Day 31 - WORLD CONQUERORS
Spain fulfills its destiny, taking home the country’s first-ever World Cup Championship.

July 11, 2010
by Dan Krier

Spain 1 - Netherlands 0

And so it happened. With an extremely late goal by midfielder Andres Iniesta in extra time, Spain won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, victorious for the fourth straight match by a result of 1-0.

By anyone’s account, it was a substandard affair Sunday night in Johannesburg, with each team taking dives on fouls in order to elicit yellow cards, which came in hordes as both sides were handed a record number of 13, the previous high being 6. And while it could be said that head referee Howard Webb was too quick to book players, a lot of the challenges were overexuberant and came across as dangerous sloppy play.

For the Netherlands, this day will forever go down as a game of missed opportunities. Twice during the second half - in the 62nd and 83rd minutes - Holland’s Arjen Robben was denied by the diving legs of Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas on clear-path 1-on-1 breakaways. Robben and the rest of the Netherlands will be replaying those moments in nightmares for the remainder of their lives.

Spain, as well, had multiple chances to score, though nothing as wide open as the runs made by Holland’s Robben. In the 70th minute, World Cup leading-scorer David Villa was given a sliver of space to shoot on a mishandled cross through the Dutch box, but he couldn’t solve the tight angle off the left side of the goal, keeper Maarten Stekelenburg making one of several great saves during the match.

Then in the 77th minute, Sergio Ramos was denied glory when he missed a wide-open header on a corner kick that caromed off his forehead before sailing high over the bar. The game stayed tied 0-0 until the 90th-minute whistle, forcing thirty minutes of extra time.

In the overtime period, things went back & forth, with the best chance to score by Spain’s Cesc Fabregas thwarted by the leg of Stekelenburg in the 95th minute to preserve the shutout. But shortly thereafter, things took a major turn for the worse for the Netherlands, because another rough tackle by Holland’s John Heitinga yielded his second yellow card for pulling Spain’s Iniesta down from behind, which translated to a RED CARD and a send-off, putting Spain in the position of having a one-man advantage.

Finally, then, in the 116th minute, the moment came.

With the prospects of another bland penalty-kick shootout just four or five minutes away, Spain was able to cash in on their power play before it was too late.

On the goal, substitute forward Fernando Torres took the ball on a pass up the left side, where he crossed it to the front of the box toward another reserve, teammate Fabregas, who then slid the ball right, where Andres Iniesta controlled the bouncer just enough to fire a right-foot volley into the net off the bottom of Stekelenburg’s right hand, giving Spain the lead 1-0 in the nick of time.

The goal marked the end of the road for Holland, who couldn’t create a last-gasp chance, falling in what is now their third World Cup Final defeat. Utter joy for Spain, who hoist the cup for the first time in history, this team taking its spot in the books as one of the best ever, having won the 2008 UEFA Euro Crown along with the 2010 World Cup.

Though they only won each of their knockout games by the score of 1-0, Spain is undoubtedly the best team in the entire world. Congratulations.

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1st Team All-World Cup
Better than All-Stars, these 11 men performed so well in this year’s tournament that their names will go down in football history forever.

July 9, 2010
by Dan Krier

FORWARDS:

David Villa - Spain

Villa has had a remarkable World Cup, scoring a tourney-best 5 goals leading into the Final on July 11th. He was also a model of consistency for Spain, scoring in a crucial four games in a row to propel them towards what could be their first-ever World Cup crown. I won’t be shocked if he’s the one scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win vs. Netherlands. We’ll see!

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Thomas Mueller - Germany

At 20 years of age, Mueller is one of the youngest players on any team’s roster, so to tally 4 goals along with 3 assists is an even more remarkable feat. The tall German was forced to miss the match vs. Spain due to his second yellow card on a phantom call against Argentina. Otherwise we might be talking about Germany going for their 4th ever World Cup Championship.

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Luis Suarez - Uruguay

Another player whose absence from his team’s semifinal loss probably made the unfortunate difference, Suarez actually earned his suspension in the most noble of fashions when he deliberately used his hand to swat away a Ghanaian goal at the end of regulation time in the quarterfinal round (what?…should he have let the goal just go in?). The flashy forward had great games one after the other, scoring 3 goals with 1 assist going into Uruguay’s 3rd place match vs. Germany July 10th.

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MIDFIELDERS:

Wesley Sneijder - Netherlands

I’ll be honest and say I’d never heard of Wesley Sneijder before the World Cup began. But by the end of his team’s first game vs. Denmark, I knew very well that this was one of the best midfielders in the world. Sneijder proved to be the difference-maker for a very talented Netherlands team, giving his side a balance on both ends of the field while providing pivotal passing and skilled shooting on offense. With one more win by the Dutch, the man will go down as a National Hero, if he’s not one already. 5 goals and 1 assist so far with world-class finishes from his feet…and his head!

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Diego Forlan - Uruguay

Though technically a forward, Forlan spent a vast majority of the World Cup patrolling the middle of the field, serving up perfect crosses to teammates like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani while leading Uruguay in goals with a total of 4. More than anything, though, Forlan will go down as the man who mastered the Jabulani soccer ball, getting the crazy thing to swerve and knuckle at will with his wicked left foot.

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Landon Donovan - USA

Like Diego Forlan, Landon Donovan is also officially listed as a forward, but served team USA in the role of field general, dishing out passes and scoring goals in the nick of time. Everyone knew Donovan to be a capable player coming into the 2010 World Cup, but there’s no doubting his greatness anymore, along with his grit & determination after scoring 3 goals, including a game-tying penalty kick vs. Ghana.

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Xavi - Spain

Xavi is the ultimate team player, period, and this can be summed up by the following statistic: In six games thus far, he has completed 570 passes at an 81% accuracy rate. I’m not sure if I even comprehend that. 570 passes. That’s nearly 100 per game. Put those numbers next to the fact that Spain is competing in their first-ever World Cup Final, and you’ve got a man whose 4-letter name will last for eternity.

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DEFENDERS:

Gerard Pique - Spain

It’s tough to choose the best defenders since usually you only learn their names if they’ve made a crucial mistake. But for Spain, Gerard Pique provided a lock-down defender that gave them just enough to win every game. His play was always consistent, clamping down on players like Cristiano Ronaldo and helping Spain to four different shutout victories.

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Per Mertesacker - Germany

I’m picking Per Mertesacker because the giant 6’5” German is impossible to miss, meaning the guy can head any ball out of danger at will. Mertesacker spent the World Cup running up and down the field, doing just enough to keep the Germans one step ahead of the competition. Any team would want a player like this on their back line.

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Gabriel Heinze - Argentina

Gabriel Heinze makes the All-World team for being all over the field at all times. Here is a defender that simply would not stop running. Up & down, back & forth, the feisty fullback was the first to celebrate goals, while at all times ready to scuffle with the competition (and camera men too!). Credit Heinze for getting Argentina going in the 2010 World Cup, scoring his team’s first goal in just the 5th minute of play on a blistering header vs. Nigeria that will go down as one of the best goals of the tournament. It’s enough to make you want to stick out your tongue and say Heinze!

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GOALIE:

Maarten Stekelenburg- Netherlands

Choosing Stekelenburg over Spain’s Iker Casillas for best goalie of the tournament came down to the “Save of the Century” that Stekelenburg made vs. Brazil on a curling shot by Kaka that would have put Holland down an insurmountable two goals. Instead, the save was made, and Netherlands are now getting the chance to go for it all. Casillas was wonderful as well, but didn’t have to face the competition that Stekelenburg did. We’ll see who wins out between the two on July 11th.

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2nd Team All-World Cup:

Robert Vittek - Slovakia, Mesut Oezil - Germany, Gonzalo Higuain - Argentina, Asamoah Gyan - Ghana, Dirk Kuyt - Netherlands, Luis Fabiano - Brazil, Miroslav Klose - Germany, Keisuke Honda - Japan, Arjen Robben - Netherlands, Iker Casillas - Spain, Bastian Schweinsteiger - Germany.

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Brazil vs. Netherlands

This game has the potential to be a classic, and there is some extra spice involved due to the deep history between the two teams.

The Netherlands were knocked out of the 1994 & 1998 World Cup Tournaments by Brazil, and this year will be no different. Brazil has too many weapons to choose from, most notably Luis Fabiano and Kaka. Most importantly, the Brazilians have a mental advantage over everyone they go up against, and in this case it’s only multiplied being that the Dutch are so familiar with playing second-fiddle to the 5-time Champs.

For Holland, expect a good game from stars like Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt, and Robin Van Persie, each of whom have scored a goal in the 2010 World Cup. I think Netherlands are a great team, but even if they score first, look for Brazil to strike back as necessary to get the victory.

DK Pick: Brazil 3 - Netherlands 1

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Uruguay vs. Ghana

This game is a treat in that neither squad could have been predicted in the quarterfinals, so it makes it even better to know one of them will be making it into the semi-finals.

If that team happens to be Ghana, it will mark the farthest an African team has ever gone in any World Cup. Players like Asamoah Gyan and Kevin-Prince Boateng both have the capacity to move the Ghanaians to the next stage, both having netted a goal in the team’s victory over the United States last week.

Unfortunately for the Black Stars, this Cup appears to be the year of the South American continent, with 4 teams still alive. Uruguay has provided rugged and skillful play in each of its games thus far, and one more win is surely to be expected. Players like Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez are having magnificent tournaments, and they perhaps seem to be a team of destiny. We’ll find out soon enough.

DK Pick: Uruguay 2 - Ghana 0

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Argentina vs. Germany

Along with Brazil vs. Netherlands, this is the other marquee match of the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, a splendid pairing that just so happens to be a rematch of the 1986 World Cup Final.

Germany is coming off a 4-1 destruction of England in their last match, and Argentina has faced tougher competition in team scrimmages than in their 3-1 win over Mexico last Saturday.

What this adds up to is a fight for the ages, and I am expecting a back and forth affair all game long. Look for goals from the Germans’ best marksmen, players like Miroslav Klose and Mesut Oezil. Argentina, as well, will most likely see a goal or two from either Gonzalo Higuain or Carlos Tevez, who have both registered multiple-scoring games thus far. Also, don’t forget about Diego Milito, who has yet to put his stamp on things in the 2010 World Cup, but is always ready to score when his team needs him most.

All other players aside, the biggest difference is going to come from the littlest man on the field, none other than “Maradona: The Next Generation”, a.k.a. Lionel Messi. He has yet to score in the tournament as well, but all that changes on Saturday. This will be Messi’s signature moment of the World Cup…that is, until he takes his team all the way to the Finals. Buckle up!

DK Pick: Argentina 3 - Germany 2

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Spain vs. Paraguay

Is this the stage at which Spain falls in line with history and sees its way out of the World Cup like so many times before?

Not this year.

Although Paraguay come into this match filled with confidence after winning Group F - which everyone, including yours truly, picked to be a cakewalk for Italy…oops - I’m afraid the candy-stripers will be sugar-free saccharin aftertaste against the Red Fury of Spain’s attacking line: all-stars like Xavi, David Villa, and Fernando Torres, who I fully expect to break out of his slump to provide some of the magic fans are used to seeing from the proficient point-man.

Look for Spain to score early and then hold on, knocking in a late goal to seal the deal when Paraguay is forced to go for broke. Cheers!

DK Pick: Spain 2 - Paraguay 0

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Day 12 - MOVING ON UP
The preliminary stage of the World Cup officially ends for Groups A & B as four teams secure spots in the Knockout Round of 16.

June 22, 2010
by Dan Krier

GROUP A:

Uruguay 1 - Mexico 0

In a game where both teams could afford to play cautiously, Uruguay triumphed for their second win of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Mexico.

Each side came into the match with 4 points in Group A standings, which was a comfort considering they had both earned a significant +/- goal differential on their other group foes, South Africa & France.

That said, it was no surprise to see a 0-0 tally on the scoreboard deep into first-half action. As it turned out, Uruguay was just biding its time waiting for the right moment to strike, which came in the 43th minute right before the break.

On the scoring play, star-powered Diego Forlan dribbled adeptly up the right side, distributing a quick pass to fellow forward Edinson Cavani, who made football look far too easy by crossing an unbelievably accurate pass right to the head of 23 year-old teammate Luis Suarez, who slotted the goal without hesitation.

1-0 Uruguay, a score that would stick for the remainder of the match.

Impressive play all around for the 1930 and 1950 World Cup Champions. They move on to the knockout bracket for the first time since 1990, when the Cup was held in Italy. Mexico also qualifies for the next round, making it there for the fifth consecutive time.

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South Africa 2 - France 1

The boys of Bafana Bafana supplied the home fans with something real to cheer about Tuesday in Bloemfontein, scoring twice before holding on to win their matchup against France 2-1.

Unfortunately for the host nation, South Africa was unable to overtake Mexico in Group A standings, finishing tied with 4 points, but behind the Mexicans in terms of goal differential. Their 3-goal loss to Uruguay last Wednesday is what did them in.

Scores came on a shoulder-smack disguised as a header by defensive back Bongani Khumalo in the 20th minute (off a sharp cross by game-one goal scorer Siphiwe Tshabalala), and by striker Katlego Mphela in the 37th minute on a botched defensive clearance by France.

The French’s Yoann Gourcuff was penalized with a RED CARD in the 25th minute for a high elbow during a header attempt in the box, nothing dirty, but rough enough to get him removed from the match. To their credit, the remaining 10 Frenchmen played hard, and scored a man-down goal in the 70th minute when Franck Ribery hit Florent Malouda with a clever pass on the break.

But it was far too little and much too late.

With the loss, France officially wins the award for most disappointing team of the 2010 World Cup. You know you’ve had an ugly tournament when your best accomplishment was a scoreless draw. Triste.

The French will spend the next 4 years trying to clone Zinedine Zidane.

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GROUP B:

Argentina 2 - Greece 0

Argentina and Greece kept the pot on simmer Tuesday night as the two sides engaged in a more than tepid contest, with the Greeks determined to stay in their shell, turning away dozens of Argentinian scoring chances hoping to come away with a scoreless tie.

Not the best strategy in the world, being that defender Martin Demichelis scored a 78th minute goal on a corner kick double-timer, where his header was blocked by his own teammate before he kicked in the game-winner to the joy of outspoken head coach Diego Maradona.

36 year-old Martin Palermo added the team’s second goal on a rebound of a Lionel Messi miss, giving the Argentinians a 2-0 win for their third win of the World Cup.

With the result, Argentina easily finished Group B in first place with 9 points, clearly proving their worth in the dominant process. They were barely exposed defensively and it’s amazing they didn’t win their games by bigger margins.

So Maradona has accomplished Part One of what he has set out to do for his country in 2010. This much was expected, though. Can he do more is the question. I would be shocked if Argentina doesn’t win at least two games in the knockout stage. They’re that talented.

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South Korea 2 - Nigeria 2

Who was going to come out of Group B besides Argentina?

To the horror of the South Koreans, Nigeria tallied an early goal on a defensive lapse in the 12th minute, when Korean fullback Du-Ri Cha fell asleep during a tough run up the right sideline by Nigerian defenseman Chidi Odiah.

Odiah bullied his way to the goal line before sending a cross towards the goal that was knocked home by Kalu Uche, his second goal of the World Cup, giving Nigeria the 1-0 lead right off the bat.

But South Korea did their nation proud on Tuesday with a well-fought comeback, notching a 38th minute score on a wonderful free-kick curler from left to right by Sung-Yong Ki, whose pass landed right on the head of a cutting Jung-Soo Lee, tying the score 1-1.

The second half saw a goal by each side as well, with the Koreans scoring on a nicely-shielded free kick by Chu-Young Park in the 49th minute, Nigeria benefiting from a penalty kick by Yakubu Aiyegbeni in the 69th minute.

In the end, it was enough to give South Korea a date against Uruguay on Saturday, their second time moving past the preliminary round and first since 2002. Hard work by Nigeria, but 2010 will be remembered as the year that could have been.

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ROUND OF 16 MATCHUPS:

URUGUAY VS. SOUTH KOREA - Sat June 26th
ARGENTINA VS. MEXICO - Sun June 27th

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Day 11 - CHILE CONDITIONS
Chile benefits from questionable red card against Switzerland; Portugal enjoys its target practice session vs. N. Korea; Spain conquers for first win of World Cup.

June 21, 2010
by Dan Krier


Chile 1 - Switzerland 0

There was a raucous atmosphere in Port Elizabeth Monday afternoon, with tens of thousands of Chilean fans packed into stadium rows, beating drums and singing so loud you could barely hear the vuvuzelas.

The field itself had the look of South American football, with confetti, balloons, and streamers blowing every which way in the swirling and gusty wind.

The game was a rare treat of World Cup 2010 in terms of being only the second opening-round matchup pitting two 1-wins teams against one another (Netherlands vs. Japan being the other). Chile had previously knocked off Honduras, with Switzerland springing the enormous upset of Spain last Wednesday.

Today’s game didn’t disappoint.

Right from the start, play was fierce, the hand-to-hand combat inducing several hard fouls and yellow cards in the first 30 minutes of play. Soon, though, it went a bit too far.

In minute 31, Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami was whistled for a series of high hands and elbows that struck two separate Chilean defenders, the last of which bought him a RED CARD off the face of Arturo Vidal.

Though his actions were not malicious in any way, they were reckless, and Behrami paid the price. Switzerland, who was bunkered in to begin with, now had to go the remainder of the game one man down.

Coming into the match on a historic defensive roll, Switzerland had not allowed a World Cup goal in over five contests, so accordingly, the game entered halftime scoreless at 0-0, despite an onslaught of Chilean crosses.

Then, in the 68th minute, the Swiss Guard set an all-time World Cup record by making it through their 551st consecutive scoreless minute, something very much worth noting. Sadly for them, it was about to give.

For in the 75th minute, Chile struck. Esteban Paredes received a pass up the right wing and darted towards the corner, where he tracked down the ball and sent a wonderful cross parallel to the goal line. Sailing over star Swiss goalie Diego Benaglio, the ball found the forehead of South African-born Mark Gonzalez, who bounced in the header for the game’s first goal and a very important 1-0 Chilean lead.

Switzerland battled hard on defense, but proved again that offense isn’t their strong suit, confirmed by a heartbreaking dead-eye miss in the 90th minute by 22 year-old substitute Eren Derdiyok, who pushed the equalizer past the left post to his country’s disbelief.

Chile look solid for the next round, even with a matchup against Spain looming. Switzerland I’m not so sure about. They must defeat Honduras and hope that Spain doesn’t win big versus Chile.

I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen and I love it.

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Portugal 7 - North Korea 0

In a drenching downpour in Capetown Monday afternoon, Portugal needed a half hour to get adjusted before raining in multiple goals against North Korea for a 7-0 win.

While the North Koreans, ranked #105 in FIFA standings, held their own against Brazil in their opening match, losing just 2-1, today was just too much for them to handle.

Portugal got to work right away, with defenseman Ricardo Carvalho hitting the post in just the 7th minute. Then, in the 29th minute, Tiago sliced a pass into Raul Meireles, who laced home the goal for a 1-0 lead. Shockingly, that’s how the game took to halftime, with Portugal still unsure of their outcome.

Needing a big win after a tie versus Ivory Coast in their opener (and with Brazil awaiting them in their finale), the Portuguese had to win and win by a large margin if they were going to move on to the knockout stage.

That they did.

With a 53rd-minute goal by Simao off a great pass from Miereles, the floodgates opened, and goals began to drain in against the porous North Korean defense. In the 56th minute, it was a Hugo Almeida header, in the 60th, a smash by Tiago off a nice pass from Cristiano Ronaldo. Just like that…4-0.

But Portugal had to keep scoring for insurance, so that they did as well. In the 81st minute, it was Liedson, in the 87th, Cristiano Ronaldo got his first goal for his country since February of 2009, then for good measure, Tiago added his second goal of the match in the 89th minute.

When all was said and done, Portugal had the 7-0 victory, and appear to be moving on to the Round of 16…unless they lose to Brazil by three or four goals. I doubt it.

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Spain 2 - Honduras 0

Spain had no excuse Monday night. They had to get 3 points.

Good thing they were taking on an overmatched Honduras.

The Spanish used a daunting, relentless attack to pin the Hondurans down for most of the match, failing to capitalize as much as they would have liked, but still coming away with a 2-0 victory.

The pressure was enormous for Spain after a tragic loss to Switzerland last Wednesday. Thankfully, they were given a great, albeit unsatisfying performance from uberstriker David Villa.

Villa began his work right off the bat, smacking the crossbar with a right-foot shotgun shell in the 7th minute, before setting things right with a nice individual effort and a slip-sliding goal that gave his team a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

Then, in the 59th minute, after more pressure against Honduras’ defense, Villa slotted a deflected liner up the middle that made the game 2-0. Relaxation at last for the men in red.

The only disconcerting moment for Spain came in the 61st minute after a Honduran foul inside the penalty area, when Villa, going for a hat trick, took aim but missed on his penalty kick pushing it just outside the right post. Oops! A little embarrassing, being that the goalie dove the other direction.

Other than that mistake, Spain looked spotless and now must surely defeat Chile on Friday if they hope to move on past Round One. They might be in too deep since Switzerland gets to play the now-winless Hondurans.

But you never know. You can’t predict these things!

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Day 9 - CLOCKWORK ORANJE
Netherlands advances to Round of 16 after registering win over Japan; Denmark outguns Cameroon; Ghana ties Australia via another penalty kick.

June 19, 2010
by Dan Krier

Netherlands 1 - Japan 0

Holland’s orange-clad team of superstars scored an early 2nd-half goal, and held on to take home their second victory of the 2010 World Cup, defeating Japan 1-0 in Durban on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Netherlands are assured a place in the Knockout Stage of this year’s tournament; the first to secure such a birth.

Both teams came into the match having won in their first games last Monday, so each side knew today’s outcome would be critical. Yet after 45 minutes, it seemed like both might be content to merely work a tie, the score going to the lockers 0-0 after only a few offensive chances at most.

Not long after the break, Holland cleared things up.

In the game’s 53rd minute, with the Dutch probing forward trying to crack the deadlock, a crossed ball towards the goal was headed by a Japanese player toward Robin van Persie, who calmly slid the ball back outside of the box to the anticipating foot of midfielder Wesley Sneijder.

Without a trace of hesitation, Sneijder launched a missile of a shot that pulsed towards the goal at light speed, so hard and direct that Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima’s hands did nothing to thwart the bullet, the ball taking a deflection off the goalie before splashing into the back-right corner of the net.

Japan’s offense then seemed to wake up at this point, and there were several scoring opportunities for the men from the Far East.

But their best chance came right at the end, in the 90th minute, when defender Marcus Tanaka flicked a long pass onward towards teammate Shinji Okazaki only eight feet from the goal. Unfortunately, Okazaki’s sweeping left-foot shot sailed just over the crossbar by a fortunate two inches for Netherlands, who now had the win in hand.

Therefore, the Japanese have some work to do next Thursday if they want to move past the first round. Luckily they will face Denmark with the ability to go through on goal differential in the event of a tie, being that the Danes lost to Holland 2-0. A win, and of course, they’re in.

So things aren’t so bad for Japan…as long as they don’t lose their next game. If only it were that simple. Should be a fun finale.

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Denmark 2 - Cameroon 1

Do you like great defense and clinical goal finishing? Well then then this game wasn’t for you.

A rare combination of poor defending and frustrating offense saw Denmark overcome a 1-0 deficit to Cameroon en route their first win of the 2010 World Cup.

Things looked promising at the start for the Indomitable Lions, who capitalized early on one of the many Danish defensive giveaways. Utilizing a quick steal by Pierre Webo in the 10th minute, the forward connected with disgruntled superstriker Samuel Eto’o on a low cross in front of the goal mouth. Eto’o then calmly smacked the ball into the back of the net, giving his team a 1-0 cushion.

But soon the match turned into a wide-open affair, where it would stay for the remainder of the night.

In the 33rd minute, the Danes traversed almost 3/4 of the field in just 5 seconds on an amazing 50-yard pass from Simon Kjaer to Dennis Rommedahl. Rommedahl took two steps before firing a cross directly to the foot of sliding center-back Nicklas Bendtner, who made sure he wouldn’t miss from so close in. 1-1 was the score, momentum to Denmark.

Then in the 61st minute, after a bevy of shots from both sides (many of which should have been converted), Rommedahl took matters into his own hands, receiving a pass up the right wing before cutting towards the goal Landon Donovan-style, hitting a classy left-foot liner that hooked around the goalie for the 2-1 Denmark lead.

Overall, it was a tough but exciting game to behold. Both squads squandered numerous scoring opportunities, but that’s because both defenses had no issue yielded acres of space to opposing offenses. I’m not sure what to say, but it was a bit horrid and a bit fantastic.

Denmark now controls its own destiny, and can reach the next phase of the World Cup by defeating Japan in their final prelim on Thursday. Cameroon, on the other hand is finished, and has only pride to play for when they take on the Netherlands.

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Ghana 1 - Australia 1

In a game where Australia took the lead in a World Cup match for the first time in team history, Ghana struck back with a well-earned penalty kick that enabled them to pull off the 1-1 tie Saturday night.

Australia scored right off the bat, using a nice free-kick laser in the 11th minute by Mark Bresciano that bounced off the chest of Ghanaian goalkeep Richard Kingson before skittering towards a charging Brett Holman, who slotted the rebound for a 1-0 Australian lead.

But the superior side from Ghana immediately turned it up a notch, attacking with vigor until they were able to leave a lasting mark on the match.

In the game’s 24th minute, midfielder Andre Ayew wrestled his way up the right goal line, moving a well-struck pass back and towards the center of the field, where it was one-timed by defender Jonathan Mensah on its way for a goal.

Sadly, Australia’s Harry Kewell did his best to stop the shot with his shoulder, but instead took the projectile square in the right bicep, a HAND BALL that forced the head referee to issue a crushing RED CARD to the contrite but disbelieving defender.

For the penalty kick, Ghana called on striker Asamoah Gyan, who punched in his 2nd PK in as many games, making the score 1-1, where it stayed despite Australia playing with 10 men for the rest of the match.

Ghana now has 4 points in Group D, but faces the arduous task of squaring off against an unhappy German squad next Wednesday. Not only that, Serbia is going to take dead aim at the Australians in their final match, so what happens with this group is anybody’s guess.

Group D is going down as one of the most exciting mix-of-teams in World Cup history. Can’t wait to see how this comes to a close.

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