(7 of 12)
(June 14, 11am)
Okay, so the US were lucky. A Polish side that unaccountably had been hiding for the first two games outplayed them, with solid defense and a great counter-attacking game. USA has (as we all knew) a weakness alongside Pope in the central defense, and at times showed a little inexperience; Donovan should have scored early in the second half when he had far more time than he seemed to realise, and the team as a whole threw too many high balls into a Polish defense that just gobbled them up. But over three games, this is a great US performance; Beasley and Donovan are real stars, and if the US can use its speed to unsettle Mexico, they might yet get a result. I'm worried that Hejduk's out of the next game, though; he's been huge.
South Korea continue to impress; Hiddink has done a superb job, and if I was an Italian, I would be really worried about the next game. The speed of the Korean attack is not what Cannavaro, Nesta and Maldini are used to. As for Portugal, I suppose everyone will blame the curse of high expectations. Personally, I blame the length and competitiveness of the European club season, which has done not just for Portugal but also for Argentina and France. It's the teams with fewer key players involved in Champions' League games — Denmark and Sweden — who have done better than expected. Sweden should coast to a semi-final place (look at that quarter of the draw.) Oh my God; so could Belgium....
Usual Suspects for the Semis?
Brazil-Sweden-Germany-Italy. Sound familiar? Looks like we're heading that
way, unless Japan and Korea continue their exciting performances. But now
they're going to play the grownups. Sure, Italy doesn't have the fastest of
defenses, but they have vast amounts of experience, and the Koreans will
find them a tougher nut to crack than Poland or Portugal — particularly if Italy
plays with 11 men.
The Japanese could well get past Turkey, a team that played Brazil tough. But the home field advantage, not to mention Nakata's magic, should see them through. That would mean Japan will face Sweden or Senegal. An Asian-African matchup would be a delight, since these two teams haven't learned how to play with the requisite 8-man defensive front, but Senegal is without key players Khalilou Fadiga and El Hadji Diouf due to suspension.
As for Belgium in the semis, Michael, there is that team from Brazil in the way. It's actually an intriguing matchup, since Belgium has demonstrated an ability to find the net. Costa Rica lit up Brazil for a couple of goals. There's no reason Wilmots and company can't do the same. The Belgian team I saw in Euro 2000 was quite impressive and offense-minded, and failed only because of some spectacularly bad goalkeeping by DeWilde. This could be a 4-3 or 5-3 contest, since Brazil's game plan seems to be: If you score four, we'll score more.
Meanwhile, the winner of the USA-Mexico game figures to get Germany, unless Paraguay can pull a USA. The second half of the Paraguay-Slovenia match was an absolute thrill ride, led by the Para substitute Nelson Cuevas, who slinked through the Slovenes for 2 goals. It is unlikely that Cesare Maldini, Paraguay's Italian coach, will let his horses run against Germany. Too bad.
As for the NAFTA playoff, the USA is incredibly lucky to be here despite a 3-1 spanking from Poland. Some day US Jeff Agoos will look back on his performance in this tournament and laugh about it, although I certainly won't. The Agoos nightmare: He's been a factor in five goals the opposition has scored while he was on the pitch. To be fair, if you play in the back, you know that sooner or later you are going to (a) be called for a penalty and (b) score an own goal. Agoos has done both on this trip. I would not get on the bus with this guy. Now, with Frankie Hejduk out through suspension, US Coach Bruce Arena has some hard choices to make. Not Mexico. The Tricolores have had a relatively calm trip to the second round, and they are playing well, as they always do — they are almost European at times. But these teams know each other well. The US beat them 2-0 in the qualifiers, on a game that played in sub-freezing weather in Columbus, Ohio. The weather is now in Mexico's favor, and so is the MO. Look out, Yankees.
Has Everyone Forgotten Spain?
Somewhere along the line it seems people have lost track of Spain. Can somebody explain to me what better credentials Senegal and Sweden have over Spain? If, and that's a big if, Italy beats Korea they will have to face Spain (or Ireland). Some time the Azzuri's luck has to reach a non-renewable point. They will not reach the semis. And if Germany plays Mexico, it won't either. On the other side of the bracket Brazil has a clear path and either Sweden or Japan could make it. My semis are Brazil, Sweden, Spain and Mexico.
I thought about the excuse of playing tough competitions in Europe as the bail-out alibi for France, Portugal and Argentina. However it does not sustain itself. Spain's players compete in the toughest league in the world and practically all of them were involved in European competitions, unlike most of the Argentines, French and Portuguese. A bunch of Germany's players have had longer seasons as well. I think expectations and psychological adjustments (or lack thereof) had more to do with it.
Guus for President!
Koreans had been tying themselves in knots for days. No host country had
failed to advance to the second round and here they were facing Portugal,
ranked fifth in the world. Worse still, rival Japan was sailing through. Deep
down, even the optimists knew Korea needed a miracle. But 21-year-old Park Ji
Seong provided it, banging home the crucial goal 25 minutes into the second
half. Portugal, short-handed by two red cards, poured it on at the end and
came painfully close to scoring. It wasn't pretty and both sides missed
chances. But miraculously, when the whistle blew Korea had beaten Portugal
1-0, topping their group with 7 points and putting one of the World Cup
favorites on the plane back home. And the party was on in Korea.
Nobody can remember a bigger, wilder, more exuberant celebration. There were never this many people on the streets even in the days of the big demonstrations against the country's former military rulers. Certainly there has never been a street party anything like it. Downtown, where people had been watching the game on giant outdoor television screens, the crowds started dancing to a rock band in front of city hall, waving flags and cheering wildly. Koreans were singing, prancing around draped in Korean flags, lighting firecrackers, cheering and roaring, then roaring some more. Across town in trendy Apgujong, the scene was even wilder. Cars with kids piled on the roof paraded along wide avenues like mardi gras floats, honking out the chant "Taehan Minguk" (Republic of Korea). Strangers high-fived strangers and guys up and down the lines of traffic holding outstretched flags. When a crowd swarmed across the road and blocked some buses, a dozen kids jumped on top and started waving flags and cheerleading the crowd. It wasn't rowdy, just rambunctious and gleeful and fun. Soccer madness somehow brought Korea together in a way that few things ever have.
But pity Korea's poor politicians. They tried to capitalize on the World Cup fever gripping the country but voters mostly ignored them in Thursday's local elections. About the only guy who is really popular in this country right now is Korea's Dutch soccer coach. Guus Hiddink's face seems to be everywhere — in newspapers and magazines, in TV documentaries, looking rugged in Samsung ads on the giant outdoor screens in downtown Seoul. There are Guus Hiddink dolls and and even a cocktail (the "Guus Hiddink" is pineapple juice, vanilla syrup,Curacao and peach brandy).But it's not just his success in turning the Korean soccer team into a plucky contender that's made him an instant icon. For Koreans, he seems to embody qualities many feel are missing among their politicos — strong leadership, the guts to ignore outside pressure and the wisdom to choose people based on talent instead of family, school or other "connections." Business think tanks are busy analyzing Hiddink's leadership style — one university plans to launch a research project on "Dutch leadership" — and companies are dishing out nuggets of Hiddink leadership wisdom to employees. Koreans have started joking coach Hiddink should run in this December's presidential poll. After Friday night's victory, he'd probably win.
Italy's Luck is Astounding
Italy's luck is worthy of a Ph.D dissertation. How can that happen, over and over again? Although a big part of the blame has to go to Croatia. They had it the easiest and choked. If they couldn't tie Ecuador, they deserve to go home.
A Brazil-Italy final is possible. Any time an Italian team is playing, anything is possible. But is the same with Brazil, in perhaps the opposite way. Yesterday they were magnificent, but so were they in Spain' 82 and then they run agains..oops, Italy (who had barely qualified by goal-average over Cameroon) and got their butts whipped in Barcelona in a quarter final game.
Bottom line, it's too early to know. Let's see what happens in the round of 16 and we will have a more clear picture.
Italy Stumbles Towards Another Cup
(June 13, 10.10am)
I suppose Italy will win the whole thing now — they have a habit of scraping into the knock-out phase and then doing well — and they are in the weaker half of the draw. Plus, those two disallowed goals against Croatia looked pretty clean to me. But let's give some credit to Mexico. This is the third consecutive Cup in which they've exceeded expectations, and this year's team is neat and determined, with a genuine selflessness in its play. Borgettti's goal was one of the most technically difficult seen so far. They won't win it all, but I like them a lot.
Some press comment I've seen suggests that we should be sorry that Argentina are out; all that talent we won't see in the next two weeks, etc etc. Nuts. This was a side that had way too much of a sense of entitlement, as if clodhopping north Europeans like England and Sweden didn't deserve to be on the same field as them. They were a dirty, cynical bunch, who couldn't get the job done — two goals, of which the one against Sweden should have been disallowed. I'm glad to see the back of them. France is another matter; had they got through the group, and had a fit Zizou, they would surely have done well in the knock-out phase — Henry and Trezeguet would surely have scored, eventually. Blame not Lemerre but Petit and Vieira, who couldn't or wouldn't step up when Zizou was sidelined.
And so to tomorrow. Both USA vs. Poland and South Korea vs. Portugal are great games in prospect. The first one pits Friedel (whom Liverpool released) against Dudek (whom they signed). Dudek had a great season, but behind a woefully porous Polish defense has looked less than convincing. Friedel has been huge. I love the way he now speaks with a thick Lancashire accent and does such a good job of Britspeak commentary ("All credit to the lads, etc etc.") If the US doesn't get through, I hope he has the decency to say he's as sick as a parrot.
A Brazil-Italy Final?
Mike Elliot may be right about Italy, although having finished second in their group their route to the final will be a testing one. The Italians have to be hoping for a U.S. victory over Poland tomorrow (and at least a draw between South Korea and Portugal) because they'd rather face the Americans than the Portuguese in Round 2. And they ought to be waving shamrocks on Saturday, because Spain would be a tougher quarter-final than Ireland. The winner of that game would probably face Germany, a side that may not trouble this Italian team as much as Portugal or Spain could.
But Brazil's 5-2 romp against Costa Rica suggests we're in for a treat. Despite all the protestations about this team being too dour when measured against the Samba soccer that has thrilled us for generations, the Brazilians have scored 11 goals in their three matches thus far — a feat matched only by Germany (which, of course, scored six of theirs by repeating the same simple move against a Saudi defense with no learning curve). They don't even look their best yet, but the flashes of glorious pinpoint first-time passing and exquisite control at high speed suggest they'll be the most entertaining team all the way to the final. And, of course, the Costa Rica result confirms their Samba-soccer pedigree — glorious going forward (even if they don't shoot from deep nearly as often as their forebears) but decidedly airy at the back. Think about it: Who do we remember as the great Brazilian defenders? Carlos Alberto? Junior (meaning the man who owned the moniker in '82 rather than the current edition)? The reason we remember them is for the goals they scored, not the ones they prevented. Add Edmilson to the list for today's acrobatic volley. Suddenly, the Brazilians appear to be resurrecting their traditional reliance on attack as the best form of defense. Problem is that Costa Rica could have had at least three more (and Brazil even more). Still, presuming they can overwhelm either Russia or Belgium, Brazil will get a quarter-final date with either England or Denmark, and a semi-final against either Sweden or Senegal. But if they're facing Italy in the final, we could be in line for a repeat of their 1982 semifinal heartbreak, where some of that Samba soccer defending threw it all away. Still, we're in for some entertainment.
The Ferrari Connection
Speaking of mal aria, what was the last few minutes of Mexico-Italy about? If they call it simulation when a player goes down to try to milk a penalty awhat's it called when 22 playes kick the ball between each other to kill time? Not stimulation, that's for sure. Talk about a way to kill the spirit of the game. If the motor racing federation can strip Michael Schumacher of his first place in Austria for conniving to come first with team mate Rubens Barichello then surely FIFA can start dishing out some yellow cards for such negative tactics. Perhaps Ferrari are sponsoring the Italian team and handing out cheat sheets at training.
What Was Trapattoni Thinking?
So, Giovanni Trapattoni is a genius now, I suppose. Italy's iron-willed
supremo inserts Del Piero out of desperation and is rewarded with a late
goal that sees Italy through. The Opera plays on, but Trap doesn't deserve
it. Italy has spent the tournament dialing long distance, because there's
absolutely nothing between Vieri in the front and Nesta in the back. The lack
of creativity in the center of the pitch is absolutely telling, and may still
prove the Azzurri's demise. One thing we know for certain: Doni, Tommasi,
Zambrotta, and Zanetti won't have post-football career as waiters, since
they can't serve anyone. And how can Del Piero be denied a start against the
USA or Portugal. As for Inzaghi, he should be back in Milan modeling clothes.
Which leads me, of course, to the Il Codino Divino, Roberto Baggio. Trap is so damn smart he leaves the only guy with a brain at home. Sure, Robby is slow, and recovering from injury, but he can conjure more ideas in two minutes than that entire midfield can in three days. Yes, Baggio plays where Totti sometimes does, in front of the midfield, but why not take him as a backup? But why take Di Livio, the Florentine Ferret, or a butcher like DiBiaggio when you can have real class?
As for the last few minutes, what do you guys expect: had one of these teams taken a chance and then been scored on, you would have been writing endless criticism of how stupidly they played. Sometimes, you've got to kill the game off. It's just rare when BOTH teams have to do the same thing.
And a tip of the sombrero to the Tricolores, by the way. Mexico had a really rocky qualifying round, but today they looked absolutely cool out there.