Four more games in two days, and we're down to the last eight teams in World Cup 2010. Whilst the usual suspects have made it to the quarter-finals, I can still sense a huge upset happening at some point. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the last four games of the second round.
Holland 2 – 1 Slovakia
In all honesty, this was a fairly underwhelming game. Although Holland won, they rarely found themselves needing to step up a gear against Slovakia to get the job done. Granted, Arjen Robben’s goal was quite special, but until Wesley Sneijder scored and the doubled the lead with five minutes to go, the result wasn’t safe. Holland had a whole host of chances but failed to capitalise earlier in the match. I can’t quite figure it out. History tells us that Holland usually thrive in the group stages of major tournaments, and tend to struggle in the knockout stages. If they don’t start playing better, history is going to repeat itself. They’re just not clinical enough in front of goal. On paper, they have one of the strongest teams in the tournament, but something still isn’t working. They now face a daunting quarter-final against Brazil now. Holland enter this match as underdogs, so it will be interesting to see how Bert van Marwijk prepares his team for this one. Slovakia now return home knowing that they exceeded expectations in this tournament.
Brazil 3 – 0 Chile
As far as complete team performances are concerned, I think this was the best of the tournament so far by Brazil. What a fantastic display of football. The three goals scored by Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robhino respectively demonstrated how much of a threat this team can be at any point in the game. Chile were restricted to very few chances in the game, and although they showed creativity in the middle of the park, they struggled against a resilient Brazilian defence. The loss of key players through suspension in their game against Spain really hurt them, especially in defence. It’s shame to see Chile eliminated from the tournament as they have been a great side to watch, and had they faced anyone else in the last sixteen, we might have seen them progress. Brazil were just suffocating. Dunga must be excited about the quality of players he has to work with, and the depth in which said quality lies. It’s difficult to see this team not making the final.
Paraguay 0 – 0 Japan (Paraguay win 5-3 on penalties)
Despite both of these teams having done incredibly well in the group stages to progress to the last sixteen, this was probably the most disappointing game of the second round. Penalty shoot outs are always a difficult way to declare a winning team, but after two hours of football and no goals scored, it almost seemed fair this time. You have to feel for Yuichi Komano who blasted his spot kick against the crossbar. The game never really amounted to much in terms of clear goal scoring opportunities, and neither side went all out in extra time to get a goal. Japan may feel that they could have progressed further in this tournament, but taking the whole of the game into consideration, Paraguay deserved to win - but only just. They now face a very stern challenge against Spain, who are hitting good form just at the right time. What are the chances of two South American semi-finals?
Spain 1 – 0 Portugal
This might not have been the spectacular goal fest many football fans had been anticipating, but Spain played a very intelligent game against the Portuguese. Vicente del Bosque stuck to his game plan, despite not having scored in the first half, having faith that his team would find a goal. With David Villa on the pitch, it’s more than just a possibility. He now has four goals in the last three games. Unless Fernando Torres can rediscover his goal scoring form, Spain may have to rely on Villa for a little longer. Their defence did its job in frustrating Cristiano Ronaldo, limited him mostly to shots from distance. Portugal also defended strongly, but their key players in midfield didn’t get enough of the ball so as to provide an attacking threat. The red card for Ricardo Costa near the end of the game was thoroughly disappointing, as there didn’t seem to be any contact at all between him and Capdevila. The better side won on the night, though.
That's the end of the second round. The quarter-finals begin on Friday, and we have some very interesting matches. I'll be writing about those over the weekend, so stay tuned. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated, as always.
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Sunday 27 June 2010
World Cup 2010 - Second Round (part one)
We're four matches in, and we've seen more spectacular goals balanced with more controversy. The intensity appears to have been stepped up in this round, which makes for some great entertaining football. Here are my thoughts on the first four games of the second round...
Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea
Uruguay have been a surprise in this tournament. They won Group A with relative ease, and were rewarded with what appeared to be a very winnable second round match against South Korea. Luis Suárez put Uruguay ahead early on with a little help from a goalkeeping error, but seemed to fade a little in the second half which let the Koreans back into the match. Uruguay went on to win the game though, and showed good strength and character in doing so. Overall, they were the better team, as they have been in all their games so far. Diego Forlan was instrumental once again. This team has the ability to turn defence into attack with ease. Ajax had better watch out, because I imagine a number of teams have noticed Suárez in the last few games. His second goal, which turned out to be the winner, was superb. Uruguay now have a very legitimate shot of reaching the semi final stages if they can maintain the right balance which has been successful for them so far
USA 1 – 2 Ghana (aet)
This was a really good game of football. USA, for the third time in four games, went 1-0 down early on to a determined Ghanaian side. Their defence really has been quite terrible in this tournament, and it’s the reason they haven’t managed to progress any further. Players like Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan can only carry this team so far. They don’t have enough quality in front of goal. All five of their goals in this tournament came from midfielders. USA did show good character in the second half and were good for their equaliser. They even had a number of good opportunities to win the game in regulation, but conceded early in extra time, and it was again due to poor defending. The finish, though, was excellent by Asamoah Gyan – another player who has a good future ahead of him. I’m not sure this one can really be called an upset because Ghana are clearly the best African side in this tournament. However, they are young, and Uruguay possess a tough challenge for them.
Germany 4 – 1 England
A fantastic and promising display if you’re a Germany supporter, an absolute horror show if you’re an England supporter. Germany dominated the game and played some fantastic football. Thomas Mueller was outstanding. England’s defence, bar Ashley Cole (who I think has been England’s best individual player in this tournament) was appalling. John Terry and Matthew Upson were nowhere for the first two goals. England pulled one back, and should have been level at half-time after Frank Lampard’s strike was adjudged to have not crossed the line, despite a number of replays demonstrating otherwise. The most disappointing thing is that England had the momentum after half-time, but failed to capitalise. They just haven’t gelled as a team, and their better players certainly were not at their best. Germany ripped them to shreds with two excellent counter-attacking goals later on in the game and won the game comfortably. What happens to Fabio Capello now? This one will take a long time to heal for England fans. Germany, however, were fantastic.
Argentina 3 – 1 Mexico
This was the most entertaining game of the first four. The first half was probably the best 45 minutes of attacking football so far in this tournament. Mexico were clearly rattled by Argentina’s first goal courtesy of Carlos Tevez, which was a shame because the game had been quite even up until that point. Sloppy defending was at fault for Argentina’s second, by which point it seemed there was no way back for Mexico. However, they continued to press on in the second half and created some good chances. Tevez’s second, and Argentina’s third, was unstoppable, but Hernandez’s consolation was enough to keep the game exciting until the end. Mexico played fairly well, but they just lack a cutting edge in front of goal to make them a top side in international football. Argentina were good value for their win and now face a dynamic German side in the quarter finals. These two teams have some history so it promises to be a fiery encounter.
Stay tuned for the second part of this section where I will look at the remaining second round matches, and also the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Your comments are always appreciated.
Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea
Uruguay have been a surprise in this tournament. They won Group A with relative ease, and were rewarded with what appeared to be a very winnable second round match against South Korea. Luis Suárez put Uruguay ahead early on with a little help from a goalkeeping error, but seemed to fade a little in the second half which let the Koreans back into the match. Uruguay went on to win the game though, and showed good strength and character in doing so. Overall, they were the better team, as they have been in all their games so far. Diego Forlan was instrumental once again. This team has the ability to turn defence into attack with ease. Ajax had better watch out, because I imagine a number of teams have noticed Suárez in the last few games. His second goal, which turned out to be the winner, was superb. Uruguay now have a very legitimate shot of reaching the semi final stages if they can maintain the right balance which has been successful for them so far
USA 1 – 2 Ghana (aet)
This was a really good game of football. USA, for the third time in four games, went 1-0 down early on to a determined Ghanaian side. Their defence really has been quite terrible in this tournament, and it’s the reason they haven’t managed to progress any further. Players like Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan can only carry this team so far. They don’t have enough quality in front of goal. All five of their goals in this tournament came from midfielders. USA did show good character in the second half and were good for their equaliser. They even had a number of good opportunities to win the game in regulation, but conceded early in extra time, and it was again due to poor defending. The finish, though, was excellent by Asamoah Gyan – another player who has a good future ahead of him. I’m not sure this one can really be called an upset because Ghana are clearly the best African side in this tournament. However, they are young, and Uruguay possess a tough challenge for them.
Germany 4 – 1 England
A fantastic and promising display if you’re a Germany supporter, an absolute horror show if you’re an England supporter. Germany dominated the game and played some fantastic football. Thomas Mueller was outstanding. England’s defence, bar Ashley Cole (who I think has been England’s best individual player in this tournament) was appalling. John Terry and Matthew Upson were nowhere for the first two goals. England pulled one back, and should have been level at half-time after Frank Lampard’s strike was adjudged to have not crossed the line, despite a number of replays demonstrating otherwise. The most disappointing thing is that England had the momentum after half-time, but failed to capitalise. They just haven’t gelled as a team, and their better players certainly were not at their best. Germany ripped them to shreds with two excellent counter-attacking goals later on in the game and won the game comfortably. What happens to Fabio Capello now? This one will take a long time to heal for England fans. Germany, however, were fantastic.
Argentina 3 – 1 Mexico
This was the most entertaining game of the first four. The first half was probably the best 45 minutes of attacking football so far in this tournament. Mexico were clearly rattled by Argentina’s first goal courtesy of Carlos Tevez, which was a shame because the game had been quite even up until that point. Sloppy defending was at fault for Argentina’s second, by which point it seemed there was no way back for Mexico. However, they continued to press on in the second half and created some good chances. Tevez’s second, and Argentina’s third, was unstoppable, but Hernandez’s consolation was enough to keep the game exciting until the end. Mexico played fairly well, but they just lack a cutting edge in front of goal to make them a top side in international football. Argentina were good value for their win and now face a dynamic German side in the quarter finals. These two teams have some history so it promises to be a fiery encounter.
Stay tuned for the second part of this section where I will look at the remaining second round matches, and also the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Your comments are always appreciated.
Friday 25 June 2010
World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the final group matches
The final group matches served up some great goals and tense finales. There were certainly some surprise results and a few unfamiliar faces managed to qualify for the last sixteen. And yes, my dark horse Serbia didn't quite cross the finish line. Oh well, there's always Euro 2012. Anyway, let's hand out some awards.
Best Performance
Denmark v Japan
What a show. Three fantastic goals and some great movement on and off the ball. They limited a strong Denmark team to only a couple of clear cut chances. Japan have been good throughout the group stages. Takeshi Okada has a great bunch of players to work with. This team could cause some serious upsets in the next round.
Worst Performance
Greece v Argentina
Congratulations, Otto Rehhagel. Your team probably needed to win to reach the last sixteen, so instead of giving it a real go, you played for a draw and still lost 2-0. What a way to bow out as coach. I can't understand why teams who reach the World Cup don't give it everything they've got. Even after Demichelis scored for Argentina, Greece still seemed to be sitting back and relying on the outcome of the Nigeria v South Korea game, but I still can't figure it out. Where was the spirit of the team that won Euro 2004?
Best Goal
Yasuhito Endo - Denmark v Japan
Any of the three Japan goals are worthy of this award, but the reason the second free kick just edges out the first is because I think Thomas Sorensen made a mistake with it. It was a wonderful strike by Honda, but Endo's curled high around the wall and ended up in the bottom corner. That's a nightmare for goalkeepers. Japan looked really impressive against Denmark.
Biggest Surprise
Italy
Admit it. Even though Italy drew their two opening games, we still thought they would beat Slovakia and qualify, right? Wrong. The World Cup holders are going home. Why did they need to go 2-0 down to start playing well? They haven't really looked threatening all tournament. What happened to that defence? This team needs a complete overhaul. I take nothing away from Slovakia, though; they were fantastic.
Best Game
Italy v Slokavia
This was wonderful to watch. Not simply because there was a giant killing, but because of the unbelievable tension towards the end of the game. Four goals in twenty minutes is always exciting. Quagliarella's audacious chip in injury time ensured a dramatic finish, and if that cross at the end had fallen on Simone Pepe's other foot, it surely would have finished 3-3.
Worst Game
Portugal v Brazil
Tough one. There were a few howlers, but I'll pick this one for the way it just drifted off into nothing in the second half. I know both teams were pretty much through to the next round, but so were Mexico and Uruguay, and they both still went out for the win. This one could have been more interesting if Brazil had been down to ten men as Portugal might have put more pressure on in the second half. Either way, they're both in the last sixteen.
Best Moment
Duda being booked for gesturing a red card to the referee
The only thing that annoys me more in football than inconsistent officiating is when players 'gang up' on referees in an attempt to pressurise them into making a decision in favour of their team. Yes, Juan's handball was cynical and could possibly have been more than a yellow card, but it's down to the referee to decide that, not the four Portuguese players who ran half the length of the pitch to try and make his mind up for him. I'd love to see more of this happen.
Worst Moment
Yohann Gourcuff's sending off against South Africa
Seriously? That's a red card? He might be leaning in with his elbow a bit, but I genuinely see him going for the ball and nothing else. 90 percent of other referees would have given a booking at most. I guess it summed up France's tournament really. Credit to South Africa for pushing on and winning this game because France actually showed like they cared a little for this one.
So that's the end of the group stages. I think the best is yet to come in the next round. England v Germany and Spain v Portugal are the two games whicn catch my eye, but brace yourselves for some excellent football. I'll do a piece for the last sixteen at some point, so watch this space. As always, your thought and comments are appreciated.
Best Performance
Denmark v Japan
What a show. Three fantastic goals and some great movement on and off the ball. They limited a strong Denmark team to only a couple of clear cut chances. Japan have been good throughout the group stages. Takeshi Okada has a great bunch of players to work with. This team could cause some serious upsets in the next round.
Worst Performance
Greece v Argentina
Congratulations, Otto Rehhagel. Your team probably needed to win to reach the last sixteen, so instead of giving it a real go, you played for a draw and still lost 2-0. What a way to bow out as coach. I can't understand why teams who reach the World Cup don't give it everything they've got. Even after Demichelis scored for Argentina, Greece still seemed to be sitting back and relying on the outcome of the Nigeria v South Korea game, but I still can't figure it out. Where was the spirit of the team that won Euro 2004?
Best Goal
Yasuhito Endo - Denmark v Japan
Any of the three Japan goals are worthy of this award, but the reason the second free kick just edges out the first is because I think Thomas Sorensen made a mistake with it. It was a wonderful strike by Honda, but Endo's curled high around the wall and ended up in the bottom corner. That's a nightmare for goalkeepers. Japan looked really impressive against Denmark.
Biggest Surprise
Italy
Admit it. Even though Italy drew their two opening games, we still thought they would beat Slovakia and qualify, right? Wrong. The World Cup holders are going home. Why did they need to go 2-0 down to start playing well? They haven't really looked threatening all tournament. What happened to that defence? This team needs a complete overhaul. I take nothing away from Slovakia, though; they were fantastic.
Best Game
Italy v Slokavia
This was wonderful to watch. Not simply because there was a giant killing, but because of the unbelievable tension towards the end of the game. Four goals in twenty minutes is always exciting. Quagliarella's audacious chip in injury time ensured a dramatic finish, and if that cross at the end had fallen on Simone Pepe's other foot, it surely would have finished 3-3.
Worst Game
Portugal v Brazil
Tough one. There were a few howlers, but I'll pick this one for the way it just drifted off into nothing in the second half. I know both teams were pretty much through to the next round, but so were Mexico and Uruguay, and they both still went out for the win. This one could have been more interesting if Brazil had been down to ten men as Portugal might have put more pressure on in the second half. Either way, they're both in the last sixteen.
Best Moment
Duda being booked for gesturing a red card to the referee
The only thing that annoys me more in football than inconsistent officiating is when players 'gang up' on referees in an attempt to pressurise them into making a decision in favour of their team. Yes, Juan's handball was cynical and could possibly have been more than a yellow card, but it's down to the referee to decide that, not the four Portuguese players who ran half the length of the pitch to try and make his mind up for him. I'd love to see more of this happen.
Worst Moment
Yohann Gourcuff's sending off against South Africa
Seriously? That's a red card? He might be leaning in with his elbow a bit, but I genuinely see him going for the ball and nothing else. 90 percent of other referees would have given a booking at most. I guess it summed up France's tournament really. Credit to South Africa for pushing on and winning this game because France actually showed like they cared a little for this one.
So that's the end of the group stages. I think the best is yet to come in the next round. England v Germany and Spain v Portugal are the two games whicn catch my eye, but brace yourselves for some excellent football. I'll do a piece for the last sixteen at some point, so watch this space. As always, your thought and comments are appreciated.
Monday 21 June 2010
World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the second group matches
I think I can speak on behalf of everyone watching the World Cup when I say..."that's more like it".
The second round of group stage matches certainly delivered much more entertainment, more attacking football, and more goals. Some teams have already confirmed their place in the next round, while others have been eliminated. The South Americans are still, for the most part, showing their European counterparts how to get the job done. I think the vuvuzelas are starting to quieten down a bit now too, or maybe it's just wishful thinking.
Anyway, on to this week's achievements, starting with...
Best Performance
Portugal v North Korea
It doesn't matter who you play, scoring seven goals in a World Cup match is outstanding. After the performance Portugal gave against the Ivory Coast last week, and how strongly North Korea defended against Brazil, Carlos Queiroz must have given his team a serious lambasting. They could have scored more on the day, too. Paraguay also get a mention for a fine win against Slovakia.
Worst Performance
France v Mexico
Congratulations, Mr Domenech. Your side made it two on the bounce, even pipping England to this award. The players just didn't care. This is a team with serious issues on and off the field. I take nothing away from Mexico though, they were excellent. But France were in the World Cup final four years ago. Now I expect them to finish last in their group. Awful.
Best Goal
David Villa - Spain v Honduras
One of the best goals you're likely to see this tournament. What a magnificent solo effort. Just when you thought he'd done too much, he still managed to get the shot away after embarrassing two defenders. I know it was only against Honduras, but you can only play the team in front of you. You can see why Barcelona paid £34 million for him. Chile v Spain now looks like a mouth watering fixture.
Biggest Surprise
Germany losing to Serbia
I'll be honest, I had Serbia down as dark horses to cause a few upsets this year. But how did Germany lose this one after playing so well against Australia a few days beforehand? They looked well off the mark all over the pitch. Now they need to beat a tough Ghanaian side to be sure of qualifying, and they need to do it without Miroslav Klose. Group D is still wide open.
Best Game
Slovenia vs USA
What a comeback. Slovenia were by far the better team in the first half, but USA dominated the second. They should have had a third and probably won the game if a perfectly legitimate goal hadn't been disallowed. This is what the World Cup is all about. This game just edges out Cameroon v Denmark, which was also exellent.
Worst Game
England v Algeria
Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten. What an atrocity. England are becoming the new France. Despite the amount of quality in this team, there's no unity whatsoever. It's difficult to see how Fabio Capello changes that before the game against Slovenia. Having said all that, Algeria were just as terrible.
Best Moment
New Zealand drawing with Italy
This is just such a great story. New Zealand had longer odds than North Korea to win the World Cup. They held the holders to a draw and were inches away from actually winning the match. Anything extra they do from here would be a bonus. Surely they can't make it through to the next round? There have already been some impressive scalps so far.
Worst Moment
Kaka's red card against Ivory Coast
There were a number of awful decisions from officials in the last set of games, but this one takes it. The referee didn't see what happened. I don't know what the linesman or fourth official thought they saw. This dismissal needs overturning. Would it be too much to just bring in the best referees for this tournament, regardless of where they're from? Fortunately Brazil are already through to the last sixteen.
That's it for the second lot of group stage games. As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
The second round of group stage matches certainly delivered much more entertainment, more attacking football, and more goals. Some teams have already confirmed their place in the next round, while others have been eliminated. The South Americans are still, for the most part, showing their European counterparts how to get the job done. I think the vuvuzelas are starting to quieten down a bit now too, or maybe it's just wishful thinking.
Anyway, on to this week's achievements, starting with...
Best Performance
Portugal v North Korea
It doesn't matter who you play, scoring seven goals in a World Cup match is outstanding. After the performance Portugal gave against the Ivory Coast last week, and how strongly North Korea defended against Brazil, Carlos Queiroz must have given his team a serious lambasting. They could have scored more on the day, too. Paraguay also get a mention for a fine win against Slovakia.
Worst Performance
France v Mexico
Congratulations, Mr Domenech. Your side made it two on the bounce, even pipping England to this award. The players just didn't care. This is a team with serious issues on and off the field. I take nothing away from Mexico though, they were excellent. But France were in the World Cup final four years ago. Now I expect them to finish last in their group. Awful.
Best Goal
David Villa - Spain v Honduras
One of the best goals you're likely to see this tournament. What a magnificent solo effort. Just when you thought he'd done too much, he still managed to get the shot away after embarrassing two defenders. I know it was only against Honduras, but you can only play the team in front of you. You can see why Barcelona paid £34 million for him. Chile v Spain now looks like a mouth watering fixture.
Biggest Surprise
Germany losing to Serbia
I'll be honest, I had Serbia down as dark horses to cause a few upsets this year. But how did Germany lose this one after playing so well against Australia a few days beforehand? They looked well off the mark all over the pitch. Now they need to beat a tough Ghanaian side to be sure of qualifying, and they need to do it without Miroslav Klose. Group D is still wide open.
Best Game
Slovenia vs USA
What a comeback. Slovenia were by far the better team in the first half, but USA dominated the second. They should have had a third and probably won the game if a perfectly legitimate goal hadn't been disallowed. This is what the World Cup is all about. This game just edges out Cameroon v Denmark, which was also exellent.
Worst Game
England v Algeria
Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten. What an atrocity. England are becoming the new France. Despite the amount of quality in this team, there's no unity whatsoever. It's difficult to see how Fabio Capello changes that before the game against Slovenia. Having said all that, Algeria were just as terrible.
Best Moment
New Zealand drawing with Italy
This is just such a great story. New Zealand had longer odds than North Korea to win the World Cup. They held the holders to a draw and were inches away from actually winning the match. Anything extra they do from here would be a bonus. Surely they can't make it through to the next round? There have already been some impressive scalps so far.
Worst Moment
Kaka's red card against Ivory Coast
There were a number of awful decisions from officials in the last set of games, but this one takes it. The referee didn't see what happened. I don't know what the linesman or fourth official thought they saw. This dismissal needs overturning. Would it be too much to just bring in the best referees for this tournament, regardless of where they're from? Fortunately Brazil are already through to the last sixteen.
That's it for the second lot of group stage games. As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
Wednesday 16 June 2010
World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the first group matches
Other than the ridiculous number of vuvuzelas in South Africa, there's been very little noise so far in this much anticipated World Cup tournament. It would be fair to say that the majority of the 'big' teams have underperformed in the early stages, and several high profile games have been quite drab.
During every stage of the World Cup, I'll be handing out awards to various teams...
Best performance
Germany v Australia
This game caught everyone by surprise. The performance Germany put in was far from the performance we have come to accept. This was attacking, free-flowing, beautiful to watch football, exactly what was actually expected of a number of favourites to win the tournament. Which brings me to my next category...
Worst performance
Uruguay v France
I don't care what anyone says. With the quality Raymond Domenech has in his side, France should be topping Group A and competing deep into the quarter finals. Instead they're not. This team made the final in 2006, but they finished bottom of their group at Euro 2008. They struggled to even qualify for this tournament, as Republic of Ireland fans will know, and they'll have a job to get to the last sixteen this time around.
Best goal
Maicon - Brazil v North Korea
You can always rely on Brazil to pull something special out the bag. There hasn't been a plethora of fantastic goals so far, but Maicon's strike from the narrowest of angles was absolutely wonderful. Catching that ball first time on the outside of the boot and beating the goalkeeper at the near post is something a striker would be proud of, let alone a full back.
Biggest surprise
Spain v Switzerland
Come on, admit it. After winning Euro 2008 and qualifying with relative ease, we all expected Spain to win this game comfortably, top the group and probably make it to the final. Now after losing 1-0, a potential last sixteen match against Brazil looms. They didn't have any answers to a dauntless Swiss defence. Spain must be more clinical if they want to go further.
Best game
South Africa v Mexico
There have certainly been more impressive team performances so far in the tournament, but this match was really something. The old cliche "a game of two halves" rings very true here. Mexico dominated the first half, yet South Africa will have felt they should have won it at 90 minutes. Great football and genuinely exciting to watch.
Worst game
Ivory Coast v Portugal
There were some serious contenders for this category. I can think of at least four games so far which you couldn't pay me to watch again. This match tops them all for the simple fact that two teams of this calibre playing against one another should have produced so much more. Maybe it's the ball, maybe it's the pitch, maybe it's conservative play, but I can't remember more than three chances all game. Awful.
Best moment
Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal against Mexico
This epitomised everything that's great about the World Cup. The host nation in the first game, an ecstatic atmosphere in Johannesburg, and an absolute screamer of a opening goal going right in the top corner, followed by a celebratory dance which will be used on a countless number of future football related adverts. Absolutely wonderful viewing.
Worst moment
Tim Cahill's red card against Germany
It would have been easy to go with Rob Green's howler against the USA, but the more I watch this moment, the more I think most referees barely give a yellow for this. A straight red? No chance. Even Bastian Schweinsteiger (the player fouled) said so. It's a late one, but players get away with much worse. Australia fell to bits soon after, which was a shame as they still looked like getting something out of that match. Now Cahill, more than likely, misses the rest of the tournament.
Well, that's that for now. Of course, your thoughts and comments are much appreciated. Here's hoping for a few more goals in the second lot of group stage games, and much less Adrian Chiles.
During every stage of the World Cup, I'll be handing out awards to various teams...
Best performance
Germany v Australia
This game caught everyone by surprise. The performance Germany put in was far from the performance we have come to accept. This was attacking, free-flowing, beautiful to watch football, exactly what was actually expected of a number of favourites to win the tournament. Which brings me to my next category...
Worst performance
Uruguay v France
I don't care what anyone says. With the quality Raymond Domenech has in his side, France should be topping Group A and competing deep into the quarter finals. Instead they're not. This team made the final in 2006, but they finished bottom of their group at Euro 2008. They struggled to even qualify for this tournament, as Republic of Ireland fans will know, and they'll have a job to get to the last sixteen this time around.
Best goal
Maicon - Brazil v North Korea
You can always rely on Brazil to pull something special out the bag. There hasn't been a plethora of fantastic goals so far, but Maicon's strike from the narrowest of angles was absolutely wonderful. Catching that ball first time on the outside of the boot and beating the goalkeeper at the near post is something a striker would be proud of, let alone a full back.
Biggest surprise
Spain v Switzerland
Come on, admit it. After winning Euro 2008 and qualifying with relative ease, we all expected Spain to win this game comfortably, top the group and probably make it to the final. Now after losing 1-0, a potential last sixteen match against Brazil looms. They didn't have any answers to a dauntless Swiss defence. Spain must be more clinical if they want to go further.
Best game
South Africa v Mexico
There have certainly been more impressive team performances so far in the tournament, but this match was really something. The old cliche "a game of two halves" rings very true here. Mexico dominated the first half, yet South Africa will have felt they should have won it at 90 minutes. Great football and genuinely exciting to watch.
Worst game
Ivory Coast v Portugal
There were some serious contenders for this category. I can think of at least four games so far which you couldn't pay me to watch again. This match tops them all for the simple fact that two teams of this calibre playing against one another should have produced so much more. Maybe it's the ball, maybe it's the pitch, maybe it's conservative play, but I can't remember more than three chances all game. Awful.
Best moment
Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal against Mexico
This epitomised everything that's great about the World Cup. The host nation in the first game, an ecstatic atmosphere in Johannesburg, and an absolute screamer of a opening goal going right in the top corner, followed by a celebratory dance which will be used on a countless number of future football related adverts. Absolutely wonderful viewing.
Worst moment
Tim Cahill's red card against Germany
It would have been easy to go with Rob Green's howler against the USA, but the more I watch this moment, the more I think most referees barely give a yellow for this. A straight red? No chance. Even Bastian Schweinsteiger (the player fouled) said so. It's a late one, but players get away with much worse. Australia fell to bits soon after, which was a shame as they still looked like getting something out of that match. Now Cahill, more than likely, misses the rest of the tournament.
Well, that's that for now. Of course, your thoughts and comments are much appreciated. Here's hoping for a few more goals in the second lot of group stage games, and much less Adrian Chiles.
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