Kill! Kill! Die! Die!
I wonder how I could've missed it over the years. The Italians were boring and the Argies were a bit dodgy. This time round, there were stark positive improvements in their overall game-play.
Italy were bloody attacking the opposition and Argentina had a wonderkid by the name of Lionel Messi which to a certain extent, made me ignore their bargy side.
Now it seems that Portugal is the team to hate. I should've seen the signs during the Euro C'ship finals 2 years ago. It was bloody apparent during the Holland game and as much I hate to admit it, I found myself rooting for the English on Saturday night. Yes, those Pourtegeezers never fail to annoy me with their dives, play-acting, whining and the bloody cockiness to top it all of.
It seems though I am not the only one.
Sissy Crybaby given something to reaaally cry about.
Typical Scouse greeting for Londoners
So, there's little doubt on where my allegiance lay with reagrds to Thursay's s-final match-up. Allez Les Blues!
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?
Quarterfinals here I come!!
PredictionItaly 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)
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.
Bore Draw
Maradona with Dutch fansYaawnnn..
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 AiresSo, here's hoping for a repeat in the finals. Sorry Italy.
Someone's really impressed with Riquelme's butt.
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.
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.
