Proof of the Excitement of the World Cup

It's scary how well I'm adapting to waking up at 7:2oam on the weekends. People have always said that when you work a 9 to 5 type job, your sleep patterns adjust and you start waking up earlier on weekends naturally. Maybe being at it for slightly over a year isn't enough of an adjustment period but I have never found myself naturally waking up at a "reasonable hour." But if you put a World Cup game on at 7:30 in the morning, apparently I will not only wake up, but be a completely functioning adult. Kind of weird, to be honest. It was even easier to wake up in the morning because the first game was Holland vs Japan, a match-up of teams that had each won their first game in Group E. Holland is the obviously better team in terms of pedigree and quality on paper, but Japan is a very organized defensive team that shut down a potent Cameroonian attack in the first game. Now it would be up to the Japanese defense to shut down the creators of "total football."


Japan vs Holland

I made some comments in the first game about Holland's attack being too casual, too comfortable. Against Denmark, they seemed content just to possess the ball and assume that Denmark would eventually make a grievous mistake that would lead to a goal. Today against Japan, they were still intent on possessing the ball but they did so with more of a fervor, with more of a passion and a purpose. They were actively looking for openings in the Japanese defense rather than assuming they would open up just because it was Holland doing the work. Even with this being true, that doesn't mean Holland was carving apart Japan left and right. The Japanese held their defensive shape very well and never overreacted to the passes, keeping their men in front of them and not falling asleep on runs behind. Being in this mode however put Japan almost entirely on defense, only attacking when Holland was pressed out too far forward or when they were able to work it up from the back, like in the 11th when Yuto Nagatomo was played into the middle and put a shot towards the back post that just went wide. Another such chance was in the 33rd when the Japanese got a free kick on the left side and played an excellent ball in the air to Keisuke Honda, who was clear of his defender but just couldn't get his header on goal. These were the kinds of opportunities Japan would have to settle for in the first half though as they were constantly on the defensive.

The possession was all Holland in the first half (75/25 I believe), but they were still having difficulty creating chances. The simple passing wasn't breaking Japan down and they didn't seem to be capable of making quick switches across the field to change the point of attack. Every switch from left to right or vice versa had to go back to the fullbacks first before it could be redistributed to the opposite side. Also, Holland was passing sharply from spot to spot but no one seemed to be willing to take defenders on off the dribble. This type of game is where they really miss Arjen Robben, who is adept at taking on defenders out on the wing. With Robben out, as time pressed on it became obvious that Eljero Elia would have to come off the bench at some point just to put a player out on the field who would be willing to run at defenders and create space and mismatches that way. If this substitution was made though, it wouldn't come until the second half as Japan managed a 0-0 tie at the half. Holland controlled the possession and were more insistent than in their opening match, but all the side to side passing wasn't breaking down a defensively sound team like Japan. They either needed a break or a slight change in tactics to break through.

Holland started the second half with an emphasis on passing wide and getting crosses into the middle, something of a change-up from the first half where passing at the feet was their main means of moving the ball around. This change resulted in early chances and, soon, a goal. In the 53rd, the ball was crossed into the middle and a Japanese defender attempted to clear with a header. Robin Van Persie was able to control the header though, and laid it back for Wesley Sneijder who ripped a shot that started at the near post and swerved right as it got to keeper Eiji Kawashima. The movement on the ball caught Kawashima off guard and though he managed to get a hand on it, the ball still made it to the back of the net. It's tough to blame the keeper here as he had to go airborne to stop the shot so it was very difficult to change direction once already in the air. Regardless of blame, Sneijder took an excellent shot that put his country up 1-0.

The surprising part of the rest of this game was how well Japan possessed the ball while looking for the equalizer. They may have even out possessed the masters of possession in the second half and never truly looked uncomfortable or out of place. They had chances in the 56th and 57th when Yoshito Okubo took a shot from distance on goal that was saved and when he again took a shot that sailed over the the left upper ninety. In fact, it was Okubo who again took a shot in the 65th that went just wide right. All of these shots were good for Japan and got their offense moving forward and looking hungry, so credit to Okubo for taking the initiative and moving his team into the attack. It looked like they had a sure equalizer in the 69th when a ball was played to Honda at the back post, but it was cleared away before he had a chance to tuck it in.

There were some dynamite chances in the late game for both sides, including two for Holland substitute Ibrahim Afellay and one for Japanese substitute Shinji Okazaki, but nothing was able to change the final score. Holland was able to switch up their attack in the second half by working the ball more wide and utilizing crosses, as well as substituting Elia in the game around the 70th minute to run at defenders. To Japan's credit though, they attacked exceptionally well in the second once they were forced to and at times looked like the better team. It was a bit of a shock to see such a defensive minded team through the first game and a half flip the switch and go into offensive mode, but they were able to do it with incredible skill and control. Though I would have never said this before the tournament, the Japan vs Denmark game next week should be highly entertaining and will prove who advances to the next round. Holland was the better team on this occasion however, and have assured themselves a place in the knockout stage.

Holland 1 -0 Japan


Australia vs Ghana

This game was a huge chance for Ghana, who could vault into a commanding three point lead in Group D with a win over Australia. Germany's loss to Serbia opened the door for Ghana to almost certainly secure a second round berth with a win today, something that I doubt anyone would have thought before the tournament started. Australia on the other hand were eager to paint a better portrait of themselves after an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hands of zee Germans. They would be without Everton's Tim Cahill for this game due to the poorly given red card against Germany, but they did have the talents of Harry Kewell who came off of an injury to start the game. After some interesting but mostly safe opening minutes, things broke Australia's way when Mark Bresciano put a dipping free kick over goal and bounced it in front of Richard Kingson, Ghana's goaltender. Kingson flubbed the tough bounce and Brett Holman was there to pounce on it and put Australia up 1-0. For a side that was embarrassed in its first match, this was the perfect start, potentially silencing critics and putting them back in contention for a spot in the round of 16. Excellent take on the free kick and good awareness by Holman to beat everyone to the spot to get the touch.

Fate seems to have something special set aside for Australia however, as off of a corner kick, Andre Ayew did excellent work on the goal line to work himself free and get a cross on the ground off to Jonathan Mensah who slammed a shot towards goal that Kewell stopped with his hand slightly off of his body. A penalty kick was justified as a goal would have been tallied without interference form his hand but the red cards that Kewell received may have been a bit harsh. Just as in the game against Serbia, Asamoah Gyan stepped to the line and instead of going high over the keeper, this time Gyan got keeper Mark Schwarzer leaning to his right while sending the shot on the ground to the opposite side. Ghana once again scored on a justified PK and Australia would be forced to play a man down for the second match in a row. I want to sympathize with Australia for their hard luck but it is tough to in this chance since the rules award a red card for anyone whose hand stops a chance on goal. Despite what you may think of the call, Ghana would be playing a man up for the rest of the match and had every chance to get the win that they needed to put them through.

The rest of this game is hard to describe because it was absolutely littered with chances for each side and it would be tough to list them all without dragging things on and on. Australia did well once they were down to ten and held the ball for long periods of time while creating chances. They played smart in the back and central defenders Craig Moore and Lucas Neill were excellent at limiting the chances for Ghana when required to. Australia's solid play notwithstanding, this was Ghana's game to take control of and while they did do well in pushing forward, they were way too eager to try from distance instead of passing through the defense to set up solid chances as opposed to half chances. My notes show no less than five shots taken from distance and those are only the ones that were close enough to record or those that required saves. All in all, Ghana peppered the Australian goal with chances up through the 70th minute or so but not all of them were quality chances, especially when a little more patience may have yielded better opportunities. Schwarzer was good throughout this game, stopping quality chances such as in the 50th when Gyan took a shot at the back post that the keeper got down to stop. After the 70th, Australia took more possession and played forward as if they had their full squad without risking too much on the counter attack. Chances came to both sides over and over but neither could put one in to gain the full result. The game ended in a 1-1 tie that both sides could use, but neither should really be content with. Ghana needed the three points to diminish the necessity of their match against Germany next week while Australia realistically needed a win to get them back into the thick of the race. Instead of point totals of 6-3-3-0 or 3-3-3-3, we were left with:

Ghana - 4 Points - +1 Goal Differential
German - 3 Points - +3 Goal Differential
Serbia - 3 Points - 0 Goal Differential
Australia - 1 Point - -3 Goal Differential

This group could go in any direction now and both games next week are of extreme importance. Ghana was the true "loser" here as they wasted a chance to lock up a spot when they were up a man for an hour. Now a match with Germany looms and things could not be more tense.

Ghana 1 - 1 Australia


Cameroon vs Denmark

This was the match of the two losers in Group E and each one desperately needed a win. This seems like an obvious statement, but to be honest, it can't be mentioned enough. If Cameroon lost this game, they would be eliminated due to the matches in the last week. If Denmark lost, they could hope to pick up a win in the last match while Cameroon lost and then make it through on goal differential, but those are long odds when you can only control one match. So, this game should have been highly contested and it most definitely was. Ghana had a chance as soon as the first minute through a scramble in front that couldn't find a clear path to goal, and then in the 5th when Samuel Eto'o lined up a shot from the top of the 18 that he couldn't get enough on to trouble the keeper. Denmark were not to be dominated though as Dennis Rommedahl took a perfect through ball and missed on a difficult shot to the near upper ninety. Despite the Danes' reputation for discipline and organized defensive shape, this game quickly turned into an absolute free-for-all with good shots coming from every which way and defensive breakdowns all over the place. The sloppiness was off-putting at times but it was still incredibly entertaining to watch because of the visceral reactions that came every three minutes on close plays that could create goals at any time.

Cameroon got a much needed first goal in the 10th minute when Denmark gave the ball away foolishly to the right side of their own goal and Pierre Webo played a ball into the box for Eto'o who settled on his first touch and then tucked the ball inside the left post giving keeper Thomas Sorensen no chance at a save. Cameroon was on the board first and the emotion showed on all the players and fans in attendance. However, this was not a kind of game where any score was safe and Cameroon found that out quickly. With chances going readily either way, Denmark made the most of their opportunity in the 33rd minute when a fantastic ball was played up from the back to Rommedahl who took a touch off his chest beautifully and then played a perfect cross along the ground in front of the outstretched Cameroonian keeper Souleymanou Hamidou and a sliding Nicklas Bendtner finished into the open goal. If you drew up a play on the chalkboard of how a long ball would turn into a goal, it couldn't have gone any better than that. Long pass from left center in the back to the right touchline, one touch to settle, a perfectly placed cross and then the necessary finish. Just a beautiful bit of soccer. Eto'o had a chance in the 42nd inside the box but it went off the left post and the half ended with the game still tied.

The second half started with the match completely up in the air and an air of excitement in the building. You could hear the support for Cameroon from all the fans and yet there was still a reaction on every close Danish play, either out of fear or anticipation. It was so fun to watch and, as I said before, despite the sloppiness (or perhaps because of it) I was enthralled the entire time. Similar to the Ghana vs Australia match, it doesn't seem useful to list every chance throughout the half so let me skip right to the good stuff. In the 61st minute, Rommedahl gained possession on the right part of the goal line and for some reason, the defender shaded him to the line rather than to the middle. Rommedahl used the space given to cut left and once he was clear of the defender, let loose a curling shot to the far post that beat Hamidou. Rommedahl was spectacular all game and fully deserved to be the Dane who put them in front. The other Danish star of the half was Sorensen who made some saves that he was supposed to make and others that he had no business getting a touch on. In the 77th minute, Achille Emana got into the box on the right hand side and put a sharp low shot to the back post that Sorensen somehow
got a hand to. Most keepers will tell you that a shot along the ground at roughly an arm's length away is the hardest shot to stop because it's too far away to get a foot to, forcing the keeper to get down to ground level and deny the shot with their hand. Sorensen somehow did this on Amana's shot and between his efforts, some panicked defending, and Cameroon not making the most of their chances, Denmark held their 2-1 lead until the final whistle, knocking the African side from the tournament.

Denmark 2 - 1 Cameroon


For all the people who complained about the opening games being boring, I put up yesterday and today's games as proof of the beauty of soccer. Every game has been hotly contested and every ending has gone down to the wire. The quality has either been high or somewhat sloppy but it has never failed to excite. This is what the World Cup is all about and this is why it is my favorite event in all of sports. Before I go, I'll run down the Group E standings quickly so everyone knows the possibilities:

Holland - 6 Points - +3 Goal Differential
Japan - 3 Points - 0 Goal Differential
Denmark - 3 Points - -1 Goal Differential
Cameroon - 0 Points - -2 Goal Differential

Since Japan and Denmark play each other next week, Holland has already qualified for the knockout stages. This leaves the Japan vs Denmark match as one of the crucial games on the schedule. Japan holds the goal differential tiebreaker so Denmark will need to win to get through, a tough task against a Japanese team that is so good at defending but also able to get forward well as we saw today after they conceded a goal to Wesley Sneijder and Holland. I for one am absolutely looking forward to it and I hope that you are too. Tomorrow is of course full of important games as well, the most interesting being Brazil vs Ivory Coast at 2:30pm EST. With any luck, that will be as special as today's games were. Until next time.