Diego

Motivational kisses and hugs before matches and endless calls of
'vamos' have a short half life, even if you were the best player on
the planet in your time. You need an actual strategy. You had none of
the latter when it mattered and loads of the former.

El experimento ha terminado.

GP

The Nike Curse

The ads featuring Robinho, Ronaldo and Rooney still make me smirk.
Wonder if they had a performance clause in their contracts to back up
the success portrayed in the ads? Doubt it...

GP

TORN

Difficult call re tonight's grudge-laden heavyweight clash. On the one hand, I love the way Argentina play, but then there's Maradona: an ego-heavy, arrogant character whose brilliance on field can never be reconciled with the destruction to himself and others off it, and whose team has excelled so far without any real tactical input from him.

GP

FUTEBOL ES ASI

Just finished watching the Uruguay - Ghana match, an absorbing contest in which Ghana had it, then didn't, then should have had it, and then didn't have anything.

Interestingly, the referee for the clash was changed after English official Howard Webb was thought by the Uruguayans to be potentially disadvantageous, after Urugayan referee Jorge Larrionda had officiated the England-Germany game to perceived negative effect. Portuguese official Olegario Benquerenca took the reigns instead after FIFA's consideration.

Two Jabulani specials from Sulley Muntari and Diego Forlan cancelled each other out until Uruguay's super forward Luis Suarez handled on the line in the last piece of open play of extra time to hand Ghana a penalty and earn himself a red card in an act of unselfishness. The penalty struck the post and a shoot out ensued.

A cheeky homage to Pole Gregor Lato by Sebastian Abreu and Uruguay are through 4-2 on penalties to face Holland in their most important game since playing the USSR in Mexico70.

For Ghana, the night was a golden opportunity lost.

URUGUAY 4-2 PSO (1-1 aet) def GHANA

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249718/match=300061508/index.html

GP

ORANJE CRUSH

The memories of 94 and 98 are finally erased. In a brilliant display of resilience, the Netherlands have made their way into the semis after going down to a seemingly in control Brazil after 10". Dunga's Brazil has betrayed the mythical free flowing, samba style that Brazilians have been brought up on. Had he won the tournament, he could have thumbed his nose at his detractors, but now, after a second consecutive exit at the quarter final stage, Brazil will be looking for a more attacking philosophy to present in their own backyard.

Brazil, for all their quick and effective interplay during the first half, self-combusted as they were drawn into a series of transactions that you'd expect from bickering cousins playing in the street, with the skillful Robben attracting more attention than Lara Bingle at an all boy's school. Repeatedly fouled by Michael Bastos, Felipe Melo and Dani Alves, Robben went down more times in 90 minutes than Kim Kardaschian. The referee, a model of Asian diplomacy, was probably too eager to protect the flying Dutchman, but in truth Bastos was lucky to stay on before Dunga interevened in a switch he hadn't expected tactically.

In a bizarre 20 minutes after a brilliantly saved shot by Kaka, Brazil had lost it, whatever 'it' was. Foul after foul gave Holland the possessive advantage, leading to numerous set pieces, from which the 2 goals effectively came from. The first was a second phase play where a hopeful Sneijder cross was contested by both Felipe Melo and keeper Cesar, with the latter flapping wildly, and the ball nestling in the bottom left corner. If Cesar had compared the Jabulani to a supermarket ball, this was definitely a spill in aisle 3.The second was a beautifully worked corner, with a flick on from Kuyt and a free header to the 5'7" Sneijder.

From here, desperation set in, with nasty foul after nasty foul raising the stakes. After Melo's expulsion for a Zizou style stamp on Robben, Brazil went all Wimbledon, with 3 at the back and disarray reigning supreme.

For all of Brazil's indiscipline, the attitude of Robben and card seeker VanBommel was ugly and detracted from an otherwise great Dutch performance. Uruguay will watch the tape with interest as they seek to nullify Robben and not repeat the mistakes of Brazil.

Holland deserve this. Only arrogance stands between them and their first finals appearance since 1978.

As for Dunga, he will be pilloried for biasing the tactics too much towards the defensive. The 2 cogs that left him without pants were 2 of the defensive cogs he depended upon.

HOLLAND 2

BRAZIL 1

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249718/match=300061507/index.html

GP

SOURCE OF THE ENGLISH SPLIT?

Some mail out of the UK has shed light (albeit dim) on a scandal involving Steven Gerrard, who has allegedly impregnated his wife's sister. A feud with John Terry during the group stage over the issue apparently split the squad. A court injunction has apparently prevented any fallout from the scandal, with the brown gear set to hit the fan in 1-2 weeks.

GP

Definition of Irony

A French news service previewing the Germany v Argentina game with
football ridiculing Maradona's training techniques (with footage from
2 weeks ago).

GP