italia 90 remains the personal high point in terms of involved but uninformed spectating. Although in terms of goals it was not the most prolific. It is said that it took the backpass rule to make US94 and subsequent cups more goalrich.
Starting with the most thankless job on the field and also the most stylish. goalkeeping antics over the years of silver jersey Zenga(voted the sexiest Italian player by the Italians, he did not concede any goals for a world cup record number of minutes, helped surely by the silken obstinacy of shirt out Baresi, eyes wide open Maldini and leadership of Bergomi?), Preudhomme, long limbs and longer dives Goycoechea. Taffarel solid without being flamboyant. Pumpido’s error against Cameroon that began the latter’s dream run.
The horrible tackle by Italian goalkeeper(Pagliuca?) against the Irish-we will not score goals and not let others do so either. Van der saar-lean tall bundle of quick reflexes.Frowning Zubizaratta. Flourescent patches Campos. Colombia’s Higuita and the cheeky half line steal by Miller. His rump shaking near corner flag after scoring goals. What pace and style at 38! Escobar’s self-goal with a lunge at the ball that is said to have caused his death later. Wiry Yellow jelly blob on head Valderrama.
How Sicilian Toto almost made Italia 90 his own. Platt also worked the substitute magic with his head. Cannot forget his astounded but mixed with glee look. Peters, Beardsley and Shilton-both men trying to defy age at the highest level. Gazza exit tears in 90 after a lot of unwarranted tackles and tumbles. and hands on hip Romario tears in 98?. babyface Bebeto’s babycradling celebrations.
Klinsmann not as clean as Lineker but of the same mould as far as ball pouncing earnestness was concerned. His partnering with rudi voeller. And the latter’s altercation with Rijkaard leading to expulsion for both? Ruud Gullit and van basten both off colour in 90. the laudrup brothers failing Bergkamp’s control(of ball and mind) and shooting skills leading to one of the best dying minutes goal and the exit of Argentina in 98. The Dutch seem to be losing some of their trademark flair with every world cup and will need to raise level to win the affection that Cryuff and his band are said to have commanded.
USA 94 and team USA. Meola and his men did not have the skills or the imagination but were keenest competitors on the world stage. And the goatee of Lalas? helped. Dour, extra long and loopy aerial passing Norwegians who put behind 94 and scored twice against Brazil in the group match win. The ‘94 win by the Brazilians was thus not as unalloyed as one might expect. Argentines were sour losers plodding along in 94. ‘Mule’ Ortega and giftedly serious Batistuta helped Argentina put up a much better show in 98. in 94 ebullient Caniggia shone briefly and more fat than tackles battling maradona gave some glimpses of golden days. Suited Bilardo kept huffing and puffing on the sidelines and was even given the marching orders once. The solo goal by Oraiwan (Saudi Arabia) that put out the Belgians(always quiet but effective with marshals like Cuelmanns and eyecatching shoes Scifo) and took SA to next round where Andersson magic awaited them.
France 98 was Europe almost all the way. The Croats finally ran out of steam despite the brilliantly consistent showing of Suker. Nigerians teaching Spain a lesson. Only Spanish performances I remember are the hattrick by Michel in 90 and desperate trying by Raul and Hierro in recent world cups. The Spaniards are give ups in World Cup. never fire when it matters. It may change. The Danes revived memories of 86 through the skills of laudrup brothers and schmeichel.
Inspirational Paraguayan Chilavert, proving that one man can do many things but not everything. Baggio,R starts firing late in 94. Stojkovic(90) and Stoitchkov(98) free kicks. Hagi’s long range missile. Skuhravy headers. Cyril Makanaky. Tireless sweeper matthaus who should not have played in 98.
7/8 in last 8 of 94 were European. Still brazil won. 6/8 in 90. In 98, 6/8 european(non Europeans were argentina and brazil). In 02, 4/8(including Turkey).
Time to stick neck out. In 06, Europe will improve showing. 5 surely, possibly 6. Brazil should have an easy ride to the 2nd round and even beyond unless Italians start producing goals out of nothing or the Czechs live up to their world no.2 ranking. France have an enviable possible meeting with Spain in round 3 before facing unenviable samba music. Germany will need more than home advantage to get past other strong European teams(Sweden or England) in round 2 and the survivor will run into Portugal/N’lands/Arg, producing perhaps the best match of the tournament. The early death of great quality will be because of the no.5 seeding given to mexico, 10 to n’lands and 17 to Portugal.
Koreans and Iranians are looking more aggressive but both are in fancied groups and will have to overcome an European team after the relatively easier job of beating the African team in group. It is time the Saudis make good use of their past WC maulings. 2 Asian teams in second round seems unlikely and korea seems to have the slightly easier path than japan. Top ranked African team Tunisia should carry on to 2nd round. Despite being in stronger group, Paraguay is more likely than Ecuador to stay on.
Italy’s Group E has two top 5(Czech, US) and three top 15 teams, if one goes by FIFA rankings. D(Mexico) and F(Brazil) each have three top 25 teams. So we can expect groups producing untimely first round deaths rather than a single deadly group. And the mockery of rankings that WC02 made will only add to the funereal mood. Also top teams can expect explosive second round encounters with other fancied teams e.g. Eng-germ; braz-ita; arg-port.
More than 500 years after the great European empire building experiment started and new worlds opened up with new trade routes, all the great naval rivals (Spain, Portugal, England, France, Holland) will be there for another battle for world domination, along with those whom they plundered and ruled e.g. the African first timers-Angola(Portugal), Ivory Coast (France), Ghana(Britain), Togo(Germany, then Britain and France) are going to experience further but bloodless plundering of their citadels. Spain was all over Central and South America and the southern parts of US. Spain and Portugal had even pragma-hubristically drawn a line in the Atlantic dividing the world into separate hemispheres of influence. The top three most obese nations will be there although the second spot has both Mexicans and Australians as contenders.
Starting with the most thankless job on the field and also the most stylish. goalkeeping antics over the years of silver jersey Zenga(voted the sexiest Italian player by the Italians, he did not concede any goals for a world cup record number of minutes, helped surely by the silken obstinacy of shirt out Baresi, eyes wide open Maldini and leadership of Bergomi?), Preudhomme, long limbs and longer dives Goycoechea. Taffarel solid without being flamboyant. Pumpido’s error against Cameroon that began the latter’s dream run.
The horrible tackle by Italian goalkeeper(Pagliuca?) against the Irish-we will not score goals and not let others do so either. Van der saar-lean tall bundle of quick reflexes.Frowning Zubizaratta. Flourescent patches Campos. Colombia’s Higuita and the cheeky half line steal by Miller. His rump shaking near corner flag after scoring goals. What pace and style at 38! Escobar’s self-goal with a lunge at the ball that is said to have caused his death later. Wiry Yellow jelly blob on head Valderrama.
How Sicilian Toto almost made Italia 90 his own. Platt also worked the substitute magic with his head. Cannot forget his astounded but mixed with glee look. Peters, Beardsley and Shilton-both men trying to defy age at the highest level. Gazza exit tears in 90 after a lot of unwarranted tackles and tumbles. and hands on hip Romario tears in 98?. babyface Bebeto’s babycradling celebrations.
Klinsmann not as clean as Lineker but of the same mould as far as ball pouncing earnestness was concerned. His partnering with rudi voeller. And the latter’s altercation with Rijkaard leading to expulsion for both? Ruud Gullit and van basten both off colour in 90. the laudrup brothers failing Bergkamp’s control(of ball and mind) and shooting skills leading to one of the best dying minutes goal and the exit of Argentina in 98. The Dutch seem to be losing some of their trademark flair with every world cup and will need to raise level to win the affection that Cryuff and his band are said to have commanded.
USA 94 and team USA. Meola and his men did not have the skills or the imagination but were keenest competitors on the world stage. And the goatee of Lalas? helped. Dour, extra long and loopy aerial passing Norwegians who put behind 94 and scored twice against Brazil in the group match win. The ‘94 win by the Brazilians was thus not as unalloyed as one might expect. Argentines were sour losers plodding along in 94. ‘Mule’ Ortega and giftedly serious Batistuta helped Argentina put up a much better show in 98. in 94 ebullient Caniggia shone briefly and more fat than tackles battling maradona gave some glimpses of golden days. Suited Bilardo kept huffing and puffing on the sidelines and was even given the marching orders once. The solo goal by Oraiwan (Saudi Arabia) that put out the Belgians(always quiet but effective with marshals like Cuelmanns and eyecatching shoes Scifo) and took SA to next round where Andersson magic awaited them.
France 98 was Europe almost all the way. The Croats finally ran out of steam despite the brilliantly consistent showing of Suker. Nigerians teaching Spain a lesson. Only Spanish performances I remember are the hattrick by Michel in 90 and desperate trying by Raul and Hierro in recent world cups. The Spaniards are give ups in World Cup. never fire when it matters. It may change. The Danes revived memories of 86 through the skills of laudrup brothers and schmeichel.
Inspirational Paraguayan Chilavert, proving that one man can do many things but not everything. Baggio,R starts firing late in 94. Stojkovic(90) and Stoitchkov(98) free kicks. Hagi’s long range missile. Skuhravy headers. Cyril Makanaky. Tireless sweeper matthaus who should not have played in 98.
7/8 in last 8 of 94 were European. Still brazil won. 6/8 in 90. In 98, 6/8 european(non Europeans were argentina and brazil). In 02, 4/8(including Turkey).
Time to stick neck out. In 06, Europe will improve showing. 5 surely, possibly 6. Brazil should have an easy ride to the 2nd round and even beyond unless Italians start producing goals out of nothing or the Czechs live up to their world no.2 ranking. France have an enviable possible meeting with Spain in round 3 before facing unenviable samba music. Germany will need more than home advantage to get past other strong European teams(Sweden or England) in round 2 and the survivor will run into Portugal/N’lands/Arg, producing perhaps the best match of the tournament. The early death of great quality will be because of the no.5 seeding given to mexico, 10 to n’lands and 17 to Portugal.
Koreans and Iranians are looking more aggressive but both are in fancied groups and will have to overcome an European team after the relatively easier job of beating the African team in group. It is time the Saudis make good use of their past WC maulings. 2 Asian teams in second round seems unlikely and korea seems to have the slightly easier path than japan. Top ranked African team Tunisia should carry on to 2nd round. Despite being in stronger group, Paraguay is more likely than Ecuador to stay on.
Italy’s Group E has two top 5(Czech, US) and three top 15 teams, if one goes by FIFA rankings. D(Mexico) and F(Brazil) each have three top 25 teams. So we can expect groups producing untimely first round deaths rather than a single deadly group. And the mockery of rankings that WC02 made will only add to the funereal mood. Also top teams can expect explosive second round encounters with other fancied teams e.g. Eng-germ; braz-ita; arg-port.
More than 500 years after the great European empire building experiment started and new worlds opened up with new trade routes, all the great naval rivals (Spain, Portugal, England, France, Holland) will be there for another battle for world domination, along with those whom they plundered and ruled e.g. the African first timers-Angola(Portugal), Ivory Coast (France), Ghana(Britain), Togo(Germany, then Britain and France) are going to experience further but bloodless plundering of their citadels. Spain was all over Central and South America and the southern parts of US. Spain and Portugal had even pragma-hubristically drawn a line in the Atlantic dividing the world into separate hemispheres of influence. The top three most obese nations will be there although the second spot has both Mexicans and Australians as contenders.
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