The Hindu : Sport : Lot of entertainment, a blizzard of cards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 30, 2006

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Sport

Lot of entertainment, a blizzard of cards

Kevin McCarra© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Statistics show that this is shaping up to be the most satisfying finals since Spain '82

It has been decades since a World Cup had so many admirers. The reviews are subjective but many would put this down as a tournament to compare with Spain '82. There is a mood of satisfaction and certain goalless draws, with Switzerland usually implicated, were reviled because they were so out of keeping with the sprightly character of the competition, yet it is not so easy to identify the traits that supply all the charm.

The 2002 tournament, hissed from the stage as it was, had actually delivered more goals by the end of the first knock-out stage than this one, where poor execution masks the fact that the attacking intent is greater than it was the last time around. The shocks that made the headlines were quietly resented four years ago. Respect for South Korea's pluck did not stop anyone from muttering that there would have been more fun if Guus Hiddink's team had not eliminated Portugal, Italy and Spain.

Entertainers remain

Everyone feigns pleasure in seeing giants felled but there was a price to be paid in 2002, after the group phase, as the bones of Argentina and France whitened in the sun. This summer's competition has not been like that and many entertainers remain. Of the six most highly-rated nations in FIFA's calculations only Brazil survive, but that primarily supplies ammunition for those who want to take aim at the ranking system.

Sides have met with the fates they deserved and there has been a balance between captivating surprise and straightforward confirmation of an anticipated excellence. Germany and Argentina, who are at the head of those respective categories, meet on Friday and it is not the mismatch expected a month or two ago. The numbers depict them as the best teams in the tournament so far.

— Photo: AP

TOP OF THE HEAP: Not only is German Miroslav Klose the leading scorer, the team has also scored highly in terms of discipline and entertainment value.

Germany, as a thoughtful host, fostered cheerfulness with an eventful 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the opening game. Since then it has got down to being serious and while it has piled up a further six goals, to establish itself as leading scorer with Argentina and Brazil, it has also kept three clean sheets.

Jens Lehmann has had to make no more than six saves in six hours. The outfield players may not be impressive defensively, but they keep the ball far away from him. It is remarkable how little protection supposedly well-drilled teams can offer. Gianluigi Buffon of Italy and Ricardo, the goalkeeper for England's next opponent Portugal, have been required to pull off 16 saves so far.

In control

Jürgen Klinsmann's men look orderly in more than just that respect. They have been punished with five yellow cards, the best disciplinary record of a tournament in which 18 of the 32 countries have had one man or more sent off as they discovered that FIFA was not bluffing about a crackdown.

Argentina, with eight cautions to date, has avoided the worst trouble and despite its profusion of No. 10s, José Pekerman's squad emphasises efficiency. With 21 shots on target, its tally is only two ahead of tame Ukraine, but 10 goals have resulted. It is proof of Argentina's patience as it seeks the most promising positions. Hernán Crespo has had seven attempts, hitting the net with three of them.

The slightest semblance of such accuracy might have made Ghana a major force. Its total of 61 shots was the equal of Brazil's here, but a paltry return of four goals contrasted with 10 for the reigning champion. Ratomir Dujkovic's players found the new Teamgeist ball almost impossible to direct, though it had been the goalkeepers who complained it was designed to make fools of them. Whatever the reason, the competition has been no good for the reputations of men craving a clean sheet.

With the exceptions of the Czech Republic's Petr Cech and Poland's Artur Boruc, in losses to Ghana and Germany respectively, exhibitions of prolonged shot stopping have been absent.

Defenders have been starved of attention and there seems to be a dearth of convincing full-backs. Brazil's Cafu, at 36, might still be the best option on the right, and Ashley Cole might take some of the attention away from Germany's Philipp Lahm as he comes to the fore on the left.

England shows up respectably on whatever tables are compiled, even if it can be grateful that statisticians do not quantify entertainment value. No one has been red-carded and the six goals Sven-Goran Eriksson's players have notched up is the same haul as that of their fellow quarterfinalists Italy, France and Portugal. Ukraine has one fewer.

Solid Yorke

The barriers to marksmanship have taken a peculiar form. All those in the Old Trafford stands who inveighed against the reputedly hedonistic lifestyle of Dwight Yorke have to adapt to the realisation that he is a man of stern discipline for Trinidad & Tobago in midfield. He made more successful tackles (21) than anyone else in the group stage.

People may need to work up an appreciation for the men who snuff out danger. Of the eight matches in the last 16, three contained a solitary goal and the Switzerland-Ukraine match went to a shoot-out following a goalless draw. If England does go on finding it painfully difficult to score, it will not be alone.

Goals scored (read as year, group stage, last 16, total): 2006: 109-15-124; 2002: 123-17-140; 1998: 126-23-149.

Highest FIFA-ranked teams to be eliminated this year: Czech Republic 2; Netherlands 3; Mexico 4; USA and Spain 5.

Saves by 'keepers: Buffon (Italy) 16; Ricardo (Portugal) 16; Dida (Brazil) 15; Shovkovskyi (Ukraine) 14; Abbondanzieri (Argentina) 9; Barthez (France) 7; Robinson (England) 7 and Lehmann (Germany) 6.

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