injury and doubts over Michael Owen have changed all that now.
Theo will get his fist chance to impress Eriksson and the rest of the country in an England B international against Belarus on May 25th at Reading.

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