World Cup: Match 14 - Brazil vs. North Korea

The Orlando Sentinel posted an article about "Five matches to miss at this World Cup." Their warnings haven't been great, so far, though. But that's the fun in watching, isn't it: anyone can win.

1. South Korea vs. Greece. Maybe it wasn't the most exciting or important game, but South Korea is one of three teams to score more than one goal in the first 13 games of the tournament.

2. New Zealand vs. Slovakia. Few people woke up for this one, but it definitely had an exciting finish. And the crisp, cold, clear air made the HD look more high definition than ever.

3. Brazil vs. North Korea.
"Some people like watching helpless teams get beatdown by superior teams. Why else would the University of Florida sell out its games against Directional-Directional State U? This could be as ugly as they get in the group stage with Brazil wanting to set the tone early against an over-matched team we know nothing about."

I have a friend who went home because the result was too secure. Another who did watch because he was eager for a pummeling. But the battle between #1 Brazil and #105 Korea (lowest seed in the WC) was nothing like anyone expected.

Commanded from afar by the tactical genius of Kim Jong-Il, who communicated with Kim Jong Hon, the N. Korean coach, via a concealed transmitter, the North Koreans were incredibly well organized and for the first 45 minutes of the match held their ground against the five-time masters of world football. All 11 players spent the majority of the game in their own third and Brazil had a tough time finding their way through the ever-collapsing tunnels and trap doors of the Korean defense. Midway through, it became obvious that Brazil were frustrated by the stark opposition and were even forced to halt their streaming attack in favor of more patient probing.

Finally, in the tenth minute of the second half, with their offensive line set up much farther (thank you, Chelsea) from the goal than before, Brazil found their way in. Running down a pass from Elano that seemed ready to fizzle out of bounds across the end line, Maicon crossed the ball in on his first touch. But the ball never reached his expecting teammates, nor the defenders marking them. Instead it slipped between the near post and keeper. Initially, there was some doubt surrounding Maicon's intentions, but in the replay, he clearly looked up, measured the keeper's position, and struck the ball surgically with the outside of his right foot. Anyone who watched ESPN Soccernet's "I Scored A Goal In A World Cup Final" closely knows that Maicon's brilliant goal was an echo of Amarildo's equalizer in the 1962 World Cup final. And just as it was 48 years ago, this goal gave Brazil the confidence to get another.

Brazil's second goal was a thing of beauty, as they finally managed to slip a pass through the staunch North Korean defense. Robinho--who had a great game, and in my opinion should have been man of the match--was the orchestrator. Have you ever seen a more perfect pass? Just fast enough to beat the defenders and just slow enough that it essentially came to rest in front of Elano's approaching stride. It was a goal in the classic Brazilian style.

Here I thought, 'at last Brazil has found the crack...and with 20 minutes to spare.' I eagerly awaited a third and fourth goal. So what came in the 89th minute was a little bit of a shock. North Korea, whose offense had been steadily building toward the end of the game (having nothing to lose), put together an amazing finish that left the Brazilian team wondering exactly what had happened. But that's mainly because the Brazilians didn't seem to believe they could. Jong Tae-se, the lone forward, rose to head down a long-range pass at the edge of the Brazilian box. His pass landed at the feet of Ji Yun-nam, who pounced on the opportunity, blew by three or four frozen-stiff defenders and confidently fired it past Julio Cesar, arguably the best keeper in the world. This produced two rather thrilling final minutes, with Jong Tae-se overtaken with excitement as he blasted his final opportunity into the stands. Still, it was not a scoreline anybody expected and now Portugal and Ivory Coast may think twice before they decide to write off North Korea, whose poor ranking is due more to the secrecy of the team rather than its quality. For example, check this out: Jong Tae-se, N. Korea's lone forward, wept as his national anthem played. Commentators interpreted this as an emotional moment for him, but I have a sneaking suspicion he was crying because Kim Jong-Il threatened to kill his family if he didn't score a goal. Let's pray the assist will be enough...

What I found most interesting about Maicon and Ji's goals is that they both capitalized on the anticipation of the keepers. Maicon looked up and noted the keeper's position, so I give him full credit. Ji's intentions are more ambiguous, as his shot traveled straight through the space which Julio Cesar originally occupied. Maybe Ji knew that Cesar would anticipate a near post effort and took the gamble, much like the penalty kick taker who has the audacity to shoot right down the middle (Zidane comes to mind). Or maybe it was an accident. But if Cesar hadn't dived, the shot would have ricocheted right off him. Let's give Ji the benefit of the doubt.

Now the debate: was the N. Korean keeper at fault? I'm going to have to side with Ruud Gullit on this one, who says no, and provides a much more persuasive argument and in general a more tempered commentary than his English counterpart, Steve McManaman, who just seems pissed off all the time. But you would be too if you thought England was going to win 3-0 last Sunday. Ruud Gullit predicted the draw, so I'm with him. Alexi Lalas was off in his own world with a 2-1 upset prediction. Is it too late to fire him?

Ruud Gullit mentioned that the keeper's over-eagerness was a small mistake in a game of small mistakes (soccer)--very wise words, indeed. But I'll defer to my goalie friend before I cast my final vote. What say you, Brentonius?


FUNNY COMMENTARY:
After a play where Maicon fires into a crowd and Elano gets the rebound and tries to chip the keeper:
"And it was power from Maicon and rather gentle from Elano."
(ironically, these end up being the identity of the goalscorers and fair descriptions of their shots)

After Lucio steals the ball:
"Here's Lucio who plays in rather buckaneering fashion."

The referee (who also worked as a travel agent) asks the Koreans to back up even though he is standing 20 yds away:
"He isn't marching it but as a travel agent I guess he knows his distances, the referee."

Good soccer tip I clearly never learned:
"Pass the ball when the player wants to receive it, not when you want to pass it."

"One pass from Robinho...to the man. Another pass from Elano to the corner of the net."


BEST FAN:
Did you see the Brazilian guy with the hat kissing the trophy and winking at the camera?