Wednesday, January 26, 2011

World Cup 2010 Blog: “Australia Needs No Heroics, Off To Asian Cup Final” plus 2 more

World Cup 2010 Blog: “Australia Needs No Heroics, Off To Asian Cup Final” plus 2 more

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

Australia Needs No Heroics, Off To Asian Cup Final

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 10:16 AM PST

With South Korea waiting until the final possible moments for their heroics and ultimately it not panning out, Australia may have taken this as a warning, getting their foot on the pedal early – very early. All of four minutes into the game Harry Potter Kewell put them one goal to the good. The game was comfortable at the half via a second, and over shortly after the mark with a third. And then ten-man Uzbekistan were cruelly punished with a fourth, fifth and sixth. So much for penalties.

Cinderella stories are nice, but they’re certainly not for the Asian Cup – Japan v Australia in the final couldn’t have had terribly good betting odds, though it is arguably the matchup of two of the best three teams in the tournament. Who can separate Japan, Australia and South Korea, really?

South Korea Uses Up Heroics In Extra Time, Japan To Final

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 08:11 AM PST

119th minute, and I’m done banging on about the horribly controversial/terrible Japanese penalty which saw them through to the Asian Cup final against the winner of Australia and Uzbekistan.

Scrum in the box and suddenly we’re going to penalties. As late as late could possibly be, and South Korea managed to stay alive for just a bit longer.

Just a bit, though, and then they completely fell apart, missing all three of their penalties. South Korea thus had every chance to win of their own accord, but that likely won’t stop the clamoring in the press for the referee’s head on a platter after he awarded Japan that fairly terrible penalty. Of course South Korea’s first half penalty was fairly similar in the nature of the foul itself, but very importantly inside the box on a playable ball.

Those Blue Samurai are never far away with a bit of late drama – you may want to start watching Sunday’s final ’round the 75th minute.

Yohandry Orozco: Name To Remember As He Dances By Your Defenders

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 06:44 AM PST

Easily the best goal in the youth sector since Kumi Yokoyama, and arguably the best goal of 2011 thus far if you’re keeping track (not advised – one might go bananas by March if that were the case).

What makes it an even more outrageous goal is that Yohandry Orozco, Venezuela’s #10 and the scorer of this piece of magnificence, doesn’t even have an English language Wikipedia page yet.

How the hell are we supposed to know how good he can be if his transfer rumors aren’t plastered on the internet in loosely cited sentences which anyone can edit? Jeez.

(He’s 19, roughly the same height as Messi’s shoulders and somewhere, someone just bought him in FM only to be roundly disappointed.)
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