A JUST-ENOUGH 1-0 win thanks to a volley, against opponents who proved frustrating to break down while also unable to finish for toffee themselves, now paves the way for a clash with arch rivals which should test – but also ideally inspire these under-performers like no other opposition.
That was my (convoluted) English take on today’s edgy, nervy victory over poor Slovenia.
But there seem to have been similar thoughts going through German fans’ minds, as they came away from Soccer City after a similar scoreline and outcome against Ghana.
Of course, Mesut Ozul’s finish was rather more dashing than Jermain Defoe’s, whether for distance travelled – or the fact it didn’t simply bang in off his shin.
And on current form, Ozul looks a more cutting-edge influence than any of England’s so-called creative talents – when his team-mates make sure to bring him into the game, and not isolated out on a wing.
The Germans emerging from Soccer City, who were hoping their team might need the English challenge to finally raise their game, must be tricky to please if that annihilation of (admittedly) Australia didn’t count.
But while the refreshing verve of the country’s youngest ever World Cup squad certainly looks to be lacking the stodginess of England’s – incidentally, our oldest of all time.
Yet hope may rest with the holes glimpsed in the German defence, with Per Mertesacker often looking apt to go back into his ice-skating Bambi act.
And despite his skills in the kitchen, cookbook-author Arne Friedrich looks no more commanding in the centre of defence than he looked a faltering full-back four years ago.
It’s a long way to Bloemfontein, as a leg-anaesthetising drive there and back yesterday proved – but in those days of too much hype ahead, there might just be a little hope.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
"Drink to me, drink to my health..."
DESPITE scowling when subbed and still looking a little out of touch, Wayne Rooney might now raise a toast to the ‘loyal support’ who yesterday laid off the boos – while getting stuck into the booze.
Many England fans were already celebrating a result even before kick-off, checking their change in pleasant surprise after stocking up on bottles of beer for 13 Rand, or £1.15, apiece.
Little wonder the bars surrounding Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay stadium were crammed about as tight as Diego Maradona into his suit, as clogged with grappling bodies as the Slovenian box at set-pieces.
The England faithful were not the only ones supping up for the cup.
John Terry’s attempted putsch over a pint might have fizzled out over the weekend.
But Fabio Capello has suggested that getting the beers in the night before action might have stopped time being called on England’s World Cup crawl.
He even smiled as he announced the players’ Tuesday evening tipple, his shoulders suddenly loosening as if he’d actually been carrying the kegs on his own over-burdened back.
*
‘YOU’RE playing Slovenia? Two million people? And you’re frightened? Impossible!’
Nevertheless, even as one of the World Cup’s most notable minnow-magnets flapped his arms in contempt, England fans had hands shaking, knees trembling and fingernails being bitten down to the marrow.
Especially when Slovenia launched a stoppage-time raid on the penalty area, Matthew Upson lunged in – and nightmare visions of Phil Neville at Euro 2000 flashed by, fortunately too soon.
The morning’s contemptuous critic was Bora Milutinovic, who has at least enjoyed World Cup triumphs over such European superpowers as Spain, Sweden and ... Scotland.
Compared to five-timer Bora, Capello’s a World Cup novice – though this tournament alone already seems to have lasted a lifetime.
That Costa Rica embarrassment of the Scots came 20 years ago, in the tournament Jamie Carragher has been avidly re-viewing on satellite TV.
Back then, Bobby Robson’s men endured plenty of ridicule, dressing-room dissent, a 1-1, a 0-0 and a scrappy 1-0 before a transformative surge to the semi-finals.
Amid a blizzard of flags in the Port Elizabeth stands, proudly showing off more red crosses than Wayne Rooney’s old schoolbooks, one wry banner yesterday read: ‘Things can only get better.’
But if some fans want to party like it’s 1990 – fine...
JUBILANT England fans enjoyed drinking at the last-chance saloon as choruses of ‘In-Ger-Lund’ and ‘God Save The Queen’ rang out around Port Elizabeth.
Fabio Capello’s men were cheered on to victory by the overwhelming majority of the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium’s 36,893-strong crowd.
Even a smattering of pre-match grumbles when Wayne Rooney’s name was announced failed to mar the mood once the game kicked off.
Rooney, forced to apologise at the weekend for sarcastically condemning England’s ‘loyal support’, had his every touch cheered when the game kicked off – and chants in his honour were among the most-sung.
South African police and specialist squads sent over from the UK were on stand-by for any disorder, especially if England were knocked out by either a draw or defeat.
There were also concerns about security inside the stadium, with police on duty in place of stewards after a pay dispute caused contract staff walk-outs last week.
Yet spirits seemed to remain high, both in the hours before 4pm local time kick-off and in the hours after the final whistle.
English flags bearing the St George’s cross covered all areas of the newly-built stadium, even though organisers had tried to keep English, Slovenian and South African fans separate.
In both the petal design-inspired venue, and packed bars in the surrounding streets, England fans were estimated to outnumber Slovenian supporters by at least ten to one.
Keven Osborne, 27 and from Chichester, described the ambience throughout yesterday as far more positive than for the previous games against the USA and Algeria.
He said: ‘Before those matches, I felt nervy, but even before the kick-off yesterday, the atmosphere among the fans just felt better.
‘There was a more confident feel, even though we knew we had to win – and that showed on the pitch, with the players too.
‘When the goal went in, the place went mental – my friends and I ended up in the row behind, six of us all on top of each other.
The England support’s noise even managed to overwhelm the din of the vuvuzelas, the controversial horns which have dominated the tournament’s soundtrack.
Much-heard chants during the match yesterday included ‘In-ger-lund, In-ger-lund, In-ger-lund’, songs hailing Rooney, the national anthem and ‘Rule Britannia’.
‘Singing ‘you can stick your vuvuzelas up you’re a***’ was also quite popular,’ Mr Osborne added.
Simon Jasinski, 30, from Portsmouth, said: ‘I thought we would either go on a four-goal rampage – or sneak it nervously. The important thing is, we’ve made progress.
‘The bars around the ground have been jam-packed all day, and England flags have been placed literally all over the stadium. Everyone’s been up for it, right from the start.
‘The South African people have been really friendly too, with a lot of them saying they want England to do well.’
Mr Jasinski was also pleased England’s second-round tie will now be Sunday, not Saturday, after they finished group runners-up.
‘I fly home on Saturday, so this means I’ll now be able to watch it on TV, instead of getting the score from the pilot,’ he said.
Many England fans were already celebrating a result even before kick-off, checking their change in pleasant surprise after stocking up on bottles of beer for 13 Rand, or £1.15, apiece.
Little wonder the bars surrounding Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay stadium were crammed about as tight as Diego Maradona into his suit, as clogged with grappling bodies as the Slovenian box at set-pieces.
The England faithful were not the only ones supping up for the cup.
John Terry’s attempted putsch over a pint might have fizzled out over the weekend.
But Fabio Capello has suggested that getting the beers in the night before action might have stopped time being called on England’s World Cup crawl.
He even smiled as he announced the players’ Tuesday evening tipple, his shoulders suddenly loosening as if he’d actually been carrying the kegs on his own over-burdened back.
*
‘YOU’RE playing Slovenia? Two million people? And you’re frightened? Impossible!’
Nevertheless, even as one of the World Cup’s most notable minnow-magnets flapped his arms in contempt, England fans had hands shaking, knees trembling and fingernails being bitten down to the marrow.
Especially when Slovenia launched a stoppage-time raid on the penalty area, Matthew Upson lunged in – and nightmare visions of Phil Neville at Euro 2000 flashed by, fortunately too soon.
The morning’s contemptuous critic was Bora Milutinovic, who has at least enjoyed World Cup triumphs over such European superpowers as Spain, Sweden and ... Scotland.
Compared to five-timer Bora, Capello’s a World Cup novice – though this tournament alone already seems to have lasted a lifetime.
That Costa Rica embarrassment of the Scots came 20 years ago, in the tournament Jamie Carragher has been avidly re-viewing on satellite TV.
Back then, Bobby Robson’s men endured plenty of ridicule, dressing-room dissent, a 1-1, a 0-0 and a scrappy 1-0 before a transformative surge to the semi-finals.
Amid a blizzard of flags in the Port Elizabeth stands, proudly showing off more red crosses than Wayne Rooney’s old schoolbooks, one wry banner yesterday read: ‘Things can only get better.’
But if some fans want to party like it’s 1990 – fine...
JUBILANT England fans enjoyed drinking at the last-chance saloon as choruses of ‘In-Ger-Lund’ and ‘God Save The Queen’ rang out around Port Elizabeth.
Fabio Capello’s men were cheered on to victory by the overwhelming majority of the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium’s 36,893-strong crowd.
Even a smattering of pre-match grumbles when Wayne Rooney’s name was announced failed to mar the mood once the game kicked off.
Rooney, forced to apologise at the weekend for sarcastically condemning England’s ‘loyal support’, had his every touch cheered when the game kicked off – and chants in his honour were among the most-sung.
South African police and specialist squads sent over from the UK were on stand-by for any disorder, especially if England were knocked out by either a draw or defeat.
There were also concerns about security inside the stadium, with police on duty in place of stewards after a pay dispute caused contract staff walk-outs last week.
Yet spirits seemed to remain high, both in the hours before 4pm local time kick-off and in the hours after the final whistle.
English flags bearing the St George’s cross covered all areas of the newly-built stadium, even though organisers had tried to keep English, Slovenian and South African fans separate.
In both the petal design-inspired venue, and packed bars in the surrounding streets, England fans were estimated to outnumber Slovenian supporters by at least ten to one.
Keven Osborne, 27 and from Chichester, described the ambience throughout yesterday as far more positive than for the previous games against the USA and Algeria.
He said: ‘Before those matches, I felt nervy, but even before the kick-off yesterday, the atmosphere among the fans just felt better.
‘There was a more confident feel, even though we knew we had to win – and that showed on the pitch, with the players too.
‘When the goal went in, the place went mental – my friends and I ended up in the row behind, six of us all on top of each other.
The England support’s noise even managed to overwhelm the din of the vuvuzelas, the controversial horns which have dominated the tournament’s soundtrack.
Much-heard chants during the match yesterday included ‘In-ger-lund, In-ger-lund, In-ger-lund’, songs hailing Rooney, the national anthem and ‘Rule Britannia’.
‘Singing ‘you can stick your vuvuzelas up you’re a***’ was also quite popular,’ Mr Osborne added.
Simon Jasinski, 30, from Portsmouth, said: ‘I thought we would either go on a four-goal rampage – or sneak it nervously. The important thing is, we’ve made progress.
‘The bars around the ground have been jam-packed all day, and England flags have been placed literally all over the stadium. Everyone’s been up for it, right from the start.
‘The South African people have been really friendly too, with a lot of them saying they want England to do well.’
Mr Jasinski was also pleased England’s second-round tie will now be Sunday, not Saturday, after they finished group runners-up.
‘I fly home on Saturday, so this means I’ll now be able to watch it on TV, instead of getting the score from the pilot,’ he said.
"It's time for Africa...?"
ROGER Milla has blamed too much chopping and changing by both football officials and foreign coaches for African failures at the continent’s first World Cup.
The Cameroon legend and World Cup’s all-time oldest scorer also accused African sides of being too ‘complacent’, while attacking the trend for expensive imported coaches like Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Milla spoke of his dismay and disappointment that African teams have under-achieved at this World Cup, despite high expectations - and fervent stadium support at every match.
Going into today's games, there were fears that the second round could feature no African teams for the first time in 28 years.
The last time that happened was 1982 in Spain, Milla’s first World Cup, when his Cameroon side were eliminated despite going unbeaten.
They drew three games, including one with eventual champions Italy, but it was their run the quarter-finals eight years later that won Milla – and his corner-flag dancing – iconic appeal.
That remains the furthest any African side has reached in a World Cup, equalled by Senegal in 2002 – but in Germany four years ago, Ghana were the continent’s only second-round representatives.
South African cities have been plastered in posters and billboards proclaiming slogans such as ‘Africa United’ and ‘It’s a home game for Africa’.
Yet each side has suffered distinctive difficulties, such as key injuries Nigeria’s Jon Obi Mikel, Ghana’s Michael Essien, Algeria’s Mourad Meghni and the Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba – though he has played with a cast on his broken elbow.
Cameroon’s prospects were hampered by internal unrest, while only North Korea have a lower place in Fifa rankings than hosts South Africa.
There has also been criticism of the fact only Algeria have been coached by an African, Rabah Saadane – now in his fifth spell in charge of his homeland.
Other African football associations have spent hefty chunks of their budget on short-term contracts for the likes of Nigeria’s Swedish coach Lars Lagerback and his compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson, briefly leading the Ivory Coast.
Milla, speaking while coaching youngsters with education charity 1GOAL, yesterday said: ‘It’s a problem, if you’ve only had three months to prepare a team.
‘You should be working consistently through the Africa Cup of Nations and then the World Cup, not picking one team for one competition and one for another.
‘We have to start being less complacent – we have to choose a coach to train and beat teams in Africa.’
Of the first two African teams to fall so far, he said: ‘Cameroon picked a team that was too young, Nigeria picked a team that was too old.’
He was disapproving of Cameroon’s French coach Paul Le Guen, who suffered a squad revolt when he dropped Alex Song and Achille Emana for their opening-game defeat to Japan.
Changes were made for the follow-up, with captain Samuel Eto’o asserting more dressing-room – and Press conference – control.
But a haphazard 2-1 defeat to Denmark meant the ‘Indomitable Lions’ were the first team knocked out of the tournament.
Milla, who denied claims he himself had fallen out with Eto’o, said: ‘The Cameroon people need to know the truth – the coach didn’t do his job correctly.
‘The second, against Denmark, the players picked the team themselves.
‘They had the possibility of beating Japan and Denmark, but it was a just a failure.
Yet Cameroon’s hopes of reaching the finals had looked bleak before Le Guen took charge in July 2009 and took them to South Africa on the back of four wins in their closing four qualifiers.
Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, by contrast, both entered the tournament with new Swedish coaches appointed at short notice and on lucrative, short-term contracts.
But Lagerback’s ‘Super Eagles’ are flying home after two defeats and a draw, while Eriksson’s ‘Elephants’ need to not only trample North Korea but also see Brazil beat Portugal – and a ten-goal swerve in their favour.
South Africans were yesterday reflecting on their bittersweet exit from their own World Cup, as pressure mounted for one of their own to take over as coach.
Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over France failed to prevent South Africa becoming the first host nation to fall at the first hurdle of a World Cup.
They might count themselves a little unfortunate – the USA finished in the same place in their group when staging the competition in 1994, but different rules at the time meant some third-placed teams progressed.
The favourite to replace the outgoing Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is his assistant Pitso Mosimane, a South African.
But another World Cup pioneer, much-travelled coach Bora Milutinovic, yesterday insisted the nationality or language of a coach did not matter – but their mentality, and how rigorously they got to know their players and their backgrounds.
He also accused too many Africans of being too unambitious when preparing for World Cups.
Milutinovic was the first man to lead five different countries at separate World Cups, including a Nigeria side who reached the second round in 1998.
He insisted: ‘Africa needs to think more seriously about what they need to do to become World Cup winners, not just win a couple of games here and there.’
But he acknowledged that social and economic difficulties, and above all lack of education opportunities, held back many African players and teams trying to develop.
‘Sometimes it’s not enough to have talent or to train – you have to know how,’ he added.
The Cameroon legend and World Cup’s all-time oldest scorer also accused African sides of being too ‘complacent’, while attacking the trend for expensive imported coaches like Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Milla spoke of his dismay and disappointment that African teams have under-achieved at this World Cup, despite high expectations - and fervent stadium support at every match.
Going into today's games, there were fears that the second round could feature no African teams for the first time in 28 years.
The last time that happened was 1982 in Spain, Milla’s first World Cup, when his Cameroon side were eliminated despite going unbeaten.
They drew three games, including one with eventual champions Italy, but it was their run the quarter-finals eight years later that won Milla – and his corner-flag dancing – iconic appeal.
That remains the furthest any African side has reached in a World Cup, equalled by Senegal in 2002 – but in Germany four years ago, Ghana were the continent’s only second-round representatives.
South African cities have been plastered in posters and billboards proclaiming slogans such as ‘Africa United’ and ‘It’s a home game for Africa’.
Yet each side has suffered distinctive difficulties, such as key injuries Nigeria’s Jon Obi Mikel, Ghana’s Michael Essien, Algeria’s Mourad Meghni and the Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba – though he has played with a cast on his broken elbow.
Cameroon’s prospects were hampered by internal unrest, while only North Korea have a lower place in Fifa rankings than hosts South Africa.
There has also been criticism of the fact only Algeria have been coached by an African, Rabah Saadane – now in his fifth spell in charge of his homeland.
Other African football associations have spent hefty chunks of their budget on short-term contracts for the likes of Nigeria’s Swedish coach Lars Lagerback and his compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson, briefly leading the Ivory Coast.
Milla, speaking while coaching youngsters with education charity 1GOAL, yesterday said: ‘It’s a problem, if you’ve only had three months to prepare a team.
‘You should be working consistently through the Africa Cup of Nations and then the World Cup, not picking one team for one competition and one for another.
‘We have to start being less complacent – we have to choose a coach to train and beat teams in Africa.’
Of the first two African teams to fall so far, he said: ‘Cameroon picked a team that was too young, Nigeria picked a team that was too old.’
He was disapproving of Cameroon’s French coach Paul Le Guen, who suffered a squad revolt when he dropped Alex Song and Achille Emana for their opening-game defeat to Japan.
Changes were made for the follow-up, with captain Samuel Eto’o asserting more dressing-room – and Press conference – control.
But a haphazard 2-1 defeat to Denmark meant the ‘Indomitable Lions’ were the first team knocked out of the tournament.
Milla, who denied claims he himself had fallen out with Eto’o, said: ‘The Cameroon people need to know the truth – the coach didn’t do his job correctly.
‘The second, against Denmark, the players picked the team themselves.
‘They had the possibility of beating Japan and Denmark, but it was a just a failure.
Yet Cameroon’s hopes of reaching the finals had looked bleak before Le Guen took charge in July 2009 and took them to South Africa on the back of four wins in their closing four qualifiers.
Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, by contrast, both entered the tournament with new Swedish coaches appointed at short notice and on lucrative, short-term contracts.
But Lagerback’s ‘Super Eagles’ are flying home after two defeats and a draw, while Eriksson’s ‘Elephants’ need to not only trample North Korea but also see Brazil beat Portugal – and a ten-goal swerve in their favour.
South Africans were yesterday reflecting on their bittersweet exit from their own World Cup, as pressure mounted for one of their own to take over as coach.
Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over France failed to prevent South Africa becoming the first host nation to fall at the first hurdle of a World Cup.
They might count themselves a little unfortunate – the USA finished in the same place in their group when staging the competition in 1994, but different rules at the time meant some third-placed teams progressed.
The favourite to replace the outgoing Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is his assistant Pitso Mosimane, a South African.
But another World Cup pioneer, much-travelled coach Bora Milutinovic, yesterday insisted the nationality or language of a coach did not matter – but their mentality, and how rigorously they got to know their players and their backgrounds.
He also accused too many Africans of being too unambitious when preparing for World Cups.
Milutinovic was the first man to lead five different countries at separate World Cups, including a Nigeria side who reached the second round in 1998.
He insisted: ‘Africa needs to think more seriously about what they need to do to become World Cup winners, not just win a couple of games here and there.’
But he acknowledged that social and economic difficulties, and above all lack of education opportunities, held back many African players and teams trying to develop.
‘Sometimes it’s not enough to have talent or to train – you have to know how,’ he added.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"You say you want a revolution, well you know - we all want to change the world..."
AMID the English civil war and the French revolution, an strange harmony reigns in the Dutch camp this tournament – so far.
Perhaps it’s all down to coach Bert van Marwijk giving impromptu performances on the piano in their team hotel’s lobby.
Or maybe they’re picking up feelgood vibes from their HQ’s location in central Johannesburg, near the exuberant heart of this World Cup’s capital city.
Van Marwijk expressly wanted his players to really feel - to use a 2010 World Cup buzzword – if not the full-throated ‘Ayoba’, or exhiliration, of the event then certainly a flavour of real-life South Africa.
Some of Spain’s players have even been spotted doing their own shopping in stores beside their base in Potchefstroom, near Johannesburg – about as close to ‘slumming it’ as today’s superstars get.
Meanwhile, England’s incredible sulks stew in not-so-splendid isolation at their aristocratic Rustenburg pad, miles and miles of scorched and unspectacular velde away from the major cities.
The daily routine of ‘breakfast, training, lunch, bed, dinner, bed’ sound quite enviable, up to a point.
Wayne Rooney's grumble also calls to mind the exasperated complaint of Wilfred Brambell, when stuck with earlier Scousers in Beatle film A Hard Day’s Night: ‘So far I’ve been in a car and a room, and a train and a room, and a room and a room.’
Whatever the company, though, being cooped up in what Steven Gerrard has described as ‘five-star prison’ - even for five (fingers crossed) weeks - seems a scant enough sacrifice, and par for the World Cup course.
Bryan Robson, injury-prone as ever, developed blisters to become all-England (squad) Pacman champ as they languished behind armed guard, for fear of Basque separatist attack in Bilbao, back in 1982.
Simply calling up Jimmy Bullard and his ukulele – or a few Rustenburg neighbours toting vuvuzelas - would hardly guarantee a future as bright as the Oranje’s so far appears.
Nor does van Marwijk, like Capello, ever resemble a ray of sunshine himself, though both cantered through qualifiers before Capello’s sternness supposedly turned from asset to obstacle.
Meanwhile only a few flashes of pizzazz from still cruise-controlling Ballon d’Or contender Wesley Sneijder have lifted some Dutch displays almost as flat as Holland itself.
But without hitting the peaks, they at least know they’re sticking around in town for now.
A simple England victory today could mean the players’ hours suddenly start flying by – if not necessarily singing, then winning’s a handy counter-revolutionary tactic.
Perhaps it’s all down to coach Bert van Marwijk giving impromptu performances on the piano in their team hotel’s lobby.
Or maybe they’re picking up feelgood vibes from their HQ’s location in central Johannesburg, near the exuberant heart of this World Cup’s capital city.
Van Marwijk expressly wanted his players to really feel - to use a 2010 World Cup buzzword – if not the full-throated ‘Ayoba’, or exhiliration, of the event then certainly a flavour of real-life South Africa.
Some of Spain’s players have even been spotted doing their own shopping in stores beside their base in Potchefstroom, near Johannesburg – about as close to ‘slumming it’ as today’s superstars get.
Meanwhile, England’s incredible sulks stew in not-so-splendid isolation at their aristocratic Rustenburg pad, miles and miles of scorched and unspectacular velde away from the major cities.
The daily routine of ‘breakfast, training, lunch, bed, dinner, bed’ sound quite enviable, up to a point.
Wayne Rooney's grumble also calls to mind the exasperated complaint of Wilfred Brambell, when stuck with earlier Scousers in Beatle film A Hard Day’s Night: ‘So far I’ve been in a car and a room, and a train and a room, and a room and a room.’
Whatever the company, though, being cooped up in what Steven Gerrard has described as ‘five-star prison’ - even for five (fingers crossed) weeks - seems a scant enough sacrifice, and par for the World Cup course.
Bryan Robson, injury-prone as ever, developed blisters to become all-England (squad) Pacman champ as they languished behind armed guard, for fear of Basque separatist attack in Bilbao, back in 1982.
Simply calling up Jimmy Bullard and his ukulele – or a few Rustenburg neighbours toting vuvuzelas - would hardly guarantee a future as bright as the Oranje’s so far appears.
Nor does van Marwijk, like Capello, ever resemble a ray of sunshine himself, though both cantered through qualifiers before Capello’s sternness supposedly turned from asset to obstacle.
Meanwhile only a few flashes of pizzazz from still cruise-controlling Ballon d’Or contender Wesley Sneijder have lifted some Dutch displays almost as flat as Holland itself.
But without hitting the peaks, they at least know they’re sticking around in town for now.
A simple England victory today could mean the players’ hours suddenly start flying by – if not necessarily singing, then winning’s a handy counter-revolutionary tactic.
"It's a shame about Ray..."
SOUTH Africa’s footballers and fans have gone out on a relative high after all - while Raymond Domenech and France did the apparently-impossible and found a new low upon which to finish.
Just as the final whistle was blown on the latest French farce - leaving seemingly little more to do except get heads down, scurry down the tunnel and tout suite back to Paris - Domenech snubbed a handshake and thus embraced fresh indignity.
The coach loathed by his public, abused and humiliated by his players, but bafflingly backed for too long by his bosses, did try to end today's World Cup-ending defeat to South Africa by making up with his mutinous troops.
He could hold out a hand to such rebels without a conscience as William Gallas and Franck Ribery.
Yet he snatched it away again - only offering a wagging index finger instead - when his opposing number suggested the most straightforward of post-match pleasantries.
Carlos Alberto Parreira comes across as one of the most innocuous of personalities, and he appeared genuinely bemused when trying to account for the snub when facing the Press soon afterwards.
Domenech had attempted no such explanation, repeatedly ignoring requests he expand on what Parreira had done to deserve such a ticking-off.
It was left to Domenech's back-up staff to tell Parreira what had caused such offence - apparently a
Long-forgotten by Parreira, but not by Domenech - who evidently had too little to occupy his mind otherwise.
The outgoing French coach's typically-prickly post-match briefing included several incredible claims - above all, that his six years in charge had been 'a splendid adventure'.
He also rebuked reporters, threatened to walk out, denied any of his squad had refused to play - but rather ungraciously revealed Eric Abidal had pleaded to be excused, admitting he 'wasn't in a state to be able to play'.
Ah, but when has that ever meant the hapless Abidal missing out before?
Whether being sent off at Euro 2008 for France or in a Champions League semi-final for Barcelona, or clumsily conceding the decisive penalty against Mexico last Thursday, Abidal carries the air of a defender cursed - especially when inexplicably fielded in the centre, instead of marginally more comfortably at full-back instead.
Despite refusing to condemn the players this time, even praising them for only losing 2-1 once down to ten men, there was one subtle suggestion that, yes, he had headed a truly disfunctional body.
Domenech, who is being replaced by former national captain Laurent Blanc, added: ‘I believe the team has a future and I wish them long life.
‘I hope they’ll also be able to get to the next World Cup and they’ll find a team which they weren’t able to find this time.’
Of course, in other news, the home side made unwanted - though expected - history by becoming the first World Cup hosts to bow out in the first round.
Yet they were inspired by a rousing crowd in Bloemfontein, enjoying a 2-1 victory over a team already in meltdown - even before Yoann Gourcuff's first-half red card for giving MacBeth Sibaya an unhelpful elbow.
South Africa’s 3-0 defeat to Uruguay last Wednesday had left a nation dejected, but business and political leaders – including Nelson Mandela – had urged fans to rally for yesterday’s game.
President Jacob Zuma made a personal visit to the players’ dressing room to congratulate them after last night’s victory - then he and his security/wifely entourage briefly threatened to give Domenech a little relief, by blocking off journalists en route to the Press room.
The crowd had kept up a raucous din of vuvuzela horns and pro-‘Bafana Bafana’ chants throughout the 90 minutes - even if sloppy finishing meant Mexico still progressed on a better goal difference.
Spectator Mpho Mphake, 35, from Bloemfontein, said afterwards: ‘The team played with a lot of spirit, a lot of heart – they made us proud.
‘The atmosphere here today was great and we will still enjoy the rest of the tournament.’
After being snubbed by Domenech, a perplexed Parreira said: ‘As a matter of politeness I went to greet him, but he said I had offended the French team.
‘For the life of me I can’t believe what it is I’ve said. I’ve never insulted the French - on the contrary, I’ve always praised them.
‘One of the French coaches said in the qualifying matches, when Henry scored the so-called “hand of Gaul” I made a comment that perhaps France shouldn’t have been here.
‘It’s very lamentable this happened. It seems to be the attitude towards them is justified. I don’t remember saying anything like this.’
Even if he had, then so said the rest of the world - as affronts go, his was hardly the first or the worst.
Domenech need only glare at himself and his team if determined to declare: 'J'accuse.'
Just as the final whistle was blown on the latest French farce - leaving seemingly little more to do except get heads down, scurry down the tunnel and tout suite back to Paris - Domenech snubbed a handshake and thus embraced fresh indignity.
The coach loathed by his public, abused and humiliated by his players, but bafflingly backed for too long by his bosses, did try to end today's World Cup-ending defeat to South Africa by making up with his mutinous troops.
He could hold out a hand to such rebels without a conscience as William Gallas and Franck Ribery.
Yet he snatched it away again - only offering a wagging index finger instead - when his opposing number suggested the most straightforward of post-match pleasantries.
Carlos Alberto Parreira comes across as one of the most innocuous of personalities, and he appeared genuinely bemused when trying to account for the snub when facing the Press soon afterwards.
Domenech had attempted no such explanation, repeatedly ignoring requests he expand on what Parreira had done to deserve such a ticking-off.
It was left to Domenech's back-up staff to tell Parreira what had caused such offence - apparently a
Long-forgotten by Parreira, but not by Domenech - who evidently had too little to occupy his mind otherwise.
The outgoing French coach's typically-prickly post-match briefing included several incredible claims - above all, that his six years in charge had been 'a splendid adventure'.
He also rebuked reporters, threatened to walk out, denied any of his squad had refused to play - but rather ungraciously revealed Eric Abidal had pleaded to be excused, admitting he 'wasn't in a state to be able to play'.
Ah, but when has that ever meant the hapless Abidal missing out before?
Whether being sent off at Euro 2008 for France or in a Champions League semi-final for Barcelona, or clumsily conceding the decisive penalty against Mexico last Thursday, Abidal carries the air of a defender cursed - especially when inexplicably fielded in the centre, instead of marginally more comfortably at full-back instead.
Despite refusing to condemn the players this time, even praising them for only losing 2-1 once down to ten men, there was one subtle suggestion that, yes, he had headed a truly disfunctional body.
Domenech, who is being replaced by former national captain Laurent Blanc, added: ‘I believe the team has a future and I wish them long life.
‘I hope they’ll also be able to get to the next World Cup and they’ll find a team which they weren’t able to find this time.’
Of course, in other news, the home side made unwanted - though expected - history by becoming the first World Cup hosts to bow out in the first round.
Yet they were inspired by a rousing crowd in Bloemfontein, enjoying a 2-1 victory over a team already in meltdown - even before Yoann Gourcuff's first-half red card for giving MacBeth Sibaya an unhelpful elbow.
South Africa’s 3-0 defeat to Uruguay last Wednesday had left a nation dejected, but business and political leaders – including Nelson Mandela – had urged fans to rally for yesterday’s game.
President Jacob Zuma made a personal visit to the players’ dressing room to congratulate them after last night’s victory - then he and his security/wifely entourage briefly threatened to give Domenech a little relief, by blocking off journalists en route to the Press room.
The crowd had kept up a raucous din of vuvuzela horns and pro-‘Bafana Bafana’ chants throughout the 90 minutes - even if sloppy finishing meant Mexico still progressed on a better goal difference.
Spectator Mpho Mphake, 35, from Bloemfontein, said afterwards: ‘The team played with a lot of spirit, a lot of heart – they made us proud.
‘The atmosphere here today was great and we will still enjoy the rest of the tournament.’
After being snubbed by Domenech, a perplexed Parreira said: ‘As a matter of politeness I went to greet him, but he said I had offended the French team.
‘For the life of me I can’t believe what it is I’ve said. I’ve never insulted the French - on the contrary, I’ve always praised them.
‘One of the French coaches said in the qualifying matches, when Henry scored the so-called “hand of Gaul” I made a comment that perhaps France shouldn’t have been here.
‘It’s very lamentable this happened. It seems to be the attitude towards them is justified. I don’t remember saying anything like this.’
Even if he had, then so said the rest of the world - as affronts go, his was hardly the first or the worst.
Domenech need only glare at himself and his team if determined to declare: 'J'accuse.'
Monday, June 21, 2010
"And those home fires burn, scorching a hole through me..."
A MOCKED foreign coach, players at war with him and each other, and dispirited fans ripping off the rip-off shirts bought in such hope just a few weeks ago.
So that’s South Africa, anyway – how’s the mood back in England?
In fact, the attitude here seems to be not so much shocked outrage, as slightly miffed surprise.
Mobile phone and fast food firms who plastered the highways in adverts about not only hosting the World Cup, but actually winning it, are on alert to start shredding at dawn.
A second round place now looks about as likely, local wags say, as president Jacob Zuma deciding to settle down ... and not get married again.
Members of the South African squad have been swept up in the craze that’s sweeping the nation and gone public on rifts splitting the camp.
Suitably enough, one of the players wielding a dagger is MacBeth Sibaya, who claims Johannesburg-based ‘cliques’ have been favoured over Kwa-Zula Natal natives like himself.
But, as his Shakespearean namesake’s not-so-good lady wife put it: ‘What’s done cannot be undone.’
Nelson Mandela, even in his time of rather more serious grief, has tried to rally fans’ spirits while assuring the team of the country’s ‘unwavering support’.
Evidently, some fear tonight’s match against the revolting French could take at face value Wayne Rooney’s suggestion that it’s ‘nice to see your own fans booing you’.
Yet the World Cup occasion itself should mean plenty of pride is expressed loud and as clear as the vuvuzelas allow - fired by still-lingering feelgood factor from the Mexico second half, Siphuwe Tshabalala's wonder opener, and simply playing mein host.
Even if, to use the modern-day MacBeth's analogy, the Tuesday night task is to ‘climb Everest’.
Of course, the revolting French could yet hand them some crampons, if Raymond Domenech’s again go AWOL and concede a 3-0 walkover win – which might just be the hosts’ best hope.
*
There were always fears this World Cup would be hit by industrial action.
But no one expected the walkout-threatening police, nurses, customs officials and energy workers to be beaten to the picket lines by the players themselves.
An uneasy truce appears to have been brokered in the English civil war, with John Terry proving about as popular a coup-leader as Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon - with perhaps similar disgrace awaiting.
If, indeed, one man can attract any more - and assuming, of course, he actually feels any shame.
But vive les Divas, the French keep on feuding.
If Kader Keita’s Rivaldo impression briefly made the Ivory Coast just like watching Brazil, then the angsty English and French have become the new double Dutch.
So that’s South Africa, anyway – how’s the mood back in England?
In fact, the attitude here seems to be not so much shocked outrage, as slightly miffed surprise.
Mobile phone and fast food firms who plastered the highways in adverts about not only hosting the World Cup, but actually winning it, are on alert to start shredding at dawn.
A second round place now looks about as likely, local wags say, as president Jacob Zuma deciding to settle down ... and not get married again.
Members of the South African squad have been swept up in the craze that’s sweeping the nation and gone public on rifts splitting the camp.
Suitably enough, one of the players wielding a dagger is MacBeth Sibaya, who claims Johannesburg-based ‘cliques’ have been favoured over Kwa-Zula Natal natives like himself.
But, as his Shakespearean namesake’s not-so-good lady wife put it: ‘What’s done cannot be undone.’
Nelson Mandela, even in his time of rather more serious grief, has tried to rally fans’ spirits while assuring the team of the country’s ‘unwavering support’.
Evidently, some fear tonight’s match against the revolting French could take at face value Wayne Rooney’s suggestion that it’s ‘nice to see your own fans booing you’.
Yet the World Cup occasion itself should mean plenty of pride is expressed loud and as clear as the vuvuzelas allow - fired by still-lingering feelgood factor from the Mexico second half, Siphuwe Tshabalala's wonder opener, and simply playing mein host.
Even if, to use the modern-day MacBeth's analogy, the Tuesday night task is to ‘climb Everest’.
Of course, the revolting French could yet hand them some crampons, if Raymond Domenech’s again go AWOL and concede a 3-0 walkover win – which might just be the hosts’ best hope.
*
There were always fears this World Cup would be hit by industrial action.
But no one expected the walkout-threatening police, nurses, customs officials and energy workers to be beaten to the picket lines by the players themselves.
An uneasy truce appears to have been brokered in the English civil war, with John Terry proving about as popular a coup-leader as Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon - with perhaps similar disgrace awaiting.
If, indeed, one man can attract any more - and assuming, of course, he actually feels any shame.
But vive les Divas, the French keep on feuding.
If Kader Keita’s Rivaldo impression briefly made the Ivory Coast just like watching Brazil, then the angsty English and French have become the new double Dutch.
'The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me...'
EIGHT years on, that bad Rivaldo karma has backfired on Kaka – surely seen as the man least likely to have a World Cup red card flourished in his baby face.
In keeping with his saintly air – and ‘I belong to Jesus’ attire – even last night’s dismissal against the Ivory Coast won’t do him much damage, martyrdom status coming quickly in the watching world’s eyes.
The true villain of the piece, twice over, was of course Ivory Coast substitute Kader Keita, who flung himself to the floor clutching his face after Kaka had barely brushed him in the chest.
Nudge, nudge – sink, sink...
Kader shouldn’t even have still be on the field to dash himself to the ground, having not long earlier hurled his studs into Michel Bastos’ shin in what could well have produced one of those ‘please look away now’ pictures.
Then again, such unsavoury Keita-ing had been on the menu all evening long, players from both sides incessantly rolling around, grimacing wildly, and clutching body parts that had gone untouched.
Lucio, Luis Fabiano and Robinho for Brazil, Zokora, Kalou and of course Drogba were among the offenders – while even choirboy Kaka has significant previous for diving.
Italy’s captain Fabio Cannavaro had looked even more ridiculous just a few hours earlier, and not just for the draw and his delicate assist for New Zealand.
When knocked over in an innocuous enough challenge, he seemingly suffered agonies in front of the camera – then turned suspiciously alert when presumably assuming it had panned elsewhere.
Here’s hoping for rather less ridiculous antics when the football kicks off again this afternoon.
Ah wait – well, it was an admirable idea. But never mind – I see next it’s Portugal playing...
In keeping with his saintly air – and ‘I belong to Jesus’ attire – even last night’s dismissal against the Ivory Coast won’t do him much damage, martyrdom status coming quickly in the watching world’s eyes.
The true villain of the piece, twice over, was of course Ivory Coast substitute Kader Keita, who flung himself to the floor clutching his face after Kaka had barely brushed him in the chest.
Nudge, nudge – sink, sink...
Kader shouldn’t even have still be on the field to dash himself to the ground, having not long earlier hurled his studs into Michel Bastos’ shin in what could well have produced one of those ‘please look away now’ pictures.
Then again, such unsavoury Keita-ing had been on the menu all evening long, players from both sides incessantly rolling around, grimacing wildly, and clutching body parts that had gone untouched.
Lucio, Luis Fabiano and Robinho for Brazil, Zokora, Kalou and of course Drogba were among the offenders – while even choirboy Kaka has significant previous for diving.
Italy’s captain Fabio Cannavaro had looked even more ridiculous just a few hours earlier, and not just for the draw and his delicate assist for New Zealand.
When knocked over in an innocuous enough challenge, he seemingly suffered agonies in front of the camera – then turned suspiciously alert when presumably assuming it had panned elsewhere.
Here’s hoping for rather less ridiculous antics when the football kicks off again this afternoon.
Ah wait – well, it was an admirable idea. But never mind – I see next it’s Portugal playing...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
"Someone knocking at the door, somebody ringing a bell..."
QUESTIONS are rightly being asked about how an intruder managed to get into England’s dressing room.
Barely articulate, needlessly distracting, and really just a fan who should have felt lucky to be there, David Beckham nevertheless insists he’ll attend again on Wednesday.
As for Pavlos Joseph’s unwanted appearance, perhaps the biggest surprise isn’t that he evaded security – but didn’t do more angry damage when he did.
Or else, that he wasn’t bundled down en route by clod-hopping Jamie Carragher.
In a first World Cup week dominated by sturdy rearguard actions on the field, off it security teams seem to have taken their cue from the South African defence and not, say, the Swiss.
Little wonder, maybe, that it’s the Zurich-based Fifa – and its compatriot president Sepp Blatter – putting the verrou, or Swiss bolt, on those ‘ambush marketing’ Dutch.
Elsewhere in and around the stadia, the local approach – whether by underpaid and undermotivated stewards or even police stand-ins – has been, if not exactly lax, then rather relaxed.
Even in the last days leading up to the big kick-off, visitors could wander into the main Soccer City complex in Johannesburg without even having to flash a stadium pass.
Entry checks for matches since then have been cheery, yet cursory – with only random confiscations here and there, more often a sandwich or drink that might offend official sponsors.
Fans of Nigeria’s so-called ‘Super Eagles’ were disappointed to be blocked from bringing their own birds in – but a French fan did smuggle his rooster into the Polokwane stands.
(Please, no crude jokes about 11 more something-or-others on the pitch.)
The largely-chilled vibe seems worth celebrating, especially with alarmist forecasts of al-Qaeda attacks proving (fingers crossed) as accurate as those about squad-eating snakes.
The atmosphere coming out of the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, above all, has crackled excitingly with brisk midwinter mingling and anything-goes relish - with a few wafts of suspiciously-illicit smoke too.
The slightly ramshackle air and organisation can both charm and annoy, as all those left stranded by disrupted or disjointed public services might agree.
But perhaps we should be grateful security officials are being a bit tentative about demanding credentials – lest England be locked out before being knocked out.
Barely articulate, needlessly distracting, and really just a fan who should have felt lucky to be there, David Beckham nevertheless insists he’ll attend again on Wednesday.
As for Pavlos Joseph’s unwanted appearance, perhaps the biggest surprise isn’t that he evaded security – but didn’t do more angry damage when he did.
Or else, that he wasn’t bundled down en route by clod-hopping Jamie Carragher.
In a first World Cup week dominated by sturdy rearguard actions on the field, off it security teams seem to have taken their cue from the South African defence and not, say, the Swiss.
Little wonder, maybe, that it’s the Zurich-based Fifa – and its compatriot president Sepp Blatter – putting the verrou, or Swiss bolt, on those ‘ambush marketing’ Dutch.
Elsewhere in and around the stadia, the local approach – whether by underpaid and undermotivated stewards or even police stand-ins – has been, if not exactly lax, then rather relaxed.
Even in the last days leading up to the big kick-off, visitors could wander into the main Soccer City complex in Johannesburg without even having to flash a stadium pass.
Entry checks for matches since then have been cheery, yet cursory – with only random confiscations here and there, more often a sandwich or drink that might offend official sponsors.
Fans of Nigeria’s so-called ‘Super Eagles’ were disappointed to be blocked from bringing their own birds in – but a French fan did smuggle his rooster into the Polokwane stands.
(Please, no crude jokes about 11 more something-or-others on the pitch.)
The largely-chilled vibe seems worth celebrating, especially with alarmist forecasts of al-Qaeda attacks proving (fingers crossed) as accurate as those about squad-eating snakes.
The atmosphere coming out of the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, above all, has crackled excitingly with brisk midwinter mingling and anything-goes relish - with a few wafts of suspiciously-illicit smoke too.
The slightly ramshackle air and organisation can both charm and annoy, as all those left stranded by disrupted or disjointed public services might agree.
But perhaps we should be grateful security officials are being a bit tentative about demanding credentials – lest England be locked out before being knocked out.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
As if a cracking match between two not-too-cracking teams were not energising enough, Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld stadium last night produced an ear-catching new sound - someone playing their vuvuzela exactly like one of the chilling saxophone crescendos in Bernard Herrmann's 'Taxi Driver' score.
Well done, that fan.
Well done, that fan.
"The Lions sleep tonight..."
THE WORLD Cup schedules are giving us night-time matches which make for ideal bedtime viewing – last night’s England-Algeria game soporific, tonight’s between Cameroon and Denmark just exhausting.
In their third meeting ever, the two teams finished 2-1 for the third time – yet it could have ended five apiece, at least, with both defences seemingly keen to bump up 2010’s slender goal average.
Cameroon, haphazard at both ends of the field, become the first country eliminated from this year’s competition – one African team down, another five soon to go?
Hopefully not so fast, though Ghana’s underwhelming draw earlier today, against an Australia team yet again reduced to ten men, was a setback for continent’s only winners so far.
Cameroon could have won several games over with the chances they created – with a little help from the Danes – but squandered during 90 crazy minutes tonight.
Instead, the Indomitable Lions proved all too, er, domitable.
Pierre Webo was especially wasteful, while the returning Achille Emana added much-needed drive and verve in midfield, yet only scuffed efforts when shooting on goal.
Substitute Mohammadou Idrissou could have scored a couple when introduced late on, only to see the ball pop off the top of his head and on to the top of the net, moments after his shot had rebounded over and off the prone Christian Poulsen’s face.
In the post-match press conference, Paul Le Guen insisted he had no regrets – other than their premature elimination, of course.
But he came close to admitting the players had been driving him mad, saying only partly diplomatically: ‘All teams are difficult to manage so I don’t want to compare. It’s a great job - difficult but a great job, even in this case.’
At least he was allowed to hold the press conference himself this time, after Samuel Eto’o had conducted a players’ briefing earlier in the week.
It had also been suggested that Eto’o was picking the team – or at least strongly suggesting he do so – and, sure enough, Emana and Alex Song both started tonight, having been bafflingly exiled for the opening match against Japan.
Le Guen’s line-up last Saturday was supposedly his attempt to quell dressing-room dissent over his alleged alienation of the ageing Rigobert Song, but only seems to have stirred up further friction.
Song initially seemed to bring more poise to the Cameroon midfield tonight, and did contribute one last-ditch six-yard-block from Tomasson – though his error had gifted possession in the first place.
Yet neither defence nor midfield ever looked especially sturdy, with Cameroon’s self-harmingly high line invariably vulnerable to Danish counter-attacks.
Dennis Rommedahl was the most dangerous and beneficial outlet.
He first sprinted on to Simon Kjaer’s cross-field pass, sliding the ball across the box for Nicklas Bendtner to slide in and equalise Cameroon’s opener by Eto’o.
Former Charlton flop Rommedahl then hit what proved to be the winner, enjoying what seemed an aeon to turn inside Jean Makoun and swipe the ball past the ‘keeper with his supposedly-weaker left foot.
Not that that goal, as early as the 61st minute, ever felt likely to be the game’s last, as too many clod-hopping touches by the Danish defence kept allowing Cameroon attackers to squirm their way through – only to worm the ball high or wide.
Danish coach Morten Olsen looked as furious as a winner can be when Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrondia finally brought the harem-scarem entertainment to an end.
He afterwards admitted: ‘We had far too many elementary mistakes we made. I can’t allow that from my players.’
And overworked centre-back Daniel Agger – bemusingly named man of the match rather than, say, the more influential Rommedahl – confessed: ‘Particularly in the first half, it’s one of the worst performances we’ve given in a long time.
‘If they were a bit more clinical, they would have scored more goals and we would have been out of it in the firsrt half.
‘We tried to fight, and we all stand together – sometimes it becomes a bit of a kick and rush, kick and rush, up and down, up and down, and that’s not how we want to play really.
‘We got three points – that’s the most positive thing I can say.’
Bendtner, one of three Danes carrying injuries, did at least last to the end this time, having scored his goal and just about won a battle of North London rivals with Sebastien Bassong – who, on a night of Cameroon losers, lost worst than most.
The Arsenal striker was especially exercised by the Tottenham defender tugging at his shirt – presumably because Bendtner prefers publicly undressing himself.
But both Danish goals tonight benefitted from another Tottenham man doing wrong, the often dozy and indifferent Benoit Assou-Ekotto caught recklessly out of position both times.
Bassong, too, found himself virtually in a different postcode as then Danes whipped forward in counter-attacks more effective than their own defending.
When asked if the (substituted) Bassong would play against the Netherlands, Le Guen would only say: ‘Well, leave me a little time and we’ll have to see whether he too is keen on returning to the side. We’ll see.’
While perhaps wishing either he or his two North London-based, Cameroon-convert defenders had decided to stick around in their native France instead.
In their third meeting ever, the two teams finished 2-1 for the third time – yet it could have ended five apiece, at least, with both defences seemingly keen to bump up 2010’s slender goal average.
Cameroon, haphazard at both ends of the field, become the first country eliminated from this year’s competition – one African team down, another five soon to go?
Hopefully not so fast, though Ghana’s underwhelming draw earlier today, against an Australia team yet again reduced to ten men, was a setback for continent’s only winners so far.
Cameroon could have won several games over with the chances they created – with a little help from the Danes – but squandered during 90 crazy minutes tonight.
Instead, the Indomitable Lions proved all too, er, domitable.
Pierre Webo was especially wasteful, while the returning Achille Emana added much-needed drive and verve in midfield, yet only scuffed efforts when shooting on goal.
Substitute Mohammadou Idrissou could have scored a couple when introduced late on, only to see the ball pop off the top of his head and on to the top of the net, moments after his shot had rebounded over and off the prone Christian Poulsen’s face.
In the post-match press conference, Paul Le Guen insisted he had no regrets – other than their premature elimination, of course.
But he came close to admitting the players had been driving him mad, saying only partly diplomatically: ‘All teams are difficult to manage so I don’t want to compare. It’s a great job - difficult but a great job, even in this case.’
At least he was allowed to hold the press conference himself this time, after Samuel Eto’o had conducted a players’ briefing earlier in the week.
It had also been suggested that Eto’o was picking the team – or at least strongly suggesting he do so – and, sure enough, Emana and Alex Song both started tonight, having been bafflingly exiled for the opening match against Japan.
Le Guen’s line-up last Saturday was supposedly his attempt to quell dressing-room dissent over his alleged alienation of the ageing Rigobert Song, but only seems to have stirred up further friction.
Song initially seemed to bring more poise to the Cameroon midfield tonight, and did contribute one last-ditch six-yard-block from Tomasson – though his error had gifted possession in the first place.
Yet neither defence nor midfield ever looked especially sturdy, with Cameroon’s self-harmingly high line invariably vulnerable to Danish counter-attacks.
Dennis Rommedahl was the most dangerous and beneficial outlet.
He first sprinted on to Simon Kjaer’s cross-field pass, sliding the ball across the box for Nicklas Bendtner to slide in and equalise Cameroon’s opener by Eto’o.
Former Charlton flop Rommedahl then hit what proved to be the winner, enjoying what seemed an aeon to turn inside Jean Makoun and swipe the ball past the ‘keeper with his supposedly-weaker left foot.
Not that that goal, as early as the 61st minute, ever felt likely to be the game’s last, as too many clod-hopping touches by the Danish defence kept allowing Cameroon attackers to squirm their way through – only to worm the ball high or wide.
Danish coach Morten Olsen looked as furious as a winner can be when Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrondia finally brought the harem-scarem entertainment to an end.
He afterwards admitted: ‘We had far too many elementary mistakes we made. I can’t allow that from my players.’
And overworked centre-back Daniel Agger – bemusingly named man of the match rather than, say, the more influential Rommedahl – confessed: ‘Particularly in the first half, it’s one of the worst performances we’ve given in a long time.
‘If they were a bit more clinical, they would have scored more goals and we would have been out of it in the firsrt half.
‘We tried to fight, and we all stand together – sometimes it becomes a bit of a kick and rush, kick and rush, up and down, up and down, and that’s not how we want to play really.
‘We got three points – that’s the most positive thing I can say.’
Bendtner, one of three Danes carrying injuries, did at least last to the end this time, having scored his goal and just about won a battle of North London rivals with Sebastien Bassong – who, on a night of Cameroon losers, lost worst than most.
The Arsenal striker was especially exercised by the Tottenham defender tugging at his shirt – presumably because Bendtner prefers publicly undressing himself.
But both Danish goals tonight benefitted from another Tottenham man doing wrong, the often dozy and indifferent Benoit Assou-Ekotto caught recklessly out of position both times.
Bassong, too, found himself virtually in a different postcode as then Danes whipped forward in counter-attacks more effective than their own defending.
When asked if the (substituted) Bassong would play against the Netherlands, Le Guen would only say: ‘Well, leave me a little time and we’ll have to see whether he too is keen on returning to the side. We’ll see.’
While perhaps wishing either he or his two North London-based, Cameroon-convert defenders had decided to stick around in their native France instead.
"Sloveni, vidi, vici..."
FABIO Capello’s Slovenian counterpart clearly knows the way to his critics’ hearts – their beer-bellies.
Not even taking his team to a surprise spot at the top of Group C, going into Wednesday’s final games, has won Matjaz Kek universal appeal.
Yet unlike Capello’s stern telling-off of intrusive snappers last week, Kek clearly felt an urge to lighten his ‘bad cop’ routine with some ‘good cop’ hale and heartiness – all in a matter of seconds.
Turning on a compatriot hack whose sceptical question he deemed ‘a foul’, Kek declared: ‘What I want to say to Slovenian journalists is, there’s too much that wastes our energy – not related to the pitch.
‘I hope that your attitude might improve because if this is not the case, this might not have very positive repercussions.’
‘I hope you take pride in the fact how Slovenia has performed so far - and tomorrow you’re welcome to come with this and we’ll have a beer.’
Having thus rounded on critics – then offered to get a round in – he then strode off with some departing words in English, that might not please English ears, or ease English fears.
‘Good luck, Americans.’
PRESUMABLY having realised soccer is not one of America’s favourite sports, Slovenia seemed happy at times on Friday to engage the Americans instead in a wrestling match.
Coach Matjaz Kek offered complaints – or compliments – about his opponents’ ‘aggression’
But his side’s apparent happiness when grappling – overlooked by referee Koman Coulibaly when he eccentrically ruled out Hercules Gomez’s late ‘winner’ – suggests another bruising experience for England on Wednesday.
The England squad looks increasingly fractious and fractured, even before Wayne Rooney started baiting the booboys.
Yet their last Group C opponents look more united than during their last ill-omened World Cup adventure - signalled by the gestures of genuine anxiety when substitute Nejc Pecnik had to be substituted himself, having been awkwardly bundled over as Clint Dempsey clumsily trod on the ball.
An absence of obvious star players might just be a boon, too.
The current Slovenia squad may have no one with the flair and dazzle of Zlatko Zahovic – but none likely to reduce a coach to tears, as Zahovic did in 2002 after labelling Srecko Katanec ‘a p**** of a coach’ and ‘a p**** of a player’.
‘I could buy you, your house and your family,’ Zahovic spat, before being sent back to his own home from the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Ahead of the 2010 kick-off, Zahovic warned many Slovenian fans might feel ‘deceived’ into ‘thinking we have got one foot in the second round’ – though at they moment they at least have a toe or two.
To prevent Slovenia stamping England out of the way, Gareth Barry’s role could be crucial in Wednesday’s must-win match.
Especially so, having watched the savvy with which Slovenia exploited slack under-manning between the US defence and midfield – at least, throughout the first half, and in the closing moments of the second.
Aleksandar Radosavljevic not only played the composed and controlling, holding role expected of Gareth Barry, but released the ball cleverly enough to bring into action wingers Andraz Kirm and left-footed right-sider Valter Birsa.
The two wide men took turns shuttling forward, in a lop-sided 4-4-2 at the tip of which Milivoje Novokovic unselfishly fed Zlatan Ljubijankic, scorer of a clever, counter-attacking second goal.
The attackers’ elusiveness could test not only Barry, but also either press back or strand upfield England’s keen attacking full-backs – especially Glen Johnson, who did almost as obstructive a marking job on Aaron Lennon than any opposing Algerian.
And Birsa, not only when darting inside to score his second goal of the tournament, appeared much more comfortable and dangerous than either Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips have looked during stints on the left so far.
In defence, at least, the Slovenians did look vulnerable – their zonal approach a mess at set-pieces and both centre-backs Marco Suler and Bostjan Cesar susceptible to slips and being outrun on the turn.
Kek did suggest his team might feel the after-effects of Friday’s gruelling duel in Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium.
‘What is my priority is to have my squad recover,’ he said.
‘They have wasted a lot of energy. The Americans have a very physical squad.
‘Yes, we have squandered a lot of energy. We need to recover, then think about England.
‘It’s very clear what we’re up against.’
Making the most of any sluggishness, though, should mean England doing more – and more intelligently – to pass around or above the defence, rather than rely on Heskey, Rooney or Gerrard to continue attempting to just barrel on through.
The US did manage to see out the game with perhaps the shortest centre-back of this or any World Cup – 5’6” Steve Cherundolo filling in, on the right of a makeshift back-three, albeit for less than ten minutes.
And for all the obvious failings of this England side – and the annoyance of defensive injuries and suspensions – they have only conceded one goal, and we all know just how that happened.
Stronger teams should provide a more searching test in England’s final defensive third, though Algeria’s Karim Ziani did manage to find space for shots from just outside the box.
The must-win match against Slovenia, though, should surely be won more in midfield, just so long as it’s England setting the pace instead of their opponents – and showing more precision and guile, in, around and into the area, instead of offering little more than witless hit-and-hopes from distance.
Not even taking his team to a surprise spot at the top of Group C, going into Wednesday’s final games, has won Matjaz Kek universal appeal.
Yet unlike Capello’s stern telling-off of intrusive snappers last week, Kek clearly felt an urge to lighten his ‘bad cop’ routine with some ‘good cop’ hale and heartiness – all in a matter of seconds.
Turning on a compatriot hack whose sceptical question he deemed ‘a foul’, Kek declared: ‘What I want to say to Slovenian journalists is, there’s too much that wastes our energy – not related to the pitch.
‘I hope that your attitude might improve because if this is not the case, this might not have very positive repercussions.’
‘I hope you take pride in the fact how Slovenia has performed so far - and tomorrow you’re welcome to come with this and we’ll have a beer.’
Having thus rounded on critics – then offered to get a round in – he then strode off with some departing words in English, that might not please English ears, or ease English fears.
‘Good luck, Americans.’
PRESUMABLY having realised soccer is not one of America’s favourite sports, Slovenia seemed happy at times on Friday to engage the Americans instead in a wrestling match.
Coach Matjaz Kek offered complaints – or compliments – about his opponents’ ‘aggression’
But his side’s apparent happiness when grappling – overlooked by referee Koman Coulibaly when he eccentrically ruled out Hercules Gomez’s late ‘winner’ – suggests another bruising experience for England on Wednesday.
The England squad looks increasingly fractious and fractured, even before Wayne Rooney started baiting the booboys.
Yet their last Group C opponents look more united than during their last ill-omened World Cup adventure - signalled by the gestures of genuine anxiety when substitute Nejc Pecnik had to be substituted himself, having been awkwardly bundled over as Clint Dempsey clumsily trod on the ball.
An absence of obvious star players might just be a boon, too.
The current Slovenia squad may have no one with the flair and dazzle of Zlatko Zahovic – but none likely to reduce a coach to tears, as Zahovic did in 2002 after labelling Srecko Katanec ‘a p**** of a coach’ and ‘a p**** of a player’.
‘I could buy you, your house and your family,’ Zahovic spat, before being sent back to his own home from the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Ahead of the 2010 kick-off, Zahovic warned many Slovenian fans might feel ‘deceived’ into ‘thinking we have got one foot in the second round’ – though at they moment they at least have a toe or two.
To prevent Slovenia stamping England out of the way, Gareth Barry’s role could be crucial in Wednesday’s must-win match.
Especially so, having watched the savvy with which Slovenia exploited slack under-manning between the US defence and midfield – at least, throughout the first half, and in the closing moments of the second.
Aleksandar Radosavljevic not only played the composed and controlling, holding role expected of Gareth Barry, but released the ball cleverly enough to bring into action wingers Andraz Kirm and left-footed right-sider Valter Birsa.
The two wide men took turns shuttling forward, in a lop-sided 4-4-2 at the tip of which Milivoje Novokovic unselfishly fed Zlatan Ljubijankic, scorer of a clever, counter-attacking second goal.
The attackers’ elusiveness could test not only Barry, but also either press back or strand upfield England’s keen attacking full-backs – especially Glen Johnson, who did almost as obstructive a marking job on Aaron Lennon than any opposing Algerian.
And Birsa, not only when darting inside to score his second goal of the tournament, appeared much more comfortable and dangerous than either Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips have looked during stints on the left so far.
In defence, at least, the Slovenians did look vulnerable – their zonal approach a mess at set-pieces and both centre-backs Marco Suler and Bostjan Cesar susceptible to slips and being outrun on the turn.
Kek did suggest his team might feel the after-effects of Friday’s gruelling duel in Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium.
‘What is my priority is to have my squad recover,’ he said.
‘They have wasted a lot of energy. The Americans have a very physical squad.
‘Yes, we have squandered a lot of energy. We need to recover, then think about England.
‘It’s very clear what we’re up against.’
Making the most of any sluggishness, though, should mean England doing more – and more intelligently – to pass around or above the defence, rather than rely on Heskey, Rooney or Gerrard to continue attempting to just barrel on through.
The US did manage to see out the game with perhaps the shortest centre-back of this or any World Cup – 5’6” Steve Cherundolo filling in, on the right of a makeshift back-three, albeit for less than ten minutes.
And for all the obvious failings of this England side – and the annoyance of defensive injuries and suspensions – they have only conceded one goal, and we all know just how that happened.
Stronger teams should provide a more searching test in England’s final defensive third, though Algeria’s Karim Ziani did manage to find space for shots from just outside the box.
The must-win match against Slovenia, though, should surely be won more in midfield, just so long as it’s England setting the pace instead of their opponents – and showing more precision and guile, in, around and into the area, instead of offering little more than witless hit-and-hopes from distance.
Friday, June 18, 2010
"England's gonna throw it away, gonna blow it away..."
“England’s anxiety became more and more apparent as they found themselves prisoners within the penalty area and reduced to long-range shooting … For the man on the terrace last night when he got home to bed it must have seemed to him soporific and boring … It seemed to set the pattern of what we may expect in the days ahead in this modern game where the great thing it seems is not to lose.”
Plus ca change? For this despatch from The Times is not a sneak peek at tomorrow’s back pages, but Geoffrey Green’s analysis of England’s start to the 1966 World Cup – a drab goalless draw with Uruguay.
Unfortunately, after last Saturday’s insipid tie with the US was followed by new depths plunged tonight, against Algeria, two key changes can perhaps be identified indeed.
The first, that this World Cup – after a cautious and yawnsome opening week – has tentatively begun to show a little more excitement, teams opening up and attacking because they realise they must. England, on the other hand, knew they had to win, knew they had to score – and yet appeared entirely ignorant of how best to do so.
And the second, of course, is that – well – England aren’t going to go on and win this World Cup…
‘I’m just glad England aren’t peaking too early’, the ever-too-nice Gary Mabbutt on South African TV, but then, that’s just the kind of sunny guy he is.
To truly emerge from this disastrous start with any hope at all of ending triumphant would surely need some kind of creative strategy to emerge.
Alf Ramsey, after all, could point not only to England’s eventual glory in 1966 – but the fact that his starting line-ups in the first couple of group games were deliberately selected to obscure his ideal XI. Wingers such as Terry Paine and John Connelly were used in the uninspiring group clashes with Uruguay, Mexico and France – though Ramsey knew all along that when the knock-out games came, his better-co-ordinated combination of Nobby Stiles holding, behind a wingless midfield of Ball, Charlton and Peters, should make England more formidable opposition.
Fabio Capello, on the other hand, looks wedded to a structure that worked in qualifying yet only against relatively weak opposition – Croatia’s collapses twice now against England, following their under-achievement at Euro 2008 suggest their earlier rise might have owed more to McClaren than Bilic. And the supposed saviour in defensive midfield, Gareth Barry, might have returned against Algeria but with hardly enough of the rigour to prevent Algeria surging forward with alarming ease – nor with dynamic, creative enough talents in front of him to thrive.
Sadly there were nowhere near enough camera shots of Joe Cole on the bench, about the only player in the squad with the nimble and intelligent footwork and vision to unpick defences which refuse to be steamrollered by the runs, bulk or hype of Rooney, Gerrard or Lampard.
The one out-and-out winger with enough of both pace and penetration – albeit only seen so far in glimpses – found himself hauled off, just seconds after fashioning England’s closest, classiest chance: Aaron Lennon’s scooped cross which, like so many last Friday, unfortunately missed Rooney by, ooh, only an inch or two.
On technique, England look deficient – in approach, incoherent – and if motivation and pride are (spuriously) meant to cure all, then even here the ‘Three Lions’ have proved toothless.
After all, they hardly looked too fired up, by the criticism of the past six days – or the prospect of even more ahead. This display was even more depressing than that of last Friday.
And even of four years ago, the World Cup which England stank out as much as any other.
1966? 1990? It’s come to something when we’re threatening to look back on 2006 as better days...
PS: Wayne Rooney, "It's nice to see your own fans booing you."
Even nicer than to see your own players boring you...?
Plus ca change? For this despatch from The Times is not a sneak peek at tomorrow’s back pages, but Geoffrey Green’s analysis of England’s start to the 1966 World Cup – a drab goalless draw with Uruguay.
Unfortunately, after last Saturday’s insipid tie with the US was followed by new depths plunged tonight, against Algeria, two key changes can perhaps be identified indeed.
The first, that this World Cup – after a cautious and yawnsome opening week – has tentatively begun to show a little more excitement, teams opening up and attacking because they realise they must. England, on the other hand, knew they had to win, knew they had to score – and yet appeared entirely ignorant of how best to do so.
And the second, of course, is that – well – England aren’t going to go on and win this World Cup…
‘I’m just glad England aren’t peaking too early’, the ever-too-nice Gary Mabbutt on South African TV, but then, that’s just the kind of sunny guy he is.
To truly emerge from this disastrous start with any hope at all of ending triumphant would surely need some kind of creative strategy to emerge.
Alf Ramsey, after all, could point not only to England’s eventual glory in 1966 – but the fact that his starting line-ups in the first couple of group games were deliberately selected to obscure his ideal XI. Wingers such as Terry Paine and John Connelly were used in the uninspiring group clashes with Uruguay, Mexico and France – though Ramsey knew all along that when the knock-out games came, his better-co-ordinated combination of Nobby Stiles holding, behind a wingless midfield of Ball, Charlton and Peters, should make England more formidable opposition.
Fabio Capello, on the other hand, looks wedded to a structure that worked in qualifying yet only against relatively weak opposition – Croatia’s collapses twice now against England, following their under-achievement at Euro 2008 suggest their earlier rise might have owed more to McClaren than Bilic. And the supposed saviour in defensive midfield, Gareth Barry, might have returned against Algeria but with hardly enough of the rigour to prevent Algeria surging forward with alarming ease – nor with dynamic, creative enough talents in front of him to thrive.
Sadly there were nowhere near enough camera shots of Joe Cole on the bench, about the only player in the squad with the nimble and intelligent footwork and vision to unpick defences which refuse to be steamrollered by the runs, bulk or hype of Rooney, Gerrard or Lampard.
The one out-and-out winger with enough of both pace and penetration – albeit only seen so far in glimpses – found himself hauled off, just seconds after fashioning England’s closest, classiest chance: Aaron Lennon’s scooped cross which, like so many last Friday, unfortunately missed Rooney by, ooh, only an inch or two.
On technique, England look deficient – in approach, incoherent – and if motivation and pride are (spuriously) meant to cure all, then even here the ‘Three Lions’ have proved toothless.
After all, they hardly looked too fired up, by the criticism of the past six days – or the prospect of even more ahead. This display was even more depressing than that of last Friday.
And even of four years ago, the World Cup which England stank out as much as any other.
1966? 1990? It’s come to something when we’re threatening to look back on 2006 as better days...
PS: Wayne Rooney, "It's nice to see your own fans booing you."
Even nicer than to see your own players boring you...?
Thursday, June 17, 2010
"Ou est le soleil? Ou est le soleil? Dans la tete - travaillez..."
AFTER all the talk about hidebound, risk-averse football having the upper hand so far this World Cup, how refreshing to see it so defeated this evening.
They won’t only be hat-dancing but river-dancing on the streets tonight as France all but said au revoir to the World Cup, accompanied by Mexican waves – and Irish smiling eyes.
Even many France fans might take some – grudging – satisfaction in seeing the utterly odd Raymond Domenech embarrassed (again) this way.
I half-expected his first post-match statement this evening to merely amount to: ‘Ma cherie, can we try for a baby?’
But then, we know he’s eccentric – put it kindly. We know a manager should be getting so much more, from such a world-class selection of players.
It’s just that he’s made the selection of them such a mess – oh, and the direction, and preparation, and motivation, making tonight’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico as unsurprising as it must have been satisfying to so many.
Few Manchester United strikers can hope to score a goal so popular so widely, with those mythical creatures – ‘neutrals’.
Yet even by the craziness we’ve come to expect from Domenech, tonight’s approach still defied credulity.
Even with Nicolas Anelka starting on the pitch, the French seemed to be persisting with a striker-free formation – Anelka incessantly sauntering back into midfield, showing little sign of doing anything anywhere more dangerous.
Franck Ribery trudged around in an unusually central role but offered little beyond a laughably-long series of squandered free-kicks from outside the box, generously though the Mexicans kept gifting him another go.
Thierry Henry, for all his struggles this season, might, just might have done something more productive with one of them – but instead he was left languishing on the bench by a coach who uttered not a word from Mexican opener to final whistle.
Instead, rookie international Mathieu Valbuena was brought on to do very little, as had been journeyman toiler Andre-Pierre Gignac at half-time for the admittedly under-toiling Anelka.
The French were listless, unimaginative and – it appeared – unbothered.
And condemned anyway, surely, by the continued selection of Eric Abidal in central defence – not just lumbering and uncertain there, but a certified Jonah.
After receiving red cards there in Euro 2008, for France, and the 2009 Champions League semi-final for Barcelona, he found a variation on the theme by giving away the match-settling penalty tonight.
Perhaps the surging and exciting Barrera was already on his way down, but a second goal was no more than Mexico merited – and Cuahtemoc Blanco deserves a little respect, for the sheer audacious length of that fast bowler’s run-up.
The 37-year-old had been cheered to the rafters merely for warming up on the touchline, winning even shriller billing when he came on in a rhyming swap for Franco.
By contrast, it was easy to assume the emphatic boos greeting most French touches were prompted by their post-play off status as everyone’s favourite World Cup pantomime villains.
Yet the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane was crammed full of Mexicans – or, at least, some South Africans clad in the appropriate flags and sombreros.
Whoever they were and wherever they came from, they certainly made such a noise in this comparatively-cosy arena, that at times the ebbing and flowing of chants even emerged over the volume of vuvuzelas.
Actually, I’d thought for a couple of games that the noise of the horns seemed to have been toned down a tad – surely BBC boffins can’t have actually managed that inside the stadia?
The Mexicans deserved such acclaim, for their nifty technique and their – well, hey Bobby, what’s Spanish for va va voom?
But they too – like so many in this tournament so far – were happy to clog the path through to goal at times, forming very tight, seven-pack clusters behind the ball and ring-fencing their area.
But Javier Aguirre’s men, at least, and unlike some, do at least then try to push out as sharpish as possible.
Counter-attacking seems to be one of the themes of the week, with even blue-chip contenders like Brazil happy to soak up and then surge – and the pressing passers of Spain have found themselves stymied. For now.
A full seven days in now, and this World Cup on the pitch is beginning to both improve and intrigue – well, it is about time.
They won’t only be hat-dancing but river-dancing on the streets tonight as France all but said au revoir to the World Cup, accompanied by Mexican waves – and Irish smiling eyes.
Even many France fans might take some – grudging – satisfaction in seeing the utterly odd Raymond Domenech embarrassed (again) this way.
I half-expected his first post-match statement this evening to merely amount to: ‘Ma cherie, can we try for a baby?’
But then, we know he’s eccentric – put it kindly. We know a manager should be getting so much more, from such a world-class selection of players.
It’s just that he’s made the selection of them such a mess – oh, and the direction, and preparation, and motivation, making tonight’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico as unsurprising as it must have been satisfying to so many.
Few Manchester United strikers can hope to score a goal so popular so widely, with those mythical creatures – ‘neutrals’.
Yet even by the craziness we’ve come to expect from Domenech, tonight’s approach still defied credulity.
Even with Nicolas Anelka starting on the pitch, the French seemed to be persisting with a striker-free formation – Anelka incessantly sauntering back into midfield, showing little sign of doing anything anywhere more dangerous.
Franck Ribery trudged around in an unusually central role but offered little beyond a laughably-long series of squandered free-kicks from outside the box, generously though the Mexicans kept gifting him another go.
Thierry Henry, for all his struggles this season, might, just might have done something more productive with one of them – but instead he was left languishing on the bench by a coach who uttered not a word from Mexican opener to final whistle.
Instead, rookie international Mathieu Valbuena was brought on to do very little, as had been journeyman toiler Andre-Pierre Gignac at half-time for the admittedly under-toiling Anelka.
The French were listless, unimaginative and – it appeared – unbothered.
And condemned anyway, surely, by the continued selection of Eric Abidal in central defence – not just lumbering and uncertain there, but a certified Jonah.
After receiving red cards there in Euro 2008, for France, and the 2009 Champions League semi-final for Barcelona, he found a variation on the theme by giving away the match-settling penalty tonight.
Perhaps the surging and exciting Barrera was already on his way down, but a second goal was no more than Mexico merited – and Cuahtemoc Blanco deserves a little respect, for the sheer audacious length of that fast bowler’s run-up.
The 37-year-old had been cheered to the rafters merely for warming up on the touchline, winning even shriller billing when he came on in a rhyming swap for Franco.
By contrast, it was easy to assume the emphatic boos greeting most French touches were prompted by their post-play off status as everyone’s favourite World Cup pantomime villains.
Yet the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane was crammed full of Mexicans – or, at least, some South Africans clad in the appropriate flags and sombreros.
Whoever they were and wherever they came from, they certainly made such a noise in this comparatively-cosy arena, that at times the ebbing and flowing of chants even emerged over the volume of vuvuzelas.
Actually, I’d thought for a couple of games that the noise of the horns seemed to have been toned down a tad – surely BBC boffins can’t have actually managed that inside the stadia?
The Mexicans deserved such acclaim, for their nifty technique and their – well, hey Bobby, what’s Spanish for va va voom?
But they too – like so many in this tournament so far – were happy to clog the path through to goal at times, forming very tight, seven-pack clusters behind the ball and ring-fencing their area.
But Javier Aguirre’s men, at least, and unlike some, do at least then try to push out as sharpish as possible.
Counter-attacking seems to be one of the themes of the week, with even blue-chip contenders like Brazil happy to soak up and then surge – and the pressing passers of Spain have found themselves stymied. For now.
A full seven days in now, and this World Cup on the pitch is beginning to both improve and intrigue – well, it is about time.
'Eyes down, round and round - let's all sit and watch the money-go-round...'
IT seems a bit rich for billion-dollar-profit-making Fifa to entirely pass the buck on the World Cup stewards fiasco.
It’s purely an employer-employee issue, they and the South African organisers insist – even as emergency police roll in to control four strike-hit World Cup stadia, including the one holding England fans tonight.
Ah, but whose World Cup is this, anyway?
Fifa branding – and lawyer-pleasing trademark signs – are even more ubiquitous than complaints about Jabulanis or vuvuzelas.
And Fifa-approved sponsors – some helpfully, healthily schilling fast food or booze – run a cartel within miles-wide World Cup ‘zones’, excluding and even prosecuting traders with the audacity to be South African.
The heavy-handed treatment of the orange-skirted ‘Bavaria Beer’ girls has proved an even more embarrassing own goal than those Dutch lovelies were gifted by Denmark.
But less attention has been given the less-photogenic plight of thousands of stewards toiling thankless 12-hour shifts, promised meagre payments – and actually handed even less.
Uncomfortable stuff, especially for an event given acclaim – some of it deserved - for uniting a nation and showcasing a continent.
The image of riot police fighting stewards in a World Cup car park clashes with the sight of lavish bonuses being sprayed around in an upmarket Johannesburg hotel suite.
On the eve of the big kick-off, Sepp Blatter declared himself ‘a happy man’ and his gathering of Fifa delegates ‘a happy Congress’.
As well they might be, having just been told of unexpected extra windfalls worth £171,000 to each FA – and another £1.7million apiece for the continental confederations such as Uefa.
How much of that money they spend on the game’s grass roots remains to be seen – as does any effect on generous ‘Santa’ Blatter’s presidential re-election bid 12 months from now.
But the benefits – or otherwise – for hard-working South Africans keeping the World Cup up and running deserves at least a mention by the president – perhaps on his prolific new Twitter account.
Speaking of which, can we at least call Mr Blatter’s Twitter tweets ‘Bleats’?
It’s purely an employer-employee issue, they and the South African organisers insist – even as emergency police roll in to control four strike-hit World Cup stadia, including the one holding England fans tonight.
Ah, but whose World Cup is this, anyway?
Fifa branding – and lawyer-pleasing trademark signs – are even more ubiquitous than complaints about Jabulanis or vuvuzelas.
And Fifa-approved sponsors – some helpfully, healthily schilling fast food or booze – run a cartel within miles-wide World Cup ‘zones’, excluding and even prosecuting traders with the audacity to be South African.
The heavy-handed treatment of the orange-skirted ‘Bavaria Beer’ girls has proved an even more embarrassing own goal than those Dutch lovelies were gifted by Denmark.
But less attention has been given the less-photogenic plight of thousands of stewards toiling thankless 12-hour shifts, promised meagre payments – and actually handed even less.
Uncomfortable stuff, especially for an event given acclaim – some of it deserved - for uniting a nation and showcasing a continent.
The image of riot police fighting stewards in a World Cup car park clashes with the sight of lavish bonuses being sprayed around in an upmarket Johannesburg hotel suite.
On the eve of the big kick-off, Sepp Blatter declared himself ‘a happy man’ and his gathering of Fifa delegates ‘a happy Congress’.
As well they might be, having just been told of unexpected extra windfalls worth £171,000 to each FA – and another £1.7million apiece for the continental confederations such as Uefa.
How much of that money they spend on the game’s grass roots remains to be seen – as does any effect on generous ‘Santa’ Blatter’s presidential re-election bid 12 months from now.
But the benefits – or otherwise – for hard-working South Africans keeping the World Cup up and running deserves at least a mention by the president – perhaps on his prolific new Twitter account.
Speaking of which, can we at least call Mr Blatter’s Twitter tweets ‘Bleats’?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
"I fell in love with some Diego..."
EARLY morning queues swarmed outside Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld stadium – not to claim early seats for the hosts’ match tonight, but to see the World Cup’s other main attraction instead.
Yes, Diego Maradona was giving a Press conference – yet only 200 hacks could squeeze inside, many more cursing outdoors with a petulance of which he might well approve.
But those who did get in escaped any repeat of the ‘suck it and keep on sucking it’ onslaught which last year earned him a two-month Fifa ban.
In fact, the newly-mellow Maradona - well, his digs against Platini and Pele aside - even serenaded one journalist with a Spanish chorus of ‘Happy birthday to you’.
Quite the Argentine charmer – even if the man claiming the ‘hand of God’ doesn’t quite have the voice of angel to go with it.
Yes, Diego Maradona was giving a Press conference – yet only 200 hacks could squeeze inside, many more cursing outdoors with a petulance of which he might well approve.
But those who did get in escaped any repeat of the ‘suck it and keep on sucking it’ onslaught which last year earned him a two-month Fifa ban.
In fact, the newly-mellow Maradona - well, his digs against Platini and Pele aside - even serenaded one journalist with a Spanish chorus of ‘Happy birthday to you’.
Quite the Argentine charmer – even if the man claiming the ‘hand of God’ doesn’t quite have the voice of angel to go with it.
"Picture this, freezing cold weather..."
TODAY may have brought this World Cup’s first taste of red-hot Chile, but the priority for many people was simply getting warm again.
Those who attended – or, poor sods, played – the previous night were spending the day defrosting, after a match that really put the Brrrr in Brazil, the parky in, well, Ellis Park.
It appears even Robinho can dazzle when freezing, after all.
Although the idea might affront all those who so self-satisfyingly live there, maybe it wasn’t so much the cold, but just Manchester he didn’t much like.
With some feverish forecasts even suggesting snow for Cape Town when England take on Algeria, one of our most cherished World Cup excuses is melting away.
That is, we can never go the whole hog because it’s just too hot.
Though after the shameless Steve Gerrard even tried to blame Rob Green’s US fumble on the new ball, perhaps we shouldn’t underestimate this team’s talent for deflection.
After all, it’s what Frank Lampard manages to achieve with almost every shot.
In fact, weather experts now say the Cape Town conditions could brighten to a mild enough 19C tomorrow, though frost and ice are expected to stick around elsewhere.
The hope of snow in only the fifth southern hemisphere World Cup remains enticing.
There hasn’t been any since the very first game of the very first tournament, in Uruguayan capital Montevideo - except, perhaps, when Chris Waddle’s Italia 90 penalty finally returned to earth.
If there will be snow in South Africa this summer time, the greatest thing we could get this year might be a return of the orange ball.
Unlikely, of course – though even a 99p plastic version from your local corner shop might prove less contentious than the much-maligned Jabulani.
Those who attended – or, poor sods, played – the previous night were spending the day defrosting, after a match that really put the Brrrr in Brazil, the parky in, well, Ellis Park.
It appears even Robinho can dazzle when freezing, after all.
Although the idea might affront all those who so self-satisfyingly live there, maybe it wasn’t so much the cold, but just Manchester he didn’t much like.
With some feverish forecasts even suggesting snow for Cape Town when England take on Algeria, one of our most cherished World Cup excuses is melting away.
That is, we can never go the whole hog because it’s just too hot.
Though after the shameless Steve Gerrard even tried to blame Rob Green’s US fumble on the new ball, perhaps we shouldn’t underestimate this team’s talent for deflection.
After all, it’s what Frank Lampard manages to achieve with almost every shot.
In fact, weather experts now say the Cape Town conditions could brighten to a mild enough 19C tomorrow, though frost and ice are expected to stick around elsewhere.
The hope of snow in only the fifth southern hemisphere World Cup remains enticing.
There hasn’t been any since the very first game of the very first tournament, in Uruguayan capital Montevideo - except, perhaps, when Chris Waddle’s Italia 90 penalty finally returned to earth.
If there will be snow in South Africa this summer time, the greatest thing we could get this year might be a return of the orange ball.
Unlikely, of course – though even a 99p plastic version from your local corner shop might prove less contentious than the much-maligned Jabulani.
"The South will rise again...?"
Bye bye, The Boys The Boys.
A national day of both celebration and sadness, prompted by the most serious of circumstances, ended with shades of the same emotions applied to something rather more frivolous.
That is, South Africa’s ‘Youth Day’ – remembering those hundreds killed combating apartheid, in the June 1976 Soweto uprisings – couldn’t quite conclude with some footballing comfort last night.
The Bafana Bafana’s cruelly-emphatic 3-0 defeat to Uruguay surely makes it almost impossible to avoid becoming the first hosts knocked out in a World Cup first round.
The four Group A teams could yet finish on four points apiece, yet it looks unlikely – especially with South Africa’s best two tournament performers now suspended from their closing match against France.
Katlego Dikcagoi, as last Friday against Mexico, was neat and precise tonight in holding midfield – up until he needlessly clattered right through Luis Suarez on the halfway line, earning himself a second yellow of the competition.
Then, with 14 minutes to go, goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was sadly but fairly sent off – only the ‘keeper to receive a World Cup red card – though it took another four minutes for his replacement to arrive.
Khune’s offence was slicing down Suarez as the striker shaped to sidestep and tap the ball into an empty net, after a Diego Forlan pass trickled across the box entirely untroubled by South African defenders.
That one was certainly a penalty, even if other moments suggested Suarez – after a past season or so or more approving reviews – still hasn’t quite erased all gamesmanship from his game.
Forlan had already been the hero both for visiting fans – and those who hate the horns – by suddenly silencing the vuvuzelas, for a few moments anyway, with an opening goal almost out of nowhere.
Initially it appeared his 24th-minute strike from outside the box had dipped devilishly in the air of its own accord – or, at least, because of arbitrary Jabulani tendencies.
In fact, it had caught a deflection I think we’re obliged to describe as ‘wicked’, carrying the ball on a whistling swivel through the breeze while all at once sucking all the wind from South Africa’s sails.
Until then, the home team had been marginally the more measured, even if both teams struggled to hold on to possession – and South Africa were let down again by anonymity and sloppiness going forward from both Steven Pienaar and Teko Modise.
As against France, poacher-turned-playmaker Forlan was drifting very deep into midfield, but the inclusion of Edinson Cavani as a third forward meant Suarez had more support up-front – without Uruguay much missing the dropped Fernandez in midfield.
Forlan’s vision and Suarez’s cunning meant Uruguay always looked the more likely to strike, especially once South Africa’s lonely forward Katlego Mphela had squirmed a header wide from about, ooh, two yards from goal.
Even the hitherto-hapless Alvaro Pereira tucked in an even closer-range chance, at the other end of the pitch with just about the last kick of the game.
But even then, the vuvuzelas were still being sounded loud and – well, about as clear as a vuvuzela can sound.
But disappointment and dismay are bound to be spreading, in a nation which had raised its hopes slightly higher than might be advised.
Is there someone who can now play a vuvuzela like a sad trombone?
A national day of both celebration and sadness, prompted by the most serious of circumstances, ended with shades of the same emotions applied to something rather more frivolous.
That is, South Africa’s ‘Youth Day’ – remembering those hundreds killed combating apartheid, in the June 1976 Soweto uprisings – couldn’t quite conclude with some footballing comfort last night.
The Bafana Bafana’s cruelly-emphatic 3-0 defeat to Uruguay surely makes it almost impossible to avoid becoming the first hosts knocked out in a World Cup first round.
The four Group A teams could yet finish on four points apiece, yet it looks unlikely – especially with South Africa’s best two tournament performers now suspended from their closing match against France.
Katlego Dikcagoi, as last Friday against Mexico, was neat and precise tonight in holding midfield – up until he needlessly clattered right through Luis Suarez on the halfway line, earning himself a second yellow of the competition.
Then, with 14 minutes to go, goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was sadly but fairly sent off – only the ‘keeper to receive a World Cup red card – though it took another four minutes for his replacement to arrive.
Khune’s offence was slicing down Suarez as the striker shaped to sidestep and tap the ball into an empty net, after a Diego Forlan pass trickled across the box entirely untroubled by South African defenders.
That one was certainly a penalty, even if other moments suggested Suarez – after a past season or so or more approving reviews – still hasn’t quite erased all gamesmanship from his game.
Forlan had already been the hero both for visiting fans – and those who hate the horns – by suddenly silencing the vuvuzelas, for a few moments anyway, with an opening goal almost out of nowhere.
Initially it appeared his 24th-minute strike from outside the box had dipped devilishly in the air of its own accord – or, at least, because of arbitrary Jabulani tendencies.
In fact, it had caught a deflection I think we’re obliged to describe as ‘wicked’, carrying the ball on a whistling swivel through the breeze while all at once sucking all the wind from South Africa’s sails.
Until then, the home team had been marginally the more measured, even if both teams struggled to hold on to possession – and South Africa were let down again by anonymity and sloppiness going forward from both Steven Pienaar and Teko Modise.
As against France, poacher-turned-playmaker Forlan was drifting very deep into midfield, but the inclusion of Edinson Cavani as a third forward meant Suarez had more support up-front – without Uruguay much missing the dropped Fernandez in midfield.
Forlan’s vision and Suarez’s cunning meant Uruguay always looked the more likely to strike, especially once South Africa’s lonely forward Katlego Mphela had squirmed a header wide from about, ooh, two yards from goal.
Even the hitherto-hapless Alvaro Pereira tucked in an even closer-range chance, at the other end of the pitch with just about the last kick of the game.
But even then, the vuvuzelas were still being sounded loud and – well, about as clear as a vuvuzela can sound.
But disappointment and dismay are bound to be spreading, in a nation which had raised its hopes slightly higher than might be advised.
Is there someone who can now play a vuvuzela like a sad trombone?
"Don't be bashful, buy a ticket - get the habit, never kick it..."
ROBBIE Earle isn’t the only one in trouble over his ticket distribution.
Fifa has been struggling to explain why some attendances have been so sparse – while presumably hoping the Dutch go far, all the better to blend in with Soccer City’s empty orange seats.
Now the South African government is under fire for spending £1million on free tickets for civil servants.
Critics say staff should pay their own way – but simply making their way in would be good enough for now.
Fifa has been struggling to explain why some attendances have been so sparse – while presumably hoping the Dutch go far, all the better to blend in with Soccer City’s empty orange seats.
Now the South African government is under fire for spending £1million on free tickets for civil servants.
Critics say staff should pay their own way – but simply making their way in would be good enough for now.
"Brazil, where the nuts come from..."
WE’RE less than a week into one exuberant yet haphazard and logistically-challenged World Cup – and yet already some are looking ahead to another.
Brazilian government ministers have touched down in Johannesburg, promising to learn from South Africa when they play host in four years’ time.
Concerns about decaying stadia or impossible transport were unsurprisingly left off the agenda at an optimistic expo launch in the upmarket suburb of Sandton.
Instead, the emphasis was on sun-blessed beaches and undressed bodies, rich coffee and chocolate – and “joga benito”, Brazil showing just how beautiful this game can be.
Exhibition highlights include World Cup-winning shirts worn by Vava, Carlos Alberto and Ronaldo – plus Jules Rimet still gleaming, albeit a replica in a glass case of the missing original trophy.
If under-employed in the days ahead, perhaps Robert Green should visit – if only to feel some comfort that he’s not alone.
Footage of Brazil’s triumphant World Cup campaigns includes Ron Springett flapping in 1962 and David Seaman flopping 40 years later – though no sign, alas, of the rather better Gordon Banks.
Those accompanying ceiling-high images of dune sands and cyan skies made for a cruel contrast with the World Cup here and now outside, with temperatures suddenly plunging.
Snow fall on mountain ranges around Cape Town have prompted excitable newspaper forecasts of similar scenes when England take the field on Friday.
Well, bringing out nthe old orange ball – even a 99p cornershop version – couldn’t prove any more controversial than this Jabulani, surely…
No snow here in Johannesburg (yet), though the abrupt mercury plunge – down to 10C earlier, heading for -3C by the early hours apparently – has certainly put the Brrrrr in Brazil-North Korea.
Or even, if you will, the parky in, well, Ellis Park. (You won’t? Oh, okay then…)
Perhaps Maicon’s opening goal could go down as wind-assisted, though the sneaky glance of his head and subtle swivel of his foot suggests we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Elano’s finish was equally smart, but the authentic assist from Robinho even sweeter – his roaming, showboating, everything-but-the-shooting display at point-scoring odds with his cold-City image.
Okay, trying to cram Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Adriano and Kaka into the same line-up ultimately faltered four years ago.
But the players Dunga can use look to possess just too much class and technique not to inspire at times, no matter how predominantly functional he might want his team to be.
That hard-nosed organisation is, admittedly, effective – especially as Gilberto or Melo slot so comfortably into a brief back-three, when the likes of Bastos or Maicon hurtle into and through midfield.
But the story of the evening, I suppose, has to be those charming North Koreans – diligent in defence, ambitious in attack, able to (mostly) block the route to goal while keen to pass their way the other way when possible.
Even the pre-match huddle looked more organic than most, with one dutiful soul sticking his head to check no one was missing.
Or maybe, just maybe, that no one was listening…
All in all, after those two turgid dirges of matches earlier today, tonight’s was just a bit of niceness, the kind of refreshment the tournament suddenly needed.
Now for the real headline act to finally enter from the wings – no Spain, no gain…
Brazilian government ministers have touched down in Johannesburg, promising to learn from South Africa when they play host in four years’ time.
Concerns about decaying stadia or impossible transport were unsurprisingly left off the agenda at an optimistic expo launch in the upmarket suburb of Sandton.
Instead, the emphasis was on sun-blessed beaches and undressed bodies, rich coffee and chocolate – and “joga benito”, Brazil showing just how beautiful this game can be.
Exhibition highlights include World Cup-winning shirts worn by Vava, Carlos Alberto and Ronaldo – plus Jules Rimet still gleaming, albeit a replica in a glass case of the missing original trophy.
If under-employed in the days ahead, perhaps Robert Green should visit – if only to feel some comfort that he’s not alone.
Footage of Brazil’s triumphant World Cup campaigns includes Ron Springett flapping in 1962 and David Seaman flopping 40 years later – though no sign, alas, of the rather better Gordon Banks.
Those accompanying ceiling-high images of dune sands and cyan skies made for a cruel contrast with the World Cup here and now outside, with temperatures suddenly plunging.
Snow fall on mountain ranges around Cape Town have prompted excitable newspaper forecasts of similar scenes when England take the field on Friday.
Well, bringing out nthe old orange ball – even a 99p cornershop version – couldn’t prove any more controversial than this Jabulani, surely…
No snow here in Johannesburg (yet), though the abrupt mercury plunge – down to 10C earlier, heading for -3C by the early hours apparently – has certainly put the Brrrrr in Brazil-North Korea.
Or even, if you will, the parky in, well, Ellis Park. (You won’t? Oh, okay then…)
Perhaps Maicon’s opening goal could go down as wind-assisted, though the sneaky glance of his head and subtle swivel of his foot suggests we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Elano’s finish was equally smart, but the authentic assist from Robinho even sweeter – his roaming, showboating, everything-but-the-shooting display at point-scoring odds with his cold-City image.
Okay, trying to cram Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Adriano and Kaka into the same line-up ultimately faltered four years ago.
But the players Dunga can use look to possess just too much class and technique not to inspire at times, no matter how predominantly functional he might want his team to be.
That hard-nosed organisation is, admittedly, effective – especially as Gilberto or Melo slot so comfortably into a brief back-three, when the likes of Bastos or Maicon hurtle into and through midfield.
But the story of the evening, I suppose, has to be those charming North Koreans – diligent in defence, ambitious in attack, able to (mostly) block the route to goal while keen to pass their way the other way when possible.
Even the pre-match huddle looked more organic than most, with one dutiful soul sticking his head to check no one was missing.
Or maybe, just maybe, that no one was listening…
All in all, after those two turgid dirges of matches earlier today, tonight’s was just a bit of niceness, the kind of refreshment the tournament suddenly needed.
Now for the real headline act to finally enter from the wings – no Spain, no gain…
"But wait a minute, something's wrong..."
ITALY could be forgiven for feeling the world is against them – well, the world football governing body, at least.
Marcelo Lippi’s defending champions are still smarting after former French midfielder Patrick Vieira – a losing finalist in 2006 - got to present the trophy to South African organisers before the big kick-off.
And when putting their electronic voting pads to the test at a Fifa Congress meeting in Sandton, delegates were asked whether Italy were reigning world champions – and for some reason seven blazers voted no.
The Italians have been suffering further indignity at the hands – or motormouth – of former Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince.
The self-styled “Guvnor” is on punditry duty on South African TV, alongside other ex-Manchester United players Dwight Yorke and Paul Ince.
The role has meant conforming to his station’s formal dress policy – pristine white shirt and matching crimson silk cravats.
Yet Ince felt relaxed enough in studio discussions to constantly call Lippi’s side ‘the Eyeties’.
Maybe not quite Ron Atkinson or Carol Thatcher territory – though it perhaps wouldn’t be stood for by, say, Adrian Chiles.
Marcelo Lippi’s defending champions are still smarting after former French midfielder Patrick Vieira – a losing finalist in 2006 - got to present the trophy to South African organisers before the big kick-off.
And when putting their electronic voting pads to the test at a Fifa Congress meeting in Sandton, delegates were asked whether Italy were reigning world champions – and for some reason seven blazers voted no.
The Italians have been suffering further indignity at the hands – or motormouth – of former Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince.
The self-styled “Guvnor” is on punditry duty on South African TV, alongside other ex-Manchester United players Dwight Yorke and Paul Ince.
The role has meant conforming to his station’s formal dress policy – pristine white shirt and matching crimson silk cravats.
Yet Ince felt relaxed enough in studio discussions to constantly call Lippi’s side ‘the Eyeties’.
Maybe not quite Ron Atkinson or Carol Thatcher territory – though it perhaps wouldn’t be stood for by, say, Adrian Chiles.
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