World Cup Update : Netherlands boot Brazil, march toward finals.
The soccerati agree this match qualifies as the first true “upset” of this year’s World Cup tournament. Acknowledging that they have experienced a few mild surprises along the way, the devotees nevertheless insisted that the Dutch boys’ decisive defeat of powerhouse Brazil definitely went into the books as a certified, bona fide, signed-sealed-delivered upset. No denying it.
As everyone around the world expected, Brazil dominated the Dutch in the game’s first half, holding them not only scoreless but also largely paralyzed, unable to mount an attack. Moreover, Brazil scored easily in the game’s tenth minute. Perhaps the Brazilian boys grew cocky and complacent; perhaps they were a bit unfit. Whatever excuse they must, the Brazilians must accept that the Netherlands took control of the game after the fifty-third minute. In that pivotal moment, Ditch striker Wesley Sneijder aimed a brilliant but slightly errant cross, which fortunately was deflected into the net by midfielder Felipe Melo. Sneijder rose to the occasion again in the sixty-eighth minute, heading in the game winner from a corner by Dirk Kuyt.
The Netherlands meet Uruguay in a semi-final next Tuesday. Uruguay quashed Ghana’s hopes of becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final, beating the Ghanaians in a shoot-out.
USA Coach says football fever is here to stay.
Back in the United States a little sooner than he had expected or hoped, Team USA Coach Bob Bradley remained upbeat as he appeared on CNN’s “American Morning” this week. He acknowledged unprecedented fan support for his team, saying that the squad had seen and read press reports about the millions of fans who had crowded viewing sites and overloaded their local pubs. Feeling the nation’s support contributed substantially to the team’s motivation, Coach Bradley said. He confessed that he dreams about the day soccer overtakes American football in fan interest; he also confessed that his vision might be just a dream. Still, he emphasized the phenomenal growth of youth soccer in the United States, and he stressed that more and more elite players are coming up through the ranks, making the US team more competitive with every World Cup they contest.
