World Cup Game #55

At least it took until the 7th game of this round before we had to go to a penalty shoot-out. Paraguay, who were marginally the better and definitely the more adventurous team, eventually won 5-3 on penalties after neither side could score a goal in the first 90 minutes or the added 30. Japan relied on a pure counter-attack strategy which, admittedly, they did repeatedly trouble Paraguay whilst Paraguay tried a build a little more although it was their fast counterattacks which troubled Japan the most. Both sides had real trouble keeping possession of the ball in the midfield which turned parts of the game into fairly erratic dreary games of foot ping-pong with the occasional decisive burst by one team or the other. In the end Paraguay deserved to go through because they were marginally better.

World Cup Game #56

Spain vs Portugal had all the promise of being a real attacking extravaganza and it was certainly that early in the game. However the Spanish ability to keep possession meant that they could exert more consistent pressure whereas the Portuguese were more erratic here - indeed, overall possession for the game was about 60:40 in Spain's favour. Torres for Spain and Ronaldo for Portugal both had largely forgettable nights and it was noticeable that the sole goal of this game came after Torres finally got substituted and Villa was far more ably supported by Llorente. After that, it turned into the David Villa Show as he attacked again and again and generally caused utter mayhem in the Portuguese defence. He didn't score again and was substituted off just before the end of the game but he had already made the difference he needed to - that solitary goal which was all that divided the two teams.