spain lost !! :(
sniff sniff !! :( :(

Labels: Soccer, Sports

Wat a start to this world cup..GO SPAIN !!

my bet is on SPAIN..and yesterday they put on the most impressive display in this world cup, after the first round of group matches were over.Ukaine would have never thought that they were so vulnerable. Credit must be given to spanish goal machines. And not to forget more than half the time the team was playing without RAUL, who is hailed as best spanish player of all time.Couldnt possibly give a better start to this world cup.4-0 is the best score in world cup thus far. way to go !!!

The team played with 4-3-3 formation, definitly with a mind set to thrash the ukranian side with frontman as schevchenko, a recent addition to chelsea in one of the highest paid deals ever. in my opinion ukraine was the toughest opponent for them in the group rounds, and they dealt with them in style, needless to say, complete domination in all forms of the game.

starting 11 were
GK: Iker Casillas
DL: Mariano Pernia; DC: Pablo Ibanez; DC: Carles Puyol; DR: Sergio Ramos
MC: Xavi; MC: Xabi Alonso; MC: Marcos Senna
FW: Luis Garcia; FW: David Villa; FW: Fernando Torres

not to forget they had raul, reyes, del horno, lopez, fabregas on bench. so pretty decent team on paper, and i feel that they were the only ones to liquidise their full potential. though there were a lot of missed chances, but wat the fuck, you cant convert every move in a goal.

ukranian defence was never given a chance to rest, with all three spanish forwards starting their journey towards ticking the scoreboard, right from kick off. i missed the first few minutes, damn bangalore traffic and my office too :(. and to make matter worse, it was raining, which obviously screwed up the reception. anyways, first attempt was a fierce blow from senna in 12th minute,which the ukranian goalkeeper diverted over the bar. briiliant save !!

and the next attempt brought the first mark on the score card in 13th min. it was a perfect corner from xavi, which alonso managed to deflect towards goal. he made it look so simple. though shovkovsky( ukranian goalkeeper) managed to touch the ball with his hand, he couldnt do much then to helplessly staring at the ball getting netted.

soon after, another blow to ukranian defence came in form of powerful free kick from villa, who was in tremendous form yesterday and thoughout the season. this 25 yards stunner from villa took a major deviation from a ukranian defender, thus wasting shovkovsky's effort to stop the ball from getting netted. so at the end of 18 minutes spain were leading 2-0. then ukraine never came back into the match, and spanish domination continued until the end. there were a lot of nice moves made by senna in midfield. though i didnt see much of action from pernia's side, he is a player to look for this season.

spaniards were oozing with confidence during half time and ukranians were frustated. and it was in this time that one of thr defenders comitted a blunder in penalty region. the result, a red card and a penalty kick. not many miss it, and so wouldnt the man in form, villa who scored his second goal of the match. not that spain needed it, but they had 3-0 lead with tht penalty kick .and to worsen the conditions, ukranians had to play with 10 men then on.

later senna found the net from 20 yards but it was disallowed because Sergio Ramos had clattered into a ukranian defender.

but the goal of the day was yet to come from torres. puyol gave an absolutly elegant header, which torres picked on the run and this resulted in a brilliant goal, a perfect example of what they call clinical finishing. and here completed spain its 4-0 run over ukraine, completely thrashing their opponent.

not that it was just a game of forwards, but defence was tight, and puyol did a wonderful job in checking shevchenko. and also, for the class of the players he belongs to, his team was under par and that cost ukraine dearly. although the ukranians tried something in first half,in the next they realised the game was far from their reach.

but one of the most impressive things about the spanish gameplay was thr passing. they managed to slip the ball through tight positions and have really mastered one touch gaming, though it is not preffered in european football in which they rely more on long passes. but however spaniards form a league of thr own.thr defense seemed quite composed with the presence of puyol, ramos and pablo.

all in all, an incredible start for the european powerhouse. and who knows this might well end thr poor record in world cup. amen !! thr next game is with tunisia on 19th. i hope the goal margin will be even higher on this one.

p.s. data picked up from various news sites.

Labels: Lord's review, Soccer, Sports, Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyy

people ask me all the time, why spain. you know, its not necessary to have brazil as favourite, or any other south american team for that matter. spain has always been an underachiever in world cups, but this time they have showed that they are here to stay. i dont care if people dont consider them as favourites, but for me they are.

english team is full of stars,but i feel they are not as united as they should be while playing for their country. rather all of them focus more on self proclaimed glory. and also, since espn start sports shows EPL live, most of indian fans are aware of english player, but i feel spanish league is more competant thet EPL any given day. But brazilian team seem to be very composed on the same front. and this was very obvious from the match day before.instead looking for their personal fame, they rather go for team victory and this is wat sets them apart, five time champs you see.

anyways coming back to my team,the mighty spainiards. a perfect balance on all front, this attack minded team has capability to thrash world's strongest of defence and at the same time can fail most impressive forwards. though they didnt include morientas in the team,still spanish attack seems to be one of the best in the world. and with pernia playing for the side, it is stronger than ever.

anyways players to watch are

Iker Casillas(GK) : possibly the best goalkeeper in the world, with kahn not playing. why germans chose lehman over kahn is beyond my understanding, but thats a different story altogether. and in absence of raul, he will be leading the team. if at all any team manage to get past spanish defence its not very easy for them to find the net, as this acrobatic wizard can nullify most formidable moves with his unbelivable reflexs.he is young by goalkeeper's standards and my feeling says he is going to be one of the all time greats, if he is not yet.

Mariano Pernia(D) : sometimes he amuses me, wat if he would have decided to be a forward, not that he is not that now but officially. i think, he is a secret weapon of spain in this world cup, who seems to me another roberto carlos in making(same left back, who act more like a left winger, beware reyes ;). but still has to get more into those calfs before his freekicks can generate power at par wid brazilian maestro.after del Horno's injury, his way to playing eleven became clear.

Sergio Ramos(D) : most talked about teen sensation after rooney and c ronaldo.not even twenty and he is first choice of aragones as right defender. as of now, he is trying to develop himself as a defensive midfielder. a young guy, in which you can see future of spanish football.

Carles Puyol(D) : versatility is the name. basically a defender, this FC Barcelona captian is a brilliant playmaker too. master of tackling and has impressive understanding of the game. no matter who you are, he is able to get into your mind and read it. this quality makes him world's best centre back. and he is kinda allergic to fouls, which makes him even more valuable under vulnerable conditions. this rock solid defender is also blessed with amazing fitness.

Xavi(MF) : another player with keen understanding of the game and with a hawk's eye. this amazing playmaker has mastered the art of ball distribution , and has created lots of unthinkable chances for his national team and for club barcelona.he is a very powerful shooter and is one of the most selfless player.

Xabi Alonso(MF) : though spanish team rely more on one touch game, this guy has that unique ability to send ball miles with a classy precision . an astonnishing player, who is suceptable to injuries, but for the kind of commitment he shows in the game, that is acceptable. playing as a central midfiielder he is going to trouble a lot of teams.

Cesc Fabregas(MF): spanish hope for next generation. he is considered to be a prodigy with a very practical sense of game. he is the youngest player in the squad, still a teen and is seen as immensly potent midfielder. arsene wenger consider him as a gifted one. he was the hero of spanish team who finished second in u-17 worldcup and grabbed both golden boot and golden ball.

Senna(MF) : i have not seen much of him playing, but of what i hear, he is a dynamo. powerful striker of ball.

Jose Antonio Reyes(MF) :they are saying its difficult for him to find his place in playing 11, but this arsenal midfielder is a killer. more of an attacking midfield, he can devastate any defense. he should be first substitute by aragones.he along with henry made a formidable duo for arsenal.

Raul Gonzalez(F) : does he need intorduction. if u dont know him, you dont deserve to cheer for spain !! he is acclaimed as best thing tht ever happened to spanish football. a born leader and outstanding striker of the football. he has everything to make him a great player.he is truly dedicated to the game. this wizard in jersey no 7 always rejuvinates his team, and the key reason for that never say die spirit in the squad. he is light fast and quick as a fox. this potential playmaker, also makes stunning moves, besides converting them. he can make goals virtually from all the angels and is remarkably good on both feet.its all these things that makes him any defence's nightmare.no doubt, he has to play pivot role in this tourney.

David Villa(F) : the man in form. a powerhouse, can hit the ball with inhumanaly power. was second highest scorer of spanish league after sameul eto'o.

Luis Garcia(F) : besides his striking capabilities this guy is famous for his celebration. HE SUCKS HIS THUMB. lol.and also his hairstyle is fun too. he is fast and furious on field but not very reliable.can make some top class moves but at times just loose control over ball. in form, he can be a major danger.

Fernando Torres(F) : Aragones says about him “never scores two goals the same” because of the variety of goals he scores. one of the younger spaniard, he is also called El Nino(the child).he has got amazing right foot but at the same time he knows how to use left one as well.

this is my pick from spanish squad.i still fail to understand how can morientes be dropped out of 23. but watever, spanish team is the one i m going to hail for a month.and in form, they will be one of the toughest opposition for any team.

Labels: Soccer, Sports, Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyy