Spain vs. Iraq Live!
Group A is back in action this morning with the current European champions lining up for target practice against Iraq. Join me if you're on a break from work.
posted by The Blue Devil @ 9:52 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
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!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Group A is back in action this morning with the current European champions lining up for target practice against Iraq. Join me if you're on a break from work.
Lakenheath Old Boys
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!
Contributors
Previous Posts
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- South Africa vs. Iraq Live!
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40 Comments:
And we're off. I've got a crisp clean stream on Justin, albeit in Arabic. No worries.
No let up from the Spanish. They seem to be playing Torres and Villa up front again. The only change from Sunday's team seems to be Cazorla for Fabregas. Gooner will be happy about that.
My hunch was that Iraq had a bit more about them than the hosts South Africa on Sunday. We'll see if they can put up any better defense against the Spanish than the Kiwis did the other day. Six minutes in and they're doing better so far. Torres had already scored his first at this point.
Dangerous free kick opportunity now for the Spanish. David Villa and Xavi standing over the ball.
Capdevilla hits it in the end and it's straight into the wall.
The Iraqis have weathered the first ten minutes with some comfort. No real chances for the Spanish.
Torres with a half chance on the turn but it trickles wide.
Through the first quarter of an hour and Iraq have set out their stalls fairly well. Still 0-0.
Torres nearly in there but Iraqi keeper Kazim did well to put him off. He'll be busy today.
Not a lot going forward for the Iraqis, of course. Just the one man Younis up front alone.
Twenty minutes in now and still 0-0.
I'm muted the sound at this point. I don't understand the Arabic and the horns are, as usual, doing me head in.
Twenty five minutes in - still 0-0. Will the Spanish start to get frustrated if this continues?
Still just the one weak effort from Torres on goal. Splendid defending from the well-organized Iraqis.
The Iraqis are definitely one side that I would like to see the U.S. avoid next summer. They'd be playing for the pride of Mesopotamia. In fact the nightmare group for the U.S. has got to be something like:
1. Brazil
2. Holland
3. U.S.
4. Iraq
Half an hour gone and still very few chances for the Spanish.
As I type, Santi Cazorla lets one fly and it's just wide.
A short corner is cleared out. Terrific defending again and the Iraqis have a rare break on.
Thirty five minutes in. Iraq are going from strength to strength here, starting to get more adventurous going forward. Ten more minutes and they'll get a well deserved cup of cha.
Spain are very busy in midfield but Xavi and Xavi Alonso haven't produced the kinds of chances they did against the woeful Kiwis.
We may well find out this afternoon that the South Africans are the worst side in the group - or even in the tournament. What an embarrassment that would prove to the hosts!
Xavi Alonso picks up a yellow for a reckless challenge in midfield.
I've just turned the volume up and amusingly the Arabic language commentator is so excited that his rapid fire commentary is actually drowning out the SA horn brigade.
Free kick out left for the Spanish...
Xavi floats one in and the header from Sergio Ramos is smothered by Kazim. The Iraqis are not too keen on the follow-up but the initial handbags blow over.
Five minutes plus added time to play in this first half. Still 0-0.
The Iraqi keeper took some valuable seconds off the clock by staying down for about a minute and a half after that collision.
Both sides have a go at some keepy uppy over in the corner. More seconds off the clock.
A good Spanish move ends with a fairly tame shot from Alonso.
Xavi tries to find Torres in the box but it's valiantly headed out.
Into stoppage time in the first half now....
I had a meeting with a student that distracted me for a moment or two. We're well into the second half now and Iraq have inevitably broken under the pressure. 1-0 now in the 80th. Still, it's a mighty impressive performance from the Lions of Mesopotamia.
And speaking of that area of the world, I've read today that the Iranian team are wearing green armbands to protest the election fraud in their last WC qualifier vs. Korea today. Incredible bravery from those guys.
The Iraqis line up their first free kick of the match. They're actually ending the match looking for the equalizer. That's quite something.
According to the FIFA website, it was David Villa who socred with a header in the 55th minute. That's his second of the tournament.
Sergio Ramos rockets one just over the bar.
Great breakaway for Iraq to Younis who held up the ball well but the final shot was well wide.
Just a few minutes left in this one.
Into stoppage time now...
This narrow loss will mean that Iraq have the chance to go through second with a win against New Zealand at the weekend.
Full-time: That's it then. 1-0 Spain.
The predictable win for the European champions and yet it was a brave, brave performance from Iraq and it's the Iraqi flag that's being waved after the match.
I've just dipped into South Africa vs. New Zealand. The hosts are 1-0 up at half time. A win would almost certainly put them through to the next round.
South Africa have wrapped up a decent 2-0 win over the woeful New Zealand team who now have a -7 goal difference and are surely confirmed as the donkeys of the competition.
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