Germany vs Ghana

23/6/10 Soccer City, Johannesburg

Stadium: an attendance of 83 000

Germany 1-0 Ghana

Goal Scorer: Mesut Ozil

It was one of the most tremendous soccer matches in this World Cup. It was worth watching, nail biting and it was also clean play, as the referee didn't feel the need to show us his evil side. 

I've watched three world cups properly, and I don't know why people keep saying the Germans only defend. These guys only play in the midfield. The Ghanaians definitely had one up on this young team, who kept losing the ball in the first half. It was almost 'oh no! please' soccer, where you keep shouting at the TV screen, because you're worried that they are going to lose. Ghana had enough chances, alright, they only needed a draw, but I was rather happy that they didn't get any goals in. They are a brilliant soccer team, and the better than all these other African sides.

You need fresh talent, and you also need experience. The Germans missed Klose, and I think they missed Ballack too. The rest of the team can be sprightly, but Muller was a bit unsteady and Ozil couldn't score sometimes. Philip Lahm is a leader by his never ending play, he is always dashing down to the front and made a prolific save. He is a person and a player of much merit.

Then, after almost an eternity, there was the Mesut Ozil goal. It was breathtaking. Brother, may Allah bless you. You are brilliant. It was as if the entire stadium sighed, both in raptures at the strike and in relief. You need to resilient to play the Ghanaians, because they are both strong and fast. Truth be told, the Germans could have lost. They barely scraped by. 

Well done to both teams.

Ghana will face the USA in the next round and Germany the English.

On the teams next clash with Deutschland, Frank Lampard said its "a huge glamour game".

Australia vs Serbia

23/6/10 20:30 Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

Australia 2-1 Serbia

Goal Scorers: Brett Holman, Tim Cahill [A] and Marko Pantelic [S]

Group D was the most interesting, fiery and determined teams in the finals so far. See, every single team had a win, with Australia adding to that list tonight. The magnificent goal from Tim Cahill, where he proceeded to beat the corner flag, and vent all his frustration for that red card. A stunning spur of the moment strike from Holman, one of those that you don't see often, and Marko Pantelic getting a late goal for Serbia.

To be honest, I hardly watched the match. I was way too caught up with the German game. The Socceroos played a most worthy performance, and, like any of these underdog teams in the World Cup, should be well applauded for their efforts. They could have gotten through, just like how SA could have, but it was not to be.

See ya, mates!

Australia vs. Ghana

19/6/10

Australia 1-1 Ghana

Goal Scorers: Brett Holman [A] & Asamoah Gyan [penalty]

RED CARD: Harry Kewell

This world cup is weird. The red card has been the only consistent member of the team that has continued to prove itself. Otherwise Australia who were annihilated by the Germans; suddenly decided that they would put up a tough fight and beat the Ghanaians. Asamoah Gyan is the only reason their up onto four points, and that is because somebody keeps getting a handball near the penalty area. Ghana might be a better team then their African counterparts, but if they don't start getting goals of their own, they might as well be going home.

Brett Holman scored because the goalkeeper could not hold onto the ball. I'm just tired of it. What is wrong with them? Their gloves, brains, or the ball? Maybe it is some sort of match fixing scandal like those we get when the Pakistani cricket team is playing. Then, Harry Kewell was sent off to be punished in the dungeons because of a handball, [of course, everybody agrees that FIFA needs to replace its referees immediately], and so, Ghana gets a draw.

Oh yes, my main concern is Germany. Seeing as Group D is sizzling with wins, [unlike Group C, where everybody is happy with a draw]  all we can do is hope. If Allah wills! 

Germany vs Serbia

Serbia vs. Germany

18/16/10

Weather: Sunny. 12’ degrees

Serbia 1-0 Germany

Goal Scorer: Milan Jovanovic

RED CARD: Miroslav Klose

Podolski missed a penalty. That is a fault but for a German it is a mighty offence. He should have had hat-ricks, the amount of times he got the ball sighing over either side of that horrible net. His knees were cracking with old age and then his legs turned to jelly. More than that, he could not get through the smog somewhere in his frontal lobe. It was tough, and it was torturous. The poor guy.

Then there is the felony of the match, of the day, Miroslav Klose’s red card. I wasn’t watching, turned around and there, Klose commanded off. If it were anyone else I would have believed it, but I’ve never thought of him as a wild wicked player. The referees should be shipped off to the gulag, a simple tackle does not deserve a yellow, and nobody needs to get a red card because the referee is insecure. The thing I most detest is when they flash that card they act like their doing the fans a favour.

After that they were like cats unravelling a ball of wool, and no matter where they ran and chewed, they could not coordinate. Serbia scored, and Germany remained defeated. Yes, the Serbs played well but Ghana beat them, judging by that the Klose-less team, need to play the way they did against Australia. I know they deserve a chance, but I don’t want to see Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia and Greece in the semi-finals.

Check out the hopeless defending by the Germans and Klose's two yellow cards:

Germany vs. Australia

Group D. Moses Mabida Stadium, Durban [this stadium is so pretty, it embodies the sea, swooping birds and the relaxed Durban atmosphere]

Germany 4-0 Australia

Goal Scorers: Podolski, Klose, Muller & Cacao

RED CARD: Tim Cahill

Germany played a sharply gorgeous game. Oh, I could watch it again, unlike the English game which made me rather dizzy. I was surprised when it finished, because it was so entirely enjoyable. 'We loved watching it' thought all the thousands of fans in Germany, South Africa and the rest of the world, besides the poor Aussies of course.

With a cool professionalism, a steady confidence, and knowing what they wanted to do, they played soccer. They are getting much better at being cool and easing up a bit on the cold front though I don’t think they might be trying out Mohawks or dreadlocks soon. They showed us how to neatly step away from the offside rule and control the game, cutting up the field into square set pieces, if you wanted to learn how to play; this was the match to watch.

The Germans planned their game, tried hard to implement it and succeeded well. They say a German can’t dribble but I think their imaginations, normally used for mechanical matters, are improving a bit more in the creative way. The young captain Philip Lahm, did a pretty good job. The guy was everywhere; defending goals, busy playing the midfield and encouraging on the players on in the front. Michael Ballack you are missed, but the team is doing quite well by itself.

From the past seven matches this was the first game that I caught almost all the names of the players. Alright, I knew quite a few of them, being a bit of a fan of the team, but they stood out by performing in each of their positions well. If anything, I can describe the game as played properly. They coordinate wonderfully too, and the commentator pointed out that young players, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira, looked like they had been part of the team for years. These two guys were superb, brothers, we’re proud of you, may Allah bless you.

The Australians played dirty. Alright, they couldn’t play, but it did not mean that there were yellow cards and all sorts of fouls going on. I’m not sure Tim Cahill’s red card was deserved though. That referee with his slicked back hair was very serious about upholding standards.

I did not have quite the expectation after seeing Bayern Munich’s performance in the Champion’s League final, though I'm thrilled that they seem to have recovered their form. Lucas Podolski hit that ball in so hard, the goalies hands cracked and the ball went in. Man, I thought of ’06 and all those goals. The Australians had the first chance, but they missed it, because there are invisible walls blocking the goals, or there is a mirror somewhere that catches their attention, or the vuvuzelas suddenly pierce the inner brain, so they kick it in the wrong direction. There has way too much of this lately, with South Africa being the first to show us. Klose couldn't do it either, what was it, the third time that he headed it in? Mesut also having a few tries at cracking it. Muller’s fantastic shot, Cacao’s easy kick, and I thought they might make it a few more.

It was a wicked game for the tree time world champions but one against a small side. I want to see what will happen when they play Ghana.

Ghana vs. Serbia

13/06/10 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Ghana 1-0 Serbia

Goal Scorer: Asamoah Gyan

I thought Ghana should have been better, being the Black Stars of Africa. Many have herald them as the best team in Africa and its going to take a lot more than a penalty to win a game. The penalty was awarded in the 83rd minute, after a handball by Zdravko Kuzmanovic and was confidently put high into the net by Asamoah Gyan. Though Serbia and Ghana could have both capitalized on numerous chances, they failed to make the most of it, and Ghana walked a way with a one nil win.

RED CARD: Serbian defender Aleksandar Lukovic