Oh my, scratch the obits – on both sides of the pond.
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
Not Yet Out of Africa, but the Africans Are Almost All Out
After Wednesday’s round of games, we may have a World Cup on African soil with no African teams present in the second round. Cameroon was already eliminated after two dismally underwhelming performances. A much-vaunted Nigerian side and the plucky, but ultimately inadequate hosts South Africa both limped out last night. Tonight, the odds …
Argentina to Face its First Real Test
As the dust begins to settle on the group stage, we know the identities of the teams that will contest two of the eight games that will determine the quarter finals: Argentina, having sailed through a ridiculously easy group, will face Mexico, which shut out hosts South Africa to make second place in Group A, while Uruguay will face …
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
Why Maradona Wears Two Watches
Argentina has to be the most entertaining team in this tournament. The team has exceeded the country’s tapered expectations, and played beautifully in group play. Argentina finished with three straight wins, the latest a 2-0 victory of Greece. Both Lionel Messi, and his floppy mane, are awesome. And watching coach Diego Maradona’s …
The Agony of Defeat (Not To Mention Group Suicide)
And so the miracle the entire world had waited for transpired after all. No, France didn’t pull itself out of the pathetic, self-mocking off-field tantrums for which it had become a laughing-stock in recent days. And didn’t knock in enough goals to beat South Africa and sneak into the knock-out round as Mexico lost against Uruguay. …
Budgetry Ball Blues: Why It’s Not Easy Being English
There was only one place to go to escape the misery enveloping England the day after the team’s dismal draw against Algeria: the movies. But even the big screen couldn’t disguise the malaise that continues to seep through the camp. And now, 24 hours before the crucial clash with Slovenia, we must deal with the new government’s …
A Fatal Loss of Face?
Portugal’s 7-0 massacre of North Korea got me thinking about death. Not the metaphorical kind. As I watched North Korea’s coach Kim Jong Hun prostrate himself for having abandoned the Winged Horses’ tight defensive posture in favor of an ill-fated offensive campaign, all I could think was is this guy gonna get executed when he …
Portugal Resplendent
The match isn’t over yet (well, it is; just time isn’t out yet), but Portugal’s 5-0-and-counting drubbing of North Korea is as impressive as Germany’s opening pounding of Australia was—and perhaps then some. Sure, it turns out Australia isn’t as bad as it looked in taking four unanswered German goals last week, while North …
And The Oscar Goes To …
You might have feared the worst for Ivory Coast’s Kader Keita after he dramatically fell to the ground during Sunday’s group game against Brazil, that deservedly ended in a 3-1 defeat. Was his career over, thanks to Kaka’s challenge? Replays immediately proved otherwise with the Brazilian playmaker’s nudge of his opponent leading to …
In Cameroon, Samuel Eto’o Reigns as Uncrowned King
Football fever grips the residents of the soccer star’s hometown Douala
For France, There’s World Cup Hope in a Player Rebellion
The news that France’s players had refused to train on Sunday in protest at the decision by those running the team to send home potty-mouthed striker Nicolas Anelka was widely interpreted as a sign that Les Bleus have imploded. Not so fast. I’d argue that the player rebellion is, in fact, the best thing that could have happened to this …
France: World Champion–Of Pathetic Controversy
Herewith an update to my earlier post about Nicolas Anelka’s obscenity-driven verbal assault of coach Raymond Domenech Friday night. It now serves as a perfect reflection of the incompetence and hypocrisy of the entire French Football Federation responsible France’s South African debacle on and off the pitch.
Cote D’Ivoire vs. Brazil: Africa Can’t Lose
Those who imagine Africa’s World Cup is about to get a lot less African (that means you, Bill) are forgetting something: Africa has won the World Cup five times, and we’re a good bet for a sixth. Never mind the fact that South Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria are all looking hopelessly subpar, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire have started well …
