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13 hours ago
10
Key events
70 min Two further changes for Canada, Promise and Shaffelburg replacing Millar and Oluwaseyi.
69 min They try placating the crowd with Summer of 69 which, I must concede, is a banger.
67 min Sigur yanks back someone, Modiba, I think, and is booked. Hydration-break time, the announcement greeted with now-customary booing.
66 min SA are a live dog, but almost all the moments of quality have come from Canada.
64 min A ball out of defence and through the middle sets Oluwaseyi away – that’s great work from Sigur – and his mate does really well to hold off Mudau, punching a shot that hits WIlliams … and rears over him, goalbound! But Mbokazi dashes back and, facing his own net under pressure from David, shins a terrific clearance over the bar; the corner comes to nowt.
62 min A ball across the pitch finds Appollis, who dips inside Buchanan and, from 25 yards, wipes his foot across a shot that flies a few yards wide of the far post.
61 min “I can’t not respond when someone says ‘or even The Band’,” chunters Richard Hirst. “Not just my opinion that they were the greatest, check out how many musicians think the same."
If ever i need a vibe, this is one of my go-tos: the purity of people getting together just to sing.
59 min Double change for Canada, bur Davies remains where he is: Sigur and De Fougerolles replace Bombito and the disappointing Saliba.
58 min Surely Canada have to get Davies on. They’ve done almost nothing since half-time, the crowd’s Mexican wave essentially a criticism of their work so far.
57 min “About that non-penalty, says Paul Hansson. “I also thought it looked obvious until the close-up showed that the defender actually just got a tiny touch of a toe on the ball before dragging the Canadian down.”
I don’t think a tiny touch, if the ball is still there for the attacker, negates their subsequent cleaning out.
56 min Sithole wins a big challenge in midfield and SA pour forward, but they can’t find the space or angle to make anything of it, forced backwards. Whereupon Modiba humps an impatient cross into the box, easily collected by Crepeau.
54 min Mudau megs Millar then weaves inside Saliba, who applies punitive studs to toe and is booked.
52 min Canada win a throw deep inside the SA half, Oluwaseyi hurls it in aimlessly, and Williams collects. Meantime, Steve Phillips emails: “If you want serious Canadian icons in the field of music, the place is full of them. How about Joni, Neil or Leonard. Or even The Band. Sorry, it was the word “Alanis” wot did it.”
Leonard is one of my heroes. Everybody Knows changed my life, but currently this is my favourite favourite.
49 min “Interestingly all the Canadian TV pundits – Steven Caldwell, Kevin Kilbane, Atiba Hutchinson – all agreed it wasn’t a penalty,” advises David Marriott. “Looked like it at first, mind you.”
Generally speaking, I find ex-pros are eager to let the game flow and also don’t know the laws of it. For what it’s worth, on UK telly, ITV have an expert, Christina Unkel, who explains them with clarity and precision; she thought it a pen.
47 min Johnston skates around the outside down the right and does a really job keeping the ball in, cutting back to Millar … who wafts a shot somewhere towards nowhere.
46 min “I have no idea what a penalty is anymore,” confesses Christopher Lee. “I’d’ve bet my house on that being a penalty. I still don’t understand. HELP ME UNDERSTAND.”
I wish I could, and this is, I think, a fringe problem with VAR. Previously, we could say that officials must’ve seen something different to us, but now they have every angle and speed, and still shock us.
46 min We go again, SA sending on Mbartha for Mofokeng – who had a disappointing but not hookworthy first half.
Our teams return. Can either of them find anything?
“It’s worth remembering Abdullah Ibrahim/Dollar Brand,” offers Majjaz Hribar on the topic of South African music, “amazing pianist who died few days ago at the age of 91.
Something joyful from the 80s, African Marketplace
Or something very lyrical from later period, Blue Bolero.”
Half-time email: “Would Alanis cut it as a Canadian icon?” wonders Mike Gibbons. “Jagged Little Pill alone did wild numbers worldwide. Also – and we don’t know if Celine turned it down or not – Alanis sang the Canadian national anthem to kick off their hosting stint at this World Cup.”
She definitely transcended – I can’t say i got on with it myself, but in 1995, she was everywhere, confusing irony with annoying.
HALF-TIME: South Africa 0-0 Canada
Canada have been the better side, Cornelius missing a great chance, Bombito having a header cleared off the line and the ref refusing what looked a clear penalty. But we’re goalless at the break, both teams with plenty of improving to do.
45+2 min The ref isn’t even asked to consult the monitor, and on we go – I can’t say i get that. I bet Jesse Marsch finds the whole thing hilarious.
45+1 min NOW THEN! Canada attack down the left and Maseko slides in front of Laryea, while Mudau bumps into him from behind, making no touch on the ball, and down he goes. I think that’s a penalty; the ref says not, but I’d expect this to be given on review.
44 min The delivery is brilliant and Bombito is up! He heads down powerfully and wheels away in celebration, believing he’s scored and so he should … but Modiba makes a brilliant lunging block on the line! Canada, though, win the second ball, it breaks to Buchanan … and his shot is blocked by Willams’ chest. Good keeping, but brilliant defending.
43 min Better from Canada, Millar flicking Johnston away down the left; his square pass isn’t gathered by David after Mbokazi misses his kick, but earns a corner down the left.
40 min Mbokazi fouls Oluwaseyi down the Canadian right … but Eustaquio’s corner is poor.
39 min “Certainly rooms should be light,” retorts Charles Antaki, “but a well-chosen darker colour introduces a subtle contrast. From the World Cup palette, perhaps the Spain 2nd strip for the wall-tiles, and a DRC blue to ‘pop out’ as they say down the bathroom furniture showrooms? It has a Hockney bigger splash vibe.”
37 min An excellent channel-ball from Mukausets Appollis at Bombito, who makes a decent challenge at cost of a corner … overruled in favour of a goalkick. This game has stuffy-winner-late-in-extra-time-depriving-us-of-penalties written all over it.
35 min Saliba, coming into the game, intercepts a poor pass out of defence and finds Millar, a willing runner down the left, but so far unable to find the quality which needs to back it up, and he’s quickly unloaded. So SA go down the other end and win a corner, Okon heading it up into the air and behind.
33 min Buchanan does well to move the ball away from Modiba, rolling it backwards with his studs and finding Johnston, overlapping … but Appollis tracks back to tackle.
32 min He’s coming back from injury, but surely Alphonso Davies will be introduced sooner rather than later – his explosive speed and mentality are exactly what Canada need. Meantime, Saliba’s pass is intercepted by Mudau and SA build again.
31 min Mokoena crosses into the box and it’s not a bad effort, but Crepeau comes and collects.
29 min We’re getting a pleasingly hollow sound when boot meets leather near the near side of the pitch. Maybe some pleasing football would also be nice; “It’s a game of chess in many ways,” says my commentator; Lucy Ward, his excellent co, opts not to wonder which and how any.
27 min We go again…
26 min “Entertaining game – lots going on,” enthuses Charles Antaki. “But I find my attention drawn to the Canada shirts; I’m thinking of fitting panels to my shower cubicle at home, and the shirts bear an extraordinarily strong resemblance to ‘Dark Tuscan Marble No 1’ from a well-known up market supplier. Possibly the inspiration for the kit. Far too expensive for me though.”
I’d counsel to the contrary – rooms should be light. You’re all welcome.
24 min Time to hydrate, mates! What a buzz.
22 min Eustaquio’s delivery is perfect, Cornelius alone in the centre of the box and maybe eight yards out. This is his moment, the moment of his life! But he makes poor contact, a gentle glance that’s still a goal either of the keeper, going straight at Williams. That is a colossal oversight, but if SA continue marking like that – or not marking like that – it won’t be long before they concede.
22 min And they win a free-kick 25 yards out, well left of centre and level with the edge of the box.
21 min “Is this a time that Canada is ‘asking questions’ wonders Joshua Reynolds, “or is it more ‘knocking on the door’?”
I’d say neither – I’d go for “hoping to build a head of steam”.
19 min I only saw highlights of SA’s win over South Korea, but I watched their first two games, and this is the most composure I’ve seen them play with. They’ve still got the edge of a velvet circle, but this is still much better.
17 min And this time, Eustaquio’s corner is perfect, picking out David peeling off, and he sidefoots a volley … a yard or two past the near post. That was a difficult chance, but a chance nevertheless.
16 min Canada win another corner – down the right, pressure building a little.
15 min “To follow up on Travis Giblin’s fun Vegas story,” begins Justin Kavanagh. “A friend of mine, who has less than zero interest in soccer, told me that he turned down his company’s offer of two tickets to the World Cup Final in 1986! My jaw dropped as I thought of watching Maradona at his greatest triumph and almost wept. If that happened this year, you could sell the frickin’ tickets and buy yourself a nice mansion down in Mexico.”
Here’s my story about not using tickets and regretting it, though I did once meet Bobby Charlton on a London-Manchester train. He offered me a lift to Old Trafford and I said nah, you’re alright, a mate’s picking me up.
14 min And there’s some more, Oluwaseyi touching off to David, who slides Millar away down the left. But a heavy touch allows Mbokazi to intercede well, at cost of another corner.
12 min Johnston mooches down the right and squares for Oluwaseyi, but a loose touch ends the move. Canada look the better side on the counter, but so far, both are suffering from a lack of care and precision in their actions. “In their actions”, who am I trying to kid; on the ball.
11 min Buchanan nails Mofokeng with a hard but fair challenge, on which point I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the reffing in the competition so far, physical tackles generally allowed. In particular, I thought Tori Penso did a brilliant job ion the Germany v Ecuador game, especially in the second half, of letting the players compete and the game flow.
9 min Oluwaseyi out to Millar, who feeds down the line for Laryea, and his cross is blocked behind. But Eustaquio’s corner eludes everyone, and again, SA get it forward quickly.
8 min Crepeau goes long for Buchanan down the right, but Mbokazi does well to insert himself between man and ball, seeing it behind for another goalkick. We’ve not seen loads of quality so far, but the intention and intensity seem present and correct.
6 min Yup, SA want to win this, Maseko finding Mofokeng, who finds Mokoena, who shoots from the edge … but Crepeau shovels away easily enough – though had there been a striker following in, he could’ve been in trouble.
