I'm bringing back the Earning the (re)cap series for the remainder of the World Cup. Here are quick breakdowns of the quarterfinal games. I'll do another breakdown of the semifinal matches Wednesday evening and then recap the final on Monday. Each match will also be previewed the day before.
The Netherlands - Brazil
Score: 2-1, NED
My prediction: 2-1, BRA
I figured this would be a close one, but I wasn't expecting the Dutch to be able to come away with a win. It's interesting how this match turned out, though; it featured two sides that have historically been known more for their attacking efforts than their solid defence, but both Brazil under Dunga and the Netherlands under Bert van Marwijk have focused on improving their sides' defensive performances. As Richard Williams of The Guardian pointed out, it was largely that defensive intensity that allowed the Netherlands to come away with the win against Brazil. The South Americans dominated the early going and took the lead in the 10th minute from a Robinho goal that was brilliantly set up by Felipe Melo, but the Dutch were able to contain the damage and strike back in the second half. An own goal from Melo tied the score before Wesley Sneijder headed the Netherlands into the lead, and Melo soon doomed the Brazilians' chances of a comeback by being sent off [The Globe and Mail] for stamping on Arjen Robben. It wasn't a pretty win for the Dutch, but substance has taken them farther in this World Cup than style did over the last couple of decades.
Uruguay - Ghana
Score: 1-1, URU won on penalties
My prediction: 2-0, URU
This was the zaniest game of the World Cup so far, in my mind. Uruguay looked solidly dominant for most of the match, but conceded a goal just before the half [FIFA.com] on a curving 35-yard blast from Sulley Muntari. Diego Forlan struck back with a beautiful free kick in the 55th minute, and the Uruguayans had several good chances to take the lead, but the match almost ended with a Ghanaian victory. Ghana put on pressure in the dying moments of extra time and earned a free kick. That was sent in and punched clear by Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera, but he took himself out of the play in the process. The ball fell to Ghana's Stephen Appiah, who blasted a shot towards the empty net, but it was blocked on the line by a surprising source, Uruguay's star forward Luis Suarez. The ball then bounced to Dominic Adiyiah, whose header was headed into the empty net before Suarez reached up and swatted it with his hand, earning perhaps the smartest red card in World Cup history. Asamoah Gyan stepped up to take the resulting penalty, but smashed it off the crossbar, and Ghana went on to lose in the shootout. It was a bizarre result, but also a deserved one in my mind; Uruguay were the better team on the day. Thanks to losses by Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, the Uruguayans are now the sole surviving South American side. Not bad for a team that Peter Pattakos deservedly called "the Cleveland Browns of international football."
Argentina - Germany
Score: 4-0, GER
My prediction: 2-1, GER
This was a rarity for this tournament; a hyped matchup that lived up to its billing. I got up at 6:40 and ducked out of the campsite to a local bar to watch this, and it was well worth it. The score isn't entirely fair, as Argentina were in it for most of the match, but they were outclassed by the Germans. Argentina displayed brief flashes of brilliance, but they finally faced an opponent where talent alone would not get them through. This German side has plenty of talent of its own, especially with the likes of Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mezut Ozil. They defended clinically, denying Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez space to work, but they were even better in attack, especially on the counteroffensive. One of Schweinsteiger's runs through the Argentine defence evoked memories of Diego Maradona, who was less than amused on the sidelines as he watched his team get destroyed by Germany's superb talents. Questions can be raised about Maradona's management, for sure, and the Germans were certainly better prepared and better tactically. However, this isn't all Maradona's fault; to my mind, most of it's just that his squad ran into a better team.
Spain - Paraguay
Score: 1-0, ESP
My prediction: 3-0, ESP
This game featured an expected result, but it came in a rather unexpected way [Richard Farley, SB Nation]. The Spanish narrowly came out on top in an encounter that was much closer than many, including myself, expected. Both Spain and Paraguay had penalty kicks saved, which in itself is highly unusual, and both also had plenty of opportunities to score from the run of play. Paraguay's best chance may have been Roque Santa Cruz's late attempt to equalize, but they were very much in this game. Still, Spain came away with a deserved win considering the way they dominated the possession [Behind The Net. They haven't been overly impressive for much of this tournament, but they're through to the semifinals and they still have a chance to win it all. I doubt they'll be complaining too much, except maybe about the late Paraguayan boot to the head of Sergio Ramos [Carter Daly, Dirty Tackle]
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Monday, July 05, 2010
Friday, July 02, 2010
WC Preview: Argentina - Germany
I'm going to be doing previews of every World Cup game from here on in. First up, the quarterfinals. Here's one on Argentina-Germany, which will be televised tomorrow at 7 a.m. Pacific (10 a.m. Eastern) on CBC.
Argentina:
Record:(W-L-D) 4-0-0
GF: 10
GA: 2
Top scorer: Gonzalo Higuain, four goals
Germany
Record: 3-1-0
GF: 9
GA: 2
Top scorer: Thomas Mueller, three goals
Try your luck at sports betting!
To me, this is the most exciting matchup of the quarterfinals. Argentina, Germany and Brazil have looked like the best sides of the tournament to me, so two of them facing off in the quarters is a tremendous prospect. There's also a good rivalry between the sides dating back to Germany's elimination of Argentina on penalties at this stage in the 2006 World Cup, and that appears to still be on the minds of all involved.
Argentina has been superb so far. Lionel Messi is leading them, and he's perhaps the one pre-tournament star that's lived up to his hype. He's certainly making a great claim to be the undisputed top player in the world. It hasn't been just him, though; Gonzalo Higuain has been a tremendous goal-poacher so far, and Carlos Tevez has shown his class once again. The Argentine defence has also been solid, only conceding two goals in four games.
Argentina hasn't faced an opponent in Germany's class, though, and they've run into very little adversity so far. By contrast, the Germans have already had their struggles, losing their second match to Serbia. They've overcome that in style, winning a tight final group match against a good Ghana team and then disposing of a very tough England side 4-1 in the Round of 16. This German side has proven able to attack and defend well, and their young players like Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski have been outstanding. Miroslav Klose and Phillip Lahm have added some veteran experience, and Joachim Loew has proven his mettle as a manager with superb tactical adjustments. In fact, it may be the coaching matchup that gives the Teutons their biggest edge in this one; I'd much rather have Loew pulling the strings than the absolutely insane Diego Maradona. This should be close, but I think Germany gets it done.
Prediction: Germany 2, Argentina 1
Argentina:
Record:(W-L-D) 4-0-0
GF: 10
GA: 2
Top scorer: Gonzalo Higuain, four goals
Germany
Record: 3-1-0
GF: 9
GA: 2
Top scorer: Thomas Mueller, three goals
Try your luck at sports betting!
To me, this is the most exciting matchup of the quarterfinals. Argentina, Germany and Brazil have looked like the best sides of the tournament to me, so two of them facing off in the quarters is a tremendous prospect. There's also a good rivalry between the sides dating back to Germany's elimination of Argentina on penalties at this stage in the 2006 World Cup, and that appears to still be on the minds of all involved.
Argentina has been superb so far. Lionel Messi is leading them, and he's perhaps the one pre-tournament star that's lived up to his hype. He's certainly making a great claim to be the undisputed top player in the world. It hasn't been just him, though; Gonzalo Higuain has been a tremendous goal-poacher so far, and Carlos Tevez has shown his class once again. The Argentine defence has also been solid, only conceding two goals in four games.
Argentina hasn't faced an opponent in Germany's class, though, and they've run into very little adversity so far. By contrast, the Germans have already had their struggles, losing their second match to Serbia. They've overcome that in style, winning a tight final group match against a good Ghana team and then disposing of a very tough England side 4-1 in the Round of 16. This German side has proven able to attack and defend well, and their young players like Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski have been outstanding. Miroslav Klose and Phillip Lahm have added some veteran experience, and Joachim Loew has proven his mettle as a manager with superb tactical adjustments. In fact, it may be the coaching matchup that gives the Teutons their biggest edge in this one; I'd much rather have Loew pulling the strings than the absolutely insane Diego Maradona. This should be close, but I think Germany gets it done.
Prediction: Germany 2, Argentina 1
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Brazil - Argentina live blog
Well, here we go! Apologies for the delay in getting the first posts up: the Internet gremlins seem to have returned with a vengeance, so I had to write these offline and fire them up later again.
First half:
0: The match is indeed being shown on TSN, if any Canadians out there are near a TV and want to watch it. Here's the starting lineups:
Brazil: Renan in goal, Rafinha, Alex Silva, Marcelo and Breno at the back, Hernanes, Anderson, Lucas, Ronaldinho and Diego in midfield, Rafael Sorbis as the lone striker.
Argentina: Sergio Romero in goal, Ezequiel Garay, Luciano Monzon, Pablo Zabaleta and Nicolas Pareja at the back, Fernando Gago, Juan Riquelme, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano in midfield, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero up front.
5: Not much action to speak of so far: both sides seem to be feeling each other out cautiously.
8: The Brazilians create a few early chances, with some solid runs forward by Rafinha.
10: A good break for Argentina, and they manage to earn a corner: it's quickly cleared, though.
13: Argentina seems to be controlling a bit more of the possession, but they haven't had any great chances yet.
17: Brazil's starting to create a few chances of their own. They're still having trouble setting up through the midfield, but they're getting some solid runs down the flank.
20: And I'm not the only one with technical difficulties this morning: TSN just lost the commentary feed. You can still hear the crowd, but that's all.
25: The Argentines are finally starting to really put the pressure on, but that final ball just seems to keep eluding them.
28: Another counterattack by Brazil, but it comes to naught.
30: And the commentary's back: that makes it easier to tell which players are doing what.
31: Hernanes tracks back and makes a poor challenge right on the edge of the Brazilian box, and earns a yellow card for his trouble. That was inches away from being a penalty. The resulting free kick is initially cleared, fired back in, and then cleared again.
33: Argentina retains possession, and they set up a great run down the left-hand side. The cross leaves much to be desired though, as it's nowhere close to any of the attacking players.
34: Brazil on the counterattack yet again. Marcelo makes the long run forward from defence and sends in a great cross, but it's headed wide. The Brazilians are doing a great job of getting their defence involved in the attack, one of their traditional strengths. They're still having more success out wide as well, as Mascherano and the rest of the Argentine midfield are clogging up the middle effectively.
35: And probably Argentina's best chance so far, as Messi steals the ball from Breno and breaks in towards the goal. However, he loses the ball to the last defender and it results in nothing.
38: Things have settled down a bit after that flurry of chances: both sides seem to be taking it a bit more defensively now.
41: Messi continues his strong play, breaking in again and forcing Renan into a diving save.
44: The Argentines have picked up the pressure a bit. They take it out wide left and send a cross in for Pablo Zabaleta, who snuck forward from his defensive position and created a quality chance. However, the quality of the cross was again suspect, and it all went for naught.
45: And we're at the half. Argentina's controlling the run of play, and they've had the better chances so far, but Brazil may prove deadly on the counter. Brazil's doing a great job of attacking as an 11-man unit, and that often creates a lot of chances.
Second half:
46: And we're back underway. No halftime changes to report. Update from the other semi-final: Nigeria beat Belgium 4-1. You'd have to think that either Brazil or Argentina can easily handle Nigeria in the final, but upsets do happen, and more often in Olympic soccer than with full national teams.
48: Ronaldinho creates a chance, but he loses the ball.
51: A great counterattack by Argentina this time, as Sergio Aguero (the star of the U-20 World Cup in Canada two summers ago) makes a break and beats one defender, but loses the ball to the second.
53: Goal, Argentina. A great break by Argentina finds Angel Di Maria down the left side, and he sends a bullet cross in that Aguero deflects into the net with his chest for his first goal of the tournament. Brazil will have to pull out of their defensive stance and put pressure on to try and equalize.
55: And Brazil responds: a great chance for Rafael Sorbis, who beats Sergio Romero but drills it off the post.
56: The announcer informs us that Aguero's goal is the first one Brazil has conceded all tournament. They've filled the net at the other end, though, racking up 11 goals, so don't count them out yet.
57: Another solid Brazilian chance, but it amounts to nothing.
58: Argentine free kick on the edge of the box, but they only tap it a short distance to Messi, and he can't do anything with it.
58: Goal, Argentina. Mascherano breaks free down the right and sends a great ball in, and Aguero taps home his second from six yards out. Argentina haven't had that many superb chances, but they've made the most of them, and they're now in the driver's seat. Manager Dunga will have to throw out the defensive playbook and return to the traditional Brazilian attacking still.
60: Messi creates another chance, but some strong defending earns Brazil a goal kick.
61: Double substitution: Alexandre Pato in for Rafael Sobis, and Thiago Neves in for Hernanes.
62: Another interesting comment from the announcer, who seems to be a BBC type: apparently Brazil have never won Olympic gold. Well, Canada won back in 1904, so forget those World Cups: clearly Canada's the better soccer power!
65: A great chance for the Brazilians, but their luck comes up rotten again. A 25-yard free kick from Ronaldinho is typically brilliant and beats the keeper, but rings off the post. Pato, another star of that U-20 World Cup who I saw in person against Poland in Montreal, makes no mistake on firing home the rebound, but it's rightly called back, as he was clearly offside.
67: And Manchester United's Anderson gets booked for a clumsy challenge: he overran the ball and collided with an Argentine, who went down as if he'd just been machine-gunned.
68: Brazil's putting on the pressure now. You have to feel for them: the quality chances have been pretty even, but they've hit the post twice and Argentina hasn't. That's all the difference at this point.
71: Messi takes the ball and runs straight at four defenders. He beats three of them, but loses the ball to the fourth, though. That was inspired play, but poor decision-making.
71: Substitution, Brazil: Diego out, Jo in.
73: And Messi shows that he's got the skills to compete in diving at these games as well, comically falling to the ground outside the box and drawing a free kick. Nothing comes of it though.
75: Aguero proves that he could be Messi's partner in synchronized diivng, flopping to the ground in the box and earning a penalty kick after some mild contact from Rafinha. A pretty ridiculous call: flopping like that shouldn't be rewarded. Rafinha gets booked as well.
76: Goal, Argentina. Riquelme takes the penalty and drills it right down the middle, beating Renan, who dives to the side. It will be tough for Brazil to claw their way back now.
81: And Lucas gets sent off for a boot to the back of his Liverpool teammate Mascherano. That may make things awkward during training!
84: Thiago Neves gets a foot in on Mascherano, who falls to the ground theatrically as if someone pulled the rug out from under him. Maybe he's trying to beat out Messi and Aguero for a spot on that synchronized diving team? Neves gets a straight red, which is a ridiculous overreaction to that challenge: a yellow may have been deserved, but there's no way in Hades a straight red was.
88: Lovely cross in from Riquelme, and it's played on to Messi in space. He hesitates too long, though, and Rafinha slides in to block the shot. Corner to Argentina, but they don't create anything off of it.
90: Substitution, Argentina. Riquelme off, Jose Sosa on. Only one minute of extra time added, which seems low, but it won't have made much of a difference in any case.
91: And there's the final whistle. A deserved win for Argentina, but the score probably should have been closer with a bit more luck for Brazil. A good match, but a tough loss for their side. Argentina will go on to defend their gold medal from 2004 against the 1996 champions, Nigeria, while Brazil will play Belgium for bronze.
First half:
0: The match is indeed being shown on TSN, if any Canadians out there are near a TV and want to watch it. Here's the starting lineups:
Brazil: Renan in goal, Rafinha, Alex Silva, Marcelo and Breno at the back, Hernanes, Anderson, Lucas, Ronaldinho and Diego in midfield, Rafael Sorbis as the lone striker.
Argentina: Sergio Romero in goal, Ezequiel Garay, Luciano Monzon, Pablo Zabaleta and Nicolas Pareja at the back, Fernando Gago, Juan Riquelme, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano in midfield, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero up front.
5: Not much action to speak of so far: both sides seem to be feeling each other out cautiously.
8: The Brazilians create a few early chances, with some solid runs forward by Rafinha.
10: A good break for Argentina, and they manage to earn a corner: it's quickly cleared, though.
13: Argentina seems to be controlling a bit more of the possession, but they haven't had any great chances yet.
17: Brazil's starting to create a few chances of their own. They're still having trouble setting up through the midfield, but they're getting some solid runs down the flank.
20: And I'm not the only one with technical difficulties this morning: TSN just lost the commentary feed. You can still hear the crowd, but that's all.
25: The Argentines are finally starting to really put the pressure on, but that final ball just seems to keep eluding them.
28: Another counterattack by Brazil, but it comes to naught.
30: And the commentary's back: that makes it easier to tell which players are doing what.
31: Hernanes tracks back and makes a poor challenge right on the edge of the Brazilian box, and earns a yellow card for his trouble. That was inches away from being a penalty. The resulting free kick is initially cleared, fired back in, and then cleared again.
33: Argentina retains possession, and they set up a great run down the left-hand side. The cross leaves much to be desired though, as it's nowhere close to any of the attacking players.
34: Brazil on the counterattack yet again. Marcelo makes the long run forward from defence and sends in a great cross, but it's headed wide. The Brazilians are doing a great job of getting their defence involved in the attack, one of their traditional strengths. They're still having more success out wide as well, as Mascherano and the rest of the Argentine midfield are clogging up the middle effectively.
35: And probably Argentina's best chance so far, as Messi steals the ball from Breno and breaks in towards the goal. However, he loses the ball to the last defender and it results in nothing.
38: Things have settled down a bit after that flurry of chances: both sides seem to be taking it a bit more defensively now.
41: Messi continues his strong play, breaking in again and forcing Renan into a diving save.
44: The Argentines have picked up the pressure a bit. They take it out wide left and send a cross in for Pablo Zabaleta, who snuck forward from his defensive position and created a quality chance. However, the quality of the cross was again suspect, and it all went for naught.
45: And we're at the half. Argentina's controlling the run of play, and they've had the better chances so far, but Brazil may prove deadly on the counter. Brazil's doing a great job of attacking as an 11-man unit, and that often creates a lot of chances.
Second half:
46: And we're back underway. No halftime changes to report. Update from the other semi-final: Nigeria beat Belgium 4-1. You'd have to think that either Brazil or Argentina can easily handle Nigeria in the final, but upsets do happen, and more often in Olympic soccer than with full national teams.
48: Ronaldinho creates a chance, but he loses the ball.
51: A great counterattack by Argentina this time, as Sergio Aguero (the star of the U-20 World Cup in Canada two summers ago) makes a break and beats one defender, but loses the ball to the second.
53: Goal, Argentina. A great break by Argentina finds Angel Di Maria down the left side, and he sends a bullet cross in that Aguero deflects into the net with his chest for his first goal of the tournament. Brazil will have to pull out of their defensive stance and put pressure on to try and equalize.
55: And Brazil responds: a great chance for Rafael Sorbis, who beats Sergio Romero but drills it off the post.
56: The announcer informs us that Aguero's goal is the first one Brazil has conceded all tournament. They've filled the net at the other end, though, racking up 11 goals, so don't count them out yet.
57: Another solid Brazilian chance, but it amounts to nothing.
58: Argentine free kick on the edge of the box, but they only tap it a short distance to Messi, and he can't do anything with it.
58: Goal, Argentina. Mascherano breaks free down the right and sends a great ball in, and Aguero taps home his second from six yards out. Argentina haven't had that many superb chances, but they've made the most of them, and they're now in the driver's seat. Manager Dunga will have to throw out the defensive playbook and return to the traditional Brazilian attacking still.
60: Messi creates another chance, but some strong defending earns Brazil a goal kick.
61: Double substitution: Alexandre Pato in for Rafael Sobis, and Thiago Neves in for Hernanes.
62: Another interesting comment from the announcer, who seems to be a BBC type: apparently Brazil have never won Olympic gold. Well, Canada won back in 1904, so forget those World Cups: clearly Canada's the better soccer power!
65: A great chance for the Brazilians, but their luck comes up rotten again. A 25-yard free kick from Ronaldinho is typically brilliant and beats the keeper, but rings off the post. Pato, another star of that U-20 World Cup who I saw in person against Poland in Montreal, makes no mistake on firing home the rebound, but it's rightly called back, as he was clearly offside.
67: And Manchester United's Anderson gets booked for a clumsy challenge: he overran the ball and collided with an Argentine, who went down as if he'd just been machine-gunned.
68: Brazil's putting on the pressure now. You have to feel for them: the quality chances have been pretty even, but they've hit the post twice and Argentina hasn't. That's all the difference at this point.
71: Messi takes the ball and runs straight at four defenders. He beats three of them, but loses the ball to the fourth, though. That was inspired play, but poor decision-making.
71: Substitution, Brazil: Diego out, Jo in.
73: And Messi shows that he's got the skills to compete in diving at these games as well, comically falling to the ground outside the box and drawing a free kick. Nothing comes of it though.
75: Aguero proves that he could be Messi's partner in synchronized diivng, flopping to the ground in the box and earning a penalty kick after some mild contact from Rafinha. A pretty ridiculous call: flopping like that shouldn't be rewarded. Rafinha gets booked as well.
76: Goal, Argentina. Riquelme takes the penalty and drills it right down the middle, beating Renan, who dives to the side. It will be tough for Brazil to claw their way back now.
81: And Lucas gets sent off for a boot to the back of his Liverpool teammate Mascherano. That may make things awkward during training!
84: Thiago Neves gets a foot in on Mascherano, who falls to the ground theatrically as if someone pulled the rug out from under him. Maybe he's trying to beat out Messi and Aguero for a spot on that synchronized diving team? Neves gets a straight red, which is a ridiculous overreaction to that challenge: a yellow may have been deserved, but there's no way in Hades a straight red was.
88: Lovely cross in from Riquelme, and it's played on to Messi in space. He hesitates too long, though, and Rafinha slides in to block the shot. Corner to Argentina, but they don't create anything off of it.
90: Substitution, Argentina. Riquelme off, Jose Sosa on. Only one minute of extra time added, which seems low, but it won't have made much of a difference in any case.
91: And there's the final whistle. A deserved win for Argentina, but the score probably should have been closer with a bit more luck for Brazil. A good match, but a tough loss for their side. Argentina will go on to defend their gold medal from 2004 against the 1996 champions, Nigeria, while Brazil will play Belgium for bronze.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Brazil - Argentina live blog coming up!
A quick note that I'll be live-blogging tomorrow morning's men's Olympic soccer semifinal between Brazil and Argentina. It should be a great clash of South American superstars, with Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi going head-to-head. Here's an excellent preview of both semifinals (the other, earlier one features Belgium and Nigeria) from ESPN Soccernet's Jeff Carlisle. The Brazil-Argentina match starts at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. Pacific). It may be on TSN: they say they're showing one of the semifinals, but don't mention which one. In any case, it will certainly be on CBC's digital streaming coverage (www.cbc.ca/olympics), and it will be here as well, gremlins permitting.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
The GBU: Canada - Argentina
Breaking down the Olympic soccer opener...
The Score: Canada 2, Argentina 1
How I Saw It: On the tube.
The Good:
- Kara Lang scoring Canada's second goal off of a free kick awarded to Canada only moments earlier when she was viciously tackled by Argentina's Maria Quinones, who earned a yellow card for her trouble. Brilliant way to get vengeance without getting booked in the process.
- Jodi-Ann Robinson, turning an impressive performance as a 19-year-old sub despite only being called up to the team earlier this week to fill in for the injured Amber Allen. The highlight of Robinson's play was the brilliant Hackey Sack move she performed to fool a defender, holding the ball between her legs while on the ground, flipping over and getting to her feet on the opposite side of her marker. Who ever said fooling around gets you nowhere?
- Melissa Tancredi's hockey-style screening of Argentine goalie Vanina Correa on Canada's first goal. I've always wanted to see that move more often in soccer, and Tancredi confirmed that it is possible, legal and effective.
- Correa's performance in goal for Argentina. Canada easily could have had a couple more goals if not for her strong play, particularly on an early blast from Christine Sinclair that she dived across the goal to parry.
The Bad:
- Rhian Wilkinson's turnover late in the game near the sideline in her own half that led to Argentina's lone goal. Obviously, she failed to pay heed to one of the central tenets of minor soccer instruction: "When in doubt, kick it out!"
- Canada's inability to finish. The Canadians squandered plenty of chances, hitting the woodwork, the stands and occasionally each other instead of the net. The poor finishing didn't come back to bite them in this game, but it just might against better opposition down the road.
The Ugly:
- Melissa Tancredi's rolled ankle. Tancredi had a great game, playing her usual bang-and-crash style that makes her seem like the women's soccer equivalent of Cam Neely. Unfortunately, she proved prone to injury as well, rolling her ankle in a severe collision with an Argentine defender early on. She was stretchered off, but returned to the game and gutted it out for another 20+ minutes, which might not be the best thing for her ankle in the long run. Eventually, she had to call it quits for the day. Let's hope she'll be back soon, as Canada could sure use her scoring talents.
- Some of the Argentine hairstyles. Note to Argentina: long, stringy hair looks just as bad on female footballers as it does on the male ones. Please take this look out of fashion. Thank you.
Related:
- My recap of the game and its implications [Out of Left Field].
- My liveblog of the game [Sporting Madness].
- An excellent game story by Jim Morris of The Canadian Press [The Globe and Mail].
The Score: Canada 2, Argentina 1
How I Saw It: On the tube.
The Good:
- Kara Lang scoring Canada's second goal off of a free kick awarded to Canada only moments earlier when she was viciously tackled by Argentina's Maria Quinones, who earned a yellow card for her trouble. Brilliant way to get vengeance without getting booked in the process.
- Jodi-Ann Robinson, turning an impressive performance as a 19-year-old sub despite only being called up to the team earlier this week to fill in for the injured Amber Allen. The highlight of Robinson's play was the brilliant Hackey Sack move she performed to fool a defender, holding the ball between her legs while on the ground, flipping over and getting to her feet on the opposite side of her marker. Who ever said fooling around gets you nowhere?
- Melissa Tancredi's hockey-style screening of Argentine goalie Vanina Correa on Canada's first goal. I've always wanted to see that move more often in soccer, and Tancredi confirmed that it is possible, legal and effective.
- Correa's performance in goal for Argentina. Canada easily could have had a couple more goals if not for her strong play, particularly on an early blast from Christine Sinclair that she dived across the goal to parry.
The Bad:
- Rhian Wilkinson's turnover late in the game near the sideline in her own half that led to Argentina's lone goal. Obviously, she failed to pay heed to one of the central tenets of minor soccer instruction: "When in doubt, kick it out!"
- Canada's inability to finish. The Canadians squandered plenty of chances, hitting the woodwork, the stands and occasionally each other instead of the net. The poor finishing didn't come back to bite them in this game, but it just might against better opposition down the road.
The Ugly:
- Melissa Tancredi's rolled ankle. Tancredi had a great game, playing her usual bang-and-crash style that makes her seem like the women's soccer equivalent of Cam Neely. Unfortunately, she proved prone to injury as well, rolling her ankle in a severe collision with an Argentine defender early on. She was stretchered off, but returned to the game and gutted it out for another 20+ minutes, which might not be the best thing for her ankle in the long run. Eventually, she had to call it quits for the day. Let's hope she'll be back soon, as Canada could sure use her scoring talents.
- Some of the Argentine hairstyles. Note to Argentina: long, stringy hair looks just as bad on female footballers as it does on the male ones. Please take this look out of fashion. Thank you.
Related:
- My recap of the game and its implications [Out of Left Field].
- My liveblog of the game [Sporting Madness].
- An excellent game story by Jim Morris of The Canadian Press [The Globe and Mail].
Olympic soccer: Canada-Argentina live blog
Well, here we go with the first event of the Olympics: women's soccer. I'll be following the Canada-Argentina match on TV and posting frequent updates here, with some notes from the Brazil-Germany game as well if I can get streaming video to work.
Pre-kickoff: Canadian forward Amber Allen is out of the tournament with a leg injury [CBCsports.ca]. Tough luck for Allen, a Chilliwack, B.C. native who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps: she missed the 2003 Women's World Cup after tearing her ACL [Vicki Hall, Canwest News Service via the National Post], and a broken tibia in the same leg kept her out of the 2007 Women's World Cup. After intensive rehab earlier this year, it looked like she might finally get a shot, but it was not to be. She'll be replaced by 19-year-old phenom Jodi-Ann Robinson, a fellow Whitecap from Richmond, B.C. Robinson is very talented and has already earned 30 caps with the senior national team: she should do very well here.
Great quote from defender Randee Hermus in a pre-game profile: "Winning tackles, scoring goals and shattering the dreams of my opponents is why I do this."
First half:
0:00: Here's the lineups. Canada is playing a 3-4-3 with Erin McLeod in goal, Emily Zurrer, Candace Chapman and Martina Franko at the back, Claire Rustad, Sophie Schmidt, Rhian Wilkinson and Diana Matheson in the midfield and Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi and Kara Lang up front. Karina LeBlanc, Robinson, Robin Gayle, Hermus, Amy Walsh, Jonelle Filigno and Brittany Timko are on the bench.
Argentina opts for a 3-5-2 with Vanina Correa in net, Eva Gonzalez, Marisa Gerez and Gabriela Chavez at the back, Florencia Mandrile, Mariela Coronel, Fabiana Vallejos, Maria Quinones and Maria Blanco in midfield and Maria Potassa and Mercedes Pereyra up front. Their subs are Guadalupe Calello, Yesica Arrien, Ludmila Manicler, Emilia Mendieta, Daiana Cardone, Andrea Ojeda and Analia Almeida.
5: Not too many chances so far: mostly a midfield battle.
9: Argentina gets the first corner kick of the game and sends a good ball in, intercepted well by McLeod though.
14: Christine Sinclair and Kara Lang combine to create a corner kick for Canada, but Wilkinson's ball in is cleared by Argentina.
16: Lang is hacked down just outside the box, Wilkinson takes the free kick for Canada and finds Martina Franko open at the back post, but her header glances off Tancredi and over the net. It doesn't matter, as Tancredi is called for an offensive foul.
19: Lang again creates a great chance down the right flank and whips a cross in for Tancredi. Argentine keeper Correa gets a weak punch on it, but enough to divert it away from Tancredi, who is soon felled in the box in a collision with an Argentine defender. No call is made. Tancredi appears to have rolled her ankle and is stretchered off.
22: Tancredi has recovered and is back on.
24: Reasonably even so far in terms of possession, but Canada's created the better chances. You have to feel it's only a matter of time before that strike force of Sinclair, Lang and Tancredi tallies a goal. I like manager Even Pellerud's strategy of going for goals with the aggressive 3-4-3 instead of sitting back: the three strikers are all among Canada's top players, so let them all play.
25: Schmidt makes a nice run down the right flank and crosses over everyone's head. Eva Gonzales, Argentina's left back, doesn't seem to be able to handle the pressure Canada's creating down the right.
26: Some great midfield passing sets up Christine Sinclair for a long strike from 25 yards, which is barely parried by Correa and punched wide. Corner to Canada.
27: GOAL! Candace Chapman collects the ball after the corner and lets a powerful low drive fly from 30 yards out, through everyone and into the net. A great job of screening by Tancredi in front: she blocked Correa's vision beautifully and jumped over the ball at the last moment. Sean Avery couldn't have done it better.
28: Well, Canada deserved that goal on the basis of the chances they created so far: it's interesting that it came from a midfielder instead of one of those fearsome strikers, though.
29: Argentina gets a shot off on McLeod, but it's from distance and poses little threat. Easily handled.
30: Lang again makes Gonzales look foolish with a great stepover/pullback move, but her cross is intercepted by Correa.
31: Sinclair is set up in the box, but doesn't have much of an angle, and her shot goes right to Correa.
33: Tancredi and Gonzales collide, and Gonzales gets the worst of it. She not only limps off, but also concedes a free kick to Canada.
34: A great free-kick from Canada's Matheson, flicked on from Franko to Lang, who slid in to finish in style, but it won't count due to an offside. Lang just got a little too eager and jumped too soon. She might have been onside if Franko hadn't touched the ball, as I think she was fine at the time of the free kick, but there was no question about the final call.
36: Another ball in from Chapman almost finds Sinclair, but is barely punched clear by Correa. Correa's doing a strong job of goalkeeping for Argentina: this score could easily be higher.
38: Pereyra makes a run into the Canadian box, but gets little support and is quickly closed down by a horde of defenders who steal the ball and clear it.
39: CBC commentator (and former men's national team captain) Jason DeVos makes a great point about how well Canada is running off the ball. The Canadian players are making a tremendous effort to defend as a team and create multiple passing options on offense, and it's working well so far. Looks like the smog and humidity hasn't gotten to them yet.
40: Five minutes to go to the half, and the balance of play has really swung in Canada's favour. They're controlling the midfield, creating great offensive chances and preventing Argentina from maintaining possession. However, the only indicator that really matters is the scoreboard, and that still reads 1-0.
41: Tancredi seems to still be having trouble from the various collisions she's been in: it looks like it might be a back problem. She's taken off and replaced by Robinson, who wasn't even on the team a week ago. Robinson's been very effective on the national stage thus far, and she is tremendously experienced for her 19 years: this could be her time to shine. Canada's greatest depth is probably up front, as they've got an embarrasment of riches at striker.
45: Maria Potassa goes for goal from 25 yards out, and just misses the top corner. That was dangerously close, but McLeod might have got it if it was on target: she was in the right position.
45: Two minutes of stoppage time added: CBC announcer Nigel Reed thinks it should be more.
45: Reed reminds us that Canada led 1-0 at halftime in the teams' last meeting, in Korea at the Peace Queen Cup back in June, and wound up winning 5-0. Argentina shouldn't be taken too lightly, though: they may be ranked 27th in the world (Canada is ninth), and they disappointed at last year's Women's World Cup, but they are still the current South American champions after beating rivals Brazil in the Sudamericano Femenino final back in 2006.
Halftime:
A great Olympic debut for the Canadian women. They certainly have plenty of international experience, but unlike the men's World Cup, the Women's World Cup doesn't have the same kind of crazy atmosphere around it that the Olympics do. So far, the Canadian athletes have been up to the challenge.
Other halftime scores: Germany 0, Brazil 0 and Japan 0, New Zealand 1.
Nigel Reed just mixed up Candace Chapman and Randee Hermus on the highlights, announcing that Hermus had scored Canada's goal. That's a little tricky to do from the bench. Don't know where he got that one from: the two look nothing like each other and Hermus wasn't even playing. They do play the same position, though. Fortunately, he quickly realized and corrected his mistake.
Second half:
45: No halftime substitutions for either side.
50: A slow start to the second half so far. Argentina created a bit of pressure, but nothing too serious.
52: Argentina's Potassa creates a good run and gets open for a cross, but takes Candace Chapman down along the way and is called for an offensive foul. That could have been dangerous if the call wasn't made.
54: Lang sets up Robinson, who almost finds Sinclair with a through ball into the box, but puts it a bit too far.
57: Substitution for Argentina. Striker Maria Potassa comes off and Ludmila Manicler replaces her.
58: Robinson sends in a great cross, but no one can get on the end of it. The ball is cleared, but only as far as Schmidt, who chips it in beautifully for Sinclair. Sinclair slides and almost notches Canada's second goal, but the ball bounces wide of the net off her knee.
59: Schmidt makes another good play at the opposite end of the pitch, thwarting a Argentine counterattack.
60: Robinson creates a counterattack of her own, showcasing her tremendous speed. She also has crazy ball-control skills: she falls outside the area, but holds the ball between her legs, flips it over her head, gets up and then promptly runs around the shocked defender. And you thought those hours playing Hackey Sack would never help in soccer! It's for naught, though: she sets up Wilkinson in the box, but Wilkinson fires over the net from 12 yards out. That one should have been in: she had plenty of time and space to finish.
63: Robinson puts her speed to good work again against Florencia Mandrile, and is promptly taken down for it with a shove in the back. No call.
64: Lang's continuing her strong play down the right flank. She sends a cross in for Robinson, but it's cleared.
65: DeVos makes the point that much of Canada's success has been due to the team spending a long time together. That's largely due to Vancouver Whitecaps' owner Greg Kerfoot's generosity in establishing a year-round residency program for all of the national players, not just those who play for his club. The Vancouver Province's Ed Willes had a great feature on this program and its importance to the national team yesterday: highly recommended, if you haven't already read it.
67: Canada almost adds a second off a corner, but it's tipped just wide by a sliding Sinclair. The team's looking dangerous off set pieces. They shouldn't get overconfident, though: with a bad break, Argentina could level this despite being outplayed for most of the game. An insurance goal would be awfully handy about now.
70: Updates from the other matches: Germany-Brazil is still scoreless, but is featuring some good attacking football. Those teams will both be serious contenders for gold. New Zealand now leads Japan 2-0.
71: Yellow card to Maria Quinones for a harsh tackle on Lang. 25-yard free kick from Wilkinson at the top right-hand corner of the box.
72: GOAL! Canada notches a second off another set piece. Wilkinson sends a great ball in for Lang, who finishes perfectly with a brilliant header from eight yards out. That's the best way to get revenge for a rough tackle! Truly deserved for Lang, who's had a superb game, and Canada, who really should have had more goals by now.
75: Lang's inspired by that goal: she creates two more chances in quick succession and earns a corner on the second. An offensive foul on Canada negates the corner, though.
77: Robinson is put through and brilliantly chips the keeper, but Argentine midfielder Quinones gets back and clears the ball just off the line. That easily could have been a third.
79: Argentina get their first burst of possession in quite a while, and promptly throw it away with a 40-yard drive that never troubled McLeod and rolls wide of the net. Canada can't relax though: one single bad break could negate their dominance and bring this contest back within a goal.
80: Substitution, Argentina: Emilia Mendieta on, Mercedes Pereyra off.
81: Substitution, Canada: Brittany Timko on, Diana Matheson off. A good move by Pellerud to inject some fresh legs into the midfield and give one of his younger players some Olympic experience.
85: GOAL, Argentina. Uh oh, there's that break I referenced. Wilkinson dribbles with the ball for too long in her own end, and is stripped by Mariela Coronel. Coronel crosses to Manicler, who makes no mistake with the finish. Despite Canada's sizeable edge in play to this point, any result can still happen. Five minutes to go.
87: Wilkinson tries to redeem herself with a strong shot from outside, but it's easily handled by Correa.
88: Defender Martina Franko makes a great run forward, beats the offside trap and is in all alone six yards from goal, but hits the crossbar with a volley. Clare Rustad fires the long rebound wide. Another one that could have been a goal for Canada: it won't mean anything if they win, but they'll have to wonder about these squandered chances if Argentina can earn a tie.
90: Two minutes of stoppage time to be added.
91: Argentina make a final substitution, sending on defender Yesica Arrien for the last minute. A curious move, given the limited time left.
92: It's all over: Canada takes the win. Some nervous moments for the Canadians, but they thoroughly deserved the full three points. They outshot Argentina 9-3, and almost all of those shots were excellent scoring chances. They'll have to look at their finishing going forward, though.
Pre-kickoff: Canadian forward Amber Allen is out of the tournament with a leg injury [CBCsports.ca]. Tough luck for Allen, a Chilliwack, B.C. native who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps: she missed the 2003 Women's World Cup after tearing her ACL [Vicki Hall, Canwest News Service via the National Post], and a broken tibia in the same leg kept her out of the 2007 Women's World Cup. After intensive rehab earlier this year, it looked like she might finally get a shot, but it was not to be. She'll be replaced by 19-year-old phenom Jodi-Ann Robinson, a fellow Whitecap from Richmond, B.C. Robinson is very talented and has already earned 30 caps with the senior national team: she should do very well here.
Great quote from defender Randee Hermus in a pre-game profile: "Winning tackles, scoring goals and shattering the dreams of my opponents is why I do this."
First half:
0:00: Here's the lineups. Canada is playing a 3-4-3 with Erin McLeod in goal, Emily Zurrer, Candace Chapman and Martina Franko at the back, Claire Rustad, Sophie Schmidt, Rhian Wilkinson and Diana Matheson in the midfield and Christine Sinclair, Melissa Tancredi and Kara Lang up front. Karina LeBlanc, Robinson, Robin Gayle, Hermus, Amy Walsh, Jonelle Filigno and Brittany Timko are on the bench.
Argentina opts for a 3-5-2 with Vanina Correa in net, Eva Gonzalez, Marisa Gerez and Gabriela Chavez at the back, Florencia Mandrile, Mariela Coronel, Fabiana Vallejos, Maria Quinones and Maria Blanco in midfield and Maria Potassa and Mercedes Pereyra up front. Their subs are Guadalupe Calello, Yesica Arrien, Ludmila Manicler, Emilia Mendieta, Daiana Cardone, Andrea Ojeda and Analia Almeida.
5: Not too many chances so far: mostly a midfield battle.
9: Argentina gets the first corner kick of the game and sends a good ball in, intercepted well by McLeod though.
14: Christine Sinclair and Kara Lang combine to create a corner kick for Canada, but Wilkinson's ball in is cleared by Argentina.
16: Lang is hacked down just outside the box, Wilkinson takes the free kick for Canada and finds Martina Franko open at the back post, but her header glances off Tancredi and over the net. It doesn't matter, as Tancredi is called for an offensive foul.
19: Lang again creates a great chance down the right flank and whips a cross in for Tancredi. Argentine keeper Correa gets a weak punch on it, but enough to divert it away from Tancredi, who is soon felled in the box in a collision with an Argentine defender. No call is made. Tancredi appears to have rolled her ankle and is stretchered off.
22: Tancredi has recovered and is back on.
24: Reasonably even so far in terms of possession, but Canada's created the better chances. You have to feel it's only a matter of time before that strike force of Sinclair, Lang and Tancredi tallies a goal. I like manager Even Pellerud's strategy of going for goals with the aggressive 3-4-3 instead of sitting back: the three strikers are all among Canada's top players, so let them all play.
25: Schmidt makes a nice run down the right flank and crosses over everyone's head. Eva Gonzales, Argentina's left back, doesn't seem to be able to handle the pressure Canada's creating down the right.
26: Some great midfield passing sets up Christine Sinclair for a long strike from 25 yards, which is barely parried by Correa and punched wide. Corner to Canada.
27: GOAL! Candace Chapman collects the ball after the corner and lets a powerful low drive fly from 30 yards out, through everyone and into the net. A great job of screening by Tancredi in front: she blocked Correa's vision beautifully and jumped over the ball at the last moment. Sean Avery couldn't have done it better.
28: Well, Canada deserved that goal on the basis of the chances they created so far: it's interesting that it came from a midfielder instead of one of those fearsome strikers, though.
29: Argentina gets a shot off on McLeod, but it's from distance and poses little threat. Easily handled.
30: Lang again makes Gonzales look foolish with a great stepover/pullback move, but her cross is intercepted by Correa.
31: Sinclair is set up in the box, but doesn't have much of an angle, and her shot goes right to Correa.
33: Tancredi and Gonzales collide, and Gonzales gets the worst of it. She not only limps off, but also concedes a free kick to Canada.
34: A great free-kick from Canada's Matheson, flicked on from Franko to Lang, who slid in to finish in style, but it won't count due to an offside. Lang just got a little too eager and jumped too soon. She might have been onside if Franko hadn't touched the ball, as I think she was fine at the time of the free kick, but there was no question about the final call.
36: Another ball in from Chapman almost finds Sinclair, but is barely punched clear by Correa. Correa's doing a strong job of goalkeeping for Argentina: this score could easily be higher.
38: Pereyra makes a run into the Canadian box, but gets little support and is quickly closed down by a horde of defenders who steal the ball and clear it.
39: CBC commentator (and former men's national team captain) Jason DeVos makes a great point about how well Canada is running off the ball. The Canadian players are making a tremendous effort to defend as a team and create multiple passing options on offense, and it's working well so far. Looks like the smog and humidity hasn't gotten to them yet.
40: Five minutes to go to the half, and the balance of play has really swung in Canada's favour. They're controlling the midfield, creating great offensive chances and preventing Argentina from maintaining possession. However, the only indicator that really matters is the scoreboard, and that still reads 1-0.
41: Tancredi seems to still be having trouble from the various collisions she's been in: it looks like it might be a back problem. She's taken off and replaced by Robinson, who wasn't even on the team a week ago. Robinson's been very effective on the national stage thus far, and she is tremendously experienced for her 19 years: this could be her time to shine. Canada's greatest depth is probably up front, as they've got an embarrasment of riches at striker.
45: Maria Potassa goes for goal from 25 yards out, and just misses the top corner. That was dangerously close, but McLeod might have got it if it was on target: she was in the right position.
45: Two minutes of stoppage time added: CBC announcer Nigel Reed thinks it should be more.
45: Reed reminds us that Canada led 1-0 at halftime in the teams' last meeting, in Korea at the Peace Queen Cup back in June, and wound up winning 5-0. Argentina shouldn't be taken too lightly, though: they may be ranked 27th in the world (Canada is ninth), and they disappointed at last year's Women's World Cup, but they are still the current South American champions after beating rivals Brazil in the Sudamericano Femenino final back in 2006.
Halftime:
A great Olympic debut for the Canadian women. They certainly have plenty of international experience, but unlike the men's World Cup, the Women's World Cup doesn't have the same kind of crazy atmosphere around it that the Olympics do. So far, the Canadian athletes have been up to the challenge.
Other halftime scores: Germany 0, Brazil 0 and Japan 0, New Zealand 1.
Nigel Reed just mixed up Candace Chapman and Randee Hermus on the highlights, announcing that Hermus had scored Canada's goal. That's a little tricky to do from the bench. Don't know where he got that one from: the two look nothing like each other and Hermus wasn't even playing. They do play the same position, though. Fortunately, he quickly realized and corrected his mistake.
Second half:
45: No halftime substitutions for either side.
50: A slow start to the second half so far. Argentina created a bit of pressure, but nothing too serious.
52: Argentina's Potassa creates a good run and gets open for a cross, but takes Candace Chapman down along the way and is called for an offensive foul. That could have been dangerous if the call wasn't made.
54: Lang sets up Robinson, who almost finds Sinclair with a through ball into the box, but puts it a bit too far.
57: Substitution for Argentina. Striker Maria Potassa comes off and Ludmila Manicler replaces her.
58: Robinson sends in a great cross, but no one can get on the end of it. The ball is cleared, but only as far as Schmidt, who chips it in beautifully for Sinclair. Sinclair slides and almost notches Canada's second goal, but the ball bounces wide of the net off her knee.
59: Schmidt makes another good play at the opposite end of the pitch, thwarting a Argentine counterattack.
60: Robinson creates a counterattack of her own, showcasing her tremendous speed. She also has crazy ball-control skills: she falls outside the area, but holds the ball between her legs, flips it over her head, gets up and then promptly runs around the shocked defender. And you thought those hours playing Hackey Sack would never help in soccer! It's for naught, though: she sets up Wilkinson in the box, but Wilkinson fires over the net from 12 yards out. That one should have been in: she had plenty of time and space to finish.
63: Robinson puts her speed to good work again against Florencia Mandrile, and is promptly taken down for it with a shove in the back. No call.
64: Lang's continuing her strong play down the right flank. She sends a cross in for Robinson, but it's cleared.
65: DeVos makes the point that much of Canada's success has been due to the team spending a long time together. That's largely due to Vancouver Whitecaps' owner Greg Kerfoot's generosity in establishing a year-round residency program for all of the national players, not just those who play for his club. The Vancouver Province's Ed Willes had a great feature on this program and its importance to the national team yesterday: highly recommended, if you haven't already read it.
67: Canada almost adds a second off a corner, but it's tipped just wide by a sliding Sinclair. The team's looking dangerous off set pieces. They shouldn't get overconfident, though: with a bad break, Argentina could level this despite being outplayed for most of the game. An insurance goal would be awfully handy about now.
70: Updates from the other matches: Germany-Brazil is still scoreless, but is featuring some good attacking football. Those teams will both be serious contenders for gold. New Zealand now leads Japan 2-0.
71: Yellow card to Maria Quinones for a harsh tackle on Lang. 25-yard free kick from Wilkinson at the top right-hand corner of the box.
72: GOAL! Canada notches a second off another set piece. Wilkinson sends a great ball in for Lang, who finishes perfectly with a brilliant header from eight yards out. That's the best way to get revenge for a rough tackle! Truly deserved for Lang, who's had a superb game, and Canada, who really should have had more goals by now.
75: Lang's inspired by that goal: she creates two more chances in quick succession and earns a corner on the second. An offensive foul on Canada negates the corner, though.
77: Robinson is put through and brilliantly chips the keeper, but Argentine midfielder Quinones gets back and clears the ball just off the line. That easily could have been a third.
79: Argentina get their first burst of possession in quite a while, and promptly throw it away with a 40-yard drive that never troubled McLeod and rolls wide of the net. Canada can't relax though: one single bad break could negate their dominance and bring this contest back within a goal.
80: Substitution, Argentina: Emilia Mendieta on, Mercedes Pereyra off.
81: Substitution, Canada: Brittany Timko on, Diana Matheson off. A good move by Pellerud to inject some fresh legs into the midfield and give one of his younger players some Olympic experience.
85: GOAL, Argentina. Uh oh, there's that break I referenced. Wilkinson dribbles with the ball for too long in her own end, and is stripped by Mariela Coronel. Coronel crosses to Manicler, who makes no mistake with the finish. Despite Canada's sizeable edge in play to this point, any result can still happen. Five minutes to go.
87: Wilkinson tries to redeem herself with a strong shot from outside, but it's easily handled by Correa.
88: Defender Martina Franko makes a great run forward, beats the offside trap and is in all alone six yards from goal, but hits the crossbar with a volley. Clare Rustad fires the long rebound wide. Another one that could have been a goal for Canada: it won't mean anything if they win, but they'll have to wonder about these squandered chances if Argentina can earn a tie.
90: Two minutes of stoppage time to be added.
91: Argentina make a final substitution, sending on defender Yesica Arrien for the last minute. A curious move, given the limited time left.
92: It's all over: Canada takes the win. Some nervous moments for the Canadians, but they thoroughly deserved the full three points. They outshot Argentina 9-3, and almost all of those shots were excellent scoring chances. They'll have to look at their finishing going forward, though.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Live-blog of Canada-Argentina coming up
A quick note that I'll be staying up to live-blog the opening game of the Canadian women's soccer team's quest for Olympic gold (yes, they start before Friday's opening ceremonies). Kick-off is at 4:45 ET (1:45 PT) this coming morning, and the game can be seen live on CBC. I'll also have notes from the Brazil-Germany match, which will be streaming live on CBCsports.ca. For background on the team and the competition, check out this excellent Ed Willes piece in the Vancouver Province, striker Kara Lang's blog on the Province's website, Gary Ahuja's excellent piece on defender Randee Hermus in the Langley Times or Duane's preview over at Out of Left Field. Hope to see you in the live-blog comment thread!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Great Moments in Sports: One-athlete teams
Most of the time, an athlete being called a one-man or a one-woman team is pure hyperbole; a compliment to the superstar player, but an insult to their teammates and an exaggeration of their role. It's extremely rare to actually see one person win a game in a team sport by themselves. Even some of the best athletic performances of all time that come close to this status eventually fall short: the example that comes to mind is Diego Maradona's performance against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, where he scored possibly the greatest goal of all time (slo-mo version with classical musichere) as well as the most controversial one (consider yourself lucky if the words "Hand of God" don't evoke sporting memories). Maradona needed very little help on either goal, as it was a mishit clearing attempt from England's Steve Hodge that produced his "divine intervention" rather than a pass from a teammate, and he dribbled through most of the England team on his second and greatest goal (which, unfortunately, has been overshadowed by the Hand of God). However, even though Argentina won 2-1 over a great England side on the strength of Maradona's play, it wasn't a true one-man performance: the rest of the team turned in a solid defensive effort and created their own chances, and it took an 87th minute save from Julio Olarticoechea to put Argentina through.
In the last couple weeks, however, two performances worthy of the one-athlete team label were recorded. Jobi Wall of Faith Christian High School pitched a perfect game (over five innings) and hit for the cycle (in only four innings) in the same game, an 18-0 victory over Coal Ridge. Wall's performance literally was enough on its own to win, as his home run supplied the only run his team would have needed with his pitching. Neate also found an amazing story about Bonnie Richardson, a Texas high-school track and field athlete who was the only member of her school's team to qualify for the state championships, but yet wound up taking home the team title.
Sure, both only happened at the high school level, but those are incredible feats. Even Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game wasn't enough to beat the Knicks: the Philadelphia Warriors won that one 169-147 (aside: wouldn't it be something to see an NBA game like that again!). Are there any athletes I haven't thought of who really have singlehandedly won a match for their teams?
In the last couple weeks, however, two performances worthy of the one-athlete team label were recorded. Jobi Wall of Faith Christian High School pitched a perfect game (over five innings) and hit for the cycle (in only four innings) in the same game, an 18-0 victory over Coal Ridge. Wall's performance literally was enough on its own to win, as his home run supplied the only run his team would have needed with his pitching. Neate also found an amazing story about Bonnie Richardson, a Texas high-school track and field athlete who was the only member of her school's team to qualify for the state championships, but yet wound up taking home the team title.
Sure, both only happened at the high school level, but those are incredible feats. Even Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game wasn't enough to beat the Knicks: the Philadelphia Warriors won that one 169-147 (aside: wouldn't it be something to see an NBA game like that again!). Are there any athletes I haven't thought of who really have singlehandedly won a match for their teams?
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Quarter-final previews
The FIFA U-20 World Cup continues to provide quality soccer. Only eight teams remain in the competition, and by Sunday night, they'll be reduced to four. Without further ado (Freddy or other), here's my previews and predictions for the quarter-final clashes.
Saturday:
Austria vs. USA (BMO Field, Toronto, 2:15 P.M. ET)
This should be an interesting tilt. The U.S. has had a strong tournament so far, defeating such South American powers as Brazil and Uruguay. Freddy Adu has shown why everyone rated him so highly several years ago, and has lived up to his tremendous potential. Danny Szetela has also been terrific, producing several goals in addition to his solid play as a defensive midfielder. Austria has also been strong, especially defensively, where they have only conceded two goals. Their attack has been reasonably one-dimensional though, with Erwin (Jimmy) Hoffer producing half of their goals. Surprisingly enough, the pre-match lineups have listed Hoffer as starting on the bench, as he did against Uruguay. The U.S. will need to beware of him coming off the bench late in the match, but if they can produce some goals against a strong Austrian defence, they should be able to take this game. The inclusion of standouts Sal Zizzo and Jozy Altidore in the starting lineup, both who were questionable due to injury, as well as the return of #1 keeper Chris Seitz, make things look very good for the Americans.
Prediction: U.S.
Spain vs. Czech Republic (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, 7:45 P.M. ET)
This clash of European sides should provide another interesting matchup of offense and defence. Spain lead all sides thus far with 12 goals for, while the Czechs have 6. However, the Czech team have also only conceded 5 in four games. Unfortunately for the Czechs, their side may be reduced by injury. In a bizzare twist, FIFA.com is reporting that midfielder Tomas Oklestek, who converted the decisive penalty against Japan in the last round, injured his shoulder in the post-goal celebrations. The Czechs have good depth though, as five different players have scored for them thus far. This could be a tough one to call, but I think Spain's performance against Brazil on Wednesday revealed them as one of the best sides in this tournament. Their variety of offensive threats, such as Adrian Lopez, tied for the tournament lead with five goals, and Diego Capel, who dominated on the wing against Brazil, should be enough to break down the Czech defense and carry them through.
Pick: Spain
Sunday:
Chile vs. Nigeria (Olympic Stadium, Montreal, 2:15 P.M. ET)
Another interesting conflict here. Chile have proven surprisingly dominant in the competition thus far, as they entered as the last South American seed. They have not conceded a goal through four matches, and have seven to their account. However, they will be missing Arturo Vidal due to suspension. Vidal, the only man to notch a goal in their Round of 16 match against Portugal, was sent off late in that game for time-wasting. They will need star striker Alexis Sanchez to step up and provide goals, but his fitness is somewhat in question, as he has only played in two matches thus far. Nigeria have looked good as well thus far, but were in one of the easiest groups and only had to face Zambia in the Round of 16. They have five goals for to one against. They may make things difficult for Chile, but I don't feel that their attack will be able to overcome the strong defence of the South Americans.
Pick: Chile
Argentina vs. Mexico (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa, 7:45 P.M. ET)
This should be the match of the round. Argentina have been growing in strength throughout the tournament, after a disappointing 0-0 draw in the opener against the Czechs. They displayed magnificent technical skill and tremendous creativity to break down a solid Polish defence in the last round. Sergio Aguero, who notched two beautiful goals against the Poles (including one that made the TSN Honour Roll), is tied for the tournament lead with 5 goals in 5 matches, and has been one of the best players thus far. He's making the 23 million euro transfer fee Athletico Madrid agreed to for him last summer (making him the most expensive acquisition in their history) seem like a bargain. One of his main competitors thus far has been Mexican standout Giovanni Dos Santos, who belongs to Athletico's Spanish rival Barcelona. Dos Santos and his Mexican teammates have dominated thus far, with 10 goals for and only two against. They were the only team to collect a full 9 points from the group stage. However, they did not appear overly impressive against a weak Congo side last round, requiring two late goals to seal a 3-0 victory. Mexico should put up a good fight, but the depth of talent Argentina has, including such standouts as Aguero, Maximiliano Moralez, and Angel Di Maria, should be enough to see them through to the semis.
Pick: Argentina
Saturday:
Austria vs. USA (BMO Field, Toronto, 2:15 P.M. ET)
This should be an interesting tilt. The U.S. has had a strong tournament so far, defeating such South American powers as Brazil and Uruguay. Freddy Adu has shown why everyone rated him so highly several years ago, and has lived up to his tremendous potential. Danny Szetela has also been terrific, producing several goals in addition to his solid play as a defensive midfielder. Austria has also been strong, especially defensively, where they have only conceded two goals. Their attack has been reasonably one-dimensional though, with Erwin (Jimmy) Hoffer producing half of their goals. Surprisingly enough, the pre-match lineups have listed Hoffer as starting on the bench, as he did against Uruguay. The U.S. will need to beware of him coming off the bench late in the match, but if they can produce some goals against a strong Austrian defence, they should be able to take this game. The inclusion of standouts Sal Zizzo and Jozy Altidore in the starting lineup, both who were questionable due to injury, as well as the return of #1 keeper Chris Seitz, make things look very good for the Americans.Prediction: U.S.
Spain vs. Czech Republic (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, 7:45 P.M. ET)
This clash of European sides should provide another interesting matchup of offense and defence. Spain lead all sides thus far with 12 goals for, while the Czechs have 6. However, the Czech team have also only conceded 5 in four games. Unfortunately for the Czechs, their side may be reduced by injury. In a bizzare twist, FIFA.com is reporting that midfielder Tomas Oklestek, who converted the decisive penalty against Japan in the last round, injured his shoulder in the post-goal celebrations. The Czechs have good depth though, as five different players have scored for them thus far. This could be a tough one to call, but I think Spain's performance against Brazil on Wednesday revealed them as one of the best sides in this tournament. Their variety of offensive threats, such as Adrian Lopez, tied for the tournament lead with five goals, and Diego Capel, who dominated on the wing against Brazil, should be enough to break down the Czech defense and carry them through.
Pick: Spain
Sunday:
Chile vs. Nigeria (Olympic Stadium, Montreal, 2:15 P.M. ET)
Another interesting conflict here. Chile have proven surprisingly dominant in the competition thus far, as they entered as the last South American seed. They have not conceded a goal through four matches, and have seven to their account. However, they will be missing Arturo Vidal due to suspension. Vidal, the only man to notch a goal in their Round of 16 match against Portugal, was sent off late in that game for time-wasting. They will need star striker Alexis Sanchez to step up and provide goals, but his fitness is somewhat in question, as he has only played in two matches thus far. Nigeria have looked good as well thus far, but were in one of the easiest groups and only had to face Zambia in the Round of 16. They have five goals for to one against. They may make things difficult for Chile, but I don't feel that their attack will be able to overcome the strong defence of the South Americans.
Pick: Chile
Argentina vs. Mexico (Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa, 7:45 P.M. ET)
This should be the match of the round. Argentina have been growing in strength throughout the tournament, after a disappointing 0-0 draw in the opener against the Czechs. They displayed magnificent technical skill and tremendous creativity to break down a solid Polish defence in the last round. Sergio Aguero, who notched two beautiful goals against the Poles (including one that made the TSN Honour Roll), is tied for the tournament lead with 5 goals in 5 matches, and has been one of the best players thus far. He's making the 23 million euro transfer fee Athletico Madrid agreed to for him last summer (making him the most expensive acquisition in their history) seem like a bargain. One of his main competitors thus far has been Mexican standout Giovanni Dos Santos, who belongs to Athletico's Spanish rival Barcelona. Dos Santos and his Mexican teammates have dominated thus far, with 10 goals for and only two against. They were the only team to collect a full 9 points from the group stage. However, they did not appear overly impressive against a weak Congo side last round, requiring two late goals to seal a 3-0 victory. Mexico should put up a good fight, but the depth of talent Argentina has, including such standouts as Aguero, Maximiliano Moralez, and Angel Di Maria, should be enough to see them through to the semis.
Pick: Argentina
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