World Cup 2010 - Day 14

New Zealand 0 Paraguay 0 (Group F)

Nothing much happened at all.
Someone contested the ball.
Somebody shot from a distance.
Somebody else showed resistance.
The ball was kicked out for a throw.
The ball was thrown back rather slow.
The teams both trooped off at half time.
The weather was really sublime.
Second half, more of the same.
Nothing occurred in the game.
Paraguay brought on two subs
Who played for two different clubs.
New Zealand then brought on a sub.
He should have gone off to the pub.
Someone strayed slightly offside.
Somebody played the ball wide.
And then the match came to a stop.
Paraguay finished on top.
New Zealand at least finished third,
Despite the fact nothing occurred.
A dazzling match in the World Cup
That failed to wake anyone up.

Italy 2 Slovakia 3 (Group F)

Gennara Gattuso,
It sounds so obtuse. Oh,
You’re finally put out to pasture.
With your bulldog expression
And tigerish obsession,
It was sad to see youngsters outlast ya.

Mauro Camoranesi,
Is your memory hazy?
Can you recall the triumphs of yore?
One World Cup too much,
You’ve lost that first touch
That served you so well heretofore.

Fabio Cannavaro,
Your Kilimanjaro
Was back in two thousand and six.
But now Robert Vittel
Just made you seem little
With his runs into space and his flicks.

Gianluca Zambrotta,
This World Cup was not a
Fit stage for to bow out with style.
With the Azzurri humbled,
Your eminence crumbled
And the papers became volatile.

Fabio Grosso,
Your World Cup was so-so,
You didn’t even played the third game.
Will you call it a day
And slip quietly away,
Far away from the glory and fame?

Yes, the end of an era
Has got one step nearer,
From the start, they looked in the soup.
Still, no-one expected,
These men, so respected,
To end at the foot of their group.

Cameroon 0 Netherlands 1 (Group E)

Alas!
Brave
Cameroon
departed,
Eto’o’s
final
great
hope
ignominiously
jettisoned,
kyboshed
lacrimoniously.
Mighty
Netherlands
opened
play -
quintessential
Robben.
Samuel
tunnelled,
uttering
valedictions
with
–xtremely
youthful
zeal.

Denmark 1 Japan 2 (Group E)

A scoreline that was largely unexpected,
Perhaps because Japan were disrespected.
Three points were most efficiently collected.

Honda’s free kick sailed in undeflected.
One nil Japan, from set play he’d perfected -
A scoreline that was largely unexpected.

Endo’s curler left the Danes dejected,
Sorensen’s left post remained neglected –
Three points were most efficiently collected.

Then Japanese determinedly erected
A wall to keep the two goal lead protected
(A scoreline that was largely unexpected.)

A penalty then briefly resurrected
Danish hopes (the first strike misdirected),
Three points were still efficiently collected.

Then Okazaki’s football boot connected!
A most emphatic three-one win effected,
A scoreline that was largely unexpected -
Three points were most efficiently collected.