WFC World Cup Diary: Matchday 7, 17 June 2010
Looks like the second game for each country brought with it some good football. It started yesterday with Uruguay’s nice win over the hosts. Today, Groups A and B had their second round games. Argentina was first up in Johannesburg against South Korea; a win permitted Diego Maradona to rest some of his players on the last game day.
Maradona with his new captain before the game
The South Koreans were looking for a draw. They came onto the pitch with all their players behind the ball, allowing Argentina to play as they wished. That meant short passes and a lot of movement between the front players, especially Maxi Rodriguez, who replaced Juan Sebastien Veron, and left most of the midfield defensive duties to Javier Mascherano. Veron, Carlos Tevez, Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi supported the heavily criticized Gonzalo Higuain, with Diego Milito again on the bench. Still, Maradona has real issues in the back, with Jonas Gutierrez of Newcastle playing an improvised right back.
How do you say unlucky in Korean?
At the 16th minute, Argentina was lucky with a cross on a free kick from the left that touched the leg of Korean forward Park Chu Young.It was the second own goal of the World Cup so far. It is fair to say that Argentina was the better side early in the game and they doubled the lead in the 32nd minute, on another cross from the left, which Nicolas Burdisso flicked on for an unmarked Higuain to tap in at the far post. Burdisso had come in for an injured Walter Samuel, another setback in Maradona’s defense. South Korea had problems passing the ball all day, committing many errors, but they, too, were lucky, taking advantage of an error by Martin Demichelis, just before the end of the first half. Lee Chung Young came from behind the daydreaming Argentine defender, picked his pocket and won the one on one battle with Sergio Romero.
South Korea's goal at the end of the first half
With the advantage, Argentina never thought to get defensive. Unceasing in attack, they left spaces in the counter-attack, which the South Koreans wasted big time, as in the 57th minute, when Yeom Ki Hum lost the best opportunity for the Koreans.
He still has the moves
Argentina has many weapons, not only those young and fast kids dribbling all over the pitch. The crosses were a nigthmare for the Koreans today. When it seemed that South Korea could draw, Argentina quickly approached the box, begun with a first touch by Kun Aguero, then Messi shooting twice, saved once by goalie Jung Sung Ryong, and once by the post. The rebound went to Higuain, again, in the right place at the right time to touch the ball into the net. Then, in the 80th minute, the Argentines broke on a fast and beautiful counter-attack and easily reached the box, setting up another cross to Higuain giving the final number to the match.
Messi didn’t shine today, but promised a goal for the next match.
The second game of the day was also a Group B match, Greece and Nigeria playing to keep their hopes of advancing alive. Nigeria had the best chances in the beginning and took the early lead when Kalu Uche crossed a free kick that found the net through a clear mistake by Panathinaikos goalie Alexandros Tzorvas.
The dumbest move of the World Cup so far...
However, a dull match took an unexpected turn in the 33rd minute, when Sani Kaita tried to kick his opponent in a supposedly intimidating move. Colombian referree, Oscar Ruiz, saw it, and sent him for an early shower.
With an extra man on the pitch, Greek coach Otto Rehhagel made a crucial change, giving Georgios Samaras a chance in the game. That substitution gave Greece the forward to play with Gekas in the front, creating the best opportinities for the team, and they managed to tie before the half. Dimitrios Salginpidis’ volley was deflected off Lukman Haruna, for the first Greek goal in a World Cup.
Greece celebrated their first World Cup win
The second half saw both teams trying to win, and in the 58th minute of what had turned into a thriller, Theofanis Gekas’ shot was superbly saved by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. The goalie quickly started the counter-attack, ultimately wasted by Yakubu Aiyegbeni, one of the many chances Nigeria lost in the second half.
The keeper, Enyeama was again chosen as the best man on the pitch, well deserved after the save in the 68th minute, from a Samaras header. However, the great goalie could not hold onto the ball when Alexandros Tziolis shot from way outside the box. The bobble gave Vasilis Torosidis a chance he capped to put the Greeks on top.
Sani Kaita’s unexplicable move might just have cost Nigeria elimination. It makes you wonder what he was thinking.
The last match of the day was a rematch of the first ever game in the World Cup, back in 1930. France and Mexico both needed the win but only the Mexicans came to the pitch prepared to play. Coach Raymond Domenech gave up on Yoann Gourcouff, giving his spot on the right to Florent Malouda. However, that seemed ineffective, as Carlos Salcido took advantage of a gap opened up on that side and could not be stopped at all by Bacary Sagna.
Govou and Salcido battle for the ball
The French side tried to get closer to the goal by patiently passing the ball, while Mexican wonder boys Carlos Vela and Giovanni dos Santos attacked with speed, suffering the many wasted opportunities by their number 9, Guillermo Franco. Speaking of Vela, he went out with an injury in the 31st minute. Arsenal’s coach Arsene Wenger, onhand as a commentator for a French network, during the Cup, looked worried. Well he should.
Mexico’s best early chances were from the left side and that didn’t change in the second half. France almost scored when Malouda’s right footed ball found the tiny Mexican keeper Oscar Perez. That was just before the big change in the game, when new Manchester United signing Javier Hernandez came in. He created the best opportunities for the Mexicans.
Blanco administers the coup de gras
The 64th minute saw Hernandez break the offside trap of the French defenders, to receive a good pass from Rafael Marquez, and score the first goal of the night.
After that, Domenech decided to change the French team, but left both Thierry Henry and Djibril Cisse on the bench, choosing instead young Mathieu Valbuena. France created some opportunities, but the Mexicans were on fire and were given a penalty kick in the 77th, as Barrera ran from the right and milked the foul from the poor play of Eric Abidal. Veteran MLS star Cuahtemoc Blanco wonderfully capped the penalty, giving Mexicans the lead until the end.
The French will now remember well the 2002 World Cup, when they went home after the third game, without any goals scored, and are likely wondering what the hell Domenech is still doing there, when he could easily have been fired in 2006 or 2008.
While you're up....
Previous Entries in WFC’s World Cup Diary
Match Day 1: South Africa v Mexico, France v Uruguay
Match Day 2: South Korea v Greece, Argentina v Nigeria, England v USA
Match day 3: Slovenia v Algeria, Ghana v Serbia, Germany v Australia
Match Day 4: Netherlands v Denmark, Japan v Cameroon, Italy v Paraguay
Match Day 5: Slovakia v New Zealand, Portugal v Ivory Coast, Brazil v North Korea
Match Day 6: Chile v Honduras, Spain v Switzerland, South Africa v Uruguay
Good stuff Fab! I thought Argentina were excellent today although I was also disappointed with the performance the Koreans put in. I had expected them to be a little more aggressive than they were – I know Argentina have many great players, but you don't win games by keeping clean sheets and, as the famous saying goes, the best form of defense is attack!
You forgot to mention that Higuain had a hat trick! If the Madrid man gets no love when he does that, the unwarranted criticism will stick to him like glue. In America, there's an affectionate term for players like him. He's what is known as a garbage man. Players like Messi and Tevez do all the heavy lifting and Higuain cleans up.
In the second match, I think I put the hex on the Nigerian keeper. Just as I was thinking he was setting himself up for a big payday with his play in both matches, he muffed that ball and Greece pounced. Still, any netminder who can stonewall Messi 3 or 4 times in one game and hold the Argentines to one goal is definitely top class.
In the booth for ESPN's coverage of the France/Mexico tilt, Efan Ekoku made two telling points about Raymond Domenech. First, with regard to the absence of Karim Benzema, who according to the French manager was a bad influence in the clubhouse, Ekoku questioned exactly how much 'influence' an immature 22 year old could have in a dressing room filled with grizzled veterans like Gallas, Evra, Ribery, Toulalan, Cisse and Henry? Secondly, in reference to Thierry Henry, it was his opinion that if you're not going to use a player of that stature in a tournament like the World cup, then you shouldn't even bring him.
ESPN cut to clips of the obviously puzzled Barcelona man during each of the first two French substitutions. Then to add insult to injury, he had both Henry and Cisse warm up before opting for the diminutive Valbuena with his last choice. When the cameras latched onto Domenech, himself, he looked completely detached from the proceedings, almost as though he had no interest in the outcome. Strange.
Excellent points from you, though, Fab.
I indeed forgot to put the words out there, Higuain had a hat trick! The garbage man nickname is absolutely right.
France are in a lot of trouble, and the Nigerian keeper could just be chosen as the best in the tournament so far, if not for that ball he didn't grab. The Jabulani is making enemies in South Africa.