Ref Gets The Attention As USA Regain Some Pride

With all of the talk of groups of death in this World Cup I’m glad that one of them is finally living up to it’s pre-tournament reputation and taking qualification right down to the wire.

Group E, containing the Czech Republic, Ghana, Italy and the USA, always looked like a tasty one with the two European powerhouses likely to be challenged all the wire by a US side sitting high and mighty in FIFAs World Rankings and a strong Ghana side who were unlikely to roll over for any side with Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah in midfield.

Going on the first games we may have thought that we’d misjudged the pretenders as the Czechs destroyed USA 3-0 and Ghana fell 2-1 to Italy but it was yesterdays’s second games that have brought the group back into alignment and really opened up the competition for qualification to the 2nd round.

Ghana’s 2-0 defeat of the Czech Republic leaves the Czech’s with a daunting last game against Italy in which they’ll have to win to stand the best chance of going through. Even a point would only give them 4 overall with Italy on 5 and if Ghana beat USA then they’ll have six and take the top spot. Even if USA win and Italy win the USA will go through. Confused yet? You will be when these games are being played simultaneously and every goal will alter how the group will eventually stands.

This for me is one of the most exciting parts of the World Cup when a tight first round group goes down to the last game and we’re left waiting on the last two games to decide it. Maybe it’s not so good if your country is one of the four still battling it out and with suspensions now for both Italy and the USA after the ref had a red card attack last night, sending off Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope for the USA and Daniele De Rossi for Italy, the depth of squad element also comes into it.

Sit and wait for the fireworks on the 22nd June now.