"Serbegeth "Shebby" Singh is one of the most recognisable, listened to and watched football pundits on television in Asia. As a player, Shebby won everything there was to win in Malaysian football. "
JUNE 30 — The easiest day of matches to predict in this Round of 16 turned out exactly as we all expected.
I bet even some accountant, who has worked all her life on the books, could just look up out of her cubicle, read a couple of reports and predict that Holland and Brazil would easily get into the quarter-finals (actually, it did happen as a close friend told me . . . she even got the right score!).
The Dutch treat was less than impressive, but effective all the same and what more can I say about Brazil.
Pity the two shall now have to try to eliminate the other.
I am now looking forward to tonight’s matches when Spain and Portugal are likely to bring new meaning to the line “love thy neighbour”!
Hardy Holland
Credit to Slovakia for giving the Dutch a run for their money. Somehow the Slovaks looked lighter and sharper but in the attacking third they lacked combination play.
Marek Hamsik got crowded out by the defensive midfield pairing of van Bommel and de Jong.
The Dutch will be the first to admit they won without playing too well. Their defence dropped too deep and thus Sneijder was isolated and never near enough to the front three.
However, his long pass was visionary for the first goal and the second finally arrived the one time he got close enough to the attack.
And that was the difference between the two teams — a bit of class.
The Slovaks might have been defeated but certainly left an impression and I would love to see them develop with the Euro2012 qualification up next.
Will anyone say Miroslav Stoch and Vladimir Weiss did not make it in the EPL?
Dare you!
Brilliant Brazil
Against a fast and furious Chile, the Brazilians showed they could play at a high tempo too. It made the game pretty untidy and shapeless but the aerial threat at set pieces allowed for Juan to score.
This is the same Juan who should have been sent off for a handball against Portugal.
The Chileans had an ineffective Mark Gonzalez wide on the left and that meant pushing Jean Beausejour inside left of a three-man midfield, thus causing him to be ineffective too.
And with regular right back Mauricio Isla on the right of the three-man midfield, I feel Marcelo Bielsa got it all wrong.
Too many positional changes and the Chileans never got into a rhythm or pattern.
The second and third goals for Brazil were a thing of beauty, true team goals.
Dani Alves made a nuisance of himself (in a good way ) in midfield.
And finally, it was game over for Chile when Gilberto Melo came on. (OK, it’s a Spurs joke or was he the joke or . . . .)
The Brilliant Brazilians will play the Dutch Delight in Port Elizabeth on the WORST pitch at the World Cup.
Paraguay versus Japan
The Japanese will love this one. Give Paraguay the ball and sit back. Then hit them on the counter-attack.
Perfect strategy. The open offensive game against Denmark was good strategy as the Danes are a spent force but against Paraguay that could backfire.
The Paraguayans play a similar brand of football as Uruguay as South Korea found out to their detriment.
I feel the Japanese play their best football on the counter-attack and should capitalise on it. The towering Tulio and non-compromising Nakazawa in central defence can deal with the best in the air too.
In Keisuke Honda, the Japanese have quite simply an outstanding attacking midfielder alongside Leo Messi, Mesut Ozil, Wesley Sneijder, Robinho, Kaka and Diego Forlan at this World Cup.
But I really gotta go for Paraguay though. And I hope I am wrong. OK, OK, I hope I am wrong, AGAIN!
Spain versus Portugal
This is too close to call. The Portuguese have a problem — to decide their tactics.
If they play as openly as they did against the Ivory Coast, then there will be trouble as the Spaniards could rip them apart.
So, it would be good to make it tight, defensive and ugly as it was against Brazil.
Are the Spanish getting better? I think so.
Seriously, I think this game could go all the way to penalties.
And Spain to win.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
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