Holland beats Italy 3-0. That's not a typo.

Holland's first goal was very unfair: a ball came into toward goal, and in going after it, Buffon collided with Zanucci, who was injured and crawled off the pitch behind the backline for treatment. Seconds later, Holland passed the ball toward the goal mouth, where Van Nistelrooy was about three yards offside -- offside that is, compared to the non-injured Italians. Apparently the injured Zanucci counts for offside purposes, so Nistelrooy was onside, and he poked it in. I've never seen anything like that before, and whether it is allowed by the rules or not, it felt really cheap.

It didn't matter, because Holland followed it up with a stunning counterattack goal. Off a nice Pirlo corner, Van Bronckhorst headed the ball off the goal line, then charged down the field, where another Dutch player (don't know who) kicked it to VB, who then dribbled into space on the left side of the Italian half, and crossed the ball to Dirk Kuyt in the box, who gently headed the ball over his defender to Sneijder, who on the fly ripped the ball past Buffon at the near post, in a beautiful display of finishing skill. From VB's header to Sneijder's finish, the Italians did not touch the ball. It was gorgeous.

The Orange added another counterattacking goal late to achieve the unreal 3-0 scoreline against the world champions. Cannavaro was definitely missed.

FF

USMNT drew Argentina Sunday 0-0 in a fast-paced match at a packed Giants Stadium. Tim Howard was the man of the match, stopping two point-blank shots from Cruz. Adu came on in the second half, and the Argentinians treated him with respect, often swarming him with two or three men. That limited his effectiveness, but once he adjusted to the attention later in the half, he began to create. He wasn't as threatening as he was in the Spain game, but Adu really adds something to the USMNT. When he's on, the team is just more fluid.

Overall, the Nats looked much more aggressive and sharper than they did against England or Spain. Both the US and Argentina took this friendly seriously; there were several yellows, and each side had a man sent off. A draw with the No. 1 team in the world is a result to be pleased with.

Over the weekend, I also watched Portugal-Turkey and Germany-Poland (in Euro 2008). Both favorites won 2-0. Ballack played well for Germany, as he usually does. Disappointing: Germany's Mario Gomez, whose touch in the box was wanting. I'm rooting heavily against Portugal, because I loathe Ronaldo. But Turkey was simply outclassed, and deserved to lose.

FF