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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Day 15 - FULLY LOADED SWEET SIXTEEN
The final puzzle pieces fall into place on Friday, setting up a wildly wide-open knockout bracket filled with intrigue and expectation.

June 25, 2010
by Dan Krier

GROUP H:


Spain 2 - Chile 1

The country of Spain can finally breathe a sigh of relief tonight, their team of ultra superstars completing the draining task of rising out of the ashes of Group H to finish in first place with a 2-1 win over Chile Friday night.

Recoveries like this aren’t the Spanish way. In recent years, it was clear blue skies, seeing smooth sailing from start to finish. But this year’s World Cup involved a trip to the ICU after a game-one loss against a feeble Switzerland, with the very real prospect of being bested by what some had labeled the easiest group of all.

Today’s match was a nerve-racking affair for the first twenty minutes, both sides coming close on several scoring chances. But it was the foot of David Villa that played savior once again for Spain with the game’s first goal coming on a reflexive 45-yard left-foot putback into a empty net that should never have been vacated.

The play began with a run up the left sideline by Spanish striker Fernando Torres, who was about to chase down the ball when, to everyone’s surprise, Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo charged out to meet him, sweeping the ball away…but not into safety.

Because Bravo had ventured a good 10 yards outside the penalty area, Villa had a split-second chance to react, and that he did, cranking the ball with accuracy and skill, curling it like only a pro could into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

It was a mistake by Chile, but it was fully earned by Spain and especially Villa, who was now tied for most goals scored in the tournament with three.

Just moments later in the 37th minute, Chile’s defense let them down again when they misplayed a bouncer in their own zone, allowing Villa to receive a pass along the left wing. Villa drew two defenders to him before shuttling the ball back to Andres Iniesta, who delivered a precision strike into the back of the net, whipping a grounder that moved away from goalie Ravio’s fingers and across the line for the 2-0 lead.

Spain had basically punched their tickets at this point, especially when Chilean defender Marco Estrade was handed a RED CARD (his second yellow of the match) after accidentally tripping Fernando Torres on the goal run.

A 10-men Chilean side did score a 47th minute deflected chip shot by substitute Rodrigo Millar, but once the 2-1 tally took hold, neither was interested in yielding anything else, and the last half hour was played at a near-literal dilatory standstill.

So the Spanish win Group H, and move on to the Round of 16 where they’ll face an immediate test against World #3-ranked Portugal. Chile also move on to the next stage, their 6 points enough to make it through thanks to Switzerland’s scoreless draw against Honduras. Sadly for Chile, they’ll square off against a familiar but daunting Brazil team in their next game on Monday.

Good luck, Chile. You’ll need it.

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Switzerland 0 - Honduras 0

In order to move out of the first round, Switzerland was going to have to do something against Honduras that they hadn’t done in the last two games combined: score more than one goal.

Yes, being that Spain had secured a two-goal lead in their simultaneous match against Chile, the Swiss were faced with the onerous task of mounting an offensive charge which, to them, amounted to epic proportions.

Unfortunately, even one goal was too much to ask, as both sides blundered their way to a scoreless draw, which would have go down as some sort of moral victory for the punchless Hondurans.

Neither team will be advancing in the World Cup, and truly this is a fitting conclusion. The Swiss set a defensive record in 2010 and sprung an upset victory over one of the planet’s best soccer teams. But today’s match will leave a bittersweet taste in their mouths the likes of sugarless Swiss baking chocolate, which is a foulness one never forgets.

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GROUP G:


Brazil 0 - Portugal 0

In a game that saw Brazil controlling the ball for much more than half the time, Portugal was content to watch the clock tick up to 90 minutes on Friday, knowing the only way they were doomed was with a massive defeat coupled with an Ivorian onslaught of the North Koreans in the other Group G match of the day.

Being that Ivory Coast led by just 2-0 deep into their match, the Portuguese and Brazilians lit up the field with the firepower of a pilot light, the only real excitement coming in stoppage time when Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo made a stretching save of a Ramires shot that nearly found the promised land.

Even if that goal had gone in, both sides would have still been safe, so really the only thing to say is that Brazil will be playing Chile and Portugal will get Spain in their next matches. You will not be seeing a replay of this match on any “Best Of…” tapes for the rest of eternity.

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Ivory Coast 3 - North Korea 0

All Ivory Coast had to do in their final preliminary game was hope Brazil could beat Portugal on top of winning their match against North Korea by eight goals to move out of Group G. They should have bought a Powerball ticket instead. They would have had better odds.

The Ivorians did show some offensive skill on Friday afternoon in Nelspruit, netting two quick goals right off the bat, one by Yaya Toure in the 14th minute, and one on a headed Romaric rebound off a blistered Didier Drogba shot that hit the crossbar 20 minutes in.

In the 82nd minute, Cote d’Ivoire put the North Koreans in a deeper hole on a beautiful goal by Saloman Kalou off a perfect 35-yard pass from Arthur Boka up the middle. A wonderful aerial display making the final score 3-0.

North Korea played hard once again, nearly scoring in the 81st minute on a shot by Jong Tae-Se, but in the end it was a third straight loss for the lowest ranked team in the entire field. They were given no breaks with such a tough group of opponents, but I’m sure just being part of the World Cup was good enough for them and their country.

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ROUND OF 16 MATCHUPS:

BRAZIL VS. CHILE - Mon June 28th
SPAIN VS. PORTUGAL - Tues June 29th

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World Cup Group H Breakdown
by
Dan Krier
June 11, 2010

Group H:
Spain – World Rank #2 – Odds to Win: 4-1
Switzerland – World Rank #26 – Odds to Win: 200-1
Honduras – World Rank #40 – Odds to Win: 750-1
Chile – World Rank #15 – Odds to Win: 50-1

2 teams from this group move on to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

DK’s Picks: Spain & Chile

Once again, we have a group where one team is definitely going to make it to the next stage of this competition, and then you’re not so sure.

The obvious choice is Spain, who have been winning internationally at a consistent pace for the last several years, most notably garnering the UEFA Euro Cup crown in 2008 (a 1-0 victory over Germany).

The Spanish squad is led by a bevy of marksmen, such as David Villa (who plays professionally for Barcelona and has 36 international goals in 55 career games) and Fernando Torres (who plays for Liverpool and has 23 goals in 72 career international games). Also giving them strength are midfielders Xavi (Barcelona; 8 international goals) and Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid; 7 international goals). Add in young stars like 24 year-old David Silva (Valencia; 6 international goals) and you have almost too many weapons at your disposal. Expect a lot of goals and three wins for Spain in the preliminary round.

After Spain, the second choice from this group isn’t so clear cut.

I am picking Chile due to their solid run in South American qualifying. Chile, like Paraguay, finished tied for second place in that continent’s standings, only one point behind Brazil. Humberto Suazo (who plays for Real Zaragoza in the Spanish League) is the team’s top scorer with 17 international goals, and should help add strength as well as a daunting presence to the physical Chilean side.

Switzerland could also very well move on past the first three matches, due to their respectable showing in European qualifying. The Swiss won their group (finishing one point ahead of Greece) and are appearing in their second consecutive World Cup, having won preliminary Group G in 2006 before being ousted by the Ukraine via penalty kicks in the first round of the knockout stage.

Honduras most likely won’t be moving on. They are only in South Africa thanks to a Costa Rican meltdown versus the USA on October 14, 2009, when America’s Jonathan Bornstein tied the game at the very end of stoppage time (thus allowing Honduras to take the final North American automatic bid). Have a good time, Honduras…and hold on to that Golden Ticket.

Best Game of Group H: Spain vs. Chile – June 25th

Fernando Torres

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