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World Cup Roundup Day 22: Felipe Mel-Woe
Jul 2, 2010 7:07:00 PM
By Zac Lee Rigg
Man of the match for the Netherlands? Felipe Melo.
The Brazilian showed exactly why he earned the insulting Wooden Spoon award this year with perhaps the most hapless performance this World Cup has seen.
It all started so brightly as well. Melo showed his Fiorentina form (which is his usual international form) by picking out a gorgeous through-ball that tore through the Dutch defense. From near the halfway line he played a pass directly between the two central defenders and perfectly into the run of Robinho. Ten minutes in and Brazil led.
Juventus fans knew it was too good to be true. Just as the opening goal was all about Melo, so were the next two.
On Holland's equalizer, Felipe Melo managed to stick himself directly in the path of Julio Cesar as the goalkeeper went to clear a Wesley Sneijder cross. The two bundled into one another and the ball clipped off the back of Melo's bald head into the net. Wry statistic: that was the first own goal Brazil has ever conceded in World Cup history.
Then Felipe Melo was "marking" Sneijder on the Netherlands' winner. A corner fell to the diminutive Dutchman, with Melo supplying ample space in the six-yard box. Oops. Another bald head put the ball in the back of the net.
Melo capped it all off by deliberately stamping on Arjen Robben to earn a straight red and seal Brazil's quarterfinal exit. Boneheaded doesn't begin to tell the tale. Wry statistic: that was the first time in World Cup history a scorer of an own goal has gone on to get sent off.
Felipe Melo: record-settingly bad.
Goal Of The Day
Just a few days ago, Sulley Muntari nearly got himself thrown off Ghana's World Cup team. Upset with his loss of a starting spot and frustrated with his manager's tactics, the Inter midfielder lit into Milovan Rajevac in the locker room. The Serb wanted to send Muntari home, but the senior members of the squad intervened.
Today, Muntari scored one of the most audacious goals in this tournament. When he collected the ball in the midfield into first half extra time, there were more questions about why he had strayed his left flank than there were worries he would create a goal. But a slow turn and a jackhammer of a shot later, and Nestor Muslera had to pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Performance Of The Day
There isn't a player more dangerous when his team doesn't have the ball than Wesley Sneijder. The midfield hub of the treble-winning Internazionale side transitions from defense to attack ruthlessly quickly.
Now the 26-year-old is off in search of his fourth trophy this year. That his team made the semifinals past Brazil is all thanks to him.
First, Sneijder looped a dangerous cross into the box which led to the equalizer. Felipe Melo kindly edged his goalkeeper aside and backheaded it in. Next, Sneijder latched onto a corner to head home the winner.
Just a year ago, Sneijder was yet another Real Madrid reject. Now he is the conqueror of Brazil.
Most Shocking Event
Usually outfield players don't like playing goalkeeper. Not so Luis Suarez. With his goalkeeper stranded in the last few seconds of extra time, Suarez expertly beat away a Ghana shot from the goal line to keep the score level at one apiece.
The Ajax striker had already blocked one with his legs in the melee leading up to the illegal block, but needed to use his arms on the second attempt. After receiving a straight red for the transgression, Suarez watched from the tunnel as Asamoah Gyan slammed his penalty into the crossbeam.
Uruguay went on to win on penalties.
Ghana fans will maintain Suarez cheated. Uruguay fans will point out that he was appropriately punished. Either way, the handball will be the talking point of the quarterfinals.
Referee Report Card
Olegário Benquerença correctly sent off Suarez on that play, but had a very poor match overall. He whistled every little transgression and didn't seem to have any pattern to which fouls he deemed punishable with a booking. The result was a stuttering match in which neither team could find a rhythm or tackle with any confidence.
Earlier, Yuichi Nishimura officiated a respectable game between Brazil and Holland.
Quote Of The Day
"It's my first headed goal. I don’t think it will happen again. It slipped off my bald head and went in." Wesley Sneijder knows that bald is beautiful. Unless it's on Felipe Melo.
The 2010 World Cup is finally here, so keep up to date with all the news at Goal.com's World Cup homepage and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
The Brazilian showed exactly why he earned the insulting Wooden Spoon award this year with perhaps the most hapless performance this World Cup has seen.
It all started so brightly as well. Melo showed his Fiorentina form (which is his usual international form) by picking out a gorgeous through-ball that tore through the Dutch defense. From near the halfway line he played a pass directly between the two central defenders and perfectly into the run of Robinho. Ten minutes in and Brazil led.
Juventus fans knew it was too good to be true. Just as the opening goal was all about Melo, so were the next two.
On Holland's equalizer, Felipe Melo managed to stick himself directly in the path of Julio Cesar as the goalkeeper went to clear a Wesley Sneijder cross. The two bundled into one another and the ball clipped off the back of Melo's bald head into the net. Wry statistic: that was the first own goal Brazil has ever conceded in World Cup history.
Then Felipe Melo was "marking" Sneijder on the Netherlands' winner. A corner fell to the diminutive Dutchman, with Melo supplying ample space in the six-yard box. Oops. Another bald head put the ball in the back of the net.
Melo capped it all off by deliberately stamping on Arjen Robben to earn a straight red and seal Brazil's quarterfinal exit. Boneheaded doesn't begin to tell the tale. Wry statistic: that was the first time in World Cup history a scorer of an own goal has gone on to get sent off.
Felipe Melo: record-settingly bad.
Goal Of The Day
Just a few days ago, Sulley Muntari nearly got himself thrown off Ghana's World Cup team. Upset with his loss of a starting spot and frustrated with his manager's tactics, the Inter midfielder lit into Milovan Rajevac in the locker room. The Serb wanted to send Muntari home, but the senior members of the squad intervened.
Today, Muntari scored one of the most audacious goals in this tournament. When he collected the ball in the midfield into first half extra time, there were more questions about why he had strayed his left flank than there were worries he would create a goal. But a slow turn and a jackhammer of a shot later, and Nestor Muslera had to pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Performance Of The Day
There isn't a player more dangerous when his team doesn't have the ball than Wesley Sneijder. The midfield hub of the treble-winning Internazionale side transitions from defense to attack ruthlessly quickly.
Now the 26-year-old is off in search of his fourth trophy this year. That his team made the semifinals past Brazil is all thanks to him.
First, Sneijder looped a dangerous cross into the box which led to the equalizer. Felipe Melo kindly edged his goalkeeper aside and backheaded it in. Next, Sneijder latched onto a corner to head home the winner.
Just a year ago, Sneijder was yet another Real Madrid reject. Now he is the conqueror of Brazil.
Most Shocking Event
Usually outfield players don't like playing goalkeeper. Not so Luis Suarez. With his goalkeeper stranded in the last few seconds of extra time, Suarez expertly beat away a Ghana shot from the goal line to keep the score level at one apiece.
The Ajax striker had already blocked one with his legs in the melee leading up to the illegal block, but needed to use his arms on the second attempt. After receiving a straight red for the transgression, Suarez watched from the tunnel as Asamoah Gyan slammed his penalty into the crossbeam.
Uruguay went on to win on penalties.
Ghana fans will maintain Suarez cheated. Uruguay fans will point out that he was appropriately punished. Either way, the handball will be the talking point of the quarterfinals.
Referee Report Card
Olegário Benquerença correctly sent off Suarez on that play, but had a very poor match overall. He whistled every little transgression and didn't seem to have any pattern to which fouls he deemed punishable with a booking. The result was a stuttering match in which neither team could find a rhythm or tackle with any confidence.
Earlier, Yuichi Nishimura officiated a respectable game between Brazil and Holland.
Quote Of The Day
"It's my first headed goal. I don’t think it will happen again. It slipped off my bald head and went in." Wesley Sneijder knows that bald is beautiful. Unless it's on Felipe Melo.
The 2010 World Cup is finally here, so keep up to date with all the news at Goal.com's World Cup homepage and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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