Alec Brownscombe

The question for the Dutch entering today’s tilt with World Cup finalist France was whether or not they could replicate a superlative performance against World Cup winners Italy in game one of the competition. That they did.

The game transpired in similar contour as Monday’s game vs. the Azzurri. Despite the score-line, today’s game was tight in terms of possession (52/48) and shots on goal (9/9). But it was the ruthless goal-scoring prowess of the Dutch attack that set them apart… similar to Monday, 3 goals the superior through 90 minutes.

It was again the clinical counter-attack off of which the Dutch found the majority of their goals. In the best single play of the tournament so far (and unlikely to be beaten), was the dazzling counter-attack executed for Holland’s second goal by Robin van Persie. After a sensational pull-through move by van Nistelrooy to send substitute Robben down the wing, the Real Madrid winger sought out fellow substitute van Persie who picked the ball out of the air for the side-foot finish. After a cheeky soft-touch finish from Henry which seemingly gave the French new life, it took Robben roughly 20 seconds to regain the 2 goal lead for his country with a top-shelf finish from a near-impossible angle.

The Dutch weren’t as convincing on the run of play as they were Monday. After the early Kuyt marker, Holland sat back, banking on Van der Saar and pure luck to escape the first half unscathed. However, they remained just as imaginative up front, delivering the finish the French simply couldn’t replicate at the other end of the pitch.

The question that persisted throughout the lead-up to the tournament asked whether or not manager van Basten - with the likes of Robben, Van der Vaart, Van Nistelrooy, Sniejder, and Van Persie - had the know-how to turn the raw Dutch talent into a fine-oiled machine. Van Basten has answered the pre-tournament critics in quick time - today winning a massive tactical victory over experienced French manager Raymond Domenech. Both substitutes in Van Persie and Robben were major contributors in the second half while Domenech’s substitutes failed to spice up the side. Substituting Engelaar, a defensively-minded player, for a more offensive contributor in Robben seemed somewhat inexplicable at the time, but proved to be a stroke of genius. Van Persie has made a serious case for a starter’s role come the Romania match, but seems very effective when coming off the bench in the later stages. As the old adage goes, when it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As for the French, the opportunities came in spades but there remains a French finishing famine. Ribery in a more central role seemed to be a positive move from Domenech as he was more visible today. Domenech probably wishes David Trezeguet was on his bench at the moment. The options are aplenty up front for Les Bleus, but only Henry is producing at the moment. A shake-up in the strike force is necessary before the all-important Italy match-up.

With the result of the Romania - Italy game, the second seed is hanging in balance come the final game of the group stages. Your guess is as good as mine, but I’ve got a feeling Romania finds a way through with Holland already assuring their place in the quarter-finals as the number one seed of the titillating Group C.

abrownscombe@mac.com

Alec Brownscombe

The post-match chatter was inevitably going to center around the contentious non-call on the Ruud Van Nistelrooy marker that got the ball rolling for the Dutch en route to their 3-0 stomping of the Azzurri. I’m not going to go into great detail about the call because a) Holland were deserved winners, and b) there were two additional goals which were beautifully orchestrated and without controversy. The talk should perhaps surround Buffon’s failure to adequately deal with the ball on his goal-line. The linesman and head referee were unquestionably left in a sticky wicket and couldn’t win either way. I personally believe the goal should have been adjudged off-side for the simple reason that its possible the Italian player was genuinely hurt and couldn’t re-enter the field of play. There remains the chance that players could feign injuries off of the pitch to place opponents in an off-side position, but the possibility that a player is legitimately hurt off the pitch is too real to implement a rule stipulating that a player off the field is a part of play. This situation is one which has surfaced on a few occasions this calendar year, and illuminates a gray area in the rulebook which must be remedied as soon as possible. Perhaps next time the implications will be more meaningful; as it stands its a mind-field for officiating crews.

Right from the off, it was clear that Holland entered the game with a little more urgency about them. The Italians weren’t pedestrians, but Holland seemed the more likely from the get-go. Holland was creative offensively and speculated in the early minutes before accumulating with two goals in close succession, the second of which was a piece of magic. The half-volley conversion from Sneijder, after intelligent offensive play, was nothing short of classic.

The second half of play belonged to the Azzurri, but certainly exhibited the strength of an underestimated Holland back-line. The Italians were not connecting as per usual, with Pirlo and the like struggling to adequately service their big man up front in Toni. Pirlo’s midfield was out-worked and overpowered by a formidable Dutch midfield engined by De Jong and Engelaar. In the second half, the Italians were asking more questions of the oft-criticized Dutch defense, but they proved to be better than advertised. As the Italians found more space on the flanks, they generated more opportunity, but Toni was uncharacteristic in a break-away miscue. Edwin Van der Saar, meanwhile, continued about his incredible campaign, earning Man of the Match honours thanks in large part to a superb save off a Pirlo free-kick.

While Italy tried to mount the comeback, Holland played counter-attack football to a tee. Substitute Robin Van Persie hit the crossbar with an inventive chip that had a struggling Buffon beat. Van Bronckhorst was a major dilemma for Italy all match long and broke through with a heading finish between a scattered Italy defense and past an unsure Buffon.

On the run of play, the scoreline was perhaps a bit uncomplimentary towards the Italians. However, an Italian comeback never seemed likely, with little opportunity generated up front and a lack of finish when the chances did arrive. The Italian back-line looked lost without Cannavaro at the heart of defense, a situation which must be resolved if the Azzurri have any hope of advancing in the tournament’s Group of Death. They sit last in the Group after one match played, but of equal worry is the fact that they sit -3 in goals differential, a potential killer in such a competitive group.

The Dutch, meanwhile, could not have scripted a better start. A 3-0 win over the World Cup winners perhaps exceeded the Dutch supporters’ wildest expectations headed into the competition. The Dutch will gain considerable confidence having beaten a country they’ve failed to conquer in 30 years. The Oranje, with creativity up front, diligence in midfield and a stingier-than-expected defense back-stopped by keeper-of- the-year Van der Saar, appear poised to make noise after a dream start in Group C.

Alec Brownscombe

Any dreams of a repeat of the 1999 treble triumph in Manchester were expunged with a dramatic 1-0 defeat at the hands of Harry Rednapp’s Pompey Saturday inside Old Trafford.

United dictated the play and owned scores of possession but a total lack of finish ended up costing the home side after a controversial decision on the part of referee Martin Atkinson, who with a quarter of an hour remaining awarded Portsmouth a spot-kick after substitute keeper Tomasz Kusczack was adjudged to have fouled substitute striker Milan Baros inside the box.

My immediate reaction was that it was indeed a fair penalty, as it appeared Baros cut around Kusczack who desperately grasped for the ball and felled Baros. After watching the video replay it became clear that Kusczack pulled his arms away from Baros, who in a delayed reaction sprawled to the ground in dramatic fashion.

Surely United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was steaming after getting a better look at it. This ignoring the fact that, had Wayne Rooney allowed substitute Anderson pursue the ball carrier and instead covered the cross-box pass, the whole situation could’ve been avoided.

Central defender Rio Ferdinand became the auxiliary keeper with Kucszack sent off for the alleged foul, as starter Edwin Van der Saar left the game at half-time carrying an injury. Ferdinand guessed the right way but the PK was well-placed and nearly unstoppable.

It was unbelievable the amount of chances United squandered. The most glaring miss was on the part of Michael Carrick, who sprung in alone on Pompey keeper David James before sliding it under the former England international. As he pursued the ball for the seemingly easy finish, opposition defender Sylvain Disdain produced some goal-line heroics and Carrick was unable to wrestle the ball the remaining foot as he laid on the ground in disbelief.

This was only the most blatant missed opportunity of a slew of wasted chances. After a brilliant flick-off, man of the year Cristiano Ronaldo and center forward Wayne Rooney executed a one-two that sprung Ronaldo into space just inside the eighteen. It almost appeared as though Ronaldo had too much time as he uncharacteristically miscalculated and sent the ball well wide. Patrice Evra was unlucky after a clearance from a corner fell to the French international to volley. Pompey keeper James, who was brilliant and overworked for all 90 minutes, did just enough to deflect it onto the post.

A series of upsets, headlined by the giant-slaying Barnsey who has defeated Liverpool and Chelsea consecutively, has Pompey the only remaining Premier League team in the final four of the FA Cup. If United managed any degree of finish, they would be hands-down favourites to walk to the FA Cup victory, although Barnsley doesn’t deserve to be underestimated.

This tournament has exposed the beauty of a competition such as the FA Cup. It gives these small-time clubs the opportunity to go head-to-head with the giants of English football. The lower-seeded sides’ fans, if they are lucky, get to welcome some of the most renowned names in the world football to their home pitch. Some of these players are barely making enough for a living on their football wages - some even part time - and they have the opportunity to clash with these millionaire celebrities. To see a team like Barnsley slay the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea - a feat no Barnsley supporter could conjure up in their wildest dreams before the season - makes the FA Cup, although not the most treasured of all tournaments, an unpredictable treat to watch.

While the treble opportunity has gone by the wayside, the chances for a double increased significantly as Arsenal slipped to a draw in league play. Should United tie or draw their fixture this weekend, they will be clear of Arsenal atop the table. In the event of the tie, United holds the edge in the goals difference category.

Meanwhile, the Champions League is in its crucial stages. United weren’t convincing, but got on with business on Tuesday against Lyon, winning the fixture 1-0 to move on to the quarter finals. Its been well-documented that Sir Alex’s primary focus is on Champions League, which inspired his summer time splurge, signing the likes of Owen Hargraeves and Carlos Tevez in hopes that it would lead him to Euro glory.

For my money, however, Manchester United has remained far from convincing in Champs League and must quickly get their act together before another premature exit. It won’t matter the draw, United will be kicking-off with a top opponent now that the tourney has reached its crucial stages. Ferguson must go with the 11 which has given him the most success, which includes Carrick and Scholes in central midfield, not Anderson or Hargraeves. This team’s quality seems to double when Carrick is dictating the play.

The favourite, to me, is Liverpool. They are battle-tested and in top form right now. Youngster Fernando Torres has been the best player in Europe the past 2 weeks, scoring back-to-back hat-tricks last week and chipping in another against a dwindling Newcastle side this weekend. Rafael Benitez has always been a manager for the big fixtures as he knows how to play against the best. Where his side typically struggles is with lesser sides, as such they struggle to manifest the consistency during league play. Liverpool will have to close out Inter this week to assure their place in the quarters.

The semi-finals could very well end up the 4 English giants in Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. It would be quite the feat for English football.

More to come,

abrownscombe@mac.com