Raymond Domenech and his players wanted to achieve this summer, but after a week of chaos within the French camp, at least they made somebody happy of their fans.
Reduced to ten men following the first-half dismissal of Yoann Gourcuff, France was outplayed by the hosts, who claimed victory with first-half goals from Katiego Mphela and Bongani Khumalo.
Florent Malouda’s late goal was no solace for France and the unpleasant taste left by their World Cup contribution was amplified with Domenech refusing to tremble the hand of South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira at the end of the game.
Go home France. Good exclusion.
Since the exclusion of Nicolas Anelka on Saturday for vocally abusing Domenech, the players have boycotted training, there has been talk of ‘traitors’ in the camp and French Sports minister Roselyne Bachelot acknowledged Les Bleus could ‘no longer be heroes for our children.’
Domenech, who accused his players of being ‘indescribably stupid,’ made six changes from the starting line-up in the 2-0 crush against Mexico. He could have made eleven.
South Africa, needing a five-goal swing and a crush for Mexico in opposition to Uruguay to have any hope of qualification, required all the help they might obtain.
Khumalo outjumped Abou Diaby to bunch the ball into the net with his shoulder, Hugo Lloris, the highly-rated French goalkeeper, misapprehend Siphiwe Tshabalala’s corner.
The red card was welcomed by Domenech placing his head in his hands, but South Africa now sensed a chance and they decanted forward.
Yet poorer French protecting endorsed Tsepo Masilela to cross to the far post, where Mphela knocked the ball into the blank net.
Mphela approximately made it 3-0 on 43 minutes with a low strike from far that was intensely saved by Lloris.
Thierry Henry replaced the unsuccessful Djibril Cisse, but South Africa continued to dominate, with Mphela striking the crossbar before having another lengthy range effort saved.
The missed chances in danger of extinction to prove expensively, especially with the margins so tight for the home team.
And the twist was taken out of South Africa’s sails on 70 minutes when Malouda scored for France after being teed up by Franck Ribery 12 yards out.
The superb goal destroyed South Africa’s dream, but for France, the nightmare will go on and on.
Cristiano Ronaldo finished his 16-month international goal served and drought notice of his harsh capabilities by inspirational Portugal to a vigorous victory against North Korea.
The biggest-ever World Cup success, Portugal’s seven-goal win, Now Ivory Coast needing a victory over North Korea and a nine-goal swing in their favor.
Portugal will be eligible with a point in opposition to Brazil and Ronaldo, who made one, scored one and hit the cabinetmaking in this game, was the fabulous performer.
Queiroz the Portugal coach was clashing in his pre-match press conference on Sunday, first claiming that his team had large respect for the North Koreans before insisting that his players would be looking to increase their goal divergence with a vigorous victory.
North Korea was prepared at the back and their counter-attacking was aggressive and crisp. But Portugal, completely aware of the ramifications of a breakdown to win this game, grabbed the lead on 29 minutes when Raul Meireles gave a surprising pass from Tiago the finish it deserved from 12 yards.
Portugal’s goal gave the Koreans a distinctive disadvantage; such is their reliance on their defensive discipline.
Simao doubled their lead on 52 minutes with one more low-strike from close range before Hugo Almeida completed it 3-0 with a dominant header from Fabio Coentrao’s cross two minutes later.
Tiago then added one more on 60 minutes when he directed Ronaldo’s cross into the net from 12 yards. Ronaldo worked up the crossbar on 71 minutes before replace with Liedson completed it 5-0 nine minutes later.
But the goal that the Green Point Stadium had been distracted to witness came on 87 minutes when Ronaldo pounced on a back pass before slotting past goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk.
Korean humiliation was ensured, but Tiago compounded their depression with a header to make it 7-0 two minutes later.
The celebrating throng in sky blue, a besuited Diego Maradona sprinted over the Ellis Park turf. Was this the moment while Argentina’s perfect 10s, present and past, established that they have found the key to a wonderful attack on a third World Cup achievement? Here was perfect synchronization reigning both off and on the playing field as the sorcerer watched his trainee with the same fear the relax of the world must have completed.
After all the understandable question marks over Maradona’s eccentric stewardship, this was a vigorous opening comeback against a flexible Nigeria.
In an attractive and open contest which felt as if it had given the contest its proper takeoff, Argentina were fluid, innovative and emission quality and, even if some of their inattentive defending will offer hope to later oppositions, with Messi in this coruscating mood, anything seems possible. The only thing he didn’t do that was goal, which hardly seems promising.
Vincent Enyeama had the game of his life to make four unbelievable saves to put paid to him — and he also made another some remarkable stops from Gonzalo Higuaín — yet it was still not sufficient to avoid Maradona making a winning comeback to the World Cup finals stage.
Sixteen years since his last dalliance finished in drug-taking humiliation following a match in Boston also in opposition to Nigeria, he was in his constituent again. Suited, booted and tied for his new big business, he went throughout comic-looking joys and agonies on the bench, barked at an authorized and put arms around his young winger Ángel di María while offering suggestion.
And when Gabriel Heinze’s sixth-minute header from Juan Sebastián Verón’s corner bulleted into the net, there looked more than an intimation of relief assorted with 'keeping on sucking it’ justification in his celebrations.
He declared afterwards “It was lovely to be back.” Attractive to see the first part of his wish satisfied, that Messi graces this tournament like he himself did in 1986. “Football is much prettier when he is receiving a lot of the ball like this,” cooed Maradona.
The World Cup desires the Maradona show, too. “The hand of God” has reached, read one banner. Next, they’ll be conversation about Maradona’s 'brain of God’, after his exploratory attacking method with Messi buzzing in from deep at the back Higuaín and the ever-busy Carlos Tévez – much more gratifying than the 4-1-3-2 which he had promised to field after his men had crushed Germany in March — united so pleasantly.
Messi took three minutes to introduce him from deep, whipping three players and flicking the ball inside, only for Higuaín to punch wide. In this week, the Argentina physio had been quoted about the small man’s “irreversible” drowsiness after a very tiring season; the only thing irreversible about him, although, is the talent as he offered his total catalogue of feints, left-footed curlers and mazy dribbles.
“We’re on the way,” told Maradona. “We want to keep the people of Argentina joyful and when you start winning, you start to get the feeling like we did in World Cup 1986. I want the players to now start sharing that feeling.”
Argentina: Messi, Tevez, di Michelis, Higuain (Milito 79), Heinze, Romero, Samuel, Gutierrez, Veron (Maxi 74), Mascherano, Di Maria (Burdisso 85);
South Korea is the team who registered the first win at the World Cup 2010, a well-deserved 2-0 victory against Greece to furnish them a genuine chance of achieving their objective of a last-16 berth.
South Korea, semi-finalists of the competition 2002 when they co-hosted, were very swift and very elegant for Otto Rehhagel's Euro 2004 champions, who were sent packing by goals from captain Park Ji-sung and Lee Jung Soo.
South Korea took the lead after seven minutes while Celtic's Ki Sung Yueng's free-kick next to the left corner flag skimmed over the heads of the Greek defence for Lee to volley in at the far-flung post.
Bearing in mind it was Greece with their far greater statures that were supposed to present the set piece warning, the approach of Korea's goal will have come as a disclosure.
South Korea were close to a second goal in the 27th minute after Park Ji-sung's excellent through ball found Park Chu Young only for the Monaco striker's shot over the crossbar by keeper Alexandros Tzorvas.
Rehhagel completed one switch at the half time, replacing captain Giorgis Karagounis with defender Christos Patsatzoglou.
Seven minutes later Greece, who has never had the enjoyment of celebrating first World Cup goal, fell further behind after a masterful indict by the sparky Park Ji-Sung.
The talismanic Manchester United midfielder beat off defenders Avraam Papadopoulos and Loukas Vyntra to niche the ball dexterously past Tzorvas, triggering an outbreak of flag waving among the Korean fans.
