Besser oder schlechter (The aftermath of the Round of 16, part 2)
Italy continued to get a helping hand from the officials when they were awarded a very late, very questionable, penalty kick (more on that later) against Australia. It's a pity that such a good game was decided in such an anticlimactic fashion..but the Italians aren't complaining. Italy hasn't played well against lesser teams...USA and Australia come to mind. Yet, they advance over the much-loved tournament underdog. Australia had an inspiring game and came up just short, disappointing the legions of supporters they accumulated as they waded through their competition in the tournament. No one expected the Australians to go all the way even if they had beaten Italy but it's safe to say that millions wanted them to continue winnning just...one...more.
The Swiss went down gunning against the Ukraine. Unfortunely the gun they were using was loaded with blanks. There are two types of ties in football. There are those games where there is constant drama, ebb and flow, and it seems as if at any point either team could strike that one goal that will take them to victory. Then there are those games where they are, quite simply, boring almost beyond being watchable. This happens when both teams are playing too cautiously for fear of making a mistake that will give the other team the advantage. It boils down to a staring match which, while perhaps intense for the participants, leaves viewers wondering what's for dinner. The Switzerland v. Ukraine game was the latter. The Swiss clearly didn't have time to practice their PKs and the Ukraine was only marginally better in inching to the victory after 2+ hours of playing.
Ghana certainly didn't go down without a fight in their 3-0 loss against Brazil. They unfortunately fell behind early when Ronaldo tallied on a well-timed run and, in doing so, became the highest all-time scorer in the tournament. But Ghana didn't relent; after the early stumble they turned on the offense and the dumb luck on the part of Dida (standing in the right place at the right time) was the only thing that prevented Ghana from attaining the equalizer off a brilliant header by Mensah. Unfortunately for Ghana a late first half score by Brazil put the game out of reach. However, Ghana has to be proud of their showing. It leaves one wondering if the star midfielder for Ghana, Michael Essien, hadn't been on the bench as a result of yellow card accumulation, would the result have been any different? Much like Australia, fans of the tournament are sad to say goodbye to the inspiring Ghana side. However, the Brazilian march continues. Despite the win, their pace seemed off against Ghana which is the first indication of weakness Brazil has shown thus far in the tournament. Is this a sign of things to come or simply a testament to the feisty Ghana showing?
The Spanish implosion is complete. After a fiery start, the Spanish continued to lose team until they were sniped by France in the Round of 16. Spain struck first after being awarded a PK and, despite an overwhelmingly lopsided possession time in favor of Spain, France came back en force to notch up 3 goals on Spain. With the match stalemateing up until the 83rd minute, the game appeared destined for overtime. But star Vieira struck with a fantastic header and Zidane froze Spain's chance of advancement with a strike in stoppage time. France certainly appears to be gathering momentum at exactly the right moment. They appeared to be much more hungry than Spain, which at times played the match with the intensity of a casual friendly. There is still a question if France will have the weapons to take down the heavyweights to seize the title but at this point they have a better chance than the unhappy Spanish side at doing so.
The Swiss went down gunning against the Ukraine. Unfortunely the gun they were using was loaded with blanks. There are two types of ties in football. There are those games where there is constant drama, ebb and flow, and it seems as if at any point either team could strike that one goal that will take them to victory. Then there are those games where they are, quite simply, boring almost beyond being watchable. This happens when both teams are playing too cautiously for fear of making a mistake that will give the other team the advantage. It boils down to a staring match which, while perhaps intense for the participants, leaves viewers wondering what's for dinner. The Switzerland v. Ukraine game was the latter. The Swiss clearly didn't have time to practice their PKs and the Ukraine was only marginally better in inching to the victory after 2+ hours of playing.
Ghana certainly didn't go down without a fight in their 3-0 loss against Brazil. They unfortunately fell behind early when Ronaldo tallied on a well-timed run and, in doing so, became the highest all-time scorer in the tournament. But Ghana didn't relent; after the early stumble they turned on the offense and the dumb luck on the part of Dida (standing in the right place at the right time) was the only thing that prevented Ghana from attaining the equalizer off a brilliant header by Mensah. Unfortunately for Ghana a late first half score by Brazil put the game out of reach. However, Ghana has to be proud of their showing. It leaves one wondering if the star midfielder for Ghana, Michael Essien, hadn't been on the bench as a result of yellow card accumulation, would the result have been any different? Much like Australia, fans of the tournament are sad to say goodbye to the inspiring Ghana side. However, the Brazilian march continues. Despite the win, their pace seemed off against Ghana which is the first indication of weakness Brazil has shown thus far in the tournament. Is this a sign of things to come or simply a testament to the feisty Ghana showing?
The Spanish implosion is complete. After a fiery start, the Spanish continued to lose team until they were sniped by France in the Round of 16. Spain struck first after being awarded a PK and, despite an overwhelmingly lopsided possession time in favor of Spain, France came back en force to notch up 3 goals on Spain. With the match stalemateing up until the 83rd minute, the game appeared destined for overtime. But star Vieira struck with a fantastic header and Zidane froze Spain's chance of advancement with a strike in stoppage time. France certainly appears to be gathering momentum at exactly the right moment. They appeared to be much more hungry than Spain, which at times played the match with the intensity of a casual friendly. There is still a question if France will have the weapons to take down the heavyweights to seize the title but at this point they have a better chance than the unhappy Spanish side at doing so.
posted by STB at
3:37 PM
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