Match 59: ARGENTINA v GERMANY  [ Quarter-Finals ]

Date: SAT 3Jul10

Venue: Cape Town GREEN POINT

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ Hard to know how much LIONEL MESSI’s cold contributed, or how ARGENTINA wanted to play because of the early goal .. .. After the GERMANY goal in the 3^rd minute, ARGENTINA suddenly had to chase the match .. ..

GERMANY drew a FK on the L/Flank early on and BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER’s curling FK got headed-on by THOMAS MUELLER and off the GK for the only goal that GER really needed .. ..

GER closed down everyone, especially LIONEL MESSI and their only attempt on goal was a deflected MESSI FK that didn’t get past the wall .. ..

ARG didn’t get a shot at goal in the GER box until HIGUAIN’s attempt in the 63^rd minute but 5 minutes later GER put the match out of reach when BASTIAN sent a sweet ball > KLOSE who just walked it win .. ..

GER continued to shred the soft ARG center when BATIAN danced into the L/Box and centered for FRIEDRICH to tap-in his first-ever GER goal and OZIL set up KLOSE again who first-timed the cross > L/Left .. .. 4-0 .. .. WOW!

FULL CREDIT TO THE GERMAN DEFENCE WHO DIDN’T ALLOW ARGENTINA TO BOTHER THEIR GK AND ONLY ALLOWED LONG-RANGE PRAYERS .. ..

ARG MoM: none

GER MoM: BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER

Another lesson in how the world comes full-circle; Once a much-heralded target for the lecherous PARIS HILTON, BASTIAN reveled in glory following his match today > While pothead HILTON spent the night, after her Brazil match, in the pokey .. ..

The Bayern Munich playmaker has taken the reins of GER after MICHAEL BALLACK went down in the FA Cup Final and has driven GER to this point .. .. Got GER started again with his hard FK > MUELLER and his terrific balls from the center started almost every GER attack .. ..

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Match 60: PARAGUAY v SPAIN  [ Quarter-Finals ]

Date: SAT 3Jul10

Venue: Johannesburg ELLIS PARK STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ IT’S CALLED A STEW > Consider the ingredients = A dour CONMEBOL defensive side, an UEFA major league tease and an overmatched CONCACAF referee .. .. All of that gets you something pretty chaotic .. .. Not good, or tasty, but just chaotic .. ..

After PARAGUAY’s historic PK win against Japan, massive changes were made in the side to rest some players who were completely drained .. ..

But, PRG stayed with their game plan from the whistle > Committing high pressure and then trying to counter quickly when the ball is turned over .. .. Perhaps SPAIN overlooked them a bit?

And, it worked > SPAIN wasn’t able to go for the goal until the 33^rd minute and were kept from establishing any rhythm in the attacking third despite 9 crosses and 6 set-pieces .. .. PRG kept pressuring ESP to skew their short passing game .. ..

The second half was just so ‘Gordo’ .. .. SAINT IKER CASILLAS dived-left to stop a CARDOZO PK .. .. JUSTO VILLAR stopped XAVI’s PK on the second try after he slotted home the first .. ..

Then on the break, PEDRO banged his shot square on the L/post and the rebound went right to DAVID VILLA who promptly ‘Pando-ed’ the shot > Off both the R/Post, then L/Post, then into the net .. ..

In the end, grabbing any score against PRG (or URU) is as good as gold, huh? While it may not be pretty, if ESP can break down PRG, they will be able to handle anyone .. ..

PRG MoM: NELSON VALDEZ

Maybe his FK goal should have stood, but at the speed of play it even looked offside .. .. Ran and ran and was a danger on the break .. ..

ESP MoM: IKER CASILLAS

Saved ESP more than once > Stopping a PRG break with two solid saves late .. .