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Quarter-final review
Long live the underdogs
It was a round of heroes and villains – plus the odd managerial mishap– as the less fancied sides upset the odds and secured an all-European semi-final stage. James Sugrue reports |
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The biggest winners of the quarter-final stage were probably the bookmakers, as tournament favourites Brazil and Argentina were dumped out. England, coming in just behind the South American duo in terms of odds to take the title back to their own country, also suffered defeat. But it was the teams that progressed who rightly took centre stage.
The round was set to cause shocks right from the start when hosts Germany met the most impressive team of the World Cup thus far, Argentina. Albiceleste boss Jose Pekerman baffled his own fans with his tactics throughout that game and there was already talk of him as a potential scapegoat when the match entered extra-time.
With just a one-goal lead, the decision to haul off star man Juan Roman Riquelme was surprising, as was replacing former Inter striker Hernan Crespo with current Nerazzurri hitman Julio Cruz. After already using one substitution, when ‘keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri was injured, that last change seemed pointless and the removal of Riquelme appeared overly cautious with such a narrow lead.
Ultimately they were punished, as Germany equalised and the match went into a penalty shoot-out. Neither of the teams had ever lost in the lottery that is penalties in the World Cup, with three wins apiece. It was Argentina who ended that record though, with the typically unfazed Germans slotting home all four of their spot kicks. Worse was to follow as Roma’s Leandro Cufre sparked a punch-up between the two teams and Coach Pekerman handed in his resignation almost immediately.
One of the round’s favourites did enjoy their match though, much to the relief of betting shops around the globe. The ease with which Italy brushed aside Ukraine was just as important as the fact that not only did Francesco Totti last the full 90 minutes, but he also started to show some of the skills that so impressed with Roma last season. As if that wasn’t enough, Luca Toni finally broke his World Cup duck by scoring not once, but twice to give the Azzurri a massive confidence boost going into the semi-finals.
England already knew that Sven-Goran Eriksson would be leaving after the tournament and in a classic twist of fate they were up against Portugal and Luiz Felipe Scolari, the very man they had tried to appoint as the Swede’s replacement. Disaster struck when Wayne Rooney volunteered himself as the sacrificial lamb to the notoriously unforgiving British tabloid Press. Ironically, it was the same right foot that had dominated the sports pages in the run-up to the World Cup that once again made the headlines, this time for an injury inflicted rather than suffered, as he was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.
Down to 10 men and without Rooney or the injured David Beckham, things looked bleak. They were nearly saved by Scolari’s bizarre decision to play most of the remaining time without a single striker on the field, but in the end it was time for the dreaded penalty shoot-out. Portuguese ‘keeper Ricardo repeated his penalty humiliation of England from Euro 2004 and spared his team’s blushes.
So it was goodbye to Argentina and England, and probably less warm parting gestures for Pekerman and Eriksson. But surely pre-tournament favourites Brazil wouldn’t fall into the same trap, especially against a France side that played so poorly in the Group stages? After their own less than spectacular form, Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira brought out the hatchet and axed Inter star Adriano, despite his two goals in the competition, pushing Ronaldinho up alongside Ronaldo.
Yet despite those changes, the Samba Boys again failed to show the flair and finesse everyone had been led to believe they would display. World Player of the Year Ronaldinho’s below-par performance embodied the disappointing display of the team as a whole with past master Zinedine Zidane showing him up. As if he had travelled back in time to his heyday as the Juventus talisman and heir to Michel Platini’s throne, he inspired France’s revival, with his set-piece allowing fellow former Turin inhabitant Thierry Henry to secure a 1-0 win.
And so there it was. The two favourites out before the semi-finals, a final four comprising solely of European representatives for the first time since 1982 and Coaches dropping like flies. Luckily what all that meant was that this World Cup had quickly become one of the most open tournaments there has ever been.
STAR MAN – RICARDO (PORTUGAL)
The Portuguese penalty specialist broke English hearts all over again. Some fantastic saves in the shoot-out sealed his team’s progress to the semi-finals despite a fairly average performance. Only Owen Hargreaves managed to beat the Sporting Lisbon ‘keeper, although there was some controversy when Jamie Carragher scored before being told to retake it as Ricardo wasn’t ready. The defender then saw his shot brilliantly stopped as Ricardo tipped the ball on to the bar in a style reminiscent of the famous Gordon Banks stop against Pele.
MAGIC MOMENTS
Gianluca Zambrotta’s long-range drive just six minutes into Italy’s humbling of Ukraine will have got most people off their seats. There may be questions asked of the goalkeeper, but for a defender to run up the pitch so soon after returning from injury and then hit his shot so cleanly with his weaker foot was a moment to behold, not to mention the back-heeled flick from Francesco Totti to give the full-back the ball. Other memorable moments included Miroslav Klose reaching the 10-goal landmark over two World Cup tournaments and German ‘keepers Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn reconciling before their penalty shoot-out win.
MOAN OF THE ROUND
A lack of discipline from certain players threatened to overshadow an otherwise thrilling round. The reaction of the Argentina players to their penalty loss to Germany was a particular shame after such an excellent match, with Roma’s Leandro Cufre being sent off after the final whistle despite not appearing during the game itself. By starting a huge on-pitch brawl, his actions displayed a total disregard for the spirit of the World Cup and the mutual respect shown by most fans throughout the tournament. Maxi Rodriguez was also guilty of escalating the situation, but the entire squad should take responsibility for failing to control their teammates.
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Quarter-final reports
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