Pre World Cup Friendlies (R) (and other World Cup preparatory matches for Brazil 2014)

Well they're likely to use this result to learn how to handle Ivoy Coast.

 

I don't really see how, as Zambia plays nothing like Cote d'Ivoire...

Zambia is slight, small and loves to place one-touch football with small little dribbles and one-twos. Unlike Cote d'Ivoire they don't base their play on physical dominance.

Penalty to Japan.
EDIT: Keisuke Honda scorers - 2:1

 

It's a matter of physic. High pressure and strong African giants?

 

HT.
Japan looking more and more likely to score. Problem is that Zambia isn't looking any less likely to score.

 

Fred loves to score while laying down!

 

Colombia beats Jordan 3-0 with 2 penalties coming from James and Cuadrado. Interestingly enough, both of them were handballs by the same player I think for both penalties for Jodran. And a beautiful goal from Guarin! What a shot.

 

Croatia-Australia: 1-0 Jelavic...

only half of the main players were on the pitch at the same time during the whole match.

 

Japan made a 3-2 comeback so far; called it.

 

Ouch, they may have just given up their comeback entirely.

 

Oops, I didn't notice that this thread had this topic already, and I started another one about one of the friendlies, Brazil vs. Serbia. Still, out of place or not, I'd like to learn what people thought of this game and what they'd say regarding the points I raised in that thread. Here is the link:

http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/what-should-we-think-of-brazil-2-0-serbia.2005961/

 

Terrible goalkeeping from the Zambian backup goalie. 4:3... Three of those goals on the GK. Tough on the Zambians, who were better for most - if not all - of the game. But Japan were clinical, while Zambia lacked the final ball or finishing. Funny to say that in a game with 7 goals... Shame. Would have been a great deserved win.

Three great goals from Zambia BTW, all well worth of a watch in the highlights reel.

Big questions marks on Japanese defending, as Zambia easily could have scored several more goals. Group C starting to look like the group of sh1te defences + Greece.

Japan - Zambia 4:3
40' PK, 75' Keisuke Honda, 74' Shinji Kagawa, 90' Yoshito Okubo - 9' Christopher Katongo, 29' Nathan Sinkala, 89' Lubambo Musonda

Croatia - Australia 1:0
58' Jelavic

Colombia - Jordan 3:0
42' PK James Rodriguez, 83' PK Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, 89' Freddy Guarin

 

I personally don't think CIV is a bad defensive team. Individually, they may be better than Greece without Sokratis. As a team, they need some work.

 

Mexico 0 Portugal 1

93 min winning header by Alves from a Moutinho free kick. Mexico were the better side overall.

 

I called that gol 10 minutes before it happened.

Mexico were playing too well for it to end favorable for us.

 

was Cristiano already playing?

 

Nope; did not play this entire game.

 

Greece - Bolivia 2:1
20' Kone, 54' Katsouranis - 71' Rudy Cardozo

Costa Rica - Ireland 1:1
65' PK Celso Borges - 18' Kevin Doyle
41' RED CARD Giancarlo Gonzalez

 

Ronaldo will maybe play against Germany in the first game not before. Portugal vs Ireland on Tuesday in the last game before the WC, two days from Brazil vs Croatia and six from Germany vs Portugal.

 

Well, he is right about it. It would be extremely stupid to play a friendly and aggravate an injury.

 

Cameroon's starting line-up in their final friendly game (from 4):

Feudjou - Nyom, Chedjou, Nkoulou, Bedimo - Song, Enoh, N'guemo - Salli, Moukandjo, Webo

Surprisingly an experimental squad with just a few guaranteed starters (Song, Bedimo and Nkoulou). Eto'o is apparently being rested due to a minor knock. Don't know when the game starts... in 10 minutes? in 40 minutes? in 3,5 hours?

 

Cameroon - Moldova game starting any moment now:
http://gofirstrow.eu/watch/264069/1/watch-cameroon-vs-moldova.html

Interestingly enough Cameroon decided to set up camp in... Cameroon, before moving to Brasil. Interesting move as the climate in Cameroon is almost identical to that in Recife or Natal (slightly less humid than in Manaus). Also underlines the ever so slight climatic advantage Cameroon will have, as they will play all three games in the group phase in Northern Brasil.

Cameroon get a proper sending off game in front of a home crowd. Good move by the FA (which is something new) and Finke.

Very seldom do African teams have the opportunity to host non-European opposition at home.

 

"Very seldom do African teams have the opportunity to host non-European opposition at home."

I assume you meant non-African opposition.

Cameroon ahead 1-0 after 60 minutes.

 

Lots of wasted chances, one-sided. Don't think Moldova had a single decent shot on goal. I counted three crossbars and four point blank misses from Cameroon. Very wasteful - but I guess a win is a win. Moukandjo the stand-out player.

 

It was apparently the first time ever that Cameroon played against an European team on home soil.

 

Cameroon - Moldova 1:0
30' Edgar Salli

Argentina - Slovenia 2:0
12' Ricardo Alvarez, 76' Lionel Messi

Belgium - Tunisia 1:0
90' Dries Mertens
63' RED CARD Issam Jemaa
Referee helping out Belgium with a very iffy red card.

Spain being handed gift penalties and gift goals left and right. but somehow manages to only hold a slender 1:0 lead over El Salvador. I hope the penalty call in their favor is not a sign of thing to come.