World Cup - Day Nine

6/17/2006: Italy 1 – USA 1 (Group E)

A severely wounded US team was given a huge lifeline by Ghana’s shocking upset of the Czech Republic hours earlier. After looking lackadaisical against the Czechs, the US came out very aggressively in this game completely dominating the Italians in the first 20 minutes. Their new found attitude was not rewarded however when a bad tactical mistake cost them and allowed Italy to score the first goal in the 21st minute. Trying to play offside on a free kick, Italy’s Gilardino beat Eddie Pope to a beautifully placed ball and headed past Keller. It looked to be as if the US would continue its bad track record in World Cups played in Europe (they’ve never won) and after trailing (they’re 0-14-1 in games in which the opposing team struck first blood).

Then the Americans got their second lifeline of the day when Christiano Zaccardo’s horrific clearance attempt resulted in an Italian own goal in the 27th minute. The Americans fortune would continue only what appeared to be moments later as de Rossi committed the stupidest foul of the World Cup by elbowing Brian McBride in the face while fighting for a ball in the middle of the field. What de Rossi was trying to accomplish only he will know. The facts are that when McBride rose from the ground, his face bloodied, the Italians were reduced to 10 men and the Americans had a tactical advantage they could exploit for another 60 minutes.

If that weren’t strange enough, there was more drama to come. First, towards the end of the first half, Pablo Mastroeni got a direct red card for a vicious sliding tackle that most referees would have awarded a yellow for these days. Then shortly after the intermission, Pope was given a second yellow card now reducing the Americans to 9 men. This ref was crucified on ESPN for his decisions but I thought the only bad decision he made was on the Mastroeni tackle. Other than that he applied the rule of the law correctly.

So the Americans must have felt like a man, who stranded in water gets a lifeline, but just as he is swimming back to safety, that lifetline is yanked from him, forcing him to swim desperately again to save his life. If the metaphor seems a bit melodramatic and harsh, it is intended to be since World Cup soccer can sometimes seem like life and death, at least for some fans.

As in many of these games in which the underdog has survived, the keeper has saved his team. It was no different in this case as Kasey Keller, much maligned for his performance in Game 1, pulled off miracle after miracle to keep the Americans tied. No team reduced to 9 men has ever scored a goal in World Cup history. The Americans didn’t come close to breaking that record, but by drawing 1-1 with the Italians, they kept their World Cup hope alives in the true crazy and chaotic Group of Death.

6/17/2006: Ghana 2 – Czech Republic 0 (Group E)

Everyone thought that Ivory Coast was the best African team in the tournament, but the fact is that the “Black Stars” of Ghana provided the shock of the tournament and In the process netted Africa’s first win. (The African teams had played well getting better and better, and Ghana got the victory after Angola got a tie the night before).

But perhaps the best part of this game was the manner in which Ghana dismantled the Czech Republic. Ghana had looked very good against Italy but lacked the team cohesion necessary to crack the catenaccio Against the Czech’s, fresh off their inspirational beating of the Americans, Ghana put it all together, combining brilliant individual skill with equally brilliant team play. On numerous occasions, the “Black Stars” would triangulate beautifully finding the open man, and that man would make a great individual dribbling play to find yet another open man who would then take a shot at the what has easily has to be one of the world’s top 5 keepers.

The tonic that Ghana needed in this game was the early goal when Asamoah Gyan scored after beautifully trapping a pass of his chest and then beating Cech on a low kick to the far post. Ghana was not content to stay back and preserve its lead and created excellent chances in the 33rd and 40th minute, the shot created in the latter going just high. The Checks for their part had only a handful of really meaningful chance, the most notable one when Nedved had the ball on the left hand side and had his cross blocked by the defense.

The Checks appeared to a flying start in the second half as Nedved headed the ball into the net but he was judged offside.
Ten minutes later, a dangerous cross led to a shot on goal that the keeper Kingston had to deflect. Other than that it was all one way traffic and Cech was continuously called to save his team by making one great save after another. In the 55th minute, Appiah dribbled the ball against three Check defenders and forced Cech to deflect a ball headed for goal. In the 65th after another series of dizzying dribbles and passes, the Check defender Ujfalusi was ejected taking down Amoah, who had a point blank shot after deflecting a shot to himself. Ghana had a PK and also had their opponent reduced to 10 men. However, Gyan hit the post on the resulting PK. Gyan also picked up a yellow card for practicing the penalty kick (a shot that he did make) whle the referee pursued Ufalusi around the box to present him the red card (a silly infraction that will make him miss the next game). The Check Republic were alive, but just barely at that point.

Cech then make two incredible saves in succession in the 73rd and 75th minutes against Amoah and Montari respectively. In the 81st, Ghana’s finest combination play resulted in what I think is the best team goal of the World Cup. Using incredible dribbling skills and patience at the same time, Montari received the ball after some incredible dribbling from his teammate Appiah, and he made no mistake in roofing the ball into the net, the only place the giant Cech couldn’t reach.

Towards the end of the game Ganah’s goalkeeper Kingston made two incredible saves, one an acrobatic deflection of a ball headed for the back of the net. By virtue of this victory this save could prove to be crucial in preserving goal differential in what is now a wide and chaotic group.

6/17/2006: Portugal 2 – Iran 0 (Group D)

Iran tried to frustrate Portugal just like Angola had to Mexico the day before but Portugal broke through with a great strike from Deco in the 67th minute hitting the ball first time off a cross. In the 80th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo scores on a penalty kick. Nuno Maniche was the target man early and had 3 shots on goal after some great passing but then Portugal but started playing too much one on one with Ronaldo and Deco running at players while everybody stood around. The Iranian defenders were not impressed with Ronaldo’s mutltitude of step-over and fakes and pretty much contained him throughout the half. So while Portugal played that style by choice, Iranian sent lone attacker to try to beat 2-3 defenders out of necessity. Their counter-attacking style never had a chance to work however as they didn’t generate any real chances at goal.