Match 21: GERMANY v SERBIA

Date: FRI 18Jun10

Venue: Port Elizabeth NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM 

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ Great way to start off a MONUMENTAL WORLD CUP DAY! GERMANY started brightly, were quicker to the ball and trying to link up fro the whistle .. .. GER used the right side almost exclusively in the first half, pumping in 9 crosses from the R/Side & none from the L/Side .. ..

The Spanish referee stamped his authority on the match, showing 7 cards in the first 45 minutes alone > OK, it’s way too many cards and some were a little harsh, but if players don’t get the message that they had better be smarter, then they deserve the RC that is sure to follow > Ask MIROSLAV KLOSE who got two cards in 24 minutes .. ..

But, the RC had nothing to do with SERBIA scoring first as a super SER attack started with a good cross from the R/Flank to towering NIKOLA ZIDIC who headed it to the impressive MILAN JOVANOVIC who scissor-kicked a L/Footer past the GER GK .. ..

GER earned a PK despite being a man down in the second half when SRB again was booked for a hand ball in the zone, but PODOLSKI had his L/Footer saved and GER lost it’s first WC Group match since 1986 .. ..

GER MoM: MESUT OZIL

Mega-talented son of Turkish ‘Guest’ workers unlocked the SRB defence all match long with his hustle and through-balls to PODOLSKI .. ..

SRB MoM: MILAN JOVANOVIC

Showed his nuclear pace from the whistle when he could and put himself in a great position to scissor home the opening goal .. .. Liverpool got themselves a GEM!

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Match 22: SLOVENIA v USA

Date: FRI 18Jun10

Venue: Johannesburg ELLIS PARK STADIUM 

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ FORGET THE PHANTOM FINDLEY YC – FORGET THE MISSED PENALTY CALL – FORGET THE WAVED-OFF EDU GOAL .. .. ‘Cause I’d only bust another blood cell if I think about it any more .. ..

Complain you may about the blown calls, but then one would have to complain about allowing two early goals to a team that couldn’t complete a cross the whole match!

Where was TORRES/BRADLEY leaving the center completely barren for VALTER BIRSA to measure TIM HOWARD and place his shot in the U/Right .. .. And, how do you let SLOVENIA have their way on a 2-v-3 that allows another easy goal?

ACCOUNTABILITY – RESPONSIBILITY! Defenders/Midfielders > Hold your man!

Our LANDON DONOVAN clawed one back when he took advantage of a SNV defender who went to ground and roofed home from along the byline – CLASS!

BRADLEY equalized off great work from JOZY ALTIDORE .. ..

And, the MO EDU go-ahead score should have counted! There was no offsides, no foul anywhere on the pitch except for BRADLEY & CLINT DEMPSEY clearly being held .. .. Originally, I thought the whistle was for offsides, but there was none and the whistle went for another phantom foul? What was the ref looking at?

SVN MoM: VALTER BIRSA

USA MoM: MICHAEL BRADLEY

Had a strong match all day long, had a nice thru-ball early on and was strong in the tackle .. .. Terrific equalizer when making the run into R/Box, took the head-on from JOZY ALTIDORE and rammed it home, when he easily could have skied it!

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Match 23: ENGLAND v ALGERIA

Date: FRI 18Jun10

Venue: Cape Town GREEN POINT
 

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ Is this the Group from the Twilight Zone, or what?

More Dribble at the half (0-0)! ENGLAND was outhustled, outworked and outplayed in the first-half!

Clearly this is a case of ENG thinking all they had to do was show up and take home maximum points, or didn’t have the bottle to take the match by the throat .. ..

Not that ALGERIA’s attack was quality, it wasn’t, but they came with high pressure and clogged the passing lanes and just didn’t let ENG attack as they would like >

Of course it would help if they didn’t keep hitting passes directly out .. ..

The second half was pretty much the same with no passion, no idea .. ..

ALG played like lions are richly deserved their point; Just like the USA! Maybe ENG is the European version of ARGENTINA and they are just getting blistered on all the talk-shows across the UK tonight .. .. But, I wouldn’t want to play any ENG side in the next round .. ..

ENG MoM: are you kidding?

ALG MoM: MAJID BOUGHERRA

Maybe the fates are at work here! Seeing that Rangers’ MAURICE EDU had his goal cruelly stolen, fate decided to help his Rangers Algerian teammate keep a clean sheet in the first half .. .. Inspirational leader of his National Side has shook off a calf injury to have an outstanding first half that saw him stop forays by WAYNE ROONEY & EMILE HESKEY while pumping in crosses .. ..