Deyan - Netherlands vs Slovakia is the most one-sided match in the round of 16. Netherlands haven’t preformed spectacularly so far in this tournament but their offensive firepower should be too much for the Slovaks to handle. While Slovakia was able to upset the overrated, aging Italian squad, the Dutch are a completely different beast. Sneijder will run the show and the Dutch will coast to victory 2-0.
Deyan - Brazil vs Chile is a mouth watering affair that sets up very well for the Brazilians. While Chile is my #1 rated underdog squad going into this tournament and have played brilliantly so far, this match up suits up too perfectly for Brazil. While Chile will be missing three players, and their two central defenders, through suspension, Brazil is getting Kaka and Robinho back. While Elano and Melo are out with injuries, Brazil’s squad is so deep their substitutes are seen by many experts as better players. Additionally, Chile loves to play with possession and on the attack, and Brazil is the best counterattacking side in the tournament. The only way for Chile to pull off the upset is if they get the ball to Sanchez on the right wing as much as possible because Bastos cannot defend him one on one. However, Brazil will put too many men behind the ball and Robinho will take advantage on the counter. I would love to choose Chile in an upset if they were at full strength but they are not, Brazil wins this one 2-1.
Deyan - Paraguay vs Japan is easily the worst game in this round. I don’t want to waste my time on this match because whoever wins this will lose the next one. Honda will have to put up some magic to win this one and I don’t see this happening. Paraguay win possibly in extra time 1-0.
Sam - Credit to Japan for proving me wrong and righting the ship in the group stage. They really looked like shit in the run up to the world cup. I was underwhelmed with Paraguay in what was clearly the softest group apart from their first game, so I'll go with the Japanese to keep on scoring 2-0.
Deyan - Spain vs Portugal looks like a low scoring game that can go either way. Spain is the best team in the world but have not looked like it all tournament. Torres has looked a step slow, Fabregas has barely played, and Xavi hasn’t dominated the midfield like he’s accustomed to. This match suits up well for Portugal because Spain will dominate possession and Ronaldo will be able to cause problems with his speed on the counter attack. If Ronaldo plays alone up top, which I think he should, he will have to get behind the defense and score a breakaway goal in order for Portugal to pull off the upset. However, I see Fabregas being the difference in this win, Spain win 2-0.
Sam - Which Portugal are we going to get? They are an intriguing team, and they showed what they are capable of albeit against the north koreans. Spain just keep the ball so well, that yes, their only chance will be through Ronaldo's speed on a counter, and if there is any man that can do it himself on a counter it is pretty boy serpentine Christiano. I think whoever gets the first goal in this game will win. And just to be Deyan's opposite number, I'll say Portugal 2-0. (i've been cleaning him out this WC, so I figured I'd throw him a bone)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
4 players who've caught my eye
Mesut Özil - germany - The Werder playmaker has probably caught just about everyone's eye at this point. Player of the tournament in my humble opinion.
Alexis Sanchez- Chile- Chile's honorable exit at the hands of Brazil shouldn't spoil what was a solid tourney from them. Even down 3-0 they still kept going and stuck to their guns. I thought this winger was the most impressive of their lot. He plays for Udinese
Fabio Coentrão- portugal - the benfica left back was a bright spot in portugal's otherwise uninspired team. You can't blame a left back for not scoring goals, and he really was a terror flying down the left flank.
Clemente rodriguez- argentina - He probably wont get another game because he's stuck behind Heinze, but Clemente Rodriguez is the case and point of how deep countries like Argentina are. They probably have about 20 more world class left backs on the streets of buenos aires that would take poor old johnny borenstein's milk money on the way to sunday school. He plays for Estudiantes.
our round 2 weekend predictions
Deyan - Uruguay vs South Korea are two squads that are very difficult to beat because they do not beat themselves. Uruguay, who luckily made it out of South American qualifying, are compact defensively and led by the skillful Forlan, control possession extremely well. South Korea, while lacking in size, are quick on the ball and know how to force turnovers in their offensive end as well as anyone. Based on current form, Uruguay has been one of the best squads in the tournament and should win this game with no trouble. However, something about the way South Korea plays together intrigues me and this game will come down to the wire and could easily go either way. I want to say S Korea will pull off the upset, but based on the superb form of Forlan, I have to go with Uruguay 1-0 victors.
Sam - I really like Korea, and I do think that the South American bubble is going to pop in the next couple of days, however, Uruguay just look really solid at the back, something I can't say about Chile, Mexico, etc. I'll take the Uruguayans 1-0 as well.
Deyan - USA vs Ghana has everything going for it to be a classic. There is the recent history of Ghana knocking the US out of the tournament four years ago which is still in the minds of many of the US players. Both sides like to get on the attack and can use the speed of their forward lines to make this potentially a high scoring affair. Then there is the way US progressed, with the last minute goal by Donovan, and the fact that Ghana is the only African team to progress which means they will have the backing of the entire African continent. The fans will be going crazy and I will too. I believe the US will ride the momentum of the Algerian victory and win this one by a hair in extra periods 2-1.
Sam - Something not many people are talking about is the recovery time. The US has to have expended a little more energy, at least emotionally coming off that Algerian game only 3 days ago. But let's not forget the Ghanaians played even later that night, and had plenty to play for as well. I dont really like how the US matches up with Ghana, because they are disciplined, and loads more athletic than us. We'll need to hope for some more woeful African finishing, something this tournament's had plenty of, and for the big calls to go our way, which you have to think is in the back of referee's minds. I think this will go to extra time as well, and I hate to do it, but I think Ghana will outlast us. 2-1.
Deyan - Argentina vs Mexico is another match that is closer than people think. Based on form, Argentina has been the best squad in the tournament, and while he hasn’t scored yet, Messi, has been hands down the best player. He has finally replicated his stellar club form for his national squad, and more and more it is shaping up to be the tournament where he cements himself as one of the best players of all time. However, he needs to win the World Cup for that to happen and Argentina has far too many question marks on the defensive end. The key to Mexico pulling off this huge upset is getting the ball to Dos Santos alone on the wing to use his speed and beat Heinze 1 v 1. I do see this happening to good effect once or twice but not enough for a Mexico win. Signs all point to a dominant world class performance by the best player in the world, Messi, and an Argentina victory 3-1.
Sam- Mexico? Get real. 3-0 to the Argies!
Deyan - Germany vs England is a second round game soccer fans drool over. While both squads have underperformed, especially England, they both made it out of two tricky groups. Knocks to key players on both teams will probably decide who wins this game. For England, Wayne Rooney is playing with an ankle problem that has been continuing to bother him. His form needs to get back to what it was all season for Man U and quickly for England to win this game and eventually what was expecting from them, the tournament. For Germany, Schweinsteiger picked up a knock at the end of their last game against Ghana which has ruled him doubtful for this clash of European titans. He has been the rock in the center of the pitch for them all tournament and if he is playing hurt, or not able to play at all, then Germany will find it extremely difficult to hold on to possession. This game is so close to call that I will have to go with experience- England to squeak out a victory in a hard-tackling, intense encounter in penalty shootout. (and yes I know I just put England winning in a shootout I’m insane I know)
Sam- Aside from Messi, the best player in the tournament so far has been Mesut Özil. With the face of a 35 year old, even though he's only 21, the Bremen man has done it all. I really am not immediately put off by this German team as I am to most. No asshole captain Ballack, and the ethnic diversity make this Germany almost likeable. England can keep their wimbeldon and Emile Hesky. Germany in penalties.
Sam - I really like Korea, and I do think that the South American bubble is going to pop in the next couple of days, however, Uruguay just look really solid at the back, something I can't say about Chile, Mexico, etc. I'll take the Uruguayans 1-0 as well.
Deyan - USA vs Ghana has everything going for it to be a classic. There is the recent history of Ghana knocking the US out of the tournament four years ago which is still in the minds of many of the US players. Both sides like to get on the attack and can use the speed of their forward lines to make this potentially a high scoring affair. Then there is the way US progressed, with the last minute goal by Donovan, and the fact that Ghana is the only African team to progress which means they will have the backing of the entire African continent. The fans will be going crazy and I will too. I believe the US will ride the momentum of the Algerian victory and win this one by a hair in extra periods 2-1.
Sam - Something not many people are talking about is the recovery time. The US has to have expended a little more energy, at least emotionally coming off that Algerian game only 3 days ago. But let's not forget the Ghanaians played even later that night, and had plenty to play for as well. I dont really like how the US matches up with Ghana, because they are disciplined, and loads more athletic than us. We'll need to hope for some more woeful African finishing, something this tournament's had plenty of, and for the big calls to go our way, which you have to think is in the back of referee's minds. I think this will go to extra time as well, and I hate to do it, but I think Ghana will outlast us. 2-1.
Deyan - Argentina vs Mexico is another match that is closer than people think. Based on form, Argentina has been the best squad in the tournament, and while he hasn’t scored yet, Messi, has been hands down the best player. He has finally replicated his stellar club form for his national squad, and more and more it is shaping up to be the tournament where he cements himself as one of the best players of all time. However, he needs to win the World Cup for that to happen and Argentina has far too many question marks on the defensive end. The key to Mexico pulling off this huge upset is getting the ball to Dos Santos alone on the wing to use his speed and beat Heinze 1 v 1. I do see this happening to good effect once or twice but not enough for a Mexico win. Signs all point to a dominant world class performance by the best player in the world, Messi, and an Argentina victory 3-1.
Sam- Mexico? Get real. 3-0 to the Argies!
Deyan - Germany vs England is a second round game soccer fans drool over. While both squads have underperformed, especially England, they both made it out of two tricky groups. Knocks to key players on both teams will probably decide who wins this game. For England, Wayne Rooney is playing with an ankle problem that has been continuing to bother him. His form needs to get back to what it was all season for Man U and quickly for England to win this game and eventually what was expecting from them, the tournament. For Germany, Schweinsteiger picked up a knock at the end of their last game against Ghana which has ruled him doubtful for this clash of European titans. He has been the rock in the center of the pitch for them all tournament and if he is playing hurt, or not able to play at all, then Germany will find it extremely difficult to hold on to possession. This game is so close to call that I will have to go with experience- England to squeak out a victory in a hard-tackling, intense encounter in penalty shootout. (and yes I know I just put England winning in a shootout I’m insane I know)
Sam- Aside from Messi, the best player in the tournament so far has been Mesut Özil. With the face of a 35 year old, even though he's only 21, the Bremen man has done it all. I really am not immediately put off by this German team as I am to most. No asshole captain Ballack, and the ethnic diversity make this Germany almost likeable. England can keep their wimbeldon and Emile Hesky. Germany in penalties.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
best 4 days in sports?
sorry mach madness, but i think you might have met your match. In about 4 hours, until friday 10:30, all sorts of history will be written as 16 teams try to book their place in the next round. It's kind of amazing to think that only North Korea and Cameroon are eliminated at this point. The big question on my mind though is whether or not they are going to have to flip any coins to determine places. It doesn't even seem that unlikely.
meanwhile for those of you scoring at home, i'll give you mine and deyan's predictions for the group advancers. mine on top. gotta like my chances.
A-uruguay, mexico
A-uruguay, france
B-argentina, s. korea
B-nigeria, argentina
C-england, usa
C-england, usa
D-germany, ghana
D-germany, serbia
E-netherlands, denmark
E-netherlands, cameroon
F-Italy, Paraguay
F-paraguay, italy
G-Brazil, Portugal
G-Brazil, Ivory Coast
H-Spain, Switzerland
H-Spain, Chile
meanwhile for those of you scoring at home, i'll give you mine and deyan's predictions for the group advancers. mine on top. gotta like my chances.
A-uruguay, mexico
A-uruguay, france
B-argentina, s. korea
B-nigeria, argentina
C-england, usa
C-england, usa
D-germany, ghana
D-germany, serbia
E-netherlands, denmark
E-netherlands, cameroon
F-Italy, Paraguay
F-paraguay, italy
G-Brazil, Portugal
G-Brazil, Ivory Coast
H-Spain, Switzerland
H-Spain, Chile
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Koman Coulibaly
I remember Mr. Dozier in 9th grade history asked us if we wanted to go to hell? Puzzled, we just said, "ummm." Well, if you can't get to hell these 4 countries are pretty close, Mali, Chad, Niger, and Mauritania. So Mr. Coulibaly you can go straight back to hell where you came from. hell. or mali.
The worst thing he did, apart from disallowing the goal. Was to give Findley a yellow for the ball hitting him in the face. And then, he laughs in Findley's face. Thanks.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
deyan's g and h and stuff
Group G
Brazil is the #1 ranked team in the world. They are so good that their D squad is better then 90% of the teams in the world. However, there are question marks up top and in the center of the pitch. Fabiano and Kaka were hurt at the end of the season, and Robinho and Elano where eventually shipped off by their club teams because they couldn’t cut it in the premier league. Additionally, Melo had a horrible first season for Juventus, and Gilberto Silva is years past his prime. Nevertheless, with their strong defense, goalkeeping, and bench, they should win this group. Portugal has the second best player in the world, Ronaldo, and talent all over the pitch. The injury to Nani is a huge blow because as a team they lack the ability to score goals. They key is if Deco can play like he did in his Barcelona days and create some goals, because if he doesn’t, Ronaldo will not be able to do it all by himself. Ivory Coast seems to be everyone’s sexy sleeper pick to go far in the tournament. In the Toure brothers, Kalou, and arguably the best striker in the world, Drogba, combined with playing in their home continent, it’s hard to argue against them progressing. The key is if Drogba can come back from his shoulder injury and lead this team to glory. N Korea is the whipping boys in this group. They will sit back against these other powerhouses and hope to somehow score a goal or two in the counter attack. They may squeeze a tie against Portugal or the Ivory Coast but that is about it.
Brazil, Ivory Coast
Group H
Spain is the #2 ranked team in the world and the favorites to win it all. Coming off winning the Euro championships, and with unarguably the most talented squad in the world, it would be a failure if they didn’t at least make it to the finals. Like Brazil, they have so much depth on their squad that their fourth string squad could potentially win the world cup. However, the USA showed in the Confederations Cup that they are beatable if a team can play well defensively and on the counter. Chile are arguably the most underrated team in the tournament. No one talks about them going far, but they are very dangerous on the attack and have a good defensive structure. They can play well in possession and on the counter which gives them a chance to beat any type of squad in the tournament. The key is if the wingers Sanchez and Gonzalez can use their creativity on the ball to create good chances for the rest of the squad. Switzerland is a dangerous squad because of their strong defense. They like to get nine men behind the ball and make it as difficult as possible for the other team to score on them. However, they lack the firepower up front to cause any problems for the opposing defense. Additionally, there are injury problems to their leader, Frei, and their dangerous midfielder, Behrami, which will make it even more difficult for them to create goals. Honduras, like N Korea, look like the whipping boys in this group. Except for hardworking center midfielder, Palacios, they don’t have another world class player on their roster. Their defense isn’t very good and their offense lacks any type of player who can create magic out of nothing. I would be surprised if they even score one goal in any of the three games. Look for them to end the tournament in last place. This group comes down to who wins the Chile Switzerland match.
Spain, Chile
Golden Boot Winner- Van Persie
Finals- Holland 2-0 over Spain
Brazil is the #1 ranked team in the world. They are so good that their D squad is better then 90% of the teams in the world. However, there are question marks up top and in the center of the pitch. Fabiano and Kaka were hurt at the end of the season, and Robinho and Elano where eventually shipped off by their club teams because they couldn’t cut it in the premier league. Additionally, Melo had a horrible first season for Juventus, and Gilberto Silva is years past his prime. Nevertheless, with their strong defense, goalkeeping, and bench, they should win this group. Portugal has the second best player in the world, Ronaldo, and talent all over the pitch. The injury to Nani is a huge blow because as a team they lack the ability to score goals. They key is if Deco can play like he did in his Barcelona days and create some goals, because if he doesn’t, Ronaldo will not be able to do it all by himself. Ivory Coast seems to be everyone’s sexy sleeper pick to go far in the tournament. In the Toure brothers, Kalou, and arguably the best striker in the world, Drogba, combined with playing in their home continent, it’s hard to argue against them progressing. The key is if Drogba can come back from his shoulder injury and lead this team to glory. N Korea is the whipping boys in this group. They will sit back against these other powerhouses and hope to somehow score a goal or two in the counter attack. They may squeeze a tie against Portugal or the Ivory Coast but that is about it.
Brazil, Ivory Coast
Group H
Spain is the #2 ranked team in the world and the favorites to win it all. Coming off winning the Euro championships, and with unarguably the most talented squad in the world, it would be a failure if they didn’t at least make it to the finals. Like Brazil, they have so much depth on their squad that their fourth string squad could potentially win the world cup. However, the USA showed in the Confederations Cup that they are beatable if a team can play well defensively and on the counter. Chile are arguably the most underrated team in the tournament. No one talks about them going far, but they are very dangerous on the attack and have a good defensive structure. They can play well in possession and on the counter which gives them a chance to beat any type of squad in the tournament. The key is if the wingers Sanchez and Gonzalez can use their creativity on the ball to create good chances for the rest of the squad. Switzerland is a dangerous squad because of their strong defense. They like to get nine men behind the ball and make it as difficult as possible for the other team to score on them. However, they lack the firepower up front to cause any problems for the opposing defense. Additionally, there are injury problems to their leader, Frei, and their dangerous midfielder, Behrami, which will make it even more difficult for them to create goals. Honduras, like N Korea, look like the whipping boys in this group. Except for hardworking center midfielder, Palacios, they don’t have another world class player on their roster. Their defense isn’t very good and their offense lacks any type of player who can create magic out of nothing. I would be surprised if they even score one goal in any of the three games. Look for them to end the tournament in last place. This group comes down to who wins the Chile Switzerland match.
Spain, Chile
Golden Boot Winner- Van Persie
Finals- Holland 2-0 over Spain
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
worst and best
i keep seeing games and thinking, boy, this is the worst game yet, but then another game will come along "top" uruguay france.
well, here they are, in list of "descending" order, the worst of the bunch yet.
4. uruguay france - count me as one of the casualties of this match. i passed out in the awful two and a half hour hiatus that is 6-830 pm, and the dreaded dinner time break for your next two weeks. It was a little excessive and overexuberant drinking welcoming the world cup with south africa and mexico and by the time I had recovered it was the 88th minute and I was in my bed with 8 missed calls, and wondering what the hell happened. heard the game was a snoozer though.
3. japan cameroon - well, at least there was a goal in it, but come on, cameroon? seriously? without alex song i have absolutely no interest in this team. japan are intruiging, but not as much as the south koreans. waiting for a honda cracker.
2. portugal ivory coast - the worst thing about this match was that i realized that this is the pitch that the final is going to be on. paulo ferreira was taking chunks out of this turf like charles barkley on the golf course. and most of the time the ball was just scooting away from everyone. i still say the ivory coast is wayyy overrated, and what the hell happened to ricardo quaresma? porto 2008 he was top 5 players in the world for my money.
1. slovenia algeria- more so for the result than anything else, but slovenia aren't exactly pleasing on the eye, oh, but algeria play some nice football don't they? hope we beat both these clowns.
hon mention goes to the slovaks for conceding late and letting the italians and paraguayans breathe easy.
italy paraguay was a cracking game, good atmosphere, two good teams. so was usa england, neither of these really had any good goals to speak of, and I think the best goal is still the first one of the tournament.
well, here they are, in list of "descending" order, the worst of the bunch yet.
4. uruguay france - count me as one of the casualties of this match. i passed out in the awful two and a half hour hiatus that is 6-830 pm, and the dreaded dinner time break for your next two weeks. It was a little excessive and overexuberant drinking welcoming the world cup with south africa and mexico and by the time I had recovered it was the 88th minute and I was in my bed with 8 missed calls, and wondering what the hell happened. heard the game was a snoozer though.
3. japan cameroon - well, at least there was a goal in it, but come on, cameroon? seriously? without alex song i have absolutely no interest in this team. japan are intruiging, but not as much as the south koreans. waiting for a honda cracker.
2. portugal ivory coast - the worst thing about this match was that i realized that this is the pitch that the final is going to be on. paulo ferreira was taking chunks out of this turf like charles barkley on the golf course. and most of the time the ball was just scooting away from everyone. i still say the ivory coast is wayyy overrated, and what the hell happened to ricardo quaresma? porto 2008 he was top 5 players in the world for my money.
1. slovenia algeria- more so for the result than anything else, but slovenia aren't exactly pleasing on the eye, oh, but algeria play some nice football don't they? hope we beat both these clowns.
hon mention goes to the slovaks for conceding late and letting the italians and paraguayans breathe easy.
italy paraguay was a cracking game, good atmosphere, two good teams. so was usa england, neither of these really had any good goals to speak of, and I think the best goal is still the first one of the tournament.
Monday, June 14, 2010
group uffff
This is easily the worst group in the tournament. Italy, while defending champions, contain mostly old players many years past their time. They lack the speed and creativity of the other top teams in the world. However, because of the lack of quality of the other teams in the group, they should coast into first place and allow Pirlo to come back healthy for the knockout rounds. They key to Italy reaching the finals again, is not Pirlo, but rather excellent winger Di Natale showing the top form he played all season for a poor Udinese side.
Paraguay has faith on its side. Their top striker, Cabanas, was shot in the head but somehow survived. He obviously will not be taking part in the tournament though which is a huge blow to their squad. The key to their squad is their captain and goalkeeper, Villar, and whether he can handle crosses the other teams fire in.
Slovakia is in their first ever major tournament. Their star offensive player, Hamsik, and star defender, Skrtel, both have the talent and experience to lead this squad to the next round. The key is if the hardworking Sestak can score some goals up top because they do lack firepower in the final third.
New Zealand is regarded as the worst squad in the tournament. However, their size up top can potentially cause many problems on corner kicks. With a 3-4-3 formation, they should end up scoring a goal or two in the tournament. If they can somehow win one game, it will be regarded as a huge success. I do not see that happening though.
Paraguay, Italy
Paraguay has faith on its side. Their top striker, Cabanas, was shot in the head but somehow survived. He obviously will not be taking part in the tournament though which is a huge blow to their squad. The key to their squad is their captain and goalkeeper, Villar, and whether he can handle crosses the other teams fire in.
Slovakia is in their first ever major tournament. Their star offensive player, Hamsik, and star defender, Skrtel, both have the talent and experience to lead this squad to the next round. The key is if the hardworking Sestak can score some goals up top because they do lack firepower in the final third.
New Zealand is regarded as the worst squad in the tournament. However, their size up top can potentially cause many problems on corner kicks. With a 3-4-3 formation, they should end up scoring a goal or two in the tournament. If they can somehow win one game, it will be regarded as a huge success. I do not see that happening though.
Paraguay, Italy
deyan's group E preview
good to see someone finally playing well, but unfortunately its everyone's least favorite reich. at least they are getting a little more ethnic. poor old australia, at least they've got their aussie rules. here is deyan's group e take, below the vid.
Group E
Based on the form of each national side in the past year, the Netherlands are clear and away the best team in the world. During WC qualifying, they were unstoppable. In the friendlies since them, they have been even better. With stars such as Van Bommel, Sneijder, Robben, and Van Persie, their midfield play and strike force up top is as good as any side in the world. Not to mention the versatile Van der Vart, the hard working Kuyt, and the continually underrated De Jong, they can be impossible to defend. However, they are not one of the favorites to win it all because of their shaky back line and unknown goalkeeping. The key to them winning it all is if 27 year old, unfamiliar goalkeeper Stekelenburg can play as well as his mentor Van der Sar has played throughout his career. If Stekelenburg can play above average, they have the talent and experience to win it all.
Denmark is a dangerous and defensive minded side that has talent all over the pitch. They have a mixture of young stars, Bendtner and Agger, and quality vets, Tomasson and Sorensen. The key is if Bendtner can come back from struggling groin problems and regain full match fitness. If he can, then look for Denmark to claim second place in this group. If he cannot, then look for Cameroon, and their superstar, Eto, to take full advantage. On paper, with Spurs duo Ekotto and Bassong in defense, Arsenal star Song in midfield, and Eto up top, they have better players then Denmark and should advance. However, the game is not played on paper and in their recently friendlies, they have not played well together as a team and generally have looked atrocious. The key is if Song can dominate the center of the park like he is able to.
Japan has more talent than people know of. They have a strong midfield with many creative spark plugs that have the ability to turn the game in any second. However, they play poorly together and never seem to know how to play well off of each other. They key to their squad is if their star, Honda, and his wicked left boot can score or create any goals.
Netherlands, Cameroon
Group E
Based on the form of each national side in the past year, the Netherlands are clear and away the best team in the world. During WC qualifying, they were unstoppable. In the friendlies since them, they have been even better. With stars such as Van Bommel, Sneijder, Robben, and Van Persie, their midfield play and strike force up top is as good as any side in the world. Not to mention the versatile Van der Vart, the hard working Kuyt, and the continually underrated De Jong, they can be impossible to defend. However, they are not one of the favorites to win it all because of their shaky back line and unknown goalkeeping. The key to them winning it all is if 27 year old, unfamiliar goalkeeper Stekelenburg can play as well as his mentor Van der Sar has played throughout his career. If Stekelenburg can play above average, they have the talent and experience to win it all.
Denmark is a dangerous and defensive minded side that has talent all over the pitch. They have a mixture of young stars, Bendtner and Agger, and quality vets, Tomasson and Sorensen. The key is if Bendtner can come back from struggling groin problems and regain full match fitness. If he can, then look for Denmark to claim second place in this group. If he cannot, then look for Cameroon, and their superstar, Eto, to take full advantage. On paper, with Spurs duo Ekotto and Bassong in defense, Arsenal star Song in midfield, and Eto up top, they have better players then Denmark and should advance. However, the game is not played on paper and in their recently friendlies, they have not played well together as a team and generally have looked atrocious. The key is if Song can dominate the center of the park like he is able to.
Japan has more talent than people know of. They have a strong midfield with many creative spark plugs that have the ability to turn the game in any second. However, they play poorly together and never seem to know how to play well off of each other. They key to their squad is if their star, Honda, and his wicked left boot can score or create any goals.
Netherlands, Cameroon
Friday, June 11, 2010
deyan's c&d preview
with a day of draws in the books, we can only hope tomorrow will be more exciting. should be with 3 good looking games. here is a tidy write up for groups c and d.
Group C
With quality all over the pitch and enviable depth in every position, England should dominate this relatively weak group. Their star striker, Rooney, is back from injury and is one of the favorites to win the golden boot for good reason. He has improved his heading ability drastically this season and now has become arguably the most complete striker in the world. However, the key for this squad to progress to the finals is the return of top form of Gerrard. Either deployed in central midfield with Lampard or in the “free” role on the left side of midfield, Gerrard has the opportunity to be the catalyst on this squad. If he returns to the fantastic form he was showing the last couple seasons, England, with their solid defense, is as good as any squad in the world. The question mark remains in how their goalkeeping will fare and whether they will ever win a penalty shootout if it comes down to that. USA, on the other hand, has question marks everywhere except for goalkeeping. If Davies was playing, and Gooch was 100%, as they were during the Confederations Cup, they have the potential to beat any side in the world. However, they are not which makes them vulnerable to not making it out of the group stages. They key to the squad is the two star wingers, Dempsey and Donovan, to not only produce goal scoring opportunities for their teammates, but also score goals themselves.
Slovenia come into the tournament as somewhat of a surprise team, but because they play well together as a team and are extremely well organized, they have as good as a chance as USA in progressing to the knockout round. Their best player is their goalkeeper, Handanovic, and with a solid back four, should be extremely difficult to score against. They play a similar 4-4-2 system as the USA with the striker system being the classic big, Novakovic, feeding balls to the small, Dedic. The key player to their squad is the left-footed right midfielder Birsa, who is a dangerous free kick taker. In order for Slovenia to advance, they must take advantage of their size and convert free kick opportunities.
Algeria is one of the worst squads in the tournament. They are known more for their red cards recently then their goals. Additionally, their best player, Meghni, is injured for the tournament and will not play. The key to there is their dodgy keeper, Chaouchi, because he must perform miracles for them to advance from this group. However, I do not seeing this happening as I predict they end the tournament with zero points to show. Essentially, this group should come down to who wins from the USA Slovenia match on the 22nd.
England, USA
Group D
Germany comes into this tournament the same as they usually do. They seem to lack imagination, don’t have any superstar quality like the other top teams, and do not seem that threatening to do much in this tournament. However, this is Germany, and they always seem to exceed expectations in the big tournaments. Arguably their best olayer, Ballack, is out for the tournament with ankle ligament damage. Their top striker, and reigning golden boot winner, Klose, couldn’t even crack the starting lineup on his club team. They do possess quality depth in attack and midfield to make up for the loss of Ballack and the lack of form of Klose. The dangerous player on their squad is attacking fullback and captain, Lahm, but the key to their squad is whether Podolski can play the way he plays for his nation and not his club team. If he can score crackers with his cannon of a left foot, they have the ability to make a deep run. However, I do not see that happening this time around.
Serbia is the best team no one talks about. They have quality in attack, with the vastly underrated Krasic able to score from anywhere. Combine that with one of the strongest defenses in the world, including stars Vidic and Ivanovic, and they potentially go deep into the tournament. The key to their squad is whether erratic goalkeeper Stojkovic can stop allowing weak goals past him.
Ghana is arguably the most complete African side in the tournament. Even though their superstar, Essien, is out of the tournament, they still possess one of the top midfields in the world. Normally with their gifted midfield, I would have them making a strong run in the tournament. But with Essien out, Muntari hobbled, and the weak form of Appiah, their midfield drastically weakens, and I cannot picture them progressing from this “group of depth.”
Australia is easily the “best worst” team in the tournament. By that I mean out of the weakest teams in each group, they are the best of the bunch. With any team featuring Cahill, they are very dangerous on corner kicks and should be able to score the ugly goals as well as anyone. The key to them progressing is whether Cahill can score goals, because they do lack firepower up front. Any one of these teams can progress, but with every team dangerous in the air, scoring goals off corner kicks may be the key.
Germany, Serbia
Group C
With quality all over the pitch and enviable depth in every position, England should dominate this relatively weak group. Their star striker, Rooney, is back from injury and is one of the favorites to win the golden boot for good reason. He has improved his heading ability drastically this season and now has become arguably the most complete striker in the world. However, the key for this squad to progress to the finals is the return of top form of Gerrard. Either deployed in central midfield with Lampard or in the “free” role on the left side of midfield, Gerrard has the opportunity to be the catalyst on this squad. If he returns to the fantastic form he was showing the last couple seasons, England, with their solid defense, is as good as any squad in the world. The question mark remains in how their goalkeeping will fare and whether they will ever win a penalty shootout if it comes down to that. USA, on the other hand, has question marks everywhere except for goalkeeping. If Davies was playing, and Gooch was 100%, as they were during the Confederations Cup, they have the potential to beat any side in the world. However, they are not which makes them vulnerable to not making it out of the group stages. They key to the squad is the two star wingers, Dempsey and Donovan, to not only produce goal scoring opportunities for their teammates, but also score goals themselves.
Slovenia come into the tournament as somewhat of a surprise team, but because they play well together as a team and are extremely well organized, they have as good as a chance as USA in progressing to the knockout round. Their best player is their goalkeeper, Handanovic, and with a solid back four, should be extremely difficult to score against. They play a similar 4-4-2 system as the USA with the striker system being the classic big, Novakovic, feeding balls to the small, Dedic. The key player to their squad is the left-footed right midfielder Birsa, who is a dangerous free kick taker. In order for Slovenia to advance, they must take advantage of their size and convert free kick opportunities.
Algeria is one of the worst squads in the tournament. They are known more for their red cards recently then their goals. Additionally, their best player, Meghni, is injured for the tournament and will not play. The key to there is their dodgy keeper, Chaouchi, because he must perform miracles for them to advance from this group. However, I do not seeing this happening as I predict they end the tournament with zero points to show. Essentially, this group should come down to who wins from the USA Slovenia match on the 22nd.
England, USA
Group D
Germany comes into this tournament the same as they usually do. They seem to lack imagination, don’t have any superstar quality like the other top teams, and do not seem that threatening to do much in this tournament. However, this is Germany, and they always seem to exceed expectations in the big tournaments. Arguably their best olayer, Ballack, is out for the tournament with ankle ligament damage. Their top striker, and reigning golden boot winner, Klose, couldn’t even crack the starting lineup on his club team. They do possess quality depth in attack and midfield to make up for the loss of Ballack and the lack of form of Klose. The dangerous player on their squad is attacking fullback and captain, Lahm, but the key to their squad is whether Podolski can play the way he plays for his nation and not his club team. If he can score crackers with his cannon of a left foot, they have the ability to make a deep run. However, I do not see that happening this time around.
Serbia is the best team no one talks about. They have quality in attack, with the vastly underrated Krasic able to score from anywhere. Combine that with one of the strongest defenses in the world, including stars Vidic and Ivanovic, and they potentially go deep into the tournament. The key to their squad is whether erratic goalkeeper Stojkovic can stop allowing weak goals past him.
Ghana is arguably the most complete African side in the tournament. Even though their superstar, Essien, is out of the tournament, they still possess one of the top midfields in the world. Normally with their gifted midfield, I would have them making a strong run in the tournament. But with Essien out, Muntari hobbled, and the weak form of Appiah, their midfield drastically weakens, and I cannot picture them progressing from this “group of depth.”
Australia is easily the “best worst” team in the tournament. By that I mean out of the weakest teams in each group, they are the best of the bunch. With any team featuring Cahill, they are very dangerous on corner kicks and should be able to score the ugly goals as well as anyone. The key to them progressing is whether Cahill can score goals, because they do lack firepower up front. Any one of these teams can progress, but with every team dangerous in the air, scoring goals off corner kicks may be the key.
Germany, Serbia
deyan's A&B take
World Cup 2010 Predictions
This World Cup is the hardest to predict for many reasons. The tournament is being held in Africa for the first time ever. Because Africa is in the southern hemisphere, the WC will be played during the winter time which will mean chilly conditions throughout. Additionally, no European squad has ever won the WC outside of Europe ever, and with most of the best squads European, this makes predicting the knockout rounds even trickier. With my WC predictions, I have thrown WC history and popularity of the players completely out of the window. What matters most is the form of the players on the squads, injuries, and that the tournament is being played in S. Africa.
Overrated- Germany, Italy, Brazil
Underrated- Chile, Serbia, S Korea
Group A
This is easily the toughest group to predict. The best squad on paper by far, France, has a clueless coach who uses zodiac signs to choose his squad and is unable to determine the shape he wants to play. One day it is a 4-2-3-1, another it’s a 4-3-3. The squad, while talented everywhere on the pitch, do not play together well as a unit and don’t seem to want to play for each other. The perfect example was the two legged playoff tie with Ireland, also known as the Henry hand ball game. What people seem to forget though, is that Ireland thoroughly outplayed them in the two games and it was actually Lloris’s goalkeeping that saved them from crashing out of the tie. The key to their squad is the form of Gallas, because if he is 100% and on form, their defense can be extremely difficult to score on. Uruguay comes in with a very aggressive style of play, and a different system teams are used to playing against. With a 3-5-2 formation, the wing backs play an important role pushing the tempo up field and tracking back defensively. With Suarez and Forlan up top, they do hold firepower up top and could beat any side in the world. With Forlan dropping back between the opposition’s midfield and defense, Suarez essentially plays up top by himself. This makes Suarez the key to the squad. If he takes his chances they will progress into the knockout stages, if not they wont. Mexico, like Uruguay, play an extremely unusual formation, a 3-4-3 if one had to call it, where their star defender, Marquez, plays CDM to block out supporting strikers such as Forlan. Mexico features a good mixture of young studs and intelligent veterans with a good amount of depth in every position. The question lies who is going to start, Guardado or Vela, on the left-wing? Personally, I would choose Guardado, due to his form throughout the year was far superior to Vela, but we will have to wait and see. They key to their squad lies in Dos Santos, the fiery and elusive right winger who one game can seem like one the best young players in the world, and another he looks like the player Barcelona so quickly got rid of. The worst squad in the group, South Africa, of course, has home field advantage. No home team has ever gotten knocked out in the first round. With only one star player, Pienaar, on their squad, most experts believe this year will be the first the home team doesn’t advance to the knockout stages. They key to their squad is not the reliable Pienaar, but rather, and sadly, the referees. If the referees allow the home support to get to their head (think S. Korea) and the home country gets some vital calls go their way, they may advance out of this extremely tricky group. With a group this even, I forecast some 1-1 draws.
Advance- Uruguay, France??
Group B
This is another tricky group. With a coach like Maradona leading the headlines, what else would people expect. Argentina has more star forward options to choose from then LOST has storylines they never explained. This still pales in comparison to the number of different formations and players Maradona has used since he became manager two years ago. But what matters most is who he uses when the WC starts. Besides inexplicably not including Zanetti and Cambiasso in his squad, I believe he got his lineup correct. With underrated Jonas hugging the right touchline and using three center defenders, this allows freedom roles for Tevez and Messi, which is when they are at their best, and Higuan up top alone. With the best player in the champions league, Milito, and Aguero, able to come off the bench they should be unstoppable on offense. The key to their squad is whether the best player in the planet, Messi, can play like the best player in the planet. If he does, then good luck to everyone else. Nigeria has speed all over the pitch. If the coach is smart enough to keep old man Kanu on the bench and use the speed they possess up top in Martins, Obinna, and Odemwingie, combined w the poacher mentality of Yakubu, they will score goals. With a strong defense anchored by Yobo and Shittu, the real questions lie in their weak midfield. The midfield’s ability to protect their defense and create half chances for their speedy forwards will determine if they advance or not. The key player to watch is Fulham’s Etuhu, and whether he can control the center of the pitch will little to no help. South Korea work together as a team better then any squad in the tournament. Their endurance and able to pressure teams into errors makes them a hard team to beat. Their problem is their size, or lack of, which makes them extremely vulnerable to set piece goals. And while they have way more creativity in midfield then Nigeria or Greece, with JS Park on the left and CY Lee on the right, they lack firepower up front. The key player is their main striker is CY Park, who must put his chances away for S. Korea to advance. Greece pulled off the biggest sports surprise in my lifetime by winning Euro 2004. That is about all there is to say about Greece. They play a boring brand of football where not conceding is all that matters. The problem is that their defense isn’t as good as it was, and their only true offensive threat, Gekas, only recently scores on weak opposition. However, with underrated Karagounis picking up the creativity, they may cause a few surprises. He is the key to their squad, because without him on top form, their offense will create no sizzle.
advance - Nigeria, Argentina?
This World Cup is the hardest to predict for many reasons. The tournament is being held in Africa for the first time ever. Because Africa is in the southern hemisphere, the WC will be played during the winter time which will mean chilly conditions throughout. Additionally, no European squad has ever won the WC outside of Europe ever, and with most of the best squads European, this makes predicting the knockout rounds even trickier. With my WC predictions, I have thrown WC history and popularity of the players completely out of the window. What matters most is the form of the players on the squads, injuries, and that the tournament is being played in S. Africa.
Overrated- Germany, Italy, Brazil
Underrated- Chile, Serbia, S Korea
Group A
This is easily the toughest group to predict. The best squad on paper by far, France, has a clueless coach who uses zodiac signs to choose his squad and is unable to determine the shape he wants to play. One day it is a 4-2-3-1, another it’s a 4-3-3. The squad, while talented everywhere on the pitch, do not play together well as a unit and don’t seem to want to play for each other. The perfect example was the two legged playoff tie with Ireland, also known as the Henry hand ball game. What people seem to forget though, is that Ireland thoroughly outplayed them in the two games and it was actually Lloris’s goalkeeping that saved them from crashing out of the tie. The key to their squad is the form of Gallas, because if he is 100% and on form, their defense can be extremely difficult to score on. Uruguay comes in with a very aggressive style of play, and a different system teams are used to playing against. With a 3-5-2 formation, the wing backs play an important role pushing the tempo up field and tracking back defensively. With Suarez and Forlan up top, they do hold firepower up top and could beat any side in the world. With Forlan dropping back between the opposition’s midfield and defense, Suarez essentially plays up top by himself. This makes Suarez the key to the squad. If he takes his chances they will progress into the knockout stages, if not they wont. Mexico, like Uruguay, play an extremely unusual formation, a 3-4-3 if one had to call it, where their star defender, Marquez, plays CDM to block out supporting strikers such as Forlan. Mexico features a good mixture of young studs and intelligent veterans with a good amount of depth in every position. The question lies who is going to start, Guardado or Vela, on the left-wing? Personally, I would choose Guardado, due to his form throughout the year was far superior to Vela, but we will have to wait and see. They key to their squad lies in Dos Santos, the fiery and elusive right winger who one game can seem like one the best young players in the world, and another he looks like the player Barcelona so quickly got rid of. The worst squad in the group, South Africa, of course, has home field advantage. No home team has ever gotten knocked out in the first round. With only one star player, Pienaar, on their squad, most experts believe this year will be the first the home team doesn’t advance to the knockout stages. They key to their squad is not the reliable Pienaar, but rather, and sadly, the referees. If the referees allow the home support to get to their head (think S. Korea) and the home country gets some vital calls go their way, they may advance out of this extremely tricky group. With a group this even, I forecast some 1-1 draws.
Advance- Uruguay, France??
Group B
This is another tricky group. With a coach like Maradona leading the headlines, what else would people expect. Argentina has more star forward options to choose from then LOST has storylines they never explained. This still pales in comparison to the number of different formations and players Maradona has used since he became manager two years ago. But what matters most is who he uses when the WC starts. Besides inexplicably not including Zanetti and Cambiasso in his squad, I believe he got his lineup correct. With underrated Jonas hugging the right touchline and using three center defenders, this allows freedom roles for Tevez and Messi, which is when they are at their best, and Higuan up top alone. With the best player in the champions league, Milito, and Aguero, able to come off the bench they should be unstoppable on offense. The key to their squad is whether the best player in the planet, Messi, can play like the best player in the planet. If he does, then good luck to everyone else. Nigeria has speed all over the pitch. If the coach is smart enough to keep old man Kanu on the bench and use the speed they possess up top in Martins, Obinna, and Odemwingie, combined w the poacher mentality of Yakubu, they will score goals. With a strong defense anchored by Yobo and Shittu, the real questions lie in their weak midfield. The midfield’s ability to protect their defense and create half chances for their speedy forwards will determine if they advance or not. The key player to watch is Fulham’s Etuhu, and whether he can control the center of the pitch will little to no help. South Korea work together as a team better then any squad in the tournament. Their endurance and able to pressure teams into errors makes them a hard team to beat. Their problem is their size, or lack of, which makes them extremely vulnerable to set piece goals. And while they have way more creativity in midfield then Nigeria or Greece, with JS Park on the left and CY Lee on the right, they lack firepower up front. The key player is their main striker is CY Park, who must put his chances away for S. Korea to advance. Greece pulled off the biggest sports surprise in my lifetime by winning Euro 2004. That is about all there is to say about Greece. They play a boring brand of football where not conceding is all that matters. The problem is that their defense isn’t as good as it was, and their only true offensive threat, Gekas, only recently scores on weak opposition. However, with underrated Karagounis picking up the creativity, they may cause a few surprises. He is the key to their squad, because without him on top form, their offense will create no sizzle.
advance - Nigeria, Argentina?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
espn blog
they had some good stats over at espn about teams who lose their first game being in some trouble.
i was only half joking about blanco still being in the mexico side, i didnt realize that he still is.
anyway, tomorrow, im going to be busting my ass to get down to the pub by 4, i get off at 330.
in what might be the most open group for the taking, i'll be looking for a score draw in the first game, and for france to lay a 1-0 stinker to the uruguayans. domenech might be clinically insane, and all the ingredients look to be there for another disaster for the french this tournament just like in euro2008. and yet somehow i still want to root for them, just to silence their critics, their own critics...
i was only half joking about blanco still being in the mexico side, i didnt realize that he still is.
anyway, tomorrow, im going to be busting my ass to get down to the pub by 4, i get off at 330.
in what might be the most open group for the taking, i'll be looking for a score draw in the first game, and for france to lay a 1-0 stinker to the uruguayans. domenech might be clinically insane, and all the ingredients look to be there for another disaster for the french this tournament just like in euro2008. and yet somehow i still want to root for them, just to silence their critics, their own critics...
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
the 16 advancers
group a - uruguay, mexico
the french team is in shambles, they were lucky to qualify, they have their best striker watching at home, a mad scientist of a manager who somehow still has his job, what else could go wrong.
group b - argentina, south korea
i dont know, i think people tend to look past the asian teams, and not without reason, but the koreans are solid all around, it will be interesting to see if argentina has problems with anyone in this group, nigeria are decent, but i like the koreans to advance. and i'll give the greeks 1:1 odds of scoring. this tournament.
group c - england, usa
i keep saying write of slovenia at your own peril, but check out the highlights of algeria v egypt..yikes
group d - germany, ghana
i hope to god that it doesnt happen, but i get the feeling that germany might be poised to make a deep run into this thing again. ballack out, expectations are low, you know how it goes...
group e - holland, denmark
i'm just not impressed with cameroon at all, and japan are god-awful. probably the worst group.
group f - italy, paraguay
how is it that italy is under the radar? they're the f-ing holders. slovakia has as decent a chance as paraguay i guess, just less experience. actually, perhaps this is the worst group.
group g - brazil, portugal
the ivory coast might be the most overrated team on the east side of the mississippi. gervinho certainly has the highest hairline on that side of the equator. north korea could be just terrible, but they could steal a draw somewhere couldn't they?
group h - spain, switzerland
its tough to predict which one of the south american teams is going to do it, but you know someone's gonna make it to the quarters at least. it probably won't be chile though.
the french team is in shambles, they were lucky to qualify, they have their best striker watching at home, a mad scientist of a manager who somehow still has his job, what else could go wrong.
group b - argentina, south korea
i dont know, i think people tend to look past the asian teams, and not without reason, but the koreans are solid all around, it will be interesting to see if argentina has problems with anyone in this group, nigeria are decent, but i like the koreans to advance. and i'll give the greeks 1:1 odds of scoring. this tournament.
group c - england, usa
i keep saying write of slovenia at your own peril, but check out the highlights of algeria v egypt..yikes
group d - germany, ghana
i hope to god that it doesnt happen, but i get the feeling that germany might be poised to make a deep run into this thing again. ballack out, expectations are low, you know how it goes...
group e - holland, denmark
i'm just not impressed with cameroon at all, and japan are god-awful. probably the worst group.
group f - italy, paraguay
how is it that italy is under the radar? they're the f-ing holders. slovakia has as decent a chance as paraguay i guess, just less experience. actually, perhaps this is the worst group.
group g - brazil, portugal
the ivory coast might be the most overrated team on the east side of the mississippi. gervinho certainly has the highest hairline on that side of the equator. north korea could be just terrible, but they could steal a draw somewhere couldn't they?
group h - spain, switzerland
its tough to predict which one of the south american teams is going to do it, but you know someone's gonna make it to the quarters at least. it probably won't be chile though.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Group D Closeup
I thought it would be a good idea to look a little bit closer at Group D, seeing as that's the group we'll play in the knockout round in the case that we progress. This is the real group of death if you ask me, and we all know what the Germans are capable of, so I dont really want to talk about them. I'll say that the absence of Ballack might actually help them, although he is a good player, that's just not the kind of character I want strapping on my captain's armband. Sorry.
So let's start with the Ghanaians. I was really impressed with them in the cup of nations, and just recently in their friendly with the Dutch. Don't be fooled by that scoreline, nobody would stay with the Dutch right now. (let's just hope for their sake they aren't peaking too early like in Euro 2008). Ghana have a handy uncharacteristic ability that most African teams lack, they keep their shape, and are comfortable defending, something that goes a long way in tournaments. It has to be mentioned that they will be playing without their talisman Michael Essien, who is one of the best players in the world in his own right.
I actually like them to progress, home field advantage of sorts can't really hurt them.
Now, on to the Serbs, impeccable qualifying and shit show under the limelight last WC. I'm actually expecting a similar unfortunate showing. I don't care what the pundits say, this is the real group of death for me. And Serbia just lack that certain spunk, or whatever you want to call it to come out of this group for me. I know thats shit for analysis, but Marco Pantelic isn't getting the job done for me at the end of the day. Maybe if they get the Serbian Peter Crouch Zigic involved then they could get some results, but despite them being the chalk here to advance, I don't see it happening for them. I'd actually like to play them from an American perspective.
And finally the Aussies. Heartbreak last world cup, they were jobbed out of the tournament against the Italians in what was probably the most forgotten game of the tournament, overshadowed by Zidane's headbutt. The Italians really could/should have been out. But this time around, they'd be lucky to find themselves in the same position, and although I'm glad they're not in our group, I dont see them getting out of Group D either.
So let's start with the Ghanaians. I was really impressed with them in the cup of nations, and just recently in their friendly with the Dutch. Don't be fooled by that scoreline, nobody would stay with the Dutch right now. (let's just hope for their sake they aren't peaking too early like in Euro 2008). Ghana have a handy uncharacteristic ability that most African teams lack, they keep their shape, and are comfortable defending, something that goes a long way in tournaments. It has to be mentioned that they will be playing without their talisman Michael Essien, who is one of the best players in the world in his own right.
I actually like them to progress, home field advantage of sorts can't really hurt them.
Now, on to the Serbs, impeccable qualifying and shit show under the limelight last WC. I'm actually expecting a similar unfortunate showing. I don't care what the pundits say, this is the real group of death for me. And Serbia just lack that certain spunk, or whatever you want to call it to come out of this group for me. I know thats shit for analysis, but Marco Pantelic isn't getting the job done for me at the end of the day. Maybe if they get the Serbian Peter Crouch Zigic involved then they could get some results, but despite them being the chalk here to advance, I don't see it happening for them. I'd actually like to play them from an American perspective.
And finally the Aussies. Heartbreak last world cup, they were jobbed out of the tournament against the Italians in what was probably the most forgotten game of the tournament, overshadowed by Zidane's headbutt. The Italians really could/should have been out. But this time around, they'd be lucky to find themselves in the same position, and although I'm glad they're not in our group, I dont see them getting out of Group D either.
blood doping anyone?
with the recent floyd landis escapade coming out, and my lifelong fascination with blood doping, i thought i could connect them with the world cup via the one big issue that nobody's talking about. No, not the jubilani. Even Skip Bayless is throwing in his two cents on the ball. (which I can't see how it can be worse than the 2006 ball, the most badass ball i've ever touched & or played with).
No, lets talk about the altitude. I've got a Scottish colleague who's been telling me for literally months now that England won't be able to handle the altitude. The Washington Post did a good article on some of the teams preparations, and it could be a real issue. There isn't that much time to recover from games, especially in the group stage, so we'll see how good of shape Cuathemoc Blanco is really in. (oh, he's not still Mexcio's best player?)
I always have to chuckle at professionals who start to cramp up, because they are too stupid to keep themselves hydrated. I'm sure somebody will be feeling a little tight in the 80th minute in some match. Anyway, just a little something to keep an eye on.
No, lets talk about the altitude. I've got a Scottish colleague who's been telling me for literally months now that England won't be able to handle the altitude. The Washington Post did a good article on some of the teams preparations, and it could be a real issue. There isn't that much time to recover from games, especially in the group stage, so we'll see how good of shape Cuathemoc Blanco is really in. (oh, he's not still Mexcio's best player?)
I always have to chuckle at professionals who start to cramp up, because they are too stupid to keep themselves hydrated. I'm sure somebody will be feeling a little tight in the 80th minute in some match. Anyway, just a little something to keep an eye on.
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