Quick Take on Adnan Januzaj

There's been a lot of negativity and bad blood brewed over the past few days after Jack Wilshere stated that, in reference to the thought of Adnan Januzaj getting called up for England, “The only people who should play for England are English people,” after a training session this past week. Many seem to agree with him in believing that people not born in England should not play for the national team.

That argument can be made and have quite a strong backing, but times are changing and Wilshere needs to recognize and accept that. It's not a secret the England squad is lacking in, well, something. The young talent in England just isn't up to par with what we see coming through the ranks of other big name countries and that is widely recognized. With the proposed pursuit of Januzaj, it shows that England are ready to follow in the footsteps of other countries that are making the most of out of finding ways to get players that qualify to play for their country to do exactly that.

A prime example is the United States. Jürgen Klinsmann had been criticized early on for using many players that qualified to play for both Germany and America and persuading them to play for his United States squad. Many thought he was overlooking some of the young prospects that were born and raised in the United States, but now he has silenced those critics by qualifying the USA for the World Cup in Brazil. He also has kept the core of the team (at least for now) American.

So where is the harm in being open to letting naturalized citizens play for your country? It shows diversity, willingness to accept change, and if it doesn't work out you drop them from them team. Seems an easy enough solution. Look at all the players that could have played for other nations but chose to play for the one they do now, many of them are excelling. Lukas Podolski, Mario Balotelli, Danny Welbeck, etc. all of these players could have picked another country to play for yet didn't.

If Janujaz gets called up to England when the time is appropriate and chooses to play for them then his peers need to accept it and welcome him into the team with open arms. The idea that a player must be born in the country to play in the country is a dying one. Times are changing, it's about time we all accept that.

International Friendlies in review.

What an exciting week it was for international soccer! We saw some instant classics played and the emergence of new stars.

Netherlands v Italy

                                                         Jeremain Lens celebrates his goal versus Italy.

In probably the most boring of the big match-ups this weekend, the Netherlands took on Italy in what looked to be a promising game. However, this was not the case as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. The Oranje took the lead in the 33rd minute through a Jeremain Lens goal. After that, the action subsided for a little while as neither team could really break the others defense down. It wasn't until the 91st minute when there would be another score, this time by the Italians. Marco Verratti equalized for Italy who were on the brink of a loss.

Sweden vs Argentina

                    Two of the worlds top strikers failed to score Wednesday as Argentina beat Sweden.

In the highest scoring top match-up of the week, Sweden and Argentina faced off at Nya Ullevi Stadium. Within the first 30 minutes the score was already 3-1 to Argentina, with Mikael Lustig netting an own goal, Jonas Olsson equalizing for Sweden, and Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain extending Argentinas lead by 2. The second half was much less entertaining, only producing 1 goal, but the game itself was highly entertaining.

France v Germany

                                        Germany's Sami Khedira celebrates his game winner against France.

In my personal favorite match of the day, the Germans traveled to Paris to take on France. For a very exciting game that was full of great attacking play from the start, it was relatively low scoring. Both teams had great opportunities in the first half but it was France who capitalized through a Valbuena goal at the end of the first half. Both teams came out strong again after the half, with Germany scoring an equalizer through Thomas Muller early in the second half. With both teams level again the game was wide open, until Mesut Ozil threaded a ball to Real Madrid teammate Sami Khedira that left Hugo Lloris with no chance to stop the game winner.

England v Brazil

                                      England's Jack Wilshere put in a Man of the Match performance against Brazil.

In the most anticipated game of the day, England hosted Brazil at Wembley Stadium. From the get-go the teams looked even, with Brazil's attack looking just a bit more menacing than England's. The deciding factor of the match was the excellent midfield play of the Three Lions. Jack Wilshere and Steven Gerrard combined for a deadly central midfield combo, with Gerrard playing more of a holding role while Wilshere was free to run forward and distribute the ball menacingly. Early in the first half though, it was Brazil with the first real chance of the game having won a penalty. Legendary Brazilian international, Ronaldinho, stepped up to the spot, but his attempt was saved by England keeper Joe Hart and the rebound shot also saved. It was not long until England took control. With Wilshere pulling the strings, he found Theo Walcott bombing in from the right wing. Walcott's shot was saved by Julio Cesar, but the rebound fell to Wayne Rooney who had an open net to smash the ball into. Coming out of the half England looked in control, until a Chris Smalling error deep in his own half gave Brazil the equalizer through a Fred goal. It wasn't long, however, until England put the game away. A rebounded ball fell to substitute Frank Lampard who curled his shot off the post and into the net to put the game away for England 2-1.

What was your favorite match of the week? How did your favorite team do? How did your favorite player do? Leave comments below.

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Exciting International Friendlies This Week.

This week, club soccer takes a break to make way for international friendlies. Don't fret though, because there are some surprisingly exciting fixtures this week!

Spain v Uruguay

A game between Spain and Uruguay is never a dull one. With such stars as Iniesta, Pique, Suarez, Ramos, Fabregas, David Villa, David Silva, Diego Forlan, and Edison Cavani you can expect lots of quality soccer to be played. Fans of crisp passing and excellent build up play will want to keep an eye on this one.

Netherlands v Italy (Watch on espn3)

A battle of soccer powerhouses, Netherlands and Italy square off for a sure to be exciting friendly. Watch for Robin Van Persie up front to bother the Italians. On the other side of the pitch look for exciting striker duo, and new teammates, Mario Balotelli and Stephen El Shaarawy to provide much needed creativity and speed.

France v Germany (Watch on espn3)

Another battle of soccer powerhouses, France and Germany square off at the Stade de France. Two of the most promising and exciting sides in international soccer, watch for Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery, and new Chelsea star Moussa Sissoko to attempt to torment the German defense. On the other side, be on the lookout for Bayern stars Thomas Müller, Mario Gomez, and Toni Kroos to attempt to link up early and often for Die Mannschaft.

England v Brazil (Watch on Fox Soccer)

Probably the most anticipated match of the week, England and Brazil face off at Wembley. England and Brazil both field star studded squads for this one. Watch for England's Wayne Rooney to linger in the penalty box while Theo Walcott uses his speed on the wings. Keep an eye on Brazilian sensation, Neymar, to use his superb skills on the ball to get by defenders. Also watch for Ronaldinho as he makes his return to the Brazilian squad.

Other notable games: Sweden v Argentina, Ireland v Poland, Greece v Switzerland, Portugal v Ecuador