CHAPTER 86: Reflections on the World Cup......

"Winning the World Cup is the greatest satisfaction that any coach or footballer can ever feel.I have to say thanks to the players. This is the most satisfying moment of my life.
I dedicate the victory to my family. The players have unlimited heart, character and personality. This squad showed great heart."
- Marcello Lippi

It’s all over.

The ‘Greatest Show On Earth’ has ended. It’ll be another 4 years before we meet it again…….

Feeling kind empty now……..
Being a big fan of fútbol, now that the World Cup is over, there’s no more late night, get up early in the morning hours to catch some football action. No more seeing goals at this kind of showcase. No more seeing the excitement, the frustrations, the spirit and the skills and wizardry that football presents itself in the World Cup stage.
It’ll be a different day from now on. Back to normal reality once more……

With that being said, I would convene my thoughts on this World Cup on two angles, the positive side of it,… and the negative side of it.

Positively, I think that Germany have been a good host. It’s evident that throughout the competition, there hasn’t been any serious threats or bad issues that Germany had to cope with. There’s no news of riots or hooliganisms much happening, and every time you a see a game, the stadiums looked (on TV) always full.

Spectators who came to watch the games in each stadium gave a positive image too. You can always see some of them waving their supported teams’ flags proudly, and it was great to see in most matches where the ‘Mexican wave’ was being done frequently, no matter which teams were playing against each other. It was nice too that the German host put up large screens in each stadium all across different locations so that people can see matches at different sort of angles (I haven’t seen this kind of stuff at other stadiums).
I believe that in terms of preparations and service, Germany 2006 showed what being professional and quality of hosting such a prestigious event is all about. Beckenbauer and his staff should be proud.

Negatively though, I believe that this in this World Cup, I don’t think there really was any outstanding match that one could say would be remembered in football folklore. Of course, the quality of football was good, but…….the way football was being played……….I didn’t really felt ‘Joga Bonito’. With the exception of the wonderful play that Argentina presented in their demolition of Serbia & Montenegro, I think that most matches are grounded for victory more on technical and tactics perspectives instead of showcasing footballers’ talent & flair to win matches.
Sure, there was drama and tension throughout the tournament (the sending offs, the ‘Battle of Nuremberg’ (Portugal vs Holland), the penalty shoot-outs, Grosso last minutes sudden death time winner, Zidane’s dismissal,…..), but I don’t think people will remember this world Cup as one that had classic encounters.
Then there’s the issue of refereeing (e.g. Graham Poll’s ‘3 Yellow cards’ blunder) and the diving schemings.
And of course, the joke of the FIFA World rankings (Czech Republic
& USA comes to mind).

Oh yeah, and another thing. I also want to comment on the soundtrack that was made for this year’s World Cup. There’s two original tracks (the Il Divo & Toni Braxton combo of “Time Of Our Lives” & “Celebrate the Day” by Herbert Gronomeyer) and for me they’re all right.
But the rest of the music……..there only songs that are already out from years before, and what’s crap about it is that none of them are like songs related to football! I mean like, you got Savage Garden’s ”Truly Madly Deeply” and Kelly Clarkson’s ”Because Of You” as a song for a World Cup album, ….what the fu-k is that?

Anyhow, with that all aside, I would agree with the opinion of Paul Masefield and Shebby Singh that this World Cup had been more of a showcase of defending qualities (especially as the tournament progressed into the second round). Every top team in the World Cup got a very resilient defense line, especially the back four of the two teams that contested in the final. I believe that some of the teams got a nice pairing of centrebacks. France got Gallas & Thuram, Germany has Metzelder & Mertesacker, and Portugal has Carvalho & Meira. (Italy’s got Cannvaro & Nesta, but unfortunately we couldn’t see much of it since Nesta got injured soo early.)
That being said, I also agree with what Paul Masefield mentioned in one of Germany Tonight’s episode, that there haven’t really been any attacking player who really fired up the scene with mesmerizing attacking performances in this World Cup.
True enough, both Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard didn’t put in convincing performances, and neither scored a goal. Apart from that, other important team players like Ballack and Riquelme also couldn’t find the back of the net. Totti only scored a penalty, and I think he didn’t really bossed much in midfield in the competition. I also thought Steven Gerrard didn’t convince. Maybe he got some goals in the campaign, but I don’t think he really gelled up in the England midfield, compared to how he would set up Liverpool’s attack.
As for Ronaldo, the only goals that were importance scored by him was the equalizer against Japan and his goal against Ghana (that made him all time topscorer in the World Cup). Apart from all that, I don’t think he was the Roanldo of WC2002 (or even the Ronaldo of the late 90s – preWC98…….)
Some more, we couldn’t see much on the best of either Wayne Rooney or Lionel Messi.
And players like Robben, Xabi Alonso, Rosicky, Torres, Carlos Tevez, and others….. couldn’t see much of them as they had to go home early (Theo Walcott didn’t even play).

At the end of the day, I think that many people who watched this World Cup will remember it more as the year Italy won the World Cup and the moment when Zinedine Zidane got himself dismissed at the biggest stage in football, in the final of the World Cup.

Anyhow, it’s all done & dusted. 4 more years to go, and South Africa will be the next setting of this epic contest. Let’s Go!!!

.
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(As a premature prediction, I’m gonna say that Brazil will be the next world champs. Why? Well…..the Brazilians always seems to win it whenever the World Cup is being hosted in a new continent or region. Like when Mexico hosted it for the first time in 1970, or when USA hosted in ’94, and of course the last time in Asia back in 2002. Not forgetting the fact that Brazil up to now have only won once on European soil in 1958 (& the fact the Europeans teams always won the World Cup in Europe), so I’m basing my prediction on that. But of course, with football, you can never know. But that’s how I see it! Haha………..)

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Some thoughts of mine…….

Best Match
Man…….this is really tough to say.
Back in one of my previous posts, I mentioned that the Holland-Ivory Coast was the best match during the first round.
Now that everything’s settled……..I don’t really know which match can be qualified as the best (as previously mentioned). For me, ever since the World Cup entered the knock-out phase, the matches had become more dull and less goal scoring affairs.

Intense match…
Portugal – Holland (Battle of Nuremberg)
16 yellow card. 4 red cards. What the fu-k was that all about? IF there’s one thing about this World Cup, referees sometimes were too much following the book, and most players were cheating & fouling too much.

Best Team
Italy. What can be said to differ this point? They’re now the World Champions.

Best Coach
Marcello Lippi. Credits are due where its due. Lippi’s no doubt for me the best coach throughout this tournament. He led Italy to World Cup glory for the 4^th time in their history, so his achievement will definitely be legendary in Calcio history.
Adding to that, he had fostered an excellent team with the right frame and mindset to be positive and win the damn thing, especially considering all the turmoil and tension back in Italy what with all the sh-t and turmoil regarding the football corruption scandal.

Another one to be considered for this point might as well be Klinsmann. He was another one of those coaches whom had a barrage of negativity surrounding his team’s performance before the World Cup began and as reported that majority of Germany didn’t believe that their team would do well. But as the competition moved on, Germany kept progressing (until Italy stopped them) and the Germans believed in themselves once again.
I think that the enthusiasm showed by Klinsmann throughout the tournament is also great. It really expresses what football is all about. Besides being a great player before, he’s showing that he’s also got a great character and an intelligent & positive mind being a coach, withstanding the fact that prior to taking charge of Germany, he never had experience in being a coach before.

Best Player
For me, Fabio Cannavaro. Captain of Italy. He played in all of their matches. Displayed the art of defending through and through, with very minimal mistakes that really didn’t affect Italy’s defensive duties.
This World Cup really elevated his status as one of the best centrebacks in the world. And the fact that he’s only like 5’9, where most of the other top class centrebacks’ height are 6 foot plus, it’s even more amazing.

Best Goal
Which else? Maxi Rodriquez’s against Mexico (it coulda’ been the best goal so far up till this time, maybe even this year?...)

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My first choice Eleven
As the World Cup has ended, here are my picks as the players who I thought perormed well and would form as my team of the tournament.

Goalkeeper: Buffon
Simply the best. The stop he made against Zidane’s bullet header the in the first half of sudden death period was for me, the save of the tournament.

Leftback: Lahm
I think that in this World Cup, Lahm made his name felt on the big stage. Industrious in going forward, and the goal he scored is top, top quality. The way his goal was executed, and considering the timing of it, was excellent to kick start the World Cup itself.
I especially enjoyed the battle he had against Zambrotta in the semifinals.

Centreback: Cannavaro
Refer to the Best Player category. Nuff said.

Centreback: Thuram
Despite being an ‘old’ guy, Thuram surprisingly showed that he’s still can play football at the highest level. Of course, he’s playing with a resolute French back four (that’s got Makelele and Viera marshalling in front of them), but still he performed very well (especially went France clicked as the 2^nd round began). I think Thuram gave his best performance in the game against Portugal.

Rightback: Miguel
Tempted to pick Gianluca Zambrotta for this spot, but as I’d already chose Lahm for leftback, so I’m choosing Miguel on the right just as a fullback who would be more defensive minded.

Defensive midfielder: Gattuso
The enforcer for midfield duties, to break up the opposition’s attack flow. He’s been doing it for Milan for seasons now and in this year’s World Cup he’s no different.

Central Midfielder: Viera
I’m not too sure why I’m picking Viera for this spot. Maybe it’s due to the fact that he scored a couple of vital goals for France, and as his style of play, combined that with his physique and height, they add steel for a midfield line.

Leftwing: Maniche
Tough choice man. I know that Maniche is exactly not a winger. I woulda put either Robben or Reyes or Joaquin, but they could be long enough to give much impression. So I pick Maniche, just ‘cause he’s the kind of player that’s hardworking in winning and distributing the ball, and got a good long range shot to unexpectedly shake up the opposition.

Rightwing: Ribery
My choice for best winger.

Playmaker: Appiah
I was impressed by his performance against Brazil. He’s got a tough physique as well, and he’s the captain of Ghana as well. Just my choice.

Striker: Klose
The top scorer.

Anyhow, below are the rest of the players that I picked to form a full 23 man squad including the eleven I stated above:

The Newcomers
Usually in every edition of the World Cup, there’s always a bunch of players that made the grade and caught the public’s eye as either the next big thing or players that have forth as the new heroes (heroes that could either go strong forward in their playing careers or be a one off and head down memory lane just as name that appeared magically once…..
So here’s my pick for this criteria.

Grosso’s been instrumental for Italy. Constant leftback, he’s been involve in some of the vital moments that led Italy to World Cup glory. The fall that led to the Totti penalty against Australia, the immaculate swerving goal that he scored against Germany at Dortmund, and of course, Grosso was the last penalty taker in the competition, the winning shot that clinched the cup.

As I stated before, this World Cup, there’s not many attacking presence in it, it’s more down on the defensive qualities being showed by most of the top teams. There’s not much exciting strikers, forwards, midfielders that shone enough or couldn’t present their skills in the latter stages as their respective teams were eliminated too early. Anyhow, if there’s one winger who I think played well throughout, it has to be Frank Ribery. He might only have scored one goal, but he’s shown a new aggressiveness and youth coming from the French side.
As for Podolski, I believe that he will be the main player of Germany in the next coming years. Before and in WC 2002, Oliver Kahn was Germany’s MVP. After WC2002 and up till now, it’s been Ballack who had taken the mantle as Germany’s point of influence. I believe Podolski will be next for them.

Upcoming Stars…….
The World Cup only occurs every 4 years once, so in that time span a lot of things can happen and change in football. Present heroes strive on or either dwindle down their fame & deteriorate…..and new, exciting talents will emerge, and all sorts of hype accompanying whoever the new superstars will be.
Before, back in World Cup 2002, people didn’t know or heard much about names such as Rooney, Messi, Robinho, Fabregas,………

Anyhow, these are the following young players who I think would probably make an impact in football in the coming years, or perhaps if they can help their respective countries to qualify for the next edition of the World Cup, maybe they would be the next new leading footballers.

L-R: Jesús Navas, Nuri Sahin, Anderson, Bojan Krkic, Yohan Gourcuff & Giovanni Dos Santos
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CHAPTER 85: ITALIA vs. La FRANCE - World Cup 2006 finale

"Thirty or forty minutes before kick-off, you get a funny feeling in your stomach. But that's normal. The day that it doesn't happen is the day you have to give up football."
– Edmilson

The final match of the great tournament is near.
If anything goes by according to football logic, anything can happen.

With both teams relying on a strong defense, my concern is that this match would be a dull affair. I hope soo that it is on the contrary, because it is the final of the World Cup and I hope it can be a footballing spectacle.

I don't have much to say, as news reports, and other people surely have their own opinions on who's gonna win, and how either Italy or France are gonna win.
There will be some great battles all along the pitch, and of course it'll be the last match that some of the players that will play tonight will take part in.....

Tactics wise, surely Lippi holds an advantage over Domenech. But France, with Zidane, has been defying the critics throughout ever since they went into the knock-out stages. They really surpised me, and I kept thinking that they would get beat but they gain all those close victories so far. So it further makes this match difficult to predict.
And let's not forget the players that will playing in Berlin..........
Mix it with the farewell of Zizou and the 'motivation of the Italians' to win in erasing all the negativity back in Italy with the match fixing scandals.....this game really has a script that could be stuff of legends.

Anyhow, everybody around the world has their own particular views regarding this match. For me though, I'll keep it short & simple:

• Buffon to be the vital factor in this match

• an unlikely goalscorer, an unlikely hero............(De Rossi perhaps, after 4 match ban)

But don't take my word for it. You can't judge in football who's gonna win ('cause it's never always about the best team winning), and there are so many factors to consider (..and yes, luck is a very important factor).

Whatever it is, it sure is going to be special. This the final of the World Cup, possibly the most important match ever for a football player to take part in in his entire life. And when Fabio Cannavaro & Zinedine Zidane leads out their respective countrymen on to the Olympiastadion field, it will be one of the most defining moments in football....
...and when the whistle is blown for the final time, you can be sure the emotions are going to be astronomical and unexplainable in every sense.

Anyway, I'm feeling kinda sad that this all is going to end very soon. Once the World Cup is over, it's back to reality and there'll be plenty of other things for me to think and plan about.
Before concluding this post, I would like to present the tournament's official song, 'The Time of Our Lives' (Toni Braxton & Il Divo), to sum it all up. And to sum what this game, this competition, this sport, and this past one month is all about.
For the footballers who'll be playing in the final, it definitely will be the time of their lives.......

May the best team wins......
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CHAPTER 84: Commercials during the World Cup...

"Power Root. Kecergasan Tanpa Batasan." - Power Root

The World Cup's curtain is fast coming down to a close, so I thought that before it does, I'll write a post pertaining to something different than the football games that had been shown on TV.

The Commercials.
Having watched the World Cup on almost on a daily basis ever since it began, and watching it on Astro Supersport, I got kinda accustomed to the commercials and ads that had been aired on TV (especially during half-time and after the matches have ended). With the same commercials kept being repeated over & over again, it makes you able to memorize them.

Anyhow, before preceeding to the ads that are now being showed, I would like to talk about 2 commercials that had been aired up before the World Cup started.
First up is the Adidas-Impossible Team ad. I really like this one. Especially when the two kids were picking their players, and my favourite part is when that kid with the Germany jersey (José) chose Beckenbauer, hahaha.....the reaction on the other kid's face (mata terbeliak macam nak terberak!)....priceless!

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Adidas - Impossible Team

*****

The other one is the Pepsi ad, where all the footballers sponsoring Pepsi went into a Bavarian tent festival thing to play football. Funny too, although I find this one in a way stupid as well.
- Pepsifest (YouTube link).
And of course, there's those Nike 'Joga Bonito' ads as well (nice, nifty tricks and skills, excellent).

Coming to the commercials that I can easily remember, those that are being shown everyday on Astro during the World Cup, among them includes the PowerRoot ad, with Mawi and Rosyam Noor (seems to be seeing Mawi everyday nowadays....).
Here's one version of it;

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Power Root Extra ad

*****

Then there's the Mercedes E-Class sport edition commercials. There were three shots, each depicting a sport in a way. I like the one with the bearded guy coming out of his house, then when the Mercedes passed by his house, he was doing gymnastics on the fence. The other with the two corporate men kicking a can as if juggling a football was not bad too.
There's also the MasterCard Fever ad. It really depicts the manner and character of football fans.

There's also the Maxis ads as well (Malaysian). The most absurd one was the one that had Hasbullah Awang in it. I mean, in this particular commercial, all the international commentators couldn't figure out who scored a goal when a goal was scored since their view was blocked by fans jumping, waving & cheering with their flags.....asking each other who scored......then suddenly Hasbullah Awang started talking with his handphone and that handphone showed the latest result of that game, with Hasbullah Awang saying "Yes Sir! Rio Ferdinand! Rio Ferdinand berjaya menjaringkan gol........"...and the other commentators scrambling to mention Rio Ferdinand's name.....what the hell was that (?)?
The other Maxis ad is the one where a guy is watching & talking 'bout football all night while his wife is pissed about it. The second version of this ad had the wife calling up her friend and ended up talking all night, while the same guy fell asleep while watching football. All of Maxis's propoganda to promote their services to the Malaysian public in a generous & courteous way during this World Cup.
(Anyhow, couldn't find any of the Maxis ads on YouTube or anywhere else....)
Also, another ad that's being shown regularly is the ING Insurance ad, the one with the lion in it. Although compared to the other previous commercials that I had mentioned here, this one's being shown on tv for like 2-3 years already (since Euro 2004).

However, one of the most silliest and funniest tv ad must go for the Ossim iGallop ad! The first time I saw it, and every other time I see it, it always gives you a big bursts of laughs, because of how absurd the invention, concept & usage of the product are! Not to mention how the ad was carried out.....hahahaha!
The Malaysian version of the iGallop ad starts with a woman riding a horse, with the narrator saying "Horse riding is one of the best form of exercise, but not everyone can afford one....",....then ad was shown in a rewind mode (as if the horse did a moonwalk).... and then the commercial 'begins', and the narrator went on saying how that by utilising the iGallop, it'll give you a strong back and abdomen muscles. What bullsh-t is that when considering that you can develop your abs and back by doing crunches and push-ups, on the floor, any time, free of charge! (!)
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iGallop

*****
The clip above however is not the one being shown on Astro, there's several differences, but some of the scenes are exact. The one above is however much more 'raunchier' than the one shown on Astro.
A real piece of ludicrously advertising. (here's another funny iGallop ad)
And other bloggers (clearly) around the 'Net share the same kind of opinion! (of course..)

Well,...at the end of the day....every corporate manufacturers want to make money......and what more so to attract more customers during the World Cup through advertising......
...let's see what comes up next when Euro 2008 comes round!

CHAPTER 83: Reflections on the World Cup's Quarter-finals

"I'm sorry for the team, the squad and the fans who were fantastic."
- Sven-Goran Eriksson

4 teams left. And they're all European.
The quarter-finals matches, most of them are all close, tight, drab affairs.
With the exception of Italy's victory, the goals in the other games more or less came from set-pieces. It seems to indicate that the tournament is now heading to a 'defend, don't concede' mode from the victorius teams (and if that continues in the semi-finals, then the football quality can only get sucks bad).

Of course, the shock result is Brazil being dumped out of the tournament. France again suprised me and once again beat the odds to come out as the victor. I'm pissed 'bout this result 'cause Brazil didn't display a good match at all, and Parreira really got it all wrong againts France. The tactics, how they're playing, how the players are playing and how the players are being played......really bad. Brazil came into this tournament as one of the favourites and they represent football. But instead, the performances from them have not been anything to show what's Brazilian football has been all about, and we never saw the Joga Bonito that was 'promised' by them. We didn't see any of the flashing, brilliance football (The only real chance for Brazil was the last minute Ronaldinho free-kick).
I also feel dissapointed and bad for Ronaldinho. I fully expected him to be the star man form the match, but it didn't happen. It's harsh to really put the blame on him alone (as many others are doing), since the other Brazilians themselves didn't exactly instill fear in the tournament, and parreira himself is another major factor for the failure (...and yet this guy lead Brazil in WC 94 with Romario and Bebeto....). It was really hard.

Frank Lampard would earned himself the award as one of the most (if not the most) dissapointing players at his World Cup. He still couldn't put the ball in the back of the net, and before the penalty shoot out againts Portugal, I felt that had he couldn't convert his penalty that night, it would definitely make him this World Cup's bad performers. And he indeed didn't score from the penalty (btw, great saves by Ricardo anyway).
& I do believe that Rooney deserved to get send off (the ref was near him, saw what happened, and to me it look like a deliberate stamp on Carvalho's balls. That, with the push provocated by Cristiano Ronaldo, would warrant Rooney ('aka' Pelé II by Brit. press) 2 yellow cards).

The real match that I felt had intensity from these games is the match between Germany-Argentina. Especially the 2nd half, Germany kept attacking and trying to break a way thorugh the Argentine defense, the pace was very electric right from the beginning of the 2nd half.
Of course, everybody by now would be thinking what & why on earth was Pekerman thinking with the subsititutions that he made (?)
I believe that had Abbondanzieri not got injured, Pekerman would have brought on Messi (which could really proved a big difference compared to the inlcusion of Cambiasso and Julio de la Cruz).

CHAPTER 82: INTERLUDE - Pictures......

“We have a working style that, for many, maybe takes some getting used to. And if you approach something differently, you always have to expect a headwind -- but that is not a problem for me, because there are always different opinions in every profession.” - Juergen Klinsmann

CHAPTER 81: Reflections on the World Cup's Last Sixteen...

"We have had four officials and what is not understandable is that nobody intervened. I can't understand - it's like a black-out." - Sepp Blatter

Red cards’ a galore.
So far, that’s what had been dishing out on each day when the last 16 were played.
To summarize it up;

• possibly the goal of the tournament, Maxi Rodriguez’s
• late, late drama in Italy vs. Australia
• the first penalty-shootout of the competition (Switzerland vs. Ukraine)
• England went through as expected, so does Brazil
• The ‘Battle of Nuremberg’
• France going through at the expense of Spain.

All in all, it was a joy watching the first two matches, especially since they had quick, rapid succession goals in them!
The late Italy penalty itself was a moment that probably won’t happen again in any match for a loooong time………at the end of the day, felt like it was worth watching! (just ‘cause of witnessing that!)
Another boring England match…..
….and the penalties taken by the Swiss were perhaps some of the worst ever (with that ludicrous tongue wagging movement by that first Swiss taker).

France edged out Spain, which I feel a pity for Spain. Being a follower of La Liga for the past 6 years, the feeling of them to do well (and they had the capability, ability and personnel) but none went right for ‘em. Furthermore, Aragones got it wrong that night and France were too strong defensively.

And Ronaldo has now officially become the World Cup’s all time leading goal scorer.

What’s next
All tight matches, with exception of Italy-Ukraine (surely Italy?!). Very close to call indeed.
Me thinks Germany might snick it, hope to see England lose (rematch 2004 quarterfinal; Scolari vs. Eriksson), and still waiting for Ronaldinho to shine.

CHAPTER 80: Reflections on the World Cup's group stages....

"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Luis Suarez

The group stages of the current FIFA World Cup has ended (and after posting today, the first two matches of the last 16 had also concluded). So, here are some of my opinions on different matters that relate to the group stages of the tournament thus far:

Best team – Argentina
Well….at this stage they have arguably the best record compared against all the other teams in the tournament. Most number of goals scored, and only conceded one. And this being in the ‘Group of Death’. And they were the team with more chances to win when they played against Holland.
All players are quality (the first choice as well as the subs…..perhaps with the exception of their goalkeepers, who I do not know none of them, but I’m not discrediting Abbondanzieri’s performances, so far he’s been their safe hands), plus this team showed excellent teamwork, workrate and camaraderie between themselves.
Their match against Serbia & Montenegro is one of the best one sided show I’ve seen in any competitive football competitions. ‘Nuff said.

Worst team – Serbia & Montenegro
I’m making the judgment based on their overall performances and their records in the tournament.
They qualified for the World Cup by just conceding a solitary goal. The amount they conceded in the tournament is disaster.

Best player – Juan Roman Riquelme
Actually, IMO there hasn’t really been any one outstanding player so far, one that played super brilliantly in every match, scoring many spectacular goals or giving fantastic assists.
However, I would say on nearing this criteria, probably Riquelme. His passing and set-up is vital for Argentina’s attack. It’s evident how crucial Riquelme is as he’s an important (if not, the most important) piece in Pekerman’s plan & tactics. He’s also been taking the most number of freekicks and corners for the team (perhaps all of them?).

Worst player – Peter Crouch
Okay….he got a goal against T&T, and that a leaping header from a Beckham cross. But what are his performances on the pitch? What is he doing? Where is he? What kind of passes does he play? How can he get into spaces? How even can he kick and also miss-kick?
The guy’s 6”7 tall and yet he (or England) couldn’t the best out of his height. And Crocuh’s so skinny, I wonder how he passes through rigorous training and tackles. I think if you put Roberto Carlos and Peter Crouch in a boxing ring, I think Carlos can beat him up.

Most disappointing player – Frank Lampard
He had like 15-17 shots in all matches,….and haven’t even scored. And this from a player with a reputation for scoring long range goals, coming in the 18-yard box from the 2 full seasons he’s been impressing for Chelsea.
Anyway, I’m tempted to mention Ronaldinho too (as there’s still no flashing brilliance from him that set up alight the World Cup so far), but I only saw Brazil’s match against Australia, so I can’t really make a judgment on him. On the other hand, I’ve seen all three of England’s matches.

Best coach – Jose Pekerman
The manager of Argentina. Anyhow, I think Klinsmann, Scolari could also be considered, seeing that Germany and Portugal also put in good efforts and they got maximum points from their respective groups. But I’m basing this particular judgment since Pekerman led Argentina on top of Group D.

Worst coach – Ilija Petkovic
I’m basing this judgment based on Serbia & Montenegro’s achievements in this World Cup.

Best dressed coach – Leo Beenhakker
Saw him in the England game. Dressed very smartly, donning a suit like a VIP’s VIP, with what seemed like an expensive gold watch.

Worst dressed coach – Otto Pfister
In Togo’s first match, Pfister appeared as if he want to go clubbing or being a club bouncer or something. For the first time in my life, I saw a coach wearing jeans during a match.

Fiercest looking coach – Ricardo Lavolpe
Seriously, I think that Lavolpe has the looks that can make him as any villain in any Hollywood production. The hairstyle, the moustache, the beard, the stare…his lucky Dragon tie….And this guy smokes.

Most active coach – Jurgen Klinsmann
Well, he’s been on the touchlines just like any other coach would. Always monitoring his team, always seemed to be thinking positive. He’s been using subs well too I guess, and Germany have been very good so far. When Germany scores, you can see it on Klinsmann’s expressions, the sort of character, manager, human that he is. IMO he is Germany’s most important factor if they want or were to win the World Cup.
Another candidate would be Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Most in-active coach – Sven-Goran Eriksson
I don’t know. He just sits around on the bench, and although sometimes the camera shows that he looks at the matches as if he’s pondering hard on what to do or how to strategize, he’s still on the bench. Doesn’t seem to show much activity or work. Or giving orders for that matter. What I saw instead is Steve McClaren giving, shouting orders to the England players when they play. The time that Eriksson gets up is when England scores.

Best debutant - Ghana
Tempted to say Ivory Coast. But Ghana edges it for me, since they’ve made it through to the second round. They were in a tough group as well, and I think that group E became the real ‘Group of Death’ of the tournament.
Australia has a world class & respected coach in Hiddink, and they have players who play top league football and having vital European football experiences (Viduka, Kewell, Schwarzer, Cahill). Ukraine was paired in a fairly easy group for them to succeed in (albeit Spain of course).

Best Match – Holland - Ivory Coast
Hard to say really. But I’m making this verdict on a match where two teams battled it out (as on a neutral’s point of view). Anyhow, I was not able to watch all the World Cup’s matches so far, so it was hard to make this decision. Among the matches that seemed hot stuff (that I didn’t get to watch) from opinions worldwide are: Italy – Ghana, Italy – USA, Croatia – Australia).
In the Holland – Ivory Coast match, both Van Persie and Kone scored excellent goals, and the game throughout was played at a frantic pace and tempo, swung back and forth between the attack of the tow sides. I still can’t forget the last 5-10 minutes of the game, Holland was defending like mad against set-pieces that the Ivory Coast kept bloody having! What the fu-k of an intensity was that, man!
Another match that I saw and that would also warrant this award would be the game between Argentina against Ivory Coast.

Most boring match – England - Paraguay
Typical Eriksson-England. Score the first goal, then defend it. Then only bombard the opposition with long range shots or long balls. Some more, the opposition gave an own goal.
Anyway, Paraguay themselves couldn’t really snatch for a victory.
But what I can’t understand is HOW Frank Lampard was Man of the Match based on him having 2-3 shots on target but no goals? I think the Paraguay’s subs keeper gave a more active performance.

Most frustrating match – France - Switzerland

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Strangest match – Saudi Arabia - Spain
4 years ago, Saudi got beaten 8-0 by Germany. So I expected that Spain would dish out a trashing to Saudi, even though it was already the third game and Spain was paying with the 2^nd team (their quality cannot be dismissed).
At the end of the day, the Spanish only scored a goal.
First half, they controlled the match. Second half, Saudi Arabia came out and attacked, and on some occasions just unlucky and not having much edge in finishing.

Most Shocking result – Trinidad & Tobago - Sweden

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(I think almost everybody expected Sweden to win no matter what. What happened was a piece of history.)

<b>Best Goal – Joe Cole’s against Sweden
The fantastic thing so far about this World Cup is that there have been a lot of great goals being scored, almost on a daily basis! From Lahm’s to Frings’s, Cambiasso’s and Deco’s, Kaka’s, Rosicky’s…….
But Joe Cole’s was SUPERB. It really made the jaw dropped (in a short burst of moment where my mind went blank). And I HATE England.

Like Shebby said: “That was different class.”

Best Team Goal – Esteban Cambiasso/Argentina against Serbia & Montenegro
I was so impressed by this goal, I felt that I had to create a separate ‘Best Goal’ award.
I was clapping with real admiration after it was scored (the build up and the execution of the goal, ABSOLUTE CLASS). Simply superb, what football should be and what the game is all about.

Although they could have got another one of the same kind though, somewhere early in the second half where there were some intricate, creative passing that occurred up in the 18 yard of the S&M zone from Riquelme to Sorin (with an audacious back pass) to Riquelme to Saviola only for Saviola couldn’t finish it up. Even though it didn’t materialized, it was a delight to watch. Real ‘Joga Bonito’ friends. Fantastic.

Most unique Name – Yapi Yapo, Razak Pimpong
The first the Ivory Coast midfielder, the latter the Ghanaian striker.

So, what about the next 16?

Well, now 16 teams have exited the competition, yesterday 2 and from now 6 more will leave soon. The knock-out stages have begun and now the real-deal will begin. From now onwards each match must have one winner, so it’ll be very, very interesting to see how the tournament progresses. They are some cracking matches lined up in the second round, most notable the clashes between Portugal – Holland and France – Spain. Here are my thoughts on the upcoming matches:

England – Ecuador: Intriguing indeed. England up against an unknown quantity. Even though my heart’s feels for Ecuador shocker and I hate England, but my head says England. Logically and realistically, England has the better players, with more quality and experience in these kind of top-level matches.

Portugal – Holland: This one, most anticipated. Rematch of the Euro 2004 semifinal. I’d say that the game would be decided by a penalty shoot-out, with Holland emerging victorious.

Italy – Australia: Italy: They got more quality, and they all have a point to prove (what with the sh-t happening back at home). Also, since Hiddink was the same man that led South Korea to a victory against the Italians in the same stage of the tournament four years ago against the Italians, I’m sure Italy would want a revenge in some way against Hiddink.

Switzerland – Ukraine: No comment. Perhaps the least attractive tie of the second round.

Brazil – Ghana: I’m very looking forward to this match. To see the Brazilians against the Africans would an interesting affair. Expecting fast, attacking football.
I’m predicting that Ronaldinho will be instrumental in this game. He still hasn’t shine yet for Brazil and I do believe that in this match he’ll mark the World Cup. The others of Brazil’s Fantastic Four quartet had already scored goals, I’m still waiting for Ronaldinho to open his goalscoring account.

Spain – France: Spain for me. This is another top clash between two top sides (just like Portugal vs Holland). More like experienced old timers up against hungry, youthful aggressiveness. A clash between former champions against upcoming champions perhaps?.........we’ll see. Sure is tough to call, football is unpredictable. But Spain for. They’ve been underachievers for a long time, and I think this time, they can go far, with the way they topped their grouped warranted this fact. Plus, theirs is another team that’s brimming with talent and quality on every depth and edge of the team.

CHAPTER 79: 'Celebrate The Day' - the WORLD CUP begins tonight......

" Football? It's the beautiful game." - Pelé

All right. Let's get ourselves into the enthusiasm & spirit of football. A clip to showcase the greatness of football, and watching past greats strutting out their skills.
Herbert Gronomeyer's song for the tournament.

CHAPTER 78: FIFA WORLD CUP 2006

"Football is the opera of the people." - Stafford Heginbotham

This coming Friday (09/06/2006), the FIFA World Cup will commence for the 18^th time. A month of an extravaganza of football. A month where billions of football fans around the world will be glued to their seats, with high hopes of expectations as well as gravely cases of faith in supporting their respective teams who will be competing in the tournament.

It is the biggest prize in football. And those players who are lucky enough to lift at the end of each World Cup cycle are engraved into the folklore & legend of football forever.
The World Cup only occurs on the planet once in every four years, so each time it comes around, it’s a big climax on waiting for a football fiesta for fans everywhere. For any country that would lift the cup when the competition ends,….it’s an unexplainable vibes of joy & jubilation (for the players, their supporters and their entire country)……and for those that failed to win it, anguish and agony.

I guess the World Cup means a lot of things, different things to different people.
For me, it is the biggest and best sporting event in the world. The reason is because, the emotions in a game of football is very high. I think that a game of football (especially when it’s in a state like the World Cup) can have various results, various consequences, various feelings and various emotions, to a whole lot of people. Happiness, sadness….it’s all can be seen in a game of football, ……the reaction on the faces of the players, the coaches, the spectators (and also emotions from the commentators) shows what football is for them & how this sport is engrossed by them. And all of these things can change back and forth so unpredictably in a game of football.
When you witness your team scores a goal or win, it’s one of the best feelings in the world, it can be better than sex.
But when the team you support concedes goals or lose, it’s one of the worst feelings one can have deep inside themselves, unexplainable agony.
And these stuffs can change soo quickly in a game of football, it’s really a roller-coaster ride of an abundant of different zeal and excitements. You don’t see these kinds of things in such high tempo like in other sports.
IMO, other sports (or major sporting events) cannot beat the passions of a football event.
And there’s of course the matter where this sport is the best sport to watch.

World Cup fever’s now hit town. Germany, for a month, will be the center-piece of the world. You got the fiery emotions, the strong excitement awaiting the splendor matches that would be played across the 12 different arenas across Germany.
All the hopes, all the eagerness, all the wait……is now just two days away.
For football fans everywhere, let’s hope for great performances from the 32 teams that will be participating in this year’s World Cup.
Let’s hope for the best.

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Here are some of my thoughts on the upcoming World Cup…….

Expected MVPs
Who else…..all the top stars with reputations and high honors no doubt (as always).

or these guys

Time for redemption
I believe that this World Cup will be a moment of redemption and time to make amends for past or present failures or under achievements for some players.
My choice for this specific matter would be these guys: Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Raul and Totti.
Van Nistelrooy has been poor for Man Utd this season, and he hasn’t been shining much on the football stage (what with supposedly ‘bust-up’ with Ferguson), so I think he’d be motivated to perform his best for the ‘Oranje’.
Raul is not the Raul of 3-4 years ago. And it’s evident that it’s now or never that he needs to perform big time if he wants to resurrect his glory times, ‘cause the light is closing down on him sooner than never….
I believe it will be a moment of reckoning for Francesco Totti too. Looking at the past big tournaments (World Cup 2002 and Euro 2004), Totti had been involved in some detrimental situations (with the (dubious) sending off against South Korea and the spitting incident against Denmark) that had their impact slammed against Italy in those matches. I’m sure Totti wants to make up for his country against those ordeals.

I believe they all have a point to prove to critics and alike…..it could be their last chance….
…...and there’s no bigger occasion to do that then the World Cup itself.

Their firsts……but perhaps their last….
This World Cup is going to be the first time that some players are going to take part in.
But it could (unfortunately) their only ever chance to be in it, as I have the feeling that they might not be there again in South Africa 4 years from now (regarding to factors such as age, their country’s chances to qualify for the next World Cup as well as their own selves and their own conditions).
I have in mind Shevchenko, Luca Toni, Viduka and Dwight Yorke, all experienced players in the top leagues.
Shevchenko had helped Ukraine in qualifying for the first time in their history, but I’m not so sure whether they can make it again next time.
The same can be applied to Dwight Yorke, with T&T’s chances next time around. Plus, Yorke’s is ‘old’, in his thirties, so there might not be another opportunity for him.
This same factor too I’m putting on Viduka’s chances, he’s an old-timer too now.
As for Luca Toni……he’s another one with age on his side……and my feeling that he’s also might not make it,…Italy could be having new strikers coming up to the front in 4 years time……..

Young guns coming in a blazing
Rooney, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robben, Podolski, Torres.......
…..these will be the players and the new heroes for a new generation of superstars that will probably be brimming in every sense of CLASS after some time once this World Cup is over.
Last chance for glory……
……for Figo, Henrik Larsson, Philip Cocu, Oliver Kahn, Del Pierro, Pavel Nedved… …….to lift the golden trophy for the first time in their lives……….

Interesting & intriguing matches
These are the group stage matches that I would like to see most:

• Germany-Costa Rica (opener)
• England-Paraguay
• England-Trinidad & Tobago
• Argentina-Ivory Coast
• Holland-Ivory Coast
• Holland-Argentina (most eagerly awaited, let’s see what happens)
• Portugal-Mexico
• Italy-USA
• Czech Republic-Italy (Buffon vs Cech)
• Australia-Japan (Hiddink vs Zico)
• France-South Korea
• and all of Brazil’s matches.

Who would win?
Going into this World Cup, I would pick Italy, Brazil, Portugal and England as the teams who would reach far in the tournament, up to the final itself.
I think that compared to the other teams, these 4 have a complete, all-round squad of players, and with each having a good mix of talent, flair, youthful exuberance and ample experience in the highest standard of football competitions. In addition, their coaches, each of them has got tactically acute minds and they bring their own brand of winning spirit onto their players (….with the exception of Sven-Goran Eriksson of course….). Lippi, Scolari, Parreira are all well experienced enough in coaching top class football squads.
Of course, not to discredit the other ‘top’ teams in the World Cup, they all have as much chance as winning the cup itself just like the 4 teams that I had mentioned. Germany…..Holland….Spain…..Argentina……France……
The thing is, this is the World Cup, any one can win it. And the other traditional powerhouses too have excellent squads. At the end, it all comes down to who’s got the best preparations, fitness, strategies, finishing, mental, toughness and winning spirit and of course……., some luck.

Anyhow, I’m picking the 4 and either one of those 4 that I mentioned earlier to emerge victorious on July 9^th.

’FOOTBALL’ must be the winner….
And so it should be. The ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ will begin, and let’s all hope for cracking & fantastic football matches!
Peace.

Which one of these will lead their country to victory? Only time will tell.....

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World Cup 2006 preview

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