Group B Matchday 3 12/Jul/09

Mexico v. Guadeloupe 2-0





Earlier in the day Panama trashed four-nil the weakest side in the group to qualify as the second-best third place (odd isn't it?). In the same group the "impressive" (to call it in some way) team from Guadaloupe faced in one of the dullest and less impressive games of the tournament, (again, in the plethora of boredom that CONCACAF can offer) to give both teams the qualification. Mexico improved in some way the dismal and languid displays shown in the two previous matches. Obviously someone in the highest ranks of the FEMEXFUT talked with the players to brake with the difficult tension that the ramble brought. In any case the expected final, yet again, would be between the US team and the Mexican team.

Tournament's quarterfinals ended in the following order:


Canada-Honduras (21.00 GMT)
EE.UU.-Panama (00.00 GMT)
Guadeloupe-Costa Rica (19.00 GMT)
México-Haití (22.00 GMT).







One would have expected the Guadeloupe squad (again it seems that I need a genitive dictionary) to show more heart or at least to contend in what appeared to be the weakest Mexican side in the history of the illustrious and flamboyant Gold Cup. Last time both sides clashed was in the same tournament two years ago, in the semifinals. In that game Pardo gave Mexico a lonesome goal deep in the match. It was expected that the Caribbean team offered at least some degree of resistance as that day but we were left rather with what the Mexican side failed to offer rather than what the Guadeloupeans did.

Instead Mexico initiated the game in a quite cheerful mood; a shot in the first minute by Medina and another by Esquivel in the 12th. The efforts made by the Caribbean side were deployed by Fluerival while for Mexico from Chivas striker Medina. The match went on as daft and numb as any Gold Cup assembly, with the Mexican team showing "the best display" made throughout the tournament. If that can tell you something of the horrid and dreary time I spent watching the futile attempts of Juárez to make a cross you could imagine the rest of the match. The lead, curiously enough, came three minutes before halftime when Torrado controlled another loose ball from Juárez and fired past Fausta to give Mexico the confidence needed to search for the second.







Guadeloupe pressed mainly because the absence of resistance in the first twenty minutes. The effort made by the Mexicans was by far the sparkless and graceless I have seen in ages (wait, the whole tournament if I am not wrong). Fausta denied in some occasions Bravo and Medina, with some bookings and substitutions amongst the highlights. As if it were a cameo of the first half, the second goal came after a corner dully defended by the Caribbeans, by Barrera, who set Sabah to give the "visitors" the safe passage to quarterfinals.

Group B Matchday 2 9/Jul/09

Mexico v. Panama 1-1



After the circus in which the national coach of the Mexican team was involved, Mexico rescued from scratch a draw which can be considered as a miracle, mainly because of the gruesome, not to say horrendous display that the national team offered. With appearances such as the one we looked at today one can think of the following encounters that the Mexican team will have in the World Cup qualifiers. The unassailable cloud of pessimism in the media is justified to some extent.
Obviously Aguirre will receive his ban hoping not to miss the clash against the United States. The World Cup ticket is not in danger and neither is Mexico's participation in the latter stages of the wretched tournament the Gold Cup is.







Fortunately the Mexican team began with the right foot: Giovanni set Sabah after an accurate counter-attack. The Monarcas striker scored past the Panama keeper and the sheet was one-nil up for the Mexicans. After the lead, the "home" side enjoyed a fair time of possession and chances, one which Sabah again could not finish. He lamented when Panama obtained the equaliser through Pachuca's Blaz Perez, in a set piece. From then until the end of the first half the Mexicans fail to accomplish any attempts and the personality shown by Giovanni was dissolved into thin air. The surprises of the following half were to be greater than they were in a final or a semifinal, in any case.







The actions were initiated and Omar Bravo's header, at the 53rd, was a reminder of the things to come. The "home" side offered many options especially with counter-attacks. Mexico's prowess, at the 61st minute, relied on strong attacking and pressure which was somehow adjusted in the midfield with Torrado taking all the load, which was shadowed at times by the great physical display the visitors.
As Mexico attacked desperately in order to grab a late winner, Phillips and Aguirre entered in a ramble, which was symbolised the mental functioning of the team. Obviously the childish rant from a manager against a player was one of the most despicable and deplorable circumstances yet faced by a Mexican manager on the pitch. Two sent offs and a largely disappointed crowd, who were throwing all kinds of flak from the stands, were the outcome of the torrid evening.
Phillips did not have any intention to leave the pitch as Aguirre was heading to the stands. In a moment I felt relieved and began to laugh at the clownish performance of a national coach which was at a party and a referee who did not have any authority neither towards himself nor the players. The fight took nearly 6 minutes to clear. Martinolli's narration described the whole succinctly as a "A Cabaret".
The outrageous yet obvious additional time was ten minutes. Eventually the match had to be suspended. The match ended in quite a terrible fashion, as the Central American players exit the field escorted by Police.

Matchday 8

Germany v. England 4-0 29/Jun/09


England lost in such a ridiculous and childish manner against the Germans, who for periods of the tournament seemed a faint shadow of the long foreseen individual prospects their young ranks could offer. Pearce's men faced the eventual final sabre with the main warning in the form of the scoresheet of the previous match, against the home guests. Event though the German side faced problems, this time Özil, Wagner and Khedira showed throughout the whole ninety minutes, the full potential of the the Deutsche machinery. Aided through England's keeper, and the reluctant and hapless 'visiting' defence, the Germans are the current champions.

The only thing that could end the suffering for the young lions would be the immediate beginning of preseason in England, which for many may be the authoritative step to cement their place in the senior English team or to be chosen for their current teams on the senior bench. For the Germans a brighter future lies ahead with Marin, Özil and Neuer apparently securing a call from Loew next match. Other players can be sure to have caught the attention of several clubs in the hope to emigrate into either England or other top class destination.







The previous encounter in group stage now seemed but a fading memory instead of an actual reminder of the state for the teams. It is rare that in any tournament one can find any resemblance of two teams that have played each other in both group and in knockout stages. In this case the score was doubled to favour the opposite team, Germany. Again Uli summarises,
with his incredible memory, the youth development system that led to this victory.







The English team started the match quite lively approaching twice to Neuer's goal. Unfortunately for Hrubesch's men that did not came as the match progressed, with open efforts from both sides. In the fifteenth minute Özil set Khedira after a couple of dribbles, just to see the English defence to clear wide from their box.
Strangely enough it was through the talented Bremen midfielder that the German side encountered the lead: Castro scored past Loch as Özil broke the English defensive line in the 23th minute. England's response was a cross by Milner and a handful of possession. Khedira brought balance to a team full of energy, often outnumbered in midfield, in which either Özil or even the striker Wagner would not venture to go. Whether England's attempts were strong enough, each time Walcott entered the third-quarter area, either Khedira or Hummels denied him in any case.
Pierce's youngsters ended the first half in high with at least one shot on target and several crosses into Neuer's box. The struggle between Beck and Gibbs was really entertaining.







And indeed the English team began the match with the efforts to equalise early in the game. But all previous struggles by the visiting side were nullified in the 48th minute by Özil. Martin Tyler immediately said that it was "a catastrophe". Loch miscalculated the ball from the swerve and power of the terrific display by the German striker. From then on all that the German side had to do was completely untroubled: held as in the first half and expect that English team slowly worn out in physical attitude to later finish the final stroke.
Slowly Pierce's youngsters regained possession and control of the match and by the 60th minute, Cattermole lovely volley and Milner's terrific dribbling pushed Germany to the edge. If Sweden scored three as well as Liverpool there was plenty of time to both equalise and win the match. Cattermole's header was cleared off the line by Beck and certainly Germany was going through their toughest time in the match. Hummels again slided to deny a pass from Johnson to Walcott.
Özil dexterous trickeries nearly earned Germany a couple of goals before the third, exactly when the English pressure was at its height. Again the skilful ex-Schalke player set his second assistance to Wagner who score past Loch to give the German team the unassailable lead. The fourth was yet to come, in the 84th through a play by Wagner. A beautiful curled shot to the far post and the Germans, earned with all their weapons, the title of European Champions.

Matchday 7 26/Jun/09

Sweden v. England 3-3 (4-5)




Today in the double match feature of the semifinals of the UEFA U-21 Championship, England and Germany booked a ticket for the final, as they overpowered Sweden and Italy, respectively. The first match, was a 120-minute thriller in which the English squad held a comfortable grip of three goals just to be denied by a consistent and fierce home team. In the penalty shootout the Englishmen took out the Swedish in a disastrous, yet lucky set of misses by the organisers.
In the other game it was a sole strike from Beck that gave the German team the lead and only goal in a pretty tight match, that was surrounded by controversy in the final stages. Everything is set to watch the two best teams in the competition in the final day at Malmö. It will be another edition of Linneker's nightmare. Strangely enough both teams seemed to struggle way beyond repair in certain matches of the competition. It will be interesting to see the development of some of the best youth systems in Europe, and to see if the Germans can make it a un precedented hattrick for the year.







Within the first minute, England won a corner kick and Cranie scored after a defensive breakdown. The set piece took off guarded all Sweden's team and the English were one-nil up. Not a minute passed for England to have more superiority and it was a question of minutes to saw Pierce's youngster take the second. This time it was Onuoha, again in a setpiece who scored in a ramble inside Dahlin's box. Thirty minutes and counting, the Swedes could not even grasp a clear chance until some ramble from Berg was held by the solid English defense. Eight minutes before the break, Bjärsmyr scored an own goal after Cattermole headed. The dream start for the young English was far more promising than in any other match of the tournament.

Well into the second period the home team was stubborn on equalising things, as utopical as it may sound. But it was the resilience and patience that proved for better, and in the 68th minute, Marcus Berg headed past Hart. Again the gap was closing fast, when Toivonen took a wonderful free kick at the 75th. A bit of blame could be handed to Hart and his defensive wall.
With morale sinking by the minute, the confused English team were desperate to clear any chance that came into their side but, with the advantage it was obvious that the home selection will deliver the equaliser. It was through Berg's left foot that the dream was accomplished. In the final minutes of the match the morale and tempo that the English team had in the first half was a mere shade: the promising Premier League stars seemed no more than frail and miserable bench warmers in contrast to the terrific display made by Berg and company. The following thirty minutes will eventually prove who were the fittest.







The following two halves proved to be a pandemonium for the English squad. No more that two chances in a period of thirty minutes and a red card were the outcome. The physically defeated English team was more than demoralised and the Swedes still kept on the prowl with several chances, between them, Berg's woodwork on the 111th minute. As if it were destined, the penalties took on, with the positive outcome for Pearce's men.

Sweden	Berg, Miss	Elm, On	Bjärsmyr, On	Lustig, On	Bengtsson, On	Molins, On
England	Milner, Miss	Hart, On	Cattermole, On	Johnson, On	Walcott, On	Gibbs, On

Italy v. Germany 0-1 26/Jun/09




After the thunderous previous encounter, the other semifinal in place was the old clash of Italians against Germans. If you remember dear reader, the last epic encounter of which I have recollections from these teams, is the World Cup Semifinal two years ago.
With that set in mind, the match began with a superiority of Hrubesch's youngsters. A couple of shots and deflected headers from Aogo were denied by the efforts from Giovinco in the 8th. Motta header in that same minute was saved by Neuer's world class reflexes and the match started to move quickly from end to end. Again the Italians were denied in another set piece in the 18th minute, Balotelli shot at 25th corroborated Italy's moment, as Germany held the defensive line.
Motta and company had a hard time trying to score, but again it was Neuer prowess and a very lucky Marko Marin that stood between the goal and Italy's lead.







But in football, when one does not take a chance when it is there, you get killed: Andreas Beck fired a powerful volley to defeat Consigli, four minutes after the beginning of the second period. It seemed that the only way for a goal in a game of such tension was a exquisite display of spark such as Beck's.
From then on, the match turned rather rispid and incredibly rapid. Both sides exchanged possession and it was obvious that the siege from the Italians would let open spaces to counter attacks. With some substitutions, the final minutes were cardiac. Andreolli header just passed by, two minutes from the end. Boateng hand ball and Neuer final save handed the Germans a lucky ticket to to face yet another lucky team.

Rooney, Eduardo and the "art of diving"

There are times in which clearly, I can hardly understand things and today, Rooney's actions seem to be one of that odd, ill-fated world of dreamy machineries. In any case, the alleged penalty that gave England the advantage at Wembley on Saturday's night was in the middle of controversy, as well as his penalty against Arsenal a week earlier and Eduardo's Celtic incident



Paola is really talented, and her style seems to have been studied by several footballers.


Whether the monumental array of opinions that was summoned by Eduardo's diving (involving from major blogs, to football forums and message boards and David Beckham's "voice of reason") is going to stop in fewer days than Djorou's injury, the incredible amount of opinion is poised to deviate even the sharpest of readers or critic into a certain position.

This little incident has become something of a Pandora's box, and in the discussion of it has led to the most drastic mentions such as the fifth official, new repetitions with special cameras and special technologies and so forth.
So many things have been said since the home match against Celtic and the latter encounter at Old Trafford (opinions which will be given here later, hehe!) that I am completely sick and tired about them

As if it was not enough lull, England face Croatia on Wednesday. Strange but expected. Eduardo scoring a hat trick? Erhm... we'll see.



The most "honest" players? Well, you could see a very slight tear coming from each corner of his eyes!


It seems that as Spanish red wines (mostly every wine ahem) Phil Ball's comments just keep getting better and better. he has coined some new fantastic terms into our football vocabulary but the "Post-Modern" manager seems to be one that we will be hearing of in the course of the years. When I escape from the lull of school I will get a good grip to the book he recommends there.

Matchday 9 25/Jun/09

After fifteen days of a tournament that has been criticised to its utmost roots, Brazil rose to be the most winning side in the history of it, equalling a figure of three championships. Kaká earned the Golden Ball and Luis Fabiano, the Golden Boot. The tournament was full of extended highlights and goals. Egypt were supposed to be the black horse but the two-match loosing USA ended putting Brazil to its utmost edge. Iraq were not the surprise that we expected and Italy, a complete fraud. South Africa displayed quite a game in front of their faithful. I think that for a quick glance and a mediocre preview of the World Cup that comes out next year, it served well enough.







As always we are experimenting here at Deviations with the columns and matchday feeds to improve the quality of the information. In any case, each experiment is developed to reach the final "perfect" post for the World Cup next year. Suggestions are always open. And meanwhile I am devising the best way to post on a daily basis a good amount of posts that contain criticism while being succinct and light for the reader.



USA v. Brazil 2-3







The match began with the standard procedures of a diplomatic organization such as Sepp Blatter's: no to rascism, the memoire of a late player etc. If we recall four years ago, the match was in German lands and Argentina was battered by the Brazilians, once more. From the stands a great atmosphere could be felt and the underdogs were trying to emulate Mexico's steps nine years before.
Before any settle or any attempt from the Brazilian side could reach Howard's goal, Dempsey clumsily shot and scored, when Spector crossed. Julio Cesar's defense was off-guarded and the environment of another surprise was lurking Ellis Park. If there was someone who was impressed, rather than the commentators, the poeple at the stands or even the Brazilians, was Dempsey himself: everyone could see the joy and relief in his face.
The following minutes were of tremendous suffering for the Brazilians. While many attempts came from all fronts (crosses, headers, shots, set pieces) not even in one occasion the fierce deadlock was broken, as it was imposed by a three-men center back and a fierce intense. It was obvious that the tactics form Bradley's team, so well-known here in Mexico, proved to be effective when in another counter of the same fashion Donovan stroke the second. To the amazement of the entire football world, the Americans were two-nil up before the half time whistle.







And for the neutrals in the other side of the Atlantic, the following forty five minutes proved to be among the most amusing of the entire tournament. It was obvious that the football machinery was about to be unleashed from the talent and intelligence of the new Madrid signing: Ricardo Kaká.
The first play in the first minute was a goal: it set the mood of the remaining minutes with such a heart-breaking display. Back in the game the Brazilians dominated from box to box and the American team was so confused that at a time, Kaká was covered by five players.
Reaching the 60th minute the Brazilians shot as often as with any arrival to Everton's goalkeeper gate. With the South Americans prowling over the equaliser, some rigorist bookings were made as far as the tempo o the match required them. Kaká was driving mad the defense led by Bocanegra. It was in one of those purely Brazilian plays that in the 73th minute, the Madrid playmaker edged Spector on the right to cross, and after the woodwork shot by Robinho, Luis Fabiano headed past Howard, raising his tally to five goals per game. It was two-two and the best was yet to come.
With some subsitutions by Bradley it seemed impossible that the Americans could have any chance to withstand the behemoth of talent that the opposition showed. With five minutes to go the inevitable happened: Lucio stroke a marvelous header to give the Brazilinas their first lead of the match, and eventually, the trophy.

Return

Phil Ball has returned. It should be no surprise that among the plethora of writers and journalists, he stands among the finest. His enquiries are nothing but pure brilliance and always has a critical opinion about a matter, whichever it is. His absence could be noted by many Soccernet users and while his replacement did a fairly good job, it was a mater of months to see him again posting with his natural wit and taste.

I really enjoy his weekly columns and some of his quotes are memorable. Strangely enough he missed one of the most dramatic seasons in the history of football, with Barcelona crowning in all fronts.

I will post the remaining U-21 UEFA tournament reviews as well as the Gold Cup, Arsenal's preseason and the ongoing season. I had a rough time on vacations and that is no excuse, dear reader, for such a delay in information. I will promptly resume tasks, since the World Cup is coming next year. Again, an apology and I suspect that around mid-September you will have the updated Arsenal weekly review. Until then, I will work on the remaining posts.





Cheers!