We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
This is another one for the die-hards. Croatia kept the boys from Brazil reined in while Japan nearly tipped mighty Australia with a distinctly jammy goal. We can only hope for a bit more open play from both teams today. Still lots to play for in this group. Join me?
posted by gatorbob @ 9:00 AM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
13 Comments:
Fifteen minutes gone already and not much going on in this one. It might well challenge France vs. Switzerland for the worst match of the tournament. If I were a church-going type, I'd pray for goals, but I'm not sure even He's watching this dross.
22 minutes: Miyamoto with a clumsy challenge on the dangerous looking Prso and Croatia have got themselves a pen.
Prso steps up and knocks one to the right handily saved by Kawaguchi.
That's livened up the proceedings!
28 minutes: Nike Kranjcar crashes one against the crossbar. Great shot; Kawaguchi had no hope on that one. Nearly for Croatia, who look the more likely to score.
Hilarious effort from Kawaguchi. A trickly backpass hits a divot and jumps over his boot. Reminds me of a certain Remi May.
36 minutes: Nakata brings a terrific save from Pletikosa in the Croatian goal.
42 minutes: Kawaguchi has gotten a yellow card for time-wasting. Yes, time wasting in the first half! And they're still at 0-0! It really is that bad.
Half-time; forty-five minutes of fairly uninspired stuff, livened up only by that penalty miss. Rob Stone has just referred to Nakata as a "samurai warrior." If that were the case, he'd surely be compelled to commit seppukku in the dressing room during the interval.
52 minutes: Spectacular miss from Yanigasawa. On open net gaping in front of him and he rattles it off toward the corner flag as if he were suddenly transformed into a Croatian defender. Makes Crouchie's miss look like a half chance.
60 minutes: It's another baking hot day in tropical Deutschland, and this game is noticably slowing down and opening up simultaneously. That may open up some more chances for both sides-let's hope!
75 Minutes: A few flashes here or there, but I reckon that within a few minutes both sides will settle for a draw that will keep both of them in it.
85 minutes: The camera just found a thicket of impossibly happy Japanese fans, apparently delirious about the prospect of hanging onto a goalless draw...with Croatia! And you wonder why I moved back?
Full-time: 0-0; For my money, this wins the award for crappest match of the tournament so far. At least in the French game, there was the drama of wondering if Zizou would collapse at some point. The Japanese here again suggested that they don't quite understand that the point of the game is to actually stick the ball in the net and Croatia didn't have the guile to break down the mighty Japanese defense.
Let's hope that the Aussies get something against Brazil today and go through to the next round. Even if they get thumped, they'll go through with a win or draw against Croatia, which is distinct possibility.
you have to imagine that this is curtains for japan as they have yet to meet brazil. at least croatia can harbor some misimpression that they will grab a point off australia to go on to the 2nd round.
have to agree that there was no reason at all for those japanese supporters to be as happy-clappy as they seemed to be. the only thing this ensures is a $200 change of date fee on their ticket back to Tokyo!
really awful game, but i still think the france vs. swiss game was worse.
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