Nothing much worth saying about that scoreless France-Uruguay tiff. The French sleep-farted their way through it, and the South Americans didn’t have enough game to call them out. Awful waste of everybody’s time and good intentions.
So thank the stars for South Korea this morning. All-out heart and hustle in a well-deserved 2-0 shutdown of the Greeks. Greece’s smothering possession tactics can’t work if they can’t get the ball. And their defence can’t keep them in it if they get burned for a goal in the opening moments.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Wonderfully refreshing to see the sheer energetic passion the Koreans bring to the big bash. I’ll never be a Manchester United man, but Park Ji-Sung was brilliant, both with long, searching passes from the back, and a thrilling steal-and-scoot finish on the second goal.
The issue was always going to be their endurance, and it did seem to flag notably in the last 20 minutes. Greece rallied as Korea drooped, but never found a coherent combo of attacking moves.
Korea-Argentina is looking like a delicious match-up. All-out speed both ways? I can’t see the Koreans being cautious. The best way to deal with Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez is to run the ball deep and forever into Argentine end. Could be a track meet, and this time the Koreans will have to run hard to the finish line.
And speaking of Argentina, they also got the early goal, and held on a down a gritty but unfocused Nigeria 1-0. Could have been a landslide, but for the straining fingertips of Vincent Enyeama in the Super Eagle goal.
But all of this is but distraction for me. I’m quite a bit on edge leaning into this afternoon’s huge clash between my ex-favourite team (England) and my ex-team’s bratty cousins (the United States).
How are you guys doing?
Onward!