The first game between an over confident Mexican side that claims to be the " best Mexican team ever" against the hosts South Africa. To be fair this was not the game i was most interested in coming into the day Ive seen both of these teams more than i get to see Uruguay and France Mexico especially and i hada hunch much like John that a draw would be the outcome. That being said the first half had me worried that perhaps Mexico was better then i was expecting. Many feel they are a legit side after thumping Italy, which didn't really impress me because well Italy just isn't that good anymore ( I think) and are going to have we just won this thing last time hangover i'm guessing. (quick side note: watch Italy win again and have my looking back at this saying wow was i wrong .....nahhhh Buffon would have to put a cape on) So first half Mexico looks good Dos Santos is the best player on the field no surprise there. Second half they honestly were not the better team SA settled in their midfield was moving the ball efficiently and the mexican side i expected started to show up. Dos Santos and stunningly Blanco were the only players that looked dangerous for Mexico and SA knew it counter attacked very well and were rewarded. Mexico again decided to play scored a against the play goal and then proceeded to play keep away for the tie. Keep away for Mexico is so painful to watch as well they keep it about 30 to 25 yards out just pretending like they may serve it in and just kinda Harlem Globetrotter weave around, only Blanco would actually serve it. I hate their game i really do. That was the game in a nutshell.
The second game however pitted the two teams I have moving on from this group playing each other which had my complete interest. Two thing are important to take out of this game. first, that France is a complete mess, Domenech might be the worst coach in International soccer. Second, Uruguay should really start to worry some teams that may have to play them after the group stages. Much like Greece you need magic to break their back line but unlike Greece if any point their two Forwards (Forlan and Suarez) get going look out.
Lets tackle the French for a second now when i first saw the squad picked by DOME I was to be nice very surprised leaving out two of the most talented explosive players in the country Benzema and Nasri. I saw a team that really didn't have anyone who could Offensively take over a game single handedly with
all due respect to Ribery, but hes just better as the secondary player. Both Benzema and Nasri have this quality they have youth they have hunger. Sidney Govou is simply not a starter for this team for me and Gourcuff isnt good enough to be THE MAN. Toulalan was their best player per usual but hes not a player whose going to carry the offensive load. To burden this team even more is Domenech is tactically somehow even worse then he is at selecting a side, there's no wonder the French press and fans have been calling for his head for some time now. He needed to make subs in the second half to lift the staleness of his side yet when he finally did he somehow gaffed it taking off Anelka when he needed a goal and leaving on Govou who to be nice was bordering on useless. He then took off Gourcuff their only true Offensive central presence for Malouda and moved Ribery to the middle of the field where hes just not naturally fit to play. I could go on and on about this sadly but to save some more words he really did a poor job fielding his team and then using his pieces.
As for Uruguay I actually have them winning this group and Ive been very loud about how i thought Forlan would have a sort of remember me tourney. I love his game few forwards in the world have his combination of skills. He plays hard, fast, can finish in a variety of
ways but his unique skill is for as great of a striker of the ball he is he may pass just as well. He has always been under the radar globally much is due to his meh stint at old Trafford, but in Spain they know of his greatness. Combine him with a goal scorer like Suarez 35 goals in 33 games this season and you can easily begin to like this team. Their Defense as shown today is incredibly stingy and without question their strength and most of all they play incredibly hard Uruguay always shows up to play or at least bang you around. When i looked at this group two soft teams and a team in South Africa no offense to them lacking pedigree I thought Uruguay would have better then a fighters chance. They'd play hard most likely concede the least goals and have just enough fire power to win it.
Cheers and Enjoy
I think the South Africa/Mexico was a very good game, there is suspense that, dad gum it, you don't want to see the host nation get bounced bad. That game was so inspirational, I think it will spur the other African teams on who have been somewhat unknown quantities and for all the positiveness written about some of them (people give Ghana and Ivory Coast chances), there is a fair chance they might get embarrassed in their own backyard.
ReplyDeleteFrance has in history, been at the top at various times, but they were so poor in the Euro Cup and relatively poor in the qualifications, it's easy to discount them. And besides that, they gave Ireland the bad deal but what team has not been hosed big time in international soccer/football anyway??
But I don't want to get longwinded here, South Africa's next game will be vs. Uruguay so there is a chance they meaning South Africa have a chance to advance depending on their 3rd game vs. France and just as I said, Fifa in its wisdom took France out from being a top seed, so they get in the host nations group and they may well deny the host nation advancing on top of a team that arrived in SA controversially but as I said, unfortunately, it goes around.
I think I'll predict South Africa to advance along with... Mexico ... South Africa in my opinion drew with the strongest nation, so I like their chances now.
My adopted favorite African nation is Nigeria...I don't see them upsetting Argentina tomorrow bright and early , but South Africa certainly sent a message to the other African nations to chin up.