Quarter Final Preview: Italy v Ukraine

With all the small guns, wannabes and pretenders having fallen off their tracks, Ukraine represents the only underdog left in this world cup. alongside them stand six former champions and a portugal managed by a former champion. And along with the hopes of a young nation looking to carve a future comparable to that of its former Soviet face, Ukraine carry into this quarter final the banner of every small footballing nation fighting the hegemony of the superpowers.

The superpower in question today is Italy.

After a delightful opening match, Italy reverted to long ball defensive football, choosing to selectively show flashes of brilliance at their whim. That they are capable of some of the best football in the world, and beating the best, is not really a doubt - the Italians have always had quality. But what they lack is perhaps the inability to turn on the heat when it has mattered. If you look at past world cups, you could also say that they could do with some luck.

At its worst, this match could descend into a boring stinker, replete with niggling fouls, a red card or two, a 0-0 scoreline at 90 and an anticlimactic winner just before penalties. A lot will, of course, depend on how the Italians play.

Ukraine will play the only way they know how. There'll be lots of tackling, lots of running, and the entire midfield will be working extremely hard to supply the two Andriys, Shevchenko and Voronin. The front-line will be dropping back to pick up the ball, and the entire team should be running their socks off. It is the curse of the emerging teams at this world cup - Ivory Coast, Australia, Ghana - that their good work in midfield has been let down by poor finishing. For these nations, getting to the final third of the field has not been a problem. Knowing what to do at the final third of the field, that's what has been separating the established greats from the pretenders to the crown.

Shevchenko bears the goalscoring onus

And in spite of having the one and only surrogate Milanese himself Shevchenko leading their line, the Ukrainians are goalshy. His knowledge of the Italians will be vastly important, because eventhough the Ukrainians have scored five goals in four games, four of those came against a miserable Saudi side. Against stronger opposition, Ukraine have been finding it hard to breach defences, and at their worst, they can be accused of running like headless chickens. Often, their midfielders are reduced to long shots no thanks to a disnticnt lack of creativity just outside the box. For all their industry, what Ukraine lack is someone like Francesco Totti.

Totti will be talismanic for Italy. It is cliched to say that if Totti fires, Italy fires, nonetheless, it is to some degree true. Italy's defence is always solid, Nesta or no Nesta, Materazzi or no Materazzi. Eventhough they sometimes play adventurous football higher up the pitch, these defenders know the textbook of catennaccio, and will defend tightly whenever they have to. Their midfield is largely built around hard-knock players like Gatusso, de Rossi and Perrotta, while the sublime passing ability of Pirlo is one of the few elegant threads in this fashion item. Up front, Gilardino and Toni are big, lumbering strikers reminiscent of Christian Vieri. Neither have shown the class that they've promised, yet both are extremely strong and have pace to boot.

Totti's creativity separates the sides

Totti, it seems, represents the creative cog in this side. Without him, Italy can look sparkless, populated with tough hardliners and lumbering forwards, they almost look like an eastern european side. Without Totti, Italy almost look like Ukraine. But therein lies the difference. The Italian number 10's role will be to prise open the Ukrainian defence and release Gilardino and Toni to run at goal. Elsewhere on the pitch, Italy will need to be extremely disciplined - they've already seen two red cards so far, and may not survive another one if any of their players were to choose this stage to misbehave.

Ultimately, the game could hinge on the first goal and when it comes. If the Ukrainians score early, we could be in for a treat. If the Italians score early, it could be close shop and counter attacking football till the end. Don't expect an open match, it will be very tight, very physical and there's every chance the match will be settled on a solitary goal. Unless, of course, the Marcelo Lippi decides to bring out the Italy that defeated Ghana in their opening game... if Italy suddenly decide to turn on the style and attack in numbers, it will be curtains for Ukraine. Then again, that's an unlikely gameplan.

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How cheated were Australia?

In the wake of Australia's defeat against Italy, many fans and neutrals have comeout to lambast Italy, labelling them as cheats. After sampling a sizeable range of such views, I believe it is fair for us to consider the coin in its fullness.

It is understandable that fans of the Socceroos and neutrals who want to see a fair game feel brokenhearted over what happened. But to label the Italians as criminals worthy of being thrown out of the world cup displays as little maturity as the Australians displayed big game experience.

I feel brokenhearted for Australia. But taking it out on Fabio Grosso isn't really fair either. Here are a few points to consider.




1. The world cup is full of dirty players. Guys like Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's free-falling striker, take cheating and diving to an artistic level. The Portugal v Holland game was replete with dirty play from both sides. For the largest part, because diving teams like Ghana and Ivory Coast are out, we feel like justice has been served, and perhaps because the Portugal/Holland game descended into such a farce, we file it separately from cases like Grosso's penalty. But it shouldn't be like that. In the larger scheme of things, Grosso's penalty claim, if it falls under the category of "dirty", is by far one of the most innocuous claims of dirt among its peers.

2. There is no place in football for playacting. But think about this: five seconds left, you're running into the box with the ball. You've just shaken off some shirt pulling and suddenly a defender flies in front of you, tackling air. You're moving forward with the ball. He didn't get you. What do you do? A bigger man would probably have shot, or skipped over the defender and let the ball run off. In that split second, Fabio Grosso kept his feet on the ground and fished for a penalty. You can't deny that there was contact - Neill was getting up and turning when Grosso clumsily ran into him. Sure, Grosso's clumsiness is circumspect, but the line is thin and as much as it hurts, Lucas Neill's "tackle" did not win any ball, and thereonend became an obstruction to Grosso. He was cunning to keep his feet down. But the line is thinner than you think.

3. The frustrating thing is that Australia probably didn't deserve to win anyway. The best chances in the game were made by Italy. Italy played with 10 men for 40 minutes, and still the Australians never managed to gain an advantage. There was no sign whatsoever that the extra half an hour would have yielded a different result. Guus Hiddink waited till the 80th minute, for crying out loud, to bring in an extra striker. With five seconds left on the clock, they allowed Italy's left back to run down the flank and bring the ball into their box, what the hell were they thinking? Nobody put in a challenge while he was outside the box, the best Mark Bresciano could do was to tug at his shirt without much conviction. With five seconds left, the Australians lacked that bit of big game experience to perhaps intentionally concede a free kick rather than a penalty, to hoof the ball out, keep the ball in midfield and retain posession. Nobody wants to hear this but it's true. Australia didn't do themselves justice.



Ultimately, do I think it's a penalty? Maybe not. Do I think Italy cheated? I may not go as far as to say that either. Football is a tricky sport and bad calls even themselves out across a longer period of time. Good penalty claims get ignored and poor penalty claims get rewarded. Today, you're crying foul, tomorrow you're benefiting from a poor decision. These things happen all the time. To suggest that Fabio Grosso's weak penalty claim makes the Italians cheats just ignores the reality that a lot of worse things go on in football, and just because Grosso chose a very heartbreaking moment to keep on running doesn't make Australia any more deserving of a victory.

This is not a pro-Italy piece, this is an attempt to balance a lot of anti-Italy slur that's making its rounds now. Football is like that. The timing was lousy, but penalties get given day-in-day-out for a lot less than what you saw there. We just have to separate our sentimentalism for Australia from our objectivity of looking at the sport from a wider perspective.

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Ugly Football, Ugly Manager, Ugly World Cup Champions?

"To win the World Cup, I am prepared to do whatever. If that means to play bad football all the way, okay, come on, who cares? ... I don't know how many other games you see but if you look at Ghana, they have been playing wonderful football and it's been the same with Ivory Coast, Holland and Spain. And where are they now? They are back at home."

Who cares indeed? As much as I would love for England to play artistic football all the way to the final, I am perhaps more concerned about their ability to get there.

No one bitched about Italy's negative take on football en route to the 1994 World Cup final. But certainly England has not even shown the organizational fortitude that Italian side showed. In fact, England has not shown any organizational fortitude at all.

So as such, I am inclined to agree with the assessment of Alex, one of our writers, that this is indeed England's best chance to win the World Cup. To quote a commentator who spoke about one of Manchester United's successful league campaigns in the last 90s - "It's not about the 6-0 wins when you play well but the 1-0 wins you get when you play badly." They played like shit against Paraguay but still managed to eke out a victory. Same goes for T&T. The defense decided to play 'Let's See Who Makes Stupider Mistakes' but still they rode out a 2-2 draw.

So now the bites are finally hitting the bone. In Portugal they finally face an opponent that can bury you deeeeeep if you give them a go. This would be a stern test of not only England's tournament resolute but the potency of the run of good luck they've been riding. But if they survive this playing sub-par football like they've been then maybe the cup is destined for England after all.

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Quater-final preview: Brazil vs France

How they got here:

Brazil came into this World Cup as hot favourites and have barely gotten out of third gear in strolling to the quarters. The main concern has been whether the bench has too many players who should be on the pitch and vice versa. The assumption is, however, that Brazil will kick into overdrive when they really need to.

France were all but written-off following a troubled qualifying campaign, talk of a rift between the coach and senior players and confusion over tactics and team selection. The first two group games seemed to indicate a reprise of the failure of 2002. But after booking their place in the second round with a victory over Togo, they found themselves in the unfamiliar role of underdogs against Spain. A gutsy, dramatic 3-1 win put them through.

Tactics:

For France, the big debate going into the Spain match was whether Zidane would be recalled after suspension. Going into this one there will be no debate, so France will line up 4-5-1, with Henry as the lone striker, Ribery and Malouda on the flanks and Zidane operating ahead of Makelele and Viera. Brazil will line up with the same team, roughly a 4-2-2-2, which started the tournament, with the possible improvement of Gilberto Silva coming in for Emerson.

With the exception of the goalkeeper, France are defensively the better team; Thuram and Gallas should have enough to keep Brazil’s overrated strikers at bay. Don’t let Ronaldo’s record-breaking feats thus far fool you; for the most part he has looked tired and cumbersome, as has Adriano. They are, however, still good enough to take any serviceable opportunities which come their way, so the French must be alert. Brazil’s main threat will come from Kaka and Ronaldinho (or Juninho and Robinho off the bench), but by deploying two midfield enforcers in Makelele and Viera, France are better equipped than most to handle them.

Brazil’s defence is average at best and below average when Cafu and Roberto Carlos push forward leaving the flanks exposed. Henry should have the beating of any of Brazil’s defenders, so it will be crucial that France play the ball forward as quickly as possible to exploit his pace. In more compact situations when Brazil’s designated defensive midfielders Emerson (or Gilberto Silva) and Ze Roberto are in position shielding the back four, Zidane’s craft and trickery might come into play.

The first goal will be key, because both teams have explosive pace which could be lethal on the counter-attack. Whoever takes the lead has first claim on putting that into effect. When the scores are level, it’s likely to be a more attritional battle in midfield.

Verdict:




The nature of their respective second round victories could be instructive. Employing tactics contrary to their “Joga Bonita” corporate propaganda, Brazil were content to sit back against Ghana and exploit the ineptitude of their opponent’s offside trap on the counter-attack. By contrast France played against Spain like their careers depended on it, which was literally true in the case of Zidane. Like him, most of the rest of the team know this is probably their last chance at another World Cup. Even the likes of Henry and Viera, if they do make it, will be well past their best by 2010 in South Africa.

This could be a great match because it will be decided by which team wants it most. Both have a mix of superstars in their prime, veterans on the way out and young guns eager to make their mark. Coming into the tournament Brazil seemed to be the better-functioning unit, but after France’s dogged victory over Spain and in a winner-takes-all knockout situation the pre-tournament formbook is irrelevant.

This could be a match in which Brazil are undone by caution and complacency. Parriera, lest we forget, was the mastermind of possibly the most forgettable World Cup success ever at USA ’94. Against a French team which has both nothing and everything to lose, it could be fatal.

Prediction:

Henry to finally turn in a big-time performance for France and extend Zidane’s career a little longer, possibly in extra-time.

France 2-1.

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The Underachievers March Home ...

In the wake of Spain's exit from the world cup, there is a shared sense of expectation in their defeat. Could Spain really have given us a reason to dream? The Geek and Goodchristianboy report.

The veteran comforts the upstart

By The Geek

In a swift and cruel blow, France gave a final push off their rocking chairs to send Spain packing home in a 3-1 victory. The 'uncles' of Germany 2006 showed that old is gold with a dentures dropping comeback.

Before the tournament started, Secawan Bola ran a feature on World Cup underachievers, citing Spain and the Netherlands. Ironically, both teams have been knocked out in the last two days, proving one thing - we at Secawan Bola are geniuses (although any hood off the street would've been able to provide that assessment).

But despite possessing sensational quality on paper, Spain yet again reinforces the frailty of the Real Madrid buying policy - that big names is secondary to a team that ticks. With a team boasting Fernando Torres, Joaquin, Jose Antonio Reyes and Carlos Puyol, you would expect Spain to be there when the numbers dwindle, but they missed yet again, the quarters this time.

But at least they have the dignity of going home to an inspiring French victory led by the soon-retiring wizard Zinedine Zidane and not another Asian underdog.

SPAIN BLEW IT

By Goodchristianboy

Spain have blown it.

The stage could not have been set better for them to finally shake off their underachievers tag. While most of the other big group winners were entertaining dark horses, Spain had the mouth-watering crack at France. It was never going to take anything less than a major scalp before anyone would start taking Spain seriously, especially after their easy group games. And among the big names, what better name than France? The former champions had been nursing a cocktail ailment of low confidence, poor form, disinterest, inability to score and obvious signs of ageing.

And going into this match, many a commentator had bought into this belief, assured by what they had seen thus far that the Spaniards were overflowing with confidence and a new found self-belief while the French were beset by a host of troubles. It could not have gone any other way. Torres was on fire. Henry wasn’t. This was it – Spain had everything in place carve a new reputation.

And it all looked like happening when they won a penalty in 27th minute and striker David Villa slotted home. And then, just before the break, Franck Riberry would put the first dent into Spanish confidence and equalize for the troubled French. Prior to the match, perhaps the only thing the French had on their side was a small statistical advantage: Spain have never beaten France in a competitive game. At half time, that statistic was poised to be tested to the wire.

But it was never really tested, and the French finished the match going from strength to strength, beginning with a Patrick Vieira header from a Zinedine Zidane assist, and then finishing with a goal from Zizou himself. France would end the game clearly the more hungry side, the side that knew better what to do with whatever little possession they had. In the end, the tale of the tape says it all. Spain had only two shots on goal to show for themselves, and at this stage, playing what should be the very best, yet very seldom is, two shots on goal is many, many shots not good enough.

The post-mortem will have to be harsh, and Luis Aragones will have plenty of questions to answer. Perhaps Cesc Fabregas was fast-tracked too fast? Perhaps too many key players were rested in their final group game, and momentum was lost? Perhaps Spain’s star strikers have to be held accountable for firing blanks, or perhaps not firing at all?

Whatever - or whoever - the scapegoat, Spain are out of the world cup again, and the promise they showed in the run up has again fallen short when the hurdle got higher. Spain will perhaps always be underachievers. So strong domestically, so exciting on paper, and always so scintillating in the opening round, Spain have once again pulled off the biggest con job of the world cup. They have swindled millions of neutrals into fancying them, and they have fooled their entire football crazy nation into believing that this time it would be different. This time, nothing was different. They go home in shame as they’ve always gone home in shame. And for the rest of us, the world cup goes on without Spain, and everything is business as usual.

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World Cup numbers

After Valerin Ivanov's 16 yellows and 4 reds, the referees have put their foot on the brakes. In the Switzerland v Ukraine second round clash, Mexican man in black Armando Archundia overcompensated by underofficiating. Only 1 yellow card was given in a game where tackles flew in and one-on-one vandettas boiled up.

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We have already exceeded the previous red card record of 22, with the Portugal v Holland game pipping the scales into 23. And the quarterfinals aren't even here yet!

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Many of the number 7s in this tournament are strikers... think about it.

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Switzerland may have the dignity of being the only team to be knocked out of the world cup without conceding a goal. But they also have the indignity of being the only team in the world cup to convert 0 of their penalties in a shootout.

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The Italians can strap on two layers of shinpads, because the Ukrainians are the top tacklers of this world cup. Midfield hardman Anatoliy Tymoschuk leads the individual charts with 24 tackles while Ukraine lead the other teams with 143. But with all that ball-winning, why are they still so boring?

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Quarter Final Preview: England Vs Portugal

I understand now, crystal clear like plasma TV static on a pitch black Wednesday night. England's opportunity to avenge their defeat to Portugal in Euro 2004 has been served to them on a platter yet again. Much like how Argentina were served to them for Beckham to exorcise the 1998 Simeone demons 4-years ago, England have the chance to bury a stake deep into Portuguese hearts. And they get to romp two revenge debts with one swift blow.

Luiz Felipe Scolari masterminded England's demise four years ago when he was the coach of Brazil, coming back from an early Michael Owen goal to win with two masterclass moves from Ronaldinho - one to set up Rivaldo's goal and another with a audacious free kick (that is if he intended it, the onus is still out on that).

Lui Figo

But unlike four years ago, Scolari doesn't have the class of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo to call on. What he does have is a classy veteran, a sensational playmaker and a supremely talented young upstart - but there's a possibility that all three will not line up against England on Saturday. In Luis Figo, Scolari has the inspirational leader, the one that makes things happen, the one with the drive to win, especially at the tail end of a dazzling career at club level. But his stupidity in headbutting a Dutch player in their match was caught on tape and there is a likelihood that he might be suspended for it. Deco the hard-working playmaker won't be available because he was sent off in that sensational encounter against the Dutch and Cristiano Ronaldo, the nippy super boy of Manchester is nursing an injury. Without the trinity, the Portuguese look severely thin on paper.

And to add sparkle and brimstone into an already steaming pot of combustibles - Scolari recently turned down the offer of taking over as head coach of England, citing privacy issues. Secawan Bola has always maintained that Scolari was our favored choice to take over. His classy attacking style and passionate touchline tirades were seen as essential improvements from Eriksson's point, double click and hope-it-happens culture.

So now he stands at the opposite end yet again, with England (or at least the FA) probably burning to prove to Scolari that he made a sucky choice. And on top of that, incoming England coach is on the touchlines assisting Eriksson with tactics.

Wayne Rooney

Much of England's potency in their 2004 encounter rested on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney, the English talisman. As such, their attacking resolve disappeared as soon as he was injured. Much rests on his shoulders yet again in this tie. With Owen gone home with an injury, Peter Crouch looking indifferent and Theo Walcott a bystander at best, Rooney is yet again handed the task of unlocking the Portuguese. He has not opened his account as of yet but judging by his movement and running against Ecuador, he is at the very least, back in shape. Lampard has not been helping much at the goal front with his terrible finishing and Gerrard has cast doubts over his ability to stamp authority futher up field with a lazy performance against Ecuador.

To lose three times in a row in a major tournament to a man that was shortlisted to lead them is perhaps a little too much for expectant English hearts to bear. So England have to win. And they've just been presented with an opportunity to, with some key Portuguese players suspended or injured. However, there's also little doubt that England is playing some of their ugliest football in recent years. But playing attractive football never got you anywhere if you don't win. Just ask the Spanish. Then again, to win playing ugly football like Greece did in 2004 is perhaps unthinkable as well.

Will it be heartbreak or triumph for the English and the Portuguese? Stay tuned for the cruncher on Saturday.

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Figo and Deco are a disgrace

Everyone knows how bad the referee was in this game. But for all the flak he's taken, let us not forget two players who also brought the game to disrepute.

The Portuguese played like savages. No doubt Russian ref Valentin Ivanov ruined the game with his yellow card fetish, the Portuguese were nonetheless more than capable accomplices to Ivanov's crimes, and along with Dutch hopes goes plunging the Portuguese dignity. A few players stood out as villains on the night, but none more pitiful than Figo and Deco.

I'll begin with Deco, and the manner in which he collected his two yellows. Deco's first came in in the throngs of unsportsmanlike behaviour. The Dutch had a man down injured. The Portuguese put the ball out. But when Wesley Sneijder ran with the ball without giving it back to the Portuguese, Deco charged at Sneijder at full speed, diagonally from behind, and lunged at Sneijder with the ball a good two, three feet in front on him. Granted that Sneijder should have returned the ball to the Portuguese, ultimately, there is no rule that says that he needs to, and Deco's desire to see sportsmanship upheld resulted in a vile tackle that deserved a straight red in itself.



His second yellow came in a fit of further stupidity. Having conceded a free kick, Deco picked up the ball and began walking away with it, refusing the dutchman - was it Sneijder again? - the chance to take the ball for the freekick. An altercation ensued as the dutchman grabbed for the ball back from Deco and hurled the flimsy Portuguese to the ground. The referee, rightly so, was to have none of it. For Deco's sheer stupidity, childishness and unsportsmanlike behaviour, he deserved both his yellow cards, and was lucky to not have been sent off with a straight red first.

If you think Deco's dastardly behaviour is forgivable because of his youthful petulance and lack of experience at the very highest level, then the nonsense we saw from Luis Figo was certainly unforgivable. What Figo would do in the 60th minute is an embarassment to his reputation as a world class player. In a heated conversation with Mark Van Bommel, when referee Ivanov had turned his back to the players, Figo thrust his head towards Van Bommel's and headbutted the dutchman. The contact wasn't notably heavy, yet the pictures reveal cynical side that is too painful to see. Van Bommel replied with a collapse post- a 3 second delay. Figo went unpunished for that headbutt, yet it remains to be seen if FIFA, who have footage clear as daylight, will take disciplinary action.



Luis Figo would later fall theatrically upon a Khalid Boulahrouz challenge and earn the dutch defender his second yellow. Video replays will show the speed at which Figo reacts to Boulahrouz's raised arm, the dramatisation of the inflicted knock and his subsequent rolling on the ground. Again, always needing to be fair, there was contact between Boulahrouz's raised arm and Figo's face, yet any casual viewer will know that Boulahrouz's error was perhaps born out of clumsiness where as Figo's method acting was born out of an entirely different motivation - Figo's was the exploitation of a clumsy moment by a yellow-carded player to get him sent off. A professional like him, globally revered once for his dazzling ability to play beautiful football, need not have resorted to such sordid acts. In his bid to end his international career with glory, one suspects that Luis Figo has just made a mockery of his own legend by showing the world, at the biggest stage, what a miserable cheat he is.

Now these are strong words, and they are words reserved for the very worst scenes in football. These aren't labels we use on shirt-tuggers, in Deco and Figo, Portugal have two amazing players who have disgraced the world cup with their ridiculous antics. And it is this writer's opinion that Portugal's victory, for all its practical value, is hollow. Not just hollow, it is a testament to the vile lows two of their stars will go to win a match. For men of Deco and Figo's stature, it is utterly sad. And along with their ticket to the quarter-finals, Portuguese football can go to hell for the depths to which they've just plunged the standards of world cup fair play.

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And so it ends for the Orange Army ...

Van Basten consoles a dejected Van Der Sar

The first 'powerhouse' was eliminated yesterday when the Netherlands was knocked out by Portugal in a 1-0 defeat that was marred by a sensational showing by the referee - dishing out 4 red cards and 16 yellow cards.

While the Orange Army were hardly touted as favorites coming in to this tournament, their World Cup lineage held them in good stead, even if based on reputation alone. With a young squad consisting mainly of young unknowns, coach Marco Van Basten managed to weed out the traditional Dutch civil wars by almost completely blanking out the 1994/1995 Ajax luminaries.

So the Dutch continue their tradition as chronic underachievers. Although, it must be said that this squad is a transitional one at best. But unlike Klinsmann's (another great 80s striker) babies who rode the wave of criticism and surprised everyone with their brand of organized attacking football, the Dutch fairy tale has ended with a tragic sputter.

The adolescent 80s Milan fan in me wanted Van Basten to take them further. But kudos have to be given to Van Basten, for at the very least, keeping the squad together. It would be an absolute shame if Van Basten should follow the footsteps of his Milan compatriot Frank Rijkaard and clock out after failing in a major tournament.

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The Penalty Factor

Tired legs. Substitutions made. The whistle goes and 120 minutes of football has been played. Everyone’s got the cramps. Everyone’s in the nerves. The game is drawn, and we go to penalties. In this Secawanbola exclusive, we bring you the stats of every penalty shootout result EVER for our second round teams, so you can boast the best information exactly when it matters.

Penalties have been deciding international football since Euro 76, but it would only grace the world cup stage when Germany beat France in the 1982 semi-final. Since then, some teams have gone off on scintillating records while others have failed over and over again. Those among us with a functioning memory will know that England and Holland aren’t very adept from the spot. You’ll also know that Germany and Brazil are a good notch in front.

But who exactly are we talking about when the games go to penalties? Who can you count on to put five good spot kicks away and possibly save some? Who can you count on to smash the ball into the stands? Into the bar? Into the goalie? Who can you count on to try something smart and end up looking stupid? When the game goes beyond 120 minutes, who goes through?



STATS FROM THE SPOT

One good answer is Argentina. With five wins in seven, an 100% world cup record, and a 28% rate of saving penalties, you have to hand it to the Argies for perfecting the art of the spotkick. Their only two losses have come in the Copa America, both against Brazil, and the scalps they have claimed include Italy, and England.

Brazil and Germany have also gone to penalties three times in the world cup, with the remainder coming in the Copa or the Euro. Between them, Germany’s world cup record is also intact, and you’d have to go back to the first international shootout in 1976 to find Germany defeated. Note especially Germany’s astounding conversion rate, scoring 22 out of 24 penalties, or 92%. Of them all, though, Brazil has to be the form team, winning two shootouts in the last two years. It does, nonetheless, make you wonder when Brazil boasts the highest number of shootouts (they’ve been involved in eight) that they too are fallible in extra time, and are not nearly as adept in closing out matches as their reputation suggests.

After these three, there’s a slew of ordinary results that are not particularly edge-of-the-seat. Mexico miss almost half of their penalties (didn’t they just miss one in open play the other day?) while Sweden and Portugal have not been tested enough to see a trend.

And then come the shockers. England, Holland and Italy form the triumvirate of penalty shootout nightmares, all having been there five times, and all having only won once. Granted that their respective wins have all come in the last ten years, these are still some pretty bad stats, and it doesn’t take numbers to tell you what your seared memory already does too well.

Italy was notorious for getting eliminated in three consecutive world cups on penalties, losing Italia 90, USA 94 and France 98 from the spot. Their culprits were Aldo Serena, Roberto Baggio and Luigi Di Biaggio respectively. And while this served as good excuse for how close Italy always go before bowing out of major tournaments (remember Euro 2000?) it is nonetheless a shameful past.

England have lost twice on the world cup stage – to archrivals Germany and Argentina in duels that significantly shaped their rivalries. England’s culprits for missing penalties were Stuart Pearce and David Batty, and we also remember Gareth Southgate’s miss, also to Germany, in Euro 96. Their form is also poor – England were beaten two years ago at Portugal to Portugal.

Holland have only been in one world cup shootout – the one they majestically lost to Brazil. It was the one where they missed two penalties in open play. Two years later, Holland would lose in another semifinal on penalties. Of that generation, only Philip Cocu remains, and god forbid should Cocu ever attempt another spotkick for Holland. Their form, however, is good. Their only shootout victory came as recently as two years ago at Euro 04 against Sweden. And if any of these three teams look likely to climb out of the “drop zone”, you’d fancy the Dutch.

THE LONELY WALK

Penalty shootouts are thrilling because they pit man on man. For a team sport like football, this is a decidedly rare occurrence. Who are the men among men you’d tip to be penciled in for a go?

The Argentines have a wealth of options: Teves, Riquelme, Saviola, Maxi Rodrigues, Crespo, Messi, all are either regular penalty takers with their clubs or look every bit capable of converting. The Brazilians, with their magic quartet, plus Roberto Carlos and Juninho Pernambucano have dead ball specialists in abundance.

Two countries that haven’t been mentioned are Spain and France – a second round tie. Between them, you have possible penalty converters such as Torres, Raul, Xabi Alonso, Henry, and Zidane.

The Portuguese all look equal to the task: Deco, Simao, Ronaldo and Figo are all excellent from the spot. As are the Dutch, led by the master himself, Van Nistelrooy, followed by capable dead ball men in Van Persie, Sneijder, Van der Vaart, and also Robben.

The Germans are always solid, with anyone from Mertesacker to Klose looking like a man with a sensible head screwed on. The Italians, on the flipside, always look dodgy and you can count on anyone from Totti to Cannavaro to lose their cool when it matters.

Australia came into the world cup on the back of a shootout win against Uruguay, and will fancy their chances against Italy if it were to go so far. In Cahill, Bresciano, Kewell, Aloisi and Viduka, you know Australia have a few who can shoot from close and score.

And then there’s the English! Oh how England fans dread the day they are brought to penalties again! Who will be the fall guy this time? All the signs point to Peter Crouch. And while guys like Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham and Joe Cole look spot on for their clubs, there’s always something about England and penalty shootouts that transgresses all established strongholds of trust and faith and hope and it leaves you with nothing but a back full of sweat, a heart racing at 140bpm and a trousers soaked in piss. Mark this writer’s words: if England go to penalties, they will lose. Murphy’s law will be in place, and everything will go wrong. Rooney will be substituted, one of the back four will be chosen to shoot and England won’t find joy.

THE SHOT STOPPERS

A very quick look at the goalkeepers tells us that Italy’s Buffon and Holland’s Van der Sar are the form men, having pulled off blinding saves throughout the tournament. Oswaldo Sanchez of Mexico was extremely mobile when Portugal had a penalty, and though he didn’t save, his distracting presence should see some return on investment. Jens Lehmann of Germany is also famed for his goalline antics, and his large frame will bode Germany well.

On the other side of the coin, Sweden’s Issaksson is a huge man who doesn’t seem to use his size well enough. Robinson of England has looked clueless and hesitant and those are poor qualities in a penalty shootout. Brazil’s Dida also looks circumspect, and you can’t expect him to save too many.

Australia have better fortunes, for in Schwarzer they already have a penalty saving hero, with a good dive and quick reflex. Spain and France both have small nippy goalies, and these types can do very well in penalties. Between them, though, you’d have to fancy the shot stopping ability of Cassillas over the eccentricity of Barthez.

Since 1986, the world cups have averaged three penalty shootouts each. With the increasing tightness of games, and a draw that pits some classic shootout possibilities (Holland v Portugal, Italy v Australia, Spain v France), there is bound to be much drama from the spot. Now you know the who’s who of penalty shootouts, and the trends from previous shootouts, you should be better equipped to manage your expectations, hopes and fandom. It is never really as simple as a lottery draw. We’ve seen from goalkeepers like Dudek and Lehmann that the goalkeeper can do plenty to put off penalty takers. We know from men like Van Nistelrooy and Shevchenko that the penalty kick is an art that can be perfected. And we know from countries like Argentina and Germany that the shootout itself can be mastered. Perhaps more history can be written, perhaps the poor teams can prove statistics wrong. And even as the onus always lies on the kick taker to score, the onus will lie very much on the big shootout teams to win these duels. The pressure’s on. Let’s go to penalties.

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Off colour kits

There is the home shirt. There is the away shirt. But have you ever heard of the neutral ground shirt?

With all the good football being played, it seems sacrilege for anyone at all to go on about something as trivial as football kits, and finding no other banner by which to justify this discussion, I’ll label this as an official FIFA bashing piece. It’s about time we saw one of these anyway – I promised many of our readers FIFA bashing and I’m determined to deliver.

Determined is the word – FIFA seem determined to do one thing this world cup. No, it’s not stamping out diving, or the tackle from behind. FIFA seem determined to stamp out the home kit from this world cup. Take this morning’s Brazil v Japan game for instance. These are examples of Brazil and Japan’s respective home kits.

No clash there?

Apparently, there was. Brazil was required to wear their away shorts (white, Japan’s home shorts) and Japan in turn were made to wear their away shorts (blue, Brazil’s home shorts)! Where is the sense in that?



It just looks like… like they got their kits mixed up in the changing rooms. It’s not even as if there’s any precedent to this kind of decision – take hallmark world cup moments, Brazil v Italy and France, both of whom wear, as Japan do, blue shirts and white shorts.



No clash there, right?

No, no problem then. So why a problem now? And none know it better than Holland and Italy, neither of whom has yet been allowed to wear their full home kits after three games.

Holland v Argentina was an obvious one. Holland’s home kit is orange shirt, white shorts. They’ve played Argentina three times at the world cup, and these are two of their encounters.



Shouldn’t be a problem, right? Well, FIFA seem to think those white shorts are now too confusing, and Holland were made to run out for the third game in a row wearing all orange.



Italy v Ghana was another similar case. Italy’s home kit is blue shirt, white shorts. It’s been that way since the first world cup. Ghana’s home kit is white shirt, black shorts. No apparent clash? No, in fact, FIFA have also endorsed this colour combination in the past, whenver Italy played Germany, who wear the same colours as Ghana. Here’s one from a previous world cup final.



But when the Group E sides clashed, look what happened? Ghana were forced into white shorts, and Italy were forced into blue shorts.



it doesn’t make sense! There is absolutely no rationale behind these decisions, especially not after the precedents set at prior world cups. Now I know there are those among you who couldn’t be arsed if the teams took to field wearing pagoda singlets and ah pek shorts, as long as they don’t clash and they play good football. But national colours are symbols of identity and objects of pride. Italy and Holland, wearing all blue and all orange, don’t look like the great Italian and Dutch teams of the past, they look like generic footballers in Maxis ads wearing cheap generic kits.

There are regulations in the sport that govern change of kits, that’s fine. Where there is a legitimate clash, teams change kits around, usually to an away kit. But for reasons other than a legitimate clash, FIFA should really get their hands out of this trivial but meaningful aspect of the game, stop regulating kit clashes like Nazis and pay more attention to the real problems in the game. Because right now, there is absolutely no sense whatsoever in the way they make these proud world cup teams mix and match their wardrobe. It makes an absolute mockery of the pride of a country’s traditional colours, and for my money, FIFA have ruined one aspect of the game.

I can only imagine that the major kit makers, Nike, Adidas and Puma must be absolutely furious with what FIFA have done to their designs. Brazil looked like clowns wearing yellow and white, and in the big money world of commercial football, kit giants Nike will not be happy at all that their flagship team look like that on air. And for the Dutch and the Italians, after the millions Nike and Puma pour into launching, marketing and branding their respective teams, they deserve to feel extremely upset with FIFA when their teams on the field bear little semblance to the ones in the marketing campaigns.

The folks in FIFA have no clue how to do football. They absolutely don’t. They’ve already proven that they can’t get the footballing matters right – refereeing standards, inconsistent rules in the game, etc. Now, they’ve gone and squeezed their name all over the cake of embarrassment with neon pink cream with this kit change joke.

The football will still be good, I’ve been very impressed with the quality of this world cup. And for those of you to whom that is all that matters, I’m surprised you’ve read this far. But it matters to me. And when the final rolls into town, and when the pictures are beamed forever into televisions, captured forever on photographs, etched forever in memories, don’t be surprised if all our favourite teams all look, if only somewhat, off colour.

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Group Analysis - EFGH

If groups ABCD are characterised by two-horse races, groups EFGH are notable for still being open. And as the last batch of first round matches beckon, where the ABCD groups fight for 1-2 positions, EFGH groups will feature titanic battles for qualification. Out of 16 teams, only two are sure of more action: Brazil and Spain. For the rest, it's going to be a heart-stopping, gut-wrenching race for a place.

GROUP E

Czechs: Between Ghana and the deep blue sea

The drama begins here, and possibly hits its highest point here, where Italy take on Czech Rep in what was always going to be a mouth-watering tie. Adding to the spice is the high chance that between them, only one may qualify. Italy lead the group, and need only a draw to make it through, but the prospect of meeting Brazil in the second round if the come in second in the group will spur Marcello Lippi's men to finish strong. The Czechs, so impressive against USA yet so underwhelming against Ghana will fancy qualifying anyhow, and one suspects it will take a win to really see them through, eventhough they currently sit above Ghana in goal difference.

Ghana play USA at the same time, and both teams still have a chance of qualification. Ghana's is extremely realistic - a victory here will see them through regardless if the result between the Italians and the Czechs. A draw can see them through if the Czechs lose. For USA, the light is dimmer, but mathematically, it is still achievable: a win against Ghana coupled with an Italian victory will see USA leapfrog both the Czechs and the Ghanians into second place. So tightly balanced is this group that even the least likely of qualifiers, USA, have a reasonable chance of making it through. Possibly one of the most exciting world cup match-days in modern history.

Highlight match: Italy v Czech Rep
Likely qualifiers: Italy and Ghana


GROUP F

Australia v Croatia will be battle royale

Brazil have qualified, albeit with more stud than stun, which leaves Australia, Croatia and Japan to duel for a day in the second round. Of the three, Australia are in pole, facing Croatia on match-day and having their destiny firmly in their own hands. A draw, one assumes, will see them through on goal difference (though of course, this works on the assumption that Japan will not defeat Brazil).

For Croatia to qualify, they have to defeat the Australians. Anything short of that will see them and the Socceroos maintain status quo, which will not be enough. For Japan to qualify, Zico has the mammoth task of orchestrating not just a defeat, but a BIG defeat, of his countrymen Brazil, and then hope for a draw between Australia and Croatia. The way it looks, Japan can start packing their bags.

Highlight match: Australia v Croatia
Likely qualifiers: Brazil and Australia


GROUP G

France are in trouble for the second time

This is the group where France have got themselves into a tricky situation again. They have drawn both their games so far, and are stuck at third, with two points and Togo left to play. Granted that they are expected to win that match, France have shown enough creak and crack to suggest that a third draw - especially without the suspended Zidane - isn't completely impossible. For those hoping to see the Swiss and Koreans go through (I confess to being in this category), it is a shame that both teams have to split points in the last game, because whichever team that loses is likely to miss out on the next round.

The most likely scenario, however, is that France will defeat Togo, and the Swiss and Koreans will draw, resulting in a five point tie at the top. In this situation, France need at least a 2-0 victory to ensure qualification. A 1-0, coupled by a Korea/Switzerland goalless draw will be no good for France. The higher the scoreline in Korea v Switzerland, the more goals France will have to score. In short, France need a good whip of a match to see them through, where they are most likely going to meet Group H winners, Spain.

Highlight match: Switzerland v Korea
Likely qualifiers: Too close to call


GROUP H

Ukraine's roller-coaster world cup roars into Tunisia

Spain becomes the first team to qualify as group toppers, leaving the pretenders in their group trailing miles behind. Of the four, Saudi and Tunisia are tied on the one point they shared in their 2-2 draw, yet the Saudis don't look like having a shot in hell because it is a date with Spain on their last match-day. Not even a second-string Spanish team, which we are almost certain of seeing, should stumble with the Saudis. The focus therefore shifts to Ukraine v Tunisia in a match that should decide who goes through second. Ukraine are in pole position, sitting two points clear of Tunisia, and so nothing short of a victory for the African champions will be enough to see them out of this group.

Highlight match: Ukraine v Tunisia
Likely qualifiers: Spain and Ukraine


The final group day will be a major storm for these four groups, and when the dust settles, be ready for a few surprise entries into the round of 16. Before then, let's all bite our lips and grip seats tight. It's gonna be a massive, massive fight to qualify.

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Togo's players could boycott Monday's World Cup Group G match with Switzerland if money they have been promised has not been transferred into their bank accounts, according to defender Jean-Paul Abalo.

Togo only traveled to Dortmund from their base in Wangen in southern Germany after being assured they would be paid money owed for qualifying for the country's first ever World Cup. Abalo said that if the money had not appeared in their bank accounts tomorrow then the team would discuss whether to go ahead with the fixture. 'We will decide tomorrow,' Abalo said after training at the Westfalenstadion. 'We want to see the money in our accounts - it's the group that decides. 'This will be the decision of the whole squad - not just one player.'

Abalo claimed that the dispute was not about bonuses for performances in Germany but the bonus they were promised for qualifying. 'Just the bonuses for qualifying,' he said. 'We have not seen any money yet. 'We reached an agreement in principle with the (Togo) Football Federation this morning. Now we must wait and see.'

Hmm ... sticky issue. Granted when love, religion, ethics and in this case national pride is involved, money becomes a rather autocratic component when brought into any discussion. So should the Togo players in fact wear their country's hearts on their sleeves, seeing as they have done almost the impossible by qualifying for the World Cup? It's a little like Malaysia qualifying for the World Cup. Then again, maybe not.

Or is it a matter of ethics? That it is not the money but in fact the principle behind it? After all, God forbid that the 23 Togo players played their guts out because of the bonus money because if that were so, Malaysia would've qualified a long time ago.

Hmmm ... then again.

It is perhaps a little ugly to be bringing up money at such a massive and sentimentally powerful event like the World Cup. But for a country ravaged by political and civil unrest, economical downturns and a 50% depreciation of their currency, I refuse to condemn the Togo World Cup squad for their decision to voice this now.

After all, why not demand now when the country is still in contention at the World Cup? They may never see the bonuses should they lose to Switzerland today.

Just another inkling that there are more important issues than the World Cup at this point of time. Though you would never know that if you surfed your local TV channels.

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A Case for Lennon

You know how sometimes you want something to happen, even though you know that for it to happen, you would have to lose something in return? Sort of like choosing medical policies at work - with dental but a limited coverage on general health issues or without dental but with unlimited coverage on general health issues.

While many people were chanting Rooney's name and hailing the return of their campaign savior, many people forgot to notice that young Aaron Lennon was causing the T&T defence quite a bit of problems on the right.

It is maybe a little ironic to me that the team which perfected wing-play appeared a little clipped in the first two matches in this World Cup. Beckham and his tendency to drift centre to play orchestrator and inability to run at defences contributed massively to England's boring outlook in the final third.

But of course, Beckham picked out Crouch for the first goal. So who should go?

Sigh

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Wanted: World-class Strikers Apply: World Cup 2006

Has anyone noticed there aren’t many good strikers at this World Cup?

Rooney, Owen, Shevchenko, Totti are all half-fit and not up to speed.

Italy are already looking to 4th choice Iaquinta to do a Schilacci.

Ibrahimovic and Larsson failed to pierce the mighty Trinidadian defence.

<>Henry<> does not look the same player as <>Henry<> .

Van Nistlerooy looks OK by comparison, but it looks as if the wingers (Robben, Van Persie, Kuyt) will be the main source of threat for Holland.

Portugal might just be a serious contender with better strikers than the likes of Pauleta, Nuno Gomez and especially Postiga on the end of the service from Figo, Deco and <>Ronaldo<>.

Drogba looks good, but might be on a plane home early.

Adriano is lethal on his left foot but completely hopeless on his right.

And of course the granddaddy of all strikers, McGalactico himself, < type=" fat">Ronaldo<>, looks done.

Only Argentina and Spain look the capable of shooting all the way to glory.

It already looks as if this will be a midfielder’s tournament. With both main striker’s unfit, Gerrard-as-playmaker looks the best option for England. Brazil’s “Magic Quartet” might have to be pared down to a “Dynamic Duo” (Kaka and Ronaldinho). Robben is my early favourite for player of the tournament. Riquelme is the new main man for Argentina, Figo is still the main man for Portugal

So my pick for top scorer? Do I have to? Ermmm….. Klose. Why not? He almost did it last time and every match is a home game for him.

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"Eat Shit Lampard!"

"Eat shit, Lampard!".

That was what an England (and a Liverpool) fan, and mate of mine, screamed into the telephone when we spoke seconds after Steven Gerrard's scorching 90th minute goal for England just hours ago. My mate's sentiments might have been fueled by circumstances and club rivalry, but it is telling nonetheless.

This isn't an anti-Lampard campaign, mind you - it's just an effort to see things objectively and make a few brave comments and suggestions. And if the headline offends you, it's really just my penchant for tabloid sensationalism.

But something's wrong in the England setup, because throughout the game, Lampard frequently got into scoring opportunities, and on 7 occassions, made shots on goal. But none of them were goals. Lampard's failure to score from point-blank situations was even more frustrating considering that for the largest part of the match, England were staring at a goalless draw. There are a few schools of thought surrounding Lampard's performance, and I will first investigate the pro-Lampard school.

Shebby Singh is one of his admirers, consoling himself with the fact that Lampard nonetheless "got into those scoring positions", is "playing his natural game" and just wasn't in scoring form. That is true - Lampard worked very hard yesterday, and the fact that he had 7 amazing goalscoring opportunities says a lot about his positional sense, his runs into the box and his desire to score goals. It is also arguable that when Gerrard scored, it was only after the weight of the first-goal pressure had been lifted, and the entire English side had already begun to play more relaxed and effective football, including Lampard.

However, and this does little to convince the opposing school - 0 out of 7 great chances is woeful, and it is especially bad when your team needs it very bad. It is even worse when the rival for your position is being forced to sit in front of the back four all day tackling and passing from deep just so you can have the luxury of missing all your point-blank chances.

When Steven Gerrard shot - with his weaker foot - it was his very first shot on goal, and it wasn't just a goal, it was a magnificent goal. prior to that, he had only made one run into the box, and had earned two back-to-back freekicks when he did power upfield. But England's poor performances at this world cup have largely been the story of their best player being forced into a holding role when goals were dry (and no, that does not refer to Rooney cradling his foot in his hand).

Gerrard deserves to be unshackled from his defensive duties. He deserves to get into all those goalscoring positions that Lampard got himself into, because between the two of them, Gerrard has one shot on goal and one goal to show for, and Lampard has been misfiring in spite of his glut of attempts - some of them are embarrasing to watch. Ideally, both of them should be allowed to run on goal and shoot from the edge of the box. Ideally, England's dearth of fit strikers with goalscoring form should neccessitate them employing their goalscoring midfielders in their most advanced positions. Like i said, this is not an anti-Lampard campaign because ideally, both should be playing in attacking midfield positions. But not everything is ideal, least of all the sight of Eriksson on the bench, and that means England will probably start all their world cup games with a traditional 4-4-2. One of Lampard and Gerrard will always have to sit back and defend.

Now just because Gerrard can put in a tackle much better than Lampard doesn't make him a more suitable candidate for that defensive role. Gerrard has shown that he is a notch ahead of Lampard in many departments: he is a leader, he takes matches by the scruff of the neck, he changes the tempo and course, and often result of games, especially when the going is getting tougher. He is also a more complete player, and he can definitely tackle better, win balls better and cross the ball more accurately. Lampard used to have the boasting rights of scoring more goals, but this season in England, Gerrard outscored Lampard and now even ol Lamps can't boast on that anymore. With the possible exception of Wayne Rooney, fitness permitting, Steven Gerrard is by far England's best player, and we have barely seen him but for his one shot on goal against T&T last night.

After the disparity in finishing of yesterday, Eriksson should seriously consider - if he insists in keeping the 4-4-2 - dropping Lampard for someone like Michael Carrick, or god forbid, Owen Hargreaves, so that Gerrard gets a day in the sun in his favourite position, on the world stage. When he scored on his first attempt on goal last night, i think Stevie G earned that right.

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A Tale of Two Champions

The respective champions of the last two World Cups got their campaigns kicking to rather contrasting starts this morning.

France has been saddled with age jokes since the 98 World Cup. They won it with a defense that was over a hundred years old in combined age, and with its 98 talismans such as Thuram and Zidane still vital clogs in this 2006 team, it looks like the French have dragged progression into the recycling bin and opted for instantaneous success instead.

Their dour 0-0 draw with relative minnows Switzerland yesterday underlines two or three of a hundred things about Les Bleus:

• Thuram is old
• They've lost the cup initiative
• Zidane looks old

Decidedly, they failed to breakdown a resolute Swiss defense despite playing classy champagne football. Ribery (probably the only young player) produced some fancy tricks and Zidane got off his rocking chair a few times to produce some neat passes.

In contrasting fashion, Brazil played like cows and got away with a victory. Croatia should be downing quite a few whiskeys to drown their sorrows tonight as their brilliant defensive organization was undone by a masterclass strike from Kaka. But other than that sumptuous effort from the babyfaced Brazilian, Brazil for the most part looked tired, unimaginative and frankly, boring. They seem unable to cope with the physical aspects of the Croats' game and often looked like they were more excited to play out 90-minutes and go back to the hotel for a nap rather than to do the Brazil thing, which is to play jaw-dropping soccer.

But they won, and as Eriksson said, that's the important thing. Then again to compare Brazil's lackluster performance to England's school boy approach to soccer on Saturday is a juggernaut insult. Which in contrast to France playing some neat soccer and drawing as a result, is something that Brazil can take heart for. France's World Cup goal drought continues and the problem is, there's no Cisse to blame it on anymore.

Henry, the sharpest tool in football's shack was there, getting on the end of chances, Makelele was crunching-in the tackles and Zidane was breezing through the park playing the orchestrator. But yet they did not get the result. The France machine was chugging but there was no end product. Brazil decided to snooze through their match and won. The temperament of champions was what separated the two. Much like how Manchester United won the cup under Cantona's watch with a host of badly played 1-0 victories, champions win even when they play badly. The others who claim to play well have only but the referee to blame and frankly, a loss is still a loss to fans, whether or not you looked snazzy while losing.

France could go on to win the cup, and that, and that only is what will satisfy the French legions after being knocked out in the last one while defending it on their watch. As for Brazil, it's another three points in a what would likely be two more in the coming weeks. And after that it is as they say, clockwork, as they march on to the final against England.

Peace.

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Bruce the 'Chinaman'

"Landon showed no aggressiveness," Arena told a news conference after his team's 3-0 defeat in their World Cup Group E opening match ... Arena blamed his veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller for 'putting the ball upfield where we have nobody' at the start of the sequence that led to the first goal ... Arena also singled out PSV Eindhoven midfielder DaMarcus Beasley - alongside Donovan one of his most important players - for strong criticism, "We got nothing out of Beasley on the night."

Okay hold for just one dang dong second. Is it just me or is Arena is a little carried away playing 20-blames about that awful performance against the Czechs? Granted the Yanks were never quite good at being second best at anything except perhaps piracy (we are the champions my friends), but didn't someone told Arena to enrole in Alex Ferguson's School of Press Protection sometime in his reign as US coach? Guess not. So Arena decided to play Mr Chinese boss and walk eagerly down Jalan Negative Reinforcement. Like a few verbal whips in the press is going to get his players cracking. Maybe it would, but they sure as heck won't be sharing any beers with him after the World Cup. Reality check - this ain't a Hollywood sports flick Bruce. Bastard coaches usually stay bastard coaches, not turn into respectable heroes at the end.

Unless they win the World Cup but judging by their performance yesterday ... nah, no beers is a more likely outcome.

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Brazil v Czech Rep / Brazil v Italy

This is going to be another story on whether Brazil can win the world cup. The reason why I’ve been posting so many of these stories, all from different angles, is because there is a larger narrative in every world cup, and eventhough it’s fun to stick our heads into the nitty gritties of matchdays, it is also important to keep our fingers on the pulse of this larger narrative. I believe that the narrative of this world cup has been “Brazil will win the world cup”, and because so many writers and commentators have written everyone but the champions off, I find it necessary to produce contrasting opinions and balance our thoughts. It is too easy to get carried away on a team’s chances just because of the names on the shirts.

However good they may be, or even awesome, or glorious, or invincible they may be, Carlos Alberto Pereira and his entire Brazil squad would have been watching yesterday’s games with a keen eye, and it’s safe to say that what they saw would not have pleased them. It is quite clear that the two runaway teams in Group E are Czech Republic and Italy. With USA and Ghana not doing anything near enough to trouble the former two teams, it seems inevitable that Brazil will cross paths with one of the two: the Czechs or the Italians. It is also arguable that of the games we’ve seen thus far, these are probably two of the best teams who have already played.

If you look long enough at the Czechs, they start to look like the kind of team that was built specifically to beat teams like Brazil. They possess many a desireable quality, but more importantly, they are strong exactly where Brazil are weak. Aerial threat, for example, is one of the fortes of the Czech game. With much of the strategy designed around the 6’9 giant that is Jan Koller, the Czechs showed early against USA how they intend to pick apart opponents. It also comes without much introduction that aerial play is where Brazil’s defence is weakest. It is almost traditional – generation after generation of Brazillian defenders loathe the high ball, and their goalkeepers are always better shot-stoppers than brave commanders of the six-yard-box.

The Czechs are really big guys

If you saw the Czechs yesterday, you will also have noticed how huge they are. Height is a major factor, and next to that, size. The Czechs have those attributes in abundance, such that Koller himself looks completely standard copy compared with his colleagues (to draw a comparison, the 6’7 Peter Crouch looks like a tower when standing with his English colleagues). But size is nothing if it’s not used right, and the Czechs use their robust physique to great advantage, forcing off opponents from the ball and outmuscling them with pace and power. Even the formerly diminutive Thomas Rosicky has bulked up, and this too is something the Brazillians dislike. The fleet-footed Brazillians always prefer to play teams that give them room to move, around whom they can weave their assured passing and through whom they can dribble. Having seen the Czechs, it is mighty hard to imagine any team dancing around these incredibly fit muscular guys. Their strength and fearlessness means that should the Brazillians face the Czechs, they will find themselves with very little room to play, always getting closed down, and having their ball-skills tamed by solid tackling and upper-body checks. It is almost safe to say that among all the teams at the world cup, Brazil would want least to meet Czech Republic.

If that is their wish, and if it is answered, then the task of dismantling Brazil falls to the Italians. Age-old rivals, Brazil and Italy have locked horns many times, but none more memorable than the three big world cup ties: the 1970 final, the 1982 Paolo Rossi hattrick, and the 1994 final. And while the cliché would have been Brazil’s beautiful attack against Italy’s cattenaccio defence, one look at Italy v Ghana will tell you that the cattenaccio is as unfashionable today as last season’s throwaways on the Milan catwalks. For at every chance possible, especially in the first half, Italy attempted to pass the ball forward and run forward. So quick was their movement up the pitch that Italy succeeded to turn defence into attack within seconds without having to use the long ball. Often, it took three or four pass-and run moves, involving say Nesta to Pirlo to Totti and then a through ball to Toni. Such is the change in the Italian footballing ethos that the runs they make now more closely resemble rugby runs, where every pass is followed through with the single-mindedness of driving the entire midfield and forward lines higher up the pitch. And in all this, the famed Italian defence has not been compromised. Fabio Grosso may look out of sorts in left back (who wouldn’t when replacing Paolo Maldini?), but the central pairing of Cannavaro and Nesta, backed up by the tough tackling Daniele de Rossi defend like cattenaccio type defenders minus the negative mindset.

Iaquinta scores after beating the backline with speed

Such organization, discipline, desire and tactical shrewdness is sure to pose questions even Brazil may struggle to answer. The quickness with which Italy move up and down the pitch will at some point make it necessary for midfielders Kaka and Ronaldinho to track back and do their share of tackling, if not temporary man-marking. The through balls that Totti, Perrotta and Pirlo feed the front two will not be the kind of defending Lucio and Juan enjoy playing. Brazil’s centrebacks are tough-tacklers and strong, thuggish and (but for their Jesus loves you undershirts), prototypes of the badass backliner. This means they prefer to play with the attackers’ backs facing them, where they can pull close to the frontment and squeeze them out with their size and tackling. If height is the Czechs’ weapon, the through ball is Italy’s. It may not help the Brazillian cause that among their fullbacks is the less than prudent Roberto Carlos, whose marauding runs forward often leaves gaps at the back. The paceless Lucio and Juan should by now be studying Toni’s runs, Gilardino’s mobility and of course, Iaquinta’s late goal, and note how many goals have already been scored this world cup by through balls latched on by pacey strikers.

Can Brazil run rings around everyone?

Of course, Brazil are still favourites for the cup. A couple of good rivals and a theory plucked from nowhere can never make it otherwise. And their strengths will always hold up, not just to their own weaknesses, but also against the weaknesses of their opponents. And to be fair, it is conversely arguable that Brazil’s fluid use of width will be a baptism of fire for the inexperienced Zaccardo and Grosso, Italy’s fullbacks, or that their front pairing of Ronaldo and Adriano will find the Czech centreback pairing of Ujfalusi and Rozehnal underwhelming and one-dimensional. Brazil have enough tricks in the bag to potentially outsmart any and every team. But the draw has not been entirely kind to them, and a guaranteed second round meeting with either the Czechs or the Italians at least opens up the possibility of an early shock for the champions. On their current form, do not rule out the possibility of Brazil having to take both these teams out as well, for their draw potentially throws one up in the second round and the other in the semi-finals.

But these are games we want to see. Nobody wants the world cup sewn up before the opening match and the sheer number of pundits who have given it to Brazil irritates me. It cannot be so simple. It must not be so simple. When Brazil’s group crosses with Group E, there is every reason to believe that simplicity will not be a soup of the day.

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Status Report: England

England were woeful against Paraguay.

Unlike Germany and Holland who have come out guns blazing with some awesome, jaw dropping soccer, England decided to play hookie. If Greece 2004 represented the blueprint of cup-winning soccer then England have more than a nugget to win this one.

First with the positives. Ferdinand, often criticized by sections of the media and about 40% of the world's population for being someone who is more likely to give away goals than prevent them, turned out a juggernaut performance of calmness and concentration. Beckham, so often criticized for having a more powerful PR campaign than a shot played some neat touches and was of course, instrumental in the goal. Crouch was hardly within ten yards of a goal scoring chance all match but he was tirelessly working for the team. Sadly, the referee seemed to think being 6-foot plus = big bully, especially in the light of the rather diminutive Paraguayan defenders. Nevermind that Crouch looks like someone who is more likely to turn around and play hide and seek than beat up people.


Joe Cole, for all the running and dribbling, hardly made an impact. Michael Owen, surprisingly substituted early, looked like a school boy who lost his bag on the first day of school, both Ashley Cole and Gary Neville made characteristically stupid errors and guess what, Hargreaves was brought on yet again by Eriksson to play the Dalai Lama in protecting England's lead which about adds up to make England as much of a genuine contender for the cup as Malaysia. I guess

Sir Bobby Robson wasn't exactly off the cockles when he said England's chances were severely dented by Rooney's injury.

Me, I am just sad I did not get to see that ghastly robot dance.

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Group Analysis - ABCD

Half of the teams have played their first match, and for four of the eight groups, more concrete ideas about qualification are beginning to take shape. And while many of the results were predictable, the level of play – both the dull and spirited – has been the excitement factor this far. We’ll review groups A to D, and shed some light on what the first match results mean for qualification.

GROUP A

Is it all over for Poland?

Germany defeating Costa Rica on opening day was on the script of perhaps every fan, yet the fact that the match left many enthralled hopefully sets the tone for the remainder of the tournament. And if the three points were unremarkable, the four goals were. Germany’s creative midfield, matched by the finishing instincts of Miroslav Klose, puts the host nation in the driving seat for the group. Along the way, it condemned a spirited, albeit flawed, Costa Rica. Elsewhere, when Ecuador scored two goals in spite of constant Polish pressure, the writing appeared on Group A’s wall. Poland, who were expected to defeat the South Americans, came off with nothing, and bring to their next match with Germany the arduous task of taking a point. At this juncture, you have to fancy Ecuador progressing – with the possibility of three more points against Costa Rica, it is much more than Poland can dream of. For Poland, anything less than a draw against Germany is a curtain call. Results against Costa Rica, whose two goals proved they weren’t making up numbers, are likely to decide who progresses with Germany.

Driving seat: Germany
Story of the group: Is there anything left for Poland after losing to Ecuador?
Surprise package: Germany’s midfield, who have thrilled with unGerman goals, dribbling, shimmies, and tricks, and all this sans Ballack
Rock bottom: Not Costa Rica, who have their hardest game dusted – everything could go pear-shaped for Poland.
Star moment: Lahm and Frings scoring piledrivers



GROUP B


Trinidad feel like champions after holding Sweden to a draw

When England’s lackluster game against Paraguay came to an end, the massive legion of fans knew all too well that the three points earned on the day masked the dour performance on field. Nonetheless, the cynicism was soon eased. Three hours later, Trinidad & Tobago’s majestic 0-0 draw with Sweden wrote World Cup history and effectively changed the entire complexion of the group. England had unexpectedly earned the role of Group B’s designated driver, having negotiated 3 points from one of the group’s tricky sides. How ironic it would turn out to be, that England who played poorly came off with three points, but for Sweden who showed fitness, workrate and dashes of skill, there was only frustration and heartbreak. By the time England leave the pitch against Trinidad & Tobago, of whom one cannot expect a repeat of heroics, their collection of what should be six points ought to set them up as group toppers. For Sweden and Paraguay, victory for either team will go a long way in translating into a second round ticket. A draw, ironic for Sweden because they are leading on points, will favour Paraguay, who still have Trinidad & Tobago to play. And so for those following the fate of Sweden, let not a draw against Paraguay mask the task that lies ahead – it is arguable that nothing short of a victory against Paraguay is enough to propel the talented Swedes into the knockout phase.

Driving seat: Undeservedly, England.
Story of the group: Sweden in trouble
Surprise package: 10-man Trinidad & Tobago’s majestic defensive show
Rock bottom: Not all is lost for Paraguay, whom you suspect can conjure points their next two games.
Star moment: Trinidad & Tobago celebrate like they win

GROUP C

Argentina are clinical on their way to the top

The group of death has thrown out a couple of wins, no upsets, and the casual observer will be fooled into believing that Argentina and Holland have the group sewn up. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Ivory Coast looks every bit like the dark horse team of the tournament, and their late surge against Argentina, inspired by an amazing Didier Drogba, suggests that the remaining six points are in fact the Ivorians’ to lose. Holland’s boring 1-0 victory against the Serbs, like England’s win, masks problems in their ability to get their attacking lineup right. The dutch lack that bite in midfield that sets Argentina apart, especially when the South Americans play with both Cambiasso and Mascherano. While Robben appears like an inspired frontrunner for the tournament’s undisputed darling, the rest of the dutch looked decidedly lazy and lethargic, building up cautious and sometimes over-patient attacks that too often break down in the final third. Do not rule out dutch defeats against both the Ivorians and Argentina. There is plenty left to play in this group. Yet, with what could in fact be their toughest game out of the way, Argentina look set to score plenty of goals and qualify for the next round laps ahead of their counterparts.

Driving seat: Argentina
Story of the group: Holland was unconvincing in victory, Ivory Coast was inspiring in defeat – there’s plenty of drama left.
Surprise package: Didier Drogba’s leadership and professionalism
Rock bottom: Serbia & Montenegro’s negative approach will earn them few fans, and fewer points, in this group of attacking sides.
Star moment: Robben running rings around the Serbs


GROUP D

Bravo Mexico! Bravo Mexico!

Mexico’s emphatic 3-1 victory over Iran would have sent a message, not just to the Portuguese, with whom they are largely expected to qualify, but also to the rest of the participating teams. Here is a Mexico that will punish defensive mindsets with beautiful passing, one-touch football, mazy runs and a potent goalscorer in Omar Bravo. Portugal barely defeated their former colony Angola 1-0, and were booed by their own fans. While their desire to score goals can be faulted, their ability to play well should ensure them at least another two points in the group, which should be enough. After their crucial first game, Iran find themselves in a similar position as Poland in Group A: with no points and their toughest game up next. Their unenviable task is juxtaposed with Mexico’s plump prospects of a game with Angola. When they play Portugal, Iran must be on their physical best, troubling the light-weight Iberians with strength and robustness. Anything short of a victory will see their dream of second-round football virtually fade away.

Driving seat: Mexico
Story of the group: Iran fails to make it a three-horse race
Surprise package: Somehow, Portugal’s lack of desire isn’t entirely surprising
Rock bottom: Angola’s enthusiasm will be tested when they meet more determined opposition, and this means more woe
Star moment: Mexico’s naturalized Brazillian, Zinha, winning the hearts of his new countrymen by scoring goal number three

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Goals?!

Last night's performance by Germany was about as German as enchiladas.

That's not a bad thing, in case you were wondering. It was great to be 'German' from a footballing sense in the 70s, but German football these days is known more for its coach that prefers to hang with the Yanks than eat frankfurts, aimless football and that 5-0 drubbing by England a few years back (the latter being slightly more than optional).

So when they announced that the 2006 World Cup would be kicked off by the host nation, everyone from the pirated DVD peddler down the block to some drunk in a bar in Edinburgh heaved a heavy sigh. Remember what happened when Germany kicked off the 1994 edition? Yeah precisely, I don't either. But I do remember nearly throwing this Coke can I was holding at the TV at some point in the match.

Phillip Lahm, reels away after the stunner

But like I said, Germany wasn't exactly Germany yesterday. With marauding runs by Schweinsteiger and Schneider on either flanks and with Borowski challenging and passing well in the centre, Germany actually looked pretty damn exciting. Which is about as logical as saying veggie burgers are delicious. 4-2 just about paid the dues for the last couple of World Cups that began with a dull thud. That's not to say Germany look like potential champions, seeing as Costa Rica were not exactly the Great Wall defensively. But the fact that Germany were actually running (gasp), dribbling (gasp gasp) and scoring (faint) showed that this Cup could yet produce a surprise or two. The Geek sits back in his lazy boy and awaits the arrival of the future champions tonight - England.

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WORLD XVI - As chosen by your editors

With a gazillion worthy football stories to be written, and too little time to research, write and post, Secawanbola's editors proudly present to you their World XVI without the full set of glossy headshots that were downloaded but never photoshopped into respectable graphics. And while this editor apologises for the dull presentation of this otherwise cheerful piece, he makes no apologies for the team selections you will see below, all of which are devastating and thoughtfully chosen. Maybe with the exception of Ochoa... what was Crealgler thinking? Maybe he knows something we all don't!

THE GEEK



What better way than to start with The Geek's traditional 4-4-2. His lineup has a strong Premiership slant, notable for employing, as England will, the Gerrard-Lampard partnership in the centre.

Cech
Ferrerira Terry Puyol Cole
Schweinsteiger Gerrard Lampard Kaka
Henry Ronaldinho

Subs: Heinze, Ballack, Makelele, C Ronaldo, Tevez


ALEX



Alex sets up an attacking minded 4-3-3 with lots of soul in the middle and still packs in some great names on the wings. Incidentally, the 4-3-3 is quite popular this world cup, so look out for it.

Casillas
Zambrotta Gallas Terry Cole
Gerrard Kaka Ballack
Henry Shevchenko Ronaldinho

Subs: Cech, Campbell, Viera, Robben, Ronaldo


CREALGLER



Crealgler names a team that isn't just packing with great players, but specifically, a team full of potential captains. He may be playing 4-5-1, but there's enough strikers on the bench for a change of heart!

Ochoa
Puyol Nesta Toure Zambrotta
Ronaldinho Lampard Riquelme Ballack Nedved
Ibrahimovic

Subs: Essien, Zidane, C Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Henry


BROKEN METATARSAL



Our silent editor - silent thus far - employs an 4-1-3-2 formation with notable inclusions for Ivory Coast's Kolo Toure and Argentine pitbull Javier Mascherano. From the bench, guess which Premiership team he supports.

Cech
Neville Terry Toure R Carlos
Mascherano
Gerrard Ballack Ronaldinho
Henry Shevchenko

Subs: Cicinho, Kaka, Nedved, Tevez, Park Ji Sung


GOODCHRISTIANBOY



And finally, Goodchristianboy also goes for the 4-1-3-2 with the original Makekele in the "Makelele position". His bench is full of classic bench-warmers.

Cech
Cafu Cannavaro Terry Cole
Makelele
Schweinsteiger Gerrard Ronaldinho
Teves Henry

Subs: Reina, Carragher, Mascherano, Aimar, Inzaghi


So there you have it. The informed decisions of laymen football wanabe pundits who aren't good-looking enough to call games next to Shebby Singh or they would have dropped their boring legal publishing jobs for a day in the commentator's box by now. No prizes for guessing who made all five teams, there's a reason why none of the five headshots show Brazilians, and it's called compensation. The world cup is here, and though this is posted a good six hours before the kickoff, by the time you read this, there's a chance the month-long festival of late nights, borrowed nationalism and tv additction would have strangleheld us to the protestations of girlfriends and dismay of bosses. Long live the beautiful game.


Post your own World XVI by clicking Comments below, and let the world know who you'd send onto the field!

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