Robben & Van Persie save the World Cup
5pa1n helps us forget Fred and Pitbull.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen something like this, a match at the World Cup that makes you gasp at the result. The Netherlands, who I myself put in the “Disappointments waiting to happen” section of my preview, have just beaten reigning champions Spain by five (5) goals to one(1). The team that has lost only three competitative games since going out of Germany 2006, got absolutely tonked by a Dutch side that had been written off by their own fans. What’s more, the Spanish were a goal up with a few minutes to go to half-time. But most importantly, they did it without the benefit of the controversy that Brazil needed to defeat Croatia 24 hours ago. There was a dive akin to the one Fred produced in Sao Paolo, but it was again from a Brazillian as Diego Costa artfully left his leg in De Vrij’s path and collapsed to the floor. It wasn’t as sickening as his on-time compatriot Fred managed, but it belonged in the same category.
http://gph.is/1ok9xRB
The next dive we saw was a thing of beauty. Robin Van Persie made like a swallow to guide a header from the edge of the box over Iker Casillias. Coming just moments after David Silva missed a sitter at the other end, it changed the game. What happened in the second-half was magical. Arjen Robben, who seems to be doing a Benjamin Button, roasted Sergio Ramos not once but twice and inspired a massive tonking.
http://gph.is/1p2KKNI
Bad Start
Thank your deity of choice for the Dutch, because this World Cup had got off to a horrible start. Before the men in blue came along, the main talking point was who had done more to ruin opening night? Fred, the ref, or Pitbull? Football fans will always compare World Cups and it seemed that the choice of the wholly unnecessary rapper was Brazil 2014's way of out-pathetic-ing Diana Ross and USA 94.
The football was slightly better, and for a while Croatia seemed like they might achieve an early upset similar to Senegal twelve years ago, or Cameroon a dozen years earlier. But then Neymar scuffed one in the corner, Fred made like a syncronised-swimmer, the Croatian keeper had a mare, and asickening taste developed in the mouth.
Refs on crack
The second game continued in a similar vein to the first with the officials contriving to deny Mexico of two perfectly good goals. Although this time both teams got what they deserved. Let’s hope that Peralta’s strike signalled the end of us talking about those governing the game. Although the demonstration of goal-line technology every time the ball hits the back of the net makes me feel like we’ll be talking about football governance for a while to come. Hopefully it will be a laughable distraction during epic performances like the one the Netherlands produced tonight and not because it’s ruined the tournament.
