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.