World Cup – One Weak Week by David Rawnsley
Cornwall ON – As predicted the World Cup has largely been a bore during this first week with teams trying their best not to lose. However, things should begin to liven up now as the teams that face elimination attempt to go from safety first to all out attack. Hopefully we shall begin to see some great goals, to-date we would have trouble finding goals to qualify for the goal of the tournament. The only exception was the goal by Elano of Brazil crafted by a magical pass from Robinho.
What has this first week revealed? That soccer can no longer hide its head in the sand when it comes to technology. After each incident on the field we are rapidly able to see reviews from a variety of angles. The poor referee and assistants get only one, fleeting opportunity to call the game, and no opportunity to hear from a third party viewing all the angles, to see if they got it right. For goals, penalties and red card events, the referee should be able to call on the video to see if there is any reason to not give the call intended. Such a review would have shown that the Argentineans third goal, the killer goal against South Korea, was off-side.
As an ex-Brit, it has been painful to watch the English team. Once again Lampard has failed to step up to international duty. As the only “creative” player on the side his poor performances have highlighted their lack of creative talent. The one consolation I draw, as I have each World Cup since 1966 when they won it, is that in 66 they were equally poor during the Group Stage, struggling to qualify from their group. It seems that they need too many games to get started.
And “Les Bleu”, what has happened to them? They are in an even more precarious position that England, not only requiring a win but needing the result of the Mexico/Uruguay game not to end in a tie. Is this not soccer justice? – France qualified for these finals on the strength of a last game, last minute, not-seen-by-the-officials handball from Henri, angering much of the soccer world and especially the Irish who would otherwise have been at these finals.
I am strongly leaning to this World Cup being akin to a South American one and I believe it will be either Brazil or Argentina that lifts the trophy in three weeks time.
