Request Answered

13th June 2006, Tuesday

Woke up with bleary eyes this early morning when my parents was shock that I was still in bed and the time was already 7...
Apparently I seemed to be awake when my mom first came in to hustle me up though I did not have any recollection of it...
I'm bewildered why I was so deep asleep when I didn't even watch the match at 12 am but did got up to off the TV when Italy was playing Ghana...

Well my request for lots of goals and most importantly spectacular ones had been answered by the footballing god up there (no not Pele or Maradona)...A total of 9 goals in 3 games and I can say except for Nakamura's fluke, Cahill's scramble and Iaquinta's poacher goal, I think the others surely beat many of the goals scored in the previous 3 days

I was deadon with my predictions as well despite some alteration from the scoreline I had first conjured...

I would have thought the Socceroos would be leaving Dortmund empty-handed in the early game yesterday when Nakamura sailed the ball over Schwarzer who seemed to be infringed by the Japanese strikers...
It seemed like GK Kawaguchi and his defence was going to hold through with 6 minutes left when the shrewd Guus Huddink made sublime tactical switch bringing fresh legs and lungs in Tim Cahill and John Aloisi who scored 3 goals in a blitz... The 2nd goal by Cahill outside the 10 yard box was a beauty even his poise when shooting...Kewell who?
My kinsman in Japan surely would feel it was a black Monday for them with earthquake and a tram accident to be preoccupied with back home...

I was dozing off when the Czechs grabbed the opener through a well worked header from who else but Jan Koeller but I was rueing the fact that I had missed Rosicky's wonderful brace, the first a 30 yard thundershot and the 2nd with the edge of his right boot...
Seems like Arsenal and Wenger would be really happy to get this player with so much skill and so little controversy...
The Americans did not kick up to gear and likely they might taste defeats against the Italians and Ghanians as well...
Meanwhile the Czechs ran short of striking option with injury to Koeller..but then when you got Rosicky, you can jolly well save on some lousy strikers anyway...

I would want to watch the Italians play especially with Totti and Pirlo getting back to form when they need to..and of course their nice blue jersey should be one of the most stylish in the tournament...
The Ghanians didn't seem that bad but just not good enough against the Italians, and highly likely they would not beat the Czechs as well...

Well the 2 Group E leaders seem to be getting into form in their first match so far together with Argentina and surprise surprise Australia & Mexico...

Here's the prediction for tonight's game:

Togo vs S. Korea (Group G)
Debutant and prospective whipping boys surely would take inspiration from the likes of T&T and Angola with the fact that the gulf between the giants and the minnows aren't that wide..
S. Korea will surely not want to follow the path of their Asian counterparts so far, going down 1:3 in their opening game...
Park Ji Sung would need to do a Robben and Rosicky to carry his team while striker Park Chu Yong (who is quite formiable in my simulation game) should be the key to scoring gioals that is if Advocado decided to play him of course...
Prediction: Togo 1 : S. Korea 2 (I just think the sem finalist of 2002 should win this but won't be easy for them)

Switzerland vs France (Group G)
A draw would be written in the book for that was the scores in the games these teams played in the qualifier...
However Henry might have found form finally for his national team and I felt Domenaech was making a mistake not to call up Giuly to replace the injured Cisse.
Many would be watching the young gun, Franck Ribery of Marseille for inspiration...
As for the Swiss, looking through their list of players it seems like their defence is the main asset they depend on...but look at S&M, you may have the best defence but when you can't score, you will never be able to progress
Prediction: Switzerland 0 : France 1 (France might just nipped it unless Barthez shot himself in the leg once again)

Brazil vs Croatia (Group F)
The match many had waited for as Brazil open their WC accounts as millions of people would be really interested to see the true form of the prospective champions...
Surely those lame warm-up matches are not supposed to take seriously... and many doubts would be raise on their relatively weak defence...
Croatia who recently lost to Poland, would be a stiff opposition though they don't have any household name to boast (except Niko Kranjcar but playing in native Croatia is not the most ideal platform to show what you can really do)
Prediction: Brazil 2 (or 3) : Croatia 0 (Ronaldo might find his scoring boots for WC once more while Adriano might be off form, you still got the likes of Kaka and Ronaldihno to bank on)

I would be really interested to catch that 3 am match once more...and with my room undergoing the final phase of renovation with the installation of my bed and book shelf perhaps I should apply for leave that is I can in the first place since I should be barred from applying for my resignation...see whether I could milk for some time off tomorrow *crossing my finigers*

Japanese word of the day: サンバ ~sa-n-ba~(Samba) Got a feeling the Brazilian might not be able to kick into gear as soon as the Italians or Czechs have.