Some random observations after the second group fixtures:

Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast: After coming in as a sub in the Portugal game, Didier Drogba and his broken arm were in the starting line-up. After 25 minutes of mostly mundane football with neither team getting good shots, the Brazilians flashed some of their offensive magic…Kaka and Luis Fabiano engage in some nifty give and go with Fabiano back-heeling to Kaka, who beat a tackle and put a perfect through ball back to Fabiano who slammed it past the goalie at a tough angle. The Brazilians are the best in the world at interior passing and that goal proved it once again. The goal energized the Brazilians and they dominated possession thereafter. After mostly listless offensive play, Ivory Coast showed a little spunk at the end of the half, but the Brazilians locked down the box and Les Elephants couldn’t break it down for good shots. Fabiano struck again early in the second half when he received a ball into the box, beat two defenders with deft juggle moves, and then nailed a 10-yard left-footer past the diving goalie. However, it appeared the referees missed a handball by Fabiano on the second juggle move. Immediately thereafter, Drogba, virtually invisible in the first half, almost nailed a header off a cross. Elano scored the third Brazilian goal when he ran past Ivorian left back Siaka Tiene and onto a Kaka cross from the left wing. Tiene had his back to Elano and seemed not to know that he was coming, a lazy failure. Les Elephants look beat and began to pile up cheap fouls and yellow cards in their frustration. As with the North Korea game, the Brazilian defense got a little lazy at the end and allowed Drogba to sneak behind them on a long ball into the box for a header past Julio Cesar. Kaka picked up two late yellow cards and was ejected, but the second one is undeserved as Kader Keita ran into Kaka as he raised his arm up a little into Keita’s chest to blunt the impact. Keita fell to the ground grabbing his face that was never touched in the impact and a fight nearly ensued. Really unfortunate that a flopper got one of the best players in the world out of the game and suspended for Brazil’s next match. A couple of late opportunities for Ivory Coast, but Cesar made a great play punching a ball out just before Drogba could get there. Brazil’s win qualified them for the second round. Ivory Coast was all but eliminated, as they would need a Brazilian beat down of Portugal and to annihilate North Korea as they currently on the wrong side of a nine-goal differential.

Portugal 7-0 North Korea: As with their first game, Portugal continually pushed up field on the flanks and put crosses into the middle, not very successfully early on. North Korea started with a heavily defensive 5-3-2 formation and just like their own first game, stayed compact on defense and did not let the Portuguese get open in the middle. However, they had difficulty clearing the ball effectively and Portugual controlled possession as a result. Surprisingly though, North Korea was aggressive on the counterattack and made quite a few opportunities for themselves. Cristian Ronaldo, the superstar right forward for Portugal, spent most of the game on the left side and Portugal attacked that side relentlessly, so they must have believed that the defenders were vulnerable on that side. The rain was coming down hard during this game and Portugal’s defense seemed to have much more difficulty closing on the South Korean strikers than vice versa. Portugal finally broke the ice midway in the first half on a beautiful through ball from Tiago to Raul Meireles, who slipped it by the goalie. Play got sloppier as the field got wetter. Early in the second half, Meireles fed a wide open Simao in the box for an easy second goal. The floodgates opened at this point. North Korea’s defense lost its discipline and began to stretch wide and Portugal took advantage. Two more goals came in quick fashion, both on crosses from the left to wide open strikers in the box. The last 10 minutes saw three more goals for Portugal, two more off crosses from the left and then the great Ronaldo’s improvised goal that highlight films will show endlessly. Ronaldo broke into the open chasing a ball put behind the defense and he and the goalie arrived simultaneously, knocking the ball up in the air as Ronaldo nearly fell over the goalie. The ball landed on his bent over upper back and rolled up to his neck and head before he dropped it down and drilled a volley into the open goal. Portugal has a very tough last fixture against Brazil, but will almost certainly advance no matter the result because of its +9 goal differential on the Ivory Coast. The North Koreans are eliminated from advancement, but are no doubt under pressure to return home with at least one point in competition.