23 June 2014
AUSTRALIA 0
SPAIN 3 (Villa 36, Torres 69, Mata 82)
Spain restored some pride with a comfortable win over Australia. Villa played and scored in his final game at international level. Iniesta released Juanfran down the left and Villa back heeled his centre past Ryan, his 59th goal for Spain. He was replaced by Mata and sat on the bench in tears. Mata laid the ball off for Iniesta and headed for the centre of the penalty area, no one was tracking Torres, and who can blame them because he's pure shit, but nonetheless he shot Iniesta's pass inside the right post. THIS is his level. Fabregas, criminally underused thus far, picked out Mata with a glorious pass to the back post and he nutmegged Ryan to complete an easy victory.
Attendance : 39,375
Assists : Juanfran, Iniesta, Fabregas
NETHERLANDS 2 (Fer 77, Depay 92)
CHILE 0
Depay forced a corner with a shot from distance, Robben played it short to Janmaat and Fer headed in his cross. Chile's lack of height is a major weakness. In the first minute of injury time the Dutch broke from a Chile corner, De Jong released Robben with probably the best pass of his career and Robben tore down the left before centring for Depay to tap in at the back post. Two goals from two subs. Very easy for the Dutch though Vidal was rested to be being booked and without him Chile lose a lot in midfield, even if he isn't 100%.
Attendance : 62,996
Assists : Janmaat, Robben
18 June 2014
SPAIN 0
CHILE 2 (Vargas 20, Aranguiz 43)
Chile could have scored in the opening seconds but the big news was Xavi and Pique were benched. It was fitting that the bastard Xabi Alonso, forced to make hurried passes as his fellow midfielders had suddenly ran out of gas, conspired to give Chile the lead. He underhit a pass to Ramos, Sanchez intercepted and played a one-two with Vidal, Vidal returning the ball by nutmegging Ramos, Sanchez put on the breaks and split Ramos and Azpilicueta with a pass to Aranguiz, Aranguiz centred to Vargas who stepped away from Casillas as he dived at his feet and poked the ball into an empty net, ala Van Persie in the first game. Fantastic goal. Xabi Alonso should have been sent off for making one of his trademark late tackles, jumping into Isla with a typically late foul. He also gave away the free kick for the second goal. Sanchez struck what can only be described as nice free kick for the cameras i.e. it looked good but didn't threaten a goal however Casillas slapped the ball to Aranguiz and he struck a superb shot with the outside of his right foot, curling away from Casillas.
Bravo also failed to hold a free kick, Costa leapt in the air and sent an overhead kick to the back post leaving Busquets with a tap-in but he shanked wide. Shame. Koke, on for Xabi Alonso, nobbled Aranguiz, forcing him to leave and the game was up for Spain when that waste of space Torres came on for Diego Costa. Chile should have added more on the break but it didn't matter, Spain were out.
"IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness."
I wish to state that I am stealing Daniele's gimmick. I refuse to acknowledge Spain's World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 wins. I refuse to accept they are or were EVER capable of beating Italy and of course Germany but especially Italy as Italians are clearly better tactically, technically and physically than those gassed up fucking umpa lumpas.
Spain will rebuild of course but I doubt they'll win another major trophy. Players like Xavi and Puyol don't grow on trees. These were once in a generation players. I suggested Diego Costa wasn't suited to their style of play and that style doesn't work without blood doping so they'll go back to being a neat and tidy team that weave nice patterns and get bullied by physically superior opponents, just as it should be.
Attendance : 74,101
Assists : Aranguiz, n/a
AUSTRALIA 2 (Cahill 21, Jedinak 54 Pen)
NETHERLANDS 3 (Robben 20, van Persie 58, Depay 68)
Blind intercepted a hospital pass and headed down to Robben, he broke Wilkinson's tackle in midfield, ran 50 yards and shot wide of Ryan. Seconds later Cahill equalised with what will be a strong contender for goal of the tournament. McGowan hit a high pass from outside the half-way line towards Cahill, he pulled off the shoulder of de Vrij and ripped a left foot volley in off the underside of the crossbar. Utterly brilliant goal. Cahill was lucky to only receive a yellow for smashing into Indi, who has to be stretchered off. He didn't go in with studs showing but it was a cynical foul. He's out of their final game against the Spanish which is a shame as I'm sure he would have kicked Xabi Alonso or Busquets.
The Aussies were awarded a charity penalty when from point blank range Bozanic's cross hit Janmaat's left hand. Leckie (who is not an electrician) tackled Depay but as he tried to bring the ball out of defence, Depay stuck out a foot and poked the ball to Sneijder, Depay got to his feet, played a one-two with Sneijder then found Van Persie in front of three defenders and with Davidson screwing up the offside he smashed high into the net. Van Persie was lucky to avoid red for what can only be described as a forwards tackle on Jedinak. He misses the last group game which unfortunately for the Dutch takes place before Brazil whack Cameroon. Depay tried his luck from 35 yards and a wicked swerve and cruel bounce beat him all ends up, despite commentators claiming he should have saved it.
Players are having zero problems with the ball in this tournament.
Attendance : 42,877
Assists : Blind, McGowan, n/a, Depay, Guzman
13 June 2014
CHILE 3 (Sanchez 12, Valdivia 14, Beausejour 92)
AUSTRALIA 1 (Cahill 35)
Sanchez ran into traffic but Araguiz flicked the ball between two defenders and as Ryan came off his line to close him down danced around him and crossed, Vargas got in front of the static Jedinak to head the ball down and Sanchez poked a shot inside the right post. Two minutes later a brilliant turn from Sanchez took him away from Jedinak, Vargas ran ahead of him, taking out four defenders, Sanchez slipped a pass inside to Valdivia who promptly smashed high over Ryan. At this stage Australia must have been fearing a Spain level thrashing but the Aussies fought back superbly and may have been level earlier but for Tommy Oar who was embarrassingly poor. It shouldn't really come as a surprise that Chile conceded a cross, they're midgets. Franjic curled in a cross from the right and Cahill got above Vidal to head brilliantly head past Bravo.
The game become very stretched and the Aussies continued to trouble Chile with their pace and athleticism. A furious Vidal was subbed on 60 minutes and clearly hasn't remotely recovered from the injury that has troubled him over the last few months. The Australians began to tire and Wigan legend, and let's be honest they don't have many, Beausejour arrowed in a late third after Ryan saved at the feet of Pinilla.
Attendance : 40,275
Assists : n/a, Sanchez, Franjic, n/a
SPAIN 1 (Xabi Alonso 27 Pen)
NETHERLANDS 5 (Van Persie 44, Robben 53, de Vrij 64, Van Persie 72, Robben 80)
After Sneijder blew a one v one against Casillas then Spain went down the other end and Costa stamped on Dr Vrij's trailing leg to win a devious penalty there surely could have only been one winner? Blind hit an inswinging cross from the left flank towards Van Persie, he pulled off the shoulder of Ramos and with Casillas advancing to the penalty spot went horizontal to score with an outrageous header.
Blind clipped a fantastic first time pass 40 yards over the Spanish defence to Robben, he jumped in the air to bring the ball down, stepped inside Pique then fired a shot inside the left post. Diego Costa was lucky not to see red when he sneakily butted (pushed) his head into Indi who tried to make sure he would get a red by feigning injury but Rizzoli didn't see it. It mattered little as ten minutes later Sneijder swung over a free kick and of course Casillas got nowhere near the ball leaving De Vrij to get above Azpilicueta and head into an empty net. Casillas gifted Van Persie a second, he lost control of a Ramos back pass with a terrible first touch, Van Persie tackled him then tapped into an empty net. Sneijder released Robben with a ball out of defence, Ramos did well to keep up, Casillas dived at his feet so he put on the breaks, turned his back to Casillas then ran past, feigned to shoot which dropped Casillas flat on his face then took two more steps before smashing home the fifth. Fittingly rent boy Torres dived for a penalty that wasn't given then with the goal at his mercy dithered over a shot and a defender ran in and snapped away the ball.
Spain didn't play tikki-takki, they were unable to press the Dutch with the frenzied pace that has been a feature of their game for the past four years, probably because following the blood doping scandal they're clean and without the athletic advantage blood doping gave them, they wouldn't have won the Euros in 2012 or the World Cup two years earlier. They are the biggest cheats in sport. It defies logic that a largely small team can overpower larger opponents physically. This is Spain's level. Outside of 2008, which was a legit triumph, they are a top 8 side at best. Casillas has always been weak on crosses and nothing has infuriated me more over the past four years than teams not going long and high against them. That is always the way to attack Spanish teams because crossing isn't a feature of their game domestically. Ramos couldn't mark a desk but was effective beside Puyol. Playing alongside Pique he is the mediocre defender everyone knows him to be.
The Dutch began in this fashion in Euro 2008 under Van Basten by smashing Italy so it's too early to say whether this is a mark of intent or simply one of those days when fuelled by revenge the Dutch wanted it more. Obviously they have the potential to crush teams who play with a high line as Spain do but then Robben and Van Persie also have the potential to get injured. For over 40 years the Dutch have done nothing new tactically, until today when LVG played with a 3-5-2 formation.
Attendance : 48,173
Assists : Costa (won pen), Blind, Blind, Sneijder, n/a, n/a