Sadly, the most exciting team in the World Cup is going home, as Germany defeated Argentina today (1-1, then 4-2 in the penalty kick round). After watching their 6-1 dismantling of Serbia & Montenegro, I had pegged the Argentines as the team to win it all. They had a free-flowing attack and a stalwart defense, and scored a raft of terrific goals throughout their matches, including the unquestioned strike of the tournament, an insane chest-and-volley by Maxi Rodriquez against Mexico in the second round. It's a thing of beauty no matter how you slice it, but best appreciated if you hear the call from an Argentine announcer. Throughout the first and second rounds, Argentina played beautiful futból with a smile, something normally associated with the South American team known for its samba, not its tango.Unfortunately, as I was at work (and without a TV in my apartment anyway), I missed being able to watch the game. But as most recaps have explained (such as this one from SI's Grant Wahl), the Argentine approach to today's match was cynical and far-removed from how they played to get to this point. Ahead by one goal and forced to make two subs due to injuries midway through the second half, they went into a protective shell. And if this World Cup has proven anything consistently, it's that if you modify your play to protect a one-goal lead, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose that lead. And true to form, the Germans equalized through tournament-leading scorer Miroslav Klose in the 80th minute. Having used all their substitutions (inexplicably leaving wünderkind striker Leo Messi on the bench), Argentina could not muster the offense to win the game in extra-time, and Germany's keeper Jens Lehmann made two stops in penalty kicks to send the hosts through to the semifinals, while the South Americans were left to head home and mourn their missed chances. At least their coach had the good sense to quit immediately, rather than allow the Argentine media and public to rake him over the coals while baying for his blood.
So one of the semifinals is set, with Italy (dominant winners over Ukraine in today's other match) set to face the hosts. Tomorrow will determine the other semifinal matchup, as England meet Portugal and then Brazil and France hook up for a rematch of the 1998 final. At this point, I'm no longer sure who to cheer for, but based on the success of the teams I've been pulling for so far, it may be the kiss of death for me to choose a new favorite. Maybe I'll just enjoy watching the rest of the games and leave it at that.
On the other hand, not having a TV this week has given me a chance to do quite a bit of reading. And thanks to discovering the Tattered Cover just a few blocks from my new place, I now have plenty of books to keep me occupied. Summer, a pool, and a stack of new books? Ahh, life is good.
2 comments:
And so, are your blog post titles still movies,,,cuz I don't know "I choose France" so much?
Just catching up. I've been avoiding the blogs of late. Shame on me!
Sometimes, in my search for an appropriate movie title, I have to go very obscure. "I Choose France" was the penultimate work of a then-12-year-old Canadian filmmaker named Genievive du Pont, who between 1989 and 1994 made over 200 short films with her father's Sony Camcorder. "France" dealt with the tragic argument of du Pont's Barbie dolls over where to take their summer vacation. The film begins as light-hearted fare, but takes a tragic turn, ultimately resulting in the violent death of Skipper when she dares disagree with Barbie and Ken, supporting an African safari over the more popular choice of two weeks in Paris. Shockingly, much of du Pont's work has not survived, nor even been viewed by anyone beyond her immediate family.
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