Germany: best of the rest?

 
"You know we missed the final by this much, right?"

I suppose that there's a reason that we don't see the technical awards given out at the Oscars.  They're full of technobabble, they're a pale comparison to the awards where you get to see quick shots of Jack Nicholson sitting in the crowd with sunglasses on at six in the evening, and no one cares about them.

Seriously, do you want to hear a guy drone on-and-on about how he figured out how a fish-eye lens works?  Here we have the third-place game of the World Cup and you'd think that at least there should be some build-up to this. 

One of the two teams is going home knowing that, in terms of the competition, anyway, they're third-best in the world.  That can't be that bad, truly.  Sadly, the banner that should be displayed beside the score and clock on the TV screen is not the CBC logo, but the words "Oh, to be Spain or Holland." 

It seemed to get worse for Germany coming into it, with Klose out with a back injury, so denied a place in the match that would allow him the goals to get top scoring spot in the World Cup ahead of Ronaldo (the fat one, not the jerk one).  With him being 32, he may still have a World Cup in him, but those goals will have to be waning.  It will be possible, but far from probable for him.

As the teams line up for the match, most-to-all have a look on their face like there's a load of sister-dating about to go on.  But no matter, there's a game to play.  Everyone's a professional, let's get on with this.  Germany line up with a 4-5-1 formation with someone named Cacau up front.  I don't know much about the sole forward, other than the fact that his name sounds about as German as the name "Cheryl".  Regardless, he's the guy that will be dealing with the balls from the nine guys behind him.  The Uruguayan side lines up with a 4-4-2 with a front pair that I'm sure they'd have loved to have against Holland, desperate, vital, yet over-talked handballs notwithstanding.

[Aside:  The Suarez Handball.  It's no worse than someone taking the legs out from underneath a bounding striker going for goal when there's no one else back to defend and getting a yellow card for it.  There, it's called "a good foul to take".  In this case, it's a "we should look at the rules again" situation.  Nonsense.  They're both the same.  The rules dictate the response to the action.  It was a foul committed in the course of the rules.  The referee response was both accurate and correct.  This is nothing new.  The only thing that should have happened is that Suarez should have shut up about it.  Comparing his action to "The Hand of God" is ludicrous.  Phrase coining like that should be left to cheating coke-heads that couldn't manage a Sunday pick-up game.  I appear to digress...]

The match begins and feels like a true friendly match; teams facing each other that normally wouldn't in the course of conference qualification, and the fouls don't seem to be right.  They seem to be over the top for a mean-nothing game, but suddenly, it appears that everyone involved is slugging it out for the third place ribbon.  That said it doesn't appear that everyone's playing to win it.  It seems they're playing to not lose it.

Ten minutes in and Friederich fires one off the crossbar, showing that if nothing else, Germany are well up for it.  And it shows eight minutes later as Müller gets his fifth goal of the tournament, showing that at the very least, he's playing for it.  And he's got company, it seems.  Twenty-fifth minute, and Forlan et al are trying to push one in to equalize.  Equalize!  In a game that means as much as Lady GaGa's hat...They're making this their final.  Fantastic.

Finally, Uruguay's work pays off.  A ball taken from Schweinsteiger as though it was candy and he were a two-year old leads to Uruguay scoring through Cavani on the wing and it's official.  It's game on.  The sides finish the half and leave the field in a rain that is coming down so hard, the players should be leaving in pairs and entering a big boat.

The second half begins with none of the usual foreplay, both sides taking it to each other where they left off.  In the forty-eighth minute, Butt parries a shot-rebound combo from Uruguay successfully, and it strikes me that this match is going to be way more exciting than anything Sunday has to offer.

To prove that point, the fifty-first minute happens.  Uruguay sustain pressure into the German end, and Forlan picks up a cross and one-times it off the pitch into the back of the net.  If anyone has been paying attention in this tournament, they'll have to recognize that Forlan has stood out as the scorer of some incredible goals.  This one definitely adds to this tally.

And then there's Germany.  Jansen scores a delightful header...and yes, that was delightful...in the fifty-sixth minute and it really is hitting home that this match will eclipse the spectacle tomorrow between Holland and Spain.  It has to.  Four goals scored in less than an hour, still a deadlock, and all I can picture is the dreary drab ten-man-clogged midfield from Wednesday that brought Germany to this game in the first place.

The teams trade blows throughout the following minutes and Schweinsteiger's attempts at goal are strongly saved, soaked up, and countered by Uruguay. 

Still fighting his way inside the box repeatedly, he continues on looking to grab Man of the Match once again.  That said, the substitution that sees Kiessling seems inspired, forcing his way forward and getting every part of his body on the ball in front of net.  It leads me to wonder why he didn't start in fact.  The pressure mounts further and in the eighty-second, it all happens. 

A German corner sees a flurry of activity inside a very inert Uruguay defence that is as flat-footed as a 1920s collection of constabulary on a beat.  Suddenly Khedira slots home what could be the German winner.  After much end-to-end action, a Friedrich free kick giveaway found 25 yards out, it comes down to the final boot of the ball in the match.  Forlan hits the crossbar, and given one last goal, this game would have finished any hope I had of a decent game tomorrow.

Full-time is blown, and were it not for the two losses that led up to these two teams playing each other for third place, I could have seen the best final in World Cup history.

Yawn.  Roll on Sunday.  Hup Holland Hup.

About Todd Van Allen

World Cup All-Star team: What's yours?

The end of the World Cup is approaching and now comes that time when everybody starts to elect the players who will be part of the FIFA’s All Star team. Normally a lot of good players are left behind, because only 11 are selected, but since the national teams are comprised of 23 players, I will give it a shot and list my 23 top players:

Formation: 4-3-3 - The World Cup new formation trend is the 4-2-3-1, but offensive football.

Goalkeepers

IKER CASILLAS (Spain) – the best goaltender of this World Cup (maybe top 3 in the World)

Backups: MAARTEN STEKELENBURG (the Netherlands); RICHARD KINGSON (Ghana) ; LUISITO SUAREZ (Uruguay) – just kidding

Defenders

PHILIPP LAHM (Germany) – Small man with a big role reputation. Very strong defensive skills. (The Argentinean Di Maria had to play in the other side of the field, because Lahm wasn't allowing him to do so).

JOHN HEITINGA (the Netherlands) – A multi-task player given his ability to play at centre-back, full-back or as a holding midfielder (Perfect in the second half against Brazil)

LUCIO (Brazil) - the sheriff. (Brazil's greatest ever defenders).

ARNE FRIEDRICH (Germany) – Very consistent and classic defender with the ability to play right back as well as in the centre.

CARLES PUYOL (Spain) – Ferocious work and talented player.

Defenders Backups: MAICON (Brazil); SERGIO RAMOS (Spain); MOREL RODRIGUEZ (Paraguay)

Midfielders

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER (Germany) – one of the best players of this World Cup. Classic, talented and elegant midfielder, very technical defensively and offensively.

WESLEY SNEIJDER (the Netherlands)* – the Netherlands' attacking keystone. (Main responsible to the historical victory over Brazil). Another good candidate for the World Cup best player prize.

MESUT ÖZIL (Germany) – a sprightly and technically gifted playmaker. The World Cup’s revelation player.

Midfielder Backups: THOMAS MÜLLER (Germany), DE JONG (the Netherlands) ; ANDRES INIESTA (Spain); LIONEL MESSI (Argentina)

Forwards

DAVID VILLA (Spain) – cold blood striker.(Running for the best player's prize as well).

MIROSLAV KLOSE (Germany) – A perfect pivot in the attack. Precise kicks.

ARJEN ROBBEN (the Netherlands) – Lethal left leg shot from the right corner of the box.

Attackers Backups: ROBINHO (Brazil) ; LANDON DONOVAN (USA)

Coach

JOACHIM LOEW (Germany) - his team didn't play well in the semi-final which was lethal for them, however Germany had a tremendous performance during this World Cup, tactically disciplined and perfectly executed.

Auxiliary Coach: BERT VAN MARWIJK (the Netherlands)

PS - I read the post and saw the pictures of my fellow bloggers at Real Sports Bar and it seems that they had a lot of fun. I wish I was there, but unfortunately I couldn't make it.

About Paulo Porto

Uruguay vs Netherlands Game @ Real Sports Bar in Toronto

Here I am at Real Sports Bar to write about the semifinal between Uruguay and Netherlands. This place is packed with mainly Netherlands fans. Some scattered Uruguay fans.

First Goal Celebrations.

After the Uruguay equalizer.

Colleen at the bar

 

  

Kicking it up a notch: The semifinals

And then there were four. After three weeks of upsets and thrills (I'm more inclined to say upsets!), we are down to the final four teams in the 2010 World Cup – Uruguay, Netherlands, Germany and Spain.

Let the semifinals begin! In today's game (Uruguay vs. Netherlands) both countries have met before in a World Cup. Holland won a first-round game in 1974 (2-0). Unfortunately, the Dutch lost the final to Germany. Although victorious in 1974 and 1978, the team lost to Brazil on penalty kicks in 1998. In 2006, the Netherlands lost to Portugal in a second-round game.

Uruguay has been this far four times. The team celebrated victories in 1930 and 1950. They lost to Hungary in 1954 and fell to eventual champions Brazil in 1970. The team's last World Cup victory prior to this summer was in 1990. The team failed to qualify for three of the subsequent four tournaments.

My prediction: Netherlands 2 Uruguay 0.

Suarez: he cheated because he can

By now we've all heard about it and debated what happened:  in the final moments of the heated contest between Ghana and Uruguay last Friday, a shot that should have won Ghana the match was batted away from net by Luis Suarez with his hands (a play that would have made the Uruguayan national volleyball team proud).  Suarez's cheater move - because that is what he did; he cheated - started the chain of events that led to Ghana's missed penalty kick and Uruguay's eventual victory.

This will be my first post that has nothing to do with Portugal; until now I've been focusing my efforts on blogging about what I felt would be of interest to Portugal's fans.  However, it's been three days since that jaw-dropping moment and I am still hopping mad so, I figured I'd use my fairly unique position as a World Cup Voices blogger to vent a little frustration.  And besides, what happened in that match should be of interest to all fans of the game, not just of any particular country.

Look at the picture to the right:  BOTH players are doing their darnedest to get a hand on that ball.  That's not vindictive play, it's cheating disguised as strategy.  I wouldn't be surprised if teams run that scenario as a drill in practices.

What Suarez did is a strategy because it succeeded in denying Ghana a winning goal.  It is a strategy because there is nothing in FIFA's rules that says in a scenario where a defending player, who is not the goaltender, stops a shot from entering the net by using his hands the goal will be automatically counted. 

Seems simple doesn't it?  Why would anybody bother to take the risk of being red carded and ejected from the game if the goal is going to count anyway?  But if taking the chance means your team might be saved and advance, then it's worth doing.

Enough is enough.

This is the 21st century, folks, and our instant replay technology is pretty sweet.  All it would take is adding two rules to the game:  one about automatically counting/discounting (I'm looking at you, Diego Maradona) handball-related goals and another about using instant replay videos to confirm the refereeing decisions. 

Remove the incentive for cheating and the cheating stops, or at least offenders won't be treated as heroes for displaying unsportsmanlike behaviour.

Luis Suarez, I understand why you did it but make no mistake:  you are no hero; and when people make reference to a little something called "the hand of God" in reference to your dirty play, that's a little something called "sarcasm".

 About Tara Howe

Ghana: A rebuttal on behalf of Luis Suárez

We've all had a day or two to digest the ending of the Ghana v Uruguay quarter final match. In particular we've had time to digest Luis Suárez's "hand of god" part deux handball in the dying seconds of extra time. I have heard it said from countless people both online and in the Ghanaian bar I was watching the match at (The Point @ Jane and Wilson) that Suárez is a cheat, liar and in the most extreme case should be banned from football for life. Now on Friday I was viewing the game from the biased view of someone who was supporting Ghana. We were all heartbroken at the final result, in a game that lets face it Ghana should have won in extra time as they dominated play. However due to the disproportionate response in favour of making Luis Suárez the living model of everything that is wrong with football, I'm turning off my bias and defending him...a little bit.

First, Mr Suárez you are a great player and a cheat...in the same vain as Theirry Henry and Diego Maradona. You may get your big summer move to Manchester United, but you'll always have this hanging on you.

Second, although people want to ban him for life and take away his world cup goals (will never happen by the way) He was caught by the linesmen. He was punished appropriately by the rules that govern the game, he was red carded, sent off, the team was punished by having one less man and a penalty was awarded. Also lets not forget to mention that he will miss the semi final against Holland, which if they lose he won't be singing the happy tune as he is now.  

Third, It is up to the penalty taker to convert the penalty. Gyan did not do that. Now I know the argument will be that it should have never been a penalty situation as Suárez used his hands to clear the ball off the line. I disagree with this as Suárez could have gotten to it with his head had he now been so focused on using his hands.

Frankly for all those who are looking for 10 match bans for Suárez and a apology from FIFA to the Ghanaian Football Association; Stop it is not going to happen nor should it. He has been punished to the full extent of footballing law, plus the football gods always seem to put the wrongs right again....If you don't believe me ask the Irish FA.

About Mike Newell

Ghana: Suarez a disgrace to Beautiful Game

I never made a secret of my passion for the Beautiful Game and African Football.

Since this was the Hand that kept Ghana from Making History in Africa's first-ever World Cup. I could not just let this pass by without adding my two-cents.

For this - like Maradona's Hand of God and Thierry Henry's hand ball that saw the French through to the finals in South Africa, it will not soon be forgotten. Some say it was an instinctive reaction for Suarez to do what he did. However, this is the time for FIFA to act. This is not a Fair Play. 

Suarez has seen all the cheating going on game after game. So he decides to take it one step further. Players are exploiting FIFAs unwillingness to evolve with the times. And this is going to get worse.
I personally think that anyone who handballs in that manner, needs to be given a lengthy ban and a big fine. He certainly does not deserve to play in the final if Uruguay sneaks past Holland. 

Second, I want to say how disgusted and dismayed I was with some of the comments I heard after the Ghana game. Some of the so-called expert analysts who seem to have learned football by reading Football 101 for Dummies - they had the audacity to justified by saying: 

"Luis Suarez did the only thing he could possibly do"

Do you really know what football is? I am really surprised that why you did not call Suarez to be the man of the match after that comment!!. 

As a player of the beautiful game, Suarez should be ashamed of himself and those who justify his shameful act should find other sport to analyze not my Beautiful Game. That scene of Suarez over the line trying to desperately stop the ball going in to the net in 120th minute with his hands is not what the Beautiful Game is about. 

Unlike when England's goal against Germany was not allowed - when many experts were expressing their feelings to the point that bias was creeping into their voices - even saying outright how the game's momentum would have shifted to the England side if that goal would have stood, England would have come on top.

I have news for you - the play should have been judged as a goal, not just a penalty kick and the momentum would have really shifted to Ghana!!....

I never heard anyone call for video technology on Friday's game, when clearly the replay showed the ball had already crossed the line when Suarez committed his shameful act. Nor did I hear any expert question red-carded Suarez being on the pitch celebrating with his team mates. As I understand the rule is a red carded player is not allowed back to the pitch. No one picked that up either.

Furthermore, it is funny how the 'experts' curse Gyan for not converting the penalty and denying him his rightful place in these finals, when it's clear any player who is carrying on his shoulder not only his country's hope and dreams but the whole continent would have crumble under pressure. Gyan is a great striker and I'm sure he will recover from this, I have a lot of respect for the courage he's shown for taking the first spotkick in the shootout after missing in extra time.

As for the actual game, it was one of the most spectacular games of this World Cup and the tears of Black Star will dry, for they have done their continent proud.

It can be summed up by taking the page from one fan outside Soccer City:

"They (Ghana) made the world see that we Africans can play football. We'll have our day."

 I know we will.

About Khalid Magram

South America’s Tournament

Much has been said of the success of South American teams in this World Cup and with good reason. Now, after all Round of 16 matches are over and we know all the matchups for the quarter finals, it’s safe to say that regardless of what happens next or who ends up lifting the Cup on July 11th it’s been a great year and a great tournament for South America.

All five South American teams competing in the tournament made it out of the group stages. Four of those teams also finished first in their respective groups, and every quarter finals game has a South American representative, the first time that has ever happened in a World Cup. That means there could be an all-South American semi-finals and/or an all-South American final.

Paraguay already made history by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, and Uruguay hadn’t made it this far in a World Cup since 1970. Chile is the only South American team that is already out of the Cup, but they have a lot to be proud of after showing a lot of exciting football.

I hope this is no World Cup “fluke” and South American football futbol is back at the world stage to stay. And the timing couldn’t be better: after an absence of more than 30 years, the next World Cup will be played in South America.

Now back to counting the minutes until Saturday at 10:00am ET, when Argentina will take on Germany, and to hoping we will have one all-Spanish-spoken semi-final between Argentina and either Spain or Paraguay.

Alejandro Rossano

Mexico 2 - 0 Uruguay

No, you haven't missed the match.  This is simply an average of the predictions that people offered today in anticipation for tomorrow's closing game of group A.  The predictions in this highly informal survey ranged from 0-0 to 3-0 in favour of Mexico where the most popular score was a 1-0.  Will this result come true?  I definitely hope so.

What is certain is that Mexico's confidence and spirit have grown significantly after defeating one-time champions, France.  If Mexico can continue to control the ball and keep its possession as they did last Thursday then we'll be guaranteed a very entertaining match.  Although a tie will serve both teams in advancing to the round of 16, it is unlikely that we will see an uneventful match as anyone would prefer not to have to face Argentina immediately. Aguirre will need to modify his initial line-up with the absence of Efrain Juarez and Carlos Vela.  "Chicharito" Hernandez and Pablo Barrera have already proven that they are ready and deserve a spot in the starting eleven.

The history of this game also gives Mexico a slight advantage: out of 17 games Mexico has won 10 and Uruguay only 7.  Their most recent encounter ended in a 3-1 victory for the Mexicans in Copa America 2007.  Of course, Tuesday at 10 o'clock EDT this will all be irrelevant and a new figure will enter the statistics.

I have decided to watch the game at the Brazen Head in Liberty Village (165 East Liberty Street).  If you happen to work/live in the area and are able to take the time off from work or other commitments please come by and show your support.

I would like to close this short blog entry by extending my sympathy to all French fans in Toronto and elsewhere.  The highly unprofessional behaviour of the French national players is sad to observe and disappointing to all of us who follow this magnificent sport.  I sincerely hope that "Les Bleus" realize that they are no longer 5 years old, that they are professional soccer players, and that tomorrow they give their supporters a performance that they deserve.

About Mauricio Sierra

Uruguay: time to turn it on

All set for today's game against a host nation, who go into the game after a good first game performance against Mexico.

We are all hoping Uruguay's coach Tabarez starts with three strikers - Suarez, Forlan and Fernandez. Fernandez will add extra pace to the front line.

C'mon Uruguay, LET'S GO, time to turn it on, 'ir a Uruguay'!!!!!

About Dav Virk