Asha

Am Back....

June 19th, 2006
Well.. the second installment of first round matches are done...over! and there have been some upsets.. looks like my cravings have been satisfied.. but why to my fave teams??
USA 1- Italy 1..damn the bloody americans!!!
Czech 0- Ghana 2... ewwww!!! i love the czechs..but if not for petr cech..they would have been bummed 5 or 6 to nothing...
Makes for a very interesting group... Who will go through??? I want the czechs and the italians through.. Therefore i shall root for the Americans.. :).. this one time... USA win coupled with a Italy- Czech draw or a Czech victory...and ill be happy :D..will make for some interesting news too.. "Gallant American team bows out owing to ridiculous FIFA (FISA) rules!!" LMAO :)
The other group that is interesting is Group G..France will have to win in style..and then hope that either there is a low scoring draw between the Swiss and SKorea.. or a victory for one of them.. i still think that the French will go through.. they made it tougher in qualifying and still got through alright... so dont count them out.. they look lethargic.. but i have a feeling about that team...(good or bad..will be revealed later..i dont want to put my career as a football pundit on the line with this french team :D)..
Australia and Croatia play a knock-out game... that should be fun ..yum!!
Argentina vs Oranje-- mouth-watering... i cant see argentina winning 6-0 again..but if they do.. that will be massive :)...

Worth Mentioning: Spain look incredibly dangerous!! watch out for them... they have added a bit of steely reserve to their talent..and add a terrific bench strength..and hey presto!! they are good to go!

June 20,2006 5:14 pm.
Did a run in the morning.. came home..and watched two games.. first Germany vs Costa Rica.. and then the English vs Sweden...
Germany won convincingly..and look increasingly menacing!!!...klose showed his WC pedigree again.ballack pulled the strings..and podolski got on the score sheet too!!
England- WC contenders?? or pretenders?? hung to their dear skin...for a 2-2 draw against the Swedes, who were distinctly unlucky to not score a winner.. they looked horrible defending set-pieces.. two goals- one from a corner and one from a throw-in (damn...not even wolverhampton let in goals as sad as that from throw-ins...).. an injury to owen.. and probably rio ferdinand too... all in all... showed that england aint there yet!!! sorry.. this is one case of the sum total being less than the sum of the individual parts... they migh beat the costa ricans..who were off color and fielded a second strength team..but i dont think they will get any further.. 4 years ago..they had a chance to knock brazil out... brazil was down to 10 men..for the last 30 mins..yet. england could not score.. that same fraility continues.. QF and no more i say!
Sweden vs Germany.. cant predict this one.. sweden are a good team... and probly as resilient as Herr Germans..lets see what comes out of this one!

Tomorrows predictions: Holland sans robben and van bommel..should be rolled over by the argentine machine.. portugal should top their group..and mexico will finish second! which means..Holland play portugal...mouthwatering again... and argentina play mexico..will be brutal.

Watch out for the rest of the WC!!!

Pass on the popcorn..the pizza.and the beer boy..and lets go!!!

Introduction!

I was talking to a good mate of mine and realized theres a lot about football that people do not realize. Well, here are a few basic tips for a game of football (and no i aint calling it soccer!)

Objective Function: Maximize the number of goals you score while minimizing the goals that you concede (if you do not know what a goal is, then stay away from attempting to solve this problem)

Restrictions:
Raw Materials:
1) 6 < Number of players on your playing team < 12 (being a positive integer this reduces to 1-11); when this number gets lower than 7, the game is abandoned and the opposing team is awarded a victory!
2) In an ordinary game (i.e. not knock out stages where the conditions are different) playing time =45 minutes per half (of course there are a few minutes added for injuries, play acting, stoppages during the course of the game!)
3) Number of possible substitutions <= 3 ( again a non-negative integer) Player Constraints:
1) Can use all parts other than the hands.
2) Cannot make rash tackles on opposing players- two legged tackles are punishable.
3) Players are awarded cards for rough play. Two types of cards- yellow and red. Two yellows make a red, and a red equals expulsion from the game. One yellow keeps you on tenterhooks. Smaller Objective: Try and Play Fair :)


Rule Constraints:
1) when a forward pass is made by ur team member, and you are in the opposition half- make sure that there are two people of the opposing team in between you and the opposite team's goal! This rule-also called the offside rule does not apply to throw-ins and goal kicks!
2) when making a throw-in, make sure that the ball is thrown by both hands and that the hands move from behind your head, and that both feet are grounded.
3) the ball is deemed out, only after the entire ball has crossed the line. Just as in tennis.
4) the goal keeper can touch the ball inside his "box". The funda of the smaller box? when a goal kick is made, the defending team cannot touch the ball there (i know there was another one but i can't remember it!).
5) all other rules are crappy!!

Outfit Constraints:
1) Shirt, shorts,socks,shoes,shingurds are a must! (no boots- no play... the indian team was disqualified from playing in the WC)
2) the goalkeeper wears a different jersey-not becuase he is special-but cos he can use his hands :D

My 2 cents worth!!

Anurag here!
Well.. i got down to the analysis of day 2..and its already day 7 of the WC. Plenty has happened in between. But, no upsets of note!! and that pisses me off. The only noteworthy games where the underdogs pulled it off T&T pulling off a 0-0 against Sweden (Paraguay against Sweden and Poland against Germany almost pulled it off too, and yeah so did T&T yet again vs England, but all ended in victories for the much fancied teams!).
Now, the question that we all want to answer!! Who will win the WC? A rational answer would be, wait up till July 9th and you'll know. But, then who said man is rational? So, here goes...i am going to paint in my top 5 picks and analyze each of them!

1) Brazil- Eternal Favorites!! How did they start? Slow, with loads of immobility up front. I was punting on Ronaldo to prove his critics wrong and get off to a flier a la 2002. But, naah, this time I think he has genuinely lost it. Adriano looks off colour too. But, the positives- plenty. Mark Ronaldinho, and then Kaka scores a beauty. Trump Card- Juninho Pernambucano- am betting on this dynamo to come off the bench in a crucial game and prove his worth. Personally, I think he is a million times better than Ze Roberto in the central midfield position. Bet against them at your own risk. They are headed to a mouth watering clash against either the Czechs or the Italians. Talk about the faulty system of FIFA- No.1 potentially facing No.2 in the second round?!!

2) Italy- They have been tagged in my must-see list of winners. Simply because of the divine ponytail- RB. They have a couple of things in their favour. They have not been hyped, for a change (owing in no small part to the betting scandal back home in Italy). And they have a more youthful look to their squad than ever before. No pedestrians like Christian Vieiri and no holy water sprinkling a la Trappatoni! Lippi is a shrewd campaigner- and he has been blessed with a good squad. Anyone who keeps Gattuso out for the bigger challenges ahead has got to be blessed. They had a terrific game against the Ghanians. Composed and controlled. Luca Toni proved to be a menace. This man has it all- good running, terrific finishing and good holding abilities. Mr. Crouch- for all your hype- this guy is a million times better. The one thing I hate about the team is Mr. Totti- an arrogant SOB, if there ever was. The spitting incident is still fresh in my head-yuck. They will do well to avoid Brazil in the next round. But, then again you got to face the best sometime en route. Better lose to Brazil than S.Korea?!! Once Zambrotta gets back, they will look even better.

3) Argentina- Lionel Messi has not played yet, and they already look like a well trained orchestra. Much has been said already in these articles about Juan Roman Riquelme. So I shall not overdo it. But, the squad has a balance, and a quiet confidence. A captain who wears his heart on his sleeve- J P Sorin, a defence that keeps its shape always, and strikers that are ready to play deep and poach when needed- what more can you ask from the team? A slightly shaky goalie they said, but Abbon-whatshizname did as good a job as any on Matchday 2. Interesting match up ahead in the second round- if the Portugese slip up- or if the Argentines themselves slip up against the Dutch. Mouth watering i say. I have a bad feeling about Gabriele Heinze though- I think he will be fouled for flaying arms- and it will be a costly one at that! Players to watch out for- all of them :). This might be a super-sub tournament for Pablo Aimar, but he is one who can change a game in a few minutes. Watch out for his little cameos.

4) Czech Republic- I love watching lion-haired Pavel Nedved terrorizing defenses in the Italian League. And I love it better when he links up with old wily fox Karel Poborsky. The oldest squad in the WC made an emphatic statement against what was that team?? aa yes USA :D. They ran tirelessly, made terrific moves, scored amazing goals and in general showed the world that while the 5th ranking is bullshit, No.2 on FIFA's computer is justified. I have a few worries though- (a) they have peaked too fast (b) they have two of their best strikers on the doctor's table (Milan Baros- inauspicious since Euro 2004 where he was spectacular and Jan Koller- good start to the tournament, but plagued by injuries, he got plain unlucky pulling his hamstring. I was listening to the commentary and all of them were pretty sure that it was 6 weeks out for Koller. The end verdict made me think of them as the weathermen.. dont ask me why!! ). But with Rosicky in such prime form, and Galasek pulling the strings and a strong defensive wall manned by the giant Cech- they have it all. Get Koller back in the team and avoid facing the Brazilians in Round 2 and you have a game on. I want them to win!! My backing all the way guys for you. Should be an interesting game against the Italians who have backed off their defences too.

5) Who do i go for? England? Holland?France?Sweden maybe? Germany? Portugal? Australia? They are all good teams no doubt. England has had a slow start to the tournament- and I dont think thats too bad. Run into form rather than run outta steam!
Portugal- Good team! Figo's last hurrah! I wont mind seeing them win. If only Ronaldo threw a few less tantrums and played a little more.!!
Australia- With Gus Hiddink at the helm anything is possible. Terrific comeback against Japan. They are no mugs. Look for good things from this team. Tough draw in the next rounds might knock them out. But, you never know!
France- they played like a joke. Learn to use Henry better. And keep Wiltord on the bench please!
Holland- played like a dream Robben was unbelievable and RVN and RVP are both good. But, I worry for them if they concede early. They might get murdered like the Italians did in a recent friendly. But, don't bet against them!
Sweden- I like them. Quiet, with no airs. They had a nightmarish start and barely beat Paraguay, but don't bet against them beating England and taking top spot. Which will make for a mouthwatering clash of England against Germany in Round 2.
Germany- Awful till the start of the tournament- these guys have the pedigree of an Arab thoroughbred. They were shaky against Costa Rica, but against Poland- they showed that the solidity is coming back. I wont say they are a good team. But, the teutonic calmness, the will to succeed on the big stage and the HOME advantage. Dont be surprised if they go all the way.
But my 5th pick is Spain. The perennial underachievers. But, this time they have made radical changes. Picked some yound kids. And kep Raul on the bench. For me, that is the single biggest step forward for this Spanish team. Blessed with terrific playmakers and marauding wingbacks and a solid back three (including Casillas- indidentally the captain in the absense of raul!) they look the complete package this time around. In David Villa, they have a pacy strong center forward and Torres plays the unselfish second striker ready to feed him scraps. Watch them waltz through unnoticed. Good draw till the QF. Bet on them to run into peak form by then. Good bench strength too.

And that concludes my article for the day. Trust me to get it all wrong. But, I covered all the teams that have a chance to win the WC. My ass is covered. :) I cannot be wrong! And I only talked about 12 teams. Not too bad eh! :)

Its a long way to the top !!

Well, it has finally begun!! The World cup has made the indolent author move his ass around for a change. Anyway as our amateur correspondent put it, it was quite an entertaining start to the World Cup with Germany winning in a high scoring encounter against the Costa Ricans, but one would be surprised if they do score more than once against a higher caliber team like Brazil or Argentina (You would want me to put England here, dont you ??). The absence of Germany's inspirational captain Ballack can be called as a reason for the lack of real spark in the game. Just a reason!

Anyway, the English didnt differ much from the Germans. Pathetic would be an understatement!! I did miss the first half of the game, but the second half was just horrible. The game plan clearly showed the lack of a second forward for Sven after Crouch and Owen, and he absolutely has no confidence to bring on Walcott in place of Owen. Downing showed complete lack of creativity on the left flank in the few minutes he had on the pitch, which he used well to run down blind alleys. How Ashley must be missing Arsenal now!!

One guy who must not be missing Arsenal is Van Persie. He has been performing admirably on the right side of the Dutch attack, which has been spearheaded by Van Nistelrooy. It goes without saying that Robben has been collosal among the trio. He had an absolute ball on the left side and completed a beautiful move. This dutch side has been quite different from the sides before. The difference being the efficiency of the back four or five. Van Bronckhorst or Heitinga are by no means rampaging full backs and this has been the key to the midfield trio of Sneijder, Cocu and Van Bommel. They have been constantly keeping shape in the middle. Full credit to the Serbs, who fought till the end. However some questions need to be answered from their set-piece tactics and for not using the height of Zigic well. Otherwise it was a good effort from the Serbs.

The game between the Argentines and Ivory Coast lived upto its reputation. Fast and furious!! The Africans showed steel and purpose in the middle of the park. Zakora, Kone, both the Toure's and Kalou to some extent played wonderfully. Drogba as expected spent more time twitching on the field. And how could i forget the Argentines. Their football is a delight to watch. Despite the physical strength of the Africans, Cambiasso and Maschereno held fort quite admirably. Saviola was lively throughout and that pretty much makes the case as to why Tevez is absent in the starting eleven (Did anyone miss Messi??) . Not much needs to be said about Riquelme. He is probably one of the most complete attacking midfielder currently. He holds the ball brilliantly, almost never gives it away and worst case he gets the team a free kick. I vividly remember him holding the ball with Gilberto, Cesc (and I think Henry) breathing down his neck. This makes one question the Barcelona team policy, with both these South Americans shipped out to other La Liga clubs. Quite tragic!


Anyways teams and players I am looking forward to in the group stages:
-->France vs Swiss Army: Want to see if Senderos is good enough for Henry.
-->Togo: Apparently one Emmanuel Adeboyar is their key player, so have to watch the comic spectacle.
-->Holland vs Argentina: Duh!!
-->Brazil vs Australia: Think this is going to be a cracker!
-->England vs Sweden

What we have learnt so far:
-->Germans are impotent in attack and will struggle against good teams.
-->The English team is a joke. It is an even bigger one that they are supposed World Cup hopefuls. Hopefully Rooney will return to boost their game and morale.
-->Argentina have proved why they are to be feared.
-->Iranians are not as puny as the Saudis!!
-->Ivory coast have proved to be the most feared African nation, they need some more luck. They were making the right noises in the game.
-->Holland's quiet World Cup campaign is on track.

Hello!

Hello All,
This is your special correspondent from Tampa Bay, Florida. The World Cup fever has taken Tampa Bay by storm. Offices have been neglected, children run unchecked on roads, schools have been closed for the month and professionals have been adviced to take the month of or be ready to work 120 hours a week.
I wish eh!!... sad old place.. theres not much buzz around here.. But, i am taken by the WC.... slow and steady.. its taking me over.. Nothing till yday... You cannot get too excited if everyone else around is dead as seaweed!!
I am here today to provide my synopsis of the games that have taken place over the first two days of the World Cup. First up, the hosts Germany took on Costa Rica. This is, of course the first time that the pride of place has gone to the hosts and not the winners of the previous edition (makes sense now that the defending champs have to qualify). Previous editions have seen some interesting upsets.. france 0-1 senegal, argentina 0-1 cameroon. But, it would have been too much to expect Germany to lose to CR. CR does have some flair players.. but, in the end the Germans were a little too good. Now, this is one team with a lot of pedigree.. they seem to suck en route.. but make it big on the biggest stage of 'em all. 4-2 was a reasonable scoreline considering their domination! loads of crowd backing- the best thing was seeing lehmann being left alone at munich- Nothing gets bigger than the WC eh!!
Prediction: Germany should make it to the QF. (seeing England and Swedens bullshit form and play.. i am willing to bet on it!!) From there on, it depends on their best players.. Ballack, Frings,Podolski, and Klose. (dont expect them to keep a clean sheet..ever!!!!)
Top Players for the game: Lahm- back after injury..played a really good game..and one of the top goals for the tourney (prediction!!) 9/10.
Klose: he is turning out into a world cup special... coming off the back of an impressive season with Werder Bremen, 26 goals in 25 matches..he continued the good form! he looks better than the last WC.. his link play has gotten better.. and so have his predatory skills. two good goals- one a clasical center forward finish, the other a good follow up from his header 8/10
Paulo Wanchope: he formed a good partnership with les sulk at Man City. but seems to save his best for his country... two classical goals.. terrific finishes.. 8/10

The first game pumped me up.. 4-2 wow!! 6 goals..loads of tries.. terrific start.. i was ready with my red bull and with loads of junk food at hand for the next game.. and what a let down it was.. it didnt match the first game in either the technical aspects or the passion or even the goals..for those of u who followed the qualifying campaign in Europe, you will know that poland had a terrific run-up, making up for their lack of talent (supposedly) with excellent formation and team play.. but they were a big let down... two soft goals against ecuador.. one in each half.. proved to be their undoing.. agreed they were given a harsh call for offside..and had a few kicks against the posts ..but then u make ur own luck!
Ratings-not given- owing to poor quality of game.. sub-standard for a WC game!
Prediction- Poland have a tough fight for second place now! watch out for the Germans to do some cheap tricks to avoid England in the next round!!

Day 2: Came too early- games started off at 9am Eastern Time. I woke up at 7 am. flicked some music.. and washed away my early morning blues... Hoped that the England game would get some life into me! England needs a good start- they are like Arsenal..they dont have a Plan B... though Arsenal plays more attractive football... And did they start well.. fast off the blocks.. a freakish goal-which had the commentators screaming as though Beckham had done a Ronnie from the last WC; either way... it was a goal.. Bad Start Paraguay- goal within the first 3 mins.. and keeper substituted within the first 6.... And England had a chance to stamp their class on the game. Did they do it? Hell No- and in the end they looked hurried and puffed. Paraguay had a few decent moves-but nothing to rave about either.
Verdict- England without Rooney are just about average. They need their talisman in there and fast.And Gerrard and Lamps have another average game in the middle together!
Ratings- Sven GE- 3.5/10- for yet another uninspiring performance in the support system. Poor defensive substituions..when will England ever believe and play like champions? Never!!!
Terry-solid as a rock.. terrific form for Chelsea-captain in waiting for England.. uncomplicatted 8/10
Joe Cole- Tried his best to get something going but nothing ever happened.. its upto him to get the spark till rooney gets back! 7/10
Nelson Valdez- Paraguay's best player... has a chance to attaract potential suitors.. solid game.. with a bit of flair... Paraguay need him to come up with the goods along with R.Santa Cruz. 7/10
Result- slept for 25 mins through the first half..woke up in the 60th minute and didnt feel like i had missed much!!(Engl)1-(Par)0

Game 4: I was a little worried.. Sweden against the Carribean boys..T&T..didnt want a Saudi vs Germany debacle from last time... but i hoped it would be a blast... another keeper debacle meant that Shaka Hislop came into the team at the last minute..thats the third keeper down (including issakson) and Lehmann is heavily strapped. And what a game Shaka had! a few decent saves in the first half.. which was in my view.. as i thght it would be minus the goals.. T&T took their chances..but mostly were pegged back.. Everytime i see Henrik Larsson play.. he seems to roll back the years..he had another terrific game...and then tragedy struck..right after half-time.. T&T had their left back sent off..it just seemed a matter of time before sweden struck.. but Shaka Hislop made save after save..and carlos edwards made block after block.. till sweden ran out of ideas... in between they almost won the game themselves...whitley striking the crossbar from the most improbable of angles... while roni shabaan looked on helplelssly.. (this guy is a national keeper now??!!!!!:O) ..
This is what the WC is all about..passion.. luck... skill.technique..pace..enthusiasm..and never-say-die attitude.. 0-0 in the end.. but for me one of the games of the tournament!!!
Verdict-I love T&T..but i think Sweden and England will progress from the group!! I would pay a million bucks for T&T to whip England's ass though :)
Ratings: T&T- 10/10 for the entire team...players making up the lower leagues of the England set-up put up a fascinating display.. and deserve the same respect as the cricketing heroes of their islands!! (including a mr.B.C Lara).. coincidentally... the hour after hte result.. W.Indies had their best moments against India in the Test Match...
Zlatan-6/10... a little less showboating and more discipline..and this guy can be taken in the same breath as one Mr. Thierry Henry..he has it all..but chooses to let it go..!!
Larsson-8/10 along with freddie..was the best player that Sweden had to offer...
Mellberg-8/10 took a pounding from Stern John..but wore the captain's band and showed why!

Game 5: Everyone will agree this has been the best game so far!! i do not want to talk about it cos I love both teams...Ivory Coast are hte best African team in the WC..and make up the proverbial Group of Death..they showed what they were all about today.. but Argentina were a little too classy for me!! Will leave the commenting of this game to my other colleagues!!
Terrific game..this is how football should be played...one team all silk..and grace..and technique and lethal in front of goal... the other bullish..young..enthusiastic..and wasteful in front of goal.. CIV's poor showing in front of goal hurt them..though they had a bit of luck with a disallowed goal from ayala...
Verdict- Group C is too tough to predict...after tomorrow's game it should be clearer!! If anyone is going to shine at the WC..then its going to be riquelme... finally argentina have a performing No. 10 since Diego Maradona left the field.
Ratings: Ayala-8/10.tough uncompromising.. rolling back the years..he was superb..mopped up everything!!
Riqulme... 9/10.. his waltzing on the football field..have been unseen since zidane graced the world with his displays a few years back.. his languid brilliance..was finally harnesed well in Villareal..and he continues it with the national team... he and he alone can match ronnie for individualistic brilliance on the field... can he take them all the way?? time alone can tell!! if only he did a bit of defending.. but then i guess u cant have it all !! :)
ARGENTINA are here..and ready to be counted...safe punt to go all the way..if u dont like brazil!
Sorin-8.5/10... terrific display..his energy has no limit.. terrific terrier display.. is a proud captain.. and a nice guy to be lifting the WC in a month's time!
Drogba- 9/10 ...awesome fight...led his team admirably..scored a goal..and made a few chances.. they need more of him!!
Special Mentions: Didier Zakora( buy him..buy him..hes a steal!! at whatever price!!), both Toures, Saviola,Cambiasso,Mascherano,and the two kone substitutions.. all had amazing games!

Thats it from Tampa Bay.. Anurag signing off for today

Tomorrow Must Watch:
Brit Grand Prix- Silverstone- Alonso has pole!
French Open Men's Final- Federer vs Nadal.. yummy game!!
The Oranje vs Serbia (Montenegro is now independent!! *i think*)

Also Watch:
India vs West Indies...Test Match *yawn*
Iran vs Mexico
Angola vs Portugal..