World Cup 2010: Argentina scores early, holding on for 1-0 win

An early goal from Gabriel Heinze is all Argentina would need to clinch -- but they blew lot of chances too.

Argentina and Nigeria have World Cup history together. In fact, the last time Maradona laced up a pair of boots for Argentina was in 1994 against Nigeria. After the game, Maradona was drug tested and found with ephedrine in his system. So this game is not only important for both teams, but Maradona probably wants this one pretty bad. Lars Lagerback has only had this team since February and didn’t have much time to prepare. Regardless, Nigeria has scoring threats and some other good players that can help them keep Argentina paying attention. Things seemed simple for Argentina in this match-up, which had as much to do with their play as it did with what Nigeria didn’t do on the field.

2010 FIFA World Cup Match #4: Argentina put on a good show in 1-0 win

It was a weird feeling around Ellis Park considering their were supposed to be a lot of Nigerian fans that lived in the area. It looked like a small part of Buenos Aires took over the city instead. Before the match many waited in anticipation as to what lineup Maradona would use, he chose well to use a 4-3-3 variation with Messi sitting in behind Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuian with Di Maria and Juan Sebastian Veron going forward behind them, leaving Javier Mascherano to sit and hold.

I didn’t understand Lars Lagerback’s decision to leave out Obafemi Martins and Peter Odemwengie from the starting eleven. I understand you need to have some substitutions but you can’t leave anything to chance. As the slogan for this world cup is very correct “one game changes everything.” Things didn’t start out too well for Nigeria either as in the sixth minute Gabriel Heinze came in unmarked on a corner kick and headed the ball into the net very easily.

After that, it just allowed Argentina to control the game. Lionel Messi with his maestro moves kept the Nigerian defense on the back foot all game. While Gonzalo Higuian had a few chances to score but just couldn’t convert. Nigeria had a few nice glimpses with Yakubu providing chances for himself but none came any closer than the one Taiwo had in the second half.

World Cup: USA 1-1 draw with England important, not impressive

The fact that the USA held England to a 1-1 draw in the World Cup Saturday was an accomplishment. But the result raised more questions about England than it answered about the USA.

By the reckoning of the score sheet, the USA will count its 1-1 draw with England as a fantastic accomplishment.

This was England, after all, the team that swept through World Cup qualifying as though armed with bayonets. They had not merely qualified for the tournament, they had stormed its gates, signaling to the world that this England side was ready to leave behind 20 years of mediocrity and make a serious run at the cup.

Yet on a cool day in Rustenberg, South Africa, it was difficult to escape the impression that this was, once again, an England somehow less than the sum of its parts, and that the USA’s draw – while respectable – was something less impressive than it would have seemed only a day ago.

England was supposed to be a yardstick for the USA. Like Spain and Brazil in last year’s Confederations Cup, England was supposed to be a soccer doctorate in 90 minutes – a test to see if the US had, at last, graduated to the Ph.D. level of world soccer. Or, at least, how far it still needed to go.

Instead, the game was more an indictment of England’s championship credentials.

The US competed admirably and, at times, equally with a team ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s World Soccer Index. Yet it was hardly a game to stir the soul.

In its games against Spain and Brazil last year, the USA had a bit of “Rocky” about it. For minute after minute, it absorbed a beating from the best the world had to offer, only to slip off the ropes and deliver a knockout blow. Landon Donovan’s goal against Brazil is probably the greatest goal scored in US soccer history.

Saturday’s game approached that level only once, when American forward Jozy Altidore bore down in the English goal with a ferocity that seemed to make the earth tremble, only for England goalkeeper Robert Green to pull off an exceptional save, with the help of the left goalpost.

Yet at other moments, the game was far too pedestrian. Forget England goalkeeper Green’s blunder to gift the USA its crucial goal. More insidious, but perhaps equally as worrying, was England’s repeated inability to force USA’s Tim Howard into a difficult save. In the most crucial moments, England invariably shot directly at him.

When Emile Heskey was alone in front of goal, his shot was impossible for Howard not to save.

Another time, England forward Wayne Rooney helplessly watched a cross sail over his head when there was not an American defender in the same ZIP code.

These are hardly schoolboy soccer mistakes. “Nil-nil” might be a taunt of the American soccerphobe, but it is also instructive: scoring in soccer is hard.

Yet neither are these mistakes that Spain or Brazil would make with such regularity.

They allowed America to emerge with its growing reputation intact, and perhaps enhanced. And not unjustly. Viewers needed a GPS system just to locate Rooney during the first half in part because the USA defense marginalized him.

Moreover, this was no miracle draw. The US, while clearly overmatched on the teamsheet, was rarely overmatched on the field.

No, it was more a matter of England not being the foe many had expected them to be.

This doesn’t mean they are impostors. For World Cup champions, the tournament is often a crescendo, and England has the means to right itself.

But it means that a 1-1 draw against England is not necessarily a pass to the second round. Even well off its top form, England is probably still better than the USA’s other Group C rivals, Slovenia and Algeria.

Then again, the USA will need to do better than draw against Slovenia (Friday) and Algeria (June 23) to advance.

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World Cup 2010: Park Ji-sung shines as slick South Korea sink Greece

South Korea's Park Ji-sung celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Greece. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

The best team we have seen so far in the embryonic stages of the World Cup? That would probably be Germany but South Korea – little, patronised South Korea – have also staked their own claim. They played with a freedom and sense of adventure that has not always been seen in the opening few days and, on this evidence, they could be a bigger challenge to Argentina winning Group B than initially anticipated.

The sides meet at Soccer City in Soweto on Thursday, and Diego Maradona's spies in Port Elizabeth will presumably be reporting back that there is reason for due care and attention. Admittedly, Greece look a poor, disjointed side, but this was still a performance to bring back memories of South Korea's wild and eccentric run to the semi-finals, when they co‑hosted the tournament in 2002.

Their performance also contained an element of surprise considering that their coach, Huh Jung-moo, was facing calls for Guus Hiddink's reinstatement after a particularly chastening 3-0 defeat by China in February. On Saturday they were a slick, cohesive unit, counterattacking with pace and purpose, with Manchester United's Park Ji-sung epitomising the team's ethos: comfortable in possession, quick to the ball and plenty of long, hard, indefatigable running.

At 29, Park is talking about retiring from international football at the end of this tournament because of his misgivings about the sapping effects of 11-hour flights to Seoul from his base in Manchester and, quite possibly, having had some pressure placed upon him by his club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

That, however, would be a great shame for a country where he is football royalty. Park captains South Korea and this was a performance that showed why he is so important, culminating in a splendid goal when he dispossessed the centre-half Loukas Vyntra and drove into the penalty area, holding off his opponent before slipping the ball beneath the oncoming goalkeeper, Alexandros Tzorvas.

Greece had been floundering from the seventh minute, when Lee Jung-soo scored with a close-range volley from a badly defended cross and near-post flick. There could, perhaps should, have been more goals, too. Maradona, Messi et al should not underestimate them.

"Argentina are one of the contenders for the final and they have a lot of very good players," Huh said. "They are a very tough team to play against. But I have told my players we have to remain confident no matter who our opponent is. If we do what we have to do, regardless of the result, we can manage to grow as a team. Our players still have rough edges. But just because our opponent is a strong team, I don't think they will be defeatist."

Mexico vs. South Africa: Mexicans realistic about World Cup prospects

South African fans and supporters from Mexico celebrate at Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg, South Africa prior the World Cup kickoff, Thursday.

In the opening World Cup match Friday morning, Mexico will come to a standstill to watch Mexico vs. South Africa. But only 20 percent of Mexicans think their team will advance to the semi-finals.

Mexico City
Around the world, work, play, and school will grind to a halt during World Cup matches.

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World Cup news coverage As World Cup 2010 kicks off, where South Africa stands 16 years after apartheid Traveling to the World Cup? Be sure to bring ear plugs. World Cup Concert & Friday schedule Mexico is no different. Government officials here are admonishing employees that absences during the World Cup will not be tolerated. But expect TVs to sprout in many office cubicles.

And while Mexican education authorities say school won't be canceled, the inaugural game Friday morning, featuring Mexico vs. South-Africa, can be watched on TV in class.

Polls show 90 percent of Mexicans are interested in the month-long global soccer tournament – including their president, Felipe Calderon, who is expected to attend the opening game in South Africa Friday.

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Mexico has never made it past the quarter finals, and less than 20 percent say in a new poll that they believe Mexico will make it beyond there this year either.

Still, as its team, “El Tri,” opens the 2010 World Cup in the debut game against hosts South Africa, passions are high – even if expectations are more muted.

“Mexicans love soccer and love the Virgin of Guadalupe,” says Enrique Muñoz, a university student, just as a young woman approaches passing out fliers from a coffee shop advertising World Cup breakfast specials for the inaugural game. “Even those who do not love soccer still love watching the World Cup.”

According to a BVA-WIN poll published in the French publication Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui Monday, 90 percent of Mexicans say they are interested in the World Cup – one of the most enthusiastic nations of those polled – compared to just 56 percent of the French who care enough to turn on their television sets.

Why Mexico has high hopes
Mexico heads into the games particularly buoyed this year, after beating Italy, former World Cup champions, 2-1 in an exhibition game. That made it Mexico´s eighth win in 12 exhibition games. They lost two of the 12: against England and the Netherlands, and played draws with Ecuador and Iceland.

“We're going to the World Cup without fear of success," Tri coach Javier Aguirre was quoted as saying in the Associated Press. "We've played Italy, England and the Netherlands ... and we are here."

Ahead of Friday´s match, Mexican striker Guillermo Franco seemed to acknowledge how many people – in Mexico and beyond – will have their eyes on the team. "It's a blessing from God, not everyone has the opportunity to kick off the World Cup, and we're aware that millions of people will be watching," he told reporters on Wednesday.

U.S. defeats Australia, 3-1 in final World Cup tuneup

ROODEPOORT, South Africa — A warm and sunny afternoon on the South African high veldt. Dry brown hills topped by dark green trees. A yellow-brown dirt road running downhill from the skyline, the pathway patrolled by police on horseback.

At the bottom of the slope, Roodepoort Athletics Stadium, a small track and field facility with an emerald soccer pitch set inside its rust-red oval track. Beyond the fence, bare fields and a muddy dam, fringed by bulrushes.

The prevailing sound: the ear-splitting buzz of the vuvuzelas, the plastic horns blown with enthusiasm by fans but drowning out all else.

That was the setting Saturday for the U.S. World Cup team as it played Australia in its final tuneup one week before taking on England, when reality replaces simulation.

The result was of little importance, but in the end the Americans were 3-1, winners, the first two goals coming courtesy of Edson Buddle and the third from Herculez Gomez.

Of greater import was how Coach Bob Bradley’s walking wounded would perform, if at all; whether the U.S. would be able to plug the holes in its defense that were apparent in recent games against the Czech Republic and Turkey, and how the new-look attack would do.

The answers were soon forthcoming.

Forward Jozy Altidore did not play, his “mild ankle sprain” being enough to see him rested ahead of the June 12 opener against Wayne Rooney and the rest of England’s high-octane lineup.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu did not start, which means that if he plays against England he would go into that match not having played a full 90 minutes of soccer for eight months, or since the U.S. defeated Honduras to clinch its place in South Africa.

Onyewu underwent surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his left knee in October and has been on the mend ever since. He has yet to prove that he has regained full mobility and match sharpness, but on Saturday he came on for the final half-hour and seemed more or less fine.

“I’m feeling good,” Onyewu said. “This is the third game back since my injury, and I’m progressively feeling better.”

Defensively, in fact, the U.S. appeared more organized than it had in the 4-2 loss to the Czechs and even in the 2-1 victory over the Turks.

Bradley used Steve Cherundolo and Carlos Bocanegra as his outside backs, right and left, respectively, with Jay DeMerit and Clarence Goodson in the center. Onyewu later replaced Goodson.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard came away satisfied with the performance.

“We can always get better at everything,” he said. “I can’t pinpoint just one thing, but things are starting to click. We’re feeling good about our last two results, coming from behind against Turkey and in this one, where we kind of controlled things.”

Bocanegra, the U.S. captain, said he believes the defense is coming together.

“Today I thought in the first half our lines were better,” he said. “We were more compact as a team in general. So I think that was a big improvement from the games against the Czech Republic and Turkey.”

Cherundolo, who set up Buddle’s second goal with a surging run down the right flank and a pinpoint cross that Buddle banged in with a sharp downward header, echoed the sentiment.
“I think we took another step in the right direction this afternoon,” he said. “I think the tactical discipline was there, over a longer period of time today as opposed to the last two games.”
Bradley, who has a week left to figure out who to play up front, on Saturday opted for Buddle and Robbie Findley. Buddle rewarded him with a fourth-minute goal on a stinging 17-yard shot before his headed goal in the 31st minute.

The two strikes were the first for the national team by the Galaxy forward, but Bradley is not tipping his hand. “Edson continues to get more comfortable within the group,” was all he would say.

Altidore probably will be back in time for the England game, Gomez’s goal in injury time just before the final whistle was his second in three games. Findley played the full 90 minutes, opened up the Aussie defense but wasted two clear scoring chances by shooting wide.

“We still have a few things to work out,” Cherundolo said.

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ESPN adds 3-D to its World Cup offerings

The game opener, South Africa versus Mexico, is scheduled to kick off the 3-D Network, which will televise up to 25 soccer matches.


U.S. soccer team midfielder Landon Donovan is interviewed after the U.S. World Cup roster was announced at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., on May 26, 2010. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press / May 25, 2010)

When Landon Donovan scores a goal for team U.S.A. (he will, right?), World Cup soccer fans watching from their living rooms will have the chance to experience the moment in a new way — in 3-D.

ESPN launches its 3-D network Friday with the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition as host nation South Africa plays Mexico in Johannesburg. The network plans to carry up to 25 soccer matches in 3-D, which lends heightened realism to televised coverage of sporting events.

"When a player scores a goal and runs off to the side, pulling off his shirt and waving it, you'll see the depth of field behind him," said Jonathan Pannaman, ESPN's senior director of technology.

To be sure, the audience for the inaugural 3-D telecast will be limited. Fewer than 1 million sets in the U.S. are capable of displaying these newly dimensionalized images — which can be seen only with the aid of special glasses — out of 110 million households, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn.. And even this new generation of TVs requires a source for the 3-D signal, such as satellite service DirecTV or, on the East Coast, cable operator Comcast Corp.


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Still, consumers are showing a growing appreciation for 3-D as more and more people experience it in theaters. About 1 in 4 adults online said they had watched a 3-D movie in the last year — and 40% said they preferred it over flat 2-D renditions of movie and television shows, according to a study conducted by the Entertainment and Technology Center at the University of Southern California for the electronics trade group.

ESPN has been tinkering with the technology for more than two years before deciding it was ready for prime time. It will be showcased as part of the network's extensive World Cup coverage in conjunction with sister network ABC, which contemplates carrying all 60 games live with expert commentators.

Kevin Stolworthy, ESPN's senior vice president of technology, said the network is still learning how best to take advantage of 3-D in a way that enhances the experience — and avoids projectiles-into-the-eyes gimmickry. "The goal will be to immerse you in the sport, to give you a seat at the stadium," Stolworthy said. "We're not going to do as much reaching out of the screen to you."

FIFA, soccer's international governing body, will provide the World Cup soccer feed in 3-D using specially equipped cameras. But over the course of the year, ESPN plans to cover at least 60 additional live sporting events — including the X Games, the 2010 college football ACC Championship and college basketball and NBA games. Other networks, including Discovery, are also preparing to use the new technology.

These 3-D broadcasts are likely to feature fewer quick cuts to capture the action. Instead, cameras will be positioned to capture the entire field of play — an approach that exploits the technology's ability to simulate depth, making the field appear to extend into the television screen. Similarly, there will be fewer close-ups because the image flattens.

The number of graphics will be dramatically reduced as ESPN figures out how to position the graphics against the action on the field. "You're going to see more change as we evolve over the year," Stolworthy said.

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Last Minute World Cup Accommodation in South Africa

The latest survey seems to indicate that requirements will be satisfactorily met, and last minute world cup accommodation in South Africa may not pose a big problem, what with many organizations and resorts coming forward with hosting arrangements like bed & breakfast.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 4, 2010 -- The 19th FIFA World Cup 2010 is round the corner – from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The premier international football tournament will be held at 10 venues in South Africa – two in Johannesburg and one each in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit.

With so much of advance notice, most fans would have made arrangements sufficiently early for their accommodation. However, as is common in any segment of tourists, there will be that lot which always postpones making arrangements to the last minute. In fact, there were concerns initially as to whether sufficient number of beds could be found for this football extravaganza, since a conservative estimate pegged the incoming tourists to be around 300,000. But the latest survey seems to indicate that requirements will be satisfactorily met, and last minute world cup accommodation in South Africa may not pose a big problem, what with many organizations and resorts coming forward with hosting arrangements like bed & breakfast. This is over and above all the hotel chains, home stays and lodges with bigger rooms that can accommodate more people at moderate rates. Most of them provide breakfast too.

These new facilities for such last minute tourists also comprise facilities such as banking, food & beverage stalls, tourism information desks, beer stalls and access to internet.

Proximity to shopping and entertainment areas and stadia is another advantage.

If you are used to more luxurious lodgings, it is better to book with the more prominent chain hotels like Peermont Resorts, who boast of providing an exciting stay and gaming experience South Africa.

For last minute world cup accommodation in South Africa, another alternative is the guesthouses, whose owners are going all out to give their guests a memorable experience. A homely atmosphere will be their prime concern