2010 FIFA World Cup: Top Moments & Recap

Charles Klein

Now that we are almost a week removed from probably one of the worst finals in World Cup, we can best assess what we witnessed over a month's worth of top shelf international football. Having had a bit of cool-off time as a strong supporter of the Netherlands (and my pre-tournament pick to win it) I can evaluate everything a bit more objectively (although objectivity is never anything I've ever guaranteed here).

Let's start with the final. I had to miss the live telecast because I had to work a Mariners game and so the fact that the tension seemed to be out of it for me probably diminished the excitement of the event. As a footballing contest it was incredibly spare. Most of that is down to the tactics that Bert Van Marwijk decided to utilise for the Netherlands. Instead of trying to play their usual brand of football the Oranje elected to foul the living daylights out of the Spanish midfield, which aside from stacking up an inordinate amount of yellow cards stymied the Spanish pass masters for 116 minutes.

Over the course of regular time, more than a few players were fortunate to play a further part in the final's latter stages. The two guiltiest miscreants were unsuprisingly Nigel De Jong of the Netherlands and surprisingly Andres Iniesta of Spain.

As the video shows below, De Jong was more than fortunate to only receive a yellow card for this challenge:

Not long after this play Iniesta, frustrated by what he believed was persistent fouling by Mark Van Bommel, took the Oranje agitator to ground unseen by Howard Webb. This was a cynical take down with no attempt to play the ball (which was not even close to where Iniesta's foul was committed) and Iniesta was incredibly fortunate not to be booked at all for his challenge. 

Aside from foul controversies, there was very little in terms of gilt-edged chances for either side to grab a hold of the proceedings. It was one of those matches where the commentators continually say things like "All this match needs is a goal" etc. Arjen Robben had the two best Dutch chances of the match, each time failing to put the ball into Iker Casillas' net. 

The first and best chance Robben had came in the 62' when he was one on one with Casillas. Instead of either chipping Casillas or firing a more powerful shot, Robben's substandard effort careened off the outstretched leg of St. Iker and harmlessly out of bounds for a corner. Robben came close again not long after that, but was foiled by Carles Puyol, who by the FIFA rule book was guilty of at least one foul on Robben in the build-up. 

The match continued on into extra time, where Dutch centre back Johnny Heitinga received his second yellow card on a questionable decision by referee Webb. Heitinga appeared to put his hands on Iniesta, who upon contact immediately went to ground. For me if it is not an obvious foul it is best not to call it, especially in that situation. Webb elected to send Heitinga packing and from that moment on it appeared almost inevitable that Spain would find some way of scoring. And in the 116' on a goal from Andres Iniesta Spain won its first World Cup. 

Overall this World Cup will be remembered for its singular moments of ecstasy and disappointment that few sports are better at providing than soccer. 

Best Goal of the Tournament: Giovanni van Bronckhorst vs. Uruguay 

For me this was a difficult decision, but ultimately after much review and debate I decided to go with this goal over Siphiwe Tshbalala's firecracker which opened the tournament and Landon Donovan's winning goal versus Algeria. Van Bronkhorst has not scored a ton  of goals for the Netherlands in his international career, but none proved more important than the one which opened the scoring of their semifinal with Uruguay. 

After all, goals must be evaluated on style first and in the event of a tie, things like import come into play. 

Speaking of Landon Donovan, his goal against Algeria was one of the biggest moments of the 2010 World Cup. If anyone needed proof that soccer (at least every four years anyway) could become popular in the United States, they would need only watch this video: 

Please try and tell me those people don't look excited! Team USA's run in this World Cup, however brief (only four games), provided some of the best matches of the tournament. Whether it was Robert Green's Hand of Clod or the inexplicable foul committed in the box in the late stages of their thrilling comeback against the Green Dragons of Slovenia, the Americans never failed to entertain. It was truly disappointing to watch them lose to Ghana in the round of 16, especially after coming back once again to tie it at 1-1. Few moments like the one in which I heard commentator Ian Darke temporarily lose his cool yelling "GO GO USA" after Donovan's winner will ever eclipse that goal. I was sent sliding on the carpet of my bonus room floor, pumping my fist and yelling to the dismay of my sisters who didn't understand how important a moment it truly was. 

Probably one of the funnier moments of the World Cup, especially if you are not a fan of Les Bleus. Their training ground protest was ever so French. I mean really, what typifies that country's history more than its protests and rebellions? It was only fitting that the most unpopular Frenchman since Louis XVI be sent off in a similar fashion. I'm not sure why Raymond Domenech was allowed to manage this team in the World Cup when his ouster was already signed up for Euro 2012 (Laurent Blanc), but it became abundantly clear that this team would not play for Domenech. 

The greatest act of infamy at this world cup was not a head butt but rather a volleyball spike off the line. In the Ghana vs. Uruguay quarterfinal match, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez used his hands to deny a certain winner by Ghana in the dying embers of extra time. He was properly punished with a red card for his actions and in his slow trot off the pitch witnessed Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan send his penalty kick smack into the crossbar. Suarez's professional foul allowed his team to have another bite at the apple, one they took with relish, advancing to the semifinals to lose to the Netherlands.

The quality of the video is a bit lacking, but it's all I could find.

Suarez was unjustly villainized for his actions. He was booed continually in the third place match versus Germany by the South African fans in attendance. I understand that people were pretty angry about Ghana going out in such fashion, but it was a case of passions overruling rational behavior. Any player in world football would have made the same play that Suarez made to give his team a chance to win such an important match. Furthermore, it was not as if Suarez went unpunished for his foul. He received a straight red card and a one game suspension, par for the course as far as precedence goes for that type of foul. 

And now it is time for me to give out my World Cup Awards.

Golden Boot: Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)

Silver Boot: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

Bronze Boot: David Villa (Espana)

2010 World Cup XI

GK: Iker Casillas (ESP)

DEF: Carles Puyol (ESP), Sergio Ramos (ESP), Philipp Lahm (GER), Maicon (BRA)

MF: Wesley Sneijder (NED), Xavi (ESP), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Thomas Muller (GER)

ST: Diego Forlan (URU), David Villa (ESP)

Overall this World Cup was definitely one to remember. Whether you supported Team USA, who reached the knockout stages of this tournament for the second time in three attempts, Espana, who won its first ever World Cup or if you just watched this World Cup to see what all the fuss was about, its almost absolutely certain that there was a little something for everyone. 

While soccer may not have quite taken off in the United States (not that it has to for the survival of the sport in a big picture sense), it certainly had plenty of Americans watching and paying attention to every kick of the ball. Most will be pleased to never have to hear another vuvuzela again (I know I am), even though I, like everyone else, just got used to the annoying noise meaning that a game was on. Getting up at absurd times, drinking alcohol at abnormal hours of the day and being brought together as a nation for a few weeks in support of a national team are things I will never forget about the 2010 World Cup. I can't believe we have to wait four more years for something like these feelings to come back, but it will assuredly be worth the wait. 

And I almost forgot to mention Paul the prognosticating Octopus who picked every single match of the 2010 World Cup in which Germany participated (and the final) correctly. The German Octopus now has his own iPhone application dedicated to him. In a World Cup, anything is possible, even for cephalopods.

No Guts, No Glory: The LeBron James Story

Charles Klein

So we have it. LeBron James is going to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami next season. The decision that is supposed to alter the course of NBA history for the next decade was made and pretty much no one was happy about it; except for Miami Heat fans anyway.

The terms of both James and Bosh's contracts have yet to be hammered out, as Miami hopes to complete a sign and trade deal with the Toronto Raptors. James cited the opportunity to play with guys like Wade and Bosh as the main reason for leaving his hometown team. All three are going to end up taking pay cuts in order to try and win a title together.

According to James "All three of us are ultimately going to take less money because we wanted to all play alongside each other, and we feel like we can be great together. And hopefully [Heat president] Pat [Riley] and the rest of those guys, [Heat owner] Micky [Arison], can bring some guys in to help us out, which we believe."


Only a week ago the idea of the three of them all signing for the Heat seemed impossible. Chris Bosh even referred to it as "pie in the sky" (that man definitely has a way with words...). I believed most of the media criticism of the deal that James would not want to go play for Dwayne Wade's team, that his huge ego couldn't take it. I really thought he would stay in Cleveland and if he left it would be to play for the Knicks. 


Instead he goes to Miami where he will provide the final piece to the biggest three in recent memory. Who else the Heat could possibly get to play with them remains a mystery. 


Now that we know the final results of the "LeBron Sweepstakes" we also know the real winners and losers of NBA free agency. The biggest loser in all of this has to be the Cleveland Cavaliers. And to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, the phrase graceful loser remains a novel concept. 


"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE." This statement alone sounds like some high school-aged teenager's facebook status, not something written by an owner of a professional sports team. 


I just wonder where all of this newfound determination that Gilbert speaks of in his letter was when they still had James. Why didn't they do enough to keep James happy? Seven years is longer than most of those sorts of relationships last. Eventually one party realizes how much better they are than the other and moves on. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. 


How can the rest of the NBA look at the Cavaliers and call them a classy organization. Open letters are things best left to impassioned fans and bloggers, not to owners. Dan Gilbert, here's my open letter to you. And I promise I'll keep it short.


Dear Dan Gilbert,


I am sure it hurts to lose a player of LeBron James' caliber. He's probably already done enough for your franchise to merit retiring his number at the Q. Next time you get a player like that do try to surround him with better talent than you did this time around. 


Yours,


Charles H. Klein


p.s. It's really that simple. 


p.p.s. Maybe you ought to blame Delonte West instead...


The other big loser is the New York Knicks. They believed their own hype and it led to their deserved misery. I was listening to Colin Cowherd the other day talk about how New York was going to miss out on James for one obvious reason: New York teams have a much harder time luring players to the city when there is a salary cap involved. The Yankees and Mets succeed primarily because they make so much more money than most teams based on their market size and therefore are better positioned to convince marquee names to sign with them. While the Knicks could have given James as much money as the NBA would allow, he was in a position to make even more if he had signed with Cleveland. Combine that fact with one more: the Knicks don't have anyone else on the roster.


Signing Amar'e Stoudemire did nothing to persuade James that the Knicks were serious about being a good team in 2010. And the Knicks severely overpaid for Amar'e. But that's an article for another time. James clearly did not want another Cleveland where he would have to do literally everything to win a championship. I'm sorry Knicks fans, but even with Amar'e James' supporting cast in New York would have been worse than the one he had in Cleveland, and he would not have been making as much guaranteed money. I know that James could have made a bundle of cash playing in New York, but whose to say that that money won't be available when he is done playing?


Will James win a championship in Miami any time soon? With Orlando and Boston retaining their teams from their trips to the NBA Finals, it does not appear to be an easy road even with Bosh and Wade to help carry it. Both Boston and Orlando have greater depth than the Heat and have more winning experience than the Heat.


One thing is certain: this year will be an exciting one for the NBA.


Cue that Will Smith song...

Why the World Cup trumps all

Justin Thrift

In the entire world of professional sports, across hundreds of pro leagues and into the depths of our many athletic past times, there is no single event greater (or more important) than the FIFA World Cup.

Here’s why:

Yesterday we watched the Netherlands reach the Cup finals in an enthralling match that sent an entire nation into a state of unstable euphoria. It also left another nation in a steep state of frustration, disappointment and despair. If you watched this game, you saw shots of downtown Amsterdam aglow with orange haze, crowds as big as President Obama’s inauguration, and a party more intense than New York’s New Year countdown and Los Angeles’s Laker parade, combined.

Have you ever played the ’90s computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon? The people of Uruguay likely looked like those park guests when you make confusing paths for them to walk on or place them in impossible situations: lifeless, dejected, and tired.

These emotions are some of the more potent that humans can experience over athletics. Sports give us the chance to experience them together, bonded with pride for our teams, players and cities or countries. They join us in moments of passion for our rooting interests and they take over our lives at times. Right now, I can’t imagine anything being more talked about, thought about, or important in the Dutch nation than the World Cup final.

The World Cup embodies all the reasons why we love watching sports in the first place, and it does so in ways that no other professional sports league can.

Here at home, the Dutch victory over Uruguay was not the only big story on yesterday’s SportCenter. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even the biggest. Lebron James once again took that honor, increasing his streak of complete ESPN domination to over a month—an amount of time that has eclipsed the NBA finals themselves. We’re obsessed with the culmination of Lebron’s decision; half the Nation is drooling in hopes of him rescuing their team from droughts of failure and losing seasons. Everybody seems to have a theory on how Lebron will screw Cleveland over, and who he will do it for. But the reasons are simple: money and championships.

ESPN announced yesterday that not only will James be announcing his decision live on Thursday, but it will be showcased inside a lucrative primetime special. As if the process hasn’t been painful enough for Cavalier fans, this ought to be the icing on the cake. King James, as legions of faithful Ohioans have dubbed their poster child over the past seven years, is not only a native of the land he has played for since his days in youth basketball, he IS Cleveland.

At the World Cup, this kind of betrayal (or “business,” if you like), could rarely occur. It means more than an NBA title or MVP trophy: you’re playing strictly for your nation and the people who live there. You’re playing to make those crowds climax together. You’re playing for the coaches who taught you how to trick a defender. Wherever King James decides to play next year, there’s no place on earth where winning will feel as good for him as Cleveland. No fan base will show him off as proudly as his native Ohioans, the people who he grew up with and dedicated his career to thus far. Over the past few years, Lebron has become synonymous with Cleveland, like Messi to Argentina or Drogba to the Ivory Coast. 

On Thursday, there’s a chance he could severe that bond and add to the reasons why the NBA, like many other professional sports leagues, is nothing more than a scam where those involved benefit more than we could ever imagine.

How would the people of England react if Wayne Rooney announced he needed time to assess his future with England before he could commit to the team? They’d say good riddance, and tell him to bugger off. If your significant other requested some time to think about your relationship, you’d probably pack his/her bags for them. If he/she said they would announce their decision to you and all their potential suitors at the same time, you’d likely feel ill.

This past month, numerous soccer players from around the world went to South Africa with one goal in mind: representing. Many players even turned down the prospect of playing for a top contending country in order to play for their original birth country: when dual citizenship provides a way to get ahead, it’s still pride that brings players back to the country closest to their hearts.

That said, it’s no wonder that 2010s USA World Cup team had people running up 6^th avenue in Manhattan chanting our Nation’s name and flying the flag high at 10 am. As sports fans, we’re thirsty for this kind of unity and passion, and the World Cup brings out the passion in players. It has the almighty ability to make greedy backstabbing players such as David Beckham into loyal servants, even if only for a month.

That’s why the World Cup rules all.

My sympathies go out to you, Cleveland. 

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. 

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.

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.

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)

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