Less than 10 minutes to go and suddenly the Ivory Coast is back in this. Drogba gets the goal after an extended spell when Argentina looked so comfortable and crusing to a win.
Three minutes later and it looks like Maxi has sealed this one for Argentina but the assistant referee gets it right and it is chalked off for offside. The original shot was from that man Riquelme again.
Into injury time and Ivory Coast need to get the ball. But they can't and the final whistle is blown.
Ivory Coast gave Argentina some problems but not enough to get a share of the points. If we didn't know it before the World Cup we know it now - how goes Juan Roman Riquelme, goes Argentina.
Ivory Coast definitely look a dangerous side, but I doubt they can get out of the group with midfield play like that. Wish Argentina would stop flopping like fish out of water whenever they get tackled.
I agree with thebejota, watching Sorin writhe in agony every time someone comes near him is sickening.
I really liked the way the Cote D'Ivoire approached the game. They remind me (not surprisingly) a bit of Arsenal. I liked the flow and attacking acumen. The two flaws are that Kalou can't finish and the keeper is VERY shakey.
The second goal was a perfect run and brilliant ball by Riquelme. The first was sloppy defending and keeping and typical Crespo plundering. Is there a better poacher in the tournament?
I can't say enough disparaging things about the ESPN analysts for this game. Where do they get these guys and who do they think is watching? Baseball fans are watching baseball, we don't need the analogies. The only thing worse would be if I had to listen to Tommy Smythe's idiotic blather...
I am the soccer analyst for the Fox Soccer Report and appear twice a week - every Monday and Friday at 10:00 EST. I have also been a regular contributor to the Fox Soccer Channel website since the summer of 2004. Over the last twenty years I have contributed to various radio and television programs throughout North America as well writing about the game for newspapers, magazines and websites.
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