What an upset!!

I dint have time to blog about the Netherlands vs Ivory Coast match. So I l make it short here as I have to talk about Czech-Ghana. It was a scrappy affair, with Ivory Coast going for it, while Netherlands tried to maintain their one-goal lead with some desperate defending.
Drogba missed a golden opportunity to equalize and it was all one-way traffic in the 2nd half with CIV creating chances but lacking composure in the final third, which cost them the game. The Dutch defended desperately but thanks to the first half strikes form Premiership rivals Van Persie and Van Nistelrooy, they scraped thru the affair.

I am elated for the Dutch but I pity the Elephants. If they had been put in the 4th group which involves Portugal, they would have surely qualified.

And I dint see much of the Portugal match, regrettably. (I was out with my college buddies). I saw the goals thou on the TV at Coffee World. It was a thunderbolt from the Barca Ace Deco, after some superb work from Figo. Ronaldo came up with a flawless penalty mins later to wrap up the three points for Portugal. Phew, I was relieved!! I was worried that they may not score at all against a lowly Iranian side.

Ok, I rushed home after a truly wretched evening. Only to arrive 10 mins late and I was shocked to the score line as 1-0 to Ghana!! What the fuck happened? Was it a freak goal or something?? I guess it wasn’t when I saw the replay. The Czechs were woeful in defense.
Appiah had crossed from the left flank and Gyan had controlled the ball well on his chest before slotting expertly past Cech. 1-0. A good goal from Ghana,with some help from the Czechs’ poor defending.
The Czech defending looked edgy, and Appiah was allowed to travel a long way before he sliced his shot wide.
Ghana was going for the second goal and they dint seem to tire at all!!! They dint sit back all the time on their one goal lead.
Amoah, who was fed into the box, struck the ball well over the bar.
The lively Gyan broke through again but this time his finish was less convincing and he hit it right at Cech who had gone down early. Cech was starting to show his stuff.
Cech was frozen to the spot when Appiah fired in shot from outside the box minutes later, and the Chelsea man was relieved to see the ball sneak barely a foot wide of the post.
The Czechs were second best for most of the first half and the first real move of quality came two minutes before the break but Rosicky could not convert Poborsky's clever pull back under pressure from Essien.
Ghana countered with a great move of their own down the right flank, but Essien's shot was blocked.
I was very disappointed with the Czechs’ performance. Where was that style which was so prevalent in the USA match?? While Nedved and Poborsky tried to create something whenever they got the chance, the Czechs lacked the edge in the final third (With Koller and Baros out). But full marks to Ghana for their performance. Essien and Appiah were brilliant as usual.
I was very worried. Kalyan too. We were praying for a Czech brace.
The second half started.
I whooped in delight when Nedved headed the ball past Kingston within a minute of the restart, but the goal was ruled out for offside. L .
Gyan had a powerful shot well turned aside by Cech after a strong run, while Plasil's effort was tipped over by Kingston at the other end.
The Czechs were looking completely at sea. Ghanaians were gaining control of the game. And I was positively fretting now. Me and Kalyan now downgraded our hopes to a single goal now. If Czech could at least equalize and grab a point, things would easier in the decider against Italy.
The game tipped even further in Ghana's favour in the 65th minute when Ujfalusi tripped Amoah inside the box, handing the African's a penalty. And the referee made a fool of himself, handling the situation like an amateur in which he took an age to produce the red to Ujfalusi. Gyan smashed the penalty past Cech when the referee wasn’t ready and he received an yellow for that.
Finally, Gyan was ready to take the penalty again. I was holding my breath and my hands together, desperately hoping for a miss or a Cech save. And Gyan dint disappoint me as he hit the post.
With Czechs reduced to 10 now, Ghana started to pile on the pressure and went searching for a second goal, only to be thwarted a host of times by Cech. Cech was BRILLIANT!!
Come on Czechs, you need to hit a goal at least for Cech’s efforts!!But, they had no real chances. Ghana was clearly marauding the Czech box by now.
Amoah's shot was first beaten away, while Muntari's effort just a minute later was stopped by the big keeper's legs. And Essien tried too btu couldn’t beat hims Chelsea team mate Cech.
Amoah fed Gyan on the edge of the box in yet another lightening break by Ghana, but yet again Cech was there to save his weak effort.
Ghana finally put the game to bed eight minutes before time and, as ever, Gyan was involved as he made his way into the box before supplying Muntari, who this time made no mistake in rifling high into the roof of the net. 2-0 to Ghana.
All my hopes were extinguished by now. Me and Kalyan was brooding bout the Czechs’ performance and already thinking ahead to the USA-Italy match and hoping for a Italy win so that Czechs could have a chance.
Meanwhile, Pimpong danced through the Czech backline in the final minute before setting up Muntari for his second, but he had strayed offside and the goal was disallowed. Stupid of Pimpong I should say. He dintknow the offside rule for Christ sake!!
Kingston was called into late action in stoppage time and he produced two fine saves from Plasil and substitute Polak to preserve the clean sheet Ghana had fully deserved. Ghana has pulled off an upset win over the favourite Czechs and has in the process, has upset me!

Post Match Ramblings:

What can I say?? It was a good performance by Ghana, much better their show against Italy. An inspired win.
It was a woeful performance from the Czechs, bordering on complacency. True, they had deficiencies in the striker department, but that cannot explain their poor defense.
They could have salvaged a point at least, if they had defended well, with Nedved and Rosicky some how trying to put in an equalizer.
I really doubt if they can score against the resolute Italian defense in the next match. With Italy salvaging a undeserved point from their draw against the valiant Americans, Czechs have their task cut out. I hope they do it. Come on Czech Rep, pull up your socks!!