Match 55: PARAGUAY v JAPAN  [ Round of 16 ]

Date: TUE 29Jun10

Venue: Pretoria LOFTUS VERSFELD STADIUM

PANDO! or GORDO? GORDO?

+ Just as we thought > PARAGUAY is a dour, defensive-minded bunker of a side and JAPAN will run and run and NOT score .. .. In both halves, JPN looked a wee bit more creative, but their lack of cutting edge played right into the hands of PRG and never looked like scoring – Both sides never looked like scoring in regulation time .. ..

PRG MoM: OSCAR CARDOZO

Benfica PK specialist came on in extra time just for PKs and produced as he just waited for the GK to lean and he just rolled it the opposite way to win it for PRG!!!

JPN MoM: KEISUKE HONDA

Technically-brilliant striker really shined on the biggest stage with his first-rate touch and vision .. .. Perhaps the best technical footballer JPN has ever produced .. .. Took the last PK for Nipon, calmly attacking L/Footed and rolled it home easily!

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Match 56: SPAIN v PORTUGAL  [ Round of 16 ]

Date: TUE 29Jun10

Venue: Cape Town GREEN POINT

PANDO! or GORDO? PANDO!

+ The entertainment chasm between these two matches were immense .. ..

SPAIN came out firing in the first half, unleashing 4 hard shots before any reply which came in the form of a soft RONALDO FK in the 17^th minute .. ..

POR GK EDUARDO looked shaky early on > Not able to catch ESP’s first 3 shots cleanly and whacking a goal-kick directly out .. ..

Then, against the run of play, TIAGO crushed a ball through IKER CASILLAS’ hands that forced him to scramble back and punch away the rebound .. ..

After that, POR began to probe forward but never seriously threatened the ESP goal .. ..

The deadly DAVID VILLA started the second half by setting off POR alarms when he took a ball at the top of the L/Box, cut-back to his right and hit a hard curler that flew just inches to the right of the POR goal .. ..

VILLA did finally cash in when took a nice ball in the L/Box in the 63^rd minute, had his L/Footed shot saved but then instinctively R/Footed the rebound > center of the POR goal for the only score ESP needed .. ..

The match was marred late when RICARDO COSTA started itching for a confrontation starting in the 80^th minute and COSTA what he was looking for when he got a straight RC in the 89^th minute .. ..

ESP MoM: DAVID VILLA

In a Festival lacking in cold-blooded assassins, Villa’s achievements are that much more amazing–Hard, easy it doesn’t matter as he approaches a half-dozen goals!!

POR MoM: none