DOWN THE MEMMORY LANE| FORLAN'S EXCRUCIATING MASTERCLASS

by Thakasani Khumalo

There was so much to take from this match. Bafana were blatantly the least favourite on paper, but still the favourites because of the home soil advantage they held. The instinctively lethal Diego Forlan was once more a hot topic in South Africa, this time for torturing Bafana in their home turf.

It would start as; Uruguay should have won their opening match in which they played a goalless draw against France, in Cape Town. They should have torn apart the hapless French team, France were beyond miserable to the extent that after the match they were castigated by French legend Zinedine Zidane. But French coach Raymond Domenech said they were “Happy with the overall result.” Justly so, a draw was better than nothing from this match for him.

On the other hand; South Africa should have also walked victorious in their opening match, if it wasn’t for a late tale dismal choke. They were simply a better team than Mexico from onset, they lost concentration in the 79^th minute Mexico seized the moment, it was excruciating for Bafana.

It took Uruguay twenty-four minutes to tear South Africa’s world cup dream asunder. It was Forlan, the Atletico Madrid central forward, who took it in his stride and just lunged a rocket shot into the top corner, a well-driven 30 yards missile from Forlan seemed to have deflected a bit from Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena’s head, it forth came as though as it was going just over the bar and magically notched the net leaving Khune inertially. The fully packed Loftus Versfeld was left taciturnly for a moment.

Carlos Alberto Parreira, the Brazilian tactical approach, briefly, to this match rose many burning questions. His midfield wasn’t creative enough as it should be, especially in this grand occasion and the defence were just caught backfooted in most occasions. Coming to this match Bafana knew that a win would do them good, but a defeat on the other hand could fetter their world cup voyage.

Although as the humiliating 3-0 score line was not true reflexion of the match. But the amount of chances Bafana squandered, they were made to rue them. They did pose some threat when in possession and attacking, but on the final third things went horribly wrong. Whereas the Uruguayan front three of Cavani-Suarez-Forlan looked potent. 

The unstealthily Bafana defence, in an almost sordidly way, the then Ajax forward Luis Suarez was left through on goal. Itumeleng Khune had gone out to try and make something out of a let loosed Suarez, that was then, when he brought down the Uruguayan striker, it was as if it was concocted at first sight. But, even by Suarez’s posture it was evidently and convincingly enough for Massimo Busacca to point it to the spot and damagingly more- dismissing Khune for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity; as per FIFA guidelines, Khune had to be dismissed.

South Africa were up in arms, in protest against Busacca’s ruling, albeit their cries were bootless as Forlan made it 2-0 from a well-executed penalty kick to beat Moneeb Joseph, whose introduction was in sacrifice of Steven Pienaar. By the time Alvaro Pereira tapped a crafty-skilled Suarez cross to make it 3-0 deep into the stoppage time, Bafana were inanimately done.

Perreira, though conceded “It was always going to be decided by the last game, it could still be decided on goal difference,” this was probably because of the telling magnitude of the score line and now they need to work over-time to achieve the incoming task; in which is to beat France in their last group game and possibly pray for Mexico to only lose their remaining match against Uruguay. 

  

And apart from being schooled by Uruguay, he insisted “We all think this was the worst referee of the competition so far.” He scornfully suggested.

It was all written by the way perhaps he didn’t study Uruguay enough in their opening game, that the thumping of this degree pioneered by the man of grand occasions Diego Forlan would unfold before him.