Group G Discussion - Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal

[MarkBRFC71]

That Korean number 9 looks a player - would certainly liven up Rovers forward line.

[BPF]

That Korean number 9 looks a player - would certainly liven up Rovers forward line.

I wouldn't fancy sorting the work permit for that...

The swerve on that ball was crazy. Have Brazil brought a beachball with them?

[tcj_jones]

Whilst the keeper shouldn't have been beaten at his near post, that goal was a real fluke. He was trying to cross the ball and the keeper was anticipating that, until the ball swerved horribly into the goal.

I don't know if that goal was because of the ball or not, but it's making the World Cup less of a spectacle. Every long shot and free kick is skied.

[Eddie]

He wasn't shooting, but it was still terrible keeping. North Korea have been surprisingly impressive and the Jong up front looks like a good player, works hard and has very good control and movement. This World Cup is consistently showing how hard it can be to break teams down.

[CrazyIvan]

His whole body shape and the way he hit the ball says to me that the player meant that shot exactly the way it transpired. His eyes and his foot shape showed his intention. The keeper didn't really stand much of a chance...

Get in! Korea DPR pull one back!

[MarkBRFC71]

If you look at Maicon's eyes, he's looking across the box at who to square it too. A mishit.

Have to say that Korea have played with far more determination, guts, skill, hard work and desire than England showed. Maybe Fabio needs to take a leaf from Kim Jong Il's book of motivation? ;-)

[Mr. E]

If you look at Maicon's eyes, he's looking across the box at who to square it too. A mishit.

Have to say that Korea have played with far more determination, guts, skill, hard work and desire than England showed. Maybe Fabio needs to take a leaf from Kim Jong Il's book of motivation? ;-)

To be fair England played worse but probably showed more desire than Brazil too. With the exception of Germany and maybe Holland, the big teams have been utter pants so far.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

North Korea have just won 1-0 in North Korea.

[ultrablue]

I'm going to put my neck on the line here and say that the North Koreans will lose only 1-0. They'll throw themselves in front of anything. They will impress a lot of pundits tonight.

Almost

[The1mattjansen]

Did anyone see the 'Kim Jong-Il thinks i'm at work' banner in the crowd?

[RoyRover]

That Korean number 9 looks a player - would certainly liven up Rovers forward line.

It would be straight forward enough as he plays in Japan and was a Blackburn Rovers fan when growing up! We would have too accommodate his minder though! The game was another drab affair, but fair play to the Koreans who worked so hard and got a goal that their efforts deserved. Not that the people in North Korea will know. Word was that the game would only be broadcast if they won.

[rebelmswar]

Did anyone else notice, at the North Korea game, the guy wearing a Rovers shirt with a sign saying "Kim Jong Il thinks I'm at work"?

Hilarious who ever it was.

[tcj_jones]

Brazil were another team that was far from inspiring. I know N. Korea played 10 behind the ball, but this team aren't the Brazil of old, are they?

[Rovermatt]

Great performance from the Dear Leader's children. They were really very good in the first half especially and while they played ultra defensively they were willing to have a go when they got the ball. The striker who was crying his eyes out at the beginning (perhaps because his mates have to head back to North Korea after the tournament) was a super player. He was very eager to score (perhaps too eager) however his headed pass for the goal was top class. Did anyone see the two goals he scored against Greece in the warm-ups? Fantastic!

As for Brazil, I thought they looked quite good to be honest. Well drilled and cool in possession, they never once got frustrated and continued to plug away, counting on the class of their superior talents. Well done to whoever beats them.

And Maicon definitely meant it. Anyone who has seen some of the goals he has scored last season will know he's capable of the outrageous and the manner in which he struck the ball (coupled with the fact that the keeper was clearly off his line) strongly suggests intent.

[The1mattjansen]

I believe we got in the sun aswell, can anyone confirm that?

[neekoy]

And Maicon definitely meant it. Anyone who has seen some of the goals he has scored last season will know he's capable of the outrageous and the manner in which he struck the ball (coupled with the fact that the keeper was clearly off his line) strongly suggests intent.

Got to agree, he is a special player.

I actually thought Brazil were quite good, the pass from Robinho was class to Elano, pity they didn't do more of that for the City fans.

Dunga has a real classy outfit, I don't think the well drilled North Koreans are going to rollover like people thought they would, they were pretty bloody good on the ball.

When the game opens up a bit later in the knockout stages hopefully we will see more of Kaka, Kleberson and Ramires

[Eddie]

He never looked at the goal and if you look at how he hits across the ball and where his standing foot is it is patently clear that he didn't mean it. Maicon is a fantastic player and has scored some great goals, but he wasn't shooting there.

[neekoy]

Yeah, you are probably right

2 mins 56 secs

[Eddie]

It's a completely different goal in terms of his body position and technique. There he sets himself, including setting his foot further away from the ball which then allows him to roll his foot over the ball which creates the swerve. In the goal last night he is stretching for the ball, but still places his standing foot close to where he expects to strike through the ball and parallel to the ball, which is what you would expect from someone looking to drag the ball back across goal. He also doesn't roll his foot as he strikes it, it comes off of the outer part of his toe, which is because he simply hasn't been able to get close enough to the ball to get his foot around it as it runs away from him. You'll also notice that in the goal in the friendly he looks at the goal as soon as he hit the ball, whereas last night his initial head movement is towards the front of the goal and not where he's actually hit it, which is usually a sign that the ball hasn't gone where he intended.

[Tom]

I thought he meant it at the time by the way his foot was pointed and after seeing he has done it before I'm convinced

[Rovermatt]

He did mean it. He's clearly capable. He hit the ball in the exact spot you would need to in order for it to swerve just enough and slip inside the near post. Wonderful stuff.

[Eddie]

Capable shouldn't come into it. Tons of players are capable, Sunday league players could be capable of that, it isn't exactly the most difficult skill in the world, nor is it as if he reproduced the Roberto Carlos goal from the tournoi. He doesn't hit that in the right spot, you're really wrong about that and his technique would be very poor if it is actually what he is trying to do, he simply didn't get his foot around the ball. His follow through is the give-away. On top of that, I'll trust Edgar Davids, a man who could really shoot in his day, on what he thought he was trying to do when reviewing his technique.

[Rovermatt]

He doesn't hit that in the right spot, you're really wrong about that

Evidently he did hit it in the right place as it went in.

In any case why would he be trying to get his foot around the ball when he's striking it with his right boot from a narrow angle on the right wing?

I've played enough low-grade football to know that if you strike a ball at its sweet spot (especially one as unpredictable as the Jabulani) it can veer all over the place. In this case it veered into the North Korean goal.

Wonderful goal.

[Eddie]

As I said, the giveaway really is how he doesn't roll his foot and where on his foot the ball actually hits.

[jim mk2]

Simon Kuper has a nasty little dig at Rovers in Saturday's FT.

http://www.ft.com/cm...144feabdc0.html