Day Five

By carlosvaldez, June 14, 2006

Togo VKorea
SouthPark Ji sung and song Chong Goo are the only players I know…Togans.. just the word itself gives rise to visions of tribal warriors, planting their spears in the ground,, surrounding a small bastion of resistance…which is called “south Korea’

1T
2 joints, good chat with the lecherous but surprisingly intelligent(for a Yorkie) Steve; involving politics, the pros and cons of mass ignorance, and of course fast bikes. ;extra joint as I receive call from my mentor, Mafioso-coach Nolberto the Nutcracker..assassin turned priest, of Ascoli….
Vodka and coke, straight into the action…..Should be lively…giants versus dwarves….
Off the smoke for a while…back on the juice…..

Korea very solid in opening stages…
Comfortable on ball.
Big Afebaouyr -of Arsenal infamy -will be useful for
Togo
PREDICTION: 1-1 No real quality ….Koreans more organized and probably technically superior, but Africans are exceedingly tough physically..
10-TOG Kader finds himself in the box, with time to shoot from difficult angle….over…
Everyone is aware that at any moment, if the wind were to change to a certain direction, carrying the scent of blood from the nearby Berlin Butcher’s yard into the stadium, the Togans would instantly taste the signature of death in the air, then proceed to cannibalise the entire Korean squad.

Korea are playing within themselves. over patient. And polite.
‘I saw you dive you little fucker!’ mouths the ref after Keller’s filthy fall to the ground..
17- first chance for Korea to shoot, but the shot is worryingly weak…pea roller that ended up a yard short of the keeper…

Two balls on the pitch…
Boiling hot…suit Africans more.
Lee Chun Soo is another player I know only too well from Pro Evolution..bargain buy who really rabies the standard of the default master league team when he invariably arrives in the first transfer window.

15 FK for Korea, deep down right…easy for keeper.
All smiles from Lee Chun Soo. Nice moustache…Koreans starting to play …
Togo’s debut in WORLD CUP FINALS..
23- Park Ji Sung mercilessly savaged by ABALO .Yellow. though, to be fair, the Korean did charge into him…
24- Romao for KOR is booked, for chop on a togan thigh.
Korea gaining control by the minute.
25- Korean free kick from 30 yards. 30 yards wide. Run up was reminiscent of Roberto Carlos, individual touch by Korean was: pulling his shorts tight up round his thighs…why? I couldn’t guess.
Tournament is nothing more than a shop window for some players, chance to shine, individually, to earn a big money move after the finals….This is understandable, but as a manager, you wouldn’t want any player in your team who was putting his own career so definitively before and separate from the success of his country (in the world cup). Ego is needed, but must be equal to or less than desire for team to do well for country….
31–GOAL…against the run of play,, Kader is put through on right of Korean 18 yard box., who took his chance with confidence and Quality..53rd goal for country…Great finish, across keeper right into side netting…
Togo 1-0
34- FK Korea.. 20 yards. poor…Lee Chun Soo..Blonde mop of a hairstyle.
That half-hour I stole from work failed to yield the most sought after commodity; broccoli..I have tortellini and pesto, but only cabbage or sprouts to have with it…neither of which will do anything other the spoil the meal…
Platini watching with the Kaiser….
Togan problems with player financial packages, coach recently, a week ago, walked out on squad, only to return three days later when plied with salvia and ‘persuaded’ by a high class hooker to sign back on the dotted line…

Koreans piling on the soy sauce..
41 -yellow for Kim Jung gun after Samia dives…
FK Samia, curled over wall, saved by keeper. respectable effort/ 

Koreans lack of braun in defence and midfield means that every time a tough, big team attack them, they are liable to wilt, tremble, or get stomped.. You take a 6ft , 12 stone Togan, then have him run head first into a 3ft 2in ,5 stone Korean( stats supplied by NASA), now only a fool would bet on the Korean coming out of that kind of match up, in one piece…size matters. not so much that if the Koreans were highly skilled dwarf geniuses that the Togans would still have the edge, but this isn’t the case for the Koreans, they aren’t that good at football. So when a team is made up mainly of technically adequate- but in no way special- small, weak players, then yes, the size difference should decide the game…that is as long as the extra kgs and cms stay on the pitch…
However..the Togans, are less competent than the Koreans with the ball at their feet, so who knows what could happen.??.not me at this moment in time..
2T
Korea trying harder, but their shooting is shit…
53- park Ji sung bustles through, then taken down from behind by ABALO,, RED card. maybe harsh, wasn’t horrific, but he could have scored perhaps….. ‘did he prevent goal-scoring chance’??
ten Togans, time to go to war lads…
FK to the now advantaged in number, Koreans.,,.GOAL…Lee Chun Soon blasts in the FK, hard over the wall..1-1//..over keeper’s right shoulder high into roof of net…good strike

61-injury, stretcher for defender TOG .Sub..Forsen for crocked Assemoassa…
63- Sarifu fires over the top for TOG after ball falls to him just outside area…

Now Korea can play…..but their end product is terrible, apart from the free kick, I don’t recall a decent Korean shot off or on target…
There we go…Jung Ahn, the swine who erased Italy’s chances in the 2002 world cup finals….GOAL 2-1 Koreans….makes spaces in right of goal, and shoots, ball takes large and ultimately decisive deflection off defenders thigh, then loops over keeper into net….lucky Koreans, I really couldn’t stand another tournament in which ‘lucky Koreans’ turns out to be the main catch phrase….(painful memories of South Korea cheating in front of the world.2202 world cup)

no more of the juice,…lack of sleep, hardcore reporting,,,, existing, has taken its toll…my head is thumping with rage…I take it easy tonight and maybe stay easy till Friday when I can let myself go again knowing that the next morning I can sleep for at least a good ten hours….
If I can just make it till Friday evening…..

FT–regrettable
The red card and subsequent free-kick and goal changed the game. Those frantic few minutes between 1-0 and 1-1 gave the whole Korean team a massive boost in self belief, and at the same time dealt the Togans an indescribe-able somewhat feeling akin to how those poor bastards felt on the Titanic, when they knew that she was going down to her icy grave….

 Neither of these teams impressed me and I think they would both struggle to beat Gillingham…..No need to add anything to a statement of that weight….

2am,,,frogs v Swiss

old hatred
Ribery playing…
Prediction…4-1
Makelele, Thuram, Viera, Henry, Zidane, Ribery, Bartez.——Fabian Bartez > is the aluminium link in an otherwise titanium French chain..
Swiss, young exciting..Frei can score…recent draw with
Italy, though only friendly, parity with the spics is always a good result. Arsenal's boot-face Senderos will face team-mate Henry..frogs may destroy them,,,.
Swiss anthem is lifeless…anaemic choice of music, hardly galvanising, stifling if anything ..
Sunny day..

1T
Henry is lone gunman.
Ribery likes to roam.
5- Viera halts Swiss advance with inch perfect tackle.
‘Alles les bleus’ the frogs sing..
6- Zidane sends Wiltord down right wing, who delivers deep cross finds Henry , header is over..difficult chance…
7- Ribery picks up ball, strides into area only to me by classic defensive foot-in by Muller…
12- lovely approach work by Swiss ends abruptly when Cabañas hits an early applicant for ‘worst shot of the century’….
12- FK- 21 yards..right/centre of 18 yard box..cross. dealt with. Swiss player heads out then calls for goal kick!
13-chance for big Patrick who hammers his shot into the ground then smiles a knowing smile as he watches it bounce 70 yards over the bar…he gallops back to the French barracks…
Swiss are very lively. but French look more potent.
19- calm stop by Bartez of 20 yarder from Swiss..
21- Zidane’s chipped through ball finds Henry but no room for shot….plays ball across face of goal but no frog in sight….
23- Viera carves his way through Swiss posse…FK for Swiss form 30 yards–hits posts..two Swiss players in penalty box to clean up, but Frei fucks up the rebound with a terribly flawed lob…Should really have scored from three yards out.
31- Henry, plays ball in, and Ribery, in centre, makes space, but his shot from advantageous position is rotten…
Henry is one of those players who seem to play better for their club than they do for their country…different system or just more enjoyable for Thierry amongst the Arsenal squad..?

38- Ribery gets through, who could have shot, but tried to find Henry…..final pass just a touch short..
41- Magnin booked???because ref told him to put ball out for throw whilst Henry was down injured OFF the field of play….Why put it out??weird.
45- Henry drive from edge of box lacks spirit…

HT
French have been the more dominant force but lacking killer instinct in the final third. The Swiss have attacked with guile and pace, but haven’t forced a meaningful save out of mentally erroneous Bartez..There was the Swiss Free kick from range, which beat Bartez, and hit the post, before Frei’s woeful follow-up, but it is the French who look the more likely to score the first and probably only goal…

Maybe need another man up front with Henry who looks decidedly out of sorts…

2T
49- Viera fluffs shot from edge of area after nice work on wing by Zidane…
55- Zidane smacked in face..nothing given..
57- Swiss lad who smacked Zidane noise is finally booked, most delayed booking I have ever seen…
59 Senderos makes vital challenge to stop Henry in box….
60- Galllas foils Swiss attack with swiss-timed tackle…
66- Swiss come to life, Gigatz has dynamite in his boots, or maybe electricity…gets through, but Bartez saves the day at his near post with the sun in his eyes…
Muller, Senderos and Magnin all very solid.(SWI)
68-Saha warming up..looks calm and collected..very fast..and has looked good with Henry in previous games….
72- Zidane booked for taking free kick too quick…
74- Trezeguet desperate to play..
75- Djouro on for Muller SWI
Domenech ageing, indignant queen.
84-Asian Frenchman…The crafty-eyes of Dhorasoo for dick shaped head of Wiltord..SUB
90- Zidane finds Saha who knocks down for Dhorassou who drills shot across face of goal a foot wide…too little too late
91- Abidal, French left back , already on a yellow, should have been sent off for a needless bodycheck, but on decency?ref says: NO..ref has been shit, one of worst,
93- Sagnol booked for over affectionate embrace of Frei…
93- Yellow for Frei .5th Swiss booked.
Blow your whistle ref…
Bring an end to this vile excuse for a group match of a world cup finals…
FT 0-0
A game of two very solid defences. Both teams made scant commitment towards entertainment or a victory, and despite the quality of the players on show, this was a very poor game . Zidane wasn’t exactly anonymous- faring no better or worse than the majority of his fellow frogs- but didn’t make the hoped for impression by all us dreamers who refuse to believe that his genius can ever deteriorate. Thierry HENRY was a pale shadow of his ARSENAL alter ego. The youngster, Ribery, made some good runs, but his finishing, like every other player on the pitch, was beastly. Domenech doesn’t seem to be able to apply any cohesive spirit between his players. Frogs lacked solidarity. Henry, on his own up front, didn’t work as French midfield doesn’t have mad pace needed to transform seamlessly between a 4-5-1 and 4-3-3…They looked like they wanted the shape of the Czechs, but lacked a Rosicky…
Switzerland have a young team full of energy and enthusiasm. A good result for them, a dire experience for all spectators…one to fuck and forget…
Ref watch- A serous pinhead, a big girls blouse, a chump, un petit-fois, un capo di cazzo,
In short he was, and will be forever, a dangerous and very easily confused , dickbrain.

France, have suddenly become too pale for my ‘dark horses’ paddock….not destined for greatness this time round…

Brazil V Croatia

full strength brazil. Ronaldinho…best player in the world. joy to watch. Wonderful flair, control, invention..
Croat coach has picked his son…
I think
Brazil will annihilate the Croatians…start as you mean to go on.
This squad is best
brazil team, perhaps, ever..or at least one of greatest,—>>> the quintessential quartet…Kaka, Ronaldinho, Adriano and Fat Ronnie…Emerson the anchor man in midfield is no slouch.
Brazil will want to stamp their mark on the tournament, this is the big one for them..for all their players love winning for
brazil more than they love winning for any other team….Lucio and Dida stalwarts at the back….Cafu and Carlo old but still marvellous players ..
Coach Pereira–wily gaze..
Croat anthem sung loud and with pride..
Prediction:5-2
Brazil! Why not?
David Prso, useless for his form and match sharpness to be plying his trade in
Scotland.
1T
The Kovac brothers..

Brazil won all seven of last world cup matches. this would be number eight; a new record.
Roberto Carlos looks younger.
3-Big Tudor…crunches fat Ronnie3- Ronaldinho escapes attention of three Croatians….
Ze Roberto dogged tackler in midfield with Emerson..nifty.
8- corner for
Croatia! Good take by Dida…ball straight up to Ronaldinho who releases Kaka to shoot over, but with lovely technique.
N. Kovac determined in middle of park for
Croatia.
Clamour in stadium is deafening.
Ronaldo swaggers, conserving energy to save for explosion of pace, power and finishing of the highest order…
15- Carlos from centre of park, 30 yards out, keeper forced to tip it over for corner.
>>>Ronaldinho gets ball ..forces save from keeper…another corner,.good save,..
>>>hit first time on the shin by Carlos..over…
18- Ronaldinho could have picked up ball but was looking for free kick claim ,joining Ronaldo..
Croatia giving it a good go.
Gorgeous Brazilians bronzed goddesses in the crowd…seductive samba smiles…
30- Adriano crushes hand of Nicky Kovac as he barges past, on the right flank.
32- Free kick after Kaka taken down on 20 yards, Yellow for Nicky Kovac…Dangerous position for FK>>> Ronaldinho…brazil left, good angle….
36- Captain Nicky Kovac back in the war…physios stretching his legs…ribs busted by Ze Roberto running through him..fine though.
39- Tudor head is only inches away from latching onto a Krasnic teasing cross..
Croatian keeper XXX nicknamed ‘the octopus’..
Bad news for all but the Brazilians,. Nikko Kovac injured ribs by the look of his breathing problems, we send him our best regards and wishes for a fast recuperation.

Robert Kovac walks like Gun Jack from Tekken.
42- Yellow for Emerson, who brings his studs down on Tudor’s foot….
44- Kaka given time in central position around edge of box, left foot, strokes a beautiful curler into the left of the goal…fluid, priceless moment of football….GOAL 1-0 Kaka
HT
Brazil winning through individual effort, not team effort.
Croatia had as much pressure though less shots. Not completely one sided, but Brazil look more lethal,, no sign of fat Ronnie or Adriano
Second Prediction: 2-1 to
Brazil.
Adriano.
2T
Brilliant display by the Croats or under performing Brazil….
R Kovac indomitable…
Brazil feeling the pressure of world beaters???usually enjoy it.

50- Kovac finds Prso, breaks through, shot well saved Dida, parries, then off for corner…

Brazil rely more on players than system, so if players aren’t great they cant fall back on ultra solid efficient system they know inside out…
72000 in attendance
54- Krasnic has a good pop from edge of box. too central..
56- first look-in for Ronaldo..shapes up and shoots from 25 yards. whistles over the bar..
57- OLIC for Krasnic Sub
58 dangerous free kick near touchline near left edge of Croat box… Ronaldinho.>>>FK..cross….wins corner.
60- Carlos long throw puts
Croatia straight into good position which they waste…
62- Cafu down right, good cross>>Ronaldinho powerful header saved.
67- Robert Kovac slices Adriano’s ankle right in front of ref, Yellow.
Croatia had more opportunities than
Brazil but lack finish…
69 SUB Fat Ronnie off for Robinho.
70 Babic shoots well..Dida collects…
72- Kaka has a go from left of box, this time on his right foot. exemplary technique again. curls wide…
Croatia have been the better team. All they lack is funnily enough exactly what
Brazil have in spades; flair, creativity and finishing. Kovac/Tudor….
If Croatia had Ronaldo, they would have won this easily..
A hungry, solid team, lacking bite. great appetite though.
84-emerson cant quite clear the violent Srna hurdle! He gives it, he has to take too…
Ronaldinho hacked but gets back up straight away, wants to play , not get people booked…
Pitch invader..get off you fucker, save it for a 11pm kick off…642am here
Flare in the crowd. Croat fans.
Croatia deserve at least a draw from this. cruel game often..
I underestimated
Croatia. I think that many people are going to find that they have over estimated the Brazilians…Last time Brazil were in Germany for a world cup, they didn’t win it, that is a pertinent piece of history….though that was back in 1456BC
MOM- Ze Roberto- he was nothing short of heinous. Throwing caution and any concern for the welfare of his fellow human beings, whenever he flies , generally studs first, into a tackle or handshake….
Brazil, by their own lofty standards, were shit and definitely not the best team seen so far in this first round of the finals. However, they have so many individual superstars they always looked destined to score a goal or two and ultimately take victory against the boisterous but impotent Croatians.
Much to do for Parreria and he may have to change the ratio of System::Individual Flair.

On this form,
Croatia look the likeliest to claim second spot…can they be stopped by the Genius of Hiddink and the butcher’s boy looks and brute force of ALoisi??