Friday, July 4, 2014

World Cup Update -- Six Games to Go

The next quarter-final game is Brazil v. Colombia.  A surprising number of commentators have picked Colombia in this game, on the grounds that they have looked better than Brazil so far.  To me, that's like picking UVA to knock UNC out of the NCAA Tournament -- when the Tournament is being played in Carolina.  It may happen, but it's going to be harder than it looks.

Here are the team lists:

BRAZIL:
Goalkeeper:  Julio Cesar (Toronto) (MLS)

Defender:  Maicon (Roma) (Italy)
Defender:  Thiago Silva (Captain) (Paris Saint-German) (France)
Defender:  David Luiz (Paris Saint-German) (France)
Defender:  Marcelo (Real Madrid) (Spain)

Midfielder:  Ferdandinho (Manchester City) (England)
Midfielder:  Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur) (England)
Midfielder:  Oscar (Chelsea) (England)

Forward:  Neymar (Barcelona) (Spain)
Forward:  Hulk (Zenit Saint Petersburg) (Russia)
Forward:  Fred (Fluminense) (Brazil)

COLOMBIA:
Goalkeeper:  David Ospina (Nice) (France)

Defender:  Juan Camilo Zuniga (Napoli) (Italy)
Defender:  Cristian Zapata (Milan) (Italy)
Defender:  Mario Yepes (Captain) (Atalanta) (Italy)
Defender:  Pablo Armero (Udinese) (Italy)

Midfielder:  Fredy Guarin (Internazionale) (Italy)
Midfielder:  Carlos Sanchez (Elche) (Spain)
Midfielder:  Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina) (Italy)
Midfielder:  James Rodriguez (Monaco) (France)
Midfielder:  Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari) (Italy)

Forward:  Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate) (Argentina)

21 comments:

  1. In the 7th minute, Thiago Silva is left alone in the box, and he heads home a goal to put Brazil on top!

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  2. Uniform watch: Brazil, of course, are in their usual yellow with green numerals. Colombia normally wear yellow themselves, but today they are in their alternative uniform of red shirts and blue shorts. They look pretty good, although I keep thinking of them as Costa Rica.

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  3. 55 minutes:

    Brazil 1 - 0 Colombia

    Colombia need to get something going here, but like France earlier today they are struggling to maintain possession.

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  4. 60 minutes:

    Brazil 1 - 0 Colombia

    The Guardian is complaining that the game is becoming too violent, but of course that is to Brazil's advantage, as they don't want any more scoring.

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  5. 65 minutes:

    Brazil 1 - 0 Colombia

    Now it's getting wild. Thiago Silva was given a yellow card, which means he cannot play in the semi-final if Brazil get there. And then Colombia appeared to score from a wild scramble in front of the Brazilian goal, but the goal was disallowed for offsides.

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  6. And there's your ball game. Colombia, to their credit, has been fighting desperately for an equalizer. But this opens them up at the back, and Brazil has had a couple of free kicks as a result. In the 68th minute, from about 35 yards out, David Luiz of Brazil makes a spectacular kick over the wall and INTO THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE GOAL, just beyond the outstretched fingertips of the goalkeeper.

    Brazil 2 - 0 Colombia

    Somewhere the French are saying, "See, that's why we waited until the very end to press forward."

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  7. 70 minutes:

    Brazil 2 - 0 Colombia

    It's like a big party in Brazil right now.

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  8. Brazil and Germany last met in the final of the 2002 World Cup. If Germany had won, they could have tied Brazil with 4 titles each. Instead, Brazil ran out easy 2-0 winners, and Brazil now leads 5 titles to 3.

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    Replies
    1. I will be rooting for my Jungen von zu Hause.

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  9. PENALTY TO COLOMBIA!

    Colombia, desperately pressing forward, win a penalty kick! James Rodriguez, their big star, bangs it home and Colombia have closed to within 2-1. It's on now!

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  10. 80th minute:

    Brazil 2 - 1 Colombia

    The Colombian penalty was set up with the Brazilian goalkeeper crashed into a Colombian player. The Guardian thought that the goalkeeper should have been thrown out of the game.

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  11. In the 81st minute, Colombia win a corner kick. Brazil are struggling now. They remove Hulk, one of their forwards, and replace him with Ramires, a midfielder who plays for Chelsea.

    Nothing comes from the corner kick.

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  12. 85th minute. Another corner kick for Colombia, who are all over Brazil right now. This kick also goes nowhere, and Brazil clear.

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  13. 90 minutes:

    Brazil 2 - 1 Colombia

    There will be five minutes of stoppage time.

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  14. James Rodriguez, the Colombian star, goes down under a challenge from Brazil's defense. He stays on the ground for awhile, but gets no sympathy from the ref.

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  15. Colombia throwing everything at Brazil right now. They get another corner kick, but their header misses, allowing a goal kick for Brazil.

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  16. Three minutes into injury time, here comes Colombia with what may be their last attack. They win a free kick about 40 yards from goal. They bring down the goalkeeper to help -- but the kick is headed over the Brazilian goal by a Colombian player. Goal kick for Brazil.

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  17. And that's all! Brazil hangs on, much as UNC would in that game against UVA, and they move on to the semi-final.

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