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First off, thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ctbn60 for sprucing up my Zenyatta icon, in honour of her historic win yesterday. It's based on a pic I took at the 2008 Breeders Cup, after her win in the Ladies Classic. I was just leaving and saw a professional photographer waiting along a path with equipment at the ready. He advised me that Zenyatta would be passing by any second now, and sure enough, there she was. As you can see, she was still full of energy and fire even after spread eagling the field.
I love the picture because it gives a great view of Zenyatta's very elegant head. Alas, its not well framed and her groom has his tongue sticking out, so it doesn't exactly wind up in the photography hall of fame! Many thanks to ctbn60 for editting out the distracting bits.
June 14, 2010
On the World Cup front, I confess to feeling a bit of a letdown after yesterday's tour de force victory by Germany. I don't know football strategy well enough to really appreciate a defensive battle. Instead, I want to see a lot of scoring opportunities and elegant finishes that make you want to scream, 'Goooooaaaaaaalll!' Would today's matches oblige? Alas, no, even though we saw 2 teams that certainly merit consideration for taking the tournament in Italy and the Netherlands.
The Dutch won handily 2-0 versus Denmark, but the decisive play in the game was an own goal at the start of the second half. Before that painful mistake, the Danish defense looked solid and I was resigned to a scoreless tie. After the own goal, the Danes had to push for an equalizer and the Dutch counterattacked effectively. The Dutch deserved the win but didn't really impress me.
The other Group E match was a genuine shocker, with Japan scoring their first World Cup win on foreign soil. Cameroon is one of the powerhouses of African football and was widely expected to win. Their next match against Denmark is going to be do or die for both teams.
And last but not least, Italy started their defense of the World Cup title against what looked to be a very formidable foe. Paraguay are a wise guy pick for this year's title, with a strong defense and an increasingly potent offense. They scored near the end of the first half on a very nice header and you could just feel gloom descending all over Toronto - we have a huge Italian community. But the Azurri responded to the challenge and eventually equalised. They did look the better team but are going to be vulnerable in the next rounds if they don't improve significantly.
ctbn60 for sprucing up my Zenyatta icon, in honour of her historic win yesterday. It's based on a pic I took at the 2008 Breeders Cup, after her win in the Ladies Classic. I was just leaving and saw a professional photographer waiting along a path with equipment at the ready. He advised me that Zenyatta would be passing by any second now, and sure enough, there she was. As you can see, she was still full of energy and fire even after spread eagling the field. I love the picture because it gives a great view of Zenyatta's very elegant head. Alas, its not well framed and her groom has his tongue sticking out, so it doesn't exactly wind up in the photography hall of fame! Many thanks to ctbn60 for editting out the distracting bits.
June 14, 2010
On the World Cup front, I confess to feeling a bit of a letdown after yesterday's tour de force victory by Germany. I don't know football strategy well enough to really appreciate a defensive battle. Instead, I want to see a lot of scoring opportunities and elegant finishes that make you want to scream, 'Goooooaaaaaaalll!' Would today's matches oblige? Alas, no, even though we saw 2 teams that certainly merit consideration for taking the tournament in Italy and the Netherlands.
The Dutch won handily 2-0 versus Denmark, but the decisive play in the game was an own goal at the start of the second half. Before that painful mistake, the Danish defense looked solid and I was resigned to a scoreless tie. After the own goal, the Danes had to push for an equalizer and the Dutch counterattacked effectively. The Dutch deserved the win but didn't really impress me.
The other Group E match was a genuine shocker, with Japan scoring their first World Cup win on foreign soil. Cameroon is one of the powerhouses of African football and was widely expected to win. Their next match against Denmark is going to be do or die for both teams.
And last but not least, Italy started their defense of the World Cup title against what looked to be a very formidable foe. Paraguay are a wise guy pick for this year's title, with a strong defense and an increasingly potent offense. They scored near the end of the first half on a very nice header and you could just feel gloom descending all over Toronto - we have a huge Italian community. But the Azurri responded to the challenge and eventually equalised. They did look the better team but are going to be vulnerable in the next rounds if they don't improve significantly.
| Group E Standings | ||||||
| Team (FIFA rank) | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Points |
| Netherlands (4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Japan (45) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Cameroon (19) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Denmark (36) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Group F Standings | ||||||
| Team (FIFA rank) | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Points |
| Italy (5) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Paraguay (31) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| New Zealand (78) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Slovakia (34) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
