Edgy camera angles and movement, noisy and unbearable plastic trumpets, upsets, tears and complaints about a ball... Here's what we've learned from the first set of group stage games.
Group A: The only hope for the Hosts to go through is Raymond Domenech. If he pulls another one of his bizarre starting eleven/formations (did anyone notice that Sidney Govou - who was released by Lyon before the end of the season - wears the famous number 10 shirt for Les Bleus, just like Michel Platini and Zizou?), then anyone might have a chance to create a surprise in the very serious group A. Uruguay proved they were there to win matches, and Mexico can pass the ball around 'till the end of time without losing it. They just need to find their striker, before it's too late.
Group B: The favourites (Argentina) looked good, but not as good as we expected (Nigeria was a decent contender, to be fair). Mikel's absence in Nigeria's midfield may cost them their qualification to the next round if they don't find a way around it. We'll find out when they play Greece, the '04 Champions of Europe (yes, that's right), who can't seem to find that form/luck that brought them glory 6 years ago. South Korea, whose games aren't broadcasted in Korea DPR :-), were sharper than most in their opener, and may well prove us (me especially) that their '02 run (they were semi-finalists) wasn't sponsored by Sepp Blatter himself.
Group C: "US beat England 1-1" said the headline... Bradley and the rest of the country showed how much that point meant to them (I met a U.S fan in NY last weekend wearing a blue and red scarf that read: "June 12th 2010 - Beat your mother"). Makes sense, considering the fact that their remaining matches are against sides they feel they can beat. Slovenia however, are top of the group. Which ups the stakes of each remaining game. Everyone needs to get full points against Algeria and it will be a 3-horse race. Unless the Algerians know the magic words: Robert Green.
Group D: The group may be decided in the next few days if Ghana can capitalize on Australia's traumatic experience of having played Germany in a Mundial. Serbia will have to "park the bus" - in their case, the plane - if they want to get anything out of their fixture versus the Mannschaft. But they will lose. If that happens, the Black Stars will have a date (a tasty group decider) with THE MOST IMPRESSIVE SQUAD SO FAR...Ze Germans.
Group E: It was supposed to be rated E, for everyone. The other group of death (I hope I'm not the only one appreciating the quality of all 4 squads) has lived up to expectations. So far. The flying (with only one wing vs Denmark) Dutchmen keep their slight edge over the others but it's going to be a nail-biter that may go down to goal difference rules to choose between 4 teams that have yet to find their soul/balance/bollocks. Saturday is gonna be fun! Especially if Robben comes back.
Group F: The Italians never seem in a hurry to find their form at the World Cup. They like to keep it for the second round. Or maybe it just takes them longer than others to gel. No pun intended. Lippi claimed he was very happy with the draw against the draw-seeking Paraguayan side. But can you really blame them for amicably agreeing to split the points, considering the considerably weak opposition that awaits them in games 2 and 3? No, not really. Slovakia was supposed to beat the worst team of the tournament, but didn't. Talk about making it hard on yourself. Too bad for my boy, Marty Skrtel, the Red.
Group G: Is this group called the "Group of Death" because Kim Jong-il is personally going to execute Korea DPR's players if they humiliate themselves against 3 World Cup contenders? Hmm...maybe not. The unknown team of the Cup showed some good attributes against the five time Champions. They also showed us what North Koreans look like. Jong Tae-Se, aka The People's Rooney (or crybaby) played better the real Rooney (against the Yanks). And their defensive discipline may become the atomic bomb (pun intended) of a group where points have become even more expensive. Brazil proved they've got the minerals. Against DPR. Côte d'Ivoire made Portugal look ordinary, and Cristiano settled the debate on the Jabulani (there is nothing wrong with the ball! Ask the post). The group of death is still the group of death. And because it is, it will take deadly finishes by the world's best commercial actors to separate these sides.
Group H: Thank you Hitzfeld for setting us up with some interesting clashes for the next games. Now that Spain has to win, they'll have to open up and will be more vulnerable at the back, thus paving the way for more balanced matchups in the group. The favourites were shaken. And proven beatable. Now, the World Cup has started...
Showing posts with label 2010 world cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 world cup. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Injured List (World cup preview pt II)
Beware of all international players who are currently injured or out of form. Beware. They might be the ones stealing the show in RSA.
Every World Cup has its upsets (Brazil being sent home in the round of 16 in Italia '90 is one example). That's why we watch it. Otherwise we would simply play it on paper. And, instead of 62 games, we'd watch Spain play Brazil (as the obvious 2 best teams, on paper) and just get on with our boring summer. But no, we long for these surprises caused sometimes by controversial red cards or wrongfully awarded penalties. Or, once in a while, some average footballer becomes, with 4 or 5 marvelous performances, one of the greatests of all time. This is more likely to happen this time around, as the level of International Football has never been this high. Gaps between teams have shrunk, and apart from North Korea (of which we know close-to-nothing), everyone has a good idea of what to expect from their opponents (Thank You footytube.com!). One can even argue that South Africa 2010 has more than one "Group of Death". The point here is that anyone will be in the position to shine.
The most important aspect of a footballer's game is his confidence. Confidence that he is sharper than his adversary, fitter, and ready to run non-stop like a mad man. That sort of belief comes easily with being sidelined with an injury for a month - getting massages and watching your mates killing themselves on the tube - or simply with having -possibly- the worst season of your career. Indeed, having nothing to play for in the last remaining weeks of a season removes any kind of pressure or expectation off a footballer's shoulders. Example please! -Liverpool are crappy this year, so is Steven Gerrard, their captain. They're playing for nothing, and I can't even remember what winning a game feels like anymore. So this morning, I didn't bother waking up to watch my boys play Burnley away in the PL. Result: the skipper scored twice, and the Reds crush freshly-relegated Burnley 4-0. No pressure? No problem. So now, expect a cracking Gerrard this summer when he wears the Three Lions shirt. The hottest transfer target of the summer has yet to revealed; while we wait, here's the list of players we know that may write their name in History:
-Wayne Rooney (England): Some much deserved rest for the hottest striker in the world, just in time for the Cup. Ferguson abused of Wazza all year long, even playing him while he was injured. But he's winning the race to fitness, and may well live up to his (overrating) nickname "The White Pelé", to the delight of his England boss, Don Fabio.
-Park Ji-Sung (South Korea): Having only played a total of 25 games for Manchester United in 09-10, Korea's captain will surely create a few surprises versus Argentina and Nigeria...
-Josmer "Jozy" Altidore & Clint Dempsey (U.S): the pair of strikers have had their share of time off the pitch, mostly through injury for the latter, and have already shown the World that they can beat the very best (Spain in the Confederations Cup in '09). Be prepared England!
-Franck Ribéry (France): Tendonitis kept him out of the Bayern Munich lineup all season long, and now, he's back. In top form. Domenech is delighted. Vas-y Francky, c'est bon!
-Miroslave Klose (Germany): Having lost his spot in Munich to Ivica Olic and Thomas Muller, the 2006 WC golden boot simply knows how to score for Germany. If he's on Joachim Lowe's 23, he will surely add to his WC goal counter and break down defenses in two months. Never dismiss the National Mannschaft's chances in a tournament.
-Robin Van Persie (Netherlands): RVP injured his ankle last November during a international friendly (that was both useless and boring) against Italy, and never came back. Until last week, when he came off the bench for Arsenal against Tottenham. Ten minutes later, Spurs keeper Gomes had to get to work to stop an RPG of a free-kick from RVP, quickly showing what the Gunners lacked all season. Along with Robben, who's also back from a long term injury, Van Persie will try to lead the Dutch to their first trophy since 1988, on a set a very fresh legs.
-Michael Essien (Ghana): The Chelsea super-midfielder with 5 lungs and strength like 10 men, will be back for his country after missing most of the season due to injury. I expect him to win the midfield battle against his club teammate, (the very tired) Michael Ballack when Ghana play Germany in the group stages.
-Yakubu & Martins (Nigeria): The Yak spent all year recovering from an achilles tendon injury, and will be fit for the Big Show. Oba Oba hasn't played much for Wolfsburg (less than 20 games). These two leathal finishers may cause more damage then expected to their underestimating opponents.
-Kakà (Brazil): Nothing much to say. He can be the best footballer in the world when fit. His manager at Real Madrid, and some members of the press claim that his recent injuries were fake and that he is simply resting his legs for the World Cup. Can we blame him for being far-sighted? Yes. Real pays his rent, not Brazil. But are we gonna complain when, he and the others on the list, crush (or deliver) our hopes and cause heart attacks this summer? Probably not.
Every World Cup has its upsets (Brazil being sent home in the round of 16 in Italia '90 is one example). That's why we watch it. Otherwise we would simply play it on paper. And, instead of 62 games, we'd watch Spain play Brazil (as the obvious 2 best teams, on paper) and just get on with our boring summer. But no, we long for these surprises caused sometimes by controversial red cards or wrongfully awarded penalties. Or, once in a while, some average footballer becomes, with 4 or 5 marvelous performances, one of the greatests of all time. This is more likely to happen this time around, as the level of International Football has never been this high. Gaps between teams have shrunk, and apart from North Korea (of which we know close-to-nothing), everyone has a good idea of what to expect from their opponents (Thank You footytube.com!). One can even argue that South Africa 2010 has more than one "Group of Death". The point here is that anyone will be in the position to shine.
The most important aspect of a footballer's game is his confidence. Confidence that he is sharper than his adversary, fitter, and ready to run non-stop like a mad man. That sort of belief comes easily with being sidelined with an injury for a month - getting massages and watching your mates killing themselves on the tube - or simply with having -possibly- the worst season of your career. Indeed, having nothing to play for in the last remaining weeks of a season removes any kind of pressure or expectation off a footballer's shoulders. Example please! -Liverpool are crappy this year, so is Steven Gerrard, their captain. They're playing for nothing, and I can't even remember what winning a game feels like anymore. So this morning, I didn't bother waking up to watch my boys play Burnley away in the PL. Result: the skipper scored twice, and the Reds crush freshly-relegated Burnley 4-0. No pressure? No problem. So now, expect a cracking Gerrard this summer when he wears the Three Lions shirt. The hottest transfer target of the summer has yet to revealed; while we wait, here's the list of players we know that may write their name in History:
-Wayne Rooney (England): Some much deserved rest for the hottest striker in the world, just in time for the Cup. Ferguson abused of Wazza all year long, even playing him while he was injured. But he's winning the race to fitness, and may well live up to his (overrating) nickname "The White Pelé", to the delight of his England boss, Don Fabio.
-Park Ji-Sung (South Korea): Having only played a total of 25 games for Manchester United in 09-10, Korea's captain will surely create a few surprises versus Argentina and Nigeria...
-Josmer "Jozy" Altidore & Clint Dempsey (U.S): the pair of strikers have had their share of time off the pitch, mostly through injury for the latter, and have already shown the World that they can beat the very best (Spain in the Confederations Cup in '09). Be prepared England!
-Franck Ribéry (France): Tendonitis kept him out of the Bayern Munich lineup all season long, and now, he's back. In top form. Domenech is delighted. Vas-y Francky, c'est bon!
-Miroslave Klose (Germany): Having lost his spot in Munich to Ivica Olic and Thomas Muller, the 2006 WC golden boot simply knows how to score for Germany. If he's on Joachim Lowe's 23, he will surely add to his WC goal counter and break down defenses in two months. Never dismiss the National Mannschaft's chances in a tournament.
-Robin Van Persie (Netherlands): RVP injured his ankle last November during a international friendly (that was both useless and boring) against Italy, and never came back. Until last week, when he came off the bench for Arsenal against Tottenham. Ten minutes later, Spurs keeper Gomes had to get to work to stop an RPG of a free-kick from RVP, quickly showing what the Gunners lacked all season. Along with Robben, who's also back from a long term injury, Van Persie will try to lead the Dutch to their first trophy since 1988, on a set a very fresh legs.
-Michael Essien (Ghana): The Chelsea super-midfielder with 5 lungs and strength like 10 men, will be back for his country after missing most of the season due to injury. I expect him to win the midfield battle against his club teammate, (the very tired) Michael Ballack when Ghana play Germany in the group stages.
-Yakubu & Martins (Nigeria): The Yak spent all year recovering from an achilles tendon injury, and will be fit for the Big Show. Oba Oba hasn't played much for Wolfsburg (less than 20 games). These two leathal finishers may cause more damage then expected to their underestimating opponents.
-Kakà (Brazil): Nothing much to say. He can be the best footballer in the world when fit. His manager at Real Madrid, and some members of the press claim that his recent injuries were fake and that he is simply resting his legs for the World Cup. Can we blame him for being far-sighted? Yes. Real pays his rent, not Brazil. But are we gonna complain when, he and the others on the list, crush (or deliver) our hopes and cause heart attacks this summer? Probably not.
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