Match 53: NETHERLANDS v SLOVAKIA  [ Round of 16 ]

Date: MON 28Jun10

Venue: Durban DURBAN STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ NETHERLANDS came out with full confidence that a matchup with BRAZIL was in the offing but their cockiness was rewarded with a fairly handy win .. ..

WESLEY SNEIJDER was top-class early on > Hit a superb, deep ball out to his right that died on ARJEN ROBBEN’s foot on the R/Flank, cut back to his left and slotted his L/Footer > L/Right to take the lead 1-0 .. ..

SLOVAKIA had a few chances in the first half but never really threatened STEKELENBURG’s net .. ..

SVK began to probe down the center and was beginning to find weaknesses and were able to unleash a few attacks when ROBERT VITTEK really should have found the net when he turned his defender and was alone v. GK .. ..

Finally, SVK was punished for not taking their chance when GK JAN MUCHA came too far out, DIRK KUYT got around him and sent a perfect []-ball > SNEIJDER who first-timed his R/Footer > L/Right .. ..

SVK threw everyone forward late and were rewarded when VITTEK made sure his leg got caught by STEKELENBURG for a kinda soft PK that VITTEK put away .. ..

Gotta wonder how a mediocre SVK attack was able to get down the middle as the match wore on .. .. They have no  problem attacking, but defense might be a ???

NED MoM: WESLEY SNEIJDER

Another MoM honor for Sneijder who can’t help but score at home and in South Africa .. .. Will need to stay on top of his game to beat Brazil .. ..

SVK MoM: ROBERT VITTEK

Had golden opportunities all match long and could have posted a hat-trick today, but had to settle for his consolation PK .. .. Now the all-time Slovakian scorer .. ..

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Match 54: BRAZIL v CHILE  [ Round of 16 ]

Date: MON 28Jun10

Venue: Johannesburg ELLIS PARK STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ The match started brightly with CHILE coming forward but they just couldn’t put themselves into really dangerous areas throughout the match .. ..

CHILE didn’t get a single shot in the BRAZIL box in the first half, compared to 5 for BRA and they cashed in a pair of those to take a 2-0 lead into the locker rooms .. ..

Roma leaper JUAN opened the scoring when he out-leaped teammate LUCIO off a MAICON CK and crushed home his header in the L/Box .. ..

LUIS FABIANO took a cheeky, short drop pass from KAKA at the top of the box, rounded the GK and easily slotted home into an empty net .. ..

The second half saw CHI trying to piece together an attack but BRA was just better .. ..

The final goal came on what has become a trademark for BRA; Defence and counterattack > RAMIRES made a hard stand-up steal, then took off on a mazy run all the way to the CHI box and then sent a []-ball to ROBINHO who first-timed his R/Footer > L/Right .. .. 

BRA throttled a pretty good CHI team tonight and look the team to beat in the last weeks of the Festival .. ..  

BRA MoM: LUIS FABIANO

Continues his deadly run through and over the carnage of defenders that he has left for dead already .. .. Will carry BRA as long as he keeps scoring .. ..  

CHI MoM: ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Despite the clean sheet, the Serie A striker was quick and cutting all night long .. .. Crisp on his passes but saw all of his chances charged down .

im ...