Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay
A very impressive forst-half display form Paraguay saw them pin their opponents in, aggressively closing down from the front and creating regular chances for their busy forwards.
They sould really have lead by more than a single goal at the break and their attitude in the second half reflected their dominance as they took the proverbial foot off the gas. Slovakia never really looked like making them sweat and the South American's late second sealed a confident win.
Italy 1-1 New Zealand
A labouringly slow Italian performance form a team that lacks pace, penetration and guile. New Zealand battled well in a typical underdog/backs against the wall performance and could probably consider themselves unlucky with the Italian's equaliser coming in the shape of a soft penalty. It was the All-Whites who came closest to a winner with Chris Wood's late effort just curling wide.
Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast
Brazil hardly got out of 3rd gear yet eased passed the African side in a manner that sends out a message to the rest of the competition. They scored form their first real passing move of a lethargic first half. They regularly threated in the second half and were coasting a little too much when Drogba sneaked in behind for the Iveory Coast's consolation goal.
The vistory was marred by the unfair dismissal of Kaka after some incredibly cynical play-acting by Keita.
Monday, June 21, 2010
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Whilst he didn't deserve a second yellow card, Kaka is certainly not entirely innocent. He knew that tensions were running high and that both sets of players were resorting to diving. Moreover, the replays also suggest that he intentionally used his shoulder to barge into Keita. That Keita overreacted is certain, but Kaka could have moved out of the way.
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