PUMA FOOTBALL

Be in that number

syrup — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:20:18 +0000

¡¡¡España La Furia Roja are campeona del Mundo!!!

syrup — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:11:33 +0000

The world’s best national team is finally the champion of the world. What better way to summarize the final? They might not have played their best football the entire time (first game against Switzerland) but they have constantly pulled themselves together and improved, stepped up when needed (game against Germany). They conceded only two goals, and Casillas was deservedly rewarded the Golden Glove. On top of this Spain won the FIFA Fair Play Award, as they only got eight yellow cards through the tournament. Holland got nine in just the final against Spain, and helped making this final the historic for most yellow cards ever: 14!

The game turned out to be just as people might expect a final to be, but hope it won’t. Tight, few goals and a lot of struggling rather than majestic play. Compared to the usually goal-happy Bronze-games where everyone seem to relax a little bit more and just go for the win as oppose to the fear of losing. From time to time it looked more like some players had chewed extra-testosterone before the game when they should have just juiced up with extra-energy bars. Or bananas. Robben had two of those chances you usually don’t even get one of, and especially in a World Cup final, but couldn’t capitalize on either. It took extra time to separate the two teams, and just when it looked as though the match would go into penalties the pitch’s smallest biggest star, the perhaps most underestimated player n the world, Andres Iniesta - El Illusionista - stepped up.

He must have decided that to go to penalties was just too much of a lottery and took fate into his own hands and hit a thruster into the back of the net with just 4 minutes to go. BOOM. 1-0 Spain and all that was needed to crown Spain as World Champions for the first time in history. He pulled of his shirt to reveal “Dani Jarque seimpre con nosotros”. That means “Dani Jarque is always with us,” a reference to former Barca rivals, Espanyol defender Dani Jarque, who died of a heart attack in August 2009 at the too young age of 26 just one month after he was named captain, showing that love crosses all borders and rivalries.

What was supposed to be Africa’s World Cup, then suspected to be South America’s, and finally turned out to be Europe finishing 1, 2 and 3 top places. On a funny side note, only one team never lost one game throughout the tournament…yes, you didn’t get it, New Zealand.

It’s been a great, an absolutely wonderful tournament. A lot of unexpected results, stunning goals and an extremely worthy winner. Just as it should. We can’t wait until Brazil 2014.

A last-second crossbar hit between Bronze for Les Celeste or Die Mannschafte…

syrup — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:44:57 +0000

Who knows what would have happened if Diego Forlan’s last-breath effort had dived an inch, half a nano-second earlier? Where would we have ended up? Extra time, yes, but if it had stunned the German’s enough and been enough to either finish it or take it to penalties is something we’ll never know. Germany won 3-2 and it will only be one of many speculations from this World Cup. “If only…” The Bronze match lived up to its historic reputation of plenty of goals though, what is rare in the final seemed to be standard in the third place game. Attack. Go for victory rather than avoid a loss.

Thomas Muller opened up the game’s scoring with his fifth goal of the tournament and put the Germans up front. Uruguay with Cavani equalized on a lovely counterattack before Forlan decided that he wanted to level up with Muller and scored his fifth goal too with an absolutely stunning scissor-half-volley-kick that left stand-in keeper for the day, Hans Jorg Butt frozen to the ground. Many more goal attempts followed before an unusual combination occurred. Right back Jerome Boateng hit a cross to the other side where left back Marcel Jansen met it with a header and tied the score.

Then, just as the game looked to be going into another overtime conclusion, Khedira got his very well deserved goal for the tournament with a header. Les Celeste tried and pushed and pushed and just as the three minutes added time ticked out, they got the chance they needed and deserved: a free-kick just outside the penalty box. There wasn’t even any doubt who was to step up and take it. Forlan’s been struggling with a leg injury that forced him to sub in the semifinal against Holland, and also made him score in that game with his left foot. But this time he would disregard all presumable pain. As he hit the crossbar with an absolute firecracker, some people spoke of a twist of fate: what helped Uruguay reach the semifinal is the exact same thing that denied them the bronze.

“We wanted to reach the final, it wasn’t possible, but we did our best in every game. Now it’s time for a rest,” said Forlan. Maybe not, but finishing top four is spectacular and you showed the world that Uruguayan football is to be reckoned with again.

“At the beginning we never thought we’d taste a moment like this. We wanted to finish third, but we’ll remember the positives.”

We will too, Forlan. Thank you for the show, Uruguay.

Oranje beats Les Celeste in another last minute nerve-wrecker & makes it to their first final since 1978 – will this time be THE time?

syrup — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:28:41 +0000

Holland maintains their very-impressive 100% winning-streak in this World Cup, as they beat Uruguay 3-2. But it wasn’t just all that simple. After coming on the pitch with tons of confidence after their win against favorites, Brazil, they probably thought underdogs Uruguay would be a slightly easier path to the finals. But this remarkable Uruguay, who had an extra 2x 15 minutes in extra-time and penalty shoot out in their last match, wasn’t here to go down easily.

Except for their opening goalless draw against France, Uruguay has scored in every World Cup game. So when Holland took an early lead with a stunning cracker and one of the contenders for goal of the World Cup by veteran captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, we pretty much knew they would step up. Consistantly amazing striker, Diego Martín Forlán Corazo did what he does best and secured a 1-1 tie with a swirling long shot (a shot that perhaps keeper Maarten Stekelenburg should have saved) as the teams retired for halftime. Second half came and looked like both teams were feeling out each other and and waiting for the other’s next mistake. When it arrived it was another one of those debatable on/off -side sequences, but nonetheless, the result was 2-1 Holland. Recently converted catholic and “Rejuvenated” Wesley Sneijder shot towards the far post and an offside Robin van Persie could have easily been the reason for disallowing the goal. Uruguay went for an equalizer and opened up behind, something Dirk Kuyt and Arjen Robben decided to take advantage of. Dirk made a cross inside the penalty box and Robben copied Sneijder’s header against Brazil and Oranje was up 3-1. Game over.

Well. Not if you are Uruguay though. A team that, perhaps already had reached the climax of achieving the impossible with the absolutely incredible finish against Ghana, knew very well that a game isn’t over until the extra time and the seconds until they are played and the whistle blown. Another heroic push took them up to 3-2 and suddenly the already cheering Dutch bench was in shock. But this is also a very strong, disciplined and different Holland than we’ve seen in this World Cup - a Dutch team that has been drilled by coach van Marwijk to see, think and dream of a World Cup final since day one with him at the helm.

Holland has never scored more than two goals after the group stages in a World Cup. Today they scored three and are one huge game away from achieving what no other Dutch team has ever done before. Will this be the year that will forever wipe out “The Best Team That Has Never Won The World Cup” from the Dutch football dictionary? On Sunday we’ll know. Tomorrow we’ll know who will be their opponents. Spain or Germany. Best of luck to both.

Last but not least – Vamos Les Celeste! Today was well played and you still have the bronze to play for yet!

Congratulations to Uruguay!

syrup — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:45:44 +0000

Congratulations to Uruguay who are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup!

La Furia Roja proved to be too tough for the Selecção das Quinas

syrup — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:34:39 +0000

It was the battle of Europe. Two of the best teams in the world that just happened to be neighboring countries met in the Iberian Derby, the game deciding who snitches the last spot for the quarterfinals. Some of the best players on the planet knew that a loss meant packing your bags and go home, regardless how talented you are.

Crisitano Ronaldo – one of the few contenders to Lionel Messi for Best Player in the World this year – today that meant you and your Portuguese teammates. Portugal tried, had a few dangerous attempts but if it wasn’t Casillas, Barça’s dependable center-defenders were standing tall and clearing it all (Sergio Ramos is too busy challenging Maicon for most offensive right back now – and doing it well and Capdevilla is good at doing his job, no more no less). And with the probably best midfield in the world (hello – they can spare Cesc Fabregas on the bench) the Spanish Armada is looking pretty darn solid.

The Premier League had the most players in the World Cup (106 – runner up Bundesliga had 78) but they are also the players who have been struggling the most. Fernando Torres is no exception as he’s yet to score his first goal in this World Cup. Doing better each game, but still slightly out of sync, he has been a little too slow in the crucial decision-makings and accuracy not just there.

Which is why Spain has David Villa too. He stood for one third of Spain’s 19 shots and the odds that he would be the tipping point fell by each ticking second. So when he hit his own rebound, it wasn’t a shock. BOOM. 1-0 Spain, who will now face Paraguay.

Oh and on the Torres side note: remember that he only scored two goals in the Euro 2008. One of them in their 1-0 win against Germany in the final. Just saying.

Friday: Netherlands-Brazil and a special game for PUMAFootball, Uruguay-Ghana

Saturday: Argentina-Germany and Paraguay-Spain.

Just reading it makes you want to be able to fast forward time.

Guaraníes beat the Samurai Blues in the World Cup’s first penalty shoot-out

syrup — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:20:42 +0000

So eventually it came: the mandatory World Cup penalty shoot-out. What players and teams fear the most in a knockout game. Doesn’t matter from then who played the best football over 90 minutes, who had the best chances, most chances, who should have won and ultimately who deserved to win. From there on, football is at its most chance-moment ever. Anything can happen, and it usually does.

There are some numbers we can look at though. Since the penalty-shoot-out was introduced in the World Cup in 1982, it has been the eliminator twenty times. The team that shoots the first has won 60% of the time and 30% penalties has been missed out of 186 taken. Most memorable is perhaps the World Cups that have been decided by penalties: in the finals between Brazil-Italy in 1994, a game where “nothing happened until the penalty kicks” and most recently when Italy clinched the trophy after their 5-3 penalty win against France.

Today it was a game before the penalties. But that is how cruel and merciless football is, that after the game people barely remember the action sequences, the almost-goal-moments, marvelous runs, performances, kicks, tackles, and remember only who won. Who missed. And who saved. The latter never happened today as we saw 7 perfectly executed penalty kicks. Schoolbook examples of excellence. One hit the crossbar.

Japan out, Paraguay to the quarterfinals where they will face winner of Portugal-Spain.

Seleção showed another level

syrup — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:06:28 +0000

Brazil picked it up and showed that they’re real contenders for the title. Facing Chile, who has impressed the most of us, we hoped for an even game with two attacking sides going non-stop. And we kind of got one. It was two attacking sides but it wasn’t all that even. Like Spain, Brazil is the perhaps worst team Chile could meet- they’re simply too good and won’t get surprised by the quick Chileans because they simply out-quick them and dictate the pace themselves.

Brazil has gotten some heat, mostly from their own demanding home fans, who say they are playing too ‘boring’ and that they’ve lost their renowned samba-spirit under coach, Dunga. But after a slow start (yet still a win) against North Korea, a convincing win against Ivory Coast, draw against Portugal, winning the ‘Group Of Death’ and now crushing Chile, we think it’s time to reevaluate Brazil once again. 8 goals isn’t boring and with striker Fabiano getting in shape, Kaka playing better and better and Robinho, who scored his seventh goal in four appearances against Chile, they have the firepower up-front that’s needed to go far. A world-class goalie (but what’s up with the kit three sizes too big today?), two best right backs (Dunga solved the unsolvable problem by using them both today, Maicon in that position and Dani Alves as right midfield winger), and a captain who is brimming with confidence after winning the treble this season, ensure they also have the defense-line to back up their attacking football.

How far can they go? Obviously all they way, but the first test on the way is another contender for the title of best football team in the world, the Netherlands. Two teams that seem to enjoy attacking football a lot. Looks like we’re in for delicious football on July 2nd. But why wait so long - tomorrow is Japan-Paraguay and highly anticipated neighbor-country clash between Spain and Portugal. It’s like being football-spoiled every day with the lovely exception of not feeling any guilt about it. Hooray for football.

The Oranje is starting to look pretty darn lekker!

syrup — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:04:20 +0000

Before this game, the Dutch players had started talking about the chance of winning the World Cup. “We might have the best national side ever,” proclaimed striker van Persie and captain van Bronckhorst and it felt bold. After all it’s a bold statement from “the best national team that has never won the World Cup” (silver ’74 and ’78) and with living legends like the de Boer brothers, Kluivert, Bergkamp, Cocu and of course, creator of the best football ever invented, Mr. Johann “Total Football” Cruyff it is kind of, yes, bold. Bold but not foolish. Because this Dutch side has grown and shown that they just might be ready for the task.

Today, against a Slovakia who heroically beat the World Champions Gil Azzurri last week, they did what was required. The Dutch knew about Slovakia’s abilities but weren’t going to allow another World Cup sensation. They were simply too good. Their quick passes, runs without the ball (oh so crucial) and sheer individual talent tore the Slovakian side apart, and it was one of those precise moments that led to the first goal. Robben got the ball after e a beautiful pass from Sneijder, and from that moment on everyone knew exactly what would happen. Spectators in the stands, his teammates, people watching the TV, but most and foremost, the Slovakian defenders, knew. He used his speed and cut inside to open up his body for a left-footed strike. BOOM. 1-0 Holland. Slovakia had two really decent chances to shock, but it felt like the Oranje controlled the game.

Always a hardworking man, Kuyt showed camaraderie and unselfishness as he beat the otherwise excellent goalkeeper, Mucha, and set up Sneijder to an open goal - he only needed to put his foot on the ball to deliver the Netherlands to a 2-0 lead. A last kick of the game from the penalty spot from Vittek, who grabbed his fourth and last goal of the tournament while leveling up with Higuain in the top scoring position, was the only flaw in the book for Holland as they advanced to the quarterfinals with their 2-1 win. Holland will meet winner Brazil-Chile. Dunga, Bielsa – watch out, Oranje might just have the edge that no other Dutch side has had before.

A crucial decision, a terrible slip-up and a marvelous performance put the Argentineans through to the quarterfinals

syrup — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:49:12 +0000

We had barely grasped the last goal-not-goal situation in the England-Germany game when the referees managed to put themselves in focus yet again. Carlos Tevez was clearly offside when scoring the first goal for Argentina and there is nothing anyone can say about it. Sadly, it’s nothing that anyone can do to change it either. Mexico will go home and it’s shows how crucial every decision is when you only have one game to accomplish what you came for and four years to wait for another chance. To insert technology or not has never been a bigger discussion than right now.

People in favor for this simply ask what it could hurt to allow the fourth referee the same chance to view and review scenarios (as the people behind the TV do) and the allowance to call the referees’ attention. Naysayers think it would ruin part of the thing that makes football organic and human, with all the faults and errors that come with it. Where then should you draw the line? Who decides when something needs to be up for evaluation, for surely one side will think differently than the other? The fact that it’s pretty much the same game, same rules, same conditions as when it started god knows when, and is played under the same circumstances whether or not you’re a mega star in huge club or a local kid in the street or a mud-pitch is what football is all about.

That said, let’s get back to the game and leave those decisions to the deciders because it was a great game. You have to give credit to legend Maradona who is playing so very offensively that it goes beyond sheer sense, playing Messi, Higuain, Tevez and Rodriguez at the same time, and with a bench including Milito and Aguero they have firepower in reserve as well. Messi is still struggling to score his first goal in this World Cup but with the intensity, skill set and inspiration he plays with, the goals will follow and he very much seems to enjoy himself on the pitch anyway.

But today the goals were scored by none other than Tevez, the first one as we’ve stated was clearly offside but he made up for it with an absolute stunning firecracker that he launched from outside the penalty box that drilled itself back into the top corner. Marvelous. In between this Higauin managed to sneak in and clinch the top spot on the goal scoring leader board of the World Cup as he capitalized on a horrific mistake by the Mexican defender who tapped the ball into nowhere-land just outside his own penalty box. One can’t afford those sorts of mistakes with these kinds of players around - especially not with a cobra-quick Higuain who said “Gracias!” and scored.

Mexico tried their best but couldn’t get closer than polishing the numbers with Javier Hernandez’s beautiful goal. Mexico are out, Argentina are through and let’s hope for more fantastic football tomorrow and less controversy around referee decision. Let the football speak for itself.