Day two of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ got off to the most unexpected of starts. Despite the fact that several of the world’s leading strikers were taking to the stage, by the time the last of the day’s three games kicked off only a solitary goal had been scored, and that by a defender past his own goalkeeper. Order was restored late in the day, however, when Javier Saviola , Hernan Crespo and Didier Drogba each bagged a goal for their sides to add a little spice to the race for the coveted adidas Golden Shoe.
The goalscoring exploits of Miroslav Klose and Paulo Wanchope yesterday proved a hard act to follow for the men in action on Saturday. Sadly for English strike duo Michael Owen and Peter Crouch, Paraguayan tandem Nelson Valdez and Roque Santa Cruz, and Swedish sharpshooters Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the task proved beyond them. It was left to club team-mates Hernan Crespo and Didier Drogba to save face for the strikers’ union in this evening’s clash.
After disputing the main striking role at Chelsea over the last season, both men showed tonight that their predatory instincts remain undimmed. Although this is the 30-year-old Crespo’s third FIFA World Cup finals, it is the first time he has arrived at the tournament as his country’s first-choice centre-forward. The responsibility obviously sits well on his shoulders. With only 24 minutes on the clock, the Chelsea man appeared out of nowhere to slam home a loose ball in the six-yard-box and score for the second consecutive FIFA World Cup game. After stamping his mark on the game, the Argentine opportunist left the field to rapturous applause when he was replaced on the hour mark. Crespo did not let the acclaim go to his head, though, and was modesty personified after the final whistle: “I was lucky enough to get on the end of a rebound, but let’s hope I can carry on.”
With Crespo off the field, sparring partner Drogba began to flex his muscles. The Elephants skipper looked sharp throughout and proved a handful for the Argentine rearguard. He was finally rewarded for his battling performance in the dying stages of the game when he notched his country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup finals goal. Unfortunately for the talismanic Drogba, it proved too little too late.
The man they call Conejo (The Rabbit) earned a place in the starting line-up ahead of Carlos Tevez, and linked up in typically slick style with Juan Roman Riquelme to neatly slip the ball past the advancing Jean-Jacques Tizie and extend the South Americans’ lead. The Sevilla forward is the highest scorer in the history of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and this was his first goal in the senior tournament.
The battle for the Golden Shoe has obviously only just begun, but with the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jared Borgetti and Pauleta about to step into action, the fans are rubbing their hands in anticipation of a goalscoring feast. Defenders of the world, you have been warned.
Disclaimer: This is a feed from FIFAworldcup.com
I am leavibg for a vacation and wont be able to cover any matches till 16th of this month.
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