世界杯揭幕战火星四溅

Just when it was beginning to look as if even Africa could do dull, the World Cup burst into life with a terrific goal for the home side and that rarest of things, a memorable opening game. Indeed, a breathless one, or at least a breathless second half.
正当整个非洲看似行将碌碌无为之际，主队的奇妙进球却令世界杯迸发华彩。揭幕战令人铭记，实为少见。确实，本场比赛扣人心弦，起码下半场如此。
South Africa appeared sluggish in a plodding first half, though there was no hint of that when Siphiwe Tshabalala scored an electric opener, putting down a marker even at this early stage for one of the goals of the tournament. There will not be many swifter counterattacks or more decisive finishes either, and Tshabalala's strike transformed a game and a crowd that had begun to settle for anti-climax. It was almost a shame when Rafael Marquez evened things up 11 minutes from the end, though Mexico were dangerous throughout and deserved to take something from the game, even if Katlego Mphela did hit the post in the last minute of normal time.
上半场的南非踉踉跄跄、懒懒散散，查巴拉拉能在火石电光间首开记录，早早便在世界杯用进球镌下印记，此前并无先兆。比赛中既无更加犀利的反击，又无更加致命的射门，查巴拉拉的进球，使得渐入低潮的比赛峰回路转，无精打采的球迷刹那振作。即便是姆菲拉在常规时间的最后一分钟击中门柱，墨西哥也显得威胁十足，理应有所斩获，但当马克斯在距完场11分钟那刻扳平比分时，还是多少令人觉得有些遗憾。
Mexico had looked the sharper and more inventive side in the first half, and could have taken an early lead when Itumeleng Khune spilled Paul Aguilar's cross on virtually their first attack. Aaron Mokoena helped his goalkeeper by tidying up on that occasion though Aguilar continued to get forward from right-back, allowing the notional right-winger, Giovani dos Santos, to come inside and play a freer role.
上半场，墨西哥更加锐利、创意更足，在第一次进攻中，阿吉拉尔的传中造成库恩脱手，险些早早领先。那回，莫科纳清理掉来球，帮了门将的忙，但阿吉拉尔仍从右后卫位置上不断前插，使得多斯桑托斯内切并获得自由活动的空间。

The former Spurs player shot narrowly wide midway through the first half after catching Teko Modise in possession, but Guillermo Franco missed the best chance to put his side in front when Arsenal's Carlos Vela played him in with a lofted pass. Franco controlled the ball on his chest and looked certain to score, but Khune stayed on his feet and blocked the shot.
上半场中段，这位前热刺球员抢下莫迪塞的脚下球，一脚射门偏出，但最佳机会当属于吉列尔莫·弗朗哥--阿森纳球员贝拉递给他一记高球，弗朗哥胸部卸球，几将破门，可是库恩并未失位，挡住射门。
Vela missed a chance and then had a goal disallowed for a borderline offside before the hosts managed to put together a convincing attack, yet when they did, right on the stroke of the interval, they managed to miss a glorious opportunity to turn round with an undeserved lead. Tshabalala finally sent over a dangerous cross from the left, and though Mphela looked well placed to meet it he failed to get his head on the ball in front of goal and inside the six-yard box.
贝拉错过机会，接下来破门又被判越位在先，之后主队的反击质量颇高，却坐失良机，差点让场面占先的墨西哥在半场哨前蒙冤落后。查巴拉拉终于从左侧送出一记颇有威胁的传中，尽管姆菲拉位置极佳，但他却未能在球门前的六码区顶到皮球。
The pair redeemed themselves in some style 10 minutes into the second half. South Africa waited patiently for the right moment to disrupt one of Mexico's most patient build-ups, a succession of sideways passes going nowhere in particular near the halfway line, then struck with the deftest of counters. Mphela played the perfect 40 yard pass from inside the centre circle to allow Tshabalala to run behind the Mexican defence, and the winger's left-foot finish was even better, flying unstoppably past Oscar Perez and into his top-left corner.
下半时十分钟，二人将功补过。南非守株待兔，终于等到时机：他们将墨西哥耐心的倒脚断下，在未及中线的边路连续传递，然后完成精妙反击。姆菲拉从中圈给出40码的完美传球，查巴拉拉奔至墨西哥防线身后，这名边锋的左脚射门甚至更为绝妙，直入左上角，奥斯卡·佩雷斯徒呼奈何。
Mexico came back with a fizzing shot from Dos Santos that Khune did well to push round a post, before Modise was denied a chance of a second South African goal by a combination of Perez's reflexes and a subtle tug from the experienced Francisco Rodriguez.
墨西哥卷土重来，多斯桑托斯的劲射划向球门，但库恩奋勇将球扑出门外。随后莫迪塞差点再下一城，但佩雷斯的神速反应和弗朗西斯科·罗德里格斯老道的细微拉扯将进球拒之门外。
Had that chance been taken the hosts might have held on, but after Javier Aguirre made three attacking substitutions, his first one created an equaliser. Andres Guardado's diagonal ball over a static South African defence found three men queueing up to receive it at the far post. Marquez, the third in line, calmly took the ball down and beat Khune.
如果东道主把握住了机会，便能将胜势维持到终场，但阿吉雷做出三次换人，以加强锋线进攻，并且首个换人便造就将比分扳平。瓜尔达多斜传穿过南非人墙，墨西哥三人插上，在后点接应来球。第三名球员马克斯冷静停球，打穿库恩的大门。