On Holland v. Brazil: Who will win

This is the most important match so far in the tournament. It is the belief of many, including myself, that the winner of this game will be very likely to win it all. But before we cut to the projected scoreline, let's go over what this game means to the tournament.

The two sides that are meeting here are two legends of football. On one side of the Atlantic, you have the magnificent Oranje known as simply the "Dutch Masters," and that name suits them, as they've invented their own style of play, total football, and they also sport one of the most impressive rosters of superstar players year in and year out. In one of the most traditional countries on earth, football runs through the people's veins.

On the other side of the Atlantic, you have the authors of the term "The Beautiful Game." Or at least, if they didn't coin it, someone coined it watching them play. Brazilians play, historically, with a calm, crafty, off-the-cuff style of play in which every players individual talents are utilized to their fullest potential while still preserving a great team element that propels them to victory over any side. And talent is never a problem in Brazil, as Andy Gray says in Fifa 10, Brazil literally have enough players "to field seven national teams." And that's just got to be true. Look at all of the players who weren't selected: Ronaldhino, Ronaldo, Alexandre Pato. Or even the ones who are some of the best in the world at what they do and can't start because some other great player is sitting in their spot, like Barcelona star Dani Alves who sits on the bench while Inter Milan phenom Maicon towers onfield.

So that's what these teams represent historically, but what about in this tournament?

Let's start with Holland. There has been some griping that Holland have been "boring" to watch because they aren't scoring enough. But let's look at the facts. Holland haven't lost a game since 2008. They were undefeated in qualifying and ran the table in their group. They've only conceded one goal in this tournament. This is a team that's absolutely on fire, and just because they aren't scoring four goals a match doesn't mean that they don't know how to win, because they obviously do.

Now for Brazil. Brazil have impressed massively in this tournament, as one would expect. But people have started asking questions, particularly with the injuries of key players like Felipe Melo and Elano. They also conceded a goal against North Korea in their opener, and some were a little nervous even as the final whistle blew in that match on a 2-1 win for the Brazilians. That said, they still ran the table in their group and pretty much handed Chile their asses in the first Knockout match.

These teams however are also remarkably similar. Both have been criticized for not being as creative as past sides, but are still doing as good as they could possibly do. Both are also key players in world football and came into this tournament as favorites to win it all.

This was a tough one to call, but I think I have decided who I think will win this one: Holland 3-2 Brazil.

I think Holland is going to win this one, but I imagine it will be very close and the Oranje may need 120 minutes to decide it. But I think Holland are going to win this game for a number of reasons:

1. Arjen Robben v. Michel Bastos. This match-up will decide the game. Robben is back and, as he shown with his miraculous goal against Slovakia, he's ready to do some damage in this tournament. With Robben back, the Dutch just look more lethal. When he gets on the ball and starts cutting in on that left foot, you can't help but think something big is about to happen for the Dutch. And I think the inexperienced Bastos, who has been playing quite well mind you, is going to have a problem with "Yellow-Shoes Man," as my girlfriend first called Robben before she knew his name.

2. Injuries on Brazil. Elano is an inspirational talisman of the Brazilian side of 2010. With him gone, a lot of air can go out of them. He's the guy who can pull them up by their boot-straps when they are down, he's the guy who can deliver perfectly weighted passes to Fabiano streaking down the middle. To make matters worse, his replacement Ramires won't be available because of a yellow-card suspension. I think that the Dutch holding midfielders with stars like Mark Van Bommel, Nigel De Jong, and Wesley Sneijder will be able to win the battle in the middle of the field, especially with a crippled Brazilian center.

Out wide, Brazil will have to cope without Felipe Melo, who in all honesty wasn't a particularly marvelous player in the first place, but he was a great passer of the ball and he represented the majority of Brazil's pace away from the ball getting behind defenders. I would expect Dunga to put in one of the younger guys with comparable skill to Melo, like Nilmar or someone like that, but we'll have to see.

3. Juan is kind of an idiot. Juan, the center defender of Brazil, has scored a goal in this tournament, but he's also been playing like a bit of an idiot. His tendency to ball-watch is what gave Drogba his headed goal in the Ivory Coast match, and his other tendency to be woefully out of position is what gave North Korea their gift of a goal in the Brazilian opener. Basically Brazil's central defence is characterized by Lucio cleaning up Juan's mess, and I think that Holland are particularly good at making messes really messy, particularly if that mess is made by a defender giving the ball away in his own half, being out of position, or just giving away free kicks with ridiculous handballs and bad challenges. Watch for Brazil's number 4 to give Holland their first real chance on goal.

4. Holland's defence are great at shutting down individuals. If you think about most of Brazil's goals so far, they have come from great individual efforts by either Fabiano or Robinho, with the exception of Elano's goal and his assist in a goal Fabiano scored, but those don't count because Elano is done, as we know.

This is important because Holland's defence is characterized by great pressure on the ball and a stalwart desire to keep people out of the penalty area. Of course that leaves them open to balls over the top and coming in from out wide, but you get the point. What I'm saying is that Holland's defence is structured around preventing goals from being scored the way Brazil likes to score goals.

5. Robin Van Persie wants to prove himself. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of Van Persie. He's kind of a little brat and he really doesn't seem to be particularly good at finishing his chances. Right now he has one goal, and he was supposed to be a front runner to win the Golden Boot. Other Golden Boot contenders like Luis Fabiano (3) David Villa (4) and Gonzalo Higuian (4) are clearly really far ahead of him. But I think Van Persie is pissed, I think he's going to come into this game with the clear intention of staying in this game for the duration, and keeping Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, a 23 year old phenom from AC Milan that I am quite a fan of, on the bench. Van Persie knows that he's got a youngster with the same goal tally as him breathing down his neck, and he also knows that his name is nowhere near as fun to say as "Class-Yan-Hoont-a-lar."

These are my keys to a Dutch victory that I think is going to happen. How full of crap am I? Comment!

On Holland v. Denmark: Three things to watch for tomorrow from one of the favorites to win the World Cup

Holland (AKA Netherlands) is going to win this game. It's just a question of by how much. I think it'll be 3-1 personally. Holland's got some problems in defense (possibly their only weakness), and may even concede an early goal. But the Oranje this year have fielded one of (if not the best) team they have ever had. So, going in to tomorrow, I want to give my three keys to watch for tomorrow from this extremely talented country.

1. Total football. This is a system invented by Dutch club Ajax in the early 70s and was famously implemented by Holland in the 1974 World Cup, where most of the players were actually from Ajax. In this system, any player that moves out of his position is quickly replaced by another. It's much more complicated than that, but that's the basic system. As a result, any player on the field can become a defender, midfielder, or attacker. The Oranje have made this system famous, and while it's implementation is not as "total" as the '74 side, it is still the hallmark of Holland football and will be on display in the opening game. It's success is based on the adaptability of the players on the pitch, and this Dutch side is not short on talent at all. Their starting line-up consists of Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Rafael Van Der Vaart (Real Madrid), Wesley Sneijder (Champions League winning Italian side Inter Milan), Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, injured, unfortunately), Nigel De Jong (Manchester City), and Mark Van Bommel (Bayern Munich). All of these guys play in the top clubs at the top level of club play in Europe and some are considered the best in the world at their positions. These guys make total football look easy, and could be the most adaptable side in the Oranje's history.

2. Scoring chances. Lots and lots of scoring chances. The Netherlands pass a lot. They also shoot a lot. They have probably five guys that can hit the target from any angle on the pitch from 25 yards out or farther. This is a team that can score, and they can score a lot. They made a business out of it, having an undefeated qualifying run for the World Cup and an undefeated record in friendly matches. Particularly, watch for Robin Van Persie to take a shot that you'll never expect and upper 90 it off the cross-bar. Sneijder can also slot them in like it's his job.

3. Wesley Sneijder free kicks. You've probably heard of Ronaldo's famous free kicks, but a rising star from set pieces is Wesley Sneijder. He's basically automatic, has a great curve on the shot, and can hit them from pretty much any angle. Make sure to pay attention when he gets behind the ball. Did you watch any of those videos? They're pretty cool. Just saying.

These are my three key things to watch for tomorrow morning at 7 AM (that's right, fire up those DVRs or set an alarm! You won't want to miss this). Do you have other keys or think Denmark has a chance in hell? Comment!

On France: What makes them the most balanced team in the world

France is not my favorite team. I'm actually pretty sure I have no feelings about them whatsoever. But, when looking over their roster, it's incredible to realize how much balance this team has, in every aspect of the game. Let's examine this.

1. Power and speed in attack. Franck Ribery (pictured above) is really fast. But, he's not Theo Walcott fast (who runs like a track star who happens to have a ball at his feet), this is controlled speed. This is speed that can stop on a dime, cut in, and deliver a cross. To my knowledge, other than Portugal's Simao, the previously mentioned England's Walcott, and Holland's Arjen Robben, no other player is known for breakneck pace like Ribery is. Ribery sets the pace for this team, and you should watch France if only to (try) and see him on the ball.

But then they've got guys with great power too, like Yoann Gourcuff, whom I discussed yesterday. So France can gash you with their pace, and then break your back with their heartstopping shots.

2. Age. Some teams in the world cup this year, like Germany, Holland, and in my mind Brazil, are getting a little old. Like, all of them. Other teams, like Argentina, are full of a lot of youngsters. France has a lot of both, the perfect mix really. And this shows with their captain, Thierry Henry. Now, Henry didn't play his best football this year, riding the bench at Barca, but he's still a leader on and off the field. Then they have guys like Gourcuff, who are in their first World Cup and are eager to make their debut.

3. Balance at every position. Let's start from the back and work our way forward on this one. Lloris is a great goalkeeper. So great, that many think that a lot of the reason why Lyon made their run in the Champions League this year is because of his outstanding reach and reaction time.

In defense, they have William Gallas, who is arguably the strongest defender in football. He's also a cocky asshole, which is needed on the back line of any great team. Then they have Patrice Evra, who is, in my mind, the best defender on the ball in the world. His crosses are absolutely superb, and his ability to get up the field will allow Ribery to get into the box, where that speed and agility will come in very handy. Also back there is Bacary Sagna, who has been known to get up field and take a whack or two, adding some power into the mix. They round it out with Gael Clichy, a solid, all-around good defender.

Midfield is where the talent really starts to show. In the defensive midfield positions, they have Alou Diarra and Jeremy Toulalan, one of the most reliably impenetrable combinations in Europe. Out on the wings, they have Ribery and Florent Malouda, who is also wickedly fast. Then up top in the middle is the man of the hour, Gourcuff.

Finally, up top, they have Nicolas Anelka who was recently described by The Sun as "the world's most complete striker," Henry whom we have already talked about, and Andre-Pierre Gignac, who's got some great skills.

All in all, I can't think of another team that has this kind of balance in every aspect of football (shut up Spain). France is a darkhorse to win the Cup, in my opinion.

On Fernando Torres: Why Liverpool will be better off without him

It's been a rough year at Anfield. The Red faithful have seen their golden boy Steven Gerrard's form dipping dramatically, an extremely disappointing seventh place finish putting them out of the Champions League for next season, and, finally, the debilitation of their star Fernando Torres. Torres scored 18 goals in League play this year. Which isn't bad at all. But it wasn't enough to keep the Reds, who had trouble defending most matches, in their usual top 3 spot. And it's a total with a big asterisk, *injuries. Torres was on and off the pitch this season, whether it was for mere exhaustion or ligament problems. Injuries are never fun, and it's probable that had Torres been able to stay healthy, Liverpool may have had more of a shot in the Premier League and probably would have won the Europa Cup too.

Don't get me wrong, Torres is a marvelous player. You are looking at basically the best player on the ball since Maradona. He's got the perfect balance of finesse, work ethic, ball control, passing ability, and raw talent that is currently making every major club drool.

So what's with the title? What would ever make Liverpool want to lose this guy? The answer lies in exactly who is looking at him. Right now, Manchester City and Chelsea are both offering record breaking (mind boggling) transfer fees for Torres. Chelsea looks to be the more likely to acquire Torres at this point, as the Spanish striker wants a shot at the Champions League, and City just missed the qualifier this year. More on that later.

So let's look at two big reasons why Liverpool benefits from losing Torres to Chelsea.

1. A laundry list of great players. Chelsea has offered the following players to smooth things over for Liverpool's transition without Torres: Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira.

Liverpool has their pick of any three of those. They don't really need Bosingwa because they have Glen Johnson, but obviously the skilled French striker Anelka would help fill Torres' shoes. The Portuguese Deco is an established legend and would be a welcomed sight at center field, where he would likely replace Italian teenager Aquillani. Kalou would be a great attacking midfielder to sub in for Gerrard, because god knows that kid gets tired sprinting his ass off to every ball that comes his way. He would also come in across from newly acquisitioned Maxi Rodriguez and fan favorite Dirk Kuyt, creating possibly a perfect storm of crosses raining in on the 18 yard box. But probably the best bet for Liverpool would be either of the center defenders offered, Carvalho and Ferreira. The full-back position at Liverpool this year has been a merry-go-round of players, none of which seemed to be able to keep the pressure off of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, which ended up not being so bad for him, as he was able to prove his worth to the Spanish national team.

2. Transfer fee. What do you do with 80 million pounds? A better question: what don't you do with 80 million pounds? This is an earth-shattering amount, and easily eclipses last year's record 42 million Man U was paid for Ronaldo to move to Real. The possibilities are endless. Maybe make a move for a high profile guy like Robin Van Persie, or, if Bayern loses the Champions League final on Saturday, a guy like Arjen Robben. Maybe go for a better defender, like Squillici, who's riding the bench at Real Madrid. Maybe try to sneak David Silva away from Real Madrid (though they'd have to move fast for that). Maybe you go for a really great midfielder, like Sneijder if Inter loses the Champions League final. The point is, you can do pretty much anything with kind of money.

If Torres goes to the Bridge next year, all hope will definitely not be lost for the Reds.