And so the German's fine, fine run of form comes to an end. It was inevitable really. Like the team they'll face in the third place match on Saturday, the Germans over performed. They confounded the critics. Exceeded expectations. Came so close. But in this game they seemed to have been stunted by the superior Spanish. They seemed more cautious than they had against England and Argentina.
They certainly missed Mueller, one of the players of the tournament who was suspended for this one. But Spain were the better side, they took the game to their opponents, and Puyol's bullet header was unstoppable. And so they will face my Dutch tips on Sunday. I'd really love the Dutch to win for fiscal reasons, but you've got to fancy the Spaniards...
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Semi-Final: Holland 3-2 Uruguay
With this tip in the bag, it's hard not to feel a little smug that one of the teams I predicted would make the final has made the final.
And they deserve to be there. Six wins out of six. Responsible for knocking the much-fancied Brazilians out. And now Germany or Spain to face in the final.
The scoreline flatters the game. Like many of the games at this World Cup, it wasn't that exciting, although De Zeeuw got kicked in the head, Van bronckhorst scored a fantastic goal, and the team I put a tenner on at 9-1 at the start of the tournament are in the final. Now I'm thinking I should have gone each way.
But that's by the by. Envy the Dutch fans and the anticipation they have of one of the biggest days of their life on Sunday. I hope they win for the sake of my pocket...
And they deserve to be there. Six wins out of six. Responsible for knocking the much-fancied Brazilians out. And now Germany or Spain to face in the final.
The scoreline flatters the game. Like many of the games at this World Cup, it wasn't that exciting, although De Zeeuw got kicked in the head, Van bronckhorst scored a fantastic goal, and the team I put a tenner on at 9-1 at the start of the tournament are in the final. Now I'm thinking I should have gone each way.
But that's by the by. Envy the Dutch fans and the anticipation they have of one of the biggest days of their life on Sunday. I hope they win for the sake of my pocket...
Monday, 5 July 2010
1990 And All That
Watched Gazza's Tears: The Night That Changed Football. Moving stuff. back in the days when our defenders were called Terry and Stuart, not Ashley or Rio. Where we had a player who could take on other players. And a striker who banged in the goals in the big games for his club AND country.
Yes, we only scraped through the group stage, and needed extra time twice to get to the semi-final. But these were players who really wanted to wear the three lions and win for them. Players who shed tears when they were shown the exit. No one cried when we went out this time around. No player. And few fans, I suspect.
Maybe 1990 -2010 will be seen as the high point of popularity for football in England. I think it's all downhill from here, and the current crop / crap of players only have themselves to blame
Yes, we only scraped through the group stage, and needed extra time twice to get to the semi-final. But these were players who really wanted to wear the three lions and win for them. Players who shed tears when they were shown the exit. No one cried when we went out this time around. No player. And few fans, I suspect.
Maybe 1990 -2010 will be seen as the high point of popularity for football in England. I think it's all downhill from here, and the current crop / crap of players only have themselves to blame
Sunday, 4 July 2010
5th: PARAGUAY
I'm only an armchair fan. How was I to know the Paraguayans would get this far? How was I to know the favourites of their group, Italy, would collapse so spectacularly? Paraguay never looked like winners of the tournament. How could they when none of their strikers managed to score?
But Greece won the 2004 Euros by looking like they weren't going to win them. So after that, it's difficult to rule any team out. But Paraguay are out, despite having a great chance to have their former masters, Spain, sent home in disgrace. A penalty miss away. Like Ghana. Like Japan. All it takes is a kick to decide your fate. And although Paraguay progressed as far as they ever have, they never looked like getting any further. They'll be back next time, I suspect. For more of the same. More so near, yet so far.
But Greece won the 2004 Euros by looking like they weren't going to win them. So after that, it's difficult to rule any team out. But Paraguay are out, despite having a great chance to have their former masters, Spain, sent home in disgrace. A penalty miss away. Like Ghana. Like Japan. All it takes is a kick to decide your fate. And although Paraguay progressed as far as they ever have, they never looked like getting any further. They'll be back next time, I suspect. For more of the same. More so near, yet so far.
6th: ARGENTINA
Expected Maradona to cry when their exit was confirmed. Sadly, he must have saved his tears for the dressing room. But having looked like they could have gone all the way, the Germans outfoxed, witted and played them. 4-0 was comprehensive and no less than the poor performance deserved.
Where was Messi all tournament long? Double, tripled marked. Foraging deep for the ball, sometimes as deep as back in his own half. The skills were there. The ball stuck to his foot as usual. But the keepers seemed to know where he was going to shoot. They were always there to make the save.
The Argies liked to dive and make a fuss as usual, at the most innocuous of challenges. Higuain scored a few, but against no one of note. I never thought this squad was good enough to win it. Never thought Maradona would have the tactical know-how to beat the better teams. And so it proved.
Where was Messi all tournament long? Double, tripled marked. Foraging deep for the ball, sometimes as deep as back in his own half. The skills were there. The ball stuck to his foot as usual. But the keepers seemed to know where he was going to shoot. They were always there to make the save.
The Argies liked to dive and make a fuss as usual, at the most innocuous of challenges. Higuain scored a few, but against no one of note. I never thought this squad was good enough to win it. Never thought Maradona would have the tactical know-how to beat the better teams. And so it proved.
Q-F: Spain 1-0 Paraguay
A litany of missed penalties. That's what the quarter finals brought us. And there were two more here. One apiece. But all the regret will be with Paraguay. Theirs came first. In the second half. The chance was there to snatch the lead and sit back and soak up the desperate Spanish pressure. But it wasn't to be. Straight down the other end and Alonso converts then has to re-take because of encroachment. The next - saved, but surely Fabregas was tripped by the keeper during the follow up? Not given. Then another Spanish attack. A shot against the post. Xavi was it? Bounces straight to David Villa, the golden boot lighting up his eyes. He shoots, he... no - off the post, along the line. Off the other post. And in. Joy from Bilbao to Barcelona. Madrid to Malaga. But wait. It's the Germans next...
Q-F: Argentina 0-4 Germany
Wow. I had an inkling the Germans would win this. Narrowly in extra time. But not this. Not four-nil. Not making the Argies - some people's favourites - look like England. Makes our loss look a little less disgraceful.
How do the Germans do it? Every time you look at their squad and think that's one of the weakest squads they've had for a long time. Rene Adler out. Ballack out. Dodgy defence. But they have Schweinsteiger. Podolski. And they have Klose, who shouldn't bother playing club football. Just wrap him up and bring him out every two years for the major tournaments the Germans will always qualify for. He is the ultimate international goalscorer who you wouldn't necessarily want in your club side.
Argentina had a few chances but the Germans knew what they had to do. As against England they always seemed to have loads of players streaming forward when attacking and loads of players tracking back when defending. And Schweinsteiger pulled off the run of the tournament to set up one of their goals.
Respect to the Germans. From an Englishman.
How do the Germans do it? Every time you look at their squad and think that's one of the weakest squads they've had for a long time. Rene Adler out. Ballack out. Dodgy defence. But they have Schweinsteiger. Podolski. And they have Klose, who shouldn't bother playing club football. Just wrap him up and bring him out every two years for the major tournaments the Germans will always qualify for. He is the ultimate international goalscorer who you wouldn't necessarily want in your club side.
Argentina had a few chances but the Germans knew what they had to do. As against England they always seemed to have loads of players streaming forward when attacking and loads of players tracking back when defending. And Schweinsteiger pulled off the run of the tournament to set up one of their goals.
Respect to the Germans. From an Englishman.
7th: GHANA
Ah, Ghana, dear dear Ghana. You should not be out so soon. You dominated against Uruguay. You deserved your win. Your place in history as the first African team to make the semis. You went for it. You showed skill. Maturity. Defensive solidity. You were the pride of Africa. You were a crossbar's width away from still being in. You were the victims of the 'hand of God' 21st Century style. You put your country on the map. You made the World Cup exciting. You will be the first African team to win the World Cup. You know it.
8th: BRAZIL
I never subscribed to this 'Brazil are going to win it, Brazil are favourites' line of enquiry. Cruyff summed it up well - they've lost their magic. Their players, the majority of whom play their club football in Europe, are no better than the best of Europe. They play like a European team - that's the way Dunga likes it. Flair has been sacrificed for function. No longer do Brazil have that wow factor. Sure they have some skilful players. But the loss of Elano was felt, the misfiring of Kaka kounted against them. Robinho showed everything that was missing from his time at Manchester City. But why leave out Adriano? Ronaldinho? These guys could have still done a job. Could have opened up a defence. Could have stopped the exit being this early. Could.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
Q-F: Ghana 1-1 Uruguay (Uruguay win 4-2 on penalties)
How close. How close Africa came to getting their first ever World Cup semi-finalist. And how they deserved to get there. This game will go down in the annals. Not for being a classic in normal time, but for the events in extra time. The Uruguayian number nine stopped a certain winner in the last minute of the extra half hour, deliberately handballing on the line. He received the obligatory red card, but the tears he was shedding turned to joy as he looked over his shoulder on his way down the tunnel to see Gyan blast the resulting penalty against the crossbar, the Uruguayan keeper subsequently tried to make sexy time with.
There was no chance of Ghana winning the penalty shoot out that ensued. Their backs were broken by that miss, their resolve dissipated. When will players learn that a one or two step run up for a penalty just isn't enough. The Ghanian captain's penalty was truly awful, but when the Uruguayian blasted over the bar there seemed a chance of a reprieve. It was not to be. This was not to be Africa's World Cup, merely the World Cup that Africa hosted.
There was no chance of Ghana winning the penalty shoot out that ensued. Their backs were broken by that miss, their resolve dissipated. When will players learn that a one or two step run up for a penalty just isn't enough. The Ghanian captain's penalty was truly awful, but when the Uruguayian blasted over the bar there seemed a chance of a reprieve. It was not to be. This was not to be Africa's World Cup, merely the World Cup that Africa hosted.
Q-F: Brazil 1-2 Holland
A bad time to be putting on what looked on paper the best of the quarter finals.
But from what I saw from my desk, this wasn't exactly a cracker. Brazil looked the better team for great swathes of the match, with Kaka coming close a couple of times. Brazil's goal reminded me a lot of a goal England conceded against Germany last weekend - a long ball splitting the defence down the middle and a sweeping finish from Robinho.
But I've tipped the Dutch to win this, and I was cheering them on and cheering in the own goal and the Sneijder header that followed. I think it was Cruyff who said this week that Brazil have lost their magic, and this game proved it. The Europeanisation of football has meant Brazil have lost their individuality, their identity, and now their place in this year's World Cup.
But from what I saw from my desk, this wasn't exactly a cracker. Brazil looked the better team for great swathes of the match, with Kaka coming close a couple of times. Brazil's goal reminded me a lot of a goal England conceded against Germany last weekend - a long ball splitting the defence down the middle and a sweeping finish from Robinho.
But I've tipped the Dutch to win this, and I was cheering them on and cheering in the own goal and the Sneijder header that followed. I think it was Cruyff who said this week that Brazil have lost their magic, and this game proved it. The Europeanisation of football has meant Brazil have lost their individuality, their identity, and now their place in this year's World Cup.
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