It has been over a month since I last posted on this blog, and for that I apologize. I will post much more once I get to school, where I anticipate having more free time than I have recently with my work schedule. I recognize I promised a long list of top 5’s and my favorite storylines of the World Cup, which I have written most of, but because of how early we are into the European season, I figured I would make my predictions for all the major leagues, especially the English Premier League. I have done a full table for England, while only listing a top 4 for Spain, Italy and Germany, as well as predictions for who will win their domestic cup. Once the draw for the Champions League comes out, I will do a prediction for that competition as well. Now for the predictions…
Spain:
1st- Barcelona
2nd- Real Madrid
3rd- Sevilla
4th-Atletico Madrid
Copa del Rey- Real Madrid
Italy:
1st- Inter Milan
2nd-Roma
3rd- Genoa
4th- AC Milan
Copa Italia- Inter Milan
Germany:
1st- Bayern Munich
2nd- Schalke 04
3rd- TSG Hoffenheim
4th- Bayer Leverkusen
DFB Pokal- TSG Hoffenheim
England:
1st- Chelsea
2nd- Manchester United
3rd- Arsenal
4th- Manchester City
5th-Tottenham Hotspur
6th- Liverpool
7th- Everton
8th-Bolton Wanderers
9th- Birmingham City
10th- Aston Villa
11th- Stoke City
12th- Fulham
13th- Blackburn
14th- Wolverhamption Wanderers
15th- Sunderland
16th- West Ham United
17th- Newcastle United
18th- Wigan Athletic
19th- West Brom
20th- Blackpool
FA Cup- Liverpool
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thoughts on Team Top 5's for the World Cup
Best Attacking Teams- These are the teams who I thought provided the most excitement in the attacking part of the pitch
1) Germany- The Germans were dynamic in front of the net, with Golden Boot and Young Player of the Tournament Awards Winner Thomas Mueller leading the way. Miroslav Klose also had a standout tournament, along with Mesut Ozil, Lukas Padolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger
2) Netherlands- The Dutch primary four attackers (Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie) bolstered big reputations, talent and ego. All of them had good tournaments, with the exception of van Persie who simply did not look like he belonged with the rest of the Dutch creativity on the pitch
3) Argentina- Lionel Messi left South Africa without scoring, but still had a great tournament, along with Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez. How Diego Milito never got on the pitch in South Africa is a true mystery, and coach Diego Maradonna not finding a role for him might’ve cost the Argentines a spot in the semi finals
4) Brazil- Robinho had a good tournament, while Luis Fabiano had an inconsistent one. Players like Elano and Maicon proved how dangerous they are in the attacking part of the field, while Kaka truly looked a step behind play. Is this fantastic player past his prime? Based upon how he did in South Africa, I would say yes.
5) Spain- They didn’t score goals, but they controlled every game they partook in. David Villa scored the crucial goals in the early parts of the tourney, while Carles Puyol and Andres Iniesta scored the big ones in the latter stages.
Best Defensive Teams
1) Spain- Do I love their backline? No, I still don’t, but what they do have is a fantastic midfield who doesn’t let anyone get to the back. Iker Casillas in goal also isn’t a shabby option as well, but the likes of Carlos Puyol and Joan Capdevilla are anything but impressive on the defensive end.
2) Uruguay- This was the most physical defense I saw in South Africa, that could’ve been better had their captain and starting center back Diego Lugano not gotten hurt early in the competition. Extremely difficult in the air, and hard in the tackle, this defense was crucial to the Uruguayan cause
3) New Zealand- They only allowed two goals in three games, and are the only team to not get defeated while in South Africa. This defense was constantly under pressure, but their organization and the fantastic play of Ryan Nielsen was able to withstand everything thrown at them. Mark Paston also had a great tournament in goal.
4) Portugal- Only allowed two goals in four matches, playing in a side that only scored in one game all tournament. Fabio Contrao at left back and Eduardo in goal were great all tournament.
5) Netherlands- Led the tournament in successful clearances, and only allowed more than one goal in a game once. Martin Stecklenburg had a good tournament in between the pipes for the Oranje.
Favorite Teams
1) USA- Clearly biased, but even if I was a neutral it would be hard to not cheer for the Americans. Their never say die attitude warmed my heart, and the fact that I was there in person to see the comeback against Slovenia and the Algeria victory doesn’t hurt either.
2) Germany- Besides the fact that my favorite player was their captain for the World Cup (and should be going forward) they played a beautiful brand of soccer that was the most entertaining in the tournament.
3) North Korea- I fell in love with the theory of North Korea, a country who has shut themselves out from the rest of the world, qualifying for this tournament. They were also easily the least talented team in South Africa, and my love for underdogs definitely had something to do with my affection for them
4) South Africa- The host nation was very warm and welcoming, and their people had me cheering heavily for Bafana Bafana. Unfortunate they didn’t make the second round, but beating France and going out on a high note is really all anyone could expect of this team.
5) South Korea- They played a fantastic style of play that really was good enough for them to make the quarterfinals. The entire team also sported band boy style haircuts which simply looked goofy to me, making them more endearing than most other teams.
Teams that Exceeded My Expectations
1) Uruguay- I knew nothing about this team and therefore had them losing all three of their matches. Boy was I wrong
2) Spain- I thought their style would crumble against a more physical side, but they withstood a pretty brutal assault at the hands of the Dutch in the final to prove me wrong.
3) Japan- I had this team getting zero points and not coming close to winning, but anyone who thought this team would beat both Cameroon and Denmark is more lucky than good at making reasonable predictions
4) New Zealand- Another underdog who did well, nobody had this team doing anything so I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep over getting them wrong.
5) Ghana- I didn’t think Ghana was a poor side heading into the tournament, but I thought their group would be too tough for them to progress. That’s what I get for thinking Serbia is a quality side.
Teams who Did Not Meet My Expectations
1) Cameroon- Semifinals? God that’s embarassing
2) Serbia- (See Cameroon)
3) Nigeria- I thought this team would get hot and make a good run to the quarterfinals, but I was sadly mistaken. Yakubu had a woeful tournament, and was a big reason they did not do well along with the red card Sani Kaita received for being foolish against Greece
4) Argentina- Had them as finalists, but they found out the hard way its hard to beat teams when you have no tactics
5) Netherlands- A little harsh since they almost won the title, but they didn’t so they make this list. Great tournament, just unable to finish it at the end.
1) Germany- The Germans were dynamic in front of the net, with Golden Boot and Young Player of the Tournament Awards Winner Thomas Mueller leading the way. Miroslav Klose also had a standout tournament, along with Mesut Ozil, Lukas Padolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger
2) Netherlands- The Dutch primary four attackers (Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie) bolstered big reputations, talent and ego. All of them had good tournaments, with the exception of van Persie who simply did not look like he belonged with the rest of the Dutch creativity on the pitch
3) Argentina- Lionel Messi left South Africa without scoring, but still had a great tournament, along with Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez. How Diego Milito never got on the pitch in South Africa is a true mystery, and coach Diego Maradonna not finding a role for him might’ve cost the Argentines a spot in the semi finals
4) Brazil- Robinho had a good tournament, while Luis Fabiano had an inconsistent one. Players like Elano and Maicon proved how dangerous they are in the attacking part of the field, while Kaka truly looked a step behind play. Is this fantastic player past his prime? Based upon how he did in South Africa, I would say yes.
5) Spain- They didn’t score goals, but they controlled every game they partook in. David Villa scored the crucial goals in the early parts of the tourney, while Carles Puyol and Andres Iniesta scored the big ones in the latter stages.
Best Defensive Teams
1) Spain- Do I love their backline? No, I still don’t, but what they do have is a fantastic midfield who doesn’t let anyone get to the back. Iker Casillas in goal also isn’t a shabby option as well, but the likes of Carlos Puyol and Joan Capdevilla are anything but impressive on the defensive end.
2) Uruguay- This was the most physical defense I saw in South Africa, that could’ve been better had their captain and starting center back Diego Lugano not gotten hurt early in the competition. Extremely difficult in the air, and hard in the tackle, this defense was crucial to the Uruguayan cause
3) New Zealand- They only allowed two goals in three games, and are the only team to not get defeated while in South Africa. This defense was constantly under pressure, but their organization and the fantastic play of Ryan Nielsen was able to withstand everything thrown at them. Mark Paston also had a great tournament in goal.
4) Portugal- Only allowed two goals in four matches, playing in a side that only scored in one game all tournament. Fabio Contrao at left back and Eduardo in goal were great all tournament.
5) Netherlands- Led the tournament in successful clearances, and only allowed more than one goal in a game once. Martin Stecklenburg had a good tournament in between the pipes for the Oranje.
Favorite Teams
1) USA- Clearly biased, but even if I was a neutral it would be hard to not cheer for the Americans. Their never say die attitude warmed my heart, and the fact that I was there in person to see the comeback against Slovenia and the Algeria victory doesn’t hurt either.
2) Germany- Besides the fact that my favorite player was their captain for the World Cup (and should be going forward) they played a beautiful brand of soccer that was the most entertaining in the tournament.
3) North Korea- I fell in love with the theory of North Korea, a country who has shut themselves out from the rest of the world, qualifying for this tournament. They were also easily the least talented team in South Africa, and my love for underdogs definitely had something to do with my affection for them
4) South Africa- The host nation was very warm and welcoming, and their people had me cheering heavily for Bafana Bafana. Unfortunate they didn’t make the second round, but beating France and going out on a high note is really all anyone could expect of this team.
5) South Korea- They played a fantastic style of play that really was good enough for them to make the quarterfinals. The entire team also sported band boy style haircuts which simply looked goofy to me, making them more endearing than most other teams.
Teams that Exceeded My Expectations
1) Uruguay- I knew nothing about this team and therefore had them losing all three of their matches. Boy was I wrong
2) Spain- I thought their style would crumble against a more physical side, but they withstood a pretty brutal assault at the hands of the Dutch in the final to prove me wrong.
3) Japan- I had this team getting zero points and not coming close to winning, but anyone who thought this team would beat both Cameroon and Denmark is more lucky than good at making reasonable predictions
4) New Zealand- Another underdog who did well, nobody had this team doing anything so I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep over getting them wrong.
5) Ghana- I didn’t think Ghana was a poor side heading into the tournament, but I thought their group would be too tough for them to progress. That’s what I get for thinking Serbia is a quality side.
Teams who Did Not Meet My Expectations
1) Cameroon- Semifinals? God that’s embarassing
2) Serbia- (See Cameroon)
3) Nigeria- I thought this team would get hot and make a good run to the quarterfinals, but I was sadly mistaken. Yakubu had a woeful tournament, and was a big reason they did not do well along with the red card Sani Kaita received for being foolish against Greece
4) Argentina- Had them as finalists, but they found out the hard way its hard to beat teams when you have no tactics
5) Netherlands- A little harsh since they almost won the title, but they didn’t so they make this list. Great tournament, just unable to finish it at the end.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thoughts on the World Cup Final
World Cup 2010 ended in a flurry of yellow cards, kicks to the chest, Nelson Mandela attending a matcha and with Spain lifting the trophy for the first time as World Champion. An early prediction of mine was that the first African World Cup would end with a new champion, so I suppose I can take a little solace in that, but the team I picked to win finished a little short. The Dutch have been my pick since March, so from a personal perspective it was a little tough to watch them lose in the final, but at the same time I’m pleased in that this tournament did bring us a new champ, and a deserving one at that. The Spanish defense, which I’ve said since Euro 2008 has been their weakness, did not allow a goal in the knockout rounds. This is not because of the fantastic play of the Spanish defense but that of their midfield, who did a great job of possessing the ball and giving the defense very little to do all tournament. Xavi and Andres Iniesta did not have standout tournaments, but proved just how talented they were by playing plenty of games without their A game and still controlling the proceedings. Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso also proved their worth by being a solid wall in front of the defense, but the depth of their midfield is where one sees just how talented Spain are; players like Pedro, Cesc Fabregas Jesus Navas and David Silva (who didn’t feature in the final) did not start consistently throughout the tournament , and they are all world class players.
But the MVP for the Spanish in the final was goalkeeper Iker Casillas. He covered mightily for Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique, thwarting Dutch winger Arjen Robben twice after he had beaten both Spanish defenders to gain breakaways. Casillas was lucky on the first breakaway, where Robben got him to go the other way but his trailing foot deflected the ball. However, he did a great job of staying big, closing space quickly and making Robben have to wait until the final second to shoot, doing everything a goalkeeper should do on a breakaway. Without the great play of Casillas, Spain would not have won yesterday.
The two players I feel terrible for after the final though are Arjen Robben, and Dutch defender John Heitinga. Robben, who has been a standout player all year for Bayern Munich, will be the goat of the final for missing his two chances. A player of his caliber should’ve put his chances away, and Robben knows that, but his presence was vital to the Dutch making the final. No player has had an instant impact for his team in this tournament quite like Arjen Robben, and his being there made defenses have to pay attention to him and leave space for players like Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder to make plays. Robben also lost the Champions League Final with Bayern Munich this year; two tough losses in one season. In Heitinga’s case, I do not think he should’ve been sent off. It looked to me that Iniesta went down far too easily, making sure Heitinga got his second yellow card. What makes his sending off truly unfortunate is that up to that point, he had been my MVP for the Dutch in the final. Heitinga was all over the place, being forced to guard the dynamic David Villa and did a fantastic job. The biggest problem with Heitinga’s skill set is that he may be a little too versatile; he doesn’t have a true position along the backline. In this tournament, he featured mostly at center back, and in the biggest game of his life, he was asked to man mark the World’s best striker in Villa and did just that. It’s a pity he got sent off, because he had really kept the Dutch in the game, but his sending off ended up costing them a chance at penalty kicks. Had Heitinga been on the field, my bet is that he would’ve been able to clear the ball before it reached Iniesta, who scored the match’s only goal. In a way though, the red card was long overdue for the Netherlands, as Nigel de Jong definitely deserved to see red for his challenge on Xabi Alonso in the first half, it’s just unfortunate that it was Heitinga who got the red card.
Speaking of the referee, I think Howard Webb put on an atrocious display. Granted, he got no help from the players who seemed determined to turn the match into a contest to see who could injure more opposing players, but I thought he handed out far too many cards. He really shot himself in the foot with his early yellow on Robin van Persie, because it set a precedent for how he was going to referee the match; if he was going to be in any way consistent, he would have to card players for worse challenges, which he did to his credit, but I thought he set the bar too low. No final should have as many cards as it did, and the referee should’ve done a better job of controlling the proceedings. That said, the Dutch can blame nobody but themselves for losing; the Spanish played better on the night.
With the tournament being over, I’ve decided to start doing smaller write ups looking back on the cup. My first retrospective series will be top five lists for different categories; Favorite teams, Best Goals and Best Celebrations, which will be wrapped up with my ten favorite storylines from the entire tournament. There is a bit of a lull right now until more soccer gets played, but a better way of looking at it is the domestic season begins in just a little over a month in Europe; the beautiful game really never does stop, does it?
But the MVP for the Spanish in the final was goalkeeper Iker Casillas. He covered mightily for Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique, thwarting Dutch winger Arjen Robben twice after he had beaten both Spanish defenders to gain breakaways. Casillas was lucky on the first breakaway, where Robben got him to go the other way but his trailing foot deflected the ball. However, he did a great job of staying big, closing space quickly and making Robben have to wait until the final second to shoot, doing everything a goalkeeper should do on a breakaway. Without the great play of Casillas, Spain would not have won yesterday.
The two players I feel terrible for after the final though are Arjen Robben, and Dutch defender John Heitinga. Robben, who has been a standout player all year for Bayern Munich, will be the goat of the final for missing his two chances. A player of his caliber should’ve put his chances away, and Robben knows that, but his presence was vital to the Dutch making the final. No player has had an instant impact for his team in this tournament quite like Arjen Robben, and his being there made defenses have to pay attention to him and leave space for players like Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder to make plays. Robben also lost the Champions League Final with Bayern Munich this year; two tough losses in one season. In Heitinga’s case, I do not think he should’ve been sent off. It looked to me that Iniesta went down far too easily, making sure Heitinga got his second yellow card. What makes his sending off truly unfortunate is that up to that point, he had been my MVP for the Dutch in the final. Heitinga was all over the place, being forced to guard the dynamic David Villa and did a fantastic job. The biggest problem with Heitinga’s skill set is that he may be a little too versatile; he doesn’t have a true position along the backline. In this tournament, he featured mostly at center back, and in the biggest game of his life, he was asked to man mark the World’s best striker in Villa and did just that. It’s a pity he got sent off, because he had really kept the Dutch in the game, but his sending off ended up costing them a chance at penalty kicks. Had Heitinga been on the field, my bet is that he would’ve been able to clear the ball before it reached Iniesta, who scored the match’s only goal. In a way though, the red card was long overdue for the Netherlands, as Nigel de Jong definitely deserved to see red for his challenge on Xabi Alonso in the first half, it’s just unfortunate that it was Heitinga who got the red card.
Speaking of the referee, I think Howard Webb put on an atrocious display. Granted, he got no help from the players who seemed determined to turn the match into a contest to see who could injure more opposing players, but I thought he handed out far too many cards. He really shot himself in the foot with his early yellow on Robin van Persie, because it set a precedent for how he was going to referee the match; if he was going to be in any way consistent, he would have to card players for worse challenges, which he did to his credit, but I thought he set the bar too low. No final should have as many cards as it did, and the referee should’ve done a better job of controlling the proceedings. That said, the Dutch can blame nobody but themselves for losing; the Spanish played better on the night.
With the tournament being over, I’ve decided to start doing smaller write ups looking back on the cup. My first retrospective series will be top five lists for different categories; Favorite teams, Best Goals and Best Celebrations, which will be wrapped up with my ten favorite storylines from the entire tournament. There is a bit of a lull right now until more soccer gets played, but a better way of looking at it is the domestic season begins in just a little over a month in Europe; the beautiful game really never does stop, does it?
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thoughts on What Will Happen During the World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals started with 32 teams vying for the championship, but now we are down to two: the Netherlands and Spain. It really is a historic final in that whichever team wins will be crowned champion for the first time in their storied history (first time we will have a new champion since 1978), as well as becoming the first European team to win the tournament outside of Europe. In my opinion, what adds to the importance of this final is where the next will be staged in four years, and who is going to be good there: Brazil 2014 is already Brazil’s to win. Even if it isn’t a good Brazilian team, they should win. If not the Brazilians than who? Germany appears to have a golden generation on their hands, and those young players will have developed even further in the time period before Brazil, making them a terrifying force to be, and potentially the team who can steal the title from the Brazilians in their own backyard. In four years time, Argentina can also expect to have a coach with some actual tactical awareness who could bring out the best in Lionel Messi, who should still be fantastic in four years, meaning the Argentines should be battling for that title. France and Italy should have new coaches who will bring in new players and make those teams respectable once again, while South American sides like Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador will be extremely motivated to show well as the tournament is on their continent. Where will that leave these two teams? With lots of work to do, and needing a huge amount of luck, to lift the trophy in Rio de Janeiro. Basically what I am saying is this: the World Cup in four years should not be as winnable as this one, so the team that takes advantage of this golden opportunity today will be extremely fortunate, while the other will be left disappointed, as I cannot see either of these teams making the final in four years time.
As great as the Dutch are, it appears to really be Spain’s year to win it; they have been rated as the best team in the world since they won Euro 2008, and after a minor blip losing to Switzerland in their first match in South Africa, they have won all their games and controlled every game in which they have played. I’m saying this despite picking the Dutch to win before the tournament started; Spain will never have a team this good I believe, if they do not win it will be hugely disappointing to their fans. I expect David Villa to score today, who has been an extremely influential player because the other big name Spanish forward, Fernando Torres, has been dreadful this tournament. Villa has picked up his slack, and has scored a few major goals for the Spanish en route to the final. Of course, the key to Spain’s game is the midfield, where Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets reside. The duo of Iniesta and Xavi always seem to be able to control the tempo of the game with their short passes and constant possession, making it extremely hard to beat Spain since they always have the ball. It also protects their average at best back line, who has yet to allow a goal since Chile scored on them in the group stages, but that has more to do with how dominant the Spanish midfield has been rather than how good the defense has been. They haven’t had a whole lot to do, but I could see them having problems today; while Spain will possess the ball, they are going to have to deal with Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie on the defensive end, a tough quartet to contain. What could also make Spain’s day difficult is the defensive midfield duo of Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong, whose grit and steel could break up Spain’s classic midfield play. Van Bommel and de Jong would have to have major games in order for this to happen, but the duo have had good tournaments and could be up to the task.
The Dutch were my picks to win before the tournament, so I have to be cheering for them later today. They have gotten to the final without playing the favored Total Football style many of the great Dutch teams of the seventies played. That said, those teams never won a championship playing that style, and if the Dutch win today they will do something that Johann Cruyff and company wanted nothing more than. The Dutch are a tough matchup for the Spanish in that they feature a team that is capable of absorbing pressure for long spells because they have different players who can provide moments of glory with little time necessary. I’m specifically thinking of Arjen Robben on the right flank, who should eat Joan Capdevilla up whenever he has the ball. Robben should have a good game, but the key to the Dutch will be the defense, who will have to hold up against the relentless Spanish pressure they are going to have to take. Giovanni van Bronckhurst as captain will have to keep the defense well organized and focused on their tasks as one small mental slip could result in Spain breaking through and scoring a goal. Another major key for the Dutch will be scoring first, preferably early, something they have been able to do this tournament, but will be difficult against Spain. It’s important to put Spain in a hole early, rather than get behind because Spain will hold onto the ball as much as possible, making them a difficult team to chase.
In the end, I am very torn over this game; I’ve picked the Dutch since before the tournament so I can’t turn my back on them now. That said, Spain are the clear favorites and will be expected to win. I can’t ditch the Dutch, so I will stick with them to win 2-1, but Spain should win. I will be cheering heavily for the Dutch though, they’ve made the final more than the Spanish have, they’ve suffered more heartbreak in the final than the Spanish have, it should be their turn to win it. The problem is that Spain is better. In this 2-1 game, I see the Dutch getting the important first goal through Arjen Robben, with the Spanish equalizing midway through the first half with Iniesta scoring, giving us a 1-1 score at halftime. In the second half, it will be a free kick by Wesley Sneijder to win it for the Netherlands, which will spark much partying in Amsterdam.
I’m a very confused individual ahead of this final. Obviously I’m excited to watch the match, but I’m realizing this is the last World Cup match that will take place for a good four years. In four years I should be done with college, and be out in the real world, so one could argue this is my last World Cup as a kid. It’s been a fantastic tournament though, with attending the matches obviously the high point. But it’s not just going to the matches, being a part of the South African atmosphere during the cup was intoxicating, and an atmosphere I have to be a part of at some point again in my life (I’m thinking 2018… in England hopefully). During this World Cup I have watched the games on three different continents in numerous different locations; my home, the deli where I work, the bar in our hotel, a restaurant on Long Street in Cape Town, the Cape Town airport, a seedy bar in Dubai, a German restaurant in Dubai (which featured Arabs in traditional German outfits… a sight I never thought I would see) and of course the three stadiums I went to. I’m watching the final at my friend Nathan’s house, which will mean a grand total of eleven locations where I watched a World Cup match. This tournament will forever be in my memory and will be a tough thing for me to say goodbye to in a few hours time. The beauty of the end of the World Cup though is this; only one month until all the major European leagues get started up, and only two years until Euro 2012. There is a long amount of time we must wait until Brazil 2014, but there should be fun games of soccer in between now and Brazil, and even if there isn’t, this fantastic competition is worth waiting four years for.
When the final is over, I will write about it and my other highlights of what has happened during the 2010 World Cup. I’ve got an interesting idea of making short lists of different categories about the World Cup and writing little bits about each list; favorite matches, favorite players, favorite moments etc. We will see, but until next time, enjoy the World Cup final!
As great as the Dutch are, it appears to really be Spain’s year to win it; they have been rated as the best team in the world since they won Euro 2008, and after a minor blip losing to Switzerland in their first match in South Africa, they have won all their games and controlled every game in which they have played. I’m saying this despite picking the Dutch to win before the tournament started; Spain will never have a team this good I believe, if they do not win it will be hugely disappointing to their fans. I expect David Villa to score today, who has been an extremely influential player because the other big name Spanish forward, Fernando Torres, has been dreadful this tournament. Villa has picked up his slack, and has scored a few major goals for the Spanish en route to the final. Of course, the key to Spain’s game is the midfield, where Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets reside. The duo of Iniesta and Xavi always seem to be able to control the tempo of the game with their short passes and constant possession, making it extremely hard to beat Spain since they always have the ball. It also protects their average at best back line, who has yet to allow a goal since Chile scored on them in the group stages, but that has more to do with how dominant the Spanish midfield has been rather than how good the defense has been. They haven’t had a whole lot to do, but I could see them having problems today; while Spain will possess the ball, they are going to have to deal with Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie on the defensive end, a tough quartet to contain. What could also make Spain’s day difficult is the defensive midfield duo of Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong, whose grit and steel could break up Spain’s classic midfield play. Van Bommel and de Jong would have to have major games in order for this to happen, but the duo have had good tournaments and could be up to the task.
The Dutch were my picks to win before the tournament, so I have to be cheering for them later today. They have gotten to the final without playing the favored Total Football style many of the great Dutch teams of the seventies played. That said, those teams never won a championship playing that style, and if the Dutch win today they will do something that Johann Cruyff and company wanted nothing more than. The Dutch are a tough matchup for the Spanish in that they feature a team that is capable of absorbing pressure for long spells because they have different players who can provide moments of glory with little time necessary. I’m specifically thinking of Arjen Robben on the right flank, who should eat Joan Capdevilla up whenever he has the ball. Robben should have a good game, but the key to the Dutch will be the defense, who will have to hold up against the relentless Spanish pressure they are going to have to take. Giovanni van Bronckhurst as captain will have to keep the defense well organized and focused on their tasks as one small mental slip could result in Spain breaking through and scoring a goal. Another major key for the Dutch will be scoring first, preferably early, something they have been able to do this tournament, but will be difficult against Spain. It’s important to put Spain in a hole early, rather than get behind because Spain will hold onto the ball as much as possible, making them a difficult team to chase.
In the end, I am very torn over this game; I’ve picked the Dutch since before the tournament so I can’t turn my back on them now. That said, Spain are the clear favorites and will be expected to win. I can’t ditch the Dutch, so I will stick with them to win 2-1, but Spain should win. I will be cheering heavily for the Dutch though, they’ve made the final more than the Spanish have, they’ve suffered more heartbreak in the final than the Spanish have, it should be their turn to win it. The problem is that Spain is better. In this 2-1 game, I see the Dutch getting the important first goal through Arjen Robben, with the Spanish equalizing midway through the first half with Iniesta scoring, giving us a 1-1 score at halftime. In the second half, it will be a free kick by Wesley Sneijder to win it for the Netherlands, which will spark much partying in Amsterdam.
I’m a very confused individual ahead of this final. Obviously I’m excited to watch the match, but I’m realizing this is the last World Cup match that will take place for a good four years. In four years I should be done with college, and be out in the real world, so one could argue this is my last World Cup as a kid. It’s been a fantastic tournament though, with attending the matches obviously the high point. But it’s not just going to the matches, being a part of the South African atmosphere during the cup was intoxicating, and an atmosphere I have to be a part of at some point again in my life (I’m thinking 2018… in England hopefully). During this World Cup I have watched the games on three different continents in numerous different locations; my home, the deli where I work, the bar in our hotel, a restaurant on Long Street in Cape Town, the Cape Town airport, a seedy bar in Dubai, a German restaurant in Dubai (which featured Arabs in traditional German outfits… a sight I never thought I would see) and of course the three stadiums I went to. I’m watching the final at my friend Nathan’s house, which will mean a grand total of eleven locations where I watched a World Cup match. This tournament will forever be in my memory and will be a tough thing for me to say goodbye to in a few hours time. The beauty of the end of the World Cup though is this; only one month until all the major European leagues get started up, and only two years until Euro 2012. There is a long amount of time we must wait until Brazil 2014, but there should be fun games of soccer in between now and Brazil, and even if there isn’t, this fantastic competition is worth waiting four years for.
When the final is over, I will write about it and my other highlights of what has happened during the 2010 World Cup. I’ve got an interesting idea of making short lists of different categories about the World Cup and writing little bits about each list; favorite matches, favorite players, favorite moments etc. We will see, but until next time, enjoy the World Cup final!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thoughts on the Quarterfinals of the World Cup
Ah I have returned to the blog! Sorry it’s been so long to those of you who were actually checking to see if I had any new posts (if there are more of you than the five fingers on my right hand, then I will be shocked) but I have good excuses. A mixture of poor internet in
First of all, I couldn’t be prouder of the Dutch right now.
The other match was both fantastic and cruel at the same time.
The match I am looking forward to tomorrow is
The
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thoughts on the USA vs. Algeria Game and the USA's Chances in the Knockout Rounds
The USA vs. Algeria match yesterday was probably the most intense soccer game this country has ever partaken in, and I can say I was there to witness it in person. Did I have faith through in through? In all honesty, I did not. I wasn’t sure if the goal we needed to progress was ever going to come. But I assure you, when it did, I cheered as loudly and as passionately as I ever have in my entire life. Never has a sporting event moved me to tears, but yesterday did. It was the best sporting event I will possibly ever go to, and this is somebody who has seen his hometown team play in, and win, the Super Bowl. I will never experience what I went through yesterday.
The day started much earlier than it should have: 5:30 AM. We were told to wake up at this time by the company that we got our tickets through, despite our pickup time being 7:20. It also ended at 5:30 AM the next day when we finally got back to our hotel, with our company putting us on the 2:40 AM flight from Pretoria. A long day that had me truly frustrated with the people who were playing a huge part in my getting to live my dream of seeing the World Cup live. Truly cannot complain though, they got us to Pretoria (capital of South Africa, and is an absolutely gorgeous town) and they gave us great seats: we were in the lower deck, about twenty five rows up, just behind the Algeria bench. We also were pretty close to former president Bill Clinton, and were able to get some fantastic pictures of him looking out over the field from his suite.
The lineup that Bob Bradley fielded had three changes from the one that played against Slovenia: with Herculez Gomez, Maurice Edu and Jonathon Bornstein starting in place of Robbie Findley, Jose Torres and Oguchi Onyewu. The inclusion of Bornstein was a terrifying prospect to me: he is, in my opinion, the least talented player on the USA roster. However, he is the only natural left back that we have, hence why he was included to replace Onyewu, who Bradley must feel has not been up to snuff in South Africa. I have to say that this defense appeared much better than the one that took the field against Slovenia, mostly because of how organized they were. Carlos Bocanegra was very good in central defense, being much more vocal than Onyewu was in the previous matches, meaning that Jay DeMerit could play with a little more confidence knowing where Bocanegra was. Steve Cherundolo was our MVP in the first half, with much of the offense flowing through him on the right flank. He also did a great job of neutralizing Nadir Belhadj, Algeria’s talented left winger. And Bornstein, as much as he terrifies me, played a decent game. He was conservative and consistent, and proved that he can have a role on this team as long as he attempts to play within his skill level and does not try to make surging runs down the left flank that he simply can’t make. The biggest thing for the American defense was that they gave the Algerians the early goal opportunity that the Americans always concede, but the Algerians were unable to take advantage of it, hitting the crossbar instead of finding the back of the net.
The midfield had a quieter game than they did against Slovenia and England. Despite this, I think Edu is the man to start the next match against Ghana; he appears to bring the best out of Michael Bradley, and that is crucial to the USA’s success. Landon Donovan had an inconsistent game, Clint Dempsey missed a sitter (and scored a goal that was incorrectly disallowed), and Bradley played his usual game of controlling the offense going forward and making the occasional surging run into the box. For me, Bradley has been our second most important player this tournament behind Tim Howard. I’m not trying to snub Landon, who without the USA would not be in the Round of 16, but Bradley has been fantastic this whole tournament. He kept the fantastic midfielders of England in check, then played an all around superb game against Slovenia that culminated with him scoring the all-important tying goal and contributed heavily to the USA keeping a shutout for the first time this tournament against Algeria. He’s done this all without any continuity in terms of who he has played with in the center midfield position. Four different players have played alongside him there (Edu, Torres, Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber, who also played well against Algeria coming on as a substitute), and Bradley has done a great job of adjusting to each of their styles of play, continuing to be a productive player along the way. At his young age, he would be a perfect pickup for a big European club after this World Cup. If it actually happens I am not sure of, but has he earned that big money move? Yes
The forwards of this USA team are very tough to rate because the job of the forward is to score, something none of them have done yet. Despite this, the forwards have had a good tournament in my opinion, and had another consistent performance against Algeria. Herculez Gomez was a good substitute in the starter position for Robbie Findley (who was suspended through receiving two yellow cards in the previous games), but wasn’t quite active enough for my liking. He had one great chance, but had a bad angle, and the Algerian keeper parried it away. Jozy Altidore, despite missing a sitter from six yards away, had a very good game. He is the type of player who gets better as the game goes on because his unique combination of size and speed wears down defenders. Are you aware he’s drawn 6 yellow cards this tournament from defenders? That’s a sick number of cards, proving just how difficult Altidore can be. The next step for him is technique though. Too many times his bad first touch ended an American chance to score. He has plenty of time to get better though since he is only 20 years old, making him an exciting prospect for the future.
As the game went on, I began to get less and less confident about our chances. I’d seen this too many times in sports: one team dominates and creates chances to win the game, but are unable to take advantage of them. This appeared to be another one of those games, especially heading into stoppage time. That was until Landon Donovan scored the biggest goal of his career, picking up a loose ball in the box and tucking it home after a Clint Dempsey shot, from a Jozy Altidore pass, was deflected by the Algerian keeper. I didn’t have a great view of the goal as it was on the other side of the stadium, but when I saw the ball go into the net, I, along with the other Yanks in the stands, erupted into cheers of jubilation and relief. I hugged my dad, mom, sister, and any American near me. I even hugged a couple of random South Africans behind me who didn’t care who won the game. I then broke down and shed a few tears: I had dreamt of attending this World Cup for six years and my family had traveled a far way to get to South Africa; one second it was to watch our boys finish third and miss out on advancing, to seeing USA soccer history. That goal, and the win that came with it, took the USA to the top of their World Cup group, the first time we’ve achieved this (we also set a World Cup record for least amount of minutes leading a match by a group winner, with two minutes in the lead). With this in mind, as the final whistle blew, I stepped on a few empty seats in front of me, raised my USA scarf high above my head, and proudly chanted USA along with the rest of the crowd. It was a moment of pure elation, where everything seemed right in the world.
I can only thank the USA players for providing this fantastic personal moment, whose performance truly epitomized their strengths as a team: grit, determination and desire gave that team victory yesterday and advanced them, not skill. It’s something the 2006 edition of this team sorely lacked, but it’s a quality this team appears to be overflowing with. Every player hustled; every player wanted the team to succeed. Not every team has this, just ask the French and Italians (delighted both teams are out by the way) and this quality is our team’s greatest strength.
Looking ahead, the USA appears to have a manageable draw to make it to the semi finals. Their Round of 16 opponents is Ghana, with their potential quarterfinal adversaries being either Uruguay or South Korea. All three teams are beatable; the USA shouldn’t be intimidated by any of them. That said, the Ghana game is scaring me greatly. Ghana will most likely be the only African team left in the competition, and will be motivated to advance to the quarterfinals more than any other team in the field. They will also have the support of the rest of the world; everyone wants Africa to do well this year (myself included). There will be no neutrals in Rustenburg on Saturday; the stadium will be all Ghana, with a few Americans sprinkled in.
That said, I am encouraged by how Ghana has played so far in this tournament. They really have not been that great of a side, scoring only two goals, both from the penalty spot. The Ghanaians were lucky to take all three points from a woeful Serbian side (my bad on that one), tied a lackluster Australia team without their key player, and were dominated by Germany despite only losing 1-0. Ghana is also a team with a weak goalkeeper in Richard Kingson, so there could be chances galore in front of the net for our boys. Considering the USA’s other potential opponent was Germany, the Americans have to be satisfied. The Ghana game is anything but a freebee though, and they will have to bring their A-game to have a chance of winning. That said, if the Americans get past Ghana, making the semifinals is expected from my point of view; when you get that far in the tournament and you either have Uruguay waiting for you, who has yet to play any team of true skill (a Mexican team that was all but guaranteed of advancing doesn’t count) or South Korea who simply aren’t as good as your team, you must no longer hope but expect victory. That is the difference between good teams and great teams: taking the field with the expectation of victory. I anticipate Uruguay to be waiting in the quarterfinals. If we get past Ghana, the chances of the USA making its deepest run at a World Cup in the modern era will never be higher. The question is whether they will take this golden opportunity ahead of them. For their sake I hope they do, as they will truly never have a better draw to get to the semifinals than the one laid out in front of them now.
The day started much earlier than it should have: 5:30 AM. We were told to wake up at this time by the company that we got our tickets through, despite our pickup time being 7:20. It also ended at 5:30 AM the next day when we finally got back to our hotel, with our company putting us on the 2:40 AM flight from Pretoria. A long day that had me truly frustrated with the people who were playing a huge part in my getting to live my dream of seeing the World Cup live. Truly cannot complain though, they got us to Pretoria (capital of South Africa, and is an absolutely gorgeous town) and they gave us great seats: we were in the lower deck, about twenty five rows up, just behind the Algeria bench. We also were pretty close to former president Bill Clinton, and were able to get some fantastic pictures of him looking out over the field from his suite.
The lineup that Bob Bradley fielded had three changes from the one that played against Slovenia: with Herculez Gomez, Maurice Edu and Jonathon Bornstein starting in place of Robbie Findley, Jose Torres and Oguchi Onyewu. The inclusion of Bornstein was a terrifying prospect to me: he is, in my opinion, the least talented player on the USA roster. However, he is the only natural left back that we have, hence why he was included to replace Onyewu, who Bradley must feel has not been up to snuff in South Africa. I have to say that this defense appeared much better than the one that took the field against Slovenia, mostly because of how organized they were. Carlos Bocanegra was very good in central defense, being much more vocal than Onyewu was in the previous matches, meaning that Jay DeMerit could play with a little more confidence knowing where Bocanegra was. Steve Cherundolo was our MVP in the first half, with much of the offense flowing through him on the right flank. He also did a great job of neutralizing Nadir Belhadj, Algeria’s talented left winger. And Bornstein, as much as he terrifies me, played a decent game. He was conservative and consistent, and proved that he can have a role on this team as long as he attempts to play within his skill level and does not try to make surging runs down the left flank that he simply can’t make. The biggest thing for the American defense was that they gave the Algerians the early goal opportunity that the Americans always concede, but the Algerians were unable to take advantage of it, hitting the crossbar instead of finding the back of the net.
The midfield had a quieter game than they did against Slovenia and England. Despite this, I think Edu is the man to start the next match against Ghana; he appears to bring the best out of Michael Bradley, and that is crucial to the USA’s success. Landon Donovan had an inconsistent game, Clint Dempsey missed a sitter (and scored a goal that was incorrectly disallowed), and Bradley played his usual game of controlling the offense going forward and making the occasional surging run into the box. For me, Bradley has been our second most important player this tournament behind Tim Howard. I’m not trying to snub Landon, who without the USA would not be in the Round of 16, but Bradley has been fantastic this whole tournament. He kept the fantastic midfielders of England in check, then played an all around superb game against Slovenia that culminated with him scoring the all-important tying goal and contributed heavily to the USA keeping a shutout for the first time this tournament against Algeria. He’s done this all without any continuity in terms of who he has played with in the center midfield position. Four different players have played alongside him there (Edu, Torres, Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber, who also played well against Algeria coming on as a substitute), and Bradley has done a great job of adjusting to each of their styles of play, continuing to be a productive player along the way. At his young age, he would be a perfect pickup for a big European club after this World Cup. If it actually happens I am not sure of, but has he earned that big money move? Yes
The forwards of this USA team are very tough to rate because the job of the forward is to score, something none of them have done yet. Despite this, the forwards have had a good tournament in my opinion, and had another consistent performance against Algeria. Herculez Gomez was a good substitute in the starter position for Robbie Findley (who was suspended through receiving two yellow cards in the previous games), but wasn’t quite active enough for my liking. He had one great chance, but had a bad angle, and the Algerian keeper parried it away. Jozy Altidore, despite missing a sitter from six yards away, had a very good game. He is the type of player who gets better as the game goes on because his unique combination of size and speed wears down defenders. Are you aware he’s drawn 6 yellow cards this tournament from defenders? That’s a sick number of cards, proving just how difficult Altidore can be. The next step for him is technique though. Too many times his bad first touch ended an American chance to score. He has plenty of time to get better though since he is only 20 years old, making him an exciting prospect for the future.
As the game went on, I began to get less and less confident about our chances. I’d seen this too many times in sports: one team dominates and creates chances to win the game, but are unable to take advantage of them. This appeared to be another one of those games, especially heading into stoppage time. That was until Landon Donovan scored the biggest goal of his career, picking up a loose ball in the box and tucking it home after a Clint Dempsey shot, from a Jozy Altidore pass, was deflected by the Algerian keeper. I didn’t have a great view of the goal as it was on the other side of the stadium, but when I saw the ball go into the net, I, along with the other Yanks in the stands, erupted into cheers of jubilation and relief. I hugged my dad, mom, sister, and any American near me. I even hugged a couple of random South Africans behind me who didn’t care who won the game. I then broke down and shed a few tears: I had dreamt of attending this World Cup for six years and my family had traveled a far way to get to South Africa; one second it was to watch our boys finish third and miss out on advancing, to seeing USA soccer history. That goal, and the win that came with it, took the USA to the top of their World Cup group, the first time we’ve achieved this (we also set a World Cup record for least amount of minutes leading a match by a group winner, with two minutes in the lead). With this in mind, as the final whistle blew, I stepped on a few empty seats in front of me, raised my USA scarf high above my head, and proudly chanted USA along with the rest of the crowd. It was a moment of pure elation, where everything seemed right in the world.
I can only thank the USA players for providing this fantastic personal moment, whose performance truly epitomized their strengths as a team: grit, determination and desire gave that team victory yesterday and advanced them, not skill. It’s something the 2006 edition of this team sorely lacked, but it’s a quality this team appears to be overflowing with. Every player hustled; every player wanted the team to succeed. Not every team has this, just ask the French and Italians (delighted both teams are out by the way) and this quality is our team’s greatest strength.
Looking ahead, the USA appears to have a manageable draw to make it to the semi finals. Their Round of 16 opponents is Ghana, with their potential quarterfinal adversaries being either Uruguay or South Korea. All three teams are beatable; the USA shouldn’t be intimidated by any of them. That said, the Ghana game is scaring me greatly. Ghana will most likely be the only African team left in the competition, and will be motivated to advance to the quarterfinals more than any other team in the field. They will also have the support of the rest of the world; everyone wants Africa to do well this year (myself included). There will be no neutrals in Rustenburg on Saturday; the stadium will be all Ghana, with a few Americans sprinkled in.
That said, I am encouraged by how Ghana has played so far in this tournament. They really have not been that great of a side, scoring only two goals, both from the penalty spot. The Ghanaians were lucky to take all three points from a woeful Serbian side (my bad on that one), tied a lackluster Australia team without their key player, and were dominated by Germany despite only losing 1-0. Ghana is also a team with a weak goalkeeper in Richard Kingson, so there could be chances galore in front of the net for our boys. Considering the USA’s other potential opponent was Germany, the Americans have to be satisfied. The Ghana game is anything but a freebee though, and they will have to bring their A-game to have a chance of winning. That said, if the Americans get past Ghana, making the semifinals is expected from my point of view; when you get that far in the tournament and you either have Uruguay waiting for you, who has yet to play any team of true skill (a Mexican team that was all but guaranteed of advancing doesn’t count) or South Korea who simply aren’t as good as your team, you must no longer hope but expect victory. That is the difference between good teams and great teams: taking the field with the expectation of victory. I anticipate Uruguay to be waiting in the quarterfinals. If we get past Ghana, the chances of the USA making its deepest run at a World Cup in the modern era will never be higher. The question is whether they will take this golden opportunity ahead of them. For their sake I hope they do, as they will truly never have a better draw to get to the semifinals than the one laid out in front of them now.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thoughts on Upsets Galore and African Disappointment
Today was a day mostly spent shopping for me, so I do not have any major experiences to talk about. I did stand in line with my Dad to try to get tickets to the North Korea-Portugal match, but unfortunately we were unable to. What made the day a slightly sad day was that North Korea got absolutely obliterated by Portugal. So much for the whole Portugal playing down to their opponent theory I had, although the Koreans did play very well in the first half before tiring out.
This result was bad for two reasons. The first is that it eliminated the North Koreans from advancing. Anyone who has read this blog (the proud and few) know that I have a small crush on the team from this mysterious, militant communist nation, and their involvement has been one of my major headlines of this tournament. Just sad to know we only have one more game, hope they get a point. This comes to my second reason for disliking the Portuguese win today: it effectively has eliminated the Ivory Coast (North Korea’s next opponent) from advancing, making it look like Africa will not advance a single team this year. This is truly depressing; the South African people have been fantastic hosts, and while they appear to support every team here (except France, nobody likes them), they really want the African teams to do well. This is supposed to be Africa’s tournament: if no African teams even manage to make the Round of 16 then this tournament will lose a lot of its flavor. Ghana is in the best position to advance, but they face Germany, who will most likely need a win to advance: you would be foolish to bet against the Germans in this situation. The team with the best chance in my eyes is actually South Africa. The French are imploding (hilariously I might add. I wonder if they now wish the Thierry Henry handball did not happen so they wouldn’t have to go through this embarrassment), meaning they’re ripe to be slaughtered. South Africa will be motivated; I suspect they will win by multiple goals. What they need is Uruguay to beat Mexico by multiple goals too, and they will have a chance. I’m not counting the hosts out yet, I know the odds are against them, but crazier things have happened in this sport (USA advancing at last year’s Confederations Cup). That said, I would be foolish to anticipate this actually happening: Africa will be lucky to get one team this year in the knockout rounds.
It is odd how poorly Africa has done this year, since this year’s tournament has really been that of upsets. Actually it’s hard to call these results upsets because this field is so even, so I suppose a better description would be traditional powers losing to normally lesser teams. It’s hard to pick a favorite as there are so many to choose from, but here are the choices: New Zealand (tying both Slovakia and Italy), Japan (beating Cameroon), Switzerland (beating Spain), Serbia (beating Germany), Algeria (tying England), Mexico (beating France), Paraguay (tying Italy) and Uruguay (tying France) all fit this description. I’d have to pick the New Zealanders as my favorite, especially the tie with Italy, since the Italians were beyond lucky to get out of there with a point. I’m aware they hit the post a few times, but they also blatantly had the referee giving them every decision, and assuming that every time one of their players was on the ground it was the result of a New Zealander fouling them. Truly pathetic Italy, congratulations on needing to dive to get results against New Zealand who is made up of pretty much semi-pro players. I really dislike this edition of the Italians: uncreative, old, cocky and as I’ve alluded to, diving more than trying to play productive soccer.
The Swiss have also been fantastic this year, despite losing to a very good Chile side today. Did you know that the Swiss have only allowed 1 goal in their past 6 World Cup matches? Crazy statistic, this team is truly underrated. Their emergence as a good team could also be bad for Spain (currently up 1-0 on Honduras), who may not advance. The Spanish still have to play Chile, who are sky high in terms of confidence right now and will be tough to beat. That will be a Spanish victory, but it will be close, and goal difference will come into play.. How disappointing would it be if the Spanish do not advance? The tournament favorites not making it out of their group? That would not be good for the tournament either, especially with how so many good teams are on down years.
Speaking of how poor traditional powers have been this year, I realized a fun fact today: the four semifinalists from the 2006 World Cup (Italy, France, Germany and Portugal) have as many wins at this World Cup as the four Asian representatives (South Korea, Japan, North Korea and Australia): 2. Not only that, the two teams who have those wins (Germany and Portugal) both lost in the semi finals, meaning neither of the finalists from the last tournament have a win yet. They currently stand at a collective record of 0 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, with their opponents being New Zealand, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico. The last time one of these teams made at least the quarterfinals of a World Cup tournament was 1986, when Mexico made it to the final 8 as hosts (New Zealand and Paraguay have never made it that far, and Uruguay hasn’t since 1970). This fact shows just how unconventional this tournament is shaking out to be, and how weak the normally strong teams are. Because of this, I believe it raises the chances of the World crowning brand new champions this year. My pick? The Dutch, who are yet to slip up in South Africa, while talented teams around them, are doing it daily. These types of tournaments are really the best kind. Ones where traditional powers dominate, like 2006, are fun but they aren’t nearly as enthralling: watching nations’ teams break new ground is always more fun then watching teams search for more tournament victories. And I believe it is this type of fun that we, as a collective audience, have to look forward to.
This result was bad for two reasons. The first is that it eliminated the North Koreans from advancing. Anyone who has read this blog (the proud and few) know that I have a small crush on the team from this mysterious, militant communist nation, and their involvement has been one of my major headlines of this tournament. Just sad to know we only have one more game, hope they get a point. This comes to my second reason for disliking the Portuguese win today: it effectively has eliminated the Ivory Coast (North Korea’s next opponent) from advancing, making it look like Africa will not advance a single team this year. This is truly depressing; the South African people have been fantastic hosts, and while they appear to support every team here (except France, nobody likes them), they really want the African teams to do well. This is supposed to be Africa’s tournament: if no African teams even manage to make the Round of 16 then this tournament will lose a lot of its flavor. Ghana is in the best position to advance, but they face Germany, who will most likely need a win to advance: you would be foolish to bet against the Germans in this situation. The team with the best chance in my eyes is actually South Africa. The French are imploding (hilariously I might add. I wonder if they now wish the Thierry Henry handball did not happen so they wouldn’t have to go through this embarrassment), meaning they’re ripe to be slaughtered. South Africa will be motivated; I suspect they will win by multiple goals. What they need is Uruguay to beat Mexico by multiple goals too, and they will have a chance. I’m not counting the hosts out yet, I know the odds are against them, but crazier things have happened in this sport (USA advancing at last year’s Confederations Cup). That said, I would be foolish to anticipate this actually happening: Africa will be lucky to get one team this year in the knockout rounds.
It is odd how poorly Africa has done this year, since this year’s tournament has really been that of upsets. Actually it’s hard to call these results upsets because this field is so even, so I suppose a better description would be traditional powers losing to normally lesser teams. It’s hard to pick a favorite as there are so many to choose from, but here are the choices: New Zealand (tying both Slovakia and Italy), Japan (beating Cameroon), Switzerland (beating Spain), Serbia (beating Germany), Algeria (tying England), Mexico (beating France), Paraguay (tying Italy) and Uruguay (tying France) all fit this description. I’d have to pick the New Zealanders as my favorite, especially the tie with Italy, since the Italians were beyond lucky to get out of there with a point. I’m aware they hit the post a few times, but they also blatantly had the referee giving them every decision, and assuming that every time one of their players was on the ground it was the result of a New Zealander fouling them. Truly pathetic Italy, congratulations on needing to dive to get results against New Zealand who is made up of pretty much semi-pro players. I really dislike this edition of the Italians: uncreative, old, cocky and as I’ve alluded to, diving more than trying to play productive soccer.
The Swiss have also been fantastic this year, despite losing to a very good Chile side today. Did you know that the Swiss have only allowed 1 goal in their past 6 World Cup matches? Crazy statistic, this team is truly underrated. Their emergence as a good team could also be bad for Spain (currently up 1-0 on Honduras), who may not advance. The Spanish still have to play Chile, who are sky high in terms of confidence right now and will be tough to beat. That will be a Spanish victory, but it will be close, and goal difference will come into play.. How disappointing would it be if the Spanish do not advance? The tournament favorites not making it out of their group? That would not be good for the tournament either, especially with how so many good teams are on down years.
Speaking of how poor traditional powers have been this year, I realized a fun fact today: the four semifinalists from the 2006 World Cup (Italy, France, Germany and Portugal) have as many wins at this World Cup as the four Asian representatives (South Korea, Japan, North Korea and Australia): 2. Not only that, the two teams who have those wins (Germany and Portugal) both lost in the semi finals, meaning neither of the finalists from the last tournament have a win yet. They currently stand at a collective record of 0 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, with their opponents being New Zealand, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico. The last time one of these teams made at least the quarterfinals of a World Cup tournament was 1986, when Mexico made it to the final 8 as hosts (New Zealand and Paraguay have never made it that far, and Uruguay hasn’t since 1970). This fact shows just how unconventional this tournament is shaking out to be, and how weak the normally strong teams are. Because of this, I believe it raises the chances of the World crowning brand new champions this year. My pick? The Dutch, who are yet to slip up in South Africa, while talented teams around them, are doing it daily. These types of tournaments are really the best kind. Ones where traditional powers dominate, like 2006, are fun but they aren’t nearly as enthralling: watching nations’ teams break new ground is always more fun then watching teams search for more tournament victories. And I believe it is this type of fun that we, as a collective audience, have to look forward to.
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