Once more the French face the prospect of being booted out of the World Cup without having advanced beyond the group stage and worse... not scoring a goal. The last time that happened was in 2002 when they were the defending World Cup and European champs. Deja vu at the worst possible time. How they allowed this team to go astray is all the fault of the French Football Federation. What was galling about their 0-2 loss to Mexico was seeing Nicolas Anelka exchange heated words with Raymond Domenech on the sidelines. And how in the blue hell can you be walking all over the pitch? That fight on the sidelines was coming. Am I surprised? Nope. Hasn't every French striker not gotten along with Domenech? Surely you must remember David Trezeguet.
I've always said that the best way to beat the French was in the group stages. They are a slow starting team something that suggests a lack of chemistry and poor leadership. They only made the Finals in 2006 because of the will of Zizou. And now, can you say this is poetic justice considering the way they made the finals?
I'd hate to think that but it seems more likely as a tipping of the cosmic scales. And after South Africa, we have certainly seen the last of players like Thierry Henry, Anelka, the underwhelming Sidney Govou (I am so disappointed), William Gallas and others who've been around for a while.
When the United States was down 0-2 to Slovenia, I sat in the back and sipped my beer and thought... "Well, they have 45 minutes to make things happen. After all it happened to Liverpool twice." Of course, Team USA isn't LFC but the point is it can be done.
The pace quickened and that played into the hands of the Americans upon the resumption of the second half. When Landon Donovan blasted that ball right at the Slovenian goalkeeper who avoided the shot hitting him in the face, I knew they could come back. And they did except that the Mali referee Koman Coulibaly mysteriously disallowed Mo Edu's strike that would have made this match one of the greatest in World Cup history given the circumstances and what was at stake. Now the US has to beat Algeria; no mean feta after they held underperforming England to a scoreless draw. No sport has seen more controversial endings or calls than football and I continue to wonder why FIFA has refused to allow the use of instant replay especially for goals. You have an entire team busting their ass for a win only for the ref to become the damned show. It is an honor for someone from Mali to officiate a World Cup match but in this case, mali talaga yung decision coz he botched not just that but a whole lot more.
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