Cruel South Africa sees Brazil and Ghana out of their World Cup Dream
Yesterday was a day in South Africa which will be remembered many a times in years to come when people talk about soccer in general and the World Cup in particular. The events at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa have been nothing less than shocking for football fans across the globe.
This year’s World Cup has already shown the door to the star studded and pre tournament favourite teams such as Italy, France, England and USA. So then one was thinking that all is well now, as even after South Africa’s operation cleanup we still have the likes of Germany, Brazil, Netherlands and Spain to cheer about.
But yesterday’s events perhaps sent the biggest shock to the entire soccer fraternity.
Five times champions and one of the strongest and most favoured teams in the tournament, Brazil were kicked out from their 6th World Trophy dream as the Netherlands went on and beat the men in yellow and green 2-1.
The Netherlands, for majority of the game, were trailing the Brazilian score line as the Brazilians were the first to score and take a one goal lead.
However, luck seemed to be against the Brazilians; who would have imagined that a team like Brazil who goes on into a quarterfinal match, then takes a one goal lead could end up losing.
However, what is more bizarre is the fact that the opponent teams first goal came from the Brazilians themselves, YES, I am talking about the own goal that Felipe Melo gifted to the Netherlands.
The advantage that the Dutch got as a result of their gifted equalizer was that the header from Wesley Sneijder which found the inside of the net was enough for the Dutch to see the Brazilains out and take their walk into the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
For Brazil, the defeat will not be easy especially after the hype, the skills and the experience of their side. Also this is Brazil’s second successive World Cup quarter finals loss and newspapers across the globe had just one thing to say “Good bye KAKA”.
Thus with their historic victory, The Netherlands will now play their semi-final against Ghana.
Oh no wait….that would have happened had the poor Ghanaians actually capitalized on their game. A stoppage time penalty kick which Asamoah Gyan missed by a very small margin hitting the top of the goal post and thus starting Ghana’s streak of bad luck with the game going into a penalty shootout.
The first shot for Ghana was again taken by Asamoah Gyan; however this time he managed to put it through with the biggest regret being that why could he not have done so earlier.
So with that said, let me now correct my previous statement. The Netherlands will now face Uruguay in a match where both teams are expected to display the best in themselves.
For the Ghanaians, well a round of applause is a must, despite them losing after having almost bagged the game.
To say the least it was the epitome of bad luck for the Ghanaians. As it was a World Cup taking place in South Africa in which they were the only African team surviving and also one needs to bear in mind that despite the loss they did play really well.
So for Ghana to come to terms with what happened yesterday must be difficult especially after Luis Suarez, denied the Ghanaians victory in the stoppage time. Thus, he was given a red card and sent off the field after his desperate and as of now brilliantly thought-out hand defence which the Ghanaians could not take advantage off in their penalty kick.
However Ghana will be proud of the fact that their team almost pulled off what no other African team has done before and throughout the 120 minutes they attacked their opponents continuously as they searched for a strike at victory.
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