Day 18

The defending champions,Brazil, had to get past Ghana to keep their hopes alive and the scoreline looked rather comfortable. But the game was not as easy as the scoreline, and the only reason why Ghana failed was because they were poor finishers in front of the goal - and some fine saves from Dida as well. Ronaldo is back for Brazil and that is something the other teams might wanna keep a note of. Though the last two goals looked a bit dicey for offside, Brazil were never out of the game and Gyan's red card compounded and summed up Ghana's last night at the world cup.
Brazil 3-0 Ghana
5-Ronaldo(BRA), 45-Adriano(BRA), 84-Ze Roberto(BRA)

The big clash in the Round of 16 was argualy the last game, between Spain and France. Spain had never looked to be in trouble during their group games but once again, failed to make an impact on the big stage. Like Holland, they keep up their word and crash out in the second round! France on the other hand, seemed to have found they rhythm they last had in 1998, and are looking good for the next round now. They have to look better than good, as they face Brazil in the Quarter's and if they can get past Brazil, the might as well have a go till the end! The Spanish, go back home, knowing they had failed as in all the previous world cups to make their mark in football's show piece event.
France 3-1 Spain
28 pen-Villa(ESP), 41-Ribery(FRA), 83-Vieira(FRA),90-Zidane(FRA)

Day 17

The mighty Italians (I WILL call them 'mighty':) had the Aussies in their path and as expected it was a tough game. But the Azzurri frontline failed to score and seemed to have lost it's sting. The game was marred by a few wrong decisions, and the notable one early on was the red card for Materazzi. This was a harsh decision - to put it mildly - and Italy were a man down for the better of the second half, and Australia were having a mammoth share of the possession. But try as they might, they were just not able to breach the famous Italian defence - even with a man advantage. With extra time looming large, the referee made another mistake -another costly one- and handed a penalty to Italy deep in injury time, and like the red card, this looked to be a harsh decision as well. Though the end result put Italy through to the QF's, the way in which it was carried out left little to be desired. I am pretty sure Italy would have won in extra time but it was a bit cruel for Australia. Totti calmly slotted from the spot to send the ecstatic Italian fans(me included!) into the next round! Much awaits for us!
Italy 1-0 Australia
90+ pen-Totti(ITA)

Ukraine and Switzerland had to battle it out for a place in the QF's against the Italians and this was destined to be a day of penalties. Both teams had chances at either end, but failed to score a goal and the game moved on the Penalties. Unfortunately, Shevchenko missed the first kick (why does it always happen to my favourite players!-beats me) but the Swiss managed to miss all the three and Gusev's kick sent the Ukrainians on their way to face Italy. The match was devoid of any action packed periods albeit for a few good chances which rattled the woodwork. In the end, Ukraine got the job done.
Ukraine 1-0 Switzerland PS
Shevchenko(UKR)-Saved, Streller(SUI)-Saved, Milevskiy(UKR)-Scored, Barnetta(SUI)-Missed, Rebrov(UKR)-Scored, Cabanas(SUI)-Saved, Gusev(UKR)-Scored

Day 16

Another disappointing performance by England saw them sneak in a win against Ecuador thanks to a David Beckham freekick. After an hour of watching the boring English, Beckham finally opened his account and gave England a much needed goal. The game ended with the same scoreline but if England are dreaming of progressing to the next round, let alone the finals, they would need to put in a lotta effort and a much much better performance to even match up to Portugal and potentially Brazil! Lampard had a host of chances, which he duly sent above the bar and Rooney was all alone up front and Terry was a bit off colour as well - which is a worrying sign indeed!
England 1-0 Ecuador
60-Beckham(ENG)

One of the big games of the night - but what promised to be a splendid football match turned out to be a battlefield,literally. With a place in the QF to face England, both teams were going at it with hammer and tongs. It was a game marred with cards, with the Ref handing out 16, which included 4 red's - two per team! Deco and Costinha along with Boulahrouz and van Bronckhorst were given their marching orders at different points in the game. The end result was a 1 goal winner for the Portuguese, thanks to Maniche who drove the ball past van der Sar to give them the pass to meet England in the QF's. After 90 minutes, it was a 9 men per team game and a disappointing one for the Dutch as their campaign runs out of steam yet again. Portugal on the other hand set up a clash with England, but will be without playmaker Deco, along with a host of other people and that could very well have a say in the result.
Netherlands 0-1 Portugal
23-Maniche(POR)

Day 15

The first of the Pre-quarter finals saw hosts Germany take on Sweden and the match had the Germans all fired up. With Podolski and Klose, Germany had one of the best goalscoring pair in this tournament and it did not take them long to cement that fact as well. With just 4 minutes on the clock, Podolski put one past the Swedish custodian and 7 minutes later, added a second. The Germans were in total control and enjoyed much of the possession as well. The Scandinavians looked woefully out of place on the field and were unable to find the same spirit with which they played against England. After the break they came on stronger but were reduced to 10 men, when Lucic was sent off for his second bookable offence. All the Swedes wanted was to pull one back and the opportunity fell to Larsson, but unfortunately, the dependable striker sent the ball skywards from the spot - in what is possible his last international game for Sweden. What an end to an illustrious career! Certainly, not the way it should have ended. But at the final whistle, there was only one team rejoicing, and it was the new look Germany - under Klinsmann - who are marching on strongly towards Berlin!
Germany 2-0 Sweden
4,12-Podolski(GER)

With the first Quarter finalist already decided, Argentina took on Mexico in an all South American affair. Argentina were expected to have a cake walk, but the Mexican captain Marquez had other ideas and stunned Argentina by opening the scoring. The Argies were on the backfoot and looked vulnerable for the first time in this World Cup, but were soon on level terms by a Borgetti-Crespo combination. Though it looked like Borgetti headed into his own goal, Crespo had a touch to it and was credited for it as well. With the match evenly poised, there attack was flowing from end to end, with tackles flying high and shots keeping both the keepers very busy. Try as they might, Argentina were just not able to breach the Mexican last line - marshalled by the outstanding Marquez. In a bid to clinch the game, Tevez and Messi were brought on, but they failed to find the net, though a goal by Messi was disallowed. As the final whistle was blown, both the teams were ready to fight it out in Extra time and Maxi Rodriguez struck for Argentina - much to the dismay of the Mexicans - to send them through. Though Argentina are through to face the Germans, in what could be a pulsating QF, they were not as convincing as people expected the to be, and a few questions remain unanswered. If Sorrin lifts the Cup in Berlin, the questions will fade away into oblivion, but anything short of that will open the flood gates and Perkerman and Co. will have a tough time facing the media and the fans!
Argentina 2-1 Mexcio AET
6-Marquez(MEX), 10-Crespo(ARG), 98-Ridriguez(ARG)

Day 14

Spain against Saudi Arabia was expected to be a high scoring game, but what turned out on the field was a very very disappointing performance by Spain's standards. They needed a Junatio goal to get them maximum points and all the 'galacticos' looked lost on the field. They seemed to be playing without the zeal that they had showed in previous games and was devoid of all the Spanish charm in the game. But in the end, they walk away with 3 wins to top the group while the Saudi's go home with a point.
Spain 1-0 Saudi Arabia
36-Juanito(ESP)

Ukraine scraped through with a Shevchenko Penalty to finish second in the group behind Spain and they face Switzerland in the next round. And I must say, with all due credit to the Swiss, they should be pleased with this fixture as they could have had a tougher opponent in France. But Ukraine seemed to be happy with the lone goal and were not too excited to take the game away from their opponents. In the end, Shev got the job done and they walk away with the win.
Ukraine 1-0 Tunisia
70pen-Shevchenko(UKR)

The Swiss started brightly and were rewarded when Arsenal's Senderos jumped above the others and sent in a bullet header past the Korean custodian. The Koreans were not really threatening, but the second from Frei killed the game. Though the goal had a touch of controversy to it, a 2-0 win was on the cards for the Swiss to take them to the next round pretty comfortably. The Koreans on the other hand go back home with no significant achievement and I personally am happy about it :)
Switzerland 2-0 South Korea
23-Senderos(SUI), 77-Frei(SUI)

All eyes on France, as they looked set to repeat their dismal performance in the last world cup and head home early once again. But with Henry, they had a proven striker who can change the course of the game in a flash. With the French needing a 2 goal win, they started brightly and the former Arsenal captain, Vieira, gave them the much deserved lead and soon things looked good for France - and they were all set to throw away the fears of elimination at the group stages yet again. The vital second goal came from none other than Henry who capped his fine performance with a goal and made sure the French make it through. Togo, on the other hand, had nothing to lose and were playing for pride as they had already been eliminated.
France 2-0 Togo
55-Vieira(FRA), 61-Henry(FRA)

Day 13

The Azzurri's needed a win or a draw to progress, and they did it convincingly by scoring 2 against the Czechs. The win meant they go through to the next round as group leaders and send the Czechs crashing out of the World Cup in the first round - a heavy casualty indeed. With 17 minutes on the clock, Italy had to take of the dependable Nesta and replace him with Materazzi after Nesta was injured. Materazzi made good use of his opportunity by heading in the opener for the Azzurri's. The Czechs were never the give up easily and Nedved was orchestrating their attack and came close on several occasions only to be denied by the brilliant Buffon. The Czechs suffered a major blow when Polak was send off for a second bookable offence. Italy were continuing their fine form and Inzaghi who came on for Gilardino proved to be the 'super sub' yet again. With 3 normal minutes of play remaining, he raced past his marker to leave Cech facing two Italians, and in the end he got the job done to hand over the win to the Italians. Italy look good now, and technically no team was able to breach their armour - the only goal they conceded was scored by Zaccardo, an own goal against the Americans. If they can maintain their form and put in a similar performance against the Australians, the will potentially set up a QF clash with the Brazilians! Bring them on! - We are waiting!!! FORZA ITALIA!!!
Italy 2-0 Czech Republic
26-Materzzi(ITA), 87-Inzaghi(ITA)

With Italy leading, Ghana were in a good position to follow them to the next round, but they left little for calculations and eased to a 2-1 win over the Americans. USA finish bottom of the group and end a disappointing run with yet another loss. The Africans, on the other hand, put in a fine performance and now they have the daunting task of facing Brazil in the next round. To be honest, I expected Italy and the Czechs to go through, but Ghana wanted a say in the World Cup and have done it with authority. Ghana against the defending champions promises to be a good game!
Ghana 2-1 USA
22-Dramani(GHA), 43-Dempsey(USA), 45pen-Appiah(GHA)

Ronaldo was criticised by every paper, radio and TV cast. Ok. Accepted. He is not in the best of his form, but so was Owen, Zidane and even Ronaldinho for that matter. Give the guy a break. After two games of 'misery' Ronaldo proved that he still has the sting in him - even though he is a bit on the plumpy side now ;) A brace by Ronaldo, a scorching 30 yard drive by Juninho and a sweet strike by Gilberto. With the 4-1 win over Japan, Brazil say "We are back" and makes the other teams a bit nervy - especially those in their direct path. Ronaldo opened the scoring with a header and finished it with a late strike. Incidentally, his brace makes him the joint top scorer in World Cup history, along with Gerd Muller.
Japan 1-4 Brazil
33-Tamada(JPN), 45-Ronaldo(BRA), 53-Juninho(BRA), 59-Gilberto(BRA), 81-Ronaldo(BRA)

The Australians had to battle it out hard to sneak into the next round, thanks to a much needed equliser by Kewell. An entertaining game saw both the teams end with 2 goals a piece which ,sadly, was just not enough for the Croats. The game had it's share of drama with a goal being disallowed - which looked more like a touchdown! Oh uh...did the Aussies get a sudden urge to play Rugby??. After the final whistle, Siminic complained and was duly shown the 'third' yellow card followed by an overdue red! The win propelled Australia into the second round for the first time and they have the daunting task of facing the mighty Italians!
Croatia 2-2 Australia
3-Srna(CRO), 39pen-Moore(AUS), 56-Kovac(CRO), 79-Kewell(AUS)

Day 12

Portugal who have already qualified for the next round took on Mexico in what was expected to be an interesting duel. Maniche gave the Euro 2004 runners up a deserved lead when his thundering drive ended in the back of the net. Though either team had opportunities, Portugal seemed to have the upper hand and took their lead to 2 goals when Simao converted from the spot after the Mexican caption Marquez had handled in the box. But Mexico hit back soon and cut their deficit when Fonseca pulled one back for them leaving the game in a tantalizing state as half time loomed. After the break, the Mexicans were throwing everything at the Portuguese in the hope of finding an equaliser and they had a glorious opportunity when Miguel handled the ball in the Portuguese box. But, unfortunately, Bravo sent the ball embarrassingly towards the sky. After the miss by Bravo, Portugal held on for the win and to take top honours in the Group.
Portugal 2-1 Mexico
6-Maniche(POR), 24pen-Simao(POR), 29-Fonseca(MEX)

Angola had a distant chance of making it through to the next round - provided they win with a good margin and Mexico lose to Portugal. They started brightly and took the lead finally in the 60th minute thanks to Flavio. But their hopes lasted only for 16 minutes as Iran somehow found the equaliser that spelled Angola's exit from the World Cup. Iran were able to thwart the Angolan wave of attacks and the game ended square to send both the teams packing.
Iran 1-1 Angola
60-Flavio(ANG), 76-Bakhtiarizadeh(IRN)

The much awaited clash of the titans was a rather drab affair as it was only the top spot that was up for grabs. Neither team was really keen on attacking and happily settled for a 0-0 draw. Both teams had notable omissions in their lineups as they were hoping to protect their stars for the net rounds. The draw cemented Argentina's place at the top of the table with the Dutch behind them only on goal difference - thanks to Argentina's 6-0 hammering of Serbia & Montenegro. Argentina face Mexico and the Dutch take on Portugal in what promises to be an entertaining second round. The legendary Maradona was in the stands cheering the Argies and his standing ovation when Messi was substituted shows his faith in the lad. - the heir for his throne in the Argentine squad.
Netherlands 0-0 Argentina

The game which arguably had no significance in this year's World Cup - as both the teams have already been eliminated - was the game to watch! The Serbs raced to a 2-0 lead with just 20 minutes on the clock but the Ivorians came back to win the game thanks to Dudic who handled the ball not once but twice to gift two penalties to Ivory Coast. The game was a comical affair with horrendous defending, Domoraud's mistake coming to mind, and a spate of cards! In the end, the former Yugoslavia ended their disastrous campaign without a win and head home with a not so proud record of conceding 10 goals in just 3 games!
Cote d'Ivoire 3-2 Serbia & Montenegro
10-Zigic(S&M), 20-Ilic(S&M), 37,67pen-Dindane(CIV), 86pen-Kalou(CIV)

Day 11

The last two group games of Group A saw Germany and Ecuador fighting for supremacy. The game started in lively fashion with the Germans slipping into attack mode immediately. They did not have to wait for long as Klose drove hard into the back of the net to give Germany a deserved lead. Ecuador seem to have lost the spirit and will to put on a good show - as they had in the previous games, and were soon punished as Klose made it 2, by latching on to a clever lob by Ballack. In the second half, Podolski finally broke his World Cup duck by sliding in his first and Gemany's third to seal the win. Overall a good performance that sees the hosts through to the next round where they face Sweden.
Germany 3-0 Ecuador
4,44-Klose(GER), 57-Podolski(GER)

The other game was between Poland and Costa Rica, with both of them knowing that this was the last game for them in this year's World Cup. Going back home with a win or atleast a point would sound as good option to them. Costa Rica were not able to match he performance they put against the Germans and double by Bosacki sent them home without a point. Though Gomez had earlier given them the lead, Poland were not to give up easily and had the last laugh. Poland end a disappointing campaign on a high note.
Poland 2-1 Costa Rica
24-Gomez(CRI), 33,66-Bosacki(POL)

Group B had an intriguing battle between England and Sweden for pole position, but the Swedes knew they were not comfortably in the next round. As expected, the game was explosive and England, I have to say, played their best game of the World Cup. It was a totally different English performance, unlike the much criticised games against Trinidad & Tobago and Paraguay. The key could have been the re-shuffling of the team and having a diamond formation in the midfield with Lampard being given a free role. However, with hardly 60 seconds on the clock, Owen crawled over the touch line and had to be taken off for what seems to be a serious knee problem and will most probably miss the rest of the tournament. Joe Cole was causing all sorts of problem for the Sweden defence on the right and put England ahead through an incredible dipping volley that the Swedish custodian could only help to the top corner of the goal. If anyone in the English colours deserved a goal, it was Joe Cole for his explosive performance on the left. But the famous English defence was caught napping when Allback pulled Sweden level from a corner and all off a sudden the Swedes were all over the place. Sven had to make changes and risking Rooney for too long was not what England wanted, especially after Owen's injury, so Off goes Rooney and on comes Gerrard. England were playing with a new formation now, with Gerrard playing just off Crouch and with 5 minutes remaining, he nodded in a Joe Cole cross to give the lead once again to England. With just injury time on the cards, it looked like England had finally defeated Sweden after all these years, but the ever present Larsson made sure the Swedes maintained their record intact by scoring in an injury time equaliser - from yet another set piece. England and Sweden make it through to the next round and face Ecuador and Germany respectively.
England 2-2 Sweden
34-J.Cole(ENG), 51-Allback(SWE), 85-Gerrard(ENG), 90-Larsson(SWE)

Trinidad and Tobago took on Paraguay with a glimmer of hope that they would be able to defeat them and England would win, to propel them into the next round along with the English. But sadly, for them, they were not able to breach the Paraguay defence and an own goal put them in serious trouble. Paraguay who are out of the world cup played with vigor and Cuevas scored a late second to seal the win. The defeat meant that both the teams leave the World Cup having played just 3 games, but Paraguay can take heart in this win.
Trinidad & Tobago 0-2 Paraguay
25-Sancho og(T&T), 86-Cuevas(PAR)

Day 11

Switzerland took on Togo knowing that a win would put them on top of their group and started the game in attack mode and soon scored the all important opening goal. Though Togo were equally good on the field and had chances, they were just not able to finish their moves. In front of the goal, the Swiss showed better composure and soon put the game beyond doubt by scoring the second as well. The win puts them on top of Group G with a game in hand. Togo on the other hand, face France next but know they have to pack their bags after the game and head back home.
Togo 0-2 Switzerland
17-Frei(SUI),88-Barnetta(SUI)

Ukraine, smarting after their 4-0 defeat against the Spaniards, needed to put in a convincing performance if they had to follow Spain through to the next round and boy, did they do it in style. The Saudi's were just spectators for most of the game as the Ukrainians dominated completely and put 4 goals behind the hapless Saudi Keeper - who was at fault lotta times. Shevchenko scored the third and made his mark on the World stage, and though he bagged only one goal, he was in the heart of every Ukraine attack and was rightfully given a standing ovation when he was substituted late in the game. The final goal showed his team spirit as he unselfishly passed it on to Kalinichenko to finish it.A true captains performance indeed.
Saudi Arabia 0-4 Ukraine
4-Rusol(UKR), 36-Rebrov(UKR), 46-Shevchenko(UKR), 84-Kalinichenko(UKR)

After scoring 4-0 against the Ukrainians, the Spanish Armada were hoping for a similar win over Tunisia. Tunisia had the perfect start when Minari put the ahead in the 8th minute to silence the Spanish fans. But Tunisia failed to kill the game off with a second and were punished for it. Spain fought relentlessly and the equaliser came in the 72st minute from none other than Raul - who had come on at half time. This was the goal that the Spaniards needed. Four minutes later, the impressive Torres added a second and at the stroke of full time, all Tunisian hopes of a draw vanished as Torres completed a brace from the spot after he was brought down in the box by Yahia. Spain lead the Group and look set to cause some trouble for their opponents in the next round.
Spain 3-1 Tunisia
8-Minari(TUN), 72-Raul(ESP), 76,90-Torres(ESP)

Day 10

Both Croatia and Japan needed a win to put them in a good position but they just were not able to move on from 1st gear. The game saw good chances for both of the teams, the best chance coming to Serna of Croatia who missed a penalty - full marks to Kawaguchi for saving the shot and keeping Japan in the game. Sharing the spoils gives both of them an equal chance, though a remote one and they have to keep an eye on the other game in the group to see if they progress. Sadly, I don't see them progressing unless they come up with a fantastic performance - and prove me wrong!
Croatia 0-0 Japan

The second game of the night saw the defending champions - after a rather unconvincing win over Croatia - taking on the men from down under, Australia. With both teams having a win under the belt, this was a fight for supremacy in the group and hopefully to cement their place in the next stage. As in the previous game, the Brazilians were far from their best and in fact, the Australians were doing the attacking. Ronaldo was yet again a pale shadow on the field and was eventually substituted for Robinho. But he did play his part in the first goal, squaring it across to Adriano, who calmly drove the ball in the corner past the diving Schwarzer. With the score at 1-0, the Australians did have a chance of a comeback, but their hopes went in flames when Fred, who came on for Adriano, had a simple tap in to kill the game of and give Brazil a not to deserved win.
Brazil 2-0 Australia
49-Adriano(BRA),90-Fred(BRA)

France were yet to open their dusty scoring books which they had done last in 1998, when Petit scored the 3rd goal in the finals against Brazil. But the French did not have to wait for long as Henry found the net inside ten minutes to take a lotta pressure off the French. But they failed to kill the game off with a second and were punished late in the game as ManU's Park headed past Barthez to leave France in a delicate position in the Group. The 1998 World Champions are on the verge of an another early (first round) exit for the second successive tournament.
France 1-1 South Korea
9-Henry(FRA),81-Park(KOR)

Day 9

Portugal and Iran opened the day's games and much fancied Portugal were expected to win. And they did not disappoint any of the fans and completed a 2-0 win over the Iranians with Deco scoring a scorcher and Christiano Ronaldo adding in the second from the Penalty spot. Though Iran had their chances, Portugal were more or less in control over the game and finally emerged the winners. Having won their first game, they will now be looking at the other groups to see who they might face in the next stage.
Portugal 2-0 Iran
62-Deco(POR), 79-Ronaldo(POR)

The Czech Republic had romped home with a more than convincing win over the Americans and had easily hammered 3 goals in past Keller, but the Ghanaians were an entirely different story. With muscle power and really good passing play they caused the first upset of this World Cup by defeating the Czechs by 2 goals to none. Hardly had the Ref started the game, and before the Czech's could realise what was happening, Gyan sent the ball crashing into the back of the net to give Ghana a fantastic start to the game. As the game progressed, there were no signs of the same Czech team which had commanded the game against the Americans but looked like a team lost on the field of play. This win throws the Group wide open, which was considered by some to be the 'Group of Death', and looks like this will go down to the wire to see which two teams make it through to the next round.
Czech Republic 0-2 Ghana
1-Gyan(GHA), 81-Muntari(GHA)

This game had the most drama in the World Cup so far. Red cards galore and disallowed goals were the name of the game at Kaiserslautern. The Italians took on the Americans knowing that a win would put then in a commanding position. A 22nd minute diving header by Gilarindo puts the Italians in the lead and the Americans seem to be resigned for another loss. Italy were dominating and looked set to take the game away from the United States. But no one would have predicted what followed! Five minutes later, Christian Zaccardo's attempted clearance ended up in the back of the net to give the US hope and the will to put on a fight. Within a few minutes, more drama ensured, as De Rossi made a sickening, needless elbow into McBride's face and got a deserved red card. You don't elbow your opponent hard and try to walk away with just a warning! Off goes Rossi to bring on more trouble to Italy. The game had all the ingredients of a battle and the Americans had the hope of getting maximum points now, and started to attack more and more. The game seemed to sway from side to side by the minute but trouble for the Americans as Mastroeni's two footed lunge gave him the marching orders. In my opinion this was a yellow card and not a red. But the man in the middle had other opinions. If that was a dubious decision, the what followed a couple of minutes later was even more astounding. Pope slid in on Gilardino and was show the red card as well. Will there be enough players to end the game in a good way?? Lotta people had their doubts and even some of the Italian players were not happy with the decision. What promised to be an entertaining encounter was turning out to be a desperate strive to stay on the field longer and 10 men Italy were trying to get the winner against 9 men USA! Did they game have anything else in the offing? The Italians pressed forward in search of the winner and Del Piero's shot was saved brilliantly by Keller - the American Custodian. Was it not for Keller's super saves, the Italians would have most probably walked away with the win. The Italian's three pronged attack of Iaquinta, Gilardino and Del Piero failed to send the ball past Keller and the game ended in a 1-1 draw and no more red cards - thankfully! This draw coupled with Ghana's win over the Czech earlier, puts this Group in a tight spot, where all four teams have the probability of making it through. Go on Azzurri...Forza Italia!!!
Italy 1-1 USA
22-Gilardino(ITA), 27-Zaccardo og(ITA)

Day 8

Argentina have always been a super power and they showed their class against Serbia and Montenegro. A 3 nil win would have been convincing, but they made sure everybody took notice of them and hammered in 6 past the hapless Serbian Defence.To make matters worse for the European Team, Kezman was sent off in the second half for a two footed challenge. But even with 11 men to defend, I don't think the result would have changed. Argentina were absolutely stunning on the field and produced a magnificent all round display. Once again, Riquelme was the architect driving the game from midfield and in the end made sure they had a comfortable win. The much awaited Messi - heir to Maradona's place in the team - came on late in the game and finished the scoring with a fine goal. Maradona, who was on the stands, could not hide his delight after the win which left them in a very comfortable position. If they continue to play this way, the other teams would probably need a 6 man defence to try and keep them form scoring.
Argentina 6-0 Serbia & Montenegro
5-Maxi(ARG), 30-Cambiasso(ARG), 40-Maxi(ARG), 77-Crespo(ARG), 83-Tevez(ARG), 87-Messi(ARG)

Holland had to win against the Ivory Coast, or Cote d'Ivoire if you must, to make sure they made it to the next round and they had to fight it out tooth and nail. The Dutch opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and followed it with the second 3 minutes later, but their lead was cut short when Kone pulled one back for Ivory Coast. Then on the Dutch had to defend as Drogba and Co. kept pushing forward to score the all important equaliser and keep their hopes alive. But, the Orange brigade held on for the win and sent the Ivory Coast crashing out the World Cup in the first Stage.
Holland 2-1 Cote d'Ivoire
22-van Persie(HOL), 25-van Nistelrooy(HOL), 37-Kone(CIV)

Mexico were fresh from their 3-1 win over Iran and were hoping for a similar result against Angola, but neither team were able to breach the other's defence and had to settle for a tame 0-0 draw. The draw meant they shared the spoils and Mexico can afford it but can will it be enough for Angola?It puts them in a tight spot where they have to win their final game and hope results go their way elsewhere. A rather tough ask considering the final game between Portugal and Mexico.
Mexico 0-0 Angola

Day 7

Ecuador have been the surprise package of this world cup - so far. They have scored 5 goals and have conceded none. If they can keep their tempo for the next round, all the other leading contenders should take a good look at them - especially England and Sweden , as one of them will have to fight it out in the next round. As soon as the first goal went in, yet again by Carlos Tenorio, Ecuador never looked to be in any trouble and Delgado put the game beyond the Costa Ricans. Kaviedes added a third in injury time to add the icing on the cake and send Costa Rica catch the early flight back home. In the first half, much of the possession was with Ecuador with Costa Rica having the occasional chances but the second half proved to be more lively as they attacked more and had a good share of the possession as well. But in the end, they had to walk away, knowing the third game does not change anything and will be heading home soon.
Ecuador 3-0 Costa Rica
8-Tenorio(ECU), 54-Delgado(ECU), 90-Kaviedes(ECU)

Ahh...England, England! What do I say? I have the Union Jack flying high in my apartment, but after seeing them play in the two games, maybe I should bring down to half-mast. The flair and attack of the English is dead and buried! Even though they started brightly and were attacking with full flow, they were not able to direct most of the strikes at the goal! And Lampard, dear Lord, he would not have scored even if he had played till midnight! The ever dependent Chelsea midfielder was way off target and had around 8 chances! I had said, the key was Lampard, and he certainly seemed to prove it!England were struggling! Crouch and Owen missed clear chances as well, especially Crouch, who had an absolute sitter but missed his volley by almost a mile! At the other end, Paul Robinson was having a field day, that is if he was a clown! The English stopper, who is normally at his best, was hopelessly flapping at air for most of the crosses, and Terry kept saving the blushes. England would have gone behind, was it not for Terry who made a stunning goal line clearance, as Robinson had made a another bad decision and had rushed out only to miss the ball completely. With half an hour remaining, Sven brought on Rooney (there were cries of Rooney all over the stadium) and Lennon for Owen and Carragher respectively. This sparked a change in the way England played. Rooney was the morale booster and Lennon was the real threat down the right.England kept pouring forward and left only three men in the defence - actually it was a one-man defence with Terry. As England poured forward on all sides, T&T were getting desperate to hang on to the point and the result was a number of fouls in dangerous positions. Finally, the clock struck 83 minutes, Beckham sent in another fine ball, Crouch rose high in the air and his bullet header hit the back of the net. England have finally scored! The relief on Beckham's face was clearly visible and the fans were back on their feet. This was the goal they were hoping for! In injury time, Gerrard, who had slipped into an anonymous role, struck a sweet volley - a typical Gerrard drive - to finish off the game in style and hand a 2-0 win to the Englishmen! Another good game for Beckham and Terry and not a memorable one for Lampard and Robinson.
England 2-0 Trinidad & Tobago
83-Crouch(ENG), 90-Gerrard(ENG)

The Swedes had to win to keep them the favourites to go to the next round along with England and as expected started in a thundering mood. But the solid Paraguay defence easily held on to the attack and kept them at bay. The Scandinavians were searching for the elusive goal and brought on a surprise substitution for the second half. Allback on for Ibrahimovic! Defender in the place of a Striker and even more surprising was that he lined up next to Larsson. With the lively Allback and Larsson providing the strikes it looked like it was just a matter of time before the took the lead. But they kept the fans waiting till the 89th minute, when after some good work by Allback, Arsenal's Ljungberg headed in a dramatic winner and ensured they qualified for the next round.
Sweden 1-0 Paraguay
89-Ljungberg(SWE)

Day 6

When it comes to World cups, Spain have the tag of a perennial under-achievers but against the Ukraine, they showed what they are capable of. Though there were numerous wrong offside calls against Shevchenko, that does not undermine Spain's fantastic 4-0 win. As soon as Xabi Alonso headed in the opener, it had all the markings of a high scoring game. But unfortunately, all the goals came from Spain and left Ukraine wounded. If there was an award for the best team goal, I would have to say it goes to the Spaniards for their 4th goal. Puyol was the architect and he weaved through the Ukraine midfield and Torres finished it with aplomb. A 4-0 hammering was not what the Ukrainians had in mind, but on the field only one team played and the other struggled to cope up with the heat and the Spanish pace. Will this be Spain's tournament finally?Or will they fail to stamp their authority yet again?
Spain 4-0 Ukraine
13-Alonso(SPA), 17,48(Pen)-Villa(SPA), 81-Torres(SPA)

Saudi Arabia against Tunisia pitted the minnows of this group, and not much was expected - atleast I did not - but it proved to be a cracker! This has, by far, been the most thrilling game of the World Cup so far. When Sami Al-Jaber came on and scored - late, late in the second half -for the Saudi's to make the score 2-1, the game looked like it was in their bag. But Roger Lemerrs's Tunisia had other ideas and Bolton's Jaidi headed in a dramatic equaliser deep into injury time. The draw gave both the teams a deserved point.
Saudi Arabia 2-2 Tunisia
23-Jaziri(TUN), 57-Al Kahtani(KSA), 84-Al Jaber(KSA), 90-Jaidi(TUN)

The Hosts, Germany, walked onto the field with high hopes as they had been able to put 4 goals behind a porous Costa Rican defence in the first game and were keen to make their mark again. The Polish, on the other hand, were beaten 2-0 by Uruguay and had to make amends by winning this. The game started with good chances for either side but the finish was never there at either end. Notably Germany had good chances to go ahead but somehow Klose and Podolski were not quite able to get the result. With the game heading to a 0-0 draw, which would give Poland some hope of making to the next round, Neuville latched on to a low cross to slide it home in the first minute of injury time. Germany have one foot in the next round now and will be keeping an eye on the other groups to see who they might have to face first in the knockout round. They could atleast take heart that their much criticized defence managed to keep the poles at bay. Looks like Germany is not gonna be one of the big name casualties.
Germany 1-0 Poland
90-Neiville(GER)