What next for Liverpool?

Liverpool are one of the more baffling clubs in the Premier League. They must have thought they’d secured the title of Most Hilariously Mismanaged Club when Portsmouth tumbled down to the Championship, only for Newcastle (who, let’s not forget, play their home games at sportsdirect.com@St. James’ Park) to come straight back up. And although Rafael Benitez has finally left the building to bring his special brand of picking eleven names out of a hat to Inter in Serie A, the loopy reign of bickering old married couple Tom Hicks and George Gillett continues for now as they search for some rats to jump onto the sinking ship of debt that Liverpool Football Club has become.

New manager Woy Hodgson is tasked with making sense of a club that is hemorrhaging money and whose best players are getting restless faced with a season free of Champions League football and with no obvious funding to strengthen. I love Woy, and I wish him well, but it seems a massive uphill trek for him to take Liverpool back to where the fans are convinced they belong.

Let’s look at the team on paper. Liverpool’s problem is that they have a huge amount of professional footballers on their books but most of them are young players who have not been good enough over the last few years to push on from the reserves to the first team. Aside from them, the first team squad is actually quite thin, and in the last few days has only got thinner with the departures of Emiliano Insua to Fiorentina and Yossi Benayoun to Chelsea. Benayoun in particular is a huge loss in my view. He’s a player who was criminally underused by Benitez, consistently one of Liverpool’s most potent creative influences, who can play all across the midfield and off the striker. To see him driven away from the club into the arms of more serious title contenders Chelsea is a devastating blow, because he’s the type of unsung hero who could have been a big part of a gradual push back up the table. Carlo Ancelotti has already made what could be the signing of the season for me.

Javier Mascherano is another play who seems to be on his way out. The Argentina captain has become disillusioned with life at Anfield and has been all but begging for Benitez to bring him to Milan with him, while not responding to Hodgson’s attempts to contact him over the last few days. His departure should bring in some much-needed cash but it will be impossible to buy a player of the same quality to replace him with the club in this position. Plenty of pressure will be on the shoulders of young Lucas, the enthusiastic but limited Brazilian, to step up in the centre, as well as Alberto Aquilani, who’s talented enough but so injury-prone that Benitez all but admitted last season that he cannot play two games in one week.

With Mascherano all but gone it is utterly crucial that captain Steven Gerrard, star striker Fernando Torres and goalkeeper Pepe Reina are convinced to stay, as they are the only players of real star quality that will be remaining at the club. On top of that, if we discount Mascherano, by my reckoning there are just 19 players that you would describe as being Premier League standard. Investment to pad out the squad will be required if a challenge for the top four is to be sustained.

As for a challenge for the Europa League, Liverpool will have to take it seriously, as the further they get, the more money they get. However, having just drawn either Rabotnicki of Macedonia or Mika of Armenia in the third qualifying round of that competition, they face trying to get through to the first round proper without 12 of those 19 first-teamers because the club’s medical staff have advised that none of the players who went to the World Cup should be fielded to prevent burnout. Suddenly what would have been a relatively easy tie becomes a difficult one.

Despite the undoubted talents of Woy it looks set to be a really hard season for Liverpool. Much like last summer, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are already strengthening and the Reds are going even further backwards. I would say that it would be a great achievement for Liverpool to qualify again for the Champions League this year, even though the fans will undoubtedly be expecting a title challenge. It will require several bargain signings and plenty of determination. But if anyone knows how to do well quietly, it’s Woy.

The CDB Awards: South Africa 2010

So, the greatest show on Earth has closed its curtains for another four years (at least until the first qualification match for Brazil 2014 is played in about 13 months’ time) and it’s time to have a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of South Africa 2010 in the CDB Awards.

Best Match

For me, the most exciting match we saw over the competition was one of the most controversial games – Uruguay’s quarter-final win over Ghana could not be matched for sheer emotional drama. We were treated to some fluent attacking football by both sides, particularly by Uruguay, but Sulley Muntari’s long-range swerver just before half-time stole the initiative for the last remaining African side. Diego Forlan scored a great free-kick to equalise and both sides kept going for it, coming up pretty much on a par with each other and tiring a little. Extra time arrived and it got desperate by the end, with Ghana throwing a couple of kitchen sinks into the Uruguay box right at the death before the Hand of God 2: Hand Harder scandal. Luis Suarez’ instinctive block to deny a last-gasp winner spawned a ludicrously overblown furore, demonising the player for doing what any player (the Ghanaians included) would have done in his situation, and Asamoah Gyan’s failure to convert the penalty with the last kick of regulation play was a great shame, but you cannot deny the spectacle of it. Sebastian Abreu’s inappropriate but wonderfully ballsy chipped penalty to seal the win was the icing of the cake.

Runners-up: Slovenia 2-2 USA, Slovakia 3-2 Italy, Germany 4-1 England, Argentina 0-4 Germany, Uruguay 2-3 Germany

Best Individual Performance

Bastian Schweinsteiger’s unstoppable performance at the heart of Germany’s dismemberment of Argentina was a real highlight. It was a display of total dominance, with tough tackling that never became thuggery, sharp passing to start counterattacking moves, and involvement in two of the goals. His free-kick cross for Thomas Mueller’s opener and effortless slipping away from Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore to supply Arne Friedrich were excellent. His performance only gets better when you consider that just one year ago, Schweinsteiger was an underachieving winger for club and country. Louis van Gaal has done wonders with him over the past season at Bayern Munich and no-one will have been prouder than him as Schweinsteiger announced himself as one of the world’s leading central midfielders.

Runners-up: Mesut Oezil (Germany 4-0 Australia), Diego Forlan (South Africa 0-3 Uruguay), Ryan Nelsen (Italy 1-1 New Zealand), Jean Beausejour (Chile 1-0 Switzerland), Thomas Mueller (Germany 4-1 England), Xabi Alonso (Germany 0-1 Spain)

The “Looks Like An Alien Sent From Outer Space To Play Just Off The Main Striker” Award

Mesut Oezil.

Best Hair

Honduras didn’t stand out for much in this tournament but fringe player (geddit?) Walter Martinez sported a breathtakingly silly dreadlock affair with the tips coloured alternately red and yellow. Stupendous effort.

Worst Individual Performance

I have never seen one player perform so badly and stay on the pitch the full ninety minutes as Wayne Rooney did for England against Algeria. He looked exhausted, uninterested and cripplingly short of ideas, and you could tell how angry he was with his outing by his outburst to the cameras at the end berating the fans for booing the team.

Runners-up: Abdelkader Ghezzal (Algeria 0-1 Slovenia), Sidney Govou (France 0-2 Mexico), John Terry (Germany 4-1 England), Felipe Melo (Netherlands 2-1 Brazil), Mark van Bommel (Netherlands 0-1 Spain)

Best Team Performance

Tough one to call, but I’m going for Spain’s slow-burning victory over Germany in the semi-final. They only won 1-0 and it was only through a Carles Puyol header from a corner, but what was so notable was the total cohesion and patience as they breezed past what had previously been the best team of the whole competition. Before the game there was reason to believe that Germany might neutralise Spain with their determined pressing all over the pitch but it turned out to be the eventual champions who took the German midfield out of the game, constantly hounding the defenders to force long balls forward, which just completely nullified Schweinsteiger, Oezil, and Sami Khedira. The scoreline suggested a close game, but it really wasn’t at all. Contrast Portgual’s 7-0 victory over North Korea where Carlos Queiroz’s side were no better than average at any stage.

Runners-up: Uruguay (vs. South Africa), New Zealand (vs. Italy), Germany (vs. Argentina)

Most Inspiring Team

Look no further than New Zealand – who would have predicted before the tournament kicked off that the All Whites would be the only team to leave South Africa with an unbeaten record? Ricki Herbert’s lower-leaguers and amateur bank clerks played with more pride than anyone else and you couldn’t help but wish they could have found that elusive goal against Paraguay which would have taken them through as group winners. Their backs-to-the-wall defensive performance to earn a draw with the holders Italy will live long in the memory.

Breakout Star of the Tournament

Turned out to be Bayern’s Thomas Mueller, the 20-year-old right-sided forward who came out of nowhere to sneak the Golden Boot with five goals and three assists. Displayed incredible poacher’s instincts to always arrive in the box at exactly the right time with lethal finishing to boot. Surely the natural successor to Miroslav Klose and now established as a world star.

Worst Team Performance

England’s dire 0-0 with Algeria wins on match alone, but France’s limp capitulation to Mexico takes the crown for its aftermath as well as the ninety minutes themselves. Literally nobody had a good game for France, utterly devoid of any desire and looking desperate to be eliminated just to get away from the clownish Raymond Domenech. Nicolas Anelka’s foul-mouthed tirade to the manager at half-time sparked a few days of hilarious self-destruction that brought such shame on everyone involved that President Nicolas Sarkozy vowed to personally conduct an investigation into the team’s performance.

Runners-up: Greece (vs. South Korea), England (vs. USA), Algeria (vs. Slovenia), Slovakia (vs. Paraguay), Switzerland (vs. Honduras), Honduras (vs. Switzerland), England (vs. Germany)

Team of the Tournament

Playing 4-2-3-1 as nearly all the successful teams did.

Iker Casillas (Spain); Philipp Lahm (Germany), Gerard Pique (Spain), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Jorge Fucile (Uruguay); Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Sergio Busquets (Spain); Thomas Mueller (Germany), Andres Iniesta (Spain), David Villa (Spain); Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

Best Overall Player

Forlan for me was the only man to play really well in all seven games, leading his team to a fantastic fourth place finish with intelligence and flair. Never once did he dive or complain to the referee either, just got on with the job in hand. By all accounts the nicest man at the World Cup, too, always taking time to sign autographs or talk to journalists and fans.

Player Most Likely To Have Earned A Big Money Transfer

Most people will remember Luis Suarez for the handball against Ghana but don’t forget his three well-taken goals, including an absolute pearl against South Korea, his searing pace and constant willingness to get in the box and shoot. Considering his fifty-plus goals for Ajax last season, expect plenty of rumour regarding his destination in the next few weeks.

Runners-up: Mesut Oezil (Germany), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana)

Goal of the Tournament

Look no further than Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s straight-as-an-arrow rocket blast against Uruguay in the semi-final. After several keepers had been caught out by the late movement of the Jabulani ball, Fernando Muslera could not complain about this one. From the moment it left his boot, it never deviated and struck perfectly off the inside of the far post and in.

Runners-up: Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa, vs. Mexico), David Villa (Spain, vs. Honduras), Fabio Quagliarella (Italy, vs. Slovakia), Keisuke Honda (Japan, vs. Denmark), David Villa (Spain, vs. Chile), Andres Iniesta (Spain, vs. Chile), Carlos Tevez (Argentina, vs. Mexic0), Miroslav Klose (Germany, vs. Argentina)

Alternative Team Of The Tournament

This is a team of players who might not have gone all the way in the tournament but still stood out as great without really getting all the praise they may have deserved. In many ways every bit as good as those who made the main team of the tournament. Also playing 4-2-3-1.

Samir Handanovic (Slovenia); John Pantsil (Ghana), Ryan Nelsen (New Zealand), Yuji Nakazawa (Japan), Carlos Salcido (Mexico); Anthony Annan (Ghana), Diego Perez (Uruguay); Landon Donovan (USA), Yasuhitu Endo (Japan), Jean Beausejour (Chile); Nelson Haedo Valdez (Paraguay)

Day 31: Campeones! 2

Netherlands 0 – 1 Spain (a.e.t)

That’s it, justice is done and the best team have won. Spain triumphed in what ended up as a straightforward battle between good and evil that rivalled anything from Middle Earth.

The first half of the showpiece occasion was one of the worst forty-five minutes of football in the tournament and, indeed, one of the worst I can remember. Spain were seemingly the only team there in the first fifteen but failed to capitalise and eventually the Netherlands came back into it. Their game plan quite quickly turned out to be to press Spain hard high up the pitch – but what that ended up translating into was a campaign of cynical fouling that prevented any outbreak, God forbid, of a game of football. It must surely have been the most difficult game that Howard Webb has ever had to referee in his life, and though he got plenty of decisions right, there were some he got wrong, mostly when it came to letting players off lightly. In the first half alone, Mark van Bommel should have picked up three yellow cards (only one was shown), Wesley Sneijder should have seen yellow for a poor studs-up challenge across the thigh of Sergio Busquets, and Nigel de Jong should clearly have been given a straight red for his reprehensible kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso. That challenge could have broken a rib. How he got away with just yellow is an absolute mystery.

There were one or two goalmouth incidents in that first half but not much. The best chances actually went to the Dutch, when from a cleverly pulled back corner van Bommel miskicked laughably from the edge of the area only for it to reach Joris Mathijsen from a great angle, who produced a centre-back’s shot, swiping at the air.

Half-time could not come soon enough, though the second half gradually improved. Spain, again, started dominantly but couldn’t find a way through, again really struggling without a Fernando Torres through the middle for Villa, Pedro, Xavi and Iniesta to swarm around. Pedro was replaced after an hour by Jesus Navas – it seemed a strange substitution for me at first in that tactically nothing really changed and Pedro had done OK, but Navas justified it by adding a little more directness in terms of running at Giovanni van Bronckhorst, playing his final professional game, and also in passing into the box, but just didn’t have anyone to aim for.

The first really good chance fell to the Netherlands, though, and Arjen Robben, comfortably the most dangerous player for his team. He broke through the defense picking up a great through ball from Wesley Sneijder, otherwise quiet, and was one-on-one with Iker Casillas, who produced a stunning save with his leg to deny Robben. Arguably Robben could have done better with that chance but you cannot deny the brilliance of Casillas to keep Spain level. John Heitinga then managed a similarly great stop to deny David Villa, having slipped badly to allow the striker to pick up posession at all, but managed to whirl around on the floor and stick a leg up to block the shot away.

The next golden chance that went begging, though, was all about the miss – Sergio Ramos really should have scored with fifteen minutes to go when he did very well to escape his marker from a corner and earn a free header from six yards, which he blazed over. It was a huge miss and one that you worried might punish the Spanish if Robben got another chance to break, and he did just that a few minutes later, tussling with Carles Puyol just outside the area and, for once, staying on his feet showing strength that makes even more deplorable his customary falling flat at any opportunity. Casillas once again came out and denied him, prompting Robben to run screaming at Webb in a disgusting example of dissent. The boy who cried wolf comes to mind.

Eventually, inevitably, it came to extra time and it was a pleasing relief that neither side seemed willing to settle the game on penalties, although the Dutch attempts to go forward immediately ceased when the red card was finally produced to Heitinga. Half-time in extra time and Vicente del Bosque produced a baffling substitution, withdrawing Villa for Torres. Villa hadn’t had a great game but he had been hamstrung by the absence of Torres or Fernando Llorente, and with penalty kicks looming why take off your best goalscorer and a natural penalty taker in favour of a striker with a confidence problem? I was seriously worried that del Bosque was shooting himself in the foot.

Finally, though, we got a breakthrough, although there was a touch of controversy. It came after Sneijder’s free-kick cannoned off Cesc Fabregas and went behind but was strangely given as a goal kick, which was a wrong decision, and then in the play that followed Eljero Elia went down looking for a free-kick having possibly been blocked off by a Spanish defender. The key word there is ‘looking’, though, as he was clearly trying to buy the free-kick for a foul that wasn’t really there (I’ve seen them given, but it’s not really a foul in my book). While Elia was asking for the free-kick Spain got on with it and, despite a lucky deflection allowing them to hold onto posession, Fabregas finally opened up space in the box for Iniesta, who, as coolly as you could ask for, took one touch and fired home a decisive shot. Spain went mental, and the Dutch more so, fuming that the goal had been allowed. There’s a slim case that backs them up but it was a lesser injustice than, say, Holland having eleven players on the pitch after forty-five minutes, so I don’t think they can really complain. There was just time for Fernando Torres to do his hamstring before full-time, and it really was the depressing icing on a miserable personal tournament for the Liverpool man. He’ll be back, though, and it was good to see that he was OK to walk around for the celebrations.

So in the end Spain definitely deserved it. They played the best football on the night, and were the best team of the tournament. They’ve been the single best international team in the world over the past four years, and this trophy is a fair reflection of that. The scary thing is that they could have been better – imagine if Torres had been fit and firing. Imagine if Vicente del Bosque was better at making substitutions. This team is still young enough to keep on at the top for the forseeable future, even if Puyol retires from international football now, as I believe is to be the case.

Man of the Day: Iker Casillas for me was the standout player, although his opposite number Maarten Stekelenburg also had a good game. Casillas’ two saves from Robben were absolutely crucial, and of course the Real Madrid man is the captain who lifted the World Cup trophy. That probably justifies him as Man of the Day.

Tomorrow…oh. No, don’t worry, there’s still some mopping up to do. I’ll be discussing the tournament as a whole in the next couple of days and handing out some CDB Awards, and then once all that’s wrapped up there’s all sorts of football to talk about. The Europa League’s already started, don’t you know.

Finally, I bow down before Paul the octopus. Let’s just elect him Supreme Overlord and be done with it.

Day 30: Stricken With The Loew Bug, Germany Finish Third

Uruguay 2 – 3 Germany

Sorry about the delay, readers, there have been some internet issues preventing this blog arriving on time. But I couldn’t turn my attentions to the big game this evening before giving a quick mention to last night’s thrilling third/fourth place play-off. It was, of course, the least relevant game of the tournament, as it always is, but this glorified friendly fixture has a habit of taking the pressure off enough to lead to a stonking game with plenty of goals, and last night was no exception as we witnessed the first match of the World Cup in which the lead ever changed hands. That in itself is an astounding fact considering Uruguay-Germany was the 63rd game of the finals, but more on that later.

First to the game itself, and it was very exciting, gradually becoming more and more end-to-end as the game went on, but on the balance of play you’d probably have to say that Germany deserved their win. They had the better of the opening stages and were rewarded when Thomas Mueller, one of the outstanding players of the tournament but somehow omitted from FIFA’s Golden Ball shortlist, slotted in his fifth goal of the tournament after Fernando Muslera awkwardly parried the ball straight into his path. It was an error by Muslera but there was evidence of the Jabulani’s devils at work, swinging the ball late in its arc to wrongfoot him.  Mueller now joins David Villa, Wesley Sneidjer and Diego Forlan at the top of the Golden Boot standings, and if neither Villa nor Sneijder score in the final tonight, Mueller will win the prize by virtue of having more assists (another ludicrous new rule from reliably idiotic FIFA – what exactly was so awful about having joint winners in the past? And what do assists have to do with being a great goalscorer?).

But Uruguay replied quickly with a wonderfully elegant sweeping move instigated by the terrific Diego Perez thieving the ball away from Bastian Schweinsteiger, captain for the night as Philipp Lahm was ill. Perez gave it to Forlan who threaded a perfect through ball in towards Edinson Cavani, who stretched his leg out just enough to place it past Hans-Joerg Butt for his first of the tournament, a goal which he richly deserves for his energetic and unselfish forward performances. There was a simple beauty about that goal that makes it, in my mind, deserve more attention than Forlan’s goal just after half-time. That, too, was of course a great goal, earned by a strong, determined run down the right flank by Edigio Arevalo, one of Uruguay’s best throughout the finals, who crossed it for Forlan. Forlan then unleashed a powerful volley that came off the ground and thudded into Butt’s net. Again, Forlan is now tied on five goals with three others, though he cannot officially win it.

In the minutes that followed Uruguay were solidly in control of the match, bustling and brimming with energy. So naturally Germany then stole an equaliser, a somewhat fluky goal for which Jerome Boateng lumped a cross into the box, Muslera jumped for it and missed, and Marcell Jansen, while apparently trying to duck out of the way, had the ball hit him on the back of the neck and deflect in. His celebration was suitably apologetic.

Admirably both teams pushed forward with greater and greater abandon, both trying to win the game presumably at least to avoid the unnecessary strain of extra time. It was starting to look like that was where we were heading, though, as Luis Suarez and Stefan Kiessling both had good shots saved, until, inside the last ten minutes, when a Mesut Oezil corner was defended a little clumsily by Uruguay, allowing Sami Khedira to rise above and head home for the goal that he too has deserved for his efforts in South Africa. Uruguay did keep pushing and managed to win a free-kick just outside the area with the last kick of the game. Forlan’s resulting effort was a stunner that deserved to go in, but pinged off the left side of the crossbar and out to seal Germany’s bronze medal.

That was that for one of the most entertaining games of the tournament and two teams who have both surprised and impressed me and many others. Uruguay were beaten but will return to Montevideo to a heroes’ welcome having exceeded expectations and put up a good fight against not only Germany but also the Netherlands. Forlan in particular has been one of the best players of the tournament, leading by example on and off the pitch with his constant reading of the game, intelligent passing, inspired set-pieces and five excellent goals. Suarez will be remembered for his goalkeeping rather than his striking in the history books but he too has been impressive and this summer on the back of his incredible goal record last season will surely see him secure a big-money move to a top club, maybe someone like Chelsea if they fail to get hold of Fernando Torres. Cavani, Diego Lugano, Jorge Fucile, Arevalo, Perez and Maximiliano Pereira have all been really good.

Germany know that there wasn’t really any more that they could have done. They played probably the most exciting football of the tournament despite being a reactive team rather an a proactive team, playing mostly on the counter. Surely the German FA must now give Joachim Loew whatever he wants to ensure that he can continue developing this team who, as long as injuries and form hold steady, should be a real force in Brazil in 2014. In Mueller and Oezil they have the two most exciting young players of the tournament, and Schweinsteiger has a strong case for overall best player. They’ll be back.

Man of the Day: Diego Forlan was the best player on the park for me, laying on the crucial pass for Uruguay’s opener, scoring another great goal and so nearly another in the dying seconds.

Later today, it’s the World Cup final! Crikey! It’s nearly over. I’m delighted that a new side will be lifting the Jules Rimet tonight and I’m in the happy position of having a personal interest in both sides winning, so I look forward to enjoying it whatever happens. Spain, though, should come out on top if they play to their best, although Arjen Robben has the power to change a game in a second and must be stopped in what could be a fascinating examination of both Sergio Ramos and, to a lesser extent, Joan Capdevila. See you on the other side!

Day 27: Puyol Throws España In The Works

Germany 0 – 1 Spain

Bow down before the octopus. After a really fascinating if not thrillingly entertaining semi-final, Spain advance to meet the Netherlands in the final to ensure that there will be a new name on the Jules Rimet trophy.

Before the game the feeling was that although Spain had undoubtedly the superior players, Germany’s hard work, organisation and team ethic would be perfectly suited to keeping a lid on the tiki-taka and stifle the Spanish creativity while counter-attacking devastatingly. What actually happened was much the opposite – it was Spain who pressed hard and stopped Germany from getting any passing moves going, and still managed to build long spells of forward movement in posession. It was obvious very early on that Vicente del Bosque had won the main tactical battle and that he could alter the shape of the game whenever he liked. It transpired, however, that he was either unwilling or unable to exploit that position.

For all Spain’s quick passing and dominance in posession, they were unable to turn the screw for most of the game. As often turns out to be their problem, they were struck with a touch of the Arsenals, with so many players queueing up to provide the killer pass that could unlock the German defense, but with no player actually attacking the penalty box to receive that pass. Dropping Fernando Torres was a reasonable call for del Bosque – he’s clearly suffering from what golfers call “the yips” – but although his replacement, Pedro, was Spain’s most enterprising player in the first half, he’s not the same player who can go forward and lead the line. David Villa was forced to try and be that central striker but he was clearly unsuited to the role – he is a player who needs to cut in from the left and play off the main striker, which is why he has partnered Torres so well in the last few years. As the clock ticked on and on, Spain were desperately crying out for the introduction of Fernando Llorente to reprise his cameo role from the Portugal game as the target man around whom Villa, Pedro, Xavi and Andres Iniesta could have swarmed. I say Llorente very deliberately rather than Torres – dropping a player suffering from the yips is fair enough, but dropping him is very much a final admittance that his confidence is shot. Turning to Torres as a player to come on and change the game on his form would have been disastrous. Later, when Spain were ahead, Torres did come on, and in that situation it was more understandable – if he’d been able to tuck away a late opportunity to make it 2-0 it could have been the spark that revived him. However it was David Villa who del Bosque brought off to make room for him, an awful substitution that could have backfired horribly had Germany equalised.

Luckily Spain had the cushion of Carles Puyol’s 73rd-minute goal, a bullet header from a corner scored from the edge of the area following a late run by the Barcelona centre-back. It would have been reassuring for Puyol who should have buried a heading chance in the first half. It always seemed unlikely after that goal went in that Germany would be able to respond, having been by some distance the inferior side. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira were effectively prevented from exerting their influence from midfield by the Spanish pressing high up the pitch, usually crowding the German defenders out enough to force aimless long balls toward Miroslav Klose. Mesut Oezil just couldn’t get any of the ball, and was only visible for a penalty shout just before half-time. He basically ran into Sergio Ramos, though, and it was the right decision not to give it.

Germany have been a brilliant part of this World Cup and in many ways it’s a shame to see them go out, but their time will surely come. This immensely talented young team will be reaching their peak in four years’ time, and although Klose has probably played his last World Cup, there are several young defenders who should have surpassed Arne Friedrich and Per Mertesacker by 2014, and the likes of Thomas Mueller should be ready to take Klose’s place. Joachim Loew has done a fantastic job with his side and I very much hope that he resolves his current contract dispute to keep developing his team, who have combined solid and resolute defending with scintillating counter-attacking forward play. Philipp Lahm has been a revelatory captain, too.

Spain, though, deserve to reach the final, and it’s really delightful to know that this tournament will definitely be won by a country that has never won a World Cup before. The incredible statistic that Spain and the Netherlands have never met each other in either a World Cup or European Championship match serves to underline how both these nations have underachieved on the world stage, and I’m in the happy position of not minding at all which team goes on to win it.

Man of the Day: Xabi Alonso was a standout for me, even though I would have taken him off for Llorente if I were Vicente del Bosque. He was unlucky to be penalised by the referee for a couple of brilliant tackles and he was more willing than most Spanish players to actually take a shot now and then. Puyol, too, had a good game.

Only one game to go! All right, the third place playoff too, but it’s not as if anyone actually cares about that. I’ll be covering both and will be handing out some CDB Awards both before and after the final.

Day 26: Forlan Looks All Round For Uruguay As Netherlands Reach Final

Uruguay 2 – 3 Netherlands

After the early stages of the tournament suggested that South American sides might dominate in the first African World Cup, it is now confirmed that we will see an all-European final, possibly between two sides that have never lifted the trophy before.

The Netherlands found their road to the final a rocky one, though, shattering those silly, arrogant proclamations that had been emanating from Holland about an easy game. For a goal that featured five goals it was quite cagey, with long periods of the game going by in which neither team seemed likely to break down the others’ defensive barriers. Certainly the first fifteen minutes were as tentative as they were even. The Netherlands were slow to accelerate, with Wesley Sneijder, their standout player so far, not exerting any real creative influence, and Uruguay immediately looked like they were lacking a dimension without Luis Suarez. Much of what has made them such an impressive side during this competition has been due to the running of both Suarez and Edinson Cavani around Diego Forlan, pulling defenders away. We saw how crucial that is to their play with their equaliser in the 41st minute – Cavani made an angled run not once but twice to drag away Joris Mathijsen which gave Forlan the space to turn and shoot. What a good shot it was, too, although arguably Maarten Stekelenburg should have done better.

Good as it was though, it wasn’t a patch on the opener. Breaking out of that opening crawl, Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst pulled an absolute corker out of the bag. Played in by a little through ball advancing on the left, van Bronckhorst didn’t wait to take a touch, he just shaped and from an improbable angle (and the small matter of 41 yards) cannoned the ball at breakneck pace arrow-straight into the inside of the far post. Fernando Muslera did as well as he could but there was no way he could have stopped that shot.  That absolute stunner is a late contender for goal of the tournament that may well not be beaten.

The intervening periods in the first half developed a bit of friction as some late tackles and more cynical fouls crept into the game. This was mostly from the Dutch, I think it’s fair to say, particularly after Forlan scored, and in the few minutes both before and after half-time, Holland looked rattled, defensive and edgy. That was the time when Uruguay could have seized the advantage but again they didn’t have enough penetration without Suarez and eventually the Dutch wormed their way back into the reckoning.

There was (and I’m sure will continue to be for a while) some debate over the goal that capped the Dutch resurrection. When Sneijder’s shot was hit, Robin van Persie was standing in a borderline offside position and was obviously ‘active’. From what I could see of the replay, though, van Persie looked marginally onside, but it was so close that whatever the officials’ decision had been there would have been complaints about it. It turned out to be van Persie’s biggest contribution – the striker had yet another average game, taking a little too much time to himself when opportunities presented themselves and not, to my recollection, getting off a serious shot on goal.

Whatever controversy there was over the second goal was completely absent from the third, which arrived just two minutes later and appeared to have killed the game off. You would have got long odds before the game on Arjen Robben scoring a header but that was what he did, burying with true poacher’s instinct a cross from Dirk Kuyt, who did surprisingly well stretching the Uruguayan right flank despite being right-footed himself. It was a cool, classy goal and it seemed to have taken all of the wind out of Uruguay’s sails. Their inability to mount a comeback was summed up by the substitution of Forlan, apparently carrying a minor knock, who looked resigned to his country’s fate.

There were a few hectic minutes as, out of nowhere, Maximiliano Pereira found himself with the ball on the edge of the penalty area following a well-planned free-kick and slipped a clever curling shot around Stekelenburg’s fingers into the corner of the net. Suddenly Uruguay were filled with urgency and they hurled themselves forward, causing a couple of nervy moments. Indeed, so eager were the Netherlands to see the end of this revolt that Mark van Bommel jumped to conclusions when the referee blew his whistle in stoppage time and kicked the ball away in celebration – for his trouble he was booked, ironic it being for such a simple mistake when he had inexplicably got away with several vicious fouls during the game. For him, certainly, it had been an unconvincing, slightly desperate game.

That was the problem with a few of the Dutch players, and, much like the victorious France side of 1998, they have reached the final having not yet really played all that well. There was so much obviously yet to come from the likes of Sneijder, van Bommel, Robben, van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart that the best player on the park in orange was the right-back Khalid Boulahrouz. Playing only because of Gregory van der Wiel’s suspension, and probably unlikely to keep his place for the final, Boulahrouz didn’t really get forward but just played a solid game in defense, helping to nullify Cavani’s runs.

So the Netherlands still have plenty of room to improve going into the biggest game of their lives – encouragingly, some might say. Uruguay, though, were clearly not as good as they had been in previous games. Suarez was a huge loss, and although Forlan had another good game, always looking capable of getting things done, he just didn’t have as much space as he did when there were two strikers running off him. In that way it was reminiscent of their first game against France, in which Cavani did not play and neither Forlan nor Suarez had much joy. But overall, despite this loss, Uruguay will look back on this tournament with pride. They have exceeded expectations, even accounting for a relatively good draw, and did it playing an attack-minded formation with a group of largely unheralded players. They also missed left-back Jorge Fucile tonight who’s had an impressive tournament but Diego Perez, Diego Lugano, Egidio Arevalo and the Pereiras (Maximiliano and Alvaro) have emerged with great credit. For a country with a population half that of Greater London, a World Cup semi-final is a brilliant achievement.

Man of the Day: Boulahrouz for me, although an honourable mention for Kuyt.

Tomorrow, I just don’t know which way to call it. On one hand, Germany have been arguably the best team of the tournament and should be well-suited to shutting down Spain. On the other hand, on paper Spain are the better side and David Villa has for my money been the best player of the tournament. Also, Paul the psychic German octopus, who has so far correctly predicted every German result, has spoken and the clairvoyant cephalopod has said that Spain for win, and who am I to argue with that kind of evidence?

Day 23: El Diego On The End Of A Muellering

Argentina 0 – 4 Germany

Paraguay 0 – 1 Spain

Well, we expected one game that could go either way and one comfortable victory today, just in that order.

Argentina-Germany was supposed to be an exciting duel between two exciting attacking forces, but Argentina just didn’t turn up. Right from the start Germany overran them, closing them down quickly and allowing them no time to express themselves on the ball. Even after three minutes, when Nicolas Otamendi conceded a free-kick and some awful marking allowed Thomas Mueller to head in Bastian Schweinsteiger’s cross, Germany looked good value for their lead. That was just the start of a torrid afternoon for Otamendi, who was constantly tormented by Lukas Podolski on the German left, and was at fault for the second goal as well.

Argentina could have come back in the second half as they grew into the game a little bit more but couldn’t summon a really clear-cut chance. Gonzalo Higuain in particular had a really poor game, often miscontrolling the ball and losing posession up front. There was more pressure from Maradona’s men in the first few minutes of the second half but again nothing concrete, just a sense of attacking intent. The second goal arrived after just over an hour, when Otamendi’s pathetic attempt to tackle Mueller freed Podolski in the area. Podolski forced Sergio Romero to come out and then put it on a plate for Miroslav Klose, who could hardly miss from such a tiny distance (luckily, because the finish was actually quite bad). A similar defensive muddle led to a third shortly after, with plenty of bodies in the box from a corner and Arne Friedrich of all people finding space to tap in from virtually a prone position. By that time Argentina’s resolve was all gone and the tie was dead and buried, so when substitute Piotr Trochowski crossed for the unmarked Klose, it was no surprise that his simple but excellent finish made it four. Klose is now only one behind Ronaldo (the fat one) in the all-time World Cup goalscoring stakes.

I really can’t say enough how impressive Germany were. They look the best side left in the competition now, arguably, with every player knowing exactly what they’re doing and what those around them are doing. Schweinsteiger had an outstanding game, pulling the strings in midfield while Mesut Oezil had actually a rather disappointing, uninvolved day. Sami Khedira continued to be a solid, muscular presence up and down the field alongside him, and both full-backs, Lahm and Boateng, were also standouts. Mueller was industrious on the right but picked up a booking that will see him miss the semi-final. That could be a quite a loss for Germany, but you just know that Trochowski will come in and pick up exactly where the Bayern man left off. As for Argentina, I don’t think they ever really looked like winning this World Cup. Their defense has been a mess all the way through and it let them down again today. Maradona’s substitutions failed to lift them out of their malaise either, and there is of course speculation that he may resign tomorrow, but I for one hope he stays because he’s such an entertaining man to be in charge of the national team.

Germany will meet Spain in the semi, as we all expected, but the Spanish didn’t half labour to get there. In the first half Paraguay were the better team, pressing right from the front and not allowing Spain to settle in to their tiki-taka rhythm, much like Germany’s performance earlier except without the counterattacking panache. Neither side had much in the way of chances apart from Paraguay’s disallowed goal, a cool finish from the onside Nelson Haedo Valdez ruled out for Oscar Cardozo, who was just offside and, though he didn’t touch the ball, he jumped for it, thereby making himself a problem for the goalkeeper and being “active” by the letter of the law. For the commitment and effectiveness of their shut-down tactics it was hard not to say that Paraguay deserved to be ahead at half-time, but the goal was illegitimate.

The second half was much the same for the first fifteen minutes until an absolutely mental period of play began with a penalty being awarded to Paraguay. I was glad to see it given for arm-holding by Gerard Pique as he defended a set-piece, as it’s the sort of thing that needs to be clamped down on more. But Oscar Cardozo, recalled to the starting eleven after coolly slotting home the winning penalty in the shootout versus Japan, hit his shot too close to Iker Casillas, who had guessed correctly. Immediately after the ball was pumped up into the Paraguay half and David Villa rushed into the penalty area and was brought down by Antolin Alcaraz. Whether or not it was a clear cut foul is debatable but if, as the referee decided, it was a foul, it should have been a red card rather than the yellow given. Either way it was poor refereeing. When Xabi Alonso dispatched the spot-kick, though, he was pulled back to take it again because of encroaching into the area, but replays showed that the same thing was happening (and to a greater and more obvious extent) when Cardozo missed his, and the ref didn’t make him take it again. So more bad refereeing. Alonso’s second kick was poor and saved well by Claudio Bravo, who then should have conceded another penalty because in the ensuing melee in the box he went for the ball but took down Villa instead.

It was a shocking explosion of controversy and drama in a game that had been deathly boring for an hour, but despite that insanity the game returned to its previous rhythm. Spain continued to go forward but their passing just wasn’t coming off. Fernando Torres had already been withdrawn after another really lacklustre performance but they were crying out for some width to stretch the Paraguayan full-backs. Vicente del Bosque didn’t bring any on though, with Fabregas and Pedro, who is nominally a wide right player but enjoys tucking in, keeping things too constricted. Finally, though, the breakthrough was made with ten minutes left, and it was down to some inspiration from Andres Iniesta, who glided forward behind the defensive midfield line and laid a pass on perfectly for Pedro, who had to bury it – but hit the far post. Luckily Villa was on hand to take the rebound and tuck it in, though not before it bounced off both posts. That takes his tally to five for the tournament.

Spain are through to their first ever World Cup semi-final, but on this form they will struggle to beat Germany. There was enough from Paraguay’s determined pressing to suggest that Germany can do exactly the same and stifle Spain while having the attacking players to score goals on the break. I definitely feel that del Bosque has to drop one of Alonso and Sergio Busquets so that he can get more width from midfield if they want to avoid a repeat of this game. Villa is potent cutting in from the left but shouldn’t be the widest attacking player and either Jesus Navas or David Silva would provide a useful option on either flank.

Man of the Day: No question for me that it must be Schweinsteiger. The man whose name translates as “pig supervisor” certainly oversaw everything pretty much all over the pitch. Ballack? Who needs Ballack?

Another two rest days now before the semi-finals, but I’ll still be blogging. Haven’t decided exactly what about yet, though.

Day 22: Uruguay Bring Ghanaian Adventure To Abreu-pt End

Netherlands 2 – 1 Brazil

Uruguay 1 – 1 Ghana (4-2 penalties)

Wow. What a day of quarter-final action. Two extraordinary matches but we’ll start with the first, a shock result as the Netherlands overturned the Brazilian juggernaut.

I’d thought coming into this game that the Netherlands might be the team best suited to beating Brazil, and while Arjen Robben did draw some fouls running down the right at Michel Bastos, he didn’t really take full advantage and the Dutch win ended up being quite a strange one. In the first half, there was only one team in it. Brazil fired a warning shot past their opponents’ bow when they had a goal disallowed after eight minutes and followed through on the threat just two short minutes later when Felipe Melo played a simple forward pass that bisected a static Dutch back line and Robinho made a great run onto it, needing only to sweep the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg to put the Selecao ahead, and so he did. From then on Brazil did what we expected them to and shut up shop, doing a good job of keeping the Netherlands, and particularly key man Wesley Sneijder, quiet. They outplayed the Dutch very simply and Bert van Marwijk’s side were unlucky not to have been punished more by half-time. Maicon in particular came very close with the last kick of the half, a brilliant, sweeping Brazil move reminiscent of that Carlos Alberto goal in 1970, which Stekelenburg got a subtle but crucial touch to and was wrongly called a goal kick. For the Netherlands, their half was summed up by an embarrassing attempt at a corner where Robben subtly poked the ball out of the corner and then walked away as if he hadn’t taken it, but none of his team-mates picked up on it and so Brazil just took it back. Funny, but cringeworthy.

In the second half though, everything changed. Bastos should have been sent off for a second booking when he blocked Robben off on the flank, but the resulting free-kick brought the ball to Sneijder, who put in a cross. Julio Cesar, the Vince Vaughn-a-like goalkeeper who is normally so imperious, came out to meet it, missed it as he jumped with Felipe Melo, and it came off Melo’s head for an own goal. It was a real calamity for Brazil and the incident seemed to transfer all of their previous confidence to the Netherlands. As doubt pervaded every Brazilian move, Sneijder and Mark van Bommel took control in midfield and started to make things happen. The second goal, a header from little Sneijder of all people, was deserved and then Brazil really started to fall apart. The tackling in the match had been competitive from the start, but the Brazilians started reacting to everything in a very negative way. It came to a head when Melo fouled Robben and then proceeded to stamp on him viciously as he tried to take the ball back from him. It was a moment of absolute insanity, completely inexcusable in a World Cup quarter-final when your team is chasing the game. With only ten men Brazil were unable to resurrect their juggernaut playstyle and although they had one or two chances from corners late on that the Dutch failed to deal with sufficiently, they never really looked like coming back and it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable.

The game after was even more eventful and emotional, though. In the first twenty-five minutes Uruguay were by far the better side, and there was a definite feeling that they would regret it if they didn’t take advantage by scoring. That was exactly what came to pass, as Ghana came back into the game, Kevin-Prince Boateng increasingly finding room to manouevre as he moved into the hole behind Gyan. With the last kick of the half, Sulley Muntari completed that turnaround with a frankly ludicrous swerving shot that, as it traveled through the air, echoed with all the complaints about the Jabulani ball. Fernando Muslera was wrong-footed, having taken a crucial step to his right, and so at half-time it looked pretty bad for Uruguay.

What got Uruguay back into it, and always looked like being their likeliest avenue, was a Diego Forlan set piece. This is a side of his game that I wasn’t really aware of coming into the tournament, but his delivery from corners has been consistently dangerous all the way through. His free-kicks too have been brilliant and none more so than the equaliser, which hovered and dodged its way into the net over Richard Kingson’s net. You could make a case for Kingson needing to do better with that shot, but you can’t deny the quality of the shot. From then Uruguay didn’t really kick on to seize back control of the game, though, and as the game dragged on Oscar Tabarez made a bold tactical substitution, taking off the creative forward Edinson Cavani and bringing on the target man Sebastian Abreu. It seemed to be a serious tactical error as Abreu distorted the Uruguayan attack plans, pushing the dangerous Luis Suarez too far to the right. You’d probably say it worked out though.

When extra time arrived things slowed down as both teams were clearly really tired. Ghana, obviously, had played extra time in the second round – I don’t know what Uruguay’s excuse was. There was plenty of effort from both sides but neither seemed able to produce any real end product, and penalties always looked the likeliest outcome. Until, of course, everyone thought it was all over – after a chaotic scramble in the Uruguayan box, Suarez blocked a goalbound shot with a blatant handball and was rightly sent off. You can’t really blame Suarez – he had to take it for the team from his perspective, but it was cheating. Justice would have seen Asamoah Gyan bury his third penalty of the tournament with the last kick of the game, but justice was absent. It was a shocking moment that will stick with the poor man for the rest of his life, but then he had to pick himself up straight away and take another one in the resulting shoot-out. You just felt that the Ghanaians had been jarred mentally by the missed penalty and so it proved as both John Mensah and young Dominic Adiyiah took poor spot kicks which were both saved by Muslera.

It is a great shame that the last African team has departed but Ghana can hold their heads up high. They’ve acquitted themselves very well and got better as they went on. Boateng and Gyan in particular have had excellent tournaments and they came so close to making history as the first African side to reach the semis. Considering how it looked that no team from the home continent would have made it to the knockout stages, the local fans must be proud of them. But sadly they will remember this World Cup for heartbreak more than pride, I fear.

Man of the Day: Hard to say. I’ll go for Sneijder, but Stekelenburg runs him very close for a brilliant save from Kaka and another great one from Maicon. For sheer effort, Gyan gets a mention too.

Tomorrow, we can only hope for another day of such excitement and drama. Germany-Argentina could be a brilliant end-to-end match, two teams who cannot really defend but attack with brilliant skill. I’m going to punt for Germany. Spain should have little trouble dispatching Paraguay.

Day 21: Wish You Were Here

The quarter-finals start tomorrow – good news for those of you who, like me, are suffering from withdrawal. While we wait for proceedings to begin again, though, I thought I’d take a look at those teams who will take no further part in South Africa 2010, having been eliminated already, and also one or two teams who didn’t qualify, whom it would have been nice to see involved in the tournament.

On the whole it’s hard to argue that the teams that failed to get out of their groups deserved to play any further part, but there are, I think, one or two notable exceptions to that statement. One side who I wish had been able to go further was the Ivory Coast. They’ll be looking at that shoddy opening match against a Portugal side who were there for the taking, and wondering how they let it finish 0-0. The last kick of the game, a conservative short corner rather than a cross into the box for someone to get a head on, is a moment that summed up a curious mentality going into that game that they realistically had to win to make sure of qualification, and so it proved. It’s something of a tragedy that probably the most talented African side the world has ever seen has been hamstrung by consecutive terrible draws at this World Cup and the last. Four years ago, they were dropped into a vicious Group of Death containing Argentina, the Netherlands, and what was then Serbia & Montenegro, an even more tricky group than they had this time around. Even if they’d qualified this summer they would have probably faced Spain. When you look at a side containing Kolo and Yaya Toure, Gervinho, Didier Zokora, you think they should be able to do well, but then you see Didier Drogba and you see a player who has such immense talent that with a slightly kinder draw he could have made history for African football. At 32, he has surely now missed his chance to make that impression on the biggest stage of all.

In a very different way it was also a great shame to see New Zealand eliminated. I think everyone took a shine to the All-Whites – written off before the tournament for being a squad comprised of lower league and amateur players, and dreaming of leaving the tournament with a point or even just a goal, they showed incredible determination and pride to bow out unbeaten, having held on for an historic draw with the world champions Italy, who they then finished above in the group standings. Their captain, Ryan Nelsen, had an immense tournament, marshalling the less experienced players like Tommy Smith and Winston Reid who also distinguished themselves against top class opposition. Reid’s last-minute equaliser in the first match against Slovakia to secure the Kiwis’ first ever World Cup point was a moment that will stick in my memory for a long time. Goalkeeper Mark Paston, coming in to the tournament second choice but playing due to Glenn Moss’ suspension, overcame a slightly nervy first game to deliver two assured performances against Italy and Paraguay, and up front young Chris Wood made a really good impression coming off the bench twice and was mere inches from scoring against Italy. It would have been wonderful to have seen them in the knockout stages.

The other team I’m sorry to have seen go was Chile. Their efforts in a losing cause against Brazil a few days ago were not as impressive as their group games, but they really were a breath of fresh air in the first phase. Marcelo Bielsa’s unwavering commitment to attacking football was delightful, and his truly original 3-3-1-3 formation was very effective. The players showed real flexibility in being able to get forward from any position or drop back when others did the same, and if only their star striker Humberto Suazo had been fitter they might have had more finishing prowess to put the icing on a fantastically entertaining cake. Alexis Sanchez seemed to draw all the plaudits from commentators and pundits but for my money the real emerging star for Chile was left winger Jean Beausejour, unoriginally nicknamed “The Frenchman” by his teammates. He showed pace, creativity, a willingness to cross whenever possible and the ability to pull it off most of the time. His goal secured the opening victory over Honduras and he was the most productive of the attacking quartet.

But what of the teams that might have, or maybe should have, been here? An obvious question is how would the Republic of Ireland have fared had they got through their controversial play-off with France? The answer, probably, is not hugely well, but let’s face it, they probably would have done better than the French. Ignoring the changes to group seedings which would have happened if France had not been present, you can’t imagine the likes of Glenn Whelan and Shane Long posing too much of a threat to Uruguay and Meixco, but the qualification alone would have been a significant achievement for Giovanni Trapattoni’s side, one that they would surely have appreciated more than the self-destructive French.

As for a team that really could have made a significant impact on the tournament but didn’t make it, look no further than African champions Egypt. The team that has won the past three Africa Cup of Nations finished inseparable with Algeria in the qualifying group requiring a one-off tie-breaker hosted in the neutral Sudan. Egypt-Algeria has always been a really spicy grudge match so it’s perhaps understandable that Egypt came out second best on the day, despite being unquestionably the best team from their continent, but I would really have liked to have seen how they fared against the rest of the world. I’m sure they would have put up a better fight than Algeria, who looked unpenetrative up front and disorganised at the back. Their squad is comprised of seriously talented players – Essam Al Hadary is by some distance the best African keeper. Ahmed El Mohammadi is an up-and-coming player who can play all along the right flank – at 22, he already has 38 caps and is moving to Sunderland this summer on a loan deal from ENPPI in Egypt. Amr Zaki and Standard Liege’s Emad Motaeb between them have 60 goals in 118 international games. And then there’s Mohammed Abou Trika, behind perhaps only Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Michael Essien as Africa’s greatest player. It really is a great shame that they haven’t been here to contest the World Cup.

Still, they didn’t make it, and in the end it’s their own fault that they’re not. For those that did qualify, though, the action starts again tomorrow. I predict a win for Uruguay tomorrow over Ghana, but I really don’t know which way the Netherlands vs Brazil will go. My gut feeling is changing constantly, but I’ll listen to my head and say Brazil.