The group, the schedule, the stadiums, the squads, the games (please click on the pictures for a better view).
SWEDEN - COLOMBIA : 1 - 1
Quite a slow-paced game with accelerations by intermittence. The Swedish changings in attack brang more dynamism but no goals. On the other hand, Colombia had less clear chances during the second half when they had more than their opponent in the first half.
If they're aiming high, both teams will have to show much more, one like the other. It was a pleasant match to watch however.
GOALS (Falcao, Liedholm)
21' : Valderrama looks for Falcao with one of his trademark passes that finds Nordqvist on its way... but the latter only could slightly slow down the course of the ball and slightly deflect it... Falcao is there in his back and beat Hellström with a perfect finish.
71' : Skoglund takes over his direct opponent and crosses the ball to Liedholm behind him, at the entry of the penalty area. Liedholm's precise shoot leaves no chance to Higuita as the ball caresses the post before finishing its course in the back of the nets.
Yellow Cards : Asprilla 15'.
Man of the Match : Ivan Cordoba dealt with Nordahl, Ibrahimovic and Skoglund in turns rather successuly. He won a big part of these 100% Milanese duels with aggressiveness but always within the limits. The 1,73 m. tall colombian defender impressed a lot against those Vikings, that is on the ground or in the air (Skoglund is a tad smaller than him but his main "clients", Nordahl and Ibrahimovic, are 1,85 and 1,94 m. tall).
RATINGS :
Sweden :
Hellström 6 - R. Nilsson 6 - Nordqvist 4 - Hysen 5,5 - E. Nilsson 5 - Gren 5,5 - B. Larsson 5,5 - Liedholm 6 - Hamrin 5 (H. Larsson 85') - Nordahl 4 (Skoglund 68') - Ibrahimovic 5. Tot. : 57,5.
Colombia :
Higuita 6 - Cuadrado 5 (Perea 75') - Cordoba 6,5 - Yepes 5,5 - Armero 5 - Rincon 6 - Alvarez 6 - Valderrama 5,5 - James 5 (Ortiz 80') - Falcao 5,5 - Asprilla 4,5 (Diaz 80'). Tot. : 60,5.
This super-heroes battle had no winner
AUSTRIA - GHANA at Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asuncio, Paraguay (capacity 40.800)
AUSTRIA - GHANA : 0 - 2
To our delight, our predicted lineup for Ghana was right and it was almost a one-way game. Austria never found the answer. At the end of this matchday one, it is thus Ghana who top this unpredictable group K.
GOALS (Yeboah, Yeboah)
Yeboah scored a brace, once served from the left by Polo (42'), then served from the right by Abedi Pelé (63'). Kofi was not decisive but intelligently looked for his wingers and was at the pre-assist on goal number two (precisely when it was apparent that he was a bit fading from the game since some time... Ocwirk did not suspect him anymore).
Yellow cards : Sesta 85'.
Man of the Match : the one who banged those two goals, Tony Yeboah. He also hit the post once, so he was not far of being the first to score a hat-trick in this FYT All-Time World Cup.
RATINGS :
Austria :
Hiden 4,5 - Happel 4,5 - Pezzey 4,5 - Alaba 4,5 - Hanappi 4,5 - Prohaska 4 - Ocwirk 4,5 - Herzog 5 (Sesta 80') - Sindelar 4 - Krankl 4,5 - Polster 4 (Schachner 72'). Tot. : 46,5.
Ghana :
R. Mensah 5 - Essien 5,5 - Kuffour 5,5 - J. Mensah 5 - Asamoah 5,5 - Appiah 5,5 - Muntari 5,5 - Kofi 6 (Sunday 75') - Ab. Pelé 6,5 - Yeboah 7 - Polo 6,5 (A. Ayew 81'). Tot. : 63,5.
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| Yeboah sees double and joins the five other players with a brace on matchday one, so far, before the games of Group L |
DAY 2
SWEDEN - AUSTRIA at Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay (capacity 60.200)
SWEDEN - AUSTRIA : 1 - 1
If Ibrahimovic and Sindelar have scored two remarkable goals (each in their own style), the attacks from both sides also lacked of precision.
GOALS (Ibrahimovic, Sindelar)
57' : Sara deflects a cross by Skoglund with the head... the ball slowly falls back at the penalty spot, where Ibra makes no details by volleying the ball with some martial art move, in front of Pezzey. What a sensational goal ! Skoglund is credited with the assist.
80' : Sindelar responds to the goal of Ibrahimovic with a goal full of delicateness at the moment of controlling the ball before to strike the ball as hard as he can to beat Hellström, until then unbeatable. At the start of it all, Prohaska offered him this perfect pass.
Yellow cards : Ocwirk 66'.
Man of the Match : Sindelar get the award as Krankl should have converted two of his brilliant passes into at least one goal (what happens to Krankl in this all-time World Cup? We don't know).
RATINGS
Sweden :
Hellström 6 - R. Nilsson 5 - Mellberg 5,5 - Hysen 4 - E. Nilsson 5,5 - Gren 4,5 (Thern 65') - Bo. Larsson 4,5 (Strömberg 74') - Liedholm 5 - Hamrin 5 - Ibrahimovic 6 - Skoglund 5,5. Tot. : 56.
Austria :
Hiden 5,5 - Sara 4,5 (Prohaska 59') - Happel 4,5 - Pezzey 4,5 - Alaba 5,5 - Hanappi 5 - Ocwirk 5 - Koller 5 - Herzog 5 (Polster 59') - Sindelar 6 - Krankl 4. Tot. : 54,5.
COLOMBIA - GHANA at Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre, Brazil (capacity 60.500)
COLOMBIA - GHANA : 2 - 0
With three points in their pocket, Ghana opted for a relatively less attacking setup this time (leaving Osei on the bench), at the hour of facing Colombia. Is this the reason for their defeat? In any case, Colombia has clearly dominated by imposing their tempo and their way of playing.
GOALS (Cuadrado, Rodriguez)
65' : nice sequence from Colombia... Cuadrado is there, as the spearhead attacker, to conclude the action. You could not miss who was the last passer : Valderrama.
78' : James Rodriguez with a curled shot from the right corner of the penalty area, as he had jsut exchanged positions with Diaz.
Yellow cards : Annan 36', Muntari 58'.
Man of the Match : Cuadrado who won his duels with Polo and even scored a goal, was awarded with the Man of the Match trophy. 100% Deserved.
RATINGS
Colombia :
Higuita 6 - Cuadrado 7,5 (L.A. Pera 80') - I. Cordoba 5,5 - Yepes 5,5 - Armero 5,5 - Rincon 5,5 - Alvarez 6 - Valderrama 6 - Ortiz 5 (Diaz 68') - Falcao 4,5 (Asprilla 73') - James 6,5. Tot. : 64.
Ghana :
R. Mensah 4 - Essien 5 - Kuffour 5 - J. Mensah 5 - Asamoah 5 - Appiah 4,5 - Annan 4,5 (Kofi 79') - Muntari 4 (Razak 68') - Ab. Pelé 5 - Yeboah 4 - Polo 3,5 (Gyan 79'). Tot. : 49,5.
We did not recognize the Ghanean team that destroyed (2-0) the Austian team. This time, it was a full Colombian show.
Muntari and Polo were subbed out too late, arguably.
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