FC Bayern players on international duty

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This is the thread to always follow the progress of FC Bayern players on international duty. Discussion, news, and more.

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I'm ready for the Oranje again, says van Bommel

Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel re-affirmed his desire Friday to play for the Netherlands again following the departure of coach Marco van Basten.

Van Basten stepped down as Netherlands coach after his side's Euro 2008 quarter-final exit at the hands of Russia and has been replaced by van Bommel's father-in-law Bert van Marwijk as national coach.

Now van Bommel says he is keen to add to the 40 caps he has won for his country with the Oranje.

"I always said that I would want to come back, if Marco left. Now he has gone, and coincidentally my father-in-law is the new coach, if he needs me, I am there," said the Bayern midfielder.

The 31-year-old will not be travelling to Beijing as part of the Netherlands Olympic team and will stay in Germany to launch the defence of Bayern's Bundesliga title.

AFP: I'm ready for the Oranje again, says van Bommel

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Toni Contemplated Retirement

Luca Toni has revealed that he contemplated retirement after Italy’s poor showing at Euro 2008.

The Bayern Munich striker bore the brunt of much of the Italian criticism after drawing four blanks at the tournament, and being guilty of missing a plethora of chances en-route to the quarter final exit at the hands of Spain.

Coming into the championships, Toni had enjoyed an outstanding debut Bundesliga campaign with Bayern, for whom he scored 39 goals in all competitions.

However, the ex-Fiorentina striker was a shadow of his lethal self in Austria and Switzerland, and suffered at the heart of the Italian attack.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni paid for his side’s poor showing with his job, and Toni admits to considering his own international future.

He told Bild am Sonntag: "After the exit I considered whether I ought to retire.

"But it is my country, it is my team. I cannot and do not want to give that up. If Lippi wants me, I am available for the defence of the title in 2010."

Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Toni Contemplated Retirement

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Inside_200708

While José Ernesto Sosa is since one week away on international duty with the Argentinian Olympic squad, on Tuesday his team mate Breno left the team aswell, to group with the Brazilian Olympic squad.

In the preliminary round, Sosa & Co. will face New Zealand, Belgium and hosts China, while Breno & Co. will face Ivory Coast, Serbia and Australia.

Sosa and Breno are the only Bayern players who will feature at the Olympics in China.

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Van Bommel Available For Oranje Again

Bayern Munchen midfielder Mark van Bommel is again available for the national side. The experienced player was unavailable before due to problems with Marco van Basten.

Mark van Bommel is one of the selected players for the Russia-Holland friendly on August 20th. The match will be a replay of the Euro 2008 quarterfinal, where Holland surprisingly lost 1-3 against Guss Hiddink’s team.

The 31-year-old Van Bommel refused to play for Holland as long as Marco van Basten called the shots. The return of Van Bommel was expected after San Marco’s move to Ajax.

The Bayern Munchen skipper made his Holland debut in 2000 and played 40 matches for the national side before his argument with Van Basten came up. He played for big clubs like PSV and Barcelona before joining Bayern Munchen in 2006.

The Holland squad doesn’t include surprising names, except from Van Bommel. The match against Russia will be the first match where Bert van Marwijk is in charge.

The former Feyenoord manager no longer has the possibility to use experienced shot stopper Edwin van der Sar and legendary striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Both players retired from international football after Euro 2008. Holland started the tournament brilliantly, but were soundly beaten by Russia in the quarter final.

Goal.com - Netherlands - Van Bommel Available For Oranje Again

[Tomori]

I just found out that the new Dutch coach is van Bommel's father in law I guess that must be one of the reason he got the call in the national team right away.

[__-SNAKE-__]

No doubt about that

[Oliver_Kahn]

Breno played the 90mins against Belgium and did quite well, I thought. They could never get past him

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Breno was good against belgium , sosa didnt play in argentina match he was a sub .

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Off on their travels
Eight called up to national squads

After just two competitive fixtures in the new domestic campaign, the coming week sees a round of international matches. Some 50 days after the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in Vienna, European nations are gearing up for the September start of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. As usual, a number of Bayern stars will be away on national duty, although not as many as normal in this case.

Franck Ribéry, Willy Sagnol, Luca Toni and Tim Borowski are all at various stages of recovery from injury and will remain in Munich this week. They are joined by Hamit Altintop, who has withdrawn from Turkey’s meeting with Chile on 20 August after suffering a slight reaction to the metatarsal surgery performed earlier in the year.

Short trip

That leaves an eight-strong Bayern contingent to pull on national colours this week. As usual, the largest group joins up with their Germany team-mates. Philipp Lahm, Marcell Jansen, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose do not have far to travel, as they face Daniel van Buyten and Belgium in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg.

Toni Kroos has much further to go, but will doubtless undertake the journey with no complaints at all. The 18-year-old has been called up by coach Dieter Eilts for Tuesday evening’s U-21 European championship meeting with Moldova in Tiraspor. Kroos thus ends a one-year break from the international scene after starring for Germany at the U-17 World Cup in September 2007.

Van Bommel set for comeback

A long trek also lies ahead for Mark van Bommel, back in the Netherlands squad for the first time in two years. New supremo Bert van Marwijk, who is the Bayern captain’s father in law, has named Van Bommel in his squad to face Russia in Moscow on Wednesday. The man capped 40 times by his country declined selection in the period after the 2006 World Cup under Van Marwijk’s predecessor Marco van Basten.

Both José Ernesto Sosa and Breno are in any case away from Munich at the Olympics, where they now go head-to-head in the semi-finals for Argentina and Brazil respectively.

FC Bayern

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Van Bommel Rules Out Dutch Captaincy

Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel has ruled out becoming captain of the Dutch national side after announcing his willingness to make a return to the international fold.

Van Bommel recently named the new Bayern Munich captain in succession to Oliver Kahn, has recently made a return to the Oranje squad after a period of retirement following a dispute with former manager Marco van Basten.

Now however with his father in-law Bert van Marwijk in charge of the national team, van Bommel is ready to serve his country once more, but has however ruled himself out of succeeding out-going captain Edwin van der Sar, who has retired.

“I have been away for a while. That's why I don't think I will be the new captain” he said.

“I have the idea that the other guys are happy I am back. I never had a problem with anyone; I just didn't want to play under Marco van Basten anymore.”

Van Bommel also dismissed allegations that he may be given preferential treatment by Van Marwijk due to the family link.

“I have played under him at Fortuna Sittard about three years too. There was always a good working relationship between us.

“At Oranje, Bert isn't the grandfather of my kids. He is the national team coach” van Bommel added.

Goal.com - Netherlands - Van Bommel Rules Out Dutch Captaincy

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Going for gold
Breno and Sosa head-to-head in Beijing

The semi-final pairings in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament have produced the expected thunderous showdown in Beijing on 19 August between favourites Argentina and Brazil. The eagerly-awaited clash is also a personal head-to-head between Bayern starlets Breno and José Ernesto Sosa.

Both South American giants made heavy weather of their quarter-final matches and were taken to extra-time before booking spots in the last four. 2004 gold medal winners Argentina won 2-1 against the Netherlands, who were without injured captain and former FCB striker Roy Makaay, while Brazil downed Cameroon 2-0.

Sosa on the bench

A 51,366 crowd in Shanghai saw the Gauchos, who left Sosa on the bench for the full 120 minutes on this occasion, open cautiously against the confident and attack-minded Oranjes. However, it was the South Americans who took the lead on 14 minutes when Lionel Messi capitalised on a defensive error to strike a fine solo goal.

The Dutch responded and Otman Bakkal prodded home a 36th minute equaliser. Both teams chased the victory in the second period of normal time but chances went begging for Agüero (48, 54) and Pareja (85) for Argentina and Drenthe (87) and Babel (90) for the Europeans. Angel di Maria latched onto Messi’s exquisite pass after 105 minutes to settle the affair.

No goals conceded

The Brazilians were also forced to work for their 2-0 win in front of a 41,043 crowd in Shenyang. Cameroon were reduced to ten men on 51 minutes when Albert Baning saw a second yellow card, but the Selecao struggled to unpick the Africans’ massed defence. At the other end of the park, the Brazil rearguard featuring Bayern starlet Breno were virtual spectators and made it four games in a row without conceding a goal.

The Brazilians only really threatened from set-plays and long range, but were frustrated in their efforts to break the deadlock in normal time. Rafael Sobis finally netted to hand his side the lead on 101 minutes, before Marcelo sealed the victory four minutes later. The second semi-final features Nigeria against surprise package Belgium.

FC Bayern

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Argentina beat Brazil 3-0 in the Olympics football tournament semi-finals.

Goals were scored by Aguero (a brace) and Riquelme.

Sosa was subsituted on in the 90th minute for Riquelme. Breno played full time for Brazil.

Match report here: FC Bayern

Argentina will play Nigeria in the final. Sosa has already a medal secured.

Breno stays in line for a possible bronze medal, as Brazil face Belgium for the third place.

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Lukas Podolski is set to recieve from DFB-partner Adidas the 'silver boot' of UEFA as the second best goalscorer (3 goals) at the Euro 2008, before the kick-off of Germany's benefitiary-friendly match against Belgium in Nürnberg.

FC Bayern

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He recieved it.