World Cup 2010 Blog: “Liveblog: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal” plus 9 more |  |
- Liveblog: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
- Drogba Cleared to Play with Cast
- Liveblog: New Zealand vs Slovakia
- Preview: Brazil vs. North Korea
- The World Cup Awards: June 14th, 2010.
- Preview: Ivory Coast v. Portugal
- Preview: New Zealand vs. Slovakia
- FIFA On A Manhunt For Ticket Holders
- Match Review & Highlights: Italy 1-1 Paraguay
- 10 World Cup Questions: Spain
| Liveblog: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal Posted: 15 Jun 2010 06:12 AM PDT
Welcome to the liveblog of Ivory Coast vs. Portugal in World Cup Group G. Make your comments before, during and after the match in the liveblog window. Below the main liveblog are videos of the goals so far, and then a feed of trusted Twitter accounts either broadcasting from the match or talking about it. Read up on the match with our Ivory Coast v. Portugal preview. Bet on Ivory Coast vs. Portugal Don’t just take our word on the match. Check out match comments from carefully selected Twitter accounts: FAN RESOURCES
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| Drogba Cleared to Play with Cast Posted: 15 Jun 2010 06:00 AM PDT
We haven’t seen the cast yet, but apparently both the referees and representatives from the Portugal team are happy that the cast won’t be a menace to opposition players. Drogba on the other hand, might be. We’ll find out if he makes the starting lineup soon, so follow along with Chris on our Portugal vs Cote d’Ivoire liveblog. UPDATE: Word is that Drogba has been named on the bench. So he won’t start, but he might play.
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| Liveblog: New Zealand vs Slovakia Posted: 15 Jun 2010 04:01 AM PDT
Bet on New Zealand vs Slovakia Don’t just take our word on the match. Check out match comments from carefully selected Twitter accounts: FAN RESOURCES
| Paraguay |
Preview: Brazil vs. North Korea
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 12:10 AM PDT
THE BIG PICTURE
According to the most recent FIFA Rankings, this is the biggest possible mismatch at the 2010 World Cup. Brazil are the #1 team in the world, North Korea #105. We know all about Brazilians like Kaka and Robinho. We know close to nothing about North Korea. What we do know is they’re not as good as Brazil, Portugal or Cote d’Ivoire and are potentially in for a long two weeks.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
For Brazil, a surprising amount. Dunga and the team are under pressure, with the common complaint being that they’re not exciting or attacking enough. This game against North Korea is an opportunity to make a strong statement and show a few people what they can do. In addition, World Cup Group G could be tight, and it could all come down to who scores the most against the Koreans.
For North Korea, it’s hard to say. I know so little about them that I have no idea what their expectations are. What I would say is that though they’re ranked #105 in the world, they still qualified for this World Cup from the Asian confederation, which isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do. So maybe they’re not all that bad, and a decent performance in this game – even in defeat – would do wonders for their reputation.
OUR PREDICTION
Brazil are going to win this. The question is by how many. I’m going to say 4-0.
FAN RESOURCES
 | Brazil |
 | North Korea |
The World Cup Awards: June 14th, 2010.
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 10:40 PM PDT
Team of the Day: Few teams inspired as little relative faith from their home supporters as the Japanese.
Little bit of look-at-me-now, wasn’t it? They were organized, fit*, intelligent and tactically excellent. Takeshi Okada, World Cup whipping post before the games, put on a coaching clinic for a team with a very, very limited attack and rotated strikers – even substituting them to defend the lead – into midfield, a midfield to striker, central players to wide and vice versa. The best coaching performance of the World Cup thus far.
* – Of the XI, only Hasebe plays in a proper “winter” European league (Bundesliga). Nine are in midseason form with the J. League and Honda’s doing the same in Russia.
Player of the Day: That “midfield to striker” Keisuke Honda. Right now Soccer Nippon’s best player and sweetened his versatile skills with incessant movement up top. Makes you wonder why all those teams let him go to Russia.
Oh, and the goal in a 1-0 win. Those help.
Quote of the Day: Rafa van der Vaart: “We played like Germany and they played like us”.
Is he supposed to say that?
National Anthem of the Day: Fratelli d’Italia as performed by Daniele De Rossi.
DDR and Gattuso prepare for games by kicking puppies and Jabulaning each other in the danglies. Try it sometime.
(He also scored Italy’s lone goal. Expect this sort of death-metal shrieking the national anthem to catch on.)
Denial of the Day: From an article about the latest beef with the Jabulani (via Jamie Carragher): FIFA and adidas insist that any difficulty players have encountered with the balls here is down to the effect of altitude, not anything to do with the design.
Oh really?
Stade Michel Volnay, Saint-Pierre, Reunion, which is located five streets from the Indian Ocean.
Quote of the Day II: Jamie Carragher again:
“If you watch Germany and the teams come up, you wouldn’t say the names roll off the tongue.”
Maybe that’s because Carragher hasn’t perfected the one word paragraph with the German language yet.
Fans of the Day: It’s like Coneheads procreated with Stay Puft from Ghostbusters. The timeline is eerily possible too. (Two 90’s film references in one sentence may be punishable by the De Rossi-Gattuso pregame routine.)
Personally I would’ve gone as the mythical used panties in a vending machine. Self-deprecating humor always wins.
Matchup of the Day: The angelic Dutch v the quintessential Danish in volume.
v.
Preview: Ivory Coast v. Portugal
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 09:10 PM PDT
THE BIG PICTURE
Until last week this match was the story two powers in the Group O’Death. When the Ivory Coast took on Japan in a friendly, the scope of the game took a drastic turn and shifted the light onto Didier Drogba’s elbow, which was broken in a clash and put his World Cup in serious doubt. Beyond his status as the Ivory Coast’s best player and leader, he’s one of Africa’s largest sporting icons, many consider him the best footballer, and a symbol of the World Cup itself.
But he may play after immediate surgery. The decision will be made hours before the game, and by only Drogba himself. The world holds its breath.
On the other side is Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was none too pleased to have shared the spotlight with Drogba on the cover of Vanity Fair. That’s fine – tomorrow the spotlight will be on Drogba, whether he plays or not.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
In a word: everything. Sharing a space in Group G is a country named Brazil, and they happen to be pretty good at this sport called football. As one of the two tournament favorites, the idea is that Brazil have one spot in the knockouts to lose, while Portugal and Ivory Coast will be left to scrap for another while North Korea will be in need of a second miracle to get close. Therefore this game is not just a matter of three points, it may be a matter of the World Cup for the loser (should there be one). A devastating proposition if that loser happens to be the Ivory Coast, largely considered to be Africa’s best hope in 2010.
Bet on Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
OUR PREDICTION
Sven’s only been in charge for weeks and has only been offered a limited period of time with his squad. Meanwhile Portugal famously failed to beat Cape Verde during the warmups with the score 0-0, so neither team is coming in all gun’s blazing. With such a fantastic array of wingers and hammers from distance sending the Jabulani over to Madagascar with regularity – or the wind over the grooves disrupting stepovers – and a side without a completely healthy Drogba either way, the biggest group game of the tournament thus far will mirror the earlier games with an uninspiring, at times unwatchable nil-nil.
FAN RESOURCES
 | Ivory Coast |
 | Portugal |
Preview: New Zealand vs. Slovakia
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 08:00 PM PDT
THE BIG PICTURE
South Africa 2010 is Slovakia’s first World Cup as an independent nation, and only New Zealand’s second ever trip to the big stage (they were last seen in 1982). Slovakia have realistic expectations of maybe taking second place in Group F, and so a win here is essential if that’s going to happen. Slovakia will attack with quick and talented midfielders like Marek Hamsik, Miroslav Stoch and Vladimir Weiss Jnr. (his dad is the coach). New Zealand will defend with big captain Ryan Nelsen of Blackburn Rovers, but will be without vice-captain Tim Brown who didn’t recover from his shoulder injury in time to play.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Some would argue that the only thing at stake here is the difference between third and fourth place. But with Italy and Paraguay drawing 1-1 yesterday, whoever wins this game will top Group F. Slovakia are the stronger team, so this game is a perfect opportunity to make a confident start before meeting the bigger boys. For New Zealand, this is arguably their best chance of getting some sort of result. The 1982 World Cup team were handed three straight defeats, so if they pick up a draw and a point here, that would be a historic achievement.
Bet on New Zealand vs. Slovakia
OUR PREDICTION
Slovakia for the win. With their pacy wide midfielders I’m predicting a comfortable 3-0 victory.
FAN RESOURCES
 | New Zealand |
 | Slovakia |
FIFA On A Manhunt For Ticket Holders
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 06:02 PM PDT
Anyone who watched the South Korea – Greece game would’ve noticed something peculiar: the stadium looked awfully empty relative to the average World Cup match (you know – full). In fact it was really disappointing just to glance into the stands and see so many cold, plastic seats (or plush sealskin, perhaps).
FIFA was disappointed too, since they claimed to have sold the tickets. A lot of them: 8,000 tickets just decided not to show for the game. And now they’d like to know where they’ve disappeared to.
Let’s work on some theories:
i. The game itself: South Korea weren’t yet exciting and Greece’s 2004 win was at the cost of the spectators, so they’re still not quite putting the duffs in seats like Planet España. If you’re a neutral planning to spend some hard-earned for a tournament with plenty of available tickets, this isn’t going to be the game to choose.
ii. The vuvuzelas. Not a gripe, but if you’ve purchased tickets and didn’t quite realize what 90 mins of vuvus in your ear sound like, the television might just sound like the answer.
iii. The Jabulani. The game is entirely different. It’s nothing even close to the quality we’re used to, unless you happen to prefer crosses sailing 50 meters high every single time. In which case your taste is suspect.
iv. The time – 1:30p. The World Cup is a big deal, but so isn’t making a living, and if one must work, one must punch that timesheet.
v. FIFA lied and far more tickets went unsold than declared.
I’m working on the last theory, for one reason: this isn’t exclusive to South Korea – Greece. Most games have featured a number of empty seats, and today’s game between Japan and Cameroon was a prime example. There seemed thousands and thousands of empty seats, even up to 30% to the naked eye. And this with an African country in participation.
In a word: dreadful.
The day’s glamor game from a footballing perspective, Netherlands versus Denmark, saw Soccer City with a number of empty orange seats surrounded by Oranje fans. At least that was uniform. The day’s biggest name, Italy, enjoyed some empty seats, but also a great deal of rain, so that can be forgiven.
For whatever reason, the World Cup is appearing on television to be anything but a World Cup in the stadiums. Just another day in the life of FIFA.
Match Review & Highlights: Italy 1-1 Paraguay
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 02:37 PM PDT
If you read my post about World Cup stereotypes, you’ll know I’m not a fan. So – with all respect to Paraguay – I was hoping to see Italy make a strong start here and disprove the stereotype that the Italian national team are “slow starters” at World Cups. Mostly because I didn’t want to hear and read about it all over again at this World Cup. So a 1-1 draw in this game wasn’t the best result for my “stereotypes: don’t believe the hype” thesis. But it’s still a decent result for both teams after a rainy evening game in Cape Town.
Though Italy had the majority of the fist half chances, it was Paraguay who took the lead after 39 minutes, from a set piece:
Great ball in from Aureliano Torres, both deep and bendy, and superb header from defender Antolín Alcaraz. Beating Fabio Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to a ball isn’t easy, directing it past Gigi Buffon even less so.
Speaking of Buffon, the Italian keeper didn’t come out for the second half (due to either sciatica or an injured hamstring, reports were conflicting, but he’ll apparently be OK for next game) and so was replaced by Federico Marchetti for the final 45 minutes. Not a big deal though as Italy were more interested in scoring than keeping Paraguay out.
Which they finally did in the 63rd minute when Paraguay keeper Justo Villar completely missed Pepe’s cross from a corner kick, leaving Daniele De Rossi and his beard the simple task of tapping home.
Nice moment of redemption for De Rossi, who’s mostly remembered for his elbow to Brian McBride’s face and resulting red card from 2006. Maybe the beard was a disguise? But today he’s Italy’s hero, with a little help from Justo Villar.
Italy looked the much more dangerous team from that point onwards, with Villar redeeming himself with enough saves to keep it at 1-1. I suspect Italian fans and media will give the team a hard time over this result. A little like the English media giving England a hard time after the 1-1 draw with the USA. But no one needs to panic. A draw against Paraguay really isn’t so bad, and there are two weaker opponents still to play. So while the performance wasn’t anything to write home about, you have to remember the old stereotype: Italy are notoriously slow starters…
Man of the Match: I had trouble choosing and so deferred to Chris on this. He said: “Riccardo Montolivo. He replaced Pirlo surprising well in midfield – shots were a little off, but passing was good and was composed.”
Posted: 14 Jun 2010 01:39 PM PDT
If you're unfamiliar with World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you're reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams.
The authors of these team blogs have forgotten more about their sides than I'll ever know, so I decided to tap that knowledge by asking each of them a set of 10 questions. Today it's Corey, Ade. C and Cameron from Spain World Cup Blog. Read on to learn all about La Furia Roja…
1. Who is Spain’s best player?
Corey: It’s kind of tough to name the best player in a squad so talented. Personally I think David Villa is the best player in the squad, but arguments could be made for Xavi, Torres, Silva, Casillas etc. The team is more a sum of all its parts, no one player stands out above the rest for me.
Ade. C: Xavi. It’s taken me five minutes of flailing and soul-searching and repeated cries of ‘Xavi! No, San Iker! No, Iniesta! Alonso! Villa! Silva! Puyol! Cesc! Oh, no, wait… Xavi!’ to come to this conclusion, but yes, Xavi it is, if only for how he can make a team function like inspired clockwork and his masterful passes.
Cameron: Xavi – The genius inside his head is astounding, we do not see a more brilliant player day in and day out as we do with Xavi. For Barcelona, he’s been on top form for the past two years, the same goes for Spain. He drives the engine in the team, and while Cesc and Iniesta are more than capable of replacing him should anything happen, it would not be the same team without Xavi in it.
2. What do you think of Spain’s coach Vicente del Bosque?
Corey:I love Del Bosque but I am a Real Madrid fan so I remember the good ole days. He has done a very good job after Aragones left, and he has the team performing at a high level, basically never skipping a beat. He is a pretty laid back guy, and does not micromanage players, which is ideal when dealing with a group that is already molded together and does not have to many personality conflicts. If he was the Spain coach ten years ago, it would have been a disaster, but national team players have come a long way in the past decade in terms of putting the morbo and regional differences behind them for the good of the team. Del Bosque has won plenty of club titles, so logically he should be able to translate that success to the international realm.
Ade. C: I wish Vicente del Bosque were just a bit more adventurous at times, but I think he’s doing a good job of managing the wealth of talent he has at his disposal. All in all, I’m happy with him and his resemblance to a walrus.
Cameron: Del Bosque is a quality man. He pretty much took what Luis Aragones did in the EURO winning side in 2008 and with a few modifications, kept things the same. It’s the best pool of talent arguably Spain has ever seen, so there is no reason to fix what is not broken, and del Bosque has done a great job in this regard.
3. What do you think of Spain’s World Cup 2010 kits?
Corey: I’m sort of indifferent. The home kit is pretty standard. Red with yellow accents, but the crest is massive and I am not sure why? The away kit is a dark blue and I dont really get it. I prefer the old white away kit because it looked better with those yellow and red accents.
Ade. C: I’m fine with the home kits (though I liked the Confederations Cup shirts better), and even the navy away kits aren’t too horrible, but the keeper kits… the horrible, horrible, 70’s-style, pyjama-like, green keeper kits… not even Casillas and his beard can make those look halfway decent!
Cameron: The kits are nice. May have to get one . . .
4. What’s Spain’s biggest strength?
Corey: Passing. When your team has Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Cesc, Senna, David Silva etc. you better be able to pass the ball well, and we do. The team is also very deep, and thats helpful in tournaments where suspensions and injuries can really hurt a team when games are so close to one another.
Ade. C: The midfield, and the lovely lattice of passing that the midfield creates (be it Xavi or Iniesta, or Alonso, or Senna, or Silva, or Cesc, or whoever); we have a solid defence and a good attack, but it’s our midfield that makes it all possible.
Cameron: The kits are nice. May have to get one . . .
5. …and biggest weakness?
Corey: The defending is not always all that great, but it gets the job done. The left back position is probably a little to weak for a top tier team, but I trust in Capdevila. Id say the biggest weakness is the lack of a plan B. Spain plays a certain style, and if the ball possession and passing doesnt unlock a stubborn, withdrawn defense, its tough to see Spain winning. For example at the last Euro against Italy, the defensive approach left little space once we approached the box. It went to penalties because we could not break the Italians down. I do think that this time around players like Pablo, Pedro and Mata will help in counter attacking at pace, sort of the Valencia style of quick and wide attacks with Villa as the spear head.
Ade. C: I could get tactical and hem and haw about our flanks, but I’d rather focus on the tremendous pressure being piled on the players; after decades of consistently being viewed as losers, winning the 2008 Euros and every match, friendly or otherwise, since then (with the exception of the semifinals of the Confederation Cup against the USA) has left Spain feeling like anything but taking home the World Cup trophy would be a tremendous disappointment. As long as the team keeps playing well and winning, this can be good, but the moment they stumble, the pressure might prove too much for them…
Cameron: Defending on a counterattack. The attacking flair is great, and there are always many numbers being put forward in attack, which leaves Puyol and Pique at the back to hand with counters. Capdevilla is rather old as well, so he may get caught out on occasion in June. Will be interesting to see if teams can exploit this.
6. If you could steal one player from any other World Cup 2010 team, then who would it be and why?
Corey Im happy with the squad but like I said I dont feel the left back spot has much depth. Maybe Patrice Evra for the left back spot, or someone to back up Capdevila. Arbeloa can play left back but then who is the back up at right back? You see where it goes…
Having Messi on your team wouldnt hurt either…..
Ade. C: Messi. Because he’s Messi and I’m a Barça fan and… it’s Messi, do I really need to explain?
Cameron: Messi. He is the best player in the world and plays in Spain with five members of La Roja. Philosophies are similar and if given a chance to perform for Spain he would enjoy the same success he has gotten at Barcelona.
7. Tell us one thing about your team that the rest of the world might not know…
Corey: I cant give you any trivia, I dont remember stuff like that. As far as a promising player, where do I begin? David De Gea, Tito, Olazabal are all interesting keepers that are very young. Barcelona’s cantera is filled with great young players, as is Real Madrids, although they do not see the light of day as often. Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, Malaga, Osasuna and Racing Santander have all been producing some great players too. I personally think a player that will really come in to his own in the next few years is Ander Herrera of Real Zaragoza. He is the most fouled player in La Liga right now, a statistic you may think belongs to Silva or Ronaldo or Messi. If Zaragoza can stay up for a few years (thats a big if with that club) then he can really blossom as a play maker, playing centrally like Juan Carlos Valeron. Now that was a player in his day…
Ade. C: The Spanish NT nickname of ‘La Furia Española’ comes from the 1576 Sack of Antwerp, during which mutinied Spanish soldiers tried to pillage Flemish towns, causing an uprising from the local population, which in the end led the Spanish soldiers to forget about the mutiny and the whole not-being-paid-for-years that had led to it, and join forces against the Dutch. Let’s keep that little bit of history in mind, unless we have to play Belgium at some point, in which case we better hope they’ve forgotten all about the Spaniards setting fire to Antwerp during that time… coincidentially (or not?), the Spanish NT’s first match was in the 1920 Olympic Games in, yes, you guessed it, Antwerp.
8. What would you consider success/failure for your team at World Cup 2010?
Corey: A failure you would not making it out of the group stage, and even the first knockout round would be. A success is the semifinals, because its been awhile since we go that far in the World Cup. We are considered favorites, so there will be a little pressure on the team to perform which is always worrisome with their psyche. But they wont the Euro, so you would assume we got over that hope.
Ade. C: Personally, I’d consider reaching the semis a success. Or even just the quarter-finals, as long as the team plays well.
Cameron: A success? A semi-final or finals appearance. This team has lost but a handful of games the past four years and most of the players in the squad are enjoying the best form of their life so it would be natural to expect a high finishing place.
9. What are you most excited about at World Cup 2010?
Corey: Its the World Cup, what is there to be excited about? Everything! I will try my hardest to watch every game and enjoy the passion of the tournament. It really is a magical occasion, and since it only comes around every four years, its heightens the anticipation. Its a summer of football, and I cant wait.
Ade. C: Everything! I love club football (being a Barça fan will do that to you), but the World Cup is something else. World Cup years are different. I get to gorge myself with matches during the summer, discover new players I hadn’t seen before, shout and laugh and cry and get drunk and take days off from work, hum foreign anthems at odd hours of the morning, and fill my World Cup wall chart with obsessive attention.
Cameron: That one is finally being held in Africa, as I am half-African, there is a lot of pride in getting to see the host nation from the poorest continent in the world.
10. Who do you think will win World Cup 2010?
Corey: I do not think Brazil will win, let me get that in there. I have watched them play under Dunga, and they are dour and unimaginative. Im surprised the Brazilian public has not been more angered by the negative play. Dunga calls up some strange players, and he plays with essentially three defensive midfielders….That’s not Brazil to me. My dark horse is Italy, who are always strong in knock out tournaments, and they are the holders. England are strong, but if they cant beat the US in the group stage, they should be discounted. The Ivory Coast looks good but the change of coach has hurt them. Brazil will go far, as will Germany and England. But I think Spain will win it. The South American teams I think will disappoint, and the African teams will of course be inspired. Ghana might make it to the quarter finals.
Ade. C: I think Spain could do it, but the weight of history leads me to suggest a more conventional choice, like… Brazil?
Cameron: Spain. We have all the tools necessary to conquer the world right now.
- More from Corey, Ade. C and Cameron at Spain World Cup Blog.
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