Robert Green was devastated after his blunder cost England a goal against the US.

There were a lot of questions surrounding the England team before a ball had even been kicked in Rustenburg on Saturday evening.

With captain Rio Ferdinand sidelined, would Ledley King get through the match, considering his long struggle with injuries over the last few years?

Would Gareth Barry be fit enough to start in midfield?

Would David James, the man with the number 1 shirt, be fit enough to start in goal? If so, would he have another “Calamity” James moment? If not, would Robert Green or Joe Hart have one?

Unfortunately for England fans, none of the answers they got were the ones they wanted.

Ledley King was forced off after 45 minutes with a groin injury. His replacement Jamie Carragher didn’t look at all comfortable at the back, especially against Jozy Altidore’s strength and pace, which the American used to blast through England’s defense and come agonizingly close to putting his country 2-1 ahead.

Gareth Barry was fit enough to make the bench, but not the starting lineup, meaning that England’s midfield duo of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard were much more wary about bursting forward. That’s what they do best, not playing deep and taking on defensive responsibilities.

And finally, Robert Green. Oh, Robert Green. You poor man. The scrutiny this guy is going to have to take back home is going to be unbelievable. It’s a shame too after solid performances for West Ham over the last few years. He’s a huge reason why they weren’t relegated from the Premier League in the last couple seasons, even though they came way too close for comfort. And to think, when most people saw that David James wasn’t on the team-sheet, they probably relaxed, thinking that they wouldn’t have to see a horrendous goalkeeping error cost England three points. Wrong.

Green now stands in a long line of English goalkeepers who to had a “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” moment. For some reason, it just always seems to go wrong for England keepers. For fans of the Three Lions, what happened in Rustenburg was all too familiar.

No one in England will forget David Seaman watching a long-range Ronaldinho freekick go over his head and into the goal during the 2002 World Cup. Nor will they forget David James letting a very savable shot squeak by during a Euro 2004 qualifier. Or Paul Robinson whiffing on a Gary Neville back-pass for an own goal in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia. Or Scott Carson letting a seemingly easy save turn into a goal during another Euro 2008 qualifier (also against Croatia), which ultimately meant that England didn’t qualify for the tournament.

And now Green’s mistake is the next one on the list. The scary thing is, if Green is benched and David James comes into the mix, we might see an even worse blunder in the next match.

For now, the England team had better hope that their key players get healthy and they get their focus back. It wasn’t a terrible performance, but one that lacked the cutting edge and concentration of their excellent qualifying campaign. They’ll have to rediscover that form if they want to meet the expectations of their country. A 1-1 draw wasn’t the result Fabio Capello were looking for, but they still have a great chance to get through to the knock-out rounds, provided they don’t trip on their own feet again.

This weekend’s Premier League match-ups ended with some relatively predictable results.  Arsenal destroyed Tottenham in the North London Derby, Manchester United beat a swine-flu struggling Blackburn, and Chelsea thrashed Bolton 4-nil.  However, for every predictable result, there was a surprise.  Fulham shocked Liverpool, piling more pressure onto Rafa Benitez, and Portsmouth trounced Wigan 4-nil.

Below are a few of the players who helped (or hurt) their team this week and the implications for fantasy mangers around the world.

Branislav Ivanovich – Chelsea FC

The Chelsea defender has participated in four of club’s last 6 games, contributing to the club’s run of 6 straight clean sheets in the Premier League.  In Saturday’s match against Bolton, Ivanovich kept a clean sheet and nearly had two goals.  The first goal was brought back due to Ivanovich being offside and the second goal was attributed to  Zat Knight (own-goal).  Ivanovich first started getting looks for Chelsea in the domestic cup competitions, but has seen an increase in first-team Premier League play.  Although Chelsea has a difficult stretch of fixtures coming up (Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal, and Manchester City), Ivanovich is expected to start those fixtures and may start with his goal scoring ways.

Carlton Cole – West Ham United

Carlton Cole’s goal on Saturday against Sunderland made it two-in-two for on-again off-again striker.  Cole’s productivity has been less than predictable lately, but Gianfranco Zola’s squad fighting to get out of the relegation zone, Cole is going to have to start scoring goals.  What’s more, West Ham have two quick fixtures coming up; the Hammers will meet Aston Villa midweek and then host Everton next weekend (both games played at home).  Both Everton and Villa have been exposed by quality sides and a desperate West Ham offense could prove difficult for both squads.  I’ve been high on Cole for most of the season, and I still think that he can help fill in a squad in the role of mid-priced striker.  He may not be the most consistent forward, but his team needs goals and he may be the only one who can get them.

RobinVan Persie – Arsenal FC

Robin Van Persie is one of those players that I love to hate in both the fantasy game and in the real world.  I hate his flat top and sense of Dutch entitlement.  I hate that he seems to go on scoring runs only to get hurt and then sit out for weeks at a time.  But, most of all, I hate when he scores goals and isn’t on my team.  I’ve taken gambles on the Dutch striker in the past, putting him on my fantasy squad only to have him flutter.  However, looking at his current run of form (6 goals in 5 games), he should be a sure-fit for any fantasy manager’s team.  What makes RVP even more attractive is that Arsenal’s next run of fixtures sees them playing Wolves, Sunderland, Chelsea, Bolton, and Stoke City, so Arsenal and RVP seem destined to score more goals and challenge for a top 2 spot.

Tottenham Hotspur FC

The Spurs were the talk of the Premier League world after their remarkable start to the season, however the London boys have returned from Cloud 9 and may have hit a new low for the season.  Harry’s team has been hit with a flurry of injuries and has also lost their last two games.  Last week’s loss to Stoke City exposed some of the team’s weaknesses and this week’s drubbing at the hands of Arsenal may have eliminated all discussion of a top-4 finish.  I can’t see this team winning games, scoring goals, or keeping clean sheets, so to me, they have absolutely no fantasy value.  I have no Tottenham players on my squad and neither should you.

Jamie Carragher – Liverpool FC

In Saturday’s match against Fulham, Jamie Carragher finally got a red card after bringing down Bobby Zamore in a 1 v. 1 situation when Carragher was the last defender.  Many Manchester United fans thought that Carragher should have received a booking last weekend after making the same foul.  For Rafa Benitez and Liverpool fans, Carragher’s booking may have signaled a turning point for the club.  With the exception of the game against Manchester United, Jaime Carragher has had a dreadful season.  The supposed rock of the Liverpool back line has blown clean sheets, see himself sent off, and dropped points for his club.  From a fantasy standpoint, the only Liverpool defender I would even consider signing to my squad would be Glen Johnson (who is hurt, by the way).  I would avoid Carragher at all cost and look elsewhere for a more consistent fantasy defender.

Aruna Dindane – Portsmouth FC

Prior to this week’s match against Wigan, I had never heard of Aruna Dindane, and I suspect most other Premier League viewers and fantasy managers hadn’t either.  However, I suspect that many fantasy managers may fancy gamble on the Portsmouth striker this coming week after he scored 3 goals against Wigan.  It seems like the return of Avram Grant has settled the club a bit and may mark a watershed moment for the club as their relegation struggles continue.  And, you can’t argue with Pompey winning its last two games each with 4-0 scorelines.  At $5.5 million, Dindane is one of the cheapest strikers in the game,  and if he is at the beginning of a solid run of form, then he has to be considered a bargain for the money.

Until next week’s matches, keep up the good work gaffers.

Jordan Wise is a U.S. based contributor to World Soccer Reader, focusing on the English Premier League and the Houston Dynamo.  You can also follow Jordan Wise’s other thoughts on the beautiful game on Twitter @FCShambles.

Image Credit: GoonerTalk.com

Thanks to the international break, the UEFA Champions League has taken a long sojourn between match days two and three, allowing some supporters to forget their club’s dire straits.

“Their” might be an excessively generous term, as my eyes are cast on two specific sites: the San Siro and Anfield.

We start in Italy, where Internazionale had a revitalization on Saturday. José Mourinho was without Samuel Eto’o, without Diego Milito, yet managed to romp through Genoa 5-0.  Alleviated of the concerns of trying to fit his two prize acquisitions into a new system, Mourinho went back to a trusted formation and got a big result. The Narazzurri have been sleeping giants all season, and this international break may have awaken them.

The break was not as kind to Rafa Benitez. Injuries picked up while playing for country saw Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard scratched for Saturday’s match at Sunderland. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, one Red Beach Ball was perfectly fit and became the latest to exploit a porous Reds’ back line.

Liverpool will host Group E-leading Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday, and with Fiorentina looking likely to get three points in Hungary, Liverpool could find themselves alone in third place should they not get three at home.

The challenge to Internazionale is more direct, as Dynamo Kiev – the club which threatens to push Inter into Europa League – visits the San Siro. Given the Italian press’s scrutiny after Inter’s draw in Kazan, anything but a win over Kiev will see Mourinho on a media-kindled hot seat.

Here’s how the entire Tuesday lineup looks, where Groups E through H will close out the first half of their group stages.

Lyon's Lisandro López is back and healthy for OL's trip to Anfield.

Group E

Lyonnais was shocked at the weekend when Sochaux came to Stade Gerland and gave Claude Puel’s team their first loss of the season. Given Lyon’s depth, it was difficult to tell if they were playing a full first team, but their squad was as representative as any other they’ve started this season. The 2-0 loss was a disappointing and surprising result.

The good news, though, was the return of Michel Bastos. The winger and free kick specialist, who had been out for almost a month, returned and started. Likewise, Lisandro López was in the lineup after he had been pulled from the Argentine national team duty due to his lingering leg issues.

With Jean-Alain Boumsong and Mathieu Bodmer both out, Jeremy Toulalan will play in central defense, beside Cris. Jean Makoun, Kim Kallström and Miralem Pjaníc will play the midfield.  López will start up top, with two of Bastos, Sidney Govou, Bafetimbi Gomis and Cesar Delgado joining him.  As Govou was held out and Bastos was substituted early, they are the likely wings for López.

Against Sunderland, Liverpool started three central defenders. Benitez claimed the formation was to deal with a formidable, physical Sunderland strike duo.  It may have also been deployed to address general ineffectiveness at the back. In such an important match, it would be daring to see Benitez again employ Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, and Martin Skrtel (with Fabio Aurelio and Glen Johnson on either side), but with a string of disappointing results preceding the move, Benitez may feel it’s his best formation.

Steven Gerrard should be back in midfield, as should Javier Mascherano, who did not start this weekend in deference to his qualifying travels. Up top, though, Fernando Torres is a doubt.

Still having to make a trip to Lyon, Liverpool needs a win in this match to maintain a good shot at winning the group. With Fiorentina expected to win at Debreceni, Liverpool will find themselves alone in third place if they can get three points. Many a man has lost a buck betting against Liverpool in Europe, but they are out-gunned in this match.

Inter's Diego Milito (left) and Samuel Eto'o are still hobbled ahead of Dynamo Kiev's visit to the San Siro

Group F

Because injuries to Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito forced Mourinho to play with his weekend formation, it is unclear how much information we can take from Internazionale’s thrashing of Genoa. If Inter goes back to playing two lead strikers, the doubts will resurface – the same doubts fostered in the preseason and the campaign’s first two months.

With both Eto’o and Milito doubtful for Tuesday (and Mario Balotelli being suspended), it is unlikely Mourinho will have to solve his predicament for Match Day 3. With both Eto’o and Milito capable of playing, a middle-ground would have Inter start one and sub the other on in the second half.  That way, Mourinho can stay with this weekend’s successful formation. That lineup would have Wesley Sneijder and Dejan Stankovic playing advanced midfielders, giving Inter more midfield options against a Kiev side that should dominate possession at the San Siro.

Still having to go to Ukraine for a reverse fixture, Inter is in the same place as Liverpool. A loss on Tuesday would be a ticket to Europa. Unlike Liverpool, though, Internazionale is not out-gunned. Far from it. They have the horses in this one. For José Mourinho, it’s just a matter of getting those horses to run.

In the group’s other match, Barcelona should have little trouble against a Rubin Kazan side which, although they’ve taken the lead in each of their Champions League matches, has looked lost. They were blessed by Balotelli’s temper to not have to play a full Inter squad in the last third of their Match Day 2 fixture. Against Barcelona, who expect to have Zlatan Ibrahimovic return, they will not be so blessed. Rubin could see the ball less than 30% of the time.

Fabiano, back and healthy, will be Sevilla's biggest threat to Stuttgart.

Group G

It remains unclear the lengths to which Stuttgart will go to give this group away.

Though they have struggled in the Bundesliga, (currently sitting the that table’s lower half), they are still the second-best team in this group. Still, they have yet to win, giving up leads in both their matches despite being favored in each. Last match day’s draw in Bulgaria could prove particularly costly if Rangers can get three points at Unirea.

On Tuesday, Rangers should get three at Ibrox from the Romanian champions, jumping into second place when Sevilla wins in Stuttgart. While it’s possible Stuttgart could get a result at home – particularly in light of Sevilla’s lost this weekend at Deportivo La Coruña – it is unlikely. Depor is a team that would finish second in this group, and losing a hard-fought result to them should give Sevilla no shame.

With Match Day 4’s fixtures being the reverse of Match Day 3’s, Rangers will get another crack at three points while Stuttgart plays at Sevilla. Stuttgart may be five points behind the Scottish champions by the time they’re done with the Andalusians.

Diogo is on of the reasons Zico can be more ambitious with Olympiacos.

Group H

With Arsenal going to the Netherlands to face Alkmaar, Olympiacos hosting Standard gives the Greek champions a chance to lock-down the second spot in this group.

That’s because everybody assumes Arsenal is going to win the group, and with good reason. Though they have slowed from the torrid play with which they started the English Premier League, we’ve received no indication that they are vulnerable to these three clubs. That was affirmed by a well-earned 2-0 win over Olympiacos on Match Day 2.

Conversely, AZ is not the club they were last season, particularly at the back, where they’ve already allowed 11 goals in 10 matches (they allowed 22 all of last season). Though Arsenal struggled greatly when they opened group stage at Standard, those memories will make a repetition of that performance unlikely.

if Arsenal gets three, Olympiacos holding form at home would put them five points up on the group’s third and first place teams. With the newly arrived Zico instilling greater ambition in the normally conservative Greeks, expect Olympiacos to take the match to a struggling Belgians.

Standard lost 2-0 in league this weekend and are still without Steven Defour. Having gotten a draw at Alkmaar, they are in good position to claim the group’s third place and the Europa League birth that comes with it. Without Defour, however, they will be hard-pressed to break down Olympiacos and vault themselves into contention to advance in Champions League.

Richard Farley is a U.S.-based contributor to World Soccer Reader. He also hosts Inside the Six, the site’s regular podcast. He can be reached at richardfarley at gmail dot com and followed on Twitter, username “richardfarley.” And while you are at it, feel free to check out RF Football.