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Match Day 3 > Sunday 11Jun06

Match 6: SERBIA/MONTENEGRO v. NETHERLANDS

Booking: CLAP!

TOTAL FUTBOL in the first half as the ROBBEN show sliced through the S&M defence and did more of the same in the second half .. .. They dominated the match, slowed down a bit in the heat of the second half and also didn’t connect as often as they should .. .. Outclassed them though .. ..

S&M did create some chances but just couldn’t connect in the attacking third .. .. Some nice individual players like STANKOVIC (Inter Milan) but they didn’t play together enough today .. ..

SCG MoM: #10 DEJAN STANKOVIC showed the vision and passing of a #10 but the rest of the S&M side didn’t jump onboard .. .. His passing cause some problems but had to end up taking the shots himself .. ..

NED  MoM: #11 ARJEN ROBBEN almost single-handedly destroyed S&M in the first half .. .. Scored the opening GOAL when he took a sweet over-the-top chip from VAN PERSIE and coolly put it home .. .. Constantly beat double-teams and his mazy runs drew quite a few CKs .. .. Another of Chelsea’s galaxy of stars .. ..

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Match 7: MEXICO v. IRAN

Booking: CRAP?

A disjointed match for the most part and all the goals came off scrambles or when the match got stretched out .. .. USA will finish off CONCACAF’s impressive first-match performances when they beat CZE 2-1 .. ..

MEX tried early but just couldn’t connect and capitalized in the second half when IRA when mistakes and finished easy chances .. .. IRA was outclassed in the end .. .. Their lone goal came off a scramble in the box after a CK .. .. Worrying is that MEX’s BORGHETTI came off early in the second half with a tight left hamstring .. ..

MEX MoM:  #19 OMAR BRAVO finished off two easy chances but did it none the less .. .. Scored his first goal off a CK when FRANCO headed the ball to him at the far post and tapped it home unmarked .. .. Broke the match open in the second half when the GK miscleared right to ZINHA who then laid the ball of to Bravo for an easy tap-in into the corner .. ..

IRN MoM: None

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Match 8: PORTUGAL v. ANGOLA

Booking: CRAP?

It was fun to watch, but play was far too open and ANG was just poor .. .. POR sliced open ANG at will and should have finished more chances .. .. In the second half, POR just decided to cruise .. ..

ANG was barely able to get the ball over the halfway line and then just fired haymakers and prayed .. .. Not a very hard test for POR, but is sure beats 2002, huh?!

POR MoM: #9 PAULETA is hard too handle in best leagues, so his performance today against 11 minnows was no surprise .. .. Peppered the ANG GK all night long .. .. Was all alone in the box early in the first half when FIGO came storming in, squared the ball to him and PAULETA just tapped it home left-footed .. ..

ANG MoM: None