“I would not pay one guilder to see this Brazil play.” Those were the words of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, one of the main protagonists and developers of total football so sorely missed from this World Cup, prior to yesterday’s…
Villa Delivers Again for Spain, as Cristiano Ronaldo Drops His Swagger
Spain knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal without putting together a memorable performance, but controlling most of the possession and relying on its sensational savior to come through once again. David Villa has been invaluable for Spain reaching the quarterfinal…
Brazil Rolls into Holland Super-Clash
Brazil eased into the quarterfinals with a dominating win over a good Chile side that suddenly looked over-matched in every respect. Rarely sweating, Brazil made a strong statement about its World Cup ambitions with an imposing style of physical play,…
England Crash Out of the World Cup, Argentina and Germany Meet Again
Fabio Capello’s reign may come to an abrupt end after England was crushed by arch-nemesis Germany in a match that will be remembered for a critically controversial moment and for an English team’s persistent ineptitude. Despite fielding a roster of…
Ghana Ousts Exhausted USA Team, Will Meet Uruguay in Quarterfinal
A dejected, physically depleted American team bowed out of the World Cup after going down in extra time to a very efficient Ghana, just as it had captured unprecedented global attention and affection. Having reached this point of the tournament…
Knock-Out Phase Kicks Off with Decisively Latin American Flavor
All five South American teams that entered the tournament advanced to the Round of 16, with four of the five winning their respective group – Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Only Chile came in second in Group H. It is…