Blood and guts
World Cup 2006: a wet November evening
Another hot day. On Saturdays, I leave home at 1.10pm, a Vitamin D-enriching walk to the station (glorious today under the lunchtime sun with my arms out, basted in Green People sun cream, and my new iPod playlist in my head), catch the 1.48 train to London and get into Victoria at 2.20, leaving me enough time to detour via Planet Organic off the Tottenham Court Road to buy organic food to put in the 6 Music fridge for tomorrow's lunch: salad, wheat-free pie, apple and pomegranate juice, bananas. Then it's an hour of prep for the chart, two hours of radio, train back to Redhill at 6.32 and arrive back home, via a taxi from the station, just after 7pm. All very routine, but it means I missed the first and second games. It's not so bad on a Sunday, as I get home at 6pm, which means half a match left. Ate gorgeous dinner on the patio, lamb and roasted vegetables (artichoke, aubergine, red onions, red pepper and mushrooms), in time to catch the start of the third match, Italy versus USA.
Portugal 2 Iran 0
Ronaldo scored from a penalty in the 80th minute. I know this because I read about it on the BBC website. I liked Portugal against Angola last Sunday and wanted them to win. Missing this one means I have yet to see Iran, which seems careless.
Czech Republic 0 Ghana 2
What an upset! We put this one on in the studio at 5pm, with the sound down, and I saw the first Ghanaian goal, which went in within a minute and a half (a record for this World Cup). I wish I'd been able to see the rest but, with the best will in the world, there's no point in watching it with the sound down, when you're doing a chart rundown, so we switched it over. I'm chuffed for the African team. I'd love one of them to go through.
Italy 1 USA 1
Unbelieable. What a game. I'm so glad I saw this one in full, even though, as ITV1 commentators Peter Drury and David Pleat agreed, some of the incident that made it so enthralling and mental brought shame upon the game. All seemed well for the first 26 minutes: USA looked strong and confident after their Czech defeat, Italy seemed determined and up for it, and their first goal, a fine header from Gilardino, filled any kneejerk anti-Americans among us with hope. Then, it was as if a can of something toxic was opened. Zaccardo mis-kicked spectacularly and equalised with an own-goal, the first of the tournament unless you count the debatable intervention of Beckham's against Paraguay. Then all hell broke loose. Italy's De Rossi elbowed star American striker Brian McBride in the face, drawing blood, and was sent off forthwith. (Luckily, McBride is Dr Sean McNamara from Nip/Tuck and did some emergency cosmetic surgery on himself.) With Italy suddenly down to ten men, who was going to score all the rest of the goals? America answered this "big ask" when their own Mastroeni (an Italian, no less) kindly left the field, after sliding into Pirlo and getting his red card. Blimey, I said, at this rate, they'll be playing mixed doubles before the final whistle! And guess what, America's Pope (as opposed to Italy's Pope - ha ha) earned his second yellow card and - Fifa rules is Fifa rules - was sent to the naughty step too. US coach Brian Arena looked one step closer to his coronary. DaMarcus Beasley came on for the States, scored, and was adJudged offside. (I'm surprised the Uraguayan ref saw it, he was so busy shuffling his cards.) The two teams fought to the death, but Italy couldn't get one in, and it ended, finally, exhaustingly, operatically, as a point apiece, which I daresay America will be grateful for in the circumstances. As Drury commented midway through the second half, "There's so much space on the field!" He then compared the last act to a "socks round the ankles" game of English club football on that "wet November night" with its "blood and guts". This was a better comparison than the one he made at the final whistle about a Saturday night film with a lot of "subplots" or something. Everyone hung their heads in shame. I have no opinion on the disallowed Beasley goal, as Julie and I were distracted by a deer in the garden and we were standing at the patio doors at the time. She's got two new fawns, but I didn't see them.
Well, a game that was not without incident. Aren't the BBC showing any more matches or something?
Do other stadiums announce over the PA that they've sold all the tickets? Or is this just a German thing? Oh, and that Go West tune - it sounds like an operatic version they're playing at the end of matches. Any ideas?
posted by Andrew Collins @ 4:50 PM
10 Comments
Contact
Andrew at
10 Comments:
Well, this American anyway is certainly grateful - to Zaccardo of course for the goal, but really to Kasey Keller! Two brilliant saves in the 2nd half.
I personally thought all 3 cards were valid, but must confess I'm having a tough time seeing why the 2nd goal was disallowed.
I really expected us to go down in flames to Italy and was very, very proud of our lads for continuing the attack when down to 9 men.
I still think we're going out, mind you, but at least we have now played one credible match and I don't need to feel embarrassed any more.
they may well announce that they've "sold" all the tickets; that doesn't mean that all the seats are taken. (There were allegedly 5000 empty seats for the Argentina-Serbia match which they filled with tournament volunteers so you wouldn't notice on the tele...)
Mid-afternoon I thought Ghana's performance made Italy's 2-0 win look really brilliant but they seem to have gone into their customary self-destruct mode tonight. De Rossi looked a liability in the first match, so sadly I think it was only a matter of time.
Operatically is the perfect word. It was great, the drama of sport that I've always loved, but it's in danger of becoming hammy, fuelled by the yellow card mania; trying to get a booked opponent sent off is becoming a common tactic. Poor old Bruce eh.
You should never fail to be distracted by deer. I had a nice dinner as well by the way, pheasant and apricots.
I don't know why I usually support the USA in football matches. Possibly it's something to do with the widespread mockery of their use of the very English word soccer. Although I think it was right that the goal was disallowed, they were the better team last night.
Isn't the Pope's technical area The Vatican rather than Italy? I hope that doesn't come across as mean-spirited pedantry.
The sooner referees start yellow carding players who try to get other players yellow carded (by holding up an imaginary yellow card of their own)the better. The referee was very poor and inconsistent. He is probably so used to refereeing Uruguayan sides that it's probably normal for him to send so many off. What happened to the clampdown on shirt-pulling? Exciting but it left a bitter taste in the mouth and I felt sorry for the Americans - and that's a first.
When the opposition hold up an imaginary card to try and get a player booked, I like to imagine they are holding up an imaginary piece of cardboard saying 'Referee - I did not see the incident and have no opinion on what your next move should be' - because then I can believe sportsmanship is still alive.
Isn't the Pope's technical area The Vatican rather than Italy? I hope that doesn't come across as mean-spirited pedantry.
Dave. No it doesn't. His manor is the Vatican innit ?
I have this mental image of the Vatican Flying Squad. SHUUUT IT !!!
URE NICKED MAI SAHN !
I quite enjoy the intervention of over-zealous referees when watching neutral matches - its a bit like having a 23rd player and increases the chances of more entertainment/ controversy.
The English ref Uriah Rennie is a bit like that - such a large ego that he is always determined to get himself noticed. Collina, the bald Italian ref, now retired, was also like that and used to make a match worth watching on his own.
The diving, rather than the refereeing, is annoying me the most. That, and Ian Wright's continuing unspoken agenda about why his step-son was left out of the England squad.
korea have just equalised against france and steve wilson on the bbc has remarked that "france have been in control of this match for the length of the champs elysee"! classic and a colemanball for sure.
A hysterical individual, this Steve Wilson. See: my review in the post above.
Post a Comment
<< Home