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Saturday, July 03, 2010

World Cup heartbreak for Ghana and Africa


In this tournament's 80-year history, surely there has never been such agony for a country, and a continent.
says sporting life.com after Ghana’s dramatic- and heartbreaking- exit from the World Cup last night.

We were just a penalty kick away from an African side making the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in history.

Technically, I thought Ghana in this tournament were miles ahead of England, and indeed much better than Uruguay. They were a joy to watch.

And I think if Gyan had converted his penalty, Ghana would have had a very good chance of beating Holland in the semi-final. But it was not to be- and the wait for an African side to win the World Cup goes on.

I don’t know about you, but I felt sadder after yesterday’s match than I did when England’s bunch of overrated millionaires lost to Germany.

7 comments:

olching said...

Yes, it was horrible. But: what a game by Germany.

By far the best team in the tournament, irrespective of whether they win it now or not.

I'm pleased this ridiculous fawning over Messi and Robinho et al has come to an end.

Anonymous said...

Peter Wilby has put it well in the NS when he writes,

"Rejoice, rejoice at Germany's emphatic World Cup victory over England! Stefan Szymanski, an economist, NS contributor and co-author of a book called Why England Lose, pointed out in the Times that the English Premier League, from which most England players are drawn, is "the child of the Anglo-Saxon model of capitalism": highly priced, barely regulated, controlled by plutocrats, marketed worldwide, full of extravagantly remunerated foreigners.

The Bundesliga, on the other hand, comprises highly regulated clubs (subject to strict national rules on what they spend) owned by local fans. The players include a large proportion of home-grown products.

The World Cup match, concluded Szymanski, was a contest between "the liberal British model" and "the German model of social democracy". Thank God our side won. The left doesn't have much to celebrate these days"

That's why I was glad England was thrashed. Call it a form of sporting "shock therapy" LoL !!! :)

-Karl Naylor

Robin Carmody said...

So did I.

They might have had a better chance of beating the Netherlands because of the latter country's involvement in the creation of apartheid - psychologically, that sort of history can still turn matches.

Still, who would bet against Germany now?

Douglas said...

I hereby confess to have been merely cautiously optimistic about the USA's chances, so I was not particularly heartbroken when Asamoah Gyan drove the dagger in our hopes.

"He who lives by the Gyan, shall die by the Gyan"

If the USA continues in its current pattern, it will stink in 2014, and be halfway decent in 2018. I still find it unlikely that the USA will win a World Cup in my lifetime.

Branka said...

How very true Neil. They played so well.I thought that it was unkind of the ITV commentators to go on about their being allowed to stay in the Casino until 1am.

Paraguay did not deserve to win, especially after that handball!

Still the Ghanian players were a wonder to watch. Good coach!?!

Steve Hayes said...

And even sadder is that Uruguay's cheating their way through the tournament paid off. I will support any team playing against Uruguay.

And, as has been suggested elsewhere, soccer should borrow from rugger the rule that if a foul like that prevents a goal, the goal should be allowed anyway.

Robin Carmody said...

Wholly agreed with Wilby. Of course.