It turns out as a very comfortable win for Brazil. The early goal for Ronaldo settled it down and Adriano’s goal just on half time was killer blow especially after Mensah’s header.
ESPN seems certain it was offside but I thought it was so tight that you had to give the benefit to the attacker – especially when the decision is based on when Cafu crossed the ball not when it rebounded from the defender.
Ghana showed great spirit in the second half but lacked that edge that Essien might have provided. So Brazil move on – they’ve scored 10 goals, conceded 1 and have yet to be fully convincing.
Ronaldinho has yet to show up, Kaka is carrying the midfield load at the moment.
One final note – has Gyan accumulated the most petty hat trick of stupid yellow cards at a World Cup or what. After a yellow card for a lunge against Italy he received another three for; taking a penalty to early; kicking the ball away; diving.
It is open to players born on or after January 1, 1985 and there are 41 eligible players.
Switzerland has the greatest number of eligible players who have actually played so far with three.
Fans can vote for their favourite and the top three fan selections will be short listed along with three nominees from the FIFA’s Technical Study Group.
The winner will be chosen by the TSG. A players list and more information can be found at the FIFA World Cup site.
To date I have been impressed by Barnetta and Senderos (Switzerland), Ramos (Spain), Gyan (Ghana) and Valencia (Ecuador).
I am also expecting the likes of Messi, Podolski, and Rooney to figure in the final list.
A cracking game, great atmosphere, and both teams willing to go forward. Two excellent goals, a missed penalty and a sending off.
The Ghana keeper Kingston even managed to hold on to a couple of crosses to say nothing of two stunning late saves!
The front two of Amoah and the magnificent Gyan were the key I thought. The Czech defense was run ragged. A reminder that pace combined with skill is a potent combination.
Not many bright spots for the Czech Republic but Petr Cech kept the score respectable - without him it could have easily have been 4 or 5.
Man of the Match - Asamoah Gyan. He may have missed a penalty but his overall play was superb and he took his goal very well. Good news for the USA - he will miss Thursday's game.
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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