"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
Friday, 30 June 2006
Wednesday, 28 June 2006
"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.......
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.......
Tuesday, 27 June 2006
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.......
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.......
Monday, 26 June 2006
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, 25 June 2006
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...
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...
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