A Masterclass Performance
Monday, June 28, 2010
Earlier today the Netherlands faced Slovakia and Brazil faced Chile. Here's my take on both.
Netherlands v Slovakia
I really like the Netherlands and wish to see them win the World Cup, but that is a bit of a stretch. Here's why. They are certainly a very talented squad and I think they have the skill and depth to go far in the tournament, but a friend of mine made a very good point about the boys in Orange: history doesn't favor them. At first my reaction was "so? every game is different" but then it all began to make sense. If you look back into the history books, the Netherlands have reached the World Cup final twice (1974, 1978) but lost to W. Germany and Argentina, respectively. In recent times the farthest they have made it is 4th place 12 years ago in France. A history like this doesn't exactly give a team the confidence it needs in big games. If you were to compare them to Brazil, who they face in the quarter finals on Friday for instance, history favors Brazil to win the entire tournament, and the Brazilians know this, as well as their opponents. Your swagger is completely different knowing that you have been here many times before and taken the chip. But like ESPN says, "One Game Changes Everything." Onto the game commentary.
The Netherlands looked very, very good today against Slovakia. They were composed and their chemistry has been exceptional all tournament. Robben's goal was typical Robben; starts on the right, puts it on his left foot, drives left past one defender, past another, and then takes the left footed shot and this time, he beats the goal keeper with a low shot. RvP did well with the decoy run. However, the credit goes to Wesley Sneijder whose vision was superb and delivery was even better.
Slovakia never looked menacing and did not really test the Dutch defense. I have said that in order for the Netherlands to do well, their defense must be exceptional, but I am yet to see a team really test their defense and expose the holes in it. Trust a team of Brazil's quality to do that on Friday. The second goal was exceptional for me and all the credit goes to Dirk Kuyt for being composed and having the patience to wait for Sneijder to get into the box before he played the ball in. Unselfish play. That's what futbol is all about.
Brazil v Chile
Once, a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to eat lunch at a five star French restaurant (Le Bec Fin) in Philadelphia. The lunch was crazy expensive and the portion was too small to even feed a stray dog, but the quality of the food was out of this world. You could taste it. I left there hungry and was looking for the nearest McDonalds, but the experience was unmatched. Why am I telling this story? Brazil just has that quality. And it was evident today against Chile. I want to sit here and recap everything that was so awesome about Brazil, but there's just too much to name. Their movement on and off the ball was excellent, the finishing was superb, and their defense was rock solid. Sucks that they will be facing the Netherlands so early in the tournament, but what will be will be. It will definitely be a game to remember.
Thanks for reading, and the comments have been great! keep them coming, I love hearing what you all have to say. Also follow us on twitter: @LiveBrtheFutbol to keep up with my futbol ramblings amongst other things.
The games continue in a few hours. Japan v Paraguay. Spain v Portugal. Exciting stuff! Have a great night/day!
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