July 8: The Daily World Cup Wrap

July 8th, 2006 | by: Daryl |

Let’s be honest, it didn’t really matter who won today. With Klose more or less guaranteed the top scorer award, and Podolski already pocketing the young player award, the third place play-off just was very much the undercard before tomorrow’s main event.

As such, it did it’s job admirably. Both teams were more than willing to go forward (though Cristiano Ronaldo showed a familiar willingness to go down) and the home fans got one last chance to wave their flags for a team that’s been an unexpected success.

Daily Wrap Awards:

Top Man: Bastian Schweinsteiger. Closest anyone has come to a World Cup 2006 hat-trick.

Top Team: Germany.

Top Goal: Scweinsteiger’s first.

Bit of Skill: Torsten Frings making room for himself on the edge of the box.

Saw That Coming: German victory.

But Not That: Cristiano Ronaldo getting booed again. That’s three games in a row.

Germany vs Portugal | LiveBlog | Germany World Cup Gear, Portugal World Cup Gear

Germany 3 (Schweinsteiger 56, 78, Petit o.g. 60)
Portugal 1 (Gomes 88)

The first half wasn’t too exciting, and this third place play-off was in danger of lowering the historical average of four goals in this fixture. Even Michael Ballack was caught on camera letting out a nice big yawn on the German bench. Portugal weren’t as disappointing as against France. Though they didn’t quite throw caution to the wind, they did show a willingness to attack.

Cristiano Ronaldo was once more greeted by boos every time he touched the ball, and didn’t help himself by taking another dive. Seems it not just bitter England fans who disapprove of Ronaldo’s theatrical tumbles, as French and German fans have joined the chorus of derision in Portugal’s last two games. The lad’s got skills though and once again he was fearlessly determined to run at defenders, boos or not.

The goals came in the second half. Schweinsteiger cut in from the left in the 56th minute and unleashed a long range right footed shot. The ball swerved in mid-air as only an Adidas Teamgeist can, going through Ricardo’s gloves on the way to goal. Four minutes later Schweinsteiger struck a low free kick from the left, which struck Petit on the way to goal. It goes down as an own goal as it was off target before Petit’s accidental intervention.

To prove the first effort was no fluke, Schweinsteiger cut in from the left again after 78 minute and hit another right footed shot beyond Ricardo. Schweinsteiger was subbed immediately afterwards as Klinsmann gave the German fringe players a run out.

Portugal continued to attack but it was a lot of individual effort and not much in the way of team work (as opposed to Germany who quick counter attacking passing game looked deadly). Too often, the Portuguese players were content to give either Deco or Ronaldo the ball, then stand back and watch them dribble.

Luis Figo may be a former galactico, but he’s no prima dona and gamely came off the bench with 12 minutes to go. His class told ten minutes later when he found Nuno Gomes at the far post with a perfect cross. Gomes nodded home and Portugal had a consolation goal.

Germany’s impressive display was a nice goodbye to their fans, but also a reminder that the future is bright for German football.

Video highlights here.

Fan Photo:

…will appear later…

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Claude

C. Ronaldo didn’t impress me at all. Yes, he can dribble the ball but he couldn’t get it where it counts. While he was doing his footwork, Germany was putting it into the net. In the first half there was a time that Portugal fouled one German player after another to keep them from going in for the kill. The Germans didn’t have the footwork to match C. Ronaldo but they did find the back of the net 14 times and nobody is even close to that. Goals win games and not this ball hogging dribbling.
LiverpoolFC

He’ll have a roll to play in this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaFm47lsL2g&feature=Favorites&page=1&t=t&f=b
nicko

LiverpoolFC that link is awesome :-)

on the actual game: I’m wondering if the humidity has a strong effect on ball movement, why is it that only a Schweinsteiger, Maniche and a couple of others could hit the ball so well?
nicko

oh also: it seems about time FIFA ditched that stupid ‘yellow card for taking your shirt off’ ruling, how farcical was that!
laprimavera

Thank you LiverpoolFC, that’s the best football I’ve seen in a month!
minhoca

he did get a yellow card for it…

CHANGE THIS STUPID RULE FIFA

i’m glad he did it in protest
http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/big-question-which-current-coach-was-the-best-player.html#comments Pedro P

Hi guys!

Just a comment on Daryl’s, to say that 1st goal was a Ricardo failure. It was still a very good goal, but there was no brilliance there from Schweinsteiger. The 3rd, though, was almost a replica and this one, yes, was indeed brilliant.

Overall, Portugal showed a lack of initiavitve that was as annoying as dull. At least for a portuguese fan, like me, it got annoying to see them start playing only after being 3-0 down. I didn’t really care for the result, but still wanted to see an attacking Portugal side, like in the old days… Germany went there 3 times and that’s when they scored. They were more efficient and wanted it more, so yes, for all this also deserved it more.

Still, against France Portugal already played a good match, failing only to score. Not in generating chances, against a super strong and well organized french defense. I am sure had Portugal scored before the end, we’d have won it in extra time.

Next time… ;-)

Overall this result was I believe a success for both Germany and Portugal. Also for Italy and France, naturally, but there’ll always be that shadow hanging over there heads, that both finalists got there with “tricky” penalties and/or fouls, in direct follow up on non existing fouls and dives.