OK, collective sigh following the turmoil that was Germany v England and we can all get on with the rest of the second round.
First up we have the clash between Netherlands and Slovakia. Now Slovakia could enter this game in confident mood following a cracking performance to eliminate Italy, but Holland were looking strong and had a number of players - Robben, Sneijder - that were looking just at home in this tournament. As it happened The Netherlands took this game by the scruff of the neck and from the moment that Robben hit a great opener in the 18th minute they were comfortable if not rampant. Slovakia are a well organised and difficult team to play against and they never looked like being over run but it was no surprise when Sneijder finished the game with a second goal for the dutch - leaving a late late penalty as a scant consolation for Slovakia to take away.
Netherlands 2 v Slovakia 1.
Next we come to what many, including myself, would feel is about as cut and dry a second round tie as you can get - Brazil v Chile. Some people may claim that Chile looked promising in their group with a couple of impressive attacking displays. They were playing Switzerland and Honduras so i wont apologise for not getting excited about that, the test of a game against Brazil is a different proposition all together.
In true Brazilian style for a while they did flatter to deceive with a good half an hour of huff and puff football that looked pretty enough put had no end product. Then just as soon as a few Chile fans dared to believe they were in the game - Juan and Fabiano put in 2 goals in 5 minutes and the task already looked beyond them. Robinho added a well taken third in the second half and the Chileans packed their bags for home after not too shabby a tournament. The Brazilians though would be telling us there was much more to come from them.
Brazil 2 v Chile 0
Paraguay v Japan was one of those games that occasionally crops up at this stage of a major tournament. A game between to lesser teams that have made it through to play each other through perhaps more fancied teams underachieving. Having said that Japan looked dangerous at times, especially through Honda who has caught a few eyes at the tournament. Paraguay also produced a couple of dogged displays that saw them topping their group so, whether we liked it or not, one of these teams would be a world cup quarterfinalists.
As it turned out, the two sides didn't pick up on the suggestion that they should show us why they deserve a place in the quarters, instead they both played out a stalemate where attacking was not on the agenda. Is it not better to lose having give it your all then to lose having sat back and killed a game? I can understand this style of play in a long league season perhaps - but a win or lose game - oh my.
Well the game went to penalties, as both sides seemed to want and eventually it was Paraguay who won out and managed to put themselves in the World Cup quarter finals - pretty much by default.
Paraguay 0 v Japan 0 a.e.t 5-3 PSO
After that wet fish what a delight we had to turn to in our final game of the second round- Spain v Portugal. Oh how the noisy neighbours would love to spoil Spain's party here. How Cristiano Ronaldo would love to pull one over on the Barcelona midfield of Xavi and Iniesta. Oh what a fiery encounter we had to look forward to here...
Don't be silly this is World Cup 2010 in South Africa - the tournament that loves to fool, that pulls the wool over your and everyone else's eyes. The only thing you know to expect is that anything you expect will definitely not happen. So Portugal a team that had scored 7 goals in one game earlier in this tournament and were well remembered from previous ones from their attacking flair decided to doggedly defend in this game. They saw the threat of the Spanish midfield, crapped themselves and strangled the game so they couldn't play. They even alienated their own star player by giving Ronaldo so little support that he barely figured in the game.
Perhaps if they had been victorious I would be saying what a brilliant game plan, a fantastic bit of counter attacking, the only way to play against Spain. Well it didn't and Portugal were undone by another class act from the deadly David Villa who put in a 63rd minute goal to send the Spanish through. Surely teams should play to their strengths, surely teams should try and win a game...
Could we make a new rule where shots on goal decide tied games instead of penalties.....erm?
Spain 1 v Portugal 0
Yeah, a distinctly more disappointing half of the draw, all of the games were poor and in particular Portugal must hang their heads. Semi finalists four short years ago they offered nothing from front to back against a Spain team lacking in goals but potent in passing. Scored 7 against North Korea and that carried them into the round of sixteen undeservedly. CR7 must take all the responsibility for failing to lift the team however isolated he was, may I suggest we shave his head at the Plaza de Cibeles and make him give £10 million to every child born during the World Cup.
ReplyDeleteI like your shots on goal rule, needs a little work but there's a germ of genius. Put Blatter in prison, put us in charge of FIFA and make the world a better place. Fact.