Hosts no pushovers in draw with Mexico

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This article was published 12/06/2010 (5958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The curtain came up on Africa’s big moment Friday, and a curious, perhaps tentative world was treated to an eye-catching festival of colour and sound. And that was just the opening ceremony.

But after the drummers, dancers and a giant, smoking calabash were removed from the pitch at Soweto’s Soccer City stadium, the host nation was left to follow up the dazzling display with one of their own. They did not disappoint.

That said, South Africa made a tedious start of it in their opening World Cup match against Mexico. Outplayed for the first half-hour, they were lucky to enter the break with an even scoreline, although Mexico’s shocking lack of finishing did them a favour or two.

They emerged from the tunnel with renewed vigour, however, and quickly showed they had left their nervousness and apprehension — so obvious and understandable in the first 45 minutes — in the dressing room. They carried the game from there.

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar was a workhorse for Bafana Bafana, and after 55 minutes the hosts took the lead after Siphiwe Tshabalala’s blast from an impossible angle evaded Mexican goalkeeper Oscar Perez and bulged the twine at the far post.

Mexico equalized 24 minutes later, but Katlego Mphela nearly tallied the winner in the dying moments when he directed Tshabalala’s cross just wide of the goal. It should have been a tap-in, but it served notice that South Africa will not be the pushover in Group A that many expected. They could have easily won the game.

Next up for the hosts will be Uruguay, who played to a 0-0 draw with France in Cape Town.

England vs. USA

The most anticipated match of the group stage comes early at this World Cup, as England and the United States prepare to clash this afternoon in Rustenburg. Mentally, the two teams enter the contest in completely different frames of mind, with England anxious to get off to a quick start and protect the status quo, and the United States going the feel-good route and really ballyhooing their own chances.

They’re not wrong to do so. Manager Bob Bradley has instilled a resilient self-belief in his players, an optimism that was tested in a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic in May and reinforced in subsequent wins over Turkey and Australia prior to the World Cup.

As we saw in last summer’s Confederations Cup, this American side has equal doses of quickness and grit, and a decent amount of talent to boot. Landon Donovan is the only star name on the squad, but the Los Angeles Galaxy attacker will not have to carry the team on his own, as he did earlier in his career.

Ricardo Clark and Michael Bradley are useful midfielders in the centre of the park, and Donovan will be helped up front by Galaxy teammates Edson Buddle and Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore, and Pachuca hitman Hercules Gomez.

England will have their hands full with these forwards, and if oft-injured England defender Ledley King is not at his best, he’ll be turned inside out by the lot of them.

Naturally, England are expected to win Group C. But the United States will give them a stern test, and a draw wouldn’t necessarily be a bad result for the Three Lions.

Spot kicks

Italy, already prepared to play two games without playmaker Andrea Pirlo, may also have to do without midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who has been struggling to overcome a calf injury. The Azzuri open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 14.

Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has returned to training barely a week after suffering a broken forearm in a friendly against Japan. His arm is in a protective cast and he is expected to play some part in his team’s groupphase campaign.

Arjen Robben was expected to arrive in South Africa today ahead of Holland’s World Cup opener against Denmark on June 14. Having suffered a hamstring injury in a recent friendly against Hungary, he should be fit to play some part in the group phase, likely beginning with Holland’s second match against Japan on June 19.

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