Much as I like to see Australia in the World Cup, something we should see more of now that they're qualifying out of Asia, I have trouble getting excited about a half-speed Brazil team that can coast to the knock-out rounds. To me, if Ronaldo is still playing, Brazil can't be serious. It sounds like he's on the field so he can try to get three more goals and break Gerd Muller's all-time World Cup scoring record. The gigantic whiff he took on the ball in his only real scoring chance today before being subbed for Robinho may put that to bed, though, as well as Robinho and Adriano both scoring in this game, although Robinho was really just finishing off a goal for Fred.
I was also really impressed by Croatia playing a tough game against Brazil until I saw how unable to put anything away they were against Japan, and how close Australia came to taking points off Brazil as well. Well, the Brazil-Croatia game was pretty cool, but the rest of this group has been a little rough. I have no idea why Harry Kewell came in as a sub in the second half, nearly scoring after like 5 seconds... actually that play said a lot. Dida came out for a bad clearance by Roberto Carlos, fired straight up in the air in the box, only to have Mark Viduka stake out the ground like a fireplug. The ball came down on a wrestling Dida and Viduka, and Kewell streaked in to fire it at an empty net, but had more adrenaline than sense on the shot and put it nowhere near the goal. Just disappointing, somehow. Unless Kewell has been injured, he's been far and away Australia's biggest talent of the past few years, but he has to wait an hour before going into the game against Brazil? Maybe there's something I don't know there.
Croatia against Japan was also a little disappointing, although I may just be burning out on too many World Cup games in too few days, with the phone constantly ringing with more scores, questions, strange observations about the caller's penis, etc. The Croats couldn't put anything away, including a penalty where the player faked a shot left, put the ball perfectly in the right hand corner, but totally failed to fool the keeper. Maybe it's like Belgium, who always found ways to hang in and frustrate the better teams in the world, but sucked against mediocre teams that didn't give them anything to play off of. Japan is failing to bring the best out of these teams.
In any case, Brazil is into the second round, almost certainly as group winner, and Croatia needs a win over Australia to make the second round. I'm assuming Japan doesn't come up with a huge win over Brazil.
Brazil 2-0 Australia
'49 Adriano
'91 Robinho
Croatia 0-0 Japan
Brazil 6 pts 3-0
Australia 3pts 3-3
Croatia 1pt 0-1
Japan 1pt 1-3
No comments:
Post a Comment