Day 7
Argentina benefitted from a 16th minute own goal and added another from Higuain (33) and seemed in control. South Korea hit the net in stoppage time via Lee Chung-Yong to get back in the match making this the first match where we’ve seen 3 goals in the opening half. The second half would see Korea in the ascendency and Argentina seemed to lose their grip on the contest.
That would carry into the final 15 minutes where Higuain completed a hat-trick benefitting both times by the inspiration and clever play of Messi. On the first Messi’s run and drive drew a kick save and the rebound went right back to Messi who fired his shot low off the base of the near post and Higuain was at the back post to tap it in (yes, he was offside but the goal was allowed). On the second Messi lifted a clever ball over a defender and his pass was headed back across goal to Higuain on the doorstep again who headed it back across the goal to the back post side netting. A wonderfully worked goal to end the match at 4-1. A match that seemed to be slipping away turned into a resounding victory for Argentina as they stake their claim to a place in the final 16.
The day’s second match had Greece facing Nigeria with both sides needing the maximum points to have a chance to advance. The Super Eagles took charge scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute from a Uche free kick that fooled everyone and sailed untouched into goal. Yet another goal keeper error? Nobody touched it at all. It was as if the keeper never actually saw it until it was too late. The match changed in the 33rd when Nigeria’s Sani Kaita was given a straight red card for a kick to Greek midfielder Torosidis. With the Super Eagles reduced to ten men Greece scored their first ever World Cup goal in the 44th on a deflected shot that wrong-footed the keeper to level at 1. Torosidis would go on to score the match winner in the 71st when he tapped in a loose ball, again the result of a keeper error, to give Greece their maiden World Cup victory.
The win was not only the first ever for Greece. It was also the first match of this tournament where a team had rallied from a losing position to win a match.
And Mexico, with two second half goals stymied France, a team they had never beaten in a well deserved 2-0 victory. El Tri’s first goal came in the 64th minute when the French defense switched off thinking an offside and Javier Hernandez easily rounded the keeper and banged it in for what would be the match winner. In the 79th Blanco hammered a penalty kick just out of reach of the diving keeper to become the first Mexican player to score in three different World Cups. ESPN also says that at 37 years and 151 days old Blanco is the third-oldest player to score a World Cup goal.
Day 8
A Truly Dramatic Day in World Cup 2010
The class team so far, Germany, faced off against a team they are very familiar with in Serbia, many of whose players ply their trade in the Bundesliga. Who would have figured this? Germany last lost a group stage match 24 years ago. Serbia changed that with a 1-0 victory over 10 man Germany and it might have been even more.
Miroslav Klose was sent off in the 35th minute for his second yellow. Without Klose, Lukas Podolski became the trigger man and he failed to deliver. On one five minute stretch of the second half with 10 man Germany in the ascendency, Podolski missed a good chance going wide to the far post. Just two minutes later he missed again, this time into the near post side netting. Then, the most glaring miss of them all came from the penalty spot. Vidic gave up the penalty for handball but his keeper, Stojkovic saved his bacon with a diving stop of Podolski’s low hard shot. On the day Podolski got only 1 of his 9 shots on frame as the team that seemed to be the class of the tournament after the opening round goes down to defeat.
Then came the USA, feeling the pressure of what has been called “a must win” versus Slovenia, a skillful and disciplined team that plays a style that the Americans have rarely been successful breaking down. Actually, this team will play a very similar tactical match as the much more talented Czechoslovakia did against the USA in 2006 and blitzed them 3-0. For the rest of the soccer world to take the USA seriously the mission really is to show that they can defeat a team that plays the game in this way, something they have rarely accomplished in internationals especially when playing away from home.
What is really required of the USA is to score goals; as many as they possibly can. While a win isn’t really a “must” to earn passage to the next round according to the bean counter types, another draw and then a win over Algeria in the final group stage match COULD get them to the round of 16. The operative word there of course is ’could’ and it is also why scoring goals is the real ’must’ in this confrontation. The group is set up to have the second team to advance determined by goal difference or the next tie-breaker total goals scored. What puts the ’must’ in the win category is that it would likely avoid that tie-breaker scenario. Scoring more goals than the other guy also means you win of course, which is the goal, even if it is not really a “must” scenario according to the bean couners. It IS a must win for other reasons for the USA.
Some pundits split the hairs even farther by saying what is really a “must” is not to lose this match. Duh! That is more subtle than you might think but it also kicks the can down the road and truly puts the final group stage match versus Algeria in the ’must win’ category.
The problem with that is, the USA has not done well facing such a challenge in the past. World Cup 2002 and last year in the Confederations Cup were the exception and not the rule and the mission of this competition for team USA is to turn that around. Winning here would do that by showing they have the skill and guile to face up and beat teams that play this style. Until they accomplish that on a more consistent basis USA will not be taken seriously. That is what puts the ’must’ in the ’must win’ vision whether the bean counters like it or not.
The signal Bradley sends by his player selection for this match will be significant. Will we see Torres and/or Herculez Gomez? These two would illustrate Bradley’s commitment to a more dynamic, offensive and creative approach which is what many would prefer to the staid and largely ineffective (historically) lineup with Dempsey and Donovan on the wings. If we don’t see Torres and Gomez it would mean a draw as an outcome in this match is acceptable to Bradley which is a prescription for failure in the mind of many. Gomez in particular can stretch and open up a static defense while the combination of Buddle or the young Robbie Findley and Altidore is far less likely to do that. Neither hold the ball up well or provide targets that others can successfully play off of, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they haven’t yet shown that ability.
The bean counter types say this really isn’t a must win match, blah-blah, blah-blah and blah-blah. That posture makes advancing from the group stage the golden ring. Excuse me? Do we go to the World Cup Finals with that goal in mind, forever? The bean counter paralysis by over-analysis types say that since we can’t win it all, getting out of the group is the only realistic goal. While it is certainly unrealistic to expect a USA World Cup triumph with this team the bean counters say that it is unrealistic to ever think we could get there and achieve that goal.
So, getting out of the group for them will always be the only goal. To them it is simply unrealistic to even think of reaching for the ring so play for the draw and hope we can win the next match and get lucky enough to advance. The goal should be to win this match, not to play for a draw and hope that England beats Slovenia making it possible for us to advance IF we defeat Algeria. Too many ’ifs’ and wishing and hoping in that scenario. Much better to go out and win the match you’re playing today and not depend on England or anyone else for that matter.
The bean counter types have their blinders on and miss the true significance that a win brings. USA doesn’t want to back in; they want to earn their passage and that is why this truly is a must win game.
Not to mention that a win here would result in another shot of confidence. While it is correct to say that it is possible to advance with a draw nothing beats winning a match whether it is truly a “must win” situation bean-counter wise or not. Earning your way by defeating the opponent in front of you is worth far more than backing in to the next round would ever be.
A good sign; Torres is in the starting 11 signalling Bradley’s intent. Gomez is not. Expect that to change if Altidore is ineffective. In the opening minute Dempsey is fortunate to not see a card for an elbow when making a challenge at midfield. It should have been a card. Birsa, left unmarked (where was Torres?) crashes a brilliant shot from 30 yards freezing Howard six yards off his line for the opener (13). USA again concedes the early goal. In the latter stages of the half the USA finally manages some pressure in the final 3rd seeing one saved off the line and Brecko at the last second swiped the ball away just ahead of Donovan from just 3 yards out. Then Slovenia turns it around catching the USA a bit high and Lubijankic is sent in alone and slots it past Howard for the 2-0 lead (42).
Donovan got one back for the USA (48) with a brilliant run and shot over the keepers head at the near post. As he’s often been criticised for not doing, Donovan emerged to deliver the early goal and just what the doctor ordered in leading his team back into the contest.
USA pulled level via Michael Bradley (82) getting on the end of Altidore’s knockdown. Gomez, while his name won’t appear on the scoresheet actually created the open space for Bradley by drawing the central defender with his intelligent run off the ball. They actually had the match winner in the net (85) via Maurice Edu from a precisely delivered Donovan free kick but his goal was disallowed on what appears to have been a terrible wrong call by the referee. No one, including Bob Bradley and Donovan seem to know what the call was and replays clearly show there was no offside. A great comeback performance in the second half to recover from again conceding early and questions and criticism are loud and long about the call that took the winning goal off the scoreboard. An even more incredible comeback to win was denied by what appears to have been a truly horrible call by the match officials.
And it’s not just the crazed and wild-eyed fans of the USA that are enraged. Reports of sports journalists from around the world have been saying the very same thing. Reports of South African radio sports personalities have questioned the quality of the officials calling FIFA and their assignments into question. Rightfully so.
Why the loud criticism from South Africa? They have worked hard to make sure the World Cup experience would be a success and such an injustice by FIFA’s match officials reflect poorly on the hosts’ like it or not. And they don’t. For World Cup South Africa to be remembered for such a thing is truly unfair to the people that have worked so hard to make this tournament happen and that is why they too are upset about what they also see as an injustice. And they are correct about that too.
Speaking of an injustice thousands of England fans feel hard done by their national team and its performance against Algeria. And they too are correct. England and Algeria played to a scoreless draw as unreal as that sounds. But it is true. England’s boatload of big name, big money and truly world class players were tentative, ineffective, indecisive and in large part essentially inept against the Desert Foxes of Algeria. As a big fan of the EPL and England too for that matter (most of the time) it has to be said it was stunning to watch and very, very disappointing. As a fan of the game I was looking forward to seeing England playing at the top of their game and facing a Brazil or Argentina in the latter rounds. The way they looked today that is little more than a pipe dream.
What is very interesting and perhaps revealing is the contrast between England and the far less heralded USA and the performance produced on this pivotal day. England were lethargic and ineffective much like the USA in the opening half. The obvious difference on this day was the USA rallied from a disastrous start and in a deep hole of their own making and England never seemed able to get out of the blocks. While both could advance as expected by the pundits the challenge they face can only be answered with emphatic victories in the final group stage matches.
England next faces Slovenia and the USA goes up against those Desert Foxes in the final group stage games next week. Wins by both would send them through. Anything less could mean waiting another four years for one or both. Despite their play so far an England victory is much more likely. An imperative for USA is to avoid at all costs conceding that early goal that has become a habit for them of late. The odds are against them to recover yet again if that should happen.
