But in football it is said that 2-0 is the worst lead you can have. The US stormed into the second half with tremendous fighting spirit, scored an early goal, equalized and then netted a third rwhich was disallowed for a reason unbeknownst to anyone except the referee.
Another great game in the World Cup. Slovenia's first goal from a long-range shot should put to rest all the criticisms of the Adidas Jabulani ball. Then Slovenia made it 2-0 and by the end of the half the Americans looked dead and buried.
But in football it is said that 2-0 is the worst lead you can have. The US stormed into the second half with tremendous fighting spirit, scored an early goal, equalized and then netted a third rwhich was disallowed for a reason unbeknownst to anyone except the referee.
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Miroslav Klose being sent off for the Germans really affected them. He shouldn't have been, but Podolski's penalty miss spelled the end for Germany. If anyone had to be substituted it was him; he never got over it. Instead Germany made the wrong choice in substitutions and paid the price.
In the last game of the day, the worst performance by an England team I've ever seen. The Algerians played a lot better in the second half than the first, unfortunately they had no attacking plan. At the press conference following the South Korea game Maradona was asked why he always hugs and kisses his players after games:
"Well I still prefer women. I am dating Veronica who is blond and 31-years-old. No I have not gone limp wristed. But I like to acknowledge and congratulate my players when they play as well as they did today. That was a pleasing result and display. It was a job well done." Two fantastic games today, Argentina beating South Korea 4-1. At 2-1 it looked like the Koreans were about to come back into the game but La Albiceleste held them at bay and Higuain scored two more goals to get his hat-trick.
Great to see Diego Maradona's passion, although he has to work hard to remedy his side's defensive shortcomings. Then a thriller between Greece and Nigeria which ended 2-1 to the Greeks, their first ever win in the World Cup. A thrilling game by 2 teams that, while not considered football powerhouses, illustrated the beauty of the World Cup. The sending off of Nigeria's Sani Kaita in the 33rd minute for his irresponsible and unsportsmanlike conduct was a hammer blow from which the Nigerians never recovered. To all of those talking about the "most boring" World Cup ever, it's just starting to warm up Africa's winter. A very competent performance by the underdogs . Like Swiss clockwork.
When all is said and done this will be remembered as the vuvuzela World Cup. Of course everyone with an interest in football will know who won the competition in the end. But unfortunately it's the vuvuzelas that are dominating the atmosphere. Camera close-ups of cheering fans convey nothing except the sound of blaring horns. The drone of these terrible plastic tubes is constant, nonstop.
It is unfortunate that in the once-in-four-years competition we can no longer hear the real atmosphere of the game, none of the thump of the ball being kicked, no supporters singing and cheering, none of the natural reaction to attacks and missed chances, no player sounds as they shout and talk... I was talking with a friend yesterday and he said his mother refuses to watch the matches because of the incessant vuvuzela noise. It's unfortunate that FIFA won't listen... Listen to and hear what we have to endure. FIFA has said that the vuvuzelas are an expression of local culture. But to me Africa is rhythm, Africa is a beat, Africa is singing and chanting. |
Omar al-Issawi
The desert in the blog title is figurative, not literal. Archives
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