Thursday, June 17, 2010
too strong
the second round of matches for GROUP B began with Argentina taking on South Korea. Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick as Argentina scored an impressive win. Argentina took the lead as early as the 17th minute as Park Chu-young scored an own goal. Higuain then doubled the advantage after 33 minutes, but a lapse in concentration from Martin Demichelis on the stroke of half-time allowed Lee Chung-yong to give his side hope. after the restart South Korea pressed on for the equaliser, and boy, did they play better than the first half! Yeom Ki-hun should have drawn his side level after 55 minutes when he was put clean through on the right following a quick break, but found the side netting after opting to use his left foot instead of the right. it proved to be the last of the best chances for South Korea, as Argentina attacked more after that. chances dried up, and Maradona threw in Sergio Aguero for Carlos Tevez. The moved proved a hit with the Atletico Madrid forward playing in Messi on the left - his initial shot was blocked by Jung and the rebound shot hit the base of the left upright and fell to Higuain for a simple tap-in. That was in the 76th minute and four minutes later the Real Madrid star completed his hat-trick after nodding in Aguero's cross at the back post. but the star of the match was Lionel Messi, who, desperate to open his account in South Africa, had many shots but wasted them. OVERALL - a good performance by Argentina, who are showing their critics that they too can be serious contenders. S.Korea meanwhile have to get focused for their third match and not let this mistakes repeat again.
not much of a surprise
in the second round of group matches, GROUP A's South Africa took on Uruguay. the game was one-sided as Uruguay ran out 3-0 winners over a 10-man South Africa side. Uruguay's Diego Forlan scored twice as he helped his side get their first 3 points of the tournament. he scored a stunning long-range dipping effort and converted a penalty. Itumeleng Khune was sent off late in the match as he was adjudged to have fouled Luis Suarez in the penalty area. the South African side had a few chances too, only to miss the target all the time. Uruguay have almost secured a berth in the last 16 whereas South Africa have to beat France in their next match to keep their hopes of going through alive. OVERALL - a one-sided match, but Uruguay have shown they have what it takes to match the bigger teams. South Africa still need more work, especially cohesiveness, if they are to qualify for the next round.
Spain shocker, Swiss stunner
here are the results for the final group(GROUP H)
Honduras 0-1 Chile
Jean Beausejour scored the only goal as Chile beat Honduras 1-0 in their group H opening match to secure their first World Cup victory in 48 years. despite the pressure by Chile, the South Americans failed to kill the game off, and at times the Hondurans looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Honduras are still looking for their first World Cup win. OVERALL - very little to separate these two teams, but Chile had the goal, and that is what made the difference in this match.
Spain 0-1 Switzerland
Switzerland pulled off possibly the biggest shock of the 2010 World Cup so far when they beat European champions Spain 1-0. it was their first-ever victory over Spain in 19 games. a scrappy goal by Gelson Fernandez against the run of play was enough to see the Swiss get all three points. OVERALL - Spain had most of the possession and goalscoring opportunities, but did not make the most of them. credit to the Swiss, who persevered against a stronger side and were rewarded.
Honduras 0-1 Chile
Jean Beausejour scored the only goal as Chile beat Honduras 1-0 in their group H opening match to secure their first World Cup victory in 48 years. despite the pressure by Chile, the South Americans failed to kill the game off, and at times the Hondurans looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Honduras are still looking for their first World Cup win. OVERALL - very little to separate these two teams, but Chile had the goal, and that is what made the difference in this match.
Spain 0-1 Switzerland
Switzerland pulled off possibly the biggest shock of the 2010 World Cup so far when they beat European champions Spain 1-0. it was their first-ever victory over Spain in 19 games. a scrappy goal by Gelson Fernandez against the run of play was enough to see the Swiss get all three points. OVERALL - Spain had most of the possession and goalscoring opportunities, but did not make the most of them. credit to the Swiss, who persevered against a stronger side and were rewarded.
big three teams struggle
first round of matches (group G) results.
Ivory Coast 0-0 Portugal
on paper, it was supposed to be a great match, with the world's most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo versus Didier Drogba, one of the most lethal strikers ever. the match was boring, simple as that. nothing much to report about. OVERALL - it was a waste of my 90 minutes. i was better off watching paint dry or grass grow.
Brazil 2-1 Korea DPR
Brazil: the World Cup's highest-ranked team. Korea DPR: the World Cup's lowest-ranked team. but despite being 'mysterious', Korea DPR are actually rater highly rated! coaches of other teams who have come up against the 'Chollima' have regarded the defenders as being 'tireless' and players as strong. so how did they fare against 5-time champions Brazil? they held Brazil to a 0-0 draw in the first half. but in the second half, Korea DPR 's defence finally was breached, and Brazil finally overcame their slow start to take the lead through Maicon. his goal has got to be one of the best in this tournament, in my opinion. Elano added a second late on. despite Brazil leading by two goals to nil, Korea DPR never gave up. they got a late consolation goal through Ji Yun-nam. OVERALL - Brazil made a meal of what was supposed to be a stroll in the park for them. Korea DPR might have lost, but at least they gave some fight.
Ivory Coast 0-0 Portugal
on paper, it was supposed to be a great match, with the world's most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo versus Didier Drogba, one of the most lethal strikers ever. the match was boring, simple as that. nothing much to report about. OVERALL - it was a waste of my 90 minutes. i was better off watching paint dry or grass grow.
Brazil 2-1 Korea DPR
Brazil: the World Cup's highest-ranked team. Korea DPR: the World Cup's lowest-ranked team. but despite being 'mysterious', Korea DPR are actually rater highly rated! coaches of other teams who have come up against the 'Chollima' have regarded the defenders as being 'tireless' and players as strong. so how did they fare against 5-time champions Brazil? they held Brazil to a 0-0 draw in the first half. but in the second half, Korea DPR 's defence finally was breached, and Brazil finally overcame their slow start to take the lead through Maicon. his goal has got to be one of the best in this tournament, in my opinion. Elano added a second late on. despite Brazil leading by two goals to nil, Korea DPR never gave up. they got a late consolation goal through Ji Yun-nam. OVERALL - Brazil made a meal of what was supposed to be a stroll in the park for them. Korea DPR might have lost, but at least they gave some fight.
a point to prove
here are the results from the first round matches of Group F.
New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia
Slovakia, who were making their World Cup debut as an independent nation, looked set to top the group when Robert Vittek met a diagonal cross by Stanislav Sestak and scored with a powerful header from 10 meters. the weather conditions in the stadium were cold and windy. Slovakia had more chances, but New Zealand's good organisation enabled them to stay in contention. towards the end it looked bleak for the All Whites as time was ticking away until an innocent looking cross was swung into the Slovak penalty area and up popped defender Winston Reid, who rose the highest to score the equaliser. OVERALL - disappointing result for Slovakia. they should have defended better and not have allowed NZ to get the stoppage-time goal. credit to NZ for persevering till the end.
Italy 1-1 Paraguay
Paraguay, who defeated Brazil and Argentina in qualifying, surprisingly held reigning world champions Italy to a 1-1 draw. the Paraguayans took the lead through Antolin Alcaraz in the 39th minute. but despite that opening goal, Paraguay made repeated errors in set pieces, squandered their chances, and gifting Italy their equaliser. Italy, meanwhile, levelled in the 63rd minute when a Simone Pepe corner sailed past goalkeeper Justo Villar's flailing fist and Daniele De Rossi stuck out a foot to steer the ball into the empty net. OVERALL - the reigning world champions should play better. credit to Paraguay for making things tough for Italy early on in the match.
New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia
Slovakia, who were making their World Cup debut as an independent nation, looked set to top the group when Robert Vittek met a diagonal cross by Stanislav Sestak and scored with a powerful header from 10 meters. the weather conditions in the stadium were cold and windy. Slovakia had more chances, but New Zealand's good organisation enabled them to stay in contention. towards the end it looked bleak for the All Whites as time was ticking away until an innocent looking cross was swung into the Slovak penalty area and up popped defender Winston Reid, who rose the highest to score the equaliser. OVERALL - disappointing result for Slovakia. they should have defended better and not have allowed NZ to get the stoppage-time goal. credit to NZ for persevering till the end.
Italy 1-1 Paraguay
Paraguay, who defeated Brazil and Argentina in qualifying, surprisingly held reigning world champions Italy to a 1-1 draw. the Paraguayans took the lead through Antolin Alcaraz in the 39th minute. but despite that opening goal, Paraguay made repeated errors in set pieces, squandered their chances, and gifting Italy their equaliser. Italy, meanwhile, levelled in the 63rd minute when a Simone Pepe corner sailed past goalkeeper Justo Villar's flailing fist and Daniele De Rossi stuck out a foot to steer the ball into the empty net. OVERALL - the reigning world champions should play better. credit to Paraguay for making things tough for Italy early on in the match.
more pain for Danes; joy for Japan
here are the results from the first round matches of Group E.
Holland 2-0 Denmark
it wasnt the prettiest of football matches, but Holland held on for a fortuitous win over Denmark. it began drearily like all the other first round matches: long balls, strong defending, and keeping possession of the ball for long periods. but the deadlock was finally broken by guess what? an own goal. Robin van Persie left Dane goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson stranded away from the goalmouth and crossed the ball, only for Simon Poulsen's header to hit team-mate Daniel Agger's back and dribble into the unguarded Danish goal. the Danes tried to find the equaliser, but when Dirk Kuyt made the game safe for the Dutch by slamming home his 85th minute effort, the Danish players looked tired and wished the referee would blow the final whistle ASAP. OVERALL - not the most convincing performance by Holland, but the determination was there. Denmark need to give a good showing in their next few matches to show that they deserve to go through to the last 16.
Japan 1-0 Cameroon
ah, Japan. serial underachievers on the international stage. somehow coach Takeshi Okada strangely insisted his side can make it to the semi-finals, but recent performances have shown that his Japan side are not capable of scoring goals and defending well. will his team improve and prove him right, or will Japan fail to get through to the last 16 and make him eat his words? well, this first game against Cameroon was not exactly the easiest match, but if Okada can boast of making it to the semis, he must surely have the tactics to counter the African side that includes players like Samuel Eto'o and Alex Song. true enough, Japan's defenders roughed it out and held back attacks from Cameroon and were rewarded for their hard work when, in the 39th minute, Keisuke Honda smashed home a near range shot to score the only goal in the match. in the second half though, it was dominated by Cameroon, but they just could not prise open the tough-as-nails Japanese defence. OVERALL - a good showing by Japan to prove their doubters wrong. it was their first victory on foreign soil. Cameroon need to be more cohesive in attack.
Holland 2-0 Denmark
it wasnt the prettiest of football matches, but Holland held on for a fortuitous win over Denmark. it began drearily like all the other first round matches: long balls, strong defending, and keeping possession of the ball for long periods. but the deadlock was finally broken by guess what? an own goal. Robin van Persie left Dane goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson stranded away from the goalmouth and crossed the ball, only for Simon Poulsen's header to hit team-mate Daniel Agger's back and dribble into the unguarded Danish goal. the Danes tried to find the equaliser, but when Dirk Kuyt made the game safe for the Dutch by slamming home his 85th minute effort, the Danish players looked tired and wished the referee would blow the final whistle ASAP. OVERALL - not the most convincing performance by Holland, but the determination was there. Denmark need to give a good showing in their next few matches to show that they deserve to go through to the last 16.
Japan 1-0 Cameroon
ah, Japan. serial underachievers on the international stage. somehow coach Takeshi Okada strangely insisted his side can make it to the semi-finals, but recent performances have shown that his Japan side are not capable of scoring goals and defending well. will his team improve and prove him right, or will Japan fail to get through to the last 16 and make him eat his words? well, this first game against Cameroon was not exactly the easiest match, but if Okada can boast of making it to the semis, he must surely have the tactics to counter the African side that includes players like Samuel Eto'o and Alex Song. true enough, Japan's defenders roughed it out and held back attacks from Cameroon and were rewarded for their hard work when, in the 39th minute, Keisuke Honda smashed home a near range shot to score the only goal in the match. in the second half though, it was dominated by Cameroon, but they just could not prise open the tough-as-nails Japanese defence. OVERALL - a good showing by Japan to prove their doubters wrong. it was their first victory on foreign soil. Cameroon need to be more cohesive in attack.
complaints = Serbia and celebrations = Germany
here are the results of the Group D first round matches.
Serbia 0-1 Ghana
vuvuzelas. THAT is the name of the loud object that the Serbian players claim made them lose control of the World Cup ball, loss of concentration, and the main focal point: they blame the vuvuzelas for making them give away the 'stupid' penalty that cost them the game. well, at least that's what the players think. but coach Radomir Antic had a different gripe. he claims that what turned the game was the 'harsh' dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic in the 74th minute. nine minutes after that setback, substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic's raised arm struck a ball hit across the area to give away the penalty that put Ghana ahead. the penalty was coolly converted by Asamoah Gyan. whatever the case may be, Serbia weren't setting the football world alight, and they paid the price for poor football. OVERALL - could have been better. Serbia need to up their game in order to make it to the last 16.
Germany 4-0 Australia
''Australia not the banchmark. there will be more difficult opponents to play. so this was a good warm-up. we will be happy about this win.'' that is what Germany coach Joachim Loew has told his players after the match. whether the Aussies take that comment as an insult is another thing. back to the match, Australia were totally outclassed by a relatively youthful German squad. in fact, it is Germany's youngest squad for three-quarters of a century. either way, the fans didnt have to wait long for the goals to start coming. Lukas Podolski opened the scoring in the 8th minute, the second by Miroslav Klose(26), the third by Thomas Mueller(68), and rounded off by Cacau(70). it was just a beautiful display by Germany. Australia, on the other hand, were just underwhelmed. the defence was exposed and when going forward, there was a lack of creativity or ideas. talk about rubbing more salt into the wounds: Australia were forced to play with 10 men for the last half hour after Tim Cahill got his marching orders for a horrific tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger. OVERALL - superb display by Germany. they are the first team in this tournament to score more than two goals in one game. disappointing display by Australia. more was expected from them, but they let their fans down with that shambolic display.
Serbia 0-1 Ghana
vuvuzelas. THAT is the name of the loud object that the Serbian players claim made them lose control of the World Cup ball, loss of concentration, and the main focal point: they blame the vuvuzelas for making them give away the 'stupid' penalty that cost them the game. well, at least that's what the players think. but coach Radomir Antic had a different gripe. he claims that what turned the game was the 'harsh' dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic in the 74th minute. nine minutes after that setback, substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic's raised arm struck a ball hit across the area to give away the penalty that put Ghana ahead. the penalty was coolly converted by Asamoah Gyan. whatever the case may be, Serbia weren't setting the football world alight, and they paid the price for poor football. OVERALL - could have been better. Serbia need to up their game in order to make it to the last 16.
Germany 4-0 Australia
''Australia not the banchmark. there will be more difficult opponents to play. so this was a good warm-up. we will be happy about this win.'' that is what Germany coach Joachim Loew has told his players after the match. whether the Aussies take that comment as an insult is another thing. back to the match, Australia were totally outclassed by a relatively youthful German squad. in fact, it is Germany's youngest squad for three-quarters of a century. either way, the fans didnt have to wait long for the goals to start coming. Lukas Podolski opened the scoring in the 8th minute, the second by Miroslav Klose(26), the third by Thomas Mueller(68), and rounded off by Cacau(70). it was just a beautiful display by Germany. Australia, on the other hand, were just underwhelmed. the defence was exposed and when going forward, there was a lack of creativity or ideas. talk about rubbing more salt into the wounds: Australia were forced to play with 10 men for the last half hour after Tim Cahill got his marching orders for a horrific tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger. OVERALL - superb display by Germany. they are the first team in this tournament to score more than two goals in one game. disappointing display by Australia. more was expected from them, but they let their fans down with that shambolic display.
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