Chit Chat Bola: World Cup Edition

The Late Late Show

What is it about last minute goals this World Cup?

I think the real drama was started by Australia, when they decided to score three in the span of about the last ten minutes after trailing behind 1-0 to Japan for the most part of the game. Saudi Arabia vs Tunisia may lack the appeal of a glamour match, but the Middle East side could well have recorded their first win had it not been a late, late equaliser from the Africans.

Oliver Nueville then made sure Germany got in on the act when they played Poland, and England figured they'd do the same as well. Although many would argue (and even as an England fan I would agree), the lack of earlier goals in the England vs T&T game was more due to the winning team's ineffectualness more than anything else. Having said that though, Peter Crouch scored England first second-half goal in a competitive match for quite some time.

And now Sweden.. well well. Paraguay kept them goalless for most of the game too, and guess what? Some Swedish bloke with an underwear contract playing for a French English Premiership side decided he'd score in the dying minutes as well.

Still, all this bodes well for the competition, me thinks. They're playing football for a full 90 minutes, and the element of surprise is always more welcoming than a game decided much earlier. (Although Puyol's stab at being the Spanish Ronaldinho in Spain's 4-0 drubbing of Ukraine yesterday was a joy to watch, regardless). Only if the teams don't put people to sleep in the first 70 minutes by playing boring football, perhaps more of us would be awake when the goals are finally scored.

posted by Idlan @ 1:50 PM