DAY 13 REVIEW

So England has done it. We can all breathe easy for a little while at least, and forget talk of Fabio Capello resigning. The silver lining of this most relieved of clouds, is after all England’s missed chances, USA’s 92nd minute winner relegates England to second place in Group C, and a potential run to the semi-finals of Germany and Argentina as opposed to Ghana and Uruguay. But that should be seen as a challenge to the players, and hopefully, the pressure will finally be released – England will not be the favourites in either of those games. And Capello himself will feel vindicated, as the two players he brought into the starting line-up combined for the only goal. After a steady start, England broke down the right hand side. The ball was worked for James Milner, and his delicious cross allowed Jermain Defoe to get in front of his marker, Marko Suler, and the contact he made on the ball was enough to take it past the keeper Samir Handanovic. From here on in, it was almost all England, but the boys in red could not get the crucial second goal. Another Milner cross was aimed towards Defoe, and Handanovic could only parry the ball out to the edge of the area, where Frank Lampard fired over with his weaker left foot. Defoe had another site of goal from just outside the area, but Handanovic saved well, and then the Udinese keeper had to be alert to keep out a sharp effort from captain Steven Gerrard after a neat one-two with the much-improved Wayne Rooney. The game continued in similar fashion after the break, and Defoe really should have made it 2-0 within seconds of the restart. Gareth Barry headed the ball back into the penalty area after the ball was half cleared, and the Spurs striker’s flick went just the wrong side of the post. There was no flag. England were completely on top, and Handanovic saved superbly from a John Terry header, and Rooney hit the post when clean through on goal, and the crucial second goal would not come. This was giving courage to Slovenia, who were finally starting to come out of their shell, and have a spell of sustained pressure. In a frantic spell, Terry blocked from Milvoje Novakovic, Glen Johnson did likewise from Zlatko Dedic, before Walter Birsa fired the ball wide. Rooney was then replaced as it looked like he was carrying an injury. But the most important moment of the closing stages was delivered by Matthew Upson. Another long ball into the England box broke Slovenia’s way, and just as substitute Tim Matavz was lining up to shoot, the West Ham defender made a quite brilliant block, and it was England’s final scare. And now on to a date with the auld enemy, Germany, in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

As I said, USA certainly left it late to win the game, and consequently top the group. For long periods of the game, it seemed like England would ‘do an England’, or even worse, as Algeria had some presentable chances of their own. And the North Africans should have led after just five minutes, as a long ball was missed by Jay DeMerit, and Rafik Djebbour chested it down before smashing the ball against the bar with Tim Howard beaten. From here, USA took command, and striker Herculez Gomez saw a shot well saved by Algerian keeper Rais M’Boli who would become a thorn in their side. After 20 minutes, they really should have been ahead. Landon Donovan’s shot was brilliant saved, but he quickly squared the rebound for Clint Dempsey to tap home, only for the linesman to have raised his flag. Replays have showed this was the incorrect decision. Before half-time, Jozy Altidore, America’s answer to Emile Heskey, blazed wastefully over from five yards, and the game continued in this fashion into the second half. Dempsey was again at the fore, crashing a shot against the post from the edge of the area before slashing the rebound wide. Bob Bradley was getting desperate on the American bench, and sent on attackers Edson Buddle and Benny Feilhaber to try and make the difference. The latter saw a shot saved by the legs of M’Boli, but as USA were almost totally committed to attack, Algeria started to look dangerous on the break. Karim Ziani flashed a sot wide when well placed, and it looked like the breakthrough would never come for USA. But in the final minute of stoppage time, Altidore escaped down the right, and his low cross was met by Dempsey, but M’Boli produced another excellent save. But who should the rebound fall to? Donovan, racing in, slammed the ball into the bottom corner to spark wild celebrations from the relieved Americans. There was still time for Algerian captain Antar Yahia to be sent off for a second bookable offence, but the USA won’t care, as they go forward to face Ghana on Saturday in Rustenburg.


In Group D, Germany beat Ghana in an absorbing match, which was enough to send both countries through to the last 16 due to Australia’s win over Serbia. We also saw World Cup history, as for the first time ever, two brothers lined up against each other in a World Cup match. Well, half-brothers anyway, Jerome Boateng for Germany and Kevin Prince-Boateng for Ghana being the candidates. With Germany needing a win to be sure of a place in the second round, and Africa’s last hope needing a draw, the match started at a good pace, with both teams creating some good chances. Cacau and Lukas Podolski went close for the three times World champions, while Asamoah Gyan wasted a hatful of chances for Ghana. Prince-Boateng also went close for Ghana, while the game’s outstanding player, German playmaker Mesut Ozil, shot straight at keeper Richard Kingson when clean through on goal. Germany raced out of the blocks after half-time, aware that Australia and Serbia were drawing, and a Serbian goal could send them out. The game’s first moment of real quality arrived just before the hour mark, and it secured Germany’s safe passage as group winners. Thomas Muller fed Ozil just outside the area, and as his control cushioned the ball, he fired a brilliant left foot half-volley into the top corner. Now it was Ghana’s chance to come forward, as they knew a Serbia goal could knock them out. Some brilliant last ditch defending from Boateng and captain Philip Lahm denied Prince Tagoe and Andre Ayew, but in the end, both teams could celebrate at the end. There were some nervous moments after the final whistle, but when news came through of Australia’s narrow win in Nelspruit, Africa finally had confirmed representation in the second round.

Following Ghana’s defeat to Germany, Serbia will see their 2-1 defeat to Australia as a missed opportunity, by a talented team. In the event, one more goal would have taken them through in second place, but Raddy Antic’s side could not find that crucial strike. It was also a case of missed opportunities, as Serbia dominated the majority of the game but were made to pay for missing some glaring chances. The match began in unsavoury fashion, as the talented Serbian winger Milos Krasic dived in a blatant attempt to win a penalty, which was not forthcoming but neither was a yellow card. Mark Schwarzer was their nemesis in the Australia goal, as he made superb saves to deny Krasic and Branislav Ivanovic. Krasic had an even better chance to give his side the lead, when he collected a through ball through Zdravko Kuzmanovic, rounded Schwarzer, but shot wastefully over. Australia offered little going the other way, as they knew it would take a miracle to progress – only a Ghana win over Germany, or a German win and a huge win for themselves, would have seen them progress. In the second half, Australia came into the game more, as Jason Culina and Mark Bresciano both tested Wigan keeper Vladimir Stojkovic, but the whole complexion of the game was changed after 69 minutes, as Tim Cahill fired in a trademark bullet header from Lucas Neill’s right wing cross. And they doubled their lead four minutes later, as substitute Brett Holman scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty area. In a twist of fate, Australia now needed two more goals to go through. But it was Serbia who finished the stronger. Substitute Marko Pantelic pulled one back with six minutes remaining, as Schwarzer made an uncharacteristic error when he spilled a shot from Zoran Tosic. Serbia wanted a penalty for a handball by Cahill, but they have only themselves to blame for failing to progress, as Pantelic missed a sitter in injury time.



PLAYER OF THE DAY – Landon Donovan.

Talk about leading by example. With his team staring elimination in the face, he popped up with the vital winner a minute from time. Just as in the game with Slovenia, he pulled his team back from the dead when it really mattered. After missing a catalogue of chances, USA never gave up, and the pile-on after Donovan slammed the ball home shows just what it meant to them. And with Ghana, and possibly Uruguay, awaiting them, who knows how far this team can go?

GOAL OF THE DAY – Mesut Ozil.

The young Werder Bremen playmaker has shown he is a special talent since Germany’s first game of this World Cup, and he proved it by scoring the goal which took his country through to the next round as group winners. Thomas Muller found him on the edge of the area, but with very few options he fired in a beautiful half-volley from the edge of the area after the ball sat up for him.

GAFFE OF THE DAY – Marko Pantelic.

With seconds remaining, Serbia’s goalscorer turned from hero to villain, as is so often the want of the World Cup. One more goal would have taken his country through, but when Danko Lazovic’s cross from the right found him unmarked in front of goal, he could only blaze harmlessly over the bar.

MOMENT OF THE DAY – USAs winner.

After so many near misses, the United States must have thought they’d wasted their chance, and they’d be heading out of the tournament with three draws. But in the last minute of stoppage time, Jozy Altidore broke down the right, Clint Dempsey’s shot from his cross was brilliant saved by Rais M’Boli, but captain fantastic Landon Donovan was following in to turn heartbreak into elation. Cue an old fashioned pile-on, with the hero Donovan at the bottom.

FANTASY TEAM

Igor Kolarov got not points for Serbia as his country conceded two goals, but Ashley Cole earned himself eight points for England as he helped his country get the clean sheet which helped seal their progression. But German keeper Manuel Neuer scored the most points for his team, as his clean sheet earned him 12 points.