Surprise Surprise Holland

So the second round of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil is well under way. After watching a gripping match even for neutrals like Lollipop where the Netherlands came back from a goal down to win 2-1 over Mexico the thrilling shots are clearly not drying up.

I should be ecstatic as Holland are in my sweepstake but the great raw passion of the American teams is enough to sway any neutral.

Could it be this fearless passion that decides the World Cup and thwart Holland? Ready to face the Dutch is Costa Rica who have never reached the quarter finals in their history and have an average ranking of 28 by FIFA in the tournament.

After another  unmissable second half which saw Bryan Ruiz side foot Costa Rica into the lead and Greece score in the 90^th minute extra time ticked by then penalties. Both sides could not miss from the spot until Costa Rica’s saviour Keylor Navas blocked a Theofanis Gekas penalty and Michael Umana put his side through to the last eight with the last spot kick of the match.

Holland must already be looking forward to the semi-finals knowing they face such lowly underdogs. Or is Lollipop making the same assumptions most England supporters did when Costa Rica were part of Group D. The Central American side have conceded just one goal – a penalty against Uruguay and finished top of a group which hosted three world cup winners but they are still not seen as a real threat for Holland.

Each time Holland have met an American side in this World Cup they have snatched late wins. The second goal that defeated Chile was scored in the 92^nd minute and the penalty from Klaas Jan Huntelaar was scored in the 93^rd against a distraught Mexico earlier tonight. Each time Holland have needed stoppage time to see off their opponents but what if their time is up against Costa Rica?

Yes the Dutch have class and experience on their side with captain and Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie and Juventus forward Arjen Robben but Costa Rica has 22-year-old Arsenal forward Joel Campbell. Having signed for the Gunners in 2011 but not made a single appearance it is no surprise Lollipop was not aware of his prowess until his stand out performance against Uruguay in a 3-1 victory. The youngster also put away a flawlessly cool penalty against Greece tonight after a tiring game. On the strength of his performances he has now been granted the right to work in the UK so it could only be a matter of time before we see him playing at the Emirates. Costa Rica’s Assistant coach, Paulo Wanchope said: “He has done well, but he can perform even better. Arsene Wenger is watching him.” The Arsenal manager has already said he wants Campbell at pre-season training and who knows what he could do against the Dutch defence?

The Central American side are the surprise package of the World Cup. No team knows what to expect against such a well organised wild card. Campbell said: “This is unforgettable. We are part of history. Nobody would have put a dollar on this team qualifying but there you go. It can change football in Costa Rica.”

They could change the tournament yet again if they do the unthinkable against Holland. But of course the Netherlands have a wild card of their own in the form of coach Louis Van Gaal. His counter attacking football annihilated reigning champions Spain as his team proved they are not the same team who crumbled at the final hurdle to Spaniard Andres Iniesta’s winner in the 2010 World Cup Final.

Van Gaal’s team have scored more goals and conceded more fouls than any other team in the group stages of the World Cup. But unlike their opponents they have never faced a penalty shoot out in this competition. Jorge Luis Pinto’s Costa Rica clearly have nerves of steel and it could be this that finally out foxes the Old Trafford bound Van Gaal.

 

 

The Future’s Bright but not for Gerrard

After weeks of gripping World Cup games Lollipop needs to settle down and turn to the future of Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard.

Just four days ago Lollipop and I were devastated by England’s second group defeat at Brazil thanks to the skill of PFA Player of the year Luis Suarez. But a couple of World class goals from Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan has made an early exit easier to bear.

Now however we must face the fact that our 34-year-old captain could be weeks away from ending his international career. Earlier today In Gerrard’s first press conference after the defeat with manager Roy Hodgson He said: “There is no truth I’ll be making any announcement on my England future in the next week. I need more time than that.

“I’m still hurting and I’m still broken from the last couple of weeks.”

But has his decision already been made for him by the press and supporters? On his Daily Star on Sunday column Former England footballer Peter Shilton said “the major worry for me is the form of our captain, Gerrard. I always thought he wasn’t a natural defensive midfielder and that has been proven to be the case on the biggest stage.”

Daily Mail Sports reporter, Roy Shepherd also said Gerrard “was far from a commanding figure against Italy and he certainly didn’t pull any strings in his new quarter back role in comparison to Andrea Pirlo for Italy.”

Gerrard was at fault for both Uruguay goals that caused a 2-1 defeat for England and effectively placed them out of the competition. For a start he was in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time for Uruguay’s opening goal, allowing Edinson Cavani to gallop past a Gerrard-shaped hole in front of the central defence. Then for the second Stevie mistimed his header and Suarez of course saw it coming.

Towards the end of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign Gerrard also cost his team a vital point against rivals Chelsea when he slipped with the ball and allowed striker Demba Ba to score in a must-win game for the Merseyside team. The fatal mistake was made by Gerrard when he was playing in this new defensive position just as he was for England vs Uruguay.

No one is questioning the captain’s desire and commitment but his ageing ability has now come into question. Surely England’s earliest elimination from the tournament since 1958 cannot be blamed on just one man but in each analysis of their World Cup defeats Gerrard’s name just keeps popping up.

The captain made his England debut in May 2000 and has 113 caps. He is just two appearances short of David Beckham’s outfield caps record of 115 which could maybe play a part in his decision to continue and then go out on a high as England’s most capped midfielder.

The Liverpool skipper has played at Euro 2000, 2004, 2012 and the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. He has also scored 21 goals for his country so why shouldn’t he continue such an incredible career asks Lollipop.

Waiting on the England bench are far younger players ready to take his place. 20-year old Ross Barkley and team mate Jordan Henderson will more than likely play a part in the side’s last group game against an already qualified Costa Rica team.

Who would have thought the only team in Group D to never have won the World Cup would be the first to qualify. But here England’s youngsters are – about to play what can only be classed as a friendly for a team already out of the competition.

It is only fair that the young stars should get a run out at Brazil. And it is only fair that after a glistening career we should say goodbye to our captain and make way for an interesting future in English football.

 

 

Service Matters

So what has Lollipop learnt from  Rafael Nadal’s ninth French Open title Maria Sharapova’s  second?

Despite losing the first set the King of Clay beat Novak Djokovic  3-6 7-5 6-2 6-4 in three hours and 31 minutes. In the fourth Djokovic looked set to make a comeback as he broke Nadal to level 4-4 but he could not hold his serve when it mattered. A terrific backhand pass helped Nadal to match point and Djokovic, disrupted by a call from the crowd, fired his second serve long.

Victory for the nine-time French Open champ means he will remain world number one ahead of Djokovic. He extended his incredible run at Roland Garros to 66 wins and just one defeat in the last 10 years.

French Open champion Maria Sharapova also won a ferocious battle on clay. The Russian beat the Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep in three show-stopping sets 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.

There were so many twists and turns in this fierce hitting contest. Even in the final set when Sharapova broke Halep’s serve the Romanian fought back to level 4-4. Sharapova immediately broke back and won the Championship on her serve after a wide mishit from Halep.

This of course marks another spectacular win for Sharapova on clay. In 2012 she completed a career grand slam when she beat Sara Errani at Roland Garros.

Then in 2013 she reached the Semi-finals but was beaten by World no. 1 Serena Williams in three sets. So after her shoulder injuries it seem Sharapova is now a clay specialist and could go on to reach the same heights as Nadal.

It is crazy that we can say that but after being pushed to the limit by Halep, Sharapova found a way to slide through to her second French Open championship.

In the build up to Wimbledon it is easy to say she could win that title once again this year. But the transition could be too great for our champ.

In 2013 Sharapova was beaten in the second round of the British tournament by qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito. She then retired from the US Open after a shoulder injury ended her tennis season. Our champ may have not been in her best form but it still proves how testing it can be to win both titles in succession.

Nadal went through the same downfall. He lost his first-round match at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in straight sets to unseeded Belgian Steve Darcis (ranked No. 135), making it the second time in a row he failed to reach the third round at Wimbledon and the first ever time Nadal had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam.

Both French Open champions have won Wimbledon before but since overcoming serious injuries they have found it tough to return to their usual winning ways on grass.

Suddenly opponents like Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka who were easily defeated on clay have a chance against these champions.

Despite Djokovic’s agonising wait for a French Open title and Halep’s crushing defeat after reaching her first ever Grand Slam they still have a chance at Wimbledon.

Having reached the finals at Wimbledon last year Djokovic will feel more confident on grass if he meets Nadal and so will others Lollipop.