It Can Only Get Better...Right?

Bumble-Bee Man Laments The Lack Of Goal-Scoring Chances

Well, the 1st round of games is in the record books. To be honest, it hasn’t been fantastic soccer. Too many teams playing too cautious and defensive. They’re afraid to make a mistake. I don’t think that’s going to get you very far as the tournament progresses, or at least I hope not.

Time to do a quick ranking system for the 1st round. I’m going to do 2 thumbs up and work my way to 2 thumbs down, selecting a team and a player for each, and then finish the column off with a couple of quotes.

(Author’s note: I wrote this before Switzerland’s upset of Spain, mainly because I thought the Swiss had no chance of winning…ok, so I was wrong…but I’m not amending my column, because Spain did everything but score, so there!)

2 Thumbs Up –
Team – Germany – The only one of the 32 teams who waged a full-on blitzkrieg on their opponent in the 1st round. Their offense was so potent that they could have been arrested on misdemeanor assault charges against the overmatched Aussies, who, thanks to a stupid straight red card on Tim Cahill, can kiss any chance they had of reaching the 2nd round goodbye. The Germans were easily the best team in round 1.

Player – (tie) Podolski and Klose – Germany – Forget that these two had less than stellar club seasons this past year. Coach Joachim Low showed why the players put their trust in him, as he fielded a nice mix of youth and experience that worked perfectly in game 1. Klose and Podolski were sharp from the get-go and seemed rejuvenated. If they can stay on form, Germany has as good a chance as anyone of winning the Title.

1 Thumb Up –
Team – Netherlands – They didn’t do anything spectacular against Denmark other than grind out a hard-fought 2-0 win. It was the kind of game the Dutch normally has a problem with, as it goes against their free-flowing style. But they did it without Arjen Robben, and although most critics said they weren’t inspirational Monday, that doesn’t mean they weren’t effective.

Player – Park Ji-Sung – South Korea – Scored a wonderful 2nd goal after stripping the Greek defender late in the game and calmly slotting the ball home. Big goal, as the 2nd place winner between them and Nigeria comes down to goal differential. Park, who plays for Manchester United, showed he is still a formidable threat in International play, and he will have a big role in deciding South Korea’s fate as the next 2 rounds begin.

No Thumbs –
Team – (tie) Ivory Coast and Portugal – It was obvious that neither team cared to score a goal by the time the 60th minute came around, even after Drogba made a heroic return for The Elephants. Only 1 great chance in the game; Ronaldo’s blistering shot caromed off the woodwork. What was viewed as arguably the best of the 1st round games disappointed most observers.

Player – Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal – Not great, not poor, just blah. As mentioned, he hit a shot off the crossbar in the 10th minute that would have probably been the goal of the tournament, but after that attempt, seemed to create little, other than some drama every time he fell to the ground. He needs to step up and be the leader of this team, and I’m not sure he’s capable of doing that right now.

1 Thumb Down
Team – France – They don’t like each other; they don’t like their coach; the coach doesn’t like them. It’s a perfect formula for failure…early failure. The team has talent but can’t get it together. I made the mistake of thinking they would do so once the tournament rolled around. However, after that ugly and uninspiring performance against Uruguay on the 1st day, I wish I could change my prediction about them. They have a chance to redeem themselves against Mexico in round 2, but I think El Tri will go around the French like the Nazis did the Maginot Line.

Player – Lionel Messi – Argentina – He actually didn’t play poorly. He was dangerous nearly every time he touched the ball and created numerous scoring chances. But at this level, and on this stage, he’s gotta put one of those in the back of the net. That game should not have ended 1-0 for the Argies, as they let Nigeria hang in until the very end. They could play great like this the entire game, but against tougher competition, against a team that can finish, they’ll go home trophy-less.

2 Thumbs Down
Team – Cameroon – One of the least inspirational performances I saw in the 1st round. There were a few other teams who looked bad, but for an African team playing on their home continent, I expected much more. They weren’t exactly playing a juggernaut in Japan, who were in terrible form coming into the tournament. Cameroon is really behind the 8-ball, needing at least a win and draw in its last 2 games against Denmark and Netherlands to even have a chance to advance.

Player – Frank Lampard – England – Yes, I know Robert Green let in one of the worst goals ever, but he did make a splendid save on Jozy Altidore in the 2nd half to preserve the draw. Lampard was invisible for the entire match except for the 1 free kick he took that wound up in the 8th row (though that’s just an estimate on my part). He completed most of his passes, but they were square or backward, and he made few/any offensive flurries into the U.S. third. He needs to do better. This team needs a 3rd option when Rooney and Garrard (aside from his early goal) are stifled, as they were Saturday night.

Notable Quotes
A text to me from Walsh when England’s starting 11 was announced for the U.S. game – “Thank God for Robert Green.” Nice prediction, Pat!

From ESPN announcer Martin Tyler when Cuauhtemoc Blanco entered as a sub for Mexico against South Africa – “He’s not quite the oldest player in the competition, but he certainly is the heaviest.”

Check back for Pat’s analysis after the 2nd batch of Group games are done on Monday.

Thanks for reading and continue to enjoy the Cup!

And The Winner Is...

Okay, less than 24 hour before the Greatest Show On Earth (screw you, Ringling Brothers!) begins. From 24 hours of straight pre-Cup coverage on ESPN2, to the fact that every game will be shown live, to the surprise that bars and restaurants actually advertising that they’re showing the games, and every major media source in the U.S. sending multiple reporters, I believe soccer has truly arrived in the country. Sure, we catch World Cup fever every 4 years, but with the expected ratings to be at an all-time high in this country, our domestic leagues drawing bigger crowds and bigger name players (just wait to see who comes over when the Cup ends in July), and the aforementioned media coverage of the sport on multiple networks, I think this could very well be the watershed moment for the sport here. Am I going a tad overboard? Perhaps. But the buildup to this thing in the U.S. is unprecedented, so even if the USA falls flat in the group stage, hopefully the country won’t turn off their televisions and go outside in the summer sun for a few more weeks.

So now it’s time for our final group of predictions. I’ll start, Walsh will chime in, and then we’ll let the REAL experts weigh in on the whole thing. Strap yourselves in, folks, this is gonna be pretty long-winded.

5 1st Round Games You Gotta Watch:
England vs. United States
France vs. Mexico
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast
Netherlands vs. Cameroon
Honduras vs. Chile

5 Players You Don’t Know Yet (But You Will)
Carlos Vela (Mexico)
Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Milos Krasic (Serbia)
Alberto Gilardino (Italy)
Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)

5 Players Most Important To Their Team’s Success
Mesut Ozil (Germany) – Can he play without Michael Ballack?
Diego Forlan (Uruguay) – Can he score enough to get them out of a balanced group?
Oscar Cardozo (Paraguay) – Can he score goals in place of Salvador Cabanas?
Tim Howard (United States) – Can he bail out an unstable defense?
Christian Eriksen (Denmark) – Can he justify the comparisons to Michael Laudrup?

5 Things You’ve Gotta Do Over The Next 30 Days
Watch a game at a restaurant with other people
Watch a game at home with just your loved one, even if they don’t watch soccer (my wife, for example)
Find a lesser-known blogger or journalist actually IN South Africa and follow their work (try Steve Davis at dailysoccerfix.com)
Find a website at work that streams the games live (just beware of the boss)
Ignore the inevitable soccer-bashers. Let them take pride in their xenophobic racism.

So, you’ve pretty much heard enough from us about this over the past 2 weeks, so we thought we’d reach out to some friends of the blog (who just happen to have WAY more credibility than we do) and get their thoughts on the tournament and what they expect:

Dave Johnson (DC United tv announcer) - Spain...I think...I never get this right, but I worked out a Brazil/Spain final.

Mike Ammann (former MLS goalkeeper) – No guarantees in soccer but I really like Spain. As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Switzerland I hope they both do well.

Christian Miles (Fox Soccer Channel) – Brazil. This is a harder, more organized team. They might not have the attacking pedigree of the Seleccaos, but they are more resilient.

Tim Holt (President of USL) – I’m not exactly going out on a limb, but I’m picking Brazil (note: Tim was one of only 2 people who correctly picked Italy in 2006).

Tony Sanneh (Former MLS player) – BRAZIL!!!!

Ronnie Pascale (Richmond Kickers) – I like Netherlands (so do Walsh and I, Ronnie!). They’ve been rolling through everybody and are in great form.

Marc Connolly (Journalist) – Spain. Argentina might have the most talent, but Maradona won’t be able to make it all work.

Leigh Cowlishaw (Head Coach – Richmond Kickers) – Italy. They have experience, discipline, and sophistication. The climate won’t hurt them either.

Dustin Swineheart (voted to USL’s All-Time “Best XI” Team) - Brazil. They are the New York Yankees of soccer. They have a history, and a taste, of winning. Germany and Italy are solid but don’t have all the pieces, and Spain and England are very good but haven’t proven themselves in the Cup in quite a bit.

Phil Schoen (Gol tv) – No surprise here, but I have Brazil beating Spain in the Final. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost to Netherlands in the [probable] quarterfinals, though.

Kamiar Momeni (Head Coach – Southern Polytechnic State) – Gotta go with Brazil. Argentina is great but Maradona is too unstable. My darkhorse team is Cameroon.

Craig Stouffer (Examiner) – Netherlands over Spain in the final… Like most of the country, I got burned by Kansas in the NCAA tournament, so at the risk of looking stupid when Spain runs away with the whole damn thing, or Brazil prevails with anti-jogo bonito, the World Cup is going Oranje.

Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City Wizards defender: Because it's been 8 long years since they won the World Cup and they have a coach with a flat top, I'm going to select Brazil as my champions of the World!

Steve Taylor, MLS Assistant Referee: I feel pretty good about Brazil's chances. I mean, a team that can leave Ronaldinho off the roster is an amazingly strong side. That said, every MLS referee I spoke with is pulling for Argentina, since we hear that Madonna will run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked, and let's face it, she may be getting up there, but she's still smokin' hot. And her connection to Argentina is obvious, remember that song she did, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina?"

And finally, Walsh and I pick:

Bushman – I know this looks bad, but I really do have Netherlands over Spain in the Final…PROVIDED Robben is fit. If not, Spain wins their first World Title.

Walsh - I hate picking chalk like this, but Brazil would be the team I'd have money on if everyone had the same odds. They've avoided the injury bug thus far aside from a minor knock to Julio Cesar and it appears their only problem is they aren't playing beautiful enough for the fans. Sounds like a winning scenario to me. My final four will be England losing to Brazil and Spain beating Serbia setting up a dream match up for ABC (outside of the U.S. making the finals that is!).

So there you have it; our picks, things to watch, and things to do. not much more I can add. We've had a great time over the past 2 weeks picking games and writing almost every day, and now it's time to sit back and enjoy the next 30 days.

We'll be back often throughout the Cup, but to say we'll do something every day is a bit of a stretch since, and I'm being honest here, we'll be knocking back more than a few during the games. So we'll wait until our heads get a little clearer before pontificating on what all the teams are doing wrong.

Again, we can't thank you enough for reading and following us! Enjoy the tournament!

Bushman and Walsh

An Added Bonus

Typical Packed Blackbaud Stadium for A USL2 Game

Amid all of this world Cup hoopla, there is still domestic soccer going on. MLS is shutting down for 2 weeks, but the USL continues. We're approaching the midway point of the USL2 season, so I wanted to take a minute to touch on that.

Charleston leads the way with 21 points, but has 2 games in hand over Richmond, who have 15 points and battered the Battery (ha ha!) 3-1 in their first meeting this past Saturday in Virginia's capital. The teams play again this week with a return bout at Blackbaud Stadium. Like this past weekend, this is essentially a 6-point game. A draw or win helps Richmond tremendously, while a Charleston win gives them an 9-point advantage in the standings and the inside track to the regular season title, a bye to the Championship game, and home-field advantage for it.

"It's the key game in the season, I think," said Kickers Coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "If we can get 3 points, it becomes very interesting."

Charlotte is 1-point behind Richmond with 14 points and have done well after a sluggish start to the season, and Real Maryland has 11 points through 10 games, half of which have resulted in ties. Pittsburgh and Harrisburg are bringing up the rear with 7 and 6 points, respectively, but according to USL2 Director of Operations Amanda Duffy, "I think the Pennsylvania teams are starting to hit their strides."

USL President Tim Holt said "I was in Harrisburg recently, and they have a ton of talent but are somehow at the bottom of the table...but I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them get into the top 3 by the end of the year."

As for the players, many are in agreement.

"To be honest, it's more competitive than some of us thought," said Richmond's Ronnie Pascale. "The level of play is really high and you have to be ready to go every game."

He's right. Before beating Charleston last week, the Kickers suffered a 3-1 home shellacking at the hands of then last-place Pittsburgh.

So the teams are fairly even on the field. But does this competition work in the bigger picture against a higher level of talent, such as the U.S. Open Cup tournament which starts for USL2 teams next week?

Says Duffy, "The true testament of these teams will be once that [Open Cup] gets underway...the matchups are challenging but I can see several of the teams advancing pretty deep into the competition."

We'll find out next week as a couple of USL2 teams play teams from the 1st Division NASL. Richmond hosts Crystal Palace Baltimore while Charlotte hits the road to take on the Carolina Railhawks.

We'll be back late Thursday evening for a final look at our World Cup preview. Look out for some additional picks and things to look out for from Pat and I. Better yet, we've been talking to a bunch of players, coaches, and league executives to get their thoughts on whole is going to win the whole thing. So check back tomorrow.

Thanks!

What You've All Been Waiting for...

Well, Walsh and I took the weekend off to rest up for what will undoubtedly will be a busy month. Now we're not saying we'll post every day until July 11th; I'll be at the beach for the 2nd week of games, and will be enjoying them with more than a few cold ones. Not sure if it's a smart thing for me to drink and blog, but we'll see. Pat does it all the time, though (sorry, that was too easy). Pat will put up his Group C and D picks tomorrow, while I get 1st crack at 'em today. And let's start with Group D and hold off C for last since it's the U.S. Gotta keep y'all in suspense.

Oh, yeah, the 3rd team we put money on? Netherlands, in case you haven't read our earlier blogs. That makes us 3 for 3 in the injury department when it comes to wagering on World Cup teams for us. Enjoy that money, Vegas!

Group D - Germany, Serbia, Ghana, Australia

Germany vs. Australia - I thought this might be a good match, but the more I read, and then having watched Australia's terrible dress rehearsal against the U.S. on Saturday, I think the Aussies are going to have a tough time. Germany is a great tournament team, and even without Ballack, should be just fine in Game 1.
Germany 2 - Australia 0

Serbia vs. Ghana - This is another one of my top 5 1st round matches (I'll reveal the others in Thursday's column). I really liked Ghana going into this Cup, and thought they could do some damage, but the loss of Michael Essien kills them on and off the field. SI's Grant Wahl really thinks Serbia is a darkhorse in this tournament, and he's got a pretty good track record.
Serbia 2 - Ghana 1

Germany vs. Serbia - The winner of this match probably avoids a really tough Round of 16 matchup (who will be revealed later in this column). I think both teams will be cautious in this one, fearing the other's counterattack. Whoever gets the first goal will be content to sit back and defend, but it won't work for 90 minutes.
Germany 1 - Serbia 1

Ghana vs. Australia - After losing their 1st game, both teams will have to go all out to try to pick up 3 points, as the result from the earlier game puts them both 4 points back of the leaders. This will be a wide-open affair with lots of chances from both sides. The last team with the ball might win it, but the tea leaves say this'll end with a draw.
Ghana 2 - Australia 2

Ghana vs. Germany - Again, the Germans would be content with a tie, as it will guarantee them a place in the next round. Ghana is once again forced to come out swinging, and will leave acres of space for the German counterattack to pounce upon. Germany scores early, and then puts 2 more in to give them a good enough goal differential to win the group. A late goal from Ghana makes the result in the other game interesting.
Germany 3 - Ghana 1

Serbia vs. Australia - The Serbians, like the Germans, will be keeping a close eye on the other's game, as it may (probably?) come down to goal differential for 1st and 2nd. The difference is that Serbia doesn't have the weapons offensively that the Germans have, so they won't score enough.
Serbia 2 - Australia 1

Final Standings:

Germany - 7 pts. +4 goal diff.
Serbia - 7 pts. +2 goal diff.
Ghana - 1 pt. -3 goal diff.
Australia - 1 pt. -3 goal diff.

Group C - England, United States, Slovenia, Algeria

England vs. United States - As badly as I want to do so, I won't go into lengthy details about what the U.S. has to do to win. Suffice it to say that if playing chess was the equivalent to coaching, Fabio Capello could spot Bob Bradley his Rook and his Knight and still have checkmate in 6 moves (Walsh and I worked on that one)...However, England's suspect goalkeeping could keep this interesting.
England 2 - United States 1

Slovenia vs. Algeria - I'm still stunned Algeria got past Egypt to get here in the 1st place, as they are easily Africa's weakest qualifier. Slovenia beat the favored Russians to get here, and although they have the smallest population of the 32 countries in South Africa, they certainly don't play that way.
Slovenia 2 - Algeria 0

Slovenia vs. United States - Although it's game 2, this could be make or break for both teams. A win puts the U.S. on the inside track to 2nd place, while a draw or win by Slovenia puts them in the driver's seat. I keep going back and forth with this one, trying to go with my head instead of my heart. In the end, though, I AM going with my head and saying this game comes down to talent and desperation. The U.S. has the edge in both categories.
United States 2 - Slovenia 1

England vs. Algeria - Wayne Rooney has an excellent chance to win the Golden Boot (most goals) in this tournament. I think he scores both against the U.S. and adds another 2 in this one, as the English essentially wrap up 1st place going away.
England 4 - Algeria 1

Slovenia vs. England - As mentioned before, England has the 2nd round secured by this time and might want to rest a few players. Slovenia can advance with a draw, depending on the U.S. game which occurs simultaneously, but they can't afford to take that chance. They go all-in for the 3 points but are stymied by the English organization and counterattack.
England 1 - Slovenia 1

United States vs. Algeria - Like Slovenia, the U.S. needs to go for 3 points to assure safe passage to the round of 16. On paper, this game should be a win for the Yanks, but the rest of the world hates us and will be rooting for Algeria, whose disappointing World Cup campaign can be salvaged with a win over the evil Westerners (am I going overboard just a tad? Seriously, this game means a world to Algeria if they were to beat us)
United States 3 - Algeria 2

Final Standings:
England - 7 pts, +4 goal diff.
United States - 6 pts +1 goal diff.
Slovenia - 4 pts, +1 goal diff.
Algeria - 0 pts., -6 goal diff.

So, according to my results, 2nd round matchups are:

England vs. Serbia
Germany vs. United States

Tune in tomorrow to read Walsh's take on the 2 groups, and keep checking all this week as we have a ton more info to throw at you. As always, thanks for reading!

NEXT!

You think HE'S in pain?...Walsh and I had money on this friggin' team!

Time for Groups G and H. Wow, that Drogba injury just a had a dramatic effect on the first round and beyond. Plus, since Walsh and I (again) had money on them doing well, you just knew karma was going to strike us down. So our last hope is for Holland, although, come Monday, it'll be revealed that Arjen Robben got a staph infection after misusing the bidet in his hotel room. Friend of the blog Kevin did say we should switch our money from Holland to England.

So, here's Walsh's take on Group G, and then I'll follow up with Group H. Yes, Joe, we skipped C and D and will be bringing them to you on Monday. We have to give YOU grief because we're quite sure you're the only one who reads us... But I digress. Take it away, Pat:

Group G - Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast, North Korea

Ivory Coast vs. Portugal - C'mon, Portugal couldn't even score against a country named after some salsa and you think they’ll win this one? Sure they just beat Cameroon, but Eto’o was begging to leave that game. Of course without Drogba, Ivory Coast have lost their luster. I still think they win this game though.

Ivory Coast 1, Portugal 0

Brazil vs. North Korea - Not going to be any video of this one shown in Pyongyang (it’s been reported that North Korea will only show positive highlights of their World Cup games). Brazil has to score plenty to give themselves a big goal differential in case it comes down to a tiebreaker with either Portugal (unlikely) or Ivory Coast (possible). Julio Cesar doesn’t need to rush back from a recent injury. Oh, and take the over in this one.

Brazil 4, N.Korea 0

Brazil vs. Ivory Coast - This was the best match of the group stage until Drogba’s elbow broke. It would have been for first place in the group. Ivory Coast still have a good side, but without their best player and captain they can’t win the group. Unfortunately with Dunga it won’t be a pretty win for Brazil.

Brazil 2, Ivory Coast 0

Portugal vs. North Korea - Cristiano Ronaldo might think Kim Jong-il is someone he’ll bang after the game, but instead he'll bang in a couple of goals against the worst team in the tournament. This one won't be worth waking up at 7:30 to see. Just wait and watched the condensed five-minute version on YouTube at halftime of one of the later two games.

Portugal 3, N.Korea 0

Brazil vs. Portugal - Seems like 2002 all over again for the Portuguese as they have a chance to advance heading into the final match of the group stage and fail. Brazil could choose to rest some players, but they'll surely want to win the group to (potentially) avoid Spain in the Round of 16. GOB Bluth is just trying to figure out why two South American teams are playing each other in the first round.

Brazil 1, Portugal 0

Ivory Coast vs. North Korea - Sven-Goran Eriksson (the only reason Ivory Coast wouldn’t advance prior to the Drogba injury, by the way) can rest some guys, especially those on a yellow heading into this one and still comfortably advance. Might North Korea try to trade a nuke for a goal?

Ivory Coast 5, N.Korea 0

Final Group Standings:

Brazil - 9 pts, +7 GD

Ivory Coast - 6 pts, +4 GD

Portugal - 3 pts, +1 GD

North Korea - 0 pts, - 12 GD

Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland

Honduras vs. Chile - Maybe the most important match of this group is the first one out of the gates? Intriguing...Both teams have a star named Suazo, but Chile's will probably be out of this one while Honduras' looks healthy and in good form. I'm a little biased because of their geographic affiliation with the U.S. (still hate Mexico, though), but anybody who looks past the Catrachos will be in for a big surprise. The Chileans are the first to find that out.

Honduras 2- Chile 1

Spain vs. Switzerland - No pleas for neutrality from the Swiss here. Spain won Euro 2008, but were stunned by the U.S. in last year's Confederations Cup. This is without a doubt the best team they've put together, and anything less than at least a 3rd place finish will be considered a disaster. They start off with a resounding win.

Spain 3 - Switzerland 0

Chile vs. Switzerland - With the chances pretty good that Spain beats Honduras later in the day, the winner of this match is back in contention for the 2nd round. The loser is out. Chile HOPES to have Suazo back by this time, and if so, he'll make the difference.

Chile 1 - Switzerland 0

Spain vs. Honduras - Honduras loves to attack, but they can't run and gun with a superior Spanish team who will run them off the pitch. The 2nd place finish in this group could come down to goal differential, so expect Honduras to bunker in and look to counter. It won't happen.

Spain 2 - Honduras 0

Chile vs. Spain - Most teams prefer getting their toughest game out of the way early, but that isn't the Chileans luck. By this time, Spain will be into the 2nd round and might rest a few players. However, remember how people say Brazil's "B" team was better than almost everyone else's "A" squad? Well, the same can be said for the Spaniards now. The prediction here is that Spain is the only team who won't give up a goal in the 1st round.

Spain 2 - Chile 0

Honduras vs. Switzerland - The Swiss still have a slight chance to advance if they can win this game and score a couple of goals in the process. But that isn't their style, so look for Honduras to use their speed and athleticism to take advantage of some mismatches and send the Swiss packing.

Honduras 3 - Switzerland 1

Final Standings:

Spain - 7 pts, +7 goal diff.

Honduras - 6 pts, +1 goal diff.

Chile 3 pts, -2 goal diff.

Switzerland - 0 pts, -6 goal diff.

According to this we have:

Spain vs. Ivory Coast

Brazil vs. Honduras

Back on Monday with the final two groups.

Skipping Ahead

Italy didn't go to 11...

We're back for day 2 of our game-by-game perfect predictions. We do know the alphabet, but we're saving the U.S.A. Group until Monday. With the corresponding matchups in the second round we skipped Group D as well. So here we go again. Bushman has Group E and Walsh has Group F (once again, the easier group to predict).

Group E - Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Netherlands vs. Denmark - The winner here has the inside track on 1st place in the group. Denmark is solid all the way around, but the same can be said of Holland...and then they're better in those same spots. The Dutch prove early they're in it to win it with a resounding triumph over the Danes (full disclosure; Walsh and I have money on Holland to win the whole thing. That being said, c'mon, they're pretty damn good this time around).

Netherlands 3 - Denmark 1

Japan vs. Cameroon - Japan has looked pretty bad in their warmup games heading into the tournament. Some say those games don't mean anything, but I disagree; they set the pattern for the tournament. Cameroon comes in as one of the best African teams. I don't buy it, but with Samuel Eto'o, they have enough firepower to probably get past the group stage.

Cameroon 2 - Japan 1

Netherlands vs. Japan - The Dutch pick up right where they left off against Denmark and overwhelm the Japanese. By the 80th minute, Japanese coach Takeshi Okada, who offered to resign before the tournament even started, commits hari-kari rather than fly home in disgrace.

Netherlands 4 - Japan 1

Denmark vs. Cameroon - After the result from earlier in the day, this becomes the most important game in the group stage. The winner probably survives while the loser goes home. Neither team will make things easier on themselves as they fight to a stalemate, setting the stage for a dramatic final day.

Denmark 1 - Cameroon 1

Netherlands vs. Cameroon - Already assured of advancing, will Holland rest their starters or go ahead and make sure they try to win the group? I say they go for it to assure themselves of an easier 2nd round game against a pretty weak 2nd place finisher in Group F. However, if Cameroon plays a defensive game (a draw would ensure that they advance), the Dutch will take their foot off the gas and sub out some of their stars.

Netherlands 0 - Cameroon 0

Denmark vs. Japan - The Danes will go all-out to win and get goals in the hopes that Cameroon loses, then it'll get down to goal differential. They make a valiant effort but are powerless to have an effect on the other game going on simultaneously. Japan just wants to go home and start preparing for 2014, but not without first playing the role of spoiler.

Denmark 1 - Japan 1

Final Group Standings:

Netherlands - 7 pts, +5 goal diff.

Cameroon - 5 pts, + 1 goal diff.

Denmark - 2 pts, -2 goal diff.

Japan - 1 pt, -4 goal diff.

Group F - Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Italy vs. Paraguay - Italy has a striker (Giuseppe Rossi) who could be starting in Group C while Paraguay has a striker (Roque Santa Cruz) who couldn't start for Manchester City. Just sayin'. Paraguay plays a defensive style, but there's no way they can match Catenaccio. However, the Italians are notoriously slow starting and Paraguay steals a point here.


Italy 0, Paraguay 0

New Zealand vs. Slovakia - Once again New Zealand heads to South Africa as the weakest team in their group. They just won't get the point they earned last year. Slovakia has enough players to easily dismiss the Kiwis. Hey, at least New Zealand isn't the country that forced Crocodile Dundee and Fosters on us.



Slovakia 2, New Zealand 0


Slovakia vs. Paraguay - This is the match that will determine who goes through in second place behind Italy and have the honor of having their ass kicked by Holland. Paraguay, again with the defensive effort, will do enough to squeak past the lesser half of the former country of Czechoslovakia.

Paraguay 1, Slovakia 0

Italy vs. New Zealand - It's a shame this is the 10 o'clock game and the one above is at 7:30 am on Sunday the 20th. In other words, plan on getting getting all the chores your wife needs done so you can settle in for the Brazil - Ivory Coast game at 2:30 pm that afternoon. I like New Zealand, really I do, just not when it comes to picking them to get a point especially as Italy starts ramping things up.

Italy 3, New Zealand 0

Slovakia vs. Italy - By now the Azzurri should be rolling and Slovakia will show they just aren't up to par with the rest of the European nations. This would have been a great match for Giuseppe Rossi to get a start and make sure an American scored in South Africa. However, he's going to be at the shore in Jersey. (PS: I understand Rossi's decision, but that doesn't mean I'll pass on giving him crap for not being selected.)

Italy 2, Slovakia 0

Paraguay vs. New Zealand - The South Americans finish off the All Whites with a resounding win, but don't win the group thanks to goal differential. Former D.C. United captain Ryan Nelsen adds to his his legend by becoming just the third New Zealand player to score at a World Cup. Pretty sure the other two didn't score as much off the pitch though (Bushman's note: Walsh is right. After DC United games, this guy had a friggin' harem waiting for him when he came out of the locker room...he also nailed a pretty hot journalist who used to work for ESPN; extra credit if you can figure out who it was...)!

Paraguay 3, New Zealand 1



Final Group Standings:

Italy - 7 pts, +5 GD

Paraguay - 7 pts, +3 GD

Slovakia - 3 pts, -1 GD

New Zealand - 0 pts, -7 GD



2nd round matchups are then:


Netherlands vs. Paraguay

Italy vs. Cameroon

Tune in Friday for Groups G and H.


Thanks for reading!

And Now, Right Here On Our Stage...

Okay, we promised it to you last week, and now we're gonna deliver: Walsh and I will CORRECTLY pick all 48 opening round games over the 1st 2 weeks of The World Cup tournament. Okay, so maybe we won't be that accurate, but it beats the crap of analyzing and over analyzing every group, which is what most everybody else will be doing from now until June 11th. And, as Walsh told me, it beats having to go through every roster, learn every name, and try to somehow work them into a bloated preview (I'm paraphrasing).

So, we might fail spectacularly in this effort, but dammit, we're gonna try to entertain you. We'll do 2 groups a day this week, and then go and do our best next week to pick the rest of the bracket. And yes, we will both do a preview/prediction for Group C, but we'll save that for Friday.

Let's get started: I have Group A and Walsh has Group B:

Group A - South Africa (host), Mexico, France, Uruguay

South Africa vs. Mexico - The opening match of the tournament. Mexico is solid, and have looked pretty good in their games leading up to the opening day. However, a very well-known college coach told me over the weekend: "The fix is in for South Africa...FIFA has already seen to that." Ouch!

South Africa 2 - Mexico 1

France vs. Uruguay - There are those who say France will be the biggest casualty of the 1st round. With their sex scandal (hopefully) behind them, I see Les Bleu getting by with just their superior talent alone. Uruguay's team is one of their stronger ones in years, but they got a pretty tough draw.

France 1 - Uruguay 0

South Africa vs. Uruguay - After the emotional win in the 1st game, Bafana Bafana will struggle in this one in a little bit of a letdown. Leaving Benni McCarthy off the final squad might come back to haunt them. Uruguay stays in contention by getting a late equalizer.

South Africa 1 - Uruguay 1

France vs. Mexico - I think this is one of the 5 best matchups of the opening round, as this game could very well decide who goes on and who goes home earlier than they expect. This should be a wide-open affair, with super-sub Thierry Henry (never thought I would type that sentence) getting the late-game heroics. Shockingly, Mexico is eliminated after the 2nd game.

France 3 - Mexico 2

France vs. South Africa - If my predictions are correct (and you just KNOW that they will be), France will already be through and South Africa will only need a draw to advance. The French probably wont rest that many starters as they'll want to win the group to avoid 2nd place and a showdown with...well, Walsh will tell you when you scroll down. S.A. will settle for the draw and keep alive the fact that the host country in the Cup has always advanced to at least the 2nd round.

France 0 - South Africa 0

Mexico vs. Uruguay - Uruguay will go all out to get the 3 points and score goals to hopefully slip past South Africa on goal differential. However, Mexican pride will rise up and El Tri will put on the type of complete performance they failed to show earlier in the tournament.

Mexico 3 - Uruguay 1

Final Group Standings:

France - 7 points, +2 goal diff.

South Africa - 5 points, +1 goal diff.

Mexico - 3 points, 0 goal diff.

Uruguay - 1 point, -3 goal diff.

Senor Walsh, the floor is yours...

Gracias, gracias. Not sure I would've picked the group that way -- in fact I'm positive I wouldn't have -- but that's why this is fun. So here goes with what will go down in Group B (maybe in honor of the Bidets Maradona had installed in Argentina's hotel).

Group B - Argentina, Nigeria, Greece, South Korea

Argentina vs. Nigeria - The first 7:30 am game (at least here on the East Coast) of the tournament will be well worth waking up for. Will Messi find a way to blossom under Diego Maradona, the Argentine legend he is always compared to but doesn't like? Nigeria should bring a wide open game and allow the diminutive Argentine room for a couple of early morning highlights.

Argentina 3, Nigeria 1

South Korea vs. Greece - Sandwiched between the early game and the U.S. - England match that afternoon, many will look to pass on this for some sleep. I say drink on and pray for an early South Korea goal to pull the Greeks out of their shell. However, expect the Greeks to play their drab defensive game and score on a set piece, a weakness for the South Koreans.

Greece 1, South Korea 0

Greece vs. Nigeria - Again, the Greeks will try to put everyone behind the ball, though that's not an easy task against the speedy and more physical Nigerians. There are a couple of strikers, like former Newcastle hit man Obafemi Martins, who can make the Greeks pay for any mistakes. Just not sure how the Greeks plan on paying though...

Nigeria 2, Greece 0

Argentina vs. South Korea - Another wide open game for the Argentines who can clinch a spot in the knockout stages with much more ease than they clinched a spot at the World Cup. (Insert Maradona telling everyone to suck it!) With no points in two games, South Korea really need their bid for 2022 to come through so they can get out of the group stage again.

Argentina 3, South Korea 0

Nigeria vs. South Korea - Like Bushman said above, FIFA will want as many African teams into the Round of 16. Perhaps it's karma for the Koreans beating Italy in '02, but a couple of questionable calls put the Super Eagles through in a tight game.

Nigeria 2, South Korea 1

Argentina vs. Greece - The soccer gods smiled on Maradona by a) not drug testing coaches and b) letting the Albiceleste advance before playing the rugged Greeks. This won't be a pretty match, but the Argentine reserves who get to play will not lay down for Greece, who need a win to have a chance at advancing. Fortunately for those fans of the beautiful game, it doesn't happen.

Argentina 1, Greece 1

Final Group Standings:

Argentina - 7 pts, +5 GD

Nigeria - 6 pts, +1 GD

Greece - 4 pts, -1 GD

South Korea - 0 pts, -5 GD

With these standings, Argentina will play South Africa and France will play Nigeria in the Round of 16.