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World Cup 2010 – Day 23

Peter Goulding

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Argentina 0 Germany 4 (Quarter Finals)

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 It was a clinical and ruthless execution,
A crime against the World Cup constitution,
But we had to give the Germans absolution,
For clearly they were in a state of grace.

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 We hoped we might see skill and boy, we saw some,
Especially from their attacking foursome.
In modern youthful parlance, it was awesome –
Football with a smile upon its face.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Not defeat – this was annihilation,
The ultimate, supreme humiliation
Of a manager and his proud football nation,
Delivered with precision and with pace.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Small boys in the crowd all craned their necks to see
This unexpected show of football ecstasy.
Poor Maradonna seemed a little vexed to see
The rampant Germans pouring through the space.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Some managers surround themselves with yes-men,
While Joachim Loew moves players round like chess-men.
‘Twas evident to all, even the press men,
When old man Klose upped and bagged a brace.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The manner of this ruthless demolition
Is bound to lead to anger and attrition
Against the legendary non-tactician
Who now must face his country in disgrace.

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 But there was no way he could have corrected it.
No-one watching awestruck had expected it.
At least the Argentinian players respected it
As they sank beneath the onslaught without trace.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Paraguay 0 Spain 1 (Quarter Finals)

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 A riproaring struggle ‘twixt workrate and skill,
Who’d be the first to get in for the kill.
The Paraguay players just never stood still,
Though their energy levels were waning.
A titanic battle of mind versus will
And nobody there was complaining.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 A penalty kick, this was Paraguay’s chance,
Cardozo stepped up with a confident stance.
The red and blue flags were all waiting to dance
But Casillas amazingly caught it.
Cardozo glanced up to the heavens askance –
Who could have possibly thought it?

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 A peno for Spain, the defensive line broached,
Alonso despatched it but players encroached.
Second one saved but nobody reproached,
The tigerish Spanish playmaker.
Clearing her throat, a fat lady approached
As we looked for a stalemate breaker.

13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 In-form Iniesta slid through like a ghost,
Squared it to Pedro who scored it, almost.
We gasped as the football smashed back off the post
Straight into the path of D. Villa.
One post, then the other, as the crowd watched, engrossed
And Spain just snuck through in a thriller.

© Peter Goulding 3rd July 2010

Notes

I remember being blown away by the Dutch in the 70s and Argentina in 1986. Today it happened for the third time – just watched awestruck as Germany totally demolished Argentina.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/world-cup-2010-day-23/