Europe Marching On

With the World Cup Quarter Finals drawing to a close this evening, Holland have beaten Brazil, Germany have cruised past Argentina, winning 4-0 this afternoon and Spain have just beaten Paraguay 1-0. This leaves just Uruguay who defeated Ghana last night on kicks from the mark to decide the outcome, to attempt to retain the trophy in South America for another 4 years.

This evening's game between Spain and Paraguay had a few interesting incidents. The first was a long ball played forward towards two Paraguayan attackers, one who was in an offside position and the other was in an onside position. The ball fell to the onside player who controlled the ball and scored. The assistant however had adjudged that the action of the other attacker, in jumping to challenge for the ball, was sufficient to meet the criteria of interfering with an opponent.

Then in an amazing two minutes of play, two kicks from the penalty mark were awarded. The first was for Paraguay who had an attacker held by Pique of Spain. The kick was saved, but at least 3 defenders were encroaching as the ball was kicked. Within 1 minute at the other end of the field Alcaraz fouled Villa of Spain and a kick was awarded to them. The challenge took place 10 yards from goal with only the goalkeeper between the attacker and goal ... so why wasn't the offender dismissed?

The goal was scored but Carlos Batres adjudged that players had encroached and asked for the kick to be re-taken. The re-take was saved but in the ensuing melee another foul was committed on an attacker but was missed by the referee and his assistant.

With 8 minutes to play Spain had a shot at goal which hit the left hand post and rebounded to Villa who again took a shot at goal. The ball hit the right hand post, bounced along the goal line to the left hand post, bounced off that before resting in the back of the net - amazing!

So the second semi final, which will take place on Wednesday will be between Germany and Spain.

Go Ghana or not ...

Dramatic end to their game with Uruguay ...

A dismissal for Suarez after the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity by use of the hand saw Ghana awarded a kick from the mark in the second minute of added time at the end of the second half of extra time. Poor Gyan missed the goal and hit the cross bar, the referee blew the whistle and it's going to be kicks from the mark to decide the outcome ... more to follow ...

Tension, tension ... it's 3-2 Uruguay with both sides having missed one penalty ... oh no, they've (Ghana) missed another ... Uruguay can win with this one ... and he's chipped it down the middle ... Uruguay will meet Holland next Tuesday in Cape Town!!!

Return to civilisation

I spent 5 days last week at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset England. The beard continued to be cultivated ...

While I was there England sneaked into the Round of 16 before being humiliated by Germany at the World Cup. I also managed to see quite a few bands and caught a couple of halves of other games at various venues around the site.

As the quarter finals have kicked off today, there's been a couple of shocks. The first came as Brazil were knocked out by Holland. As things stand at the moment (one hour played), Ghana are taking the game to Uruguay with the score at 1-1 after Muntari put Ghana ahead on the stroke of half time with a wonder strike from 35 yards, before Diego Forlan equalised with a sublime free kick.

My new season is shaping up nicely with a spot booked for me to deliver some training at the 7-6 promotion seminar at County HQ on July 22 followed by the RA-FA Meeting on August 9 at the same venue. Some of my friends have completed their PGMO fitness tests today, so well done to Bob, Andy, Ricky and Ross.

Some of the other lads have had their Supply Leagues confirmed for them and I have to admit, I'm beginning to miss being out on the green bit again. I'm sure pre-season training (starting on July 12) will knock that out of me!

Spoke too soon

It's taken me a couple of days to recover from the abject performance by England against Algeria on Friday. It was truly one of the worst team performances I have seen. Things need to change if they are to beat Slovenia on Wednesday and progress to the next stage of the competition.

Other games have been more exciting, whether it was the defeat of Germany by Serbia after Klose was sent off, the battling display by USA to gain a draw after being 2-0 down against Slovenia or the strong defence by Australia against Ghana after Kewell was sent off, it seems that the competition has finally come alive.

We also have the first team to be eliminated from the competition as Cameroon's defeat against Denmark, after they took an early lead as well, means they cannot qualify for the Round of 16.

I'm now signing off for a few days as I prepare for a trip to the 40th anniversary of Glastonbury. I've not been before, although I have attended other festivals. So it's mud, music, beer and baby wipes from Wednesday onwards ... they also have a 40ft screen on which to show the England game on Wednesday afternoon :-)

And that makes three

Lukovic picks up the tournament's third dismissal in Serbia's defeat to Ghana.

His first caution came after the referee, Hector Baldrassi of Argentina, played a good advantage for Ghana in the 54th minute before going back to caution Lukovic. His second caution came in the 74th minute when he held a Ghanian attacker in midfield and the referee didn't hestitate is showing the 2nd yellow card followed by the red card.

Ghana had already been the better team and on pressing the 10 men of Serbia, they forced a stupid handball by Kuzmanovic in his own penalty area. The resultant kick from the mark was struck firmly down the middle of the goal by Gyan and Ghana were on course for registering an African nation's first win of the tournament.

Germany and Australia coming up!!!