World Cup Blog – Quarterfinal Recap
The quarterfinals are an interesting point in the tournament. A team that comes to the World Cup with a goal of reaching the knockout can label their outing a resounding success if they exceed expectations by reaching the quarterfinals (e.g. the US in 2002). On the other side, world powers like Brazil, Argentina, and Spain would find anything less than a semifinal berth as a resounding failure. Stuck in the middle are teams like Holland, Germany, Portugal, and England that could probably be mildly content reaching the quarters and bowing out if they found an unfavorable matchup.
These quarterfinals had extra meaning, as there has been a great deal of talk about how the South American sides might be ready to knock Europe off the pedestal of football domination. Not so fast…
Netherlands 2 – Brazil 1
The orange were brilliant, eventually… after losing their key center back to a knee injury mere minutes before kickoff, they conceded a goal right off the bat. By halftime there was little doubt that Brazil would coast. However, as our Adrian team saw firsthand on our European Tour, the Dutch have a way of developing a style of play that matches up against the biggest and best. In what some would label a “David vs. Goliath” match, it was fitting that a 5’7″ mid scored the game winning header. Kind of reminded me of Tessa Kellar’s unlikely 4th minute header in a 1-0 win against Albion last year.
Uruguay 1 – Ghana 1 (Uruguay Wins Shootout)
I’ve wondered for a long time about the ethical implications of a goal-saving handball… but I had never seen a scenario fit the loophole so clearly. Last play of the game, go home or take your chances saving a PK… and it all rested on a split-second decision. The plot was scripted flawlessly by my favorite talking point, Luis Suarez… or should I say “Santo” Luis Suarez as he will be known in Uruguay for decades.
It’s a shame for Ghana to have had their tournament ended by an intentional act of cheating… but with an 84% chance of scoring the game-winning PK, they definitely have to shoulder some of the blame. That said, one of the oddities of sport is that while PK shootouts are pretty much a coinflip, momentum is such a huge factor… in the pit of your stomach, after the way extra time ended, there was just an overwhelming feeling that it wasn’t meant for Ghana to advance.
Germany 4 – Argentina 0
Whoa. Didn’t see that coming. When I filled out my ESPN Bracket before the tournament began, I did think that Argentina would slip up. Maradona, (hand of) God love him, is not a technical genius. But to be this completely unprepared to play against a disciplined side such as Germany was disappointing.
Before the game, I texted our men’s coach to say that I wanted to see Uruguay, Holland, Argentina, and Spain advance. After watching this match, Germany has fully earned my interest… I want to watch them play more. Then again, it would wreck my prediction of a Netherlands/Spain final… hmm.
Spain 1 – Paraguay 0
Rounding out the most exciting quarterfinal round that I can recall, the second half of this match was maybe more unbelievable than the Uruguay/Ghana match. Two PK’s given, three taken (after Alonso’s was retaken), and still 0-0 heading into the final minutes of regulation. Villa once again with a piece of magic… rebound off of the post, shot, post again, across the goal, other post, and in. If you watch the shot in slow motion (something ESPN/ABC has provided very well throughout the tourney) you can see that the shot was more difficult than it looks… he was off balance with the ball caught beneath him a bit… the placement was more instinct than anything.
On the subject of goalkeeping, a lot of writers were listing Brazil’s Julio Cesar as the best keeper in the tournament. Absolutely not. The best, unfortunately, could have been Buffon who sat out for Italy with a back injury. The homers might vote for USA’s Tim Howard, but I found him to be average after the first match. Casillas is my pick and his PK save with no rebound was clutch. I expect heroics against the Germans… and Spain might need it to advance.
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