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The Ghana football team spent the last 24 hours before yesterday’s crucial World Cup group match scouring the skies for signs of their $3 million dollar plane, cussing out its coach and slapping team officials.
It was just enough to get noticed by the international media on a day when FIFA told Uruguay striker and compulsive snacker Luis Suarez that he was not fit to go near to a football field for four months. God knows what the penalty might have been if he was found trying to fix matches or pocket bribes.
Oh, that’s right. The FIFA’s moral code applies to players only; unless you’re trying to take Sepp Blatter’s job.
In any case, the Ghanaian camp made some headlines of its own as midfielder Kevin Prince-Boateng, who did not play for 90 minutes in either of Ghana’s opening games, was dropped for his team’s final match after a cuss-out with coach Kwesi Appiah while star Sulari Muntari was similarly dismissed for allegedly slapping a team official.
There was not much fight left when Ghana eventually took the field as the “Black Stars” fell 2-1 to Portugal in a match that sealed both of their exits. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo finally got on the score sheet; but it was too little too late.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Francisco Leong)
Ghana now follows Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire home.
Algeria was up for the fight though. And so were the fans of the North African team.
In the 60th minute, spectators shone several lasers into the eyes of Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev as he prepared to defend a corner kick. And Algeria promptly took advantage as towering striker Islam Slimani headed home the equaliser from the set piece, which ensured that Algeria qualified at Russia’s expense.
“He was blinded by the laser beam,” said furious Russia coach Fabio Capello, after the match. “This is not an excuse, it is a fact… I have never come up with excuses to get by in my entire life.”
Mr Live Wire is distraught by the miscarriage of justice too. Or at least he will be once he stops laughing at the idea of Russia complaining about Algeria’s use of technological aids in warfare.
Russian president Vladimir Putin can take a joke right?
Algeria now joins Nigeria as the only African nations in the knockout stages.
There was so more wizardry from Argentina captain Lionel Messi as he helped himself to a double in a 3-2 win over Nigeria on Wednesday before coming off for a breather in the 63rd minute. Messi has now scored four of Argentina’s six goals in the tournament while one of the other two items came off his corner kick.
(Copyright AFP 2014/Pedro Ugarte)
His substitution prompted an interesting philosophical question from one observer:
“Soooo wait,” said blogger Rhoda Bharath, on her Facebook page. “When Messi leave the field, who plays as Argentina?”
Cheeky bugger.
Star of the Day
Germany attacker Thomas Müller who scored his fourth 2014 World Cup goal today and his ninth career goal in the competition, which puts him level with the likes of late Portugal legend Eusebio and retired stars like Italy’s Roberto Baggio and Brazil’s Jairzinho.
Müller has such a knack for goals too that you suspect he would have banged in as many items even he was playing at left back.
Villain of the Day
The FIFA: Sure, ban Luis Suarez from the rest of the World Cup. Four months without a game at any recognised level? Well, that is a bit stiff; but I suppose it gives him plenty time to reflect and seek psychological help.
But you mean to say that one of the greatest footballers on the planet cannot even get in to a stadium to watch a game while the German fans with the Nazi tattoos and blackened face are okay?!
Well, can Suarez at least watch a game at the Centre of Excellence then?
Round of 16 Match-ups
(Teams grouped according to draw for quarterfinal and semifinal rounds)
Saturday: Brazil versus Chile; Colombia versus Uruguay;
Monday: France versus Nigeria; Germany versus Algeria;
Sunday: Netherlands versus Mexico; Costa Rica versus Greece;
Tuesday: Argentina versus Switzerland; Belgium versus USA.
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Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.
With Higuain in the squad, his tireless runs open channels for de Maria real teammate and Messi.
Nigeria looked good coming through the middle and Argentina down the wings. 10 to 12 corners shows that they have done some homework. Enyeama looked like Ghanaian Sammi Kuffour with gloves on but as Max Bretos would say they both seem to be vampires and hate crosses.
Also, despite setting a poorly positioned wall that ended up blinding him and sticking his feet, the 20-25yd free kick capitalised on these and was rewarded none the less.
Finally Messi is playing in a good position and the Argentine team is playing like a Man U ‘97-‘99 you score 10, we’ll score 11 despite our lack of having a poofy haired bruiser.
I would like to see Alvarez, Gago and Higuain start as strikers in a 3-4-3 system with Messi playing them through and doing channel running as the attacking midfielder. The defence is already weak so they might as well play with three behind and seek to score 8 in the first half then beef it back up behind in the second.
Allyuh talkin magic and greatness. Read over the above paragraph and salivate.
On the other note, remember the meltdown of a West Indian team where someone accidentally got “cut” on his finger with a butter knife on the plane? Remember the cuss out with Roy Keane in Saipan? It doesn’t only happen here. This is a reminder to us here in T&T that mechanisms must be put in place to avoid this.
To other bloggers, is a fit Ronaldo as yet great as FIgo, Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes……or even Ricardo Quaresma? If your answer to any of these are no, then Portugal deserved to go home if the spark relied solely on some pretty square shoulders. Some may say on his pretty play. Some may say on his pretty looks.
Pirlo and Mario underwhelmed. I think Mario’s game must have dropped after his return to Italy.
Pirlo, Yaya Toure, Super Mario & Ronaldo
me im disappointed to see Ronaldo go home~~ just so many wrongs in portugal campagin~ also balotelli~ disappointed he gone home 2!!
hahahahaha wait till alyuh hear the song ah dedicating to the shortman, . Mr. Live Wire, Amery Browne, David Aguillera, and the rest of dem fellas when they exit the tournament.
Lasana Liburd you have too many regrets…back a CONCACAF team, my friend. lol
This World Cup was so unlike Balotelli… I regret seeing him leave too. Seems like he was in better form while in England.
Messi winning d world cup by heself boy!
Steups. Messi will be in Brazil longer than Neymar! Lol. Aguero is a huge loss though.
…and soon like Argentina.
I miss Didier Drogba… and Fernando Torres!
…like Italy, like Portugal, like England, like Ghana…
Once you play badly you deserve to go home like Spain.
LOL!!! Mango, I hadn’t thought about that but it’s true, he doh have far to go at all.
hahahahaha next is the shortman that will be going home yes at least he don’t have far to go.
Luckily for you on Paper Argentina side is a lot easier than Brazil side of the draw… If Brazil win their round of 16 game… i think they rather play a Suarez Less Uruguay or colombia anyday
Yeah. I can see Suarez in a sense. He deserved getting kicked out. But he was electric against England.
Drogba never actually showed up. Sad to say. But at least Nigeria still in there.
I would Say Suarez!
I respect Asamoah Gyan, the Ghanaian striker, but I can’t say that I regret seeing him and Ghana go. They knocked out the USA twice…had enough of them. lol
Gyan was doing really well. But Drogba never got to make his mark. I kept thinking his moment would come… Sad to see him bow out like that.
That game yesterday broke my little kente loving heart. Him and Mensah. I real sorry to see them go.
Gyan.
Sim I know that yes but the players also have a strong Players Association that defends their rights hence the reason the USSF doh stick nah, some years ago they did try some madness eh and they felt the wrath of the Players Association yes and now they are on the right track .
Ghana produced one of the most horribly self-inflicted implosions in recent times… But still wasn’t as bad as France in 2010 I think.
Im not ready to read this. The pain over Ghana is real.
Mango, there is a big difference. The US Soccer Federation does not depend on Uncle Sam for money. The USSF is a business. They EARN money to stay in business, you ever hear them begging Uncle Sam for money the way other national teams beg their governments for money?
That is the same thing meh Soca Warriors should have done in 2006 World Cup in Germany yes, after the first game against Sweden eh, they should have called a meeting with that thieving ex- president of FIFA and let him that they will not be playing the last two games against England and Paraguay until they got their millions that rightfully belonged to them as promised ent. a Caribbean Airline plane would have surely been on the way to Germany loaded with their millions of monies the same yes.and they wouldn’t have been going through this madness today after almost 10 yrs ent trying to get the remaining of their millions of monies and who knows England and Paraguay wudda really get beat up real bad yes and we wudda made the sweet sixteen before the Americans that did it now in 2014. steeuuppss Them was really good yes.
So who do you most regret losing from the World Cup? Ronaldo, Gyan, Drogba, Modrid, Iniesta, Suarez…?
Rofl @ lazer … smh
Poor Putin and his boys… Russia always fights fair after all. :-/
LOL the major lazer joke
At least, they were paid!
major lazer hit , lmfao
Russian Lazer Hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjo4msRaLk4