"But I felt for the Spanish, for their dedication to playing it the right way, for their innocent and momentary belief in themselves, and for their polite and quiet resignation at the end"

Phil Ball, my favourite soccer journalist

"The Business End" of the tournament

Now that the dust has settled after the conclusion of the second round, it is time to have two days rest, reflect on what we have seen so far and look ahead to the high-powered end of the world cup.

All the favourites except for Spain and Holland are in the final eight. Ukraine are lucky to be there; France's poor showing in the group stage meant that Ukraine got away with a second round clash against the Swiss. France and Spain should really be there. Holland were extremely unlucky because only two out of Argentina, Holland, Portugal and Mexico could go through to the quarters. But otherwise, this is the strongest final 8 at a world cup in my memory. Argentina and Germany are running hot at the moment. France and Brazil are warming to their tasks nicely whilst Portugal is also on the improve. England and Italy have demonstrated their ability to win without playing well; England through Beckham and Italy because of diving. Ukraine are the only weak link in the final 8. They have played poorly in all their games and look certain to lose to Italy.

It is unfortunate that Germany has to play Argentina so early. I think both teams deserve a semifinal spot. Michael Ballack will be the key player in this match because the Argentines have several playmakers; the Germans have only one. Ballack's passing game through the middle is outstanding; his vision to release strikers Klose and Podolsky is particularly deadly. What makes him dangerous is that he is a powerful runner with the ball and also a fine long shooter. He has all the options at his feet making him the most complete midfielder in the world today. His defensive strength will make it difficult for players like Riquelme to have time on the ball and his pairing with Frings in the centre of midfield is crucial for Germany. Ballack is also a strong header of the ball to boot. While Argentina have played the best attacking football of the tournament so far, I think Ballack has been the single most influential player. Beckenbauer did it 32 years ago; it feels as if the time is right for his rightful heir to lead Germany to the title.

Personally, I am still siding with Portugal. But after past disappointments, I am cautiously optimistic this time around because of two factors. Firstly, Scolari is a tough coach who means business. This sort of professionalism has been lacking in Portugal; the prime example being Humberto Coelho. He was a superb, knowledgable tactician, but lacked the tencacity to get into a scrap and motivate his players to play hard. Scolari, not the brightest of strategists, is nonetheless, a powerful motivator, and sticks up for his players regardless of insults and derogatory remarks. As a result, this team is far more resilient than Portuguese teams of the past. I can imagine that the Portugal of Euro 2000 and WC 2002 (and even Euro 2004) would have lost the game against Holland. They would have melted in the heat; but this team displayed a marvellous resilience to hold out the Dutch. Their next opponents are an out of sorts England who will rely on Beckham heavily. Free kicks and corners are the key to Beckham's brilliance. He is also capable of stunningly accurate passes in open play, but in recent years, his sluggishness at ground level has meant that his threat is mainly from set pieces. Portugal will have the game won is they deny England free kicks. Costinha being suspended is probably a good thing as he does not think twice about diving in at an opponents feet. The Portuguese defence will be too cluey for the English to break down in open play; the only exception is Joe Cole, who by some accident was born in England, not in Spain or Portugal or France, because his style of play is very much continental, not British.

Despite being bitterly disappointed with another Spanish failure, I was happy for the French.....well for Zinedine Zidane mainly. For a champion like Zizu to end his world cup career after the nightmare of Korea/Japan '02 would have been tragic. So I am extremely pleased that he gets one more chance to play against archrivals Brazil. The way the French team rises up around Zizu brings a feeling of nostalgia; the good old days when soccer teams were hero-centric. The Portuguese team of '66 comes to mind led by the legendary Eusebio. Also Cruyff in '74 (though he'd be furious with accusation that his team was hero-centric); Maradona in '86 and even Baggio, Romario and Stoichkov in '94. Soccer has changed into a truly team game these days with only vestiges of the old way remaining e.g. the no.10 jersey. But the French team represents somewhat of an anachronism in this sense. Lilian Thuram came through the French youth teams with Zizu but the rest of the current squad would have been eager teenagers watching the action on TV when Zidane hit the world stage in the early 90's. He was their hero growing up and now they are playing at a world cup with him. More than a teammate and captain, he is a father figure and mentor to the likes of Vieira, Henry, Makelele, Trezeguet, Gallas and co. They are desperate that Zizu retire a world cup winner, just like Deschamps and Blanc in '98. But they have the toughest of tasks in the quarterfinals against Brazil. The champions will be eager to take on one of the heavyweights. While they would have enjoyed the tournament so far, this is the sort of encounter professionals thrive on. A wounded but resurgent France will be a perfect test for the Brazilians to guage their progress. This will be the moment when they can truly show what they are capable of. They were harpooned for their defensive display against Ghana; and surely if they dont improve on that aspect of their game, Zizu and Henry will make them pay. Of course, we shouldnt forget that it was Zizu's head that won the final for France in '98, courtesy of lazy marking from Junior Baiano and Aldair. I'm sure Lucio and Juan have been adequately reminded of the folly of their predecessors..... This game is shaping up to be one of the world cup classics; high emotions, passion, and most importantly, skill and speed. I dont know what to predict except for a fantastic 90 minutes (or more) of entertainment.

Italy-Ukraine I wont say too much about. It will be boring!!!

World Cups are synonymous with transfer rumours. This time around is no different. Australian players have featured heavily in transfer talk due to the Socceroos' eye-catching performances. Lucas Neill, according to Barcelona-bound Johan Neeskens, is more than good enough to join Rafa Marquez and Carles Puyol at the Nou Camp. Barcelona, incidentally, are also linked with impressive German leftback Phillip Lahm. Bresciano will apparently move to Palermo with the prospect of Champions League football being the main attraction. Luke Wilkshire has been encouraged by Hiddink to get out of England and play in Holland or France where he feels his game will develop more. While there has been no rumours about him, I am sure Vincenzo Grella will feature on shortlist around Europe. Aloisi has been looking for another club ever since his Spanish team Osasuna got relegated. Hopefully he will stay in Spain and be joined by a few more Socceroos.......

Three dives to go.....

The Italians produced another vintage azurri performance and showed the world how to win. Another 270 minutes of mind-numbing boredom and three quality dives is all it will take for Italy to win its fourth world cup.

It was the most unsporting way to win a match possible. I dont need to go into the details, as I am sure everyone knows exactly what I am talking about. But I must congratulate Italy on pulling out a stellar dive, a prime example of simulation, when it counted most. del Piero and Totti must be disappointed as they were unable to come up with the goods and were outdone by unfancied defender Fabio Grosso. Inzaghi, the Pele of diving was left on the bench in what was a show of extreme arrogance from coach Marcelo Lippi. I felt that if Australia had to go out to a dive, it should at least have been a dive from one of the masters. But it goes to show how much depth Italy have when it comes to breaking a deadlock.

As far as Australia is concerned, it was a disappointing performance. The Italians predictably conceded a massive possession advantage to the Socceroos. But Australia's use of the ball was poor. Movement was sluggish, passes lacked crispness and most improtantly, chances in front of goal werent taken. Admittedly, the midfielders failed to create any true chances, but against powerful defensive units like Italy, you often get only half-chances, and when you get 4 or 5 of these, you have to score at least once. Lucas Neill and Vincenzo Grella, Australia's finest players in the tournament, were again outstanding, but the rest of the team did not emulate. I dont want to be too critical of Australia, they played better than Italy, but it just wasnt up to the standard they achieved in earlier games. To put it in American terms, the Socceroos did not bring their "A" game to this one.......

Whilst it was a gut-wrenching ending to the world cup campaign, it is not such a bad thing for Australia. This loss has whipped up a frenzy in Australia like never before- its even bigger than the Sydney Olympics. The popularity of the game has skyrocketed and is here to stay. An immense hunger has been stirred in the country, not just amongst the devastated players, but amongst the general public. Whilst the core of the team will have retired, there will have been plenty of young footballers who would've had tears in their eyes last night and will be desperate to avenge this cruel defeat. Grella, Neill, Bresciano, Sterjovski and Culina will be the nucleus of the team in South Africa '10. And Australia will undoubtedly a better team. So bring on 2010 I say!!!!

Before that, there is the small matter of deciding this particular trophy. Switzerland went home this morning without conceding a single goal. They choked when it came to penalties. Ukraine undeservingly go through to take on Italy. It will be the most boring game of the tournament without a doubt. But watch out for a world-class diving contest between Shevchenko and the Italians. Otherwise, Brazil are still on target to win. I think Portugal will challenge if they beat England. Unfortunately, Argentina have to play Germany in the quarters. Germany looks good from that side to qualify for the final. I know I have been critical of the hosts, but with Ballack controlling things, they are a different team.......

Why England wont win and Portugal just might....

Ecuador turned in a disappointing performance to gift England an easy passage to the quarterfinals. Not that England won easily, far from it in fact. They played terribly, but more on that later. Ecuador suffered from a major case of stagefright, as commentator Martin Tyler eloquently stated. They were just far too nervous and never really attacked England. Carlos Tenorio waged a lone battle, and unsurprisingly exhausted himself and got replaced midway through the second half. The rest of the team looked timid- awed by their big name opponents. Which clearly they should not have been. Not one of the Ecuadorians seemed willing to take on the English. They passed aimlessly between each other until they either lost the ball or gave it away with pointless long balls. I was extremely saddened by Luis Antonio Valencia's (in case you havent noticed, my favourite player at the cup so far) unwillingness to run at the English defence, to show his skills and to deliver the deadly cross that he is so capable of. Mendez's refusal to push forward and put the defence in two minds as to whether he'd pass or shoot was equally baffling. de la Cruz and Reasco were out of their depth and outplayed by their English opponents. The highlight for Ecuador was captain Ivan Hurtado's marshalling of the defence and Espinoza's powerful display alongside him. Nonetheless, a bitter letdown for me as I was expecting England to at least be given a real scare....

Ok, England!!! They are a confused team at the moment. Eriksson chose to play the most un-English of formations (well, not the most, but still....), the 4-5-1. With Carrick coming into the heart of midfield in his favoured anchor role, England enjoyed a glut of possession. But they were absolutely clueless as to what to do with it. So, in good old English fashion, they pumped it long as often as they could, in the process making lone striker Rooney chase the ball like a dog. Rooney was understandably peeved by the latter parts of the game. He has probably never played as a lone striker, which is a tough skill to acquire if your not a born lone ranger (like van Nistelrooy). Hargreaves at right-back had a superb game, mostly when he came into the centre of midfield which is his natural position. His hassling, strong tackling and infinite reserves of stamina make him a perfect man to partner Carrick in the anchor role. But he has been a marginal player for England because of Eriksson's insistence on selecting traditional English midfielders Gerrard and Lampard who hit it long, and make a forward run hoping that a striker would have held up the ball so they can shoot from the edge of the box. This sort of unimaginative has gotten England nowhere in the past, compared to their aspirations anyway. Lampard particularly had a shocker. He lost confidence in his shooting (close to 20 shots, yet to actually trouble a single goalkeeper in the tournament) and decided to try his hand at short passing and managed to bomb the few half-chances England had. Gerrard was equally uninspiring. Joe Cole is the proverbial jewel in a dungheap. He is such a complete midfielder with all the skills- passing, shooting, dribbling, one-on-ones, that it is amazing to find out he was born and raised in England. He is clearly on a different wavelength to his teammates. I love watching Cole play- he is the one Englishman I would love to see play for Barcelona. But in this English setup, he will rarely have an impact except with long-shots. And finally, Beckham. This man is a true champion. If not for him, England would not have won. His ability to hit freekicks and corners is phenomenal. Countless times, he has been England's saviour. Yet still they talk of axing him, questions about when he will retire seem to pop up all the time, doubt is cast over his passion and determination to represent his country....This just goes to show that Englishmen are idiots when it comes to soccer. Beckham is England's only hope of achieving anything. Because of him, I refuse to write England off, which otherwise I would do unhesitatingly. I dont think England will win their quarterfinal let alone the world cup. But if they do, it will be because of Beckham!

Now Portugal are no longer the team they were four years when their golden generation was at its peak. Players such as Rui Costa, Joao Pinto, Sergio Conceicao, Fernando Couto, Vitor Baia and Jorge Costa are no longer there, in fact, only Figo remains from the famed Portuguese youth teams of the early 90's. But their new generation of players should dissipate any Portuguese pessimism at their golden generation having missed out on the big titles. The likes of Simao Sabrosa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Maniche, Pedro Pauleta and Hugo Viana have all the flair and aggression of their predecessors but have one extra quality, toughness. The choice of Luis Felipe Scolari as manager after the disastrous showing in the Far East has proved to be a defining moment in Portuguese football, and may see them emerge as the new European superpower. Scolari has instilled a fighting spirit in his young players like no other previous coach. This team, despite having played in a somewhat subdued fashion in the group stages, came out in their second round fixture against Holland with steely determination and never looked like losing. They played like a winning team and helped stretch Scolari's record to an unprecedented 11 straight wins!!! The loss of Deco and Costinha will prove costly, but against a passive English team this shouldnt hamper Portugal severely. Simao will slot in seamlessly and Figo will play a more central role with Armando Petit sitting deep in place of Costinha. Maniche was the best player on the field against Holland I felt. I advocated the use of Sabrosa instead of Maniche, but I was proved wrong once again, because Maniche proved too hot to handle even for van Bommel, which came as a surprise to me (in all fairness, van Bommel was yellowed early and this blunted his tackling). He is an English style midfielder who makes runs down the middle hoping to feed off holding strikers. But he has extra dimensions which make him far more valuable than your average Englishman. He has ball skills which he demonstrated in a superb effort as he jinked past Mathijsen and Cocu to score a marvellous goal after Pauleta played him into the box. Also, he spreads the ball to his speedy wingers as often as he shoots or runs making him unpredictable. And most importantly, he does not shirk his defensive load; he always drop deep after attacking to help out Costinha/Petit. So overall, Portugal have a lot of momentum going into the final 8 and will steamroll an English side devoid of ideas. I think they may have just the combination required to take on Brazil!! But I'm not brave enough at this stage to tip against the champions. That'll have to wait!!!!!

A final word on tonights games. Australia to beat Italy 1-0 in a tight affair where Australia dominate possession. Expect some physicality- Grella will not be shy of hard tackling and the Italians will not be sparing any words either. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Second Round Previews

Portugal-Holland

This matchup has the potential to be an open, end-to-end affair with lots of goals. Both teams come in to the second round with potent strike forces which havent scored as many goals as expected, so there will be nerves on both sides. Portugal come into this match having dominated their group without playing at their best whilst the Dutch are coming off that fabulous, closely contested draw with red-hot Argentina. Both teams have versatile attacking midfielders and superb finishers upfront. Figo, Ronaldo and Simao form possibly the most dynamic attacking midfield trio in the tournament with the Brazilian convert Deco directing play from behind. Simao might actually miss out on starting if coach Scolari chooses to go with the extra anchorman to supplement an untested Portuguese defence. The Dutch will continue with their settled line-up of Robben and van Persie supporting van Nistelrooy, and the holding trio of Cocu, Sneijder and van Bommel. van der Vaart is a possible started instead of van Bommel if van Basten chooses to begin the match with a bang and try to force Portugal on the defensive early. Holland have a score to settle with Portugal (and most major footballing nations, as they tend to lose at critical stages of virtually every tournament) after a disappointing semifinal loss in Euro 2004. For Portugal, they will want to disprove the perennial underachievers tag they have earnt through years of failure, rather like neighbours and fierce rivals the Spaniards. They certainly have the team to do it; this match will probably be decided by how well the Dutch midfield trio contain Deco, Figo and co. I'm tipping a 2-1 Portugal victory.

Brazil-Ghana

A highly anticipated clash between the Brazil of Africa and the genuine article. I'm looking forward to a fast-paced attacking game which will have plenty of goals. Ghana lack the quality to really threaten Brazil, but they can probably score a goal or two. Brazil should win comfortably as they prepare for a much tougher clash against France or Spain. A 4-2 scoreline would be fair to both teams I think, though the Black Stars will disagree. Along with the Socceroos, the Ghanaians have been the surprise packets of this tournament, and they will be relishing this opportunity to take on the best; in the same way the Australians took on Brazil. The last of the African teams will be eliminated, but not in disgrace, far from it. They challenged Italy, defeated the 2nd ranked Czechs and 5th ranked Americans. Go the Black Stars!!!

Australia-Italy

The one we've all been waiting for. There are three scenarios I can envision for this one:

1. The Italians revert to catenaccio and just sit back and give us the ball. This way, Australia will have the lions share of possession and plenty of time on the ball so they can excecute all the tactics that Hiddink has devised to break the Italian defence. This will be Australia's best chance of progressing, but dont underestimate the Italians. If the score is 0-0 after 70-75 minutes, then the master divers, del Piero and Inzaghi, will enter the fray. They will throw themselves in the 20 yard box in an effort to score a penalty. Dont laugh, this is no joke. These guys are GOOD at what they do. Inzaghi is the best "simulator" I've seen. We've already seen Shevchenko produce the perfect dive to steal all three points from Tunisia; Inzaghi will be itching for the opportunity to outdo the Ukrainian.

2. The Italians will play at the level we all know they're capable of. They did this for bits of the Ghana match and ended up beating them 2-0. The amount of talent in this Italian side is so immense that Australia will be blown away in this scenario. Fortunately, the Italians historically been crippled by an inordinate fear of committing too many men forward and not having enough defenders to cover in the case of a turnover. So the likelihood of this scenario is comfortingly low.

3. Something completely unexpected transpires, like in the USA-Italy match which no-one could have predicted.

Australia will approach this one as they've approached all their matches, with controlled agression and plenty of confidence. It will be interesting to see who starts with Emerton suspended. I hope that Hiddink continues with a back three and a packed midfield in anticipation of territorial and possessional advantage. Sterjovski on the right would be a very good choice because the only real weakness (if you could call it that) in the Italian defence is on the wings. Kewell on the left, if he is fit, is a foregone conclusion. He will once more hold the key as Viduka, Bresciano and Cahill in the centre will be smothered by the fast-closing Italian defence. The scariest scenario for the Australian defence is if Luca Toni partners Gilardino upfront with Totti and Pirlo playing supporting roles rather like Kaka and Ronaldinho for Brazil. Luckily, Pirlo has been sequestered in a deep role by his coach, but if he is released to run up the field, he will be a handful. I dont want to make any predictions for this one, but it is undoubtedly a winnable match for both teams. Italy will see this match as an easy ticket to the quarters where their opponents will be a deliciously weak Switzerland or Ukraine...

Second Round Preview

Germany-Sweden

Germany will be at full strength with no injuries or suspensions. Sweden are still waiting on the fitness of key striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic but otherwise full strength. The Swedes are tough opponents and always difficult to beat. In recent years, the addition of Frederik Ljungberg and Bosnian-born Ibrahimovic has added a cutting edge to their attack. With the underrated Henrik Larsson also playing upfront, the Swedes will be difficult to handle for the fragile, and as yet untested German defence. I think Mertesacker and Metzelder are poor manmarkers and also sluggish at ground level. Lahm at leftback has been the player of the tournament for me so far, but he has impressed when going forward against weak teams- he hasnt been defensively tested which the Swedes will definitely do. Arne Friedrich on the right side of defence is more solid but also untested. The Germans' strength lies in their incredible unity, confidence and teamwork. Coach Klinsmann made comments during the week stating that it would be a disgrace for Germany not to at least make the 3-4 playoff. While accepting that he was putting pressure on his young squad, he said, tellingly, that there was no shortage of confidence in his men. With the colossus, Michael Ballack, pulling the strings in the centre, Germany, despite their shortcomings, are favorites. The home advantage must not be underestimated as well.

Argentina-Mexico

On first round form, Argentina are clear favorites. But it would be an injustice to Mexico to write them off. Despite a poor showing so far, there were patches where they showed their ability. The Mexicans have a varied attack- they can go down the flanks with Fonseca, Bravo, Perez (but he's suspended) and their fullbacks Salcido and Pardo; they attack straight down the centre with short passing interplays and also with long balls from the back. What they lack is a player who directs play- Torrado's omission thus far has been baffling in this respect. Argentine coach Lavolpe has made other controversial decisions as well, particularly the non-selection of Cuahtemoc Blanco. The unpredictability of the Mexicans will make them a dangerous opposition for Argentina in the 2nd round. Argentina have a selection problem with Tevez and Messi playing brilliantly against Holland. But I suspect that Pekerman will go with the 11 that started against Ivory Coast, with one playmaker, two strikers and the rest being supporting midfielders and defenders. He is cautious by nature and will be keen to play a possession game to deny and frustrate the Mexicans' freeflowing game. It is hard to see a goal being scored against the Argentine defence who snuffed out the far superior Dutch team. Ayala, in my opinion, along with the Italians Cannavaro and Nesta, is the best defender in the world. He reads the game well and pro-actively intervenes, often before the striker he's marking has had a chance to react. His tackling technique is perfect, and he has the most important quality required in a defender, coolness under pressure. Being a natural leader in defence, it doesnt matter who partners him, all that man has to do is follow Ayala's lead and most attacks will find it a difficult combination to break. So, in this match, I cant see Mexico scoring goals unless they do something unpredictable. It will come down to whether Argentina can continue their attacking form or not. It seems a foregone conclusion that Argentina will continue on their merry way, but 2nd round encounters are generally tight contests where teams play nervously, at least to begin with.

England-Ecuador

Apart from the Brazil-Ghana fixture, this is believed to be the most one-sided of the 2nd round clashes. But that is mostly due to English snobbery, over-confidence and at times, outright delusions. The players will hopefully be shielded against this by their manager Sven Goran Erikson. The English media places such expectations on thier team that the fans and players often start believing that the English team is infact invincible and full of world-beaters. Sadly, for the English anyway, this is not the case. The English will again rely on three aspects of their game for victory:

1. Beckham!!! The man is a freak with setpieces and long shots. He should always be closed down and never allowed to take long shots. Fowls must be avoided against England for the same reason. He will once more carry the hopes of his country.

2. The good old long ball. The English will keep on pumpin' those long balls down hoping for Crouch and Rooney to head down for Gerrard and Lampard to crash in long shots of their own. Lampard leads the tournament in shots at goal with 17; only 7 have been on target and we all know how many goals he's scored.

3. Uncompromising Defence. This England are actually good at. Ferdinand and Terry are fantastic centrebacks and will be tough to beat.

Ecuador, on the other hand, were written off before the tournament. Even after qualifying easily from their group, people are refusing to take them seriously. England will be shooting themselves in the foot if they go into this game with preconceived notions of an easy win. Castillo and Edwin Tenorio will squeeze down any room the English midfielders have and will make it tough to shoot from the edge of the area. Forwards Carlos Tenorio and Delgado have been in good form and will pose a threat, especially in the air. And watch out for my favourite player in this tournament, Luis Valencia, who will turn up at unexpected spots and make fearless runs at the English defence. I dont what prediction to make in this game, but I dont think it will be the cakewalk that the English-speaking press worldwide seems to believe.

The Pride Of Africa- Black Stars March On

As Australia celebrates its unprecedented qualification for the second round, the continent of Africa has also been partying this week. Ivory Coast capped off a brilliant finals debut with a 3-2 win over the highly rated but ultimately disappointing Serbia & Montenegro. Surely they would not be flying home if drawn in any other group. They are the only side to have scored against Argentina, in fact the only side that has created decent goal-scoring opportunities against Argentina. Abidjan will be partying hard; no doubt the Elephants will receive a heroes' welcome. Angola fought hard throughout the competition and will go home with 2 points and a goal. For a side that was supposed to be the weakest at this tournament, they put up impressive displays including draws with more experienced opponents Mexico and Iran. A 1-0 loss to the flamboyant Portuguese is no embarassment either. The African champions Tunisia have one last chance to salvage something from a somewhat disappointing campaign against a rejuvenated Ukraine team. They had a poor draw against the frail Saudis but then came back strongly to lead 1-0 against Spain for over 70 minutes. Though they ultimately went down 3-1, their tactics were sound and they largely excecuted well; the superior skill and speed of the Iberians was ultimately the difference. They have one last chance to show that their dominance in Africa is not a fluke. Togo has its best chance to score a world cup upset against an understrength French team. Well they're only short two men, but one of them is Zizu....This is Togo's chance to put aside all their problems and gain something to show for their hard work in the qualifiers.

But when it comes to the second round, all of Africa will be cheering the Black Stars of Ghana. Again, the rub of the green has gone against Africa, with Ghana being pitted against world champions Brazil. But no Ghanaian will be complaining; in fact they will be relishing this contest. The Black Stars felt that they were on par with Italy but just unable to find the back of the net and hence, there will no shortage of confidence when they face their toughest challenge. The most impressive aspect of Ghana's three games to date has been their remarkable consistency in attack and defence. They have maintained their momentum through good and bad patches. They have displayed uncanny composure and relentlessly worn down their opponents, at least the Czechs and Americans. The ability to maintain discipline and precision and excecute the game plan for the full 90 minutes is a rare quality in an individual, let alone an entire team. The one glaring Ghanaian mistake was made by star defender Kuffour who gifted substitute Iaquinta with the matchwinning goal for Italy. He has since been dropped and his partner at the back John Mensah has doubled his workrate and looked completely untroubled ever since.

It was looking bleak for the Africans after their five teams managed only 1 point between them at the conclusion of the first round of group matches. But since then, Africa has collectively raised its workrate and proved that they deserve to host the world cup (in South Africa). Hopefully, in 2010 we will see all the stars of Africa- Cameroon and Nigeria (who narrowly missed out this time) as well as Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa and Angola. But before then, there is the small matter of Ghana vs Brazil in Dortmund on the 27th. An absolute must-see event which could prove to be the match of the 2nd round. Whilst all the other teams will tighten up and close down in midfield, Ghana will look to do more of what they have doing in the first three matches and Brazil, slowly building momentum, form and confidence, will look to take preparations one step further by attacking from all parts of the field. It is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining clashes of the tournament.......

History in the making

WHAT A GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What an unbelievable match! Words cannot describe the courage, fearlessness and tenacity displayed by the history-creating Socceroos in the 2-2 draw against a physical, combative and skillful Croatian team. The game see-sawed from end to end with no clear domination for either team. But ultimately, the greater desire and self-belief of the Australians got them over the line.

There were some heartbreaking moments in this emotional encounter for both teams. The anguish on Emerton's face when he picked up his second yellow card of the tournament was one of those pictures that will be stuck in my mind forever. Then, he got his second yellow card and nearly broke down in tears. Croatia also lost two men to red cards- star defender Dario Simic and turncoat Josip Simunic (who must be the first player ever to pick up THREE yellows, after a woeful performance from toprated referee Graeme Poll). But the single most heartwrenching moment came when Zeljko Kalac failed to parry a limp long shot from captain Niko Kovac and conceded the softest goal of the tournament. He had lost a lot of confidence when Dario Srna slotted home a perfect free kick in the 2nd minute of the game. The second goal was the nadir of Kalac's day. Fortunately, things got better for him as he held on to a few balls after this.


The first goal came as a huge relief to the Aussies going into the break and it assured that the ssecond half would be a spectacle as both teams pushed for a victory. Kovac's goal sent a shock through our fans but the team never lost self-belief. The next 25 minutes was a siege on the Croatian as wave after wave was repulsed by the Croatian defence and impressive goalkeeper Pletikosa. Kewell's goal in the 78th minute had a sense of history about it. If Australia was to score, it had to be Kewell. The wonderboy of Australian soccer for so long, despite his young age, he has seen more than his share of failure for the national team. I have had my doubts about his commitment to the Australian cause and have called for his axing in the past, but there is no question about his precocious talent. There was a feeling in the air that he would be the man when Australia needed him most. After crippling defeats to Iran and Uruguay, this was the moment when all that anguish was finally to be wiped out. Well done Harry!!!

There were plenty of technical aspects of this game that merit discussion, but I think it would spoil the joy of the qualification to get started on dissecting this spectacle into little bits. Suffice to say, Hiddink has done another Houdini!! The selection of Kalac, the substitution of Grella and certain strategic ploys I didnt initially agree with......But thats why Hiddink gets paid millions to coach the best teams in the world and I pretend to be an expert and dispute tactics in 3-on-3 games with my friends in the local park.

I dont want to invite disaster, but I am now predicting a clear run to the semi-finals!!! Italy will sit back and hand the game to Australia. Next will be either France, Switzerland, Korea or Ukraine. All weak teams that Australia can take on. Then will be the big one against Germany or Argentina. I dont think Hiddink will be denied a third semi-final in a row, all with different nations.

GO AUSSIE GO!!!!!!!!!!

A final word- the Samba kings are back. Brazil put on an exhibition of pure exhiliration and showed the world exactly what they're capable of. Despite being a little loose at the back and conceding a goal to Japan, they were superb in all aspects of attack. Yup!! The champions are here to play..........

A clash of cultures and portents for july

Holland will play Portugal and Argentina, Mexico. These matchups are going to provide a massive clash of footballing cultures. To explain this further, I will first discuss the group stage encounters between Mexico and Portugal, and Argentina and Holland.

For Mexico, this was a game they needed to win. Not necessarily for qualification, but to assert themsleves as a real contender for the latter stages, and also as a confidence booster after a lacklustre draw with unheard of Angola. For Portugal, their first round ambitions were already fulfilled and they rested key players on yellow cards. So one would have expected Mexico to come out play a fast-paced, short passing style, which they did. But what was surprising was Portugal's adventurousness. They played as if this was their first game, with everything to play for. And the lack of star attacking midfielders Deco and Ronaldo was in way evident. After a blistering start from Mexico, Portugal wrested the advantage when Maniche slotted home a perfect delivery from winger Simao Sabrosa. They then dominated the next 30 minutes as Mexico watched on, stunned. Portugal were awarded a bizarre penalty when Rafa Marquez inexplicably handled a corner. Simao took the penalty, and despite Sanchez guessing the right direction, scored a deserved goal.

Mexico hit back against the run of play through rising star Fonseca and went into halftime 1-2. Perez was redcarded for dissent early in the second half making Mexico's task near impossible. But they fought admirably, playing an expansive game with Marquez looking solid at the back after being asked to play as a holding midfielder (????) in the first half. The Portuguese however, tightened their midfield and played a cultured possession game. Both teams continued to create opportunities, with the best falling to Mexican forward Omar Bravo who missed a penalty. The second half remained scoreless, but the Mexican fans were still cheering at the end as word had come through that Angola drew with Iran ensuring qualification for the Central Americans.

This match was an exciting affair with both teams showing flair, aggression and a desire to entertain. It is no co-incidence that one team is coached by an Argentine (78 world cup winner La Volpe, the wolf) and the other by the record-breaking Brazilian Scolari (10 world cup in a row as coach). Both teams come from footballing cultures that value entertainment and bravado over effeciency. A high-scoring draw or loss is often considered superior to a dour win in these countries (not at the world cup of course, this applies to football in general). Hence the consternation in Mexico when the supreme showman Cuahtemoc Blanco was dropped by Lavolpe.

In contrast, the Holland-Argentina clash was one for the purists; the tacticians, strategists and technical coaches. It was an absorbing 0-0 draw. That may sound like an oxymoron, but that would be an injustice to these two fantastic teams. Both sides were "understrength"- that is, they rested players on yellow cards. But the actual strength of the two sides was not really effected, certainly not in a negative sense anyway with Argentina probably looking stronger than previously with Messi and Tevez playing in front of Riquelme. This is a massive testament to both teams who like real challengers.

But back to the game...At the 90th minute, a statistic went up on the TV screen saying "possession ARG 50:50 NED" whilst the ball was being contested at the halfway line in a midfield tussle. This image pretty much summed up the game for me; one of the tightest midfield battles I have ever seen. Argentina and Holland have supremely talented midfielders, both defensive and offensive midfielders, and both sets came prepared to play. Neither side had a clear cut opportunity in the whole match. This shows that the screen provided in the middle third of the field was so tight that when the ball did get through the defenders were already in position to deal with ease with any threat. Both teams tried to play a possession game, but the oppressive pressing ensured that neither team enjoyed long, unbroken possession, which players like Riquelme, Cambiasso, van der Vaart and Sneijder thrive on. In the end, they had equal share of the ball. Argentina enjoyed a slight territorial advantage because of the speed and tenacity of Tevez in particular, but it came to naught as the Dutch smothered any promising move before the Argentines could properly excecute it. In desperation, there were even uncharasteristic long balls.

But all in all, a fantastic game of attrition. Both coaches attempted some tactical adjustments with players starting deeper or wider, but neither side cracked. I feel that if the Dutch enforcer van Bommel had played, Argentina would have struggled a little more, but the Dutch midfielders Cocu, van der Vaart and Sneijder were superb, just like their counterparts Cambiasso, Rodriguez and Riquelme. This game is a portent for what is to come in the latter half of the world cup. I think after having watched this game (have no doubt, all teams in contention would have watched closely) coaches will tighten their midfields. They will insist on cutting off supply lines to the playmakers. Uncompromising anchormen like van Bommel will be the key men in the knockout matches. To put it in crude terms, BRING IT ON!!!!

So, the clash of cultures. As you can tell, Portugal and Mexico will be playing quite differently to Holland and Argentina. On first glance, it would appear that the expansive game of the former will leave them vulnerable to counter-attacks from the latter. Also, the superior midfield strength of the Dutch and the Argentines should deny their opposition playmakers sufficient quality ball to be effective. But, both Lavolpe and Scolari would have seen replays of the ARG:NED match and will know what to expect. So dont be surprised if both Mexico and Portugal sit tight and wait long periods of time before looking for the decisive onslaught. Petit and Costinha for Portugal will be the key men for Portugal as they will be responsible for unleashing Deco and co. at the opportune moment. Mexico do not have the same quality to rely upon, so Marquez and his defensive line will be required to act more frequently against Argentina one feels. But these second round matches will probably be the pick of the round along with Brazil vs any of the Group E teams.

The Week Ahead

There's some truly heavyweight clashes coming up in the last round of group matches. The best of the action will be Holland vs Argentina and Italy vs Czech Republic. Ivory Coast vs Serbia will be a big one because so much pride is at stake. France Togo will be an absorbing encounter, not because of the quality of the match but because of the implications of the result for a beleaguered French team. And Spain will be looking to smash some goal-scoring records against the Saudis. Torres will be looking to at least eqaul Klose at the top of the golden boot ladder.

The Italy-Czech game promises to be the pick of the bunch because so much is at stake. Firstly, all four teams in the group can still qualify, and three teams (all except USA) can finish first. This is really important because the second placed team will play Brazil in the 2nd round. Italy are in the drivers seat being a point ahead of Ghana and Czech Republic. If they win, they avoid Brazil, simple. Well not quite, because the Czechs will be looking for redemption after being ambushed by Ghana. Ghana, meanwhile, will be looking to carry their momentum into their match and smother the United States without giving them any chance to get into the game, rather like they did to the Czechs. USA will be without red carded midfielder Maestrano and key defender Eddie Pope.

Pavel Nedved has already come out and said that it will impossible for his team to compete against Italy. His pessimism is surprising, because despite being without their top three strikers (Koller and Baros are injured, Lokvenc suspended), the Czech midfield is formidable. Against an Italian team that will sit back more than the Ghanaians, they will have plenty of space to work the ball and dominate territory. The Italians are strong in defence and powerful upfront, but suspect in between, because of their willingness to fall back and absorb pressure as opposed to exerting pressure of their own. Nonetheless, both teams will be motivated to go for the win as neither wants to play Brazil this early in the tournament. The Ghanaians will not particularly care whether they play Brazil or not, but they will definitely want to win purely out of pride. They were bitterly disappointed after their loss to Italy and now that qualification is so close they will not relax. The USA have no choice but to attack all out because any result other than a win will not suffice. So basically, everyone in Group C is out to win....

Argentina vs Holland is, on paper, the match of the round. But since they've both qualified and their opponents next round, Portugal and Mexico, are of an equal calibre, this game has lost some of its sheen. Neither team will be particularly fussed about the result, though neither will want to concede too many goals. So I'm predicting a tight contest, most likely to end in a draw. Both teams will be keen to introduce some of the prodigious young talent on their benches. Messi, Tevez and Aimar will be desperate for game time, as will Ryan Babel and Rafael van der Vaart if fit for Holland. These young rising stars will feature heavily in the highlights of this match.

Ivory Coast and Serbia will be desperate for 3 points to take something away from this tournament. To be fair, both teams will feel harshly done by. If places in Group A, D, G or H, both teams would probably be featuring in the second round. Serbia are yet to score so I feel they will open up a bit whilst Ivory Coast, despite being without Drogba, will be looking to give more for their fans to cheer about. I hope that the Ivorians can win in a high scoring encounter, they are the most deserving team in the tournament.

France I will write about in another post, soon. But I just want to give another mention to Spain. They look like they will most likely have a rematch with Korea in the 2nd round- I have more or less written France off. The difference this world cup, apart from no home advantage for Korea, is that Spain will storm into the second round on the back of three thumping wins. Yes, they will slaughter the Saudis, even by their standards, they will be slaughtered. It will be interesting to see who starts for Spain, because I'm predicting that Fabregas and Reyes will get much more game time and both will be hoping to secure long term positions in the packed Spanish line-up.

Mexico Portugal will be a dull affair because Portugal will rest all five players on yellow cards. Mexico need at least a draw to progress, preferably a win to finish first, so they will be near full strength and will probably win comfortably. It will be interesting to see if they can get their act together and play somewhere near their potential. The move to not select iconic forward Cuahtemoc Blanco was met with much opposition back home, and given their struggle against lowly ranked Angola, it seems that having Blanco on the bench might have provided coach Lavolpe with more options......

The Brazil Conondrum and Another Premature Exit??

Brazil have shown that they're not going to be swayed by media opinion, and will continue on the path they set themselves before the tournament. This is one of the most docile and slow teams to have some out of Brazil- slow in terms of ball movement not physical speed. But this shouldnt deceive anyone, they still retain their killer edge. Australia and Croatia can attest to that. Both teams can claim that they played just about as well as they're capable and still came away with nothing, not a point, not a goal.

Ze Roberto, Emerson, Lucio and Juan were solid in the middle of the park. It would seem unlikely that any team can break Brazil through the middle, though Argentina may have the required passing game to do so. On the flanks, Cafu and Carlos have not really been tested, with neither Croatia nor Australia really focussing their attack on the aging wingbacks. Holland is probably the team that is capable of assaulting Brazil's wings with van Bronckhorst, Robben, Heitinga and van Persie all younger and faster than the highly rated Brazilian duo. Kaka and Ronaldinho did not get through much defensive work, this means that Brazil apply less pressure on the ball carrier than the average soccer team. Adriano often dropped deeper to assist Ze Roberto and Emerson, leaving a not fully fit Ronaldo as the lone man upfront. So there is the possibility of wearing out the Brazilians IF (its a big if) the opposition can hold the ball for long periods of time and make Brazil chase. That is the only weakness I have noted in Brazil so far. Of course, Lucio's desire to sprint forward to assist the attack can leave them vulnerable as it did against Australia, but the rest of the defensive unit is quite capable of covering for him. And Dida is not a very good goalkeeper by any stretch of the imagination. But to exploit him would require lots of possession and attacking intent. Australia squeezed a few mistakes out of him without capitalizing.

In attack, Brazil look lethargic. Ronaldo, and Adriano as well, do not look fully fit. Ronaldo is also a little off colour when it comes to his first touches. Kaka and Ronaldinho have yet to strike the partnership the whole world is expecting and dreading. Cafu and Carlos seem hesitant coming forward, as if they've been paying attention to media sources which claim they're the weak links in the Brazilian defence. Emerson seems to be out of touch with his teammates. So overall, the Brazilians lack synchronization. They all displayed moments of individual brilliance- like Ronaldo backheeling to set up Kaka and his cool draw and pass to assist Adriano's goal. But the teamwork is not there. Robinho and Fred, in their brief cameos, managed to hide this dyssynchrony with their enthusiasm and speed. But many commentators have mistaken this for inappropriate selection policy- they feel that Robinho should start instead of Ronaldo because the tempo increased with him on the field. Parreira coolly pointed out that there is a difference between playing the last 20 and first 70, and thats why Robinho is on the bench.

My prediction is that against Japan, we will see glimpses of Brazil's best. This will a dress rehearsal for the elimination series. For periods of the game, Brazil will play at full intensity more for practice than for breaking Japan. The result will be no less 3-0. I think more of the passes will stick and Kaka particularly, will be more involved. Despite scoring against Croatia, I think he has been the most disappointing Brazilian so far.

A quick comment on the last of the second round group matches....

Spain displayed an uncharasteristic resolve to turn around a 1-0 defecit and win 3-1. At the 70 minute mark, I was thinking "here we go again, typical Spain". But suddenly, their intensity increased and as a team they lifted. Raul opened the scoring after Tunisian keeper Boumnijel spilled a long range shot from the impressive Cesc Fabregas. Then, my player of the tournament so far along with Riquelme, Fernando Torres scored an absolute beauty after receiving a wonderful pass from the irrepressible Fabregas. Torres capped off a fine display with a cool penalty in the dying moments of the game. Spain, unlike past appearances, have played with courage and confidence. A thumping awaits for the hapless Saudis, and then a possible rematch with the Koreans, or maybe the underrated Swiss or even the thoroughly unimpressive French.

Ukraine opened its world cup account with a predictable win over Saudi Arabia. The only disappointment was Shevchenko's inability to score more than once. Switzerland and Korea are looking good to qualify from Group G at the moment apart an uninspiring display from the French. Without Zizu, suspended after getting two yellow cards, a French win in the crucial Togo encounter is far from certain. A sad moment it was when Zizu was substituted in the 89th minute against, an ignominious ending for the greatest player of his generation.

A Valiant Defeat

Australia 0-2 Brazil

A not unexpected result from my point of view. The pressure was off Australia after Croatia's dismal 0-0 draw with Japan. The aim was to show the world what the team was capable of, and force a result if possible. As it turned out, Brazil took preparations for the elimination rounds up one notch and built on their performance from the opening match.

In this post, I am going to attempt a technical analysis of the game.

Lets start with the line-ups. The champions named an unchanged starting eleven despite pressure from media, particularly Brazilian media, to drop Ronaldo. Coach Perreira is planning for a gradual increase in intensity as the group stage progresses; as such, it is imperative that he picks his best eleven and only uses substitutes who he has specific plans for in the later stages. So there was nothing surprising about the fourteen players Brazil used in this match.

Australia opted for an ambitious 3-4-2-1 formation with Popovic coming into a back three. Grella and Culina were handed key anchor roles in midfield with the onerous task of containing Ronaldinho and Kaka. Chipperfield and Emerton were named on the wings with Sterjovski and Cahill playing supporting roles in behind Mark Viduka. The biggest surprise was the inclusion of Sterjovski. I would have opted for two strikers in a setup involving Aloisi (I will explain why later), but I thought that Bresciano may have been favoured for the deep supporting position. Kewell was obviously not fully fit and was being rested for the crucial Croatia encounter otherwise he would have taken up his position either on the left wing or in the centre. Popovic joining Moore and Neill was a predictable move so that the Socceroos could always have one defender marking one striker plus a spare man for added pressure on the ball carrier. I think all teams should do this against Brazil because the midfield anchormen will have their hands full with Kaka and Ronaldinho and the wingers with Carlos and Cafu. It is too much to expect Cahill and Sterjovski to drop back into the defensive line on every play (though Cahill got through some impressive defensive work) and one-on-ones with Brazilians are best avoided.

Unfortunately for Australia, Popovic re-aggravated a calf muscle injury and had to leave the field at the 30 minute mark. The ensuing reshuffle saw Chipperfield moving into the back three, Bresciano into midfield and Culina onto the left. This cost Australia dear. Chipperfield is a poor defender and Bresciano little help to Grella in the centre of the park. Australia's lack of depth in defence probably cost them the match in the end. With Vidmar sidelined due to heart surgery, Neill, Moore and Popovic are the only centre-backs defenders left in the squad. Chipperfield was out of his depth and one cant place too much blame on him, though he made Brazil's first goal far easier than it should have been. He backed off Adriano and allowed him to trap, steady and shoot with minimal pressure. (what did i say about one-on-ones??) Bresciano is an attacking player who spends much of his time upfield looking for the forwards to run off. He cannot be expected to play dirty in the midfield to win the ball and effect fast turnovers. Grella was probably a little overwhelmed in the centre by himself for much of the match, though Culina's contribution was not insignificant.

Lucas Neill at the heart of the defence was simply superb. He has come a long way from the days under Farina when he played right-back. His solidity was largely responsible for Ronaldo and Adriano being kept quiet for most of the match. Neill's tackling was most impressive, he hardly committed a foul with his slide tackles. His decisiveness was the key in my opinion- he either went hard at the ball and won it or he delayed until Australia could get there in numbers and overwhelm the Brazilians. The commentator remarked that everytime Brazil got forward, they were swamped by four or five Socceroos. Much of the credit should go to Neill's decision-making as to whether to stall or to make the challenge. Hiddink likes to tinker with his strategy mid-game- this plasticity is what sets him apart from most other managers. But Neill at centre-back is one position he will not fiddle with unless he forced to, either by injury or a red card.

Culina and Grella worked really hard for the entire 90 minutes. The fact that Ronaldinho and especially Kaka did not ever settle into the game is a testament to their performance. Culina, even once moved to the left flank, did more than his share of the pressing and defending. Grella was overworked, what he needs is a companion who can share some of his workload and be able to direct the attack after a turnover. Grella's biggest defeciency is his lack of vision in attack. Thats why Hiddink likes to play Culina, a naturally attacking player, alongside him. But the problem is that Culina is a player who feeds off creative midfielders himself. Australia needs a player like Xavi from Spain to act as a foil for Grella.

In attack, Australia created plenty of chances. The best chance fell to substitute Kewell who fired over an open goal after Dida stranded himself in an act of misjudgement. Viduka had a good shot at a free header from a Culina freekick (the only decent freekick by him) but failed to get more than the faintest of touches. Viduka also had a chance to fire at Dida's near post. Bresciano had a golden chance on a counter-attack when he found himself one-on-one with Dida but his indecisiveness cost him- Ze Roberto, who initially gave the ball away, charged back and felled Bresciano in a perfect double-whammy slide tackle i.e. get the ball legally and floor your opponent. These were the best chances but there were other occasions where Australia took long shots, instead of patiently waiting for a better opportunity.

My feeling is that Australia should have started with Aloisi and Viduka upfront. The reason for this is that the Brazilian defensive unit (centre-backs, wing-backs plus anchormen) is easily tempted into playing a high line and joining in on attacks. Juan is the only one out of these six who plays like a traditional defender and actually stays back. Ze Roberto, out of need rather than preference, also stays back quite often. But Carlos, Cafu, Emerson and worryingly, Lucio, love to stream forward. To take advantage of this, Australia needed someone who could work with Viduka to exploit the Brazilian's weakness. If Brazil resisted the temptation and Lucio stated back more often, then that is also a bonus, because it reduces the pressure on the defence and also makes the Brazilians play unnaturally. A few chances actually came Australia's way because of over-commitment by the champions, but they were duly squandered.

Ok, longer than I had planned already.....and I was going to write about Brazil as well!! Maybe later, suffice to say, I had predicted a 2-0 scoreline with a performance somewhat below their full capabilities. I think Brazil has made it clear that they are not going to be effected by external factors and are going to do things their way, slow and frustrating as it may seem.

Pride of Africa- The Black Stars have arrived

Black Stars 2-0 2nd ranked Czech Republic

Go the Black Stars!!! An incredible display of midfield strength and fast turnovers saw the deserving Ghanaians convincingly put down an impressive Czech Republic.

In their first match against Italy, Appiah and Essien copped a great deal of criticism for playing selfishly and not attempting to gel the team together, which as the central midfielders is largely their responsibility. I actually felt they didnt do too badly against a superior team. But against the Czechs, the midfield duo was awesome. Their distribution involved all the players in their team, forwards, wing-backs and other midfielders. All fourteen players were in the game for the Black Stars, whereas for the Czechs only Nedved, Poborsky, Rosicky and Plasil really made any sort of impact. Defensively, the Ghanaians worked as a unit to deny the Czechs opportunities to shoot at goal. Apart from Poborsky's effort when Nedved released him into the box in the first half, and two brilliantly parried headers in the last 10 minutes, the Czechs did not get a decent sight at goal. And the most impressive part of Ghana's performance was their speed at taking advantage of turnovers. Every time the Czechs lost the ball in attack, the Ghanaians streamed up the field giving the ball carrier a multitude of options. This was a feature of the Czech game against USA, but they were clearly outdone in this match. The accuracy of the passing surprised me; it was certainly not European quality, but it was a measured and well-thought out display of ball movement from Ghana.

For twenty years or so, Ghanaian youth teams have impressed at junior tournaments. Pele commented that there would be an African world cup champion by the year 2000, primarily based on Ghana's youth teams. That prediction was wrong, but the basis for it was strong. Finally, Ghana have a result that befits their status as one of the strongest youth teams in the world. A win against USA would secure Ghana a place in the second round, only the third African should to achieve this feat.

There is also a downside to this historic win, unfortunately. Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari, the goalscorers will miss the next match after collecting two yellow cards. The Ghanaians indiscipline after securing victory was shocking. They slid in thoughtlessly, out of joy not malice, but nonetheless left the referee with no option but to brandish the yellow. The second negative was their inability to put a team away. The Argentines demonstrated how, when you have an opponent down, you grind them into the dirt with all your might. The Black Stars failed miserably in this respect when they missed a host of well created chances in the last half-hour. Petr Cech's goalkeeping display was worthy of respect and awe, but that does not account for the Africans' wastefulness. Against USA, missing their top striker, I wonder where their goals will come from.

In the name of God

The destruction of temples and other places of worship has been happening throughout recorded history. But there is a feeling that in the modern age, the majority of the world's population is civilized and that people dont sink to such barbarous acts. The destruction of the Buddha statues in Bamiyan provided a reminder to the world that this is clearly not the case. That particular case occupied centre-stage in the world media because the Taliban regime was in the midst of the American "war on terror". But other such occurences have gone unreported, both through censorship and indifference.

A good example of the latter is the surrent situation in Malaysia. In the leadup to elections in 2007, the Malaysian government has embarked upon a campaign to seek out and demolish as many Hindu temples, Christian churches and places of worship of other minority faiths in an attempt to appease Islamic fundamentalists and score their votes. The Malaysian press, which serves the majority muslim population, has not seen fit to cover this campaign. The forward elements in the Malaysian press are under censorship. And the international media is largely indifferent to such violations of human rights. The BBC website has some coverage, but they are more afraid of hurting fundamentalist sentiments than about spreading the truth about whats happening.

Sharanya Manivannan, an Indian living in Malaysia, has bucked this trend and is trying to raise awareness about the dire situation of Hindus and other minorities in Malaysia by writing about what the wider media has refused to do on her blog. So please click here to check it out and find out more about the terrible abuses being perpetrated by a supposedly liberal, open-minded Muslim country.

The Gauntlet Laid Down

Argentina 6-0 Serbia&Montenegro

The Argentines have made the world stand up and take notice. They have announced themselves as serious challengers to Brazil's throne with an annihilation of a supposedly solid Serbian defence. This was expected to be a tough clash, with the Serbs defending hard and pressing the South Americans all over the park. But expect for a short period in between the first and second goals, the Argentines were in complete control. This has been the first truly decisive result in the world cup so far. Sure we've had brilliant performances from Ecuador, Spain, Italy and Czech Republic, and creditable openings for Germany, Mexico and Australia but Argentina are the first of the true contenders to turn on the style and issue a warning to the champions.

The gauntlet has laid down, not only to Brazil, but also to the other nations who believe they have a chance in this tournament. The Argentine's ability to hold the ball for long periods of time before coming up with a series of fast, accurate passes and superb finishes was in stark contrast to the fare served up by the other hopefuls, Germany, England, France (who have failed to score in their 6 hours of world cup football since that famous victory at the Stade de France in 98) and even Brazil themselves. England and Sweden, not to mention the Netherlands, will be trembling in fear after that display of sheer mastery. The sweet thing for coach Pekerman is that there was no single standout player. The team, all 14 players who took part in the game were stunningly in unison. The commentator criticized Messi for being a hog as soon as he came on. The next play he wevaed through the defence and slid in a perfect cross for fellow substitute Tevez to net a fine goal. The lead up play to the goals was particularly eye-catching. The interplay between the midfielders was the highlight of the game for me. Without Davids and Seedorf, I think the Dutch are going to struggle against this red hot Argentine line-up. And if they do end up playing England, it is going to be a similar slaughter because England's midfield has been non-existent so far and the signs are not good for them. The real challenge in the early knockout stages may come from a equally well-knit, harmonious Mexican side or the unpredictable Portuguese.....

Group of Death

Norman Hubbard's analysis of Group C is an excellent summary of the so-called group of death. The standings in this group may well be decided tonight- the biggest night of football action in the tournament so far.............

Time to get serious

Spain 4-0 Ukraine

Spain were in sublime form as they ran amok over a stunned Ukrainian team. Ukraine, coached by the Soviet disciplinarian Oleg Blokhin, came into the tournament with the reputation for being a well-drilled, tactically sound unit boasting the first true East European superstar since the halcyon days of Ferenc Puskas in Andriy Shevchenko. They were supossed to provide firm oppsosition to a young Spanish side wracked by indecision uncertainty. Some were even tipping a first place finish for Ukraine.

But Spain made a farce of these predictions. The Ukrainians were not allowed to settle into their gameplan, and looked well out of their depth, which they are not. Their squad has plenty of Champions League experience against the very best of Europe and South America. Nonetheless, Spain were too good. People will say that the red carding of Vaschuk was unfair, and that David Villa's first goal took a fortunate deflection, but there is no detracting from Spain's allround superiority over the entire 90 minutes.

The Spanish squad has more depth than any non-Brazilian team in the world. Six of the players I had predicted would start did not. But the team lost nothing in quality. Every player has at least three other players on the bench who is covetously looking at his position in the team. And every one of them is good enough to be a starter. Around the core of Casillas, Puyol, Xavi (Hernandez, not Alonso) and Raul, there are 19 players vying for 7 spots, all equally capable!!!

Raul came on as a subsitute and displayed his vintage touch on several occasions. Make no mistake, as the tournament he will feature more heavily. His sidelining for the opener was a move to relieve pressure on him, a masterstroke by Aragones. By the time they walk onto the field against Brazil in the quarterfinals, Raul will be leading this young side from the front in his 99th cap. And mark my words, he will play the full 90-120 minutes as required.

Xavi does not look like a man who has missed most of the European season. His passing and vision to create from a deep midfield position was delighful. He is going to instigate a demolition of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Fernando Torres's speed and intensity on the ball was also impressive, but he will be severely tested by Lucio and Juan in the quarterfinal. Luis Garcia's agression and Marcos Senna's keen left boot are an added bonus for a team that is full of options and variety all over the field.

Spain has performed like before on the world stage, but usually after they have been eliminated, such as the 6-1 crucification of Bulgaria in France 8 years ago. This is the first time in 50 years Spain has begun in such spectacular fashion. If they can keep this up, the inevitable showdown with Brazil will be a treat to watch. People often comment on how the Spaniards "hypocritically" claim that La Liga is the best in the world whilst succesive generations of Spanish stars have failed to deliver on the world stage. I will write a detailed piece on this topic, but right now it seems inappropriate. I am going to enjoy Spain's moment in the sun as long as it lasts. I have waited 10 years for this, and will save the criticisms for later.........

Now to the topic thats on everyone's lips. Aus vs Brazil. Before I write about the Australian perspective, here's what Brazil is planning.....

After a gruelling season for the top stars in Europe, Brazil had a low key preparation with matches against New Zealand and some amateur teams. They will view the group stage as a further building exercise. They dealt with Croatia rather easily despite only scoring once. The efforts level was probably no more than 60-5%. Against Australia, this will increase, but not to 100%. They will keep plenty in reserve. The Japan match will be a trouncing because I believe they will play periods of maximal intensity to prep themselves for the elimination rounds. By the second round, Brazil will be hitting their straps and getting ready to shine. Their likely opponents, the Czechs, will be their preference. The Czechs play an open game with plenty of fast ball movement which will suit the Brazilians just fine. Next will be the highly anticipated quarterfinal match against Spain. This will be an entertaining encounter. Brazil will be at full throttle by the time they see off the Spanish challenge in preparation for a tough semi against Italy. The Azurri will revert to their catanaccio style for this one, as they will believe that their best chance of a win is on the counter attack. They will sit back and try to contain and frustate the champions. Despite a monumental struggle, Brazil will win, probably only by one goal, two at most. The final will just be a formality, the icing on the cake.

From the Socceroos' perspective, this will be the most important match in Australian soccer history. Once in a long while, an opportunity such as this comes along to make an impact on the world stage. The Australians will be relishing this David and Goliath clash to use an oft-quoted cliche.

At least 2 or maybe 3 goals will be required to salvage a point from this one. The Australian defence is too weak to keep Brazil to less than 2 goals I think. Aloisi and Cahill have to start for this to happen. WIlkshire is too slow and uncreative to be of much use against Brazil, and either Culina or Bresciano will also have to miss out I feel. The key men will however be Kewell and Grella. It is rare that an opportunity such as this lands at the feet of one who has the capability to alter the course of history, football history at least. But thats exactly whats in store for Harry Kewell- I'm not an admirer of Kewell because of his vainglory and dubious allegiances, but his skill is unquestionable. If Australia is to make any sort of impact on Brazil, Kewell will have to be the orchestrator. He's in for a tough time though, against Emerson and Ze Roberto in the centre of Brazil's midfield. Vincenzo Grella is the most underestimated Australian player I have ever seen. It has taken a true master like Hiddink to recongnize Vinnie's hidden talent. His role as the midfield anchor will be crucial as he will be in charge of stopping Kaka and Ronaldinho from getting too close to goal. I dont envy his task, but this match could redefine his career. He is already highly rated by his Italian club Parma. But a solid showing against the champions would make him the most sought after player from a "second-string" footballing nation.....

As expected.....

Brazil won. But not convincingly. They played against Croatia at walking pace. They hardly broke into a sweat. I'm not sure if that is sign that indicates their unpreparedness or their extreme arrogance. But I'd wager that they will warm to their task by quarterfinal time. And seriously, they will win their group comfortably at their present effort level.

The Czechs demolished USA. In a precise display of passing and shooting, the Czechs have sent out a signal to all contenders, especially Italy, that they are going for broke. In a terrible piece of misfortune, Jan Koller, the giant striker, has joined Milan Baros on the injured list, at least for the first round.

The Serbians put in a solid performance, but lost nonetheless. This will be the story of their world cup. But top marks for effort.

France struggled to score in a tough encounter against Switzerland, who along with Australia, are the most improved team in world football. But with Zizu holding the reins, things are bound to change for the better!!

The surprise packets were.....

Italy!!! Unbelievable. They've done with away with catenaccio and are playing real soccer, just like they should. Generations of Italian talent have been wasted because of defensive mindsets. Now, Lippi has them playing a broad, multi-faceted attacking game. Their skill really shone through against an inexperienced Ghanaian team who were worthy opponents. If Italy play like this, my initial predictions will look farcical. Particularly impressive was striker Luca Toni- tall, powerful and agile- a deadly combination of attributes. And of course, Cannavaro and Nesta in defence were impenetrable- right up there with Juan and Lucio, the Brazilian duo despite conceding a great deal of height and weight advantage.

Ecuador. I expected these guys to do better than generally predicted, but they have exceeded even my predictions early on. Giovanni Espinoza in central defence is a regular bone-cruncher. A fine defender, who may get caught out by faster attackers, but still is a formidable presence at the back. And young midfielder Juan Valencia is another fine talent who will have a field day against Costa Rica.

Ivory Coast. Not really a surprise that they played well against Argentina. But the determination and verve with which they kept up the pressure right until the whistle was amazing. In a lesser group, the Elephants would have thrived. But sadly, I think they'll have a hard time against Holland and Serbia.

And finally, AUSTRALIA. What a match!!!! What an unbelievable match!!!!!! Sure, Japan sucked, but still, WHAT A MATCH!! One of the greatest comebacks of all time. This will give Australia huge momentum going in to the Brazil encounter. They wont win, probably not even draw, but they will really put everything into it, and walk away with all the plaudits, I think. And then beware Croatia!! Of course, Croatia put in a massive performance against the champions this morning. They probably played better than the socceroos did against Japan. So the AUS-CRO encounter is shaping up to be a huge one, which will decide who progresses. I hope that goal difference is not an issue so both teams are forced into attacking for a win.

The biggest disappointments........

Japan. They have sadly regressed since 2002. The teamwork and the general intensity is just not there anymore. I think they erred greatly in appointing Zico as the head coach. Last time with a European coach, they excelled. But with a South American, the focus has switched from technique and discipline to hero-centricity. The team is now centred around the two big stars, Nakamura and Nakata. And these two dont have much of a combination.

Poland. After a disappointing performance in 2002, they have started off in terrible fashion against Ecuador. Last time was their first world cup in years, hence the poor form was attributable to inexperience. But now there is no excuse for such a pedestrian display. They were hopeless. Ecuador will probably qualify now, because they will thrash Costa Rica easily.

Psychopaths of the future

One comes across strange things in the emergency department. Today I saw something which was quite troubling, despite being extremely funny.....

I was taking some blood and putting in a drip for a patient today. Just as I pulled the needle out, the patient's grandson became very excited. He came right up beside to get front row seat for the action. He started jumping up and down as the needle went in. There were rapturous shouts of "oh cool" as the flashed back into the cannula. As I withdrew the needle and put pressure on the vein to stop it bleeding, he screamed "let it go, let it go". Then he went into a catatonic state of pleasure as the blood rushed into the blood bottle. Finally, as I was about to secure the cannula, he pleaded with me "dont put nothing on it". He wanted to see some active bleeding!!

We all had a good laugh at this over lunch. But i must say its quite disturbing, especially coming from a 5 year old. It really makes you wonder about video games, movies and media glorification of violence........

Errata

I have been informed that Guayaquil, on the pacific coast, is the most populous city in Ecuador......ooops!! But I still maintain my point. Quito is the capital city, it has most of the country's established soccer clubs, and has the best stadium. And Ecuador should continue to play their matches at altitude...

World Cup 2006 Germany

Ok, so i'm a couple of days late, but here it is- my take on the world cup.

1. Who'll win???

BRAZIL!!!!! They're too good, thats the short story. Ronaldinho and Kaka are simply unstoppable. Even if they both get injured (and they will be targeted by all the midfield enforcers), there's Robinho, Juninho and various other playmakers waiting in the wings. Brazil's detractors will tell you that they have frailties (ha!!). Roberto Carlos and Cafu are supposedly weak defenders. They have, in fact, starred in two world cup winning campaigns and won countless european and south american trophies (copa america, champions league etc). They are so good when in attack that people (falsely) assume that they must be weak defenders. But there is no soccer player in the world today who is as fit as these two, and they will run up to attack and back to defend for 90 minutes in all seven matches, of this i have no doubt.....

2. Who else has a chance?

England. Basically David Beckham carries all their hopes. If teams can hold back their tackles and not concede free kicks this side of halfway, England will be contained. But most teams will not have this discipline, so expect Beckham to feature heavily in this tournament. In Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Sol Campbell (off the bench), they have probably the tighest central defence in the world- the perfect foil for Beckham.

Holland. Pure Class!! Von Persie on the wings is currently my favourite player. This guy rocks!! Coach van Basten, himself one of the best strikers of the 80's, has a powerful attack combo with van Nistelrooy, Von Persie, Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel off the bench. The Surinamese-born midfield anchors, Seedorf and Davids, have both been axed. This, I feel is their weakness, and van Basten's gamble is what makes me put Holland below England.

Argentina. Without the hype that surrounded them in previous campaigns, Argentina will be a force this time around. Like Brazil, they have the talent to blow away any opposition, but cautious coaching will be their undoing. In Riquelme, Tevez, Aimar and Maradona's heir apparent Lionel Messi, they have the second best set of playmakers in the world. But coach Jose Pekerman does not see fit to play more than one of these players at any one time. A huge waste!! But with a seasoned defensive line and classy finishers (Crespo and Saviola) upfront, Argentina is not to be underestimated.

France. I put the French up here because have an inspirational playmaker in Zinedine Zidane, and with the savvy Thierry Henry prowling up ahead, they make a deadly pair. But without the parochial home support they enjoyed in 98, I cant see them matching Brazil.

Spain&Portugal. The Iberian neighbours have always had loads of talent and the right attitude to attack, but they have failed majorly at every hurdle. Dont expect them to win, but do expect some wonderful entertainment from the likes of Raul, Reyes, Simao and Cristiano "the other" Ronaldo.

The Dark Horses.

Ghana and Ivory Coast. No pun intended, but seriously, keep an eye on these guys. Unlike African teams in the past who send teams loaded with precocious but unpolished talents (Nigeria and Cameroon especially), the Black Stars and the Elephants come into this tournament with a core of seasoned footballers who ply their trade in Europe. With Samuel Kuffour (who has played for FC Bayern and R0ma AC) marshalling a bone-crunching defensive line and the central midfield duo of Michael Essien and Steffan Appiah (considered one of the strongest on display in Germany), Ghana will give Italy and Czech Republic a hard time in the group matches (and Brazil in the 2nd round if they qualify 2nd which is a distinct possibility). Similarly, the Ivorians have a powerful defence led by Arsenal stopper Kolo Toure, whose brother Yaya holds the reins in midfield. In Didier Drogba, they also possess a world class striker. The support cast includes a host of players with years of experience in French academies and first division clubs.

Czech Republic. Pavel Nedved will carry their hopes, similar to Beckham for England. They are incredibly ranked 2nd in the world by FIFA, behind only Brazil. Experts have ridiculed this ranking system, but Nedved and co. will be eager to prove them wrong.

Japan. Often criticized for their passive defence and tendency to crumble under pressure, they nonetheless have speed and agility to surprise the very best. The Blue Samurais will be difficult to contain, but unfortunately, they are too leaky at the back to be real contenders.

The Disappointments.

Italy. The catenaccio system will be their undoing once more. They'll sit back and let their opponents dictate terms. A single win in a group featuring the Americans, Czechs and the Ghanaians will be an achievement.

Germany. Klinsmann can be applauded for changing the face of German soccer in a few short years, but it wont be enough. This is the most attacking German outfit in history, but it wont be enough. Mertesacker and Metzelder are poor central defenders. Their midfield, without the dominating presence of Ballack will lack bite. And Polish-born strikers Klose and Podolsky will struggle against better opponents.

Croatia and Serbia/Montenegro. A comined Yugoslavian team would be mighty juggernaut indeed. But sadly, numerous civil wars have split Yugoslavia into (i dont know how many, but lots of) fragments. It is a credit to their strong soccer tradition that Croatia and Serbia/Montenegro have repeatedly qualified for world cups since the 92 war. Slovenia, one of the other fragments, featured at the previous world cup. But back to the point, I think both these teams will struggle in strong groups, both would do well if they can squeeze a win apiece.

Saudi Arabia. An absolute disgrace. These guys should not be here. A blight on the game. They are hopeless. Asia does not deserve a fourth spot. Strong teams like Cameroon and Uruguay are idling at home while the Saudis are also idling, but on the pitch, at a world cup!!!

Golden Boot.

Shevchenko. For the sole reason that he's in the group with Saudi Arabia. I'd consider 3 to be par score for him in that game.

Raul. As above.

Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, Ronaldinho. Or any other Brazilian. But its unlikely that any single one will be able to dominate all the time because the entire team will be queing up.

Crespo. The ultimate poacher. He will feature on the scorecards regularly.

van Nistelrooy. Has an eye for goal like no other. Especially at decisive moments, a very un-Dutch trait.

Good luck to....

Korea. A group of nobodies who as a team are wily opponents. They will remember Guus Hiddink's lessons which led them to an unprecendented 4th place at home four years ago. Always underestimated, I hope they have a good one.

Togo and Angola. I dont expect these woefully weak debutantes to score single point, or a goal for that matter. But they have come through a tough African qualifying draw, outperforming the giants of African football- Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa and Morocco. And they deserve their chance. They will be competing with the Saudis for the worst goal difference, but hopefully Shevchenko obliges........

Ecuador. They have widely demonized in the lead-up to this world cup. People have stopped just short of accusing them of cheating!! All this, because, Quito, the capital city of Ecuador lies at an altitude of nearly 3000m above sea level. By playing their home matches at Quito, Ecuador have an unfair advantage, or so claim the whingers. Forget the fact that Quito is the capital of Ecuador, has a population of 2 million making it the largest city in the country, and it has all the major soccer clubs of the country. Never mind that it is the only major sporting arena in this small country of 13 million people. Ecuador should be sporting and play at sea level, they say. Why dont Brazil play their home matches in some forest clearing on the Amazon, afterall, the vociferous support they enjoy at the Maracana is surely also unfair. Why dont the sporting Germans play their group games in France where the crowd will be neutral. And do you know what the most ridiculous thing is?? The highest capital city in the world is La Paz, Bolivia. They played all their home matches at altitude as well. Yet they didnt manage to defeat Brazil and Argentina!! Why are they not at the world cup?? Why didnt they get close to qualifying?? Because, Ecuador is a GOOD team. In a weak group, only Germany stand in the way of a first place finish. Go Ecuador.

My Favourites

Hard to say. I have a soft spot for France, only because the Mauritius-born Indian Vikash Dhorasoo is in their squad, a solid replacement for Zizu should the need arise. As always, I have great expectations of the Africans. They have unluckily been places in hard groups, but they will not be making any excuses. I love Spanish football- I would like to see something special from Raul and co, like what they produce at club level. But my favourites are their Iberian neighbours, Portugal. Perennial underachievers, this is only their 4th world cup. At their first attempt in 1966, they finished third, largely thanks to Mozambiqe-born legend Eusebio. This time around, as they seek to better that performance, the last remnants of the Golden generation of Portuguese football will know that this really is their last hurrah. The stars of the wonderful all-conquering youth team of the early 90's has one last shot at glory. Infused with a new breed of stars, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Simao, this might just be the perfect opportunity. But thats exactly what I said last time around!!!!

Delayed Monsoon

All this rain in Sydney reminds me of the last time i was caught up in a downpour- Chennai in novemeber 2005. The amount of rain was ridiculous- people were telling me that they could not recall such a deluge since the 70's. I was taking a train into the city when we went across the Saidapet bridge over the Adayar river. My uncle was telling me how in his college days, they used to guage the amount of rainfall based on the level of the Adayar river compared to the road bridge over it. Since then, this was the first time the river had swollen up to a particularly high point, apparently.

Anyway, the monsoonal experience was unique because of Chennai's stupendously ineffective drainage system. Apart from the fact that the capacity of the underwater drainage and sewerage system is quite simply inadequate for the Indian monsoon, there is also a supplemental system of uncovered roadside drains which have limited access points into the main drainage system. Now anyone who has been in India knows that the surface drains are full of all sorts of effluent and solid rubbish. It doesnt bother anyone (dont look at it, try not to notice the smell, avoid falling into it and its practically not there) under normal circumstances but when it rains, there is a problem!!!

Once the rains set in, all the entry points into the underground system become clogged with garbage. There is no excess capacitance built into the system, and even if there was, i wonder to what extent the drainage system would cope. Anyway, the result is that the streets get flooded!! The rain continues.......the water level increases. Transport grinds to a halt, the city follows. People get stranded in their homes. They sit at their windows watching the water level rise wondering when the water will creep into their houses. Electricity gets cut (there is a risk of electrocution in low lying homes which get flooded and water gets into power points). Mosquitoes are going to have a field day (only once the rains stop though).

This happened on three occasions to me. Twice i was stuck at my aunty's apartment, once at my grandparents'. My grandparents' block is built on a raised concrete platform so there is no risk of flooding except during a severe unheralded deluge. But the houses all round were low-lying and so got flooded promptly. Once the water level rises above the level of the toilet, retrograde flow starts happening. So the house gets filled with sewerage!! These unfortunate people had the unpleasant of cleaning their houses afterwards, not to mention, to sit through an entire day or more in such unsanitary conditions. Even more unfortunately, after the first flood, it happened again, and then again!!

My aunty's block of flats is not as raised as my grandparents', and she also lives on the ground floor. On one of the occasions at her place, we came close to being forced to move to my other aunty's unit on the first floor. The water had reached the inner walkway but just failed to make its way into the unit itself. We spent the hours looking out through the window at the neighbour's flooded yard, watching the water level creep up....

But there is a bright side to it all. They say that Chennai wont have any water shortages for another 12 months!!!!!!

Stories from Indian hospitals

Approximately 10-15% of the patients who come to NIMHANS are Tamil speaking. So there were days when I would see exclusively Tamil patients. From this cohort of people, there are a few that stick out in my mind.

One was a young man with a genetically transmitted neurological disease which causes progressive physical disability without affecting the mental faculties. His father and uncle had the same disease and had died as relatively young men. He had known since adolescence that he was heading down a similar path but didnt seek medical attention until recently, when he didnt have the strength to carry on with his job. This man highlighted the financial realities of life in India. He adjusted as best he could with disabilities until he was physically unable to work and then his brother probably had to incur debt to be able to bring him to Bangalore to see a neurologist. In his case unfortunately, there is no effective treatment. In Australia, we would treat a patient like this with physiotherapy to maintain some minimal level of strength and orthotics- devices designed to assist the function of movable parts of the body. But this would be ridiculously expensive in India and there was no way this guy could afford it. So he was sent home with vitamin pills.....

Then there was the guy who was roughly my age who came with some sort of wierd seizures, which happened to occur in really dangerous places- when he was standing on a train all three times. So he had basically nearly died 3 times!! Those of you who have travelled on Indian trains will know why (of course, if its a packed Chennai or Mumbai train then its a bit safer). This was a middle class man, so he was actually better off compared to most of the people one sees in public hospitals in India. But i remember him because it could so easily have been one of my cousins, or even me!! I feel a stange kinship when i see people my age in hospitals, whether in India or Australia. Its because of the underlying feeling that people my age dont belong in hospital. So its daunting to think "what if that was me??".

The alcoholics are also an odd bunch. There are SO many alcoholics in India, particularly Tamil Nadu. In NIMHANS I just saw the neurological consequences of alcohol abuse, but in the General Hospital in Chennai, I saw the whole range of disease caused by alcohol. There is so much end stage liver disease and liver cancer in India, it is mind-boggling. And most of this happens in young men, 30-40 years of age. The youngest man i saw with liver cancer was 23!! He obviously had factors other than alcohol contributing to his problems, but still........

Perhaps even sadder than the alcoholics is the mess they leave behind when they die. There was no end to the women i saw, widows of alcoholics, who would come with various illnesses, and their children who suffered from psychiatric-type illnesses. And they all have the same story. Husband was an alcoholic, spent everything on drinking, left them with nothing, they struggled for years, and they get sick. Their kids changed the day their husbands died and developed all sorts of mental health issues, which often manifest as "pseudo-neurological" symptoms. What do you say to these people?? I had no idea. I dont know exactly what i said, it cant have made too much sense, but these people wait on every one of your words and thank you for whatever you do or offer.........

Then of course, there was the young girl who was a mystery to us all. She had some strange disease which nobody had ever seen before. Everyone of course, had their own opinion, but no one actually knew what was going on. The funny thing with her was that because she was a muslim, everyone assumed she could speak urdu, and hence understand hindi. But muslims from Tamil Nadu arent all urdu-speakers, infact, many of them speak only tamil. There were lots of confused faces when she said she couldnt understand hindi!! But she had a brother who was fairly well educated- he spoke english, making it easier for the majority of the doctors who spoke kannada and hindi, the (other) official languges at NIMHANS.