Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Steps On How To Make Your Own World Cup Balls

Make Your Own TeamGeist!


Haha, so Sylvia sent me an email on how to make your very own TeamGeist, which is the official World Cup ball. I'm sure it's by kennysia.com, a famous blogger from Malaysia but it's on my email so I shall post it for all of you. It's brilliant and maybe some of you don't know where they got the designs of the ball from. Well, it comes from a very product that is intimate to ladies...shy-ed away from the guys...uhm yea.

Yea, this is how the ball looks like.


The price...it's over-priced to be honest.

That's why kennysia is teaching you the DIY steps.

1. Get a football, any football. Just not those plastic ones you get from the mama store, eh.

2. Paint the ball white. Have to be white!

3. Uhm, yea expect the unexpected. Get a box of kotex.....

4. Stick em on the ball, follow the patterns below.

5. Use a marker or colour pens or whathaveyou, draw it like this. Beware of the Adidas logo though, you might get sued!

6. Do a comparison and last check on the ball. Does it look similar? If yes, then you have successfully made your very own TeamGeist!!


Hahaha fecking brilliant. A work of the genuis, kennysia that is. Credits will be to him of course with his brilliant creativity and taking his time to do up this..informative piece of article. Oh and of course THANK YOU SYLVIA for sending me the email. She asked me to credit her anyway so there you go.


Socceroos Heartbreak As Italians Did The Italian 'ROB'

Heartbreak, Socceroos....


Fritz Walter Stadion

Italy 1 - 0 Australia

Scorer:

ITA - F. Totti (pen 90+3 min);

Sent Off:
ITA - M. Materazzi (51min);


Dubious, dubious decisions by the referee yet again, for the gazillionth time in this World Cup. The standard of football is decent, but the refereeing standard is p*ss poor. A game decided by a penalty given 5 SECONDS before the final whistle? If it's a stonewall penalty then there won't be complain, but what a sh*t penalty to give away. I think any half-decent referee would have waved it away and let the game play on.

But this time the referee presumably melting in the summer heat, wants the game to end within 90 minutes and therefore awarded a dubious penalty right at the dot of full time and leaving Australia with no chance of a come-back.

Fabio Grosso, the Italian left back barged into the penalty box and Lucas Neil, who had an outstanding game tried to cover the angle by stretching his body wide and Grosso took the ball past him and he ran onto the body of Neil and fell over instead of what the referee believed, which is Lucas Neil fouled him. It was right at the end of the injury time and Francesco Totti stepped up and fired the penalty into the top right corner of Mark Schwarzer's net. Game over for the Aussies, who fought and contained the Italians well throughout the game and all you could say is, they're just pure unlucky.

In the starting 5 minutes of the game, the Australians made themselves feel at home with a whopping possesion percentage of 72% and were quick to close down the Italians when they're on the ball. Italians had no choice but to resort to long ball tactics and pumping balls to Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino. They did create a few decent chance with Toni and Gilardino coming close, but they were far too cautious for my liking and always had around 7-8 players within their own half. The referee made another shocking decision that is to sent off Marco Materazzi in the 51st minute.

To be honest I saw nothing but just a yellow card offence or did the ref sent him off for tackling his own player? He slid in and caught Zambrotta as well, so I presume it was for that offence. So Italians down to 10 men and they as anticipated, started their 'catenacio' mode and camped within their own half and left Del Piero and Iaquinta up front. To be very honest with you, the entire second half looked as if it was played in the Italian half with almost the entire Australian team surrounding the Italian turtle. But strange enough was that the Australians didn't try their luck and hit shots from range and instead, they tried to put ball into the Italian box, which was well-marshalled by captain fantatic, Fabio Cannavaro.

Other than the sporadic attack on the Australian goal, all they did was to soak up all the pressure from Australia and you have to wonder why the Aussies didn't try luck from range. Their killer balls in the box obviously doesn't work and crosses into the box are not really a big threat to them, with Buffon commanding the area brilliantly.

But sometimes you pay for not finishing the game off. Dilly-dallying with the ball and showed little urgency, the Italians got their chance from a dubious decision, but that's football, it's how you take you chances and putting the ball into the net, not how much possesion you have and how dominant you are. You might sympathise the Socceroos like I do, but to be honest they failed to turn their dominance into a goal and was punished. No matter how sh*t the referee 's decision might be, at the end of the day it's just about finishing your chances.

Credits to the Italians too. I might be harsh to say they robbed the Aussie, but they defended supremely and you could see why they're famed for their defensive tactic. Their formation when they're without the ball looked so compact and every players knows exactly where they must be positioned. Look at the number of passes cut out by the defence and crosses cleared and you could see that they're a strong defensive unit and are extremely disciplined. But defence won't win you games, so start scoring Italy, or the game against Switzerland or Ukraine is not going to be a walk in the park.


Monday, June 26, 2006

Yet Another Referee Blunder....

Note: My nightmare has started, that is my school term starts again and therefore I might not be able to post the latest match updates again until the Semi Finals. But of course I'll keep this site updated so no worries, continue to drop by and THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!


21 Fouls, 16 Yellow Cards And 4 Red Cards



Frankenstadion

Portugal 1 - 0 Netherlands

Scorer:
POR - Maniche (23 min);

Sent Off:

POR - Costinha (45min):

HOL - K. Boulahrouz (62min):

POR - Deco (77min):

HOL - G. van Bronckhorst (90min):

Oh yes, Portugese captain, Luis Figo might also miss the match against England after being caught head-butting Holland's Mark van Bommel.


When he didn't score , he whines. When he loses a game, he cries. When he's substituted, he cries too. When he's being substituted due to injury, HE BLOODY CRIED AGAIN. God, what a crybaby. Even the commentator who's serious most of the time laughed at him being a big wussy. I think we'll see him cry again, this Saturday most presumably and I would love to see that. Oh, there are plenty of chances, I tell ya!


Oh, and how can I ommit this lady below from the hottest WAGS (Wives And Girlfriends). She's Sylvie van der Vaart, wife of Dutch midfielder, Rafael van der Vaart.

One of the most eventful match up this World Cup and is set to be a talking point in years to come, when FIFA decides to make a documentary on the past World Cups. A total of 21 fouls (NOT ALOT, SERIOUSLY) which warrented 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards. I think the Russian referee, Valentin Ivanov clearly lost control of the game and had gone bonkers.

Some of the yellow card offence looked a litle too harsh and it's a joke. How could this happen in a World Cup, and in such an important match, with millions of people viewing. He makes Graham Poll looks competent and Heskey a world class player. It's farcical and the refereeing standards in this World Cup is getting from bad to worst. FIFA, you really need to set things straight NOW and make radical changes, before football is being turned into a game for....Cristiano Ronaldos.


So now Portugal would have to play England in the quater finals without Deco and Costinha. While Cristiano Crybaby Ronaldo might miss the game due to injury and Luis Figo MIGHT be suspended for the head-butt on Mark van Bommel. And with most of their players on a yellow card, they'll be walking on tight-ropes as they will try not to get themselves suspended and have to play safe. This leaves England with a huge advantage and Portugal might find themselves a little stretched, if Ronaldo and Figo are not available.


Quater-Finals #2:

1st July
England vs Portugal
11pm



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Another Exciting Game From The English!

Beckham Rescues England

Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion

England 1 - 0 Ecuador

Scorer:
ENG - D. Beckham (60 min);

I know, you sense the sarcasm in the title. It's not an exciting game by any account from the English again, and again, and again. But they have now ensured a place in the quater finals facing either Netherlands or Portugal. So Sven lived to fight another day but they looked unconvincing and dispirited. There was no real passion from the players and it looked as though they're passing through motion. No conviction to be concise.

Yet again, what an inept performance by some of the English players, especially FRANK LAAAAAAMPAAAAARRDD!! Erm you wondered why I type like that, well it's because that's how the commentator would react when Lampard is in range and launch one of those long-shots of his. For the fourth time in a row, he didn't wear his shooting boots and his shooting accuracy is laughable. What more does he offers other than shooting from long range, honestly speaking? Does he play a killer pass when he's outside the box? No, all he just do is...smash the ball and hoping it'll take a deflection and go into the net. Sadly for him, this time round he isn't as lucky as he was when he's wearing that blue Samsung jersey of his.

Oh, and John Terry. The usually reliable centre-back had a bad game against Sweden and now he nearly gifted the Ecuadorians the opening. Rio Ferdinand challenged the ball with Augustin Delgado and the ball fell awkwardly to Terry, who wasn't positioned well enough and all he could do is hook it backwards and it fell nicely for Carlos Tenario. He was in the perfect positioned, one on one with Paul Robinson, but his first touch wasn't the best. He still managed to let fly a volley right infront of Paul Robinson, but Ashley Cole appeared from nowhere to make a crucial block and thwarted the ball's direction, as it went off the bar and out. A close shave for England, as they commited more players forward and the lapse of concentration from the backline nearly costed them.

It was a fairly dull match after that, as England couldn't find an opening in the Ecuadorian defence and for most of the match, Rooney looked isolated by the midfielders and was doing work all by his own up front. Lampard was shooting from range and wasting possesion, Gerrard was a little off-form and Beckham...his delivery and crosses were extremely poor for his standard. But when it's time for the England captain to step up and silence the critics, he did it in style.


Lampard finally did something of note and that's to earn a free-kick just outside the Ecuador penalty area and that position suits Beckham's free-kick perfectly. With the weight of the nation's expectation on his shoulder, he dispatched a wonderful free-kick into the bottom right corner of Cristian Mora's net. It was inch perfect and just between Mora's fingertips and the post. Once again, Beckham rescued the English side and the fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.

If the game was to play beyond extra-time, the pressure on the English will be greater and how many times have we seen England lose in a penalty shoot-out? It was a crucial goal for the English as they just struggled to find any chance to break down the stubborn Ecuadorian defence.



England could've and should've gotten a second if not for Frank Lampard's terible miss. Rooney finally found a way past Ivan Hurtado as he jinked past the defender and set up a wonderful chance for Lampard to finish it, but once again, he blasted it high over the bar and it looked like a rugby conversion.

Anyway congratulations to the 3 Lions. They played like Bolton, but win like Chelsea. Boring, uninspired, yet effective...well maybe not REALLY. But it was a win and a very important one, as England is now one step closer to reclaiming the prestigious World Cup that have been eluding them since 1966. This might be the year, but based on their performance, they'll be lucky to get through the next round. Yet, who am I to comment on their chances. Football is unpredictable and sometimes you'll never know. Just keep hoping. And stop Lampard from blasting balls that is :D


Sunday, June 25, 2006

After Watching The Replay Of The Match, Argentina Is Not Unbeatable

Maxi Rodriguez Stunner Breaks Mexican Hearts

Zentralstadion

Argentina 1 - 1 Mexico


After Extra Time:

Argentina 2 - 1 Mexio


Scorers:
ARG - H. Crespo (10min), M. Rodriguez (98min);
MEX - R. Marquez (5min);


What a cracking match! Missed the live match yesterday so sat down to watch the replay and I must say it's a fairly enjoyable game to watch, with both teams playing fast paced football and neither of them playing negatively. Credits to where it's due, the Mexicans as the underdog for this match, stiffled Argentina's attack very well and it was they themselves who found the net first, through their omni-potent captain, Rafael Marquez.

The Barcelona defender / midfielder / forward / whatever position he's playing in scored after early pressure from the Mexicans. They started off REALLY well and pinned the Argentinians back into their own half for the first 5 minutes and never allowed them too much time on the ball. A perfect free-kick was floated in from the right and it went over everyone's head, but Marques was the obvious target at the back post as he loosed his marker, Heinze and smash the ball past helpless Roberto Abbondanzieri.

But as the red hot favourites for this World Cup, it wasn't long before they themselves found a way past the Mexican defence, this time round its another set piece. Riquelme whipped in the corner and the ball was flicked on by the head of Jared Borghetti and then off the shin of Crespo into the net with Oswaldo Sanchez stranded. It was at first thought to be Borghetti's own goal, but later replay shows the ball did touch the shin of Crespo, as he desperately tried to claim the goal for himself.

The match then became a cagey affair when both teams sought to tighten up abit and not let the opponents score the second. The Argentinians passed the ball well in the middle of the park, but the ball often fails to find the target after it reaches the final third of the field while the Mexicans showed that they're no pushovers. I was very impressed with them after watching them play as they're not technically inferior to the Argetinians and some of they players are quite a handful I must comment. Rafael Marques was imperious throughout the match and as I've mentioned just now, that he's looks as if he's omni-potent, everywhere. He starts as a defender, then suddenly he'll appear in the opposition penalty area or anywhere on the field. Someone that Rio Ferdinand tries very hard to be, a ball playing centre-half.


Gabriel Heinze of ManYoo was lucky to escape with only a yellow card to be honest. Abbondanzieri passed the ball to him and his lack of concentration nearly costed him a red and Argentina. His poor touch enabled Fonseca to steal the ball and Heinze had no other options but to trip him. To me, it should have been a red card, as he was clearly the last man and Ayala was quite some distance away. The Mexicans worked really hard throughout the game and closed down every single inch of space and that rendered Riquelme inefficient for much of the game, as everytime he got the ball, more than 2 players will put him under pressure and as we all know, he's not the fastest player and couldn't shrug off his marker easily.


The struggled continued and it was 1-1 at normal time. Even by bringing on Messi, Tevez and Aimar, Argentina still couldn't find a way past the stubborn Mexican defence, well marshalled by Ricardo Osorio and Marquez. But when the breakthrough came, it was from a moment of brilliance. It was once again Maxi Rodriguez, the Athletico Madrid man, whom had a back facing the goal on the right hand side of the penalty area. He turned and volleyed the ball beyond the despairing dive of Oswaldo Sanchez.


From then on, you knew the Argentinians are through already, although there was stll 20 odd minutes to go. There were some scary moments for the Argentinians defence, but they held on and will now meet Germany in the last 8. What a cracking match that'll be. I can't wait!


Quater Finals #1:
30th June
Argentina vs Germany

11pm



WELCOME BACK, MARG!
bwahaha DUMB BLOND!


Germany In To The Last 8

Podolski Double Fires Germany Into The Last 8


Allianz Arena

Germany 2 - 0 Sweden


Scorers:
GER - L. Podolski (4min, 12min);
SWE - H. Larsson (pen MISS 53min);


When everyone thought that the Germans and the Swedes will make it tough for each other in this match, where there is no second chance and a mistake will cause your team a place in the last 8, the Germans finished the tie within the first 20 minutes with under-fire striker, Lukas Podolski finishing the Swedish off clinically and from then on, it seemed there was no way back for the Swedes.


Both the goals are down to defensive errors from the Swedish defence, as they were dragged all over the place by the in-form Miroslav Klose. He found a way past Erik Edman and took a shot, which was well saved by Andreas Isaksson, but the rebound found its way to the lurking Lukas Podolski, who smashed the ball into an empty net.

Another terrible mistake by the Swedish defence means that they're made to pay by the Germans, who're so clinical and always seemed to strike at the right place and right time. Miroslav Klose got the ball just inside the penalty box, dragged 3 defenders along with him, before releasing the perfectly positioned Podolski and the striker slam home from 10 yards out.


Things started to get worst for the Swedish as they are struggling to find a stranglehold in the game and defender, Teddy Lucic was sent off rather harshly but the Brazillian referee, who was spotted with a wild smug on his face as he reaches the red card from his pocket. To me the second foul by Lucic doesn't seemed to warrant a yellow card as he just tugged the shirt of Klose. But the referee doesn't think so and Sweden, chasing the game, are down to 10 men.

Then Germany started their long-shot barrage on the Swedish goal and Isaksson needs to be on his toes to keep out a couple of shots and he should really be the man of the match as he made saves after saves to keep the Germans at bay and the scoreline respectable. Michael Ballack is guilty of doing a 'Frank Lampard' by blasting shots after shots into the stands but he did came close to scoring, if not for Isaksson's heroics.

After the half time break, the Swedish seemed to be more organised and managed to shut out the Germans well for the opening period of the match. They did have a chance to pull one back when Larsson himself was adjudged to be fouled by Borussia Dortmund defender, Christoph Metzelder and it was he himself who stepped up to take the penalty. It's Jens Lehmann vs Henrik Larsson. Arsenal vs Barcelona once again and this time, the Swedish striker struck the ball with too much power and it went over the bar and what a terrible miss from a striker that have been so reliable over the years. His goal record speaks for itself but this time, he succumbed to the pressure and that has to be the turning point of the game.

Towards the end of the game, it became less eventful and the Germans are just passing the ball around and I must comment on their playing style. I for one, have been turned into an admirer of the German way of playing after watching their last few games. They're SO clinical when it comes to finishing the chances and when they had to hold the ball to starve the opponents off the possesion, they could pass the ball around so well that the Swedish looks like schoolkids sometimes.

A deserved victory for the Germans and once again, they showed their class, fluidity in their play and the ability to finish the game off under pressure. I would LOVE to see them play Argentina in the next round and it's gonna be ONE HELL OF A CRACKING MATCH! Game on!


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Saturday, June 24, 2006

A Big Thankyou Message And Day 1 Of The Last 16!

Thankyou Bondevia

Okay there was a glitch this afternoon with my blog as half of my templates gone missing without me touching it. So as usual Bondevia came to the rescue of my ar*e again so..THANKYOU BONDEVIA!


Last Of 16: Day 1 Previews


Allianz Arena

Germany vs Sweden



There won't be any changes to the German squad from the one that took them past the group stages as they looked to continue their excellent record against the Swedes. Meanwhile, Sweden will look to the recovery of their over-rated star striker, Ibrahimovic and lead the strike force alongside Henrik Larsson.

Germany (Probable):
Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Ballack, Frings, Schneider, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Podolski;


Sweden (Probable):
Isaksson, Edman, Lucic, Mellberg, N. Alexandersson, Kallstrom, Linderoth, Ljungberg, Ibrahimovic, Larsson, Jonson;


Drogballs' Prediction:
Germany 2-1 Sweden. Sweden will be a tough opposition to the Germans so expect a pretty cagey match as both teams would not want to lose this game.


Zentralstadion

Argentina vs Mexico


Lionel Messi hopes to marks his 19th birthday with a starting place in tonight's clash with the Mexicans. Messi will be celebrating his 19th birthday today and is being told to enjoy playing football and not fret at a big stage such as this. In the Mexican camp, Jared Borgetti have a chance to start in tonight's game after recovering from his injury.

Drogballs' Prediction: Argentina 2-0 Mexico. The Argies will be a little too strong for the Mexican, I think. Messi and Crespo to score.


The Number One Reason Why...... Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers

Why CRonaldo Is The Number 1 Gay Icon For The Dutch!

Because...............



A picture speaks a thousand words. Let's not descirbe it shall we. it's a little....disgusting. Okay, according to my photoshop expert, he said it's photoshopped, but whatever, what a brilliant picture! A masterpiece of the highest order and deserve a place in the museum in France (whatever). I know Sylvia...you're gonna make this your wallpaper......

Top 10 Highest Paid Footballers (In Pounds Per Week):


10. Francesco Totti

Where he plays: AS Roma and Italy
What he earns: £73,000 a week

Forget Rooney’s metatarsal – Italy was held in the grip of panic after star forward Totti broke his leg earlier this year. Il gladotorio is Italy’s highest-paid player and boosts his income further with his football school, named Number Ten, and a motorbike team called "Totti Top Sport". Totti even has his own clothing line – the Never Without You range. His endorsements are worth some £5.7m a year – nearly twice his annual wage.

9. Ruud van Nistelrooy

Where he plays: Manchester United and Holland
What he earns: £84,600 a week

He might have fallen out of favour at Manchester United but van Nistelrooy’s services are still much in demand. United splashed out £18m for him in 2001 and were rewarded with a staggering 80 goals in his first two seasons. His £6m personal fortune is boosted by a lucrative sportswear deal with Nike, yet off the pitch van Nistelrooy enjoys the quiet life. He married wife Leontien in a small church wedding in Holland in 2004.

8. Zinedine Zidane

Where he plays: Real Madrid and France
What he earns: £84,600 a week

Midfield playmaker Zidane was the architect of France’s 1998 World Cup triumph – and was amply rewarded for his efforts. Worth a reputed $19m, "Zizou" recently announced his retirement from football and this year’s tournament marks his last. His Galactico wage has been further boosted by a lucrative endorsement deal with Adidas and, in one of football’s more unusual tie-ups, a deal with Lego.

7. David Beckham

Where he plays: Real Madrid and England
What he earns: £84,600 a week

“Brand Beckham” shows no signs of fading with age – his handsome weekly wage is dwarfed compared to the £15m he earns every year through tie-ins with firms as diverse as Gillette, Pepsi and Adidas. It seems that last year’s tabloid scandals have done nothing to dent the lustre of the Beckham brand either. The Leytonstone boy was even named as one of Time magazine’s Top 100 most influential global icons.

6. Frank Lampard

Where he plays: Chelsea and England
What he earns: £94,000 a week

Five of the six highest-earning footballers in the world are now contracted to English clubs – and no club has more financial muscle than Chelsea. Elegant midfielder Frank is one of world football’s most improved players - and has been rewarded with a series of hefty pay rises since joining the club in 2001. In 2005, Lampard came second to Ronaldinho in FIFA’s World Player of the Year poll and should feature prominently in England’s World Cup campaign. Lampard exploits his brand value more sparingly than many of his contemporaries, however, preferring the quiet life with Spanish fiancée Elen and daughter Luna.

5. Rio Ferdinand

Where he plays: Manchester United and England
What he earns: £94,000 a week

After his performances at the heart of the England defence during the 2002 World Cup, Manchester United paid Leeds United a massive £29m to secure Rio’s services. He’s now signed a bumper new contract for a reputed £94,000 a week. Had United met his original £120,000-a-week salary demand, however, he would have set yet another record by becoming the Premiership’s highest paid player.

4. Ronaldinho

Where he plays: Barcelona and Brazil
What he earns: £111,000 a week

The poor boy from the suburbs of Porto Alegre has transcended his origins to become world football’s most lauded player. Twice FIFA World Player of the Year, the Brazilian maestro recently extended his contract with Barcelona until 2010. His earning power outstrips even David Beckham’s with his six-figure weekly wage boosted by lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, Pepsi and eight brands in Brazil. His annual earnings are reputedly some £15.8m, yet this superstar still retains some modesty: he recently confessed to Four Four Two magazine that he wasn’t even the best player at Barca, let alone the world. We beg to differ.

3. Thierry Henry

Where he plays: Arsenal and France
What he earns: £112,000 a week

It seems it pays to be loyal – this summer saw Henry resist the charms of Spanish giants Barcelona to stay in his adopted Highbury home. This devotion saw his pay packet increase to a staggering £112,000-a-week – yet City experts claim his worth to Arsenal far exceeds this sum, as he could have left the club for nothing in 2007. Henry is loved far beyond North London and he’s cashed in on this public affection with an endorsement portfolio only rivalled by David Beckham. Henry has deals with Coke, Konami, Nike, Renault and regularly writes for The Sun newspaper.

2. Michael Ballack

Where he plays: Chelsea and Germany
What he earns: £121,000 a week

As a young boy Ballack earned money collecting waste paper and bottles in KarlMarxStadt in the former East Germany. Now, things are rather different - the midfield dynamo left former club Bayern Munich on a free transfer – meaning he could sell his services to the highest bidder. Ballack’s basic £121,000 a week salary takes him to within £30,000 a week of the US’s best-paid sportsman, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. And this huge sum doesn’t include his domestic endorsements with Sony, McDonalds and Adidas.

1. Andriy Shevchenko

Where he plays: Chelsea and Ukraine
What he earns: £130,000 a week

Roman Abramovich’s coffers took a sizable dent – even by his standards – with the signing of the Ukrainian superstar. Shevchenko is perhaps football’s deadliest marksman – his Champions League strike-rate of 53 goals in 94 games is unrivalled. Yet quality costs. The reputed £31m Chelsea paid to AC Milan this month for his services smashes the previous British transfer record of £29m for Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand – and that’s before wages of £130,000 a week. The four-year deal is expected to cost the West London club some £60m in total


Drogballs: Look at how many English players are in that list, then think about their performance at the World Cup. Really, do they worth that much? Oh dear and the top 2 are being paid by who else but..Chelsea.


World Cup Group G Round Up - Korea Crashed Out While France Find Some Form

Vieira Breaks French Curse:

Rhein Energie Stadion

Togo
0 - 2 France

Scorers:
FRA - P. Vieira (55min), T. Henry (61min);


Patrick Vieira, taking over the captain's armband from the suspended Zinedine Zidane, showed the team the way to victory as France finally broke the 5 game winless streak and beat Togo 2-0. He's the central figure for this game and other than scoring one himself, he assisted Henry for France's second goal.

France, for the first time, started David Trezeguet alongside Arsenal's Theirry Henry and the opening few minutes was fast and furious, with France searching for the opening goal. But it seemed to be eluding them and Trezeguet missing a couple of chances. Franck Ribery was then put through and had all the time in the world to finish the move, but his lack of composure made him blast the ball harmlessly over the bar. My personal view on Franck Ribery is that although he is a lively and a constant threat to the opponents, his lack of experience and horrendous quality of his finishing makes him look more like a fringe player and would not cut at the highest level. He had a few bad decisions based on what I've seen. When he's supposed to shoot himself, he passed the ball and when he shoots, it always lacks the finishing to beat the keeper.

Other than Vieira, another player that performed very well is Willy Sagnal. I thought he played a blinder with a few crucial blocks and vital interceptions. So, France will go through to the next round together with group leaders, Switzerland and will face Spain in the last 16.


Korea Crash Out As Swiss Tops Group:

AWD Arena
Switzerland 2 - 0 South Korea

Scorers:

SUI - P. Senderos (23min), A. Frei (77min);

Ah, Asia's only hope, Korea has finally crashed out of the World Cup as they're beaten by Switzerland. Their performance at the last World Cup made a lot of fans believe and hope that they can once again, emulate the fantastic performance and sadly, it all came to a halt and will be going home disappointingly. As Asia's representatives, Iran, Japan and Saudi Arabia all crashed out earlier on, all of Asia's hope and pride are on the shoulders of the 'Red Devils'. They still might have a chance to go qualify from the group if they could get at least a draw, but things didn't really go their way and sometimes, depending on comebacks doesn't always work. On the previous 2 matches, they came down from 1-0 down to beat Togo 2-1 and once again, 1-0 down and drew 1-1 with France. But this time round, it was no way back for them as Switzerland scored through Arsenal defender, Phillippe Senderos.

As Graham Poll's incompetency is being under scrutiny, once again we saw a refereeing decision that is pretty mind-boggling and really caused lots of confusion, to the players as well as people watching the game. A through ball was placed for Alex Frei and it actually touched a Korean player on its way. Frei is in an off-side position so the lines-man lifted the flag. But the referee didn't blow the whistle and Frei rounded Lee Woon Jae and rolled the ball into an empty net. The Koreans thought the linesman's flag was up so they turned their back away and started walking back and to their horror, the referee actually let the goal stand and it sparked a confrontation from the Korean players. I'm not an expert with all these rules of course, but isn't this some kind of a grey area in the rulebook? Do players play to the whistle or to the flag actually? No matter what, I sympathise the Koreans and that goal completely shattered their dreams.

It's sad to see the Koreans crashing out of the competition not only because we will not see anymore Asian teams in the last 16, but also the players, the team itself and the fans. This Korean team never fail to amaze me. Although they are technically not the best and could say, inferior to most teams, but the spirit and the commitment of those 11 players on the field is commendable and their bounce-back-ability somehow reminds me of our Liverpool. Their fans have been immense too. Watching the game on TV, you could always hear the Koreans singing and dancing and the drum beatings and seriously, they never stop and continue for the whole 90 minutes. There is no such thing as a certain goal silence the Korean fans as they cannot be silenced. The spirit of the Korean side will leave great memories for fans and players alike. Let's hope to see more of them soon. Yea, 4 years from now....



Final Group G Standings:
  1. Switzerland 7pts (Qualify)
  2. France 5pts (Qualify)
  3. South Korea 4pts
  4. Togo 0pt

Last 16 Match-Ups:

26th June
Ukraine vs Switzerland


27th June

Spain vs France


Group H Latest And Final Standings

Uninspired Spain Through

Fritz-Walter Stadion
Saudi Arabia 0 - 1 Spain


Scorers:

ESP - Juanito (36min);



When you have 22 shots on goal and only 1 goal scored, it either means that the opposing goalkeeper is in god-mode (FM term), or your finishing just suck. Well, I think tonight, it was a combination of both. Spain had great chances with Joaquin, Raul and Reyes having most of them, but it was down to defender, Juanito's headed goal that gave Spain the 3 points and a confirmed place as the leader of Group H.

Seriously, need more improvement. But it's the reserve team after all. Come on Spain!


Shevchenko Shows Why He's Made For Chelsea

Olympicstadion
Ukraine 1 - 0 Tunisia


Scorer:

UKR - A. Shevchenko (pen 71min);


Ukraine booked their place in the last 16 as they beat Tunisia in the last group game. And the winning goal is down to the pure theatrics of Andriy Shevchenko, who made it looked like the Tunisian defender who tripped him, but once again replay shows he tripped himself and converted the penalty himself. Tunisia was down to 10 men just before the break when Zied Jaziri was sent off for a 2nd bookable offence and it's debatable. Another reason for Tunisian to feel robbed was just before Shevchenko scored from the penalty spot, Ayari curled a free-kick and it actually hit a Ukrainian defender in the arms and should have been a penalty, but was waved away as usual.So Ukraine join Spain in the last 16.


Group H Final Standings:
  1. Spain 9pts (Qualify)
  2. Ukraine 6pts (Qualify)
  3. Tunisia 1pt
  4. Saudi Arabia 1pt