Group E: Japan 1-0 Cameroon
In a game of few clear chances, Cameroon's defence failed to deal with Daisuke Matsui's cross, allowing Honda to control the ball at the back post before clipping the ball past Hamidou Souleymanou.
Stephane Mbia went closest to salvaging a point for Cameroon when his fierce drive cannoned back off the crossbar.
But although the Africans threw everything at Japan in the closing minutes they could not find a way through, sparking huge celebrations from the Japanese squad.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Netherlands beat Denmark 2-0 in their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Group E opener at Soccer City on Monday.
Group E: Netherlands 2-0 Denmark
A comical own goal set Holland on their way to victory in the opening game in World Cup Group E as the tournament's dark horses beat Denmark 2-0 at Soccer City on Monday.
Denmark had matched their European rivals for the first half of a game that had struggled to ignite the imagination in Johannesburg.
But less than a minute into the second period and the Danes orchestrated their own demise as Simon Poulsen's attempted clearance hit the back of team-mate Daniel Agger to gift the Dutch the lead.
Poulsen responded to the mistake with a wistful grin and there was little else for Denmark to smile about as Morten Olsen's side failed to create a meaningful chance after falling behind.
Holland slowly tightened their grip on the game and the pionts were made safe in the closing five minutes when Dirk Kuyt reacted the quickest to tap home after substitute Eljero Elia's shot had struck the post.
Though it was not the most convincing of performances from the Oranje, they grew in stature as the match wore on to show why they are favourites to win the group, while Denmark will be seeking improvement in the games to come against Cameroon and Japan.
The opening 10 minutes saw Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen trade wayward free-kicks from distance, with both players seemingly hoping the Jabulani ball would deceive the goalkeeper.
Denmark keeper Thomas Sorensen did fumble a Kuyt shot from the edge of the area, but was never in danger of suffering the humiliation that had caught Robert Green and Faouzi Chaouchi in its net over the weekend.
Rafael van der Vaart failed to find the target with a couple of half-chances from the edge of the area for the Dutch as both teams struggled to lift the tempo above a brisk stroll in the South African sunshine.
The best chance of the first half arrived on 27 minutes when Dennis Rommedahl played in a cross from the right which was nodded wide of the target by the unmarked Nicklas Bendtner.
Holland could have taken the lead in fortunate circumstances on 33 minutes when Kuyt's low cross deflected off a Danish defender and then ricocheted off Johnny Heitinga on its way over the bar.
Rommedahl drilled a fierce attempt at Maarten Stekelenburg before the Dutch shot-stopper was forced to parry away Thomas Kahlenberg's thumping effort for a corner.
Robin van Persie took too long to get his shot away in the 43rd minute before Nigel de Jong, who was fortunate not to be punished for a robust challenge on Martin Jorgensen earlier in the half, was booked for bringing down Bendtner.
The Netherlands were in front inside the opening minute of the second period and luck played a major part in the goal.
Simon Poulsen's laughable attempt to head clear Van Persie's cross merely bounced off the back of Agger before clipping the post on its way past a helpless Sorensen.
Poulsen had a rueful smile on his lips after the mishap and the Danes could have swiftly found themselves 2-0 down if Van Persie had not produced a terrible first touch following a poor pass by Simon Kjaer.
Van Persie then sought to be the creator once again as his clipped pass into the box was turned towards goal by Van der Vaart, allowing Sorensen to produce an acrobatic save for the cameras.
That proved to be Van der Vaart's last contribution before he was replaced by the lively Elia, while Denmark had earlier brought on Jesper Gronkjaer and Mikkel Beckmann for Enevoldsen and Bendtner.
Holland continued to look the more likely to score, with Sorensen pushing Mark van Bommel's drive wide and Van Persie heading the resultant corner off target when found unmarked.
A second goal for Bert van Marwijk's side almost arrived eight minutes from time when Sneijder's shot deflected off Agger and looped on to the top of Sorensen's crossbar.
The Dutch wrapped up the points with five minutes to go when Kuyt tucked away the loose ball after Elia, who had injected some spark into the game after his introduction from the bench, had seen his delicately clipped shot come back off the post.
Simon Poulsen did at least prevent the score from becoming worse for Denmark when he acrobatically cleared the ball from underneath his own bar after substitute Ibrahim Afellay had beaten Sorensen to a cross, but it was a case of too little, too late.
A comical own goal set Holland on their way to victory in the opening game in World Cup Group E as the tournament's dark horses beat Denmark 2-0 at Soccer City on Monday.
Denmark had matched their European rivals for the first half of a game that had struggled to ignite the imagination in Johannesburg.
But less than a minute into the second period and the Danes orchestrated their own demise as Simon Poulsen's attempted clearance hit the back of team-mate Daniel Agger to gift the Dutch the lead.
Poulsen responded to the mistake with a wistful grin and there was little else for Denmark to smile about as Morten Olsen's side failed to create a meaningful chance after falling behind.
Holland slowly tightened their grip on the game and the pionts were made safe in the closing five minutes when Dirk Kuyt reacted the quickest to tap home after substitute Eljero Elia's shot had struck the post.
Though it was not the most convincing of performances from the Oranje, they grew in stature as the match wore on to show why they are favourites to win the group, while Denmark will be seeking improvement in the games to come against Cameroon and Japan.
The opening 10 minutes saw Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen trade wayward free-kicks from distance, with both players seemingly hoping the Jabulani ball would deceive the goalkeeper.
Denmark keeper Thomas Sorensen did fumble a Kuyt shot from the edge of the area, but was never in danger of suffering the humiliation that had caught Robert Green and Faouzi Chaouchi in its net over the weekend.
Rafael van der Vaart failed to find the target with a couple of half-chances from the edge of the area for the Dutch as both teams struggled to lift the tempo above a brisk stroll in the South African sunshine.
The best chance of the first half arrived on 27 minutes when Dennis Rommedahl played in a cross from the right which was nodded wide of the target by the unmarked Nicklas Bendtner.
Holland could have taken the lead in fortunate circumstances on 33 minutes when Kuyt's low cross deflected off a Danish defender and then ricocheted off Johnny Heitinga on its way over the bar.
Rommedahl drilled a fierce attempt at Maarten Stekelenburg before the Dutch shot-stopper was forced to parry away Thomas Kahlenberg's thumping effort for a corner.
Robin van Persie took too long to get his shot away in the 43rd minute before Nigel de Jong, who was fortunate not to be punished for a robust challenge on Martin Jorgensen earlier in the half, was booked for bringing down Bendtner.
The Netherlands were in front inside the opening minute of the second period and luck played a major part in the goal.
Simon Poulsen's laughable attempt to head clear Van Persie's cross merely bounced off the back of Agger before clipping the post on its way past a helpless Sorensen.
Poulsen had a rueful smile on his lips after the mishap and the Danes could have swiftly found themselves 2-0 down if Van Persie had not produced a terrible first touch following a poor pass by Simon Kjaer.
Van Persie then sought to be the creator once again as his clipped pass into the box was turned towards goal by Van der Vaart, allowing Sorensen to produce an acrobatic save for the cameras.
That proved to be Van der Vaart's last contribution before he was replaced by the lively Elia, while Denmark had earlier brought on Jesper Gronkjaer and Mikkel Beckmann for Enevoldsen and Bendtner.
Holland continued to look the more likely to score, with Sorensen pushing Mark van Bommel's drive wide and Van Persie heading the resultant corner off target when found unmarked.
A second goal for Bert van Marwijk's side almost arrived eight minutes from time when Sneijder's shot deflected off Agger and looped on to the top of Sorensen's crossbar.
The Dutch wrapped up the points with five minutes to go when Kuyt tucked away the loose ball after Elia, who had injected some spark into the game after his introduction from the bench, had seen his delicately clipped shot come back off the post.
Simon Poulsen did at least prevent the score from becoming worse for Denmark when he acrobatically cleared the ball from underneath his own bar after substitute Ibrahim Afellay had beaten Sorensen to a cross, but it was a case of too little, too late.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Slovenia recorded their first World Cup finals win thanks to a 1-0 victory over Algeria.
Group C: Slovenia 1-0 Algeria
Slovenia recorded their first World Cup finals win thanks to a 1-0 victory over Algeria.
Algeria goalkeeper Farouzi Chaouchi's error 11 minutes from time handed Slovenia a crucial 1-0 victory in their World Cup Group C match at Polokwane.
Less than 24 hours after England's Robert Green had let Clint Dempsey's shot slip from his grasp in the 1-1 draw in the group's opening game, Chaouchi produced a similar howler.
Slovenia captain and former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren's 25-yard shot was not particularly venomous but the Algeria goalkeeper allowed it to bounce up off his shoulder and into the net.
Only moments before that the Africans had been reduced to 10 men when substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal's needless handball resulted in a second yellow card.
The win puts Slovenia top of the fledgling table and with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, an unlikely scenario before the tournament kicked off.
On this evidence it would seem unlikely either nation will cause Group C's 'big two' any problems but, as has so often been the case in the past, England have an unwelcome habit of stumbling over hard-working and resolute teams.
Slovenia recorded their first World Cup finals win thanks to a 1-0 victory over Algeria.
Algeria goalkeeper Farouzi Chaouchi's error 11 minutes from time handed Slovenia a crucial 1-0 victory in their World Cup Group C match at Polokwane.
Less than 24 hours after England's Robert Green had let Clint Dempsey's shot slip from his grasp in the 1-1 draw in the group's opening game, Chaouchi produced a similar howler.
Slovenia captain and former West Brom midfielder Robert Koren's 25-yard shot was not particularly venomous but the Algeria goalkeeper allowed it to bounce up off his shoulder and into the net.
Only moments before that the Africans had been reduced to 10 men when substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal's needless handball resulted in a second yellow card.
The win puts Slovenia top of the fledgling table and with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, an unlikely scenario before the tournament kicked off.
On this evidence it would seem unlikely either nation will cause Group C's 'big two' any problems but, as has so often been the case in the past, England have an unwelcome habit of stumbling over hard-working and resolute teams.
ghana 1-0 serbia
Group D: Ghana 1-0 Serbia
Asamoah Gyan's late penalty earned Ghana a winning start to their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign at the expense of 10-man Serbia.
The impressive Gyan, who also hit the post twice for Ghana, fired home from the spot in 84th minute after Zdravko Kuzmanovic had been adjudged to have handled a cross in the area.
That sealed a closely-fought Group D encounter at Loftus Versfeld stadium and puts Ghana in a promising position to progress through to the knockout phase in their second appearance at the World Cup finals.
For Serbia, who were playing with a man less since the 74th minute following the dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic, they now have a mountain to climb as they face group favourites Germany in their next match.
The match pitted old friends and fellow Serbians Radomir Antic and Milovan Rajevac against each other on the respective benches of the two sides, and both seemed keen to take the game to their opponents.
Antic's Serbia had the first effort in the first 15 seconds when Marko Pantelic fizzed a 30-yard thunderbolt not too far wide.
However, despite the best intentions of both sides, neither goalkeeper was seriously threatened in the first half.
Four-time African champions Ghana looked the more dangerous of the two, but they failed to find the target with their two best opportunities.
The first saw Gyan curl a free-kick over from a dangerous position on the edge of the box, then captain John Mensah failed to get a decent connection on a header from a free-kick seven yards out.
Serbia's main threat before the break came from a couple of well-worked set-piece routines, neither featuring the anticipated high ball into the area looking for the head of giant striker Nikola Zigic.
The first saw one training-ground routine pick out the unmarked Pantelic inside the area, but poor control let him down and Ghana could breathe again.
The second saw left-back Aleksandar Kolarov opt to go for goal from 30 yards out and the reported Real Madrid target, like Pantelic in the first minute, was not far away from finding the top corner with a well-struck shot.
The first opportunity of the second half should have resulted in the game's opening goal - but Andre Ayew headed wide.
Prince Tagoe's cross from the right cleared Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and fell perfectly for Ayew at the far post, but his downward header went wide.
Moments later at the other end Zigic missed a similarly gilt-edged chance for Serbia.
Pantelic's cross into the middle picked out his strike partner but the 6ft 7in forward completely miscued his volley from six yards out.
That was probably a better opening than Ayew's, and Ghana almost made Zigic pay for his profligacy by nearly taking the lead in the 60th minute.
Gyan climbed above Vidic to reach a long throw-in into the area, and the Rennes player was unfortunate to see his header hit the outside of the near post.
The introduction of experienced midfielder Stephen Appiah in the 72nd minute was well received by the noisy and sizeable contingent of Ghana fans, and they were given further cause for hope two minutes later when Serbia lost Lukovic to a red card.
Lukovic, who had been booked at the start of the period, was shown a second yellow card after pulling back Gyan.
Despite the setback Serbia looked the more dangerous side over the next five minutes. Milos Krasic brought a fine block out of Kingson, Vidic headed over from a corner and Branislav Ivanovic fired over as well.
Ghana survived that spell though, and in the 84th minute they were handed the chance to take the game when Kuzmanovic was adjudged to have handled a cross into the area, earning Rajevac's side a penalty.
Kuzmanovic protested his innocence but the decision stood and Gyan stepped up to slam his spot-kick past Stojkovic, to the delight of the Ghana fans.
Kuzmanovic had a chance to make amends soon after but he blazed over, while man of the match Gyan could have added a second late on but his shot rebounded back off the post.
Asamoah Gyan's late penalty earned Ghana a winning start to their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign at the expense of 10-man Serbia.
The impressive Gyan, who also hit the post twice for Ghana, fired home from the spot in 84th minute after Zdravko Kuzmanovic had been adjudged to have handled a cross in the area.
That sealed a closely-fought Group D encounter at Loftus Versfeld stadium and puts Ghana in a promising position to progress through to the knockout phase in their second appearance at the World Cup finals.
For Serbia, who were playing with a man less since the 74th minute following the dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic, they now have a mountain to climb as they face group favourites Germany in their next match.
The match pitted old friends and fellow Serbians Radomir Antic and Milovan Rajevac against each other on the respective benches of the two sides, and both seemed keen to take the game to their opponents.
Antic's Serbia had the first effort in the first 15 seconds when Marko Pantelic fizzed a 30-yard thunderbolt not too far wide.
However, despite the best intentions of both sides, neither goalkeeper was seriously threatened in the first half.
Four-time African champions Ghana looked the more dangerous of the two, but they failed to find the target with their two best opportunities.
The first saw Gyan curl a free-kick over from a dangerous position on the edge of the box, then captain John Mensah failed to get a decent connection on a header from a free-kick seven yards out.
Serbia's main threat before the break came from a couple of well-worked set-piece routines, neither featuring the anticipated high ball into the area looking for the head of giant striker Nikola Zigic.
The first saw one training-ground routine pick out the unmarked Pantelic inside the area, but poor control let him down and Ghana could breathe again.
The second saw left-back Aleksandar Kolarov opt to go for goal from 30 yards out and the reported Real Madrid target, like Pantelic in the first minute, was not far away from finding the top corner with a well-struck shot.
The first opportunity of the second half should have resulted in the game's opening goal - but Andre Ayew headed wide.
Prince Tagoe's cross from the right cleared Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and fell perfectly for Ayew at the far post, but his downward header went wide.
Moments later at the other end Zigic missed a similarly gilt-edged chance for Serbia.
Pantelic's cross into the middle picked out his strike partner but the 6ft 7in forward completely miscued his volley from six yards out.
That was probably a better opening than Ayew's, and Ghana almost made Zigic pay for his profligacy by nearly taking the lead in the 60th minute.
Gyan climbed above Vidic to reach a long throw-in into the area, and the Rennes player was unfortunate to see his header hit the outside of the near post.
The introduction of experienced midfielder Stephen Appiah in the 72nd minute was well received by the noisy and sizeable contingent of Ghana fans, and they were given further cause for hope two minutes later when Serbia lost Lukovic to a red card.
Lukovic, who had been booked at the start of the period, was shown a second yellow card after pulling back Gyan.
Despite the setback Serbia looked the more dangerous side over the next five minutes. Milos Krasic brought a fine block out of Kingson, Vidic headed over from a corner and Branislav Ivanovic fired over as well.
Ghana survived that spell though, and in the 84th minute they were handed the chance to take the game when Kuzmanovic was adjudged to have handled a cross into the area, earning Rajevac's side a penalty.
Kuzmanovic protested his innocence but the decision stood and Gyan stepped up to slam his spot-kick past Stojkovic, to the delight of the Ghana fans.
Kuzmanovic had a chance to make amends soon after but he blazed over, while man of the match Gyan could have added a second late on but his shot rebounded back off the post.
ghana 1-0 serbia
Group D: Ghana 1-0 Serbia
Asamoah Gyan's late penalty earned Ghana a winning start to their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign at the expense of 10-man Serbia.
The impressive Gyan, who also hit the post twice for Ghana, fired home from the spot in 84th minute after Zdravko Kuzmanovic had been adjudged to have handled a cross in the area.
That sealed a closely-fought Group D encounter at Loftus Versfeld stadium and puts Ghana in a promising position to progress through to the knockout phase in their second appearance at the World Cup finals.
For Serbia, who were playing with a man less since the 74th minute following the dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic, they now have a mountain to climb as they face group favourites Germany in their next match.
The match pitted old friends and fellow Serbians Radomir Antic and Milovan Rajevac against each other on the respective benches of the two sides, and both seemed keen to take the game to their opponents.
Antic's Serbia had the first effort in the first 15 seconds when Marko Pantelic fizzed a 30-yard thunderbolt not too far wide.
However, despite the best intentions of both sides, neither goalkeeper was seriously threatened in the first half.
Four-time African champions Ghana looked the more dangerous of the two, but they failed to find the target with their two best opportunities.
The first saw Gyan curl a free-kick over from a dangerous position on the edge of the box, then captain John Mensah failed to get a decent connection on a header from a free-kick seven yards out.
Serbia's main threat before the break came from a couple of well-worked set-piece routines, neither featuring the anticipated high ball into the area looking for the head of giant striker Nikola Zigic.
The first saw one training-ground routine pick out the unmarked Pantelic inside the area, but poor control let him down and Ghana could breathe again.
The second saw left-back Aleksandar Kolarov opt to go for goal from 30 yards out and the reported Real Madrid target, like Pantelic in the first minute, was not far away from finding the top corner with a well-struck shot.
The first opportunity of the second half should have resulted in the game's opening goal - but Andre Ayew headed wide.
Prince Tagoe's cross from the right cleared Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and fell perfectly for Ayew at the far post, but his downward header went wide.
Moments later at the other end Zigic missed a similarly gilt-edged chance for Serbia.
Pantelic's cross into the middle picked out his strike partner but the 6ft 7in forward completely miscued his volley from six yards out.
That was probably a better opening than Ayew's, and Ghana almost made Zigic pay for his profligacy by nearly taking the lead in the 60th minute.
Gyan climbed above Vidic to reach a long throw-in into the area, and the Rennes player was unfortunate to see his header hit the outside of the near post.
The introduction of experienced midfielder Stephen Appiah in the 72nd minute was well received by the noisy and sizeable contingent of Ghana fans, and they were given further cause for hope two minutes later when Serbia lost Lukovic to a red card.
Lukovic, who had been booked at the start of the period, was shown a second yellow card after pulling back Gyan.
Despite the setback Serbia looked the more dangerous side over the next five minutes. Milos Krasic brought a fine block out of Kingson, Vidic headed over from a corner and Branislav Ivanovic fired over as well.
Ghana survived that spell though, and in the 84th minute they were handed the chance to take the game when Kuzmanovic was adjudged to have handled a cross into the area, earning Rajevac's side a penalty.
Kuzmanovic protested his innocence but the decision stood and Gyan stepped up to slam his spot-kick past Stojkovic, to the delight of the Ghana fans.
Kuzmanovic had a chance to make amends soon after but he blazed over, while man of the match Gyan could have added a second late on but his shot rebounded back off the post.
Asamoah Gyan's late penalty earned Ghana a winning start to their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign at the expense of 10-man Serbia.
The impressive Gyan, who also hit the post twice for Ghana, fired home from the spot in 84th minute after Zdravko Kuzmanovic had been adjudged to have handled a cross in the area.
That sealed a closely-fought Group D encounter at Loftus Versfeld stadium and puts Ghana in a promising position to progress through to the knockout phase in their second appearance at the World Cup finals.
For Serbia, who were playing with a man less since the 74th minute following the dismissal of Aleksandar Lukovic, they now have a mountain to climb as they face group favourites Germany in their next match.
The match pitted old friends and fellow Serbians Radomir Antic and Milovan Rajevac against each other on the respective benches of the two sides, and both seemed keen to take the game to their opponents.
Antic's Serbia had the first effort in the first 15 seconds when Marko Pantelic fizzed a 30-yard thunderbolt not too far wide.
However, despite the best intentions of both sides, neither goalkeeper was seriously threatened in the first half.
Four-time African champions Ghana looked the more dangerous of the two, but they failed to find the target with their two best opportunities.
The first saw Gyan curl a free-kick over from a dangerous position on the edge of the box, then captain John Mensah failed to get a decent connection on a header from a free-kick seven yards out.
Serbia's main threat before the break came from a couple of well-worked set-piece routines, neither featuring the anticipated high ball into the area looking for the head of giant striker Nikola Zigic.
The first saw one training-ground routine pick out the unmarked Pantelic inside the area, but poor control let him down and Ghana could breathe again.
The second saw left-back Aleksandar Kolarov opt to go for goal from 30 yards out and the reported Real Madrid target, like Pantelic in the first minute, was not far away from finding the top corner with a well-struck shot.
The first opportunity of the second half should have resulted in the game's opening goal - but Andre Ayew headed wide.
Prince Tagoe's cross from the right cleared Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and fell perfectly for Ayew at the far post, but his downward header went wide.
Moments later at the other end Zigic missed a similarly gilt-edged chance for Serbia.
Pantelic's cross into the middle picked out his strike partner but the 6ft 7in forward completely miscued his volley from six yards out.
That was probably a better opening than Ayew's, and Ghana almost made Zigic pay for his profligacy by nearly taking the lead in the 60th minute.
Gyan climbed above Vidic to reach a long throw-in into the area, and the Rennes player was unfortunate to see his header hit the outside of the near post.
The introduction of experienced midfielder Stephen Appiah in the 72nd minute was well received by the noisy and sizeable contingent of Ghana fans, and they were given further cause for hope two minutes later when Serbia lost Lukovic to a red card.
Lukovic, who had been booked at the start of the period, was shown a second yellow card after pulling back Gyan.
Despite the setback Serbia looked the more dangerous side over the next five minutes. Milos Krasic brought a fine block out of Kingson, Vidic headed over from a corner and Branislav Ivanovic fired over as well.
Ghana survived that spell though, and in the 84th minute they were handed the chance to take the game when Kuzmanovic was adjudged to have handled a cross into the area, earning Rajevac's side a penalty.
Kuzmanovic protested his innocence but the decision stood and Gyan stepped up to slam his spot-kick past Stojkovic, to the delight of the Ghana fans.
Kuzmanovic had a chance to make amends soon after but he blazed over, while man of the match Gyan could have added a second late on but his shot rebounded back off the post.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Argentina Gives Maradona an Opening Match World Cup Win Over Nigeria
The World Cup hasn’t lacked in excitement thus far, and this game probably heads the queue. It should have been something like 6-2 for Argentina. It would have been, had it not been for the fine work of Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama. Yes, finally there’s a solid keeper plying his trade for an African side. Enyeama was beaten only by Gabriel Heinze’s free header early on.
Argentina boss Diego Maradona, as expected, played an attacking trio up front, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain, and they prospered, particularly Messi. Never really cutting it at international level, the reigning world player of the year finally came to life in an Argentina shirt, looking lively throughout. Enyeama had to be at his best to tip over Messi’s curler in the first half and then deprived the little maestro from close range in the second. Higuain missed a few chances – nothing new there. Maradona might just opt for Diego Milito in the next game.
As good as Argentina was going forward, Nigeria had its chances. Particularly early in the first half, Argentinian right back Jonas Gutierrez was error prone. In the second half, Peter Odemwingie blew a golden chance when he mis-controlled a ball with Nigerian teammate Obafemi Martins alone in front of goal. Then, Kalu Uche, in a great spot, send his difficult chance over the bar. He wasn’t troubled, but Argentina keeper Sergio Romero, at this early stage, isn’t in Enyeama’s class. He looks more style, with his pony-tail, than substance.
Argentina’s big rivals at the World Cup will take heart from its leaky defense. Going forward, Maradona’s big guns, however, will be hard to control.
Group B
Argentina 1 (Heinze 6)
Nigeria 0
Argentina boss Diego Maradona, as expected, played an attacking trio up front, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain, and they prospered, particularly Messi. Never really cutting it at international level, the reigning world player of the year finally came to life in an Argentina shirt, looking lively throughout. Enyeama had to be at his best to tip over Messi’s curler in the first half and then deprived the little maestro from close range in the second. Higuain missed a few chances – nothing new there. Maradona might just opt for Diego Milito in the next game.
As good as Argentina was going forward, Nigeria had its chances. Particularly early in the first half, Argentinian right back Jonas Gutierrez was error prone. In the second half, Peter Odemwingie blew a golden chance when he mis-controlled a ball with Nigerian teammate Obafemi Martins alone in front of goal. Then, Kalu Uche, in a great spot, send his difficult chance over the bar. He wasn’t troubled, but Argentina keeper Sergio Romero, at this early stage, isn’t in Enyeama’s class. He looks more style, with his pony-tail, than substance.
Argentina’s big rivals at the World Cup will take heart from its leaky defense. Going forward, Maradona’s big guns, however, will be hard to control.
Group B
Argentina 1 (Heinze 6)
Nigeria 0
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