World Cup 15/06/06

I was hoping for a much more entertaining game between Ecuador and Costa Rica. While ball possession was 50/50, the Costa Ricans just could not follow through. With this win by Ecuador, the two teams advancing from Group A have already been decided before the third match takes place. On June 20, Ecuador will face off against Germany, to decide who will take first place in the group. On the same day, Costa Rica will play Poland, and both of these teams will be looking for a win to garner some pride before returning home.

I was disappointed with the England vs Trinidad and Tobago match. The Brits dominated the ball possesson but they just did not have any flow to their game, and the T & T defense was doing a good job. In addition, Owen did not impress much in the match. It was good to see Rooney play though. I was sure the game was going to end in a draw, but once the Brits score, they tend to come to life.

I was even more disappointed in the Sweden vs Paraguay match. The Swedes are having a performing poorly this time around. They just squeaked through with that goal in the final moments of the second half. And with the number of yellow cards being handed out to Paraguan players in the first five minutes, I thought for sure one of them would end up being sent off during the match. I'm glad they settled into playing the match.

And finally, I just want to say how much I love the Adidas ad that runs during the matches, where the 2 kids are picking sides for their game in the village square. It captures a child's imagination wonderfully. Who wouldn't want to play with the likes of Beckham, Lampard, Robben, Zidane, Kaka, Cissé, Riquelme, Ballack, Kuranyi, Kahn, and even Beckenbauer.