Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Reid it and believe it: All Whites are all tied

I woke up very early this morning. New Zealand was playing the first game of the day, at 4:30 a.m. local time, and damn straight I'd be up to watch. The first half was dull, and when Slovakia scored in the first five minutes of the second half it didn't look good for the All Whites. An equalizing goal was unimaginable since there were long stretches where a completed pass in their own half was cause for celebration.

BUT (all caps because it's a very big but), the All Whites managed a draw! They waited until the game was a couple of minutes into added time before Winston Reid directed a header past the Slovakian keeper. Here's the thing: I had been in and out of doze-mode for much of the second half and when the historic goal went in I was in doze-mode. D'oh(ze)! The post-goal noise - I guess mostly the excited voices of the announcers as the vuvuzelas are going all match long - woke me and I enjoyed the replays. Bravo, boys! Tied with Italy! And Slovakia and Paraguay! Group F is all square in all ways.

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