Thursday, June 29, 2006

Predikatorisms

I'm in a particularly silly mood, so here goes some silly predictions for the quarterfinals.

Germany to thrash Argentina 5-1, with Maradona scoring the Argies' consolation goal, after being so frustrated at his teams utter pathetic-ness, that he came down from the stands to join the game. The ref let this one go, cos he was drinking from the same spiked soda can that Graham Poll left behind before he left for home.

England to beat Portugal 15-0. All the goals coming in the last 10 minutes, after the last Portuguese player dies of boredom - along with every other spectator in the stadium.

Ukraine to beat Italy 6-5. All the goals will be scored by Shevchenko in the first half, the first 5 for Italy until he realised he wasn't playing in Serie A anymore. Then, just before the second half commences, the Italian magistrate arrives on the scene and arrests half the Italian squad, while the other half are detained by the FBI for suspected involvement in organised crime. Referee has no choice but to abandon game.

France to beat Brazil 3-0. Just before kickoff, Ronaldo is seized by fits and is then sensationally included in the starting line-up, and then Zizou scored 2 headers, while... wait a minute, that's like so deja-vu, innit?

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Quarterfinals here I come!!




Prediction


Italy vs. Australia.. 1-0 to the Italians.


Swiss vs. Ukraine.. Ukraine to win 1-0.


Brazil vs. Ghana.. Samba boys to win 2-0.


Spain vs. France.. 2-1 to Spain.



Actual

Italy 1 - 0 Australia


Swiss 0 - 0 Ukraine (Ukraine through on penalties, 3-0)


Brazil 3 - 0 Ghana


Spain 1 - 3 France





And so, the die is cast. For the Quarterfinals, it will be..


Germany vs Argentina (Argentina to win. 1-0?)


Italy vs Ukraine (Italy to win. 1-0)


England Portugal (England to win. 1-0)


Brazil vs France (Brazil to win. 2-1)








Thursday, June 22, 2006

The secret revealed...



Now we know our G's secret plan to win the World Cup by 2020.. by using naturalised citizens from Indonesia...




****************



I'm a bit sad with the exit of the Croatians & the Czechs. The two of them, together with Poland, were 3 of my picks for the 2nd round that did not make it.



Let's see if France and Tunisia can restore some of my street cred. TGIF!



Daring to dream

On paper it wasn't going to be much of a match. A mis-match, more like it. The best team in the world, bar none; vs. an Asian side with a nary a major scalp to their name. Brazil vs Japan, I felt, was going to be an academic match - with the Brazilians doing the teaching. But, as was quite rightly pointed out to me, you don't play football on paper. You play it on grass.

The Brazil team - long since slated as favourites for the tournament - were going through a bit of a rough patch. They won all their games thus far, but in a manner that was less than convincing. A scrappy win against Croatia; a 2-0 scoreline against Australia that was a tad flattering; and the threat from their South American neighbours in the form of a resurgent, creative, entertaining Argentina side who convincingly won their Group of Death underlined by a 6-0 mauling of Serbia & Montenegro... could the team that made it to the finals of the last three World Cups finally be dethroned?

Japan, on the other hand, did not come with much hope to get any further than perhaps the second round, if at all. The furthest they have progressed was the second round, and that was when they co-hosted the tournament with South Korea; Japan's only other appearance was at France 98. If Brazil needed to remind the world that their samba steps were still alive, this was perhaps the game where they had the most space to showcase and strut.

And even from the beginning, you could see the difference in the style. The fluid, hypnotic, almost dancelike moves of the boys in yellow contrasted with the more stoic, disciplined movements of the Japanese side. Brazil were never short of the stepovers, the shimmies, the backheels, the nutmegs and neat short passes that make them such a pleasure to watch. But in the opening minutes of the game, as much as Brazil tried to break them down, Japan would not be moved, perhaps inspired by an above par performance from their goalkeeper Kawaguchi. Anything the Japanese defence let through, Kawaguchi would stop short and in spectacular fashion, too.

Then the unthinkable happened. A neat play from the left side of the field saw Brazilian-born Japanese player Alex cross the ball into the box, for Keiji Tamada volley home a spectacular ball that beat Brazilian keeper Nelson Dida. Japan 1 Brazil 0. Brazilian mouths were probably gaping, Japanese mouths screaming in delight and neutrals everywhere rubbing hands in delight at the prospect of a real tasty game served up. Surely Brazil were going to turn it on now, they would not take the goal kindly.

It wasn't long before Brazil responded, and respond they did. Out-of-form striker Ronaldo, whose continous selection in the Brazilian first eleven baffled fans and pundits alike, soared into the air and headed home Brazil's equaliser. 1-1 at half time.

You knew, really, that Brazil were not going to let this be an upset. A dam, if rammed down many times by a log, would eventually crack and break. And in the second half the dam broke many a time. Ronaldo went on to score again to equal Gerd Muller's 14 goals scored in the World Cup Finals - not bad for an overweight lad. The final score was 4-1 but it could have been more of a mauling.

Brazil, indeed, were a joy to watch; and are beginning to remind us what they are capable of achieving. But to their credit, Japan didn't lie down and let Brazil trample over them. And for those twelve short, precious, magical minutes, Japan - and perhaps Asia, and champions of underdogs the world over - knew what it felt like to be a step ahead of the best.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Bore Draw


Maradona with Dutch fans

Yaawnnn..

Sure, it was nice to see a game containing the likes of Messi, Cambiasso, Van Der Vaart & my all time favourite, Cocu but all in all, it was pretty subdued. Even the Argies weren't their bargy self last night.



This is how you mug someone back in Buenos Aires

So, here's hoping for a repeat in the finals. Sorry Italy.


Someone's really impressed with Riquelme's butt.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Cornerheads

Stevie G = 2.
Frankie Lamps = 0 (but not for want of trying).

Lampard looks like he’s heading for a new record - the most shots on goal without actually scoring.

Must be hard being one of the few Chelsea players in the tournament to have yet to make a mark.

And, yes, that was kind of a compliment to Chelsea. Don’t expect many of that from me in months (or years) to come.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Where did the minnows go?

In between the thesis writing, eating and in general, living, I managed to catch two games today involving former (and reigning) World Champions and the minnows of the world football scene.

The afternoon game saw Brazil play Australia; on paper, a walkover for Brazil as they play an Australian side that had not made a World Cup appearance in recent times. The final result, 2-0 to Brazil, however, did Australia no justice as Brazil were made to huff-and-puff to secure their three points. Under the tutelage of Guus Hiddink, who steered South Korea to the semi finals in 2002, Australia mounted a fair challenge, and were unlucky not to get onto the scoresheet. Marco Bresciano, who plies his trade in Italy, impressed me immensely, as did defender Lucas Neill of Blackburn Rovers. The 6-0 Brazilian whitewashing (Brazilian waxing?) of Australia that I hoped for did not quite materialise.

South Korea, now managed by Dick Advocaat, played France in the second game. The French side were under heavy criticism for their recent performances. Looming over top Premiership striker Thierry Henry's head was the weight of the dearth of French goals in the World Cup - the last time a French player score in the World Cup finals was Emmanuel Petit, against Brazil in 1998.

When Henry finally did score, early on in the game, no less, one could hear the collective sigh of relief of the French World Cup squad... and the thought crossing the minds of every supporter of the French team: 'About feckin' time'. A clear goal by Patrick Viera, however, was ruled out. However, the French side were nothing if not overconfident, and instead of trying to secure their position with another goal, they seemed to strut on the pitch like vain peacocks. The Koreans were clearly outplayed, but with the lack of French desire to score, they decided to get in on the act. Park Ji Sung scored the equaliser, which seemed to shake the French awake from their slumber. But they failed to break the Koreans down, and face possible elimination in the first round - agan.

Impressive, I thought, were the Australians and the Koreans. One the back of a nine-man USA team holding European giants Italy yesterday, it becomes more and more clear that there are no such things as minnows in the World Cup anymore.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Joga Bonito

Argentina v. Serbia & Montenegro - 2-0 Cambiasso

Argentina has always produced the best goals at the World Cup. If Maradona's 1986 goal against England was a solo effort, this year, the boys show the world that teamwork works, too. Effin' brilliant, whether you're an Argentina fan or not.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

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.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

My Adventure During World Cup 2006 Continues


" Merde! Weegan's deefenz iz nowt az 'ard as zis lot"

I have no idea how a team full of proven, potent goal-poachers couldn't hit a barn door with a bloody banjo. Switzerland were ordinary. Maybe except for that Gooner, Senderos, the rest of the defensive unit were as good as defending Paris Hilton's virginity.

Thierry Henry, last season's EPL golden boot winner, against Switzerland, looked as if he couldn't even score in a brothel. His habit of being totally crap for country whilst extraordinary for club continues.

An early bath for the French? We will have to wait & see.


No need to be covering that baldspot of yours Zizou, we know it's there.

*Picture courtesy of BBC Sports UK

Monday, June 12, 2006

My Adventure During World Cup 2006


My migraine is still pounding unmercilessly. When you have a bloody headache like mine, every tiny decible of sound is amplified a hundred times, so the bloody photocopier sounds like an runaway freight train rite now.

As you would have guessed, I haven't seen much sleep since the World Cup started. Liverpool's Champions League adventures are mercilessly spaced-out over the course of a 6 months period, but the FIFA World Cup finals are a different ball game altogether. 4 years ago, the kick-offs were more watcher-friendly, being in the late afternoons and early evenings (some were held during office hours but being the enterprising lot that we were and having seen too many McGyver series when we were young, we were able to overcome that insignificant matter we called 'work').

Now 4 years later, the 3am games are absolute murder to stay up for.

For the neutrals (like yours truly), there has yet to be any ground-moving results. The Davids have yet to upset any of Goliaths. Although a few teams did came close and gave the office bookie quite a scare too.

Apart from Germany's 4-2 win on the opener, the David's have gotten stuck -in, and forcing the Goliaths to grind out their results. Matches which I presumed to be a bore, were sufficiently entertaining (Poland v Ecuador, Mexico v Iran) whilst the ones we salivated over was a complete bloody waste of time. (England v Paraguay).

I enjoyed yesterday's Angola v Portugal games due to obvious reasons. Their last meeting in 2002 was very forgettable (for the Portuegese) as the Angolenese were trying to commit bloody murder on the Claret & Greens throughout that match. The former Portuegese colonists was more tactful this time round, but still there were a lot of hacking and slashing by the Africans.


I equally enjoyed the way the Manc, Cristiano 'Boo-hoo, I want my mommy' Ronaldo was at the receiving end of most of the violence. The wanker looked like he wanted to cry at every possible opportunity. Someone please slap him. Oh and don't get me started on those step-overs of his.

Brazil will open their campaign tonite against Croatia. You can be rest assured those camera (god bless the camermans) will try spot some Brazilian hottie in the crowd for our viewing pleasure... and oh, the game should be equally cracking. Heh.

Does anybody have some aspirin by the way?

Friday, June 09, 2006

Germany 4 Costa Rica 2

The average fan often roots for the underdog, and in hopes that Costa Rica would do what Senegal managed in Asia, I rooted for the Central American side. It wasn't really because I thought they would win; it was just quite a bit more exciting to see if they could.

Germany, as a football team, have never etched themselves in my brain as a team that plays particularly entertaining football. To me, they rank even lower than the score-one-goal-and-put-ten-men-behind-the-ball Italy; and by most standards, I believe that's pretty droll football they dish out. At least the Italians looked good in their tight blue shirts.

But then again, German teams of the past didn't have Jurgen Klinsmann at the helm; the nation's hero at the Italia 90, and to his enemies, plies his footballing somewhat the Argentinian way with lots of sliding and diving.

If the tournament opener served as an omen for the tone of the whole World Cup Finals, then as things went, you couldn't ask for much more. Within the first ten minutes of the kick-off, Phillip Lahm blasted a superb goal to the far top corner; a move that perhaps had more to do with the ball's engineered swerve than Lahm's intentions, but a superb World Cup opening goal nonetheless. Less than 10 minutes after, Paulo Wanchope equalised for Costa Rica and it was game on.

Two goals on either side of half time by birthday boy Miroslav Klose put the Germans ahead 3-1, only for Wanchope again to make a mockery of Arsenal goaltender Jens Lehmann as it looked as if second choice German keeper Oliver Kahn tried hard to supress his delight. But a brilliantly executed shot from Torsten Frings put the Germans 4-2 ahead with minutes to go, and a Costa Rica upset was not on the cards this time.

In all honesty this has to be one of the most exciting openers I've seen in recent World Cups; and the 2-0 Ecuador upset of Poland that followed seemed to signal that Germany 2006 may not quite be as predictable as the bookies want them to be.

Kick Off

The idea was to have Chit Chat Bola on its own host, but as always, I screw up. So until I get back to my humble abode in Britain, blogspot it is for now.

The games kick off tonight - and so should the entries, one would hope! If you want to join in as a contributor, email me at idlanzakaria-at-gmail.com and welcome yourself onboard.


The ChitChatBola project is nothing more than a diverse group of fans blogging about the World Cup. It is for the fans by the fans, and is as good as you make it.