Flying Down to rio, Flight 27

There are Tottenham connections aplenty for the 2006 competition when we include past and future players. Italy would win the trophy for the fourth time using 21 of their 23 man squad in the process. Beating France in a shootout in the final. Their success being based on a strong defence. They only conceded two goals, one a penalty the other an own goal. None of their players scored more than two. The hosts under the leadership of Jurgen Klinsmann finished in third place.

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The French side that finished as runners up contained two future Tottenham players, William Gallas who signed for us in 2010 and Louis Saha in 2012. Pascal Chimbonda had already joined Tottenham a year earlier, but he did not feature in the tournament.

England who had applied to hold the tournament, featured Paul Robinson, Jermaine Jenas, Michael Carrick  and Aaron Lennon. Former Tottenham player Sol Campbell and Peter Crouch were also in the squad. Peter started life in our youth set up, moved on and would return to Tottenham in 2009.

England topped their group. They did need an own goal to beat Paraguay and two late goals to overcome Trinidad and Tobago before drawing with Sweden. In the knock out stage they beat Ecuador. Then in the quarter finals they had Wayne Rooney sent off and in the shoot out with Portugal they had three penalties saved as they went out.

1. Zidane sent off in the final for head butting.

Paul Robinson played in all four games. Carrick made one substitute appearance whilst Jenas stayed on the bench throughout. Aaron Lennon (top) came off the bench three times. The first V Trinidad. At that point he became the youngest Tottenham player to play at the World Cup finals breaking Jimmy Greaves‘s record set in 1962. Aaron was 19 years and 60 days of age.

2. Paul Robinson

England had named Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe and former Spur Luke Young as stand by players.

Young withdrew and his place was taken by Michael Dawson.

Sweden who progressed with England included Erik Edman who had left Tottenham the year before.

The Ivory Coast with Didier Zokora, who joined Spurs in the June played in all their group games as they finished third in their group. While Van der Vaart who would join us in 2010 saw his Dutch side fall to Portugal in the round of 16. That Portuguese side contained Helder Postiga. He had left Spurs in 2004 and appeared in four games. One as a very late substitute V England, brought on with a shootout in mind, in which he scored.  

Brazil and Croatia met at the group stage. The Croatians included Luka Modric, Stipe Pletikosa and Niko Kranjcar all of whom would joined Tottenahm in the next few years.

Croatia failed to make the knock out stage.

Brazil won the group. They included Gilberto da Silva in the squad and he played one game at left back, scored and would join Tottenham in 2008.

3. Opening ceremony

Poland had former Tottenham player Grzegorz Rasiak in their side, he moved to Southampton shortly before the competition. They failed to get out of their group.  The USA again included former Spurs goalkeeper Kasey Keller as they finished bottom of their group. Future Tottenham striker Clint Dempsey also played in two games.

Two other teams in the same group as France have Tottenham connections. Both failed to progress past the group stage. Togo with future Spur, Adebaylor and South Korea with Tottenham’s Lee Young Pyo who played three games.

A new record for red cards was set at this World Cup, 28. Along with 345 yellows, that’s 5.39 per game. These figures were helped by Russian referee Valentin Ivanov. In the Portugal V Holland game he handed out 12 yellow cards. 7 to Portugal and 5 to Holland. Four of those, two for each team, was a second yellow which then led to a red card.  

Meanwhile back in N17, Martin Jol in his first full season in charge takes Spurs to 5th in the table. Only missing out on 4th when we lose at West Ham on the last day.  We also went out of both Cups at the first stage to lower league teams.

Top Image - Daily Telegraph.
Thanks - FIFA, BBC, ESPN, Planet World Cup, England on line.

About the author:
Keith Harrison,
Nilgiris, TN
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