Well Kempt Referee's 2 Socceroos 0: World Cup Ghana Analysis

There are not enough swear words in the English language to express the anger, rage and frustration of a Socceroos fan who was been watching Australia at the World Cup in South Africa.

Australia swept aside the memory of the Germany game and started their second World Cup game against Ghana like men possessed. With eyeballs popping out of their heads every Socceroo was pressing a Ghana player every time they got the ball. It would not be re-miss of me to say that some Australian players looked like they had taken the route of some members of the 1978 World Cup winning Argentinean team who were doped to their eyeballs in that tournament. Not that I am saying the Socceroos were doped up, but they just looked like it.

The first half was frantic, wacky and frustrating. A Mark Brecsicano free kick tamed the Jabulani ball, the Ghana keeper couldn’t handle and the most derided player in the history of the Socceroos Brett Holman scores the rebound and only goal so far for the Socceroos at South Africa 2010.  1-0 nil all up and it’s the perfect start. But then a few minutes later the Socceroos were conceding good position to Ghana, the verve and drive of the Socceroos had disappeared for a small moment and the most dangerous player on the pitch winger Andre Ayew beat two players down the right flank to send in a dangerous cross and then the swear words came out when Harry Kewell was sent off for deliberate hand ball on the Ghana goal line. After Tim Cahill’s send off in the first game it almost felt like I was getting used to this but Gyan struck the penalty, Ghana are level the Socceroos have 10 men and Gyan still dances like he has to go to the toilet real quick.

My friends and family were shouting at Half Time: “don’t worry; we are going to have two chances to score in the second half.” And we did.  Scott Chipperfield who was brilliant when came on missed a header with his first touch and Luke Wilkshire failed when he had a one on one situation with the keeper and Josh Kennedy disappointingly did a Peter Crouch air swing with the rebound.

The game was one of those unforgettable World Cup games and the final score of  1-1 sets up final game against Serbia needing the Socceroos to win big and other results to go our way.  We should believe Australia because anything can happen in this absolutely crazy and mental Group D.

It’s amazing that the Socceroos are still in with a chance to progress to the second round.  The World Cup has been a nightmare; most of the big refereeing decisions are going against the Socceroos. Our two best players getting sent off in consecutive games both appear to be very harsh decisions and technically you can say yes they are red cards but you can also argue that  the other teams have not been punished like Australia. Just like the Ghanaian midfielder who tackled Bresciano from behind, he only received a yellow card and you just wonder if Brecs had rolled around and milked the challenge and if the other players circled the referee he could have been pressured to give a red instead of a yellow but the Socceroos don’t play like that.

The sight of these well kempt referees with their little shorts, over elaborate use of hair product and their awful decisions during this World Cup makes me think we should let them have their own Nike commercial, that way they don’t have to feel like being the centre of attention all the time. It’s not enough for these sporting sociopath’s to be on TV and blow a whistle no they have to spoil a free flowing game.

After the game I indulged in some post match banter with Ghana journalist Gary Al Smith the Ghana football writer for worldcupblog.org:

“Lucky Ghana what can I say. One of your midfielder's should have got a red card, Kewell's handball was not a red card and now I wait for Germany to kick your lucky Ghanaian ass.”I said.

To which he replied: “Well, tell Mr Kewell to stop handling balls in the vital area, then? And don’t forget that the Roos destiny is in GHANA's hands.”

So to the last game against Serbia, we need a miracle to happen and you have to believe it can happen considering all the unbelievable results that have occurred in South Africa so far.

Just like Serbia’s previous two games I’m sure they have a handball in the box waiting for us. It would be rude of them not to give Australia the same gift they shared with Ghana and Germany. I posed this thought to Nikola Burazer the Serbian writer for the worldcupblog.org website and he said:

“Yes, that would be polite from Serbia.  Do you have any idea who might be the next one to handball? Ivanović, Subotić, Stanković?  No, seriously, you should not expect a penalty from Serbia, only a red card. At every tournament, we concede two penalties and receive two red cards. So, expect some of our boys to go red.”

So make sure you look out your window you might see some pigs flying around this week,, at least the Socceroos are alive for the final game we get Timmy back and have a another few days of hoping ,worrying and dreaming.

WORLD CUP 2010: GHANA WATCH

 Ghana football writer Gary Al Smith's report on  Ghana's 4-1 loss to Holland is very interesting from an Australian perspective. Most of these international friendlies are training sessions or just warm up games. It's all prelude till the real thing, the big WC.. But RATM did not sing a tune called Know Your Enemy for nothing.

Here are the ratings for Ghana and a link to his story:

GK:Richard Kingson: 4 – Played like he was on Skelaxine (a popular type of arthritis medication). Jittery, indecisive and totally out of his depth. Disappointing, really.

 LB:Hans Adu-Sarpei: 6 – Once again, hardly lost the ball and kept his left side of the field generally safe. Only problem is his lack of pace, but it seems Ghana have no option to stick with him as his replacement is also a right-footed Rahim Ayew.

John Paintsil: 5 – The Fulham man was quiet. Didn’t do much and was symptomatic of the whole team’s first half showing. Still, a dependable soul whose starting role is guaranteed.

Isaac Vorsah: 7 – Stood tall in defense, literally and figuratively. At a point, he was playing a holding midfield role alongside Annan and Boateng and was being overworked. But he was quietly effective, calm and solid for the whole match, especially preventing Van Persie from scoring. Shows his class more and more all the time.

Lee Addy: 5 – Did his best under the circumstances yet he is a bit shaky. That said, the only thing he needs is an injection of confidence and a little inspiration from experienced defenders like Mensah.

Anthony Annan: 4 – His usual combative levels were lost today. The first half was not good for him, like for the rest of the side. Was played in a holding/mopping role with Derek Boateng, a position he’s usually comfortable in. An off-day he had, perhaps, as he allowed Sneidjer to run rings around him.

Stephen Appiah: 4 - If Rajevac declines to the use the captain against Latvia or even against Serbia, there would be very few complaints. He was overrun, outplayed and outmuscled. His inspirational and leadership qualities on the field are very much in question now. Despite his calss, it is crystal clear that Appiah is not the same player he was. When he was in Ghana a few weeks ago, his body language said he was ready for one last hurrah. Never happened today.

Sulley Muntari: 5 – Was restricted by the coach not to move forward, so his role was limited. He loves to surge forward on occasion but it was clear he had been defined as a supplier for Amoah. He could not do this because he was heavily closed down by the Dutch midfield. He still needs to be a starter because his hard tackles bring a lot to the game.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie: 3 – Where to begin? When given a starting role in front of a nation that is divided about your importance, you do not do four stepovers on every ball. On one occasion he had Amoah in his sights and the team lost a good chance because of his over-deliberation. Has shot himself in his fast-paced feet. Would be shocked if he ever gets a starting role again.

Derek Boateng: 6 – Was one of few players still on in the second half. With the right support he is able to move forward and give out the balls. But anyone who has watched him for Getafe knows he is not half the player he’s been for Ghana in his past two internationals.

Matthew Amoah: 4 – His inability to replicate his club form is baffling. For Ghana, he does not chase down lose Dutch balls in the opposing half and does not run at defenders. Unfortunately, the young Dominic Adiyiah and Prince Tagoe staked a better claim to start than he does.

Used subs:
Prince Tagoe: 5 – Not firing at all cylinders, but getting there. Desire to do the dirty work is clear. However, a lack of playing time also shows in his game as he is not as sharp as we know him to be.

Andre Ayew: 6 – One of the better players on the field after his coming. Came on at the start of the second half, with purpose. Went in for the 50-50 balls without fear. Over the past year or so, the main issue with him has been his over-deliberation; today it was just touch-and-go stuff from Abedi’s son.

Dominic Adiyiah: 4 - Came on with some spirited runs but was soon dealt with by the Dutch expreince. Even had a rare shot on goal and showed that with more international exposure, he can face off with the big boys even at his age. Looked a bit starry-eyed at times.

Kwadwo Asamoah: N/A – Came on too late to make a meaningful impact. Should he have been brought earlier for Derek? That’s open to question, as Derek was also finding his rhythm late on.

John Mensah: 6 – Came on at the start of the second half and his job to be captain (leader and inspirer) was well done. Brought immediate stability to his defense. Do I hear 23 million Ghanaians praying for him to be fit for the entire duration of the World Cup? I think you know why.

Asamoah Gyan: 6 – Heckled the Dutch backline on more than one occasion, earning himself a caution in his zeal. The goal would do a lot for his confidence. Clearly a starting role is guaranteed for him.

Coach Milovan Rajevac: 7 – The Serbian has made his point. In the first half he used a team he's not too confident in, with a few exceptions. They did not disappoint. Most of them were a sweet mistake. That's why he brought on the preferred team in the second half, to make a simple point to all of us: when he decides to drop certain ‘big boys’ in the coming games, can anyone complain?

No. The 4-3-2-1 in the first half and the 4-3-3 formations used in both halves respectively were all part of his shuffling of roles for the players. At a point in the first half, Muntari was even moved to the right while Quincy was moved to the left. Clearly trying them out.

Two sets of players have shown that to be in this team, you have to be match fit and you need regular club time.

http://blogs.soccernet.com/ghana/archives/2010/06/video_highlights_player_rating.php

World Cup 2010 Comment: Ghana and Serbia our only chance

Pim Verbeek has said that the games between Ghana and Serbia  are the Socceroos best chance to get points and move into the round of 16. I must say his confidence about qualifying to the next stage has given me some hope that we can do it.

I spoke to my Ghana football correspondent ESPN’s Gary Al Smith  and Serbian football writer  Nikola Burazer from the World Cup Blog.org site  and asked them about what they thought of Ghana’s and Serbia’s provincial squad. This how it went down, Pim’s not the only one playing mind games.

Afootballstory:  So Gary are you feeling confident about Ghana's chances?

Gary Al Smith: Honestly, Con....no, the Ghana squad the coach named last Friday bothers many people, me included. It’s a collection of injured and inconsistent players. Yes, Essien is world class but what use is he injured? Mensah cannot play three straight games without back issues at Sunderland...

AFS: Same with the Socceroos squad, Kewell got injured again, he will not be anywhere near fit. So what bothers you about the Ghana squad?

GAS: Stephen Appiah only played 45 minutes yesterday for Bologna for the first time in TWO YEARS! Ghana's joint top scorer anywhere in the world plays in Egypt. His name's Eric Bekoe and he's scored 13 goals. Yet, he has been miraculously omitted from the 30 man list.

AFS: I saw a story on Abide Pele’s three sons on an Aussie football show called the World Game on SBS what do you think about them?

GAS: Abedi Pele's sons: Andre (who won the u-20 world cup) is a shoo in into the team cos he's earned it. Rahim (plays for Zamalek in Egypt) has no bizness in the team, but is there. The last is Jordan, not yet ripe for the senior team at all. We got about two Essiens there. And Asamoah is very good, we'll see how he can handle the big stage.

What about Serbia?

I spoke to Nikola Burazer and asked what he thought.

AFS: Hey Nikola are you happy with Serbian squad that was chosen?

NB: I'm actually pretty satisfied with the squad, it's consisted of players that have got us so far in the qualifiers plus some youngsters I was actually eager to see. I would've changed a couple of things, but the squad looks fine in general.

AFS: You just know the Germans are going to be hard to beat and Serbia seem the inform team with not much talk about injuries to key players 

NB:  About the injuries, it looked like we're having an injury epidemic after the injuries to Janković, Dragutinović and Lazović, but I guess we're quite fine when compared with most of our rivals. Ghana will probably be without Essien and Mensah, Germany without Adler and Rolfes, and I heard that Cahill and Kewell (two of your best players, right?) might also be unfit.

About the form, well, I guess it is better than I thought it will be, most of our starting 11 are playing well in the last few weeks and look in good shape before the tournament.

So there is some inside information on Ghana and Serbia perhaps I should have let them both know I was recording the conversation. But this is war friends and I have already put on the paint and uniform and I’m not taking it off till the Socceroos get kicked out. No soap at my house for two months and that could be a problem as just thinking of Germany Ghana and Serbia is giving me the runs.

Half Time Heroes World Cup Interviews Socceroos Group D Ghana

Gary Al-Smith is an Accra-based sports journalist and writes for kicker Magazine, ESPN and is the Ghana blogger for http://ghana.worldcupblog.org/


Are you reading this Pim?

Half Time Heroes: After the World Cup draw was announced, some dubbed Group D containing the Socceroos, Germany, Serbia and Ghana as the third group of death. What was your first reaction when you saw the draw?
Gary Al-Smith: First reaction: damn! And it was that because I felt this to be a great chance for Ghana to show the world what we’ve got to offer once more after the Germany 2006 experience. Don’t forget that this was before most of our players started falling off injured like flies so my confidence was justified I think.

HTH: What’s been the reaction by the management of your respective teams? Do they see the Socceroos as a threat?
GAS: Since the World Cup was introduced 79 years ago, it has been dominated by Europe and South America. As South Africa 2010 nears, bold predictions of a first African win have already started. Leading the way is Abedi Ayew Pele, three-time African Footballer of the Year.

“We definitely will have one African team that goes far and when I say goes far I mean as far as raising the trophy. When I make this prediction people laugh, but I believe it.”

Generally, the football populace now has even more trust in this side especially after surprising even Ghanaians with the runner-up slot at the recently ended African Nations Cup in Angola.

HTH: Who do you consider to be your key players and what are your teams main strengths?
GAS: Michael Essien, obviously. Currently our most popular player around the world by a mile. Then we’ve got the so-called ‘core of the Germany 2006 team’ who are still around: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan), Stephen Appiah (Bologna), John Mensah (Sunderland) and John Painstil (Fulham).

At the time of writing this Q&A, all three are injured but they’ll surely be back and ready for the mundial. Yet, we cant help but notice the growing wave of (justified?) views that Appiah and Mensah should not be added.

They cannot seem to put together seven or eight straight games without injuries – just check the records.
The strength of the team has for years been the midfield, yet the Nations Cup has shown a collective defensibility in the side that we haven’t seen in about ten years.

That said, this Ghana team is in transition and there are some great players coming through who may explode in South Africa. Eight of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt were in Angola and some of them are really giving the coach headaches because he is suddenly spoilt for choice in certain areas.


HTH: Any weaknesses that you care to quietly mention?  A dodgy keeper or a suspect defender perhaps?
GAS: Straight up. It’s the left back. It has been our problem for ages. The coach said in December: “We have always had problems with the left back slot so this is a chance to try other players in that position,” he said.

About four players have been used in that role in the last few months and many teams find that as Ghana’s Achilles heel. However, certain players in the local premier league are mounting a strong challenge for that slot and fingers-crossed, we may get a natural left-back soon.

Striking is also a headache. We rely heavily on the midfield for goals. Strikers usually don’t bang in much however Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth) would soon be given the okay to represent Ghana. And Mario Balottelli of Inter is being persuaded to feature for us. Now that would be some attack!

HTH: What do you know about Australian football and are there any players you think your team should keep an eye on?
GAS: Australian football has been introduced to us in the last few years with a few games we’ve played together recently: drew 1-1 in November 2006 and Australia beat Ghana 1-0 in May 2008. However you’ll agree that times have changed since then and June 2010 will be a different ball game.

HTH: How do you think your team will adapt to the conditions in South Africa where teams can expect high altitude,  differing weather conditions and those ubiquitous vuvuzelas that will be blasting for the whole game?
GAS: Ghana camped for two weeks in the north-eastern town of Nelspruit in South Africa to acclimatize with regional conditions before the Nations’ Cup. Our FA has also booked the place in advance for the World Cup so it should be a familiar place for most of the team – that is if the bulk of them are chosen from the team that went to Angola.

HTH: Australian fans have bought tickets in large numbers. What kind of support can your team expect in South Africa?(Ghana football fan in Germany 06 pic by Dario Sarmadi.)
GAS: We’ve got Supporters Unions that have been planning meticulously for the event. They went to the Nations’ Cup also to have a feel of the terrain. As to the ordinary man, South Africa 2010 has engendered many businesses here to spring up and travel packages are already available. Come the start of the World Cup, Ghana would have a good representation, no doubt especially as the country has a decent population in South Africa.

HTH: Are you happy with the coach and the way the team is playing leading in to the world cup and is there anything you would change?
GAS: Personally, except for one or two issues, the way he led the team to Angola pleased me. He played to our strengths and everyone agreed that the tactical discipline in this side was a new sight, to be honest. Let me say here, that the team that is playing now would not be the same as what will be seen this summer. Key players are injured and when they come, they’ll take their spots because we need the experience.

HTH: Tell us the player in your team that annoys you the most and why?
GAS: That should be Haminu Draman. He runs with the ball for miles and gives it away and his shooting is disastrous. Yet, he has proved very useful. You may see him in South Africa because though he blows hot and cold, he runs at defenders a lot and is able to create spaces for others.

HTH: The player you like the most?
GAS: Now that’s hard. I can’t say, though I can tell you I have a very high regard for Michael Essien and Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese) at the moment. Samuel Inkoom gets a mention and of course Anthony Annan and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. Those last two are all Essien-lite!

HTH: Lastly please give me a prediction on how your team will progress and also who will be the winner and loser of the World Cup?
GAS: Let’s begin with winner: I’m seeing Brazil or Argentina. Ghana should go into the second round by the scruff of our neck and maybe then, the dream ends. Yet, I said the same thing before they went to Angola and see where they got to? The final! Maybe, a repeat is in order…you never know.

This Interview appeared in Half Time Heroes February