World Cup Digest: Day 3
Credit:
Day 3 in South Africa had a dull game, a good game, and a great game for fans to enjoy. Serbia disappointed, Ghana impressed, Australia got spanked, and Germany were brilliant. Algeria saw a fumble cost them a point too as Robert Green’s error was matched by Faouzi Chaouchi.
Slovenia 1 Algeria 0
Slovenia created some history on Sunday when they kept their first ever World Cup clean sheet. A rather boring win over Algeria sees them top their group however if the RTE pundits are to be believed, they will not hassle either England or the USA. This comes from the same people who described the States as mere waifs and strafes and would be no challenge for the mighty England. We really are blessed to have these pundits, but be sure to think before you agree with them.
Goalkeeping faux pas may become a characteristic of this competition as Algerian shot stopper Chaouchi let in a howler and may well cite an erratic flight taken by the ball. But more likely it was bad goal-keeping. There has yet to be any screamers fired in however, no 30 yard dipping swerving beauties that would take pride of place on any top 10 World Cup goal countdown.
Serbia 0 Ghana 1
Serbia failed to live up to their 'dark horse' tag and will face a huge uphill task to overcome an early defeat. In a fairly entertaining game, Ghana were by far the more dangerous of the two. It will make it hard to see past Germany cruising through this group but Ghana will surely come second on this evidence.
It was good to see a win on the board for an African side. Serbia are one of the few squads who boast a team as physically strong as Ghana, but they really struggled throughout the game. Asamoah Gyan’s penalty late on was enough to win the game, but he almost added a fine second, striking the post in the final minutes of a game which saw midfield domination pay off for the Black Stars.
Germany 4 Australia 0
One of the youngest squads in the tournament and arguably one of the most inexperienced Germany squads in years, Joachim Low’s side laid a marker down with their rout of the Socceroos. After the news that the talismanic Michael Ballack would miss the World Cup through injury, many questioned the chances of such a team. Even bizarre queries of their mentality were raised.
But a sublime attacking display put to rest any fears that the Germans might not be up for this. As it turns out however the loss of Ballack may have been a blessing in disguise as the current midfield partnership for Germany looked a lot stronger than one which would have included the out of contract former Chelsea midfielder.
Up until the very harsh sending off of Everton’s Tim Cahill, the standard of refereeing so far in the tournament has been of a high standard. There have been five red cards over three days play and all but Cahill’s have been warranted. But it hasn’t been an overly dirty opening few days.
Slovenia 1 Algeria 0
Slovenia created some history on Sunday when they kept their first ever World Cup clean sheet. A rather boring win over Algeria sees them top their group however if the RTE pundits are to be believed, they will not hassle either England or the USA. This comes from the same people who described the States as mere waifs and strafes and would be no challenge for the mighty England. We really are blessed to have these pundits, but be sure to think before you agree with them.
Goalkeeping faux pas may become a characteristic of this competition as Algerian shot stopper Chaouchi let in a howler and may well cite an erratic flight taken by the ball. But more likely it was bad goal-keeping. There has yet to be any screamers fired in however, no 30 yard dipping swerving beauties that would take pride of place on any top 10 World Cup goal countdown.
Serbia 0 Ghana 1
Serbia failed to live up to their 'dark horse' tag and will face a huge uphill task to overcome an early defeat. In a fairly entertaining game, Ghana were by far the more dangerous of the two. It will make it hard to see past Germany cruising through this group but Ghana will surely come second on this evidence.
It was good to see a win on the board for an African side. Serbia are one of the few squads who boast a team as physically strong as Ghana, but they really struggled throughout the game. Asamoah Gyan’s penalty late on was enough to win the game, but he almost added a fine second, striking the post in the final minutes of a game which saw midfield domination pay off for the Black Stars.
Germany 4 Australia 0
One of the youngest squads in the tournament and arguably one of the most inexperienced Germany squads in years, Joachim Low’s side laid a marker down with their rout of the Socceroos. After the news that the talismanic Michael Ballack would miss the World Cup through injury, many questioned the chances of such a team. Even bizarre queries of their mentality were raised.
But a sublime attacking display put to rest any fears that the Germans might not be up for this. As it turns out however the loss of Ballack may have been a blessing in disguise as the current midfield partnership for Germany looked a lot stronger than one which would have included the out of contract former Chelsea midfielder.
Up until the very harsh sending off of Everton’s Tim Cahill, the standard of refereeing so far in the tournament has been of a high standard. There have been five red cards over three days play and all but Cahill’s have been warranted. But it hasn’t been an overly dirty opening few days.
About P.J. Murray
P.J. generally covers Drogheda games at HD Park and can generally be found at any Dublin ground when of a loose end on a Friday night. View Full Profile