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…