The ManicaPost
YES, I said verbally gifted commentators and analysts make the beautiful game in Brazil more beautiful. Here is my list for this week. Did you start working on your own? Perfect delivery from David Luiz Robben, a valued ingredient in the Dutch side. Could not find that killer touchColombian talisman James Rodrieguez could not rescue the brilliant team
Mexico failing to hang on
Sheer perseverance and effort
Late drama in the last five minutes of normal time
Heat, drama, trial and endurance characterising the World Cup
Neymar beautifully depositing the penalty kick
A drama-packed turnaround of events
Absolute disaster for tough Mexico
Against the run of play
Fantastic volley
Hot and steamy afternoon
James Rodriguez, the new rising star of Colombian football
Heartbreakingly close to a penalty shoot out
De Mateos has been a thorn in the flesh of Argentina
What an escape for Argentina!
Could not steer a shot into an empty goal
Lionel Messi to direct operations for Argentina
The ball is where Argentina want it – at the back of the net.
The game exploded into life
Heartbreak for the Swiss
Belgium talisman powering home a 72nd minute equalizer
Both Germany and Netherlands serious title contenders
Netherlands take on Costa Rica
Smartest little deflection
Delicious goal!
France now with their foot to the ground
Messi ought to have sealed the deal
Has had an outstanding performance
France potentially vulnerable at the back
A Costa Rican team whose story is yet to be told
French tears, despondence and frustration amidst satisfied German smiles
French eventually emerging defeated heroes here.
Delicious cross from David Luis, looking for Oscar
James Rodriguez, the right man in the right place
Uruguayan pockets of pale blue becoming more pale with every passing minute
Worthy of grace in such elevated style.
Colombia, a team determined to join the world’s football elite
A touch of history that inspired Costa Rica
Netherlands’s Robben turning the Spanish defence inside out
Slicing his way through the Brazilian defence
A classical Lionel Messi moment
Expectant Brazil and hopeful Colombia
A team humbled yet undaunted
Brazil facing Germany without talismanic Neymar
Neymar injured and out
Tragic blow to host Brazil
Brazilian football glory with a tragic end
Tough, sad uphill campaign without Neymar
Back to the drawing board for Brazilian coach Scolari.
If we were in Nigeria appreciating football language with Chinua Achebe and rural members of the Ndichie,
he would say, “Words are the soup with which football is eaten, wouldn’t
he?”
Without these flaming commentators and analysts, for me and many others, football would indeed be dead excitement.
Only Mr Bin would make head or tail of the beautiful game, for only he lives in a world without words.
For most of us WORDS make football make sense. Exactly the same way language makes life make sense! Exactly the same way English in Zimbabwe makes learning make sense!
May the best team win the world cup in Brazil! We have already won beautiful words and expressions from skillful commentators and analysts. Thank you all . . . (No, only some of you). The football you play is sweeter to the
ears than the players’ game is to the eyes.
