Wow! If you aren't watching this game you'd better kick yourself. Through 45 minutes this game has been as exciting as we had hoped and will set the stage for more entertainment in the final 45. So far we've seen a Netherlands team that looks terrific take a 2-0 lead, at it must be said they have had the better of the play to this point and are the deserved leaders. The first goal was somewhat questionable as a ball came through the masses near the penalty mark and found the foot of a wide open van Nistelrooy. Why was he open? Well he was about 3 yards offsides. The ref unit presumably botched it as there was an injured Italian back there, but he had rolled off the field which would make him irrelevant. The second came on a sublime sequence where a long switch was sent to the far side of the 18 where Kuyt gently headed towards the 6 yard box for Sniejder who volleyed around shoulder height past an onrushing Buffon to the near post, slotting it into an impossibly small opening. Unbelievable! The Italians had moments and van der Saar was forced into action when a shot between his defenders legs surprised him, but he reacted well. Later another shot went just high of the bar. The Netherlands missed a chance to go up 3-0 when van Nistelrooy came through on Buffon but opted for power instead of precision and his low blast up the middle was saved. Don't expect this Italy team to go quietly in the second half, and one goal could make things difficult for the back line of the Netherlands. I picked the Netherlands to win this group and feel a bit smarter right now, but this game is far from over. So far this match has already made up for a lackluster France-Romania game. Let's hope for an equally eventful second half!
UPDATED: Netherlands vieren!
In another entertaining half, the Dutch side extended their margin and earned a 3-0 victory. The Italian team looked more dangerous in the second half, particularly after the inclusion of Del Piero, but could not get in the books. The final goal came on a fantastic counter attack what seemed like mere seconds after a tremendous diving save by van der Saar. The ball was played through and as the defense shifted the ball was played flat across the box where Buffon makes a big save but the rebound is tracked down and sent across to van Bronckhorst where he headed home. The Netherlands were dominant, van der Saar looked great, the backline did what they had to, and in true Dutch form they refused to sit back and kill the game, opting to continue to apply pressure. I great match to watch, and things in Group C have gotten even more interesting!
1 comment:
GO NEDERLANDS!!
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