Where to begin? We deserved to be down 2-0 in the first half after such poor defensive play and an attack that looked to bypass the midfield in an ugly dump-and-run tactic. We were pulled out of position time and again on defense, and in offense our players refused to check to the ball, preferring to set up along the box as if a set piece were being played.
That all changed in the second half. Bradley must’ve given them a real spanking, and he pulled Torres for Edu, with Fielhaber in for ineffectual Findley (moving Dempsey up top). Edu didn’t do a whole lot, but he SCORES GOALS – he did the same thing for Rangers at the end of their season, and he did it again today. Problem is we were robbed by the ref (who also gave a ridiculous booking to Findley in the first half). Following the terribly officiated Germany match prior to ours, the refs have gone from great to crap overnight. Let’s hope England get the same treatment later today.
Today we find out if our team has a real shot at the knockout round. Slovenia are a scrappy team that put out Russia on the way to qualification, so they’ll be no pushovers. Let’s hope it’s the Slovenians who will be the jittery unsettled side when the game starts, and that we’re the ones who score an early goal for once.
This was an upset that absolutely no one thought would happen, except, perhaps, for Switzerland’s veteran German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who has, as they say, seen it all, or at least he’s seen the film of how the United States beat Spain last summer in the Confederations Cup. His surprisingly simple game plan gave the world a blueprint to beat the European champions. Journalists like the venerable @sidlowe are saying that Switzerland’s goal was “absurdly silly and fortunate,” but France went down to such a goal against Senegal and never recovered in 2002. It looked unlucky at the time, but seems indelible in retrospect.
The wheel goes round, and we’re back to Group A action with the Bafana Bafana back up, this time against the dangerous Diego Forlan and Uruguay. It’ll be another tough match for the African side, at least it’s the late game and we don’t feel so bad about drinking while running commentary.
After much anticipation, the tournament favorites start their campaign to add world glory to that ’08 euro. No baby-faced striker up top for the boys in red, so please, enjoy this action shot Nando instead.
Obviously, there was no way anyone could expect SA to keep up that pace. Needless to say, by morning, the hangover was in full effect, and there was hardly a vuvuzela to be heard before 10. The actual onset of winter weather (for here) has not helped, creating an extremely gray day. At the fanfest for the Arg/Nig first half, the crowd split fairly evenly, Messi v Africa, but far more of black South Africa participated than in the bars in around Long St.
Just a huge, big, gigantic first day.