Yes, I know I said I would be providing updates about the World Cup, and that what follows is hopelessly dated, but this last week has seen my computer (and my ISP) let me down badly, so I'm afraid you've ot what you've got. Now that things appear to have returned to something approximating normal, enjoy...or endure...
Netherlands 2 vs Denmark 0
This was a dour, charmless match in which the Danes defended in depth, while the Netherlands played a possession football that was more akin to a training run than to any serious attempt at play-making. Indeed, the crowd became so restless the perennial sign of spectator boredom – the Mexican Wave – made an appearance in force. After 20 mins of stultifyingly dull play, the Dutch bean to pressure the Danish defence, cutting down the right flank and breaking through the centre; but the resulting opportunities were all-too-easily defended. Against the run of play, a 26th minute break by the Danes saw the Dutch goal in serious danger without producing a result; likewise, similar thrusts in the 33rd and 36th minutes. Granted, after half-time, the game became somewhat more engaging – but this due almost entirely to a comical defensive error inside the 1st minute after the restart which gifted the Dutch the lead. Similarly farcical moments in the 50th, 75th, and 81st minutes almost repeated the gift, while the Netherlands made strong attacks in the 58th, 68th, and 72nd minutes without result. Finally, the pressure told: in the 84th minute, the Danish defence cracked at the seams, allowing the Netherlands to score for the second time; while a third goal was only prevented in the 87th minute by a frantic clearance off the Danish goal-line. Mercifully, the game came to an end shortly afterwards; the Netherlands walked away from a technically proficient but aesthetically sterile performance with a 2-0 win and all three points.
Italy 1 vs Paraguay 1
The outstanding feature of this match was the quality of both sides’ tackling and interceptions, a fact made all the more remarkable because of the wind and rains that prevailed during most of the match. Time and again, a player in seeming control of the ball was stripped of possession, or had his apparently clean pass cut off before it reached its target. Italy were the dominant team, and for most of the first half regularly pressed the Paraguayan goal, crossing looping balls from either flank into the teeth of the South Americans’ goal. But a combination of doughty defence by Paraguay and a small amount of fortune frustrated all of Italy’s efforts. The opening score, when it came in the 38th minute, surprised everyone: a rare Paraguayan thrust resulted in a beautifully delivered free-kick, the incoming ball slotted by a neat header into the back of the Italian net. Paraguay 1-0 at the break – who would have thought it? A tense struggle after the resumption resulted in unexploited goal scoring opportunities for both sides, until, in the 62nd minute, a perfectly delivered cross drew the Paraguayan keeper off his line, only for the ball to float into the path of an Italian striker who gleefully chipped the ball home. Thereafter, Italy continually pressed the Paraguayan goal, and after the 75th minute, launched repeated attacks, including an 82nd minute strike that required a brilliant diving save by Paraguay’s ‘keeper. But the South Americans remained calm under pressure, and manfully resisted every offensive. In the end, the 1-1 scoreline befitted a gripping contest in which one of the tournament favourites was forced to work hard in order to salvage equal points.
Cote D’Ivoire 0 vs Portugal 0
This match featured what is arguably Africa’s strongest team at this World Cup in the absence of African Cup holders Egypt, up against the enigmatic but hugely talented Portugal. Portugal dominated the opening stanzas, highlighted by a blistering 10th minute strike on goal the beat the Ivorian goalkeeper cold – but not, alas, the goal upright. A pointless free kick in the 13th minute gifted Cote D’Ivoire with its first scoring opportunity, while a deft 16th minute midfield steal provided a second; both opportunities were squandered. A bit of spite entered the game in the 20th minute, as both teams, seemingly frustrated by their inability to score, indulged in a series of ugly tackles, which in turn produced a flurry of dives, fouls, and bookings. The nadir came in the 28th minute: a crude Portuguese tackle inexplicably went unpunished by the referee, and play had to be halted so the unfortunate Ivorian player on the receiving end could be attended to by medical staff. Cote D’Ivoire started strongly in the second half, producing opportunities in the 47th minute (twice), 53rd minute, 58th and 59th minutes that failed to result in any change to the scoreline. In the midst of this barrage, a perfectly lofted 50th minute cross placed the Ivorian goal in severe danger, while a 57th minute ball from deep in Cote D’Ivoire’s defensive zone again had the defence scrambling. After the 65th minute, Portugal gained the upper hand, but were unable to convert several half-opportunities into anything more substantial; poor crossing from a number of corner kicks aided the Ivorian defence, while a long-range shot in the 78th minute and a free kick in the 79th flew high and wide. After the 80th minute, the match resembled and arm-wrestling contest between two equally matched and equally exhausted opponents, although an 83rd minute thrust by Cote D’Ivoire and an 88th minute counter by Portugal provided brief moments of excitement. The three minutes of penalty time were dominated by Cote D’Ivoire, with several desperate attacks repelled by an equally desperate defence. All in all, it was a slightly disappointing match, in which two teams rich in capacity produced very little of substance.
Talk to you soon,
BB.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Cup From The Couch
Since it is the World Cup, and since I am undeniably a fan of football at this level, I thought while the tournament was on, I'd periodically give you my thoughts as they occur to me from my perch on the Couch. I can't claim that my musings will constitute "expert" opinion, either on the game in general or on the tournament in particular (and anyway, who could possibly know more than Les Murray?); I can't even claim that the matches I comment on will in any sense be important or vital to the outcome of World Cup 2010. But they will be games I have actually watched, so my ignorance will at least be "informed" ignorance...
South Africa 1 vs Mexico 1
The stand out feature of this match was the amazing foot-speed of the South African players, and their ability to disorient the Mexican defence and charge forward into attack, either from the wings or through the centre. The Mexicans were clearly the more experienced and skillful team, a fact reflected by their near dominance of possession in the 1st half; indeed, South Africa can thank the amazing atheletic skills of their goal-keeper for the fact that they weren't 2-nil down after the first 40 minutes. But then a sea-change came over the match: for the last five minutes of the 1st half, and for the first 25 minutes of the 2nd half, the South Africans ran rings around their more fancied opponents, breaking from deep within their own defence to regularly harry the Mexican goal. It was an inevitability when the South Africans slotted home the first goal of the match (and tournament); what was less expected was the Mexican equaliser against the run of play (due almost entirely to sloppy South African defence) and the return of the game to a more even keel. The last stanza of the match was a thrilling battle of skill against elan, in which both teams squandered opportunities to score the winner. In the end, a 1-1 draw reflected a just result to what was a cracking start to the tournament.
South Korea 2 vs Greece 0
In this match, Greece was cut to pieces by the precision passing of the South Koreans, who frequently threaded the needle of two or three apparently immobile Greek players in order to find a team-mate and retain possession. While the Greeks opted for long-range aerial delivery into their forward zone, the South Koreans displayed a cohesive integration of defence, midfield, and offence to switch the ball from deep within their own zone into the teeth of the Greek goal, playing with a fluidity that made their opponents look sluggish and out of form. Despite the fact that the Greeks had the best opportunity to open the scoring, from the 5 minute mark onwards, South Korea dominated, patiently retaining possession before launching lightning attacks down and across both flanks. The Greeks frankly looked flat-footed and lacking in match fitness, while the South Koreans visibly gained in confidence as the game progressed. Greece did manage to salvage some pride in the last 20 minutes of the match by threatening the South Korean goal as their opponents tired; but their numerous assaults proved fruitless, while the South Koreans were only prevented from extending their lead by the vicissitudes of fortune. Like the South Africa-Mexico contest, this was a match in which the underdogs upstaged their more highly credentialed rivals.
Serbia 0 v Ghana 1
This was a gritty arm-wrestle of a match, occassionally illuminated by moments of excitement, in which the momentum swung between two seemingly equally matched teams. The Ghanaians controlled most of the first half without really threatening the Serbian goal; their opponents then grabbed the initiative in the latter stages of the half and troubled Ghana's defence with a series of set-pieces squandered by poor finishing. The Ghanaian offensives, while exciting at times, tended to have a quality of sameness, relying mostly on dashes down the wings finished by long-range crosses into the centre. After half time, the momentum once again swung in Ghana's favour, but they were unable to convert a series of opportunities, two of which went close to breaking the deadlock. Against the run of play, Serbia almost scored twice in moves that opened up Ghana's defence; but these chances likewise failed to result in a goal. Interest was injected into the game in the 73rd minute when a Serbian defender received a 2nd yellow card and thus earned a send off; Ghana now found themselves one player to the good over their opponents. Yet it was the Serbs who siezed the initiative, forcing two terrific saves from the Ghanaian goalkeeper in the most exciting passage of play in the match. The denoument, when it came, took everyone by surprise: a Serb defender was called for handball in the penalty box (which, despite protestations to the contrary, was a spot-on call by the ref), which in turn produced a faultless penalty kick that put Ghana in the lead. The Ghanaians almost scored again in injury time as Serbia appeared to give up the game for lost. In the end, it was victory for Ghana; but a nil-all draw would have been a more accurate reflection of a match that, while interesting at times, never really climbed the heights.
Talk to you soon,
BB
South Africa 1 vs Mexico 1
The stand out feature of this match was the amazing foot-speed of the South African players, and their ability to disorient the Mexican defence and charge forward into attack, either from the wings or through the centre. The Mexicans were clearly the more experienced and skillful team, a fact reflected by their near dominance of possession in the 1st half; indeed, South Africa can thank the amazing atheletic skills of their goal-keeper for the fact that they weren't 2-nil down after the first 40 minutes. But then a sea-change came over the match: for the last five minutes of the 1st half, and for the first 25 minutes of the 2nd half, the South Africans ran rings around their more fancied opponents, breaking from deep within their own defence to regularly harry the Mexican goal. It was an inevitability when the South Africans slotted home the first goal of the match (and tournament); what was less expected was the Mexican equaliser against the run of play (due almost entirely to sloppy South African defence) and the return of the game to a more even keel. The last stanza of the match was a thrilling battle of skill against elan, in which both teams squandered opportunities to score the winner. In the end, a 1-1 draw reflected a just result to what was a cracking start to the tournament.
South Korea 2 vs Greece 0
In this match, Greece was cut to pieces by the precision passing of the South Koreans, who frequently threaded the needle of two or three apparently immobile Greek players in order to find a team-mate and retain possession. While the Greeks opted for long-range aerial delivery into their forward zone, the South Koreans displayed a cohesive integration of defence, midfield, and offence to switch the ball from deep within their own zone into the teeth of the Greek goal, playing with a fluidity that made their opponents look sluggish and out of form. Despite the fact that the Greeks had the best opportunity to open the scoring, from the 5 minute mark onwards, South Korea dominated, patiently retaining possession before launching lightning attacks down and across both flanks. The Greeks frankly looked flat-footed and lacking in match fitness, while the South Koreans visibly gained in confidence as the game progressed. Greece did manage to salvage some pride in the last 20 minutes of the match by threatening the South Korean goal as their opponents tired; but their numerous assaults proved fruitless, while the South Koreans were only prevented from extending their lead by the vicissitudes of fortune. Like the South Africa-Mexico contest, this was a match in which the underdogs upstaged their more highly credentialed rivals.
Serbia 0 v Ghana 1
This was a gritty arm-wrestle of a match, occassionally illuminated by moments of excitement, in which the momentum swung between two seemingly equally matched teams. The Ghanaians controlled most of the first half without really threatening the Serbian goal; their opponents then grabbed the initiative in the latter stages of the half and troubled Ghana's defence with a series of set-pieces squandered by poor finishing. The Ghanaian offensives, while exciting at times, tended to have a quality of sameness, relying mostly on dashes down the wings finished by long-range crosses into the centre. After half time, the momentum once again swung in Ghana's favour, but they were unable to convert a series of opportunities, two of which went close to breaking the deadlock. Against the run of play, Serbia almost scored twice in moves that opened up Ghana's defence; but these chances likewise failed to result in a goal. Interest was injected into the game in the 73rd minute when a Serbian defender received a 2nd yellow card and thus earned a send off; Ghana now found themselves one player to the good over their opponents. Yet it was the Serbs who siezed the initiative, forcing two terrific saves from the Ghanaian goalkeeper in the most exciting passage of play in the match. The denoument, when it came, took everyone by surprise: a Serb defender was called for handball in the penalty box (which, despite protestations to the contrary, was a spot-on call by the ref), which in turn produced a faultless penalty kick that put Ghana in the lead. The Ghanaians almost scored again in injury time as Serbia appeared to give up the game for lost. In the end, it was victory for Ghana; but a nil-all draw would have been a more accurate reflection of a match that, while interesting at times, never really climbed the heights.
Talk to you soon,
BB
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Under Review II
As stated in an earlier post, I will from time to time publish on this blog reviews I've written and posted on my Facebook account. The reason being to make these reviews available to a wider audience than the select group of unfortunates who happen to be my Facebook "friends". Today's review concerns Walter M Miller's classic post-apocalyptic science fiction novel "A Canticle for Liebowitz".
A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller
Walter M Miller Jr grew up in the between the wars American South, enlisting in the Army Air Corp in WWII and spending most of his time as a radio operator and gunner. One operation in which he participated was the infamous bombing of the ancient monastary of Monte Cassino in Italy; it was this experience, as well as his encounter with the horrors of war generally, that lead him to write "A Canticle for Leibowitz"
The novel covers a nearly 1800 year time span in which an order of monks adhering to the Rule of Benedict - called the Albertain Order of Leibowitz, named for the great medieval scholar Albertus Magnus, and a fictional scientist-martyr Leibowitz - struggle to preserve the relics of the "great civilisation" destroyed by nuclear war. Their task is rendered next to impossible by the fact that, after civilisation was destroyed, a further cataclysmic event called the Simplification resulted in the systematic annihilation of books, records, and technological implements of every kind. The Order was founded by a scientist named Leibowitz who was mob lynched during the Simplification; but not before he had managed to squirrel away a small collection of precious books and found the Order bearing his name.
The novel is constructed in three parts, the first ocurring approximately 600 years after the nuclear holocaust, the next about 500 years further on, and the final section another half milennium beyond that. In the first section, a rather absurd and hapless novice monk stumbles upon a fallout shelter which, among other things, contains a precious relic written by Leibowitz himself - a shopping list. In the second section, an abbot plagued by doubts and chronic ulcers debates whether to make available to the scientists of the newly emerging civilisations the technological secrets which the Order has preserved for so long. In the third section, a civilisation more advanced than the one destroyed by the nuclear holocaust advances inexoribably to its own horrible fate - but not without the Order managing to make sure a seed of hope survives.
This is a wonderfully told novel full of wit, sarcasm, humour, despair, compassion, and frustration. Having survived the horrors of WWII Miller was desperately concerned that human civilisation was advancing along a path of relentless self-annihilation, heedless of the warnings provided by the carnage of two global conflagrations. Haunting the novel is the unseen (and, from the point of view of the narrative, possibly fictional) personage of Leibowitz: the scientist-martyr who struggled to preserve what was best about civilisation - its accumulated knowledge - all the while knowing this was the very thing that had brought civilisation to ruin. Also haunting the novel is the figure of "the Jew", known as Benjamin bar Joshua, but quite conceivably Lazarus raised from the dead and unable to die. Is he an allegory for anti-Semitic persecution and the appropriation by Christians of Jewish sacred history and heritage? A symbol of human folly? Of sheer, bloody-minded determination? Of the human experience itself, its journey from savagery to civilisation, only to inflict upon itself more savagery?
Miller's placing of the struggle to preserve civilisation within the context of an enclosed monastic order reflects both the historical preservation of Western civilisation by Benedictine monastaries during the Dark Ages, as well as the perenniel tension between the truth of science and the truth of faith. This tension is emblematic of the tension between knowledge and wisdom; and Miller's seemingly gloomy conclusion is nonetheless punctured by the possibility of hope. Perhaps we are doomed to destroy ourselves; but even if we do, it just may be that something of ourselves - some of our greatness that transcends our shame - will survive beyond our annihilation, to be picked up and carried on by whoever comes after us.
A powerful, disturbing, thought-provoking novel, well worth reading and completely relevant in this day and age.
Talk to you soon,
BB
A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller
Walter M Miller Jr grew up in the between the wars American South, enlisting in the Army Air Corp in WWII and spending most of his time as a radio operator and gunner. One operation in which he participated was the infamous bombing of the ancient monastary of Monte Cassino in Italy; it was this experience, as well as his encounter with the horrors of war generally, that lead him to write "A Canticle for Leibowitz"
The novel covers a nearly 1800 year time span in which an order of monks adhering to the Rule of Benedict - called the Albertain Order of Leibowitz, named for the great medieval scholar Albertus Magnus, and a fictional scientist-martyr Leibowitz - struggle to preserve the relics of the "great civilisation" destroyed by nuclear war. Their task is rendered next to impossible by the fact that, after civilisation was destroyed, a further cataclysmic event called the Simplification resulted in the systematic annihilation of books, records, and technological implements of every kind. The Order was founded by a scientist named Leibowitz who was mob lynched during the Simplification; but not before he had managed to squirrel away a small collection of precious books and found the Order bearing his name.
The novel is constructed in three parts, the first ocurring approximately 600 years after the nuclear holocaust, the next about 500 years further on, and the final section another half milennium beyond that. In the first section, a rather absurd and hapless novice monk stumbles upon a fallout shelter which, among other things, contains a precious relic written by Leibowitz himself - a shopping list. In the second section, an abbot plagued by doubts and chronic ulcers debates whether to make available to the scientists of the newly emerging civilisations the technological secrets which the Order has preserved for so long. In the third section, a civilisation more advanced than the one destroyed by the nuclear holocaust advances inexoribably to its own horrible fate - but not without the Order managing to make sure a seed of hope survives.
This is a wonderfully told novel full of wit, sarcasm, humour, despair, compassion, and frustration. Having survived the horrors of WWII Miller was desperately concerned that human civilisation was advancing along a path of relentless self-annihilation, heedless of the warnings provided by the carnage of two global conflagrations. Haunting the novel is the unseen (and, from the point of view of the narrative, possibly fictional) personage of Leibowitz: the scientist-martyr who struggled to preserve what was best about civilisation - its accumulated knowledge - all the while knowing this was the very thing that had brought civilisation to ruin. Also haunting the novel is the figure of "the Jew", known as Benjamin bar Joshua, but quite conceivably Lazarus raised from the dead and unable to die. Is he an allegory for anti-Semitic persecution and the appropriation by Christians of Jewish sacred history and heritage? A symbol of human folly? Of sheer, bloody-minded determination? Of the human experience itself, its journey from savagery to civilisation, only to inflict upon itself more savagery?
Miller's placing of the struggle to preserve civilisation within the context of an enclosed monastic order reflects both the historical preservation of Western civilisation by Benedictine monastaries during the Dark Ages, as well as the perenniel tension between the truth of science and the truth of faith. This tension is emblematic of the tension between knowledge and wisdom; and Miller's seemingly gloomy conclusion is nonetheless punctured by the possibility of hope. Perhaps we are doomed to destroy ourselves; but even if we do, it just may be that something of ourselves - some of our greatness that transcends our shame - will survive beyond our annihilation, to be picked up and carried on by whoever comes after us.
A powerful, disturbing, thought-provoking novel, well worth reading and completely relevant in this day and age.
Talk to you soon,
BB
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