Bad calls, refs stealing too much attention

Maybe it's because I didn't follow the 2006 World Cup as closely, but this year's event seems to have more bad calls than ever before.

I'm not just talking about the multiple USA goals called back because of bad calls. They are happening all the time, it seems. The latest examples were Sunday.

First, England scored what would have been the game-tying goal when the ball hit the crossbar and then clearly landed behind the goal line before taking a second bounce in front of it. The sideline official for the game was not in position for the call, and so play resumed as if you ball was never in. England lost 4-1. I'm not saying England wins if that ball goes in, they played an atrocious second half, but that could have tilted momentum in their favor for the second half.

Second, Argentina's first goal against Mexico should have never happened. Argentina player Carlos Tevez was blatantly offsides, yet no call was made and he had an easy goal. Mexico never recovered and they lost 3-1.



Both of these wrongs could have been righted in seconds if FIFA used replay for plays on the goal line or for offsides. Don't tell me it will slow the game down and that you like the human element. Getting the call right is all that should matter if we have the technology to do so. This is the World Cup. The biggest tournament in sports. FIFA owes it to the teams and fans worldwide to do everything they can to get the calls right. Not just shrug their shoulders and say "Mistakes are part of the game."

Not all plays should be reviewable. With the way soccer players dive, the game may never end as we review every single foul. But goals and offsides, where it takes practically no time to make the right call, should be reviewed. How hard is it to have a fifth official in a booth who can communicate with the head official? They are already doing it now. Have you notice how all four officials have headsets? Well, they're using those to communicate to each other in case someone missed a call that the other saw. Soccer has embraced technology, they are just being stubborn on this front.

In a recent story, FIFA even said they are going to limit what can be displayed on stadiums' screens. This is because Mexico, and the whole stadium, saw that they got screwed over on that first goal and they weren't happy. If that game were in Azteca, there is no way the refs make it out of the half, let alone the game, alive.

Soccer, and sports in general, need to stop being so defensive of their officials. Fans understand that you're going to make the wrong call from time to time. They are just calling for a way to reduce these bad calls. Hell, even baseball has made some compromises when it comes to replay! It's time FIFA makes some too.

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - Blinded by the Light

World Cup group play recap, round of 16 preview

By Joe

What we learned so far…

1. South America brought their A-game. All five teams from the continent have made it through the group stage (assuming Chile survives today’s match). That’s insane. I think they should get five guaranteed spots for the next World Cup in Brazil 2014.

2. Africa…not so much. Ghana is the only African nation to make it out of the groups. Huge disappointment for the teams that got to play on their home continent. What happened? Too much pressure? Insufficient talent?

3. Traditional powers France and Italy bow out early…I don’t know about you all but I’m glad to see some new teams in the final 16. I told you Italy looked old, and that France didn’t deserve to be there…France makes me look like a genius.

4. ESPN’s coverage has been absolutely tremendous. There are a lot of things I cannot stand about the WWL, but they’ve been all over this tournament. Knowledgeable analysts, thorough recaps/previews. If you see any weaknesses in the coverage, share them below.

5. This is the greatest sporting event in the world…America is finally catching on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfS9kbyfiMM

What can we expect?
We’ve moved to a 16-team bracket style tournament. It’s so rigid, so easy to follow. No more ties, or “draws” has Ian Darke and the rest of those awesome British commentators call them. Win or go home…or have a shoot out with penalty kicks.

June 26, 10:00 am on ESPN
Uruguay vs. South Korea

Diego Forlan plays his club football in Madrid, Spain. Not Real Madrid…their suburban neighbors Atletico Madrid. He led them to a Euro League title this season, but apparently has plenty still left in the tank for this WC run. Ladies, if you’re craving some serious abdominals, do yourself a favor and Google image search for Diego. You’re welcome. He had two goals in Group A. It’s a toss-up between Uruguay and The Good Korea…I have to give the slightest of edges to the Uruguayans. The winner plays the winner of our next match…

June 26, 2:30 pm on ABC
United States vs. Ghana

I had a friend ask; “Are people mad that he’s on the team? He’s the coach’s son!” True, Michael Bradley is Bob Bradley’s son, but he’d still be on the team if Maradona was the US skipper. His work-rate is high, he wins balls in the midfield, and he’s getting better ever day. Oh, and he’s 22 years old. What were you doing when you were 22? Trying to get that freshman to sleep with you because you were her connection for getting alcohol…I digress.

US won their group for the first time since 1930. You’re probably thinking, ‘Joe, why is that important?’ Well, dear reader, winning the group keeps the Yanks away from Germany and eventually Argentina (more on that match up later). Landon Donovan and friends will be looking for revenge against the Black Stars after the 2006 WC loss in the group stage, which eliminated the US from the WC. The goal was to make it out of the group. I hope they aren’t content, because they look like they could make a run to the semis this year. I like the Yanks to stay hot, beat Ghana 2-1.

June 27, 10:00 pm on ESPN
Germany vs. England

England stubbed their toe in the group stage and finished second to the US. Their reward punishment is a match with old foe Germany, the Group D winners. (Sidenote: I cringe anytime a broadcaster (cough, Bob Ley, cough) says something like “The Champions of Group C, the United States”. The champions?? Really? You haven’t won anything by placing first in the group. The goal of group play is just to survive and move on. Let’s stick with “winners” and leave the “champion” titles for after the trophy presentation).

Germany is battling an injury bug, and England is battling, well, themselves. John Terry thinks he’s still the captain. He is constantly butting heads with manager Fabio Capello, and was forced to apologize for comments he made in a press conference. I’m betting the Germans rally to knock out the real-life soap opera that is the Three Lions. Wayne Rooney will not score, again.

June 27, 2:30 pm on ABC
Argentina vs. Mexico

Lionel Messi in the house. Argentina waltzed through Group B. Mexico survived Group A thanks to Uruguay beating the host nation 3-0. Argentina is the favorite but I think El Tri is ready to pull off the upset. If Mexico can bunker down, and get one goal…they could shock the soccer world. If it goes to penalties, I give Argentina a huge advantage. Should CONCACAF have two teams reach the quarterfinals, it would be considered a giant success. Then again, I might just be “crazily optimistic.” Argentina could go America all over Mexico’s ass and win like 4-0. DVR this match if you’re busy. Make time to watch it. Invite a friend who isn’t in love with the game yet.

That’s all for now, I’m headed to Lake Erie for the weekend. Enjoy this weekend’s match ups.

The Rolling Stones - Shattered

Soccer: America's Favorite Sport (on June 23, 2010)

By Kelson Fagan


I am a fake soccer fan. I admit this at least, but I am a fake soccer fan. My soccer memories are few and far between and they go like this:

1) Sports Illustrated for Kids Cover 1994 - Alexlei Lalas and Coby Jones. - Who could’ve predicted that the red haired freak with the awful goatee (so awful that Captain Jack Sparrow would probably scalp him just for the chance to wear it. I mean...it probably smelled too. Let’s move on) and the guy with the dreads would both still impact my life heavily today! Oh what’s that? Soccer only catches on 1 out of every 48 months? And Coby Jones is dead (unconfirmed) and Alexei Lalas cut off all his hair? And can pass a drug test now?

2) The start of the MLS. I used to love almost any LA sports team when I was a child. So I tried to like the Galaxy. That didn’t work out. I couldn’t name one player that ever played for them until David Beckham graced us with his abs. So ...1 player in 15 years is...uhh..not the mark of a good fan to say the least. Let’s move on.

3) David Beckham moving to America, screwing his hot wife on the soccer field or “pitch” (look at me growing and typing all at once!) and capturing the casual fan for years to come on end. (Unfortunately, I stopped paying attention when I realized that his wife wouldn’t be naked at any point in time and that perfectly shaped grapefruits wouldn’t see the light of day.)

That is the extent of my soccer career (excluding a hat trick I scored when I played for the “green team” as a youth, but I’m not here to brag...much.) But every four years I strap on ole USA beer hat and cheer for the team because I like USA Pride. I remember 2006, and that we were in the World Cup, but I remember nothing, other than the fact that we didn’t make it to the second round. We lost, but I was not affected, like every other fairweather fan, I’m pretty sure I had recovered early enough that afternoon to enjoy All My Children in peace.

So it’s 2010 and I’m on the horse again, except this time something changed. I’m watching other countries play at 7:30 in the morning, I’m learning rules, I’m calling fields “pitch” and jerseys “kits” (which if someone could explain that to me, that’d be lovely). Hell, today I even taught someone what the rules of offsides were.

I even get defensive about the entire sport as a whole now. The other day I was reading a certain gossip blog (alright, you twisted my arm it’s Perez Hilton, and yes I read him on the reg,) and he commented and posited out loud wondering if “anyone even cared about this “World Cup” tournament.” I felt belligerent, I wanted to scream that “YES, I CARE (for at least 2 more weeks!),” I wanted to punch a gossip writer who obviously doesn’t have his finger on the pulse (but it would definitely be considered a hate crime).

I have made many declarations about soccer in the past. No one scores, it’s a whole lot of boring, offsides are stupid, the kids who played on the soccer team in high school were douche bags, the kids who played on the soccer team in college were douche bags and most of all the braggadocio of soccer players who claim they are the best athletes in the world because they run for 45 minutes straight (I’ve seen these games there is a whole lot of standing around. And flopping. My god do they know how to flop, with their perfectly chiseled jaw and their full heads of hair flailing around and.....uhhh, let’s regroup, I think I just stroked out and my fingers kept going.)

Once I started watching this summer, I have made many more declarations. I’m going to watch the Premiere League (which apparently showcases MUCH better play than the World Cup), I hate Vuvuzelas, offsides are stupid, the flopping (although Pau Gasol has now officially made basketball Soccer with hands) and of course, where is Mali, I’m going to burn that mother to the ground.

After today’s match (I did it again!) that the US pulled out against Algeria, I might be totally hooked (although to be fair, I was probably hooked when we (America) came back from 2-0 (which I feel like 49-0 in american football) or when Portugal destroyed North Korea 7-0). I’ve realized that even though there are still pretty much 78 minutes of boredom, the 12 minutes interspersed throughout are just phenomenal and breath taking. I could have never have thought I’d be yelling at my TV early in the morning as Mexico sealed France in it’s own white flag wrapped coffin in SOCCER (...wait, I almost stroked out again just typing that sentence, my body is still learning).

I was unhappy that I was scheduled to work during the match today, that I wouldnt get to see the result, but on the way home, we stopped at a pizza place, walked in and the ENTIRE restaurant was glued to the TV’s. I immediately looked up and saw (live) Landon Donovan kick the goalie’s original deflection into the net. I wasn’t sure what the appropriate level of celebration was for this event (I know that if it’s an own goal, we kill that player once he returns home). So I just clapped a little, and every body else clapped a little and then I got goosebumps and then I felt this overwhelming feeling of sports pride that I haven’t had since Carlos Beltran decided to look at strike 3 with the bases loaded in 2006’s NLCS (why is it frowned upon to kill baseball players after things like this?). I connected with 20 strangers about a sport that I knew nothing about in the middle of a state that cares nothing about soccer, this has to mean something. Something had to change inside uh-mere-e-cuh today.

Today, I now know at least seven players names FROM AROUND THE GLOBE (impressed?)

Today, was the day that it changes for everyone else (since, you know, they filled up my facebook news feed for literally an hour straight with chants of USA, videos of “America, Fuck Yeah” and of course, Hulk Hogan. (Then I remembered why everyone in the world hates us)).

Today was the day it all changes for me (meaning I’m gonna watch at least 2 more games this year!). I am a true (ish) fan.

American Hero

Soccer fans were questioning USA star Landon Donovan's credentials four years ago when he played a World Cup in which the Yanks didn't win a game.

Those fans and critics were muted today. And not just by those damn vuvuzelas.

With about three minutes left in a 0-0 game against Algeria, USA had their backs to the wall. England clinched a spot in the next round with a win against Algeria, forcing the US into a must-win situation.

It wasn't looking good.

Algeria had an open header from about 8-yards out that should have been a goal. That's it. Right there this game should have been over with the US going home with another disappointing World Cup showing. But then the soccer gods (or god, not sure if it is a pagan culture), feeling bad for the phantom foul called Friday in the USA-Slovenia game, gave the Yanks a break. OK, maybe the Algeria player just choked in the big moment. I'll take it either way.

The weak shot led to a quick counterattack led by the Captain Donovan. He dished the ball out wide to Jozy Altidore (I think) when he got to the area, which then led to a cross by Altidore. Clint Dempsey came flying in, but the Algeria keeper made a big stop. Unfortunately for him, the rest of his team just watched as Donovan appeared and drove the ball into the back of the net.

I have never been so excited about US soccer. Running through the office with my hands in the air and a smile as wide as possible, I was greeted with confusion by my boss and fellow employees. They don't know what the World Cup is, so they had no clue what just happened. I explained that the USA just scored in injury time and how wonderful it was. The response from my boss; "Oh no! That's terrible! Someone got hurt?"

There was no time to explain injury time to her, I just continued on my victory lap.

This is not about me and my reaction though. This is about how far Donovan has come in four years. After a great performance in the 2002 World Cup, Donovan fell off the earth in 2006. He was timid and did not show the leadership USA fans expected and demanded. Just look at the game against Ghana. With the Yanks down a goal and needing a win, Donovan had a wide-open shot within 10 yards of the goal. Instead of shooting, or carrying the ball farther and then shooting, he made a pass and nothing came of the opportunity. He shied away from the big moments that called for heroes.

Fast forward to 2010, and everything has changed. The team went in with very little buzz. People were predicting another meltdown and a crushing defeat to England. Neither happened. Donovan didn't let it happen. Although he hardly did anything against England, he led the comeback charge against Slovenia in the next game.

Down 0-2, Donovan had the ball deep against the Charlie Browns. Four years ago, he might have tried to slide it across the area to a teammate. Instead, Donovan went right at the keeper and blasted the ball past him. He wasn't just trying to score, he was saying "You might stop it, but I'm taking your effing head off if you do!" The US rallied to tie the game shortly after, and should have won if not for a terrible call.

Today against Algeria it was Donovan answering the call again. Not only did he score the game-winning goal, but he created the entire play. He flew past what seemed like the whole Algeria team. He even had at least two bad touches during his run, but there was no stopping him.

The goal itself was nothing crazy. No bicycle. No ridiculous angle or placement. He was just following the play and was in the right place. That's what real captains do. They don't panic and they step up when the situation calls for it. Lesser players may have seen the open net, gotten too excited and piked the ball. Donovan calmly buried it. A casual onlooker would have had no idea one team's tournament lives were on the line.

Four years ago, Donovan might miss in that scenario. The man has grown before our eyes and hopefully this dramatic victory garners more attention for the team in this country.

Whitney Houston - Star-Spangled Banner

(Belated) USA-England recap

Internet is my home has been slow, so haven't really been able to do more than check mail and occasionally chat on gmail. Any time I tried to post, the dreaded "timed out" popped up. So here's a recap from the USA-England game from Saturday at Sauce, home of the greatest mac and cheese ever.

Blog contributors (from left) Mike, Lil' Marks and Greg showed up looking very patriotic. Although, Mike's had more resembled a penguin's head, rather than an eagle.

Know thy enemy. Here we have the only Brit front and center. I'm still not sure who invited him, but he was there. 

Game got off to a rocky start with the Yanks' defense breaking down and England getting an early 1-0 in the 5th minute. The energy in the private room disappeared and the only noise was a collective groan of disappointment. Oh, and the Brit standing, clapping and yelling "Yeah baby!"

Not a lot of excitement until USA midfielder Clint Dempsey hit a laser that no keeper in the this tournament would have saved. Well, more like he two hopped a long shot that the England goalkeeper, who from now on will be referred to as Suck, couldn't handle.

The Brit wasn't standing and cheering after the goal. If this look doesn't say stunned, I don't know what does.

G

Meanwhile, US fans Greg and the Danarchist were pretty pumped. 

England had some solid chances near the end of the half, one of which was a slight breakaway, but instead of putting it to one side or another, the England striker put it right into Tim Howard's chest. Of course, this led to the Brit screaming how terrible the striker was and how he couldn't believe he was playing. 

You might notice I'm not naming any of England's players. That's intentional. They probably played the better half, but they didn't play well. Wayne Rooney (first name drop) was practically invisible. But then again, so was US star Landon Donovan.

Second half action was cleaner play. Rooney woke up and just missed one shot that was an absolute rocket. He also seemed to be everywhere in the offensive zone. Maybe he was just saving his energy in the first half for a late rally. 

Yanks' forward Jozy Altidore had a golden opportunity, but Suck got a hand on it and deflected the ball into the post. It was by far the team's best opportunity, included the shot they scored on. 

You might hear the media say Howard made some big saves, but in all honesty, the shots England took were all right at him. Nothing spectacular, but he made all the saves he should have, which is all you can ask for from your keeper. I'm sure England would take Howard any day.

Not really much to talk about other than those highlights. Joe might have some more detailed analysis that I missed, but I didn't think it was an above average game. Both teams looked rusty and neither team's stars played up to their potential.

The US has Slovenia next, and I'm confident the Yanks come away with a win. Altidore and Donovan will be bigger factors and Slovenia won't get an easy goal like they did in their 1-0 victory against Algeria. In case you missed the Slovenia goal, it was almost as soft as the one Suck let in against the US. The only thing I'm worried about is the Yanks tend to slack off in games they're supposed to win. Doing that in the World Cup usually has bad results, so let's hope they keep focused. 

Go USA!

Hulk Hogan theme song (I Am a Real American)

Just in time - World Cup preview

By Joe

Author's note: I’d like to thank Jeff for inviting me to write on my specialty, international soccer. I’ll leave the statistical analysis to the other contributors on this blog.

Has it been four years already?  Why yes, it has. The most popular event in the world’s most popular sport is finally here. Well not here…it’s actually in South Africa. How’d we even get to South Africa you might ask?  Well, the bigwigs over at FIFA (soccer’s governing body) tend to rotate their crown jewel of an event to places that either “deserve” it, or places that FIFA thinks the game should expand. The African continent is one of those places.

The main reason the USA hosted the tourney in 1994 was an effort to grow the game in the States. Think about it, FIFA let a country with no soccer specific stadiums, no real professional league host the World Cup because FIFA saw an opportunity to make money in a country that had plenty of money to give, if only the game could become popular there. Well give FIFA credit, because it worked. The ’94 world cup set attendance records that haven’t been broken to date (and that was with eight fewer teams than the current format). MLS is improving every year, the national team is a top 20 world side and the game has never been more popular.

Time to look at this year’s groups…followed by my thoughts regarding each team. Quick rundown: The teams play in eight, four-team pods. The two teams with the best records from each pod move on to a 16-team bracket style tournament.

Group A - Holy cannoli! This group is wide open. Mmmm, I love desserts.

France

Let’s just get this outta the way. France shouldn’t even be in this Cup. They needed some serious referee ineptitude to beat Ireland just to qualify. But now that they’re here, it would be a disappointment for them to not reach the knockout stages. That long cool drink of good looking man pictured above is Franck Ribery. He’s a world class player with Bayern Munchen, definitely worth watching.

                                   Uruguay

This talented South American side beat Costa Rica in a playoff to make the tourney. They will be a tough test for their Group A opponents. Don’t be surprised to see them in the knockout stage.

Mexico

El Tri have been flying high lately and some experts have them pegged to win the group. Giovanni Dos Santos has the flash to make your jaw drop. I see Mexico in the quarterfinals. CONCACAF could use some respect world-wide, so here’s hoping they get there.

South Africa

No host nation has failed to make it out of the group stage, but that streak could end this year. South Africa will have the home crowd on their side, but is it enough for Steven Pienaar and company?  Methinks not.

Group B – Styles clash, another group that any team could survive with a little luck

Argentina

The South American giants should go ahead and book their tickets to the knockout rounds. The only thing I could imagine keeping Lionel Messi and friends from making a run at the title would be this man:

Argentine national team coach Diego Maradona. Look at that hair. Lucky that his hand hit the ball, because the grease in that mop top would have rendered the ball too slippery to finish the match. Seriously though, Maradona is being criticized in his home country for not letting his players play. He’s utilizing defensive strategies that handcuff his offensive stars. We’ll see if the strategy pays off. Speaking of grease…

Greece

Now here’s a team that knows how to play a defensive, boring style of footy. That being said, they used this strategy to win the European Championship in 2004. I’d bet 10 gyros from Tom’s Diner that the Greeks fizzle out in group play.

South Korea

Here’s an interesting team…if this was short track speed skating they’d be a lock to reach the semis. The Koreans are my pick to finish third in the group. Please make an effort to watch at least one of their games, Ji-Sung Park is a speedster that even casual soccer fans can appreciate.

Nigeria

This has traditionally been one of Africa’s strongest sides. Playing with pride on their home continent could be exactly what the Super Eagles need to make it past the Round of 16.

Group C – Weak Group, don’t fall for it.

England

Everyone knows the English players. Every one of them plays on TV every weekend in the richest league in the world. They have controversy, they have grit and they have the capacity to be brilliant. All told, they’re pretty interesting. They also have injuries, enormous amounts of pressure from home and a habit for not winning on the world’s biggest stage.

Wayne Rooney and friends might have to move to the Bahamas should they fail to reach the quarterfinals. The Three Lions are good, but beatable.

                     United States

I should have written an entire post just involving the Yanks, but it’s a little late for that. The June 12th showdown with England will set soccer television ratings records in this country. A win would almost guarantee a spot in the knockout round. A loss puts the USA in a tight spot; stumbling against the remaining Group C opponents would spell doom for the Americans.

The match with England has a whole little brother/big brother dynamic that I love. England is a team full of superstar millionaire footballers. The Americans are a bunch of guys trying to get playing time on middle-of-the-table Premiership clubs. They have at least four world class players. We have some young guys and a bunch of bald goaltenders (that being said, I’d take our keepers against their keepers any day). Clint Dempsey needs to shine. Landon needs to lead. We’ll need a few lucky breaks. Expectations have been raised since beating Spain in 2009, testing Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final and winning the CONCACAF group. Failing to survive the group stage is not acceptable. Winning a knockout game would be awesome. Anything more than that, would be American Soccer Bliss.

Slovenia

Any team that beats Russia in a home-and-home series to qualify has my respect. They’re the USA’s biggest challenge when it comes to second place in Group C. Side note:  Why do the Dutch wear Orange?  There’s no orange in their flag. How about those Italians?  Blue kits…with a red, white and green flag. Those probably have rational explanations that I’m too lazy to research. Check of the WC jersey for our Slovenian friends http://cdn.worldcupbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/slovenia-world-cup-shirt.jpg
WTF?  I saw someone refer to them as the Charlie Brown kit. Share your thoughts below.

Algeria

Did you know that Algeria is in Africa and they have a bitter rivalry with the Egypt?  The fact that they’re in the World Cup finals and Egypt is sitting home is probably good enough for them. Algeria also used to be a French territory until they claimed their own independence. That explains, sort of, why the Algerians are kind of a French B team. A lot of their players grew up in France, speak French, enjoy crepes, etc. They don’t have a chance of making it out of the group.

Group D – Germany and some teams that will beat each other up

Germany

Michael Ballack is out injured. The Germans are deep because they have this knack for recruiting guys who are actually Ghanaian or Polish to play for their national team. In fact anyone whose parents have ever vacationed in Cologne is eligible to play for Germany. This isn’t specific to Germany of course, but with Ballack out I didn’t know what else to write. The Germans should make it out of the group, but they might not win it. Look forward to a possible round of 16 matchup with the United States.

Australia

Tim Cahill is one of my favorite players on the planet. He is always in the right place at the right time. He’s 5’7” and he’s a force in the air. He’s the best reason to watch the Socceroos this summer. I promise that he scores in South Africa. The Aussies could get out of the group, but I can’t see them getting any further than that.

Ghana

Mikael Essien is injured and will not be playing in the World Cup. He’s their leader. Imagine if Landon Donovan wasn’t playing for the US, because it’s the same for Ghana. On the plus side, they have one of the best team nicknames in the tourney: The Black Stars.

Serbia

Serbia actually finished first in a European qualifying group that included France and Austria. They are legit. They have players competing in the top leagues all over Europe. I expect them to challenge for a spot in the knockout stage. Pay attention to Nemanja Vidic. He’s considered one of the best defenders in the world.

Group E – Anyone’s Guess

Netherlands

This is a world class side that could win the entire tournament. Dirk Kuyt has that Mike Richards thing where he’s easy to dislike but he never really said/did anything to give you a real reason to dislike him.

Could anyone be more stereotypically Dutch looking??  I don’t think so. I heard he asked Nike to design wooden cleats, but Nike said no.

                    Japan

The Japanese side looked great back in 2002, when they co hosted with South Korea. Since then, they’ve been a bit underwhelming. Suspect defending could be their downfall in a very tough group.

Cameroon

I think that this team is Africa’s best chance to make a deep run into the tournament. Samuel Eto’o should be a household name. He has won back to back UEFA Champions League titles with two different teams!!  They make it out of the group, barely. Let’s just be thankful they aren’t wearing these anymore: http://www.soccerfanatic.com/SFCBlog/soccer_stories/cameroon-piece-kit/

                                                   Denmark

They bested Portugal in the qualifying group, so they’ve gotta be pretty good, right?  I’m not going to pretend like I know a lot about them. Here’s a neat little fact:  the Danish supporters are known as the Roligan. The name is derived from the Danish word for “calm”. They’re a happy lot, which formed with the idea to stop the hooliganism that swept Europe in the 1980s.

Group F – I feel bad for New Zealand

Italy

The Azzuri are another side that could win in all. They haven’t played their best leading into this summer’s tournament, but they can turn it on when they need to. Even when this team doesn’t play up to their lofty expectations, they still win. A team with as much history and talent as Italy gets up for the big ones, not the yawn inducing qualifiers with Montenegro. The side has “experience”, which is a nice way of saying they’re old. Look for this team to advance to the quarters without too much hassle. One last thing; future goalkeepers, try to be like this man:

Gianluigi Buffon is one of the all-time greats.

Paraguay

I love watching South American teams play. So fast. So fluid. This team shouldn’t be bothered by playing at elevation in South Africa.

Slovakia

How does a country this small get this good at soccer?  The Slovaks should challenge for the second spot with Paraguay. If either team fails to get three points against an extremely over-matched New Zealand side, it could ruin their hopes to make the round of 16.

New Zealand

Stick to rugby.

Group G – The Group of Death. There is one every time.

Brazil

They left Ronaldinho at home?  Nike already had him in their World Cup ads! That’s right kids, Brazil is no longer playing the beautiful game. There’s pressure in Brazil to not only win, but win with flare. Current coach Dunga has steered his team away from the care-free, let’s just outscore them, attitude. Hence, Ronaldinho is not on the roster. Brazil is the most decorated team in international soccer history, but the game has changed. Dunga knows this. He’s just adapting. They did it in 2009 and won the Confederations Cup. Look for Brazil to weather the storm that is Group G. I suspect they’ll be there when the semifinals roll around July 6th.

Kaka is in his prime. Watch him distribute out of the midfield, it’s awe inspiring.

Ivory Coast

Didier Drogba is injured. Ivory Coast had aspirations of winning this thing before that. I feel as though those aspirations were mostly fantasy and that they weren’t going to get past the round of 16 anyways. When a fair amount of your roster plays in England, you’re always going to get a lot of buzz. Now that I’ve put them down, they’ll probably win the group.

Portugal

Ummm, how beautiful is that guy?  The Portuguese almost didn’t make this tournament. Their best bet is to try to finish second. They cannot slip up against the only team in the group that doesn’t have an ice cube’s chance in hell…

North Korea

I couldn’t tell you who they beat to get into this tournament. The only team they are ranked higher than are New Zealand. Asian soccer isn’t that strong. I hope Kim-Jong-Il “The DEALmaker” stays at home and watches.

Had to

Group F – I hope the referee speaks Spanish

Spain

The team is start studded. They are the odds makers’ pick to win it all. If they can defend they will win. Did you know that Spain’s national anthem has no words?  That’s why their mouths are shut when the camera pans the line of starters just minutes before the biggest game of their lives. Crazy, I know. I hope and expect Spain to make the semifinals. Although the luck of the draw did them no favors with a possible round of 16 match up with Brazil.

Switzerland

I love seeing how these upper middle class European teams stack up against the second tier teams from South America. Its form and function vs. style and charm. I feel the same way about the Slovakia vs. Paraguay match up in Group F. The Swiss could make it out of the group, but I’m looking towards the next team as the second place team from our final group.

Chile

They tore through South American qualifying. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tied Spain. I believe they will make it out of the group. Trust me, they’re good. You heard it here first on SDEE.

Honduras

Los Ticos got a break by the US tying Costa Rica on the final match day of CONCACAF qualifying. They have built a statue of Jonathan Bornstein to thank him. He’s actually much more popular in Honduras than he is in the USA.

I hope they get a tie. Hah, I hope they score a goal. The Honduran government is allowing workers to miss work during the group stage games. I think it’s a wise move; everyone would have called off sick anyways.

Faithful readers, thanks for making it all the way to the bottom. Check this link for an awesome guide to the groups, including match times and a bracket for you to fill out after the group stage is completed. http://a.espncdn.com/prod/assets/worldcup2010/bracket/wc-bracket-us.pdf

What are you predictions for the World Cup?  Will you be disappointed if the US fails to make if out of Group C? 

Bell 1X – Flame

Soccer haters be damned

The World Cup, also known as the best sporting event in the world (World Series has nothing on it), begins Friday. Accompanying the tournament will be the old, traditional American sportswriters and other Americans coming out of the woodwork to trash it.

The most notable in the Pittsburgh area will be Bob "Negative Nancy" Smizik, who doesn't really enjoy sports. He just likes to tear down anything fun about them and question individuals who like fun.

Well all of these old timers and downers can go to hell. The World Cup is amazing. The entire world watches for a month, cheering on their country and/or good play in general. Sure, there will be those players taking dives and faking career injuries, only to be up and moving fine a minute later. But there will also be breathtaking goals, ankle-breaking moves that even fool the cameramen and deafening crowds (even without those plastic horns they use in South Africa).

Another result of the event will be the countless kids and adults filling fields throughout their communities, playing soccer and getting caught up in the World Cup buzz. They won't have cleats, they may have never played the game before. But they will feel the need to play. It happens every time the World Cup comes around. Even those high school football players who are always ripping on the soccer players and calling it a girly sport, will be out there and loving it.

It's a phenomenon that is unique to the World Cup. The pools didn't fill up more than usual when Michael Phelps was breaking records in Beijing. You wouldn't see an unusual amount of runners at the track trying to replicate Usain Bolt. And the baseball fields are relatively empty by the time the World Series rolls around, at least they are in Pittsburgh.

The Post-Gazette's Reg Henry had a great article that inspired this post. You can read it here http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10160/1064122-154.stm. Calling the Yanks' 1-0 win against England in 1950 the biggest upset in sports is a bit much (in 1950 it might have been), but the rest of it is a great read.

Come back later this week for an in-depth preview of the World Cup from a guest writer.

Weezer - Hey Domingo (The World Cup Song)