Sunday, June 13, 2010

 

Day (Two Thousand and) Two

So then. South Korea post a 2-0 win against a creaking European side, Argentina squeak through 1-0 against a Nigeria team that might have conceded more but for a defiant goalkeeping display, and England score an early goal but a crass defensive error costs them a quite unnecessary equaliser.
I'm referring, of course, to some first-up matches at the 2002 World Cup.

The parallels are very close. Poland went into the 2002 tournament as potential dark horses but fared very poorly; Argentina played much thoughtful, incisive football against the Nigerians in Ibaraki but were thwarted constantly by the obscure keeper Ike Shorunmu, who played out of his skin that day. Oh, and England went into the lead early against Sweden but a silly giveaway by Danny Mills allowed Niclas Alexandersson to score a fine left-footed goal.

Greece really were awful in the first half against South Korea last night, and only came to life after the hour, when they were already 2-0 down. Overall, they made the Koreans look a lot better than they were; during that concluding period of the game, when the Koreans were being outmuscled with worrying ease by the Greeks in their own half, their efforts on the breakaway were stilted and ineffective.

Otto Rehhagel clearly believed that hoisting the ball into the area was enough to get a result against an Asian side, and although one might say that this is an outdated attitude...the final thirty minutes might have given him the impression that he was right.

After a fluent and exciting opening ten minutes, Argentina simply didn't quite click. Messi posed danger, as expected, but he found Vincent Enyeama in fine form. As in 2002, a certain Juan Sebastian Veron was at the heart of the midfield, and as in 2002, he didn't have the best of games. Nor did Angel di Maria, who could well be replaced for the South Korea game.

There were a few troublesome moments in defence for Argentina as well, with Jonas Gutierrez looking ill-suited to the right-back role and Sergio Romero having some difficulties in goal. For the Nigerians, there was plenty of power in the forward line but not much in the way of direction; they should really have equalised twice. South Korea v. Nigeria will be a fascinating game, probably the group decider.

The England goalkeeping problem continues. No-one of real international class has emerged to replace David Seaman (Paul Robinson was not really up to it in 2006), and it will be hard for Robert Green to pick himself up for the rest of the tournament after that shocking blunder. Otherwise, it was much the same as the England of 2002. Nine years on from the glory of Munich, the obsession with Emile Heskey's head continues: although he remains laudably unselfish and a constant problem for opposition defences, he is hardly a terror in front of goal.

The lack of pace in central defence, which was exposed badly by Jozy Altidore in the second period, must be a worry for Fabio Capello. The USA looked a well-organised, competitive side in the main, just as they did against Australia. Without wishing to demean Slovenia or Algeria, whose debut we will get to see tonight, the Americans must still be favoured to get out of the group along with England.

Beyond the quarter-finals for Capello's men this time? On this morning's form, they will be lucky to make it past the last 16. But there's a way to go yet.

Comments:
So, how many years of Capello and all we get is that? Was there really any difference between this England team and any other recent World Cup England teams? Lampard and Gerrard in the middle again, Heskey!? Still no decent goalkeeper. I would be pretty annoyed if I was an England fan... but I am not, so all I can do is smile.

Is it too late to get onto the Messi bandwagon?
 
Problem with Capello is that he might just be an upgraded version of Sven, hence why it didn't seem much different. Both managers have focused on making England a more secure side but I'm not sure if it's a great, natural fit.
 
Sven was a pretty good coach. He was fantastic at Lazio before he came to England and has done all right since he left. I don't think the problem is with the coach. I don't know whether it is the egos of the players, the media circus, pressure from the FA or a combination but I doubt any England manager is going to do very well any time soon.
 
Sven with England wasn't the Sven of elsewhere. He perception of what to do with England seemed to be based on the worse traditions of English football: "Long balls up front to Heskey/Crouch lads and revel in a backs-to-the-wall mentality in sitting back on a one goal lead against top opposition" rather than the best in the form of aggressive, assertive football.
 
First of all i am saying that, i like your post so much.
คาสิโน
 
เผาผลาญไขมัน ไม่มีอันตราย เป็นเทคโนโลยี ที่มีคุณภาพสูงสำหรับเพื่อการเผาผลาญไขมันส่วนเกิน
เครื่องจะตรวจจำนวนไขมัน แล้วก็คำนวนพลังงานที่จำต้องใช้อัตโนมัติ รวมทั้งพวกเราจะใช้เครื่องไม้เครื่องมือยิงคลื่น
อัลตร้าซาวด์เข้าไปในรอบๆที่ได้ทำเครื่องหมายไว้อย่างสม่ำเสมอ โดยไม่เจ็บต่อเยื่อรอบๆ ใกล้เคียง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นผิวหนังข้างบน เซลล์ประสาท หรือ เส้นเลือด ต่อจากนั้นเซลล์ไขมันจะถูกแปลงให้เป็นของเหลวแล้วถูกซึมซับไปสู่กระแส เลือด แล้วถูกนำไปเผาผลาญโดยระบบการกำจัดไขมันของ
ร่างกายตามธรรมชาติ ทำให้ท่านสัมผัสได้ถึงรูปร่างที่กระชับรวมทั้งเรียบเนียนขึ้นในทันทีข้างหลังการดูแลรักษา โดยไม่เป็นผลข้างๆใดๆก็ตามต่อสุขภาพร่างกายและก็สามารถดำเนิน
ชีวิตตามธรรมดา โดยไม่ต้องพักรักษาตัว

สลายไขมัน กระชับสัดส่วน
สลายไขมัน ไม่ผ่าตัด

 
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