Still waiting for Brazil to play

? Oh, you mean that was Brazil out there on the pitch with Croatia?

Maybe there's no way Brazil can live up to the hype the team generates. But I have to say that I was less than impressed with the team's team play. Flashes of individual brilliance to be sure (Ronaldinho dribbling in and out of double and triple-teams is watching a magician at work; Kaka's goal was such a well-placed rocket that NASA's envious). But as a team, it showed little imagination and or development through the midfield. If it's play seemed modestly quick, that's only in comparison to the French, who must have thought the American style of play worth of emulation.

Now that was a boring game, France-Switzerland. Thank God my less-than-enthusiastic-about-soccer work colleague didn't see that nil-nil game. Chiding me before the tournament started about the low scoring nature of soccer, he watched, and thoroughly enjoyed the 0-0 Sweden-T&T game. That was exciting soccer (too bad I missed most of it -- as noted in an earlier post). I watched the second half of the France-Swiss game, waiting to begin lunch at half-time. I went to the same bar-restaurant as for the US game, but this time, I actually could sit down and eat lunch. And nothing really happened in 48 minutes of soccer to get me out of the chair. (Switzerland had 2 of the 3 best chances in the second half. Its final chance came on a FK from the right of the goal with a beautiful cross to the far post. But a Swiss player, channeling Maradonna perhaps, stuck out his fist and knocked the ball into touch and out of the path of a teammate right behind him!)

So the French have now gone 4 WC games without scoring. Landon Donovan has gone (if the TV commentators are right) 16 international games without scoring. Neither the French nor the Americans will get far if these trends continue.