LIITLE BOY BLUE'S WORLD CUP DIARY - June 14 (day 15)
The gerrintaerum approach of the host nations has been a major feature of this World Cup so I've been looking forward to seeing both clinch their places in the second round but the weight of expectancy seemed to hinder JAPAN's players. Their first half performance against TUNISIA fell well short of the level from their previous games. Surely they wouldn't blow it! Of course they wouldn't!
Whatever was said in the dressing-room at half-time certainly worked. Within three minutes of the restart Morishima had fired them into the lead and, with Tunisia showing no inclination to battle back, the margin of the Japanese victory was the only matter in doubt. In the end they settled for 2-0, with Nakata heading home the second near the end, and the Nips finish the group stages on top of the table, overshadowing established football nations like Belgium and Russia.
BELGIUM looked to be well on their way to joining Japan in the next round when Walem gave them a 7th minute lead with a superb free-kick. They dominated the first half and should have gone further ahead when Verheyen hooked the ball wide when he only had the keeper to beat, then the same player blazed a wild shot over the top when he had the goal at his mercy. Those might have proved costly misses, especially after Beschasnych followed up to equalise for RUSSIA early in the second half after a Sychev shot had been blocked.
A draw would have been enough for the Russians and things look good for them as they took a grip of the game. However, they could not get the second goal which would have given them some breathing space and it was Belgium who grabbed the glory. In the 78th minute substitute Sonck climbed about everyone to get his head to a Walem corner and four minutes later skipper Marc Wilmots made it 3-1 with a well-placed shot. Sychev pulled a goal back two minutes from the end but the Belgians held on to take the runners-up spot.
Japan's passage to the next round added to the pressure on SOUTH KOREA. No host nation has ever fallen at the first hurdle but, facing a Portuguese side which would be fighting for its life, they knew they would get nothing for nothing.
The Koreans made a predictably energetic start and also paid particularly close attention to Luis Figo who was tracked by two men wherever he went. It was frustrating for PORTUGAL and Joao Pinto lost the plot midway through the first half when he was red-carded for a crude lunge at Park Ji Sung. It was hard to understand where the Portuguese protests were coming from and Fernando Couto was very lucky to escape unpunished for man-handling the Argentinian referee.
The first half was played out rather tamely. A draw would be enough to take Korea through so they were reluctant to risk their place in the knock-out stages by opening up against the ten men, while Portugal were simply delighted to get to the half-time break still on level terms.
But the home side decided to go for it in the second half. There was more pace to their play as they sought to take advantage of their numerical superiority and they can only have grown in confidence when Portugal's ranks were reduced still further after Beto picked up his second yellow card. Hanging on was the only strategy open to the Portuguese now but it was not to be.
In the 61st minute Park Ji Sung beat Vitor Baia with a close range shot and the highly fancied Europeans were on their way out. To their credit, they threw caution to the wind, pushed Couto up front to bolster the attack and might have drawn level when the Lazio man won the ball in the air to set up Nino Gomes. But the striker's control let him down and the chance was lost.
In a grandstand finish Sergio Conceicao rattled a shot off the post but, with everyone but the goalkeeper in the Korean half of the field, Portugal were more likely to lose a second goal than they were to grab the equalizer. On no fewer than three occasions Vitor Baia won one-on-one battles with attackers to keep Portuguese hopes alive but time simply ran out on them.
Even if they had got it back to 1-1, Portugal's hopes of staying alive would have rested on POLAND doing some damage against the USA. Being a closet Texas Ranger, a fully paid-up member of the Lee Harvey Oswald Loyal RSC in Dallas, I was with the Yanks for this one but it was not one of their better days. Two Polish goals in the first five minutes would have gone down well in Lisbon. Olizadebe smashed one in off the underside of the crossbar after only two minutes and Kryszalowicz headed home goal number two three minutes later to leave Claudio Reyna and company to contemplate an early trip home.
But the Americans settled down and gave the Poles a few problems. However, lifted by their whirlwind start, Poland saw a chance to bow out with some grace and were content to get plenty of men behind the ball, firmly believing the would get the chance to add to their lead on the break. That is exactly what happened when Zewlakow headed in the third after 65 minutes, the Poles could even enjoy the luxury of a missed penalty kick, and, even although Donovan pulled one back just before the end, the USA were soundly beaten.
Of course, Korea's victory over Portugal bailed them out and the Yanks can now enjoy the fruits of their excellent first half against the Portuguese and their brave backs-to-the-wall draw with South Korea. And having wriggled off the hook today, it would not surprise me if they refound some belief in themselves and made life difficult for Mexico on Monday.
So the second round shapes up like this:
Tomorrow.
Germany v Paraguay, Denmark v England
Sunday.
Sweden v Senegal, Spain v Eire
Monday.
Mexico v USA, Brazil v Belgium
Tuesday
Japan v Turkey, South Korea v Italy
Not exactly how I saw it panning out a few days ago but who cares? You can't be right all the time. Unlike Glum Jum McLean's verdict in the Daily Rebel, I'm enjoying this World Cup and I expect the entertainment level to hit an all-time high amidst the drama of the knock-out stages.
LITTLE BOY BLUE