Uruguay 1 - 0 Mexico
Suarez 43
South Africa 2 - 1 France
Khumalo 20 Malouda 70
Mphela 37
This is now Day Twelve of my new life, due in three short weeks to be my ex-life, and I'm drifting free of my moorings. I expect there's been world events, but to be honest, if they don't last ninety minutes with a change of ends in the middle I'm probably going to be hard pressed to pin them down.
A few things have popped into my Google Reader. Apparently the other PR company that run things now have made a new budget, and I heard a rumour Glastonbury was on. The earth's supply of oil is still gushing through a big hole in a Gulf, although someone's just parked outside the house, so there must be some left somewhere. Bit of a shocker though. Millions of tons of the stuff clogging up the water, inadequate safety precautions, thousands of wannabe Red Adairs trying to put a cap on it. All through the World Cup. Bastard corporate bloodsuckers, no sense of perspective at all.
When you think how focused on football I've been you might have assumed I'd have clocked on that the third round of games were starting at three o'clock, not three thirty, but no, Klutzy Klutzington here turns on the TV at three twenty five to find the France South Africa game an unsurprising twenty five minutes in.
Of the Mexico Uruguay game there is no sign. The BBC are showing that tennis thing instead. I don't mind the tennis thing in odd numbered years, but it does seem a bit cheeky to be running it now. Don't they know the World Cup is on? Surely even Cliff Richard watches the World Cup?
A brief exploration reveals that ITV has both games, on ITV1 and ITV4, and to be fair it's what they do with the Champions League, so there's good precedent. I decide to stay with France and South Africa anyway.
And a shock may be on the cards. South Africa are one nil up, with France apparently down to ten men, and while I'm still assimilating this information they score again. Tshabalaladingdong is free down the left, and puts in a cross which Diaby can only deflect to a yellow shirt. Said yellow shirt crosses anonymously, as far as the BBC website seem to care, and Mphela bundles it into the goal despite the inadequate attentions of Clichy.
A minute later it's in again, from Pienaar, but this one is given offside. As we watch in astonishment, the news comes in - a goal for Uruguay, from a Suarez header.
At half time, South Africa are only two goals behind qualification. I take the opportunity to check the highlights. It turns out that the first goal was scored from a corner, Khumalo heading home after the French keeper Lloris has come for it and missed it completely. The red card was shown to Gourcuff, for elbowing Sibaya, a decision that looks a bit harsh on the replay.
Not that Gourcuff will have minded. He'll have been happy enough to be off the pitch over an hour before the rest of the team. I don't recall the last time I saw players less keen to be in a World Cup game.
You've probably all heard the story by now. Nicolas Anelka was kicked out of the French squad after a tirade of abuse directed at manager Raymond Domenech. As a result, the entire French squad refused to train yesterday morning, and the managing director of the French Football Federation resigned in protest at that refusal. French captain Patrice Evra and the fitness coach Robert Duverne had to be separated, and following their clash Duverne threw his accreditation badge to the ground and stormed off in disgust.
Support for Anelka's character has come from ... John Terry. As a person, you won't find a better man in football, said Terry. Logically, John Terry being in football, this amounts to an admission that he's a worse man than Anelka. I truly find it impossible to arbitrate on that.
The squad, meanwhile, hoped to ensure that France regains its honour by playing well today. Domenech leaves the job after the World Cup anyway. President Sarkozy asked the sports minister Roselyn Bachelot to stay in South Africa, and she visited the players to tell them off.
Her words are given here (France stars may boycott match). I told the players they had tarnished the image of France. It is a morale disaster for French football. I told them they could no longer be heroes for our children. They have destroyed the dreams of their countrymen, their friends and supporters.
Personally I've always found that kind of talk a little theatrical, but apparently it worked on the players, as she said they applauded me and they were crying during her speech. I guess it's a language thing. Imagine it said with a French accent, and you'll probably be welling up as well.
There was some concern for a while that despite Bachelot's Joan of Arc bit some of the players might refuse to play. In the event none of them did, although the captain Patrice Evra was dropped. After the first half display of undermotivated incompetence, he must have been glad.
Well, at least the England camp isn't the worst shambles in the World Cup. And they came back a bit in the second half. It took a while, and South African hopes were raised as Mphela first hit the post, then drew a smart save from Lloris, but in the end it was the French that scored. Sagna passed to Ribery down the right, he burst into the box and laid it across to Malouda, who tucked it into an empty net.
That was how it finished, and at least South Africa had a win. France didn't, but they did have a goal, and the chance to at least leave the field with dignity. Well, a goal anyway.
That Domenech, you really have to wonder. He refused to shake Parreira's hand because the South African manager had previously said that France had cheated their way to qualification. Parreira said he couldn't remember the quote, but it's true anyway, as Henry's handball against Ireland was clearly intentional and clearly decisive. And how typical of Domenech that he should focus on that as he walked off to face the undying hatred of sixty five million lyrical existentialists.
For the home nation, an early exit, but at least some dignity. They'd won one, drawn one and lost one, a lot better than predicted, and were only eliminated on goal difference. If they'd been offered it at the start they might have taken it.
Meanwhile in the other game, the one no-one was paying much attention to, the two actual qualifiers from the group played each other. Uruguay's win puts them top of the group, while Mexico finish second and probably play Argentina. Just like in 2006. Wonder if Maxi Rodriguez will play?
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Africa. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Outcomes - groups A and B
This is the most open end to the group phase that I remember from any World Cup. Only two teams are definitely through - Holland and Brazil. Only two teams are definitely eliminated - Cameroon and North Korea. By the end of today, six teams will be through and six will be out.
Group A
If Mexico and Uruguay draw, then Uruguay top the group, and Mexico are second. If either win, they top the group. If Mexico win, then France can take second place from Uruguay if they beat South Africa, and do better on goal difference. If Uruguay win, then South Africa can take second place from Mexico if they beat France, and do better on goal difference.
Both of these outcomes are less likely. Most probably, Mexico and Uruguay will progress.
Group B
Argentina are definitely through unless Greece beat them by a hatful of goals and South Korea beat Nigeria by another hatful. Nigeria are definitely out unless they beat South Korea by two goals and Argentina beat Greece.
Assuming Argentina go through in first place, South Korea join them unless Greece get more points than they do. Argentina then South Korea is the most likely result.
And if you think all that was complicated, just wait until we get to England's group.
Group A
If Mexico and Uruguay draw, then Uruguay top the group, and Mexico are second. If either win, they top the group. If Mexico win, then France can take second place from Uruguay if they beat South Africa, and do better on goal difference. If Uruguay win, then South Africa can take second place from Mexico if they beat France, and do better on goal difference.
Both of these outcomes are less likely. Most probably, Mexico and Uruguay will progress.
Group B
Argentina are definitely through unless Greece beat them by a hatful of goals and South Korea beat Nigeria by another hatful. Nigeria are definitely out unless they beat South Korea by two goals and Argentina beat Greece.
Assuming Argentina go through in first place, South Korea join them unless Greece get more points than they do. Argentina then South Korea is the most likely result.
And if you think all that was complicated, just wait until we get to England's group.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Uruguay v South Africa
Uruguay 3 - 0 South Africa
Forlan 24, 80 (pen)
Pereira 90 + 5
This was the first game with teams we've already seen, and the seventeenth game of the World Cup in six days. It's a long old haul, the World Cup. For the first fortnight there's three games a day - six hours if you include half time and the national anthems. If you're also writing a blog post for every game, you can find yourself turning a little introspective.
I went to the shop yesterday, the first time I'd been outside for three days, and all I managed to buy was some pork pies, a ready-cooked chicken and some beer. It wasn't slobbishness, well not entirely, I've just forgotten how to deal with the world. I could calculate snacks, but not salad.
There was a big queue, which made me wonder if maybe it was Friday. Fortunately I managed to retain just enough nous not to ask. When I got in I checked my fixtures list, and it turned out it was Tuesday, not very near to Friday at all. To me it was just Day Five.
So it's probably a good thing that we've got through the first round of games. South Africa won't feel like that though. They were thoroughly outclassed in their second game, I'm afraid, by a Uruguay team that just brushed past them in the way we thought Mexico would.
The home side had the first chance, when a corner just eluded Mokwena, and we all thought it was going to be fine. If you recall, we want them to do well because we want Africa to do well, and because a successful home nation helps to build the atmosphere.
For Uruguay, Suarez played the ball to Forlan, failed to anticipate the return pass and shot wide. You could see Forlan shouting at Suarez, and you thought good, they're falling out. Tshabalala missed chances he might have done better with, but then he did that in the first game.
Reality started to dawn in the 25th minute, when Forlan's shot from distance took a cruel deflection off Mokwena, went over Khune and dropped in. At first we thought it was brilliance, but then the reply showed us it was luck. Luck, and a collective failure to close him down by the entire defence, almost any one of whom might have got near enough if they'd tried.
Forlan was Uruguay's best player, but Suarez had a great game too. A few minutes after the goal he went round Khumalo, who bluntly wasn't up to the job of staying with him, but his shot missed from a tight angle. South Africa's next attack gave Fusile the chance to knock Modise to the ground while no-one was looking. No-one except the camera, that is. Why do players expect to get away with that kind of thing when every inch of the pitch is constantly being filmed?
The next thing in my notes is Modise cross, and I expect he was, but I think I meant that he hit the ball high into the middle from the edge. Mphela got in a header, but from the edge of the box it was hardly going to be a problem, and it went hard but wide.
Modise must have been even crosser when Dikgacoi got booked for a late tackle. He'll now miss the France game, while Fusile goes unpunished. For now, anyway. Hopefully he'll miss the Mexico game when officials see the video evidence. Actually, if I just sidled up to someone in a pub, flat out assaulted them from behind for no reason and got caught on CCTV while I was doing it, I'd get arrested. Why doesn't he?
An over reaction, perhaps. I just hate it when they try to be violent secretly, if only because it makes it so much harder to write about it. Why can't they just ram their studs into each other's genitals in front of the referee, like real men? At least then we get a laugh out of it.
The second half belonged to Uruguay. On 51 minutes they had a plausible penalty appeal, when Khumalo seemed to bring Suarez down in the box. It wasn't given, but soon after Lagano had a great chance for a header. He over jumped it, somehow, and it came off his shoulder and went harmlessly wide, but Uruguay were now dominant.
South Africa had one decent chance halfway through the second half. The cross came in from the right, Mphela got his head on it just before the keeper punched it, but it came off his gloved hand and wide. South Africa didn't even get a corner for it.
Soon after that it was all over. Khune gave away a penalty when he brought down Suarez as he was about to go round him and score. Everyone on the bench tried to claim it was offside, Khune insisted he hadn't touched him, but none of it mattered, and the replay showed onside, and clear contact.
Khune was sent off, and Josephs came on to try and save the penalty. Forlan looked nervous, and it was a long enough wait before he could take it, but he put it in easily enough in the end.
If that wasn't bad enough, just before the end of injury time South Africa conceded another. All the Uruguayan playmakers were in on it. Forlan crossed to Suarez on the goal line, he chipped it perfectly over the keeper and Pareira headed it home from point blank range. Soon after, the whistle went.
Poor South Africa. To progress, they now need to beat France by at least three goals, without two of their best players. Tomorrrow France play Mexico, and the winner of that probably goes through with Uruguay. The host nation could well be the first team to be knocked out of the World Cup. We feared it, we knew it was likely, and now it's almost a certainty.
Forlan 24, 80 (pen)
Pereira 90 + 5
This was the first game with teams we've already seen, and the seventeenth game of the World Cup in six days. It's a long old haul, the World Cup. For the first fortnight there's three games a day - six hours if you include half time and the national anthems. If you're also writing a blog post for every game, you can find yourself turning a little introspective.
I went to the shop yesterday, the first time I'd been outside for three days, and all I managed to buy was some pork pies, a ready-cooked chicken and some beer. It wasn't slobbishness, well not entirely, I've just forgotten how to deal with the world. I could calculate snacks, but not salad.
There was a big queue, which made me wonder if maybe it was Friday. Fortunately I managed to retain just enough nous not to ask. When I got in I checked my fixtures list, and it turned out it was Tuesday, not very near to Friday at all. To me it was just Day Five.
So it's probably a good thing that we've got through the first round of games. South Africa won't feel like that though. They were thoroughly outclassed in their second game, I'm afraid, by a Uruguay team that just brushed past them in the way we thought Mexico would.
The home side had the first chance, when a corner just eluded Mokwena, and we all thought it was going to be fine. If you recall, we want them to do well because we want Africa to do well, and because a successful home nation helps to build the atmosphere.
For Uruguay, Suarez played the ball to Forlan, failed to anticipate the return pass and shot wide. You could see Forlan shouting at Suarez, and you thought good, they're falling out. Tshabalala missed chances he might have done better with, but then he did that in the first game.
Reality started to dawn in the 25th minute, when Forlan's shot from distance took a cruel deflection off Mokwena, went over Khune and dropped in. At first we thought it was brilliance, but then the reply showed us it was luck. Luck, and a collective failure to close him down by the entire defence, almost any one of whom might have got near enough if they'd tried.
Forlan was Uruguay's best player, but Suarez had a great game too. A few minutes after the goal he went round Khumalo, who bluntly wasn't up to the job of staying with him, but his shot missed from a tight angle. South Africa's next attack gave Fusile the chance to knock Modise to the ground while no-one was looking. No-one except the camera, that is. Why do players expect to get away with that kind of thing when every inch of the pitch is constantly being filmed?
The next thing in my notes is Modise cross, and I expect he was, but I think I meant that he hit the ball high into the middle from the edge. Mphela got in a header, but from the edge of the box it was hardly going to be a problem, and it went hard but wide.
Modise must have been even crosser when Dikgacoi got booked for a late tackle. He'll now miss the France game, while Fusile goes unpunished. For now, anyway. Hopefully he'll miss the Mexico game when officials see the video evidence. Actually, if I just sidled up to someone in a pub, flat out assaulted them from behind for no reason and got caught on CCTV while I was doing it, I'd get arrested. Why doesn't he?
An over reaction, perhaps. I just hate it when they try to be violent secretly, if only because it makes it so much harder to write about it. Why can't they just ram their studs into each other's genitals in front of the referee, like real men? At least then we get a laugh out of it.
The second half belonged to Uruguay. On 51 minutes they had a plausible penalty appeal, when Khumalo seemed to bring Suarez down in the box. It wasn't given, but soon after Lagano had a great chance for a header. He over jumped it, somehow, and it came off his shoulder and went harmlessly wide, but Uruguay were now dominant.
South Africa had one decent chance halfway through the second half. The cross came in from the right, Mphela got his head on it just before the keeper punched it, but it came off his gloved hand and wide. South Africa didn't even get a corner for it.
Soon after that it was all over. Khune gave away a penalty when he brought down Suarez as he was about to go round him and score. Everyone on the bench tried to claim it was offside, Khune insisted he hadn't touched him, but none of it mattered, and the replay showed onside, and clear contact.
Khune was sent off, and Josephs came on to try and save the penalty. Forlan looked nervous, and it was a long enough wait before he could take it, but he put it in easily enough in the end.
If that wasn't bad enough, just before the end of injury time South Africa conceded another. All the Uruguayan playmakers were in on it. Forlan crossed to Suarez on the goal line, he chipped it perfectly over the keeper and Pareira headed it home from point blank range. Soon after, the whistle went.
Poor South Africa. To progress, they now need to beat France by at least three goals, without two of their best players. Tomorrrow France play Mexico, and the winner of that probably goes through with Uruguay. The host nation could well be the first team to be knocked out of the World Cup. We feared it, we knew it was likely, and now it's almost a certainty.
Friday, 11 June 2010
South Africa v Mexico
South Africa 1 - 1 Mexico
Tshabalala 55 Marquez 79
The first game was given to ITV, which now means Adrian Chiles. This is fine, but I wanted him to carry on doing Match of the Day Two. Especially as his spat with the BBC had nothing to do with football. If you ask me this is symptomatic of the way football related matters are constantly being mucked about by other concerns.
People who don't like football are always moaning about how it interferes with other things, but what about the way other things interfere with the football? I seem to be literally the only person I know who's put their life on hold for a month. Baffling.
ITV have also got Lucas Radebe, who spoke quite movingly actually about growing up within sight of the old Soccer City, and now getting to see the whole world come to the new one. He sure can't play the vuvuzela though. Thanks by the way to Grace Dent on Twitter, who wanted us to know her vuvuzela was red hot after all the action it was getting. Follow her and Caitlin Moran, if you do such things, they've got the hottest vuvuzelas in the business.
The opening ceremony was mainly people singing and dancing, but we all knew it was just a matter of time before the papier mache model with people in it came on. Would it be a lion? Or a springbok? Oh. It's a dung beetle. And there's a giant football. No, don't. Too late, they've done it. The dung beetle is rolling the giant football around. It's symbolism, you see. Football is shit, they're saying.
Back to the singing and dancing after that, and more football symbolism from Hugh Masakela, a man whose entire frame seemed to be crying I did! I ate all the pies! After him we went from the substantial to the ridiculous, with R Kelly. This is what he said about his song. I’m really hoping that with this song we can promote world peace first, and help with global-warming, and humanity around the world. This is my hope. I believe that music can guide us and lead us into a world of peace.
The rest of us were just hoping there was nothing about midgets, and we got our wish. How global warming was helped, and which direction it was helped in, remains unclear. I suppose they couldn't have used Diana Ross, and at least they didn't try to get him to shoot or anything, but it was still a baffling choice.
As was Jim Rosenthal for the role of linkman. "I'll be in every stadium for every game for you", he said, and his rictus of triumph boded ill for all his rivals for the post. A nation's armchairs creaked as we all checked our jugulars reflexively.
Onto the game, and the big news is, South Africa weren't shit. Let's be honest, we'd all been secretly dreading watching them getting hammered. I've taken the piss out of the opening ceremony, but I think most people want South Africa to come out of all this well, and today they just about did.
The fear was obviously there in the buildup. The depth of desire both within and for them feels irresistible, said commentator Peter Drury, and the homoerotic subtext served merely to cover the real, subsubtext. Please don't be shit. Austria and Switzerland were shit at Euro 2008, and we really didn't want that for the first African World Cup. No home nation has ever lost their opening game, he added for good measure.
But in the end it was fine. Mexico dominated the early stages, Giovani nearly punishing a goalkeeping error in the second minute and Franco squandering two clear headers, but the South Africans steadied themselves and after fifteen minutes Pienaar had a shot from a nice passing move, which seemed to settle them. They still looked vulnerable to defensive errors, though, and Giovani was unlucky not to capitalise on a loose pass when his shot went wide.
Towards the end of the first half Mexico had their best ten minutes of the game. Franco got free in the box from a Vela pass, and Khune did well to keep it out. He did even better from a corner a few minutes later, rushing out to catch Vela offside even though Pienaar was still on the goal line, and rule out an apparent Mexico goal. Because it isn't just one player that needs to be nearer the goal to prevent offside. It's two, including the goalkeeper. Vela forgot, but Khune didn't.
But just as you were fearing for South Africa, they had a good spell of their own. Gaxa missed a shot when he fell over in the box, Mphela nearly got on a Tshabalala cross and Dikgacoi headed wide from a corner, and Mexico will have been the happier to hear the half-time whistle.
Incidentally, am I the only person who can't hear the name Tshabalala without thinking of the Carpenters? You know, every Tshabalala, every wo-oh-uh-oh, still shines. The commentator clearly did, for why else would he have accidentally called him Shalalala once by mistake?
And he broke Mexican hearts and really made them cry ten minutes into the second half, with what will surely be one of the great goals of the tournament. There are times when you get an eerie feeling that you've just seen something you'll never forget. He just picked it up, ran into space, hit it from thirty yards and it flew over Perez into the top corner.
It didn't actually fly, of course. It obeyed the laws of physics, like balls do. It took off with a certain velocity, reached its maximum height and started to return to its original height, before being intercepted by a net. It described a parabola, or something. Or maybe a hyperbola. You're all my gimps, you tell me.
But physics and sublimity aren't mutually exclusive, which is fortunate or sublimity couldn't exist. Drury called it a goal for all Africa!, which is strictly speaking a lie, but it really felt like one of those they think it's all over moments.
It couldn't last, and after a long period of minimal creative flair Mexico got a goal back not long before the end. Marquez wasn't picked up in the box, the ball landed right at his feet, and he just knocked it in at the near post. In fact there were four Mexico players free, which Andy Townshend thought was a failure to mark. I thought the whole South African defence were playing for offside except one, a common recipe for disaster and a great shame.
Mphela nearly won it in the last minute when he got free in the box, but he hit the post. A minute later, a cross skidded across the box just in front of him. They've still got a point from the game, though, and the shock of hey! they weren't shit! rebounded around the world. Next Wednesday it's Uruguay, and if they can beat them they're in with a great chance.
Tshabalala 55 Marquez 79
The first game was given to ITV, which now means Adrian Chiles. This is fine, but I wanted him to carry on doing Match of the Day Two. Especially as his spat with the BBC had nothing to do with football. If you ask me this is symptomatic of the way football related matters are constantly being mucked about by other concerns.
People who don't like football are always moaning about how it interferes with other things, but what about the way other things interfere with the football? I seem to be literally the only person I know who's put their life on hold for a month. Baffling.
ITV have also got Lucas Radebe, who spoke quite movingly actually about growing up within sight of the old Soccer City, and now getting to see the whole world come to the new one. He sure can't play the vuvuzela though. Thanks by the way to Grace Dent on Twitter, who wanted us to know her vuvuzela was red hot after all the action it was getting. Follow her and Caitlin Moran, if you do such things, they've got the hottest vuvuzelas in the business.
The opening ceremony was mainly people singing and dancing, but we all knew it was just a matter of time before the papier mache model with people in it came on. Would it be a lion? Or a springbok? Oh. It's a dung beetle. And there's a giant football. No, don't. Too late, they've done it. The dung beetle is rolling the giant football around. It's symbolism, you see. Football is shit, they're saying.
Back to the singing and dancing after that, and more football symbolism from Hugh Masakela, a man whose entire frame seemed to be crying I did! I ate all the pies! After him we went from the substantial to the ridiculous, with R Kelly. This is what he said about his song. I’m really hoping that with this song we can promote world peace first, and help with global-warming, and humanity around the world. This is my hope. I believe that music can guide us and lead us into a world of peace.
The rest of us were just hoping there was nothing about midgets, and we got our wish. How global warming was helped, and which direction it was helped in, remains unclear. I suppose they couldn't have used Diana Ross, and at least they didn't try to get him to shoot or anything, but it was still a baffling choice.
As was Jim Rosenthal for the role of linkman. "I'll be in every stadium for every game for you", he said, and his rictus of triumph boded ill for all his rivals for the post. A nation's armchairs creaked as we all checked our jugulars reflexively.
Onto the game, and the big news is, South Africa weren't shit. Let's be honest, we'd all been secretly dreading watching them getting hammered. I've taken the piss out of the opening ceremony, but I think most people want South Africa to come out of all this well, and today they just about did.
The fear was obviously there in the buildup. The depth of desire both within and for them feels irresistible, said commentator Peter Drury, and the homoerotic subtext served merely to cover the real, subsubtext. Please don't be shit. Austria and Switzerland were shit at Euro 2008, and we really didn't want that for the first African World Cup. No home nation has ever lost their opening game, he added for good measure.
But in the end it was fine. Mexico dominated the early stages, Giovani nearly punishing a goalkeeping error in the second minute and Franco squandering two clear headers, but the South Africans steadied themselves and after fifteen minutes Pienaar had a shot from a nice passing move, which seemed to settle them. They still looked vulnerable to defensive errors, though, and Giovani was unlucky not to capitalise on a loose pass when his shot went wide.
Towards the end of the first half Mexico had their best ten minutes of the game. Franco got free in the box from a Vela pass, and Khune did well to keep it out. He did even better from a corner a few minutes later, rushing out to catch Vela offside even though Pienaar was still on the goal line, and rule out an apparent Mexico goal. Because it isn't just one player that needs to be nearer the goal to prevent offside. It's two, including the goalkeeper. Vela forgot, but Khune didn't.
But just as you were fearing for South Africa, they had a good spell of their own. Gaxa missed a shot when he fell over in the box, Mphela nearly got on a Tshabalala cross and Dikgacoi headed wide from a corner, and Mexico will have been the happier to hear the half-time whistle.
Incidentally, am I the only person who can't hear the name Tshabalala without thinking of the Carpenters? You know, every Tshabalala, every wo-oh-uh-oh, still shines. The commentator clearly did, for why else would he have accidentally called him Shalalala once by mistake?
And he broke Mexican hearts and really made them cry ten minutes into the second half, with what will surely be one of the great goals of the tournament. There are times when you get an eerie feeling that you've just seen something you'll never forget. He just picked it up, ran into space, hit it from thirty yards and it flew over Perez into the top corner.
It didn't actually fly, of course. It obeyed the laws of physics, like balls do. It took off with a certain velocity, reached its maximum height and started to return to its original height, before being intercepted by a net. It described a parabola, or something. Or maybe a hyperbola. You're all my gimps, you tell me.
But physics and sublimity aren't mutually exclusive, which is fortunate or sublimity couldn't exist. Drury called it a goal for all Africa!, which is strictly speaking a lie, but it really felt like one of those they think it's all over moments.
It couldn't last, and after a long period of minimal creative flair Mexico got a goal back not long before the end. Marquez wasn't picked up in the box, the ball landed right at his feet, and he just knocked it in at the near post. In fact there were four Mexico players free, which Andy Townshend thought was a failure to mark. I thought the whole South African defence were playing for offside except one, a common recipe for disaster and a great shame.
Mphela nearly won it in the last minute when he got free in the box, but he hit the post. A minute later, a cross skidded across the box just in front of him. They've still got a point from the game, though, and the shock of hey! they weren't shit! rebounded around the world. Next Wednesday it's Uruguay, and if they can beat them they're in with a great chance.
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