2nd Match – La Celeste 3 – Banana Banana 0

Let me start off by saying that this night was and will be one of the greatest moments in my life and better yet I got to experience it with my Papa and my great friend Gustavo, QUE GRANDE CARAJO!

From the moment I woke up my stomach was churning and I was still defrosting from the previous evenings match with Brazil vs North Korea. As soon as i turned on the TV though all I heard was how Banana Banana was going to thrash La Celeste and teach us a futbol lesson. All the so-called experts on the South African coverage were talking about how this was an easy match for them and hence they would rest their better players accordingly. How wrong they were…

If there is one thing that has been hard to stomach with the local coverage, it has to be the most biased commentary and analysis I have ever heard. I understand that being the host nation instils a level of confidence however making outlandish statements that South Africa were favourites to top the group and would prove to be a force in the second phase just makes me think twice before drinking the local water if you catch my drift. Even as far as getting into the stadium, the volunteer that checked my ticket called a 3-0 score line to Banana Banana.

From the outset La Celeste controlled the tempo of the match and totally dominated Banana Banana which was extremely pleasing to see if I do say so myself.

Here are a few pics of the night however with so many goals to celebrate I totally forgot about taking more photos and instead was celebrating like crazy amongst the silenced Banana Banana crowd.

The Good: Where to start???

1. The Result – Exactly what was needed considering the opponent and goals scored in the World Cup are worth their weight in gold when it comes to qualifying for the 2nd Phase.
2. The Formation – This was always going to be a different formation to the one used in the match against Les Hypocrites but I was super impressed with how well it was executed. Out midfield play was fantastic and seamlessly transitioned from attack to defence when required (mind you it wasn’t till the 68th minute that Banana Banana had there first on target shot on goal)
3. The Attack – It was great to see that we showed that we can attack and score goals. After all the crap that was spoken about our first match this was they best way to shut everyone up and you couldn’t not swipe the smile off my face even if you tried!
4. Top of the Group – This was what was on offer with a victory and gives the team great confidence heading into the final group match against Mexico.

The Bad: Not to much to say in this space which is very pleasing indeed. I would however say that Luis Suarez was once again not as effective as I know he can be. He was a little more effective in this match however my expectations of him are so high that I am always anticipating him to deliver some of his club form.

Nightly Notable: I was very impressed by Edison Cavani who made his first World Cup debut. His youth an enthusiasm rubbed off and it was clear to me that he offers a lot in our overall goal scoring arsenal. Admittedly this wasn’t his greatest night in front of goal however what impressed me most was his ability to drop back into the midfield and defend when needed. By him doing this he had a lot of touches on the ball which gave us the ability to attack quickly. Great signs for the future

Man Of The Match: Very hard for me to separate this between Diego Forlan & Arrevalo Rios. Rios once again showed that his call up to La Celeste was deserved as he once again was involved in everything and was a constant presence in midfield challenges. Having said this I feel that Forlan, unlike the first game, was the deserved winner of the “Man of the Match” award simply by scoring what may very well be the goal of the tournament & in the same moment proving that the Jubalani ball can be controlled without a remote control. Apart from the obvious, he too was dropping deep in the midfield which resulted in him seeing a lot more of the ball. I have always felt that when Forlan is running at the defence with the ball he is so much more dangerous & effective and this showed in this match. Bien Ahi Dieguito!!!!

At the time of writing this blog I have just finished watching Mehico defeat Les Hypocrites 2-0 which was a major surprise. I had picked France to improve from the showing in the first match with us however if anything they played worse. With the current scenario, all Mehico and La Celeste need is a draw for both teams to qualify to the 2nd round however I cant see either team settling for a draw which should make for a fantastic match. i am wary of Mehico however I am confident that El Maestro Tabarez can come up with the right plan to ensure we progress.

More importantly is that we finish top of the group as this will mean that we will play the team who comes 2nd in Group B and at this stage it is looking most likely to be South Korea who we watched today against Argentina ironically. In my opinion, we can worry about that hurdle once we are in front of it but all I am looking at is our final group match.

Internet access is not exactly of the highest standard in South Africa hence the lateness in this post and here’s hoping that i will be able to have some more great news to post after playing Mehico.

VAMOS ARRIBA URUGUAY, SOS LOS MAS GRANDE!!!!