June 9.
Hello Claudia.
German opening ceremonies have always been a bit eclectic but a troupe of grown men dancing around in lederhosen surely is a step too far. After being treated to the sight of the ever lovely Claudia Schiffer and perenially smiling football legend Pele kicking things off, the dancers left a bitter aftertaste.
Luckily the opening game soon evened things out, serving up a fresh appetizer to what is indeed the world's biggest sporting celebration.
Germany and Costa Rica set about each other with a relish not seen since before the defensive dourness of Italia '90 and the game was refreshingly open, fast paced and positive. Some might say that it was also refreshingly naive in that the tempo was too fast for a game of this stature and surely any team with more experience would have slowed things down... However it is that mentality, often brought about the dour maturity of the modern game that has often sucked the life out of football.
Football at the basic level is a aport of simple things, passes, runs, dribbles, shots and dekes. Herr mannschaft version 2006 and the Ticos combined to produce a fluid, fast moving spectacle fully deserving it's place as the opening game of these championships. Off one of the very first attacks down the left flank Phillip Lahm, a teutonic version of Roberto Carlos, curled in a beauty that had Costa Rica goalie Jose Porras well beaten. He probably didn't expect it to swerve into the top right corner, his enthusiasm far outweighing his optimism at his strike. But go in it did, and we were off. Thereafter the game was end to end and although Costa Rica were mostly on the receiving end as Germany pelted their goalie with shots, they did manage to score twice, equalising within minutes of Lahm's opener. In Paolo Wanchope, they probably had the most pedigreed if not most prolific striker on the pitch but that quality did not extend throught the rest of the squad. Once Klose had added a brace you got the feeling that the Germans had proved to be just too much for the Central American team. Especially once Torsten Frings hammered home a stupendous 40 yarder. Once again top right corner, just missed the post and crossbar.
Kudos to Lahm and Frings for some exceptional long ball tallies. Sometimes a game of football renews the joy of watching the sport in you - this one surely did in me. Goal of the game was definitely Frings, it should be one of the top goals you'll see all tournament.
Endnotes:
Was it just me or did Oliver Kahn look more than a little satisfied when Germany conceded Costa Rica's second goal.
Costa Rica shipped 5 goals against Brazil in Japorea 2002. They scored 2 goals in that game as well.
Lahm's strike, although well placed, just shaved the inside of the far post, a few inches off and it could have been post, not a goal.
Germany 4 - Lahm, Klose 2, Frings
Costa Rica 2 - Wanchope 2
-----------------------------------
Not an Upset.
Ecuador beating Poland is not an upset (with all due respect to my Polish friends). I've been calling it for weeks. Finishing third in South America is a very commendable achievement. 3rd place in COMNEBOL is much harder to get than second in one's European qualifying group. They are a well drilled, disciplined outift who have continuity, talent and flair. In Augustin Delgado they have an accomplished striker who is both pacy and agile. Ecuador beat Croatia 1-0 last time around and gave both Mexico and Italy a hard time in their group at Japorea 2002. You write off 'unheard of' South American opposition at your own risk - as the Poles soon found out.
I had the game down as a 2-2 draw. It so very nearly was.
Sometimes football teams walk into a match and expect to win. They do everything right, the simple passes, the high percentage plays, display honest effort and genuine toil, and yet due to the vagaries of the game, come away empty handed against a wily team willing to stand firm during open play and then hitting back on the counter attack.
In reality, Poland weren't that poor overall. They were sluggish after the first 20 minutes and never sparkled. They did fall asleep at the back on the 2 occasions that Ecuador scored. Furthermore all the chances they created amounted to nothing as they weren't clinical enough in front of goal. For all their huffing and puffing, they lacked the professional efficiency one would expect from a European team.
Ecuador, on the other hand were devastatingly clinical and mature in their defensive composure. It reminded me of many a Champions League game between Arsenal and continental opposition, where despite having most of the possession and chances the gunners either lost or drew due to the odd lapse at the back coupled with deadly finishing from their opponents.
At the death, Poland slammed 2 shots against the bar. Neither were that far off, and considering that 2 of Germany's goals, earlier the same day, came off shots that just dipped in at the last moment to shave the inside of the post, the Poles have every right to be wistful about coming so close.
Endnotes:
Ecuador's 2 goals were texbook examples of hitting on the counterattack, England, Italy, Serbia, were you watching ?
Does Pawel Jenas regret leaving out Tomasz Frankowski now (7 goals during qualifying - leading scorer for Polska)
Ecuador 2 - Tenorio, Delgado
Poland 0
Hello Claudia.
German opening ceremonies have always been a bit eclectic but a troupe of grown men dancing around in lederhosen surely is a step too far. After being treated to the sight of the ever lovely Claudia Schiffer and perenially smiling football legend Pele kicking things off, the dancers left a bitter aftertaste.
Luckily the opening game soon evened things out, serving up a fresh appetizer to what is indeed the world's biggest sporting celebration.
Germany and Costa Rica set about each other with a relish not seen since before the defensive dourness of Italia '90 and the game was refreshingly open, fast paced and positive. Some might say that it was also refreshingly naive in that the tempo was too fast for a game of this stature and surely any team with more experience would have slowed things down... However it is that mentality, often brought about the dour maturity of the modern game that has often sucked the life out of football.
Football at the basic level is a aport of simple things, passes, runs, dribbles, shots and dekes. Herr mannschaft version 2006 and the Ticos combined to produce a fluid, fast moving spectacle fully deserving it's place as the opening game of these championships. Off one of the very first attacks down the left flank Phillip Lahm, a teutonic version of Roberto Carlos, curled in a beauty that had Costa Rica goalie Jose Porras well beaten. He probably didn't expect it to swerve into the top right corner, his enthusiasm far outweighing his optimism at his strike. But go in it did, and we were off. Thereafter the game was end to end and although Costa Rica were mostly on the receiving end as Germany pelted their goalie with shots, they did manage to score twice, equalising within minutes of Lahm's opener. In Paolo Wanchope, they probably had the most pedigreed if not most prolific striker on the pitch but that quality did not extend throught the rest of the squad. Once Klose had added a brace you got the feeling that the Germans had proved to be just too much for the Central American team. Especially once Torsten Frings hammered home a stupendous 40 yarder. Once again top right corner, just missed the post and crossbar.
Kudos to Lahm and Frings for some exceptional long ball tallies. Sometimes a game of football renews the joy of watching the sport in you - this one surely did in me. Goal of the game was definitely Frings, it should be one of the top goals you'll see all tournament.
Endnotes:
Was it just me or did Oliver Kahn look more than a little satisfied when Germany conceded Costa Rica's second goal.
Costa Rica shipped 5 goals against Brazil in Japorea 2002. They scored 2 goals in that game as well.
Lahm's strike, although well placed, just shaved the inside of the far post, a few inches off and it could have been post, not a goal.
Germany 4 - Lahm, Klose 2, Frings
Costa Rica 2 - Wanchope 2
-----------------------------------
Not an Upset.
Ecuador beating Poland is not an upset (with all due respect to my Polish friends). I've been calling it for weeks. Finishing third in South America is a very commendable achievement. 3rd place in COMNEBOL is much harder to get than second in one's European qualifying group. They are a well drilled, disciplined outift who have continuity, talent and flair. In Augustin Delgado they have an accomplished striker who is both pacy and agile. Ecuador beat Croatia 1-0 last time around and gave both Mexico and Italy a hard time in their group at Japorea 2002. You write off 'unheard of' South American opposition at your own risk - as the Poles soon found out.
I had the game down as a 2-2 draw. It so very nearly was.
Sometimes football teams walk into a match and expect to win. They do everything right, the simple passes, the high percentage plays, display honest effort and genuine toil, and yet due to the vagaries of the game, come away empty handed against a wily team willing to stand firm during open play and then hitting back on the counter attack.
In reality, Poland weren't that poor overall. They were sluggish after the first 20 minutes and never sparkled. They did fall asleep at the back on the 2 occasions that Ecuador scored. Furthermore all the chances they created amounted to nothing as they weren't clinical enough in front of goal. For all their huffing and puffing, they lacked the professional efficiency one would expect from a European team.
Ecuador, on the other hand were devastatingly clinical and mature in their defensive composure. It reminded me of many a Champions League game between Arsenal and continental opposition, where despite having most of the possession and chances the gunners either lost or drew due to the odd lapse at the back coupled with deadly finishing from their opponents.
At the death, Poland slammed 2 shots against the bar. Neither were that far off, and considering that 2 of Germany's goals, earlier the same day, came off shots that just dipped in at the last moment to shave the inside of the post, the Poles have every right to be wistful about coming so close.
Endnotes:
Ecuador's 2 goals were texbook examples of hitting on the counterattack, England, Italy, Serbia, were you watching ?
Does Pawel Jenas regret leaving out Tomasz Frankowski now (7 goals during qualifying - leading scorer for Polska)
Ecuador 2 - Tenorio, Delgado
Poland 0
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