by SUSAN ZHU
July 18th, 2010
The World Cup is over, and the Spanish team has carried the glory and pride back to the Iberian peninsula. One thing that I remember from these games, more perhaps because I’m older now and have followed more closely, are the fouls. The yellow cards, the missed calls, the goals that should’ve been (USA vs Slovenia; England vs Germany).
Something interesting popped up in the statistics – referees from countries where reading is done left-to-right called many more fouls when the action occurred right-to-left. Brief article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/science/13obrefs.html?_r=1&ref=science
Makes you wonder if an illiterate referee might be free of this interesting little bias.
But speaking of fouls, what does FIFA have against replays? Will it ruin the atmosphere of the game? Question the authority of referees? Or is it just another sporting behemoth too caught up in tradition? Football – the American kind, with helmets and touchdowns – has managed to use instant replays conceivably well. There’s a challenge, and if you win, you get the call. If you lose, there are penalties to be had for forcing an unnecessary challenge. Coaches are limited in when to use it or not use it – don’t sweat the small stuff, but hell, if it’s something that could change the way this game’s going, go for it. Baseball is grappling with it, and after that poor ump (he’s gotta be kicking himself) blew a perfect game for Armando Galarraga, the replay question came back, only to float silently away as it always does. Basketball uses it only to see if a buzzer-beater made it off the shooter’s hands before the glaring red lights on the backboard light up. Hockey also uses it, to check to see if a goal was really a goal. Did the puck cross the line? Did it get stuck in the net using a skate, or a glove, rather than a stick? Maybe soccer should look to its icy relative – goals are hard to come by, and even if the sport is unwilling to use instant replay for field play (what, are they worried it will destroy the dramatic daytime emmy-worthy acts of pain?), at least every goal should be counted.
Posted in World Cup 2010 |
by NICK NEHAMAS
July 6th, 2010
Spain take on Germany this Wednesday in a World Cup semifinal that is a rematch of the 2008 European Championship final. Spain won that game 1-0, thoroughly outplaying Joegi Loew’s side, on a goal by their star forward Fernando Torres. This time around, Torres seems less likely to get on the score-sheet. Coming off double knee surgery in April, the Liverpool striker has looked far from his best, his touch heavy and his scoring instincts dull.
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In fact, there is talk in the press that Spain’s walrus-mustachioed coach Vicente del Bosque is considering dropping Torres from the starting line-up. He has three options to choose from: the skillful young winger David Silva, newly of Manchester City, a key player in Spain’s European triumph two years and a starter in this World Cup before being dropped after the surprising 1-0 opening game loss at the boots of the hard-tackling Swiss. He would add width to a sometimes Spanish attack and put pressure on Germany captain Phillip Lahm, a fine full-back but one who lacks pace and looks better going forward than defending his flank. Silva’s addition would surely limit the German’s dangerous forays down the wing.
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Another option is Arsenal’s talismanic Cesc Fabregas, a stellar attacking midfielder constantly linked with a move back to his home-town club Barcelona. Fabregas has become Spain’s super-sub though many, especially his English fans, believe he should start. For Spain, the young Catalan usually plays right behind the striker, playing balls in behind the defense for Villa or Torres to finish off and making his own dangerous runs into the box. Recent reports, however, suggest that he has picked up a leg injury and will miss the game completely. How many of these pre-match injury reports are misinformation deliberately spread by the coaches and their staff is anybody’s guess. A third option, perhaps the least likely, is Athletic Bilbao’s strong striker Fernando Llorente, a player with limited international experience but one whose physical style might be valuable against a muscular German defense.
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The midfield is more settled. The delightful little Iniesta has the free role, drifting from wing to wing, sometimes setting up camp in the center, at other times dropping deep to collect the ball and spring forward, always looking to beguile defenders with his sudden acceleration and sublime trickery and set himself and his teammates up for a shot at goal. Behind him are the Catalan Xavi of Barcelona and the Basque Xabi Alonso of Real Madrid. Xavi provides the inspiration and the passes that keep Spain ticking. With the decline of Italy’s Pirlo, he stands alone as the last of the old-fashioned, deep-lying midfield playmakers, able to deliver the ball forward on a dime. Alonso is another accomplished passer of the ball, especially from long range, although the erratic flight of the Jabulani seems to have dampened his confidence in this sort of play. He provides steel and aerial ability and looks to protect the back four before getting forward.
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The final piece in Spain’s midfield puzzle is the youngster Sergio Busquets. It has always been a shock to me that Busquets has held down a consistent starting place both for Barcelona and for his national team. Yes, at just 21, his maturity and composure are impressive. He takes up space well, protects the defense, and is adept at holding onto the ball and laying it off to his more talented midfield teammates (though usually they stand a very short distance away). But he seems to me an extremely limited player, timid when going forward and not especially physical or strong in the tackle or in the air, a surprise given his 6 foot 2 frame. I was especially displeased by his shameful play-acting in the semifinal of this year’s Champion’s League semifinal against Inter where he successfully got Thiago Motta sent off. But, in this case, I have to defer to the judgment of the brilliant Pep Guardiola, his coach at Barca, and his minder at the national level, del Bosque. Presumably, they know just a little bit more about the game than I.
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Up front, of course, is David Villa, a player who needs little introduction. Barcelona just paid Valencia 47.5 million dollars for the speedy Asturian striker. He looks worth every penny. Villa has scored an incredible 43 goals in 63 international matches, including five so far at this World Cup, and stands just one short of Raul Gonzalez’s all-time record. He will require constant attention from the German defense. In goal, as always, is the captain Iker Casillas. Real’s ‘keeper is always at the top of any list of the best in the business. His sprawling save of Cardozo’s penalty in the last match against Paraguay was superb. Nevertheless, he has spilled a couple of seemingly straightforward shots so far during this tournament and flapped at a number of crosses. Look for Germany to test him with long-range efforts and balls pumped into the box.
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Spain’s defense is competent but not outstanding. Their limitations are usually papered over by the midfield’s habit of rarely giving up possession. Against Paraguay they were caught out numerous times on the counter, a specialty of this German team. Anchoring the unit is Barcelona’s captain, the shaggy-haired center-back Carles Puyol. He has lost a step over the years but his experience and vocal authority make him a key figure for Spain. Next to him is Gerard Pique, a club teammate, good in the air, strong in the tackle, and competent on the ball. However, he seemed quite clumsy against Paraguay and stumbled out of position numerous times before conceding an unnecessary penalty to Cardozo, dragging down the tall striker by the arm after failing to track his simple run on a corner kick. The clever German attackers will certainly look to dribble at him and draw him out of defense and into the midfield.
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At right back is Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid, perhaps, after Brazil’s Maicon, the game’s best in that position. He is tall, strong and fast, equally at home at the back as surging forward down the wing to feed the strikers. He has become a crucial part of Spain’s attack but his contributions in that department will probably limited by the presence of the dangerous Podolski, who will look to exploit any space Ramos is foolish enough to leave behind. On the left is Joan Capdevila of Villareal, a player traditionally targeted as the weakest of the Spanish back four. In over two years as a starter this reputation has not been justified though he is certainly no international standout, a competent but not spectacular full-back.
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The Spanish love to control possession and run the match at their tempo. The Germans, who seem to have mastered the art of the counterattack, will probably not object too strongly to this, though we can expect them to harry Xavi and Iniesta in an effort to starve Villa of service. Leading this effort will be one of the finds of the tournament, Sami Khedira, though I am sure his imperious play in front of the defense will come as no surprise to his club Stuttgart. Physical and commanding, young Khedira has also shown a willingness to get forward and support the attack. A more than able replacement for the injured Michael Ballack and, arguably, a much more mobile force than the captain, who has slowed down considerably with age. Partnering him in the middle is Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger, perhaps one of the best players in the tournament so far. The German midfielder plays a box-to-box game and provides the grit and passing that propel his team forward. Serving as the playmaker is another young gem, Werder Bremen’s Mesut Oezil. His close control and vision seem destined to take him to one of the major clubs of Europe over the next few years. His volleyed goal against Ghana in the group stages was one of this World Cup’s best.
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Up front is Miroslav Klose, at 32 a wise old gray head in this incredibly youthful German team. He is one away from tying Ronaldo’s all-time World Cup record of 15 and seems likely to get it, though he has publicly stated the overall trophy means much more to him than any silly scoring record. Though not particularly talented in any one department, Klose is strong and his positioning is top-class. He will find any hole in a defense and exploit it to the maximum. Without service, however, Klose is useless. Lukas Podolski, the troubled former teenage talent, seems to have matured after leaving the bright lights of Munich for his hometown club of Koln. He is Klose’s chief assistant, cutting in brilliantly from the left to feed his fellow Germano-Pole and more than capable of scoring himself. The right provides more of a problem.
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Normally, the starter is Thomas Mueller, Bayern’s newly minted star and Germany’s top scorer in South Africa . At only 20, Mueller found himself playing in the third division just last spring but his obvious talent has made him untouchable for both club and country. Unfortunately, he is suspended for this one. It is unclear who coach Loew will spring for in his place. Toni Kroos, another fresh-faced 20 year old, had a solid season at Leverkusen on loan from Bayern and has been a key contributor to the German youth teams. The tiny Pole Trochowski is another option while naturalized Brazilian striker Cacau could find himself fielded out of position on the wing if he recovers in time from injury.
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The defense is more settled but perhaps Germany’s most vulnerable area. I have criticized Mertesacker and Friedrich in the past, doubting their ability to cope with Tevez, Messi et al. They more than proved me wrong (and yet my suspicion is this had more to do with Maradona’s ineffective tactics than their own brilliance). So, at the risk of looking foolish once again, I predict that Villa will give them a 90-minute headache. If they can withstand Spain’s clever through balls and the pace of Villa, then my hat is off to them as the best center-back pairing at the tournament. Until then, I remain skeptical not just of them but even more so of left-back Boateng, who did well to handle di Maria in the quarter-final but still seems inexperienced for this level. Marcell Jansen is a possibility to start here in his place. Del Bosque is a better coach than Maradona and I believe that Spain’s attackers will do a much better job of unsettling the German backline than Argentina’s super-stars, who clearly left their shooting boots back at the hotel. On the right, Lahm is a player of infinite experience who nevertheless can sometimes get caught out defensively. Always a dangerous offensive weapon going forward. Between the sticks is Neuer, another youngster, perhaps the only one in Germany’s line-up who plays his age. Look for Spain to test him early and often, if they can figure out how to keep the Jabulani from soaring over the crossbar.
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Spain 4-3-2-1: Casillas; Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Capdevila; Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi;
Silva, Iniesta; Villa
Germany 4-1-2-3: Neuer; Lahm, Mertesacker, Friedrich, Boateng/Jansen; Khedira,; Schweinsteiger, Oezil; Kroos, Klose, Podolski
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How times have changed from just two years ago. Spain, especially Torres, no longer look invincible. Their quick passing game has slowed down considerably. They look far weaker than the team that lifted the European Championship and have not been able to put together a fully convincing 90 minute performance so far in South Africa, except perhaps for the 3-0 defeat of Chile. Nonetheless, it is hard to bet against a team with Villa, Ramos, Xavi and Iniesta in it. Whether the other plays can hold together is another question. Germany, on the other hand, have progressed incredibly with the integration of a new generation of talented young stars. The only question mark is a slow defense that seems a class below the rest of the team. The absence of Mueller is also a huge blow. I doubt that they will be able to score another four goals, as they did so brilliantly against Argentina and England. Spain are much stronger than either of these two opponents. Even so, I think Germany have enough to take it. Either way, I think the winner of this one will most likely lift the ultimate prize. Anything to keep the hands of the dispiriting Dutch and their ugly football away from the precious trophy!
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A Late Note from America: My friend Walter Lippincott, a true soccer fanatic, disagrees with my assessment of the Dutch and adds:
Tomorrow’s game should have been the final of the WC. All in all it has been one of the most enjoyable World Cup’s in sometime. The German team has played better than any team I can remember so far- but great teams have been beaten in the finals (like the Dutch in ‘74 and ‘78 and the French in ‘86).
A crime that I missed Holland’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Uruguay tonight but I was, most unfortunately, on a plane and it would have cost over 500 dollars to rebook my ticket. If I had the money, I probably would have paid. I’ll check the highlights to see if the Dutch proved me wrong. 3 goals sounds promising but high-scoring doesn’t necessarily mean good football.
Posted in World Cup 2010 |
by NICK NEHAMAS
July 5th, 2010
On Tuesday night, massive underdogs Uruguay take on a Dutch team that few except ESPN’s Alexi Lalas believed would make an impact at this tournament. The prize? A coveted spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, perhaps the biggest and most important match in the game’s calendar.
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The Uruguayans remain rank outsiders, despite their two World Cup wins in 1930 and 1950, and I challenge a single pundit or even non-Uruguayan fan to prove that they predicted this small nation of just 3.3 million would progress so far. But the South Americans have proved they belong with the world’s best teams, holding France to a 0-0 draw before thrashing hosts South Africa 3-0, beating Mexico and South Korea by a single goal, and (with ever so much controversy) cruelly eliminating Ghana on penalty kicks during their miraculous run to the semis. Nevertheless, few believe the miracle can continue past the Dutch, who are arguably the first elite team that the plucky Uruguayans have had to face (not many would count the horrendous French as a top-class team these days, given that they were too busy fighting with each other and their coach to bother playing defense or scoring goals).
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The biggest problem facing Uruguay is a defensive injury/suspension crisis that leaves wily old coach Oscar Tabarez with few options to choose from. Maximiliano Perez is the only starter who is 100% ready to play. He will take up his usual place on the right side of defense. In the center, inspirational captain Diego Lugano, who plays his club football with Fenerbahce of Turkey, faces a battle to be fit in time for kick-off. Lugano, who was in tears after he was substituted because of injury in the quarterfinal match against Ghana, is a tall and commanding figure whose presence would be sorely missed. Even worse is the likely absence of the injured Godin, a regular with Villareal of Spain, who has been Uruguay’s best defender, covering brilliantly for all his teammates and marking his opponents’ strikers out of the match.
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In their place, we will likely see Mauricio Victorino and Andres Scotti, a pair who, despite playing their club football in the little-heralded Chilean league, have not looked out of their depth at this tournament (bar one unfortunate incident when Scotti inadvertently chipped his own ’keeper in an attempt to tackle Ghana’s bullish Asamoah Gyan). Jorge Fucile, the normal starter on the left, is suspended for this one. Martin Caceres, the versatile 23 year old defender/midfielder, will likely start in his stead. Caceres is viewed in some circles as one of the game’s most promising young defenders but a disastrous season with Barcelona tarnished his reputation. He improved with Juventus of Turin this past season but a World Cup semifinal would be the perfect stage to prove his doubters wrong. Unfortunately, Caceres is not accustomed to playing on the left, usually slotting in at center-back or on the right, and he will surely be extremely nervous to line up against Holland’s Arjen Robben, one of the trickiest wingers in the game.
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After his poor performance against Ghana, look for Alvaro Fernandez to be dropped with the combative Diego Perez stepping in on the right and Alvaro Pereira playing opposite on the left. Arevalo will keep his spot in the center despite a disappointing display against Ghana and will be joined by Napoli’s talented holding midfielder Walter Gargano, surprisingly making his first start of the tournament. Up front, of course, is the talismanic Diego Forlan, who will be central to Uruguay’s hopes, both as playmaker and goal-scorer-in-chief. Partnering him will be young Edinson Cavani of Palermo (though perhaps not for much longer as a switch to Juventus is being discussed in the press). He will have big boots to fill as he replaces top-scorer Luis Suarez, suspended after his infamous handball against Ghana. Between the posts, as always, is baby-faced Muslera, the 23 year old who plays with Lazio of Rome and acquitted himself brilliantly in the penalty shoot-out against Ghana.
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The Dutch boast an array of better-known players. Their attacking quarter will surely give the makeshift Uruguyuan defense absolute fits. It boasts three of the most talented forward players in the game today: striker Robin van Persie of Arsenal, a predatory and skillful finisher who seems certain to start despite a possibly broken left hand; playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who has scored four goals so far in this World Cup and had the honor of lifting the coveted Champion’s League trophy with Inter last season; and, on the right wing, the often unstoppable Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich. Defenders always know what he is going to do: run at them with the ball before cutting inside and looking to shoot or cross with his favored left foot. But just because the defense knows what’s coming, it doesn’t make him any easier to stop. Look for one of Uruguay’s midfielders to constantly track back and help out young Caceres. Rounding out the fabulous foursome is Dirk Kuyt of Liverpool, a player sometimes mocked for his lack of skill and penchant for fluffing easy chances. But his hard work and industry have deservedly captured him a place in the Dutch starting eleven at the expense of Real Madrid’s more lackadaisical Rafael van der Vaart, who usually comes off the bench.
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The defense is a potential weakness although, except for one moment of total chaos, it held its own against Brazil’s highly-rated attackers. Van der Wiel, who looked out of his depth anyway, is suspended so Boularhrouz, a fearsome player nicknamed “The Cannibal,” will probably step in on the right. In the center, young Johnny Heitinga of Everton is a sure starter. If he’s fit, Joris Mathijsen will join him. But if the Hamburg defender is unable to participate, look for the experienced Andre Ooijer to deputize, as he did quite ably against Brazil. On the left is Holland’s elder statesman at 35 years of age, the well-travelled captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Gio, as his jersey has it with greater brevity, played for much of his career as an attacking midfielder before switching to left-back in the fabulous Barcelona team of Ronaldinho, a position he has since made his own for the national team.
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Anchoring the midfield is Bayern’s Mark van Bommel, coach Bert van Marwijk’s son-in-law. To his critics, van Bommel is the dirtiest player in the game, someone who would resort to any foul, no matter how unprofessional, to break up the rhythm of his opponent’s game. To his admirers, he is simply a player who will do whatever it takes to win. Either way, he is a formidable force to be reckoned with and Uruguay’s attackers will have their hands full trying to bypass this fearsome defensive shield. Nigel de Jong is suspended so de Zeeuw or Schaars will start in his place though it is possible van Marwijk will opt for a change of formation and include van der Vaart in a central role or even Milan’s lanky striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar up front next to RvP. The keeper is Stekelenburg of Ajax, no van der Saar but certainly a competent replacement.
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Holland, 4-2-3-1: Stekelenburg; Boularhrouz, Heitinga, Mathijsen/Ooijer, van Bronckhorst/ van Bommel, de Zeeuw/Schaars; Kuyt, Sneijder, Robben; van Persie
Uruguay, 4-4-2: Muslera, M. Pereira, Lugano/Scotti, Victorino, Caceres; Perez, Gargano, Avelaro, A. Pereira; Forlan, Cavani
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My heart says Uruguay—though some have unfairly labeled them a side of cheaters for Suarez’s absolutely necessary handball—but my head says Holland. I have taken a real dislike to the Dutch since this tournament began. I find their style—except for the brilliance of Sneijder and Robben—predictable and pedestrian while the attitudes of the violent van Bommel and the obnoxious van Persie, who loudly complained to the press after being substituted during the second-round game against Slovakia, are hardly endearing to the neutral. Their teamwork is commendable but this year’s Oranje are a hideous stain on the legacies of Michels and Cruyff and their brilliant era of “Total Football.” They are a cautious and unadventurous side but their strategy looks like it will take them to the final. When I watch them play, I am always reminded of the immortal words of Michael Caine in Goldmember, the third installment of the still-hilarious Austin Powers series: “There are only two things I can’t stand in this world: People who are intolerant of other peoples’ cultures….and the DUTCH!” Perhaps I am being unfair on Holland but it is in their power to prove me wrong against Uruguay with a display of attacking soccer. I doubt we will see it. Instead, as the blogger Paul Morrissey has it on 101greatgoals.com, I fear we are in for another display of “Totally Awful Football.”
Posted in Sports, World Cup 2010 |
by NICK NEHAMAS
July 5th, 2010
Spain beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday but they left it late and the South Americans have every reason to feel they could have snatched an upset for a place in the semi-finals. Despite occasionally looking careless at the back, the Paraguayans managed to break up the careful Spanish passing game with heavy pressure in the midfield and looked dangerous on the counter, creating several fine chances. Better finishing might have knocked out the reigning European champions who, surprisingly, advance to the World Cup semifinal for the very first time in their history.
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Once again, Spain’s star attacker Fernando Torres seemed off-the-pace, an assessment which has become something of a refrain at this tournament, but his strike-partner Villa and the midfielders Xavi and Iniesta were as sharp as ever. Barcelona’s Xavi had the most beautiful attempt of the night, flicking the ball over his own head before turning wonderfully and striking the ball on the half-volley from distance just over Villar’s goal.
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After this, the game took on a much more controversial air. The trouble started when Nelson Haedo Valdez’s goal off Barreto’s deep right-wing cross was disallowed, whether for off-side or handball was not immediately clear, prompting a furious reaction from Paraguay’s coach Martino on the side-lines. Valdez was guilty of neither crime but his strike partner Cardozo, who went up for the header but made no contact with the ball, was in an off-side position and, according to the linesman, involved enough in the play to warrant the goal’s invalidation. It all seemed irrelevant, however, in the 59th minute when Pique, who had an unusually clumsy game at the back for Spain, clearly dragged down Cardozo by his arm on a Paraguayan corner. Up stepped the Benfica hit-man to open the scoring but his penalty was too close to Casillas and the Spaniard pulled off an admirable diving save, clutching the ball gratefully to his chest.
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He immediately released it down the field where Villa took possession in the Paraguayan box before going down—some would say rather easily—from the challenge of Alcaraz. Two penalties in the space of a minute! Xabi Alonso stepped up confidently and finished with ease. But referee Mr. Buastes demanded that he take it again, pointing out that a Spanish player had illegally encroached into the box. Never mind that several players had done the same on Cardozo’s earlier miss or that several more would repeat the offense on Alonso’s second take, which Villar skillfully managed to beat away. Paraguay somehow survived the ensuing goal-mouth scramble though Villar did seem to bring down Fabregas. But the referee was not interested in awarding yet another spot-kick.
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The game continued deadlocked until the 81st when skillful little Iniesta, clearly back to full-fitness after an injury-riddled season with Barcelona, danced his way through the heart of the Paraguayan defense, avoiding two lumbering sliding tackles, before laying it off to a wide-open Pedro. But the Barca youngster’s shot came back off the far-post. Luckily for Spain, it rebounded to Villa, a man who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. To everyone’s amazement, Villa’s lofted shot careened from the right post to the left before finally crossing the goal-line. Three posts and in! Paraguay had a chance to equalize when Casillas spilled Argentina-born Barrios’ hard-hit shot right into the path of Santa Cruz. But the ‘keeper stood tall and managed to block the substitute’s goal-bound effort with a strong right foot. Spain held on for a crucial 1-0 win to set up a semifinal meeting with high-flying Germany.
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These Guys Really Care Moment: Cardozo, the lanky striker who missed a crucial penalty for Paraguay, weeping inconsolably into his jersey after the final whistle, angrily pushing away his teammates and the Spanish players who came over to comfort him, his head hanging in shame, forlorn and absolutely all alone.
Posted in Sports, World Cup 2010 |
by NICK NEHAMAS
July 3rd, 2010
In a surprisingly one-sided affair this afternoon, Germany knocked out highly touted Argentina 4-0. Argentina’s world-class attackers looked ordinary, at best, and their back-line positively amateur while Germany put on a footballing clinic for their rivals, dominating play in the midfield and getting forward beautifully. The great Maradona, perhaps the world’s greatest ever player, was comprehensively out-coached by Joachim Low, whose modest playing career rarely took him higher than Germany’s second division.
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The pundits will spend hours dissecting what went wrong with Maradonna’s Argentina so I’ll leave them to it except to highlight his decision to leave Diego Milito, the striker whose goals propelled Internazionale to Champions League glory, unused on the bench for the entire match. The game cried out for his physicality and direct style as little Tevez, Higuain, Di Maria and even Messi were repelled time and again by the German defenders.(Perhaps an even bigger mistake was Maradona’s baffling decision to exclude Milito’s teammates Javier Zanetti, Inter’s 37 year old captain, and the midfielder Esteban Cambiasso from the squad completely. Zanetti, who plays like a man ten years younger, would have been the perfect solution to the problem right-back spot where, first, Jonas and, then, Otamendi failed so miserably while Cambiasso is a one-man engine room, keeping possession and distributing the ball to the forwards with ease.) Anyway, my apologies to Herrs Mertesacker and Friedrich, the German center-backs whose speed and international credentials I questioned in my preview. They were superb. Even better was their midfield shield, Sami Khedira. ‘Keeper Neuer was never forced to make anything other than the most comfortable of saves.
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Germany opened their account early in the third minute when Mueller headed home from Schweinsteiger’s free kick with Argentina’s defense asleep. They never looked back although it was not until the sixty-seventh that they added one for insurance. Good work from Mueller who, despite being on the ground, managed to play Podolski free into the box where the Polish-born striker’s low cross was finished with ease by another German with Polish blood, Miroslav Klose. Much has been made of the new multi-ethnic flavor of this year’s German squad. Beside the Poles—a third is the diminutive midfielder Trochowski, who made a late appearance today—the Germans boast players of Turkish, Tunisian, Bosnian, Spanish, Nigerian and Ghanaian descent plus a naturalized Brazilian to boot. But their style of play—efficient, incisive, controlling the entire field of play—seems relatively unchanged from their more blond-haired, blue-eyed predecessors.
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Then, minutes after Germany’s second, Schweinsteiger breezily sauntered into the box past almost the entire Argentine defense before laying it off to Friedrich for a finish that was perhaps even easier than Klose’s. 3-0. Finally, just before the death, a 4-on-2 counter-attack resulted in another Klose tap-in. Germany have now scored four goals in two consecutive games. With his two today, Klose moves past Pele and French legend Just Fontaine on the all-time World Cup scoring-chart, drawing level with Gerd Mueller, the German striker known as der Bomber, and just one behind Ronaldo, the Brazilian who holds the record at 15. The next closest active player is David Villa on seven. The two strikers seem likely to meet in the semi-final though Paraguay still stand in Spain’s way. Kick-off in twenty minutes.
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You’re Getting Old Moment: At 21, I am one year older than goal-scorer Thomas Mueller and midfielder Toni Kroos, level with starters Mesut Oezil and Jerome Boateng, reserves Holger Badstuber and Marko Marin and Argentinian substitute Javier Pastore. I trail Lionel Messi, generally regarded as the world’s best player, by just two years . Time to get moving.
Posted in Sports, World Cup 2010 |
by NICK NEHAMAS
July 3rd, 2010
Sometimes when you’re right, you’d rather be wrong. Yesterday, I predicted Uruguay would sneak past Ghana into the semi-finals, perhaps on penalties. They did just that, barely, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. And though Uruguay are a disciplined, skilled side who have earned their passage through to the next round, it was absolute heartbreak for Ghana, who played brilliantly at times and would have been the first African team to make it into the semis. But their story-book run has come to an unfortunate end, breaking African hearts and even those of neutrals like me (semi-neutral, actually, since for most of the first half I still found myself upset with Ghana for eliminating the US in their previous game).
This game had absolutely everything that the petulant, cautious and ugly afternoon quarterfinal between the dour Dutch and boring Brazilians lacked. What a shame that both the Uruguayans and Ghanaians could not have progressed at the expense of Bert van Marwijk’s obnoxious side! It was truly worthy of a World Cup Final, the best game of the tournament so far—chock full of action, skill and drama—and perhaps the best we will see in international play for a few years to come. Where the Dutch and the Brazilians fouled each other constantly, play-acting, shouting at each other and the officiating crew, keeping seven men behind the ball at all times and packing the midfield like a tin of sardines, Uruguay-Ghana was end-to-end stuff, as both teams looked to get forward as often as possible.
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Uruguay dominated the first half-hour with Forlan, Suarez and Cavani combining well up front and Ghana’s defenders looking all-at-sea trying to deal with their pace and movement though ‘keeper Kingson’s reflexes proved enough to keep the tie level. Things shifted the other way for the last fifteen minutes of the half, as Vorsah’s powerful header from a corner flew just wide of Muslera’s far post and Gyan should have done better with his side-footed finish after fine work from Kevin-Prince Boateng down the right. Prince, as he prefers to be known, than almost took the lead for Ghana with a spectacular over-head kick that ended up flying over the Uruguayan crossbar. It was Inter’s Sulley Muntari who finally broke the deadlock with a beautiful strike from distance just days after he was almost sent home by coach Rajevac for questioning the gaffer’s decision to start him on the bench in previous games. Muntari swallowed his pride and apologized to the whole squad in a team meeting, a decision which both he and his coach must now be grateful for. From 35 yards out, the Ghanaian star took a couple of casual touches before blasting a powerful left-footed shot that swerved unexpectedly, wrong-footing Uruguay’s young ‘keeper Muslera, and ended up in the bottom corner. Pure class.
Uruguay were not to be outdone, however, and ten minutes into the second half Forlan equalized with a stunner of a free-kick. Just like Muslera, Ghanaian goalie Kingson seemed confused by the flight of the Jabulani and took a step in the wrong direction before recovering with a desperate dive. But he was nowhere close and the ball was in the back of the net. The rest of the half was in the style of the first, an open and entertaining affair. Suarez came closest to breaking the deadlock on two separate occasions but, on the first effort, his poor finish was off-target with the goal gaping and, on the second, Kingson’s fingertips managed to preserve the draw.
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Though the players were clearly exhausted and extra-time ended in stale-mate, the last seconds of the period produced what will surely go down in history as one of the most memorable conclusions in World Cup history: Ghana won a free-kick in a dangerous area and Pantsil’s well-delivered cross bounced around in the box before falling to Appiah whose shot from close range was cleared off the line but only as far as the head of Adiyah whose own effort was batted to safety by the hand of Suarez. A straight red card to Suarez who, fair play aside, really had no other choice. Up stepped Gyan to win it for Ghana at the death but, amazingly, his effort ricocheted back off the cross-bar. Suarez, openly weeping on the sideline, began running around with delight like a maniac though technically he was required to watch the madness on the dressing room TV. Really a stunning moment.
The roulette of penalties was as cruel as it always is, the goat being Ghana’s captain Mensah, who inexplicably took only a single-step run-up before seeing his weak penalty easily batted away by a grateful Muslera. Ghana was given hope when Maxi Pereira sent his penalty way over the top of Kingson’s crossbar but it was not to be as Muslera managed to save young Adiyah’s mediocre strike. Sebastian Abreu—who at 33 years of age has played for the amazing number of 20 clubs—finished the match off with a cheeky Panenka chip. Ghana’s fairytale run comes to an end in truly heart-breaking fashion. Meanwhile, Suarez, who saved Uruguay with his hand, will probably be banned for the rest of the tournament, leaving his side short-handed in their semi-final meeting with the Dutch.
Highlights here: http://www.footytube.com/video/uruguay-ghana-jul02-51188
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One moment of horror: Uruguayan defender Jorge Fucile lands on his head after going over a Ghanaian player’s back during an aerial challenge. He is clearly unconscious on the pitch and, except for a slight twitch, might be dead. I am reminded of the horrible moment in the 2003 Confederations Cup when Cameroon’s midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe collapses dead on the pitch from a heart-attack in mid-match. Thankfully, Fucile wakes up and, somehow, finishes out the game, putting in a solid shift at left-back.
Posted in Sports, World Cup 2010 |
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