So Cristiano Ronaldo has become so hated that he is hampering tourism. Ronaldo is easily the most hated player for English fans since Maradona. Some could argue that he is even more hated than Maradona.

1) Maradona at least redeemed himself with the second goal.

2) Ronaldo plays for Man U - a much hated club apart from for those who follow Man U.

Even the Man U fans who can’t get enough of their players are strong in hating Ronaldo. So much so that he recently said:

I should get out of Manchester as the circumstances are not right.

And now, Ronaldo says that he is happy with Man U and will be staying there:

I have no reasons to leave the club which has always supported me and has always helped me to evolve as a player.

So Man U will not have home advantage this season if Fergie does decide to play Ronaldo in the first team. While you swear over Materazzi or Zidane, do not forget the man who will be booed all season.

I love video games. [Via Ryan.]

Here is a video of the actual incident if you haven’t seen it yet:

I have watched four world cup finals now. This has easily been the most memorable. People from a generation earlier will compare it to the 1986 final and older generations will look back further. While there will be debate on this, we all will cherish having witnessed Italy win their 4th final.

A Dazed Henry and France 1-0 up

The first 10 minutes of the match was scrappy with Henry in pain and looking as if he had seen a ghost after the clash with Fabio Cannavaro. Henry returns to the field and people are relieved. The short period also saw Florent Malouda go down courtesy Marco Materazzi’s leg. Zidane scores from the penalty spot and it looks like deja vu 1998 with another Zidane goal.

An equaliser and Italian lobs

The Italians equalise with Marco Materazzi jumping higher than Vieira and with better timing. That is the story of the Italian strategy for the first half as well. We saw a lot of lobs with taller players being utilised, some thing Italians didn’t do as much before in the tournament. The Italians dominated possession and looked much more in command though we knew that a moment of inspiration could help win France win as well.

A sizzling second half

As the two teams saw that going into extra times or penalties would mean lesser control regarding the result of the match, they tried to press the issue. As a result, we saw some of the best football from the game. The Italian defense looked tight and if it was not them, Buffon always seemed inpenetrable. It was a question of which side will effect the perfect play for a world cup win. Goals didn’t look likely to be gifted and it was precious and yet attacking football with small but definite chances for both teams - the other team would just not let them capitalise those chances each time.

(more…)

“I think this is the most meaningless match in the history of football.”

BBC Sport analyst Martin O’Neill during half-time of the Germany-Portugal match.

And the picture isn’t of Ballack who yawned in the 43rd minute of the game.

It promises to be a final to be remembered. We were all disappointed at different points when Holland, England, Brazil and Argentina or the other teams lost depending upon whom we were supporting. The tournament seemed over just before the semis.

In hindsight, the world cup couldn’t have expected a better final. Italians are good on defense - supposedly unpenetrable and are now going for the attack as well. France has the creativity and the talent. For me Makelele is as crucial as Zidane and there are so many other guys - Henry and Franck Ribéry for example.

In an excellent preview, Danny Pugsley says that it is advantage Italy:

Perhaps it won’t be a thriller, but I anticipate a tight game and as a contest it will be an absorbing. Hopefully both sides will get to show their attacking instincts to give us a memorable final…Italy will triumph 1-0 with Pirlo the goalscorer.

Don’t want to read a lot? Listen to the final Beautiful Game podcast from Germany then, where they talk to BBC Sport’s Adnan Nawaz in one of their best shows yet.

This doesn’t look like being a goal fest and some people might have been put off already. What the final does promise to be is a scintillating contest. I am very much excited about the prospect of the two teams facing each other. It is going to be a game of chess has been the common refrain. What spark of brilliance and mastermind effort will seal the final?

I am thinking France will win it 1-0 with a Henry goal. Who do you think will win and why?

The phase of the disappointment at large over the Brazil failure is over. The analysis has begun.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter joins in the debate:

“Ronaldinho didn’t have the room to play, ask his trainer,” said Blatter.

“He had too many players around him who want to be like him or think they are as good. The system didn’t work. It’s the first rule of football, like chess, that some should run and defend while others make the play.”

Spot on. A lot of people have jumped at the throat of Ronaldinho for being disappointing. Ronaldinho has been brilliant for Barcelona in the last couple of years. So how did he fail to show his magic this time?

A reason pointed out - Ronaldinho being the marked man. However, that holds true when Ronaldinho plays for Barcelona as well - even more so as he is much more dangerous than the players around him at Barca compared to Brazil. So that is definitely not the reason for his failure.

The difference between the teams - Barca has Eto’o while Brazil had Ronaldo and Adriano. Barcelona had Deco while Brazil had x,y and z. Ronaldinho is the perfect at creating chances. If you have a finisher who can utilise those chances, you score a lot of goals. Brazil didn’t seem to be working with a plan. Every one was a star but the team cohesion wasn’t there.

So every one wanted to create the chance and not leave it to 1 or 2 players. We have the issue of team selection as well. We have the issue of team selection as well. I would have played younger talents a lot more as I wrote here.

In the Brazilian interview, Victor had stated:

…from what I’ve seen with my own eyes, this the best team (or collection of players) ever, with a once in a generation player in Ronaldinho. And, from what I’ve read and heard in history, this team, talentwise, is up there with the all-time greats.

For me, that is the bigger reason for the disappointment over the Brazil failure more than because I am a Brazilian fan. The team had so much talent. The coaches are applauded when their teams win. So it won’t be extremist to say that the Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira missed quite a few tricks this world cup.

All the greats have had at least 1 great world cup. Many thought 2006 would be that for Ronaldinho. It wasn’t to be. 2010? It will be one of the many fascinating things to look out for four years down the line.

The first was mentioned here. NDTV now brings to us pictures of congress workers supporting Italy in the world cup.

Why? Sonia Gandhi is Italian born. Simple really!

NDTV reports:

Party workers offered prayers at the Choti Patan Devi Mandir in Patna for Italy’s success against France on Sunday.

“We are praying for Italy to win because this is Rahul Gandhi’s maternal home,” said Rakesh Kumar Tillu, general secretary of the Bihar Youth Congress. The yagya featured a football and a specially invited priest…

… The youth congress workers who organised it have also promised to distribute 100 kilos of ladoos in the city if Italy does indeed win the World Cup.

You want to be in the good books of Sonia Gandhi, especially if you are a congress worker. So with the world cup fever catching on, what better way to please madame.

If Calcuttans can support Brazil and Argentina, why can’t congress workers support Italy? Or why can’t BJP join Dhoomk2 in lamenting Holland’s loss and Simi Garewal join me in supporting France (they do play in white as well) for that matter?

Heh.

Update: Gaurav blogs about it here.

Yes, if this from The Times is to be believed. Reason enough for the English to rejoice no doubt.

Ronaldo is much hated in England now post the England world cup exit. Whether it was a red card or not is secondary. Portugal tried to unsettle the English and the first attempt lead to madness by Rooney. He shouldn’t have interferred in the first place.

This man won’t mind the recent developments though. The scape goat phenomenon in England never ceases to amuse me.

This match is like a hot cup of espresso. A lot of steam and froth but very little substance.

The commentator during the Ukraine-Switzerland match which saw the ball remain in the mid field for a large part of the game with very few chances.

Video uploaded by You Tube user bws001.

I am back from Jammu earlier than I expected. Who cares. Let’s talk football. 2002 was Ronaldo’s redemption. Will 2006 be Zidane’s? On paper, it is any one’s game with the Italian defense versus the French brilliance giving us an unexpected but just perfect final. However, with the Zidane magic on display, most people except the Italians will be behind France to win the world cup. The French are the sentimental favourites.

Zidane placed himself in the history books forever when the 1998 finals ended. The more you see him playing football, the more your admiration grows. It is such a joy to watch Zidane that many admit to watching Real Madrid play in the last few years just to watch Zidane. How do we describe the way Zidane plays?

People have called him an acrobat on display in a football field. To me, he doesn’t seem like a footballer playing with a ball. He seems like a swimmer swimming past the pantheon of tacklers and defenders. If that seems extreme, you will at least agree that he doesn’t seem to be running at all. Is he sliding? Is the football field smoother for Zidane than it is for mortal footballers around him? We do tend to romanticise when great teams or players play!

Also, when great players play, it looks utterly simple. When you watch Roger Federer playing tennis or Sachin Tendulkar bat or Tiger Woods hit a golf ball, tough feats in tough sports seem like child’s play. With Zidane, the simplicity in execution looks apparent. However, the result - an out of nowhere pass or a chance or even a goal, is so shockingly unexpected, we are usually left open mouthed in plain admiration. You don’t even have to be a football expert to savour the brilliance on display.

Zidane was all over Brazil a few days back. We love to compare in sports. So, now, people are asking the Ronaldinho vs Zidane question. I am a huge Ronaldinho fan but this wasn’t to be his world cup. More than fans of a specific player or team, we are fans of the beautiful game. So, we find ourselves rooting for Zidane and in that, also France. It is said that great men transcend nationalities and are world citizens. Great teams and players also do. Team loyalties and individual player devotions don’t matter any more.