Conclusion of Round of 16

Finished my exams..yes! So now I can update my blog in peace. Anyway, for the uninformed, the round of 16 of World Cup 06 have just concluded, and we now have our final 8. Before that, the results please:

Day 18

Ukraine 0 - 0 Switzerland ( Ukraine 3 - 0 Switzerland on penalties)
Ukrainians and Swiss play it safe

This was the first match of the competition that led to a penalty shootout. But the circumstances that led to the shootout was a bland and safe game played by both sides. Sure they made opportunities.. but they didn't create goals, and most of the time played defensively. Switzerland created 2 record though in this game, whether they're proud of it or not. They became the 1st team to be eliminated from the World Cup without conceding a goal ( penalties don't count, in their last 3 group matches they didn't concede) and they also became the 1st team to not score in a penalty shootout ( they missed 3 in a row...guess someone hasn't been practicing)

Ukraine missed one too, and who would have thought it'd be Mr. Former European footballer of the year himself, Andriy Shevchenko?

Day 19

Brazil 3 - 0 Ghana : Ronaldo breaks World Cup goal scoring record with early goal

As expected before the match, the goal difference in this match has a significant margin. However, the results do not actually reflect the difference in the teams. Ghana actually had a barrelful of goal scoring opportunities, but it was either thwarted by the goalkeeper, misguided shots from range or entanglings with the defenders. Ronaldo managed to break the highest goalscorer record by exceeding Gerd Muller's 14 goal tally by one goal. He scored this one goal in the 5th minute of the game. Brazil continued to be the luckier of the 2 teams by converting 2 opportunities resulting from poor defending , even though surprisingly Ghana had most of the possession %. Ghana goalkeeper Kingson did well to manage some great saves in the dying moments of the match to spare Ghana from an embarassing result. Brazil has advanced to the last 8, but I'm still not impressed so far.

Photos of Brazillians scoring goals are so common, so I decided to post this..nice expression guys..

France 3 - 1 Spain : Les Bleus reminds us of '98 magic

This was a surprising result. I don't think anyone expected France to deliver after struggling in the group stages, especially after Spain's otherwise impressive performance in the group stages. Spain's only goal was a penalty awarded for a foul by French defender Thuram, and David Villa converted. However, after that everything seemed to go France's way, with the Spanish not looking enthusiastic enough in front of the goal. Just before the break, Franck Ribery had a great break by outrunning 2 Spanish defenders, circling around goalkeeper Casillas before tapping the ball into the back of the Spanish net. France equalized and the tempo of the game greatly increased. Spain never really got back into the game although they had their chances. They were panic stricken when Viera headed in a Zidane freekick earned from a controversial foul against Henry to give France the lead. But this was nothing compared to the heartbreak they must have experienced when Zidane showed why he was called the master by calmingly avoiding Puyol to score France's 3rd goal during stoppage time. Spain are out, and are further reputed for being underachievers.

Franck Ribery starting the sinking of the Spanish Armada

The next round will see Germany meeting Argentina, 2 great attacking teams, while on the same side of the table Ukraine will be squaring off against Italy. I expect Italy to be the victor but it'll be very hard to predict how Germany will fare against Argentina...I hope the hosts win though.

And of course, England will be facing Portugal for the 2nd time in 2 years while Brazil hope to avenge their 3 - 0 loss to France in the 98 world cup final in the last fixture of the quarter finals. As the competition advances, so does the pressure and challenge. All 8 teams have the quality to ensure an exciting and entertaining quarter final.

(All pictures from BBC Sports)

Superman Returns (?!)

I've only been doing football pundit posts recently, so here's a regular post. There are so many movies coming up during the summer blockbuster period that everyone can't wait, yours truly included. But i guess i'm representing most of us when i say that we're expecting a certain caped hero to make his return to the big screen.

Ah yes, to hear the immortal phrase :" Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane..no its..." and I don't even need to finish that sentence. Well krypton fans, good news! Superman may be returning sooner than you think...

No? ah well.. it's a good way to skip a boring class anyway.. Here's another sighting of the man of steel ..complete with traditional superman theme music. Enjoy!

R16 part 2 follow up

Day 18

Italy 1 - 0 Australia : Azzurris advance to last 8 at expense of Socceroos

Just finished watching the match so I thought I'd do a follow up. Australia played today without Harry Kewell, which explained why their attacks lacked good finishing. They gave Italy a real run for their money, dominating in possesion ( a very rare feat for lower ranked teams) , and creating as many chances. It was kind of an even match, with both sides playing well, but not really obtaining a good finish for a goal. Italy had a man sent off in the 49th minute, but Australia couldn't bank in on their one man advantage. Then, just when everyone thought the game would go into extra time, Fabio Grosso is seemingly fouled in the penalty box and Italy are awarded a spot kick, which Francesco Totti takes superbly. I'm not sure about the penalty decision though..it was kinda ambiguous. Maybe the referee was too tired and didn't want to run for another extra 30 minutes? anyway, Australia played well and they didn't deserve to lose...not in that heartwrenching way at least.

Was it a foul? The referee thought it was, and that was enough said

Football Trivia : The traditional jersey color of the national team (as well as of all Italian teams and athletes, except in motor sports) is sky blue (azzurro, in Italian), and therefore national team members are nicknamed Azzurri.

(Pic from BBC Sports)

Round of 16 -- Part 2

Another 2 matches of the round of 16 have been played, and 2 more teams have ended their world cup crusade. Ecuador go home with pride for reaching this far, and Holland pack their bags knowing that in the future, they will be potential World Cup winners with so many gifted young players. All is not well however.

Day 17

England 1 - 0 Ecuador : England still in shackles
Everytime I watch England play, I have the impression of a shackled beast, while fierce and powerful, is unable to bite or attack because it's chained to the ground. For England's case, the chains that are holding them down is the formation. Rooney looked very isolated in the front last night, while Eriksson experimented with a 4-5-1 formation. While it does provide Gerrard in a more attacking role, Rooney still doesn't get much support. Then there's this media hype about replacing Beckham, in my opinion so far I think he's done a ok job...nothing to wow about, but nothing to rue about either. He did score the only goal in this match btw. Maybe Eriksson needs to restore Crouch up front with Rooney, at least Crouch had more chances in the previous matches. This was by far the most frustrating match and worst display by England so far, and they were lucky a certain midfielder was able to find the back of the net.

Beckham's goal which saved England from extra time and perhaps the agony of a penalty shootout

Portugal 1 - 0 Holland : Football game or gang fight?
I didn't watch the whole match, just the highlights, but from what I've read and heard, this has been the most interesting match of the tournament. The interesting part is not that the players played excellent football...that was just a small part. The huge hike in entertainment value was the fact that the referee went wild and flashed cards like they were going out of style. The players were no better either, breaking out into scuffles quite often in the latter stages. Luis Figo even showed us he knew Shaolin Soccer by using "tie tou gong" (Iron Head) on one of his opponents. He was lucky to get only a yellow card. Both teams had 2 players sent off, a record breaking statistic in the World Cup. That and the 16 yellow cards awarded tainted the so far excellent competition. Really hope there won't be any other matches like this one. (Although it is entertaining).

The most frequent scenes of the night: Scuffles and handing of cards

And so England face Portugal in the quarter finals. With the way England have been playing so far, i daresay that this match will be their last in World Cup 06. Even though Portugal will be without Deco and Costinha (red carded in the match above) and may even lose Ronaldo if he doesn't recover from a thigh injury sustained in the gruesome match with Holland, with Scolari acting as their tactician, they are still a force to be reckoned with. This will be interesting as this is the 3rd time Eriksson has faced off with Scolari in the quarter finals of a major tournament, Eriksson having lost out to Scolari in the previous 2 occasions (2002 world cup lost to Brazil, 2004 Euro lost to Portugal). If Eriksson wants to win this round, he has GOT to take more risks, and I mean sensible risks.

Eriksson vs Scolari round 3.. will Eriksson prevail this time?

(All pics from BBC sports)

Into the last 16

The group matches have been concluded, and half of the 32 teams that were present 2 weeks ago have gone home, to recollect, reconstruct and train for the next 4 years in hopes of qualifying for the next world cup in 2010 which will be held in South Africa.

In Germany however, the quest for football's holy grail goes on for the remaining 16 teams (at time of blog, 2 teams of the 16 have been eliminated) to win this month long football fiesta. Here's the scoreline for the last few days:

Day 13
Group D
Portugal 2 - 1 Mexico : Portugal tops the group with 3rd consecutive win
Iran 1 - 1 Angola : Angola gives a good fight, but fails to breakthrough

Group C
Ivory Coast 3 - 2 Serbia & Montenegro : Elephants take a win before exit
Holland 0 - 0 Argentina : Lacklustre match by two top teams

Day 14
Group E
Czech Republic 0 - 2 Italy : Czechs check out of World Cup 06
Ghana 2 - 1 USA : Ghana becomes first and only African side to make it through

Group F
Japan 1 - 4 Brazil : Brazil hits back with a big punch
Croatia 2 - 2 Australia : Draw sends Australia through and Croatia home

Day 15
Group H
Ukraine 1 - 0 Tunisia : Boring match to end Group G
Spain 1 - 0 Saudi Arabia : Same as above

Group G
Switzerland 2 - 0 Korea : Asia's last hopes dashed by the Swiss
France 2 - 0 Togo : French claim first win in 6 matches in 8 years

And as of yesterday, 2 matches of the round of 16 has been played, sending yet another 2 teams home.

Day 16

Germany 2 - 0 Sweden : Hosts are yet again first to book seat in next round

This match started with Sweden looking very nervous. Germany totally dominated the game in the first half, and scored 2 goals in the first 12 minutes courtesy of Lukas Podolski. The Swedes were further crippled when they had a man sent off in the 39th minute. In the 2nd half, the Swedes created more chances and even had a penalty awarded but this was missed by Henrik Larsson. In the end, it was obvious that the hosts were the better team of the match. It's very rare to have your possession % split into 63 and 37 .

The missed penalty which could have changed the game

Argentina 2 - 1 Mexico : Rodriguez wonder goal in extra time sends Argentina through

The match started very much like the previous match, with 2 goals scored in the beginning minutes of the game, 1 goal for each team. Mexico were determined to make a breakthrough, and both teams held on , and the game went into extra time. In the 8th minute of extra time however, Maxi Rodriguez scored a fantastic volley from the edge of the box to confirm Argentina's place in the last 8. They will meet Germany in the quarter-finals, I'm sure this will be an interesting match.

Mexican goalkeeper totally helpless to stop Rodriguez's shot

Here's how the last 14 teams stand :


(This is a pic taken of the results poster I bought for rm9 complete with numbered stickers and team names, get it at your local bookshop now!) The pic may be too small so click to enlarge.

So far the teams that have made it are familiar faces, apart from Ghana, Switzerland, Ecuador and Ukraine. ( Btw, Portugal has waited 40 years to qualify for the round of 16!) . The right side of the table looks menacing. If England wins, they will most likely face Portugal ( I don't think Holland is strong enough to face Scolari's men) , which will be an exact repeat of the quarterfinals of Euro 04 which England lost to Portugal by penalties.

On the other hand, I expect Brazil to beat Ghana and Spain beating France, creating a Brazil vs Spain scenario in the quarter finals. For the Italy vs Australia game, I must admit, Australia are capable of creating an upset, while the Switzerland vs Ukraine game could go both ways.

Well, we all know that in football, anything can happen. But I would expect a very tantalizing final this year, even if England doesn't make it.

(All match pics from BBC Sports)

World Cup amidst exams..

Arrgh...no more intensive updates about the World Cup for the time being, at least until I finish my finals on the 29th of this month.. by then the quarter finals will have started.

To be consistent, here are the World Cup scores as of day 12:
Day 8:
Group C
Argentina 6 Serbia & Montenegro 0 : Argentina Whips S & M (hmm..)
Holland 2 Ivory Coast 1 : Elephants lose their tusks

Group D
Angola 0 Mexico 0 : Angola's World Cup hopes still alive

Day 9:
Group D
Portugal 2 Iran 0 : Portuguese end 40 year wait to 2nd round

Group E
Ghana 2 Czech Republic 0 : Ghana upsets strikerless Czech
USA 1 Italy 1 : Italian own goal helps plucky US to survive

Day 10:
Group F
Japan 0 Croatia 0 : Kawaguchi saves Japan from early exit
Brazil 2 Australia 0 : Lacklustre Brazil tame impressive Socceroos

Group G
France 1 S.Korea 1 : Park Ji Sung denies 1st French World Cup win in 8 years

Day 11:
Group G
Switzerland 2 Togo 0 : Swiss win sends Togo home

Group H
Ukraine 4 Saudi Arabia 0 : Ukrainians vent out anger from Spanish defeat
Spain 3 Tunisia 1 : Spain come back from behind to advance to 2nd round

Day 12:
Group A
Germany 3 Ecuador 0 : Hosts emerge leaders of group
Poland 2 Costa Rica 1 : Poland bow out with comeback win

Group B
England 2 Sweden 2 : England unable to break 38 yr old curse
Paraguay 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 : Paraguay ends world cup campaign in celebratory mood

So far 2 fixtures of the round of 16 have been confirmed, with the opening match seeing Germany against Sweden, while on the other end of the table England will be playing against Ecuador. England have managed to avoid facing the hosts, but I don't think Ecuador will be easy to play against.

World Cup ....a week has passed

1 week has gone by since the World Cup kicked off in Germany. Another update on the scores:

Day 5

Korea 2 Togo 1 : Korea of 2002 back again?

South Korea came from behind to win the game with 2 strikes from long range. Togo put up a good fight..but along with the other debutants(except T & T) failed to clinch any points in the opening phase. South Korea might reach the round of 16 should they continue to play like this.

Togo's African victory dance

France 0 Switzerland 0 : 1998 Champions Goal-shy?
Anothe lacklustre performance by former world cup champions France. France had more opportunities of the 2 teams...but failed to deliver. Henry gave some feeble strikes that posed no problem to the goalkeeper while some of the senior players such as Zidane certainly remained a shadow of his former self. France have got to get over it and produce some class finishers if they hope to advance from the group.

The French arguing about who is at fault for their sloppy performance after the game

Brazil 1 Croatia 0 : Ronaldo needs Panadol
This was the match everyone was waiting to watch...5 time champions Brazil against Croatia whose best achievement was 3rd place in 1998. I would say that everyone expected Brazil to score more goals, but they were up against a very determined and skilful Croatian side which produced more opportunities. Kaka scored the only goal right before half time. Ronaldo was completely off form, as if the mysterious sickness that plagued him during the 98 finals was back. I think he's starting to lose his touch and become overweight...just like Maradona.

The Kaka cracker which clinched Brazil an opening win

Day 6

Spain 4 Ukraine 0 : Matadors show no mercy to debutants
We may have seen a team which is worthy to be in the final of this competition at last. Besides the Czechs, I think the Spanish are the other team I have seen so far to have to correct balance of attacking flair and defensive sturdiness to reach the ultimate stages of this tournament, and this coming from an avid England fan. Even when they were leading by 3 goals, Spain never went into defensive mode and still went for goal as if they were 3 goals down, that's the spirit every football team should have. Ukraine was disappointing, with Andriy Shevchenko often lonely in the opposition's danger zone and surrounded by Spanish defenders. But I predict that Ukraine will win the next 2 matches.

Turning point of the game: After this red card and the penalty that followed, Ukraine had lost their spirit

Saudi Arabia 2 Tunisia 2 : Arabs lose 1st 3 points in the last minute
The 1st non-goalless draw of the tournament. Saudi Arabia came back from a goal down to lead 2 - 1 with six minutes to go. Tunisia however managed to salvage a point from the game with Jaidi scoring during the very last moments of the game. Both teams played well and the result is a fair one, but we have still yet to see how they fare against the European teams in the group.

Tunisia's first goal set their spirits high

Germany 1 Poland 0 : Hosts the first country to book a seat in round of 16
The hosts qualified for the round of 16, but not without a lengthy struggle. Playing against a side who was determined not to be sent packing, Germany had to rely on substitue Neuville to clinch the winner in the 92nd minute. The rest of the game saw attackers such as Klose and Ballack desperately trying to hit the back of the net as time grew short. When the Polish defenders failed, their goalkeeper did not. When the Polish goalkeeper failed, the cross bar did not. But alas for the Poles, their 2nd round hopes were extinguished as the substitutes for Germany managed to lift the game in the end.

The sub that saved the day : Oliver Neuville

Day 7

Ecuador 3 Costa Rica 0 : Ecuadorians prove they can play at any altitude
Ecuador qualified for the 2nd round for the 1st time in world cup history with a very convincing win over Costa Rica. Didn't watch this match much but the next round would be pressure free for all 4 teams of Group A as Ecuador and Germany have both qualified, and Costa Rica and Poland will be going home after the group stages and will be mainly playing in search of a consolation.

Ecuador has their Spiderman : Goal celebration for the 3rd goal

England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 : the Reds spare England the blushes
Liverpool attackers Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard contributed the 2 goals to confirm England's place in the next round, and spared England from an embarassing World Cup draw. England dominated in possesion, they had a whole truck load of chances, but the ball just couldn't seem to find the goal, no thanks to sloppy finishes and misguided passes. Terry saved England from an even bigger embarassment when Robinson failed to deflect a cross and Terry had to make a goal line save courtesy of a TT header. You-know-Roo came on in the second half but he hardly had any chances due to the sturdy TT defense. Aaron Lennon provided the pace England needed, but it was Crouch, who missed and dismantled many of England's chances previously, who headed in a Beckham cross in the 83rd minute. Gerrard shot from long range in stoppage time to seal England's victory. England have got to improve their pace in the game if they want to be serious contenders for the title. TT will still have a chance if they beat Paraguay next, and if Sweden lose to England.

Gerrard repeats his FA cup final effort to beat goalkeeper Hislop

Sweden 1 Paraguay 0 :Swedish World Cup hopes re-ignited
Paraguay was sent packing after a Ljungberg goal in the closing moments of the game. Sweden, like their group rivals England, fumbled countless chances in the 1st and most of the 2nd half. Ljungberg managed to be in the right place in the right time with the right header, and the South Americans will be saying goodbye after the next group match against TT.

Ljungberg's goal gave the Swedes the big relief they needed

(All pictures from BBC Sports)

4 Days of World Cup

Another 2 days have past. And I'm glad to say that finally some teams are starting to perform up to the standards of this competition while some still remain nervous about their opening game i guess. Here's how it went:

Day 3

Netherlands 1 Serbia & Montenegro 0 : Robben robs Serbia of 3 points
Another 1 - 0 result after England's opening match. Serbia gave up a good fight but in the end a solitary goal from Arjen Robben of Chelsea denied Serbia of a winning start. However, Netherlands lacked teamwork, and the main attacking was done by Robben alone. It was kind of a one man show for Netherlands, where the other players such as Nistelrooy didn't really shine.

Netherlands, land of legal gay marriages...this explains this elaborate goal celebration..

Mexico 3 Iran 1 : Bravo for Mexico

I rooted for Iran in this match, as they were the first Asians to start of this World Cup. Iran was promising in the 1st half, equalizing a goal from Omar Bravo of Mexico. However, they lost all their steam in the 2nd half, which led to them conceding another 2 goals including another 1 from Bravo. Iran's hope of qualifying seem bleak now as they will face Euro 04 runners up Portugal next.

Mexico's man of the moment, Omar Bravo.

Portugal 1 Angola 0 : Third European to face slight margin

Portugal started very threateningly, with Pauletta almost scoring a goal within the first 20 seconds. He finally managed to score the only goal of the game in the 5th minute assisted by veteran Luis Figo. Portugal however join the ranks of England and Netherlands for providing a promising first half but losing momentum in the second. This is much to the relief of Angola, who have to really straighten out their defense if they are to qualify to the next round.

The winning goal by Pauletta

Day 4
Australia 3 Japan 1 : Socceroos crush Samurai Spirit

One match that left me banging my head in disappointment. Japan were leading after a controversial first half goal by a Nakamura free kick. However, a sudden lapse in defense in the last 10 minutes made them concede not 1 not 2 but 3 goals!! The 3rd goal was the last nail in Japan's coffin, as they will be facing 5 time champions Brazil later in this group. Unless they can pull off a Godzilla effort, I think they will be sent packing after the first round.

Australia's third goal that totally deflated the Samurai spirit.

Czech Republic 3 USA 0 : USA may Czech out from the World Cup

The Czech Republic retained the standards that they played in the last Euro 04 by completely dominating the game in the 2nd half. The 1st half was better for the US, with more attempts to score at hand. The 2nd half saw the US scrambling back to defend after having their attacks deflected back without barely reaching the Czech's box. New gunner Rosicky scored 2 goals to confirm the status of Czech being contenders of the title.

Stretching acrobatics couldn't help the US keeper to save Rosicky's shot

Italy 2 Ghana 0 : Italians unaffected by match fixing fiasco at home

Any doubts about Italy's performance within the midst of match fixing scandals have been snubbed aside, at least for the time being. Italy conjured a convincing win over Ghana who put up a good fight nonetheless. Ghana like the US, will really have to work twice as hard if they are to qualify for the next round.

Nice view from behind the net after Italy's first goal

Here's how the standings are for Group A to Group F. Group G and H have yet to play.

(All pictures from BBC Sport)

2 Days of World Cup - An overview

The world cup has kicked off and we have seen the conclusion of 5 group stage matches. Some teams have met expectations, some teams' performance was met with disappointment, and some teams really managed to show that they're not there just to fill up the 32 seats. Who did you support? Who did you cheer for?

Day 1

Germany 4 Costa Rica 2 : Germany owns on Homeground!

Germany entertained the world not only with their opening ceremony, but also with the opening match. The world cup history has shown that opening matches are sometimes the most surprising of the whole competition. What with Argentina losing to Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal snuffing away France in 2002, Germany entered the match with a determination not to be humiliated on home ground. They came, they saw, they played great football. Their coach Klinnsman seems to opt for a more offensive approach than the originally disciplined defensive tactics that Germany utilized in the previous World Cup. However, some doubts are raised ragarding the credibility of the linesmen. To many spectators, Costa Rica was clearly offside when they scored their 2 goals of the game. An offside trap gone wrong on Germany's side? Who knows. Anyway, Germany looks to be a cinch to reach the second round.

Germany's 3rd goal

Poland 0 Ecuador 2 : First upset of the tournament?

Here's a game I bet not many people watched. I only watched the first 30 minutes of the game, but was still in time to witness the first goal from Ecuador. I'm not familiar with these 2 teams, but i'm certain that Poland was more favoured by the bookmakers, but Ecuador won 2-0, so there. Ecuador proved critics wrong by playing well on low altitude. Poland had the skill, but their attacks didn't seem to finish well. Germany had better be wary when it's their turn to face Ecuador.

The 2nd Ecuador goal that sealed Poland's hopes of a starting 3 points

Day 2

England 1 Paraguay 0 : One Nation, One Trophy, Eleven Disappointing Lions..
At last... this was the match that I had been waiting for ever since England announced their squad. England's squad this year looks to be the most promising in 40 years. Eriksson has been promising the media and the fans that this will be England's year. Past football greats such as Pele has also speculated that England has never had a better chance. But why is the score line still on such a slim margin? I had expected at least a 2 - 0 victory. Worse still is the fact that the only goal that led to the English win was not scored by an Englishman. It was an own goal by Paraguay. England blame the weather. I blame over-confidence.

England looked to obliterate a very nervous Paraguay in the beginning moments of the game. In the end, the pace of the game became lukewarm and boring. Seems that the English strikers failed to deliver, with Crouch giving away free kicks like it was going out of fashion. England's defense was fortunately up to par. The defending quartet of Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Gary NeVille stopped most of the oncoming attacks by Paraguay. Even when a ball managed to go in the box, Paul Robinson was there to get rid of it.

The mid fielders performed well, with David Beckham delivering many of his trademark crosses. Lampard managed to deliver 2 long shots on goal while Joe Cole provided the tempo that was needed. It was all to no avail however, as their attacks all seemed to stop when the ball went to Crouch, who looked clumsy and fumbled with the ball. England has earned a very precious 1st 3 points, but they must perform better in order to win. Hopefully they still have 6 matches to prove so.ENGLAND YOU MUST DO WELL IN THE NEXT MATCH AGAINST TRINIDAD & TOBAGO!!! C'MON!!! ( a fan's desperation...)

One of Paraguay's attempts that ended with a Paul Robinson save..thankfully

Sweden 0 Trinidad & Tobago 0 : Desperation of the Swedes

Sweden was up against newcomers Trinidad and Tobago ( TT). All I can conclude about this match is that Sweden was very unlucky while TT was very lucky. Attackers Ibrahimovic and Larsson conjured attack after attack after attack, only so see it being foiled by a well placed defender or a well positioned keeper. I would say that the hero of the match was the TT goalkeeper, as he made at least 6 spectacular saves. Most of the action was on TT's side of the pitch, with Sweden attacking furiously. TT's attacks had a tendency to distintegrate before barely reaching the penalty box. You have to give TT credit though. In the 2nd half they were down to 10 men, but they still managed to deflect all the attacks from Sweden. In the end TT obtained their first ever World Cup point, while the Swedes scratched their heads and wondered what went wrong. If England still plays like the last match, they may well end up like Sweden when they play against TT next.

The look on Allback's face says it all...nothing but utter frustration..

Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1 : Drogba's Heroic Team

After the opening match, I think this is the 2nd most entertaining match so far. Argentina's knack for attacking seems to have faded, as Ivory Coast was the attacking team at most times. However, Argentina still had the ability to convert chances into goals as the very few effective attacks they made yielded 2 goals. Ivory Coast's captain, Didier Drogba of Chelsea proved that his national side do not rely on him alone, as his team mates provided some great chances to score as well. I started supporting Ivory Coast in this match just because they were playing against England's bitter rivals, Argentina, but now i hope to see more of their attacking flair.

Ivory Coast's only goal courtesy of an off-balanced Drogba

(All pictures from BBC Sport)

No way Jose (+10)!

Adidas has always had the reputation of producing quite interesting TV ads, because they show us a more personal side of a famous footballer's personality. It is no different during this year's world cup. Jose +10 is the title of the new TV ad for Adidas in conjunction with the World Cup season.

The plot is simple. A spanish/latin american boy named Jose and his friend are choosing team members to play football against each other. The only twist is they get to choose from a wide array of footballers including the must-have-in-every-ad David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Oliver Kahn and even Japanese national Shunsuke Nakamura. Even past greats like former French national Platini and German footballer Franz Beckenbauer are given homage to in this advert. Somehow it feels like they're playing a real version of Winning Eleven.

It gets interesting as we get to see the 2 kids command these great players around the pitch, and the footballers do nothing but comply. It's a 2 part ad with an ambiguous ending. What we see on TV is the downsized version but i managed to find the full versions below. Enjoy.

World Cup Fever

In less than 7 days, football teams from 32 countries worldwide will converge in a country most reknown for their discipline, engineering excellence as well as their sausages. In case you've been completely ignorant and didn't notice all the media hype that has been playing since the beginning of this year, Germany will host the 2006 FIFA World Cup. 32 x 11 grown men will be running around in a green field, trying to push a small ball into the back of a net, all for a chance to lift this trophy:

This year's World Cup marks the debut of some of the most unheard countries, which most likely will become famous after this year's tournament (remember 2002's Senegal?). I mean, whoever has heard of Angola, Ivory Coast, or Serbia and Montenegro? It also marks the return of Australia to the tournament. (How long will it take for Malaysia to qualify? wonders...)

Will Brazil be able to defend their crown, and snatch the title for the 6th time? Or will Germany benefit from home advantage to lift the trophy for the 4th time? Or will it be Italy? Can France redeem themselves after a shameful attempt to defend their title in 2002 resulted in an early exit?People are also expecting the Czech Republic, currently ranked 2nd in the FIFA rankings, to make a strong attempt at the title.

For me, as usual I'll be supporting our former colonial masters, England.

I guess most Malaysians support England as the most popular league here is the English Premier League. There are more familiar names in the English squad for us to remember anyway. Many hype England to be hot favourites to win the title. Sure, we have our meterosexual playmaker David Beckham leading the team in midfield, as well as Frank Lampard from Chelsea and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. New first choice goalkeeper Paul Robinson is in his best form yet, and he is well supported by an abundant choice of veteran defenders such as Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole.


The attacking side is the dillemma England is facing now. Since star striker Wayne Rooney has been practically ruled out at least for the group stages of the tournament due to a metatarsal injury, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has struggled to adapt his team with the absence of Rooney. Surprise decision to bring Arsenal freshie Theo Walcott into the choice of strikers has been met with much speculation.

One thing to worry about is England have the tendency to play well in the warm up matches only to disappoint fans by underperforming in the crucial matches. No England fan can forget the horror that unfolded as France staged an astonishing comeback from 0-1 down to leading at 2-1 in a mere 120 seconds during the group matches in Euro 2004. During the same tournament, England's hopes of advancing to the semi finals flew away along with the ball David Beckham sent well over the crossbar during the penalty shootout against hosts Portugal. These painful experiences somewhat thwart the confidence of fans in England's consistent performance. But anyhow, i'll still be catching every match they're in and hope for the best.

I'll also be supporting these guys:

Yup. The strongest Asian team--Japan. I really admire their determination and leadership of Japanese Backham, Hidetoshi Nakata. Hopefully they'll manage to qualify for the round of 16.

These are my opinions for this year's tournament. This year's world cup is building up to be the most exciting ever. Hopefully it lives up to the hype. Ole!