Ecuador on the March

The first game this morning is also the first wholly South American match of this tournament. Costa Rica, who must win, play Ecuador who already have a win having stunned Poland on the opening day of the competition. At the half, Ecuador has a 1-0 lead and look to advance to the second round in only their second world cup. If Ecuador go on to win the game, the Poland v Costa Rica game becomes nothing more than an International Friendly and an attempt to save face. Tenorio scored for Ecuador on the 8th minute (it seems that the first goal in so many of these games is either coming very early or very late, doesn't it?). They can sit back and defend heavily against a Costa Rican team who only managed 4 shots in their entire first game against Germany. I'll be back with more after the game. **UPDATED** Well, and that is that, Poland & Germany go through while Costa Rica & Poland go home. With 2 losses by the P & CR, there is just simply no mathematical possibility that they will advance out of this round. Ecuador, handed the Costa Ricans their collective arse on a platter. Tenorio scored early in the game as I mentioned earlier allowing them to walk into the locker rooms at the break as the leaders. This effectively sapped the Costa Rican morale which was destroyed as Delgado dropped one into the net on 54 minutes. From that point on it was simply damage control for the Costa Rican's and they did a poor job at that, allowing yet a third goal into the bag in the final spasms of the match. Ecuador go through with a 3-nil win. Still one more match for each of these teams in Group A, though. For Poland & Costa Rica as I mentioned, it's merely a consolation match to save face. For Ecuador & Germany, however, there is still a spot to play for. The winner of the this group will play the Runner-Up of Group B, while the Runner-Up will play the winner of Group B. Lots of drama still to come. We have England taking on the tenacious Trinidad & Tobago followed by the Swedes trying for some points against Paraguay. Stay tuned. **UPDATED** We've half an hour before the England game and the team news is starting to trickle in. Neville is definitely out with a calf-strain which allows the far better Carragher to get his foot on the pitch. Should have started this way in my opinion. Rooney has been declared match-fit, but will be starting on the bench. So, it's looking like we'll be playing Robinson, Carragher, Terry, Ferdinand, A. Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, J. Cole, Owen & Crouch from the whistle. On the bench will sit Rooney, Campbell, James, Bridge, Hargreaves, Jenas, Carrick, Lennon, Downing, Carson, Walcott & Neville. On paper, it's a very solid team. Let's see what they can do on the pitch. More to come at the break. **UPDATED** We're only 6 minutes into the match and already England have taken three shots against T&T with two of those shots requiring Shaka Hislop's intervention. It looks like perhaps England have something to prove in this match, and perhaps they'll do just that...prove it. **UPDATED** The game is at the break and England have still not managed to score. The practically own the game and are ahead in most stats: Possession: 61% to 39% Shots: 13 to 4 on Target: 4 to 2 and T&T have acquired 3 yellow cards in the first half, so naturally they're going to emerge with a little more trepidation and less tenacity when the second half begins. However, all they have to do is keep the ball out of the net to wholly embarrass the mighty, mighty Sven and his ducklings. Who'd have imagined 135 minutes into the World Cup that England would not have scored one on their own? Certainly not I. **UPDATED** 72 minutes into the match and still the scoreline sits at a tepid 0-0. England have a little more hunger, now and have strung together some fine moves and stapled 4 shots onto the end of those moves; however, none of the efforts were even close to rattling the cage of T&T. They'll just have to do better than this. Owen & Carragher were replaced at 58 minutes by Rooney & Lennon respectively. Let's see if this cavalry shift does any good. **UPDATED** Well, scupper me and send me to bed with no beer. England have won the game. That useless ponce, Crouch, finally went and did something right and put the little round thing in the big bag behind the opponent's keeper. Imagine that. Peter Crouch, whom I've had little to no faith in has redeemed himself a little bit in my eyes by scoring the first goal for England with only 6 minutes left in the game. And leave it to Stevie to add a little bit of icing to the top of an already delicious treat. On the 91st minute, Crouch & Downing combine to get a cross over to Gerrard who pegs it squarely into the back of the net setting the England fan's beer-bellies all a wobble. T&T tried a quick scare tactic on England by putting one in the net behind Robinson, but alas, it was offside & shan't count. England is through to the second round, no other team in Group B can mathematically oust them from that accomplishment. Well done the three lions then, despite trying to self-destruct. Let's only hope that the next round proves England's prowess a little more, wot? **UPDATE** The final match of the day is underway in Berlin. Sweden take on Paraguay with both teams in hopes of finishing second in the group. Should this game end in a draw, then Sweden will have the onerous task of taking & defeating England in the last game of this round to advance. Both Mellberg & Ljungberg start in the Swedish eleven despite the rumours of locker room bustups happening after the last match. And that's all the pertinent news in the lead-up. We'll speak more at the break. **UPDATE** It's the break of a mediocre game. I suppose the only good thing here is that it rescues us from the tediousness of this match. Even the official was done with it when he called for the break directly on 45 minutes. "Go on, get to your dressing rooms and figure it out. You're boring everyone." seemed to be his sentiment. Paraguay enjoyed a very slim margin of possession at 51%, but Sweden had the greater number of shots, that is to say they had 7 to Paraguay's 6. One yellow card apeice and no red cards thus far. Sweden better pick up the pace in the second half if they don't want to be forced into a MUST win situation against England. Bah. Wastrel on. (Listening to: The Oyster Band & Sloan & R.E.M. & Danny Elfman & Cinder & The Living End)