Van Bommel offers his condolonces
The quarter-finals in World Cup 2010 brought four unique types of drama. All four venues hosted matches that each provided their own types of intrigue and excitement. It ranged from the collapse of the favourites in Nelson Mandela Bay, to heartbreak in Soccer City for Africa’s last hope of glory. Green Point then hosted a shocking chapter in Maradona’s turbulent World Cup history and finally rugby stadium Ellis Park witnessed two missed penalties within three minutes. Armchair fans around the globe are glad of the two subsequent rest days that follow before the semi-finals after such a tumultuous round of games, in order to get their collective breath back.
Brazil found wanting in time of adversity
It is a cliché that teams show their true character in times of need, when backs are against the wall. Many observers presumed that Dunga’s Brazil had character in abundance, given the solid structure and meticulous organisation that the former captain had instilled in his side. However, after been hit by two Wesley Sneijder sucker-punches within 15 minutes, it was time for the 2010 la Seaclao to show their true colours. What we saw was indiscipline, a lack of cohesion and a manager freezing when things did not go as scripted.
Felipe Melo’s cowardly stamp on Arjen Robben was in keeping with a physical and often nasty game in which both sides struggled to control their tempers. Netherlands have not hit the heights in any of their games to date, but showed themselves to have the stomach for a fight. Manager Bert van Marwijk has constructed a side that is not keeping with the traditions of Dutch football; namely they play a conservative style and have united squad. Brazil were thought to be able to play and win any type of game; make it a battle, and they will fight you back; Come at them, they hit you on the break; Sit back, they will break you down. They are capable of doing all of these things. Except they left out one; a game they were losing.
Black Stars learn the hard way
Gyan reflects on his penalty miss
Even the most cold-hearted of us could not help but feel sympathy for Asamoah Gyan. With the weight of expectation of 900 million Africans on his broad shoulders, it was him against Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera as he stepped up to take his 122nd minute penalty. After two confident dispatches from 12 yards in the group stages, the Rennes striker was on the verge of history. Score and Ghana become Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalist. Seeing his spot-kick sail into the Johannesburg night sky via the crossbar, Gyan was a picture of devastation. But worse was to follow. Despite his lethal conversion during the ensuing penalty shoot-out, team-mates John Mensah and Dominic Adiyah missed their kicks and Uruguay prevailed.
Pandemonium in the Uruguay area in the last minute of extra-time ended with Luis Suarez pawing Adiyah’s header off his own goal-line. A blatant piece of cheating, or the ultimate sacrifice by giving yourself up for your teammates, Suarez’s actions have divided opinion across the globe. He is considered a hero in his homeland, and was paraded on the shoulders of his team-mates following the 4-2 shoot-out victory. His reaction following Gyan’s miss, from tears to unadulterated joy provided a moment that would be hilarious were it not so tragic. Whilst Gyan is obviously distraught, spare a thought for young Adiyah. It was he whose effort Suarez clawed away. Adiyah could have been the hero, and it could have been the catalyst to kick-start his fledging career at AC Milan, until fate’s cruel intervention. Ghana’s John Pantsil was damning in his criticism of Suarez, and said “In same situation, there is no chance the Ghana players would have used our hand.” As honourable and morally decent as that may be, it shows that they lack the cynicism and nous to compete on the international stage.
Wheels fall off Maradona’s tactics truck
Maradona looks on helpless
During ITV’s ill-fated stint as holders of the rights to show Premier League highlights in the early part of the century, there was one slot that had everyone cowering behind their couch. The cringe-factor that Andy Townsend’s Tactics Truck induced has rarely been equalled in football analysis since. Poor old Andy’s heart was in the right place, but it was fundamentally flawed. Despite this, Diego Armando Maradona could have done a lot worse than had a leer at Townsend’s workings, and realise that picking one central midfielder in a World Cup quarter-final may tend to leave you somewhat exposed. Having not been examined thoroughly before Saturday, Argentina were thought a lesson by a young and vibrant German side. Whilst Javier Mascherano managed to keep Mesut Ozil under wraps, there were a few more Germans capable of hurting La Albiceleste.
From the pedestal where Maradona was, it was a hell of way down a long way down for the 49-year-old. Whilst his 23-man squad was questioned before the competition, with the omission of Javier Zanetti and Estbian Cambiasso roundly criticised, the Argie’s saunter to this stage led us to believe that Maradona was a coaching mastermind. However the aforementioned duo were exactly what was required during Saturday’s humiliation. Nicolas Otamendi had a torrid afternoon at right-back, whilst Gabriel Heinze was taken apart by Thomas Mueller on the opposite flank. The evergreen Zanetti would have filled either role with more conviction than either of that duo. Cambiasso could have stopped the threat of Schweinsteiger and Khedira in a far more effective manner than Maxi Rodriguez, and Angel Di Maria managed. Both Maxi and Di Maria were invisible as Schweinsteiger in particular ran the show, venturing forward to have a major hand in three of the goals. The ultimate failing of El Diego was a failure to get the best from Lionel Messi. By constructing his side around Mascherano rather than La Puga, Maradona failed to spot the glaringly obvious and cost his country as a result. That will hurt him more than any defeat.
Villa to the rescue
Spanish saviour once more
Spain flattered to deceive against a well-drilled and determined Paraguay side in the final quarter-final. Yet again, they had to rely on the extraordinary finishing ability of David Villa. Barcelona have perhaps done the shrewdest piece of business of the summer by raiding Valencia to bring Villa to the Nou Camp. His value would have been far in excess of €40 million had they waited until after the World Cup to get their man. His 83rd minute winner on Saturday was his fifth goal of the tournament, out of Spain’s miserly total of six. They are getting the air of a one-man team, but such an assessment does little justice to the masterful displays of Xavi and Xabi Alonso in midfield. The former has kept probing, keeping his composure and not getting frustrated that his passing radar is ever so slightly off. But he is still the heartbeat of the Spanish Armada. Alonso has added an edge of steel during his five year hiatus in Liverpool, and has few peers in his position in the world game.
However, they were made to fight all the way by the compact South Americans, who had chances of their own. Nelson Valdez correctly had a first-half effort ruled offside, while Oscar Cardozo suffered penalty heartache of his own, as Iker Casillas held his tame spot-kick. Hard to fathom that this is the same player who dispatched the winning kick in the shoot-out against Japan, and buried two laser-like efforts in the Europa League against Liverpool in April. A bag of nerves stepping up, his crocodile tears at full-time were in full flow, despite the efforts of his team-mates. Barely a minute later, Spain had a penalty of their own. Alonso stepped up and scored; however referee Carlos Batres spotted an encroachment by a Spaniard into the area and Justo Villar saved Alonso second attempt from 12 yards. From the rebound, Villar clattered Cesc Fabergas for a stonewaller. The Guatemalan match official chose to ignore this foul, instead awarding a corner. His weak refereeing did threaten to undermine the game, but it set the stage for Villa to strike. The last player to score in four consecutive games in a World Cup was Ronaldo in 2002. We all remember that tournament as his reincarnation, making up for the misery of 1998. Villa has no such skeletons in his closet. Just the desire to make this his, and more importantly Spain’s year.
