BRAZILLIANT! SAMBA STARS TOP GROUP F

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Group F Final Results

Brazil narrowly beat Japan to top Group F in last night's entertaining game, though in truth the result could have gone either way. With both sides already qualified, the game had the feel of an exhibition match in places, with both teams eager to avoid hard challenges and showing off the arsenal of tricks and skills that had seen them convincingly beat their Group F opposition with a game to spare. Brazil go through to the round of 16 to face the unfancied Czech Republic, and after this display thenipper can convincingly argue that whatever the betting says, it's his team, not Japan, who are favourites to go all the way. Japanese gaffer cis will be perfectly happy with her team's performance, though, and may feel that this defeat owed as much to luck as any real superiority. Japan performed better in every game and seem to be hitting form at the right time, which should worry their second-round opponents Ghana.


Brazilian fans celebrate pop success

In the other group F match, neither Australia or Croatia will be pleased with their bore draw, which means neither team can go home with a win to their names. Both teams had committed fans but most neutrals will have been left with the impression of competent, defensively-minded outfits which simply came up against far superior opposition on the day. Australia boss catsgomiaow will be left rueing her team's lack of striking opportunities, and Croatia's anatol_merklich will chalk this one up to experience and hope for better results in 2008's Europop Championships.

In the end, this group was all about Brazil and Japan, and after last night few would bet against these teams meeting again in the final.

Group F Results In Full

BRAZIL - 152 points (qualify as winners)
JAPAN - 141 points (qualify)
AUSTRALIA - 95 points
CROATIA - 92 points

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

At last, a result I agree with.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The Croatia song actually grew on me a lot.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

it did sound like some sort of opening ceremony hymn, i thought.

i am not bothered that i didn't vote this time as my votes would have had 0 effect on the result as i would've voted in the order they came...

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

STREWTH!

Oh well, back to the "barbie" ahem ;)

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned this is a SHOCK result.

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

Rather than complaining about the tough draw, the Croatian squad would like to note that meeting this kind of opposition is exactly what younger nations such as ours need to improve our game. Well done to our Group F rivals.

(Also, blast it, what a week for me to FORGET VOTING! Not that it would have made any noticeable difference.)

CROATIA ROBBED BY INDIE BOTNIKS!

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

(= i thought the japanese entry wz a wee bit dull)

Re: CROATIA ROBBED BY INDIE BOTNIKS!

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

(so did I! but then I'm not really a fan of that kind of shiny-shiny music sorry cis!)

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I thought it was a really strong group, and I am surprised at the big margin between the top two and the others - I think I scored Australia ahead of Brazil - and that Japan didn't win.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised at the huge gap between #2 and #3 too. My match reports, btw, are meant to indicate the gaps in scores and the patterns of voting, rather than my own personal feelings about the tracks.

[barims.livejournal.com]

Hmm. It's hard being a Japanese gaffer and a Ghanaian, so it be.