Match 33: MEXICO v URUGUAY  [ Group A Finale ]

Date: TUE 22Jun10

Venue: Rustenburg ROYAL BAFOKENG STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ The futbol world is in thanks after MEXICO & URUGUAY came out and played to win .. .. URU has actually controlled play and was harder in defence and produced more in MEX’s zone with 5 shots in their penalty area while MEX has been relegated to 3 long-range shots > MEX is trying to penetrate but was not able to early on .. ..

MEX was sloppy in the back from the whistle but URU goal came from the run of play when EDINSON CAVANI sent in a perfect, strong cross from the R/Flank that LUIS SUAREZ headed > L/Left from a pretty difficult angle .. .. MEX continued to play through the middle but were rebuffed by the stout URU defence > Only when they went wide did they put up any quality chances .. ..

+ KNOCKOUT ROUND OUTLOOK: URU can play with anyone and should be considered a very deep threat after the play in the opening round .. .. MEX got found out a bit today but they still are a threat in the second stage with their ability to counter .. ..

MEX MoM: none

URU MoM: EDINSON CAVANI

Threat from all over today, set up the lone goal and almost grabbed another for himself in the second half when he beat two markers and then struck a thunderbolt knuckler that almost got home .. ..

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Match 34: FRANCE v SOUTH AFRICA  [ Group A Finale ]

Date: TUE 22Jun10

Venue: Bloemfontein FREE STATE STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ Whether it means anything, or not, but it makes for interesting viewing > During pre-match warm-ups, the entire FRA side (with Domenech sitting on the bench) went to the opposite side of the pitch and huddled around a solitary player .. ..

THIERRY HENRY

He then lectured, pointed, charmed and disciplined ‘his side’ .. .. Clearly, the new Manager + Captain of FRA is Henry .. ..

FRANCE came out okay, but SOUTH AFRICA came out the hungrier .. .. SIPHIWE TSHABALALA was everywhere early on and his hard CK found the head of BONGANI KHUMALO to send RSA into bedlam .. ..

FRA sputtered coming forward and were punished when KATLEGO MPHELA basically walked the ball into the net after a scramble in front of the FRA net .. ..

FRA by all means could have really packed up the circus and headed home but to some of the player’s credit, they kept buggering on like FRANCK RIBERY.

He kept on running and his nifty cross to FLORENT MALOUDA set up his facile tap-in for FRA’s lone goal of the Festival .. ..

RSA kept the pressure on to the final whistle, but just don’t have the polished ability to threaten over a long tournament .. .. Much like the USA > They need to get more of their talented players to Europe ASAP!

+ KNOCKOUT ROUND OUTLOOK: heh-heh .. .. 

FRA MoM: none

RSA MoM: SIPHIWE TSHABALALA

Kick-started RSA’s World Cup and was again the biggest threat today .. ..

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Match 35: NIGERIA v SOUTH KOREA   [ Group B Finale ]

Date: TUE 22Jun10

Venue: Durban DURBAN STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ SOUTH KOREA looked a bit better to start the match although NIGERIA managed to score first through some SOUTH KOREAN nonchalance .. ..

Russian-based CHIDI ODIAH made a nifty move to get free down the R/Flank and sent an everyday cross into the box that CHA DU-RI should have cleared, but he waited for the ball to come to him and IKE UCHE outworked CHA, reached around him and poked the ball home – Terrible marking .. ..

SOUTH KOREA earned 8 set-pieces in the first half and made NGA pay when Scotland-based KI SUNG-YONG curled in a sweet FK that LEE JUNG-SOO headed in at the far post > LEE scored almost an identical goal in KOR’s opening match .. ..

PARK CHU-YOUNG grabbed the lead for KOR with his superb R/Footed FK that curled around the wall > L/Right .. .. Almost all of NGA’s forays came off of KOR turnovers and their equalizer was no different – A deserved PK was awarded to NGA which YAKUBU AIYEGBENI dispatched into the L/Left .. ..  

KOR has become the premier Asian side because of it’s improved technical abilities and feel for the game and a good slice of that credit has to go to Guus Hiddink > After his appointment, the Dutch/Euro influence took hold in Korean football and provided an imperative pipeline to Europe > 9 of the 23 players on the KOR roster now play outside of KOR now!

+ KNOCKOUT ROUND OUTLOOK: KOR is an improving side but is very vulnerable to an athletic, counter-attacking side .. ..

NGA MoM: IKE UCHE

Worked hard to grab his goal and almost cracked home another .. ..

KOR MoM: PARK CHU-YOUNG

The new Golden Child has a silky touch/feel for the game and it shows .. ..

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Match 36: GREECE v ARGENTINA  [ Group B Finale ]

Date: TUE 22Jun10

Venue: Polokwane PETER MOKABA STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ One was hoping that GREECE would be forced to be more on the front foot and look to challenge ARGENTINA, but I guess not > They just put SAMARAS up front and left him up there alone .. .. And that is why they didn’t record a single shot in the first half .. ..

ARG basically fielded their ‘B’ side yet they were the ones to threaten with 13 crosses in the first half with 4 of their 6 early shots coming in the GRE penalty zone .. ..

And, the second half was pretty much the same until ARG scored in the 77^th minute thanks to MARTIN DEMECHELIS got hold of a CK with a header that went off his own man then roofed home the rebound .. ..

The Bayern Munich defender had a nice match defending until the lone Greek forward corkscrewed him into the ground for one of their lone quality efforts on goal .. .. If you remember, he’s the one who turned it over v. KOR that saw them get their only goal .. ..

Old geezer MARTIN PALERMO came off the bench to score the insurance goal when another mesmerizing run by LIONEL MESSI saw his bomb saved only to fall to Palermo in the L/Box and the 36YO calmly R/Footed in the rebound .. .. Easy .. ..

+ KNOCKOUT ROUND OUTLOOK: ARG will go as far as their defence will take them because LIONEL MESSI can do whatever he feels, whenever he wants .. ..

GRE MoM: none

ARG MoM: LIONEL MESSI

Another magical evening with the ball glued to his feet – Unhuman close/control, first-time passing ability and could have had two goals himself tonight .. ..