Final matches of the first round - Groups G & H

Friday, June 25, 2010 

Match 45
Durban
Portugal 0 – 0 Brazil
Place watched:  Basement, Olathe, KS

Who would have guessed that this match would be such a snoozer???  Neither team wanted to concede a goal, and played thusly.  Only rarely were forays into enemy territory rewarded with a shot.  Even rarer were those shots on target.  I would have never predicted that two teams with this much fire-power would play a boring match.


Match 46
Nelspruit
Korea DPR 0 – 3 Côte d'Ivoire
Place watched:  Basement computer, Olathe, KS

Midway through both matches I switched over to watch this match on TV and the other on my computer.  Ivory Coast was putting on a clinic.  North Korea was fortunate to not give up more than 3 goals as the Elephants imposed their offensive will.

Didier Drogba was unlucky to not have a hat-trick in this match.  He hit the underside of the crossbar (which teammate Romaric smashed into the open net for the Elephant’s second goal), then had two headers saved late in the match.

As well as Côte d'Ivoire played, it was all for naught.  The draw between Portugal and Brazil resulted in both teams moving on, leaving the Elephants on the outside looking in.


Match 47
Tshwane/Pretoria
Chile 1 – 2 Spain
Place watched:  The Brick, Kansas City, MO

Spain started this match very slowly but quickly took measures to correct the issues.  They scored in the 24th minute and followed it up with a second in the 37th minute.  The play leveled out again and the teams were fairly even going into the halftime break.

Chile cut their deficit in half almost immediately after play resumed.  Second half sub Rodrigo Millar scored in the 47th minute giving Chile new hope.

But that is where the hope for a result this match would end.  Thankfully for Chile, they will still advance.


Match 48
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Switzerland 0 – 0 Honduras
Place watched:  On line at the Brick

I was keeping an eye on this match strictly for documentation purposes, when it suddenly occurred to me that if the Swiss win and either Spain or Chile lose outright, the 2nd place team will be in doubt. 

It turned out to be for naught.  Neither team produced a goal, so the number crunchers were spared. 

The match ups for the next round have been complete:
Uruguay plays South Korea with the winner taking on the winner of the USA and Ghana.  Holland is matched with Slovakia and the winner will play the winner of Brazil and Chile.  The other side of the bracket has arguably the most difficult quadrant with the winner of Argentina / Mexico playing the winner of Germany / England.  In the lower half, Paraguay faces Japan with the winner squaring off against the winner of Spain and Portugal.  It will surely be a very exciting round!