The FIFA World Cup 2010 - Now for the Semi-Finals

I have watched three quarter-finals, Brazil-Netherlands, Germany-Argentina and Paraguay-Spain with Netherlands, Germany and Spain going into the semi-finals and I predict Netherlands would make the fourth team into this stage.

Last night on 3 July 2010, my team Argentina was badly thrashed by 4 to nil by the Germans. Yes, Argentina has many brilliant players like Brazil but they tend to depend on individual players. Germany has relatively young team with full of energy and enthusiasm and great teamwork. They are admirable.

Earlier on I have said that I would support the underdogs but unfortunately they have all packed up their bags and gone home. Though I am sad at the way Ghana was dealt by Uruguay. That handball by Uruguayan striker, Suarez in front of the goal mouth, was really not in the spirit of the sport. I would call it downright cheating! Ghana was worthy of going into the quarterfinal and to be denied in such a manner was painful for the African fans. Suarez was red carded for his action and cannot play in the quarter-final match with the Dutch. For me he deserved to be banned from the game altogether. Apparently he celebrated his action by saying that now the "hand of God" belonged to him! Wouldn't like to see the like of him in the World Cup ever again,

 

Suarez's deliberate handball prevented Ghana's goal

The Brazil- Netherlands game was exciting with Robinho scoring a quick goal  at 10th minute after the start of the game, however the Dutch team came back to score two goals  to win. The Dutch hold the record of being unbeaten throughout all their matches. If they won the World Cup, they would be the  true champion.

     Netherlands in orange, scoring against Brazil

 Argentina lost by 4 to  Germany with a relatively young team with great team work. German's midfield is formidable. I noticed that Germany has players from other ethnic groups like Ozeil (Turkish descent), Boateing from Ghana and Khadeira of Tunisia descent. Argentina are all of the same ethnic group- just an observation.

What makes soccer a great game to watch is the team work they display and the strategy adopted by the coaches at different stages of the game like who they replaced whether a striker or a defender or a midfielder to add strength to the team and spur the game. Scheweinsteiger created beautiful chances for his teammates like  Muller to score. The fastest goal scored in world cup at three minutes into the game was just fantastic and could have disoriented the Argentinian defenders! Another world cup talk that I came across was the advantage Germany had over other competitors in using the new ball, the Jabulani, six months before the competition. Well, the talk would not have surfaced had Germany been eliminated earlier.

                                                     Bastian  Scheweinsteiger, German midfielder - Man of the Match

Nevertheless, it was both exciting and entertaining to watch the young German players working hard to deny Argentina's Lionel Messi's chances of showing his brilliance in goal scoring.  Though I was praying hard for Messi to score. I felt sad for Messi who apparently broke down crying in the dressing room post match. Gosh! Such is the effect of the World Cup. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel was there to cheer her brilliant team! Now that is a people leader. She might just win the elections based on this German euphoria.

The Paraguay versus Spain quarterfinal was also worth watching. There was plenty of excitement with penalty aplenty and heroic saves by the goalkeepers of both nations. The Paraguayans were playing quite well almost denying Spain, one of Europe's soccer giants, its entry into the semi-final. Spain won one nil through their awesome striker, David Villa.

     David Villa celebrating his sole goal for Spain and into the semi-final

The semifinals are up next and I have to stop searching for my favourite teams and just enjoy the game, shouting for the better team to win. I hope they will play fairly so that the deserving team will hold the coveted cup. I must admit that I have seen  quite a number of unsportsmanlike behaviours such as stepping on opponent's ankle (Felipo Melo of Brazil - sent off the field) and that Nigerian player who kicked the butt of his fallen rival and he was also dismissed. And of course the well publicized altercation between Anelka and his coach! That was shameful and the  French team was the laughing stock of the world for refusing to train after that... talk about spitting into the air skyward! And to me , Suarez's deliberate handball took the cake.

All the best to all the semifinalists. May the best team win. Best in all respects, skills. strategy and conducts.

 

For the final I think it would be between Germany and the Netherlands, looks like it is going to be a  European affair after all.