Wednesday, June 30, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: The Good, The Bad, and the God Awful



Charles Klein

I know I have not written very much, if anything on this year's World Cup. But that does not mean that nothing's been happening. I've just been very busy.

The Good:

Team USA. It's pretty much impossible to say how much fun it was to watch our boys play. They were frustrating, brilliant and probably brought on heart-attack like symptoms for everyone watching. Clint Dempsey's shot that caromed beautifully out of the bumbling hands of Robert Green and into the net was a thing of beauty. Imagining the stunned faces of Britons everywhere, we all laughed as Robert 'Catastrophe' Green held his head in his hands. The two goal comeback versus Slovenia showed the perseverance of a nation and the frustration at the unbelievably bad call at the end of that match was inspiring. For a few weeks anyway, America gave a good impression of a nation that actually gave two shits about soccer. And that is encouraging.

Durban Stadium. It is so beautiful and well crafted I could not forget to mention it in this article. I really want to go there.

The Underdog. Group play was actually interesting this time around. What fun it was to watch New Zealand shock Slovakia and Italy and gain their first points at a world cup? How cool was it to watch Siphiwe Tshabala celebrate with his buddies after they scored the first goal of the world cup? And how great was it to see Ghana carry the banner of Africa into the quarterfinals? The surprises may have hurt a few people and fan bases, but they have also contributed to a more open World Cup where more often than not the established powers prevail.


David Villa. Isn't this guy fun to watch? He has one of the best shots at this World Cup. He is my favorite for the Golden Boot. Not to mention the fact that Villa is one of the most respectable footballers in the world. This World Cup is a great way to show just how much better Barcelona will be next year.

Javier Hernandez: The boy they call Chicharito in Mexico made a name for himself at this tournament. Luckily for Manchester United, they decided to buy him before the tournament.

Mesut Ozil: The Werder Bremen star has yet again proven that Germany's best players don't come from Germany (Ozil is Turkish). Rumours abound that Barcelona are ready to floor his German club with a 40 million euro offer. After watching him at this World Cup, I can understand why.

Special One TV: If you have not watched this yet and consider yourself a fan of the beautiful game, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Here's the latest clip:


The Bad


The team that was so fortunate to even be at this World Cup did absolutely nothing to take the chance luck had offered them. France were abysmal in all three matches they played. While Argentine manager Diego Maradona received far too much criticism pre-tournament, no one spared much time or thought to how Raymond Domenech was going to handle this 23-man group from France. Already a lame duck coach, Domenech did very little to help himself in his future endeavors by his failings with the French squad. Leaving out Karim Benzema and handing Thierry Henry, only to leave Henry on the bench in all three matches, a spot in the squad made little to no sense. Domenech did a terrible job in his team selection and built no chemistry within the side. Poor Patrice Evra had no chance to lead that bunch to any sort of success. 

Italy were another disappointment. As much as fans of the Azzurri prefer to think otherwise, this Italian team has been getting by on barely enough type of performances for the past four or five years. It's been rare to watch an inspired looking Italian XI. They were lackluster at Euro 2008 (even though they did advance out of the group because of France's failings), not much better at the Confederations Cup and stunk it up in the group stages of this tournament. Italy need to develop their youth or their fans will need to alter their expectations. Four World Cups and they didn't even make it to the next round. History isn't everything my friends.


Another misconception at this World Cup is that literally everything that Spain and Brazil do is the most amazing thing you'll ever see on a football pitch. If Xavi Hernandez were to take a piss on the field, it would be the most beautiful public urination in the history of the world. The commentators are so in bed with the Spanish and Brazilians that we do not even get to hear why that other team on the field might be fun to watch. And if we are trying to be real about what we've seen so far from both teams, neither has dazzled or done anything extraordinary. I almost fell asleep watching the Portugal Spain match. That may be due to the fact that Portugal were playing stifling defensive tactics, but all of the 'beautiful' passing of Spain did little to make me want to continue to watch. Kaka has not been the player he was in 2007 when he played at AC Milan and their has not been much brilliance with Spain aside from David Villa.

The God Awful


One of the more frustrating elements of the World Cup for anyone who has followed soccer for a while (longer than a month ago) is how much the coverage and criticism of the games, players and officials is catered toward the new fan and not to the fan who already understands the fundamentals of the game. The punditry this year has been absolutely awful, leaving me wondering what Tommy Smyth ever said to piss an ESPN producer off so much that they had to put guys like John Harkes and Alexi Lalas in commentary positions. Steve McManaman has been bad as well. And I do not really understand Roberto Martinez or Ruud Gullit. Whatever happened to sensible casting for these shows? Or good punditry. I even miss Andy Gray. It's been that bad.

Speaking of bad, the officiating at this World Cup has been unequivocally asinine. Too many referees are giving away yellow cards the way hockey teams give their fans rally towels during the playoffs. The Paraguay Japan round of 16 match encapsulated this phenomena to a ridiculous extent. We should have expected officiating to be a major issue considering what an important role it played in certain teams qualifying. FIFA has a lot of explaining to do with their selection of World Cup match officials, specifically regarding hiring the official who allowed Thierry Henry's Hand of Gaul goal which put France into the tournament and left the Irish at home.

There's been a lot to love, hate and contemplate at this year's world cup. Certain things just never change, like how England is the best train wreck of a soap opera every four years or how much the commentators love Brazil. What remains to be seen is whether or not another team is capable of winning it this year that is not named Brazil or Spain. Here's to hoping there are a few more surprises before this tournament is permanently in our collective rear view. 

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Devaluation Of The No Hitter


Charles Klein

What a year it has been for pitchers in Major League Baseball. Last night Edwin Jackson threw the fourth no-hitter of the first half, throwing an incredible 149 pitches to accomplish the feat. And yet the achievement is diminished by the fact that Jackson walked eight batters and was generally erratic.

Are we really impressed or shocked now when we hear yet another pitcher has not given up a hit anymore? When I read the news I was: A) shocked because Jackson was pitching below his talent level up to this point B) It's Edwin Jackson C) The Tampa Bay Rays should get all the credit for being no-hit.

The Rays were no-hit for the third time since last July. Two of those no-no's were perfectos, thrown by Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle on July 23, 2009 and by Oakland Athletics' hurler Dallas Braden on May 9th of this year. I am sure the other teams in the AL East are frothing at the mouth hoping that they can use the unbalanced schedule to their advantage and get a no-no or a perfecto of their own.

As the title of the article suggests, it seems that the no hitter is losing its value in the game. Guys hitting for the cycle has become a greater rarity than a pitcher throwing a no-hitter. I am not impressed with Jackson's no-hitter because he walked eight batters. That's a lot of walks. For me that performance is like if a hitter went 3-8 with three home runs and five strikeouts.

Sure it is an achievement for Jackson, but one that is not impressive to me as a baseball fan. Jackson had two more walks than strikeouts. That's not a quality start in my book. Usually we correlate a no-hitter with an overall fantastic performance by the pitcher who threw it. And yet perhaps after Armando Galarraga's imperfect game we then received the imperfect no-hitter. Call me desensitized or irreverent, but I am not that impressed by what Edwin Jackson did last night.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

American Dreamin'


Charles Klein

Like MC Hammer and a good song, you just couldn't write it. Landon Donovan scored a goal in the 91' that could write the future of United States Soccer for the next decade. Team USA emerge from group play with five points and as the top team in Group C.

Watching Team USA has felt like Groundhog Day for many fans in America. Each time the USA goes down early, only to have to battle back and score a late goal or two in order to emerge victorious. And it nearly went that way.

Algeria came within mere inches of taking an early 1-0 lead when Rafik Djebbour volleyed onto the crossbar of Tim Howard's net. From my vantage point on my couch it appeared that Djebbour was a step or two offside, but it mattered not.

After allowing Algeria to dictate much of the early possession, the USA began to take control of the match with both hands. Maurice Edu and Michael Bradley dovetailed beautifully in the center of the pitch, combining steel and creativity to give the USA a clear advantage. Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan did not do enough to stretch out the Algerian defense, but did experience whatever joy they could on their forays into the center.

Dempsey nearly got the USA off to a great start in the 21' when he put a Herculez Gomez rebound into the back of the net. I stood up yelling in celebration only to have to cover my mouth in shock as I watched the official rule that Dempsey was offside. And after further review, it appeared that the referee was conned by the Algerian defense, who all raised their arms in unison when Dempsey scored. Truly unbelievable.

The next 69 minutes felt all too familiar for Sam's Army. Yet again we had to listen to Ian Darke and John Harkes go on about another unfortunate decision by an official that could have prematurely ended the USA's involvement in this tournament. While they were certainly right, it became nauseating fare for everyone watching. Why did we need to be reminded of that awful call in the Slovenia match?

Thankfully Landon Donovan took care of that. After Algeria threatened for what must have been the third time in the whole match, Tim Howard collected the ball and threw a pass Peyton Manning would be proud of to Landon Donovan on the right of midfield. Donovan charged up the right flank, taking on an Algerian defender and slotting a brilliant through ball to striker Jozy Altidore. Instead of going it alone, the young striker elected to center onto the foot of Clint Dempsey, whose shot careened off the chest of the Algerian keeper and right into the path of Donovan, who from that distance simply could not miss.

Donovan after the match was understandably elated.

"I've been through a lot in the last four years," Donovan said half an hour after the end, crying and his voice cracked. "I'm so glad it culminated this way. When you try to do things the right way, it's good to get rewarded."
Not only was it an important match for Team USA in this tournament, it was an absolutely pivotal game for USA soccer. Imagine if Donovan does not score on that rebound, that Team USA once again failed to advance from the group stage. What then would the headlines read? The cynics would once again say that soccer could never thrive in the United States, that American players simply could not hang with those from "soccer" nations and that soccer was just that sport that America was never meant to play.

Instead, the dream lives on because all eleven players wearing white on that beautiful green lawn in Pretoria, South Africa dared to believe in themselves when nearly everyone else didn't. As the Nike ad for this world cup says, the USA can 'write the future.' I thought it was funny that in that advertisement Nike didn't focus on one player, but rather chose to focus on team USA as simply that, a team. The team concept has carried them this far and just how much further has yet to be decided. What is undeniable is that by advancing as group winners for the first time since 1930 is that the USA have made progress and have come closer than ever to be a respected world, dare I say it, power (?).

It's all a bit premature, but perhaps the United States may look back 50 years from now at this match as the moment when soccer started to be taken seriously in this country. For now anyway, Team USA have accomplished their goal, which was to advance from the group stage. Whatever happens next, June 23, 2010 will remain a memorable day for all parties involved.

As the song goes, there's ya famous, there's ya famous, there's ya famous U-S-A.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The final stretch: Groups A-D

Nuwan Peiris

10 days in, and we're down to the final stretch for half of the teams at this World Cup. So who's sitting pretty? Who's making tentative vacation plans for next week?
Let's take it from the top

Group A: The hosts and la catastrophe...
France and South Africa go into their final group game knowing that a win might see them through, but both know it's unlikely. Both are 4 and 5 goals worse off than 2nd placed Mexico. It's not impossible, but France for example are looking at a 2 goal loss for Mexico, and a 2 goal win against South Africa.
Being knocked out at this stage for both teams is a disappointment for very different reasons. The French hardly looked themselves for a while now, but are still a team that has high expectations placed upon them. They have had the most farcical of implosions that a major team has faced in recent times, and many will be glad to see the back of Domenech, even if France somehow progress from the group. Come Tuesday evening, South Africa will likely have the dubious honour of being the only host nation to get knocked out of a World Cup in the group stages. Hopefully the stadiums will still fill up despite the disappointment of the home fans.
Uruguay haven't conceded a goal in their 2 games so far, and will back themselves to finish top of this group. A draw will do for them, and a loss may still see them through, albeit in the unenviable position of facing South American rivals Argentina in the next round. The Argentines twice defeated Uruguay in qualifying, 2-1 and 1-0.

Group B: Argentina and ?
Argentina aren't guaranteed a 1st place finish in this group just yet, but they can book a place in the next round with a draw or win against Greece. If Argentina beats Greece, 2nd spot is up for grabs in the other game. South Korea hold the advantage over Nigeria, with a draw seeing them through (if Argentina win). Nigeria can feel good about their chances despite some poor showings, they're still very much in the hunt. A win against South Korea and a loss for Greece will see the Super Eagles leap frog into 2nd place, where they could face Uruguay or Mexico.

Group C: The wide open group...
With the way that these teams have been playing, Group C is wide open. It's gone from a group where many predicted an easy path for England and the USA, to all 4 sides holding their destiny in their hands. Algeria did hold England to a draw, however I still can't see them beating the USA. England may be the biggest disappointment of the tournament so far. They were in the top 3 or 4 pre-tournament favourites, but a few injuries and a goalkeeping howler have left them needing to get a result against Slovenia. A draw could see them knocked out if the USA defeats Algeria, so Cappello's men will definitely be looking for a win. If they don't get it, it's likely they won't be Cappello's men any longer.

Group D: ...just group D...
Germany began with a 4-0 drubbing of 10 man Australia, but fell to Serbia in the following game. This blew the group wide open. Australia's terrible goal difference leaves them extremely unlikely to qualify, but they could play spoiler for Serbia. If they can keep all 11 men on the field on Tuesday, I think they can pull off a draw against the Serbs. This 
would mean that Ghana just has to draw with Germany, and they'll not only progress from the group, but will do so in 1st place, with a likely match against...oh that's right, it's a toss up where anyone is going to finish in group C. A draw is of course going to be tough for Ghana to pull off against Germany, even with striker Miroslav Klose being suspended for the game, after a questionable sending off. That makes 2 questionable, and vital suspensions, in this group. Ghana can lose (by 1 goal) and still progress, if Serbia and Australia draw.

So that's my waffling and rambling for Tuesday and Wednesday's matches.

My predictions for next round's match ups for these groups are...

Uruguay (1st) - South Korea (2nd)
Argentina (1st) - Mexico (2nd)
England (1st) - Ghana (2nd)
Germany (1st) - USA (2nd)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group G Preview


Charles Klein

The 'G' in this group most definitely stands for gangsta. And for at least thee of the teams in it, there are plenty of O.G.'s to go around. Perhaps the most star-studded group of them all, Group G boasts international superstars galore including two of the last three FIFA World Players of the Year. Kaka of Brazil and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal respectively. Another star in the Group G constellation is Chelsea star-man Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast.

This group is this year's group of death. And in a group as deep and difficult as this, anything can and probaly will happen. Brazil, the number one team in the world according to the FIFA rankings, is the easy pick to win this group. Any team that has that amount of attacking talent and defensive strength on its roster is a favorite to win it all. Brazil is no exception

The 2010 edition of the Selecao is perhaps the most balanced of any we have seen recently. Without big stars like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, this new edition led by manager Dunga is comprised of a strong mix of youth and experience with plenty of winning experience. Team captain Lucio is a rock in the defense and provides the veteran leadership to make sure that a team with such potential has the chance to realize it. Luis Fabiano has emerged as the almost perfect replacement for Ronaldo. While not quite as talented or well known, Fabiano has proven time and again that there are few in the world who finish as well as he does inside the final third. Put him in front of masterful midfield maestro Kaka and next to the slippery Robinho and one has one of the best attacking tridents in world football. Brazil ought to win this group and it will take a major choke job by the Selecao to not advance to the second round.

Portugal enter this tournament in surprisingly poor form following an underwhelming qualifying campaign, including a defeat in Lisbon against Denmark. Yet they find themselves ranked third in the world according to FIFA. And I am sure a lot of that ranking has to do with one particular player: Cristiano Ronaldo. The young Portuguese winger/forward has dazzle football fans the world over with his brilliant free kicks, stepovers and long range shooting. To be Ronaldo is to be the first, second and third best player in the world. And while his diving and random acts of immaturity only give more momentum to critics who rush to Lionel Messi in spite of Ronaldo's superior talent, he is undoubtedly Portugal's man for all seasons.

But who, outside of Cristiano Ronaldo, will provide any scoring or spark for the Seleccao Das Quinas? Certainly Luis Nani will be a big miss for Portugal as his pace and shooting ability provide the width for players like Liedson and Ronaldo. The capable Simao Sabrosa and inexperienced, but talented Danny will attempt to deputise in the absence of Nani. Doubts remain about whether or not Deco has one more good World Cup performance in him and whether Portugal is strong enough defensively to handle teams with superior attack forces. But I like them to advance from this group right behind Brazil.

And then there is the Ivory Coast, everyone's favorite amongst the African nations to advance furthest in this tournament. Perhaps those hopes suffered a major blow when the groups were announced by FIFA and the nation discovered that their path to the second round would be incredibly difficult. Considering that in addition to the fact that Didier Drogba injured his right elbow in a warm-up friendly versus Japan, the Ivory Coast will need a little African magic to advance beyond the group stage.

After watching their match versus Portugal this morning, there are some encouraging signs for the Elephants. The physical strength they displayed will be an important facet of their game against Brazil on June 20 and their attack showed some promise. Gervinho was excellent on the left side of the Ivorian attack, showing much more intent than his strike partners Salomon Kalou and Aruna Dindane. The Toure brothers were rocks down the center and they will need to continue that versus Brazil. Ultimately I do not see the Elephants advancing to the next round, simply because I do not think that Drogba will get enough minutes to make the impact they need him to make in order to succeed. The tall Ivorian will certainly be given a rough treatment by the physical center halves of Brazil (Lucio and Juan) and just how much manager Sven Goran-Eriksson decides to risk Drogba's long term health will be a major talking point in the weeks to come.

No one really knew much about North Korea until about twenty minutes ago. And my word class was certainly in session. The International Men of Mystery, referred to as the Chollima domestically, defended brilliantly against one of the strongest attacking sides in the world for 55 minutes until Maicon finally fired the first Brazilian goal past Ri Myong-Guk. Not only did they defend well, but they also expressed a bit of assured attacking whenever they were able to wrest possession away from Brazil. Wing back Ji Yun-Nam excellently dispatched his opportunity in the 89th minute beating Julio Cesar, sounding the alarm in the Brazilian camp. North Korea proved that on their day they are no pushover and will be a difficult team to break down for both Portugal and the Ivory Coast.

Predicted XI's

Brazil

GK: Julio Cesar

DEF: Douglas Maicon, Lucio (C), Juan, Michel Bastos

MF: Gilberto Silva, Kaka, Felipe Melo

ST: Elano, Luis Fabiano, Robinho

Portugal

GK: Eduardo

DEF: Paulo Ferreira, Bruno Alves, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao

MF: Danny, Deco, Raul Meireles, Simao

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo (C), Liedson

Ivory Coast

GK: Boubacar Barry

DEF: Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure (C), Didier Zokora, Guy Demel

MF: Gervinho, Yaya Toure, Ismael Tiote

ST: Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba, Aruna Dindane

North Korea

GK: Ri Myong-Guk

DEF: Ji Yun-Nam, Ri Kwang-Chon, Ri Jun-Il, Pak Chol-Jin, Cha Jong-Hyok

MF: Mun In-Guk, An Yong-Hak, Pak Nam-Chol

ST: Jong Tae-Se, Hon Yong-Jo

Players To Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Simao (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Kaka (Brazil), Robinho (Brazil), Maicon (Brazil), Michel Bastos (Brazil), Julio Cesar (Brazil), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Kolo and Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Brazil
2. Portugal
3. Ivory Coast
4. People's Republic of Korea

Monday, June 14, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group F Preview


Charles Klein

Even after a rather unconvincing performance from the Azzurri this afternoon, Group F is still their's to win (or lose). Football is a bloody unpredictable sport and teams like Paraguay on their day can be equals with a defending world champion. This is another group that is quite off-kilter. Only one team here is really even worth the time writing about (Italy) and the other three are also-rans or lucky-to-be-here types.

More questions will certainly be asked of the Azzurri in the aftermath of their draw with Paraguay. Does manager Marcello Lippi have the right group of players to defend their title? Are the Italians too old in key areas to challenge the best sides in the competition?

Today's match was one that ought to give even greater momentum to the theory that Italy are just too old to seriously challenge this year. Although Lippi's starting XI today only featured three players who were a part of the 2006 world championship, the new blood brought in to freshen up a side that looked well beyond their best days in Euro 2008 did very little to change the perception of this team. Italy are, however, a great tournament team, they always have been and probably always will be. Their style of play is not as easy on the eyes as some of the other teams in this tournament, but it has served them very well in the past.

I still expect them to top this group because of the right combination of experience and superior skill. Daniele De Rossi is an outstanding central midfield player and Gianluigi Buffon remains one of the best keepers in world football. However, the loss of Andrea Pirlo at least for the immediate future appears to be a blow to Italian hopes. There is no other player like him on the 23 man roster. Italy need his creativity and attacking nous in the middle of the park if they are to play well against the Brazil's, Spains and Germanys of this competition. Still, even though Buffon's hamstring injury is a worry, Lippi is talented enough as a manager to find a way to win. It's just what the Italians do.

In spite of the match already played today, I still stand by my pick of Slovakia to advance to the next round behind Italy. An underrated bunch from a country better known for its hockey than its football, Slovakia might sneak up on a few people this year. They do have a few star players including Napoli's Marek Hamsik and Liverpool's Martin Skrtel. Slovakia are certainly an unpopular pick (with many going with Paraguay to advance) but one I feel comfortable with. Regardless of who advances second out of this group, they will almost certainly not advance beyond the second round.

Paraguay were rather unlucky to concede against Italy today. Having gone ahead six minutes before the end of the first half, they were really one better decision by a goalkeeper away from taking all three points from an underwhelming Azzuri. The big question marks remain for Paraguay, the biggest one, not only in terms of import but also in size is the fitness of Roque Santa Cruz. La Albirroja need him to be fit for them to advance out of this group. On the evidence so far, there is not much cause for encouragement.

Finally there is New Zealand. And they, perhaps almost more than any other team in the cup, should be the happiest to have qualified for South Africa. Like the geek invited to the frat party, New Zealand will have no idea what to do when they actually play their first match. Beneficiaries of Australia's move to Asia for world cup qualifying, the All Whites had a very easy time of it indeed. Their inclusion in this tournament ought to be a cause for wonder when other sides like Croatia, Turkey, Ireland and Russia all remain out. That being said, it will be a great three days for New Zealand because unlike the other happy-to-be-there side in this tournament (North Korea) they do not have to play Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal.

Predicted XI's

Italia

GK: Gianluigi Buffon

DEF: Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (C), Giorgio Chiellni, Fabio Grosso

MF: Mauro Camoranesi, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo (when healthy)

ST: Antonio Di Natale (when healthy), Alberto Gilardino

Slovakia

GK: Jan Mucha

DEF: Peter Pekarik, Martin Skrtel, Jan Durica, Radoslav Zabavnik

MF: Vladimir Weiss, Miroslav Karhan, Marek Hamsik, Miroslav Stoch

ST: Robert Vittek, Stanislav Sestak

Paraguay

GK: Justo Villar

DEF: Dario Veron, Julio Cesar Caceres, Paulo Da Silva, Aureliano Torres (C)

MF: Jonathan Santana, Edgar Barreto, Christian Rivieros,

ST: Roque Santa Cruz (when healthy), Nelson Haedo

New Zealand

GK: Mark Paston

DEF: Ben Sigmund, Ivan Vicelich, Ryan Nelson (C), Tony Lochhead

MF: Tim Brown, Simon Elliott, Leo Bertos, Shane Smeltz

ST: Chris Killen, Rory Fallon


Players To Watch: Daniele De Rossi (Italia), Andrea Pirlo (Italia), Gianluigi Buffon (Italia), Fabio Cannavaro (Italia), Marek Hamsik (Slovakia), Stanislav Sestak (Slovakia), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Julio Cesar Caceres (Paraguay), Chris Killen (New Zealand), Shane Smeltz (New Zealand).

1. Italy
2. Slovakia
3. Paraguay
4. New Zealand

Sunday, June 13, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group E Preview


Charles Klein

The nations in Group E get to finally play their first game in South Africa tomorrow, with the Netherlands and Denmark set to kickoff at 7 A.M eastern time. This group is comprised of the really good (Netherlands) the average (Denmark), the inconsistent (Cameroon) and the damned lucky (Japan). The Dutch ought to be the clear winners of this group, but like many of the others in this tournament, the real battle will be for second place.

The Netherlands enter this World Cup on the back of a brilliant qualifying campaign, one in which they registered a 100% record and surrendered the fewest goals (surprise, surprise). As usual, the Oranje are loaded with attacking options that any nation in the world wished suited up for them. The attacking quartet of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Robin Van Persie are talented enough to give any defense nightmares. Even the vaunted Catenaccio style of Italy was no match for the Total Football of the Netherlands in Euro 2008.

But there are more than a few questions for the fourth best team in the world (according to the FIFA rankings). Who will step up on the left side of the Oranje attack in the absence of Robben? Will Robben play any part in this world cup? Can the Dutch keep the other team from scoring?

The one place the Dutch could afford to lose a key man is in the final third. The Dutch are blessed with an absolute dearth of attacking talent that goes beyond the big four. HSV's Eljero Elia's pace has inspired its own NASA investigation. By the end of this tournament, more than just the football nuts will know that name. Aside from Elia, Dutch manager Bert Van Marwijk, has other options, which include Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt and PSV's Ibrahim Afellay. And from all of the reports I have been reading, it appears as though Robben will be able to recover from his hamstring injury in time for the last group match, if not sooner.

After the Netherlands, there is a major drop off in terms of talent and skill. It has been nearly two decades since Denmark were relevant on the world stage. The Danes are strong down the middle, with steady goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson (Stoke City), defenders Simon Kjaer (Palermo) and Daniel Agger (Liverpool), midfielder Christian Poulsen (Juventus) and striker Niklas Bendtner (Arsenal). Their wingers are both on the wrong side of 30 and width will be a real problem for the Scadinavians. But they could pose a few problems for the rest of the teams in their group with their stout defense and height in the final third.

Cameroon are a decent side as well, if they could maintain a run of consistent good form they could be the African team that progresses furthest in this competition. Samuel Eto'o will have to play the games of his life if Cameroon are to advance as far as they did on that magical run in Italy in 1990 (quaterfinals). The Indomitable Lions will need their midfield to match their name and sirs Alex Song (Arsenal) and Jean Makoun (Olympique Lyonnaise) will need to provide the steel in the middle of the park. Cameroon's defense has been shaky, especially during qualification, and goalkeeper Idriss Kameni will need to step up for the Lions to progress.

Japan, quite frankly, should be happy to just be in the field of 32. They had a relatively easy path to qualification (due to the lack of class in Asia) but lack the talent necessary to make any kind of waves in this group. Japan does have some skilled players in Shunsuke Nakamura (Espanyol) and Yasuhito Endo. Takeshi Okada also has Keisuke Honda, a talented young midfielder with plenty of potential. The biggest problem for Japan is too few of their players have proven themselves in foreign leagues of any consequence. Big numbers in the J-League prove little on the international level and Japan will have to attempt to punch well above their weight in this group. And I expect them to get knocked out cold.

Predicted Starting XI's

Netherlands

GK: Maarten Stekelenburg

DEF: Gregory Van Der Wiel, John Heintinga, Joris Mathijsen, Gio Van Bronckhorst (C)

MF: Rafael Van Der Vaart (LAM) Nigel De Jong (LDM), Wesley Sneijder (CAM), Mark Van Bommel (RDM),  Dirk Kuyt (RAM)

ST: Robin Van Persie

Cameroon

GK: Idriss Kameni

DEF: Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Sebastien Bassong, Rigobert Song, Geremi

MF: Eyong Enoh, Alex Song, Jean Makoun, Aurelien Chedjou

ST: Samuel Eto'o, Pierre Webo

Denmark

GK: Thomas Sorenson

DEF: Per Kroldrup, Daniel Agger, Simon Kjaer, Lars Jacobsen

MF: Dennis Rommedahl, Christian Poulsen, Jakob Poulsen, Martin Jorgensen, Jesper Gronkjaer

ST: Nicklas Bendtner

Japan

GK: Eiji Kawashima

DEF: Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Yasuyuki Konno, Yuto Nagatomo

MF: Yasuhito Endo, Yuki Abe, Makoto Hasebe, Keisuke Honda

ST: Yoshito Okubo, Shinji Okazaki

Players To Watch: Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Rafael Van Der Vaart (Netherlands), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands), Eljero Elia (Netherlands), Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark), Simon Kjaer (Denmark), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Alex Song (Cameroon), Idriss Kameni (Cameroon), Keisuke Honda (Japan).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Netherlands
2. Cameroon
3. Denmark
4. Japan

Thursday, June 10, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group D Preview


Charles Klein

I have to say, the D in the headline has to be short for death. All four of these teams are in the top 25 in the FIFA rankings and each team has a host of players on big club teams in Europe. Germany becomes the group winner almost by default, considering their history of success in this competition. In spite of the fact that there remains a bit of uncertainty between the sticks and who will step up in the absence of captain Michael Ballack, they are still Germany the most well-oiled winning machine in world football. Questions remain about who will lead the line, but I expect manager Joachim Low to find the right combination by the time the knockout stages roll around. Will this be the year that Mario Gomez finally finds his international scoring boots? And can Miroslav Klose keep up his scoring rate for the national team?

Even in the absence of Ballack, the German midfield maintains its strength and skill. When this tournament is all over, everyone the world over will know who Mesut Ozil is, and every club will want the lad's signature. He really is that good. The Werder Bremen attacking midfield player has tremendous skill and at 21, has bags of potential. Bastian Schweinsteiger comes into this competition off of his best season with Bayern Munich and has the experience necessary to run the German midfield.

The most difficult to divine is which team finishes behind them.

I think that Serbia are that team. As a Manchester United supporter, I have come to admire the passion and play of Nemanja Vidic. His physical abilities in the air will be important for Serbia in the defensive and offensive thirds of the pitch. His likely partner in central defense, Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea is no slouch either. Serbia are incredibly strong in the middle of their defense. The biggest key for them will be the effectiveness of their wingers, Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic respectively. Both have shown an eye for goal, with Jovanovich leading Serbia in goals scored in the qualifying round. The two center forwards will be expected to hold up play more than score goals, but I am sure Serbia would not mind if they put in a few as well.

For me Ghana and Australia are pretty similar. I do not expect much out of either, but it would not surprise me if either one goes on a run and advances in this tournament. The Ghanaian cause suffered a major setback when their talismanic all-everything midfielder Michael Essien was ruled out of the tournament with an injury. And their play versus Holland in a friendly did not exactly build confidence in the side's defensive capabilities. Ghana is still a talented squad and could be boosted by playing on their home continent, but I do not think they will shock as many in this year's World Cup as they did in 2006.

Australia has made it into the tournament without any significant injuries. I still doubt the talent on their roster. Mark Schwarzer had an excellent season with Fulham and I have been continually impressed by the play of midfielder Tim Cahill, but the rest of the roster leaves a bit to be desired.

Predicted XI's

Germany

GK: Manuel Neuer

DEF: Phillip Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Serdar Tasci, Jerome Boateng

MF: Bastian Schweinsteiger (C), Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller

ST: Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez

Serbia

GK: Vladimir Stojkovic

DEF: Aleksandar Lukovic, Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovic, Ivan Obradovic

MF: Milan Jovanovich, Nenad Milijas, Dejan Stankovic (C), Milos Krasic

ST: Marko Pantelic, Nikola Zigic

Ghana

GK: Richard Kingson

DEF: Samuel Inkoom, John Pantsil, Isaac Vorsah, Lee Addy

MF: Anthony Annan, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Stephen Appiah

ST: Kwado Asamoah, Asamoah Gyan

Australia

GK: Mark Schwarzer

DEF: Luke Wilkshire, Lucas Neill (C), Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield

MF: Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton, Jason Culina, Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano

ST: Harry Kewell

Players To Watch: Nemanja Vidic (Serbia), Milos Krasic (Serbia), Milan Jovanovich (Serbia) Mesut Ozil (Germany), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Tim Cahill (Australia).

Predicted Group Standings

1. Germany
2. Serbia
3. Ghana
4. Australia

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Africa's cup?

Nuwan Peiris

If you say it enough, does it make it true? African football fans will certainly hope so, as Shakira's World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (this time for Africa)" rings around South Africa's stadiums before the matches. South Africa's winning bid to host the World Cup is already a massive victory, not just for the Rainbow Nation, but for the African continent as a whole. This is Africa's biggest sporting showpiece to date, at least to my knowledge, and hopefully the first of many.

However is this really Africa's time? With a record six nations representing CAF this tournament, fans would certainly hope so.

So let's look at the chances of the African nations.

South Africa

What better place to start than with this year's hosts? All the pressure is certainly on Bafana Bafana. No host nation has ever failed to move on from the group stages. 19 hosts in the group stages (18 World Cups, 19 hosts. 1000 points if you figure that one out without Google), 19 hosts who progressed to the knockout stages. This year's hosts certainly don't want the dubious honour of the nation that breaks that trend, but they are widely considered as the weakest of the nations representing Africa, largely owing to the fact that they didn't have to earn their spot through qualifying.
South Africa however have shown some excellent form coming into the tournament, going unbeaten for their last 12 matches, stretching back to October of last year when they lost by a single goal away to Iceland.
Furthermore they face a group of good, but not great teams, in the shape of France (probable group winners), Uruguay and Mexico. This is by no means easy passage for the hosts, but it is also no group of death and they can be hopeful of progressing.
This combined with the boisterous, Vuvuzela-toting crowds, could see the hosts through allowing them to avoid an embarrassing place in football's history books.

Likely 2nd round match up: Argentina

Verdict: It will definitely go down to the wire in this evenly matched group, and I think the potential for embarrassment and the home town support will go a long way in helping the hosts progress behind France. They won't go any further than the 2nd round.

Nigeria

The Super Eagles are in a group with potential cup winners Argentina, so they'll be vying for 2nd place against South Korea and the defensive minded Greeks. Unless Nigeria bring back their heroics of the 1996 Olympic games when they beat Argentina to win the gold medal, they'll have to rely on results against the other group foes to progress. The loss of John Obi Mikel certainly hurts their chances, but don't be surprised to see Nigeria progress from this group.

Likely 2nd round match up: France

Verdict: As long as the Super Eagles progress from their group, which I think they will, they won't be too disappointed with playing France in the 2nd round. Don't get me wrong, the French are a good side, but it's hardly the worst match up the Nigerians could get. I'm still leaning towards Nigeria being knocked out at this stage.

Algeria

Les Fennecs give South Africa a challenge for worst African nation in the tournament and will struggle to make it out of their group. The North Africans did well to keep African champions Egypt out of the tournament, but they wouldn't have been thrilled to have drawn contenders England in their group, nor the United States. Slovenia complete the group of opponents for the Algerians, and may provide the likeliest source of points. I wouldn't totally rule them out, playmaker Ziani could cause problems for other teams, as long as the other ten men on the pitch can get him the ball.

Likely 2nd round match up: Germany

Verdict: Algeria won't be good enough to get out of this group, they'll do well to get a point.

Ghana

While the Black Stars gave Africa their best showing in the last World Cup, it will be tough to pull together a similar string of inspired performances again. Their chances took a big blow with the loss of their masterful midfielder, Michael Essien. As far as opponents go, Ghana face a fairly formidable trio. Germany are perennial over-achievers in the World Cup, and this year should be no different. Serbia provide as solid a defense as any in the tournament, Ghana will be looking to catch them off guard in the first group game. They then go on to play the Socceroos, who will be their best chance at gaining points. Hopefully for their sake they would have racked up enough points by June 23rd, or they'll have to pull off a surprise against the Germans.

Likely 2nd round match up: England

Verdict: Close call between Ghana and Serbia to clinch 2nd place, and I don't think the Ghanaians will make it.

Cameroon

Africa's most experienced team (in terms of appearances in the World Cup) had to wait till the final day of qualification to book their spot in the tournament. They recovered from a poor start in qualification, to make it through, and will look to continue their good form in the group stages. They're up against the Oranje (Holland), Denmark and Japan. None of these will be easy games for the Indomitable Lions, but they'll look to striker Samuel Eto'o to take a leaf out of Cameroonian legend Roger Milla's book, and lead them deep into the tournament.
The Dutch obviously pose the toughest challenge in this group, and if Cameroon can sneak a point against them it will go a long way to helping them progress. Like Ghana, they'll look to get two good results against weaker foes (Denmark and Japan) before they face the Dutch in their final group game. Cameroonian fans will fancy their chances to follow the Dutch through to the 2nd round.

Likely 2nd round match up: Italy

Verdict: Cameroon will make it out of their group, and I don't think the defending champions are as powerful as they were when they lifted the trophy four years ago. I am incredibly biased, as to me they were undeserving winners anyway, but that's another blog entry. Cameroon and Senegal are the only African teams to have progressed as far as the quarter finals in the World Cup, and if I'm seeing a shock in the 2nd round for any African teams, it's with Cameroon toppling Italy to repeat their glory of 1990.

Cote d'Ivoire

Didier Drogba, the man on whom this nation's hopes hung, will be lucky to see a game in this tournament. They still have a few very capable players, and can't totally be ruled out in Drogba's absence. Still, a few weeks ago they would have been my top pick for African success in this tournament, and have fallen far since Drogba's injury. The prolific striker would have caused serious trouble for group opponents North Korea, Portugal and perhaps even Brazil. The Ivorians face the two tougher opponents first, and if they can steal a win against Portugal, they can certainly feel good going into their final game against North Korea. I really think the race for 2nd place in this group hinges on that first game between Portugal and Cote d'Ivoire.

Likely 2nd round match up: Spain

Verdict: Injured superstar + first round group opponents Brazil and Portugal + a likely match up against Spain if they progress = a tough outlook for the West Africans. I think they will make it out of their group, but not past Spain.

So that's my predictions for African hopefuls over the next month. Algeria to fall early along with Ghana. South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon will all make it through to the 2nd round, but will all face tough opponents there. Cameroon will have the best chance of getting any further.

Hardly looking like Africa's time, which is a shame given high hopes after qualification. Having said that, hopefully there will be a great amount of solidarity among traveling African fans, hopefully enough to inspire a big upset or two. That would make this tournament a memorable one for the host continent. 

A Special Favor

Charles Klein

Just a quick request ladies and gentlemen. If you enjoy the content on this blog, please click on my ads. I have already done this, but there is only so much one man can do. By clicking on my ads, you will be making a small contribution to a blog that hopefully entertains and informs you. And since I am currently unemployed, it would help me a bit to get some extra cash. Also, if your business would like to advertise on this blog, please send an e-mail to charles.h.klein@gmail.com.

Stephen Strasburg's Debut: As Good As It Gets?


Charles Klein

Last night with my buddy, we were sitting on his basement couch looking at each other in amazement. I said to him "FOURTEEN STRIKE OUTS! FOURTEEN STRIKE OUTS!?!? But, HOW!?!" Neither of us had any idea. That refrain repeated in my head all night, I simply could not process it. It certainly helped me forget the o-fer by Ray Allen.

Stephen Strasburg's line from last night: 7 innings-pitched, 4 hits, 14 strikeouts, 2 earned runs, zero walks.

In his first game!?! Really!?!?!

Honestly I cannot even contain my surprise at just how well he pitched. I was able to catch the first few innings and was blown away. Strasburg pitches as quickly as Cliff Lee, throws as hard as Randy Johnson and locates his breaking ball like Maddux. Certainly his debut looks better because he faced the worst hitting team in the Majors, the team Colin Cowherd refers to as a Triple-A team. And yes, the Pirates really are a dreadful team, but I don't care who you face, 14 strikeouts is impressive.

Just watching the movement of his pitches last night had me all dither. Seriously, the way his fastball rises, the drop on the breaking ball and the effectiveness of his changeup was a delight to watch. I don't think I've seen a pitcher like him in my life.

Now this is only one start, and at 21 years-old, Strasburg has much more to do to truly cement his status as the best pitcher in the game. And at that age, he will, at some point, pitch like a 21 year-old. Last night he looked nothing like a guy who was making his debut in front of a sold out crowd who was only there to see him pitch.

I understand all of the comparisons to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, but I do not think that the same fate awaits Strasburg. The Nationals are going to baby Strasburg and prevent him from throwing too many innings, something which the Cubs failed to do with both Wood and Prior. Additionally, Strasburg has already reached deity status in Washington and the media there will never get on him in the manner in which the Chicago media roasted Prior and Wood. And both Wood and Prior came up with the Cubs when the team was expected to contend and was in the World Series winner discussion. While the future of the Nationals rests on Strasburg's shoulders, no one expects the team to go to the World Series any time soon (aside from maybe Rob Dibble).

And for anyone who missed the highlights click here.

Washington D.C. already has Alexander Ovechkin, appears to be getting John Wall and now has Stephen Strasburg. The city may become more than just the nation's capital, it could also become the home of the best players in the nation.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Golden Generation?


Charles Klein

Over the past few seasons, baseball fans have witnessed seismic changes to the game they grew up watching. Whether those changes are more stringent drug testing, instant replay for homeruns, or a more pitching-friendly game than has been seen for quite some time, the game has aged well and remained relevant.

As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. Having successfully discarded many of the steroid-taking stars from the game, a bit of a void has been created, waiting for a new crop of superstar players to take the game to heights heretofore unseen. And, you may ask, who are these players?

The Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg, the Florida Marlins' Michael Stanton, the San Francisco Giant' Buster Posey and the Atlanta Braves' Jason Heyward. And those are just the guys coming up this year. This quartet of young prospects appear on the cusp of taking over the game much in the same way that LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have in the NBA.

While Strasburg, Stanton, Posey and Heyward were not all drafted in the same year, they have or will all make their MLB debuts in the same season. Stephen Strasburg, without queston, has become MLB's version of LeBron James. It is rare that a baseball prospect gets this much buzz and hype before he has thrown a single big league pitch. Strasburg is the first prospect to be brought up in the age of the 24-hour news cycle with Twitter and blogs covering his every move. LeBron James received just as much hype during his last year of high school, with ESPN broadcasting the games on national television.

Jason Heyward is the Dwyane Wade of this group. During Wade's rookie season he average 16.2 points per game with 4.5 assists per game. Overshadowed by LeBron, Wade still had a fantastic season. Similarly while we have all watched Heyward sparkle for the Atlanta Braves, the collective focus of baseball has been trained on Strasburg. Heyward, appears to be a lock for NL Rookie of the Year, hitting .266 with ten home runs and 39 RBIs.

Buster Posey is the Carmelo Anthony of this cadre of young talent. Like Carmelo, he will never get enough credit for what he does and due to his home city will not get as much attention as players on the east coast for his talents. Posey was called up last week from the minor leagues after the Giants concluded that there was no excuse anymore for keeping him down. Both Posey and Anthony play for franchises whose glories were long ago and who appear to be a few pieces away from challenging for a championship. In Posey's nine big league games, he is hitting at a .454 clip with four RBIs. While his average will not be near that by season's end, Posey appears destined for greatness based on everything that I have heard from people who know a thing or two about the game.

And finally Michael Stanton is Chris Bosh. While the Raptors and Marlins are pretty dissimilar as franchises (with one having won two titles and the other having won zero), Stanton and Bosh are pretty comparable. Bosh was not an instant producer during his rookie season, only averaging around 11 points per game. But he certainly grew into the league, developing into a five-time All-Star. Stanton appears more than ready for the Major Leagues, having already hit 20 home runs and driven in 52 runs this year in the minor leagues. But like Bosh, he has not gotten nearly the hype of Strasburg or Heyward. I expect Stanton to combine the sublime with the frustrating this season, as there will be more than a few games in which he goes 1-4 with a home run and three strike outs. Young power hitters like him usually take a bit of time before they adjust to the professional game, much in the same way that big men take longer to develop in the NBA.

Major League Baseball certainly has its fair share of young stars already in the game before this crop of rookies make their mark this season. Felix Hernandez, Justin Upton, David Price, and Matt Kemp all come to mind. But baseball has yet to see a class of rookies with this much talent all in the same season in quite some time. And this quartet could be the torch-bearers for the new MLB, a league cleansed of the stain of steroids and one that is ready to charge into the next decade as one of the best leagues in sports.

Monday, June 7, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group C Preview


Charles Klein

This is one of the simplest groups to predict in the World Cup (outside of Group H). We have one global footballing superpower in England and a team on the rise in the United States. The bottom two teams in this group both pulled off shock upsets in order to qualify for this year's tournament, with Algeria beating African Cup Of Nations winner Egypt and Slovenia knocking out Russia.

What could make this group more interesting is England's capacity to stutter out of the gates. As usual, there is a colossus of pressure on this year's England squad to bring home the trophy for the first time since 1966. And there is perhaps no more voracious media than the English when it comes to football. England have lost their captain Rio Ferdinand to a knee injury their star man picked up in training. While Ledley King may be able to deputize to extraordinary effect, Ferdinand's absence adds just one more question to whether or not this generation of English footballers are good enough to bring home the trophy.

All of that being said, England ought to have a pretty easy time of it in Group C. Their only potential trip up being the United States, who they play first on June 12th. England still have Wayne Rooney, quite possibly the best center forward in world football for the past year. Rooney has been in spectacular form with his club side Manchester United and England are counting on him to duplicate it in South Africa. Rooney is the odds-on favorite for me anyway to take home the Golden Boot (the award the highest goal scorer in the competition). Whether he brings home another trophy is entirely dependent upon how well England mesh together in the midfield and if the center of defense can remain stout in the absence of Ferdinand. I fully expect them to at least provide the answers to those questions in the first round.

The United States enters this tournament with a bit of guarded optimism. Certainly the run they made in the Confederations Cup last summer in South Africa has done nothing but boost expectations in the States of what this team is capable of doing. That being said, the United States has more than just a few unanswered questions. Will Oguchi Onyewu be fit enough to play the important role he has to play for this team in order for them to advance beyond the group? Can Jozy Altidore take the big step towards international stardom? Who will partner Altidore in the absence of Charlie Davies? And does the United States have enough talent to beat the top teams in this year's tournament?

Given that this group is a bit of a "softie" as compared to the others in this tournament, I do not expect those questions to really be asked very much during the first three games of Team USA's involvement in this tournament. Their opener agaisnt England will likely determine who wins this group and is therefore the most crucial match of the campaign. And yet I expect manager Bob Bradley wishes that the England match came at the end of the group stage when perhaps his team may be more prepared.

Both Algeria and Slovenia have some decent players on their squads, but I do not know all that much about them and I do not expect them to really do anything in this tournament. I could be completely wrong though. Both have players who play for well-known clubs (Rangers, Portsmouth, Wolfsburg, Siena, Chievo, Udinese), but judging by the number of Portsmouth players that play for Algeria, they could be in for some problems in this World Cup.

Predicted XI's

England

4-2-3-1

GK: Robert Green

DEF: John Terry, Ledley King, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole

MF: Gareth Barry (CDM), Michael Carrick (CDM), Frank Lampard (RAM), Aaron Lennon (LAM), Steven Gerrard (CAM) (C)

ST: Wayne Rooney

United States

4-4-2

GK: Tim Howard

DEF: Oguchi Onyewu (CB), Carlos Bocanegra (CB) (C), Jonathan Spector (RB), Jonathan Bornstein (LB)

MF: Clint Dempsey (RM) Michael Bradley (RCM) Ricardo Clark (LCM) Landon Donovan (LM)

ST: Jozy Altidore and Edson Buddle

Algeria

4-5-1

GK: Lounes Gaouaoui

DEF: Rafik Halliche, Madjid Bougherra (C), Antar Yahia, Nadir Belhadj

MF: Djamel Abdoun, Yazid Mansouri, Hassan Yebda, Karim Matmour, Karim Ziani

ST: Abdelkader Ghezzal

Slovenia

4-3-3

GK: Samir Handanovic

DEF: Miso Brecko, Marco Suler, Bostjan Cesar, Bojan Jokic

MF: Aleksandar Radosavljevic, Robert Koren (C), Andraz Kirm

ST: Zlatko Dedic, Valter Birsa, Milivoje Novakovic

Players To Watch: Wayne Rooney (England), Frank Lampard (England, Steven Gerrard (England), Landon Donovan (USA), Clint Dempsey (USA), Tim Howard (USA), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Algeria), Karim Ziani (Algeria), Robert Koren (Slovenia) and Milijove Novakovic (Slovenia).

Predicted Group Standings

1. England
2. United States
3. Algeria
4. Slovenia

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The Damned United


Charles Klein

While at my local library, I browsed the shelves for some movies to watch in my fit of summertime boredom. I had heard about this movie before, and really liked Michael Sheen in The Queen and during his four episode arc on NBC's 30 Rock (there's only one Wesley Snipes!). So I decided to check it out, and loved it.

The Damned United is the story of Brian Clough's 44 days in charge of English football club Leeds United. It chronicles his time managing Derby County out of Britain's Second Division and to the First Division title the year following through flashback sequences. The film also stars Timothy Spall (Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban) and Stephen Graham (This Is England, Snatch).

For all fans of football (or soccer) this film is a must-watch. Sheen's depiction of Clough is spellbinding and everything in the film is absolutely authentic and faithful to English football of that era. It gives the viewer a brilliant window into what the second division grounds looked like and the atmospheres that set them apart.

As a person who is absolutely obsessed with football, I could not help but get swept up in the energy this film effervesces with ease. If I already was dying to go to England and experience football the way it is meant to be experienced, this film made me want to go even more.

But don't take my word for it, see it for yourself!

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group B Preview


Charles Klein

This group for me is an underrated group of death. While Argentina are the headliners and ought to progress to the next round, potential slip-ups for Maradona's team abound. Only six spots separate Argentina from Greece in the FIFA rankings and Nigeria does not fall too far behind them (at 21st in the world). South Korea made it all the way to the semifinals in 2002 when it hosted the competition and has plenty of skilled players who could cause an upset.

Ultimately though I have to go chalk in this one. I did give the Africa bump to South Africa but I do not feel the same way about Nigeria going into the competition. Nigeria may be without key man John Obi Mikel and I think they will falter against Greece's tight defensive play. I am a fan of Obafemi Martins and Danny Shittu has one of the best names in modern football, but for me they are to finish third.

I do not expect Maradona to be so incompetent as to manage his team out of the competition at the group stage. Lionel Messi is just too good to allow that to happen. Factor in the amount of incredible attacking talent this 23-man roster boasts and one has enough to put a few goals in even against Greece's park the bus style of play. Maradona is spoiled for choice here, as he has Aguero, Tevez, Milito and Higuain from which to choose. Argentina also has the strength of Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Sebastian Veron in midfield, as well as the pacy and much sought-after Angel Di Maria. Argentina are just too good, and will win this group.

Greece shocked (and bored) Europe and the rest of the world when they won the European Championship in 2004. Their style of play may be referred to as the exact opposite of how the Netherlands will play in this tournament. Greece tries to allow one fewer goal than the other team, and they are damn good at it too. They literally park the bus in front of goal and dare the other team to attempt to score on them. Greece attempt to bore the other team to pieces and then score when we all least expect it. I fully expect to find myself dozing off to sleep during at least one of their matches (probably the 4:30AM cracker with South Korea).

And last, and probably least, is South Korea. I am a huge fan of playmaker/gut-buster Park Ji-Sung (who plays for Manchester United) but I do not see enough attacking nous on this roster to break through the Greek defense or to outscore a team like Argentina. Unfortunately for South Korea, it appears that they will finish in the same spot of their group's table as their neighbors to the north.

Probable Starting XI's

Argentina

(4-4-2)

GK: Sergio Romero

DEF: Nicolas Otamendi, Martin Demichelis, Walter Samuel, Gabriel Heinze

MF: Jonas Guiterrez, Juan Sebastian Veron, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria

ST: Lionel Messi, Diego Milito

Players To Watch: Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Diego Milito

Greece

4-4-2

GK: Alexandros Tzorvas

DEF: Nikos Spiropoulos, Sotrios Kyrgiakos, Loukas Vyntra, Vasilis Torosidis

MF: Konstantinos Katsouranis, Giorgos Karagounis, Alexander Tziolis, Georgios Samaras

ST: Theofanis Gekas, Dimitrios Salpingidis

Players To Watch: Georgios Samaras, Sotrios Kyrgiakos

Nigeria

4-3-3

GK: Vincent Enyeama

DEF: Chidi Odiah, Joseph Yobo, Rabiu Afolabi, Taye Taiwo

MF: Sani Kaita, John Obi Mikel, Kalu Uche

ST: Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Ayegbeni Yakubu

Players To Watch: John Obi Mikel, Obafemi Martins

South Korea

4-4-2

GK: Jung Sung-Ryong

DEF: Lee Young-Pyo, Kang Min-Soo, Lee-Jung-Soo, Cha Doo-Ri

MF: Park Ji-Sung, Ki-Sung Yong, Kim Jung-Woo, Lee Chung-Yong

ST: Lee Dong-Gook, Park Chu-Young

Player To Watch: Park Ji-Sung

Final Standings

1. Argentina
2. Greece
3. Nigeria
4. South Korea

broken bones and broken World Cup dreams

Nuwan Peiris

Sometime between June 11th and July 11th, 736 players are going to leave South Africa empty handed. Some may exceed expectations, but only 23 will leave with the ultimate prize, the World Cup Trophy.

However some players are making the trophiless trip home prematurely, with a spate of injuries hitting potential World Cup suitors. The list of players in serious doubt to even make an appearance at this summer's tournament (winter for the hosts) isn't a list of lesser known players who we feel sorry for, for missing this opportunity of opportunities. Rather it's dominated by big names. A captain, a premier striker, a flying winger, a midfield rock, and a superstar of last World Cup. These are just the highlights, or rather lowlights, of a growing injury list leading to the June 11th kick-off of the World Cup.

Rio Ferdinand (England), Didier Drogba (Cote d'Ivoire), Arjen Robben (Holland), Michael Essien (Ghana), Andrea Pirlo (Italy). These are players either totally ruled out, if not highly unlikely to turn out at all for the tournament. Furthermore injuries for Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, have them as doubts for the opening fixtures. Throw in a couple more defenders and a striker, and you have a high profile starting XI of injured players who could miss the World Cup.

It once again throws into question the amount of football that is played today. Take Bayern Munich, who won a close race to the Bundesliga title, leaving them little room to rest key players (Robben) late in the season. In addition they went the distance in the DFB Pokal (German knockout cup) and went to the Champions League final too. That's over 50 games this season. Ironically Robben avoided burnout from Bayern's extended season because he was in the stands injured for much of it, missing nearly half of Munich's games.

Some even question the need for some of these superstars to play significant time in friendlies and warm up games for the World Cup. Obviously getting accustomed to the climate in South Africa, as well as to playing with international teammates again is important, but teams like Cote d'Ivoire in particular will rue the loss of their injured stars.

One can't help but feel for the aforementioned players. It's one thing to not qualify for the tournament or to be "Thierry Henry'd" out of the tournament, but to fall at the last hurdle, being injured in training not a week from the tournament kick-off is well and truly gutting.

The various injuries certainly impact each team to different degrees.

Drogba is one of the best strikers in the World and while Cote d'Ivoire still have talent in Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure and Aruna Dindane to name a few, their World Cup hopes very much rested on the shoulders (and intact arm) of Drogba.
The same can be said for Ghana, who are now missing half of the midfield duo that gives the Black Stars their drive. Michael Essien is a quality player on both sides of the ball (...sorry, I need to pause, it pained me to say that), and one that a team short on quality, like Ghana, could ill-afford to lose.

Where these African teams see their chances of World Cup success fade away, other teams can still rely on their quality-ridden squads to pull them through.

Italy may miss one of their stars of the last World Cup. Andrea Pirlo was man of the match 3 times in the 2006 tournament, including the semi final and final. His magic in midfield contributed to crucial goals (of which Italy didn't score many at all), including Marco Materazzi's header in the final. However Italy's squad is once again stacked with experienced players, and Pirlo's loss, while important, will not be a deathblow to the Azzurri.

Robben is in top form at the moment and football fans worldwide will sadly miss his blistering pace and play down the wing. However his loss to a star-studded Dutch team is far less than some of the other names on that list. If anything coach Bert van Marwijk's job has been made a little easier. Prior to Robben's injury there was a lot of demand for "the fab four" (Robin van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben) to all feature in the starting XI. This fearsome orange foursome would certainly terrorise their opponents, but the obvious risk was being caught short handed defensively. However with Robben out, van Persie, van der Vaart and Sneijder can all start, with the more than capable Dirk Kuyt taking a starting place on the field.

Rio Ferdinand's loss to England is somewhere inbetween the case of Robben and the case of Drogba / Essien, in significance to the team.
England's squad is up there with the best of them, and are probably top five favourites to win the Cup. However there may be one place where England cannot afford to lose a starter, and the central defense is it. Ferdinand has missed much of this year with Manchester United with back troubles, and has hardly lived up to his stalwart defense of the previous season. However with Ferdinand out now, England's formidable central partnership has more questions asked about it. Ferdinand gave the central pairing some height, and ability to defend set pieces. John Terry has shown himself to be a little more susceptible to aerial attacks recently. Not only that, but Ferdinand's back-up, Ledley King is as unable to retain his fitness as West Bromwich Albion are a spot in the Premier League. King would be an ideal replacement, a strong and powerful defender, but will most certainly only be able to play significant minutes in every other game. This is as a result of the same knee injuries that have prevented him from reaching his full potential.

England should be just fine without Ferdinand in the end, they have too strong a squad. Ferdinand doesn't quite compare to Beckham and Rooney in their primes, but he joins them on an ever growing list of England stars that fall prey to injury come tournament time.

Sadly the World Cup has lost some of its biggest stars before the tournament has even begun, and expect to see at least one or two more fall as the games progress. Although let's look at a positive from this unfortunate situation. Teams such as Portugal, North Korea (ok, this one is a stretch), Australia and Serbia see their chances of progressing from the group stage increase at the expense of Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana (although I still have both African sides progressing from their groups). Not only that, but a player who was cut from the initial 30 man squad of these teams, now has a chance to make an impact on football's biggest stage. Injuries to stars on some of the bigger teams may even make for a more interesting tournament, with more upsets.

All we can hope for now is a quiet, uneventful and injury-free next 5 days and 17 hours!

Memo To The Tennessee Titans: Pay Up!


Charles Klein 

The Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Johnson wants more money and the Titans do not want to give it to him. When I first heard this story, I was heavily biased in favor of Johnson, considering all he did last season was lead the NFL with 2,509 yards from scrimmage on only 408 touches.

But there is simply more to it than that. Since the 2010 season is uncapped, and restructured deals cannot increase a base salary by more than 30 percent. The only way that the Titans could adequately compensate Johnson is through a signing bonus.

The contracts of Steven Jackson ($44.8 million, six years) and Maurice Jones-Drew ($30.95 million over five years) have set the market for running backs over the past few years. Johnson is better than both of them, and yet if the Titans wanted to sign him to a deal of that nature they would have to pay $30-40 million dollars up front, which is not possible. The deal that Johnson deserves, somewhere around three years, $27 million is simply too pricey for the Titans.

So what is the realistic alternative for both parties? I would argue that a two-year, $10 million is the right middle ground. It allows Johnson to make more than his backup Alvin Pearman ($630,000) and will also make him a free agent at 26. This deal is good for the Titans because it gets Johnson back for training camp and the start of the season, something that right now anyway appears to be unlikely. If the Titans decide that Johnson is worth further investment, I am sure that they will have the opportunity to negotiate the contract that Johnson wants to get right now.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Imperfect Game


Charles Klein

For guys like Armando Galarraga, moments like what almost happened on Wednesday night never happen. Galarraga, an average pitcher at best, was one correct call away from a perfect game. But first base umpire Jim Joyce made a mistake and called Indians shortstop Jason Donald safe when replays clearly showed that Donald was out.

Not too long ago Armando Galarraga was pitching in the minor leagues. Although he had won 13 games last season, Galarraga is not a highly touted prospect of which much is expected by the Tigers organization. But at least for a moment on Wednesday night, Galarraga thought he was in the company of greats like Don Larsen and Roy Halladay.

The manner in which Major League Baseball handled the whole ordeal tells you everything you would ever want to know about the integrity of the game. Jim Joyce gave an emotional interview after the game where he remarked that he kicked the sh*t out of the call and wished that he could do something for Galarraga. After the game, Galarraga, when asked about the call said "nobody's perfect."

And then yesterday Jim Joyce was able to give the lineup card to Galarraga, who also was presented with a brand new Corvette by Chevy. It was an emotional moment for all parties involved.

For everyone lambasting Bud Selig because he did not reverse the original call on the field, there is more to it than just that call in that game. If Selig reverses that call, is he then obligated to re-award the 1985 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals? Until a real system is divised that can work instant replay into the game, Selig cannot and should not go around and play revisionist historian.

Baseball is not an instant replay sport. More than almost any other game, baseball just is not conducive to replay. The effectiveness of instant replay in the NFL has convinced many that such technology needs to be employed in every sport in every game.

And I could not disagree more. Sure it would be nice if Galarraga could still get his perfect game after an instant replay challenge, but incidences like what happened Wednesday night in Detroit are the exception and not a general trend. Officiating in baseball is not so poor that I constantly wonder to myself how different the game would be if instant replay was used.

Baseball is a game about human error. In no other sport does error play such a central role in how it is observed. In baseball there is a statistical category that measures it. As baseball fans we have come to accept errors as part of the game. Blown calls like the one that Jim Joyce made Wednesday night happen regularly with regard to balls and strikes. The strike zone, so intrinsic to how baseball functions, varies from umpire to umpire. Sometimes they call a pitch a strike that is a ball, and vice versa. But I've never felt that it was necessary to have instant replay to correct these calls, I just accept them, bicker about them, and let the game move on.

Ladies and gentleman, baseball is an imperfect sport. Failing, erring, seven out of ten times is considered success. We accept the games imperfections because its flaws also give birth to its biggest strengths. The emotion that resulted from Joyce's blown call brought baseball people together in a totally different way. To install instant replay simply because we have the ability to do so would do too much to change the game we have all come to love. If these errors are too much for you to take, I suggest you take the summer off and watch the NFL when it returns in the fall.

Hate it or love it, baseball is the imperfect game.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

An Open Letter To Ken Griffey Junior


Dear Mr. Kenneth Griffey Junior,

Before I get into all of your illustrious contributions to the game and to my life as a fan of yours, I would just like to thank you for saving baseball in Seattle. Thank you for being our guy when so many others have left us. You were the one that got away, and then you were the one that came back.

Allow me to tell you a story or two.

Today is a very sad day for me and for many of my fellow Seattle Mariners fans. For most of my generation, we all grew up with you. Our lives developed along the same timeline as your career. You made your Major League debut in the same year in which I was born.

My father at that time worked in the Seattle Mariners organization as the Vice President of Ballpark Operations. He used to walk me through the clubhouse as an infant past the lockers of Alvin Davis and your father. Mr. Mariner (Alvin Davis) would always check in to see how I was doing and my father also developed a minor personal relationship with you when you were first called up all those years ago.

Alas, my family moved to Kansas City right at the time when your career began to take off in earnest. My earliest memories as a kid playing and watching baseball are all of you Junior. I remember playing baseball out in the cul de sac, pretending to be you at the plate with my hat backwards, waiting for a fastball to smack into the neighbor's yard as I trotted around our makeshift bases, imagining that I was you. I would even volutneer to play center field, because that's where you played Ken for so many years.

As I pretended to be you on those dry, hot Kansas summer afternoons, you became the best player of a generation. Whether it was hitting home runs in eight consecutive games or robbing player after player of home runs by extending that arm of yours over the teal coloured walls of the Kingdome, your star shone brightest of all.

And then when I moved away from Maryland in 2000, you moved too. You left my beloved Mariners in order to go home to Cincinnati. I left my friends in Maryland to go to the place I had called home for the longest time in my life, Kansas. As fans of yours, we all understood on some level why you wished to return home. We mourned your departure, but prospered in your absence, making it all the way to the American League Championship Series and falling short of our World Series dream to the New York Yankees. Boy we could have used your bat then Junior.

And then next season in 2001 we tied the Major League record for wins in a season while your career began to decline due to injuries. I moved back to Seattle that year and man Griffey, I wish you would have been there to greet me at Safeco Field with that big smile of yours. The reckless abandon with which you patrolled center field at the Kingdome started to catch up with you. And as your career waned, so did our beloved Mariners.

As you struggled with injuries, we Mariners fans struggled to watch year after year of broken promises and bad contracts. When you returned on June 22, 2007 to Safeco Field for the first time, I was there too. You may have missed me in that sellout crowd on a beautiful summer night in the Pacific Northwest. 47,116 fans stood and applauded you as you came out to speak to us. And you told us everything we wanted to hear. There was not a dry eye in the house.

When you hit two homeruns on June 24, your last day in town, I was there too. I remember reflecting to my father that having watched you play and duplicate past glories by not only showing off the sweetest swing ever witnessed on a baseball diamond, but also with a diving catch, that I had seen everything I could have ever wanted. Little did I know you would come back just to dazzle me one more time.

Junior, during the summer of 2008 I worked at Nationals Park selling team merchandise. I remember as the trade deadline neared hoping that you would remain a Cincinnati Red so that I would have the opportunity to watch you play at least one more time. I even got the day off from work. But then Ken Williams traded for you and you went off to Chicago. I thought to myself, maybe I just missed out on my last opportunity to watch my favorite player of all-time in person. But thankfully it was not.

I remember in the cold winter of 2008/2009 anxiously awaiting your decision on which team would be your last. Never did the thought cross my mind of you in an Atlanta Braves uniform Griffey. It's like imagining you in Yankee pinstripes, you always knew better. You always knew where your true home really was. When you announced that you were returning to Seattle to finish your career where it all started, I remember myself being on the verge of tears Griff. As soon as I had the money, I bought your jersey online. The day it came was such a beautiful day.

When I returned home from school, my first priority was to get out to 1st Avenue and Edgar Martinez Drive to watch you play the game you always played with such ease and enjoyment. I sat behind home plate with my high school friend and fellow baseball aficionado Connor Folse. As we watched the game unfold, I couldn't help but wonder when you would make your mark on it. Sure enough you did. You hit a game-tying two-run home run over the right centerfield wall.

Barely a week later Junior, on my 20th birthday, you hit another home run. I remember saying to my family that if you hit a home run it would be the best birthday present of all. And you did Griffey, you did.

And then that tub of lard Carlos Silva carried you around Safeco Field at the end of 2009 as we all watched you with a mix of horror and fascination take what appeared to be your final lap around the beautiful stadium you did so much to help build. I thought to myself, so ends the career of the greatest baseball player and one of the greatest men to every play the game I had come to love.

But that simply was not you. Like the 1995 Refuse To Lose Mariners, you simply refused to believe that your career had ended. You were rejuvenated by the trades for Cliff Lee and Milton Bradley and the free agent signing of Chone Figgins. You thought maybe this would be the year you could win that World Championship you always wanted to cap off a brilliant career. But then you took a nap in the clubhouse Junior. Why did you have to do that? It allowed lesser men to make a mockery of you.

And on May 20 of this year, you finally committed your last act of late-inning magic. And I remember, because I was there. Sitting out in the left field corner on a cold Seattle afternoon, you made me believe that there may have been some magic left in that old bat of yours. With two on in the bottom of the ninth, you served a base hit into right field that plated the winning run. The few that were there to witness it had no idea this would the last time they would witness that beautiful swing deliver something great for the city of Seattle.

Your greatness was always a given Junior. The spot you received on the All-Century Team was more than deserved. It was made for you the moment you stepped on that ghastly astroturf they had at the Kingdome. As you once predicted, there would come a day when we would look for your big smile in that dugout and you would just be gone. You will always be our favorite son Griffey. And you have been an inspiration to us all.

Sincerely Yours,

Charles Klein and the City of Seattle.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup: Group A Preview



Charles Klein

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup a mere eight days away, it is time to start previewing what we may expect to see in the best event in sports. Group A is an interesting group for more than a few reasons. The first - and most obvious - is that the host nation might, I repeat might have a chance to qualify for the knockout stages of this tournament.

The other members of this group are notorious chokers who usually fail to live up to expectations. Most will recall that in 2002 France failed to qualify out of their group, including an historic loss to Senegal. Mexico do not really have the players to mount a serious challenge in this tournament and Uruguay, while it has an impressive attacking duo of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, their defense begs more than a few questions.

Enter South Africa. The host nation usually plays better than expected in these types of tournaments the emotional energy that will surround this team through its first three matches of this tournament will be incredible. While they certainly lack the star power of a team like Spain or England, South Africa does have a few star players of its own. Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise and Bernard Parker are all good players in their own right. Kagisho Dikagcoi plies his trade at Craven Cottage for Fulham and will be the steel in midfield for South Africa.

If this tournament were played anywhere else, I would not have any reason at all to pick South Africa to advance, but given the location and what this competition means to the host nation, the pressure will either galvanise this team to heights heretofore unknown or crush them. Here's to hoping it's the former and not the latter.

Predicted XI's

France

GK: Hugo Lloris

DEF: William Gallas (CB), Eric Abidal (CB), Bacary Sagna (RB), Patrice Evra (LB) (C)

MF: Flourent Malouda (RW), Franck Ribery (LW) , Jeremy Toulalan (CDM) , Abou Diaby (CDM) Yoann Gourcuff (CAM)

ST: Andre-Pierre Gignac (CF)

South Africa

GK: Shu-Aib Walters

DEF: Matthew Booth (CB), Aaron Mokoena (CB), Siboniso Gaxa (RB), Tsepo Masilela (LB)

MF: Kagisho Digkacoi (CDM), Teko Modise (C) (CAM), Steven Pienaar (LW), MacBeth Sibaya (RW)

ST: Bernard Parker (RF), Katlego Mphela (LF)

Mexico

GK: Guillermo Ochoa

DEF: Rafael Marquez (CB), Oscar Osorio (CB), Carlos Salcido (LB), Efrain Juarez (RB)

MF: Israel Castro (CM), Gerardo Torrado (CM), Giovani (RW), Jose Andres Guardado (LW)

ST: Guillermo Franco (RF), Carlos Vela (LF)

Uruguay

GK: Juan Castillo

DEF: Diego Lugano (CB), Diego Godin (CB), Jorge Fucile (LB), Bruno Silva (RB)

MF: Cebolla (LDM), Walter Gargano (CDM), Sebastian Eguren (RDM), Ignacio Gonzalez (CAM)

ST: Diego Forlan (ST) Luis Suarez (ST)

Players to Watch: Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Franck Ribery (France), Yoann Gourcuff (France), Steven Pienaar (South Africa) and Bernard Parker (South Africa).

Predicted Group Standings

1. France
2. South Africa
3. Mexico
4. Uruguay