Picture of Dunga often used in Brazilan Press.FRIDAY 2nd JULY
Quarter Final Day 1 and first up was Holland v Brazil in a match that could be a classic and it could be an attack v defence training game bore. The game got what it needed in the 10th minute when Robinho latched onto a through ball and the nearest Dutch defender may as well have been in Amsterdam as he stroked it first time past Stekelenberg The rest of the first half was a case of Brazil hammering on the door and the Dutch just about keeping them out which was surprising, given that their two centre backs are ‘average’ Premier League players in Heitinga and Ooijer. Mind you, England had several ‘good’ premier League players and look where that got us. Kaka’s curled effort brought a brilliant save from Stekelenberg and right on half time, Dani Alves rolled the ball into the path of Maicon who had visions of Carlos Alberto 1970 in his eyes as he fired wide.
Having not created much at all in the first half, it was a major surprise when Holland equalised. Robben stayed on his feet and laid back to Schneijder who crossed into the box. In truth he overhit it and it was keepers ball all day long but with Julio Cesar didn’t call or Felipe Melo ignored him and the latter flicked it into the net as the keeper missed his punch. It goes down as an own goal but for me it’s a big keeper error as he gets nowhere near it. Back came Brazil and Kaka had all the time in the world to measure a sidefoot volley which drifted wide which he regretted soon after as a Robben corner was flicked on by Kuyt for Schneijder , all five foot two of him, to head home.
Remember when you were a kid and you played a team that never lost and when you beat them, they just lost their rag because they weren’t used to it? Well, Brazil found themselves behind which they hardly ever do and so Felipe Melo decided to make things even more difficult by pointlessly stamping on Robben. I know he’s annoying and he’s been diving about all game but doing that is one of the more fuckwitted things you will see at this or any World Cup. Off you go. The remaining 20 minutes were interesting in that Holland had chances to score more but ballsed up the final pass and aside from one corner which Stekelenberg missed when it sailed across the goal about three yards out, Brazil didn’t do much and so, big shock, Brazil out and Holland through. Fair play to the Dutch for a gutsy win and spare a thought for Dunga who was never the most popular with the Brazilian press anyhow. Imagine the English tabloids if he was England manager with a name like Dunga…
Uruguay versus everyone’s new favourite team in the evening match and I personally was expecting a Uruguay win as I couldn’t see Ghana putting in two performances in a row. The first half was pretty dull before springing to life in injury time, due to a 35 yarder from a player who the manager wanted to send home earlier in the tournament. Sulley Muntari picked it up just over halfway, lumbered forward a bit and let fly from miles out. Keeper Muslera took two steps to his right before watching the ball veer the other way and end up beating him to the left. This reopens the Jubulani debate again as did the Uruguay equalizer when Forlan’s free kick was heading to the near post before turning right and flying in at the far post which goalkeeper Kingson disappearing up his own arse, trying to change direction in mid air. It looked great but it’s a joke really – there is no way Forlan know the ball was going to do that and there was no chance of Kingson stopping it. In short, it was a fluke as it could have gone anywhere so we have a World Cup Quarter Final being decided on who gets lucky. A couple of chances for Suarez of Uruguay before 90 minutes was up, one into the side netting after a brilliant cross from Forlan and one tipped over by Kingson who showed good reactions to palm over.
Extra time and everyone (including Marcel Desailly) seemed to think that Ghana would tire but they were the better side throughout the extra half and hour and were pressing as we entered the 120th minute. A cross into the box, Muslera comes and flaps and the ball falls to Appiah who smashes it goalwards which Suarez somehow clears it as far as Adiya who heads goalwards where two Uruguayans try to handball it and Suarez succeeds and is duly sent off. The referee signals that it will be the last kick like something out of Ry of the Rovers and Asamoah Gyan, who has already score two penalties in the tournament, steps up and hits the bar and over. You oculd have heard a termite fart for a second before the ref blew to signal the penalty shootout.
I knew that Ghana were now going to lose and so it came to pass that despite Gyan making up for his miss, Uruguay win the shootout 4-2 with Abreu, who looks like he’s homeless, chipping the winning penalty into the middle of the net like a complete arrogant bastard. Ghana’s two misses in the shootout were bloody terrible as Mensah, the brute of a centre half, took a one pace run up and took a penalty that a five year old girl could have hit harder. Adiya’s miss was not as bad but again, he didn’t hit it hard enough to make the keeper have to do anything special – if he went the right way, he saved it. Perez missed one for Uruguay – I think he was trying to kick it back to Montevideo.
So, Holland v Uruguay in the World Cup Semi Final – you wouldn’t have bet on that. Ghana have been brilliant and England could learn a lot from them about playing as a team and having pride in the shirt. Sadly, all Ghana have picked up from the English game is how to lose penalty shootouts but they really should have gone through with the pen in the 120th minute. They must be gutted – not even England have managed to go out in that fashion. Uruguay's Suarez will get some flak for punching the ball off the line but show me a fan who'd condemn a player who did that for their own team in that situation and I'll show you a big far wobbly dangly liar.
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