This time for the Dark Horse

After Vettel's victory at Valencia after edging out Hamilton, Germany had gone one up on England in the day's fixtures. However, as the main battle shifts to South Africa for WC 2010, people are likely to make a lot of comparisons. With a lot of history, both sporting and otherwise, between the two teams, things were always going to be interesting. However, a great deal of interest in my opinion has been because of the presence of the lesser known footballing nations. I meani would have never imagined the in house supporters of Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal coming together to cheer for Slovakia as they ousted Italy. But that too is not the big story. Its about New Zealand, the lowly ranked nation remained unbeaten and finished above Italy. Honduras vs Switzerland decided who went through from Group H. It wasn't about France crashing out, it was about South Africa equalling Mexico on points table. It was about Ghana making it to the quarters. In a way, it was the about the underdogs. And who knows we may have another Greece in the making !

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Like today's race, this Cup will be known for a lot of things including some sloppy decision making by the officials. Like today's race, the Kobayashis could upset the apple cart for others. And like today's race, the second fastest race lap could be set by the man who finished 16th. (Well, an Englishman did beat a German to that one !). All of which goes on to show that sometimes, with a little heart, you can go far ! Or can you ? ;)

Round of 16!!! Heart breaks and Celebrations

The group stages concluded on Friday and there were heart breaks for the teams who did not make it to the knock out stages. Both finalists from last WC were unable to reach the next stages. A lot has been said about the French team and its misgivings; the Italians fared no better. A lot of hue and cry was made about Italy's exit too, but there were no internal bickerings in the Italian side. The team just couldn't start its engines.. age, pressure, and the like took its toll on an aging side. Managers for both sides have left, for French, the World Cup was an event of shame while for Italy, it was bad form.. One of the reasons cited has been the lack of available talent in both nations, too many foreign players crowding the club levels leaving very little for home grown talent.

The round of 16 had 2 and 1 representation(s) from the Asian and African continents, respectively. South Korea led by MAN - U star, Park Ji-Sung and Japan, from Asia; and Ghana, comprising of Kevin P. Boateng who turned up in the Ghana jersey two months prior to WC 2010. The first match between Uruguay and South Korea made for good viewing. Both sides attacked well. Uruguay opened the score line early in the 8th minute through Suarez with a major faux pas by the S. Korean goalie and defense line up. The Uruguayans tried to play defensive in the early part of second half but, failed to absorb the S.K attacking pressures leading to a 68th minute equaliser. But, Uruguayans were back on top with an 80th minute curler from Suarez sealing the win for his team and a place in the quarters since 1970s. Both teams played an attacking game and fought well. Congrats to URU and thumbs up to S. Korea who fought hard and go out with their heads held high.

Ghana - USA was fast paced match with Ghana playing good holding football especially in the midfield frustrating the US. Bradley (US) failed to make an impact and Donovan - Dempsey combo up front tried to create some good chances but, the Ghana defense held firm. Fielhaber introduced at the start of the second half played aggressively but, could not create any major hassles. Landan Donovan is a class apart, hope to see more of this player (in EPL, presently with LA Galaxy.. lovey dovey with Mr. Beckham he..he..) in the coming future. Gyan's goal into extra time was an amazing goal and reminded me of Tshabalala's (South Africa) goal in the WC first match. Ghana played better possession football but, the Americans were extremely agile and fast in carrying out counter attacks. It was great game to watch.. both were sole representatives of their continents.. as of now America loses out to Africa. Congrats to Ghana... feel sorry for USA but, they should remember that they are now among the top 16 of the world.
The final scoreline -
USA 1 - GHA 2
URU 2 - S KOR 1

I'm not superstitous, Touch Wood !

Monday's Indian Express carried a photo of the South African conventional faith healers performing prayers for the success of the Bafana Bafana. And at the time of going to the post, it seemed that the voodoo seemed to have worked with SA leading 2 goals at HT. Apparently Ray Domenech's picking players based on astrology didn't work out much to the benefit of the Blues. (though i wonder he would have played Evra and Henry even if their stars were in the right alignment ;P). Which brings me to the topic about soccer stars and their favourite superstitions. Apparently Kolo Toure believes it would bring his side luck if he is the last man to walk out of the tunnel. Which apparently meant that Arsenal started off with 9 men after half time in a match when Gallas was receiving treatment for an injury and Toure waiting for Gallas to walk out before him ! Apparently former Argentine coach Carlos Bilardo made his team shake hands with a bride as brides bring luck. (btw, is the new found beard on Bilardo's star player in that world cup, Diego Maradona, also some kinda goodluck charm ?)
But perhaps the best one comes from Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, who coached the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Austria, Portugal as well as his home team, and was often seen sprinkling holy water given to him by his sister, who's a nun! But he made sure to sprinkle it only on his part of the field!

Meanwhile, voice your opinion on whether Feng Shui or vaastu of a certain stadium also play a part in the team's fortune ? :P (Check out the details of the 10 stadia to be used in fifa 2010 here.)

Goal !!! :))

Ha..ha.... of all the goals, this is the best one... Ronaldo's first goal in 2 years for his country!!!!!!

French Revolution, Spanish Quest, Theatrics.. et al!!!

There’s been a flurry of activity in the event so far. All teams have completed their first 2 matches and the last matches in the group stages seem to be all the more critical. The Germans to come out with a winner against Ghana; the French can still make it provided they win handsomely and the match between Uruguay and Mexico has a winner with a small margin; Brazil beating Portugal and Ivory Coast beating DPR handsomely can still statistically throw a surprise; Its going to be an all important week ahead.
The French team seems to have lost all interest in WC 2010 and is unable to come together as a team. Anelka’s expulsion coupled with their training boycott clearly indicates a shift in priorities. The South Africans are also rumored to have infighting in the team among different tribe members.
The Spanish team bounced back well from their defeat against the Swiss. The Spanish team attacked quite well and created a number of chances. David Villa made his intentions clear in the initial minutes when he hit the cross bar. David Villa, on the left and J. Navas on the right exerted a lot of pressure on the Honduras team who were found wanting in the front of the Spanish goal. Torres missed certain good chances and seems to be struggling on the pitch. David Villa’s performance overshadowed Torres’ presence on field.
One of the main attractions or spoilsports has been theatrics on and off field. Terry’s comments, French boycott, a lot of playacting on field (Brazil vs Ivory Coast stands out as one too many) and poor refereeing have been the dampeners till date. I sure hope that players and referees give something to cheer in the round of 16.

I love the beautiful game and hope that this WC also showcases the game and not all things but the game. Portugal vs DPR ended in 7 – 0 score line in favor of Portugal. The reviews suggests Ronaldo played beautifully… hopefully, I’ll be able to catch the highlights on the weekend.

Till then, looking forward to the last round matches.. Go Portugal, Go Spain…

Upsets and Heroics continue!!!

Boy... i'm just loving it this time around. First, the Spanish shocker... then, Germany and now a resilient USA team. Its been an eventful first week.
The Germans played quite well and Podolski's penalty was a real low point.. All is not lost in their group.. They have 3 teams tied at 3 points and in all probability, Ghana might win against the Aussies but, will not make it against the Germans. This group, Group D is quite open and we might see the second spot being decided on goal differences or goals scored rather than points. Best of luck to all group members (the Aussies will probably lose their upcoming 2 games).
Forget the upsets, kudos to the USA team. They were 2 - 0 down but, came back strongly in the second half to hold Slovenia to 2-2 draw. I thought both teams were quite evenly matched but, USA seemed to be the more attacking team. Donovan's has been going great guns and will be one of the key members to this squad. Bradley's run and the subsequently goal was a good one.
This time around, there have hardly been any draws.
Argentinians.. wat can I say? Messi's magic continues and Higuain seems to be the benefactor.. i sure hope they can see themselves through the tournament... Maradona's not a coach.. but, he can just be the glue that hold this team momentarily just enough for them to pull through.. its a good team.. full of talented players.. a real shame for them to exit early.. carry on, boyz!!!
English goalie's have been in the news for some time now... I sure hope Capello plays Joe Hart as he seems to be of good quality. I still believe they should give Greene another chance.. i'm sure he'll prove the critics wrong... its always easy to put people down.. the tough part is to make them stage a comeback... hope England does not 'Rob' Greene of his chance..
Final Scores
GER 0 - SER 1
USA 2 - SLV 2

The Big Upset - Swiss shock the Spaniards

PEOPLE !!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE THOUGHT NO BIG UPSETS .. WELL, HERE IT IS... SUI BEATS SPAIN 1 - 0... #$%%^ THE ONLY GOAL SCORED WAS A SCRAPPY ONE.. LUCKY BREAK.. 24 SHOTS ON GOAL.. ZERO CONVERTS... SUI GOALIE MADE SOME DECENT SAVES.. ALONSO'S 78th MINUTE.. DERDIYUK's (NO. 19) SECOND ATTEMPT WAS A SUPERB ONE... TORRES LOOKS JADED... A LOT OF PRAISE IS BEING HEAPED ON SUI GOALIE DIEGO BENAGLIO... WELL DONE, MATE.....

The Score

ESP 0 - SUI 1

But beware, i still route for Torres and Fabregas... Spain is gonna hit back big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brazil vs DPR

Everybody thought this match would be a walkover for the Samba boyz… and boy, were they wrong? The first half did not present too much of an opportunity to the Brazilian forwards and Robinho’s and Elano’s attempts from long range did not trouble the DPR goalie. The Koreans defended quite well and even, attacked a few times in the first half. They did not seem to be overwhelmed by the fact they were playing the world’s best team, ranked 104 notches above them (Brazil – Rank 1; DPR Korea – Rank 105). The overall strategy clearly indicated that DPR were hell bent on defending and probably relied on a counter attacking strategy placing a lone striker (J. Tae-Se) upfront.
The second half was pretty set; DPR had decided to defend and hence, Brazil had the space to attack relentlessly. I believe that in such cases, unless you have a very strong ability to launch counter attacks, it is just matter of time before one concedes a goal. Maicon’s goal (55th minute) was quite amazing wherein everybody (including myself) anticipated a cross but, he shot the ball beautifully (intentionally, not too sure about that!!!) between the bar and the goalie to open the account for Brazil. The second goal was also a beauty wherein Robinho’s move stretched the defense, found the rushing Elano who outpaced the defender and slotted the ball home in the 78th minute. Ji Yun’s left footer found the net in the 88th minute and raised hopes of quite a few DPR fans (including myself; switched loyalty midway).

Final Score
BRA 2 – DPR 1

Best of luck to DPR.. guys, you played really well.

Group of Death really looks like the group of death

Portugal vs Cote-d'Ivoire

Its been a hard day… Portugal vs Cote-d’Ivoire sure isn’t making it easy… Ronaldo’s amazing kick from just outside the box ricocheted from the side post and I thought that we’re gonna have a fiery display of attacking firepower from our man… 45 mins later, Portugal (I kinda like them) seems to be struggling to find their way… no presence in the midfield… Cote-d’Ivoire has definitely been the better team. They have held possession in the midfield and launched attacks in the Portugal half. But, they seem to lack the finishing touch. They bring the ball forward but, Carvalho, Ferreiro and Coentrao have been doing a decent job. Portugal seems to be struggling in the midfield and they have been unable to maintain possession. Physically, Cote-d’Ivoire has been pushing them on the field and on quite a few occasions, have out-muscled the Portuguese. Lets hope the Portuguese throw up some surprises in the second half.

I believe Ronaldo was unnecessarily penalized but then, its part of the game… I so hope Portugal wins…

The match ends... an indisciplined performance by Portugal.. poor passing in the midfield.. a sliding cross by Drogba and a bit of tapping in front of the goal in the 92nd minute might have resulted in a different scoreline but then,

POR 0 - CIV 0

England Vs USA

The English team has been referred to as the golden generation and rightly said so too, with the likes of Ashley Cole, Rooney, Terry, Lampard, Ferdinand and others who all have quite successful careers at the club level. The Americans.. well, they showed some class as losing finalists in the Confederations Cup. I thought the English were really tested in the first half. The Americans attacked quite well; the English clearly lacked possession. Gerrard's goal in the 4th minute and the fumble by Robert Green in the 40th minute contributed to an equal scoreline but, the nature of the game changed signficantly in the second half. For one, the English attacked lot more but, the American team defended well. Rooney was slightly amiss but, came back quite well in the second. Onyemu (Nigerian - born USA) defended quite well against Heskey and Crouch. The crosses by Aaron Lennon need to find their targets better and Lampard needs to really think before hitting his long shots. Tim Howard was only tested once or twice and Rooney needs to be fed more balls. He was marked quite well in the first half but, he really got into the game in the second half. Donovan put the ball quite nicely in the dee and Altidore gave torrid time to Terry and Carragher. Milner was not impressive and A. Cole never made any of his amazing runs.

The fumble by Robert Green is a hot matter of debate. I agree that it was a big mistake. But, mistakes happen and its part of the game. Its always easy to blame Green but, lets not forget that this team also has a number of stars who can score goals. I think its better for the English team to put this incident behind and just move on to the next game. They need to perform as a team and the players seemed to be coming together in the second half. They need to build on that and i'm sure this team will go a long way.

The final score -
USA 1 - ENG 1

Its Officially On !!

Yes, this post has been a little late in coming. 28 hours and 4 games at the least, but i havent been keeping well for some time, coupled with multiple job related commitments. But i guess performances from Shakira and Alicia Keys on Thursday night, (Sad to hear about Mr. Mandela's great grand daughter's car crash after that concert) and the rocking opening ceremony kept everyone busy enough to not notice this. And what a momentous occasion that was !! African continent hosting the world cup for the first time, very aptly captured in Nelsons Madela's message of a Rainbow nation, at peace with itself and the world. And the opening ceremony also made it a point to emphasise on this last point with "Welcome to Africa" introducing the 10 desinations, then with a huge map of Africa made of large pieces of cloth.



And for a change, everyone blowing their own trumpet wasnt such a bad thing.

At the time of going online, we had seen the first red card (refer Neelda's post below), the first win (S. Korea against the Greeks), the first on-field injury (Taiwo from Nigeria, hope he gets back soon and there arent too much of those coming). But what everyone will remember for a long time to come will perhaps be the first goal, if not for the Bafana Bafana team's ability to spring a surprise but more for the celebration. And while South Africa may have been the lowest FIFA ranked team ever to participate in the worl cup finals, they sure did better than Les Blues in 2002. Thank God ex champs also have to qualify now.

Argentina vs Nigeria

Messi's brilliance and his approach were known in the first five minutes... 3 dazzling runs and all three resulting in shots on goal. With a strike force comprising of Higuain, Tevez & Messi, the first goal for Argentina actually came for defender Heinze .. ironical..... 6th minute strike from a corner. Heinze came in and pulled off a diving header to give the lead.
Argentina had quite a few chances through out the game. Taiwo's shot came real close but was blocked by Romero. I thought Martins introduction brought some energy but, Nigerians failed to deliver in the 20 - yard box. Throughout the match, they created moves but, seem to fizzle out at the fag end. I thought the Nigerian goalie, Vincent Enyeama made some good saves from Messi & Higuain.

NIG 0 - ARG 1

The sound of the VUVUZELAs seriously hurts the ears but then, we're slowly getting used to it. In the coming weeks, I will try and bring you more details on this 'in' instrument.

France vs Uruguay

France are definitely looking stronger. Gourcuff's spot kicks are more off target than on but, one really tested the Uruguay goalie.. Ribery's displayed some good foot work but, the French need to hold and build rather than just go forward... Uruguay's Forlan is the only stand out.. crisp passes .. one clean shot at the goal.. Uruguayans are mainly defending... I sure hope they hold through.. Its a treat to see Forlan play... probably the best forward in the match.. Suarez is not much of a presence. The match's gettin' rougher... Toullalan got a yellow for major foul.. scuffle... .... i sure thought it would be a Red...




GO FORLAN !!!!!!!!!!!






Lodeiro (Uruguay) gets the Red card for a second yellow in 80th minute... the first red card for 2010 World Cup... sadly, he'll miss the entire group stage and possibly, the world cup campaign (i.e. if URU gets knocked out)... France miss out on earning 3 points and its a DRAW day on the 1st day of the Cup.
FRA 1 - URU 1

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

55th Minute .... Tshabalala scores the first goal of 2010 World Cup. 63th minute.. DosSantos hits out but, Khune makes a brilliant save.... lefties having a field day... 2 more chances in the next 15 minutes... 79th minute Marquez scores...

The first half was slow... Mexico pushed forward but, seemed too slow in the dee area... South Africa came alive in the dying minutes of the first half... second half ... it was anyone's game... RSA had some real good chances. 89th minute... Mphela's ball comes off the mexican goal post... what luck!!!


RSA 1 - MEX 1.

The Authors

Hi,
A look at the 3 authors plus our Mr. Spontaneity...
The brilliant Sardar ... Harsh alias yppah
The Bengali Baichung ... Sabyasachi alias Sabby
The Dude ... Nilotpal alias Neel
Mr. Spontaneity.. Shadab Saigal alias Nawab
There are other contributors to this blog but, I'll let them introduce themselves... hope all you guys have fun reading our posts as much as we have writing / pasting them.

What a feeling !!!

What a feeling !!!! Someday, it'll be our TEAM... for now, say hello to ZA 2010 ... WAKA WAKA... THIS IS FOR AFRICA

One more day

Just one more day... the list of injured players keeps on growing... Nani, Ballack, Mikel, Robben, Beckham, Ferdinand... hopefully, we won't receive any more injury news up to the World Cup... i will be following the exploits of Spain who seem to be in great touch .. hope it lasts. Another team which has a host of big names are the English... but then, they haven't been too successful in the last few world cups. They have been good form and i sure hope they go far in this edition. Argentina... wat can I say... Messi's magic, Tevez's aggression (in bullish terms), Higuan, Masceranho, Milito ... big names but, with Maradona as coach, I sincerely doubt their winning abilities. Lets wait and watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cuppa Mania !

When the qualifiers for the FIFA Worl Cup Finals 2010 started last year, more than 200 teams participated in the race to be a part of the final 32 to take the field in South Africa. Thats more than the number of member nations of the UN. And as the great unifier 'Joga Bonito' once again enchanted people, and revved up the frenzy, the best was yet to come. And as we now witness the crescendo of the mania surrounding the "Cup of Life", the roomies-zakumis team has taken upon itself to bring to you regular updates on WC 2010 live from our living room. From the spectacular to the banal, the headers to the head-butts, from the green of the turf to the colourful flags all around it, we will bringing to you our take on the happenings of and the hype surrounding the World Cup.
So keep watching this space for more !!!

Launching the Blog

Dear all,
The World Cup fever is fast approaching... I created this blog so that we can all share our views and team passions over the entire next month and have a virtual world cup session.. anyways, don't have much to write about... see you all on Friday, June 11... CIAO...