Materazzi Spoils Glory for France

Italy defeated France via penalties 1-1 [5-3] in an explosive World Cup Final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. France felt the brunt of Italian will in the opening minutes when French striker, Thierry Henry was felled after a heavy collision with Italian defender, Fabio Cannavaro, leaving Henry needing smelling salts to reawaken his composure.

Italian fouls continued as Zambrotta received a yellow card in the 5th min. The physical approach of the Italians back fired though in the 7th min. when the Argentine referee, Horacio Elizondo pointed to the penalty spot, as Italy’s 2nd choice defender, Materazzi, playing for the injured Nesta, was perceived to have fouled French winger, Malouda in the penalty area. Zidane again stepped up and finished the penalty, as his cheeky chip wrong-footed Buffon—teasing the Italian faithful—with the ball deflecting off the crossbar and caroming over the goal line.

The drama of the match had been set by the early goal, and it was now questions of how would the Italians respond. Materazzi then proved heroic for Italy, scoring his second goal in the  tournament for the Azzurri, bringing the scores level with a header in the 19th min. off a corner kick. With the scores tied, the Italians looked in control though locked into defensive mode, soaking up France’s pressure, attack-after-attack to move the game into the extra-time period. Buffon had another busy game for the Italians coming up big with six saves on the day.

The game, however, exploded to life again in the dying minutes of extra-time, with an off-the- ball incident between the game’s two goal scorers. Zidane, uncharacteristically, received a red card for rushing and head-butting Materazzi in the 110th min. Whatever the cause—the pressure, the Italian goading, or fatigue—Zidane let his emotions get the better of him, slighting his last match before retirement and damaging his team’s morale going into the penalties.

The Italians then outscored the French in the penalty shoot-out as all five Italian spot kickers converted their penalties—Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi, Del Piero, and Grosso, finally putting to rest Italy’s past World Cup penalty heartaches. Trezeguet was the scapegoat for France this time, as he missed, his shot crashing off the crossbar. And though Wiltord, Abidal, and Sagnol converted for France, the Italians, with one penalty to give, became the World Champions of Germany 2006.

Schweinsteiger Raises Germany

Germany rolled to a bronze victory in the World Cup Third Place Match, riding high on the goals from twenty-two year old, Bastain Schweinsteiger. Both Klinsmann and Scolari tinkered with their squads in this one—both Ballack (injured) and Figo (coach’s decision) out of the sides. Still, the only team—of the final 4 teams—to play with two strikers, Germany pushed forward looking for goals. Portugal had to revert to several cynical professional fouls to keep Germany from getting behind their defensive back line.

The recalled German goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn was tested by Portugal throughout the 1st half, but proved sure-handed and helped keep the game goalless at half-time. The match, played in Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion in front of 52,000, looked destined to be the first Third Place Match in recent Cup history to go without four goals—until Schweinsteiger opened the scoring in the 56th min. with an incredible strike from distance that knuckled and swiveled just past the saving efforts of Ricardo.

Schweinsteiger then had his hand in on Germany’s second goal in the 61st min. when his fiercely hit free kick was deflected in for an own-goal by Portugal midfielder, Petit. Matters went from bad to worse for Portugal, as Schweinsteiger popped up once again in the 78th min. with another unbelievable swerving drive from distance. Portugal scored a consolation goal in the 88th min. with a diving header from the substitute, Nuno Gomes, who finished off fellow substitute Luis Figo’s cross at the back post.

Zidane’s Penalty Ends Portugal’s Run

France defeated Portugal 1-0 to reach the Finals of Germany 2006. Even though both teams employed the lone striker, both teams still pushed forward looking to score. Portugal started the stronger and created a few chances in the early minutes of the game. Once France settled down, they were able to nullify Portugal’s midfield, especially the creative influence of Deco, who rarely got a touch on the ball. Thierry Henry proved instrumental in the 33rd min. when he went down in the penalty area after the lightest of touches from Portugal defender, Ricardo Carvalho. Zidane then converted the spot kick against Ricardo, who guessed right, but could not keep the ball out. France continued to hold out defensively and now find themselves one match away from World Cup glory.

Grosso’s Last Minute Heroics

Italy defeated Germany 2-0 in extra-time to claim a place in the Final of Germany 2006. In a match that looked destined for penalties, the Italians spoiled Germany’s hopes with two goals coming in the dying minutes of play. With both teams playing a conservative style, the game was very slow and meticulous in its build-up with very few chances.

Germany’s Bernd Schneider had the only chance in the 1st half just missing narrowly, with a right-footed drive, over Buffon and the bar. In the 2nd half, Germany’s Podolski was foiled by Buffon, who pushed his shot over the bar with a one-handed save. The Italians also carved out two chances in the 2nd half as both Gilardino and Zambrotta beat German keeper, Jens Lehmann, only to be denied by the post.

Much of the same reserved play dominated the extra-time period; however, with penalties pushing closer and closer, the Italians finished off a patient build-up to devastating effect as Grosso finished off a neat passing play in the 119th min, with a bending shot that curled past the out-stretched Lehmann into the back post. Del Piero added the 2nd in the 120th min, finishing off another passing move through the dejected German defense.

Zidane Dethrones the Samba Boys Again

Zinedine Zidane’s composure, and tenacious French defending, put a stop to Brazil’s hope of securing a sixth World Cup Championship trophy. Zidane’s smooth touch and tight control showed how great players can find other ways to turn a game even when age sets in and pace has diminished over time. Brazil, uncharacteristically, fielded only one striker and preferred a patient holding game over their traditional joga bonito--paying the ultimate price of defeat.

The lone goal came in the 57th min. from a Zidane free kick that found Thierry Henry, who finished from close range, with a side-foot volley, past a helpless Dida. Brazil’s defending of the set piece was abysmal with most players deciding to hold a defensive line at the 18, allowing French players to press in unmarked on the back post. Brazil’s offensive play was even more atrocious though as Ronaldinho was a non-factor, and they simply could not find the space, or their rhythm, to play their beautiful game.

Ricardo Stops England Again

Portugal defeated England in another Quarter-Final penalty shoot-out. Just like in Euro-2004, Portugal’s keeper, Ricardo showed that he is the master stopper of spot kicks. In an uneventful match, the most significant moment came in the 62nd min. when Wayne Rooney received a red card for a stamp on the groin area of Portugal’s defender, Ricardo Carvalho. The young English striker’s indiscipline—reminiscent of young Beckham in France 1998—getting the better of him at the expense of his country. With no decider coming in extra-time, it was time for deja vu as England tried to vanquish the specter of penalties past.

Simao Sabrosa converted the first spot kick for Portugal while England’s sure-fire Frank Lampard continued his misery at the penalty spot as Ricardo easily saved his effort. Portugal gave England a life line as Hugo Viana’s kick struck the post and deflected wide. Owen Hargreaves then stepped up and converted for England to bring the tallies level.

The drama continued as Petit missed for Portugal, yet England could not take advantage as Steven Gerrard’s effort was also saved by Ricardo. Helder Postiga converted for Portugal putting the pressure on Jamie Carragher to convert for England. At first, it seemed as Carragher had put the scores level; however, Carragher struck his penalty before the referee had blown his whistle, and on his second effort, England was denied once again by Ricardo. Cristiano Ronaldo finished off the contest, placing his penalty past keeper, Paul Robinson as England suffer another penalty heartbreak.

The Azzurri March On

Italy defeated Ukraine 3-0 to move into the semis. Luca Toni broke his World Cup duck with a brace in the 2nd half while Zambrotta—the right back—opened the scoring early in the 1st half. Zambrotta in the 6th min. found himself in space in the attacking third and cut in on his left-foot to fire a shot past Ukraine keeper, Shovkovskyi.

The Ukraine and Shevchenko struggled throughout the game. Their best opportunity came in the 58th min, but they were denied twice in front of goal by the Azzurri. Luca Toni then exploded for two goals—finishing on a header in the 59th min, as well as in the 69th min, when he finished off a superb move started by Zambrotta deep on the end-line. Ukraine is rocked back to reality, and Italy move on to Germany 2006 glory.      

Germany Reigns into Semis

Germany earned a heroic victory over Argentina in penalties to continue their run in the homeland. Argentina dominated most of the game and opened the scoring just after half-time in the 49th min. when Ayala headed in from a Requilme corner. All but defeated, Germany’s 2nd half substitute Borowski and Klose combined headers in the 80th min. with Klose finishing off a cross from Michael Ballack to keep German hopes alive—via the penalty shoot out—as the extra-time period went without a goal.

Feeding off the crowd and the confidence of the late equalizer, all 4 German spot kickers—Neuville, Ballack, Podolski, and Borowski—converted their penalties. Julio Cruz and Maxi Rodriquez converted for Argentina, yet Jens Lehmann made two crucial saves against Ayala and Cambiasso to send the Argentines—in much heated fashion—crashing and thrashing out of Germany 2006.

Zidane Caps Victory

France defeated Spain 3-1 to advance to the next round, showing that it doesn’t matter how many goals you score in the opening round as long as you get through. Spain provided much of the early pressure and opened the scoring with a David Villa penalty in the 28th min. Franck Ribery equalized for France though in the 41st min. to pull the game level before half time.

2nd half heroics were performed by Patrick Vieira, who forced what appeared to be an own-goal in the 83rd min. as he headed the ball at the back post off of Sergio Ramos into the Spanish goal. Zinedine Zidane provided the whipped cream as he finished in the 90th min. to add to Spain’s heartache.

Brazil Advances in Historic Fashion

Ronaldo and Brazil rewrote the history books today with a 3-0 victory of Ghana. Kaka set up an early goal in the 5th min. for Ronaldo, who notched his 15th World Cup goal to become the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup play. Ghana, playing without inspirational and work-horse midfielder Essien, chose to play the offside trap and were down early when Kaka slotted Ronaldo in free on the keeper. The Real Madrid striker then rounded the keeper with a smooth step over feint before finishing into the open net.

Ghana created numerous chances after the Ronaldo goal trying to pull level and showed that they had the belief to pull the upset; however, Dida held strong and kept out the Black Stars. As Ghana pushed forward to equalize, their hopes were all but crushed as Adriano finished on a counter attack in the 45th min. against the run of play.

Ghana never really produced their attacking flair in the 2nd half and were reduced to 10-men when forward Gyan received a red card for a second yellow as he was guilty of simulation—diving in the box. Ze Roberto finished off the scoring in the 84th min.—notching Brazil’s 201st World Cup goal—as Brazil beat the offside trap once again with Ze Roberto beating the keeper to the through pass and lobbing into the open net.

Round of Sixteen No. 3

Totti Supreme in 2nd Half Injury Time
Italy defeated a resolute and unlucky Australian side 1-0 and put the shame of their 2002 Round of Sixteen elimination to rest. Though a very slow and strategic match throughout, Italy looked the stronger in the 1st half as Australian keeper, Mark Schwarzer was on the alert and kept out tall Italian striker Luca Toni. After the break, Australia was given the advantage as Italian defender, Materazzi received a red card in the 51st min—clearly a case where the player’s reputation preceded the foul.

The Socceroos never really went for victory though and looked set for extra-time with only a few half chances to show against a team reduced to 10-men. Totti was then brought in for Del Piero to add fresh legs and scoring capabilities for Italy. As injury time ticked away, Italian defender Grosso dribbled into the penalty box and drew a penalty from the unlucky Australian, Lucas Neil. Totti provided the rest—a sublime finish from the spot kick—this time pitting Guus Hiddink on the losing side.

Shovkovskyi & Ukraine Triumph in Penalties
Ukraine needed penalties to defeat Switzerland in the Round of Sixteen. The 1st half started as a shoot out with both teams playing positive soccer, and only the post was able to stop both teams from scoring; however, in the 2nd half, both teams were much more cautious and rarely looked to go forward in numbers. The over-time period provided much of the same sloppy play that dominated the 2nd half, and penalties loomed for the first time in Germany 2006. Despite Shevchenko’s miss, Shovkovskyi and the post denied the Swiss from scoring a single penalty.
__________________________________________

Italy will face the Ukraine in a Quarterfinal match-up that will see Shevchenko face the country that has provided him a living. There will be no love loss in this game though as Shevchenko has traded AC Milan for Chelsea in the upcoming season. Italy will look to go through past these World Cup newcomers; however, with nothing to lose, Ukraine could pull one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.   

Round of Sixteen No. 2

Beckham’s Free Kick Enough for England
England keeps winning despite their very ordinary run of play. This time a free kick from Beckham in the 60th min. squeaked in at the near post and put an end to Ecuador’s Cinderella-run in Germany 2006. Reverting back to their 1st choice selections, Ecuador showed their determination by keeping England at bay for most of the match. England’s luck will have surely run out though if they continue to play creative-less soccer against the tougher opponents of the next rounds. 

Portugal Advance amid Controversy
Portugal defeated Holland 1-0 in a physical confrontation that turned sour. Maniche was the hero again for Portugal, scoring in the 23rd min—an almost identical goal to his goal against Mexico. The scored held in a match that saw a flurry of yellow and red cards. While the referee was certainly nothing to write home about, many of the players showed too much indiscipline in their approach to the game. With all the cards being shown, it was a wonder how Figo kept clear of the law as he appeared to head butt a Dutch defender in the 2nd half. Van Basten and Co. is eliminated, and one has to wonder about the selections of the Dutch side.
_________________________________

England will face Portugal in a Quarterfinal re-match of a Euro-2004 showdown. England will be hoping to erase the heartbreaking loss in the Euros with a victory over Portugal in Germany. Portugal will be without creative midfielder Deco, who received a red card against Holland, as well as Christiano Ronaldo, who picked up a leg injury early in the same game. We’ll have to wait and see if England has anything left up their sleeves.

Round of Sixteen No. 1

Podolski’s Brace Shows Maturity
Germany derailed Sweden 2-0 behind young German striker Podolski, who scored two early goals, shocking the Swedes out of contention. While Podolski did look out of sorts in the first two matches for Germany, his partnership with fellow striker Klose has become vintage in the last two games. In the 4th min. Germany was rewarded by Podolski’s positive running and opportunism as he cleaned up well with a goal from a rebound off of Swedish keeper Isaksson. Podolski followed up well in the opening minutes after a great passing sequence between Ballack, Podolski, and Klose had wrong-footed the Swedish defense.

Klose and Podolski connected again in the 12th min. as Klose drove across the penalty box and played a reverse pass into Podolski, who found himself free, blasting home his second goal. Matters went from bad to worse for Sweden in the 35th min. as defender Lucic received a red care. Playing with only 10-men, Sweden were given a life-line in the 2nd half as Larsson drew a penalty in the 53rd min; however, Larsson fired the spot kick high over the bar, ending any type of comeback for the Swedes.

Maxi-Gol Lifts Argentina
Argentina defeated a hungry Mexican team 2-1 in extra-time to keep their World Cup dreams alive. With a healthy Borgetti leading the Mexican attack, Mexico was off to a dream start when Rafael Marquez scored with a back post finish in the 5th min. off a Pavel Pardo free kick. Argentina responded well though with a Crespo near post stab in the 10th min. from off a corner. After the early goals, the two teams played more and more toward extra time with the Mexicans looking slightly more dangerous than Argentina. Mexican hearts were broken though in the 98th min. as Maxi Rodriquez scored an extra-time chest-trap-turning-volley-from-distance-wonder goal to secure victory.
____________________________________

Germany will face Argentina in a Quarterfinal match-up that brings one back to the historical and intense rivalry shared between the two teams. As Argentina got the better of Germany in the ’86 Cup, and Germany returned the favor in the ’90 Cup, this is definitely a rubber match between two of the strongest soccer nations. Unfortunately after this Quarterfinal match-up, only one giant will survive.

Group G & H Wraps

Senderos heads Switzerland into Contention
Switzerland, with pole position of Group G, continued their surprising run and advanced with a 2-0 win over South Korea. Senderos started the scoring in the 23rd min. with a towering header that found the back of the net. Unfortunately, the inspirational defender was injured later in the match with a dislocated shoulder and will miss out on the rest of the Cup. Swiss striker, Alexander Frei then finished in the 77th min. to put an end to South Korea’s dreams.

Captain Vieira to the Rescue
France looked as if they were going to continue their poor run of form, but were able to pull out a 2-0 victory against Togo in a must win situation. Despite heavy and constant pressure by the French, Togo looked determined to hold out Les Bleus, and French coach, Domenech must have felt that it was just not meant to be. With Trezeguet joining Henry in attack, the clear message from Les Bleus was their struggle to score goals, and it continued as they missed chance and chance again. 

After the half, the French continued to push forward, and in the 55th min. were finally off the mark when ex-Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira popped up in the penalty area and finished a much needed goal. Vieira then turned provider in the 61st min. as his flick-on header found Henry for the second goal.

Aragones’ 2nd Choice Players Earn a Victory
Despite wholesale changes made to their lineup, Spain remained undefeated in the group stage. Defender, Juanito, scored in the 36th min. to secure the 9 pts. from group play. With no chance of advancing, Saudi Arabia finally put up a solid effort and kept Spain from continuing their goal storm.

Shevchenko’s Historic Penalty   
Ukraine advanced to the Round of Sixteen with a 1-0 victory over a tough Tunisian side. Shevchenko’s experience and strength were rewarded in the 71st min. as he held off two defenders and drew a penalty in the later stages of the game. Shevchenko then finished what he started as he blasted Ukraine into history with his converted spot kick.
____________________________________________

Switzerland will face Ukraine in an interesting match-up of newcomers in the Round of Sixteen. Ukraine has the slight advantage in this one with Shevchenko on their side as well as with the ill-timed injury to Swiss defender, Senderos.

Spain will face France in the most difficult match up of the Round of Sixteen. Spain will be hoping they can continue in their goal scoring form; however, with the return of Zidane, France will all fancy their chances.

Group E & F Wraps

The US vs. Ghana—Grudge Match for Advancement
The US and Ghana National Teams squared off in a must win high stakes contest. Ghana dictated the early pressure and forced US captain, Claudio Reyna into international retirement as Draman stripped and ripped Reyna around the 18 before curling the ball one-on-one past Keller at the far post in the 22nd min. The US showed some resolve though and were rewarded with a goal in the 43rd min. as Dempsey got behind the Ghana defense and finished off an excellent cross from Beasley at close range. US hopes were crushed minutes later though as Onyewu was judged harshly for a challenge in the box—Appiah converting from the spot kick in the 45th min. The 2nd half was a mere formality. The Black Stars are shooting into the next round while the US is eliminated from Germany 2006 with only 1 pt.   

The Azzurri—Lippi’s Champion Breakers
Italy defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 in this group of fame sending the strongly favored Czechs crashing out of Germany 2006. The injury losses of Jon Koller and strike partner, off-and-on Milan Baros, proved to be to fatal for, Czech coach, Karl Bruckner’s plans for glory. Italian defender Materazzi pushed forward early and scored a header in the 26th min. The Czechs deteriorated and had a man sent off in a second consecutive game. Old-guard, Filippo Inzaghi scored a neat goal in the 87th min. to prove to the Italian faithful why he should not have been left at home.    

Australia Advances Despite a Draw with Croatia
The Socceroos stunned Croatia 2-2 to make it to the Round of Sixteen for the first time in its history. Guus Hiddink’s men scrapped back from a goal down two different times to end Croatia’s run in Germany. Croatia started brilliantly with a goal by Srna in the 3rd min, but Australia drew level through a penalty kick by Moore. After the break, Croatia restored their lead in the 56th min. through the veteran Kovac, but the Socceroos drew level again from a controversial goal by Kewell, who appeared to be in an offside position before sealing Croatia's fate.   

Ronaldo & Brazil Find Gold Despite Poor Form
Parreira’s faith in Ronaldo paid dividends against Japan as jogo bonito defeated Japan 4-1 to stay unbeaten in Germany. After falling unimpressively behind to Zico’s boys in the 33rd min, Ronaldo pulled the score level right before half time with a header from a deep cross at the back post. It was all green-and-yellow after that as Brazil put three more past Japan in the 2nd half. 2nd team players, both midfielder, Pernambucano, and defender, Gilberto, scored perhaps showing that they’re ready to take over from the old-guard. Ronaldo added his second goal to the score line with an incredible finish from around the top of the 18 that curled past the diving goalkeeper. Tied with Pele on the day with 12 World Cup goals, Ronaldo surpasses the Brazilian legend, now tied for first with Gerd Mueller with 14. With a chance to rewrite the history books, is it really a wonder why Ronaldo keeps getting selected?
____________________________________

Brazil will face Ghana in perhaps the most unpredictable match-up in the Round of Sixteen. Brazil will believe that they have worked the bugs out of the playing system; however, if the Black Stars can continue to ball the way that saw the Czechs and the US lay waste, then Ghana just might have an opportunity to dethrone Brazil early in the tournament.

Italy will face Australia in a game that looks as if the Azzurri are guaranteed a Quarter Final spot; however, we know that the very unlucky and inconsistent form of the Italians can be their achilles heel. If Australia can continue to play organized and physical, perhaps Australian coach, Guus Hiddink will be come known as the great Kanga.

Group C & D Wraps

The Elephants March Out of Germany with a 3-2 Victory
Serbia & Montenegro jumped out to an early lead as Ivory Coast’s defense looked very distracted and leaky. In the 10th min. as a result of The Blues early pressure, Zigic slotted in the net as he was allowed in by a communication error between the keeper and defender. Ilic added to the lead in the 20th min. for Serbia & Montenegro, and the Elephants looked as if everything had turned sour.

The Blues then returned the kindness with a hand ball in the penalty box in 37th min. Dindane converted the spot kick to give Ivory Coast a life-line. Dindane added to his tally in the 67th min. with a towering header, breaking the hearts of Serbia & Montenegro supporters who leave Germany 2006 with nothing to show for it. The Blues fate turned comically worse in the 86th min. when another hand ball in the penalty area resulted in spot kick goal for Kalou.

No Goals between Argentina and Holland
With both Argentina and the Netherlands already through to the Round of Sixteen, both Pekerman and Van Basten preferred a reshuffle to their lineups. Don’t let the score line foul you on this one though! Argentina pushed forward and forward against a resolute Dutch side that kept up a strong defensive shape. It definitely wasn’t the total football approach of old from Van Basten, but one will argue that it was surely effective as only goal difference separated the sides at the end of the day. Argentina still looked sharp in attack with Tevez and Messi doing everything possible to rattle the Dutch defense. Van der Sar was extremely busy in goal in this one as the Dutch defense withstood the Argentine flood of goals.

Angola—Even-Honors with Iran on the Day
Angola’s hopes of a long-shot haul into the next round were shattered as Iran clawed itself back to 1-1 draw with the African new-comers. A very tight affair throughout, the match really came alive late into the 2nd half as Flavio headed Angola into the lead off a cross from the right flank in the 60th min. Angola’s fleeting moment was then erased as Iran equalized through Bakhtiarizadeh in the 76th to rule out any chance of Angola advancing.

Portugal Out-Dance Mexico
Portugal remained undefeated in the group stage as it defeated Mexico 2-1 in convincing style. Scolari’s inclusion of Simao at the expense of Christiano Rinaldo proved a nice touch as Simao ran relentlessly, from out of the gate on the outside left, at the Mexican defense, producing what Rinaldo is supposed to be providing on the right. In the 6th min. Maniche and Simao combined brilliantly as Maniche ended up firing in a goal from close range. Simao then converted a spot kick in the 24th min. to increase Portugal’s lead.

Mexico replied against the run of play in the 29th min. with a goal from Fonseca and had its own chance to pull even through a penalty kick in the 2nd half; however, Bravo missed from the spot. Despite the loss, Mexico still continues their dance into the Round of Sixteen.
____________________________________

Argentina will face Mexico with an interesting south of the border contest in the Round of Sixteen. Without Borgetti, Mexico will find it hard to pressure Argentina’s defense. If that’s the case, then we could see Mexico defending for their lives against in-form Argentina.

Portugal will face Holland in an interesting Euro-tie that pits two similar teams in that each side looks to both youth and veteran to run the team. Holland may have the slight edge, but the real issue is—which set will steal the show?

Group A & B Wrap

Poland Victorious in Consolation Match
Poland came from behind to defeat Costa Rica (2-1) in a match where only pride was at stake. Poland grabbed 3 pts. and sent Costa Rica packing with nothing to show for their Germany 2006 efforts. A brace by fringe-player Bosacki turned the match around for the Poles after they went behind from a Gomez goal off a direct free kick.

Germany Undefeated in the Homeland
Germany cruised to a 3-0 victory over Ecuador to take top honors in Group A with 9 pts. Ecuador had all to play for, but looked very flat without the efforts of key individual players for this match. Choosing to rest important players, Ecuador looked nothing like the hard, attacking side that jumped out to two early victories.

Germany began with a dream start scoring in the 4th min. from a Klose finish. Early pressure from a corner and failure from Ecuador to clear their lines, allowed for the defender Mertesacker to keep the play alive with a looping ball across the goal mouth that found Podolski, who to his right found strike partner Klose, who then finished clinicly with a strike to the back post.

Ecuador really never woke up from the early goal. Germany pushed forward in attack and were rewarded again in the 44th min. when Klose beat the keeper to Ballack’s through lob and finished into an open net. Podolski rounded off the scoring with a one-touch finish from off a cross by Schneider, who had been freed down the line by a great lead pass from Schweinsteiger.

Trinidad & Tobago Back to Reality
Trinidad went into their final match needing a multi-goal victory—and a Swedish defeat—to find themselves miraculously in the Round of Sixteen. Yet, with pride at stake, Paraguay earned the 3 pts. with a 2-0 victory over the Soca boys. Perhaps the similar styles and past encounters of the two sides played into Paraguay’s hands because they looked more at ease in this game and patiently picked their moments.

Still, what a great story for Trinidad & Tobago, so close to stunning the world in their first ever World Cup. Beenhakker showed his coaching pedigree as he amalgamated the youth and old-guard members of this squad to play coheisivly and competitively against the powerhouses of Europe. Veterens Yorke and Latapy—given a memorial send off by Beenhakker in the game against Paraguay—are passing the torch to a new generation that now have a taste of glory. It will be interesting to see how Trinidad & Tobago develop with their experience and success in Germany 2006.   

England: A Tale of Two Halves
Great teams have always had them…what a difference one man can make…with King Rooney, or Super-Roon on the field, England finally looked like a quality side determined to find glory—at least for the first half. Gone was the route 1 of old English tactics (darn Swede), with quick passing and attacking confidence galvanizing through the team. Even the forced introduction of Crouch, through a freak-injury to Owen (3rd min.), did not see the team revert back to the style that dominated the first two matches.

England found their rhythm and controlled the tempo of the game early. Rooney with his powerful and attacking runs created the space and opened the passing lanes to help his other teammates live up to their star-status reputations. England in the 25th min. showed their intentions with Rooney baring down on the goalkeeper pressing for goal—only a timely Sweden defensive challenge thwarting Rooney’s debut. Inspired by the energy, Joe Cole chest-volleyed in on his right boot from nearly 30 yards past the ever-stretching Swedish keeper, Isaksson.

In the second half, the Swedes stunned the English defense and coaching staff in the 51st min. with a near post header from Marcus Allback—off the corner kick from Lindroth, glanced in at the far post, beating Ashley Cole, as the English left-back tried to head the ball off the line. England then packed away their rhythm and passing game and reverted back to the conservative and predictable approach of direct football.

The English thought for a moment that this effective style had paid serious dividends as Liverpool substitute Gerrard found himself fee at the back post to head home a Joe Cole cross from inside the penalty area. Crouch’s height and effectiveness in drawing defenders and laying off for teammates probably justifying—or, only proving the law of averages—his inclusion by the coaching staff.

Victory for England was not to be though, as Sweden scrapped a draw as Larsson and Co. turned the ball into the English net, from a long throw-in in the 90th min. Despite the tie, England go out as group winners with 7 pts, and Sweden follow in second place with 5 pts. 
________________________________________

Germany will face Sweden in another classic European match-up in the first knock out match in the Round of Sixteen. Germany is definitely growing in confidence, and if the giants in the back can help keep clean sheets, the Germans will fancy their chances against the Swedes, who are themselves having a hard time finding their playing rhythm.    

England achieves their goal and will face Ecuador in the Round of Sixteen. Hopefully, they come out as they did in the first half against Sweden, but facing the South American new-comers, I expect a lot of long driven balls up to the tall-tall target man. Ecuador had a hard time against Germany as their defensive caution and approach backfired horribly. Perhaps with the return of their 1st team strikers and defensive captain, Hurtado, Ecuador will force the issue and give us an open game.

Leading into the Final Group Stage Game

Keeping in mind all the expectations and mathematical possibilities of certain final game outcomes, the 32 teams participating in the World Cup go into the final round of matches in the following situations:

Qualifiers
Ecuador, Germany, England, Argentina, Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil, and Spain

On-the-Bubble
Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Angola, Italy, Czech Republic, Ghana, United States, Australia, Croatia, Japan, Switzerland, South Korea, France, Ukraine, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia

Eliminated
Costa Rica, Poland, Paraguay, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, Iran, and Togo

2nd Match Wraps (cont.)

Group F
Japan and Croatia played to a faceless 0-0 draw with both teams only having 1 point to show for two games. Japan benefits far more from this game as they had to bounce back from the devastating comeback defeat delivered by Australia in the opening game. While Croatia played well in their defeat to Brazil, this time they should have been able to pull out three points. They now have a lot to do if they are to advance to the Round of Sixteen with Brazil.

Brazil defeated Australia 2-0 again proving the maxim that a great team can still win regardless of their strange run of form. While the Brazilians are not jelling in typical fashion—Ronaldo’s lack of form—they still have two victories and time to find their team rhythm. A strike from Adriano—assisted by Ronaldo—and late goal by the substitute Fred will hopefully get the boys from Brazil flowing.

Brazil faces Japan in the last match of this group and an interesting match-up against former Brazilian great Zico (coach of Japan). Australia faces Croatia in the other match with Croatia in a must win situation if they are to advance.

Group G
France continued their poor run of form allowing South Korea to earn a point in the later stages of the game. Henry scored early, but France lacked the conviction and, dare I say, quality to find a 2nd goal. South Korea pushed forward in the 2nd half and were rewarded with a goal, as an excellent cross from the right resulted in a goal mouth scrambled that saw Barthez mishandle a header into his own net. To add insult to injury, Zidane must sit out the third-and-final match for accumulation of yellow cards.

Switzerland has taken a great step toward the 2nd round with a 2-0 win over Togo and looked poised to claim group leader in their showdown with South Korea in the final group match. Who can explain the horrible run of form of the French National Team? Les Bleus where are you? In their final match with Togo, Les Bleus will show if they’re true contenders, or just fancy pretenders.      

Group H
Ukraine defeated Saudi Arabia 4-0, making amends for their disastrous start against Spain. They have evened out their goal difference with this victory and more importantly Shevchenko is off the mark with his powerfully headed goal as well as an assist in the 2nd half to round off the victory.

If Spain showed their mastery in the first game, then they surely demonstrated their character in their come back win over Tunisia. Down a goal, Spain was saved by 2nd half goals from old-wily Raul and a brace by Torres to pull off a 3-1 victory, advancing to the Round of Sixteen.

Spain faces Saudi Arabia in a game that could provide another one-way-goal-fest. Holding the upper hand, Ukraine faces Tunisia and will feel confident that they can pull out the victory and advance with Spain. 

Game on…

2nd Game Group Wraps

Group D
Mexico sputtered and missed a great opportunity to advance to the Round of Sixteen as they failed to overcome Angola, a team reduced to 10 men. Though Mexico had plenty of opportunities to secure victory, they were far too wasteful in front of goal. Credit the Angolan goalkeeper though as he held it together between the sticks. Mexico missed injured striker Jared Borgetti and will be hoping to get him back fit again to lead the attack.

Portugal defeated Iran 2-0, but didn’t look so convincing. It took a Deco Dreamer (first time blast set up by Figo right outside the 18) and a 2nd half penalty converted by Christiano Ronaldo to eliminate Iran from the World Cup before their final game.

Mexico face Portugal in the third and final Group Match in an intriguing fixture that will determine the top seeding in this group. Angola, who face Iran, will need not only a win, but a miracle, to progress to the next round.

Group E
Ghana shocked Czech Republic 2-0 and forced an all out fight for 2nd seeding in this group. Ghana showed that their opening loss to Italy was not fatal to their confidence and came out and forced the issue over the Czechs, who looked quite lame without strikers Koller and Baros. Ghana struck on an early goal by Asamoah Gyan and then killed the game off by a late goal from Muntari, leaving the Czechs advancement to the next round in balance.

The United States’ hopes was luckily kept alive coming back one down against Italy to earn a point and a tie. Italy struck first on a set piece with Gilardino getting in at the near post to head home the free kick. The Americans were given a life-line by an own goal from Italian defender, Zaccardo, who got into a pushing match with an American attacker in the box and then miss-cleared into his own net past the helpless goalie. The game then turned ugly, becoming the most violent match of the tournament so far.

Despite the very physical approach of the US tactics, Italian midfielder, de Rossi lost his mind and was expelled in the 1st half for an x-rated elbow on McBride—most face injuries suffered by an international player—a special stat should be invented for this man who courageously continues to go for headers. The US were then punished for their overall physical approach with two sending offs in the 2nd half.

Ironically, the US attacked much better with the loss of two and narrowly missed nicking a goal at the end, when McBride was rightly adjudged offside in his involvement with DaMarcus Beasley’s disallowed goal. Kasey Keller shrugged off the 3-0 slacking by the Czechs to make some key saves to keep the Italians from victory.

Italy will face the Czech Republic in a tense game that will determine the fate of the Czechs. Will they be able to unlock a stingy defensive Italian side that only need one point to go out as group winners?

The US face Ghana and must pull off the victory and hope that the Italians pull the tri-fecta over the Czech Republic, for the US to get into the Round of Sixteen.

Unfortunately, the tactics of the US National Team make it very difficult to move forward in numbers and be able to deliver quality crosses into the box, where a striker like McBride is capable of finishing—his Fulham goals speak for themselves—and with the physical and technical aspects of the Ghanaians it will be very difficult for the Americans in Nuremberg.

American Lineup—Keller
                Cherundolo, Onyewu, Bocanegra, Lewis
                Dempsey, O’Brien, Beasley
                Donovan
                Johnson, McBride

*some selections forced through red cards

Argentine Architects

Argentina reminded the world of their quality today as they put 6 past a totally dismantled Serbia & Montenegro. The industry of the early goals and total mastery of the rest have even the great Argentine—Maradona, himself—celebrating the beauty of Argentine Football.

Maxi Rodriquez struck first in the 6th min. with a wonderful out-step right footed strike as Saviola played a perfectly weighted pass from the right wing, rewarding Rodriquez for his strong off the ball run into the box. Rodriquez was rewarded again (in the 41st min.) with his 2nd—Argentina’s 3rd—as he followed up on an unbelievable play, orchestrated by Saviola, who stripped the left back and dribbled past another defender to set-up for a shot that the keeper could only deflect to Rodriquez.

It was in between the Maxi goals where Argentina really showed what they are all about. Sustained possession and neat triangular passing from defense-to-midfield-and-vice-versa-and-back-again must have gotten the Serbia & Montenegro side dizzy because when Argentina finally pushed forward to end off the move, Saviola, Crespo, and Cambiasso combined so well that the move ended with a heel pass from Crespo inside the box, setting up Cambiasso’s goal.

After the break, Argentina came out looking for more goals. Crespo was rewarded by substitute—teenage sensation—Lionel Messi in the 80th min. as the No. 9 striker added to his World Cup tally with a back post finish from Messi’s goal-mouth cross. Carlos Tevez another 2nd half substitute showed his individual brilliance as he megged and powered past two defenders to bury in the right corner past the distraught keeper in the 85 min. To put the icing on the cake, Messi finished off another intricate move combined by Requilme, Tevez, Crespo, as Messi slotted past the keeper on his near post in the 89th min.

Golasos-upon-Golasos... 

Sweden Leaves It Late

What started out as another unpromising display ended in victory and three points for the Swedish National Team. Freddie Ljungberg provided the finishing touches with a header in the dying moments of their 2nd Group A game with Paraguay. At the moment, Sweden are finding goals hard to come by, and you can see how they are becoming more and more frustrated as the games progress; however, thanks to the bald head of Arsenal midfielder, Ljungberg, they have a chance to slug off their non-scoring hex and take control of Group B with a win over England in the final group stage match.

Vive Ecuador!

Before the Cup, who would have believed Ecuador was anything more than South American pretenders. Well, these boys have brought the heights of Quito with them to Germany and are playing like they have two sets of lungs. With a 3-0 thrashing of Costa Rica, la maquina amarilla have shown that their 2-0 overhaul of Poland was no fluke.

Ecuador have all team pistons firing, and players like Mendez, De la Cruz, Reasco, Hurtado, Valencia, and Delgado are showing the world that they can be contenders. Germany is next, and Ecuador is in the driver’s seat to pull out top spot in Group A.

No Pain for Spain against the Ukraine

Contrary to their sporadic form, Spain looks up to the task in Germany 2006. Two early 1st half goals will do wonders for their confidence and finally put the belief inside the hearts and minds of the Spaniards. Aragones showed his attacking strategy by starting in a 4-3-3, with the three prong attack lead by the youthful Fernando Torres, David Villa, and Luis Garcia.

Early pressure resulted into a converted corner kick from a header by Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso in the 13th min. David Villa proved his worth by firing a free kick that deflected off the Ukrainian wall into the net, past the disparaging goalie in the 17th min. After the interval, Spain was gifted with a dubious penalty, and Villa scored from the penalty spot in the 48th min.—giving him a brace in his World Cup debut. To make matters worse, Torres notched a front volley—played in by a cushioned header from defender Puyol—in the 81st min. to add to Ukraine’s blushes.

Ukraine looked absolutely shell-shocked, and Shevchenko was disappointingly a non-factor. Also, going down to 10 men early in the 2nd half did little for their cause. Andrii Voronin was the only Ukrainian player to show well and was very unfortunate not to score.

Hopefully, the goals will continue to rain down for Spain—a historical 4 goals in their opening match. Ukraine needs to regroup for their matches against Saudi Arabia and Tunisia if they expect to move into the Round of Sixteen.

“…how many times can you pass the ball backwards?”

Stinging words by U.S. once-great, Eric Wynalda, but these are the words that the U.S. Soccer Fan must hear if we are to really grow as a soccer nation. Eddie Johnson looked good in the second half. Hopefully, he will get the call early against Italy and put the Italians under pressure. If not it could be 3 and out for the U.S.

Landon Donovan: Symbol of U.S. Soccer

It is encouraging that Donovan had little to do in the U.S. Men's National Team's struggle through its build-up matches against weak International sides (loss to Morocco [1-0], wins against Venezuela [2-0] and Latvia [1-0]).  It seems Bruce Arena has been holding back his star talisman for Germany, where "Ace" will be able to orchestrate from the attacking midfield role (ideally in a withdrawn striker's role behind two front runners) creating for himself, Eddie Johnson, and DaMarcus Beasley.  Donovan's dribbling, quick runs, and vision will be looked for to turn defenses (defenses, no less, of the likes of Italy, the Czechs, and Ghana) and deliver goals for Uncle Sam's Army.  

Donovan will be hoping to bring the attacking excitement and style that has seen him take MLS precedence in his seasons with both the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy.  Needless-to-say, as the golden child of American soccer, "Ace" will be feeling the heat of glory and the pressure of national pride and expectation.  American Soccer will be looking to his quality and creative ability to pull the U.S. Men's National Team out from one of the toughest groups in the opening round.  Most importantly, Donovan will be looking to pull his own confidence, potential, and will together, finally proving his world class on the world stage.

To learn more about attacking skills, visit Virtual Soccer Trainer.  Remember to also check out our 4skills.com midfield DVD package and striker DVD package.

U.S. Men's National Team: Germany 2006 and the Opening Group Stage

Never in the history of the World Cup has the U.S. Men's National Team arrived at the tournament in such an optimistic position.  Currently 5th on the FIFA World Ranking List, the U.S. has also their solid run experience from Korea 2002--losing out to eventual Finalist, Germany (1-0), in the Quarterfinals (remember the handball on the line).  The emerging U.S. stars of Korea 2002 will be looking to maximize their current status and reach the Quarterfinal stage once again.  With the team philosophy built on an untiring work ethic, and good-old-whole-hearted American effort, you can never count out the U.S.  Bruce Arena's team will be hoping to have raised their quality of football this time around for Germany 2006 and give the U.S. a legitimate claim to their world class ranking.

Unfortunately, the U.S. have been placed in a second "group of death," where they first meet top-class competition in the form of the attack minded, and Euro 2004 Semi-Finalist, Czech Republic (currently 2nd in FIFA Ranking) and then an all important, pivotal match with traditional defensive stalwarts, Italy (13th in FIFA Ranking).  The U.S. will be looking to finish off the group stage with a win in an intriguing match against African newcomers, Ghana (48th in FIFA Ranking) and progress to the Round of Sixteen, where a possible match-up against reigning World Champions, Brazil, looms in Dortmund.

U.S. To Fly Dangerous Mission Behind German Lines

We have come to a critical time again in our soccer history where the U.S. looks to bolster another successful German mission and bring us out of the group stage, looking to setup a white flag encounter with five time perennial champions, Brazil.

It is a mission that many American players will be cherishing as they hope to be known as heroes and mavericks of U.S. Soccer. No one at this point would argue that the U.S. is still looking to solidify it borders on FIFA's world soccer map. The only question now is "how far do our lines stretch?"

Uncle Sam's Army will be wishing our boys luck on their mission behind German lines and return to us as icons of the American game.