With the Group Stage wrapping up within the week, things are looking more interesting than previously thought. Just some observations:
- Paraguay is the real deal. I recorded their match against Slovakia this morning. As of this writing I've watched up to the 65th minute, and the Paraguay team looks solid. Their passing and interplay are fantastic and very entertaining to watch. Great skill on the ball. I'd be mindful of them as the tournament moves on.
- Argentina's defense is very, very shaky. Demichelis made two glaring errors that one would hope a top-class defender would never do. The commentators were very justified in questioning Maradona's decision to leave Javier Zanetti out of the squad. I'm also surprised that Cambiasso was left out, but their midfield looks good. They should do well with their immense amount of offensive talent. Higuain could become a World Cup legend if he keeps it up (though Messi does all the hard work).
- England look weak with Heskey in there. It's just not working. Heskey is a very good supplier of balls to his striking partners, but Rooney doesn't seem to be at his best, which really exposes Heskey's lack of scoring touch. Fortunately, they have two Tottenham strikers (Crouch and Defoe) on the bench! If England want to make it through, they have to go with a more pressing front line instead of relying entirely on Rooney being at his best all of the time.
I'm looking forward to the Brazil vs. Ivory Coast game this afternoon.
- Paraguay is the real deal. I recorded their match against Slovakia this morning. As of this writing I've watched up to the 65th minute, and the Paraguay team looks solid. Their passing and interplay are fantastic and very entertaining to watch. Great skill on the ball. I'd be mindful of them as the tournament moves on.
- Argentina's defense is very, very shaky. Demichelis made two glaring errors that one would hope a top-class defender would never do. The commentators were very justified in questioning Maradona's decision to leave Javier Zanetti out of the squad. I'm also surprised that Cambiasso was left out, but their midfield looks good. They should do well with their immense amount of offensive talent. Higuain could become a World Cup legend if he keeps it up (though Messi does all the hard work).
- England look weak with Heskey in there. It's just not working. Heskey is a very good supplier of balls to his striking partners, but Rooney doesn't seem to be at his best, which really exposes Heskey's lack of scoring touch. Fortunately, they have two Tottenham strikers (Crouch and Defoe) on the bench! If England want to make it through, they have to go with a more pressing front line instead of relying entirely on Rooney being at his best all of the time.
I'm looking forward to the Brazil vs. Ivory Coast game this afternoon.
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