Match 30: PORTUGAL v NORTH KOREA

Date: MON 21Jun10

Venue: Cape Town GREEN POINT

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ NORTH KOREA PUSHED BACK INTO CHINA! Was this for General MacArthur, or General Ronaldo?

MIRELES, SIMAO, ALMEIDA, TIAGO, LIEDSON, RONALDO & TIAGO!

And, actually the match started off well for NORTH KOREA > They were on the back foot almost all match long but did come forward when they could .. .. In fact they fired more shots in the first 24 minutes than HONDURAS had the whole match .. .. They definitely didn’t hold back .. ..

MIRELES kicked off the route with a terrific finish after a great through-ball; SIMAO slotted home from M/Box; ALMEIDA headed in from a great cross; TIAGO turned in a great cross from RONALDO; LIEDSON punished a turnover; RONALDO hid the ball behind his head before his tap-in & TIAGO headed in another great cross .. ..

POR MoM: RONALDO

Boy wonder was showing off all his skills and tried setting everyone up for their goals before taking his own – Might have had a brace if one his earlier shots hadn’t rattled the crossbar .. ..

PRK MoM: The Dear Leader?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Match 31: CHILE v SWITZERLAND

Date: MON 21Jun10

Venue: Port Elizabeth NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ CHILE again came out positive and swarming and showed everyone the drive and industry needed in this Festival .. ..

Although scoreless at the half, it was SHI who were crisper and got stuck-in when in their own half .. .. CHI buzzed in and around the SUI penalty area and their technique allowed them to keep a good bit of their shots on-target .. .. However, the SUI matchplan began to unravel when VALON BEHRAMI was ejected in the 31^st minute .. ..

But, the opening half belonged to CHI before the RC as CHI pumped in 8 crosses with none by SUI .. ..

The last half pretty much started out as the first with CHI attacking and had an early goal waved off due to offsides .. .. But MARK GONZALEZ scored the long-deserved goal in the 75^th minute and CHI made it stand .. ..

CHI continued to come forward and had clear chances to add 2-3 more goals, but

in extra time, SUI had a wide-open chance to equalize when EREN DERDIYOK settled a []-ball in front of the net but saw his shot go wide > Not SUI’s day .. ..

CHI again was terrific and thus far is my side of the Festival and it will be a sad day when they go home > But, that day may not come until the last weekend of the World Cup!

CHI MoM: MARK GONZALEZ

It all makes sense > Born in South Africa, raised in Chile, played at Liverpool and now living in Russia > Makes obvious sense .. .. Another story where everything comes full circle .. .. The speedy Gonzalez came on at the half and scored the lone goal when in L/Box, took a terrific cross from ESTEBAN PAREDES and headed down and into the U/Left on the bounce .. ..

SUI MoM: none

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Match 32: SPAIN v HONDURAS

Date: MON 21Jun10

Venue: Johannesburg ELLIS PARK STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ IF THE HEADLINE READS: USA WINS 1-1 THEN ESP ROUTS HON 2-0!

SPAIN just toyed with HONDURAS tonight and overwhelmed HON with their ability, hustle & drive .. ..

Clearly, HON just wanted to mitigate any damage ESP could do today and focus on SUI in their last match! Why? Well, when you start with a very lonely DAVID SUAZO playing up front (regardless of what the lineup said), the message is clear .. ..

DAVID VILLA made them pay for that in the 17^th minute with a GOLAZO, splitting two markers, leaving another for dead after cutting L > C and then R/Footed sweetly > U/Right – SWEET!

VILLA scored the second of what could have been 4-5 goals when he gathered the ball at the T/Box and got his R/Footer home despite a deflection .. .. And, he took a PK that he pushed wide L/Right .. ..

HON was never in the match and ESP has played okay in their fast two matches > ESP has pumped in a massive 57 crosses in their first two matches .. .. VIVA ESPANA!

ESP MoM: DAVID VILLA

Leading scorer for ESP in Euro 2008 and perpetual Manchester United target > A close season never goes by without ManU making their annual flirtation .. .. Immortal Valencia striker displayed all of his sick skills with that first goal .. ..

HON MoM: -