matchverdict.com

In the previous post we looked how groups A to D panned out. By the time I am writing this post, the group fixtures in the remaining four groups(E to H) have finished and  the picture of “Round of 16″ is crystal clear.

Group E: Almost, all of us would have expected Holland to cruise through this group and unlike, few other giants, they did just that. Their passing was exhilarating. Their “build up” play really looked good. Also, to the surprise of many, they looked really solid at the back. They are really looking like “a team to beat” and I expect them to reach ‘at least’ quarter finals. Denmark were very inconsistent in this entire campaign. They looked patchy. I had high expectations from this team but, I was disappointed to say the least. Japan have really looked sharp in this tournament. They have looked organized. Their movement have looked quite terrific. They are well capable of providing one or two upsets and I would not be surprised if we see them reaching the business end of competition.I hate to say this, but Cameroon looked probably the worst team of the tournament. They lacked discipline. They were very naive in all the games. I afraid that if African teams don’t learn from this world cup, they would never be able to achieve big at the global level.

Group F : Italy were clear cut favourites to win this group. But this is football and not everything goes as per the plan. Forget about winning, “Azzuris” got knocked out in group stages itself. They looked toothless. They lacked creativity especially in the absence of playmaker Andrea Pirlo. Their defence,which was considered by many as “one of the best”, got breached many times.The injury to their talismanic goal keeper Gianluigi Buffon didn’t help their cause either.Overall,it was a very disappointing campaign for the Italians. Paraguay, like other South American teams, are really looking at the top of their game. They are maintaining good tempo throughout each game. Their forward line is in good form. They truly deserved their top place and I expect them to reach at least quarter finals.New Zealand exceeded all the expectations. They were clearly seen as “the whipping boys ” in this group. But to the surprise of many, they held all their opponents.They really surprised us with the resolute and organized defence. Though they would have missed the qualification(despite herculean efforts), I have no doubts in my mind that the football is really heading in great direction in this beautiful country. Most of us had written Slovakia off,even before the world cup started and we were been proven right until start of final round of matches. But Slovakians were magnificent in the “Do or Die” game against Italians. They were well deserved winners in that crazy game, which decided the fate of both the teams. But I dont expect them to cross the hurdle of next round.

Group G:  This group was billed by many as “The Group of Death”. But it didn’t turned out to be. In fact, some other groups went right down to the wire than this one. Brazil were expected to top this group.They did just that and quite comfortably I would say. They looked breath taking while going forward as well as solid at the back at the same time. They are really “mixing it up” this time round. They didn’t look reluctant to take pragmatic approach when required. They have shown the qualities, which are required to become world champions and they will be very very tough to beat. Portugal, I think have played up to their potential. Much like Brazil, they have not felt ashamed taking ugly approach at times.But at the same time, they have scored goals against weak opposition. They truly deserve their place in the next round. But challenges will be tougher and tougher for them as the tournament progresses. Everybody had many expectations from Ivory Coast. Many thought they would keep the African flag flying in this world cup. But they failed to live up to the expectations. I thought they were too cautious in their approach at times. Also the players like Didier Drogba, Aruna Dindane looked out of form. DPR Korea were not expected to even threaten the other teams in this group and they didn’t surprise at all. They were just not good enough to compete with these teams. They looked good defensively,but that too in patches.

Group H:  Spain, the favourites of many to win the trophy, were expected to brush the other teams aside. But their campaign started in worst possible manner with defeat against Swiss in the openeing game. But they got over that and got their act together in the other two games. They looked fantastic in their trademark “possesion and passing” play. Their movement has been terrific. The only criticism of Spanish is that they are not scoring enough goals, considering the great chances that they are creating. They will certainly be a force in the next rounds. Chile, much like other South American teams have looked good. They have looked organized. They have played with great tempo and I believe they were good enough to qualify ahead of the other two teams. Switzerland were in dreamaland after the first day win over Spanish. But in that game, they had to play on counter attack which suited them. When they came up against Chile or Honduras, they had to force the issue. They were never going to be that potent going forward. They lacked the quality in the final third. Their finishing was poor and they should not have any complaints with their exit. This was the first time after 1982 that Honduras qualified for a world cup.They played pretty OK for a very low profile team. But again, they lacked the quality which is so so mandatory when playing at this level.

Round Of 16 verdict:

Holland  vs Slovakia : Holland to cruise through this one.

Brazil vs Chile : Brazil for sure.

Paraguay vs Japan : Huh!! I will go with Paraguay.

Spain vs Portugal : Spain, only just..

Its super Friday and if you are a Football Buff, you don’t want to miss this clash of the Titans. Its Brazil v/s Portugal, two countries having almost the same culture, language and many things in common . Even the style of their Football playing is also the same, both are known for their magic display of attacking football and have equally good players on the field and off the field.

This is truly a mouth watering proposition for Football freaks and everytime this two countries have played , they have weavened their magic on fans and football geeks, and the rivalry still continues and will continue. What is interesting is whose day is it gonna be wheteher Kaka or C.Ronaldo is gonna strike or whether it would be a stale mate with both teams playing defensive football rather than attacking.

Anyways friends probably too anxious to call as of now, probably should be writing this article after the match gets ended but just have been gripped with this fever so can’t help it!!!!!!!

Finally the long wait was over and the most awaited sporting event in the world kicked off in South Africa . What a start this has been!!. Yes, the first round of matches were a bit sedate in nature,but the teams could be forgiven for this as they had to acclimatize with the tough conditions.But all credit to them,as they adapted themselves to playing at high altitude ,which definitely helped the tournament getting better and better. By the time I am writing this post, the group stages(A to D) have finished and we know the identity of the qualifiers from these groups.

Group A: The qualification from this group was always going to be “An Almighty Scrap”. No wonder ,it went right down to the wire. South Africa, much like other African teams, looked very inconsistent throughout the tournament.They  started their campaign very brightly and although later they defeated the French , a heavy defeat from the hands of Uruguay didn’t help their cause. Uruguay were by far the best team in this group.They looked sharp.They were consistent throughout. Their top players are looking in great touch. But there will be tougher test for this team in the next stage. I think Mexico should consider themselves very lucky. Had South Africans defeated them in that opening game, it would have been curtains for the North Americans.They haven’t looked great and I don’t expect them to cross the hurdle of “Round of 16″. Honestly speaking , I wasn’t surprised with the manner in which French exited from the tournament. This was inevitable. The tempers were running high in the French camp,since last few years. The players always had the problems with coach Raymond Domenech. But this surely can’t be an excuse for the unprofessional attitude that the players have shown in this campaign and I believe these players should be shown the door.

Group B:  This was probably one of the easiest groups, when picking the winner. Argentina were the overwhelming favourites to win this group and they proved just that.For me, they have been the best team in the tournament. They won all their games with utmost ease and style. They looked sharp in their passing. Their ace players like Messi, Tevez, Higuain are looking in terrific form. They look a great bet to reach at least Semis. Nigeria played like a typical African team, great to watch but lacking in discipline. Korea Replublic , I thought looked the next best team in the group after Argentina. They did just enough to qualify. Their movement in all the matches was pretty good. They are surely capable of providing a shock in the next round. Greeks looked  toothless in the attack and lacked creativity. Once they had conceded the goal, it never looked like that they would come back into the game.

Group C : This group was considered by many as “The most straight forward” group since it had England and USA, teams with tremendous world cup experience, who many thought would make the meal of the other two opponents in Slovenia and Algeria. But if the things would have gone as per the plans in football, it wouldn’t have been the most loved sport in the world.England, to the delight of their millions of fans somehow managed to scrape through. They were far from their best.They looked jaded. Players like Rooney,Lampard looked out of touch. But in their last game against Slovenia,when backs were against the wall, they put on a fantastic and high tempo performance, which we always expect from them. I still believe we should not write England off. They will be a force to reckon with in the next rounds of this tournament. USA looked the best team in the group and thoroughly deserved their top place. They showed great team spirit and fighting abilities in all their games. They look brilliant in going forward with charismatic Landan Donovan leading the attack. Condering the draws for the next rounds, I won’t be amazed if we see USA in semis. Slovenia performed to their best levels but, they were just not good enough. But for such a small country,its a great achievement and I really hope that they will only get better.Algeria were very disappointing and boring to watch. Unlike their African counterparts,They were very negative in their approach.

Group D: Prima facie, this group looked very similar to Group B. Germany  were the clear cut favorites to win the group. Though they topped the group, by no means it was an easy ride for them. They started their campaign with a landslide win over Australia. But a shock loss to Serbia meant a nervy last game against Ghana. In the end, it was their class which helped them to overcome the Africans. I think Ghana are very lucky to find themselves in the last 16. Their performances were a bit “Jekyll and Hyde” througout the campaign. But one thing we should accept that they were pretty entertaining and looked the best amongst the other African teams. Serbia, I thought were very unfortunate. For me, they looked better than Ghana. They were more organized, more disciplined and good going forward. Australians were not capable enough to go through. But football is making great progress in that country and we will see much better performances from “Socceroos” in future.

Round of 16 Verdict:

Uruguay vs S.Korea : tough to call, but  Uruguay, for me.

USA vs Ghana : USA for sure.

England vs Germany : huh!! I will go with England.

Argentina vs Mexico: Argentinians to give footballing lesson.

Germany previous world cup winners and a country with rich history of Football, right from the partition to the current date and if you gaze through the history books you will come across to famous name that once wore the great German jersey, legendary names such as Beckanbaer,Matthias Sammerhead, Jurgen Klinsmen, Oliver Khan and more endless list.

But the current German squad is no means to be taken lightly they have the best defence in the world (Germany is know for its defense) and the tradition just keeps on continuing. Players like Miroslav Klose, Thomas Mueller, Lukas Podolski, Mark Schwarzer, Mesut Ozil. The Germans really showed their class last night by thrashing the sooceeroos by 4-0. If this is just the begining that it is worth to see the German Team in action , probably now according to me it stands in the favourites with Brazil, Spain and Argentina.

Probably when you speak of World Cup 2010, the one team that will always come to your mind as a favourite team is Argentina. Just because of its past performance and great players like Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Riquelme and the list just goes on endless. This year could probably be the year when Argentina again has its foot hold on the Soccer Map.

This year also marks a special appearance for the Soccer GOD Diego Maradona, who is currently the coach of the national team, inspite of its qualifying hurdles and lack lustre in qualifying for the World Cup and now finally making it through. Their last game against the Black eagle was not only refreshing to see but also a strong warning to its openents that they are back and back with a bang.

Lets us now review their chances, technically they have the world best striker and recently crowned Footballer of the Year “Lionel Messi” and if he gets going there is no way he will be stoppable. Players like Juan Sebastain Veron, Heinze,Tevez, Mascarenho are equally dangerous. One thing with which I was really impressed against the game with Nigeria is that they played attacking Football which they are know traditinally and that is the way they play always and all grat Argentinian players are. What was also good to see is that their defense was not bad either and  they tackled the ball preety hard when they needed them to tackle. Certain if they play like this and their trunp player Messi strikes it would be hard for any team to curb this potential dynamite footballing nation under daddy Diego’s guidance.

In the previous post we looked at  “The Usual Suspects” when it comes to picking the favourites for a FIFA world cup. But strangely this time around,its “The Underachievers” who will head into the tournament as the front-runners.

Spain are bookmakers’ favourite this time around and we shouldn’t be surprised by that, should we?  At previous world cups they have had teams which were good enough to win the competition. But forget about winning, the fact is that they have not even made it to the final of any world cup. The currnt Spanish team is very different very though. They are on a high after Euro 2008 success and a quite comprehensive qualification campaign. This can attributed to the recent success of FC Barcelona,which have as many as eight players in the national team. Spain’s playing style is based on retaining the possession, much similar to that of Barcelona. This restricts the opponents from having the ball for long periods and they end up creating a very few chances. The players like Cesc Fabregas, “Best Player of Euro 2008″ Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso are extremely accurate with possession and passing. Also they have two of the supreme target men around in Fernando Torres and David Villa.  Expect loads of goals from this team. (Spain vs Argentina is a match-up I would like see, it is possible in the semi-finals, considering the draws )

Whenever England arrive at every world cup, they bring along with them, the expectations of millions of passionate fans not only from home but also from all over the world, who religiously follow the English Premier League and  the burden of such high expectations have made Englishmen crumble more often than not. But everything seems to have changed since Fabio Capello has taken over the role of management. “Three Lions” have become ruthless and enterprising under his management.This current crop of English players is  regarded by many as “The Golden Generation” of English football. They have quality throughout the pitch with the likes of “Red Hot” Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole in their ranks. Their bench strength is probably the strongest in the tournament.For me, they are the most COMPLETE team in the competition and I expect them to go VERY FAR.

If you ask me, which team will you label as ‘the biggest underachiever’ in world cups? my answer would be plain and simple..Its Holland. Its really amazing to see the number of world class players that this country does produce time and time again.They always have at least have four or five players in their team, who are blessed with supreme talent and mesmerizing skills. This time around also, they have Arjene Robben, Wesley Sniejder, Roben van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart in their team, who are second to very few, when it comes to the skills. But football matches are not won with individual talent but with teamwork and this is my concern with this team. Also they lack that “substance”  in the team, which is so mandatory when it comes down to the business end of the tournament. I think “The Oranges” are a good bet to reach at least quarter finals.(There is a lip-smacking prospect of Brazil vs Holland quarter-final).

France and Portugal , I afraid, will not be able to fulfill the expectations of their fans. French football team is so notorious for their internal rifts and ego clashes that I would be very surprised if they go beyond quarter-finals. Portugal on the other hand are just not good enough. They will rely very heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo, with now Nani out injured.

Denmark and Serbia would be my “Dark Horses” for this edition. Both have had very impressive qualification campaigns and are very organized. We should not get shocked, if we see either of these teams at least in the quarter finals.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I can’t see African teams posing any real threat to the “Established” ones. Almost all the African teams have been hampered by injuries,which will make their task even harder.Nigeria have a good chance to reach knock out round, considering their group. But believe me, it will be the fans of these teams which will make this world cup VERY SPECIAL.

I really fear for Asian teams. There is a serious possibility that we may not see even a single Asian team in the Round of 16. All the hopes of Asia will resting on Korea republic who have the best record amongst the Asians in the world cups.

VERDICT:  huh!! its prediction time. For me, this is the most open World Cup in recent decades. England and Spain are DEFINITELY going to last long in the tournament. Also Brazilians have everything in them, which is required to win the cup.

LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!  Joga Bonito!!!

When South Africa won the bid to host 2010 world cup, many eyebrows were raised. People  (especially the Europeans) were uncertain about the infrastructure and facilities that need to be provided by “The Rainbow Country”.But the South Africans showed the world that how much love the African continent has for “The Beautiful Game” by completing the herculean task of building stadiums and other infrastructure in the stipulated time line.Although everyone in Africa is very optimistic about their Teams’ chances, this tournament could be a harsh “Reality Check” for the African teams.

Whenever we talk of football world cup, one name immediately comes to the mind..well, no prizes for guessing …its Brazil. They always enter any competition as the stark favourites. They have always shown their pedigree at the World cups,no wonder they have won the trophy most number of times. But, this time around their ride won’t be as easy as compared to their previous campaigns. Though they have some of the best players in the world in Kaka,Pato and Robinho, they lack experience which is so crucial at this level.But I won’t be surprised at all, if we see Lucio lifting the cup on July 11th, 2010

Brazil’s South American counterparts, Argentina will also be one of the contenders for this year. Their qualification campaign was extremely sluggish to say the least. Somehow Diego Maradona’s men made it through to the last 32. Yes,there are serious doubts about his coaching abilities, but one thing we should remember that he is a seasoned campaigner of four world cups and we should not underestimate him. Also they have probably the BEST attacking force at this world cup, with the likes of  “Numero Uno” Lionnel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuan,Diego Milito,Sergio Aguero in their ranks. But they have some real concerns in  brittle defence and average midfield. Expect very entertaining games and lot of goals from Argentina.

One thing which  really astonishes is how Germans perform so well at the World Cups. No matter whichever team they put up , it has discipline,dedication and organization running in their veins. Though historically their players have not been blessed with as much skills as say Brazilians or Argentinians have, their tremendous team spirit always takes them through. The secret behind this could be the charismatic  leaders that they produce decade after decade, be it Franz Beckenbauer,be it Lothar Matthaeus, be it Jurgen Klismann,be it Oliver Kahn,they always have someone who has the presence similar to that of an Army General. But unfortunately this is exactly that they will be missing this time around with talismanic Michael Ballack out injured. But there wont be any respite for the teams facing  the “Mannschaft”. Under the management of Joachim Loew, they have opted to play a high tempo game,which is difficult to cope with for most of the teams. They have some of the best young talent in the world with Lucas Podolski,Thomas Muller,Mario Gomez. It will take “some” doing to get past this stubborn team.

How Italy managed to win four world cups so far,without being favourites for none of them, is surely beyond most of us.In most of the matches,performance wise they tend to be second best, but result wise they end up being the best.This has much to do with their playing style which is based on the strong defence. But one thing we should note that their “Brand of Football” though very pragmatic, is very effective and designed with only one thing in mind, “We will not lose”. But this makes them probably the “Most Boring team” to watch.Though they do not have many charismatic players in their ranks, the  World Cup holders boast a team of seasoned professionals like Gianluigi Buffon,Andrea Pirlo,Fabio Cannavaro,Gianluca Zambrotta,Gennaro Gattuso who know how to win matches at this highest level. Also they have most of the players from 2006 campaign still in their team with the manager Marcello Lippi still at the helm. “Azzurries” would again be very hard to beat.

The  UEFA Champions League is back and how!!!!. With new avtar,  Round of 16 matches  were played over the period of two weeks which meant more matches were available for viewing and some of the matches were just perfect for the advertisement of what I feel is the best football competition in the world.

Of course, the entire focus was on the two gigantic Anglo-Italian clashes. The first one featured the champions of England Manchester United and  star studded “Rossoneries” AC Milan at San Siro,Milan. This game was very special for both Manchester United players and fans,as certain Devid Beckham was on the opposite side of them. The Old Trafford Legend played for Manchester United well over a decade and still has a special place in every Red Devil’s heart. The game was pretty entertaining, especially with AC Milan having the likes of Pato,Ronaldinho in their ranks. Ronaldinho was terrific in the first half, displaying fantastic abilities with the ball and glimpses of why once he was reagarded as the best player in the world. AC Milan dominated most of the first half, creating some fantastic goal scoring chances. No wonder they took the lead with a deflected goal through Ronaldinho volley but as the game progressed,United started taking control of the game and equalized before half time through a scrappy Paul Scholes goal. In the second half,it was complete Manchester United. They were compact in defense and lethal on counter attacks. Though Clarence Seedorf scored for Milan late in the half, a Wayne Rooney double ensured a 3-2 victory for Red Devils. Had Milan would have taken their chances it would have been a different result altogether. Advantage United….

The second Anglo-Italian Clash was between current English Premier League leaders Chelsea and Italian champions Inter Milan at San Siro,Milan. This game saw Chelsea face their beloved ex-mangaer “The Special One” Jose Mourinho. It was Jose who did lead The Blues to their first domestic league title after in 50 years and followed that with another one in the next season, before getting sacked in 2007 because of the failure to win Champions League. This was always going to be a tight fixture considering the compactness of both the teams. Inter scored very early in the game through Argentine international Diego Milito. Inter were hardly threatned in that first half by Chelsea and deservedly went into the half time with one goal advantage.  In the second half,Chelsea increased the tempo of their game and put together a breathtaking move to equalize through Salomon Kalou. But Nerazzurries  responded in a terrific fashion to regain the lead with the help of an Esteban Cambiasso goal and win the tie 2-1. I think Inter can salvage a draw in the reverse fixture at Stamphord Bridge and go through.

Arsenal, probably had the easiest of the ties yet they lost in Porto. For me, it was one of the worst games I have ever seen. There were mistakes,mistakes and more mistakes.Arsenal keeper Lucasz Fabianski had the game to forget.It was his mistakes that led to both Porto goals.But it was Sol Campbell header which gave The Gunners a crucial away goal and made their task a bit easier for the second leg. Gunners to reach Quarterfinals…

Elsewhere, Lyon stunned the star studded Real Madrid with a 1-0 victory at Stade Gerland,Lyon. The Galacticos were stifled by the stubborn defence of french champions.I think the second leg, could be a very nervy night at Santiago Barnabeau. Bordeauax defeated Greek champions Olympiakos in Athens and are red hot favourites to go through with the form that they are in. Fiorentina though lost against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Munich, take with them a crucial away goal back to Florence. Rest assure they wont be thinking anything other than victory aganinst the Bavarians. Its really astonishing to see ,how great teams get good results even not being at their best. Barcelona despite being pretty ordinary got a draw and an away goal against Stuttgart. Stuttgart should expect some footballing lessons in the second leg at Noucamp.

TIE TO WATCH OUT FOR THE SECOND LEG:   Chelsea vs Inter Milan

How do you describe someone possessed by a desire to keep on excelling even after reaching the pinnacle of success? To step out carrying the hopes of 1 billion people on his shoulders? Guess its simple, “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”, more than apt to describe someone with these qualities.

Circa 2006, the time when Sachin was out with his tennis elbow injury,  not scoring runs after his comeback. Talks about retirement cropping up. How does one keep himself motivated? How does one ignore all that and time and time again prove that he is not among the mortals who will vanish without a fight. No, never.

To statiscally put his performance into picture, the recent year has been one of his best years in international cricket in which he has scored test centuries and  ODI centuries both, eventually bringing his tally to 93. A century of centuries does not seem too far away.

His 200* apart, why do people watch his batting? The Indian team today has many big hitters, many technically sound players (not to say his technique is faulty).  What is that, that makes a cover drive from his bat look even more spectacular? Why is that, that the fine leg glance looks especially sweetly timed ? Why do people still expect Sachin to score a century always? Guess, the answer is simple. The sheer joy and happiness he provides through his batting. The big willow, waving in his hand like a wand, weaves sheer magic in the entire cricket field. I bet that some of his shots would even be admired by the opposing teams on the field.

People always had complaints that there isn’t any one outstanding mark in Sachin’s records. Lara has the 400* in Tests, Sir Don has the impossible average of 99.4. But today, Sachin has the 200* in ODI. Almost as old as the format itself, he has achieved this milestone.

But beneath all these huge records, marvellous statistics, there is still the same curly haired boy, who loves the game today as he loved it when he first started playing it. A true champion, excellent student of the game is what Sachin is. Getting better and better with age. God Bless you, Sachin.

The lifting of the transfer ban will bring relief to the blue side of London. It’s not that Carlo Ancelotti’s side needed any more motivation for a match of this magnitude, they will always welcome extra additions to a side that has done so well from the start of this season. The two losses encountered on the road were put to bed in magnificent style with wins over Bolton and Blackburn. In doing so, Chelsea proved what happened at Wigan and at Villa to be minor blips in a grander scheme of things. Chelsea currently leads Manchester United by a slender margin of two points in the Barclays Premier League.

MatchVerdict Prediction: Home win.

And here is why:

The blues have been far more assured in defence than their opponents, letting in a miserly eight goals. Frank Lampard and the midfield have begun firing. And, no one can deny the talent and potency of Drogba and Anelka in front of goal.

Manchester United is a ghost of the side that won the premier league last year and I say so because they sorely miss the magic of Ronaldo and the work rate of Tevez. Rio Ferdinand, their rock at heart of defence is injured and will sorely be missed. It will be left to see how either Evans or Brown will cope with the strength of Drogba and the trickery of Anelka. Valencia may not be the like for like replacement of Ronaldo, but from the looks of it, he seems to be a decent player. This game will be the test of his mettle and Sir Alex’s judgement of a player. Darren Fletcher, might require an operation on his ankle and will be unlikely to feature against the Blues. So, it will be interesting to see how Ferguson lines up his midfield. Whoever plays, will need to boss the midfield to get anything away from the bridge.

Sir Alex has not been able to muster a win at Stamford Bridge since 2002. And we, at MatchVerdict predict that tomorrow’s game will be no different. Chelsea to continue their domination at the top of this league because they have the style, the midfield and the defence.  Will tomorrow’s game decide the title?  I personally don’t think so because it ain’t over till the fat lady sings and she will be singing next May. There is a long way to go.

Here’s to a great game of football. Cheers!