Forty-eight games gone, and so onto the knockout stages at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Despite the shock elimination of World Champions Italy and 1998 winners, France, the group stages produced the expected final tables, despite some unlikely results. The competition now begins to take proper shape and it was nice to see most matches, have a real attacking feel to them. With twenty-two goals in eight matches, that brings encouragement for the latter stages of the competition. Here is a round-up of the action in the Round of 16. (Germany v England Match Report in separate section: http://happydude88.blogspot.com/2010/06/germany-4-1-england-sorry-england.html)
Saturday 26th June: Uruguay 2-1 South Korea
Two-time winners Uruguay reached the last eight, for the first time since 1970, after overcoming a resilent South Korea in filthy conditions in Port Elizabeth. Ajax’s Luis Suarez was the hero for the South Americans, with two strikes. His stock value has bound to have increased after this performance, with his winner, just ten minutes from time, a spectacular curling effort that is one of the goals of the tournament. Despite a leveller from Lee Chung-Young, the Koreans dodgy defending cost the 2002 semi-finalists, though they don’t leave the competition in disgrace.
Saturday 26th June: USA 1-2 Ghana (AET)
Asamoah Gyan smashed home an extra-time winner to seal Ghana’s place in the last eight, at the expense of the United States in Rustenberg. Kevin Prince-Boateng gave the Black Stars the dream start, drilling a low shot past Tim Howard in the fifth minute. The Americans converted a penalty, through their golden boy Landon Donovan in the second half. Just as they looked the stronger, Gyan’s bursting run and stunning hit in the third minute of extra-time was enough to see Ghana become only the third ever African side to reach the last eight of a World Cup finals.
Sunday 27th June: Argentina 3-1 Mexico
On a day of controversy at the World Cup, Diego Maradona’s Argentina needed help from a terrible decision on the way to a comfortable triumph against Mexico. The game was evenly balanced up to the half-hour mark, when Carlos Tevez headed Argentina infront, despite being yards offside. The Mexicans were incensed by the decision, especially when the replay was shown on the big screen in Soccer City. Despite protests, the Italian referee Roberto Rossetti stuck to his decision and from that moment on, Mexico never recovered. Gonzalo Higuain pounced on a dreadful piece of defending by the recently released Ricardo Osario and Tevez made it three shortly after the interval, with a smashing strike of genuine class. Despite Javier Hernandez’s deserved consolation, Argentina cantered through into a quarter-final tomorrow with Germany.
Monday 28th June: Holland 2-1 Slovakia
Holland’s stars came to the fore in Durban, as they achieving an unconvincing, yet deserving victory over Slovakia. Arjen Robben made his first start of the tournament and on seventeen minutes, collected a long pass from Wesley Snejider and drilled a low shot in from 25 yards out. Snejider wrapped it up with five minutes to go, finishing off a slick move from Dirk Kuyt’s clever cutback. Despite several opportunities, Slovakia looked destined not to score, until a foul by goalkeeper Maarten Stelkenberg allowed Robert Vittek the chance to score his 4th goal of the finals, with the very last kick of the match.
Monday 28th June: Brazil 3-0 Chile
Brazil saw off a disappointing Chile at Ellis Park, to set-up a mouth-watering quarter-final with Holland today. Dunga’s side were always in control, once they scored twice in four minutes, through a header by AS Roma centre-back Juan and then a neat combination of passing by Kaka and Robinho, led to Luis Fabiano doubling the advantage. A precise finish from Robinho early in the second half, sealed the outcome, with the suspension of three key players costing Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking Chile outfit. They leave the competition on a downer, but after winning many friends for their spectacular fluidity of play.
Tuesday 29th June: Paraguay 0-0 Japan (AET) PARAGUAY WIN 5-3 ON PENALTIES
Paraguay became the fourth South American side to book a place in the last eight, after a perfect penalty success rate against Japan. Paraguay scored all five of their penalties in the first shootout of the 2010 finals, the final penalty being tucked away by Benfica’s Oscar Cardozo. Yuichi Komano’s spot kick brushed the crossbar; he was the only failure of the shootout, after quite possibly the most boring match in World Cup history, unsurprisingly ending 0-0 after two stale hours of football.
Tuesday 29th June: Spain 1-0 Portugal
European champions Spain scraped through into the last eight, getting the edge over a disappointing Portugal in a poor encounter in Cape Town. With the Portuguese negative tactics not exciting anyone and leaving Cristiano Ronaldo frustrated, and completely out of the action, one goal was enough for the Spanish, coming through new-Barcelona striker David Villa with an hour gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment