World Cup 2010: Group D Recap

By STEVE SUSI
One Great Season

Conveniently, this writer is playing in the Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic charity golf tournament today in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio (paired with Gordon Jump). So in combined honor of my preoccupation with the task at hand and being horribly, terribly wrong about Serbia's poise to win Group D, I'll offer this review via iPhone in short-form type:

+ Germany defies clichés to neuter Socceroos with flair and imagination (and protypically stout defense).

+ Stat of the day: Germany made more passes in one half than South Africa, Uruguay, USA, and Nigeria completed in their entire matches.

+ Australia's odd 4-6-0 formation does nothing to slow German juggernaut.

+ Dismissal in 56th minute "shatters" Australia's Cahill.

+ Klose scored his 11th World Cup goal,  tying him for fifth all-time in Cup history with Jurgen Klinsmann and Sandor Kocsis.

+ Squeaky clean: Ghana's seen just three cards in five World Cup matches.

+ Evenly matched Ghana and Serbia see first African victory emerge from Lukovic and Kuzmanovic blunders.

+ Essien-less Ghana can mathematically advance before even playing second match.

Click here for Steve's bio and an archive of his previous stories.