We have been treated to some of the highest levels of soccer in the two matches so far. Van Persie gets in an absolute beauty of a free kick and Tizie had no chance. As the inimitable Tommy Smyth put it, “he put up his hand as if hailing a cab.” Then Arjen Robben who must taken the ball hog label seriously, made a selfless pass to Van Nistelrooy who scored.
Ivory Coast never gave up. Didier Zokora’s rocket shook the crossbar so hard that it took at least a 3-4 seconds for it to regain its position. The goalcam angle made me dizzy. Aruna Kone got one back outrunning Heitinga launching an absolute blast that had Van Der Saar sprawling in a tangle of arms and legs.
The officiating in both matches has been terrible. The Argentina – SMT game should have been 8-0. Crespo suffering on both occasions with his goal disallowed on an offside call. Then not getting a PK for the takedown committed on him in the box. The referee waved it off as a dive.
The Netherlands saw a card happy referee with Robben getting one for an apparent dive and Drogba for an inadvertent clip on Van Der Saar.
Who says players reputations for diving does not come back to bite them? Crespo, Robben, Drogba, Eboue, Totti – the referees are watching them closely.
Tommy Smyth and Adrian Healey are just the best and continue to entertain whenever they call the matches. Healey, “he was not particularly handsome with his clearance.” The Ivoirians are “committing defensive suicide”
Smyth of Alex Ferguson. ” he is a stodgy old Scots guy.” Drogba doing a “keepie uppie”
Get these guys to call all the games, ESPN. They might be hoarse by the the end of the day but even then they are better than the garbage some of the other commentators spew out.