Awwww, Poor Ronaldo

Yes, I just gave away the result of the Portugal vs Spain game. I can't help but celebrate whenever Christiano Ronaldo is faced with hardship, sorry. Today brought us the end of the round of sixteen games and it was a fantastic finish to an excellent round of soccer. I may have spoiled the result of Portugal vs Spain, but there is still the defensive struggle between Paraguay and Japan to discuss, plus I'll still give my thoughts on Spain's victory. The last day of this round may have given us fewer goals than any other, but that does not mean that it was any less exciting.


Japan vs Paraguay

The fact that this was a defensive battle should not lessen our view on the quality of the game as the tactics by each side were impressive to watch. Paraguay played good, aggressive defense that mostly kept Japan out of the offensive third and limited their chances in front of net. Japan played a softer style of defense, but they did very well to shut down chances once they came and the number of blocked shots, while implying a more risky style, was still something to behold. The match started very even with each team unable to get into any sort of rhythm due to the pressure and discipline from their opponents. Most of the play was in the neutral third of the field and, despite brief forays into the offensive zones, neither side created any serious chances. The 20th minute brought about the first chance for Paraguay and set the tone for how the game would be played: discipline and organization leading the way, only stepping aside to superior individual effort. In this case, an excellent turn by Lucas Barrios put him in on goal but his shot was stopped by Japanese keeper Eiji Kawashima, who had an excellent match. Japan responded in the very next minute when Daisuke Matsui stepped into a loose ball and ripped a dipping shot that looked like it would clear the keeper but rang off the crossbar instead of ending in the back of the net. Paraguay had their next chance in the 29th when the ball fell to Roque Santa Cruz off of a corner kick, but his shot went wide thanks in part to excellent pressure from Japanese forward Keisuke Honda. Matsui was again dangerous for Japan in the 40th minute when some nifty dribbling got him free of his marker on the right side and a quick 1-2 played him into space. He put a pass into Honda that Honda controlled and then struck with the outside of his foot, but the ball curved just past the left post rather than occupying the back pocket of the net. Each team did well with their few high quality chances, but neither could gain the advantage on the scoreboard.

It's hard to describe the rest of this match in terms of chances, but unfortunately solid defense and excellent tactics don't make for excellent writing or reading. I would just like to make clear that the lack of chances for either side did not come from ineptness on offense, but rather from the high quality of defense that both kept the opposing side out of the danger areas as well as closed down chances that were beginning to form. I can't begin to list the number of times an attack was building well, but then a smart tackle or decisive header saved things for the side under siege. This seemed especially true for Japan as they often started their attacks well but couldn't put the final shot on goal to finish it off and make an opportunity worth writing about. Paraguay was the stronger team in general in this match though, putting on more pressure and possessing the ball more. They had a solid chance in the 59th when Claudio Morel Rodriguez played an excellent ball in from the left but Christian Riveros' well hit header was unfortunately directly at the keeper. Regulation finished still at 0-0 so extra time was needed to determine a winner. Paraguay had the better chances again, such as in the 95th minute when a cross came in from the left and Barrios put an excellent glancing header on goal. However, the angle was too poor to do much more than send the ball directly into Kawashima yet again. Substitute Nelson Haedo Valdez had Paraguay's last good chance in the 97th when he turned perfectly into the box but couldn't elevate the ball over Kawashima, who made an excellent decision to come charging off his line. Extra time ended at 0-0 as well, so we would have our first match determined by penalty kicks.

Not sure how exactly to break down a shoot out because describing each goal would be boring as hell, but I'll do what I can. Kawashima was the better keeper in my opinion as he guessed correctly on each of the first two shots and would have saved the second one were it not for an unlucky bounce over his well-placed outstretched arm. I also have to say that I loved Yasuhito Endo's PK. Once the referee blew the whistle, Endo stayed in place for a few extra seconds staring at the ball, then looked directly into the keeper's eyes for a second or two, and then calmly buried his shot high to the right. Cold as ice and I love it. Paraguay got the break though when Yuichi Komano struck his PK off the crossbar and suddenly Japan was behind a goal. They never caught up and Oscar Cardozo finished the match off with a well struck kick. Paraguay would move on to the quarterfinals while Japan went home. It's hard to not feel for Komano on this as no one wants to miss the decisive penalty kick. Still, I enjoyed watching Japan in every game they played and Keisuke Honda was an absolute revelation for me. I had probably seen him play a game or two with CSK Moscow and not known it but good god is he talented. Here's hoping he's one of the World Cup success stories that hits it big after a strong performance. Regardless of my love of Japan's national team, Paraguay were the better team in this match and they deserve to move on. Now, let's see how well they match up against Spain.

Paraguay 0 (5) - 0 (3) Japan


Portugal vs Spain

Much was made of this battle for the Iberian Peninsula, but I was personally just looking forward to an interesting, well played match. The big question was whether or not the pinpoint Spanish passing could break down a well organized and athletic Portugal team that would focus their efforts on defense. In the early going, Spain looked like they would emphatically answer that question, perhaps several times over. They tested the right side of the Portuguese defense severely and almost came away with early goals for both their strikers. In the very first minute, Fernando Torres cut in from the left and tried to place a ball at the back post. Portuguese keeper Eduardo was up to the task however, and not enough can be said about how well he played during this match. Eduardo made several conventional saves and several fantastic saves and generally kept his defensive-minded teammates in the match. David Villa tried his luck in a manner similar to Torres in the 3rd and 7th minutes, both shots requiring saves by Eduardo. It looked like Ricardo Costa would collapse at any minute and let in the all important first goal, but Portugal regrouped and began to stunt the Spanish attack.

The possession wasn't 100% Spain however, and Portugal did get some chances in this match. In the 21st, Tiago tested Iker Casillas with a shot from outside the 18 and Casillas did stop it, but popped the ball up in the air and then had to punch the ball away from Hugo Almeida, who was smartly crashing the net. Almeida got his own chance in the 39th off of a cross into the box from Raul Meireles, but couldn't get on the end of a well struck ball. Portugal then almost got a lucky goal off of Spain in the 52nd when Almeida put a cross into the box that Carles Puyol was forced to get a thigh to because Ronaldo was lurking behind him. The deflection proved dangerous though as it floated over Casillas and just wide of the back post. Despite these chances for Portugal, and they definitely did get others on counters and smartly held possession, this game was all about Spain endeavoring to break down the tight Portuguese defense. Spain was reluctant to throw everything forward because of how worried they were about a Portuguese counter attack (and rightfully so), so they played possession soccer and attacked carefully, testing each angle of the defense before making their final move. I think they could have benefited from someone like Jesus Navas or Cesc Fabregas coming into the match because they are players willing to take someone off the dribble and create more chaos among the defenders, but it is hard to argue with the results of who was on the field.

Spain's most dangerous time of the match outside of the first few minutes started in the 60th and ended in the result that they needed the most. The first chance was a pinpoint cross in from Sergio Ramos that substitute Fernando Llorente put a great diving header on, but could do nothing more than direct it right at Eduardo since the biggest challenge was getting to the cross in the first place. A minute later, Villa was at it again, cutting into the middle just as before and unleashing a curling, dipping shot that missed the back post by a foot or so at most. Then in the 63rd, the Spanish team got what they had been trying for all along. A clever backheel from Xavi freed Villa for a run in at goal from the lefthand side. Eduardo did well to charge out and block the initial shot, but the rebound fell back to Villa and he smartly elevated the ball and put it off of the underside of the crossbar and in. This is what David Villa does. He scores goals. 42 goals in 62 international appearances now? That's just ridiculous. This was the goal that broke the back of the Portuguese and while they valiantly searched for the equalizer, it was not to be and the patience of the Spanish attack won the day.

Spain 1 - 0 Portugal


Wow, what a fantastic round of games. We thankfully only had one match decided by a shoot out and even if every game wasn't a nailbiter, they were still all entertaining as hell to watch. I would obviously have rather seen the United States pull off a win against Ghana (still pretty bitter over that), but other than that, it's very tough to complain. And now, we have Germany vs Argentina and Brazil vs Holland to look forward to, with Spain still lurking in the wings. Plus the underdog stories of Ghana, Uruguay and Paraguay. This is shaping up to be an excellent, excellent final eight so do what you need to in order to enjoy these matches. I know I will. As always, thanks for reading.