Dolly Was Great - The Penalty Shoot-Out Was Better (Just)

THIS World Cup simply keeps getting better. Sunday night's penalty shoot-out between Costa Rica and Greece was must-watch TV. I actually feared this would be a non-event: I was convinced the Greeks would suffocate the Central Americans, nick a goal and then play anti-football.

 

Thankfully I was wrong, mainly thanks to young James Rodriguez's two sublime strikes. However, the real drama was still to come, after the Costa Ricans were reduced to ten-men.

 

I honestly felt the Australian referee, who to my mind makes Willie Collum appear competent, was bending over backwards to favour the Greeks - doesn't Australia have a significant Greek community? Just asking - Any way, going down to ten-men significantly hampered the Costa Ricans, but, to their eternal credit, they held on to take it to penalties, then won.

 

I must admit I got the shoot-out wrong. I fancied big Sammy as the guy to make the fatal miss, but, Gekas beat him to that. Any way, well done Costa Rica.

 

I MISSED a lot of the Dutch game. Well, no way was I going to miss Dolly Parton at Glastonbury. The first half was a write-off, as, thanks to the teasing of the BBC, who showed Dolly's set: "as live", which isn't quite the same thing as "live", so I kept flicking back and forth between channels.

 

Then, I missed the Mexican goal - I was watching Dolly - but got back in time for the late one-two from the Dutch. I accept, that we cheating bald so-and-so Robbin went down far-too-easily for the winning penalty. However, he was unjustly denied two better calls earlier-on, so, in the end, justice was done. And, what a winning penalty, that's how to take them.

 

ANENT the penalties. When, a life-time ago, I fancied myself as a goalie, I had rather a good record as a penalty-saver. With my defences, I had to be good, I got plenty of practice.

 

Accepted wisdom these days seems to be: the taker waits for the keeper to commit either left or right, then shoots down the middle. The lesson to my fellow goalies who still can, is - stand your ground, don't dive till he shoots. Back your reflexes.

 

That said, the five Costa Rica penalties were different class - definitely five cases of: "pick that out pal"; awesome reaction to pressure from a real TEAM.

 

I look forward to discussing penalty-taking with the Master of the art, wee Johnny Hubbard, some time soon.