Italy win 3-0 against Ukraine

Italy sent Ukraine home with a 3-0 victory in the quarter finals. In the 6th minute, defender Gianluca Zambrotta tried his luck from the edge of the area with a left-footed drive and found the bottom right corner with keeper Oleksander Shovkovsky unable to palm it round the post. The first half then ended without much action after this goal as the Italians controlled the tempo and left the Ukrainians chasing the ball with with their possession.

In the second half, it was still Italy who dominated the match and they looked more threatening whenever they moved forward. In the 59th minute, they made it 2-0 when Francesco Totti swung in a cross from the left and Toni headed into the bottom left hand corner. It was 3-0 in the 69th minute when Zambrotta burst into the box and his cross created the easiest of tap-ins for Toni's second goal of the night.

Soccer Pundit feels that this match is really no sweat for the Italians as Ukraine did not offer much resistance. Maybe they are not used to the pressure of the knock-out stages as debutants in the World Cup or maybe they are still not good enough. Whatever it is, they were second best in all aspects. Shevchenko once again took on the role of a passenger as he did not threaten the Italian defence at all. For a player of his class and for spending most of his career in the Italian league, one would have expected him to treat this as just another Italian defence which he is so used to tormenting while playing for AC Milan.

Unfortunately, he did not rise to the occassion (to be fair, the service was also lacking). If Soccer Pundit has a say, Shevchenko could have been substituted in the second half for fresh options that can put more pressure on the Italians. However, therein lies the misery of the Ukrainians, they have a weak bench and there is just no viable option for Shev even if he is not playing well.

To judge Italy's championship form based on this match would be inaccurate as Ukraine is not a world class opponent and some people may even dobut their place in the quarter finals. While it is true that Italy has not met any favorites yet which can really test them, they have proven without a doubt the strength of their defence and the superb form of their goalkeeper Buffon.

One gets a feeling that any of the favorites will have to give due respect to the impregnable Italian defence and chances of breaking it down in normal or extra time would require an extraordinary team and luck. They do have a weakness and it is their track record in penalty shootouts which includes many disappointments from past tournaments. Against Germany who have a solid record on penalties, Italy's tendency to bank on their defence may backfire. They will need to attack and hopefully score an early goal.

Germany 1-1 Argentina (Germany win 4-2 on penalties)

Germany and Argentina fought out a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes with the former marching into the semi-finals after a 4-2 win on penalties.

In the opening exchanges, Germany had a several chances to score an early goal with Michael Ballack heading wide from close range in the 16th minute and Mertesacker shooting over the bar from 20 metres after a poor Argentina clearance in the 18th minute. Argentina absorbed most of the pressure with their patient play while the Germans made enterprising runs down the wings in the first half.

Against the run of play, Argentina took the lead in the second half when defender Roberto Ayala leapt in front of Miroslav Klose to score with a powerful header from eight metres after a pinpoint Juan Roman Riquelme corner on the right. Germany was in shock and made sustained and desperate efforts to find the equalizer. However, they were denied time and again by the Argentinian defence who stood firm in protecting their slim lead.

In the 80th minute, they finally broke through when Klose heads the equaliser for Germany from close range after Borowski nods on Ballack's cross from the left. The game then moved into extra time but both did not manage to find the all-important silver goal. It came down to penalties and Jens Lehmann was their hero, saving spot kicks from Ayala and Cambiasso while Neuville, Ballack, Podolski and Borowski scored for Germany.

For Soccer Pundit, this may not be the most exciting of matches but still, it has its heart-stopping moments, especially when Miroslav Klose scored the equalizer. For the record, Klose is now the tournament's top scorer with five goals. This is by far, the most rigorous test of Germany's championship credentials as Argentina is one of the hot favorites and their calibre is much superior than the opponents Germany had seen off in this tournament.

The fact that the Germans pulled through showed that they do have the mental strength and winner's mentality, and of course, an element of luck. Argentina ended up as loser but they can hold their head up high as Soccer Pundit cannot find any phases of the game where they were outplayed by Germany. What undid them was the penalties and of course, the irrepressible form of Jens Lehmann.

Disappointment aside, losing and winning is part of the game. At this quarter-final stage, anybody can go through as nothing much separates the teams. Whether you like it or not, luck is an important factor from here on. The unpredictability of the outcome is also what makes soccer such a fascinating game. Meanwhile, the German dream lives on and they now face Italy which handed them a humiliating defeat in a recent friendly match...

France 3-1 Spain

Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane put France into the quarter-finals of the World Cup with two late goals in a 3-1 victory over Spain on Tuesday.

David Villa had given Spain the lead with a penalty in the 28th minute after Lilian Thuram brought down Pablo Ibanez in the area. But Franck Ribery equalised for France in the 41st minute, racing on to a Vieira pass and rounding keeper Iker Casillas to score.

In the 83rd minute, Vieira headed in at the far post in the 83rd minute after a free kick had been deflected towards his own goal by Spain's Xabi Alonso. Vieira's header flicked off Spain's Sergio Ramos on its way into the net. In stoppage time, Zidane finished things off in style by beating goalkeeper Iker Casillas after a swift counterattack.

Soccer Pundit feels that class and experience came out tops in this encounter over youth and pace. The Spaniards lacked an inspirational leader on the pitch to control the match and turn it around when things are not going their way. Cesc Fabregas and Torres, two young players who were outstanding in the group stages, were subdued by the French team who have peaked at the right time and are now showing their championship form of 1998.

All is not lost as this is a young Spanish team and the players have many more good years ahead of them. Take it as an experience learnt and if their best midfielders can blossom in the next 4 years, they should be back with a stronger team. Meanwhile, their label of being chokers still stuck.

For France, the great Zidane has answered his critics with a commendable performance. Soccer Pundit feels that this is still not his best as he is capable of more in his prime, but even 70% of his former self is even to see off Spain. He will need to be back to his best against the world champions, Brazil, to lead France to glory once again. The goal he scored will have done much to restore his confidence and maybe increase his appetite for more.

Patrick Vieira, for the second match running, is again the man to show France the way ahead. He is another vital cog in the French team and though he does not possess the sublime skills of Zidane, he has the leadership quality and the winner's mentality. The team will look forward to his solid performances in subsequent matches. Frank Ribery is another promising star on the way up, it will not be a surprise if the major clubs come lining up to get his signature after the World Cup.

The only disappointment in the French team is Henry who was caught offside several times, something which is not acceptable for a player of his calibre. He may be unhappy at being outshone by the upstart Frank Ribery who is proving to be as good as what he can do on his day. Soccer Pundit thinks they are almost on par but so far, Ribery is on top for his consistency...

Brazil 3-0 Ghana

Brazil made it to the quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over Ghana but Soccer Pundit thinks the score is a bit flattering. The match was in no way a breeze for the Brazilians as they came under heavy pressure from Ghana.

Brazil took a fifth-minute lead through Ronaldo but Ghana dominated the rest of the first half before again getting hit on the counter-attack in first-half injury-time as Adriano made it 2-0. Ze Roberto added a third late in the game.

Ghana did not score any goals but for the better part of the match, they played enterprising football and put the Brazilians on the back-foot. Their passing and movement were immaculate and the speed at which the play the game was impressive. However, they lacked the all-important factor, which is the finishing. They have enough clear-cut chances to equalize and maybe to settle the match but they just cannot find the net.

For Brazilians, it was again a day at the office as they saw off Ghana without playing brilliantly. It was a happy day for them though as several records were broken. Ronaldo's goal in this match bring his tally to 15 and overtook Gerd Muller in the all-time goalscoring list. Captain Cafu’s appearance in the game with Ghana in Dortmund was his 19th FIFA World Cup game - a Brazilian record. If Brazil go all the way, Cafu would end the tournament on 22, three behind record holder Lothar Matthaus who played in World Cup between 1982 and 1998. This victory was also Cafu’s 16th winning game in the competition – another FIFA World Cup record.

Soccer Pundit feels that the Brazilian defence are the heros in this match as they withstood the heavy bombardment from the Ghanians and allowed the team to launch counter-attacks. Midfield stars, Ronaldinho and Kaka were not at their best while defenders Lucio and Juan and goalkeeper Dida turned in exceptional performances. They have only conceded one goal so far in this tournament so their opponents will really need a well-organised attack and clinical finishes to defeat them.

France now meets Brazil and the shocking 3-0 defeat at the World Cup Finals eight years ago should still be fresh in the minds of the Brazilians as many of the players from that encounter are in this team. At that time, Ronaldo was in good form but went down with a fever at the critical stage and Brazil missed his presence in front of goal. Now, France faces a Ronaldo who received brickbats for being fat and in poor form but has gradually recovered his scoring touch.

This is going to be an interesting encounter especially since Zinedine Zidane, Brazil's nemesis, is also beginning to display the commanding presence and form which has striked fear into many world class defenders. The two icons of this decade will face off in probably their last battle as Zidane is hanging up his boots after this World Cup, so for true soccer fans, this is a match which cannot be missed...

Ukraine beat Swiss on penalties

Ukraine beat Switzerland 3-0 on penalties to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on Monday after the teams played out a sterile scoreless draw.

Switzerland missed all three penalties and it was the first time a team had failed to score in a penalty shootout at the World Cup. Ukraine goalkeeper Oleksander Shovkovsky was the hero in the shootout, saving penalties from Marco Streller and Ricardo Cabanas, while Tranquillo Barnetta hit his shot against the bar.

Ukraine were not put off by captain Shevchenko's failure as Artem Milevsky and Serhiy Rebrov converted before Gusev finished the Swiss off sparking wild celebrations among his team mates.

Overall, this was a boring match, with neither side prepared to take risk by committing men forward. Still both teams came close to scoring in the first half with shots that struck the woodwork. Ukraine captain and top scorer Shevchenko was first up, heading down a 21st minute Maxim Kalinichenko free kick, only to see the ball bounce up and off the bar. It would have been the first goal conceded by Switzerland in this World Cup.

Three minutes later Swiss top scorer Alex Frei hit a 25-metre free kick against the top of Oleksander Shovkovsky's post, with midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta failing to turn in the rebound.

The second half was even more sterile with neither keeper tested and neither side prepared to gamble anything. A drawn-out match with the writing on the wall for extra time and penalties.

Soccer Pundit feels that Switzerland deserved an early exit when they are unable to score in a penalty shootout. This is not acceptable for any team with aspirations to advance into the quarter or semi-finals. Usually, if you know that your team is relatively weak, the training focus will be on set-pieces and penalties to prepare for the match to go to the wire, and the outcome decided by a golden ball or a penalty shootout. Due to the nature of penalties, underdogs usually have an advantage over stronger opponents as they have nothing to lose.

Thus, there is nothing much to be said except for the Swiss to have better luck in the next tournament. Actually, they have not done too badly on the whole. They are the only team to have not concede a goal in regular play thus far and this is a positive for them. A solid defence and an excellent goalkeeper. They can build on this team and by strengthening the frontline, they should be a difficult team to beat. They do not have to wait too long to show their worth as they are co-hosting the 2008 European Championship with Austria.

Ukraine, meanwhile, faces Italy in the quarter finals. For a debutant at the World Cup, this is already a dream for many of the players. Now they face a top-notch opposition but their best hope, Shevchenko, is still blowing hot and cold. His missed penalty will not have done much to his confidence and with the weight of the nation's hopes on his shoulders, he really needs to show his predatory skills soon. Against Italy, one chance is all you may get. Failure to convert and you will pay the price...

Italy 1-0 Australia

Italy scraped into the quarter-finals of the World Cup after a fortunate 1-0 win over Australia and the defence was again the deciding factor as they did not put a foot wrong and kept Italy in the match right till the end.

With seconds remaining in a goalless match that seemed destined for extra time, Italian defender Fabio Grosso dribbled into the box and tumbled over Australian defender Lucas Neill, who had fallen to the ground. The referee awarded Italy a penalty and striker Francesco Totti stepped up and coolly drilled the ball into the top right hand corner of keeper Mark Schwarzer's goal.

The goal granted Italy a ticket into the quarter finals while leaving the Australians in shock and tears. Soccer Pundit feels that while Italy's tradition has always been to play defensive football, this particular team seems to be worse than their predecessors in terms of fluency and dominating the match. Add to that their rough play and unprofessional tackles and challenges, it doesn't really endear them to soccer fans and neutrals.

The ugly football doesn't seem to faze the players nor the manager who are more interested in winning than delighting the crowd. The record speaks for themselves, the Italians are unbeaten in 22 games with their last defeat coming in October 2004 in a qualifier against Slovenia. The key to Italy's progress so far has been a familiar one -- a rock solid defence that has conceded just one goal in four games and even that was a freakish own goal against the United States from defender Cristian Zaccardo.

During this match when they were down to 10 men, Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon had little work to do and was well protected by his back-four. Australians can only blame themselves as they were not able to take advantage of their extra men nor the possession which they had in the game. The final killer pass for their striker, Mark Viduka was sorely missing even as they beseiged the Italian defence time and again.

The Australians could be thinking of playing extra time where they had the advantage as Italy would be worn out from being a man down. However the Italians had other ideas and handed them a precious footballing lesson. The game is not over until the whistle is blown. Great teams are able to go on to become champions because they understand this fact. The Italians and the Germans are famous for scoring late goals and this is another classic case.

So despite the fact that the penalty should not be awarded, Soccer Pundit feels that the Italians are still justified to proceed into the quarter-finals. With their few forays into the Australian defence, they were the one who always looked more capable of unlocking the opponent's defence and scoring a goal, something which the Australians still have to improve on.

Meanwhile, coach Lippi meets Ukraine in the next round with his defensive options limited as central defender Alessandro Nesta remains doubtful with a groin injury and his replacement on Monday, Materazzi, will be suspended. Still, Soccer Pundit can't see the Ukrainian team stopping Italy in its track...

Portugal 1-0 Netherlands

Portugal beat Netherlands 1-0 in the second round of the World Cup on Sunday in an ill-tempered game. Referee Ivanov produced his yellow card 16 times and his red card four times as both teams were reduced to nine men in their second round clash -- a record for any World Cup.

The only goal of the game was scored in the 23rd minute by Maniche who made space in the box and thumped the ball just inside the post. But after that the game dissolved into a bad-tempered affair and a constant flurry of yellow and red cards.

Portugal finished with only nine men after Costinha was sent off just before halftime and midfield ace Deco followed in the 78th minute. Both will miss the quarter-final against England in on Saturday. Dutch defenders Khalid Boulahrouz and Giovanni van Bronckhorst were also shown red cards in the second half.

This was a match full of passion and fighting spirit as both sides were determined to reach the quarter-finals. In the first half, Portugal played better as players like Deco, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Maniche rose to the occasion. In the second half, the Dutch came back with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie making good runs down the flanks and dangerous crosses into the penalty box. However, they came up against a very tight Portugal defence which did not give anything away.

The momentum of the game switched between the two teams each time they lost a player and the game was interrupted with fouls. For the two teams' football traditions and pedigree, it could have been an entertaining match had it not degenerated into a street-fight and the referee's trigger-happy approach.

Coach Scolari showed once again his credentials as a world class coach by instilling in Portugal a self-belief besides improvement to their skills and technical abilities. He brought them to the finals of the European Cup two years ago and now continues his run in the World Cup without a loss yet since he led Brazil to victory four years ago.

The Portugese are fortunate to have him as a coach and even though, this game depleted the strength of the team, Soccer Pundit will not bet on him losing out to England in the next round...

England 1-0 Ecuador

England qualifies for the World Cup quarter finals with a precise free-kick from captain David Beckham that earned them a scrappy 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday.

In the 60th minute, Beckham delivered one of his trademark set-pieces from 35 metres which has a powerful swerve, leaving the Ecuador goalkeeper grasping for thin air. For the record, Beckham became England's first player to score in three World Cups. He was sick on the pitch during the second half and was subsequently substituted towards the end of the match.

After playing three World Cup matches already, England still seem to be lost at sea and cannot get their act together while other teams have found their rhythm and are slowly reaching their peak level.

Coach Sven continued with his cautious approach and played a 4-5-1 formation with Wayne Rooney as a lone striker and Michael Carrick made his England debut as a holding midfielder while Owen Hargreaves filled in the role of a right-back. With Michael Owen out of the finals with a knee injury, the game plan was to allow Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to get in behind Rooney and function as the second striker.

However, for the entire first half, Soccer Pundit did not see England creating any goalscoring opportunity and were lucky not to go in at the break a goal down. John Terry's poor headed interception after 11 minutes fell to Carlos Tenorio and the Ecuador striker was put in a one-to-one situation with keeper Paul Robinson. He hesitated for a second too long and his shot took a deflection off Ashley Cole and hit the bar.

Ecuador, who reverted to the side which beat Costa Rica 3-0, looked sharper with strike pair Agustin Delgado and Tenorio back in the team. In the second half, England's passing (if you can call it passing), failed to improve and one wonders whether Sven had done anything in the dressing room to address the problems. Does he even realise what is wrong with the team in the first place? It is good that he has already announced his departure before the tournament otherwise the English press would have been baying for his blood.

The dependence on set-pieces to break the deadlock is extremely dangerous as we have seen that the performance and reliability of Beckham doesn't work exactly like a Swiss watch. Soccer Pundit can forgive Rooney for feeling frustrated as he is not getting the service which is needed for him to perform. One disturbing aspect for Soccer Pundit is that the England players seem to be more interested in individual glory than the interest of the team as they wasted shots after shots when a direct through pass to Rooney may be better (yes, i am referring to Lampard and Joe Cole).

This is the problem with having too many individual stars in a team and team-work ethics is pushed aside. Instead of putting their effort into making the final killer pass, they are more interested in taking chances and making rugby shots but they did not seem to care that each chance they wasted deprives England of a chance to win the match.

The personality of the coach is important in putting the players in their place. Sven seems to let the players do what they like on the field and hopefully they are able to grind out a result. Just throw in all the superstars into the cauldron and leave it to them to deliver. However, in a team sports, things doesn't work out this way.

It has been said before but here it is again. His selection of players for this World Cup is not a controversy but it is also turning out to be a disaster with the limited options he is now facing. Conclusion: he is no longer the same coach who took Lazio to the championship...

Argentina 2-1 Mexico

Argentina defeated Mexico 2-1 in their World Cup second-round match on Saturday.

It was an explosive start with both teams playing a fast-paced game in search of an early goal. In the 6th minute, Rafael Marquez puts Mexico in front with a right-footed shot, sprinting in beyond the far post to half-volley into the roof of the net. However, Argentina levelled the score 4 minutes later. A corner from the right was deflected into his own net by Borgetti but the goal was credited to Hernan Crespo.

The first half continued with lively actions from both sides as openings were created for Crespo and Borgetti but neither could take advantage of the chances. In the second half, the pace slowed down considerably as both teams contemplated the possibilty of playing extra time and sought to conserve energy. There were sporadic shots on goal from both sides but none yielded anything.

Messi, Tevez (both outstanding in previous matches) and Pablo Aimar came on as substitutes as Argentina were desperate to clinch the winner and avoid extra time. Just before the end of the second half, Messi had the ball in the net but it was denied by a dubious offside flag. In the 98th minute, Rodriguez scores a brilliant goal by chesting the ball on the right edge of the box and then firing a left-foot volley on the full into the top left corner. Mexico was out as they fought back but just could not equalize.

Soccer Pundit saw a spirited performance by the Mexicans who took the fight to the Argentinians and proved that they are no walkovers. For those who are not aware, Mexico actually have a rich football history and they, like Argentina, have lifted the world cup before. So, it was a really hard fought match and nobody could find a way to break the deadlock for the entire 90 minutes.

Despite the immense talents Argentina possess in the team, the Mexicans showed they were the better team in certain phases of the game. They were quick on the counter-attack and cause a lot of trouble for the Argentine defence. Gabriel Heinze's momentary loss of concentration almost cost them the match and he was lucky not to be sent off for bringing down Jose Fonseca just before halftime.

Nevertheless, the one thing missing in the Mexican team, besides luck, was an inspirational player who can turn the game around when it counted. Argentina showed their championship form and winner's mentality by doing just that in extra time. They now face Germany in what could be a delectable match for soccer fans as both teams are dripping with skills and attacking prowess.

It is a waste that the two soccer greats have crossed each other's path so early in the tournament. Soccer Pundit feels that the team with a sturdier defence will pull through, and the team which emerge as winner may just go on to be the world champion...

Germany lead Sweden 2-0

Lukas Podolski scored two goals in the first 12 minutes to give hosts Germany a 2-0 lead over 10-man Sweden in the second round match and Germany became the first team to qualify for the quarter finals in this tournament.

Podolski put Germany ahead in front in the 4th minute, pouncing on a loose ball after fellow striker Miroslav Klose ran at the Sweden defence and forced goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson to make a diving block. The ball took a deflection off the head of a Swedish defender. Eight minutes later, Podolski scored again with a powerful low shot. He was set up nicely by Klose, who created space by drawing three defenders before slipping the ball back to Podolski.

In the 35th minute, Sweden were reduced to 10 men when defender Teddy Lucic was sent off for a second yellow card. He blocked Klose's advance on goal and got the second yellow card but Soccer Pundit feels that it may have been a bit harsh by sending him off. It definitely made the Swedish task of qualifying even more challenging. Surprisingly, Germany did not look as sharp with the new situation as they eased off and it took a while for them to get back into their stride.

Still the Germans dominated the first half with 15 shots on goal compared to Sweden's two. However, the second half was a more even contest as the Swedish regrouped and managed to put pressure on the German defence. Freddie Ljunberg was a handful down the left flank with his hard running and dangerous crosses.

In the 53rd minute, Sweden was given a lifeline as the referee awarded a penalty when Henrik Larsson is brought down by Christoph Metzelder but their highly respected striker blasted the ball over the bar. This was the second turning point of the match as the Germans came back at the Swedish with renewed vigor and beseiged their defence right till the end of the game. Michael Ballack alone accounted for 9 shots on goal but he did not get onto the score-sheet due to the heroics of the Swedish goalkeeper.

Soccer Pundit feels that Germany is on course to lift their fourth World Cup trophy and the way they have played so far, it is no wonder that soccer fever is sweeping the nation and all the fans are solidly behind their team. Their attack is formidable, with Klose leading the line and Podolski supporting him (both are in tip-top condition right now) and the midfield, marshalled by Michael Ballck, is winning the loose balls and feeding the attacks with excellent service.

Three more games stand between them and the trophy but each of them is a mountain to surmount. They are not infallible, in fact Soccer Pundit finds their defence vulnerable (ironical as this is always the forte of past German teams) and their centre-halves looked soft. Their next opponent, Argentina, will be sure to exploit this weakness and they have the firepower and guile to do that. Jens Lehmann is also not convincing as a goalkeeper, he lacked the commanding presence of Oliver Kahn and until now, he has not really shown that he can step into the boots of being the number one in Germany. His litmus test will be against Argentina.

Soccer Pundit hopes that Klinnsman can sort out things at the back, stay focused, continue to improve and not be complacent, it will be a waste if they are eliminated prematurely...