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Match Day 12 > Tuesday 20Jun06

Match 33: ECUADOR v. GERMANY

Booking: CLAP!

With nothing to play for, both sides came out firing in the midday sun .. . ECU was really no threat and just fired up from long-distance as they could not connect deep in GER’s zone .. .. GER came thru at will and really should have laid at least five goals on them .. ..

After this, ECU probably looks a bit better than they actually are .. .. When they come up against a decent side, like today, trouble follows .. ..

GER could be coming to hand just now . … Of course there was no opposition, but BALLACK looked like he is rounding into form and that could only mean trouble for GER’s opponents in the knockout rounds .. ..

ECU MoM: None

GER MoM: #11 MIROSLAV KLOSE got the match off well and could have had a few more today .. .. Scored his first when he took a beautiful drop-back from SCHWEINSTEIGER in the Right-box and tapped it home > lower-left .. .. Scored a poachers goal when he split two markers, took a gorgeous over-the-top flip from BALLACK, rounded the GK and right-footed into the middle of the empty net .. .. 

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Match 34: COSTA RICA v. POLAND

Booking: CLAP!

Full credit to both sides who came out and tried to get their only win in Germany .. .. Both sides attacked and ran hard .. .. POL was just a bit more efficient in their attacking third, where as CRC relied too heavily on individual brilliance .. ..

CRC MoM: #11 RONALD GOMEZ grabbed the early goal and showed trickery throughout .. .. Scored the lone goal when he took a FK from the top-right of the ‘D’ and then skimmed his left-footer into the lower-left .. ..

POL MoM: #19 BARTOSZ BOSACKI went from WC spectator a month ago to POLONIA WC HERO when he came forward to record a brace in Poland’s lone WC win .. .. Scored the equalizer when on a CK, the CRC GK fell, leaving BOSACKI alone at the far post  in the right-box when he first-timed his shot into the middle of the empty net .. .. Again took advantage of a CK when he out-leaped his marker at the far post and headed it just under the GK at the far post .. .. 

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Match 35: SWEDEN v. ENGLAND

Booking: CLAP!

Nice to see ENG create so many chances, but that defense of theirs has to be aging by the minute – Did you see how many chances they gave up?? How about the two SWE set-pieces that rang the woodwork in the 55^th and 59^th minute?? And, the KALLSTROM bomb that had to be cleared off the line after a deflection??

SWE is always a joy to watch because of their width and willingness to always attack on the flanks .. .. With all the chances they created, you would have to think that they may do some damage v. GER, whose defense has yet to be tested, or turned .. ..

ENG actually came out with something to play for, even after OWEN had to be stretchered off just in the 2^nd minute .. .. I hope their fans are right, but with their offensive players dwindling, along with SVEN’s unwillingness to use a holding MF, ENG may be very susceptible to an early fall this weekend .. .. And, how about letting a throw-in bounced in the box so LARSSON could karate-kick it in?? Goodness .. ..

SWE MoM: #20 MARCUS ALLBACK provide the hustle and will that helped SWE equalize .. .. Camped out in the Left-box and after a CK found him at the near post, he snapped his header across the box and into the upper-right of the net .. ..

ENG MoM: #11 JOE COLE is the engine which ENG runs and was at his best today .. .. Quick, and constantly running, COLE was a nightmare to handle out on the left .. .. He punched in almost a half-dozen crosses and scored a WONDER-GOAL to open the match’s account .. .. He chested-down a loose ball about 30 yards out and before the ball could bounce again he cranked up a Right-footed, Inside/Out banana that dropped into the upper-left corner of the goal .. .. Then, he popped up on the right-side and lifted a perfect short pass to GERRARD for his goal .. .. SWEET ☺

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Match 36: PARAGUAY v. TRINIDAD/TOBAGO

Booking: CRAP?

TRI had it all to play for but they just don’t have the firepower .. .. They played hard and tried to go forward and GLEN looked to be a big danger until he left with an injury .. .. LATAPY came on and gave them a playmaking element, but too little, too late .. ..

PAR again proved that against half-rate opponents, they can look very well .. .. Whereas most of TRI’s shots came from outside the box, PAR got most of their opportunities in the box .. .. They put TRI on their heels when DOS SANTOS’ header but SANCHO in trouble and had the ball go off his head and into his own goal .. ..

PAR MoM: #19 JULIO DOS SANTOS might have given a preview as he looks set to become Munich’s favorite son .. .. The elegant Bayern Munich backup to GER’s BALLACK might be sliding into his spot when BALLACK leaves for Chelsea after the WC .. .. DO SANTOS put SANCHO in deep doo-doo when off a FK, he climbed above everybody else to head it on, had the header just glance off SANCHO and that was the match .. .. 

TRI MoM: #11 CARLOS EDWARDS might be the fastest MF in the Tournament .. .. Again was racing up and down the right-flank and pumped in crosses all match long .. ..