FIFA World Cup Deutschland 2006: Predictions So Far (Part 3)
Technorati tags: Football, FIFA World Cup, Deutschland 2006, Quarter Finals
Tonight, and into the early hours of Sunday, we will know the full line-up for the FIFA World Cup Deutschland 2006 Semi-Finals. Last night and this morning saw Germany and Italy winning their respective matches, and thus sets the scene for a stunner of a meeting in Dortmund on July 4th (early July 5th, 3am Malaysian time).
The first game tonight will probably have been watched eagerly by football fans everywhere - England meeting Portugal to determine the third (of four) semis spot.
It was a game that started out on a fast pace, with Frank Lampard coming close in the 20th minute to open up England's goal account for the game, with the first real chance of the match. The pace slowed down somewhat later into the first half, which ended at 0 - 0.
The second half was more dramatic, with Wayne Rooney getting a red card for a dead-ball infringement on Christiano "Step-over King" Ronaldo, sometime in the 62nd minute. Portugal could not, however, take advantage of their one-man advantage, and it remained deadlocked at the end of 90 minutes (plus extra time).
Well, the match after 30 minutes of extra time could not produce a single goal, so it had to be decided by penalties. Again.
And so the final score, after 120 minutes of football, and after the penalty shoot-out:
England - 1
Portugal - 3
Walski calls it correctly (prediction-wise) for the third game. As much as Walski wanted England to go through, Portugal will be an easier opponent for Brazil should they win their match later with France.
And that will be coming up in about an hour's time.
Portugal make it to the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years. In all it was a tense match, and it really sucks when penalties are the last resort to decide a match. But that's the way it goes....
